USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1 > Part 27
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James F. Raker, son of William D. Raker, was born in Little Mahanoy township, where he was a well known citizen. being postmaster and station agent at Hunter. a railroad station on the Herndon branch of the Philadelphia & Reading road, for many years. He was postmaster at Raker, also in Little Mahanor township, from 1882 until his death. The latter post office was established through the influence of Conrad H. Raker, son of Frederick and grandson of Conrad, the pioneer in this region. James F. Raker was also a farmer, owning a tract of abont forty acres near Hunter. In politics he was a Democrat, and he served as supervisor. He died June 18, 1904, aged sixty-six
LEWIS R. RAKER, son of James F. Raker. was born Jan. 12, 1876, in Little Mahanoy township, and spent his youth upon the home farm, receiving his education in what is known as the Raker schoolhouse. He lives at Raker, where he and his wife conduct a grocery store. and also look after the post office, he being assistant postmaster. He also works as hoisting engineer for the Trevorton Coal Land .Company. He has his own home, and by his upright life has made an excellent name for himself among his fellow citizens, who have shown their faith in his ability and trustworthi- ness by choosing him to public responsibilities of various kinds. He was tax collector for nine years, and in the spring of 1910 was elected for his second term as township auditor. In politics he is a Democrat. He is also active in the work of the Lutheran Church, and is secretary and teacher in the Sunday school.
ceived his education in the subscription schools conducted in the neighborhood during his youth. Farmi work has been his principal occupation. though when eighteen years old he went to learn the trade of miller with his brother Henry, in Juniata county. Pa. He had been there only two months when his brother was drafted for service in the Civil war, and it fell upon the shoulders of the apprentice to make the flour and do all the work of an experienced miller. He continued at milling for one and a half years, farmed for his father twelve years, until the latter died, and then did the same for his mother, with whom he re- mained twelve years also. At the end of that period he bought his present farm in Little Ma- hanoy, fifty-five acres of which constituted the old Abraham Rothermel homestead. Mrs. Roth- ermel died at a very advanced age. To this Mr. Raker added two tracts, of forty-two and thirty- nine acres, respectively, having 136 acres in all. His father, William D. Raker, erected the build- ings now on this property, building the house in 1874 and the barn in 1875. Mr. Raker is one of the substantial and esteemed citizens of his com- munity, has served as school director and for many years as supervisor, being at present one of the three roadmasters. and has given efficient service in every capacity. In political faith he is a Dem- ocrat, and he is now serving as judge of election.
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In religion he is a Lutheran, and he has been killed while felling a tree. He was laid to rest in deacon, elder and trustee of the Little Mahanoy Church.
In 1873 Mr. Raker married Wilhelmina Zart- man, daughter of Abraham Zartman, and they have had four children: Kate is the widow of Albert Raker : Sallie is the wife of John A. Ferster : George married Gertie Sipe: Francis died when eight years old.
EDWARD B. RAKER, son of Enoch D. Raker, was born July 9, 1853, on the homestead, and was reared to farming, working for his parents until he was thirty-five years old. In 1902 he began farming for himself at his present home, this be- ing the farm which belonged to his grandfather and father in turn. The old buildings. however, have all been razed. Mr. Raker is a Democrat and for a number of years was active in county politics, being delegate to many county conven- tions of the party. He has held a number of offices. For three years, from 1895 to 1898, he was jury commissioner of Northumberland county. having been elected to that office on his first can- didacy by a majority of over six thousand votes. For eleven years he was constable of Little Ma- hanoy township, and he served two years as in- spector. He erected many bridges in the county under contract froin the county commissioners, and has given thorough satisfaction in every way and in every capacity. In February, 1900, Mr. Raker married Sarah Reed, daughter of Solomon Reed, and they have one daughter, Goldic.
CHARLES LAFFERT WALDRON, of Milton, has been engaged in contracting and building since 1879. his work in this line covering prac- tically the entire period of his residence at that place, as he began carpentering when he came to Milton, in the spring of 18:1. His patrons in this borough and all the surrounding towns are · numerous, many of the most substantial buildings in this section testifying to the thoroughness of 'his work and the part he has taken in its ma- terial development.
Mr. Waldron's first ancestor in this region was his great-grandfather. Cornelius Waldron. The family has been established in America from Co- lonial days, and is of Dutch origin, Baron Waldron, its founder in this country, having come from Holland to what was then New Amsterdam, now New York, in 1660. After the English took pos- session of New Amsterdam the family moved to New Jersey, and Cornelius Waldron, above men- tioned, moved from Hunterdon county, N. J., to Pennsylvania in 1:85. ITis first location was near Money, in what is now Lycoming county, and he afterward bought a farm in Brady township, that county, still later buying land at the mouth of Muddy run. in Northumberland county. He moved his family to this place, where he was accidentally
the old Warrior Run burying ground. Cornelius Waldron served as a captain in the Revolutionary war and after its close was captain of a military company.
