USA > Pennsylvania > Cumberland County > Biographical annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settled families > Part 103
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Benjamin F. Van Scyoc attended the dis- triet school until he was twelve years of age, and then being one of a large family, he was obliged to work upon the farm to help his father care for them all. Thus he continued until his twenty-third year, when he married. He then settled in Franklin county, and for several years engaged in making post rail fence. In 1895 he moved to what is known as the Reese Himes farm, situated one mile north of Shippensburg, which he occupied as a tenant. There he was actively engaged in farming and dairying, and was regarded as one of the best farmers of this locality. The farm contains 150 acres of excellent land, upon which is a good bank barn, com- fortable residence and necessary outbuild- ing -. On March 24, 1904, he removed to the George H1. Stewart farm in Southamp- ton township. Franklin county, two miles from Shippensburg.
On Oct. 20, ISSI, Mr. Van Scyoc mar- ried Miss Rebecca J. Varner, of Fannett township, daughter of Solomon and Mar- garet (Logan) Varner, who were born and reared in Franklin county. Mr. Varner was a laborer. Besides Mrs. Van Scyoc, his chil- dren were : James; Mary; Agnes, deceased; and William G., of Allegheny county, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Van Scyoc are the parents of the following children : Jessie F. and Mary M., at home; Della May; Bertha A .; Elmer B., at home; and Dennie W. In politics. Mr. Van Scyoc is a Republican, al- though he has never aspired to public office. He and his family are members of the U. B. Church at Shippensburg.
OLIVER J. F. BROWNAWELL, a veteran of the Civil war, and a highly es- teemed resident of Monroe township, Cum- berland county, living near Churchtown, is a son of Elias, and a grandson of Henry, the latter of whom was born in Cumberland county, of French ancestry.
Early in life Henry Brownawell was a day laborer, but later he farmed in Middlesex township, where he died. His children were as follows: Polly Ann died in Mid- diesex township ; Mrs. George Keller died in Silver Spring township; George died in Perry county; Susanna died in North Mid- dleton township; Elias; Nancy died in the west; David is living in Perry county, now in his ninetieth year; Henry died in South Middleton township; Sallie died in Middle- sex township; Elizabeth died in Middlesex township.
Elias Brownawell, son of Henry, was born in Middlesex township, and received a common school education. When old enough he began working by the day, and learned the trade of a weaver. After his mar- riage, Elias located in Middlesex township,
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near Carlisle Springs, where he purchased a small tract of land, upon which he built a house and engaged in day's work and wear- ing, remaining there a number of years. Later he moved three miles southeast of Carlisle Springs, where he engaged in farm- ing for some years, when he removed to Perry county, and there bought forty-seven acres of land. That was his home at the time of his death in 1869. His wife, who also died at the same home, was Catherine Lephart, daughter of Jacob and Catherine Lephart, of Cumberland county. The chil- dren born of the marriage of Elias Browna- well and wife were: Oliver J. F .; Simon D., living in Middlesex township; George Edward, living in Perry county; William Henry, killed in Illinois, falling from a building and breaking his neck, he being a carpenter by trade ; Joseph C., living at Har- risburg ; Sarah S., living in Perry county; Mary Elizabeth, living in Shepherdstown; Amanda Rebecca, living at Carlisle ; Eleanor. living at Carlisle; Albert, living at Phila- delphia; and two children who died in in- fancy.
Oliver J. F. Brownawell was born in Middlesex township, Cumberland county, Sept. 13, 1835, and received his education in the primitive schools of his day, work- ing upon the farm during the summer months, and learning the trade of a carpen- ter. Like so many young men of his time, when he was ready to start out on his life work, he married, his choice being Miss Mary Ann Kunkle, daughter of George Kunkle.
After his marriage, Mr. Brownawell. located in Middlesex township, and was suc- ceeding nicely in his work, when the call came from the President for troops, and so Sept. 8, 1862, he enlisted at Mechanicsburg in Company G, 84th P. V. I., being one of
the first men in the regiment, and was mus- tered in at Harrisburg. He served almost three years as a part of the Army of the Potomac, and later under General Grant. During all that time Mr. Brownawell was never wounded, but became ill and was in the hospital for a long time. Finally he was mustered out at Washington, D. C., in 1865, and returned home to Middlesex township. The following five years were spent there, but in 1873, he removed to Monroe township, and purchased a small farm of twenty acres, near Churchtown, and a four-acre tract of woodland. At present he is living on his farm, and is succeeding well. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Brownawell were: Charles F., deceased; Samuel O., of Monroe township; Murray J. and Newton A., of Churchtown; Stella J., who married Murray Bows; and Rena, wife of Weir Hartzler. In politics, Mr. Brownawell is a Democrat, but has never taken an active part in public affairs. He is a consistent member of the Lutheran Church of Churchtown, and is very popular in it, as he is throughout his neighborhood.
