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 88
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born October 31, 1887; Cora, born Decem- ber 4, 1889, and Annie, born June 4, 1892. Mr. Moyer is a Prohibitionist with Republi- can proclivities.
NAYLOR, DR. WILSON E., dentist, Eliza- bethville, was born at Mt. Rock, Cumberland county, Pa., June 6, 1841; son of Nelson L. and Catherine (Bender) Naylor. The au- cestors are German, and the name was form- crly spelled Neilor. George Naylor, the grandfather, was a native of Berks county, and removed to Cumberland county when a young man, where he was engaged in farm- ing. His first wife was Miss Cump, whom he married in Berks county. He married his second wife in Cumberland county, and their children were : Daniel, George, Samuel, Frank, Hattie, Jane, Rebecca, and Mary. He was an Evangelical minister for many years previous to his death, which occurred at Mt. Rock in 1848, when he was ninety-four years of age. The father was born in Cumberland county in 1810, and was a farmer. He died in 1844, and his wife died in 1887, aged seventy-three years.
Wilson E. is the only child of his parents, and received his primary education in the common schools of Adams county, where his mother located after his father's death, when he was three years old. He attended school at Bendersville until 1857, in the summer of which he entered Union Seminary, now Cen- tral Pennsylvania College, where he took up Latin, Greek, and other branches of study. IIe enlisted June 21, 1861, at Harrisburg, in company K, Seventy-first regiment, Pennsyl- vania reserves, and went at once with his regiment to the front. He participated in the battles of Mechanicsville, in front of Richmond, June 26, 1862 ; June 27, at Gaines' Mill, Charles City Cross Roads; June 30, Meadow Hill, followed by second Bull Run, July 1; South Mountain, September 14; Antietam, September 16; Fredericks- burg, December 13. At Gettysburg his left shoulder was pierced by a ball, and after a few days in the hospital he was removed to his home at Bendersville, ten miles from Gettys- burg, where he remained until completion of convalescence in March, 1864. He then re- joined his regiment at Bristow's Station, and was in the battle of the Wilderness. His regiment occupied a prominent position dur- ing the fight. IIe was next in the battles of Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, and siege of Petersburg, and was discharged at Arlington
Heights, July 2, 1865. He then returned home and began the study of dentistry with Dr. Schlosser, at Hagerstown, which he pur- sued for one year, and the next year was with Dr. Bender, of Shippensburg. The next year he worked with Dr. H. C. Derr, at Han- over, and then located at Littlestown, Adams county, where he practiced five years. The next eleven years he was at Bendersville, and after four years at Hanover, in the spring of 1894, he opened an office in Eliza- bethville, where he has since practiced. He was married, at Bendersville, January 22, 1866, to Miss Mary Wert, of that town, and there have been born to them four sons: Galen L., Joseph W., Edward G., and Reyn- olds. Dr. Naylor was formerly a Demo- crat, but now votes with the Populist party, and has served as auditor of the township. He was reared in the Evangelical church.
" PFLUEGER, REV. E. O., pastor of Salem Evangelical Lutheran church, Elizabethville, Gratz, and Rife Center, was born in Shanes- ville, Pa., March 11, 1861 ; son of James S. and Elizabeth Pflueger. The grandfather was a native of Germany and came to America with his wife and eldest child about 1817. They were not rich and moved about to different places. He did not live long, and his wife married again and had children by her sec- ond husband. The father was born in Lit- itz, Pa. His father died when he was young and he was reared in Lehigh county by a brother. He grew to manhood and learned the tailor trade. He married in Allentown and located near Shanesville, Pa., where he was most of the time engaged in farming, and removed to Berks county in 1866 or 1867, where he gave his whole attention to farming, and died while residing with his son Oliver J., at Allentown. His wife sur- vived him fourteen years, dying at Allen- town, March 11, 1885. Their children are : Oliver J., machinist, at Allentown, Pa .; Asher P., Lutheran minister, and Rev. O. E. In his political views the father was a Dem- ocrat.
Rev. O. E. when five years of age removed with his parents to Quakerstown, Berks county, Pa., where he attended school until his father died, when the family removed to Allentown, where he continued in school until he was seventeen years of age, after which he was engaged in teaching for two years. He was graduated from Muhlenburg College, at Allentown, in 1884, and at once
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entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary, at Philadelphia, from which he was, grad- uated in 1887. On June 7, 1887, he was or- dained to the ministry by the Evangelical ministers of Philadelphia, and at once took charge of the congregation at Beaverton, Pa., where he remained until July 1, 1889, when he accepted a call to the Lykens Val- ley charge at Elizabethville, which consisted of five congregations, two of which have since become independent charges and self-sus- taining. He was married, at Fogelsville, Pa., June 14, 1887, to Miss Ella C. Leopold, daughter of Rev. O. and Maria (Daniel) Leopold. They have no children. Mr. Pflueger votes the Democratic ticket, but is not in any sense a politician.
