USA > Pennsylvania > Dauphin County > Commemorative biographical encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania : containing sketches of prominent and representative citizens and many of the early Scotch-Irish and German settlers. Pt. 2 > Part 13
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Peter Gruber, Jr., attended school in Cone- wago township and worked on his father's farm. He obtained a teacher's certificate and taught school in Conewago and London- derry townships for seven years. After this he made a venture in the patent right busi- ness, but not finding it profitable he aban- doned it and returned to Conewago town- ship, where he learned cabinet making and afterwards went into the business for him-
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self. He built a fine factory, employed sev- eral men, and supplied the surrounding country with furniture of his manufacturing. He now conducts also an undertaking de- partment, and since 1874 has been the only undertaker in the town of Bachmansville. A few years ago he opened a store for grocer- ies, etc., and has been successful in this branch of business. Mr. Gruber was mar- ried in Conewago township, in 1873, to Mary A., daughter of Samuel and Barbara (Hol- linger) Hoffer, born in Conewago township. They have five children: Barbara II., wife of John Blacker, teacher; Clara H., Ellen M., Mary A., and Lena H. Mr. Garber en- listed at Harrisburg, August 23, 1864, in company C, Two Hundredth regiment, Penn- sylvania volunteers, Col. W. H. McCall and Capt. S. O. Reno, Seventh army corps. He participated in the battles of Fort Steadman, Hatche's Run, Butler's Farm, and Peters- burg, and in several small engagements. He was in the hospital at Point of Rocks for eight weeks suffering from exposure, result- ing in typhoid fever. He was honorably discharged May 13, 1865.
Mr. Gruber is a Republican. He was first elected justice of the peace in 1887, on the Republican ticket, there being only seven votes cast against him, and was elected for a second term in 1892 by a full vote. He has filled the office with dignity and ability, and has dispensed justice with an even hand. He was inspector of election for seven years; tax collector for county and State for two years; assessor and school director for' three years, and has been supervisor. Mr. Gruber takes an active part in all political move- ments. He is a member of the German Bap- tist church, was a Sunday-school superinten- dent four years, and a Sunday-school teacher nearly all his life. Mr. Gruber is a promi- nent man and is honored by all who know him. He may always be found on the side of all that will benefit society and promote the public welfare.
KAYLER, NERI H., was born in Lancaster county, December 26, 1865 ; son of Isaac and Barbara (Hoover) Kayler. Joseph Kayler, his grandfather, was a farmer and reared a family. The maternal grandfather was also a farmer. Isaac Kayler, father of Neri H., was born in Dauphin county, Pa., and is a farmer; at different times he was also en- gaged in the manufacture of barrels. He is a Republican. In religious faith and fellow-
ship he is connected with the United Breth- ren church. Mrs. Kayler is a daughter of Samuel and Barbara (Snyder) Hoover. Their children are: Amos, Samuel, Linnaeus, Neri, Annie, Mary, Franklin, Isaac, and Katie, wife of Earnest Buser; Allen, Joseph, who died, aged four years, and Abraham, who died in 1871, at the age of nineteen. Neri II. Kayler attended the public schools and worked on the farm at intervals until he was twenty-two years old, when he engaged in farming on his own account. This has ever since continued to be his occupation. For one year he held an agency for Mr. Ebersole for the sale of agricultural implements. Mr. Kayler is a Republican. In 1892 he was ap- pointed tax collector for Conewago township and served one year; he was elected assessor in 1895, which office he still holds.
-COBLE, AMOS G., Bellair, Lancaster county, Pa., was born in Dauphin county, Pa., June 19, 1870, and is the son of John H. and Elizabeth (Gingerich) Coble.
Christian Coble, his grandfather, was a farmer. He married twice; his first wife was a Miss Hoffer ; his second, Miss Nancy, is still living. Isaac Coble is the only sur- viving son of Christian Coble; his other children, Christian, Barbara, John H., Sam- uel, and Jacob, all being deceased. Both the parents of Amos G. Coble were natives of Dauphin county, and his mother Eliza- beth was the daughter of Henry Gengerich. Besides their son they had one daughter, Barbara. Mr. John H. Coble was always a man of note in the community ; first as a teacher, in his early manhood ; after he had relinquished this profession for the business of farming his fellow-citizens showed their appreciation of his intelligence and good judgment by electing him to various town- ship offices. He was a school director for some years and also assessor on the Re- publican ticket, as he adhered to that party. He was still farming when his useful life closed in its prime ; he died March 9, 1SS5, at the comparatively early age of forty-nine. His religious profession was Mennonite. His wife survives him ; she is about sixty- one years of age, and enjoys the care of her son on the homestead where most of her life has been passed.
