USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 84
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William P. Timms was educated in the com- mon schools and began life on his own account as a farmer, but later abandoned that calling for railroading which he has followed ever since. IIe is a sober, industrious, well-to-do man of ex- cellent character, intelligent views and enjoys the esteem of all who know him.
In November, 1855, he married Margery McLain, a daughter of John Mcbain of Ros- traver township, and they have had four children : Finley, Samuel, Carrie and John. Finley Timms is married to Ada Patterson, a daughter of Robert Patterson, and is a plumber of West Newton Carrie Timus became the wife of Cyrus Loop of Sewickley township, but she is no longer living. John Timms died in youth and Samuel has likewise gone to his ever- lasting home. Mrs. Margery (MeLain) Timms is a consistent member of the Methodist Episco- pal church.
FACOB TOMER, one of the best citizens of Rostraver township, was born November 24, 1832, in Pittsburg, Pa., and is a son of Jacob and Sarah (Hollobaugh) Tomer. John R. Tomer (grandfather) was a native of Mary- land and migrated to Pittsburg in 1804 where he resided till his death. He was a butcher by occupation, a member and one of the founders of the German Reformed church on the corner of Sixthavenue and Smithfield street, Pittsburg, Pa.
Jolin Hollobaugh (maternal grandfather) lived and died in Armstrong county, Pa., where he was a farmer and lumberman. Jacob Tomer (father) was born near Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1794 and died in Webster, this county, in 1883. At the age of ten he removed with his
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father to Pittsburg, where after arriving at man- hood he carried on the business of butchering. In 1869 he located at Webster, purchased a farm and coal lands and operated a coal company for some time. He was the father of ten children, five of whom are yet living.
Jacob Tomer (the subject of this sketch) was educated in the city of Pittsburg, Pa., where he became a pharmacist and carried on the drug business for four years. In 1863 when the civil war was raging in all its fury, he enlisted as a volunteer and entered the third Pennsylva- nia Cavalry as hospital steward. He was with the army of the Potomac, took part in most of the battles in which that army was engaged and served till the close of the war. Mr. Tomer is a prominent democrat and takes an active part in the political matters of his township. In 1888 he was elected justice of the peace in Rostraver township, where he owns a valuable farm. Hle is a member of the I. O. O. F., the A. O. U. W. and the G. A. R., has many excellent traits of character and is a useful and respected mem- ber of society.
Jacob Tomer married Harriet Gillingham of Webster in August, 1871. Ten children have been born to them, seven of whom are yet living.
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' OHIN VOGEL was born December 18, 1842, in Pittsburg, Pa., and is a son of Conrad and Lizzie Vogel. He was educated in the Catholic school of Allegheny City and began life for himself as a teamster in Pittsburg and Allegheny. In 1866 he removed to Webster, Westmoreland county, Pa., where he was en- gaged at mining and driving until 1883, when he went into the hotel business at Webster and has continued the same ever since.
Ile married Eva Stinegle, of Iron City, West- moreland county, Pa., and they have nine chil- dren : Lizzie, John, Mary, Conrad, Lena, Wil- liam, George, Alva and Harald.
The history of the world abounds in instances of devotion to country. In all ages have been found men willing to sacrifice their fortunes and their lives for their native land-men, thousands of whom if not so famous, were equally as heroic as Arnold Winkleried, who rushed upon the spears of the Austrian phalanx crying " Make way for liberty !" But we need not go to Athens or Sparta to find examples of bravery and heroism by which to excite the patriotic emotions of the rising generation or to rouse them to deeds of valor. We have them all around us, but " full many a flower is born to blush unseen," and we are apt to overlook them. Among those who deserve praise for services rendered their country is John Vogel, who en- listed in Co. C, sixty-third reg. Pa. Vols. in 1861, and served faithfully till February 10, 1865, when he was honorably discharged at Pittsburg. Besides various minor engagements he participated in the great battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Seven Days fight, Spottsylvania Court House, Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Second Bull Run, Fredericksburg, An- tietam and Chancellorsville. At the latter place | he was captured and carried to Libby prison, but was released at the end of nine days. Ile was taken prisoner a second time at Cold Har- bor and carried to Andersonville, where he was held for more than six months. During this time the prisoners were permitted to dig a well in Mr. Vogel's tent, which was utilized to assist him and a few of his fellow prisoners to escape. While they were digging the well they were also digging a tunnel to reach outside of the stock- ade. The dirt from the tunnel was dumped into the well through a hole communicating with it and was then carried outside with that taken from the well. No mishap occurred and every- thing was in readiness for the escape when a treacherous fellow prisoner divulged the plans. to the officials. John Vogel is a thorough democrat, a member of Starkweather Post, No. 60, G. A. R., Monongahela City, and is
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an excellent citizen, modest, upright and faithful.