GEORGE KUNKLE, father of Mrs. Brownawell, was born in Perry county. In his youth he learned the shoe making trade, following it a number of years, when he engaged in farming, and thus continued until he was eighty years of age, when he retired. His death occurred in Middlesex township four years later. He was a man of high standing in his community, and was sincerely respected. For his first wife hemar- ried Sallie Ronsch, who died in Perry coun- ty, leaving the following children: John ; Eliza; Margaret; Sarah; George; Mary (Mrs. Brownawell) : Adeline and Samuel (twins), the latter killed during the Civil war. After the death of his first wife Mr.
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Kunkle married her sister, who bore him three children and died aged seventy. The children of the second union were: Wilhel- mina. living at Greason; and Levi and Al- bert H., who both died at Carlisle.
WARREN P. RONEY, a prominent and highly respected citizen of Cumberland county, was born April 22, 1836, in the old town of Carlisle. in a house situated in the yard. at the rear of the old Methodist Church, southeast corner of West Main and Pitt streets. As his parents were not pos- sessed with plenty of this world's goods, Warren was early compelled to earn his own bread and butter. His education was received in neighboring schools. At the tender age of twelve years he left his par- ents' roof, and secured a home with a Mr. Josiah Corothers, then living about four miles west of Carlisle. He stayed with him, helping with the work, and doing what he could until he was about fifteen or sixteen years old. when he secured work with Hen- dle & Irish, working for them quite a long time. When water was to be put into Car- lisle, that contract was given to the above firm to excavate for a basin, Mr. Roney taking the first scoop of earth out of the ground. He also helped at the laying of pipes, etc. After this work was finished he lived at Plainfield.
In the spring of 1864 he took to farm- ing. and during the summer of the same year he enlisted in the 207th P. V. I. Nothing especial occurred until the spring of 1865. He was lying at Fort Steadman, Va., which was garrisoned by troops from Grant's Army. then operating around Richmond and Petersburg. It was assailed on the night of March 25th, by two divisions of Lec's army under Gordon, and as the as- sault was a surprise, the fort was quickly
captured. This assault was intended as a ruse, under cover of which Lee planned to retreat from Petersburg, a movement which failed, however, as the Union forces quickly recovered themselves and retook the fort March 27th. With his regiment, Mr. Roney followed Lee to Nottoway Court House, where he lay for about one week, when he was ordered to City Point, thence to Alexandria, where he was mustered out. Returning home he resumed the farm work, which had been looked after by his wife dur- ing his absence. He continued at that work for about thirty years, fourteen years on the Thompson farm, twelve years on the Alex- ander farm and the balance of the time in Plainfield and vicinity. Three years ago he relinquished the farm, and is now a resident of Carlisle. Mr. Roney is prominent in public life, and on several occasions has been elected township supervisor, an office he filled with credit. Politically, lie is a Dem- ocrat.
In the winter of 1858, Mr. Roney mar- ried Anna B. Mowery, and their family con- sisted of five boys and three girls: Jane Mary, born in 1861; John G., born in 1863, an engineer at the frog shops; William S., born in 1866, died Jan. 3, 1904; Warren P., born Nov. 20, 1867; Annie E., born July 18, 1869; Charles F., born May 6, 1871: Ida May, born Aug. 29, 1873, died young ; and James Edward, born Feb. 12, 1876.
The parents of Mr. Roney were Charles and Eliza (Craig) Roney, natives of Tem- ple Patrick, Ireland. They came to this country and made their home in Carlisle, where they were hard working upright cit- izens, respected by all.
JOHN T. BRESSLER. The Bressler family is a large and important one and widely distributed, not only in Pennsylvania,
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but through many of the Western States, and its members everywhere are noted for their excellent character. This branch of the family traces its beginning to Germany and its American founder was George Bres- sler, who was born in Germany, and on coming to America settled in Pennsylvania.
George Bressler, grandfather of John T., was born at Strasburg, Lancaster coun- ty, was a farmer, and a citizen of good stand- ing. He died at Mill Hall in old age, the father of these children: George, Charles H., John, Daniel, Henry, Huston, Sarah Ann and Charlotte, two of whom, Daniel and Charlotte, are still surviving.
