USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > Biographical and historical cyclopedia of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania > Part 90
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Henry Remaley was married to Catharine Long, a daughter of Jacob Long, of Murrysville, this county. He was educated in the common schools of his township and learned the trade of miller. For about twenty years he has owned and operated a flouring mill and also owns a farm which he runs. Mr. Remaley is a stanch demo- crat and a member of the Reformed church in which he has served as elder and deacon, and is at present a deacon. He is a reliable, indus- trions, conscientious man, one of the county's good citizens. His mother is still living at the age of ninety years and is remarkably active both in mind and body for one so advanced in years.
ACOB RINGS, an enterprising citizen of Franklin township, was born September 27, 1818, in Philadelphia, Pa., and is a son of Valentine and Catharine (Neff) Rings. His grandfather, Michael Rings, was a native of Germany where he lived and died. Jacob Neff, maternal grandfather, was also a native of Ger- many but immigrated to America, settling in Allegheny county, Pa., where he died. Ile was by trade a weaver but also preached for the Mennonite denomination. Valentine Rings (father) was born in Germany and immigrated to this country, landing in Philadelphia September 25, 1818, and afterwards coming west to West- moreland county where he located in Allegheny township. Ile followed the trade of weaving and believed in the teachings of the Mennonite church. He had six children, one of whom died before leaving the fatherland. Those in this country are : John, who is married and liv- ing in Burrell township; Peter, a farmer of Franklin township; Susan, wife of William Benninger of Burrell township; Elizabeth and Jacob.
Jacob Rings received his education in the common schools and for some twenty years fol- lowed farming in Allegheny county, Pa., after which he farmed awhile in this county and then removed to Franklin township, where he is en- gaged in the mercantile business at Newlonsburg. Hle is an upright, energetic business man, a good neighbor and an excellent citizen.
DWARD T. ROBINSON, postmaster and merchant at Weaver's Old Stand and one of the younger class of representative and progressive business men of this county, was born on his father's farm in Hempfield town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa., July 23, 1861, and is a son of Jacob R. and Catharine Stouffer Robinson Ilis paternal grandfather, George Robinson, followed farming and merchandising, was a whig and afterwards a republican. He was
John Rugh
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WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
a member and active worker of the Methodist Episcopal church. He married Susanna Brinker, by whom he had eight children. His father, Jacob R. Robinson, was born in Hempfield township in 1832. lle was reared on a farm and after attend- ing the subscription schools of that day engaged in farming which he still successfully pursues. He is a republican who works earnestly in the interests and for the success of his party. He has fre- quently served as a member of the Westmoreland county republican committee. In 1854 he united in marriage with Catharine Stouffer. She died in 1869 and left seven children : Mary E., Susanna C., Win. L., Anna M., Ida P., John C., a lawyer in successful practice at Greensburg and who is an active and prominent republican, and Edward T.
Edward T. Robinson attended the common schools of Hempfield township and summer nor- mal schools at Pleasant Unity and Greensburg. Leaving school he became a clerk for his cousin, Homer Robinson, of Greensburg. From 1886 to 1888 he followed farming and stock-raising. In 1888 he purchased the store of J. W. Arm- brust at Weaver's Old Stand, and engaged in his present general mercantile business at that place. Ilis store is well stocked with dry goods, grocer- ies, boots and shoes and general merchandise, and he enjoys a prosperous and continually in- creasing trade.
Politically Mr. Robinson is a republican. IIe served as tax collector of Hempfield township in 1880 and received his appointment as postmas- ter at Weaver's Old Stand under the present administration of President Harrison, May 1, 1889. He is unmarried, popular, obliging and genial. He is a member of Sewickley Grange, No. 704, Patrons of Husbandry, the Jr. O. U. A. M., and the Methodist Episcopal church of Greensburg.