EVI WEAVER, of Webster, is a son of John and Elizabeth ( Harrold) Weaver and was born November 27, 1827, in Eliza- beth township, Allegheny county, Pa. John Weaver, his grandfather, was born in Tenden- gen, Germany, and emigrated to America, locat- ing at New York City, where he obtained some land. Ile afterwards leased the property for ninety-nine years and since that time a portion of New York City has been built upon the tract. HIe subsequently removed to near Greensburg, Westmoreland county, where he remained until his death. John Weaver (father) was born in Westmoreland county about the year 1786 and died in Allegheny county in 1863. IIe was a farmer and a member of the Lutheran church. He was formerly a whig and latterly a republi- can. Ile married twice, his first wife being Elizabeth Harrold and the second Susana Suter, a daughter of Eli Suter, of Sewickley township, a prominent politician and business man of the county.
Levi Weaver received his education in the common schools and has devoted his entire life to the pursuits of husbandry. He owns a valu- able tract of land in Rostraver township. He is a republican and has served his township in various political capacities ; both he and his wife are identified with the Lutheran church in which Mr. Weaver is an elder.
Levi Weaver was married November 27, 1849, to Mary Ann Alms, daughter of Michael Alins, of this county and their union has been blessed with eleven children : Benjamin F., married to Josephine Lane, and now living on his father's farm in Allegheny county ; John M., married to Martha Ryal, and living on the same farm ; Joseph J., Elizabeth J. (dleceased) ; Susan A., Ann C., Levi S., Mary A., Margaret E., James II. and Adam M.
ANIEL F. WILLIAMS, one of the many enterprising and substantial farmers of
South Huntingdon township, is a son of Thomas and Margaret (Hough) Williams and was born in Redstone township, Fayette county, Pa., February 4, 1837. His great-grandfather, Daniel Williams, was born in Northampton county, Pa. He was a German lutheran and took up about five thousand acres of land near the site of Greensburg, by " tomahawk right." One of his sons, Daniel Williams, Jr. (grand- father) was born near Greensburg and was a well-to-do farmer. Of his children, Thomas Williams (father) went to Ligonier Valley and operated a tannery for several years. Ill health compelled him to quit tanning and in 1836 he removed to South Huntingdon township, where he purchased a farm and acquired sufficient land to give each of his four sons a good farm. He was a strict member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, an earnest democrat and served his town- ship as school director for several terms. He was born near Greensburg, September 8, 1805, and died at his home in South Huntingdon town- ship on February 8, 1872. He married Mar- garet Hough and they reared a family of four sons and four daughters. Mrs. Williams was a daughter of David Hough who was born near Mt. Pleasant, this county. He removed in early life to the property which he purchased near Fayette City (then. Cookstown), Fayette county, Pa. Ile was a miller by trade but gave a part of his time to farming. Ile owed and operated three flouring mills and a distillery besides managing several farms. He was a whig and a member of the Presbyterian church.
Daniel F. Williams was reared on a farm and attended the common schools. Farming was his choice for a life vocation and upon attaining his majority he engaged in farming and stock- raising.
He was married on February 7, 1862, to Re- becca Nicholson, a daughter of William Nichol- son, of South Huntingdon township. To their
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union have been born nine children : John, who is a farmer of Sewickley township and married Margaret Williams; Elmer S., who married Alice Rhodes; William F., Thomas, David Boyd, Clarence, Lewis, Mary Edna and Harry (dead).
Daniel F. Williams has been very successful in his chosen pursuit of farming. He has five farms of 656 acres of land and also three farms hear Seattle, Washington. He is a progressive farmer and keeps some choice stock. He is a democrat and has served one term as school director.
