Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2, Part 15

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1098

USA > Pennsylvania > Monroe County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 15
USA > Pennsylvania > Susquehanna County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 15
USA > Pennsylvania > Wayne County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 15
USA > Pennsylvania > Pike County > Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2 > Part 15

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Maxey's family is of German origin, the name being derived from Maximilian. At an early period three brothers of the name went to Wales, and our subject's father, George Maxey, and grand- father, William Maxey, were born in that country. William Maxey was a miner by occupation. He came to America in 1832, locating at Carbondale. Penn., where he died in 1859, aged seventy-six years, and his wife, Jane ( Jones), died at the home of their son George in Olyphant, Penn., in 1863. at the age of eighty-four. They had the following children : Daniel, William, John, Mary ( Mrs. Evan Morgan), David, George and Edwin, George being the only one now living.

George Maxey, our subject's father, was born October 20, 1821, and now resides in Forest City, Penn. He became well known as an expert min- ing operator, being employed as a foreman for twen- ty years, and also opened mines on contract in various places, but in 1870 he retired from active business. On February 14, 1841, he was married, in Beaver Meadows, to Miss Mary Daniels, daugh- ter of Benjamin Daniels, of Neath, South Wales, who came to America in 1833. and granddaughter of Thomas and Gwinnie Daniels, lite-long residents of Wales. Her mother, Jane ( Gibbs ), was a dangli- ter of John and Gwinnie Gibbs, who spent their married lite on a farm in South Wales. George and Mary Maxey had seven children, viz. : Edwin, born November 9. 1842, at Carbondale, Penn., died aged one year and six weeks : William E .. born November 19, 1844, is mentioned below : Jane, born in Beaver Meadows, Penn., June 20. 1846, died February 14. 1848: Benjamin, born in Beaver Meadows, Septent- ber 10. 1849, resides in Forest City; May J., born in Beaver Meadows, August 4. 1854, married John Pritchard, of South Gibson, and died February 15,

1887 ; George E., born in Beaver Meadows, May 19, 1857, married Gertrude Stannard, and is now en- gaged in mining at Forest City; John, born in Audenried, Penn., January 10, 1860, married Ma- riah Penticost, and is employed as an engineer in miines at Forest City.

William E. Maxey was but six months old when his parents settled at Beaver Meadows, and there the first twenty years of his life were spent. He attended school until he reached the age of twelve, when he began working in mine's and coal breakers, and from 1868 to 1877 he assisted his father in the management of a farm in Gibson town- ship. Meantime he attended Franklin Academy, Harford, one term, and also studied one term at Wyoming Seminary, Kingston, Penn. In 1877 he engaged in mercantile business in South Gibson under the firm niame of Maxey & Reynolds, and he purchased his partner's interest in 1881, the business having since been conducted successfully in his own name. In November, 1886, and again, in 1889, he was elected to the State Legislature, and among the various local offices which he has held are those of justice of the peace, school director, and town- ship clerk. He is now serving his third term and tenth year as justice of the peace, and his second term was interrupted by his election as representa- tive. In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Maxey and their family are Methodists, and for five years he lias served as class leader.

On September 6, 1879, Mr. Maxey was mar- ried, at South Gibson, to Mrs. Emma J. ( Harding) Howard, and they have two children, viz. : Mary L., wife of Prof. C. W. Michaels, of South Gibson ; and William Earle, now at home. Mrs. Maxey, who is highly esteemed among a large circle of friends, was born August 4, 1850, at Providence. Lackawanna (then Luzerne) county, and was first married to Clark Howard, a native of Gibson town- ship, Susquehanna county, and a son of Asa and Sophia Fredrica Howard, of Susquehanna coun- ty. He was a farmer by occupation, and resided in Gibson township, where he died in 1870, aged twenty-five years., Of the two children born to this marriage, Clark A., a machinist and mine engineer at Forest City, married Eva Kline: and Vinnie M. is the wife of William G. Conrad, a merchant of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Maxey's ancestors in the paternal line were of English stock, but her maternal ancestors were of French extraction. Her grandparents, James and Elizabeth ( McNamara ) Harding, were natives of Connecticut. Her great-grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Luke Harding, father of Mrs. Maxey, was born and reared in Ben- ton township, Luzerne county, and was married there to Louisa Brazie. In 1863 he removed to Lenox township, Susquehanna county, where he fol- lowed farming for many years, later going West, and on October 10, 1891, he was murdered in Silver- bow county. Mout .. probably by robbers. He and i liis wite, who died in Lenox township. in 1857,

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COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

aged thirty-six years, were consistent members of the `I. E. Church. They had the following chil- dren Orlando B., a farmer in Gibson township, Susquehanna county; Emma J., wife of our sub- ject; Mary E., who married George Lawrence, a farmer in Lenox township; John F., who was killed in 1887, in Michigan, by a fall from a scaffold, while at work; Susan A., who married Henry Scott, a carpenter, of Scranton, Penn .; James M., a ranch- man in Montana ; Judson N. (twin of James), a resi- dent of New Milford ; William N., an engineer, who died in Montana, in the spring of 1898; Amelia L., who died aged fourteen years; and Alida E., wife of Alonzo Miles, a merchant in Lenox township.

