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 44
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Albert Theodore Poffenberger, the only surviving child of this family, was educated in the public and private schools of Dauphin and at Harrisburg Academy ; he also took a course at Crittenden's Commercial College, Philadelphia. He held a elerkship in the office of an insurance company in Pottsville, Pa., in the early part of 1873; but later in the year entered the Lochiel Iron Company's store as clerk, remaining two years. After teaching school one term in Dauphin, Mr. Poffenberger began the study of medicine in April, 1876, in the office of Dr. William Graydon. Ile studied three years and at- tended three courses of lectures at Jefferson
Medical College, Philadelphia. He was graduated in the class of March, 1879, receiv- ing honorable mention for his thesis. After practicing one year with Dr. J. R. Umberger, and nine years on his own account with a fair measure of success, he was appointed medical examiner in the voluntary relief de- partment of the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany with offices at Sunbury, Pa., a position he has ever since filled with credit. Dr. Poffenberger still enjoys the confidence of home friends who seek his professional ad- vice when he visits his native town.
Dr. Poffenberger has gained a reputation as an amateur photographer, and being fond of travel, he has visited many places of in- terest in the United States, from Plymouth Rock to Salt Lake City, and from Niagara Falls to the Lake Worth region of Florida.
In November, 1879, Dr. Albert Theodore Poffenberger was married to Lillie Janc, daughter of Dr. J. R. and Mary H. Umber- ger ; she died, beloved by everybody, Decem- ber 23, 1893. During their fourteen years of married life they had five children, one of whom, William Moody, was born in Oeto- ber, 1892, and died May 10, 1893. The sur- viving children are: Mary Elizabeth, born January 5,1881 ; John Leonard, July 27, 1883; Charles Albert, October 23, 1886, and Joseph Cummings, October 27, 1888.
FERTIG, ELIAS, was born at the old home- stead, near Dauphin, then known as Greens- burg, Dauphin county, Pa., April 13, 1817. He is a son of Adam and Elizabeth (Klein) Fertig. His grandfather, Michael Fertig, with his family, was among the first who came to this locality and settled above Dau- phin. His children were : Peter, John, Adam, Zachariah, Michael, and Anna Maria, wife of Jacob Bogner, a soldier in the Revolution. He lived to the age of one hundred and four years, five months and five days. Adam Fertig, father of Elias Fertig, and his brother Peter, were drafted and served in the war of 1812. He died in November, 1839, aged sixty-three years. His wife was born in 1800, and died aged eighty years. They had eight children, two of whom, Jacob and a sister, died in in- fancy. Their other children were : Michael ; Anna Maria, wife of Daniel Snyder; Sam- uel ; Elias; Clarissa, wife of John Garman, and Solomon.
Elias Fertig received his education in the private schools near Dauphin. His first schoolmaster was Andrew Sproul. He at
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tended school only during the winter. He worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-two years of age. When his father died he farmed the homestead for his mother ; and when his brother Solomon reached his majority they consolidated their interests with the mother's, and continued to operate the farm. They were so successful that shortly after they bought an additional tract of land from William Poffenberger, and continued their joint interests until their mother's death. Elias Fertig then acquired the old homestead, consisting of one hundred and sixty. acres. He has continued farming to the present time.
Mr. Fertig was married, March 28, 1850, to Anna Mary, daughter of George and Anna (Arnold) Shaffer, born December 3, 1823. They have five children : Elizabeth Frances, born March 12, 1852, wife of Reily Bogner; Adam Milton, born December 29, 1853; Anna Maria, born August 9, 1855, widow of John R. Kinter; Mary C., born March 1, 1859, wife of Dr. A. C. Coble, of Dauphin, and Laura, born July 28, 1860, wife of John F. Dewalt. Mrs. Fertig died August 27, 1895. Her parents were residents of Snyder county, Pa. Her father, George Shaffer, was three times married and left a large family of sons and daughters. Mr. Fertig has served his town- ship as supervisor and assessor and in other minor offices. He is a Democrat. He and his family are members of the Lutheran church.
MILLER, JOHN PATTERSON, was born Jan- uary 7, 1814. He was a son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Pauly) Miller, of Juniata county, Pa. He engaged in boating in early life, and was captain on the line running between Columbia and Hollidaysburg on the Penn- sylvania canal. At the age of nineteen, he engaged in hotel keeping at Thompsontown, Juniata county. He removed to Dauphin county April 1, 1844, and located at the old Armstrong property, known as the Fish Hotel, originally bought by James Armstrong about 1810, and at that time called the Franklin Hotel. In 1784, the old structure had been partially destroyed by an ice flood. Mr. Miller continued there until 1849. The old building was then removed on account of the construction of the Susquehanna and Schuylkill railroad. He then removed to the Hetzel Hotel in Dauphin, where he died October 2, 1850.
