USA > Maryland > Washington County > Hagerstown > A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown > Part 91
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· Baltimore, Md .; Veronica Fannie, born July 11, 1826; Michael, born March 30, 1828, died in ser- vice during the Civil War, in 1861; Jacob, born November 24, 1829, is deceased; Magdalene, born December 23, 1830, died November 8, 1831; Au- gust, born October 27, 1835. Mrs. Christiana (Herr) Stouffer died January 21, 1837. In 1842, John Stouffer came to America, and settled in
Lancaster County, Pa. Hcre he died July 26, 1861, at Wabash Mill, in East Cocalico Township; he was buried at Indiantown meeting-house, where a tombstone marks his grave.
After his marirage with Fannie Stouffer, George Keener continued farming in Lancaster County until the spring of 1877, when he re- inoved to Washington County, Md., settling on the "Samuel Strite farm," near Fairview. Herc he died, May 3, 1878. His widow lives at the house of Samuel Martin, in Con- ocochicague District. The children of George and Fannie Keener were : John,. born May 3, 1854, owns and resides npon a farm of 45 acres, near Paramount ; Henry, born January 29, 1856; George S., born February 27, 1859 ; Maggie, born in November, 1861, married J. C. Miller, of Han- over, Pa .; Christiana, born in 1863; Fannie, born in February, 1864, is deceased; Amos, born in 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Keener were members of the Mennonite Church.
George S. Keener was educated in the com- mon schools of Lancaster County, and was brought up as a farmer, which vocation he has followed during all his active life. He was married to Eliza Strite, a sister of Rev. C. R. Strite; their children are: Mary M., born January 3, 1883, died October 5, 1884; F. Ella, born January 3, 1884; Aaron D., born July 12, 1886; John C., born November 14, 1887; an infant, born August 28, 1891, died a few days later; Anna F., born April 10, 1893; Paul Edgar, born June 24, 1901. At the time of his marriage, Mr. Keener settled on the old "Reiff farm," containing 100 acres of excellent land, which he owns. He is also a stock- holder in the Cearfoss and Hagerstown turnpike.
On November 24, 1892, Mr. Keener was ordained a minister in the Mennonite Church. On October 12, 1899, he was ordained Bishop, and has the oversight of all Mennonite churches in Frank- lin County, Pa., and Washington County, Md. He and his wife and eldest daughter belong to the Reiff Mennoite Church.
REV. STEPHEN W. OWEN, D. D., pastor of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, of Hagerstown, Md., was born near Scotland, Frank- lin County, Pa., September 13, 1837, son of John. W. and Elizabeth (Kieffer) Owen.
The Owen family is of Welsh extraction. Dr.
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Owen's paternal grandfather came to this country in early manhood. before the Revolution. He married Miss Walker, an English lady, who was a relative of the celebrated lexicographer of that name. Their son, John W. Owen. was born April 22. 1286, in Franklin County, Pa. ; he died near Fort Loudon, in the same county, in 1853. He was of a studious nature, and obtained, largely by his own efforts, a fine education. For forty years, he taught in the Franklin County schools. His politics were originally Democratic, but in 1840 he voted for Gen. Harrison, and from that time was an adherent of the Whig party.
Jolin W. Owen was married, February 19, 1820, to Elizabeth, daughter of Abraham Kieffer, of Franklin County, Pa., whose German forefath- ers were also early settlers of that State. She was born April 27. 1799,and died Septembr 13, 1860. Thy had thirteen children, of whom eight attained to mature age: Alexander, deceased, a minister of the United Brethren Church, and at the time of his death, in 1861. president of the Otterbein University, in Ohio; Abraham K., for- over half of a eentury in the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, died in 1904, aged eighty years ; Wilson, also a minister of the United Brethren C'hureh, who died at Orrstown, Pa., in 1815; William O .. a minister of the Baptist Church, who served several congregations in cast- ern Pennsylvania, ineluding one at Valley Forge, and is now retired ; Catherine, deccased : Eleanor, deceased; Selina, deceased ; and Stephen W. John W. Own was a life-long member of the Presbyter- ian Church, and the thorough and beautiful Chris- tian training bestowed upon their family by him- self and his excellent wife, bore fruit in the very unusual spectacle of five brothers, all of whose lives were devoted to the ministry of the Church.
