Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 173

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390

USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 173
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 173
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 173
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 173

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Milford road, two miles east of Stroudsburg, on which he made a permanent home. Mr. Kinney's first wife died in 1845, in New Jersey, leaving six children, and after settling in Smithfield he mar- ried Miss Sarah Bush, daughter of Henry Bush, of Shawnee, by whom he had two children, Nelson and Emma. He died on the farm in 1891, Mrs. Kinney in 1890. Of the family, Rachel became the wife of John Primrose, of East Stroudsburg, where they resided for some time, in 1859 moving to near Rochelle, Ill., where Mr. Primrose followed farming for several years ; they returned to Monroe county and purchased a farm in Middle Smithfield, upon which they spent the remainder of their days, Mrs. Primrose preceding her husband to the grave; they had two sons, Gideon, who is unmarried and lives in Massachusetts, and Charles, who is mar- ried and engaged in farming in Smithfield township. Charles F. is the eldest son. Elsie is the wife of Elias Snover, a farmer of Blairstown, N. J., and has two children, Marshall, and Mary, who is mar- ried and lives in New Jersey. Margaret married Adam Transue, of Smithfield, and they now make their home in Warren county, N. J., where he owns and conducts a fine farm ; they have three children, Kinney (who married a Miss Mosier, and resides in New Jersey), Charles ( unmarried) and Olive (wife of William Allen, of Brooklyn, N. Y.). Mary is the wife of Chester McClellan, of Nebraska, and has four children. Thomas grew to manhood in Monroe county, and married Miss Meda Heet- ers, of New Jersey, by whom he has two children, Ida (Mrs. Samuel Lynch, of Stroudsburg), and Lester (living at home) ; they live in Stroudsburg. These children of the first marriage were all born in New Jersey. Nelson Kinney married a Miss Wolf, and resides in Stroudsburg; Emma is the wife of Reder Morgan, of Pike county, Pennsylvania.

Charles F. Kinney spent his early life in the place of his birth, where he received his schooling, being fourteen years of age when he came with his father to Monroe county. He remained under the parental roof, assisting in the work of the home farm, until he reached his majority, when he com- menced an apprenticeship to the milling business under Philip Swartwood, of Stroudsburg. In Sep- tember, 1861, after he had been engaged thus about one year, the mill was washed away by the high water, and our subject entered the employ of Jacob Angle, a miller of Hope, N. J., with whom he re- mained until his enlistment, in September, 1863, for three-years' service in the Civil war. He became a member of Company E, Thirty-fifth New Jersey Zouaves, under Capt. Stine, was mustered in at Flemington, N. J., and taken to Washington, D. C., and Arlington Heights, the command having been assigned to the Army of the Potomac, under Gen. Sherman. They were ordered thence to Vicks- burg, and with the exception of the time he was in the hospital Mr. Kinney saw hard service through- out his term, taking an active part in numerous skirmishes and several important engagements.

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He participated in the famous "march to the sea," was taken sick at Savannah, and sent to the hos- pital at Vicksburg, whence after three months he was transferred to Memphis, remaining there four months. On receiving his discharge from the hos- pital he proceeded to Nashville, Tenn., and from there to Chattanooa, took part in the operations around Nashville in 1864, returned to Chattanooga, and thence was ordered to Beaufort, S. C., where he rejoined his regiment. After Lee's surrender he was sent to Alexandria, receiving his discharge there in July, 1865, when he came back to his old home in Monroe county. In 1866 he went to Ogle county, Ill., where he remained during the summer, and on his return he resumed his old occupation, milling, working at Belvidere and Blairstown, N. J., locating in the latter place upon his marriage, and making his home there for several years. Com- ing again to Monroe county, he engaged at milling for Peter H. Pifer, and after leaving his employ took the position of foreman of the mills at White Haven, Luzerne Co., Penn., which he held for four years. He has since occupied the old homestead in Smithfield township, which he purchased, and he has succeeded in keeping the farm in a highly cul- tivated and profitable condition, though, beyond managing and superintending, he takes no special part in the work himself. In 1898 Mr. Kinney rented the East Stroudsburg Roller Mills, where he carries on a general milling business, manufac- turing fine grades of flour, chopping feed, and also turning out sawed lumber, operating a circular saw in connection with the roller mill. Mr. Kinney has not been particularly active in the public affairs of Smithfield except as a business man, but he nev- ertheless feels a public-spirited interest in the wel- fare of his town and county, and takes a just pride in the advancement of the community of which he is a member, and where he is regarded as a valuable citizen, worthy the high respect in which he is held by his fellow townsmen.

