USA > Pennsylvania > Armstrong County > Armstrong County, Pennsylvania her people past and present, embracing a history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 69
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In 1861 Mr. Kron was married to Mary Jane Daugherty, daughter of Capt. James Daugherty, of Kittanning. Mrs. Kron died in 1878, after having borne her husband six children : John L .; Mary D., widow of John F. Schuey, she and her children living with On March 6, 1879, Dr. Kelly married Del- nora Park, daughter of Dr. J. K. Park, who Kelly. They had one child, which died in infancy. Dr. Kelly is a member of the Meth- odist Church. Mr. Kron; Annie E., wife of John Volk, re- siding in Davenport, Iowa; Carrie E., wife at one time practiced in partnership with Dr. of K. B. Schotte, of Kittanning; Hannah E., wife of Frederick Snyder, residing in Indian- apolis, Ind .; and Nancy Lenora, wife of James F. Foulis, of Kittanning.
JAMES A. KELLY, M. D., of Whitesburg, Armstrong county, has been engaged in prac- tice at that location for forty-one years. He was born Feb. 18, 1848, in Jefferson county, Pa., son of William M. Kelly and grandson of James Kelly.
William M. Kelly died in 1853, of typhoid fever. He was a farmer, and in the winter season followed the teacher's profession. He lantic with his wife, Mollie (Sharon), and married Caroline Stewart, and three children family, he settled in the Cumberland valley in Pennsylvania, seven miles from Harris- burg and one mile from Mechanicsville, ob- taining land, and getting his deed from the Penns before the Colonies gained their inde- pendence. There he made his home and de- voted himself to farming, and there he reared his family. He served in the Revolutionary war. were born to this union: James A. is men- tioned below ; William A. was superintendent of schools in Jefferson county, Pa., for six years, and for twenty-five years was con- nected with the school system of Alaska, hav- ing been the first school official appointed by the government in that territory (he is un- married, and makes his home in Portland, Oregon) ; John N., who lives on the old homestead in Jefferson county, Pa., has been county commissioner and for five years superintendent of the county home (he mar- ried Belle Means, of Jefferson county, and they have a family of five children, three sons and two daughters). Mrs. Caroline (Stew- art) Kelly died in Wayne township, Arm- strong county, in 1898, in her sixty-eighth year.
James A. Kelly received his early education in his native county, and at Glade Run Acad- emy, taught school for a number of years, and took his medical course at the Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, grad-
uating from that institution in 1874. He has been located at Whitesburg, in Plum Creek township, Armstrong county, throughout his career, and the only physician still in active practice who was located in this territory at the time he took up work here is Dr. T. M. Allison, of Kittanning. He is well known and highly respected in his own and surround- ing counties, and the large practice to which he still attends faithfully has been built up fare of his patients, as well as the skill which has made them so confident of his ability. He was pension examining surgeon under President Cleveland, and in 1913 was presi- dent of the Armstrong County Medical So- ciety.
JAMES EATON BROWN MATEER, who has extensive interests as farmer and stock raiser in Boggs township, Armstrong county. belongs to a family of Scotch-Irish origin which has been in Pennsylvania for several generations.
James Mateer, the founder of this branch in America, was born in Ireland, and was of Scotch-Irish parentage. Crossing the At-
Samuel Mateer, son of James and Mollie (Sharon) Mateer, always followed farming, remaining on the old home place, where he died in 1805. He married Rosanna Quigley, and they reared a family of seven children, four sons and three daughters, viz .: John; Tames, who went to Old Virginia, settling near Georgetown, was married there, and died there; Samuel, who died young; Margaret, who married Walter Sloan, of Mosgrove. Pa .; Nancy, who married a Mr. Coldin and after his death became Mrs. Brumbaugh : Sharon, who married a Reed; and Elsie, who married William Peart, of Mosgrove. and
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after his death became the wife of Alexander ated with many movements which marked the Lowery.
John Mateer, son of Samuel, was a native of Dauphin county, Pa., thence removing in 1806 to Armstrong county, settling in Frank- lin township, close to what is now Montgom- eryville, on land now owned by the Shawinut Railway Company. He obtained 250 acres of land in what is now East Franklin township, then all in the woods, and developed a desir- able property, putting up a substantial brick house and frame barn, and making many im- provements which added to its value. In 1855 Mr. Mateer left Armstrong county, mov- ing out to Wayne county, Ill., where he died in 1866. In politics he was a Democrat. He married Margaret Montgomery, and they had the following children : Washington, Samuel, Robert, John, Margaret, Nancy Jane, Rosana, Montgomery and Anthony.
