Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 78

Author: Gresham, John M. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia [Dunlap & Clarke]
Number of Pages: 1422

USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 78

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Clarence M. Jones received a common school education, and has followed glass-blowing all his working life. He is a stanch republican and has served his borough in the capacity of mem- ber of the school board of which he is president. Mr. Jones is a member of Belle Vernon Council, No. 535, Royal Arcanum at Belle Vernon, also of Local Assembly, No. 300, Knights of Labor

and of the Sovereigns of Industry another, labor organization. He is an industrious, honest man whose devotion to principle is worthy of great praise.

ICHAEL KECK of Rostraver township, was born August 23, 1834, in Witten- berg, Prussia. His grandfather, Mathias Keck, was a native of Germany and immigrated to America in 1837, settling in Westmoreland county, l'a. He was a shoemaker by trade and a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church. Michael Keck (father) was born in Germany in 1800, married there to Anna Mary Letsche and came to America in 1837. He was a democrat politically, a shoemaker by trade, and was the father of eleven children; seven of them were born in Germany and came to the United States, and four of them were born in this county. Michael Keck, Sr. and his two sons, Benjamin and John, served in the Civil war. John was wounded at the battle of the Wilder- ness but continued to serve throughout the war. Michael was taken prisoner during the memora- ble retreat of Banks ; he was in the service but a short time when he was taken sick and com- pelled on that account and because of age to return home.

Michael Keck, Jr. was born in Germany and came to the United States, being but three years of age when brought here by his parents. After leaving the common schools he mined until 1876, part of the time being manager of a coal pit. Since the Centennial year he has been en- gaged in farming and holds title to a farm along the Youghiogheny river in Rostraver township.

Michael Keck was married December 29, 1859, to Barbara Ilart, and is the father of eleven children : Anna M., the wife of William Kelly who resides in Rostraver township ; James B. married to Annie Sheets and living in the same township ; Eleanor, married to John Mc- Minn of Scott Haven; George, married to Lillian Ward; Dora HI., wife of Paul R. Rau of

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West Newton : John W., Walter, Edith, Rose E, Irene and Lulu B. Mr. Keck is a democrat, an excellent citizen and an industrious, honest and upright man, and with his wife belongs to the Lutheran church at West Newton.

S AMUEL KEEFER (deceased). The late Samuel Keefer, who had made many warm and admiring friends for himself in Sewickley township, was a son of Benjamin and Magdalena (Baker) Keefer. He was born in Sewickley township, Westmoreland county, Pa., October 22, 1820. Ilis father, Benjamin Keefer, was reared in Armstrong county, Pa., but when a young man he removed to Sewickley township where he was engaged in farming for many years. He was born in the latter part of the eighteenth century, married Magdalena Baker and reared a family of ten children. He was a quiet, retiring citizen and a man who was not desirous of holding office or in any way rendering himself unduly conspicuous.

Samuel Keefer was reared on his father's farm and received his education in the old log school houses and under the subscription school system of that day. Ile always followed farming in Sewickley township where he owned the val- uable grain and mineral farm on which his widow and part of his family now reside.

Hle united in marriage November 15, 1849, with Lydia Fortney and to them were born two sons and five daughters : Elizabeth, John S., married Olivia Lewis, of Sharpsburg, Pa., taught school for several years and is bookkeeper for the gas company at West Newton where he resides ; George C., a carpenter, who married Jennie Hoffer and lives at Madison ; Emma R., Jennie M., married to John A. Long, a carpenter, who lives in Pittsburg; Annie L., wife of Cyrus Freed, a school teacher of Fayette county, Pa., and Della L., married to John F. Boyd, who is a farmer of South Huntingdon township. Mrs. Lydia Keefer is a daughter of George and Eliz-

abeth (Richards) Fortney. She is a member of the M. E. church, was born in Mt. Pleasant township June 12, 1830, and is one of a family of two sons and five daughters, of whom two are dead.

Samuel Keefer was a republican, had served his township as tax collector and school director and was a trustee and class-leader of Madison Methodist church, of which he had been a mem- ber for many years. Samuel Keefer died De- cember 3, 1887, when in the sixty-eighth year of his age, leaving a bereaved wife and family with numerous friends and a large circle of ac- quaintances to mourn the loss of an affectionate husband, a kind parent and a valuable citizen.

