Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, Part 91

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co.
Number of Pages: 1090

USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1 > Part 91

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Charles Truckenmiller, according to the same authority, was a resident of Hereford township; family consisted of father and mother, three sons over sixteen years of age, four daughters, and one slave.

John Truckenmiller (Jno. Junior) was head of a family of Rockland township, Berks county, con- sisting of himself and wife, one son above sixteen, and two under sixteen, and three daughters.

(There are sons bearing these three names, George, Charles and John, in Sebastian Trucken- iniller's family, but according to one account these three are said to be the sons of Johan Michael born in 1805, died in 1895). Truckenmiller, who emigrated in 1742, coming in the ship "Francis and Elizabeth.")

Solomon Truckenmiller. son of Jacob, was born June 11, 1785, and lived in Delaware township, Northumberland county, near MeEwensville, maining in the family name until 1903. He died on that place Nov. 7. 1857. Mr. Truckenmiller was a Lutheran in religious faith, a member of the

In 1790 Sebastiau Truckenmiller, the emigrant, lived in Upper Milford, Northampton (now Le- where he had a farm of 120 acres, this property re- high) Co., Pa., had wife, but no children left at home. .

Jacob Truckenmiller the same year lived in that place and had family consisting of himself and church at MeEwensville, which he served in of- wife, two sons over sixteen, one son under sixteen, and two daughters.

ficial capacities for many years. He was a tall man, of medium build, and light complexion. His wife.

There also lived in 1490 in Upper Milford a Eve, died Sept. 21. 1864, aged eighty years, seven

Frederick Truckenmiller moved from Berks · county to Penn township, Northumberland (now Snyder) county, at an early period. He died short- ly before March 29, 1796, and his last will and testament, on record in Will Book 1, page 86, pro- vides as follows for his "dearly beloved wife" Christina: Ten acres of land on north side of Middle Creek, one hundred pounds of lawful money, choice of one cow, six sheep. The exec- utors were wife Christina, George Motz and Adam Bohlander. The children of Frederick and Chris- tina Truckenmiller were: John Frederick, Peter, Mary, Elizabeth, Margaret, Christina, Catarina, Maghtalena and Barbarah.

Jacob Truckenmiller, evidently son of Sebas- tian, was born Aug. 29, 1759, in lower Berks coun- ty, and came to Northumberland county before the Revolution, settling in Delaware township, where his descendants still live. He was the pioneer of the family in this immediate locality, and being a millwright and miller by calling built the orig-

owned by his great-grandson, Valentine S. Truck- enmiller. He died Aug. 23, 1823, at MeEwensville and is buried there, in the old upper cemetery. In religion he was a Lutheran. His account. entered Sept. 9, 1823, in Will Book 2, page 412, mentions sons Jacob, Solomon, George, Samuel, and also Mrs. Mary Truckenmiller, probably his wife. The executors werc Solomon Truckenmiller and Henry Reader. The account was filed in the Register's office. As shown by tombstone records, Jacob's wife was named Annamaria, and she was born Jan. 16, 1763. and died July 27, 1843. Their children were: Solomon, mentioned below: Jacob, born March 22, 1790, who died April 15, 1880 (his wife, Sarah, died Oct. 3, 1873, aged seventy-six years, one month, fifteen days) ; George; and Samuel, born in 1803, who died in 1883 (his wife, Sarah,

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months, twenty-seven days. Their children were are kept constantly employed. The mil is now as follows : Edinund, Charles and Solomon are all mentioned below; Mary ( Polly) married John Clapp and they lived in Lewis township, Northum- berland county: Susan died Dec. 25, 1895, aged seventy-three years, six months, fifteen days, un- married; Rebecca died July 7, 1886, aged sixty years, three months, eleven days, unmarried : Sarah married Jonathan Strause and lived in Montour county; Elizabeth married David Dieffenbacher and lived in Delaware township.