OSCAR DEVINE, a well-known farmer of Rush township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., was born June 14, 1859, in the house where he now resides, it being situated at that time twelve rods from its present site. His parents, Daniel H. and Eliza (Lott) Devine, were also natives of Susquehanna county, the former born in Rush township, Feb- ruary 13, 1823, the latter in Auburn township, April 5, 1828, and their marriage was celebrated March 22, 1848. The father, who was quite a prominent farmer and influential citizen of his community, was called upon to serve in several township offices, in- cluding those of constable, collector and supervisor, and was one of the leading members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, which stood a short distance from his home, and of which he was a trustee. He died at the present home of our subject, October 5, 1884, his wife on the 3rd of December, following, and both were buried in Devine Ridge cemetery, Rush township. In political sentiment he was a Republican. "In .his family were four children, namely : A. Lott, born October 23, 1849, married Ada V. Beebe, and is engaged in farming in Rush township; A. Wayne, born December 19, 1854, died September 2, 1857; Oscar is the next in order of birth ; and J. Warren, born November 1, 1862, died September 2, 1885.

The paternal grandparents of our subject were George and Susan (Haverly) Devine, natives of Schoharie county, N. Y., who became acquainted and were married in Susquehanna county, Penn., where they continued to make their home through- out the remainder of their lives. The grandfather was a farmer by occupation and a private of tlie war of 1812. He died in March, 1882, aged eighty- seven years, his wife in November, 1847, aged fifty- two years. Their children were Mary A., deceased wife of Daniel Seely: Daniel H .. father of our sub- ject ; Sally, widow of Smith James, a farmer of Rush township: John, deceased, who first married Elizabeth White, and second Hulda White ; J. Par- ker, a resident of Rush township, who is represented elsewhere in this volume: Norman, a farmer of Dimock township, Susquehanna county, who mar- ried Betsy A. Carter; and George W .. a farmer of Rush township, who married Adeline Whittaker.

Oscar Devine was reared upon his present farm,

and since large enough to be of any assistance he has aided in its cultivation and improvement. Since his father's death he has had complete charge of the same and he has ever displayed remarkable business ability in its management. His political support is always given the Republican party and its principles, and for the past two years he has most efficiently served as school director of his town- ship. Fraternally he is a member of the Grange.

In Binghamton, N. Y., March 3, 1886, Mr. Devine married Miss Hattie E. Whittaker, by whom he has one son, Roy W. Mrs. Devine was born in Fairdale, Susquehanna county, December 11, 1867, a daughter of Hezekiah and Mary J. ( McKeeby) Whittaker, also natives .of Susquehanna county, where they were married September 23, 1865, and continued to reside until 1874, when they removed to a place near Binghamton, N. Y. The father was born November 14, 1837, and died January 27, 1800, after several years spent in retirement from active labor on account of ill health, his remains be- ing interred at Binghamton. He was a farmer by occupation, and was a true and faithful Christian, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His widow, who was born February 27, 1838, is now living with her daughter in Binghamton. To them were born four children : Hattie E., wife of our subject ; Chauncey H., a resident- of Binghamton ; Carrie B. and William A., twins, the former now the wife of Milo J. Barnes, who is engaged in the niilk business near Binghamton, and the latter who died young. Mrs. Devine's paternal grandparents were Clark and Catherine ( Beardsley) Whittaker, natives of Connecticut.

THOMAS KANE, a well-known and highly esteemed citizen of Oakland township. Susquehanna Co., Penn., was for many years prominently identi- fied with the agricultural interests of this locality, but is now living retired, while his sons carry on the work which he began. He was born in Ireland, in 1829, a son of Michael and Ellen Kane, who in 1845 emigrated with their family from that country to America and located near Lake Como, in Bucking- hạm township, Wayne Co., Penn., where they spent their last years upon a farm. They were the par- ents of five children, all born in Ireland. (1) Bridget married Michael Clune and died in Wayne county. leaving a family. (2) Margaret is the wife of a MIr. Moran. of Hawley. Penn .. and they have six children-Thomas, Michael, Edward. Mary, Annie, and Bridget. Mary married Daniel Mc- Graw, of Wayne county, now of Port Jervis, N. Y., and they have one son. John McGraw, of Port Jerv- is. (3) Michael married Bridget Dailey and located on a farm near his father's homestead in Wayne county. Their children are Mary, Jane, Julia, Thomas, James, Michael and Miles. (4) Patrick married Mary Murphy, and also settled near the old homestead. His children are Michael, George, Mark, John and Mary.

