Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 30

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 30
USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 30
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 30
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1 > Part 30

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WILLIAM STONE. The American nation will ever hold in affectionate regard the men whose valor preserved our country from disunion during the dark days of the Rebellion, and no other his- tories in this volume compare in lasting interest with those which hand down the names of those gallant soldiers. The subject of this sketch, a well-known agriculturist of Stroud township, Monroe county, made an honorable record during the memorable struggle, and in peace he has also proved himself a worthy citizen, meeting every duty with ability and fidelity.

Mr. Stone was born in Stroudsburg October 9, 1838, a son of Oliver and Susan (De Long) Stone. The father of our subject was a native of New Jersey, whence he came to this section in early manhood, locating in Stroudsburg, where he en- gaged in business as a harnessmaker and shoe- maker, and later became interested in brick-making. He and his wife both died in Stroudsburg in 1880. Ouf subject is the eldest in a family of children, all of whom were born in Stroudsburg: (2) Samuel, born in 1840, resides in Galveston, Texas. He mar- ried Miss Jane White, of Stroudsburg, now de- ceased, and has several children, three of whom are living, Susan, Charles, and Mary, wife of Jacob

Mace, of Williamsburg, Penn. (3) Mary Alice, born in 1843, married Evi Rosenkrantz, of Strouds- burg, and both died some years ago. Of their three daughters, one is living, Susan, wife of Joseph Tay- lor, of Portland, Penn. (4) Martha married Will- iam Bellia, of Binghamton, N. Y. (5) Louise mar- ried David Wallace, of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Stone's youth was spent in Stroudsburg, and for some years he was employed in his father's brick-yard. In 1859 he married Miss Martha J. Widmer, of Stroudsburg, and made his home in Smithfield township, Monroe county, near Strouds- burg, remaining eight years. In February, 1864, he enlisted in Company F, 112th Heavy Artillery, being mustered into service at Easton, Penn. He was then sent to the seat of hostilities by way of Philadelphia and Washington, and for some time his regiment was on guard duty at Alexandria. He then went to Brady Station, and on May 4, 1864, the regiment joined the 9th Army Corps in front of Richmond. He was in the bloody battle of the Wil- derness and on June 17, 1864, he participated in the charge on Petersburg, his regiment taking a leading place in the events connected with the mine explo- sion. When the Rebels evacuated Petersburg his regiment entered the city; where they performed guard duty until Lee surrendered. They remained in service some months longer, looking after govern- ment property, and in January, 1866, Mr. Stone was honorably discharged at City Point, Va. On his return home he entered the employ of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western R. R. as fireman and brake- man, and for more than twenty years he remained with the company, making his home in East Strouds- burg. In 1880 he removed to Stroud township, tak- ing the position of engineer for the Tanite Co. In April, 1898, he retired from that work, and settled upon a farm in the same township belonging to his son Henry, and at present he devotes his attention to superintending the work of the place. Politically he is a Republican of Old-line Whig antecedents, but he does not aspire to official life. Socially he and his- family are prominent, and he is a member of the Wadsworth Post No. 154, G. A. R., at Stroudsburg, and a charter member of Lodge No. 946, I. O. O. F., at East Stroudsburg. Of his five children. (I) Henry D. was born October 9, 1860, in Stroudsburg, and was educated in the schools of East Strouds- burg. For a time he was employed in the woolen- mill and in the Tanite works in Monroe county, but afterward he went to Philadelphia and worked in a woolen-mill. At present he is an engineer on the Wilkes Barre & Eastern railroad, and he resides in Stroud township, Monroe county, where he pur- chased the Butterfield homestead some years ago. To this he added, in 1896, the Swartwood farm ad- joining, making a fine estate, and he is regarded as one of the substantial citizens of the locality. He married Miss Lena Walters, of Philadelphia, and has had five children, Anna, Mary, Ethel, Martha and William. (2) Elmer, born at Stroudsburg, March 4, 1864, is now employed in the woolen-mills

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of that city. He married Miss Maggie Drake, of Stroudsburg, and has had three children, Elmer B., Ollie and Nellie. (3) Anna, born in East Strouds- burg in 1866, married Joseph Wood, a florist in New York City, and has had three children, Violet, Ernest and Marion. (4) Samuel, born in Strouds- burg March 15, 1877, resides in that city, where he is employed in a woolen-factory. He married Miss Emily Ulrich, of Stroud township. (5) J. How- ard, born in Stroud township January 8, 1881, re- sides with his parents.