Amos G. Coble received a good education. attending first the common schools of Dauphin and afterwards those of Lebanon county until he was nineteen years of age.
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After leaving school he took charge of the home farm and cultivated it for his mother, but since 1893, the year of his marriage, he has carried on the business on his own ac- count. On January 17 of that year Amos G. Coble was married to Kate H., daughter of Martin M. and Maria (Horst) Risser. Mr. and Mrs. Coble have one son, Ira, born Sep- tember 23, 1895. Mr. Coble's political opinions are Republican.
-WITMER, JOSEPH B., Deodate, Pa., was born in Londonderry township, near the Cone- wago line, Dauphin county, Pa., May 24, 1817. He is a son of Peter and Esther (Burkholder) Witmer.
The Witmers are of Swiss origin, the great-grandfather of Joseph B. Witmer hav- ing come to America about the year 1760. A son of this emigrant, Joseph Witmer, grandfather of Joseph B., was born Septem- ber 29, 1755. Farming was his lifelong oc- cupation. He married Miss Barbara Hoover, born in April, 1755, and was the father of eight children, all now deceased. They were: Peter; Mrs. Daniel Wolkmann ; Mrs. Martin Nissley ; Mrs. Henry Snyder; Mrs. Jacob Heisy ; Katie, wife of John Horst ; Samuel, and Christian. Joseph Witmer died March 16, 1844, aged eighty-eight; his wife died June 19, 1835, aged eighty years.
The maternal grandparents of Mr. J. B. Witmer were both natives of Lancaster county, where Mr. Burkholder was a farmer. Of their eight children, the only survivor is Abraham. Those deceased are: John, Jo- seph, Peter, Christian, and Jacob ; Esther, married to Peter Witmer, and Mary, wife of Ulrich Shaffner. Mr. Shaffner is also de- ceased. Mr. Burkholder died about the year 1809; his wife survived him for about twenty years.
Peter Witmer, father of Joseph B., was born in Mount Joy township, Lancaster county, Pa., October 18, 1787, and spent his years in tilling and improving the soil of his native county. His wife Esther, daughter of Joseph Burkholder, was born in Rapho township, in the same county, April 17, 1796. Their family numbered seven, of whom two are deceased : Henry, who died in 1886, at the age of sixty-six, and Nancy. Five are still living : Joseph B., Peter, Mary, widow of John Longenecker, Abraham, and Jacob. Mrs. Esther Witmer died May 28, 1830, at the age of thirty-four years. Mr. Witmer was again married, to Miss Barbara, daugh-
ter of Jacob Lehman. By this marriage there were no children. Mr. Witmer died October 27, 1844, aged sixty-two.
Joseph B. Witmer was a pupil in what are known as subscription schools until he reached his sixteenth year. From that time until he was about twenty-six he was occu- pied with farm work for his father and others. From about the date of his first marriage until the present time he has at- tended to farming on his own account, but has not been so entirely devoted to his own affairs as to take no interest in the welfare of the community to which he belongs. His neighbors, recognizing his public spirit and good sense, have called him to fill several township offices. He has served as auditor at different times, the terms aggre- gating about ten years; he was a school di- rector before the war of the Rebellion. and for about fifteen years since that time, dur- ing all his time of service being president of the board ; and for one term he was super- visor. He is an active Republican.
Mr. Witmer was married, March 14. 1844, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Hoffer, Esq., and of Mrs. Samuel (Foitz) Hoffer. Their children are: Caroline, wife of Abraham Gish, and John H., married to Lydia Etter. The mother died February 26, 1848, aged twenty-eight years, nine months and eight days. Mr. Witmer's second marriage was with Miss Elizabeth, daughter of David Buchwalter, and took place December 24, 1848. The children of this marriage are: Annie, wife of David Gratz; Martha, wife of Solomon Schenk : Lizzie, wife of Peter Shiffer, and David, who died December 2, 1862, aged three years and eight months. The second wife died October 7, 1881, aged fifty-eight years, seven months and thirteen days. Mr. Witmer married the third time, October 23, 1883, Mrs. Sarah, widow of John Boosey. They had no chil- dren. Joseph B. Witmer is a member of the German Baptist church, in which for the past thirty-one years he has held the office of deacon.
Christian Witmer, uncle of Joseph B., was born March 20, 1799, and died April 22, 1872. His wife, Miss Mary Wolgamuth, was born January 18, 1801, and died March 5, 1870.