EORGE W. KELLEY, of Scotch-Irish descent, and an intelligent and indus- trious farmer and the proprietor of "Walt's Mills" property was born in South Iluntingdon township, Westmoreland county, Pa., December 24, 1822, and is a son of George and Anna (McMichael) Kelley. James Kelley (grandfather) emigrated from county Down, Ireland, to Chester county, Pa., where he re- mained till 1791, when he sold his farm, crossed the Alleghenies and located in South Hunting- don township. He owned three hundred acres of land adjoining Pittsburg which he lost by litigation, and likewise two farms in Hempfield township. Ile owned five farms aggregating eight hundred acres, which stretched in an un- broken line from Big Sewickley to the Mt. Pleasant Pike, a distance of two miles. These farins were inherited by his five sons, then were called " Kelley's Row," and are known by that name until the present day. He married Mar- garet Glindinning, of Chester county, who was of Irish birth. Their children were: James, Adam, George, William, Daniel, Dorcas and Nancy. James Kelley died in 1815 aged ninety- two years and his wife passed away in 1824 at ninety years of age. He was a presbyterian

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and supported Washington for president in 1793. George Kelley (father) was born July 24, 1777, in Chester county, and at fourteen years of age came with his parents to Westmore- land county, where he was engaged in farming as long as he lived. He was a member of the U. P. church, an ardent whig and in 1810 married Anna McMichael, by whom he had five children : Samuel M. (dead) ; Margaret G. (dead); George W .; Mary A. (dead) ; and Lucinda Jane, wife of John M. Kough, of Mt. Pleasant, who was a soldier and wounded at Antietam. George Kelley died April 12, 1859, aged eighty-two years. Mrs. Kelley died Feb- ruary 16, 1870, aged eighty-two years. She was a daughter of Samuel MeMichael, who came from Scotland, served as a sergeant through the Revolutionary war, purchased a farm in Adams county, Pa., which he sold for Continental money that became worthless on his hands, and in 1784 removed to South Huntingdon town- ship, where he soon died from the effects of exposure in the Revolutionary war. He was a presbyterian, married Anna Horn, of Scotch birth and had eight children : Robert, Isaac, Samuel, Jane, Elizabeth, Margaret, Anna and Mary. Mrs. McMichael died in 1839 at eighty- nine years of age.

George W. Kelley inherited his father's farm of one hundred and fifty-nine acres of land on which he continued to reside until 1878, when he exchanged one hundred acres of his land for the Walt's mill property in Sewickley township consisting of fifteen acres of land, a large frame four-story grist mill, a saw-mill, two dwelling- houses, a store building and blacksmith shop. For the past twelve years he has given his time to the management of his mills, farming interests and attending to the store and post-office.

On March 22, 1866, he was married at

! Greensburg by Rev. J. Smith, D. D., to Mary Jane Latta. To their union have been born six children : Isadora Alice, Sallie Anna, Olive Jane Kilgore and Edith Mary Latta (twins),

Maggie Martha and Albert Blaine. Edith died at eight years of age. Mrs Kelley is a daughter of Squire Thomas and Sarah (Kilgore) Latta, of Mt. Pleasant township, now deceased, who were of Scotch-Irish descent and were presby- terians. Squire Latta had been a member of sessions in his church for thirty years.

George W. Kelley, his wife and eldest children are members of the United Presbyterian church, of which he has been a ruling elder for thirty years. Ile is an ardent and uncompromising republican and has always been an earnest advo- cate of the " great American system " of protec- tion to home labor in all its branches. Ile also is an able advocate of popular education and a firm supporter of our common school system and is now and has been for several years a member of the school board of his township.

.ESSE KREPPS, of Rostraver township, was born January 20, 1833, in Menallen township, Fayette county, Pa., and is a son of Jacob and Mary (Chrise) Krepps. Ilis grandfather, Christian Krepps, was a native of Germany, and with three sons immigrated to America, locating at Harper's Ferry, Md. They afterwards removed north to Fayette county, this State, and all of the name, who spell the name with a double pare the descendants of the aforementioned three sons, one of whom was Jacob Krepps. The latter was a miller by trade and in politics was rather independent though he usually voted with the whigs; he was a member of the Lutheran church. He was married to Mary Chrise, and they had eleven children, nine sons and two daughters.

Jesse Krepps is of purely German descent. IIe received his education in the country schools and has followed farming all his life. He lived in Fayette county until 1848, when he removed to Rostraver township, this county, and pur- chased a farm on which he has ever since been i engaged in farming and stock-raising. In poli-

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ties he is a democrat, and with his wife belongs to the Cumberland Presbyterian church. On November 29, 1859, Mr. Krepps was married to Hannah Zundell, a daughter of John Zundell (see sketch of the "Zundell family). They have five children : Mary C., wife of Wm. E. Craw- ford, of Rostraver township, a silversmith, who lost his entire stock of goods in the terrible Johnstown flood; George W., a farmer of Ros- traver township, who is married to Fannie Swearingen ; Ida M., John Z., and J. Lloyd.