Edmund Truckenmiller, born in Delaware town- ship, was a farmer there for many years, at the tine of his death owning two farms, one of 145 acres and one of 120 acres. He was enterprising and intelligent in his agricultural work, and was not only admired for his ability bnt esteemed for the many sterling traits which made his influence strong in, the community. He was a Lutheran, active in church work, and helped to build the Union church at McEwensville, donating liberally toward the expenses of its construction. He served as deacon and elder. Mr. Truckenmiller was a resident of McEwensville the last thirty years of his life, dying May 16, 1889, aged seventy-eight years, eleven months, twenty-five days. Few citi- zens of his locality were more generally missed, and he was held in the greatest respect by all who knew him. Politically he was a Republican. His wife, Mary (Schmeck), whose family eame from Berks county, died Oct. 17, 1876, aged sixty-nine years, two months, eighteen days. Eleven children were born to this couple, of whom Eliza died un- married ; Edmund died young ; Solomon ; Malinda a thirty-second degree Mason. married Ephraim Lcinbach; Daniel lives retired at Watsontown; Rachel died uninarried; Dr. Wil-

ship, later attending McEwensville Academy and a commercial college at Elmira, N. Y., from which he was graduated in 1863. Until 1874 Mr. Truck- enmiller followed the business of cattle broker, be- ing thus engaged in Chicago and other western places, and in that year he purchased the old Truckenmiller mill and homestead site in Dela- ware township, near Watsontown, where he has since been established. There are thirty-six acres purchased the mill he remodeled it throughout, in- stalling the most modern machinery and bringing the capacity up to one hundred barrels daily, and he cominands the principal trade in his line in the upper part of Northumberland county, producing high-grade flour, which he ships all over eastern and central Pennsylvania, the demand being partic- . ularly large in the coal regions. The popular brands are Satin, Boss and Queen, and five men

conducted by the firm of V. S. Truckenmiller & Son, Mr. Truckenmiller's son Frank E. being in partnership with him. They also deal in grain and mill feed of all kinds. Mr. Truckenmiller has become interested in other business matters in his section, and was one of the organizers of the Farm- ers National Bank of Watsontown, of which he has been a director ever since. He has been active in various projects affecting the general welfare and is a leading citizen of his section. He is a member of the Presbyterian church at Watsontown, and so- cially belongs to Warrior Run Lodge, No. 401, F. & A. M., of Watsontown, and to Warrior Run Chapter, R. A. M. Politically he is a Republican, and during the Civil war he was in the Union serv- ice, enlisting from Watsontown in 1861 in Com- pany B, 131st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, with which he served nine months.

In 1870 Mr. Truckenmiller married Sarah E. Montgomery, daughter of William and Mary (Caldwell) Montgomery, of McEwensville, and to them were born two children, Frank E. and Wil- liam S. Mrs. Truckenmiller died Nov. 7, 1890, aged forty-eight years, and is buried at Watson- town.

Frank E. Truckenmiller, son of Valentine S. Truckenmiller, is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and conducted a drug store at Williamsport, Pa., for five years. He sold out on account of his health, and since 1902 has been associated with his father, being the junior member of the firm of V. S. Truckeniniller & Son. He is

Charles Truckenmiller, son of Solomon, was liam is at Allenwood, Union Co., Pa .; Calvin is a born Sept. 20, 1813, and lived in Delaware town- resident of Centerville, Mich .; Valentine S. lives in Delaware township.

Valentine S. Truckenmiller received his early wife, Susanna (Dieffenbacher), born Sept. 20, education in the common schools of his native town- , 1820, died May 2, 1892. Mr. Truckenmiller died

ship, where he followed farming. He had an eighty-acre property near McEwensville. His

Feb. 13, 1893. They had children as follows: Augustus, of Catawissa, Pa., a musician : George, who lives in Dakota : Henry, of Dakota; Elizabeth, married and living in Scranton, Pa .; and Ella, married and living in Dakota. The three who set- tled in the west have all done well, and all the members of the family are in prosperous circum- stances.