Mrs. Stone, who is much esteemed for her good qualities of mind and heart, is a devout member of the Methodist Church. She comes of patriotic stock, and her father, John Widmer, who died in Strouds- burg at the advanced age of ninety-six years, was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was a native of Germany, coming to this country as a young man, and settled in Moscow, Luzerne Co., Penn. His wife, Eliza (Cramer), was born in Pocono town- ship, Monroe county, a daughter of Aaron and Sarah Cramer. Of their five children, Mrs. Stone, who was born April 26, 1841, is the eldest. (2) William, born in 1843, in Luzerne county, enlisted in the U. S. navy during the Civil war, and died while in a hospital in New Orleans. (3) John G., born in Luzerne county, was a soldier in the Union army during the war of the Rebellion, enlisting in New York State; at present he resides at Carbon- dale, Penn. (4) Abram, born in Luzerne, also served in the Union army, and now resides in Ten- nessee. He married Miss Lizzie Price, of Price township, Monroe county (now deceased), and has had four children, Floyd, Edgar, Lulu and Lizzie. (5) Isabella married William Cisco, of Portland, Penn., and has two children, Laura and Ida.

ADAM SERFASS, a well-known resident of Brodheadsville, Monroe county, is one of the thrifty and enterprising agriculturists whose industry has made that region a veritable garden spot, and at present he is the owner of two fine farms, both under good cultivation. He is also engaged in busi- ness as a wheelwright and blacksmith, and in these lines of work he has shown unusual ability, having largely learned the details of both trades through his own unassisted efforts.

Mr. Serfass was born November 9, 1845, in Polk township, Monroe county, and belongs to an old and highly-esteemed family of that locality. His great-grandfather, John Serfass, came from Ger- many about 1750, and after a brief residence in Le- high county settled in Monroe county, purchasing a large tract of land in Polk township, which is still owned by his descendants. He married Miss Susannah Hone, of Lehigh county, and had thirteen children, of whom the following mention is made : I. John married Elizabeth Kunkel, and settled in Polk township, Monroe county. II. Joseph married Eliza Kunkel, and also made his home in Polk township. III. Adam is more fully spoken of fur- ther on. IV. George married Elizabeth Christ-

man, and had five children, John; George; Susan married John Kerchner; Elizabeth married Amos Everett ; Hannah married Peter Smith. V. Peter married Catherine Storm, and they had seven chil- dren, Anna married Jacob Christman, of Eldred township; Andrew settled in White Haven, Penn .; Sarah (deceased) married Henry Hawk; Hannah married Lewis Hawk, and resides in Iowa; Eliza- beth married Samuel Hawk, of Allentown, Penn .; Franklin resides in Northampton county, and Na- than occupies the old homestead. VI. William, who lived to middle age, never married. VII. David married Sally Everett, and had four children, Henry, Barton, Solomon and Frederick. VIII. Hannah married William Kresge, and they had eight children as follows: William married Sallie Storm; Jacob married Sarah Gregory; George married Sarah Kunkel; Joseph W. married Lu- cinda Andrew ; Hannah married Reuben Gregory ; Elizabeth married John Bonser; Sarah married John Serfass; and Susan married Peter Kunkel. IX. Sallie married George G. Hawk. X. Cath- erine became the second wife of George Kresge, and had seven children, Thomas settled in Luzerne county, Penn. ; James settled in Chestnut Hill town- ship; Joel conducted a hotel at Kresgeville, and had four children; David married, and died in 1876 leaving six children; Reuben married Susannah Kiper, and had two children; Sallie married John Kunkel; Katie married John Gregory. XI. Chris- tianna married Conrad Driesbach. XII. Elizabeth married John Eshen, of Northampton county. XIII. Thomas married a Miss Dolter, and a few of his de- scendants are now to be found in Polk township, Monroe county.

