USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Biographical annals of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania : containing biographical and genealogical sketches of prominent and representative citizens and of many of the early settlers > Part 14
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Mr. Eby has spent his life on the farm where he is now residing, and is one of the prominent and well-to-do people of the county. In religion he is a member of the Mennonite Church, and for ten years served as assistant superintendent of the Sun- day-school.
Amos F. Eby, son of Henry N. Eby, a general farmer of East Donegal, and a member of the Par- agon Fruit and Nut Co., of Lancaster county, is a man of much push and energy; he was born on the farm of his parents, Oct. 4, 1864. Henry N. and Mary (Franck) Eby, his parents, whose lives are noted above, are living on the old Eby homestead in West Hempfield township.
Mr. Eby was married Oct. 17, 1889, in Rapho township, to Anna Reist, and to this union were born Rhoda R. and Henry R. Mrs. Anna ( Reist) Eby is a daughter of Henry B. and Catherine (Gar- . ber) Reist. Amos F. Eby remained with his par- ents until he was twenty-five years old, when he left their sheltering roof to work a year in a cream- ery, and then entered upon his present work. He has a farm of eighty-one acres, and is in very pros- perous circumstances. Since 1807, he has been a school director. Since 1896 Mr. Eby has been as- sociated with the Fruit and Nut Company, and is a prominent and thrifty young man. He belongs to the Mennonite Church.
Mrs. Catherine (Garber) Reist, the mother of Mrs. Amos F. Eby, was born in West Donegal township, May 19, 1833; and was a daughter of John and Catherine. (Sechrist) Garber, who were born in Manor and West Hempfield townships, re- spectively. The father, who was a farmer all his life, died in 1842, and the widowed mother, who survived many years, died in 1879, in her eighty- sixth year, and was buried in West Donegal town- ship. They were members of the Mennonite Church, and became the parents of the following family: Michael; Mary, who married Christ Snyder; Anna, who married John Longnecker, of West Donegal township ; Barbara, who died young ; John; Christian : Catherine. Her paternal grand- parents were Andrew and Maria (Nolt) Garber, of Lancaster county, and her maternal grandparents were of the Sechrist family, an important one in the same county.
Henry B. Reist, the father of Mrs. Anna Eby, of East Donegal township, who is noted above as marrying Amos F. Eby, was a valuable and useful
citizen of Lancaster county in his lifetime. His great-grandparents, Peter and Anna (Boyer) Re ::. came from Switzerland, and settled in Penn -::- vania, where their descendants have all occupied an honorable and useful station in life.
Henry B. Reist was born in Rapho township Lancaster county, where he was long and succes ;- fully engaged not only in farming but in commer. cial and financial pursuits. For twelve years prior to his decease, he was president of the First Nation- al Bank, of Mt. Joy, and was highly esteemed in the community in which he lived. He and his wife had children: Ely G., who is now a farny- in Rapho township, Lancaster county; John G., .. farmer, and manager of a creamery in Mt. Jov: Mary, the wife of S. S. Kraybill, a farmer of East Donegal township; Henry, an electrician at Schen- ectady, N. Y .; Emma, the wife of H. N. Hostetter, a farmer in East Donegal township; Anna, the wife of Amos F. Ebv, a farmer in East Donegal. Hen"; B. Reist died in IS79, at the age of forty-seven years, and was buried in East Donegal township. Both he and his wife were members of the Mennon- ite Church. Mrs. Reist is still living, and makes her home with her daughter Mrs. Ebv. Mr. Reist served as school director in Mt. Joy township, for some years.
John G. Reist, who was born in Mt. Joy town- ship in 1857, resides in Mt. Toy, and devotes his at- tention to the large creamery business of Reist. Nissley & Co., of which he is the junior partner. The creamery was built in (887, and its patronage is steadily increasing under its very able management. In 1889 Mr. Reist was married to Miss Catherine Hostetter, of Manor township, and a daughter of Ezra Hostetter; to this union were born three chil- dren: Florence, Esther and John.
HENRY R. ERB, of Pine Hill, Lancaster coun- ty, was born Aug. 12, 1847, on the farm adjoining that on which he at present resides, and is a son of Reuben and Hettic (Royer) Erb, both now de- ceased.
Reuben Erb was a son of David Erb, who was descended from Christian Erb, one of the earliest natives of Lancaster county. Reuben Erb was 2 miller and farmer in Warwick township. and was reared to these vocations in his father's mill and on his father's farm. To his marriage with Hettie Rover were born two children, Henry R. and Su- sannah, of whom the latter died in early childhood. In politics Reuben Erb was a Republican.