Rev. Dr. Stephen W. Owen received his ed- ucation in the Franklin County schools, under the care of his father. At the age of eighteen, after his father's death, he went to Richland County, O., where he began teaching school, and at the same time, studying law under the guidance of Delino, Sapp & Smith, of Mount Vernon. O. But before being admitted to the bar, his attention was turn- ed to the work of the ministry, and, feeling that to be his true vocation, he returned to Pennsyl- vania, and entered the Missionary Institute of Theology, now Susquehanna University, at Schn's Grove, Suyder County. This was about 1800. In 1863, he graduated from the theological school
and was liceused to preach the gospel in 1864, by the C'entral Pennsylvania Snyod of the Luther- an Church. In the Fall of that year, Mr. Owen was ordained; he then beeame pastor of a eharge at Centreville, Cumberland Co., Pa., where he remained two years. In 1866, he received a call from Woodsboro, Frederick Co., Md., where he be- came pastor of five congregations ; these he served until November, 1869, when he accepted the eall from St. John's Church of Hagerstown, and has faithfully discharged his pastoral duties there for a period of more than thirty-six years. During that time, the church edifice has been three times re- modeled, and improvements have been made which have aggregated in cost, over $60,000. The mem- bership of the congregation and Sunday-sehool las been greatly inereased, and all branches of ehureh work extended.
Rev. Dr. Owen has been forty-six years in the ministry. He is president of the Board of Di- rectors of the Susquehanna University, and a mem- ber of the Board of Directors of the Home for the Aged at Washington, D. C. For two terms, he has been president of the Maryland Synod, and eight or ten times a delegate to the General Synod of the U. S. He received the degree of D. D. in 1892, from Newbury College, S. C.
Rev. Dr. Owen was married. July 10, 1862, to Cordelia A .. daughter of Col. Joseph and Eliz- abeth Levers, of a well-known family of Montour County, Pa. Of their five children, three grew to mature years : ('larence W., of Chicago, Ill .; New- ton S., of Joliet. Ill. ; and Eva May, who married Novin J. Brandt, bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Hagerstown. Md.
Of fraternal orders, Rev. Dr. Owen was for some years affiliated with the I. O. O. F., and the Masonie.
In 1869, when Rev. Dr. Owen beeame pastor of St. John's Evangelieal Lutheran Church, of Hagerstown, the church edifiee was an old-fashion- ed building, with old-time galleries. It was re- modeled in 1870, making it a two-story building, with Sunday-school below and auditorium above, at a total cost of $18,000; its seating eapaeity be- ing increased to about seven hundred. In 1888, the building was re-frescoed, and beautiful stained glass windows were added, at a total cost of $2200. In 189, an addition was made to the church, which afforded accommodation for an Infant De- partment, on the first floor, besides a pastor's study.
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
Above, in the auditorium, a deep recess pulpit was added, and a room for a new pipe organ, at a total cost of about $17.000. In 1889, Edward W. Mealey placd a beautiful window in the audi- torimm, as a memorial of his mother, at a cost of $1350. Jn 1899, Mrs. John W. Kausler, her son, John S., and daughter, Sally C. Kausler, placed a handsome memorial window, to the memory of Jolin JI. Kansler, their husband and father, at a cost of $1500. In 1904, Miss Rebecca Rouskulp placed a beautiful memorial window, in honor of her departed relatives, at a cost of $1400. All the above windows were designed at the Tiffany Art Studios of New York City.
The organ in St. John's Church is a three- mannal instrument, of forty stops. and abont eigh- teen hundred pipes. It is one of the finest of its kind in Hagerstown, and is valued at about $6000. It was built by the well-known firm of M. P. Moller & Co., of Hagerstown.