In July, 1878, Mr. Kinney was united in mar- riage with Miss Catherine Schoonover, only daugh- ter of Ira and Catherine Schoonover, highly respect- ed residents of Bushkill, Pike county, this State, and five children have blessed their union, viz. : Ira, Eugene, Samuel, William and Lizzie May. Ira was born in New Jersey, received his education in the public schools, and completed his literary train- ing in Stroudsburg at the Normal school; he has been successfully engaged in teaching for a number of years, at present holding the position of principal of the Houserville graded schools, and he is con- idered by all who know him an intelligent and ambi- tious young man, worthy of the high standing which he has attained among the educators of this part of Pennsylvania. Eugene was born in Monroe county, and is now a resident of Bushkill, Pike county, where he is engaged in business; he married Miss Lulu Angle, daughter of Jabez Angle, of Middle Smithfield, and they have one daughter, named Verner. Samuel was born and reared in Monroe

county, receiving his education in the public schools, and is now employed in a bicycle factory in Massa- chusetts. William, born and reared in Monroe county, followed the teacher's profession here for some time, was also engaged in clerking, and is at present in the barber business in Bushkill. The daughter is attending the district schools of Smith- field township. Mr. and Mrs. Kinney and their family are connected with the Baptist Church. Politically Mr. Kinney has been a stanch member of the Democratic party.

SAMUEL A. RAISH is an enterprising and wide-awake business man of Snydersville, Monroe county, and one who through his own efforts has established himself among the successful and prom- inent citizens of that place. Here he has carried on operations as a blacksmith and wheelwright since 1891, and his well-directed efforts have been crowned with success.

Mr. Raish was born February 6, 1864, at Briar Patch, near Gouldsboro, Monroe county, a son of Godfrey and Jane (Olewine) Raish, also natives of Monroe county. He is the youngest of their four children, the others being George W., who married, and is now a lumberman of Tioga county, Penn. ; Charles, a farmer and stockman, of Denver, Colo .; and William, deceased. The mother died February 27, 1864, when our subject was only a few days old, and was buried near Gouldsboro. The father subsequently wedded Mary Seibring, by whom he had three children: Hattie, deceased ; Harry, a res- ident of Tannersville, and Maggie, living in Analo- mink. Throughout the greater part of his life he worked in the lumber woods, and was not very successful financially. He died at Briar Patch in 1870, at the age of forty years, and was laid to rest by the side of the mother in a cemetery near Goulds- boro.

Being only three weeks old when his mother died, Samuel A. Raish was reared by his grand- mother, Mrs. Sarah Shaffer, with whom he made his home off and on until nineteen years of age. In the meantime he spent three summers on the canal, and during the winter months worked in the lumber woods. When nineteen he entered the blacksmith shop of Valentine Kautz, at Stroudsburg, to learn the trade, serving a three-years' apprenticeship, and when that had expired he continued to work for Mr. Kautz as a journeyman for six months. He then went to Mt. Bethel, Penn., where he spent a few months, after which he came to Snydersville, Mon- roe county, and engaged in business on his own ac- count for three years. Subsequently he went to Sciota, and from there to Stormsville, where he re- mained seven months, returning to Snydersville in 1891. Being a good mechanic, he was not long in building up a large trade, which he still enjoys. His success has been the result of honest, persistent ef- fort in the line of honorable and manly dealing. His aims have always been to attain the best, and he has carried forward to successful completion what-

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ever he has undertaken. In his political views he is a Republican.

Mr. Raish was married, January 18, 1887, in Hamilton township, Monroe county, to Miss Sarah A. Hunsicker, the ceremony being performed by Rev. R. H. Clair. Three children bless this union : Charles W., Amzi B. and Irene V. Mrs. Raish is a native of Cherry Valley, Hamilton township, a daughter of Ezra and Lydia A. ( Frederick ) Hun- sicker, and a granddaughter of Peter Hunsicker, of Lehigh county, Penn. The father was born in Lehigh county, followed farming throughout life, and died in Cherry Valley, in February, 1895, at the age of sixty-nine years, his remains being interred in Mt. Zion cemetery. The mother, who was born in Ham- ilton township, Monroe county, December 15, 1828, is still living in Cherry Valley. The children born to them are as follows: Mary J., now the wife of George Dreisback, of Oxford, N. J. ; Irvin L., who is with his mother ; Jacob, a resident of Stroudsburg ; Matilda, a resident of Portsmouth, N. H. : Sarah, wife of our subject ; Peter, of South Stroudsburg ; Charles, at home ; and Clara, of Philadelphia.