~KAUFFMAN, HENRY K., a native of Lan- caster county, Pa., was born September 5. 1833; son of Benjamin and Annie Kauff-
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man. His paternal grandfather, John Kauff- man, was a native of Lancaster county, as was also his grandfather on the mother's side, and both of his parents were born in that county. Benjamin Kauffman was first a weaver and later in life a farmer. He was married to Miss Annie Kauffman, daughter of John and Mary Kauffman. Four of their family of nine children are living : Henry K., Martha, Benjamin and Andrew. Those deceased are: Abraham ; Susan, wife of Jacob Snyder; Jacob, who died in 1863, aged thir- teen years; Amos, died in 1862, at the age of seven years; and Annie, who also died in 1862, aged four years and ten days. Mr. Benjamin Kauffman died a retired farmer, aged seventy-six years andthree months ; his wife died aged sixty years. Both were of the Mennonite persuasion.
Henry K. Kauffman received his educa- tion in Rapho township, Lancaster county, attending school, like farmers' boys in gen- eral, only during the winter, and learning the art and science of agriculture practically by making themselves useful on the farm dur- ing the rest of the year. Mr. Kauffman was all his life a farmer, for although he endeav- ored during one winter to learn the trade of a miller, he was obliged at the end of the season to give up the attempt on account of ill health. He therefore returned again to farming, to which he has ever since, espe- cially since the beginning of his married life, given his exclusive attention. Mr. Kauff- man is a Republican ; he is now serving his township as supervisor, to which office he was elected in 1895. Henry K. Kauffman was married, February 16, 1871, to Susan S., daughter of John and Mary (Sherry) Helman, born August 1, 1833. Mr. and Mrs. Kauff- man have had four children: Annie and Lizzie, twins, died July 19, 1876, aged twenty-one days; Mary A., wife of Harry Shearer; and F., who is married to Miss Kate Grumbine. Mr. Kauffman belongs to the Mennonite church.
Mr. and Mrs. John Helman, the parents of Mrs. Kauffman, were both natives of Lan- caster county. Mr. Helman was a weaver, but continued only a short time in that occupation before exchanging it for fence making, with which he was occupied for . many years, but which he at last relinquished to engage in butchering. He was married to Miss Mary Sherry, daughter of Jacob and Anna Sherry. Two of their children are deceased : Jacob, died at the age of twenty-
two years and three months; and Henry, died at the age of forty years and two months. Their living children are : Kate, wife of Ben- jamin Minutes; Lizzie, widow of Michael Steffey ; Susan S., Mrs. Kauffman ; John : Mary, wife of Peter Kegerreis; Cyrus, and George. Mr. Helman died at the age of sixty years, and Mrs. Helman in 1880, aged seventy-five; both died in Lancaster county. They were members of the Lutheran church.
-BACHMAN, SAMUEL S., postmaster and school teacher, Bachmansville, Pa., was born at Bachmansville, Pa., January 22, 1855 : son of Henry D. and Fanny (Shelly) Bach- man, a retired farmer, and reared at Swa- tara, in Derry township. His grandfather was the founder and proprietor of the town of Bachmansville. His father was also a farmer.
Samuel S. attended the district schools of South Annville township, Lebanon county. and also the schools at Bachmansville. He studied three terms at Palmyra Academy and two terms at the State Normal School. at Millersville, from which latter institution he received a teacher's State certificate. For the past fourteen years he has devoted his life to the instruction and training of the youth of his native place. He also spent eight months teaching in Illinois, and has taught in Derry township as well as in Con- ewago. Mr. Bachman was married at Eliz- abethtown, Lancaster county, in 1877, to Katie Goff, a native of Lancaster county. They had four children : Cora, Garfield Ar- thur, Edgar Cullen and Emma Madora. Mr. Bachman was appointed postmaster un- der the Arthur administration and has held the office since that time, giving to the pub- lic the utmost satisfaction in the manage- ment of the office. In his politics he is a Republican and actively interested in public matters. He is agent for the sale of the farm implements made by the McCormick Company. He is a teacher in the Sunday- school and a zealous worker in the cause.
BRANDT, ABRAHAM L., farmer, Deodate, Pa., was born in Conewago township, Dau- phin county, Pa., May 6, 1836. Michael, the grandfather, was a native of Pennsylva- nia and was a carpenter by trade, and was also an undertaker. John, the father, was also born in Conewago township, in 1801, and was engaged in farming in London- derry township, where he married Annie
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Long. His children were: Samuel, Annie, and was a farmer. He married Miss Anna Elizabeth, Catherine and Abraham. His L. Ebersole, born in Lancaster county, and to them have been born two children : Amanda E., Mrs. Brubaker, and E. E. The father has passed away, the mother survives and lives at Mt. Joy. She is a member of the Mennonite church. father died in Londonderry township in 1852. He was a Republican in politics. The mother was married again to Joseph Youtz, and they had two children, Fannie and Barbara, both deceased. The mother has also passed away.