Adam Serfass, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Polk township, and became a farmer and shoemaker by occupation. He died in 1875, aged seventy-two years, and his wife, Christina (Berger), died in 1873, at the age of seventy-nine years, and they were both buried in Gilbert's cem- etery, in Chestnut Hill. They had eight children : Aaron, our subject's father; Joel, who married Elizabeth Hess; Charles, who married Doshie Bar- len; Ephraim, who never married; Linford, who married (first) Sally Beers and (second) Polly Getz; Emanuel, who married (first) Lucinda Er- hardt, (second) Sarah Shupp, and (third) Eliza Kleintop; Elizabeth, widow of John Schmale, of Chestnut Hill township; and Fanny, who married Aaron Heiny.

Aaron Serfass, the father of our subject, was born February 22, 1823, in Polk township, and for many years followed farming in connection with the blacksmith's trade. He died at the age of seventy-two years, three months and thirteen days. He was a man of high standing in the community, his sterling qualities of character winning the esteem of all who knew him. He married Elizabeth Hawk, a nativeof Polk township, and had children as follows : Elizabeth, wife of J. D. Smale, of Polk township; Joseph, who died unmarried; Adam, our subject;

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Christiana, deceased; Peter, who married (first) Rebecca Kridler, (second) Mary Ecxhart, and (third) Amanda Frantz; Kate, who married Edwin Prutzman, of Eldred township; Mary Jane, who married William Roth, of Polk township, a musician by profession, and also proprietor of the "Mansion House" at Kresgeville. The mother of this fam- died at the age of fifty-six years.

Our subject's early life was spent at the old homestead in Polk township, and at the age of twenty-four he engaged in business on his own ac- count, in that locality, as a farmer, blacksmith and wheelwright. In 1892 he removed to Brodheads- ville, where he has since continued all these lines of business. Politically he is a Democrat, and he and his family are prominent in religious work as mem- bers of the Lutheran Church at Brodheadsville. On October 15, 1868, he was married at Brodheadsville to Miss Malinda Gregory, the ceremony being per- formed by Rev. Charles Baker, a minister of the Reformed Church. Children as follows have brightened their home: Clara F., a resident of Nazareth, Penn .; Eugene A., who married Miss Anna S. Bonser, and resides at Brodheadsville ; Jere- miah W., who died at the age of eleven months ; Miss Mary E., a popular and attractive young lady, who is still at home ; Eli E., James and Rosa J.

Mrs. Malinda (Gregory) Serfass, whose mental gifts and force of character make her a valued help- meet to her husband, was born September 28, 1852, in Polk township, Monroe county, a daughter of James Gregory, and a granddaughter of David and Susannah Gregory. Her father, who was born in Monroe county, and was a farmer by occupation, married Miss Mary Fisher, daughter of Abraham and Margaret (Smith) Fisher. He died two years later, in August, 1853, at the early age of twenty- three, his remains being interred in the Pleasant Val- ley cemetery. Two children were born of this union : Malinda ( Mrs. Serfass), and Mary A., wife of Levi D. Frable, of Kunkletown. The mother subsequently married George Smale, who died in 1886, aged sixty-seven, and her death occurred March 1, 1889, at the age of sixty-five, both being buried at Kunkletown. By this marriage there was one daughter, Emma J., who married Peter Bol- linger, farmer in Polk township, Monroe county.

SHAFER FAMILY. The Shafer family of Monroe county has so long held a prominent place in the business, social and political life of this sec- tion that unusual interest will attach to the following history.