AYLOR WILSON, a farmer and gardener, was born December 19, 1825, in what is now Penn township, Allegheny county, Pa., and is a son of Joseph and Bridget (Kain) Wilson. His grandfather, Sampson Wilson, was born in Philadelphia, Pa. He was a saddle- tree maker while there but in 1817 he removed to Allegheny county, Pa., where he purchased a tract of land and eventually became very wealthy. He was a whig, a Presbyterian and served some years as justice of the peace. Joseph Wilson (father) was born in Philadelphia but was married in Allegheny county, Pa., where he carried on farming until his death in 1869 at the age of eighty-six. He served in the War of 1812 and was with Jackson behind the bales of cotton at New Orleans. He was a member of the Presbyterian church and a strong worker for the whig party. His wife was Bridget Kain and to them was born twelve children. Four of the sons -Johnson, Carson, Washington and Mark served in the civil war. Johnson was killed at the battle of Fair Oaks ; Carson, went out as a pri- vate and was promoted to lieutenant but was killed in the mine explosion before Petersburg ; Washington, was killed at Gettysburg by the ex- plosion of a shell : Mark. volunteered and went to the front but became sick and returned. Bar- nett Kain (maternal grandfather) was born in Philadelphia, Pa., but removed in later years to
Allegheny county, Pa. While in Philadelphia he was a sailor but during the latter portion of his life was a farmer. He was a whig and a member of the M. E. church.
Taylor Wilson married September 2, 1855, Hannah, a daughter of John Lehew, of Fayette county, Pa., and to their union have been born four children : Eva, Harvey F. and Lucinda (twins), and Mark T. Eva is the wife of Joseph Reed who resides at Beaver Falls where he is engaged in the wire-mill. Lucinda is married to William Boyce, a glass-blower who now lives in Belle Vernon.
Taylor Wilson was educared in the subserip- tion and public schools of Allegheny county, Pa., and then learned the trade of ship-carpenter at which he worked along the Monongahela and Ohio rivers for twenty years. In 1867 he pur- chased a farm in Rostraver township, Westmore- land county, Pa., and has ever since been en- gaged in farming and gardening. He is a repub- lican and an active worker for the success of his party ; has served a number of years as school director and held the office of assessor. He has been a member of the M. E. church for more than a quarter of a century and is a man of ex- cellent habits and character.
P RESLEY WILSON, an extensive farmer of Sewiekley, was born near Connellsville, Fayette county, Pa., July 4, 1812, and is a son of John Wilson who was born near the same place and was a son of one of Fayette county's earliest pioneers. John Wilson was married to Elizabeth Roughcorn. Her death occurred on February 9, 1866. To their union were born two children : Barbara A., who died December 21, 1885, and Presley. The latter was educated in the private subscription schools of the county, and began life as a farmer which he has ever since followed. His father dying when he was quite young, he went to live with his uncle, George Wilson of Sewickley township,
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with whom he resided until he married Margaret Copeland, when he went in 1841 to reside on his farm in Sewickley township, where he is at present living. The children to his first wife are all married: George W. was married to Maggie, daughter of Daniel and Hannah Hobaugh ; Thomas C. was married to Elizabeth M., daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Loop ; Albert C. was married to Mary J., daughter of Daniel and Eliza Ewig; Maggie J. was married to John S. Ewig. Margaret (Copeland) Wilson (wife) was born February 4, 1816, and died No- vember 23, 1867. He was married March 23, 1870, to Maggie B., daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Loop of Sewickley township. She was born February 19, 1847. To them have been born five children : William Henry, born January 7, 1871; Lizzle Arretta, born April 19, 1875; John Lester, born April 3, 1877; Eva Painter, born August 28, 1879; and Flor- ence Belle, born September 20, 1882. . Mr. Wilson is a stanch republican, was formerly a whig and voted for Clay, Harrison and Scott. . He is a methodist in his religious belief and his wife is a member of that church. The house in which he now lives was built in 1820, and the old log barn on the farm which is still in use was built in 1819. Mr. Wilson, besides owning a good farm where he lives near Shaner on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, has a fine farm in Coupon county, Illinois.