Thomas Kane, who completes the family, was

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principally educated in the schools of his native land. He came with his parents to the New World, and on reaching man's estate was married, in 1852, to Miss Ellen Kelley, a daughter of James Kelley, of Wayne county. They began their domestic life on his father's farm in Wayne county, where they con- tinued to reside until the spring of 1873, when Mr. Kane sold the place and removed to his present farm in Oakland township, Susquehanna county. He has since made many improvements upon the place in the way of clearing the land and erecting buildings thereon, and in connection with its opera- tion he successfully engaged in the dairy business for many years. At length his hearing became very defective, making it difficult for him to at- tend to his dairy business, and after the death of his worthy wife, who had always been a faithful help- meet to him, he turned the farm and dairy business over to his sons, Thomas and William, who still have charge of them. Mrs. Kane passed away in September, 1895, loved and respected by all who knew her.

To our subject and his wife were born twelve children, ten of whom reached manhood and woman- hood, all born in Wayne county, and principally educated in the local schools. (1) Martin, the eldest, married Lina Dightman, of Susquehanna county, and for some years lived in Mckean county, Penn., but they now make their home in Tocoi. St. John county, Fla. They have two sons-Alfred and Arthur. (2) Patrick married Celia Loughlin, of Susquehanna county, and died in the town of Susquehanna, in 1890, leaving a wife and one child, Mary, now deceased. (3) John married Susie Ryan, of Elmira, N. Y., and is now manager of gas wells in Wilcox, Mckean county. Their chil- dren are William, John, Marie and Helen. (4) Mary died in infancy. (5) Michael died in child- hood. (6) James married Anna Kroop, of Fos- toria, Ohio, where she died soon after their mar- riage, leaving one child, Helen, who died young. (7) Thomas, born in 1864, went to McKean coun- ty, Penn., when a young man, and later to Fostoria, where lie remained some time, finally returning to Susquehanna county to take charge of his father's farm and dairy business, in the latter of which they have been engaged for fifteen years. Thomas has also conducted a saloon and meat market in the town of Susquehanna, but resides on the old home- stead in Oakland township. In 18g'S he married Miss Mary Reilly. of Susquehanna, who was edu- cated in the schools of that place, and is a daughter of John and Catherine Reilly. (8) Catherine mar- ried William Raliilly, a wholesale liquor dealer of Binghamton, N. Y., and died in 1892, leaving one son, Francis, who is now attending school. (9) Margaret was educated at the Sisters Academy at Susquehanna, and married James O'Connell, by whom she has two children-Helen and Jolin. For two years they resided in Buffalo, N. Y., and then removed to Hornellsville. N. Y., where he is em- ployed as a machinist in the shops of the Erie Rail-

road Company. (10) Frank married Jennie Art- man. of Mckean county, and is now manager of a natural gas plant at Foster's Mills, Armstrong county. ( II) William assists in the operation of the home farm. ( 12) Ella J., born in Susquehanna, completed her education in the higher schools of that place and is a refined young lady, living at home.

Politically Mr. Kane and his sons are all identi- fied with the Democratic party, and Thomas has served as supervisor of Oakland township, and religiously the family are all communicants of the Roman Catholic Church, to the support of which they contribute liberally. They are all well known and highly respected, and have a large circle of friends in this locality.

LEWIS B. PARKS. Manners do not always make the man, but a genial and kindly disposition is an efficacious assistant to success, not only win- ning the good will and friendship of others, but de- veloping in the possessor those higher traits of character which, by an inscrutable law of nature, command recognition. The subject of this sketch is one of those fortunate men who are blessed with a cheerful and cheering nature. He has many friends, is widely known, and is one of the influential citi- zens of Great Bend township, Susquehanna county -farmer. stockman and general business man.

