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 89
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In politics Mr. Groff has always been devoted to the interests of the Republican party, and he has been called upon at various times to serve his party as supervisor of roads and assessor, filling these posi- tions with satisfaction to all concerned. In I&go, and again in 1900, Mr. Groff was appointed to take the census in Drumore township, and this duty was performed with carefuiness and efficiency. Mr. Groff is a leading member of the Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church, and is now ( 1902) one of the trustees, and in every way he is a reliable and repre- sentative citizen of his township, in which he is uni- versally esteemed.
OTOMER S. ECKERT. Prominent in West . Earl township is Otomer S. Eckert, one of the pros- perous and highly respected farmer-citizens. As a good farmer and liberal minded citizen, interested in all that promises benefit to his locality, he has won the esteem and confidence of the community where his home has been so many years.
Otomer S. Eckert was born Nov. 4, 1859, 2 son of Peter and Katherine ( Johns) Eckert, both of whom belonged to old and substantial families of Lancaster county. Peter Eckert was born Feb. 20. 1828, and now resides on a fine farm in Manhei !!! township. His wife was born Oct. 8, 1821. and die 1 March 14, 1800. Their marriage was celebrated in IS50, and their family numbered four children : Mary, born in 1853, is the wife of Elias Bard, of Upper Leacock township ; Levi C .. born in 1855. is a farmer in Manheim township; Kate A., born in 1857, is the wife of George K. Diller, a farmer and drover of East Earl township; and Otomer S., of this sketch. Levi Eckert, the grandfather, was a
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prominent farmer and large landowner of Leacock township, and was the father of these children : Caroline, the wife of John Bair, of Leacock town- ship ; Clara, wife of George De Haven, of East Earl ; Elmyra, deceased ; Peter C. ; Otomer S., a farmer of Leacock township, now deceased; and Levi, who died in childhood. The great-grandfather of the Eckert family came to America from Switzerland, and was one of the early settlers of this part of the county.
Otomer S. Eckert was educated in the public schools, and grew up a farmer boy, early learning in the school of experience all the details of an agri- cultural life. From choice he has followed farm- ing pursuits, and has become one of the substantial men of this locality.
Mr. Eckert was happily married on March 8, 1882, to Miss Mary J. Geist, who was born Dec. 28, 1859, a daughter of John and Charlotte ( Harnish ) Geist, of Upper Leacock township, and to this union have been born four daughters: Lottic, Katie, Clara and Minnie. In politics Mr. Eckert is a Re- publican, and the family have always been members of the German Reformed Church. In educational matters Mr. Eckert has continually shown his inter- est, and is now serving as school director. In the neighborhood the esteem in which he is held is very marked, and he may be justly regarded as one of the best representatives of the superior citizens who find their home in West Earl township.
JACOB G. STAUFFER, a lumber merchant of Elizabethtown, combines with his hardwood inter- ests, extensive dealings in coal, flour and grain mill products, operates an important stone crushing en- terprise, and contracts crushed stone in any quantity to cities and corporations. An enterprising and pushing business man of high character and deserved popularity, he is widely recognized as one of the representative men of this part of the State.
Mr. Stauffer was born six miles from Elizabeth- town, in the township of Mt. Joy, May 29, 1850, son of Jacob and Mary (Groff) Stauffer, natives of Mt. Joy and Rapho townships, respectively. They died on the old family homestead which was the birth- place of their son, Jacob G. The elder Stauffer was a man of considerable prominence in his home com- munity, and was supervisor for thirteen years, hold- ing at the same time other local positions of more or less importance. He died at the age of sixty-eight years. Both he and his wife were members of the German Baptist Church, and their remains are at rest in the cemetery connected with the Chickies Meeting House. They were the parents of the fol- lowing children : Fannie, the wife of Samuel Risser. of Lebanon county; Mary, the widow of David Moyer. of Mt. Joy township ; Rebecca, deceased ; John, a farmer of the township of Mt. Joy; Abra- ham, a farmer of Lebanon county ; and Jacob G. Both the paternal and maternal grandparents of Jacob G. Stauffer were natives of Lancaster county,
and belonged to families long prominent in industry and business in this part of the State.
Jacob G. Stauffer was married in November, 1870, in Mt. Joy township, to Miss Lizzie Witmer, and the children born to this union were as follows : Amanda, who has been twice married, her first hus- band being Irwin Engle, and her second, John Bink- ley, a milier in Mt. Joy township ; Anna, who died at the age of seven; Ada, who died at the age of tiro; and Harry, at home. Mrs. Lizzie Stauffer was born in Mt. Joy township, and died in 1892, at the age of forty-two years, and her remains are resting in Mt. Tunnel Cemetery. She was a daughter of Henry Witmer, and a lady of much character with those re- fined and womanly traits that command a host of friends.