The first of the name of whom we have a defi- nite account was Mathias Shafer, who emigrated from Heidelberg, Germany, with his son Philip and a daughter Catherine, locating in what is now known as Lehigh county, Penn., and afterward in what is now Stroud township, Monroe Co., Penn. Here Catherine was carried away by the Indians, some years before the Revolutionary war. Mathias pur- chased large tracts of land in that and the adjoining

township of Hamilton, a portion of it directly from William Penn and his brother. There he and his son Philip cleared the land of the forest, establishing a homestead. Long after this, it is not known when, Mathias died, at the age of 105 years, and was buried in Stroud township, near where the stone building known as Shafer's school house and church now stands. His son Philip served as a private soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was enrolled at Fort Penn, Stroudsburg, in Capt. Henry Shoemaker's company, the muster roll, which is now in the pos- session of his great-grandson, John E. Shafer, of Scranton, being certified by Col. Jacob Stroud, Jan- uary I, 1781, and sworn to by Capt. Henry Shoe- maker, January 11, 1781. After the war ended he was married in Stroud township to Ann Maria Lor, by whom he had six children: Susanna (July 20, 1786-December 14, 1856) married John Rouse; Eve married John Everhart ; Anne C. (July 4, 1789- August 24, 1861) married Col. John Huston ; Mary (December 17, 1790-August 18, 1842) married William Mosteller ; Adam (April 6, 1795-May 2, 1875) married Mary Buskirk; and Philip, the next in the line of descent we are tracing, is mentioned more fully farther on. All except Eve ( who moved years ago to the vicinity of Ithaca, N. Y.) lived and died in Monroe county, and were buried in the Shafer burying ground, by the stone church and school house mentioned above. This tract of land comprises two acres of the old homestead, which was deeded in trust for burial and school purposes by Philip and Mary, his wife, in 1821, and the stone building was erected in 1823, from material fur- nished mostly by Philip. Mary, the wife of Philip, died April 18, 1836, aged sixty-four years, eleven months and twenty days. Philip died November 6, 1851, aged ninety-one years, seven months and two days, and was buried beside his wife in the above-named cemetery.

Philip Shafer, the youngest child of Philip and Mary Shafer, was born April 22, 1801, in what is now Stroud township, and on August 22, 1824, he married Phebe Phillips, who was born May 7, 1806, a daughter of Jacob Phillips. On April 5, 1837, Philip purchased the old homestead from his father where he resided until his death on April 2, 1887. Phebe, his wife, died August 2, 1874, and both were buried in the above-named cemetery. During all these years tranquility and prosperity attended them, with the exception that on the night of July 30. 1856, after the last load of hay had been gathered for that year, and put in the barn, lightning struck and destroyed the building, and another near by, with their contents, entailing a loss of $4,000. Philip and Phebe Shafer left eight children, namely : Charles, Sarah Ann, Ann Maria, Ellen, Harriet, Mathias Phillips, John Davis and Allen, all of whom are mentioned below.

I. Charles Shafer was born May 29, 1827, and died June 15, 1899; he was buried in his plot in Stroudsburg cemetery. He was first-lieutenant in Capt. George B. Keller's company of State Militia,