Mr. Miller was married, March 1, 1842, to
Jane E., daughter of William and Clara (Armstrong) Bell. She was born in the Stony Creek Valley, east of Dauphin, Pa., January 20, 1822. She received her education in the private schools of Middle Paxton township. Her parents having removed in 1828 to the old Armstrong mansion at Hunter's Falls, near Dauphin, known as the Fish IIotel, she re- mained with them until her marriage to Mr. Miller. She had three children: George Dare, born March 11, 1847, died January 20, 1851; Emma, wife of John F. Kinter, born September 21, 1843, and William Bell, born August 14, 1845.
Mrs. Miller was married a second time, De- cember 30, 1852, to J. Peter Miller; son of Sam- uel and Susan (Young) Miller, not related to her first husband. - They had nochildren. He died April 14, 1891. He was a farmer and butcher. After his marriage he moved to Dauphin, and was prominent as an auction- eer. During the war he was an extensive buyer of horses and mules for the Govern- ment. In 1865, he removed to Harrisburg, and bought what was then known as the Black Horse Hotel, corner of Vine and Pax- ton streets. In 1872, he sold the premises to the Harrisburg School Board. He then bought the Fox Hotel, at the corner of Herr and North Front streets, and resided there until 1890, when he bought the present home- stead at Dauphin.
William Bell, the father of Mrs. Miller, was born in Bell's Valley, Middle Paxton town- ship, July 20, 1796. He was a farmer early in life, and later a hotel keeper. He served one term in the Legislature. For many years he kept the Fish Hotel, where he died March 1, 1844. His wife died March 8, 1844. His father, James Bell, was a son of William Bell, who settled there in 1774. The great- grandfather of Mrs. Miller, Robert, Armstrong, was the first white man to whom William Penn deeded land. His son, James Arm- strong, had four daughters, and a son who died young. James Armstrong married Jane, daughter of John and Sarah (Patton) Hatfield. The family are members of the Presbyterian church.
KINTER, SAMUEL, cabinet maker and un- dertaker, was born near Maclay street, on the old Kunkel farm, in Susquehanna township, near Harrisburg, Pa., July 20, 1822. ITe is a son of John and Elizabeth (Miller) Kinter. llis father was born March 20, 1785, and died February 16, 1833, aged forty-eight
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years. His mother died October 25, 1865, aged seventy-five years, five months and fourteen days. They had seven children, five of whom are deceased: Peter, who died in infancy ; Catherine, wife of John Fertig; John, died September 30, 1848, aged thirty- five years; Elizabeth, wife of Leonard Pof- fenberger, born November 11, 1828, died July 4, 1858, and George, who died July 21, 1887. Their living children are Samuel and Isaac.
Samuel Kinter attended school at Coxes- town. When he was ten years old, the family removing to Stony Creek Valley, Middle Pax- ton township, he attended the old private school at Dauphin, near the Dauphin ceme- tery, until he was fourteen; after that he went for three years to the public school. At seventeen he began an apprenticeship of three years to the carpenter trade with John Bell, at Fort Hunter; after which he worked at his trade as a journeyman for about three years. At twenty-three years of age he be- gan carpentry on his own account; in 1857 he changed it for his present occupation, cabinet making and undertaking, which he has ever since carried on.
Mr. Kinter was married, December 24, 1844, to Susanna, daughter of Abraham and Sarah (Inch) Taylor, born at Liverpool, Perry county, Pa., April 10, 1822. They had four children, two of whom are de- ceased : Elizabeth Ann, born November 22, 1845, died March 21, 1849; John Ruther- ford, born January 17, 1851, married in 1875 to Anna Maria Fertig, by whom he had two children, died January 20, 1882 : Spencer Gilbert, and Mary Susan. The sur- viving children of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Kinter are George Cooper, born June 7, 1855, and William Dal, born, June 2, 1860. Mrs. Kinter died August 24, 1882. She and her husband were members of the Methodist Episcopal church of Dauphin. She was a consistent and devoted Christian; she took an active part in every measure and move- ment to promote the temporal and spiritual interests of the church. She was president of the Ladies' Mite Society from its organi- zation, a period of fourteen years. Her Christian sympathy and large heart were manifested in visiting the sick and the poor, and caring for them. She was everywhere spoken of with esteem and affection, and many will cherish the most grateful recol- lections of her kindness and generosity.