-ROMBERGER, CYRUS, retired mearchant, Washington township, was born in Lykens township, Dauphin county, Pa., July 14, 1843; son of Daniel and Hannah (Berg- stresser) Romberger. He attended school in Lykens township until twelve years of age, when he removed with his parents to Wash- ington township, where he resumed his schooling, and at the age of seventeen years he entered Berrysburg Academy, which he attended for four or five terms, and after- wards took four terms at Millersburg Acad- emy. While attending school he did con- siderable work at home on the farm during vacations. At the age of nineteen years he began teaching winter schools and in all taught cleven terms, three of which were in Schuylkill county. Much of his teaching was in the coal regions, where at times he had many unmanageable children. On account of impaired and failing health he was obliged to abandon teaching, and in 1875 he embarked in mercantile business at Hern- don, Northumberland county. He disposed of his store and in the spring of 1877, as- sumed charged of the co-operative store at Elizabethville, of which he was the agent, a stockholder and the manager, the firm being Romberger & Co. After six years the firm was dissolved by mutual consent and the stock disposed of. In one year he sold $27,000 worth of goods, and as he was un- willing to continue on his salary of $500 per year the company was dissolved. He then bought fifteen acres of land, on which he built a store house, and in company with his brother John A. opened a flour and feed store, and succeeded in building up a large and increasing trade. In December,
1894, he disposed of his interest to his brother, and was employed by R. Budd, in Snyder county, with whom he remained for one year. With the exception of managing his two farms of one hundred and fifty-eight and one hundred and ninety-two acres, he is retired from active business, hiring his farm laborers by the day, and only superintend- ing their work. Mr. Romberger was mar- ried, at Herndon, Northumberland county, May 25, 1875, to Miss Louisa E. Troutman, born in that county, June 30, 1851 ; daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Hepler) Troutman. They have the following children : Martha, born July 15, 1876, graduate of Bloomsburg State Normal School, and now teaching school at Elizabethville; Oscar L., born April 17, 1878, at home; Daniel Homer, born April 5, 1880; Stewart S., born February 14, 1883; Agnes E., born June 19, 1884; Verna Irene, born October 14, 1885; Hannab E., Janu- ary 1, 1887, and Robert Raymond, born Oc- tober 14, 1889. In politics Mr. Romberger is a Republican, and was justice of the peace from 1886 to 1891, and in 1896 was elected for another term of five years. He is a mem- ber of the Evangelical church, in which he has been a class-leader since 1888, a teacher in the Sunday-school and member of the Young People's Society.
ROMBERGER, JOHN A., dealer in coal, lum- ber, grain, seeds, and potatoes, Elizabeth- ville, Pa., was born on the old homestead, in Lykens township, Dauphin county, April 21, 1850 ; son of Daniel and Hannah (Berg- stresser) Romberger. When he was six years old his parents removed to Washington township, where he attended the common school during the winter months. When old enough to labor he assisted his father in the farm work, and at sixteen years of age en- tered the Freeburg Academy, in Snyder county, and remained for two terms, after which he taught school, one term in Lykens and two terms in Washington township. One of these terms he taught after his mar- riage. After his school closed he went to housekeeping on the home farm, and culti- vated the place on shares with his father until 1881. During the following two years he was employed in the creamery at Eliza- bethville, and in December, 1883, with his brother, opened a flour and feed store, and shortly afterwards erected a building to ac- commodate the increasing trade. The firm continued to be C. and J. A. Romberger
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until December, 1894, when he bought his brother's interest and has since continued the business alone.
Mr. Romberger was first married, Novem- ber 23, 1871, at Berrysburg, Pa., to Miss Mary Row, a native of Lykens township, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Kissen- ger) Row. She fell a victim to the dread dis- case of consumption, and died, after an ill- ness of three years, October 23, 1881, only three days after the family had removed from the home farm to Elizabethville, and is interred at Berrysburg. She was a mom- ber of the Evangelical Association. The children by her are : Laura A., a graduate of Bloomsburg Normal School, who has taught two terms, one at Lykens and one at Eliza- bethville; and Annie C., studied music at Fredericksburg Academy, and also studied painting. He was married, secondly, May 2, 1882, at Herndon, Northumberland county, Pa., to Miss Emma Troutman, a native of Snyder county, Pa., born in 1857; daughter of Samuel and Catherine (Hepler) Trout- man ; the latter died in 1888. The children of the second marriage are : Clair F., attend- ing school, at home; Nettie Estelle, and Floyd T., both at home. Mr. Romberger attends the Evangelical church at Elizabeth- ville, of which he is a trustee, and is the superintendent of the Sunday-school. He is a staunch Republican, and has served on the school board two years, has been notary public four years, appointed by Governor Beaver, and also served as school director and assessor when living in the township.