WINFIELD SCOTT REICHARD, of the well known firm of Reichard, Schindel & Co., at Nos. 24-26 Sonth Potomac Street, Hagerstown, was born in Tilghmanton district, No. 12, Novem- ber 5, 1847, and is the son of John and Julia Ann ( Ringer) Reichard, both deceased.
John Reichard was born November 4, 1816, and died August 3, 1881. He was a son of Daniel and Catherine (Balsbaugh) Reichard, of German descent, who removed from Dauphin Co., Pa., over a hundred years ago, and established the Arch Spring Nursery in Tilghmanton district, the farm of which still remains in the family. He was a Bishop in the German Bantist Brethren Church and the father of a large family; his children were: David; Daniel; Jacob; Valentine; John; Catharine; Mary ; Susan, Francis; and Annie.
John Reichard succeeded his father at the Arch Spring Nursery and was a very successful fariner and nurseryman. He served three terms as County Commissioner of Washington County, and one term as judge of the Ornhans' Court. He married Mary Witmer Ringer, a daughter of John and Julia Witmer Ringer, of Washington County ; they had issue: Winfield Scott, the subject of this sketch ; Mary Witmer, wife .of Andrew Coff- man; Daniel Webster, (see sketch) ; Julia Orpha, wife of Benjamin Schindel, of the firm of Reich- ard, Schindel & Co .; John Ringer, deceased ; Rob-
ert Howard, living on the old "Arch Spring" homestead ; Dr. Valentine Milton, of Fairplay, this county ; Bessie Katharine; wife of Dr. Edward Downs, of Pittsburg, Pa.
Winfield Scott Reichard was educated in the public schools and at the Pennsylvania State Nor- mal School, at Millersville, Lancaster County. IIe was a farmer and nursery-man near Lappan's Cross Roads in the Tilghmanton district, until 1881, when he removed to Hagerstown and engag- ed in the grocery business with J. H. Jones, under the firm name of Jones & Reichard. Failing in health, he retired from the grocery business in the spring of 1888, and bought a farm in the C'earfoss District, where he established a Fruit Tree Nursery, to which he gave his personal at- tention, residing, however, in Hagerstown, at 136 South Potomac street. In 1892 he gave up bus- iness on the farm, and engaged in the hardware business with his brother-in-law, Benjamin P. Schindel, forming the firm of Reichard & Schin- del. John R. Schindel was afterwards taken into the firm, and the present firm of Reichard, Schin- del & Co. was formed. They are now in business at 24-26 South Potomac street. Mr. Reichard married November 24, 1874, Miss Louisa B. Funk, daughter of Jacob and Christiana Funk, of Wash- ington County : they have four children : Christie Funk, wife of Van C. Beachley, of Hagerstown; John L .; Ada Catharine, wife of Prof. C. C. Johnson of Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa .; and Lawson C., of Hagerstown. Van C. and Christie F. Beachley have two children : Donovan and Louise. John L. Reichard married Miss Frances Byers ; they have no children. In politics, Mr. Reichard is an independent Republican.
Mr. Reichard became a member of the Ger- man Baptist Brethren Church in 1875, and in 1848 was called to the ministry. He was one of the organizers of the Hagerstown congregation in 1883. He was the Secretary of the Executive Board which had charge of the National Annual Conference of the Church, held at Hagerstown in 1891. In 1894 he was ordained to the Eldership, and was given the oversight of the Hagerstown congregation, which charge he has held to the present writing, 1906.
THE REV. J. S. SIMON, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, of Hagerstown, was born near
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
Lisbon, Columbiana Co., Ohio, February 10, 1865, and is a son of Philip and Catharine ( Halverstadt) Simon, of Ohio.
Philip Simon lives at Akron, Ohio. He is of German descent, and is the father of seven children : Ezra H., of Ohio; Rev. E. W., pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Akron, Ohio; Rebeeea, wife of Morris Roller ; Rev. Jonas D., and Clarenee R., both dead; Rev. J. S., of Hagerstown; and Rev. Harvey E .. pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, at Ashland, Ohio.