COIN RUGII. One who has inherited the many good traits of two worthy oll pioneer families of western Pennsylvania, is John Rugh, a public-spirited citizen of Hemplicht
township, and who has contributed largely of his means to the prosperty of Westmoreland county and the success of the religious and educational institutions of Greensburg. He is a son of John and Elizabeth (Weible) Rugh and was born on the Old Rugh farm on which he lives, three- fourths of a mile south of Greensburg, West- moreland county, Pa., February 20, 1823. The Rugh family is one of the few remaining old frontier families of western Pennsylvania who were founded upon the soil of Westmoreland county in the pioneer era of privation and blood- shed. Michael Rugh (great-grandfather) came into the great forest regions west of the Alleghe- nies in 1772, erected his humble cabin about one mile below the site of Greensburg and three years later was compelled to erect a fortified building which was known as Rugh's Block House, as a protection against the frequent Indian incur- sions then being made against the frontier settle- ments of Westmoreland county. He patented four hundred acres of land including the present Rugh farm. This tract he afterwards divided equally between his two sons, Hon. Jacob and Peter. His eldest son, Michael, Jr., was cap- tured and held prisoner by the Indians for many years before he effected his escape. He returned home and eventually settled in the northern part of the county. Hon. Jacob Rugh (grandfather) was born in Northampton county, Pa., February 15, 1761, and at eleven years of age came with his father to what is now Hempfield township. He was reared under the trying ordeal of front- ier life and became an extensive farmer for that early day. He represented the county in the Legislature of Pennsylvania for several terms, was an intelligent, well informed and prominent man and had acquired a very large library at the time of his death. He married Sabilla Mechling, a daughter of one of the old pioneer Mechlings, by whom he had eight children who settled in differ- ent parts of the county. John Rugh, Sr. (father), was born June 24, 1800, and died in 1858. He was a successful farmer, added con-
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
siderable to the acreage of his farm and was a prominent member of the Lutheran church. He was a republican in politics. He married Eliza- beth Weible, a daughter of Thomas Weible, who was a farmer and distiller of Mt. Pleasant town- ship. They had eight children, of whom three are yet living : John, Senilla, wife of Philip Kuhns, and Elizabeth, who married Adolph King and resides in Iowa.
John Rugh received his education in a school-house on the farm on which he was reared and now resides. Ile has always been engaged in farming and stock-raising. To his original farm of two hundred acres he added some by purchase, but in 1887 generously dona- ted ten acres for the site of the present Gillinder glass works and sold over thirty acres in 1889, for which he was well paid.
On April 10, 1846, John Rugh was married to Eliza Kuhns, youngest daughter of Philip Kuhns, of Hempfield township. To their union have heen born seven children, of whom three are living: Cyrus Rugh, who is engaged in farming in Salem township ; Joanne Rugh and Amanda Rugh.
John Rugh is a republican in politics and when it is necessary always takes an active part in the interests of his party. Ile was for a short time identified with the Greenback party, and was its candidate for sheriff of Westmoreland county in 1880. Hle is a member of the First Lutheran church of Greensburg. He has held all of the local offices of that church, to which he is a liberal contributor and to which he gave largely of his means toward the erection of the present fine church structure. He also gave a con- siderable sum to the Children's Aid Society and contributed quite an amount to the Greensburg Seminary. In addition to all those generous contributions he gave three acres in the right of way to the S. W. P. R. R. in 1871, and after- wards donated ten acres of very valuable land for the site of the present Gillinder glass works, and thus was instrumental in securing that large
manufacturing establishment to Greensburg, and through its successful career of rendering West- moreland county an inviting field to other manu- facturing industries.
AMUEL RUFF, a prominent and sub- stantial farmer of Hempfield township, was born three miles north of Mt. Pleas ant, in Mt. Pleasant township, Westmoreland county, Pa., March 28, 1825, and is a son of John and Rebecca (Allbough) Ruff. His pater- nal grandfather, Anthony Ruff, was among the early settlers of Mt. Pleasant township. IIe was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church, in which he was an active and earnest worker. He was a prominent whig in his sec- tion of the county, was regarded as a safe and reliable business man and by honest industry and judicious management he acquired several farms and for his day was one of the wealthiest men in the southern part of the county. He was well advanced in years at the time of his death. His maternal grandfather was a native of Germany. After emigrating to Pennsylvania he settled in this county but soon removed to Ohio where he died at the remarkable age of 106 years.
John Ruff (father) was born in 1793 and died in 1847, when in the 54th year of his age. He removed to Hempfield township in 1833 and was engaged in farming as long as he lived. Ile married Rebecca Allbough. She was one of the early members of Zion Evangelical Lutheran church at Greensburg and passed away in Au- gust, 1873.
Samuel Ruff was reared on the home farm and received his education in the rural schools of Hempfield township. Leaving school he en- gaged in farming, which he has continued in till the present time. Ile owns the home farm of one hundred and fifty-three acres, a tract of one hundred and forty acres in the immediate vicinity of Hannastown and a one-half interest
Jacob Sell
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WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
in one hundred and twenty acres of land which adjoins that village. On the homestead he has built a large, fine brick house, in which he now resides and where he is surrounded with all the comforts of life and enjoys the fruits of his many years of labor.