On January 20, 1887, Mr. Kinter married his second wife, Harriet J. Linton, widow of
James M. Linton, and daughter of Alexan- der and Anna Brooks.
Mr. Kinter has served two terms as bur- gess and a number of terms as school director of Dauphin borough. His political views are Republican ; his first vote for Pres- ident as a Republican was cast for Abraham Lincoln. He is a member in good standing of State Capital Lodge, No. 70, I. O. O. F., at Harrisburg. Mr. and Mrs. Kinter are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
The parents of the present Mrs. Kinter are both deceased. They had eleven chil- dren : Catherine, James, Rachel A., Marv E., Harriet J., Adeline E., William B., Hiram T., Julia A., Sarah M., and George A. James Brooks, brother of Mrs. Kinter, removed to the vicinity of Richmond, Va., and estab- lished a profitable business in the black- smith trade. When the war came he was pressed into the Confederate service, and his smithy was converted to the use of the South- ern army. He was subsequently designated as sergeant under Captain Mckinney, and three months later was sent out in charge of a foraging train to collect the tithe levied by the Confederate government upon the farm- ers. The citizens and some of the officials protested against the appointment of Mr. Brooks to a position of responsibility, on the ground that no Yankee could be considered trustworthy. But in the case of the Brooks boys the objection did not hold good. Their integrity and honor made even their cove- nant with enemies in violable.
William Brooks, another brother, enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-third Penn- sylvania volunteers, in which regiment he served nine months, and was honorably dis- charged. He participated in a number of fierce engagements. John Brooks, an unele of Mrs. Kinter, was a soldier in the war of 1812.
HOUSER, JOHN, merchant, was born at Manada Furnace, West Hanover township, Dauphin county, Pa., May 15, 1843. He is a son of William and Catherine (Mease) Houser. His grandparents, the Housers, were born at Schaefferstown, Lebanon county, Pa., and had a large family of sons and daughters. William Houser, his father, was born September 2, 1822. Hle enlisted in November, 1862, at Camp Curtin, Harris- burg, in company C, One Hundred and Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania volunteers. Captain Beck, Colonel Wiestling. He died
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at Portsmouth, Va., August 3, 1863. His wife, Catherine (Mease) Houser, died in Feb- ruary, 1863. They had five children : Joseph William, died at about three years of age ; ohn, Benneville, Henry, and Elizabeth, widow of George Rahn.
John Houser was educated in the public schools of West Hanover township. He worked on the farm until he was eighteen. He enlisted, September 2, 1861, at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, in company D, Forty- sixth Pennsylvania volunteers, Capt. George A. Brooks and Col. Joseph F. Knipe, and served in that company until July 16, 1865, when he was discharged at Alexandria, Va. He was taken prisoner at Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862, and was imprisoned four weeks on Belle Island, near Richmond, Va., when he was exchanged and returned to his company. He was again captured at Chancel- lorsville, May 2, 1863, and confined in Libby prison, at Richmond. After suffering con- finement and privation for thirteen days, he was paroled.
Mr. Houser was twice wounded during the battle at Peachtree Creek, Ga., in the siege of Atlanta. He received a bullet wound in the right hip, and a few minutes later was struck by a bullet below the tem- ple. The ball lodged near the cheek bone, and remains there to the present time. He fell to the ground from the shock of the second wound, was borne to the hospital, and subsequently removed to the hospital at Louisville, Ky., where he remained three months. When discharged from the hos- pital he rejoined his regiment, and partici- pated in "Sherman's march to the sea." Among the battles which he took part may be mentioned Winchester, Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Resaca, Ga., Dallas, Ga., Manilta, Peachtree Creek and Bentonville, N. C. At the close of the war Mr. Houser returned home, and enlisted in com- pany I, Sixth cavalry, U. S. A., and served three years along the frontier in Texas. He was honorably discharged at Fort Griffin, Texas, and retured home. He located at Heckton, Middle Paxton township. He suffered severely from the effects of his wounds, and was pensioned by the United States Government in 1878.
In the spring of 1869 Mr. Houser engaged in carpenter work. He has been an exten- sive builder and contractor. HIe built a great number of the houses at ITeckton, and many also at Dauphin. IIe constructed all
the wood work of the Methodist Episcopal church edifice at Dauphin. In 1889 he em- barked in mercantile business at Heckton, in which he is still engaged and has been very successful.
