Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 284

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 284
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 284
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 284
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 284

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On May 21, 1861, at Leraysville, Penn., Mr. Rifenbury was married to Miss Lydia Ann Ayers, and ten children have blessed their union, namely : Harriet C., who died at the age of three years; · Ulysses A., a stone mason, living in Bradford coun- ty, who married Lydia Busick; I. Belle, wife of Samuel Heliker, bookkeeper in a bank at Swanton, Neb .; John S., deceased in infancy; Warren E., at home; Jay C., who has just closed a successful term of seven months' school at Pleasant Valley, Auburn township, and is now about to join his brother in Kansas, expecting to teach during the winter and to farm in the summer ; George L., now engaged in farming in Kansas; Leslie A., Fred O. and E. Eliott, all living at home. The family at- tend the M. P. Church, of which Mr. Rifenbury has been a member since 1883, and in which he is now serving as trustee. Socially he belongs to the Grange and the G. A. R. post at Auburn Four Cor- ners. His political sympathies are with the Re- publican party.

Mrs. Lydia Ann (Ayers) Rifenbury was born March 4, 1845, in Pike township, Bradford Co., Penn., daughter of John and Harriet Ayers and granddaughter of John and Mary (George) Ayers, farming people, who came to Bradford county from Connecticut. John Ayers was born in Bradford county and married Harriet Wood, a native of same, who was born January 21, 1824, daughter of

Aaron and Cornelia (Carpenter) Wood, of Mich- igan, who died in Bradford county ; he was a farmer by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Wood had a family of eleven children, of whom four sons served in the Civil war. In 1848 John Ayers removed with his family to Rush township, Susquehanna coun- ty, where he remained until 1878, in that year going to Saginaw, Mich., where he remained three years, and then went to Nebraska to his son Warren, where he passed the remainder of his life. He died August II, 1892, at the age of seventy-four years, and his widow now makes her home with her son Fred, in Denison, Kans. Their children were as follows: Lydia A., Mrs. Rifenbury; George E., who died at the age of six years; Adelaide, who died at the age of two years; Warren E., a farmer of Arkansas; John S., a farmer of Holton county, Kans .; Daniel, now deceased; and Fred O., pro- prietor of the Sunflower, a newspaper of Holton county.

E. M. VARNEY, M. D., a successful physician of White Mills, Wayne county, may well take pride in the high standing which he has attained in pro- fessional circles. Disregarding the old saying con- cerning the fate of a prophet who seeks honors in his own country, he has located among the friends of his youth, and his success brings to him all the more credit for that fact.

He is a native of Wayne county, having been born at South Canaan, in 1869. His father, T. K. Varney, who was born in 1827, at Austerlitz, N. Y., removed to South Canaan in 1856, and engaged in mercantile business and in lumbering, building a sawmill upon one of his tracts of timber land and conducting his operations on an extensive scale for many years. In 1858 he married Miss Margaret Lerch, of South Canaan, a lady of German descent, whose family has long been prominent in Wayne county. His death occurred in 1876, but she is still living at the old homestead in South Canaan. Of their two children, the elder, Lulu, born in 1865, in Pittston, Penn., where her father had business interests, was educated principally in the schools of Carbondale, Penn., graduating from the high school. In 1893 she married William Erk, of Seelyville, Wayne county, and they now reside in South Canaan. They have one son, Reinold.

Dr. Varney spent his youth in South Canaan, his education being begun in the local schools, and in 1884 and '85 he pursued a more advanced course of study in the high school of Carbondale. In 1887 he became a clerk in the dry goods store of D. M. Hinman, of Bradford county, Penn., and while there he began the study of medicine with Dr. J. F. Haines as preceptor. In 1892 he entered the Col- lege of Physicians and Surgeons, where he was graduated in 1895, and he at once engaged in prac- tice with Dr. Blaisdall, of Punxsutawney, Jefferson county, as assistant, his work lying chiefly among the miners of that region. Later he was in practice with Dr. Free, of Dubois, Clearfield county, but in

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June, 1896, he returned to his native county and located at White Mills. His thorough training in his profession, together with his high character and genial manners, have brought him a speedy suc- cess, and he already has a fine practice in the vil- lage and surrounding country. At present he holds the office of United States Examining Surgeon for Wayne county, having been appointed in 1897, under the Mckinley administration. Politically he is a Republican, and takes an active part in all progressive movements in his locality. The entire family holds an enviable place in the social life of the community.