Dr. Charles H. Bressler, father of John T., was born at Mill Hall, Clinton Co., Pa., in 1821. and was graduated with the degree of M. D., at Jefferson Medical College, Phil- adelphia. in 1844. He also studied under the late Dr. Washington L. Atlee. From 1839 to 1849 he was engaged in the prac- tice of medicine at Lancaster, and he prac- ticed dentistry and medicine at Bellefonte until 1855. when he removed to the city of York, resuming his profession there. Hay- ing become associated with the late Dr. Ely Parry, one of Lancaster's most noted den- tists, and becoming proficient in dentistry himself. he practiced same in connection with his first choice, and enjoyed an exten- sive practice in both lines. He was one of the original organizers of the Jefferson Den- tal College of Philadelphia, and by voice and pen aided in making it what it is, one of the greatest colleges in dental surgery to-day. His death occurred at York in Feb- ruary, 1894. at the age of seventy-three years. Dr. Bressler was an ardent Repub- lican, and at one time was a candidate for Congressional honors, later appearing on the State ticket of his party as candidate for congressman at large. In 1866 he was
commissioned, by Gov. Curtin, as sheriff of York county, to fill a vacancy. He was a devout Methodist in religious faith, and few stood higher in the estimation of his associates in the Church.
Dr. Bressler married Sarah Ann Ton- ner, daughter of Rev. John N. Tonner, of Bellefonte, Center county, a Methodist min- ister, who died at Canton, Ohio. They were both schoolmates of Gov. Audrew Curtin, the beloved war governor of Pennsylvania, and one of Dr. Bressler's children, by his request, was made his namesake. Dr. Charles H. and Sarah Ann Bressler had children as follows: John T. is mentioned below; George B., of Lancaster, a promi- nent citizen and alderman there, married Ella M. Henry; Emma Barnett. Clara V. and Ella M., unmarried, live in York coun- ty ; Wilbur C., a graduate of the Baltimore Dental College, married Molly Snyder, of York, and practices there; Andrew Curtin, a traveling salesman, is a resident of York ; Charles died in infancy. Mrs. Bressler died in 1868, at the age of thirty-eight.
John T. Bressler was born Feb. 25, 1850, in Bellefonte, and was five years old when the family moved to York, where he received his early education. He studied under Rev. A. M. Eberly, at Cottage Hill College, where he graduated. Then he took up dentistry with his father at York, upon completing his course of study remor- ing to Upper Allen township, and has prac- ticed his profession at Shepherdstown ever since. For seven years Dr. Bressler has been justice of the peace, and he has served two terms as assessor of his township. In addition to being a skillful dental practi- tioner he has won a justifiable reputation as an inventor, one of his designs being a wheel washer, a device for hubs to utilize lost motion. His covered shaft clip is now
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being introduced, and his latest invention is a combined roller and harrow, which is about perfected.
In 1870 Mr. Bressler married Alice Pol- linger, daughter of George Pollinger, a former register of York county, and the following children have been born to them: Sarah Matilda died in infancy; Alice Alda, born Nov. 27, 1871, is the wife of W. Ed- win Green. a coach trimmer living at Shep- herdstown : Violet May, born May 2, 1874. is the wife of Oden E. Warfield, a car 'builder for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, in Philadelphia, and they have one child, Beu- lah E .; Virginia Tonner, born May 5, 1876, is the wife of Henry C. Swartz, who is in the tailoring business at Albany, N. Y., and they have had two children, Sylvia May and Stanley Du Hadway, the former of whom died at the age of six years; Bessie Jane, born Oct. 24, 1878, is the wife of Edwin Nailor, of Mechanicsburg, who is engaged in the cress business, and they have two chil- dren, Edwin Saltau and Vance O'Tonnor; Maude Ella, born Jan. 30, 1880, is the wife of Lawrence J. Eckels, a butcher in Steel- ton, Pa .; Nellie, born July 14, 1882, resides at home; Jessie Myra, born Oct. 7, 1883, lives at home; Robert Wilbur, born Dec. 1, 1884, is engaged with the Bell Telephone Co. at Harrisburg; and James Albert, George Pollinger and Charles all died in infancy.
The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Bres- sler are as follows : Elmira, widow of Heze- kiah Weaver, lives in Harrisburg, and has children-John, Frank, Fulmer, Miller, and Harry; Josephine is the wife of William Lantz, of Bowmansdale; Maggie is the wife of Millard Saul, of Harrisburg ; George Albert is a resident of Montana; Louisa, widow of Jacob Hartman, living in Balti- more, has three children, George, James
and Bessie; Amanda, widow of George Hetrick, lives in Canton, Ill. ; Jane, and her husband, A. R. Miller, of Mechanicsburg. are both deceased, their surviving children being Jessie, George, Gertrude and Agnes ; Ann Eliza is a resident of Baltimore : John, deceased. married Anna Bucher and had children - William, Robert (deceased). Minnie, Laura (deceased), Ella, and Susan (deceased). Elijah M. is living in Mon- tana ; James is now a resident of Alaska.