Mr. Houser was married, November 2, 1871, to Mary, daughter of Levi and Amanda (Harman) Zimmerman, by whom he has two children : Emma C., wife of T. Emerick, and Carrie. Mr. Houser has served one term as school director. He is a Democrat. He and his family attend the Methodist church. Mr. Zimmerman, Mrs. Houser's father, died aged fifty-three; her mother is still living. They had ten children : John; Catherine, wife of John Brown; Mary ; Amanda, wife of George Rice; Levi; Henri- etta, wife of Louis Gayman ; Joseph ; Eliza- beth, wife of Henry Houser; Matilda, wife of Frank Albert; Emma, Levi, Henrietta, and Emma are deceased.
-CRAIG, L. P., section foreman, Philadel- phia and Reading railroad, was born in Middle Paxton township, Dauphin county, Pa., August 22, 1844. He is a son of An- drew and Rachel (Enty) Craig. Andrew Craig was born near Fort Hunter, Susque- hanna township, Dauphin county, Septem- ber 21, 1795. He died August 24, 1864. His wife, Rachel Enty, was a native of Schuylkill county. She died January 7, 1887. They had eleven children : Esther, John, Cyrus, Hannah, L. P., Richard II., Mary R., wife of William R. Hopkins, and four who are deceased.
L. P. Craig attended the public school during the winter. From ten to twelve years of age he attended the public school of Pau- phin, and afterwards in Stony Creek Valley. Ile left school at the age of sixteen and worked at farming in the summer; he also sawed wood with Elijah Stout for the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company. He afterwards succeeded Mr. Stout, and furnished the com- pany with wood for locomotive use until 1865, when coal took the place of wood as fuel.
At Harrisburg, February 19, 1865, he en- listed for one year in company M. Second United States cavalry, Capt. Edwin Hughes. He was sent with his company to Camp William Penn, Philadelphia ; thence to Nor- folk, Va .; thence to Brazos, Santiago, Tex .. and thence to Clarksville. He was returned to City Point, Va., where he was mustered out of service February 11, 1866. He then
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returned home, and was for three years em- ployed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany in sawing wood, and afterwards as track repairer. In 1872 he was sent from Dauphin to Rattling Run and placed in charge of a section of railroad, controlled by the Philadelphia and Reading Company, as foreman, which position he has held to the present time.
Mr. Craig was married, February 3, 1876, to Amelia, daughter of William and Mary Ann (Care) Surls. Of their two children one died in infancy, not yet named ; the other, Andrew Edward L., was born August 17, 1879, and died November 24, 1891. Mr. Craig is a Republican. He belongs to G. . A. R. Post 520, Harrisburg, Pa. Heand his family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church.
Mr. Surls, Mrs. Craig's father, was an iron- worker. Mrs. Surls died at the age of fifty- nine; eleven months later Mr. Surls died aged sixty-two years. Both were natives of Berks county, where they spent their lives, except the last twelve years, during which they lived in Lebanon county. They had sixteen children, of whom five are living: Amelia, Mrs. Craig ; Jacob; Susanna, wife of James Underhill; Nelson, and Mary Emma, wife of William Jones.
Mrs. Jones has four children, two of whom are living with their uncle, Mr. Craig : Naomi Nora, whom Mr. and Mrs. Craig have adopted, and Joshua Birch.
IRWIN, DANIEL, whose parents are both de- ceased, was one of a family of twelve chil- dren : John L., Mary, Elizabeth, Martha, Sarah, Joseph, Samuel, David, William, Daniel, Jane, and Catherine. Mr. Irwin began life without material inheritance, but with a body and mind capable of profiting by the good training which he received in his boyhood and youth. With industry, energy, enterprise and worthy aim he began the work of life, and rapidly attained valu- able results. He was brought up as a farmer and after his marriage pursued this vocation on his own account. In 1866 he bought the homestead, on which he resided until his death, which occurred October 26, 1892. IIis politics were Republican. In all social and private walks of life he was faithful to duty, amicable in disposition and agrecable in manner. He was, morever, successful in business and had the satisfaction of securing
an ample competence for the loved ones he left behind him.
Mr. Irwin was married, in Harrisburg, Pa., March 4, 1856, by Rev. Charles A. Hay, 10 Miss Agnes A., daughter of Peter and Susan (Brooks) Lehman. She was born at Ellen- dale Forge, in Stony Creek Valley, Middle Paxton township, June 11, 1840. She at- tended the district school of Middle Paxton township and resided with her parents. After she was twelve years of age she resided with Dr. William Graydon, at Dauphin, for one year, and then with Mary and Sarah Irwin, sisters of her future husband, for about three years. She was then at home with her mother until her marriage with Mr. Irwin. Mr. and Mrs. Irwin had eleven chil- dren, one of whom is deceased : Mary, born May 4, 1859, married to Augustus Dewalt, had three children : Frederick, Bertha, and Sallie, died September 27, 18SS. The sur- vivors of the Irwin family are: Clara B., born May 18, 1857, wife of Samuel Warner ; John L., born February 21, 1861; Emma C., born December 3, 1863, widow of Harvey Steeley ; Martha G., born August 19, 1866 ; Susan E., born August 7, 1868, wife of George Murray ; Ida M., born August 3, 1870, wife of Elijah Dewalt ; William B., born September 3, 1873; Charles D., November 16, 1875; Etta M., February 26, 1878; and Anna B., May 13, 1880. Mrs. Irwin has maintained the home up to the present time and the children reside with her.