Laffert Waldron, son of Cornelius, was born in 1764 in Hunterdon county. N. J., came to Penn- sylvania with his father, and purchased the farm on Muddy run. But he soon sold it and bought a place about a mile east, in Turbut township, from the Keichner estate-the place afterward oc- cupied by his son William. There he passed the remainder of his life, dying on his farm in 1837. His wife, Hannah ( Webb), died in 1832, and they are buried at the Warrior Run Presbyterian church. The family attended services there. Ms. and Mrs. Waldron had the following children : John, Cornelius, Richard, William, Charles, David, M. D., Mary (Mrs. Sloat), Sara ( who married Mr. Sloat after her sister Mary's death), Jane (mar- ried James Stadden) and Hannah (who became the second wife of James Stadden after the death of her sister Jane). Laffert Waldron was a fine penman, and some of his work now in the posses- sion of his grandson, Charles L. Waldron, of Mil- ton, shows unusual ability: though it is over a century old it is not faded, and it is well cared for by the present possessor, who prizes it highly.
William Waldron, son of Laffert. was born Sept. 17, 1814, on the old farm in Turbut township, and received his education in the township schools. He followed farming all his life and prospered by dint of industry, winning the respect of all who knew him because of his upright methods and high Christian character. Though his own affairs demanded constant attention he was progressive. and recognized the fact that a citizen owes his duty to his community as nnich as to his immedi- ate personal interests, and he did his share in local matters, filling various township offices and serving fifteen years as justice of the peace. The cause of free education, not a particularly popular one in his early manhood, also received his earnest support, and all his children received good ad- vantages. He was an original member of the Tur- but Grange, P. of H., and an original stockholder of the First National Bank of Milton, giving his influence and support to all institutions which in his opinion would be of general benefit. In reli- gious connection he was a Presbyterian, an active and consistent member of the Milton Church. He died in 1901.
In 1841 William Waldron married Anna ITil- gert, daughter of Philip and Catherine Hilgert, of Chillisquaque township, and she died at the age of seventy years. Eleven children were born to this union : Philip H., now living at Tre- vose, near Philadelphia, who served during the Civil war in Company B. 131st Pennsylvania Vol- unteers : Hannah J., who married Ephraim
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Duiteh, of Williamsport: David, who died young ; spent in his native county, and he received his Prof. William A., who died at Bay City, Mieh. ; primary education at the neighboring public sehools. In these institutions he made such ex- cellent progress and proved himself such a ready student that in 1877 he entered Franklin and Mar- shall Academy, located at Lancaster, Pa., in which institution he rounded out his education and pre- pared himself for admission to Franklin and Mar- shall College, where he spent two years, during which he profited by every opportunity. May, who married James Marsh, and lives in Michigan; Charles Laffert ; Frank P., of Turbut township, who married Susan Hummell : George W., of Coatesville, Pa., who married Ida Brobst ; Sarah Elizabeth, of Sunbury, Pa .; John C., who married Mary Kerr; and James M., who gradu- ated from the Pennsylvania State College, beeame a civil engineer, was formerly in Georgia and is now engaged in the construction of the subway and tunnels in New York City.
Dr. David Waldron, brother of William Wal- dron, was born in 1820 in Turbut township, North- umberland. county. and died in that township April 22, 1885. He stood high in his profession and had a large practice, though he was somewhat erratic in disposition, and he was honored with the office of sheriff of the county, serving from 1860 to 1863. He was a Democrat in politics. From the time he comineneed praetiee until a few years before his death he resided at Milton.
Charles Laffert Waldron, son of William, was born Ang. 26, 1850, in Turbut township, and there grew to manhood. He assisted his father on the farm from an early age, especially during the sun- mer season, but in the winters had good educa- tional advantages, being sent to the academies at Limestoneville and McEwensville. In the spring of 1871 he came to Milton, where lie at once began to do earpenter work, though he was engaged in teaching sehool during the winters of 1874, 1875 and 1876. In 1879 he began contracting and building on his own aceount, and has since de- voted himself to that line with most gratifying results. He is a progressive business man, in both his work and his methods of handling it, and suc- cess has come to him beeause he has made an earil- est effort to do the best possible in his line. Out- side of his service as school director he has taken no direet part in publie affairs. He is a Demoerat in politics.