-ROMBERGER, EDWARD, farmer, Washing- ton township, was born in Lykens township, Dauphin county, Pa., July 30, 1841; son of Daniel and Hannah(Bergstresser) Romberger. Ile acquired his education for the most part in the common schools of his native place, and at the age of seventeen years spent three months in the Seminary at New Berlin, Union county. After coming from the Seminary he taught school one term at Williamstown, Pa., in which he had all the children from Wico- nisco to the county line-twenty-four or five in all. Not liking the occupation of teach- ing he took up farming. When he was fif- teen years old his parents located on the farm which he now owns and which he bought when he was forty years old. It now con- sists of two hundred and sixty acres, of which one hundred and sixty are cleared. It origi- nally was over four hundred acres, for which
his father paid $13,000, and he paid his father $14,000 for two hundred and twenty-three acres.
After his marriage and previous to his father's death he had for sixteen years occu- pied a farm in Lykens township, bought from his father, and which he sold after his father's death and bought his present farm. He was married, January 10, 1867, to Miss Sarah Klinger, daughter of Alexander Klinger, na- tive of Washington township, and she has bourn him two children : Elmer Wesley, born September 6, 1872, at home; Alice C., born March 19, 1870, wife of P. W. G. Raker, a school teacher at Williamstown. Mr. Rom- berger is a Republican and has served as a school director in Washington township one term, and also as assessor. He is a member of the Evangelical church and has served as a trustee in the same for many years.
SWAB, JOHN G., carpenter, was born in Washington township, Dauphin county, Pa., March 20, 1831 ; son of George and Catha- rine (Umholtz) Swab. The father was born in Mifflin county, Pa., February 9, 1802, and early in life learned the carpenter trade, which he followed all his life. He died at Elizabethville, July, 1888, and his wife in 1863. They are both buried in St. John's cemetery. In politics he was a Republican and served one term as constable and as supervisor several terms. His children were : Lavina, Cyrus, Sarah, John G., Catharine, Elizabeth, Joseph, George, David, and Mary.
John G. first attended the subscription and then for eight years the public schools. At the age of sixteen he began to learn the carpenter trade with his father, with whom he worked four or five years. After work- ing at his trade in various places for a few years he went West in company with Isaac Yeager. Both soon found employment at Warren, Ill. After building a number of houses in this State Mr. Swab went to Mans- field, Ohio, but failing to secure employment returned home in February, 1855. He then began working in Lykens, Pa., and later moved to Pine Valley, and from there to Swatara township, where he and his family resided seven years. They next came to Dauphin county, and located near Halifax, where they lived eleven years, during which time they were engaged in farming. On March 28, 1878, Mr. Swab located on the old homestead, which he purchased from his
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father, and has since divided his time be- tween farming and doing carpenter work.
He was married, in Schuylkill county, in 1856, to Miss Rachel, daughter of David Shucker. Their children are : Jacob, John, Mary Ann, Sarah Catharine, George Harri- son, and Emma Jane. In politics Mr. Swab is a Republican and held the office of asses- sor in 1886, and was tax collector for two terms. He is strongly inclined toward the United Brethren church, but is not con- nected with any denomination.
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- SWAB, JOHN D., farmer, Washington town- ship, was born in the township, January 25, 1848; son of Daniel and Sarah (Heller) Swab. He was born and reared on the farm on which he now lives, and acquired his edu- cation in the common schools of Washing- ton township. He remained on the home farm until he was married and then took up his residence on the place. He was mar- ried, at Killinger, Pa., by Rev. Lesser, to Miss Lena Hartman, daughter of Jacob Hartman. Their children are: Mary Ellen, at home; Daniel, at home; Nathaniel, Eli, and William Oscar. He has a farm of eighty- five acres and is interested in raising fine stock. In his religious faith he is a Lu- theran and an elder in the church. IIc is a Democrat in politics and has served one term as school director.
