His parents settled on a tract of land about two miles northwest of the present town of Saxton, Pa. The settlement was first called Stonerstown. His father was a tanner and pursued that occupation in the new location. As to Jonathan's occupation, he is reported to have been a farmer and a tanner.

Jonathan is said to have had poor health, and this may account for his early death when near 45 years of age. He was buried in the Stoler Cemetery which is near the old home place.

He married Dec. 6, 1818, Sarah Donaldson, daughter of John Donaldson and Esther Ralston his wife. Jonathan Brode's sister Sarah married Andrew Donaldson, a brother of Sarah Donaldson. Descendants of this family still live near the old home place a few miles east of Saxton Pa., at Little Valley.

Jonathan and Sarah had eight children as follows: [omitted]. The family lived for a time in the large house of Samuel Brode, probably until his death in 1836, when they moved to a smaller house not far away. After Jonathan's death they continued here until 1848 when the family broke up housekeeping and left that valley and went to live with the daugher Anna Barbara who had married Charles Funk and lived in Woodbury. Samuel [eldest son] married and continued to live in Bedford County. Esther married and also remained in the same locality [but later moved west]. The other members of the family moved farther west. In the spring of 1852 the mother with children David, Elizabeth, Isaac and Andrew moved to Whitley County, Indiana. The Funks went to Buda, Illinois and lived there for five years. The others excepting Isaac followed in 1854. Andrew married Sarah Stidham and remained in Illinois, David went on to Iowa. Elizabeth married Obadiah Lineaweaver and they with the Funks and the mother went to Tipton, Iowa. David remained in Iowa, while the others went to Harvey County, Kansas. The mother returned to Illinois and spent her last years with her son Andrew. Elizabeth and Andrew later moved to Los Angeles, California where some of their children had gone before them.