On Feb. 3, 1876, Mr. Waldron married Clara Sharrow, daughter of Jonathan and Anna ( Bar- clay) Sharrow, of Lyeoming county, and they is a graduate of the Milton high school, 1896. and of the Philadelphia Musical Academy, 1898, being particularly aecomplished in music. Mr. Waldron and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church.
WILLIAM C. McCONNELL was born in Hali- fax, Dauphin Co., Pa., on the 4th day of April, 1860. ITis family was one of the oldest in that see- tion, both his father and mother being natives of the county. His parents were George Washington and Sarah (Marsh) McConnell, both of whom are now deceased.
On Jan. 1, 1882, Mr. MeConnell associated himself as a partner with the firm of Kulp, MeWil- liams & Company, dealers in lumber, brick and ice. For more than four years he remained a mem- ber of this business house, and in 1886, when the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Kulp continued the lumber business, Mr. McConnell and Mr. Me- Williams, the remaining members of the firm, formed a partnership under the title of McWil- liams & McConnell, and continued in the ice and briek trade. This firm was dissolved in the spring of 1903.
The business eapaeity and indomitable energy of Mr. MeConnell are best illustrated, however, by a statement of the many interests with which lie is allied, and the publie and semi-public enterprises which owe a large measure of their success to his ready guidanee. He was one of the incorporators of the Roaring Creek, Anthracite and Bear Gap Water Companies, and his associates in their man- agement have indieated their confidence in his abil- ities by eleeting him to the presidency of these cor- porations, which important position he held for several years, discharging the duties thereof with rare fidelity. He has also been president of the Shamokin Water Company, eleeted in May, 1886. Mr. MeConnell is a director of the Shamokin Bank- ing Company, of which he is now president, and a member of the Shamokin Board of Trade, connec- tions which aptly show how varied have been his in- terests and how diversified his energetie efforts. All in all, he is one of the most intelligently and thoroughly progressive men of his borough. active in every phase of its development.
have one daughter, Grace Barclay Waldron, who commission for the selection of a site and the erec-
Mr. McConnell was appointed a member of the tion of a State Hospital for Injured Persons of the Trevorton. Shamokin and Mount Carmel coal fields by Gov. Edwin S. Stuart, in pursuance of an Act of Assembly passed by the Legislature of 1907. Upon organization of the commission Mr. McConnell was made chairman of the same. The hospital is now in course of construction and will be open for the reception of patients sometime dur- ing the month of October, 1911. The building site and surrounding grounds, equaling about eleven acres, was donated by the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company and W. C. McConnell.
Thoroughly imbued with the conviction that it is The early days of the subject of this review were the duty of every citizen to show his publie spirit
Chp.Frusbruit Urg Sa Phia
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by participating to the greatest extent possible in dren, as follows: the political affairs of the country, Mr. McConnell early allied himself with the Republican party and has always been a stalwart member of that great political organization. In 1890 he was a delegate to the State convention which placed George W. Delamater in nomination for the governorship, and in 1892 he represented the Seventeenth Congres- sional District of Pennsylvania in the Republican National Convention held at Minneapolis, which renominated Benjamin Harrison for the presidency of the Union. At the election in November, 1908, Mr. McConnell was chosen, as the nominee of the Republican party in the Twenty-Seventh senatorial district, comprising the connties of Northumber- land, Snyder and Union, to represent the same dur- ing the sessions of 1909 and 1911.
On April 14, 1896, he was appointed aide-de- camp, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, on the married a Mr. Wilson and removed to South Car-
staff of Governor Hastings. The Union League of Philadelphia elected him to membership in that. famous social organization in February, 1897.
(1) Abraham, born May 24, 1698, died in October, 1742, in Hilltown. He married Sara Rnekman, and they were the parents of five daughters: Abigail, married to Andrew Armstrong: Ruth, married to James Armstrong; Mary, married to Robert Jameson : Rachel. mar- ried to Hugh Mears; and Sara, married to Samuel Wilson. Thus far we have been unable to learn anything about their descendants. (2) Jeremiah, born Dec. 24, 1701, died in Hilltown in November, 1769. He and his wife Debora were the parents of one son and two daughters: Jeremiah died in New Britain, Bucks Co., Pa., in April, 1778 (his wife's name was Elizabeth ) ; Martha married John Louder : Hannah married Samuel Greshom. (3) Benjamin, born July 9, 1:03, died in August. 1749. (4) John died Feb. 9, 1765, in Hilltown, Pa., unmarried. (5) Mary, born March 1. 1699, olina.