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The Rev. J. S. Simon received his early ed- ueation at the High School of Lisbon, Ohio. He entered Wittenberg College, Springfield, O., in 1883, and was graduated A. B. in 1887. He then enterd the Theological Department, and was grad- uated in 1890. He received the degree of A. M. in 1893. Mr. Simon's first charge was at Urbana, Ohio, he having been ordained by the Miami Syn- od, at Cincinnati, in the autumn of 1890. He remained at Urbana one year, when he received and aeeepted a call from Emanuel Lutheran Church, at New Philadelphia, Ohio, and remained there for two years. In the autumn of 1893 he received a call from the First Lutheran Church of San Francisco, Cal., which he accepted. After serving the San Franeiseo charge for two years, he returned to the east and was with the Lutheran Home Board at Cleveland, Ohio, for one year. His next call was to the Walnut Hills Lutheran Church, Cineinnati, O., which he served until the autumn of 1902, when he received and accepted the eall of Trinity Lutheran Church, of Hagers- town.
The Rev. Mr. Simon married, in June, 1890, Miss Lois E. Vose, a daughter of E. J. Vose, of Springfield, Ohio; this marriage has been blessed with three children: Walter Vose; Carl Robert ; and Lois Juliet.
In politics Mr. Simon is an independent Re- publican. He is very popular with his people, his charge being the largest Lutheran congregation in Hagerstown.
THE REV. ROBERT ALEXANDER BOYLE, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Hagerstown, Md., was born in County London- derry. Ireland, and is a son of Dorrington James and Jane (Miller) Boyle.
Dorrington James Boyle was for many years
proprietor of eorn and flax inills in County Derry. He was a stanel Tenant's Rights man, and was a life-long sunnorter of Gladstone. He was a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Boyle was for many years, and until his death, an elder of the church at Scriggan. Dorrington J. and Jane (Miller) Boyle, both of whom are deceased, had seven children, four of whom are now living: Dorrington James, a minister of the Presbyterian Church in County Fermanagh, Ire- land; Patterson, a merchant at Dungiven County, Derry, Ireland: Robert A., of Hagerstown, Md. ; and Mary Patterson, unmarried, who lives at Portstewart, a village on the seashore, mmdway be- tween Portrush and Coleraine.
Robert A. Boyle was educated for the minis- try at the Presbyterian colleges of Belfast and Londonderry. Regarding Ameriea as a promising field for his labors, he determined to emigrate, and landed in New York from Ireland, November 12, 1898. After his arrival in New York he deter- mined to spend a few months at Prineeton Semi- nary, where he soon afterwards received a eall to the First Presbytrian Church, of Hagerstown; this he determined to aceent and was ordained as its pastor, October 26, 1899. This was his first and thus far it is his only charge. He had the good fortune to become a popular pastor, and is endeared to his people. He is an active ehureh- worker, and is held in high esteem in the Pres- bytery of which he is a member. Not only is he regarded as one of the leading ministers of Wash- ington County, but he is recognized as being thor- oughly original. The Rev. Mr. Boyle married, October 8, 1901, Miss Nancy Irwin Findlay, daughter of James and Sarah R. (Carter) Find- lay. Mrs. Boyle is a great-granddaughter of Gov- ernor William Findlay. of Pennsylvania, and a great-great-great-granddaughter of Adjutant Brown who was a cornet in the defense of Derry against the army of King James II, in 1688.
THE REV A. M. EVERS, OF HAGERS- TOWN, MD., was born in Rockingham County, Va., October 2, 1837. IIe is a son of John and ('atharine (Showalter) Evers, of German descent. John Evers was born in Cumberland County, Pa., in 1997, and died in Rockingham County, Va., in 1863. He was a son of John Evers, who emi- grated from Germany to Pennsylvania among the
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
early German settlers of that State. John Evers the second, with his wife, Catharine Showalter, removed to Virginia when he was still a young man; they had ten children: Sophia; Diana; Elizabeth; Jacob; Samuel; Catharine; John; Abraham M .; William B. : and Priscilla. Samuel, John, Abraham M., and William B. were minis- ters of the Gospel. Of these ten children, only Abraham M., William B., and Priscilla are living at this writing.