Solomon Truckenmiller, son of Solomon, lived of land attached to the mill property. When he near McEwensville, in Delaware township, where

he had a-small farm and followed agricultural pur- suits. He married Eliza Strab, and they had two children : Peter, who died at Milton, Pa .; and Isaac, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Mr. Trucken- iniller died Oct. 9, 1896, aged seventy-six years, six months, nineteen 'days ; his wife died Jan. 13, 1892, aged sixty years, eight months, seven days.

Jacob E. Truckenmiller (son of Jacob) of Com-

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pany B, 131st Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, members added to the church roll. He resigned died in hospital at Fredericksburg, Va., Dee. 15, to accept a unanimous call to Hamburg, where he 1862, aged thirty-five years, nine months, twenty- took charge of St. John's Lutheran Church Sept. two days.

1, 1910. He has made many friends during his brief serviee at that church. Mr. Druckenmiller married Ellen J. Lerch, of Allentown, Pennsyl- vania.

As previously mentioned, some branches of the family spell the name Druckenmiller. Of these, Michael Druckenmiller, millwright, of Hereford township, Berks eounty, was said to be a descendant

GEORGE D. HEDENBERG, Milton, a coal of the Charles Truekenmiller who in 1790 lived inerehant, is doing business under the firm naine in Hereford township. Michael's children were: of Hedenberg & Son. This business is of about

Daniel, Enos, Clara, Hannah, Luey and Elizabeth.

ten years' standing, during which time it has and best equipped plants in this seetion.

Enos Drunekeniniller (as he wrote his name), grown from a small coal yard to one of the largest son of Michael, was born Dee. 14, 1821, and died March 29, 1899, at Zieglersville in Upper Milford The Hedenbergs are of Swedish descent, the Ameriean braneh having eome to this country in the early Colonial days and settled in Perth Amboy, N. J., from which point the family beeame widely seattered. township, Lehigh Co., Pa., his death being caused by apoplexy. He is buried in the Lutheran eeme- tery at that place, and was long an active worker in the church, in all its departments, serving as elder and Sunday school teacher. He was a meni- Charles J. Hedenberg, grandfather of George D., was born in Tennessee, and being of a roving disposition, resided in many parts of the United States. He was aetive in the Texan Revolution against Mexico, as well as in the Civil war. Shortly before the latter period lie eame to Pennsylvania, and he died in Danville in 1871. To him and his wife, Mary Ellen, were born the following chil- dren: Charles J., James M., Mary Augusta, Frances V. and William J., and one son that died in infancy. ber of the building committee when the new chureli was erected. For many years he was director of a singing school. Mr. Drunekenmiller was a pros- perous farmer and mechanie all his life, owning several farms. He was a Democrat in polities, and served nine years as school director of Hereford township, Berks county. He married Elizabeth N. Deseh, daughter of George and Margerite (Mar- steller) Desh, and they had a large family, name- ly: Benneville died of measles and brain fever when twenty-two years old ; Rev. Jocl settled about 1880 in Michigan, where he serves a charge at Rogers City; Tilghinan married Barbara Frey; Elizabeth married Milton Kleinsmith ; Henry, now of Atlanta, Ga., married Ellen Wagonhorst ; David married Katie Nuss and lives at Sellersville, Pa .; Benjamin D. is a resident of Kutztown, Pa .; Em- ma died of diphtheria in her ninth year; Mame married William Weiss and (second) Hiram Welk- er; Susanna married Benjamin Brey; Rosa mar- ried Allen W. Sheimer : Sallie married John Sweitzer; George D. is a Lutheran minister : Mag- gie married William Shubert: Laura married Richard Reese ; Annie married Allen Snyder.