Henry R. Erb was reared on the home, and ac- riculture has been his life pursuit, although he is now practically retired. He is the owner of productive farms adjoining, and comprising 500 acres. These farms have long been the property of the Erb fan !- ily-one tract of 225 acres for several generation :. His great-great-grandfather, Christian Erb. above alluded to, owned and lived upon this farm, and
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it is surmised that the father of Christian was the original purchaser, as he was the founder of the Erb family in this county.
Henry R. Erb has been one of the most active and public-spirited men of the county, and as a Republican has taken considerable interest in pub- lic affairs. He has held the office of school director and at present is a director in the Lititz National Bank.
Mr. Erb was married, in 1867, to Miss Eliza- beth A. Wolf, daughter of Henry Wolf, of Warwick township, and to this union have been born two children, of whom one died in infancy: the other, Annie N., is the wife of D. M. Grobill, of East Pitts- burg, Pennsylvania.
The Erb family, besides being one of the oldest, is one of the most highly respected in Lancaster county, where, even within the memory of Henry R. Erb himself many miraculous changes have taken place in the county limits. To the great improve- ments that have been made locally Mr. Erb has con- tributed freely of his means, and has been person- ally active in their promotion.
MILTON KEYLOR, a wealthy and retired farmer of Colerain township, Lancaster county, was born June 14, IS28, in Bart township, a son of John and Sarah ( Meginness) Keylor. The father was born in Raumland, Germany, Jan. 19, 1790; and the mother Oct. 13, 1795, in Colerain township. She was a daughter of James Meginness, who was born in Delaware in 1767. His life was mostly spent in Colerain township, Lancaster county, where he died Nov. 1, 1839. John F. Meginness is one of his grandsons.
John Keylor was the son of Jacob Keylor, who came with his wife and family to the shores of America in 1795, to escape the woe and devasta- tion of war in Germany. They landed at New- castle, Delaware, and made their way to Chester county, where they were given employment by Richard Baker, who had his home on the banks of the Brandywine. Jacob Kuehler, whose name was anglicized to "Keylor," died at his home in Chester county in 1816, leaving a widow and five children. John was the father of Milton Keylor; Henry, who was born in Germany in 1793, married Eliza A. Swisher, and settled in Bart township, where he died July 21, 1875: Katherine Keylor, born in Ger- many in 1795, married Thomas Mullen, who settled in Delaware, where she died in 1826. There were born to Jacob Keylor and his wife after their arrival in this country two daughters, Maria and Hannah. Maria Keylor, who was born in 1800, married John Buffington, and settled near Atglen, where she died in 1896. Hannah Keylor, who was born in Chester county, in 1802, married Nathan Famous. and settled near Unionville; she died in the home of her son-in-law, Thomas Mullen, at Kennett Square, in 1892.
John Keylor, the father of Milton, began his 33
career in Bart township, as an independent farmer. During the war of IS12 he was called upon to raise a company, which he did, though their services were never required. In his after life he was very suc- cessful, and became quite prosperous, owning three farms in Lancaster county. His death occurred Nov. 3, 1872, and he was buried by the side of his wife in Friends' cemetery. She died in September, 1865. In Germany the Keylors were Presbyterians, but as Richard Baker, mentioned above, was a Quaker, they accompanied him to the Friends Meet- ing at Bradford, and soon learned to use the Quaker speech, and adopted that faith.
John Keylor and his wife had seven children who lived to maturity. (1) Ann E. Keylor, born in January, 1825, married Daniel Byer, in February, 1848, and settled in Juniata county, where in 1875 Ar. Byer died. She moved to Chester county. where she died in 1870, leaving four children : John J., of Chester county; Hannah, who died at home in 1902; Sarah, who married Davis Bailey, of Thorndale, Chester county: and Anna at the home in Chester county. The first child. Emma, had died previously.
(2) Hannah M. Keylor, born Aug. 10. 1826, was the widow of E. H. Emory, and lived on a part of the old Keylor homestead, which had passed into her hands. She died in April, 1902. Her two sons, John K. and Clement M. Emory, are both single.
(3) Milton Keylor, whose name introduces this article. is the third member of the family.
(4) Sarahı Keylor was born Feb. 26. 1830, and married for her first husband Lewis H. Selzer, a mer- chant of Steelville, who died very shortly after mar- riage, leaving one son, Harry, who is in business in Wilmington. Delaware. Mrs. Selzer later married W. F. McLimans, and has her home in West Grove, Chester county.