Samuel Mateer, son of John, was born Nov. 27, 1818, in what is now East Franklin town- ship, Armstrong county, and was raised there. Later he located in what was then Pine (now Boggs) township, where his son Samuel S. Mateer now lives, and there passed the re- mainder of his life, dying in 1900. Farming was his principal business throughout life, but in his early years he was also a drover, deal- ing extensively in stock, which he drove to the eastern markets. He bought the place of 200 acres in Boggs township now owned by his son Samuel at a time when there were neither roads nor bridges in the vicinity, and the tree under which he pitched his tent the first winter, while he cleared a place for his house, is still standing. In the spring he went for his young wife, whom he had married the previous August, 1843, and they worked to- gether to improve the property, in time being able to build a fine house and barns. Mr. Mateer was a Democrat and took a prominent part in the public affairs of the locality, hold- ing the office of justice of the peace for twenty-five years and serving faithfully in various township offices, including that of school director. Being a carpenter, he in 1859 built the schoolhouse which still stands on the farm and is known by his name. He also contributed liberally toward the building of the Concord Presbyterian church, and was one of the trustees of that congregation. He helped to secure good roads in his neighbor- hood. He was the promoter of Pine Creek Furnace, and in company with James E. Brown, of whom he purchased his farm. established the furnace where the station of five years before completing the substantial that name now stands. Thus he was associ-
progress of his community. He was a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity.
In August, 1843, Mr. Mateer married Eliza- beth Ambrose, who was born April 2, 1823, daughter of Benjamin Ambrose, a farmer in the Ligonier valley, Westmoreland county, who came to Franklin township, Armstrong county, where he reared his family of four sons and three daughters. Mr. Ambrose was a Whig and a Presbyterian. Mrs. Mateer died in 1904. She and her husband had the following children, all born on the home farm in Boggs township where their son Samuel S. now lives : James E. B. is mentioned below ; John Harvey, born July 31, 1846, married to Clara Calhoun, is a farmer of Boggs town- ship; Robert M., born Oct. 5, 1848, graduated from Jefferson Medical College and was a prominent physician of Elderton, this county, until his death, June 18, 1900 (he married Mary Donnelly) ; Benjamin Franklin, born Dec. 5, 1850, married to Margaret Adams, is a retired farmer living in Kittanning; Sam- uel S., born May 1, 1853, married Mary Houser ; Annie Jane, born Oct. 25, 1855, mar- ried William C. Calhoun, a farmer of Boggs township; Margaret E., born March 18, 1858, married Findley P. Wolff, an attorney of Kit- tanning, and died June 24, 1910; Mary Eliza- beth, born Dec. 5, 1860, married Joseph Banks, who died in 1888; Ambrose M., born July 16, 1863, married Berd Householder, of Rosston, is a merchant at Ford City, this county ; Alexander Montgomery, born Oct. 26, 1867, married to Hannah Williamson, is a farmer of Boggs township. Besides their own large family Mr. and Mrs. Mateer raised Daniel Cogley, who was born Sept. 7, 1839, and whom they took into their home as an orphan boy of nine years. He still resides on the old homestead with Samuel S. Mateer. He was a Union soldier during the Civil war, enlisting in August, 1862, in Company K, 155th Pennsylvania Regiment, and serving three years with the Army of the Potomac; after his discharge he returned to the Mateer farm in Boggs township.
James Eaton Brown Mateer was born May 24, 1844, on the old homestead in Boggs town- ship and there grew to manhood. After his marriage he continued to live at that place for two years, and then bought property one and a half miles north, 150 acres, at that time all in the woods. He put up a frame barn and the shell of a house in which he lived for frame dwelling in which he has since lived.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Mr. Mateer has met with marked success in
Soon after his marriage William Hays set- his agricultural operations, being one of the tled in Washington township, Armstrong most prosperous farmers in the county. He first added 100 acres to his initial purchase, later a tract of thirty-seven acres to that, and then seventy more, by the old homestead. Subsequently he purchased 192 acres of Wil- liam Cochran, the holdings of himself and his sons amounting to 562 acres-all valuable land. In addition to general farming he has become heavily interested in stock raising, in which line he has met with the same success which has attended all his other enterprises. He is one of the most respected citizens of his township and has held various local offices. In politics he is a Democrat, adhering to the principles of the party his family has sup- ported for many years. Most of the Mateers have been associated with the Presbyterian Church.