SIMON TRACH, one of the progressive, prosperous and up-to-date agriculturists of Chest- nut Hill township, Monroe county, is a native of that township, having been born there December 17, 1829. That a review of the life of such an energetic and enterprising individual should have a prominent place in the pages of a work of this kind is peculiarly proper ; because a knowledge of men, whose substantial record rests upon their char- acter and success, must at all times exert a whole- some influence on the rising generation of the Amer- ican people, and, moreover, cannot fail to be more or less interesting to those of maturer years.

Mr. Trach comes of stalwart and exemplary Pennsylvania stock. His grandfather, Rudolph Trach, was born August 19, 1770, and died Janu- ary 17, 1842, and the grandmother, M. M. ( Wim- mer ) Trach, was born December 15, 1767, and died July 23, 1831. At an early day they removed from Bucks county to Monroe county, being among the earliest settlers of Hamilton township, where they passed the rest of their pioneer lives. Grandfather Trach for some years kept a store, the first one in that locality, between Wilkes Barre and Easton, and he was also a potter by trade, carrying his wares to Pittsburg, where he would exchange them for merchandise for his store. He also conducted a hotel in connection, and altogether he was a man of considerable prominence and influence in the community in which he lived.

Hon. Joseph Trach, father of our subject, was also a native of Monroe county, born October 20, 1796, in Hamilton township, where he owned and operated a fine farm of 337 acres, at the same time conducting a hotel for many years. He was a man of much influence, of pleasing personality, popu- lar and highly respected. He conducted his busi- ness affairs on principles which were above ques- tion, and well merited the confidence and regard reposed in him, so much so that he was elected to the State Legislature on the Democratic ticket, serving one term; and also capably filled the office of county commissioner. He married Miss Fanny Heller, who was born December 17, 1799, and chil- dren as follows were born to them: Elizabeth, widow of Charles C. Walton, of Stroudsburg; Charles (deceased), who married Catherine Keller, daughter of Judge Keller; Linford (deceased),

who wedded Anna Howard; Caroline, who died unmarried; Simon, the subject of this sketch; Ferdinand, of Stroudsburg, Penn .; Emma, wife of Samuel Altemore, of Pennsylvania ; and Mary, wife of Emanuel Altemore, of Stroudsburg, Penn. The parents were consistent members of the Lutheran Church, and in politics, as already intimated, Mr. Trach was a Democrat. In 1860 they removed from Hamilton township, where they passed the rest of their honored lives, dying, the father on March 17, 1873, at the age of seventy-eight years, the mother on March 20, 1875, aged seventy-two years; they sleep their last sleep in the cemetery at Mt. Zion Church.

Simon Trach received a liberal education at the public schools of his native township, and re- mained under the parental roof until he was twenty- one years of age. At that time he commenced elerking in the store of Hon. Charles Brodhead, at Brodheadsville, Monroe Co., Penn., remaining in that employ about two years, at the end of which time he followed the butchering business for a year; then returned to Hamilton township, there building a store, and for two years carried on a mercantile trade therein. Mr. Trach then con- ducted his father's hotel some three years, after which he moved to Carbon county, Penn., where he clerked two years; then returned to Hamilton town- ship and again conducted the hotel, but at the end of two years he, together with his father and Peter Heller, engaged in the droving business for a year. His next occupation was as a school teacher, at which he engaged for one winter; but, being de- sirous of serving his country in some military capacity, during the war of the Rebellion, he en- listed March 24, 1865, in Company C, 214th P. V. I., was mustered in at Easton, Penn., and followed the fortunes of his command in the Shenandoah Valley. The war approaching a close, the regiment was ordered to Washington, D. C., and there re- mained until March, 1866, when it was mustered out of the service, Mr. Trach receiving an honora- ble discharge and returning to Pennsylvania, and taking up his residence in Stroudsburg. Here, after a year's rest, he worked by the day until 1870, when he commenced farming for his father, at the end of a year removing to Pine Swamps, in the same county, where he conducted a boarding house about twelve months. Coming once more to Chest- nut Hill township, he operated the home farm until 1895, then settling on his present place, which is a well-cultivated and productive farm.