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and served his full time back in the 'fifties. In 1867 he moved to Scranton, Penn., where from that time until his death he was continuously in the em- ploy of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Rail- road Co., in the passenger depot. He was a member of the Penn Avenue Baptist Church for a number of years, and was also a member of Fort Penn Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Stroudsburg. On Decem- ber 24, 1853, he married Ann Maria Edinger, daugh- ter of John Edinger, of Stroudsburg, and they had three children: (1) Orrin Davis Shafer, born No- vembr 15, 1856, died March 20, 1859, and is buried in their plot in Stroudsburg cemetery, at Strouds- burg, Penn. (2) John Edinger Shafer, a resident of Scranton, born April 19, 1862, was married March 18, 1896, to Lizzie Weninger, by whom he has had one son, Robert Charles Shafer, born January 10, 1897. (3) Lizzie Rushton Shafer, born November 13, 1866, was married September 26, 1889, to Charles R. Connell, of Scranton, a son of Hon. Will- iam Connell, member of Congress. They have had two children, Bernard Lyon Connell, born May I, 1891, and Gladys Shafer Connell, born May 7, 1893. II. Sarah Ann Shafer was born March 26, 1829, and on September 30, 1848, she married Lewis Meyers, of Stroudsburg, a son of Simon Meyers, of Hamilton township; Lewis was drafted into the service of the United States army in 1862, but paid $300 for a substitute. He is a member of Barger Lodge No. 325, F. & A. M., and also a member of Fort Penn Lodge of Odd Fellows, of Stroudsburg. They have had one child, Laura Frances Meyers, born October 3, 1850, who was married December 24, 1867, to James T. Carmer, of Stroudsburg, Penn., by whom she has had one daughter, Blanche Elaine Carmer, born November 9, 1869.

III. Ann Maria Shafer was born June 25, 1831, and on June 24, 1852, was married to Jeremiah Shiffer, son of John Shiffer: They moved to Scranton, Penn., in 1856. Jeremiah was born Feb- ruary 26, 1825, and died July 31, 1880, his remains being buried in their plot in Stroudsburg cemetery. Of their seven children: (1) Helen Isabel Shiffer, born August 17, 1854, died September II, 1854. (2) Willis Arthur Shiffer, born October 24, 1857, died July 16, 1859, both being interred beside their father. (3) Florence Adelia Shiffer was born July 21, 1859, and January 14, 1891, married Albert Thomas, of Scranton. They have two children, Phœbe Augusta, born July 27, 1891, and Stanley Emmet, born November 9, 1893. (4) May Eudora Shiffer, born August 29, 1861, was married (first) August 23, 1879, to David Wesley Lewis, who died January 13, 1884. They had two children, Frank Wesley Lewis, born October 12, 1880 (died De- cember 12, 1883) ; and Stanley Jeremiah Lewis, born August 5, 1882. On May II, 1887, Mrs. Lewis married William R. Castner, and they have one daughter, Lulu May, born January 13, 1892. (5) Allen Davis Shiffer, born January 13, 1868, died December 17, 1895, and is buried beside his father .. (6) Harriet Ellen Shiffer was born November 7,

1869. (7) Phobe Augusta Shiffer was born Feb- ruary 13, 1871. Those living are all residing at Scranton, Pennsylvania.

IV. Ellen Shafer was born September 27, 1834, and was married July 4, 1860, to Morris H. Decker, of New York City. They have one child, Harry Louis Decker, born June 17, 1761.

V. Harriet Shafer was born March 20, 1838, and on December 25, 1862, was married to James T. Palmer, of Stroudsburg, a son of John Palmer, who in his day was a noted Quaker preacher. One child, Grace Alma Palmer, was born to them July 28, 1864.