SCHEFFLER, HENRY W., chief burgess of Elizabethville, Pa., was born in Washington township, Northumberland county, Pa., No- vember 13, 1839; son of Jonas and Eliza- beth (Witmer) Scheffler. Gotfried Scheffler, the grandfather, was a native of Berks county, and married Miss Lebo, in North- umberland county, where he settled on a farm in Lower Mahanoy township, and later located in Washington township, Dau- phin county, where he died, aged seventy years; his wife died about the same time. Their children are: Joseph, John, Peter, Fred, Jonas, Jacob, Daniel, Susan, Eliza- beth, Lydia, and Eva.
Jonas, the father, was a native of North- umberland county, and was a shoemaker by trade, which occupation was his principal employment. For some years he was in poor health and unfitted for business. His death occurred in Mifflin township in 1852, in the thirty-fifth year of his age. His children by the mother of Ilenry W. are: Henry W., Sarah, Mary, Benjamin, Elias,
Jonas, Walter, and one son who died in in- fancy.
Henry W. first attended a school taught by a German teacher in an old house owned by Elijah Byerly, two miles from his own home. When he was eleven years old his parents removed to Mahantango township, same county, where he continued his educa . tion in German for one year, when another removal of the family took place, and their new location was in Mifflin township, Dau- phin county. At the age of thirteen years he worked with his grandfather for two years for his board and clothing, after which he came home and got $2 a month in sum- mer, and his board and clothing in the winter and schooling. After the death of his father his mother hired him out to farmers for eight years on these same ternis, $2 per month for eight months, and his board, clothing and schooling for four months. At the age of twenty years he be- gan to learn the carpenter trade in Wash- ington township, with Jacob Miller, and served an apprenticeship of two years, and from 1858 to the present time has followed that trade. His work has called him all over this and adjoining counties. During the war in 1861 business was dull and he was engaged at his trade in Juniata county. During the later years of his life he received good wages.
He was married, in Sunbury, Pa., in 1865, to Miss Mary J. Matter, of Washington township, who died in 1877. They had six children, of whom two are living : Annie E., wife of William J. Lloyd. Camden, N. J., and William H., married Annie Diebler, Elizabethville, Pa. Mr. Scheffler was mar- ried, secondly, in 1878, to Sally Weaver, of Mifflin township, and to them have been born two children : Alice A. and John W. Mr. Scheffler has taken a prominent part in politics as a member of the Democratic party. He is now chief burgess and is nomi- nated for a third term. In religious views and fellowship he is a Lutheran and an active worker in the church. In 1887 he withdrew from the Odd Fellows and Free Masons.
SPRACHT, HARRY W., blacksmith, Eliza- bethville, was born near Berrysburg, Mifflin township, Dauphin county, Pa., May 24, 1867; son of Jeremiah and Mary (Koppen- heffer) Spracht. The father was born at Mahanoy Station, Pa., and was a shoemaker by trade. He died young, and the mother
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subsequently married Isaac Shetz, and re- sides near Johnstown, Pa. They had two children : Harry W. and Edward W., farmer in Lykens Valley.
Harry W. was a young boy when his father died, and was reared by his grand- father in Washington township, where he attended school until he was ten years old, when he left his grandfather and lived out, getting what schooling he could in the win- ter time. At eighteen years of age he went to learn the trade of blacksmith with Daniel E. Snyder, with whom he served an ap- prenticeship of two years and afterwards worked a year and a half longer as a jour- neyman. He came to Elizabethville and opened a shop, where he worked five years and then built the shop which he now occupies. He was married, at Camden, N. J., in October, 1882, to Miss Fanny Koppenheffer. They have two children: Mark C. and Ralph Monroe. Mr. Spracht is a Democrat in politics and served as school director one year. In February, 1896, he was elected to the council. IIe is a member of the Lu- theran church.
.. STAUFFER, REV. J. J., pastor of Salem Re- formed church, Elizabethville, was born July 11, 1860; son of Daniel and Fannie (Long) Stauffer, the latter deceased. Three Stauffer brothers came from Spain, one of whom settled in Bucks, one in Montgomery and one in Chester county, and all were farmers by occupation. Jacob Stauffer, the grand- father, was a native of Bucks county, where he was engaged in farming and where he died. He married a Miss Schantz, who survived him some years. Their children were: Peter, resides at Wilkes-Barre ; Will- iam, deceased ; Jacob deceased ; Daniel ; and Polly, Mrs. Groff, Lancaster, Pa.