KRISTIAN LASH, of South Hunting- don township, was born February 2, 1809, in Sewickley township, Westmore- land county, Pa., and is a son of Joseph and Barbara (Funk) Lash. His grandfather Lash was of German descent, but lived and died in the eastern part of the United States. Christian Funk, maternal grandfather, was born in Penn- sylvania, cast of the mountains, came to South Huntingdon, Westmoreland, where he took up a large tract of government land on which he lived and died. " Funk's mill " on Sewickley creek was built by him and he also built the house now occupied by Christian Lash ; he was a member of the Mennonite church and in the early days services were held in that house. Joseph Lash (father) was born near Cumberland, Pa., and at the age of sixteen came with a man by the name of Williams to what is known as the " Quaker sttlement " in Sewickley township, where he learned the carpenter trade. He was poor but honest, industrious and economical, and ere long accumulated five hundred dollars, when he married and purchased about two hun- dred acres of land in Sewickley township, where he died in 1857 at the age seventy-seven years. His brother, David Lash, was a soldier in the war of 1812 and was killed at the battle of New Orleans. Joseph Lash married Barbara Funk and they had twelve children.

Christian Lash received his education in the

common and select schools and has always fol- lowed the pursuits of agriculture. He was a whig originally, later a republican and has served his township as supervisor, etc. He is and has been for nearly sixty years a member of the United Brethren church, in which he has served faithfully in nearly every official ca- pacity and was the first superintendent of the Sabbath school. He was largely instrumental in building the Sewickley United Brethren church, donating land and money.

Christian Lash was married to Elizabeth Loy, of eastern Pennsylvania, who died January 31, 1880. They had five children : Barbara, John, Elizabeth, Christian J., and Cephas HI. Bar- bara, who was the wife of William Neff, is now dead. John Lash was married to Martha Ann Funk and has five children living and two dead : Joseph C., married to Margaret Apple ; Barbara J., wife of Wesley B. Neff; Rachel E. (dead); William II. ; Hiram P. ; Mary A. (dead), and John A. Elizabeth Lash was married to Michael Fritchman, a prominent farmer of An- drew county, Mo. Christian Lash was first married to Rebecca McGrew and the second time to Lucinda Donavan ; he, too, lives in An- drew county, Mo. Cephas HI. Lash lives in Se- wickley township and is married to Mary Kerns.

Christian Lash, although past four-score years of age, has not entirely retired from the active duties of life. He has lived a long and useful life and in his declining years looks with pride and satisfaction on his numerous descend- ants. He has five children, thirty-three grand- children and nineteen great-grandchildren.

PIIRAIM LATTA, a practically expe- rienced and successful farmer and a resi- dent of Sewickley township since 1882, was born in South Huntingdon township, West- moreland county, Pa., October 24, 1824, and is a son of Moses and Sarah (Johnson) Latta. Ilis paternal grandfather came from the old

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world to America and in all probability was born in Ireland, as his personal appearance indicated that he was of Irish nationality. He purchased and lived on the farm in South Huntingdon township which is now owned by William Tay- lor. He was a democrat, a member of the United Presbyterian church and married a Miss Thompson, by whom he had one child : Moses Latta. His maternal grandfather, Matthew John- son, was born in county Down, Ireland, and im- migrated to America about 1789. IIe purchased a team in eastern Pennsylvania and started for the country west of the Ohio river, but when he arrived in South Huntingdon township, one of his horses dropped dead and not being able to replace it with one which suited him he con- cluded to go no further west and purchased a farm upon which he resided until his death. Hle was a farmer, a democrat and a member of the United Presbyterian church. He married Fannie Jane Belford in Ireland before coming to this country. They had eight children : James and Sarah (mother), born in Ireland, and Mary, William, Fannie K., Nancy, Eliza L. and Matthew, born in South Huntingdon township. Ilis father, Moses Latta, was born in South Huntingdon township about 1786 and died in 1861. He was a farmer by occupation, a mem- ber of the United Presbyterian church and a conservative democrat. He has served as school director and held various other township offices. Ile married Sarah Johnson and they were the parents of five sons and five daughters, of whom three sons and three daughters are living.