Mr. Stauffer contracted a second marriage Nov. 30, 1893, in Elizabethtown, with Mrs. Mary H. Bentz. a daughter of David Huntzberger.
Mr. Stauffer remained at home with his parents until he attained his majority, when he rented a farm for a time and then bought it, only to sell after some four years of cultivation at a very good profit. After selling out his farming interest Mr. Stauffer moved into Elizabethtown, where he had bought a flouring mill, which he has operated to the present time. In 1886 he had achieved so much success as a miller that he felt warranted in branching out and taking up in addition to his mill work, coal and grain. as well as lumber, making many irons in the fire, but he is able to keep them all going at a white heat. Mr. Stauffer has served on the borough council six years, and has been a burgess ten consecutive years. He is a Republican, and an enterprising, thrifty man, as well as a prominent and public-spirited citizen.
DAVID A. HUBER. One of the progressive and public -spirited citizens of West Lampeter town- ship, Lancaster county, is David A. Huber, the own- er and operator of a fine form of forty-eight acres of rich, well-improved land in close proximity to the village of Willowstreet. His birth occurred on the old family homestead which has been in the posses- sion of the Hubers for generations, on Aug. 11, 1860, and he was educated in the common schools of the district.
Until his marriage David H. Huber remained at home, engaged in agricultural pursuits, but when he established a home for himself, on Jan. 1, 1888, he located upon his present farm, where he made many permanent improvements and carries on a general line of farming. His marriage was to Emma S., a daughter of Martin and Maria Huber, of West Lampeter township. She was born Oct. 26. 1861, and by her marriage has be- come the mother of three children: Carrie May, born Aug. 13, 1891 ; Martin, born Aug. 25, 1892; and Christian, born Nov. 13, 1893.
This family is one of the county's most respected, and in every way David A. Huber is a man to be es- teemed and highly regarded by his fellow-citizens.
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Honest, industrious, energetic and home-loving, these are the qualities which form the character of typical Americans.
EZRA B. WOLF. owner and proprietor of The Press, of Denver. Lancaster county, is a native of West Cocalico township, where he was born Aug. 20, 1852, son of Christian and Susan ( Burkholder ) Wolf.
Christian Wolf, the father of Ezra B .. was born and reared in Warwick township, son of Henry and Leah Wolf, the former of whom died when Christian was very small. The latter was reared to farm life, became a carpenter also, and was skilled in cabinet making, and had an undertaking establishment in the village of Schoeneck, where he died in 1881, at the ! age of fifty-eight years. As a cabinet maker and manufacturer of furniture he became well known and prosperous. He had a family of six children, : namely : Salinda, deceased, who wedded John F. Harnish, of West Earl township; Henry, a car- penter and undertaker, at Lincoln : Ezra B., our sub- ject; Susan, the widow of Jacob E. Shirk. of Stev- ens ; Mary, the widow of J. M. Millinger, of Denver ; Emma, the wife of i. G. Burkholder, of Denver. The mother of this family also resides in Denver.
Ezra B. Wolf was reared on the farm, and learned the cabinet-making trade, taking naturally to work- ing in wood. He became his father's most skilled assistant. Before he was sixteen years old he had learned the details of the undertaking business, and had become so competent that his father regardd him as worthy of excellent wages. When about twenty-two years of age he succeeded to his father's | business at Schoeneck and later established a branch at Denver, resulting in his removal to the latter place in 1883. Since that time Mr. Wolf has been promi- nently identified with the progress and development of this town, first engaging in the furniture and un- dertaking business which he carried on some years, 1 : but later dropped the furniture line and now conducts a first-class undertaking business, being a graduate of two embalming schools.
In 1895, in association with Dr. S. G. Burk- holder, he purchased the leading newspaper in this section, The Press, which had been established in 1890 by Myers & Lutz, Mr. Myers succeeding the above named firm, and in turn being succeeded by our subject and Dr. Burkholder as stated. At that time it was a single sheet journal of some six or seven columns, which has been transformed into a double sheet paper of eight pages, which is issued weekly. In 1896 Mr. Wolf assumed entire con- trol and has ably conducted it ever since, giving its patrons one of the best edited and most satisfactory papers of this locality. As a wise measure in a grow- ing community, the paper is non-partisan and hence can comment without bias on general events of inter- est, while it can be made a power in the upbuilding of the borough. In 1900 the village of Denver was made a borough, and Mr. Wolf was a very important
factor in effecting the desired change. He is pres- ident of the board of education, and his public-spir- ited efforts meet with the commendation of the public.