In 1852, he married Sybilla Raigh, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Kepple) Raigh, who were natives of this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Ruff have been born seven children : Elizabeth J., Catherine, Marion W., John G., Ella May, George G. and Jacob S. (dead).
Mr. Ruff in religious belief is a lutheran and a member and deacon of the church of that denomination.
LI SELL, fourth in lineal descent from Jacob Sell, Sr., the founder of the Sell
family in Westmoreland, and an honest, upright and substantial citizen of Hempfield township, was born in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., on April 21, 1831, and is a son of Jacob and Polly (Carr) Sell. His great-grandfather, Jacob Sell, was an early merchant at Gettysburg, Pa. One of his sons, Jacob Sell, Sr. (grandfather) who was a hatter by trade, came to Westmoreland county where he settled near New Stanton and afterwards married Peggy Weible. One of their sons was Jacob Sell (father). (See his sketch under Hempfield township).
Eli Sell was reared on a farm where he was carefully trained in all farming operations. Hc attended the subscription schools of his neigh- borhood and since leaving school has devoted most of his time to farming in Hempfield town- ship, where he owns two desirable and highly productive farms. He also owns valuable prop- erty in and near Greensburg and has been in- terested in the general mercantile business for twenty-five years. His store in Greensburg is heavily stocked with everything to be found in a general mercantile establishment. Prompt and reliable in all of his transactions he has 1
won a liberal patronage and the confidence of all who have dealings with him. He is a republican in politics and with his family belongs to the Second Reformed church at Greensburg.
On September 9, 1856, he united in marriage with Catherine Byers. They have three chil- dren : John S., Dr. Jacob, a practicing physi- cian of Greensburg, and Alice K., the wife of Dr. W. J. Hammer, a leading dentist of Greens- burg. Mrs. Sell is a daughter of Henry Byers, a prominent farmer of Hempfield township.
John S. Sell, eldest son of Eli Sell, was born July 30, 1857. IIe was educated in the com- mon schools of Hempfield township, Greens- burg academy, Edinboro State Normal school and Duff's Commercial college of Pittsburg. Ile has been engaged in mercantile business at Greensburg since 1876 and during the most of this time has been in partnership with his father. Particularly adapted and specially educated for business pursuits, he has naturally become effi- cient and popular as a merchant. He is an active republican and takes great interest in educational matters. John S. Sell is enterpris- ing, liberal and progressive. He is a member of Westmoreland Lodge, No. 518, A. Y. M., Urania Chapter, No. 192, H. R. A. M. and Kedron Commandery, No. 18, Knights Temp- lar.
ACOB SELL, an old and highly respected citizen and a comfortably situated farmer of Hempfield township, was born at Gettys- burg, Adams county, Pa., and is the eldest son of Jacob Sr. and (Peggy Weible) Sell. Jacob Sell, Sr., was a son of Jacob Sell, who was a merchant of Gettysburg when it was but a small place. Jacob Sell, Sr. came to West- moreland county when a young man and pur- chased a farm one-half mile distant from New Stanton. He was a hatter by trade, a whig in politics and married Peggy Weible, daughter of Stephen Weible, who was a farmer of Hemp- field township.
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BIOGRAPHIES OF
Jacob Sell was reared on on a farm ; he at- tended the New Stanton schools for several win- ters and then engaged actively in farming. In 1831 he purchased a farm of one hundred and fifty acres upon which he has resided ever since. He has always followed farming, except two years which he spent at shoemaking. Politically he is a republican. He has been an active mem- ber of the Reformed church at New Stanton for many years.
Ile was married to Polly Carr, daughter of Arthur Carr, of Greensburg, by whom he had four children : John, Eli, who is a merchant of Greensburg ; Mary (deceased), and Uriah, who married Catherine Baughman and resides upon the home farm. Mrs. Sell was a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church and died in 1881.
John Sell, eldest son of Jacob and Polly (Carr) Sell, was born June 13, 1823. Hle received his education in the rural schools of his native township, engaged in farming for a short time and in 1847 opened a store in New Stanton, which he conducted successfully until 1888. Ile served twenty-three years as postmaster at New Stan- ton, receiving his first commission under Presi- dent Tyler in 1843 and his last commission under President Lincoln. He is a strong repub- liean and an active member of the Reformed church of which he has been an elder for over twelve years. He has been twice married. His first wife was Mary Ann Evans, a daughter of Joshua Evans, of Hempfield township. In twenty years after their marriage |she died, but left no children. On September 7, 1873, he united in marriage with Melissa Brant, a daugh- ter of Clark Brant. To this second union have been born four children : Laura Grace, Jacob B., attending school, Mary Melissa and John Garfield. John Sell is a leading citizen of Hempfield township, has had extended experi- ence in various kinds of business, and although an unassuming man yet is prominent in church and civil affairs.