He was born in the town of Ghent, Columbia county, N. Y., April 28, 1842, son of Lewis B. and Sophia ( Mesick) Parks, and grandson of Peter Parks. The grandfather was a native of Connecti- cut and in after life a resident of Columbia county. N. Y., where he died. Lewis B., the father of our subject, was born in Massachusetts and was fav- ored in his youth with a good education. For many years he taught school in Columbia and Greene coun- ties, N. Y., and in the former county he engaged later in the marble business. There he married So- phia Mesick. He died in 1842, and his widow mar- ried Samuel Wright, a native of Massachusetts, and who later removed to Susquehanna county. To Lewis B. and Sophia Parks were born two sons- Henry M. and Lewis B., our subject. Henry M. married Alice Kent, of Montrose, Penn., and set- tled on a farm in Great Bend township, where he died in 1892, leaving a widow and two children- Alice. wife of Edward Palmeter, of Binghamton. and Harriet M .. bookkeeper for Faatz Brothers of Binghamton. By her second marriage, to Sammuel Wright, the mother of our subject had one child. Samuel S., who is now register and recorder at Montrose, Pennsylvania.

Lewis B. Parks was reared in Columbia coun- ty. N. Y .. and received a good education in the schools of Valatie, that county, and the school of Clayton, N. J. When a young man he for several vears followed railroading. He was married in March, 1866, at Hudson, Columbia Co .. N. Y .. to Miss Sarah M. Decker, daughter of Robert and An- nie E. Decker. She was born November 1, 1847,

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and was well educated in the schools of Columbia county. After their marriage our subject and wife moved to Hickory Grove, Great Bend township, where they have ever since resided with the excep- tion of four years (Jan., 1880-Jan., 1884). which they spent at Montrose, when Mr. Parks was dep- uty sheriff with Benjamin F. McKune. He has also been largely engaged as dealer and breeder of Guern- sey cattle, and has one of the finest herds in the coun- ty. To Mr. and Mrs. Parks have been born seven children, namely: Mary M., born February 23. 1867, wife of George H. DuBois, a well-known busi- ness man of Weehawken, N. J .; Katie S., who died in childhood ; William H., born August 18, 1870, a resident of Great Bend, and a member of the firm of Parks Brothers, coal and stock dealers of Hick- ory Grove ; Lewis E., born November 15, 1876, edu- cated in the high school of Utica, N. Y., and asso- ciated with his brother, William H., in the coal and stock business; Samuel Wright, born March 4, 188.4, a student in the Great Bend schools; Robert D., born November 22, 1885, a student in the Great Bend schools ; and Sarah Irma, born June 16, 1889.

Politically Mr. Parks has always been identi- fied with the old Republican party, and has been act- ive in its work. He has acted as school director, and filled nearly all the town offices, and for the past six years has been assessor of the township. As dep- uty sheriff of Susquehanna county, 1880-1984, he was one of the most popular men of the county, ever dis- charging his official duties faithfully, regardless of public opinion, and by his straightforward and thor- ough business methods, coupled with his sunny dis- position, he well merits the esteem and good will in which he is held. In religious faith the family are active members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Parks is one of the active and leading business men of Hickory Grove, widely known for his upright- ness and integrity of character, and by his wife and children the home is made one of the pleasantest social centers of the township.

NEWTON R. JONES, a well-to-do and pros- perous farmer residing at Rushville. Rush township. Susquehanna county, is one of those men who thor- oughly understand the business he is pursuing, and is rapidly progressing toward a state of ample com- petence. He is the architect of his own fortune, having started in life with but little capital beyond his own industry and the laudable ambition to rise in the world.

Mr. Jones was born in Onondaga county. N. Y., August 9, 1852, a son of Henry and Ann ( Rich) Jones, who were born, reared and married in Son :- ersetshire, England, and continued to make their home there until 1835, which year witnessed their emigration to America. They first located in Syra- cuse. N. Y., and after spending four years at that place removed to Marcellus. N. Y .. where they re- sided until 1870. During that year they returned to Syracuse, where the father died in December, 1887, at the age of seventy-eight years. For many years he engaged in agricultural pursuits, later fol-

lowed merchandising for two years, and spent the last eight years of lus life in retirement from active labor. The mother died October 21, 1877, at the age of sixty-eight years, while on a visit to our subject in Rush township, Susquehanna Co., Penn., and the remains of both were interred at Marcellus, N. Y. Both were faithful members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church and enjoyed the respect and esteem of all who knew them. In their family were the fol- lowing children: James, now a farmer of Skanea- teles, N. Y .; William, deceased; Anna, wife of Hen- ry Bark, a retired carpenter and contractor of Jor- dan, N. Y .; Joseph, who was a member of Company F, 122nd N. Y. V. I., during the Civil war, and was killed in the service in the battle of the Wilderness ; Jane, who died in infancy ; Andrew H., who was a member of the same company as his brother, and died at his home in 1869 from the effects of his army life; Henry S., an undertaker and furniture dealer of Marcellus, N. Y .; Edward G., an under- taker and furniture dealer of Chenango, N. Y .; Charles M., who died in California; and Newton R., our subject. The paternal grandparents spent. their entire lives in England. The maternal grand- parents located in Marcellus, N. Y., about 1829.