The first marriage of Mr. Wolf was to Miss Liz- zie Eberly. daughter of Isaac Eberly. Her death occurred in 1890. her two children preceding her. The second marriage of Mr. Wolf was to Mrs. Linda Yeager, widow of John Yeager. and daughter of John Fahnestock, of Warwick township. The three children born to this union are : Mary Esther. Ray- mond Hobson and Christian Herbert. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wolf are members of the U. B. Church. in which he is trustee and steward. and to which he is a liberal contributor. Fraternally Mr. Wolf is con- nected with Chandler Lodge, No. 227, F. & A. M .. of Reading; Cocalico Lodge, No. 408, I. O. O. F. : Cocalico Lodge, No. 400. K. of P. : Camp 13, of Der- ver, P. O. S. of A. ; and Lodge No. 205. K. of G. E.
Mr. Wolf has done much for the borough of Den- ver in the way of improvement of real estate, and has ereciel a number of handsome edifices, among them being two dwellings, a store building, the building occupied by The Press, also offices for lodge rooms of various kinds, and others which are among the best in Denver. He was one of the principal con- tributors to the present U. B. Church building. and also to the public school. His commercial and per- sonal standing is very high in the young city where he has chosen his home, and where he has many friends.
SAMUEL G. ENGLE, one of the well known and highly esteemed farmers and dairymen of East Donegal township. Lancaster county, is located one and one-half miles from Marietta. Pa., where he suc- cessfully conducts a most prosperous business. The Engle family is one of the oldest in the county, the carly records reaching back to 1754, when Ulric and Anna ( Brechtbill) Engle left their home in Switzer- land and came to the United States, locating in Penn- sylvania. Their numerous descendants have scat- tered over the Union.
Samuel G. Engle was born on the old homestead in East Donegal March 7, 1850. a son of Daniel and Mary ( Kraybill) Engle, of Conoy and East Donegal townships. respectively. The two-story brick resi- cience upon the homestead was built by Daniel En- gle in 1871. and both he and his wife died here, the former in .August, 1888. at the age of seventy-five. the latter in November, 1900. aged eighty-four. Both had been valued members of the religious de- nomination known as River Brethren. Daniel Engle was a very intelligent and progressive man, much interested in educational matters, and was one of the first school directors of his district, when the free school system was put into operation. He was the originator of the Marietta Nursery Co., of East Donegal, in 1853, locating it on the old homestead, and he conducted it successfully for many years. finally retiring and leaving it in the capable hands
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BIOGRAPHICAL ANNALS OF LANCASTER COUNTY
of his two sons, Hiram G. and John G., it now being operated by the latter. The children born to Daniel Engle and wife were: Fanny, who married John B. Brenneman, a groceryman, of York; Barbara, who married Henry S. Garber, of Mt. Joy; Hiram, deceased ; John G. : Samuel, of this sketch ; and Dan- fel G., the postmaster of Marietta, Pa. The pater- nal grandfather of Samuel G. Engle was John Engle, of Conoy township, whose wife belonged to the Myers family ; he was a farmer and died in 1861. The maternal grandparents were Christian and Mary (Nissley ) Kraybill. farmers of Lancaster county.
Samuel G. Engle was reared in an agricultural family and neighborhood, and acquired his educa- tion in the public schools, remaining at home and farming on the old homestead for eighteen years, and coming to the present fine farm in October, 1896, where he has since conducted an excellent dairy in connection with his farming operations. For six years he served as school director, and has always cast his influence in the direction of morality in his neighborhood. In politics Mr. Engle is a pro- nounced Republican, but has never consented to hold political office.
The marriage of Samuel G. Engle occurred on Dec. 3, 1874, in East Donegal township, when Miss Mary B. Bossler became his bride. One daughter, Mary B., has been born of this union. Mrs. Engle was born in West Donegal township, a daughter of Christian and Ann ( Brenneman) Bossler, the form- er of whom was a farmer of East Donegal township, where the family is well known. Mr. Engle is a worthy representative of an old and numerous Lan- caster family, and possesses the respect of the com- munity in which he lives, and where he has shown that he is an honest and upright citizen.
ELIZABETH M. KENDIG, whose attractive ice-cream and confectionery parlors are located at No. 132 North Duke street. Lancaster, can boast of having Revolutionary ancestry in both paternal and maternal lines.
