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 57
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- CASSEL, JOHN W., farmer, Hummelstown, Pa., was born on the farm where he now re- sides, May 12, 1866; son of John and Mary (Hoyer) Cassel. He received his education in the township school and in Millersburg Academy, and subsequently taught school in South Hanover township for six terms, after which he worked at the tanning business for
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three years, and then engaged in farming, which has since been his occupation. Mr. Cassel was married, in April, 1886, to Miss Mary, daughter of Uriah Cassel, of South Hanover township, by whom he has two chil- dren : Flora Elizabeth and Lelia May. He is a member of the Patriotic Order Sons of America, and of the Junior Order United American Mechanics, while in his political views he is a Republican. Mr. Cassel holds membership and the office of deacon in the Lutheran church.
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-CASSEL, URIAH, Hummelstown, Pa., was born in South Hanover township, Dauphin county, Pa., February 5, 1830; son of David and Catherine (Horst) Cassel. The father was born in South Hanover township, No- vember 27, 1895. He learned the trade of tanner from his father-in-law Michael Horst, and succeeded to the Horst estate, conducting the tannery for many years. In his political views Mr. Cassel was a Democrat and served in the office of county commissioner. He was prominent in the membership of the Lutheran church of Hummelstown. His wife died at the age of seventy-nine years. They reared nine children : Amos, of South Hanover; Uriah; Solomon, of East Han- over, Daniel H., of East Hanover; Cath- crine, Mrs. John Sidles, of Swatara town- ship; Louisa, deceased, Mrs. John C. Ging- rick; Lucetta, Mrs. Michael Mast, of In- diana ; Mary ; Mrs. Aaron Gingrick, of South Hanover, and an infant deceased.
Uriah Cassel learned the trade of tanner of his father, and has been engaged in the business for fifty years. In 1851 he became the owner of his present tannery, which he conducted until 1893, when he retired from its active management. Mr. Cassel is one of the wealthy men of the region, is largely in- terested in farming and was formerly one of the directors of the Hummelstown National Bank. He was married, in 1851, to Miss Barbara Hocker, daughter of Martin Hocker of Derry township. Their children are: Amanda, Mrs. John F. Seibert, of South Hanover township; David B., Hummels- town ; Martin, of South Hanover township; Frank, of South Hanover; Mary, Mrs. John W. Cassel, of South Hanover township, and Abner, who died in 1891, aged thirty-one years. Mr. Cassel is a member of the Lu- theran church, and is one of the trustees of the organization.
-- EBERSOLE, LEVI, farmer, Hummelstown. Pa., was born on the farm which he now occupies, January 8, 1844. Peter Ebersole, the great-grandfather of Levi, was the first of the family to settle in Dauphin county. His son John, the grandfather of Levi, was born in South Hanover township and mar- ried Nancy Hoerner, by whom he had five children: Andrew ; John; Peter, deceased : Barbara, Mrs. Jacob Stouffer, of Lower Pax- ton township; Annie, Mrs. Jacob Pease. of Danville, Ill. Andrew, the father of Levi, was born in South Hanover township, June 4, 1814, and in 1843 settled on the farm now occupied by his son Levi, which he greatly improved. He was a Republican in polities and filled several township offices. He was a prominent member of the Hummelstown Lutheran church, and one of the committee appointed to rebuild the church edifice in 1855. His death occurred in 1890, and that of his wife in 1880. They had six children who died in infancy, and four who grew to maturity : Levi W .; John A., Lower Paxton township; Alice, South Hanover township; Ciara, Mrs. Reuben Plouse, of South Han- over township.
Levi W. was married, in 1872, to Eliza- beth, daughter of David . Kruger, of York county. They have five children : Samuel W., David K., Mabel Elizabeth, Bertha May, and Blanche Louise. Mr. Ebersole is a member of the Prohibition party, and has served as school director. £ He is a member of the Hummelstown Lutheran church, in which he holds the office of trustee, and is superintendent of the Sunday-school.