ILLIAM D. WILSON, a prosperous merchant and the efficient postmaster at Tarr's, is a son of Joseph and Anna (Douthard) Wilson, and was born near McKees- port, Allegheny county, Pa., July 26, 1856. The Wilson and Douthard families came from Great Britain to Pennsylvania prior to the Rev- olutionary war. The Wilsons were from Scot- land and settled in Indiana county, while the Douthards resided in Ireland until they engaged in an attempted insurrection against the English
government and were compelled to fly to America. Joseph Wilson was born in 1814 near Saltsburg, Indiana county, Pa. Ile at- tended the subscription schools, went west on attaining his majority, spent some time near Chicago when it was a village of less than a dozen houses, and was in different parts of Illi- nois until 1841, when he returned to Saltsburg, Pa. About 1842 he removed to Pittsburg and engaged in boating coal down the Mississippi river until 1864. In that year he returned to Indiana county, engaged in farming for eighteen years and in 1882 removed to Stonersville, this county, where he died January 8, 1884. In 1848 he married Anna, daughter of J. W. Douthard of Jefferson county, Pa. They had seven sons and two daughters, of whom five are living. Mr. Wilson was a republican, and he and his wife were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
William D. Wilson left home at eighteen years of age and began life for himself. After working at several places he came to Tarr's and labored in the coal mines near that railway sta- tion until 1883, when he was badly injured by a fall of coal and disabled from work for a long time. In 1886 he was elected tax collector for East Huntingdon township and served in that capacity for one term. In 1887 he engaged in the general mercantile business at " Old Bethany," and one year later removed to Tarr's and opened his present store. He has a good stock of goods and is building up a paying trade. Hle is an active republican and was appointed postmaster May, 1889.
On October 19, 1881, he married Lizzie Husband, daughter of William Husband of Ruff's Dale. They have two children : Colter II. and William W., aged respectively seven and five years. Mrs. Wilson is of German descent, was born in 1853, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
W. D. Wilson is a member of Moss Rose Lodge, No. 350, Independent Order of Odd
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Fellows, Red Cross Castle, No. 146, A. O. of M. C., Bethany Council, No. 155, Jr. O. U. A. M., Lodge No. 5,977, Knights of Labor, and the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a delegate in 1886 from District No. 11 of the Connellsville coke region to the Richmond con- vention of the Knights of Labor.
OHIN S. ZUNDEL, one of Rostraver town- ship's prominent citizens and an excellent representative of the best class of West- moreland county agriculturists, was born in East Huntingdon township, Westmoreland county, Pa., May 28, 1843, and is a son of John and Catharine (Shelkey) Zundel. For history of paternal grandfather see sketches of William and Jacob Zundel. His father, John Zundel, was born in 1807 and died August 14, 1889. At an early age he went to live with John Snyder of near Mt. Pleasant. On attaining his majority he engaged in farming on a tract of land contain- ing one hundred and six acres, near Mt. Pleas- ant, which was willed to him. In 1852, upon the death of John Snyder and his wife, he purchased their farm in Rostraver township. He was very successful in business and successively bought the Slatterback, Robert Patterson and Mcclellan farins in the same township. He was a strictly honest man and was highly esteemed for his in- tegrity, kindness and generosity. He was a strong democrat, a member of Rehoboth Presby- terian church and had an estate worth $50,000 at the time of his death. He married Catharine Shelkey who bore him six children, of whom four are living.
John S. Zundel received an academic educa- tion. At sixteen years of age he engaged in teaching which he followed continuously for about eighteen years. He then embarked in his present business of farming in which he has met with good success.
On July 1, 1869, he united in marriage with Annetta Hough who is a native of Brownsville,
Pa., and a daughter of Paul and Mary (Smith) Hough, who were born in South Huntingdon township, this county, respectively in 1820 and 1824. Paul Hough was a farmer by occupation and a democrat in politics. He removed in 1883 to Brownsville, Pa., where he lived a retired life until his death which occurred January 3, 1890. Ile had four children, of whom three are still living. His widow still resides at her Browns- ville home.
John S. Zundel owns a small but very produc- tive farm of sixty-seven acres of desirable land. He has always been an active worker in the Democratic party and has filled various township offices. Mr. Zundel and his estimable wife are members of the West Newton Presbyterian church.
ACOB ZUNDEL, a leading citizen and farmer of Rostraver township, was born January 20, 1828, in East Huntingdon township, Westmoreland county, and is a son of John and Catharine (Shelkey) Zundel. His grandfather, John M. Zundel, was born in Wit- tenberg, Germany, immigrated to America and settled near Pittsburg with a colony brought over by George Rapp. He shortly afterwards deserted the colony and settled in Hempfield township, near Harold's church, where he engaged for a time in teaching the " young idea how to shoot," after which he removed to East Huntingdon township, where he lived till his death. He was a democrat in politics and a member of the Luth- eran church, in which he was at various times deacon, elder and choir leader. His son John was born in Hempfield township, this county, in 1807, and died August 14, 1889. John Zundel was a farmer and owned one hundred and sixty acres of land in Rostraver township on which he lived till his death. In politics he was an active democrat and served his township in various offices. He was a member of the Reformed Presbyterian church. Jacob Zundel's maternal grandfather, Conrad Shelkey, was a native of
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Germany who immigrated to America prior to the struggle for Independence, and located near Chambersburg, Pa. He served during the Rev- olutionary war as a teamster and was a political follower of Thomas Jefferson.