Dr. Bressler is a stanch Republican in his political sentiments. The family is at- tached to the M. E. Church. Its members are widely separated, but they are closely bound by the ties of mutual esteem and affection.
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HENRY WITMER. Among the resi- dents of Silver Spring township, Cumber- land county, who spring from old substan- tial families, is Henry Witmer, who was born Feb. 16, 1840, son of John Witmer.
John Witmer was born in York county, near York, but settled in Cumberland coun- ty, and followed the occupation of farming. He married Miss Lydia Lefevre, of York county, and they had a family as follows : David married Saralı Landis of York coun- ty, and had five children; Henry is our sub- ject; Leah married John Stauffer, of York county; Catherine married Andrew Coul- son, of Adams county, and had children, John, William, Frank, Milton, Mary, Sarah and Eliza; Eliza married Israel Flohr, of Adams county ; Lydia married Daniel Lan- dis, of York county, who died, and she later married Levi Becker, of York county; Dan- iel married Lydia Rhodes, of York county, and they had five children, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and two whose names are not known; Abram married Lizzie Hikns, of York coun- ty, and they had six children; Samuel mar-
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ried Barbara Hostetter, of York county, and they were the parents of four children; and two died in infancy.
Henry Witmer attended the common schools of York county until he was eigh- teen years of age, after which he learned the trade of blacksmithing, and followed it for about two and a half years. He then worked on a farm for about a year. when he bought a farm, and he now owns 216 acres of excellent land, all of which is under culti- vation, and well improved.
In October, 1861, he was married to Miss Mary Kunkle, daughter of Daniel and Catherine (Myers) Kunkle, of Silver Spring township. Two children were born to them : Daniel, who married Clara Babble, daugh- ter of Henry C. and Isabella ( Wertz) Bab- ble, of Middlesex township, and they had ten children, Howard, Florence, John. Glenn, Mary, Lee, Foster, Ernest, and two who died in childhood; John Witmer, the second child of Henry Witmer, married Annie Wertz, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Foose) Wertz, of Perry county, living in Middlesex township, and they had ten chil- dren, Lloyd (married Hetty White, of Sand- wich, Ill., and they live in Kane county, Ill., near Elgin), Herbert, Esther, Mabel, Henry, Beatrice and a baby all at home, and three who died in childhood. In religious matters Mr. Witmer is a consistent mem- ber of the United Brethren Church, of which he is a trustee. He has been a Democrat all of his life, and heartily supports the candi- dates of that party. He is an industrious, upright man, an excellent farmer, and a man who is most highly respected wherever known.
JESSE RICHWINE, one of the well known and highly esteemed farmers and stockraisers of North Middleton township,
Cumberland county, was born April 12, 1859, on a farm in the vicinity of Boiling Springs, son of William and Mary Catherine ( Bolden) Richwine.
William Richwine was of German ex- traction and he was born in 1816. and lived on a farm below Boiling Springs. He mar- ried Mary Catherine Bolden, born in Penn township, Cumberland county, and she still survives, aged more than eighty years. Mr. and Mrs. Richwine were early members of the U. B. Church in this locality. The grand- father of our subject was born in Germany about 1775, and came to America and set- tled in the neighborhood of Boiling Springs about 1800.
Jesse Richwine obtained his education 'in the local district schools and through boy- hood and carly youth, made himself useful on his father's farm. His business has al- ways been agriculture, and he is one of the practical and successful farmers of this sec- tion of the county. He has not been too deeply interested in his own pursuits, how- ever, to forget his duties as a citizen. A stanch Democrat, he has been an active party worker, and has belonged to its standing committee for years. He has served for years as school director and in the fall of 1899 was elected director for the poor, an office for which he is eminently qualified. being a man of reliability and excellent judgment.
Mr. Richwine married Sarah A. Ken- nedy, born in Frankford township, one of a family of children born to Andrew and Susan ( Minnich) Kennedy, her brothers and sisters being: William K., Eliza Jane, Amanda, Rosanna, Alice, Ida, Andrew Jef- ferson, Elmer Newton and Eber James.
William Kennedy, the grandfather of Mrs. Richwine, was born in Ireland and emigrated to America, settling in Perry
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county, Pa. He is recalled by the oldest residents as a man of such unusual strength that upon one occasion when, as he was crossing the mountains, he was attacked by an angry bear, he after a struggle rolled the bear down the mountain side into the river, where it drowned.