EARNEST, SIMON F., M. D., Union Deposit, Pa., was born in Hummelstown, Pa., Octo- ber 8, 1867; son of Richard and Annie (Fleisher) Earnest. He was reared by his grandparents at Annville, Pa., where he at- tended the public schools and took a course at the Annville College. His private pre- ceptor in medicine was Dr. E. B. Marshall. of Annville, with whom he pursued the usual course of reading and preparatory study, after which he was graduated in 1591, from the medical department of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania. IIe began the practice of medicine at Union Deposit im- mediately upon his graduation, where he has been professionally employed since that time. Dr. Earnest was married, in 1892, to
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Miss Laura Bale, daughter of Jacob Bale, of Hummelstown, Pa. In his political views Dr. Earnest is a Republican.
- HORST, MICHAEL, farmer, Hummelstown, Pa., was born May 13, 1847, on the farm on which he now has his residence. He is a son of Peter and Magdaline (Snyder) Horst. In 1870 he was married to Miss Mary Louck, daughter of John Louck, of South Hanover township. They have two children : Landis and Charles. Mr. Horst has always had his home on the farm on which he is now living. Ile is a consistent member of the German Baptist church, and in accordance with the tenets of his faith he refrains from voting.
-HORST, DAVID, merchant, Hoernerstown, Pa., was born in South Hanover township, Dauphin county, Pa., March 21, 1850; son of Peter and Magdaline (Snyder) Horst. Michael Horst, the grandfather, was born in Lebanon county, Pa., in 1785, and died in 1821. He was proprietor of one of the carly tanneries of the county. He married Barbara, daugh- ter of Peter Ebersole, of South Hanover town- ship. Their children were: Barbara, Mrs. George Cassel; Catherine, Mrs. David Cassel ; Sarah, Mrs. David Buck, and Peter, all of whom are deceased. The grandparents were members of the German Baptist church. Peter, the father, was born in South Hanover township, April 16, 1818, and died January 16, 1882. His children were: Michael, of South Hanover township, and David.
David learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked as a journeyman for several years, and afterwards engaged in farming in East Hanover township, and in 1895 he es- tablished his present mercantile business at Hoernerstown, which he has conducted since that date. In his political views Mr. Horst is a Democrat, and has served as school di- rector for five years. He was married, in 1872, to Miss Kate E. Fackler, of West Han- over township, by whom he has three chil- dren : Harry M., William P., and Katie M.
The family are members of the German Baptist church.
- HOCKER, GEORGE M., Union Deposit, Pa., was born in South Hanover township, Dau- phin county, Pa., March 16, 1847; son of George and Barbara (Martin) Hocker. The father was born in Derry township, in 1806; son of Martin Hocker, a native of Germany, one of the early settlers of Derry township,
and a hotel keeper at Hockerstown, which was named from him. The father, George Hocker, was a farmer and blacksmith. Ile removed to South Hanover township and be- came proprietor of the hotel at Union De- posit, where he also was engaged in the coal. lumber, grain, and distilling business, and was the owner of several boais on the Union canal. He was one of the founders and propri- etors of Union Deposit, at which point he erected a paper mill, which he conducted for some time. Ilis death occurred in 1876. He was an active member of the Lutheran church, and in 1845 aided in building the church edifice. He had nine children : Mary, deceased, Mrs. Eli Zimmerman, of South Hanover township ; Barbara, Mrs. Mar- tin Londes, of West Virginia; Rebecca, Mrs. Henry Loy, of Philadelphia; Christina, Mrs. P. R. Killinger, of Union Deposit; Sarah, Mrs. John Stauffer, of Union Deposit; George M .; Rudolph, of Steelton; Rev. Martin S., pastor of St. John's Lutheran church, Steelton.