Mr. Trach has been twice married; first time June 20, 1850, in Chestnut Hill township, to Miss Louisa Snyder, who was born in Northampton county, Penn., a daughter of Samuel Snyder (now deceased), late of Monroe county, Penn., and by this union were born five children: Arvester, who died at the age of eleven years; Joseph S. and Fanny, both also deceased: Ella, who married Henry Sherman, of Philadelphia, Penn., an expert brick mason, who teaches the trade to deaf mutes;

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and Charles, a railroad man of Stroudsburg, Penn., married to Augusta Dreher. The mother of this family died in 1865, at the age of thirty-six years, and was buried in Mt. Zion Church cemetery. In January, 1866, Mr. Trach wedded Miss Anna M. Haney, and by this union there are no children.

In political preferences Mr. Trach is a stanch Democrat, and has served as supervisor and auditor of his township. In religious faith he is a con- sistent member of the Lutheran Church, of which he has been a deacon and elder for many years. His sterling integrity, inflexible honesty and gen- eral high principles have won for him the respect of the entire community in which he makes his home.

Mrs. Anna M. (Haney) Trach was born June 4, 1836, in Chestnut Hill township, Monroe coun- ty, a daughter of Charles and Sarah (Storm). Haney, natives of Berks and Monroe counties, Penn., respectively, and who both died in the latter coun- ty. He came to Monroe county at the age of twenty-one years, and here followed farming, car- pentery, and pump-making, passing the rest of his days in that locality. He was born in 1799, and died March 12, 1877, aged seventy-eight years. His wife died December 24, 1877, aged sixty-six years, and they lie buried in Brodheadsville ceme- tery. They were members of the Reformed and Lutheran Churches, respectively. To this marriage were born children as follows: John A., a farmer of Chestnut Hill township; Daniel M., a justice of the peace, with residence in Brodheadsville; Felix W. and Edward F., farmers of Chestnut Hill town- ship; Delila, wife of John Appenzeller, a surveyor, registrar and recorder, of Stroudsburg; Anna M., wife of our subject; and Sarah J., who is an in- valid, living at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Trach. Mr. Haney was twice married, first time to Julia Hufsmith, who died in 1832, and was buried in Pleasant Valley cemetery. She had children as follows: Elizabeth, deceased wife of Cornelius Serfass; Mary A., deceased wife of Lorenzo How- ell; Frederick, who died in Chicago; Peter and Charles, farmers of Polk township, Monroe coun- ty ; and Julia, wife of Charles Arnold.

Frederick and Anna Haney, paternal great- grandparents of Mrs. Simon Trach, were natives of Germany, whence they came to Berks county, Penn., and there passed the rest of their days. Frederick and Elizabeth (Yost) Haney, paternal grandparents of Mrs. Trach, were born and reared in Berks county, passing their entire lives there. They were all well-to-do farmers. Mrs. Trach's maternal grandparents, Andrew and Magdalena (Hood) Storm, were natives of Monroe county, Penn., and both died on their farm.

Monroe county abounds in prominent families whose records may well be perused by those to come, and therein cannot fail to find grand examples of thrift, progress and honesty-well worthy of emulation.

WALTER E. BENNETT, of Lanesboro, Sus- quehanna county, is one of the leading business men of that locality and his influence is also recognized in social and political affirs. His extensive stone quar- ries near Jefferson Junction, and Cascade, are noted for the excellent quality of the product. His trade be- ing constantly on the increase, he in 1898 pur- chased the Cascade lands and quarries in Harmony township, Susquehanna county.

Mr. Bennett comes of a good Southern family, his ancestors in the paternal line having been early settlers in Virginia. His great-grandfather wasin the Revolutionary war under Gen. Washington. Our subject's grandfather, Joseph Bennett, was born in Old Dominion, but made his home in North Caro- lina, where his four sons-William, Joseph, Russell, and Henry M .- were born and reared. All served in the Confederate army under Gen. Robert E. Lee, and settled in North Carolina after the war, engag- ing in farming and general business pursuits, and all are still living except Henry M.

Henry M. Bennett, our subject's father, mar- ried Miss Sarah B. Hunter, also a native of North Carolina. He died in 1874 at his old home in Holly Springs, that State, and his wife passed away in 1890, while on a visit to our subject. Of their three children, the eldest, Virginia H., was born and reared in North Carolina, and is now the wife of Marcus C. Nichols, a merchant at Holly Springs. Walter E., our subject, was next in the order of birth; Henry A., born August 26, 1874, at Holly Springs, N. C., was educated in the high school there, and is now bookkeeper for our subject. He is an accomplished musician, and is one of the most popular voung men of Lanesboro.