Abraham Evers grew up on a farm near Cross Keys, Va. He was educated in the common schools and at Pleasant Grove Academy. When twenty-one years of age, he received from the Quarterly Conference a license to preach in the United Brethren Church; he joined the Virginia Annual Conference at Edinburg, Shenandoah Co., Va., in February, 1862, and was ordained to the office of Elder at Keezletown, Va., in March 1863. His Annual Conference and ordination licenses were both signed by Bishop J. J. Glossbrenner. Rev. Mr. Evers at once entered upon the active duties of the ministry, and for forty-five years he has served various churches 'in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland. For seven years he was Presiding Elder of the Maryland and Virginia Conferences, and was three times chosen to repre- sent the churches in the Quadrennial General Conference of the denomination.
During his long term of service, Mr. Evers built the first U. B. Church in Frederick, which was free of debt soon after its dedication; also Mount Vernon church, on Frederick Circuit, and the beautiful church in Boonsboro. He also or- ganized and built Grace U. B. Church of Hagers- town, Md. He has served in various branches of the work of the church, being a frequent contribu- tor to the church papers and other journals.
No minister of the Gospel is so well known throughout Maryland, Virginia and parts of Penn- sylvania. Always active as a pastor and elder, he did much toward bringing the church he loved to the front, and during his ministry many souls were converted and added to the church .. He has many warm friends throughout the church and the states in which he labored. A well known and liberal contributor to every interest of the church, his worth as a pastor and a man is fully recognized.
Mr. Eyers married in 1863, Miss Jennie Rhinehart, daughter of Samuel and Lydia Rhine- hart, of Grant County, West Virginia. This mar-
riage has been-blessed with five children, two of whom are living: Alice M .; the wife of the Rev. D. E. Burtner, pastor of the Congregational Church at Williamsport, Pa .; and Samuel J., a minister of the United Brethren Church, pastor of the Glenbrook Union Memorial Church of Stamford, Conn.
The Rev. Evers makes his home in Hagers- town, Md., and is frequently in demand as a sup- ply for various pulpits.
THE REV. CHRISTIAN R. STRITE was born February 23, 1864, in Washington County, Md., son of John and Magdalene ( Reiff) Strite.
John Strite was a son of Christian Strite, and was a native of Lancaster County, Pa. Chris- tian Strite was born near Manheim, Lancaster County, Pa., and died in Franklin County, Pa. His children were: Samuel, who died at the age of 66 years; Isaac, killed by Confederate soldiers near Brown's Mill in Franklin County, during the Civil War; John; Nancy, deceased, was the wife of John Hess; Sallie, who married Dr. Jeremiah Hess ; Barbara, who married John Singer; Chris- tian, who died at Greencastle, Pa., in his seventy- third year, and who was the father of Mrs. A. B. Zarger ; Ella K. ; Mahala ; Ann E .; E. Belle ; Edith M .; Benjamin S .; Charles L .; Frank. Barbara (Mrs. Singer), is the only one now living; she resides in Quincy, Pa.
Jolın Strite, although his educational advan- tages were meagre, became a very successful farni- er. He married Magdalene, daughter of David and Nancy (Horst) Reiff, natives of Lancaster County, Pa., who removed to Washington County, Md., about 1846, and settled on the farm now owned by Christian R. Strite and his brother, John B. Strite. In this neighborhood John Strite died, August 9, 1892; his wife died January 13, 1894. The children of John and Magdalene (Reiff) Strite were: Anna, died unmarried; Da- vid, died young; Mattie, died young; Mary, who married Aaron Hartranft; Eliza, who married George S. Keener; John B., who married Mary Loose ; Christian R. John and Magdalene Strite were members of the Mennonite Church, highly re- spected citizens, kind and beloved parents. Mr. Strite was a Republican.