George M. received his education in the public schools and in the Millersville State Normal School. He was engaged in teach- ing school for eight years in South Hanover township, and for one year in Lower Paxton township. Subsequently he took a commer- cial course in the Business College at Pough- keepsie, N. Y., after which he was clerk for the Patriot Publishing Company, at Harris- burg, for a year and a half. In 1874 he be- came proprietor of the hotel at Union De- posit and continued to manage the house until 1885. Mr. Hocker was secretary of the Union Building and Loan Association for several years. In 1893 he organized the Union Deposit Creamery Association and has since been interested in the enterprise. He is also a stockholder in the Palmyra Bank, and is the owner of several farms. He is prominent in fraternity circles, holding mem- bership in several secret orders. In his po- litical views Mr. Hocker is a Democrat.
HANSHUE, JOHN P., farmer, Union Deposit, Pa., was born in Lower Paxton township, September 14, 1830; son of David and Cathe- rine (Obercash) Hanshue. The first of the family to settle in Dauphin county was John Hanshue, born in 1775, who moved from Lebanon county about 180S or 1810, located in Susquehanna township, and in 1820 set- tled on the farm in South Hanover town- ship on which his grandson, John P., now resides. He helped to haul the stone for the
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abutments of the first bridge built across the Susquehanna river at Harrisburg, and also to build the first market house in that city. He married Susan Hetrick, of Lebanon county. His death occurred in 1837, that of his wife in 1848. He was a member of the Lutheran and she of the German Reformed church. They reared six children: John; David ; Samuel ; Susan, Mrs. John Haver- stick ; Elizabeth, Mrs. Henry Crorl ; Mary, Mrs. George Ripley, all of whom are de- ceased. -
David, the father of John P., was born in Lebanon county, November 14, 1803. After his marriage he settled in Lower Paxton township, and removed from there to the present site of Steelton. In 1839 he was made administrator of his father's estate, and succeeded to the homestead, upon which he resided until his death in 1875. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and helped to build the house of worship at Union Deposit. He reared three children : Lavinia, deceased, married Jacob Crorl, of South Hanover township; John P., and David, of Lower Paxton township.
John P. was married, in 1854, to Lucinda Zimmerman, daughter of Samuel Zimmer- man, of West Hanover township, and they have five children : Emma, Mrs. John L. Shoop, on the homestead, and they have one child, Ira D .; Amos H., of South Hano- ver township, married Susan, daughter of David Houck, and they have two children, Mary Edna and Clarence ; Catherine M., David S., and Elizabeth M. Mrs. Hanshue died February 17, 1882. In his politics Mr. Hanshue is a Republican, and has served as school director for eighteen years. He is a member of the Lutheran church at Union Deposit, in which he served as deacon eight years, and of which he is at present a trustee.
~ LANDIS, C. E., farmer, Sand Beach, Pa., was born in South Hanover township, September 25, 1862; son of C. F. and Martha (Brehm) Landis. Christian Landis, the grandfather, was born in Derry township, and was a farmer and storekeeper at Derry Church. His chil- dren were: Benjamin, of Paxton township ; David, of Kansas; Christian F .; Susan, de- ceased, Mrs. David Borsh, of Derry town- ship; and Mary, deceased, Mrs. Benjamin Shue, of Cumberland county. Christian F., the father, was born in Derry township, in 1833. His wife was born in 1838. IIe was engaged in mercantile business at Annville,
Pa., and afterwards removed to the farm now occupied by his son C. E., where he died in 1878. His wife survives him and lives in Derry township. They belonged to the Ger- man Baptist church. Their children are: John M., deceased; Mary, Mrs. John II. Ungst. of Derry township; C. E .; Sadie, Mrs. Amos Jones, of Monroe county ; Harvey D., of Derry township; and Lillie, wife of William Seibert, of Derry township.
C. E. learned the butcher's trade, which he has followed in connection with farming. He was married, May 13, 1882, to Miss Emma H. Gerber, daughter of Samuel and Sarah Gerber, of South Hanover township. Their children are: Lizzie G., Annie M., Emma G., Martha G., and Sarah E. They are members of the German Baptist church.