(5) John B. Keylor, born Dec. 2, 1831. became a cabinet maker, and devoted several years of his early manhood to this trade. He was married to Miss Leah L. Ritz, of Bart township, in 1858, and lo- cated in South Charleston, Clark Co., Ohio, where Mr. Keylor died Feb. 10, 1863, leaving a widow and one son, Howard R., who was born Oct. 9. 1860. Mrs. Keylor did not remain in Ohio long after the death of her husband, but came back to Pennsyl- vania in May, 1871. She married for her second husband, George Sterrett, of Philadelphia. They removed in October, 1871, to Walla Walla. Wash- ington, where she died April 10, 1889. Howard Keylor, her son, was educated in the University of Michigan, where he was graduated as a physician in 1882. After this he took a special course in the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore. In December, 1882 he began the practice of his pro- fession at Walla Walla, Wash., where he soon be- came eminent. He was appointed surgeon-general of the Territorial militia, which position he held at the time Washington was admitted to the Union,
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May 10, 1890. He was afterward appointed on the State Board of Medical Examiners, and became its secretary, a position he is still holding. In 1889 he married Miss Sarah F. Stine, of Walla Walla, a native of California. They have two daughters, Edna and Leah.
(6) George Keylor, born May IS, 1834, married Anna McGinness, of Montour county, Pa .. in March, 1856, and had a home on a farm in Colerain town- ship, where Mrs. Keylor died in May, 1874, at the age of thirty-nine years. Her remains were taken to her home and interred at the family lot in Mil- ton, Pa. She left one son, Harry J., who was born in March, 1857. He learned the saddler's trade, and located in Montour county. Harry J. Keylor mar- ried in Danville, Pa., and has two children. George Keylor married for his second wife, Anna Scott, of Bart township, and located in Delaware, where he died in January, 1900, leaving one son, Bayard, who has since died.
(7) Henry Keylor, born in April. 1836, was reared as a farmer, and married Martha Scott. of Colerain township, where they are now living on a farını. They have two children, Frank and Nannie, both of whom are at home.
(8) Wellington Keylor, born in 1838, died in childhood in 1844.
Milton Keylor remained at the home farm until he was of age. and received his early education in the district schools in Bart township. For a few months he also attended a select school taught by James Brown. Mr. Keylor and Rebecca Byer, the eldest daughter of David and Mary (McElwain) Byer, were married Sept. 13, IS49. Mrs. Keylor was born Feb. 17. 1827, and was reared to young womanhood in Bart township. She is a lady of high character, and has shared with her husband fifty-three years of married life. They celebrated their golden wedding Sept. 13, 1899, on the farm they purchased in 1854.
For many years Milton Keylor took an active part in local affairs; for twelve years he was a member of the school board, and his interest in the cause of public education is shown by the fact that at one time he provided a house on his farm for the establishment of a high school, which was taught by James Mccullough. Mr. Keylor was one of the founders of the Colerain and Bart Farmers' Club, and the Quarryville National Bank. He took an active part in the building of the Oxford and Peach Bottom Railroad, contributing liberally to its funds. For many years he was a trustee of the Colerain Baptist Church, of which he and his family have been consistent and helpful members. In his politics he is a Democrat.
Mr. and Mrs. Keylor have been devoted to the education of their family. They would go with their children on long drives as far as into Mary- land, and would stay for a few days at Cape May, Long Branch or Atlantic City. He has attended the inauguration of two presidents, Gen. Grant and
Grover Cleveland, taking Mrs. Keylor on both oc- casions to the national capital. Mr. Keylor has also attended three national expositions, in New York in 1853, the Centennial at Philadelphia, in 1876, and the Columbian, at Chicago, in 1893. Both are enjoying good health, and their friends cherish the hope that they may be long spared to each other.
The oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Keylor was James Ellwood, born Aug. 21, 1851; he was edu- cated in the public schools of his community, and at the Millersville State Normal, for several years following the profession of teaching. In April, IS81, he married Anna C., a daughter of John MI. and Fannie (Stively) Shenk, of Quarryville. For four years after his marriage he continued to teach, and then, feeling a call in that direction, prepared for the gospel ministry, at Crozier Seminary, in Chester county, and in the fall of 1885 set himself to a theological course, which he concluded in 1888. That year he received a call to the Baptist Church in Newfield, N. J., where he was ordained in No- vember. For seven years he was pastor of that church. In 1895 he was called to the Windsor Bap- tist Church. in Chester county, where he is still located. He is the father of two children, John Milton and Rena F. John Milton Kevior is a grad- uate of the West Chester Normal, of Chester coun- ty, and now holds a position as teacher in Swarth- more College. Rena F. Keylor, born in December, 1884, resides at home, and is a student at the West- chester Normal.