Walter E. Bennett was born March 16, 1866, at Holly Springs, and received a good practical edu- cation in the local schools. When a young man he engaged in railroading and the real-estate busi- ness, spending eight or nine years at Gainesville, Fla., and in 1888 he located at Lanesboro, where he followed mercantile pursuits for several years. He then bought the Schlager property, and engaged in quarrying blue stone, which he shipped to the Eastern and Middle States in an unfinished condi- tion. In 1896 he erected a stone-mill plant, where he cuts and finishes all kinds of building stone, and his later purchases of stone quarries have enabled him to extend this branch of his work ; he often has as many as fifty men employed. Politically Mr. Bennett is a Republican, and at times he has served in public offices, having been school director, over- seer of the poor and town councilman. Socially he and his family are prominent, and he belongs to the Masonic Fraternity, being identified with the Chap- ter and Commandery at Susquehanna, and the Or- der of the Mystic Shrine at Wilkes Barre. In re- ligious faith he is a Baptist, and with his wife is active in the work of the Church at Susquehanna.

On April 24, 1889, Mr. Bennett married Miss Zillah L. Kitchen, of Greensboro, N. C., daughter of Rev. A. E. Kitchen, formerly of Canada, and

Wohlennet

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later of North Carolina. She was educated in the Friends College at Greensboro, N. C., and had many rare qualities of mind and heart which endeared her to a large circle of friends. During her life in Lanesboro, where she died in 1892, she was a leader in Church and philanthropic work. On October 24, 1894, Mr. Bennett married, for his second wife, Miss Frances M. Yeoman, daughter of John B. and Delia Yeoman, well-known residents of Susque- hanna. Her parents settled in that locality in an early day, and her father, who died in 1894, was among the first mechanics in the railroad shops at that point. By his first marriage Mr. Bennett had two children: Winifred G., born July 6, 1890, now attending school ; and Henry M., born May 24, 1892. By the second union he has one daughter, Frances M., born October 6, 1897. All the children were born in Lanesboro.

JOSEPH WILTON, a prominent and highly respected citizen of Tobyhanna Mills, Monroe county, now retired from active business, was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., in 1817, a son of John and Rachel Wilton, who were natives of England and France, respectively, and were married in the city of London.

On coming to the New World they located in Brooklyn, where the father found employment as a machinist, and had charge of a glass-manufactur- ing plant for a number of years. He was murdered by one of the employes of the factory who had been discharged by him. His widow continued to make her home in Brooklyn until called from this life. To them were born five children, namely: (I) John, the eldest, was born in London, England, and died in Brooklyn, N. Y., when a young man. (2) Mary, born in Brooklyn, married a Mr. Bell, of New York City, where she died leaving two chil- dren, George and Emily, who are still residents of that city. (3) Matilda, born in New York City, married Henry Say, of Baltimore, Md., and they made their home in New Orleans, La., until the Civil war, when they went to New York, but later returned to New Orleans; where he died. Subse- quently she wedded Barnard O'Boil, of the Cres- cent City, but they were living in New York at the time of her death. (4) Elizabeth, born in New York, married Richard Johnston, of Long Island, N. Y., where they made their home. He entered the Union army during the early part of the Civil war and died in the service in 1864, leaving his wife with two children: Charles, now a resident of Scranton, Penn., who married Emily Howard, of Monroe county, and has five sons; and Mary, wife of Jacob Beam, of Portland, Penn., who is now liv- ing in Scranton, and by whom she has three chil- dren, Frank, Robert and Maud. (5) Joseph.

After the death of his parents, in 1830, when he was fourteen years of age, Joseph Wilton left New York and came to Coolbaugh township, Mon- roe county, with John Pope, an old settler of the township, for whom he worked for two years. He 77