-MAULFAIR, DR. HARVEY E., Union De- posit, Pa .. was born in East Hanover town- ship, Dauphin county, Pa., July 17, 1864; son of John and Elizabeth (Peiffer) Maul- fair. His father was born in Lebanon county, Pa., December 24, 1836, and is of German ancestry. By occupation he was a farmer and distiller, and also kept a hotel at Auburn, Schuylkill county, Pa., from 1867 to 1872, after which he was for four years engaged in the milling business at Derry Church. In 1889 he was made a steward of Annville College, which position he now holds. His church membership is with the United Brethren. His children are Lillian Agnes and Dr. Harvey E., who were educated in the public schools and in the Lebanon Valley College; he read medi- cine with Dr. M. L. Hershey, of Derry town- ship, and was graduated from the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia in 1890; prac- ticed medicine for three years at Hummels- town, and has since been located at Union Deposit. Dr. Maulfair was married, in 1889, to Miss Ida K. Landis, daughter of Jacob and Catherine Landis, of South Hanover township. They had one child, Catherine E. The Doctor is a member and a trustee of the United Brethren church.
- McCORD, JOSEPH, farmer, Union Deposit, Pa., was born in West Hanover township. Dauphin county, Pa., December 28, 1855; son of Joseph Shannon and Elizabeth (Mackin) McCord. The first of the family to. settle in Dauphin county was William Me- Cord, a native of Scotland, who entered six hundred acres of land in what are now West
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and South Hanover townships. He was a member of the Derry Presbyterian church. His son, William McCord, was born in West Hanover township ; was a soldier in the Revo- lutionary war, and like his father was a mem - ber of the Derry Presbyterian church. He married Miss Wolf, and they reared seven children : Margaret, deceased, Mrs. Bom- gardner, West Hanover township; Joseph Shannon, deceased; Mary, Mrs. Joseph Hoerner, of Hoernerstown ; William, de- ceased, South Hanover township ; Catherine, Mrs. Jacob Seibert, of West Hanover town- ship; Annic, Mrs. Joseph Walmer, of Har- risburg; Sarah, Mrs. George McMonaby, Derry township.
Joseph Shannon, the father, was born in South Hanover township in 1815, and died March 16, 1895. His wife also is deceased, and both were members of the Derry church. They had six children : James, West Han- over; Joseph ; Mary, Mrs. Edward Abling, of Lebanon, Pa .; Maria, Mrs. John Yotty, East Hanover township; Franklin, of East Hanover township; Clara, Mrs. Theodore Krebs, of South Hanover township.
Joseph was married, in 1875, to Elizabeth Yetter, daughter of John Yetter, of Swatara township, and they have two children, John, born in 1877, and Joseph, born in 1886. In his politics Mr. McCord is a Republican, and has served as school director for three years. He is a member of the United Brethren church.
. RAPP, W. H., merchant, Union Deposit, Pa., was born in Bucks county, Pa., April 5, 1858; son of Charles Augustus and Eva (Mease) Rapp. He received his education in the public schools and engaged in the cream- ery business at Pleasant Valley, in which he continued for eight years. In 1883 he re- moved to Union Deposit and opened a gen- cral store, which he has since conducted. He is a member of State Capital Lodge, No. 70, I. O. O. F., the Patriotic Order Sons of America and of the Junior Order of American Me- chanics. In his political views he is in agreement with the Republican party. Mr. Rapp was married, in 1875, to Miss Ella J. Yost, daughter of John Yost, of Northamp- ton county, l'a. His church membership is with the Reformed church of Springfield, Bucks county, Pa.
SNAVELY, JOSEPH K., farmer, Sand Beach, Pa., was born in Derry township, Dauphin county, Pa., September 7, 1847 ; son of Will- jam and Nancy (Keller) Snavely. Joseph Snavely, the grandfather of Joseph H., came to Dauphin county about 1828, and was en- gaged in farming in Derry township. He was a member of the United Brethren church and reared nine children, six of whom are living : George, of Derry township ; Henry, of Middletown; Leah, Mrs. Joseph Hershey, of Hummelstown; Fannie, of Derry town- ship; Eliza, Mrs. William Eckenrode, of Hummelstown ; Catherine, Mrs. John Wag- ner, of South Hanover. William, the father of Joseph K., located in Derry township after his marriage and engaged in farming and huckstering, and was a stockholder in the Farmers' Bank. In politics he was a Re- publican and served as tax collector. He was a member of the United Brethren church, in which he filled the office of stew- ard. His death occurred in August, 1894; his wife having died in 1872. Of their nine children six are living : John, at Union De- posit; Jacob, at Elizabethtown ; Susan, Mrs. Uriah Seltzer, of South Hanover township ; Fannie, Mrs. John Hummel, Derry town- ship ; Mary, Mrs. Edward Weaver, Hum- melstown, and Joseph K.