JOHN MALE, SR., a retired farmer and dairy- man residing in Cherry Ridge township, has for al- most half a century been identified with the agricult- ural interests of Wayne county, having purchased his present farm in 1852.

Mr. Male is from the other side of the Atlantic, born January 8, 1818, in Cornwall, England, where his parents, John and Lucy ( Bant ) Male, spent their entire lives. The father, who throughout life fol- lowed farming, died in 1872, aged eighty-five years, and the mother, who was born October 5, 1797, passed away at the age of eighty-seven. Both were earnest and faithful members of the Episcopal Church, and were most estimable people. Our sub- ject is the eldest of their children, the others being as follows: Betsy, born June 10, 1821, is the wife of John Bastard, a retired farmer of England ; Isaac, born April 14, 1823, is blind, and is now living re- tired in England : Joan, born November 15, 1831, married, lives near Melbourne, Australia ; and Anna, born March 12, 1836, married James Bassett, and lives in Australia.

Nicholas Male, our subject's paternal grandfa- ther, was a farmer by occupation, and always made his home in Cornwall, England, where he married Elizabeth Bonear and died at the age of eighty-one years. In their family were three children : Christo- pher, who died in England ; Elizabeth, who married Harry Hocking, and died in England : and John, the father of our subject. The maternal great-grand- father, John Bant, Sr., was a country gentleman : he died at the age of eighty-four years. The grand- father, John Bant, Jr., lived to the extreme old age of ninety-six years. He was twice married, and had the following children: Lucy, mother of our subject ; Mary, who wedded John Broad, and remained in England ; John, who died in that country : Ann, who first married William Kernig, and remained in Eng-

land ; William, who died in England ; Richard, who died in Canada; and Betsy, of whom nothing is known. The two last named were by the second marriage.

John Male, Sr., grew to manhood in his native land, remaining with his parents until his marriage, which was celebrated at Marham Church, Cornwall, England, September 18, 1841, Miss Elizabeth B. Medland becoming his wife, while Rev. Kingdon performed the ceremony. She was born at Marham Church, England, December 13, 1818, a daughter of Thomas and Mary ( Hacker ) Medland, who died in England, where the father followed farming as his life work. Mrs. Male is the eldest of their family ; James and William are both deceased ; Thomas, a res- ident of Honesdale, Penn., is a lumberman and ex- sheriff of Wayne county ; Jane died unmarried; Mary is the deceased wife of Henry Box, of Promp- ton, Wayne county : Richard and Henry are farmers in England; and Philippi and John are both de- ceased. James Medland, Mrs. Male's paternal grandfather, was a farmer in England, and there reared his family of four children. The maternal grandfather, William Hacker, of England, was three times married, and had fifteen children.

Mr. and Mrs. Male have three children. (I)

Isaac, born June 30, 1842, is yardmaster for the Erie & Wyoming Valley Railroad Co., at Hawley, Wayne county. He married Julia Sandercock, and has three children : Roy R. ( graduate of New York State Nor- mal at Cortland ), Elizabeth M., and Grace. (2) An- na, born December 9, 1847, married ( first ) Frederick Saunders, and had two children: (a) Frederick, a dealer in wool hides at Honesdale, Penn., married Sadie Canfield, and has three children, Clara, Arthur and Frederick. (b) Rosa M., married Arthur Sliter, private secretary of J. Sloat Fassett, and, with their daughter Mildred, they reside at Elmira, N. Y. For her second husband, Anna ( Male) Saunders wedded J. B. Sliter, a wagon maker, of Cortland, N. Y., by whom she has three children : Harold M., Frances and Gertrude. (3) John, born August 12, 1857, married Rebecca S. Bonear, daughter of Thomas and Rebecca Blake Bonear, farming people of Cherry Ridge township, and had two children : Ed- win, born May 3, 1889, who died in infancy ; and Herbert B., born July 18, 1890. John Male, Jr., was educated in the schools of his town and at the Hones- dale graded school. He is the youngest of the fan- ily, and has always remained at home. About the time of his marriage he took full charge of the place, and to-day ranks among the leading farmers of the township. In politics he is a Republican, and he has been town clerk for three terms regardless of the usual Democratic tendencies of the town. At pres- ent he is acting as school director. Socially he is a member of the I. O. O. F., Freedom Lodge No. 88, Honesdale.