Friends Meeting and at one of the meetings held in Philadelphia requested permission to hold meet- ings in his house. He married Mary Griffith, and
On June 9, 1881, he was married to Ida V. their union was blessed by the birth of seven chil- Martz, daughter of Nathan F. and Eliza (Sam- dren, as follows: Hannah married Emerson Kel- ly ; John married Rachel Morgan : Abraham mar- ried Elizabeth Williams; Benjamin married Cath- erine Eaton (he died in September, 1775) ; Jon- athan married Elizabeth Lewis: Isaac married Sara Matthews; Amos married Martha Thomas. uels) Martz, of Sunbury, Pa. Mrs. McConnell is a native of Northumberland county. She is the mother of two children, William Donald (de- ceased) and Katharine Martz .. Senator McCon- nell and his family are members of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Shamokin.
VASTINE. Abraham Van De Woerstyne, with his wife and their three children, viz., John, Cath- erine and Hannah, left Holland in the seventeenth century and crossed the ocean on a sailing vessel, landing in New York. They soon crossed over into New Jersey. About the time . William Penn founded Philadelphia they came into Pennsyl- vania. In 1696 we find them in Germantown, Pennsylvania.
Abraham Vastine, second son of Benjamin and In 1698 John Van De Woerstyne purchased sev- Mary (Griffith) Vastine, married Elizabeth Wil-
eral tracts of land from one Jeremiah Langhorn, liams. Their family, four sons and two daughters, was as follows : John : William ; Abraham : Nancy ; Mary, and Jeremiah. This family first settled in York county, Pa., and later moved to Kentucky. in Hilltown township, Bucks Co., Pa., and there erected a granite dwelling along the pike leading from Philadelphia to Bethlehem. It stood, as was the custom in that day, with its gable to the Benjamin Vastine, third son of Benjamin and Mary (Griffith ) Vastine. married Catherine Eaton, and they were the parents of two sons and two daughters. namely: Mary married Josiah Lunn; Peter married Hannah, daughter of Jonathan Vas- tine: Benjamin married Dorothy, daughter of Amos Vastine: Elizabeth married Alem Morris. road, fronting south, at a point two miles north of Line Lexington and four miles southwest from Sellersville, Bucks Co., Pa. The naine John Van De Woerstyne appears on a number of official pa- pers and documents on record in Bucks county; it found on many papers pertaining to Jonathan Vastine, fourth son of Benjamin and Mary (Griffith ) Vastinc, with his nephew Peter, who was also his son-in-law, came to Northumber- roads and improvements in Hilltown town- ship. John Van De Woerstyne died Feb. 9, 1738. His wife. Abigail, survived ' him some time. They were the parents of five chil- land county, Pa., where they purchased large farms,
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Benjamin Vastine, son of John and Abigail, was the progenitor of the family in Northumber- Colonel McConnell is a member of Elvsburg Lodge, land county, Pa. He became a member of the No. 414, Free and Accepted Masons, of Shamokin ; Chapter No. 264, Royal Arch Masons : and Sham- okin Commandery, No. 27, Knights Templar.
The name Van De Woerstyne has changed grad- ually, first to Voshne, then to Vashtine and lastly to Vastine. The name in Dutch meant forest, hence the early settlers often called John Van De Woerstyne "Wilderness."
John Vastine, son of Benjamin and Mary (Grif- fith) Vastine, married Rachel Morgan. and they became the parents of two sons and two daughters : Benjamin, who married Mary Van Zant: Simon. who had a son named John ; Nancy, and Margaret.
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the former about six hundred acres where later two daughters: Martha, wife of Joel Miller: and Valentine Epler lived, and the latter three hun- Catherine, wife of Benjamin Miller. dred aeres near that of his uncle. Jonathan, like Benjamin Vastine, son of Jonathan and Eliza- beth (Lewis) Vastine, married Elizabeth Van Zant, by whom he had one son and three daugh- ters : Lewis married Martha Boone; Mary married Samuel Boone; Ann married Isaac Wolverton; Rachel married John M. Housel. his father, was a member of the Society of Friends. He was a farmer, and built a house on his farm. He died about 1830 and is buried in the old Qua- ker burving ground at Catawissa, Pa. He married Elizabeth Lewis, and their union was blessed by the birth of five sons and three daughters, as fol- lows: Benjamin married Elizabeth Van Zant; Ann married Thomas Robbins; Hannah married Peter, son of Benjamin Vastine; Mary married William Marsh; John married Catherine Osmun ; Jeremiah married E. Reeder ; Thomas died un- married ; Jonathan married Nancy Ann Hughs.