Joseph was educated in the public schools and has always been engaged in agricultural pursuits. In 1870 he was married to Miss Mary Wagner, daughter of Conrad Wagner, of South Hanover township. They have five children : Albert; Harry, married Ida Rasp, and they have one child, Naomi ; Conrad, Annie, and Sadie. Mr. Snavely is a Repub- lican in his political views and has served as school director in South Hanover township for six years. He is a member of the United Brethren church.
-SCHAFFNER, DANIEL, retired farmer, IIum- melstown, Pa., was born in Lykens town- ship, Dauphin county, Pa., August 6, 1827 ; son of Christian and Christina (Hoffman) Schaffner. The first of the family to settle in Dauphin county were the grandparents, Martin and Fannie (Halderman) Schaffner, natives of Lancaster county, who located first in Swatara township and from there moved to Upper Paxton township. They were members of the German Reformed church. Their children are: Jacob; Mar- tin ; Frederick ; John; Christian ; Fannie,
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Mrs. Linderman ; Nancy, Mrs. Fleisher ; and several who died in infancy. Christian, the father of Daniel, was born in Upper Paxton township, and is buried at Hoff- man's church. He was a farmer by occupa- tion, and was a member of the German Re- formed church. His children are: Martin ; Amanda, Mrs. Peter Sellers ; Obed; David, deceased ; Daniel ; Eli, of Savannah, Ill .; Fannie, Mrs. William Swab, of Philadelphia; Sarah J., Mrs. William Shartzer, of Elizabeth- ville.
Daniel was reared in Lykens Valley and educated in select schools. He learned the carpenter trade and subsequently taught school twenty terms. In 1870 he opened a general store at Hoernerstown, which he conducted until 1895, when he retired from business. He was married, in 1852, to Miss Salome Hoover, of South Hanover township. His children are : Franklin J., of Hummels- town ; Henry C .; Daniel W., M. D., of Steel- ton ; Caroline S .; and Rev. Alfred Schaffner, pastor in the German Reformed church, a graduate of the Franklin and Marshall Col- lege and the Lancaster Seminary. In his political principles and policy Mr. Schaffner is a Democrat, and served six terms as jus- tice of the peace in South Hanover town- ship. He is a member of the Reformed church, of Hummelstown, in which he has filled the office of deacon, and for twenty years the office of elder, and has also served as the superintendent of the Sunday-school at Ber- rysburg and Hoernerstown. He enlisted in the Thirty-sixth regiment, Pennsylvania militia, and did provost duty at Gettysburg. He re-enlisted in company I, Eighty-seventh regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, and par- ticipated in the battle of Petersburg, and was at the surrender at Appomattox Court House, after which he was honorably dis- charged.
-STAUFFER, DAVID H., Union Deposit, Pa., was born in South Hanover township, Dau- phin county, Pa., January 31, 1843; son of Isaac and Nancy (Kettering) Stauffer, na- tives of Lebanon county, and subsequently residents of South Hanover township, Dau- phin county. The father was a miller by trade, and was proprietor of the Spring Creek Mills for ten years, after which he conducted the mills at Union Deposit for several years. He is deceased and his wife survives him. Their children are: David H. and John, who learned the trade of miller from his father,
and assisted him in his business. Subse- quently he was proprietor of the State Capi- tal Mills at Harrisburg for two years, and in 1878 purchased the Union Deposit Mills, which he operated until his death, October 12, 1896. He was one of the organizers of the Farmers' Bank at Hummelstown. Ile married Sarah, daughter of George Hocker, and they had eight children: Frank H., Clarence, George M., Charles E., Edith, Elva, Violet, and Earl. The remaining children of Isaac are : Levi L., deceased ; Isaac K., of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mary, Mrs. K. Clay, of Union Deposit. Mr. Stauffer is a member of the United Brethren church.