Abraham attended school and worked on the farm until nineteen years old when he learned the blacksmith trade at which he worked for ten years as a journeyman, and for thirteen years had a shop of his own. He later bought the farm which he now occupies and which he has cultivated and improved. He was married in Lebanon county, in 1859, to Mary Basehore, born in Londonderry township, Lebanon county, October 13, 1840, daughter of Henry and Mary Basehore. Their children are: Anna K., Alice, Ella, John, Harriet, Fannie, Cora. William, and Eliza, deceased. Mr. Brandt is a Republican in his politics and takes an active interest in township matters.
BRUBAKER, SETH, Conewago township, was born in Lebanon county, Pa., May 3, 1863; son of D. B. and Kate (Royer) Bru- baker. Jonas, the paternal grandfather, was born in 1800, in Lebanon county, and was reared there. His wife was born in Lan- caster county. He was a farmer by occupa- tion and reared a family. D. B. Brubaker, the father, was a miller and later engaged in farming. He married Miss Kate, daughter of Seth and Rosa (Zinn) Royer, and they had eight children, five of whom are living : Jonas, Rosie, wife of Adam O. Brandt, Seth, Emma, and A. R. The deceased children are: Susan, Amanda and Katie. The parents are both members of the Church in Christ.
Seth received his education in the public schools and in Lebanon Valley College. At the age of twenty-one years he began teach- ing and taught for three terms in the public schools. In June, 1885, he was married to Miss Amanda E. Risser, daughter of Abra- ham S. and Anna L. (Ebersole) Risser. They have four children : Mabel, Daniel, Laura and Stella. In 1886 Mr. Brubaker engaged in farming in Conewago township and bought the farm lately owned by Abraham Risser, which he has since occupied and cultivated. He has served as school director for one year and is a neutral in his politics. Mrs. Brubaker was born February 28, 1867. Her father was born in Londonderry township,
EBY, HENRY B., was born on a farm in Derry township, Dauphin county, Pa., May 6, 1833; son of Peter Eby. The father was born in Derry township, received his educa- tion in the district schools of his native township, and grew to manhood on the farm of his father. The ancestors were from Switzerland. The father succeeded to the homestead in Derry township, and was mar- ried in Lancaster county, Pa., to Miss Mary Wisler, of that county. He took up his resi- dence on the home farm in Derry township, and lived there until his death in 1844. His wife survived him many years, and died in Lancaster county, aged eighty-nine years. Their children are: Samuel, George, Henry B., Annie, Mary, deceased, and Peter.
Henry B. acquired his education in the common schools, and worked on the farm until he was fifteen years of age, when his father died, and he started to learn the trade of shoemaking near Churchville, Dauphin county, and served an apprenticeship of two and a half years. When he was nineteen years of age he became a clerk in the store of John Eby, who kept a general store at East Hanover, Lebanon county, where he remained two years, and then clerked for Moses Early, in the same place, for one year, at the end of which time he worked for awhile for Mr. Garbuck in that town. He next went through the West prospecting for business, and after a few months sojourn in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa, he re- turned to his brother Samuel's home, at Bis- mark, Lebanon county. In a short time he got a situation at Colebrook, in Lebanon county, where he remained six months, and then returned to Bismark. In 1855 he em- barked in the mercantile business with his brother at Bismark, where he continued until 1864, when he located at Bachmans- ville, where he opened his present place of business, and conducts a general store. Mr. Eby was married at Bismark, in 1860, to Miss Lizzie Smith, by whom he has four children : Mary, Robert, Grant, and Lizzie, died young. His wife died six or seven years after marriage, and he took for his
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second wife Miss Lydia Lehman, a native of Lebanon county, by whom he has twelve children : Henry, John, Ida, Anna, Louisa, deceased ; Lillie, Katie, Tillie, George, Will- iam, Elsie, and Ira. Mr. Eby was originally a Republican, but is now an independent voter, and has never sought any political office. He is not a member of any religious organization.
FOLTZ, CHRISTIAN M., was born in Cone- wago township, Dauphin county, Pa., Feb- ruary 24, 1868; son of John S. Foltz. Christian, the grandfather, was the son of Christian, great-grandfather, and he was the son of Christian, who was a native of Ger- many, and the first of the family to come to America. Since that time many of them have been farmers. The grandfather reared a large family and died in Dauphin county. John S., the father, was born in Dauphin county in 1831, and removed with his par- ents to Conewago township when a boy, where he grew to manhood and was educated in the district schools of that township. He was first married to Helen Lutz, who bore him two children, Sarah and Mary, and then died. He was married then to Miss Elizabeth Alleman, born in Lower Swatara township in 1826, by whom he had four children: Ella and Catherine, both at home ; J. Ezra, proprietor of a creamery at Deodate, and Christian. After his marriage he opened a general store at Deodate, which he con- ducted until his death in 1887.