then went to Pike county, Penn., where he was employed on the farm of Isaiah De Haven for some years, after which he drifted to Wayne county, and followed farming there for some years. On De- cember 13, 1847, he married Miss Matilda L. Vliet, a daughter of Jasper and Sarah Vliet, the former a native of New Jersey, the latter of Kingston, Penn. For some years they lived at Long Pond, this State, then spent two or three years in Toby- hanna Mills, and subsequently located on the North and South turnpike, two miles from Mt. Pocono, where Mr. Vliet conducted a hotel until his death. In his family were thirteen children, of whom the wife of our subject is one of the five still living, the others being Maria, wife of John Harris, of Mt. Pocono; Mary, widow of Edward De Wald, of Kansas City, Mo .; Sarah, wife of John Clymer, of Tobyhanna Mills; and Gideon, who is married and resides in Wisconsin. After his marriage Mr. Wilton lived at Sterling, Wayne county, for one year, and then located on the old Vliet home- stead in Monroe county, where he worked in the lumber woods. In 1855 he removed to Tobyhanna Mills, and entered the employ of the William E. Dodge Lumber Co., as night watchman at their mills and store, in which position he remained for twenty-one years. In 1860 he purchased land of Henry Mill, in the village of Tobyhanna, and erected thereon a comfortable home, where he still resides. In 1896 he laid aside business cares, and is passing his declining years in ease and quiet, enjoying a well-earned rest.

Mr. and Mrs. Wilton are the parents of seven children, as follows: (1) Sarah A., born in Cool baugh township, in 1849, died in childhood. (2) John J., born in the same township, in July, 1851, is now a resident of Easton, Penn., where he is employed as telegraph operator for the Lehigh Val- ley Railroad Company. He married Emily Parker, of Coolbaugh township, who died in Easton, leav- ing four children: Joseph, Emily R., Jasper and. Austin. For his second wife John J. Wilton mar- ried Elizabeth Briton, by whom he has one son, George. (3) Joseph, born in 1854, died when a. young man. (4) Mary E., born in May, 1856, married John Shaw, of Tobyhanna, by whom she has three children, Annie, Cora and Earl F., and they now reside in Stroudsburg. (5) Malissa, born in July, 1859, was educated in the home schools and now looks after the interests of her parents. (6) Henry, born in February, 1866, married Ber- tha Straus, of Spragueville, Monroe county, a daughter of Morris Straus, and they now live with his parents in Coolbaugh. Their children are Mary L., Willie, John, Emma, Bertha and Cora. (7) Gideon G., born in January, 1868, married Eliza- beth Briden, of Scranton, and was employed as telegraph operator for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad in that city, where he died in 1893, leaving a wife and one son, Franklin.

Politically Mr. Wilton affiliates with the Democracy, and has been honored with a number

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of local offices, serving as school director nine years, supervisor two years, constable two terms, tax collector three terms. For many years both he and his wife have been consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. For fifty-two years they have traveled life's journey together, sharing its joys and sorrows, its adversity and prosperity, and although they started out in very moderate circumstances they have succeeded in accumulating a comfortable competence, the result of energy, perseverance and industry, which are among their chief characteristics. Mr. Wilton is now eighty- two years of age and his wife seventy, but both are hale and hearty, and their lives have ever been such as to win for them the confidence and esteem of all with whom they have been brought in contact. Their children have been a great comfort to them in their declining years.

ABNER NORTON DART. Among the active, enterprising and successful farmers of Her- rick township, Susquehanna county, this gentleman deserves prominent mention. He was born in Clif- ford township, October 7, 1838, a son of Horace and Sarah Ann ( Norton) Dart. The father was a native of Tolland county, Conn., in which State his parents, Elias and Ruth (Morley) Dart, spent their entire lives as farming people. At an early day he came to Susquehanna county, Penn., and in 1840 located upon the present farm of our subject, where he died in 1890, at the age of eighty-three years. He served as school director for three years. Religiously he was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, took an active ·part in its work, and served as trustee of the Church for some time. His remains were interred in Elk- dale cemetery. His wife, who is still living and makes her home with our subject, is also an earnest member of the same Church. She was born in Clifford township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., March 20, 1819, a daughter of Abner and Cynthia (Cur- ren) Norton, natives of New York and Ireland, respectively. Her mother came to America at the age of fifteen years and settled in New York State. At an early day she and her husband removed to Clifford township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., where they continued to make their home throughout life, the latter being engaged in agricultural pursuits. Our subject is the oldest in a family of five children and the only one now living. Charles A. died in the Union army; Lucian died young; and George and Eugene both died with black fever in 1863.

Mr. Dart, whose name introduces this sketch, was only two years old when he removed with his parents to his present farm in Herrick township, and was there reared to manhood. At Harrisburg, Penn., in August, 1861, he enlisted in Company M, 4th P. V. C., commanded by his uncle, Capt. Alfred Dart, and at this time was in the service for ten months. After a year spent at home he joined a construction corps, with which he was connected for four months. He did guard duty at Camps

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 284

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