Anna M. Keylor, the second child of Milton Keylor, was born at the present home of the family, April 18, 1853, was educated at the Union High School and was a successful teacher for four years. She was married in 1876 to William B. Ryner, a native of Bart township, and they are now living on their farm in Colerain township. where they have two children : Rebecca A., born in 1883, who grad- uated in 1902 at the State Normal School at Mil- lersville and is now teaching; Spencer C., born in 1887, who is at home with his parents.
Dr. Henry E. Keylor, second of Milton Key- lor, born Aug. 13, 1855, studied medicine with Dr. Thomas Wentz, of Kirkwood, was graduated with honor at Jefferson Medical College in 1878, and at once entered upon the practice of his profession, but he was taken ill and died in September, 1880. He never married.
Dr. Josiah B. Keylor, the fourth child of Milton Keylor, studied in the public schools, and the Union High School, and graduated at the Millersville State Normal in July, 1879. After a year teaching. for which his degree of B. E., indicated ability, he received the degree of M. E., and in 1880 was made the head of the high school of Maytown. Lancaster county. In ISSI be resigned this position to take that of superintendent of the Manheim borough schools. It was his first intention to continue the profession of teaching as his life. work, but after
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the death of his brother Henry, he determined to become a physician himself. He began his medical studies under Dr. George T. Dare, of Oxford. Chester county, and in 1882 entered the College of Physicans and Surgeons, at Baltimore, from which he was graduated in 1885. He began his profes- sional career at Cochranville, Chester county, and very soon made for himself more than a local repu- tation as a capable and rising physician.
In religion he is a member of the English Baptist Church, in politics, a Democrat, and fraternally, a devoted and enthusiastic member of the I. O. O. F., of which he has been an efficient member for a number of years. He is a Past Grand of Hebron Lodge, No. 437, of Chester county. He is also a Past Master of Skerret Lodge, No. 343, F. & A. M., having served as representative to the Grand Lodge, Masonic Temple, Philadelphia.
Dr. Keylor has traveled quite extensively, and has visited in thirteen states of the Union, from the Atlantic to the Pacific; in 1880 he spent seven. weeks in Colorado and Wyoming with his brother Henry, who was seeking a return of health in the mountains.
Dr. Keylor was married in June. 1895. to Miss Lillian B. Rakestraw, of Strasburg township. They have their home in Cochranville, where the doctor owns real estate, and they have one daughter, Catherine Rebecca.
JOHN II. ZELLER (deceased) was in his dav one of the leading officials and citizens of Lancaster county, as well as one of its most enterprising busi- ness men. He was born in Shrewsbury, York Co., Pa., May 20, 1832, son of Charles and Martha (Green) Zeller, the former a native of York and the latter of Lancaster county.
John H. Zeller was reared in Florin, Lancaster county, where he was educated in the public schools. and at the age of fifteen years began teaching. a vocation he continued to follow until about 1862. when he was elected to the office in the court of quarter sessions of the county and moved to Lancaster : he remained in the city but six months. however, and then returned to Florin. In 1857 he was elected a justice of the peace, but on his re- mioval to Mt. Toy in 1870, resigned this office ; in the meantime, from the expiration of his office in the court of quarter sessions in 1866 until his com- ; ing to Mt. Jov, he conducted a mercantile business in Florin. At this place in 1872, he was again elected justice of the peace and re- elected in 1877. In 1879 he was elected clerk of the Orphans' Court, served three years and then ex- pressed a desire to retire to private life. But his many friends insisted upon his once more taking the office of justice of the peace, which he had pre- viously so ably and satisfactorily filled. He fin- ally consented and filled the office until 1883. when he resigned in order to become a notary-an office he held until death, Oct. 31, 1898.
In addition to the elective offices, Mr. Zeller had filled, he was active in other walks of life. For many years he was a school director, was a director in the First National Bank of Mt. Joy, was one of the founders of the Henry Eberly cemetery at Mt. Joy, and for forty-seven years clerked at public sales. He was also director in the Marietta and Mount Joy Turnpike Company, was a fire insurance and real estate agent, was a collector, scrivener and sur- veyor, and did a large business in settling up estates. He was one of the busiest men in the county, was known everywhere and stood very high in the es- teem of the people. He was a quiet, unassuming gentleman, of a kindly disposition and honest to the core. He was emphatically what is called a self- made man, having started as a farmer-lad and ris- ing to the position of leading official and a business man of eminence. In politics he was a Republican and fraternally was a Knight of Pythias.