The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Rich- wine include: A. Florence, born Nov. I, ISSI. wife of Frank Frey; Myrtle May, born March 6, 1885 : Milton Cleveland, born Oct. 18. 1888; Alice Amelia, born Feb. 6, 1892: Jessie Stuart, born July 18, 1893; Millie Grace, born July 9, 1895; May Ellen, born Sept. 12, 1897; and Mabel Eva, born Oct. 15. 1899. Mr. Richwine and family enjoy the acquaintance and respect of the best social circles of the township. They are leading members of the U. B. Church.
GEORGE ADDISON SOLLENBER- GER. The Sollenberger name has been upon the records of Cumberland county for more than a hundred years. Like many of the early settlers in this section the family came from Lancaster county, but tradition does not say from what part of that great county. John Sollenberger was a resident in the part of Allen township that is now Monroe. as early as 1799, when he was there taxed with both real and personal property. It is probable that he was there for some time prior to that date, as the records show that on May 21, 1795, Michael Ege con- veyed to John Sollenberger 132 acres of land, adjoining lands of George Brindle, Samuel Irvine and the heirs of James Crockett. This land lies upon the eastern slopes of the Stony Ridge in Monroe town- ship, and has remained in the Sollenberger name continuously down to the present day. John Sollenberger's wife, Barbara, died Dec. 25, 1831, at the age of sixty-one years,
and he subsequently married Mrs. Catharine ( Kline) Hartman. By his first marriage he had ten children, six sons and four daughters, all of whom lived to maturity, married and had children. John Sollenber- ger died Sept. 28, 1855, at the age of eighty- four, and he and his first wife lie buried in a little graveyard on the farm which they acquired prior to the beginning of the last century. By his second marriage he had no issue. His second wife is buried in the graveyard of the German Baptist Church near Huntsdale.
Among the children of John and Bar- bara Sollenberger was a son Joseph, who was born March 15, 1798, on the old Sol- lenberger place in Monroe township. He married Mary Mohler, daughter of Chris- tian and Magdalena (Springer) Moller, born Nov. 26, 1795. Joseph Sollenberger began his married life in the vicinity of Whorleystown, Monroe township, where he lived for some years. About the year 1841 he removed to Upper Dickinson township, where he lived the remainder of his life. Joseph and Mary ( Mohler) Sollenberger had six children, three sons and three daugh- ters. The sons were : Jacob, Levi and Joseph Martin; and the daughters were: Susanna, Anna and Barbara. Susanna married Mar- tin Shenk, Anna married Samuel Eby, and Barbara married Daniel Landis. Joseph Sollenberger died Sept. 24, 1882, and his wife, Mary Mohler, died March 12, 1842, and their remains are buried in the grave- yard of the German Baptist Church near Huntsdale. Of the three sons, Joseph Mar- tin married Annie Mary Helsel, who was born in York county, Jan. 19, 1818, daugh- ter, of John Helsel, and his wife, whose maiden name was Low.
Joseph Martin and Annie Mary ( Hel- sel) Sollenberger began their married life
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upon the old Sollenberger farm in Monroe, where he engaged at farming and also at coopering. About the year 1850 he re- moved to Dickinson township, and there en- gaged at farming. In 1859 he removed to near Boiling Springs in South Middleton township, where he lived for five years. He then again removed to Dickinson township, and remained three years, after which he located on the Sollenberger ancestral home- stead in Monroe, where he continued at farming until, 1883, when he moved back to Dickinson, and remained there until his death. He died July 13, 1890. His wife, Annie Mary Helsel, died Oct. 15, 1892, and both are buried in the graveyard of the German Baptist Church near Huntsdale. Joseph Martin and Annie Mary ( Helsel) Sollenberger had children as follows: John Alfred and Henry Calvin, twins; An- nie, who died in 1871, and is buried at Bak- er's Church in Monroe; and George Addi- son, the subject of this biography. Besides these there were also two daughters who died in infancy.
George Addison Sollenberger was born on April 13. 1853, near Mooredale, Dickin- son township. By the time his parents, in their several removals, reached South Mid- (leton township, he had reached the proper age and entered the public schools as a pupil. He attended the country district schools of South Middleton, Dickinson and Monroe townships, in the winter seasons, and through the summers worked upon the farm until in 1872, by which time he had acquired a fair education and concluded to try teaching. In the fall of that year he began teaching at the Hamilton school, near Carlisle, in South Middleton township, where he taught for three successive terms. To better qualify himself for his work, he, in the summer of 1874, attended the Cumberland Valley State
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