Henry Kendig, her grandfather, was a veterinary surgeon of Lampeter township, where he lived and died, as did his father before him.
John Kendig, son of Henry, was a farmer of Providence township, and died in September, 1884. He married Elizabeth String, daughter of John String, a tailor of New Providence, and nine chil- dren were born of this union, five of whom are liv- ing, as follows : Hiram S., of Lancaster. a veteran of the war of the Rebellion : Samuel, a farmer and tax collector of the township of Providence ; John B., a contracting painter of Covington, Ky .: Elizabeth M. ; Louisa S., who makes her home with Miss Eliz- abeth.
Elizabeth M. Kendig was born on the old home- stead near New Providence, and, coming to Lancas- ter, entered the confectionery establishment of George R. Erisman, later becoming connected with the confectionery of the late R. H. Anderson. After
the death of the latter Miss Kendig, on July II. 1808, bought the confectionery store of Mr. Eris- man, on North Queen street, and on April 1, 1899. she removed to No. 132 North Duke street. where her business soon increased to double its proportions. Miss Kendig's goods soon became noted throughout the community for their excellence; and this fact. coupled with her courtesy and promptness, has won a host of patrons, and the store is justly noted as one of the leading confectionery marts of the city.
WILLIAM H. WOLF, a favorite railroad con- ductor at Columbia, was born in York county Feb. 20, 1849, son of Hon. William W. and Agnes G. (Smith) Wolf, of New Holland, who were the par- ents of eight children, viz : Abner, who died in Fort Desula, Dak., while in the United States service as scout : Flora, deceased wife of Emanuel Hoppen- stal; Agnes, widow of Jonathan Schenberger, who was killed on the railroad at 52nd St., Philadelphia. Pa .; William H. : Adam, carpenter at Wrightsville ; John, killed on the Pennsylvania railroad at West Philadelphia : Mary, wife of George L. Fox, of Cam- den, N. J. ; and Sarah, wife of James Patton. ticket and freight agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. at Little Washington.
Hon. William W. Wolf, son of Adam Wolf, a farmer and general merchant in York county, also became a farmer and general merchant. He was the founder of Mount Wolf Station on the North Cen- tral Railroad, and was the agent of the Railroad Company at that station for many years. He was for a long time a justice of the peace, represented his district in the State Legislature one term, was commissioner of York county several terms, and at the time of his death, which occurred in 1865. at the age of forty-nine years, was serving as sheriff of York county. His widow died in 1892, aged sev- enty-six years. Both had been consistent members of the Lutheran Church. Mrs. Agnes G. ( Smith ) Wolf was a daughter of Philip and Mary Smith, of York county, where the former was a prosperous farmer. and one of the earliest pilots on the Susque- hanna River.
William H. Wolf remained on the home farm until fourteen years of age. then attended Cottage Hill school at York four years. After leaving school he served an apprenticeship of two years at the tin- smith's trade, but relinquished it and ran ore cars for the Henry Clay furnace for two years. On Oct. 24, 1870, he came to Columbia, and for sixteen months was brakeman for the Pennsylvania Railroad Co., was next a flagman until 1883, and was then promoted to conductor, a position he still holds.
Mr. Wolf has been twice married. He first wedded, in York, Pa., Jan. 9. 1870, Miss Mel- vina Peters, who was born in York county, a daughter of Jacob and Lillie A. Peters, the former a shoemaker. Mrs. Melvina Wolf passed away in November. 1884, the mother of four chil- dren, viz: John (deceased). Charles, Jeanette and
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BIOGRAPHICAL ANNALS OF LANCASTER COUNTY
Edward ( deceased). The second marriage of Mr. Wolf took place Sept. 16, 1891, at Camden, N. J., to Miss Sallie A. Milton, but no children have been born to this union.
Mrs. Sallie A. Wolf is a daughter of William and Louisa ( Kennedy) Milton, natives, respectively, of Columbia and York counties, Pa. Her father was in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. four- teen years, of which period he was eight years a con- ductor. He served three years in the 20th P. V. C. in the war of the Rebellion, and then received an honorable discharge. He was a member of the order of Red Men, and died in Columbia, June 24, 1878, at the early age of thirty-four years. His widow, who was born in August, 1849, still resides in Columbia, and is now the wife of Joseph L. Deemer, of that city.