Ephraim Latta was reared on a farm and received his education in the schools of his neighborhood. He followed farming in South Huntingdon township until 1882, when he sold the homestead farm to William Taylor and pur- chased his present farm in Sewickley township. Mr. Latta is a democrat in politics and has served as school director of his township. He and his wife are members of the old " Dick" United Presbyterian church

Ile was united in marriage, February 16, 1857, to Jane Dick, a daughter of John and Maria (MeClintock) Diek. To Mr. and Mrs. Latta have been born nine children, of whom six are deadl and three living : Martha 1., born January 18, 1858, died June 28, 1879; Emma J., born August 20, 1859, died June 17, 1865; Clara B., born December 15, 1861, died May 14, 1863; James E., born April 15, 1864, died June 14, 1870; Harry M., born May 3, 1866; married Rachel Funk and resides at West New- ton ; William E., born July 17, 1868, died June 23, 1870; Alma N., born June 18, 1870; Liz- zie M., born March 5, 1875, died May 16, 1889; and Alex. M. Dick, born February 25, 1879.

P ETER LIMBAUGHI was born April 9, 1854, under the sunny skies of France. IIe came to America in 1872 and settled first at Irwin, afterwards went to Allegheny county, thence to Jimtown, Fayette county, where he resided for three years. He subsequently removed from there to South Huntingdon. His business is that of coal mining. He was mar- ried on December 25, 1875, to Miss Carrie Sheppard, a daughter of James R. Sheppard, of Reagantown. To their union have been born six children : Minnie, born May 22, 1876; James S., October 5, 1879 ; George M., August 14, 1881; Candasie P., March 30, 1883; Robert F., August 22, 1885, who died Novem- ber 8, 1889, and Florence B., born April 13, 1887, who died August 5, 1887.

Peter Limbaugh (the subject of this sketch), is a republican in his political opinions and is a stanch highly respected citizen of his adopted township. His education was received in the ordi- nary schools of France. His father, Peter Lim- baugh, resides at Beach, France ; he married in 1851, at the age of 31, and is now in the sixty- ninth year of his age. He was married to Jennie Bile, of Beach, France.

Peter Limbaugh's (subject of this sketch)

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grandfather Limbaugh's name was also Peter, and he was a native of France.

served as a captain in the late war ; James S., born September 30, 1826 ; Mary, born July 29, 1829, and widow of Elliott Davis, who was a farmer of Rostraver township ; William, born April 12, 1882, and died in infancy ; Thomas S., born November 24, 1833, married Maggie Boyd, and died in San Francisco; he served as an escort once for President Lincoln, was a ser- geant in the army, was wounded at Gettysburg and served throughout the late war : Amanda, born October 12, 1837, and wife of Dr. Samuel Fife, of West Elizabeth, Pa., and William, who was born July 27, 1843, and died January 2, 1845.

James S. Linn attended the common schools and studied Latin and higher branches under Senator Edgar C. Cowan. Leaving school he engaged in his present business of farming to . which he added dairying a few years later. Ile owns a good farm of one hundred and fif- teen acres, upon which he has erected a fine residence, and is furnished throughout with na- tural gas and all modern conveniences. Ile also owns valuable property at West Newton.

J . AMES S. LINN is one of the highly re- spected citizens of South Huntingdon town- ship, was born on the site of the present Presbyterian church at West Newton, Westmore- land county, Pa., September 30, 1826, and is a son of Willian and Elizabeth (Clark) Linn. His paternal grandfather, James Linn, was born in Ireland in 1762 and di d at Washington, Wash- ington county, Pa., in 1838. He married a Scotch lady before coming to America. He was a far- mer and a member of the "Old Covenanter" church. His maternal grandfather, Clark, was a resident for many years of Sewickley town- ship, where he died. His father, William Linn, was born in Washington county, Pa., April 10, 1792, and came to West Newton prior to 1800. At that place he owed the ground upon which the Presbyterian church now stands. He learned the trade of blacksmith, was drafted and served in the War of 1812 on the northwestern fron- James S. Linn, on April 5, 1852, united in marriage with Phemiah MeGiffen, who was born September 23, 1832. She is a daughter of James and Phemiah (Shaw) McGiffen. To their union have been born four children : William, born June 24, 1853 ; Frank, born October 15, 1858, married Sadie, daughter of James Hen- derson, and has one child, Bessie Fay ; Jose- phine, born April 13, 1862, and died in infancy, and Homer J., who was born November 6, 1864. tier where he became sick and was given up to die by the army physicians. He recovered, re- turned to Pittsburg where he worked at his trade and where he was offered eight acres of land, including the site of the Union depot for a very small sum of money. He was a democrat, a member of the Presbyterian church, and a strong stock-holder and treasurer of the West Newton Bridge company. He owed consider- able property and the farm upon which the sub- In political sentiment Mr. Linn is a demo- erat, has served as school director for twelve years and as a road supervisor for four years. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Wyland's Grove, in Sewickly township. ject of this sketch resides, and lived for many years at West Newton, where he died July 22, 1858. On January 27, 1820, he married Eliza- beth Clark, who bore him four sons and four daughters : Eliza Jane, born December 24, 1821, died in San Francisco, California, where her husband, John J. Fulton, still resides and where OBERT T. LOVE, a substantial farmer, was born April 25, 1822, in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and he made a medical discovery which has made him wealthy ; Sarah Matilda, born January 24, 1824, and widow of Dr. John McGrew, who | is a son of Benjamin and Mary (Tinstman)