1 SRAEL T. SHEFFLER, one of the many sons of Westmoreland county who responded to President Lincoln's first call for troops and a successful farmer and dairyman of Hemp- field township, was born in a log house on his father's farm in Unity township, Westmoreland county, Pa., March 18, 1838, and is a son of Samuel C. and Hannah E. (Slife) Sheffler. Samuel C. Sheffler was born on the old Sheffter farm in Hempfield township April 11, 1814. In early life he followed farming for a few years and then engaged in stage-driving, which he followed for sixteen years. When the railroads monopolized the business of the old pikes he resumed farming and was thus engaged at the breaking out of the late war. From 1861 to 1865 he served as an enrolling officer. Ile now resides in Hempfield township. He is a repub- lican, has held various township offices and is a member of the First Lutheran church of Greens- burg. On June 30, 1833, he married Hannah E. Slife, who was born in 1813 and died in 1884. They had twelve children, of whom six are living. The three eldest sons enlisted in the late war. Daniel was wounded in one of the Wilderness battles and died from its effects in a few days. Henry, who was a member of an Ohio regiment, was killed while serving in one of the western armies.
Israel T. Sheffler received his education at Youngstown school, Unity township, and made a start in life for himself as a railroad employe in 1859. In the spring of 1861 he was one of those who responded to President Lincoln's call for seventy-five thousand men, and on May 4 of that year he enlisted in Company G, ninth Pa. Reserves for three years more. He par- ticipated in sixteen hard-fought battles of his regiment, which well bore its part in the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac under Mcclellan, Hooker, Burnside and Meade. Ho was honorably mustered out of the United States service at Pittsburg, Pa., on May 12, 1864. Leaving the army he was married to
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Sarah Bitts February 2, 1865, who died Feb- ruary, 1867. A son, Daniel, was born October 23, 1865.
February 18, 1868, he married Naney Forry, daughter of Henry Forry, of Newark, Ohio. They have four children : Mamie, born January 17, 1870; Daisy, born March 2, 1872; Carrie, born June 23. 1875; and James, who was born October 3, 1880.
I. T. Sheffer is a member of the Second Re- formed church of Greensburg, Post No. 276, Grand Army of the Republic, and Union Veteran Legion. Mr. Sheffler has always been a republican in polities and never misses an op- portunity to honorably work for the success of his party.
Daniel Bush, by whom he had five children, of whom Conrad is the eldest.
Conrad Shuey attended the subscription schools of his day and has devoted his attention entirely to farming, now owning two farms in Hempfield township. In 1886 he retired from active life and now resides near Greensburg. IIe has been a member of the Reformed church since 1834 and is a highly respected citizen of the community.
Hle was married to Maria, a daughter of John Holtzer, of Franklin township, and they have had ten children of whom eight are living : Christina, is the wife of Isaac Silvis : John M., is a farmer of Hempfield township ; Susan, is married to John Silvis ; Conrad F., is on his father's farm. The other living children are : Elizabeth, Mary J., Henry D. and Simon P. Mrs. Shuey died and Mr. Shuey re-married, his second and present wife being Sarah C. Braughy.