WAGNER, GEORGE, retired, Union Deposit, Pa., March 16, 1815; son of Conrad and Catherine (Fauver) Wagner, natives of Leb- anon county, removed to Dauphin county in 1829 and settled in South Hanover town- ship. The father was a blacksmith and far- mer and was an active member of the Lu- theran church, to the erection of the church edifice of which he was a liberal contributor. He died in South Hanover township at the age of ninety-one years. His children are: John, Daniel, Samuel, Henry, Thomas, Isaac, deceased, Conrad, and George, who died in 1845. He was engaged in the manufacture of brick until 1873, when he retired from ac- tive business and moved into Union Deposit He was a Republican in politics, and served twenty-two years as supervisor of the town- ship. He was married, October 28, 1841, to Catherine Yingst, daughter of John Yingst. of Derry township, whose death occurred in August, 1894. Their children are: John, enlisted in 1861 in company D, Ninety-third regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, and died in the hospital, September 26, 1862 ; Henry, of South Hanover township; Ellis G., of Barber county, Kan .; Mary, Mrs. John Gruber, died leaving four children: Cath- erine, Mrs. Frank Schaeffer, of Union De- posit ; Lincoln, of Philadelphia ; Fannie, of Harrisburg; and Ulysses, of Lebanon county. Mr. Wagner is a member of the Lutheran church and has served as elder in the same.
WAGNER, HENRY, brick and tile manufac- turer, Union Deposit, Pa., was born in Cum- berland county, Pa., December 11, 1848 : son of George Wagner, of Union Deposit. He received his education in the public schools and in the Meyerstown Academy. He learned the trade of brick making from
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his father and in 1872 he succeeded to his father's business. In the same year he was married to Miss Mary Hocker, daughter of Jacob Hocker, of Derry township. Their children are : Clayton L., George Franklin, Annie Irene, Sadie May, Henry Edgar, Katie Madora, Allen Hocker, and Jacob Arthur. In his political views Mr. Wagner is a Re- publican, and in his religious faith and membership is a Lutheran, in which church he holds the office of deacon and trustee.
- YINGST, SAMUEL H., farmer and stock dealer, Sand Beach P. O., was born in Derry township, Dauphin county, Pa., March 6, 1858; son of Rev. Peter and Lydia (Wenger) Yingst, of Derry township. He was married, in 1876, to Miss Kate Wagner, daughter of Thomas Wagner, of South Han- over township. Their children are : Harvey, Thomas, Peter, Lydia, Eva May, Victor M., Katie, Samuel, and Ellen Violet. In 1872 Mr. Yingst engaged in shipping cattle from the West to the home markets, and has since continued in that business. In his politics he is a Republican.
SUSQUEHANNA TOWNSHIP.
SHAFFER, GEORGE W., merchant, Rock- ville, Pa., was born in Susquehanna town- ship, Dauphin county, Pa., January 17, 1837. Ile is a son of John and Elizabeth (Platz) Shaffer. The Shaffer family are of German ancestry. They came to this country at a very early date, and settled at Manheim, Pa. John Shaffer, the father of George W., re- sided in Susquehanna township during the greater part of his life. He died October 12, 1884; his wife in 1873. They had seven children, six of whom are living : George W .; John, of Harrisburg; William, of Harrisburg; Augustus, of Fort Hunter; Mary, wife of George Walker, of Pottsville, Pa.
George W. Shaffer received a limited edu- cation in the common schools. He worked at various occupations until the spring of 1865, when he enlisted in the One Hundred and Ninety-second regiment, Pennsylvania volunteers, and served until the close of the war. When discharged from the army he returned home and engaged in mercantile business, which has been his occupation since the latter part of 1865.
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