To Mr. and Mrs. William Milton were born six children, viz : Sallie A. ( Mrs. Wolf) ; Charles H., deceased; Mary A., widow of Thomas Donnan ; Georgianna, deceased ; Ida M., wife of Howard Clin- ton; and Alice C., who married George W. Kiss- inger, of Lancaster, and died leaving one son, Jos- eph F. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Sallie A. Wolf were Isaac M. and Mary A. (O'Freeold) Milton, of Kentucky, who came to Columbia in 1842, the former being then a manufacturer of oil-cloth. Here both passed the remainder of their lives. The maternal grandparents of Mrs. Wolf were Samuel and Sarah ( Harman) Neff, of York county, where his death took place, but that of his wife occurred in Lancaster, and her remains were interred in Co- lumbia.
William H. Wolf and his family are members of the Lutheran church, and in social circles are held in the highest esteem. Mr. Wolf is a member of the P. R. R. Relief, and also belongs to Lodge No. 134, B. P. O. E., of Lancaster, and to Lodge No. 331, O. R. C., Columbia, besides several social clubs in the latter place. He is in politics a Democrat, but has never condescended to seek a public office.
WILLIAM MEHL, assistant yardmaster of the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. at Columbia, Pa., was born in Odersbach, Weilburg, Province of Nassau, Germany, May 30, 1852, a son of John C. and Maria C. (Hoin) Mehl, who landed in New York City June 4, 1853. and came thence to Lancaster, Pa., re- maining there until April 7, 1870, when they located in Columbia.
John C. Mehl was a stonemason and also carried on a marble and monument yard. He died in 1871, in the faith of the German Lutheran Church, at the age of forty-seven years ; and his widow passed away in 1898, aged sixty-two. They were the parents of six children, the eldest of whom is William, whose name opens this sketch. The others are: Frank. who succeeded to his father's business at the old stand ; Henry, who ran away when fifteen years old, made a trip around the world, returned home and started on a second trip, and it is supposed was lost at sea: Mary, married to Matthias Swartz, hotel-
keeper at Columbia : George, a clerk in Lancaster ; and Miss Louisa, living on the old homestead.
William Mehl, in 1864, left school, and for two years worked in the cotton factory at Lancaster. He next served an apprenticeship of three years at cigarmaking, and in 1860 obtained a situation with the Pennsylvania Railroad Co. at packing tools for a crew of stone masons, so continuing until the spring of 1870, when he began stone cutting with his father, remaining until the death of the latter, when he took charge of and managed the business until October, 1876. He was next a brakeman for the railroad company until 1879, flagman until 1881, then a conductor for ten years. For several years he was employed in super- numerary work in the yards, and in July, 1897, was promoted to the position of assistant yardmaster.
Mr. Mehl has been twice married. His first wed- ding took place March 1, 1881, in Columbia, when he married Tillie Retheiser, who was born in Colum- bia, and who died Jan. 10, 1882, at the age of twenty- one years, without issue. The second wedding took place Oct. 31, 1883, when Josephine M. Retheiser, a sister of his first wife, became his bride. To this union have been born four children, viz: William H., Tillie R., John C. and Daniel R.
Daniel Retheiser, the father-in-law of Mr. Mehl, was born in Bavaria, Germany, Jan. 15. 1839, a son of Jacob and Margaret H. Retheiser, who came to America in 1840, and settled in Columbia, Pa. Jacob was a laborer and died in 1848, a member of the German Lutheran church, aged forty-one years, and the father of two children, Daniel, and William, of York county. Mrs. Retheiser was next married to Jolin Wonder, to whom she bore one child, John, a brakeman in Columbia. Mrs. Wonder was born in 1815, and died in 1865, also in the faith of the Luth- eran church
Daniel Retheiser lived with his parents until he was seventeen years old, and then learned the trade of shoemaking, which he followed until his death, June 9, 1902. He had always made Columbia his home, with the exception of five years, 1858 to 1863, passed in Driftwood, Pa. On Jan. 2, 1860, he mar- ried. in Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa., Theresa Berry, and to this union were born Tillie, deceased wife of Will- iam Mehl, whose name opens this article ; Josephine M., now Mrs. Mehl ; Annie, married to Harry Upp. a telegrapher in Philadelphia; Catherine, wife of Edward Scafalls, a compositor on the New York Herald; William, a machinist in the same metropo- lis; Elizabeth. wife of Edward Roche, a druggist in Frenchtown, N. J .; Jennie, wife of John Musser, assistant superintendent of a shirt factory in Scran- ton, Pa. ; and Emma, also in Scranton.
Theresa ( Berry) Retheiser was born in Ger- many March 31, 1840, a daughter of Benedict and Margaret Berry, who came to the United States in 1846, and settled in St. Marys, Elk Co., Pa., where the father is engaged in farming.
William Mehl, like all the members of his fam-
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