Mr. Lehman, Mrs. Irwin's father, died aged about forty-eight years; her mother died September 6, 1892, aged seventy-six. They had six children, of whom two are deceased : James, who died in the army, from typhoid fever, at Belle Plain Landing, Va., and William. Their living children are : Mary, wife of Philip Kline; Agnes A., George, and Ellen, wife of Benjamin M. Carroll. Mrs. Irwin and family are members of the Presbyterian church.
-NEY, JOEL, farmer, was born near Pal- myra, Lebanon county, Pa., March 17, 1820. He is a son of Samuel and Catherine (Kaiser) Ney, both deceased. His parents had five children : Lucetta, wife of Thomas Couts. deceased ; Joel; Caroline, wife of Thomas Cayton ; Lydia, wife of a Mr. Rieker, who re- moved to Oregon, where she died, and William.
Joel Ney, at ten years of age came with his parents to Middle Paxton township.
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where he attended a private school until he was about fifteen. He then attended the district school in winter and assisted on his father's farm during the summer. When he was about twenty-five he began farming for himself near Stone Glen Station, Middle Paxton township, and continued there for about nine years. He then resided upon and cultivated John P. Gayman's farm for about two years, after which he removed to his present homestead.
Mr. Ney was married, May 1, 1845, to Mary, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Gay- man. Of their eight children, four are de- ceased ; one who died in infancy, unnamed; Charles, died October 14, 1869; Louisa, born October 21, 1860, died October 28, 1862; John, born February 15, 1851, died March 18, 1887. Their living children are Amos, born August 21, 1846, was in the army and served about four months; Henry, December 25, 1848 ; Catherine, February 17, 1854, wife of John Bickle; Lewis, October 24, 1857, who was married August 17, 1876, to Clara, daughter of John and Sarah Geistwhite, and had four children : Frank, born Febru- ary 14, 1877; Mary Alice, December 22, 1878; George Lewis, September 24, 1880, and Harper Joel, September 3, 1887. Lewis Ney, father of the children just named, was educated in the district schools of Middle Paxton township, which he attended until he was eighteen years old. He then began farming on his father's farm and has con- tinued in that occupation up to the present time.
Mr. Joel Ney has served three years as tax collector of Middle Paxton township. He is a Republican. He and his family attend the Lutheran church. His wife died De- cember 24, 1895.
- SEBOURN, ANDREW, was born in Philadel- phia, in the district then known as South- wark, January 14, 1823. He was left an or- phan at four years of age, and was cared for at the Orphan's' HIome, Philadelphia, until he was nine. He was then indentured by that institution to Eusebius Barnard, near Brandywine creek, Chester county, Pa. He remained with Mr. Barnard until he was twenty-one, attending the common schools for six weeks of each year. After he attained his majority he was employed one year at farming in Chester county by James Painter, who belonged to the Society of Friends. At the end of the year he engaged to go with Mr.
Amos Houser to Lancaster. Mr. Painter en- deavored to persuade Andrew to remain in his employ, promising him the same wages that Mr. Houser had offered. But the con- tract having been made with Mr. Houser, he would not break his promise. He remained with him in Lancaster county for four years.
Mr. Sebourn then applied to the foreman on the State canal, at Columbia, for employ- ment, but was informed that there was no position vacant. He would not take no for an answer, but went industriously to work assisting in unloading and re-shipping, giv- ing his time without pay. The foreman see- ing his ability and diligence, gave him a position of responsibility, which he held for six years. For the following ten years he was employed by the railroad, then operated by the State, between Columbia and Lancas- ter. He changed for a short time to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, but re- turned to his former employer and ran the same cars to Lancaster. In this employment he remained for four years, and then removed to Middle Paxton township, located near Ellendale Furnace, engaged in general work, and remained there four years on the prem- ises of the railroad company. He was then in Chester county again for six. months, after which he entered the employ of the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company, at Harrisburg, and has remained with the company for twenty- eight years.
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