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Love. Benjamin Love (grandfather) was a native of Ireland but immigrated to the United States when about twenty-one years of age and settled near Greensburg, Pa., where he remained until his death some ten years later. His wife also was born in Ireland and immigrated to America where she married and lived until 1852, when she died at the advanced age of 101 years. Benjamin Love (father) was born in 1795 and came to this country with his father when but a boy. For a number of years he was a wagoner but in 1820 he began farming in Hempfield township, which he continued about three years, then removed to East Huntingdon township and purchased a farm. After seven years he sold his real estate and bought a farm in South Huntingdon township, on which he remained until his death in 1862. IIe was married to Mary, a daughter of Abraham Tinst- man of East Huntingdon township, who was born in 1800, died in 1852 and who became the mother of fourteen children, eleven of whom are living. Mr. Love was in religious matters a believer in the doctrines of Martin Luther and in polities an ardent follower of Jackson and an active worker in the interests of his party.

Robert T. Love was brought up in the coun- try where he attended the common schools and worked as a farm hand. For seven years he thus worked for John Rugh, then took the Rugh farm " on the shares " and continued to run it until 1861 when he removed to South Huntingdon township. He remained there but two years and then purchased part of the Rugh farm, on which he has ever since resided. Mr. Love is a modest, unassuming man who follows his occupation quietly and contentedly, remind- ing one of the typical farmer who walks "In glory and in joy behind his plow upon the mountain side." He is an active democrat and has served several terms as assessor and school director of his township. Both he and his wife are members of the M. E. church and rank among the best people of their community.

Robert T. Love was married in 1854 to Eliz- abeth, a daughter of John Rugh, who was born in 1830 and who has borne him three children, two of whom are living : Mary A., wife of D. W. Fox, a farmer of East Huntingdon town- ship, and Ella, married to Clark S. Stoner, also a farmer of that township.

EONARD E. LUCE, a progressive farmer and enterprising citizen, was born May 10, 1831, in Rostraver township, West- moreland county, Pa., and is a son of Stephen and Sarah (Everly) Luce. His grandfather, Lockard Luce, was in all probability a native of New Jersey where he lived and died. Ile served with credit in the war of the Revolution, when to be a patient soldier in the army of patriots severely tried the souls of men Leon- ard Everly (maternal grandfather) was a German by birth and immigrated to America, settling in Washington county, Pa., where he remained until removed by death. Stephen Luce (father) was born in New Jersey, came west and settled in Rostraver township, Westmoreland county, Pa., but subsequently removed to Redstone township in the adjoining county of Fayette where he followed the occupation of farming and stock-raising as long as he lived. He was a democrat and a worthy member of the Meth- odist church.

Leonard E. Luce was married February 26, 1857, to Margaret, daughter of Hugh McMahan, and to their union have been borne nine chil- dren, eight of whom are living : Mary, wife of Gibson Winnet, a farmer of Rostraver town- ship; Thomas E., Elmer E., J. Wesley, Fred- erick L., Amelia, Anna B. and Mattie.

Leonard E. Luce was educated in the common schools of Fayette county, Pa., and in 1852 removed with his father to the adjoining county of Westmoreland. They settled in Rostraver township on the farm now owned and occupied by Mr. Luce, who has resided there continuously

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from that time. The farm contains 136 acres and is well improved and valuable. Mr. Luce is an active worker in the Democratic party and has held the offices of school director and road supervisor, both of which are of great import- ance to the people of any locality. He is a progressive, public-spirited man and one who belongs to that class whose honor, enterprise and social qualities give character to a commu- nity.

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Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Part 78

Author: Gresham, John M. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Philadelphia [Dunlap & Clarke] Number of Pages: 1422

Author: Gresham, John M. cn; Wiley, Samuel T. cn
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Philadelphia [Dunlap & Clarke]
Number of Pages: 1422