In November, 1864, Mr. Mateer married Esther S. Lowry, daughter of William and Esther (Miller) Lowry, and she died Dec. 16, 1906, at the age of sixty-three years. We have the following record of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Mateer: Ida May, born March 27. 1866, married William Martin and has four children, James W., Hazel (Mrs. Gyer Kuntz, who has one child), John Elder and William Lowry; Lizzie, born Oct. 20, 1868, married Isaac Darbaker, now of Vander- grift, Pa., and has had four children, one that died young, Harriet, James Mateer and Ar- thur; Samuel J., born Jan. 23, 1874, now on the home place, married Mattie Skinner and has one child, Alice Ruth (they have also raised Ethel Ellen Peart, daughter of James C. Peart and granddaughter of S. M. Peart, from the time her mother died, when she was three years old) ; William Lowry, born July 6, 1877, now on the home farm, married Jennie Miller and has two children, Marlin and Sharon.
WILLIAM HAYS, late of Washington township, was a widely known citizen of Arm- strong county, prominent in the Republican party, and had held important public offices, in every capacity giving evidence of sup rior ability and character which made his services highly desirable. Mr. Hays was a native of Ireland, born Oct. 7, 1838, and was reared there, being a youth of sixteen when he came to America with his parents, William J. and Letitia (Morrow) Hays. The family located on a farm in Madison township, Armstrong Co., Pa., where the father followed agricul- tural pursuits and ran a distillery.
county, on a tract of 120 acres which he cul- tivated, also running a sawmill. His good judgment and talent for business were shown in the success of his undertakings as farmer and mill man, and so well did he stand with his fellow citizens that he was elected to vari- ous township offices, serving as supervisor and school director. But his chief official honor was his election to the position of county auditor, which he held from 1888 to 1893. For many years he was a leading worker for the success of the Republican party in this section. Mr. Hays was a veteran of the Civil war, serving three years as a mem- ber of Company E, 62d Regiment, Pennsyl- vania Volunteer Infantry, from Clarion county, and was once slightly wounded. Among the engagements in which he took part was the battle of Gettysburg. He died Feb. 8, 1908, at the age of sixty-nine years. He was a member of the Episcopal Church.
On Dec. 29, 1864, Mr. Hays married Cath- erine John, who was born March 3, 1843, in the log house where she was inarried. She is a daughter of Martin John and Mary (Whiticker) John, granddaughter of Peter John and great-granddaughter of Martin John, who hewed the logs for the old Bowser cabin illustrated elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Hays now resides in East Franklin town- ship, Armstrong county, having moved there in November, 1909. Mr. and Mrs. Hays had sixteen children : A son, born Oct. 20, 1865, who died Oct. 21st, 1865; Jennie, born Sept. 25, 1866; a son, born in June, 1867, who died the same month; Letta, born May 7, 1868; Katie, born April 21, 1869; Lizzie, born April II, 1870, who died Feb. 19, 1894; Susan, born June 2, 1871, who died March 11, 1876; Rosa, born June 23, 1872, who died March 29, 1883; Margaret, born July 15, 1873, who died Jan. 22, 1897: William, born Nov. 5. 1874; Nannie, born Jan. 11, 1876; Thomas H., born March 5, 1877 ; Robert S., born July 27, 1878. . who died Feb. 6, 1907; Emily, born Nov. 6, 1879; Minta, born May 26, 1881, who died Nov. 29, 1883; and Ruth, born July 4, 1882.
FLOY C. JONES, attorney, of Kittanning. Armstrong Co., Pa., was born at New Lisbon (now Lisbon), Ohio, Jan. 28, 1870. His father, Rev. J. F. Jones, D. D., was a Metho- dist Episcopal clergyman. His mother was Frances (McGill) Jones, a daughter of John McGill, a prominent merchant of Pittsburgh in its early days.
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Mr. Jones graduated at Washington and Shaner, was a farmer by occupation, and lived Jefferson College, Washington, Pa., in the and died in Westmoreland county. He was killed at Adamsburg. His children were: Jacob; Eli; Henry; Margaret, who died un- married; Mrs. Henry Brewer; and one daughter who died young.
class of 1889; read law with W. D. Patton, Esq., afterward judge in Armstrong county, Pa., for two terms; was admitted to the bar Dec. 11, 1893. He married March 16, 1898, May B. Gault, daughter of J. A. Gault, of Kittanning, and has three children, James G., Floy C., Jr., and William B. He lives on the hill just below Kittanning, on the tract known as "Appleby Manor."
DANIEL SHANER, one of the oldest residents of Gilpin township, Armstrong county, belongs to a family now quite numer- ons in this section and represented among its most useful citizens. He was born Sept. 19, 1833, in Allegheny township, Westmoreland Co., Pa., son of Henry Shaner, and is a great- grandson of Peter Shaner, who founded the family in this country.