Mr. Zeller was united in marriage with Miss Margaret Hinny, who was born in Oregon, Lan- caster Co., Pa., March 3, 1833, daughter of Samuel and Margaret Hinny. To this marriage there were born nine children. in the following order: Sam- ucl H., Nov. 27, 185t, died April 19, 1854; Charles H., born Oct. 25, 1855: William H., July 25. 1858, died Sept. 28. 1888: John B. S., Jan. 3, 1861 ; Sallie A. H., Jan. 10. 1863, now the wife of C. L. Erby ; Jacob H., March 3. 1866. the representative of the Prudential Life Insurance Company, and for six Years superintendent of the Lancaster Caramel works at Mt. Joy: U. S. Grant. born Oct. 31, 1868, died July 1, 1872: Henry H., born Dec. 18, 1870, a clerk and salesman : Etta May, born April 19, 1873, the wife of C. K. Bennett.
Charles H. Zeller, the eldest living of the above named children, was reared in Mt. Joy and was there educated in the common schools. At four- teen years of age, he began learning the painter's trade, but two years later abandoned it, and for six vears was engaged in iron moulding in Mt. Joy and Lancaster ; he was next employed in various lines of business until 1877, when he began auctioneering and this he has followed successfully for twenty- six years, averaging twenty-five sales annually. For years. also, from 1884. he has been a trusted col- lector and in February of that year was elected jus- tice of the peace. a position he has held with credit to himself. continuously until the present time. At the death of his father he succeeded to the business, which he still conducts in all its details. He also served from about 1879 to 1882 as constable, and is now a justice of the peace. He is also a director in the Marietta and Mt. Jov Turnpike Company.
Fraternally. Charles H. Zeller is Master of Rec- ords of the K. of G. E .: is Recording Secretary of the O. U. A. M .: is treasurer of the D. of L., in which he has passed all the chairs, and is a member of the Degree of Pocahontas : also of the K. of M. C., the I. O. O. R., and the K. of M. In politics Mr. Zeller has always been a Republican.
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Charles H. Zeller was married Dec. 23, 1875, to Miss Subilla Morton, daughter of William Morton, of Lancaster county. Mr. Zeller, through his busi- ness ability and astuteness, has realized a compet- ency and is now living in comfort and in the enjoy- ment of the esteem of a large circle of warm-hearted friends.
EPHRAIM E. WEAVER. a skillful, progres- sive and energetic farmer of Manor township, is a native of Lancaster county, born on the old home- stead in Fast Lampeter township Dec. 7, 1866. and was educated in the public schools of that locality. He remained at home until his father retired from active business, and then entered the employ of his brother-in-law, Mr. Girven, on whose farm he worked two or three years, after which he was in the employ of his brothers, Aaron and Benjamin F. Weaver, in Manor township, for ten years.
On Nov. 18, 1891, Mr. Weaver married Miss Hettie E. Houser, a daughter of Christian and Emma (Hoover) Houser, and a granddaughter of John Houser. The first of the Houser family to come to America was her great-great-grandfather, Christian Houser, a native of Germany, who located in Lan- caster county. Pa. Mrs. Weaver's father was one of a family of four children, was a farmer of Lam- peter township. and was a member of the Mennon- ite Church. He died June 19, 1808. at the age of fifty-four years, but her mother is still living, at the : age of fifty-six. In their family were nine children, of whom Mrs. Weaver is the eldest, the others be- ing John E., a farmer of Lampeter township; Win- nie M .: Lizzie M., who died Aug. 16, 1902; Ella M., who was married March 12, 1902, to Ellis Weaver, and is living on a farm in West Lampeter township ; Mabel K. : Emma L. : Ethel A. ; and Maud C. Mr. and Mrs. Weaver have two children : Al- bert E., born March 14, 1893; and Ruth E., born June 2, 1805.
In the spring of 1892 Mr. Weaver located upon his present farm in Manor township, which he had purchased the previous fall. It consists of forty- seven and a half acres on the Columbia turnpike, three and a half miles west of Lancaster, and since it came into the possession of Mr. Weaver he has . made many valuable improvements thereon, the place and its entire surroundings denoting the thrift, en- terprise and prosperity of the owner. He follows general farming, and is numbered among the most progressive men of his community. In his political affiliations he is a Republican.
JOSEPH DICKINSON HARPER, one of the prominent and prosperous business citizens of Chris- tiana, Pa., was born in Upper Oxford township, Chester county, on Oct. 3. 1844. His parents were Jacob W. and Rachel (Dickinson) Harper, of Upper Oxford township, on the father's side, who was born in the old Harper homestead there, and of Salisbury township, in this county, on the mother's
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