Christian acquired his primary education in the district schools and was graduated at the Normal School at Kutztown when he was twenty years of age. During vacation he was employed on the home farm. In the spring of 1891 he embarked in the mercan- tile business at Deodate, succeeding David Nissley, and has since built up a large and profitable trade. He was never married, but lives at home with his mother. He is a member of the Lutheran church and is in- terested in the welfare of the community. In his political views he is a staunch Re- publican. Under the Harrison administra- tion he was appointed postmaster of Deodate.
FOLTZ, J. E., proprietor of the creamery, Deodate, Pa., was born in Conewago town- ship, Dauphin county, July 25, 1865. His father was John S. Foltz, a well-known mer- chant of that place. He married Elizabeth Alleman, and they have four children : Ella,
Catherine, J. E., and Christian, all of whom are unmarried. The father died in 18S.1. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and in his political views was a Republican. He served as school director, auditor and in other offices.
J. E. Foltz was educated at the district schools, Millersville State Normal School, Cumberland Valley State Normal School and Keystone State Normal School, from which latter institution he received a di- ploma. He taught schools in Berks, Lan- caster and Dauphin counties, and was also the principal of the Orphans' Home, and in all taught seven full terms. In 1893 he es- tablished a creamery at Deodate, which, with equipment, cost $3,000, and has also two branch creameries, one at Vine and the other at Bachmansville, costing $1,000. He buys milk from the adjacent farmers, pay- out over $300 per week. He manufactures three hundred pounds of butter per day and ships it over the State. Mr. Foltz is unmar- ried. He is a Republican in politics, and is prominent also in Sunday-school work, be- ing the president of the Dauphin County Sunday-school Association and has been a superintendent of the local Sunday-school.
GRUBB, BENJAMIN, farmer, Deodate, Pa., was born in Conewago township, Dauphin county, Pa., July 19, 1845. John, the father, was born in the same township in 1810 and was a farmer. He married Annie Brandt and their children were: Fannie, Henry, John, Jacob, Benjamin, Josiah, and three who died young. He was a Republican in his political views. His wife died in 1876, and he died July 17, 1893. Both were mem- bers of Zion church.
Benjamin attended the township schools and worked on the homestead until he was twenty-one years old. He then bought a farm in the township containing 130 aeres which he so much improved. He lost his barn by fire with the stock it contained, en- tailing a loss of $1,500. In 1894 he built a fine new barn. He was married, in London- derry township, November 14, 1872, to Annie Herzey, born in that township, July 30, 1851, daughter of Henry and Mary Herzey. The former was a native of Londonderry town- ship and was a farmer. He died in Novem- ber, 1892, and his wife in 1877, having reared nine children. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Grubb are: Mary H., Benjamin II.,
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Simon H., Annie, and Harry. Mr. Grubb is a Republican in politics and a member of Zion's church.
GRUBB, JOSEPH G., farmer, Bachmansville, Pa., was born in Conewago township, Dau- phin county, Pa., March 3, 1832. John Grubb, the grandfather, was born in Lan- caster county, and was a miller and farmer in Conewago township. In politics he was a Whig. He and his family were members of the Mennonite church. He married Susan Blough, to whom there were born five chil- dren : John, Christian, Daniel, Susan and Nancy. Christian, the father, was educated in the subscription schools of the township, and worked with his father on the farm. He continued on the homestead and has been all his life engaged in farming in his native township. He married Nancy Ging- rich, a native of Lebanon county, and they had eight children: Samuel, Catherine, Polly, Margaret, deceased, Michael, Joseph G., Susan and David. The father died in 1875, and his wife died in 1881. He was a Republican in politics and always much interested in public matters.
Joseph G. acquired his education in the public schools of the township and was en- gaged in farm work on the homestead until he became of age, after which he rented a farm and began business for himself. When twenty-nine years of age he rented a farm of one hundred and sixty-eight acres for one year, after which he rented another farm, where he spent sixteen years and then his present farm of twenty-four acres for three thousand dollars, on which he has made many improvements. He was mar- ried in Conewago township, in 1861, to Christina E. Shenk, and to this marriage there is no issue. They are enjoying their comfortable home and reaping the fruits of the industry and frugality of their earlier life. He is a Republican and a member of Zion's church.
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