Peter Shaner came to America from Ger- many before the Revolutionary war, and set- tled in western Pennsylvania, along the Schuylkill river. After living there for some time he removed to Maryland, where he died. His family consisted of twelve children, nine sons and three daughters, namely: Adam; Peter; Henry; Christopher; David; Daniel ; John; Andrew; another son whose name is not remembered; Christian (daughter) and Catherine, whose husbands were both named Keefer; and another daughter who became Mrs. Ichus. All the sons except John and An- drew removed to western Pennsylvania about the year 1800, Adam and Henry settling in Butler county ; some of their descendants are living in Pittsburgh. Christopher had the fol- lowing children: William, Frederick, Joseph, Sampson, Katy and Polly; of these, Joseph and Sampson never married; Katy married a Shafer; Polly married Henry Klingensmith.
George Shaner, brother of Peter Shaner, the emigrant, fought under Washington in the American Revolution. He settled in Westmoreland county, Pa., and some of his descendants are now living near Turtle Creek, in Allegheny county, this State.
Daniel Shaner received his education in the public schools of Westmoreland county. He Daniel Shaner, son of Peter, the emigrant, settled near Buena Vista, in Allegheny county, about 1807. The place was then remained with his father on the farm until twenty-one years old, at which time he went West to the State of Indiana, where he did known as Brown's Ferry. His children were ' farm work for one year. Returning home, he John (the historian of the Shaner family ), William, Daniel, George, Hetty and Peggy. Shaner's station, on the Baltimore & Chio railroad, was named after Daniel Shaner, East, he bought his present farm in Gilpin of this family.
Peter Shaner, Jr., grandfather of Daniel
Henry Shaner, son of Peter, was born in 1809 in Allegheny township, Westmoreland county, and owned two farms in that town- ship. Besides following farming he made bar- rels, during the winter season, as well as flax- brakes for his neighbors. He was an active man in the community, served as tax collector, was a member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics was identified with the Republican party. He died Nov. 6, 1881, and is buried in Pleasant View cemetery in Westmoreland county. His wife, Catherine (Cline), daugh- ter of Peter Cline, died in March, 1887. They had a large family, viz .: John lives in Parks township, Armstrong county ; Daniel is men- tioned below ; Henry lives in Gilpin township, Armstrong county; William, who now lives in Allegheny township, Westmoreland county, served during the Civil war in Company C, 139th Pennsylvania Regiment, and was wounded at Spottsylvania Court House May 12, 1864; Catherine is the widow of John Keppel and resides in Parks township, where she has a farm ; Peter enlisted June 8, 1861, in the IIth Pennsylvania Reserves, and was killed at the battle of Gaines's Mill, June 27, 1862; Eli is living on the old homestead in Westmoreland county ; Andrew, twin of Eli, died when five years old; David F. lives at Apollo, Pa. (he is the father of Sheriff Thomas J. Shaner, of Armstrong county) ; Thomas, a contractor, resides at Warren, Pa .; Caroline is the widow of Isaac Heckman and resides in Gilpin township; Rebecca, widow of William Frederick, resides in Westmore- land county ; Solomon is living at New King- ston, Pa .; Zacharias is living at the old home- stead in Westmoreland county; Elizabeth married Joseph McGeary, of Butler, Pennsyl- vania.
remained only a short time, going West again, this time to Kansas, where he was employed in a sawmill for two years. Coming back township, Armstrong county, in 1860, from the David Leech heirs. The property con-
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
sisted of fifty-seven acres near Leechburg, Kiskiminetas township, Armstrong county, along the Kittanning road, and has valuable where he died at the age of eighty-six years. He married Nancy McCauley, and they are buried at the Spring Church in Kiskiminetas township. Their children were: Griffith ; David; Priscilla; Jane; Lovina; John; George; Jacob, and Jahue. soft coal deposits. On Aug. 16, 1862, Mr. Shaner left his farm to aid the Union, en- listing in Company C, 139th Regiment, Penn- sylvania Volunteers, at Leechburg, Pa. His first duty was on the battlefield of Second Bull Run, where they assisted in burying George Baker, son of George, was born in 1820, and died Nov. 21, 1896. By trade he was a carpenter, and worked with his brother John, who was a contractor and builder. He and his wife, Mary H. (Hilburn), who died Aug. 15, 1893, aged seventy-one years, six months, one day, are buried at the Forks Church. They had the following children : Nancy J. married Daniel Shaner; Mary E. married N. K. Klingensmith; Priscilla mar- ried Levi Smail; Lovina married George Baker; Hannah married Park Dunmire; Caroline married E. J. Klingensmith ; Cather- ine married Henry Smail; Ella married John Harper ; George married Anna Stitt. 