ONRAD SHUEY, a retired farmer and substantial citizen of Hempfield township, is a son of John and Susanna ( Bush) Shuey and was born on his father's farm, two miles south of Harrison City road, in Hempfield town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pa., April 17, 1814. Conrad Shuey (grandfather) was a native of cen- YRUS J. SHUSTER, of Delmont, was born in Salem township, Westmoreland county, Pa., September 15, 1856, and is a son of Daniel and Lucinda (Rugh) Shuster. Isaac Shuster, his grandfather, one of Westmore- land county's oldest citizens, was married to Anna Blose, of the same county, and they had the following children: Elizabeth, who married Jacob Shutt, of Hempfield township ; George, now of Armstrong county ; Sarah, wife of C. Huffinan, of Hempfield township ; Isaiah ; John ; Joseph ; Daniel ; Anna, wife of Daniel Coy, of Hempfield township ; William G. and Eli, who died in early manhood. One of these children, Daniel Shuster (father) was born August 22, 1827, in Hempfield township. After leaving the public schools he worked at shoemaking for a munber of years and in 1856 began farming on the farm he now owns and occupies. He was also joint owner of a general merchandise store tral Pennsylvania and came to near Greensburg, this county, where he purchased a large farm on which he resided until his death. He was iden- tified with the early history of our country, and was one of the garrison at Fort Wheeling, where he narrowly escaped capture by the Indians. He was an active member of the Lutheran church, a whig in politics and lived to the ripe old age of eighty-seven years. He was the father of three children, two of whom grew up : John and Cath- arine. John Shuey (father) was born near Mifflin, Pa., and was brought by his parents to this section when a youth. All his life was de- voted to farming, in which, being industrious and economical he was quite successful. He was a whig and republican in politics but never sought an office ; he was identified with the Reformed church. Born in 1792, he lived past the al- lotted three-score and ten and died in 1870. He was married to Susanna Bush, daughter of | in Greensburg with bis son, Lewis Shuster, from
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BIOGRAPHIIES OF
1875 until the death of the latter in 1889. He is now one of the owners of the Salem mill pro- perty on which stands one of the best mills in the county, having the latest improved machinery, the roller process, and everything that pertains to its success. Mr. Shuster is a member and an elder of the Lutheran church at Delmont and belongs to Salem Council, No. 42, O. C. F. He married Lucinda Rugh, of Hempfield township, who bore him thirteen children : D. Edgar, died February 25, 1886 ; Lewis W., died August 22, 1889; three died in infancy ; Harriet J., mar- ried Joseph M. Silvis, of Washington township; Cyrus J. ; Maggie A., married J. M. Klingen- smith, of Greensburg ; Melvina, became the wife of Frank C. Black, of Salem township; Clara B., Albert J., Minnie and Gertrude L.
Jacob Rugh, maternal grandfather, was a na- tive of eastern Pennsylvania but came to West- moreland county at a very early date, where he was one of the first settlers. IIe was a farmer by occupation and one of the founders of the Lutheran church at Greensburg. His mother, Lucinda (Rugh). Shuster, was born August 22, 1830, and is a daughter of Jacob and Margaret A. Rugh, of Hempfield township, and a sister of Dr. J. W. Rugh, of New Alexandria.
Cyrus J. Shuster attended the public schools and New Salem academy, and after leaving school at the age of eighteen years he entered the store of D. Shuster & Son, at Greensburg, and remained there four years, then returned to his father's farm and after two years there went to Salem March 3, 1881, and learned milling in his father's mill. From 1883 until the present he has had charge of the mill and is conceded to be one of the best millers in western Pennsylvania. Mr. Shuster is a member of the Lutheran church, a sound democrat and is a member of the O. C. F. and the Jr. O. U. A. M., having attained in both the rank of Sr. P. C.
Cyrus J. Shuster was married September 13, 1883, to Margaret E., ouly daughter of Joseph and Mary Rose of Salem township. They have
one child, Mary Alice Shuster, who was born June 21, 1888.
OHN SHIRUM, of near Adamsburg, a de- scendant of one of the pioneer families of the county and a prominent citizen of the "Star of the West," was born April 20, 1834, in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pa., and is a son (the only child) of Solomon and Sarah A. (Uber) Shrum. His grandfather was John Shrum, of German descent, who was born in Hempfield township about 1776 and was a prosperous farmer of that early period. IIe also worked some at his trade, that of making the old-fashioned split-bottomed chair. John Andrew Shulze, who was governor of Pennsyl- vania from 1823 till 1829, appointed him a justice of the peace and he has served in that capacity for seventeen years. He was a demo- crat in politics and a member of the Brush Creek Reformed church, of which he was one of the founders and in which he was a trustee and for very many years served as an elder. He was a modest man of retiring disposition and gave much time to reading literary, bio- graphical and especially historical works. Well informed and intelligent himself, he devoted special attention to the education of his children, of whom four became teachers, Solomon, John, Henry and Reuben. His wife was Catharine Shirey of Hempfield township, by whom he had eight children : Anna Mary, born May 3, 1797; Esther, born March 10, 1800; Solomon, born January 7, 1803; Elizabeth, born October 7, 1805; John, born September 14, 1808; Henry, born August 29, 1811; Jacob, born October 1, 1814 ; and Reuben, born August 2, 1818. Mr. Shrum died in 1854 and his wife survived him about a decade, passing away at the age of ninety years. Solomon Shrum (father) was born in Hempfield township, this county, and received a good education in both German and English. He carried on farming
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