Jacob Zundel was educated in the public schools of this county and has always followed farming and stock-raising on his own well im- proved farm of one hundred and twenty-seven acres. IIe is an unswerving democrat and has held the responsible office of school director and other positions of trust and honor in his town- ship. In religious faith he follows in the foot- steps of his father, being a consistent member of the Reformed Presbyterian church.
Jacob Zundel's wife was Melissa Jane, daugh- ter of David McLain, of Rostraver township. They have had twelve children, eleven of whom are living. The children are named : William A., Hannah L., John C., Annetta, Mary R., James Me., David L., Walter Il., Jesse K., Earl D. and Nannie Me. John is married to Nannie, a daughter of David Finley, of Rostra- ver township.
ILLIAM ZUNDEL, one of Rostraver township's best people, is a son of John and Catharine (Shelkey) Zundel, and was born October 11, 1833, in Mt. Pleasant township, Westmoreland county, Pa. His grandfather was Michael Zundel, a native of Germany, who came to America and settled
in the vicinity of Greensburg. Ile after- wards moved to Mount Pleasant township, this county, where he continued his occupa- tion of farming. He was an earnest, active member of the German Lutheran church. John Zundel, the father of William, was born June 16, 1807, near Greensburg, re- moved to Mt. Pleasant township, and again in 1854 removed to Rostraver township where he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty- eight acres from Capt. Jolin Snyder, and there- after followed farming till the close of his life on the fourteenth of August, 1889. He was a leading member of the German Lutheran church, while in politics he was a follower of the illus- trious Jackson. He was the father of seven children.
William Zundel married Isabella Frazier, in September 1868, and they have two children : Ada, wife of Samuel A. Brown, a farmer of Washington township, Fayette county, and a son of Joseph Brown of Kansas, and Willma Oreda.
William Zundel was educated in the public schools of Mt. Pleasant township, and has al- ways followed the business of farming, taking a special delight in agricultural pursuits. He is the fortunate possessor of one hundred and sixty-eight acres of excellent, well-cultivated land in Rostraver township. Mr. Zundel, who is a democrat and a prominent member of the Presbyterian church at Rehoboth, is a substan- tial citizen of excellent social, moral and intel- lectual qualities.
Franklin, Hempfield, Loyalhanna and Salem
AMES AGNEW, a native of Scotland, a graduate of the far-famed Glasgow college and for nearly fifty years past a resident and highly respected citizen of Hempfield township, is a son of John and Janet (Black) Agnew and was born in Wigtownshire, an agricultural and pastoral county in the south- western part of Scotland, December 9, 1807. Few are the families who can trace their lineal history as far back as the Agnews. In 1066, when William the Conqueror in- vaded England and won the kingdom at the battle of Hastings, there were two General Agnews in his army. On one of them he bestowed an estate in the west of Scotland and to the other he gave an estate in the north of Ireland. From the latter is descended Judge Agnew of Pennsylvania, and a descendant of the former was Andrew Agnew, the paternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch. One of Andrew Aguew's sons was John Agnew, who received a fine classical education. He preferred farming to a professional life and was thus engaged until 1844, when he came to Ilempfield township, where he died some years afterward at an advanceds age. Ile married Janet Black, who died young. Of their marriage were born four children, of whom two are living: James and Jane, widow of Alexander Kerr, who was a prosperous farmer of Hempfield township.
James Agnew was educated in preparatory and academic schools and Glasgow college,
from which famous institution of learning he was graduated in 1825. Soon after graduation he was elected professor of Greek in Bradmore college, London, England, and occupied that chair for four years. He then embarked in the mercantile business at Linlithgow, a prosperous manufacturing town sixteen miles west of Edin- burg, an oldl royal city. While in business there he was seized with asthma with which he is still afflicted and was compelled to remove to the country, where he was engaged in farming for a few years. Not liking the Scotch method of farming then in use in the district where he resided, he concluded to come to America and in 1843 arrived in Westmoreland county, where he located near Grapeville, on the farm on which he now lives.
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