Amos Vastine, sixth son of Benjamin and Mary (Griffith) Vastine, married Martha Thomas, and they were the parents of two daughters: Dorothy married Benjamin, son of Benjamin Vastine; Mar- tha married Robert C. Shannon.
Benjamin Vastine, son of John and Rachel (Morgan) Vastine, married Mary Van Zant and they were the parents of three sons: Benjamin married Elizabeth Hauck; Thomas married Sara Ellis; John married Sara Seott.
Benjamin Vastine, son of Benjamin and Mary (Van Zant) Vastine, married Elizabeth Hauek, and they were the parents of the following: Mar- garet, who married William Savidge; Armand; Harriet, who married Alem Hughes; Algernon, and Thomas.
Thomas Vastine, son of Benjamin and Mary (Van Zant) Vastine, married Sara Ellis, and they became the parents of four sons and seven daugh- Nov. 15, 1889. His principal business was farm- ters: Ann (married George Pensyl), Lucinda (married John Adams), Mary, Samantha. Bene- ville, Grace Ella, John, Rufus, Thomas J., Jane and Sara Matilda.
John Vastine, son of Benjamin and Mary (Van Zant) Vastine, married Sara Scott, and their ehil- dren were: Hannah, who married Mahlon Huff ; Ellen ; Sara Jane; Benjamin ; Catherine, and Isa- bella.
Peter Vastine, son of Benjamin and Catherine (Eaton) Vastine, married Hannah, danghter of Jonathan Vastine, and their union was blessed by the birth of nine children: Catherine, unmarried; Elizabeth, who married John Colket : Benjamin, unmarried ; Mary, who inarried Henry Johnson; Ann, who married Henry Boone; Lydia, unmar- ried ; Thomas Jefferson, who married Harriet Paxton : Peter E., who married Mary Miller ; and Jeremiah, unmarried.
Thomas Jefferson Vastine, son of Peter and Hannah (Vastine) Vastine, married Harriet Pax- ton, and had children : Peter, Margaret P., Charles, Joseph, Sara and Hannahı.
Lewis Vastine, son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Van Zant) Vastine, married Martha Boone, and they were the parents of the following children: Hannah (married Dudley Adams), Margaret (married Jaeob B. Gearhart), Rachel Jane, Eliz- abeth (married John H. Morrall), Matilda (mar- ried Abraham Gulick), Sara, Martha, William B., Lewis B. and George.
John Vastine, second son of Jonathan and Eliz- abeth (Lewis) Vastine, inherited a portion of his father's farm and built what is known as the old stone house-it is still standing-where he lived. He married Catherine Osmun and their union was blessed with four sous and two daughters: (1) Thomas P., born in 1808, married Lanalı Vought, and they had children : John Willington, who mar- ried Emma Fisher: Catherine and Matilda, both unmarried : Rosanna, who married George W. Mil- ler and was the mother of Gussie M., Florenee V., Daniel O. and Ruth A. (2) William is fully men- tioned later. (3) John began the study of medi- cine at the age of eighteen, in Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pa., and graduated at the age of twenty-one years, but soon died. (+) Amos, born in 1813, married Susan Lerch, and died
ing, but at one time he was engaged in the mer- eantile business at Paxinos. He owned some six hundred acres of land, which he tilled, and also had large real estate interests in Mount Carmel. He was one of the promoters of the Mount Carmel
Savings Bank, of which he was president from its
organization until his death ; was also one of the organizers of the Shamokin Township Fire Insur- anee Company and was treasurer of same at the time of his death. Politieally he was a Republi- ean, and he filled the office of eounty commissioner from 1871 to 1874. Mrs. Vastine was the daughter of Felix Lereh, one of the pioneer settlers of Mount Carmel. Mr. and Mrs. Vastine were the parents of the following: Felix, who died young : John, who married Kate Bird : Thomas, who mar- ried Lizzie Haas, and has children, Amos and Hat- tie: Catherine, who married E. S. Persing (chil- dren, Anna, Sadie, Amos and Susan) : and Hattie, who had two children ( Amos and William ) by her first husband, Olive Reed, and married for her seeond husband William Metz. (5) Margaret married Charles Heffley and they were the parents bins and had children Margaret and Josiah or
Benjamin Vastine, son of Benjamin and Cath- of three children, Elizabeth (married Harvey Rob- erine (Eaton) Vastine, married Dorothy, daugh- ter of Amos Vastine. They were the parents of Joseph). Harriet and George W. (married Emma
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