2,600 dead. From there the command went to Antietam and took part in the famous bat- tle, being attached to the Army of the Poto- mac. Mr. Shaner was made corporal in 1863. At the battle of Spottsylvania Court- house, May 12, 1864, he received two wounds at the same time, one in the left leg, below the knee, and the other on the right thumb. He was again wounded Oct. 19, 1864, at the battle of Cedar Creek, in the left leg above the knee. His active service included two days' fighting at Gettysburg, and he was pres- ent at Lee's surrender. He was honorably discharged June 21, 1865, and returned to his home after long and faithful service. Upon EDDIS E. SHANER, son of Daniel, was born May 14, 1874, in Gilpin township, and there grew to manhood and obtained his education, remaining at home until nineteen years old. Up to then he had done farm work, and he has since been engaged at mill work, being now employed at the Leechburg plant of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Company, where he has had the position of heater since 1902. He is a substantial and respected citizen, a member of the Hebron Lutheran Church, and, in fraternal connection, of the Woodmen of the World. He is a Republican in politics. resuming civil life Mr. Shaner began to oper- ate his coal mine, also engaging in farming and trucking, and he has been thus occupied up to the present time, meeting with excellent success in his work. He has prospered by well-directed industry and his honorable life has made him one of the most respected men of his locality and won him many friends. He has been identified with various local in- terests, being a member of John A. Hunter Post, No. 123, G. A. R., of Leechburg, which he has served as treasurer; was a member of the Grange for twenty-five years; and is a prominent member of the Hebron Lutheran Church at Leechburg, of which he has been a deacon.
On April 7, 1868, Mr. Shaner was married to Nancy J. Baker, daughter of George Baker, and they have had the follow- ing children : Lewis D. married Maria L. Lambing and has children, Earle E., Maude V., Mabel A., Nancy R., Daniel A., Normand L. and Violet E .; Mary C. married D. E. Allshouse and has two chil- dren, John and Ernest ; Eddis E. is mentioned below ; Bertha R. married John Louden end their children are Beatrice H., Herbert H., Violet E. and Elmer J. : Albert A. is mentioned below : Hilda R. married William A. Zimmer- man and their children are William G., Al- bert C., Ellen G. and Bertha R.
George Baker, grandfather of Mrs. Daniel Shaner, was born in Germany, and on com- ing to America settled at Poke Run in West- moreland county, Pa. Later he removed to
On Oct. 18, 1894, Mr. Shaner married Char- lotte A. Myers, daughter of John P. Myers, of Gilpin township, and they have the follow- ing family: Lillie M., Edna M., Bertha R .. Homer W., Mont. C., Roy O. and Nellie I. In 1895 Mr. Shaner built his home in Gilpin township, his property there consisting of twelve acres of good land.
ALBERT A. SHANER, son of Daniel, was born April 24, 1878, in Gilpin township, and there attended public school. Until he was twenty-three years old he worked for his father. He has since been employed at the mill of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Com- pany, at Leechburg, being engaged as "rougher." His home is in Gilpin township. and he is one of the highly esteemed young residents of his community. On Sept. 9, 1903. Mr. Shaner married Mildred Blanch Turney. daughter of James Turney, of Apollo. Pa .. and they have three children: Ethel M .. Hazel T. and Wayne W.
Mr. Shaner belongs to the Independent
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HISTORY OF ARMSTRONG COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
Order of Odd Fellows, and in religious con- Lutheran Church, which he has served six nection is a member of the Hebron Lutheran years as deacon. Church, of Leechburg. He is a Republican on political questions.
In 1870 Mr. Myers married Susanna Shus- ter, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Fry) Shus- JOHN P. MYERS, father of Mrs. Eddis E. ter, and they have a family of ten children : Shaner, was born Feb. 20, 1848, in what is Elsie married H. H. Riggle; Charlotte A. now Bethel township, Armstrong county. His married Eddis E. Shaner; Jonathan lives in Gilpin township; Florence is unmarried; Laura married George E. Yingst; Charles lives in Gilpin township; Mabel married Walter Shaner; Lillie married John Buehl; Marlin is at home ; Lester is attending school.
grandfather, David Myers, came from West- moreland county to Armstrong county, where he followed farming. He died when a young man, aged thirty-eight years, and is buried in an old graveyard in Gilpin township .. His wife, Catherine ( Klingensmith), daughter of Philip Klingensmith, is buried in the cemetery of the Forks Church. Their children were: Mary, who died unmarried; Martha, wife of John Walters; Jonathan; Joseph, who died in Gilpin township; David, who died in Gil- pin township; Henry, who died in Burrell township, this county ; and Cyrus, who died in Bethel township.
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