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The father was born in Bucks county, in 1824, where he was reared and received his education in the common schools. He first learned the trade of cabinet maker, and after- wards that of coach maker. He married Miss Fannie Long, and settled at Crockers- port, where he continued business at his trade, which he conducted for thirty years. IIe is now living retired at that place, and his son Harvey continues the business. His wife died September 11, 1877. Their chil- dren are: Annie, Mrs. William Falk, Brook- haven, Pa .; Eugene E., painter for railroad, Elizabeth, N. J .; Rev. J. J .; Harvey D. P .; Samuel P., Lutheran minister, at present
taking special course at Johns Hopkins Uni- versity ; George A., theological student. Mr. Stauffer is a strong Prohibitionist and a member of the Sons of Temperance for forty years.
Rev. J. J. Stauffer attended the public schools until he was nineteen years of age, and during vacation was engaged in work with his father. At this age he entered the State Normal School at Kutztown, and re- mained for two years, and then prepared for college at the Muhlenburg Academy, at Allentown, taking a two years' course, and was admitted to the Freshman class of Ursi- nus College in the fall of 1880, and was graduated from that institution in 1884. His theological course was also taken at the same college, and was completed two years later. He at once accepted a call to the church at East Berlin, Adams county, Pa., and on taking charge of that congregation was ordained to the same office in June, 1886. He remained in this charge three years and was then called to Westport and East Mauch Chunk, where his pastorate continued until he was called to Elizabeth- ville in 1891, where he has since labored. His work at this place has been crowned with success, of which the new parsonage and other substantial improvements in the prop- erty and the growth of the Sabbath-school and increase of church membership are all marked evidences. Mr. Stauffer also looks after the spiritual welfare of the church at Berrysburg, Hoffman's church and Gratz.
He was married, at East Berlin, October 6, 1887, to Miss Ella E. Refert, daughter of Edward and Catherine Refert, by whom he has three children : Refert Ursinus, died aged four and a half years; Emma Lulu, born August 26, 1890, and Lottie May, born September 18, 1892. Mr. Stauffer is a pro- nounced Prohibitionist, and believes that the suppression of the liquor business through public action is the prominent issue of the day and is to be attained by the crea- tion of a high moral public sentiment.
STINE, PETER L., merchant, Elizabeth- ville, was born in Lykens township, Dau- phin county, Pa., July 26, 1827 ; son of John P. and Regina (Coleman) Stine. Frederick Stine, the grandfather, was born in Germany, and received his education in his native land, where he also learned the trade of stone mason. He came to America in 1781, landed at Philadelphia and settled in Mont-
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gomery county, where he worked at his trade, and later removed to Dauphin county. He married Abigail Lamb, who died in 1804. Their children are : John P .; Elizabeth, de- ceased, Mrs. Andrew Riegle ; Rosina, de- ceased, Mrs. John Coleman ; Catherine, de- ceased, Mrs. John Dietz.
The father was born in Montgomery county, Pa., in 1784. At the age of four years his parents settled in Lykens township, where he grew to manhood, and was edu- ucated in the subscription schools of the time. His death occurred on the old home- stead, August 17, 1854. His wife was born in Lykens township, August, 1795. She was Regina Coleman, daughter of Charles Coleman, and died at the home of her daugh- ter, Elizabeth Retzman, at Gratz, Pa., in Oc- tober, 1878. Their children are : Catherine, deceased, wife of Henry Moyer, and after- wards of Peter Moyer ; Frederick, died aged seventeen years; Helen, deceased, wife of James Glenn; John, died in Schuylkill county, Pa .; Daniel P., Lykens township. saddler and farmer; Elizabeth, widow of Daniel Retzman ; Abigail, wife of Joseph D. Frank, Pottsville, Pa .; Peter L .; Charles, located in Perry county and died there in 1893; Jonas, engineer on the Reading rail- road, at Pottsville; Isaac, died aged fifteen months; Anna Maria, died aged eleven months; and Josiah P., farmer and tanner, Washington township.
Peter L. acquired his education in the common schools. At the age of twenty-one he opened a flour and feed store, at Potts- ville, Pa., which proved unsuccessful as a business venture, losing him his entire in- vestment. He managed to pay his debts and resumed work on the home farm with his father, who sold him ninety acres of wild land, which he cleared up and improved, and which, in 1854, he sold to his brother Daniel P. He bought from his father a half interest in the farm and mill property, in Washington township, and run the mill with his brother in connection with farming until 1871, the firm being P. L. & C. Stine. In 1871 they admitted to partnership George Diebler, and continued one year, when Diebler died. He bought Diebler's interest, who had also, before his death, obtained his brother's interest, and continued the business alone until 1873, when he admitted Ilarry Herman as a partner. He continued this partnership until 1885, when he sold his interest to Na- thaniel Miller, and opened his present store,
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