Newton R. Jones was reared upon the home farm and acquired his literary education in the grad- ed schools of his native town. At the age of twen- ty, he commenced learning the harnessmaker's trade in Syracuse, N. Y., where he continued to work at that occupation for four years. The following year he was employed as clerk in a mercantile establish- ment in Mehoopany, Penn., to which place he re- moved with the intention of embarking in business on his own account, but changed his mind, and in 1877 came to Rush township, Susquehanna county, where he rented a farm. After operating it for four years, he bought his present farm of 318 acres on Fowler Hill, in the same township, where he made his home for eighteen years, and where he met with most excellent success in his business un- dertakings. In the spring of 1899 he bought the old Sherwood farm of 336 acres, well equipped with good buildings, thus making 654 acres, 550 of which are improved, making the largest in the township. He deals largely in Shropshire sheep and Holstein cattle.

At Owego, N. Y., Mr. Jones was married, April 13, 1876, to Miss Mattie V. Smith, who was born in Jersey City, N. J .. December 25, 1853, and they have become the parents of one daughter. Lillie B. They are active and prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Rush, in which Mr. Jones has served as steward for the past twenty years. Politically he is identified with the Republi- can party, and fraternally affiliates with the Odd Fellows Lodge of Rush, and the Grange of West Auburn. His fellow citizens, appreciating his worth and ability, have called upon him to serve in official positions, and he has most creditably filled the offices of school director six years, assessor one year, and township auditor for the past five years. He is a

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member of the county committee, and has been a delegate to the conventions. He bears a high char- acter for sterling integrity, and merits and receives the respect of all who know him.

JOHN K. TINKER, a prominent representa- tive of the agricultural interests of Clifford town- ship, Susquehanna county, was born there June 2, 1839, on his father's old homestead, a son of John and Agnes (Stevenson ) Tinker.

John Tinker, the father, was born in Falkirk, Scotland, May 11, 1799, and in 1817 came to Am- erica with his parents, William and May (Ander- son) Tinker, also natives of Falkirk. They spent the first winter in New York City, then moved to Little Britain, Orange Co., N. Y., and two years later came to Susquehanna county, Penn., locating on the farm in Clifford township where our subject's brother Robert now resides. There the grandfather died June 29, 1835, aged seventy-six years, the grandmother May 27, 1852, at the same age, and their remains were interred in the Tinker cemetery, upon their farm. They were members of the Re- formed Presbyterian Church. They had four chil- dren: William, born February 20. 1797, married Louise Catlin, and engaged in farming in Green- field township, Lackawanna Co., Penn., where he died October 16, 1881 ; John, father of our subject, was next in the order of birth ; James, born Septem- ber 2, 1801, married Polly M. Dunn, and was a wealthy, prominent and charitable farmer, residing on the old homestead, where he died June 3, 1884; and Fleming died in Scotland at an early age.

During his youth the father of our subject worked in his father's stocking factory, but after coming to Susquehanna county he followed agri- cultural pursuits chiefly. He was one of the large land owners in Susquehanna county, and became a noted speculator, stock farmer and money lender. In the spring of 1830 he removed to the farm in Clifford township where his daughters now reside. Return- ing to Scotland, he was married, in Silverwood, Ayr- shire, March 18, 1829, to Miss Agnes Stevenson, a native of that place, and a daughter of Thomas and Agnes (Templeton) Stevenson. Six children blessed this union : William, now a retired farmer of Clifford township, was born February 20, 1830, and mar- ried Rebecca Carr; Agnes, born January 24, 1832, died January 17, 1864, unmarried; May, born August 1, 1835; lives on the old homestead: John K., our subject, is next in the order of birth ; Robert, born September 19, 1842, wedded Mary A. Tralles, and operates his grandfather's farm ; and Janet S. S., born October 14, 1846, lives with her sister on their father's farm. The father died September 29, 1891, the mother October 31, 1873, aged sixty-three years, and both were laid to rest in the Tinker ceme- tery. They were consistent members of the Re- fornied Presbyterian Church, and were highly re- spected by all who knew them.

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Commemorative biographical record of northeastern Pennsylvania, including the counties of Susquehanna, Wayne, Pike and Monroe, Pt. 2, Part 15

Author: Publication date: 1900 Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1098

Author:
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: Chicago : J.H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1098