In 1850 Mr. Male, Sr., emigrated to America, landing at Quebec, Canada, after a voyage of six weeks and four days. After spending the first win- ter in St. Thomas, Ontario, he came to Honesdale,

John Male

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Wayne county, Penn., where he worked at general labor for eighteen months, and then rented from B. F. Kimble a farm in Texas township, which he suc- cessfully operated for three years. He then removed to his present farm of one hundred acres, which he had purchased two years previously for $24 per acre. At that time it was almost an unbroked wilderness, but his untiring labors have transformed it into one of the most highly cultivated tracts in Cherry Ridge township. It is supplied with all the conveniences and accessories of a model farm, and is up-to-date in all its appointments. On April 21, 1890, Mr. Male lost all his barns and out-buildings, as well as ten head of cattle and all his farm implements, hay and grain, the damages amounting to some $2,500. Mr. Male always casts his ballot with the Republican party, and take a deep interest in its success, but he has never aspired to office. In his native land he united with the Episcopal Church, and still adheres to its doctrines, although he holds membership with no Church organization. Starting out in life for himself in limited circumstances, he has worked his way steadily upward to a position of affluence, and is now able to lay aside all business cares and enjoy a well-earned rest.

WESLEY C. TRANSUE, a leading agricult- urist of Pocono township, Monroe county, and one of its highly esteemed citizens, belongs to one of the old and prominent families of the county. His grandfather, Abraham Transue, was born April 27, 1786, in Bucks county, Penn., whence during his infancy he was brought by his parents to Monroe county and he grew to manhood in Smithfield town- ship, where he married Rebecca Newhart, a lady of German descent. When a middle-aged man he moved to Pocono township, where he purchased 400 acres of wild land, from which he developed a farm. He also followed the stone mason's trade, and en- gaged in lumbering quite extensively. He died. upon his farm in Pocono township, August 23, 1864, and there his wife also departed this life in 1877, at the age of eighty-six years. Their children were as follows: Elizabeth, who married Peter Shick, and died in 1887 ; William, a resident of Pocono town- ship; Sarah, deceased wife of George Ace, who belonged to an old Pocono family; Rachel (de- ceased), who married David Shannon and lived at Delaware Water Gap, Monroe county ; Peter (de- ceased), who lived in Pocono township; George, father of our subject ; Elihu (deceased) ; Moses, a resident farmer of Pocono township; Ann, deceased wife of Abram Halterman; and Abraham (de- ceased), who was a farmer of Wyoming county, Pennsylvania.

George Transue, our subject's father, was born in Smithfield township, Monroe county, August 29, 1821, and when a boy came with his parents to Po- cono township, where he grew to manhood and con- tinued to reside throughout the remainder of his life. When young he taught school there, and later fol- lowcd both lumbering and farming. At one time

he owned 174 acres of land, of which only a few acres had been cleared when he located thereon, but in time he had sixty acres fit for cultivation. On this place are apple trees which were planted, about the time of the close of the Revolutionary war, by a Quaker named Scott, who settled far from civiliza- tion to be away from the perils of war. George Transue married Sophia Ruth, a daughter of John and Catherine ( Newhart) Ruth, and to them were born the following children : Peter, a school teacher, who lived first in Pocono township and, later, in Ross township, and died in the latter; Mahlon, a farmer of Pocono township; John A., a Methodist Episcopal minister living in Luzerne county, Penn .; George Alvin, who died at the age of six years; Emma and Maria, who both died young; Wesley C., our subject; Joshua, a stone mason, now de- ceased, who lived in Pocono township and also at Jermyn, Penn. ; Aaron, a machinist of Philadelphia ; George M., who died in Pocono township at the age of twenty-five years; Mary, wife of Joseph H. Cus- tard, of Stroudsburg, Penn .; Edward M., who is living on a sheep ranch in northeastern California ; Edan, wife of Clarence Ruff, of Stroudsburg, Mon- roe county ; and Charles, who is living with our subject.

Wesley C. Transue was born in Pocono town- ship, July 8, 1858, and grew to manhood on the old homestead. His opportunities for obtaining an ed- ucation were good, and he graduated from the graded schools of Tannersville, and from other in- stitutes of learning. For some time he was one of the popular and successful teachers of Pike and Monroe counties, teaching in all twenty-two terms. Since then he has engaged in general farming, also in lumbering on a small scale, and he now owns 118 acres of the old homestead and forty-nine acres ad- joining. He is thorough and systematic in his work, and has met with well-deserved success.