Rev. Christian R. Strite received a common school education, and has always followed agricul-
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
tural pursuits. He was married. December 18, 1884, to Ella V., daughter of Edward and Eliz- abeth (Carolus) Binkley, born July 26, 1859. Mr. Strite is the owner of fifty-eight and one-half aeres of the old Reiff homestead. He is the father of two children. both at home: Florenee E. and Edgar I. Alethea Binkley, daughter of Mr. E. L. Binkley, a brother of Mrs. Strite, re- sides with Mr. Strite's family.
In 1894, Christian R. Strite was ordained a minister in the Mennonite Church, to which he and his family belong; he is serving the eongre- gations at the Reiff and Clear Spring Churches.
THE REV. BARTON R. CARNAHAN, A. M., son of the late Samuel and Margaret (Irwin) C'arnahan, was born, July 26, 1850, in Westmore- land County, Pa. His grandfather and grand- mother, David C. and Mary (Bash) Carnahan, were both natives of Westmoreland County, where they lived, died, and were buried ; and in this same county their son, Samuel Carnahan, was born and reared on the farm owned by his father.
The family name is Irish, or Scotch-Irish, and many who bear that name are to be found in north Ireland at the present time. They are Presbyterians in faith. The name Bash is Ger- man, and in faith, Reformed. The Irwin ances- tors came to this country from Scotland, when, no one seems to know, but they were among the carly settlers of Blair County, Pa. Mrs. Marga- ret (Irwin) Carnahan was a daughter of John and Sophia (Crane) Irwin, and was born in a farm- house, situated where now is the heart of the eity of Altoona, Pa., on July 30, 1830. A considerable number of descendants of the Irwins are still liv- ing in Altoona, Bellwood, and the surrounding country. Sophia (Crane) Irwin, the maternal grandmother of the Rev. Mr. Carnahan, was prob- ably of German stock. She was a native of Blair County, Pa .; but, if tradition is true, her father removed to that county from Brandywine, possibly not long after the Revolutionary War, in which he took part.
In 1851, typhoid fever became an epidemie in the Carnahan family. In July of that year, Mr. Samuel Carnahan died, in the prime of young manhood; in August his wife was laid to rest, and two days later their little son, Albert. The next victims were the grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
David C. Carnahan, then another son and a daughter of theirs, making seven who died within a year from that treacherous disease. At the time of their death, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Car- nahan resided at Mckeesport, Pa., where their bodies were interred. They left two children, Barton and Alice, the latter an infant, to the eare of their maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Irwin.
In the spring of 1856, Mr. and Mrs. Irwin, with their four sons, one daughter, and the two orphan grandchildren, removed to lowa, and set- tled on a farm in Jackson County. within a half- mile of Zwingle, a very small village on the line between Dubuque and Jackson counties. It was about fifteen miles south of the city of Dubuque, which was then the market for all farm products of the surrounding country, and the place where lumber, dry goods, groecries, &c., were to be ob- tained. There was at that time no railroads so that everything had to be hauled to and from the city. The educational advantages of the vicinity were then meagre, for Towa, as a State, was but ten years old. The first school attended by Mr. Carnahan was a subscription school conducted by a lady in a private home, some two miles distant from that of his grandparents. In the course of a few years, however, the publie school system was brought into working order. A school-house was erected in Zwingle, and here the boy received some mental eulture, and training; but it was only a taste, as his grandfather was a farmer, and the youth's help was required from early spring until late in the fall. Especially was this true from April, 1861. to July, 1865. during which time two sons of Mr. John Irwin were serving in the Fed- eral Army.
After their return home, and when the bur- den was to some extent lifted from the youth's shoulders, eame the necessity for making choice of his life's work. Barton R. Carnahan was then fifteen years of age, at which period boys often debate more profoundly than the world gives them credit for doing upon this momentous question. His ambition was to secure at least a good com- mon school education, and then, if possible, to study law. But the remembrance of his grand- mother's prayers and wishes for him, seconded by those of his only sister, inclined him to devote himself to the work of the Christian ministry. The sumner of 1867 had been spent in hard work, and the young man had saved enough to take a
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