VI. Mathias Phillips Shafer was born at the old homestead in Stroud township, May 28, 1840, and his boyhood was spent on the old farm. On May II, 1861, at the call of Governor Curtin, he en- listed in the State service, and on June 8, 1861, he enlisted in the service of the United States, for three years or during the war, and was assigned to Com- pany F, 4th Regiment Pennsylvania Reserve Volun- teers, otherwise known as the 33rd Regiment Penn- sylvania Volunteers. He was always in line, never in hospital, ever ready for duty, whether on guard, in camp, on picket or in the front line of battle, where he saw his comrades fall around him from minie balls, shot and shell, or bayonet thrust. He first saw smoke of battle December 20, 1861, at Dranesville, six months after he enlisted. This shows how soon an Amer- ican citizen can be taken from the plow and trans- formed into a soldier ready for battle. His next engagement was the battle at Mechanicsville or Bea- ver Dam Creek, June 26, 1862. Then followed the continuous seven-days' fight in front of Richmond until McClellan's army rested on the James river. At Charles City Cross Roads the 4th had the hard- · est fight, as is shown by Gen. McCall's report of the battle, where at one place he says : "Its gallant commander did not doubt, I am satisfied, his ability to repel the attack, and his guns fairly opened lanes in the advancing host; but the enemy, unchecked, closed up his shattered ranks, and came on, with arms trailed, at a run to the very muzzles of the guns, where he pistoled and bayonetted the canno- neers and attacked their supports with such fury and in such overwhelming numbers that they were broken and thrown in great confusion. Remnants of the regiment, however, rallied and held their ground with the most determined obstinacy. It was here, however, it was my fortune to witness, between those of my men who stood their ground and Rebels who advanced, one of the fiercest bayonet fights that perhaps ever occurred on this continent. Bayo- nets were crossed and locked in the struggle ; bayo- net wounds were freely given and received. I saw skulls crushed by the blow of the heavy butt of the musket, and, in short, the desperate thrusts and par- ries of a life and death encounter, proving indeed that Greek had met Greek when the Alabama boys fell upon the sons of Pennsylvania. The enemy was successfully held in check, and during the night the Reserves retired to Malvern Hill. Company F was

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one that held the Rebels in check, and in that seven- days' fight the 4th Regiment lost upward of two hundred men." On August 29 and 30, 1862, Ma- thias was engaged in the Second Bull Run fight on the plains of Manassas. Following this, he was again in battle at South Mountain. From there they moved to Boonsboro, and on September 16 and .17, 1862, he fought in the battle of Antietam, while December 13, 1862, he was engaged in the battle of Fredericksburg. The regiment was now greatly re- duced, and on February 8, 1863, it was ordered to the defense of Washington, to rest and recruit. On January 6, 1864, with the 3rd Pennslyvania Regi- ment, it was ordered to West Virginia, and went by way of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, arriving at Martinsburg on the morning of the 7th. Until January 28 they performed picket duty ; then after skirmishing in the mountains for a long time, and doing picket duty again until March 27, 1864, they were moved back to Harper's Ferry. There they performed picket duty until April 3, when orders were given for each man to take sixty rounds of cartridges, one extra pair of shoes and four days' rations, for a trip across the Alleghanies to Grafton, two hundred miles from Harper's Ferry. They stayed there until April 22, when they took cars for Parkersburg, on the Ohio river. There they took boats down the Ohio, and up the Great Kanawha to Brownstown, and on April 30 they started on foot up the valley to Great Falls. On May 2 they climbed the mountain and reached the extreme outpost at Fayette, and from there they marched across Flat Top Mountain, having a sharp skirmish with the enemy at Princeton on May 6. Here Mathias re- captured his knapsack (with his name still on it and some of his letters inside), which had been taken from him over two years before, at the battle of Cold Harbor. On May 9, after heavy marching, they crossed East River Mountain through Rock Gap, and near Shannon's Bridge they were again engaged in battle. Here Col. Woolworth and several others were killed, and Chaplain Pomeroy buried them under a locust tree. On May 10, at night, they pushed on across New river, and on May II marched through the rain to Blackbury, and the next day they reached the summit of Salt Pond Mountain. On May 15 they reached Union, and on the evening of May 16 they arrived at Green- briar river. On May 19 they halted at Meadow Bluff, in Fayette county, after twenty days' continu- ous marching through the rain, skirmishing half the time, while every night a strong guard had to be posted. By this time the men were worn out from hunger and fatigue, and hundreds had no soles on their shoes. On May 22 they were ordered to Mill- ville, near Louisburg, and as their term of service was about to expire they soon received orders to return home. On May 30 they started for Phila- delphia, and on June 4 they embarked on the "Jonas Powell" opposite Brownstown, on the Kanawha, and started for Pittsburg. They arrived June 8,

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 1, Part 30

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