On March 17, 1883, in Rowlands, Penn., Mr. Transue was united in marriage with Miss Nina Chedister, who was born in Lackawaxen, Pike coun- ty, May 15, 1863, a daughter of Joseph S. and Nellie (Fuller) Chedister, and four children grace this union, their names and dates of birth being as fol- lows: Ross, born in Pike county, February 20, 1884; Cora, born February 9, 1886; Effie, June 22, 1888, and Calvin, October 3, 1893, all three born in Monroe county. The parents are both members of the Reformed Church, and for the past five years Mr. Transue has been identified with the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows. Politically he is a Dem- ocrat, as was also his father, but his grandfather was a supporter of the Whig party. Our subject has been a member of the county committee, and has also served as supervisor of his township and inspector of elections to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.

WILLIAM A. KRESGE. Brodheadsville, Monroe county, has possessed many prominent cit- izens, useful and loyal ; but in their number can be found no one more truly representative, more widely

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

or actively awake to the interest of the community at large than the gentleman whose name opens this sketch.

Born in Chestnut Hill township, Monroe coun- ty, June 12, 1845, Mr. Kresge is a member of one of the earliest settled families of this section of the State, whose name is familiar as household words, and withal, the synonyms for uprightness, conscien- tious and honorable dealing. The first of the fam- ily, of whom we have specific mention in Monroe county, was Conrad Kresge, who made his perma- nent home at Effort about the year 1745, and became the owner of his father's estate. In 1765 William Kresge, grandfather of our subject, settled in Polk township, on a farm now operated and owned by his grandson, Freeman Kresge. Hemarried Hannah Ser- fass, of Chestnut Hill township, and there they passed the rest of their pioneer lives in agricultural pursuits, dying at the respective ages of eighty and eighty- six. Their remains were interred in Gilbert's cem- etery. Children as follows were born to them: William, Jacob, George, Joseph W. ( father of Will- iam A.), Hannah, Elizabeth, Sarah and Susan. Of these, William married Sallie Storm; Jacob, Sarah Gregory; George, Sarah Kunkle; Hannah, Reuben Gregory ; Elizabeth, John Bouser ; Sarah, John Ser- fass; Susan, Peter Kunkle.

Joseph W. Kresge, father of William A., was born in Polk township, Monroe county, and was reared to farming pursuits. He married Lucinda Andrew, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth ( Young- kin) Andrew, of Monroe county, Penn., who had children as follows: Lucinda, Charles, and Maria (wife of J. K. Shaffer). The father of these died at the age of thirty-six, the mother when seventy-two years old. To Joseph W. and Lucinda Kresge were born the following children, all yet living: William A., our subject ; Ann M., who married William Ser- fass, a carpenter of Chestnut Hill township; Eliza- beth, who wedded Joseph Smail, a farmer of Chest- nut Hill township; Nathan, proprietor of the Par- mer City Eating House, Parmer City ; Hannah, wife of John Mason, a farmer of Dallas, Penn .; Charles, residing on the old farm in Ross township, Monroe county, married to Mary Frabel; Franklin, married to Nettie Frabel; Amanda, married to Charles Ser- fass, of Scranton, Penn .; Catherine, wife of Tilman Gower, a farmer of Ross township; and Emma V., wife of Davis Machas, of New Jersey. The parents of these died, the father on December 21, 1897, aged seventy-nine years, eleven months and twelve days, the mother on November 21, 1886, at the age of sixty-three, and they are sleeping their last sleep in Brodheadsville (now Buena Vista) cemetery. They were members of the Reformed and Lutheran Churches, respectively. The father was a man of prominence in the community in which he lived, was a blacksmith by trade, and served his township in the capacity of school director, poormaster and in other offices of honor and trust.

William A. Kresge, the subject proper of these lines, remained with his parents until he was twenty-

four years of age, during which time, after his school days were over, he learned the trade of car- penter, in Ross township, with Elias Mixell (two years), finishing the same with John M. Serfass (one and one-half years). He then came to Brod- headsville, and there followed his trade some fifteen years, or until 1880, in which year he commenced his present prosperous furniture and undertaking busi- ness in Brodheadsville, and he is one of the leading funeral directors in Monroe county. He has re- cently added to his establishment the first white hearse in Monroe county. Socially he is affiliated with the I. O. O. F. and K. of P .; in politics he is a Democrat; and he and his wife are members of the Reformed Church. He holds membership in three telephone corporations.

On October 15, 1872, at Brodheadsville, Mon- roe Co., Penn., William A. Kresge was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Christman, and chil- dren as follows have been born to them: Cora A., wife of George S. Brown, clerk of Weissport, Penn .; and Eugene M., Morris C. (a teacher), and Mary C., all three living at home.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 173

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 2390

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 2390