Rev .. George D. Druckenmiller, son of Enos, graduated from Muhlenberg College in 1894, and then entered Mount Airy Theologieal Semi- nary, from which he was graduated three years later. He was ordained at Laneaster June 14, 1897, by the Ministerium of Pennsylvania and ad- jacent states, and in July of the same year took to which he had been called. Three years later he received a call to the Freemansburg eharge, in Northampton county, in May, 1900, and there he had a very successful pastorate, during which a house of worship was erected and the membership greatly increased. On Dec. 1, 1905, he accepted an urgent call to Nazareth, where a $40,000 church was erected during his ineumbeney and 325 new

James M. Hedenberg, father of George D., was born in Houston, Texas, Jan. 5, 1847. Coming north with his parents, he resided in Philadel- phia, Pa., from which place he enlisted, at the age of sixteen years, in Company G, 192d Regi- ment, P. V. I. After the war he entered the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania to study medieine, but on aeeount of ill health gave it up. Later he went into partnership with his father in the drug busi- ness in Danville, Pa., continuing there until 1872, when he entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company. He was stationed first at Williamsport, Pa., being transferred thence to Milton, in 1873, as agent, which position he filled for twenty-five years. He was largely instru- mental in the extension of the Philadelphia & Read- ing Railroad branch into the center of the town. In 1898 he was transferred to Philadelphia, and he served there until his resignation in 1902 on ae- count of failing health. He returned to Milton and made his home there until his death, which oc-

charge of the Freeburg parish, in Snyder county, eurred Aug. 20, 1910.

On June 1, 1870, James M. Hedenberg married Susan R. Hiestand, daughter of John and Susan ( Hoover) Hiestand, who, with two children, George D. and Charles L., of Madison, Ga., sur- vived him. He was a member of Milton Lodge, No. 256, F. & A. M., the Scottish Rite Consistory of the Valley of Philadelphia, and of Post No. 2, G. A. R., of Philadelphia.

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George D. Hedenberg was born Oct. 15, 1871, ergetic, he took a leading part in the affairs of his at Danville, Pa. He was educated at the Milton time. A young man when the war of 1812 broke public schools and started work in the employ of out, he entered the service and attained the rank the United States Express Company, at Milton. of colonel. He was twice married, his first union Later he became chief clerk in the Milton station being with Mary Pollock, daughter of James Pol- of the P. & R. Railroad. In the year 1898 he en- lock, of Anthony township, Lycoming Co., Pa., listed in Company C, 12th Regiment, P. V. I. Aft- and she died about 18 ?? , leaving one son, Joseph. er the close of the Spanish-American war he Mr. Dean's second marriage was to Adeline C. re-entered the employ of the P. & R. Railroad Com-

Cole, of . Fishing Creek, Columbia Co., Pa., and pany, and was stationed at Port Reading, N. J., member of an old' family of that county. She had being later transferred to Rutherford Transfer, three brothers and one sister, as follows: Ezekiel, Harrisburg, Pa. In 1903 he came back to Milton, Isaiah, William (who was county commissioner where he has since been engaged in the coal busi- of Columbia county) and Helen (Mrs. Samuel ness.

Lowery). Mrs. Adeline C. Dean died in 1858, at

George D. Hedenberg married Nov. 20, 1902, the age of fifty-one years. She and her husband Anna M. Heinen, daughter of Henry J. and Anna are buried in the Derry cemetery adjoining the (Mann) Heinen, of Milton. They have three chil- church of that name in Montour county. To their dren, George D., Elisabeth M. and Juliette L. So- union were born nine children, the family record cially Mr. Hedenberg is a member of Milton Lodge, being as follows : Joseph married Mary Ann Gehr- No. 256, F. & A. M., the Scottish Rite Consistory linger, by whom he had two children, Margaret (Mrs. James Pollock) and Wallace (who married

of the Valley of Williamsport, S. Hepburn Pollock Camp, No. 121, S. of V., and the B. P. O. Elks Ella Foust), and by his second wife, Margaret Lodge, No: 913.

(Corneleson), he had five children : William A. is mentioned below ; Jane married Russell Sheddon

WILLIAM A. DEAN, late of Watsontown, had and had one son, Clarence, of Gardner, Kans .: Mary married William Clingan and had children,

been a resident of that borough only a few years at the time of his recent death, but he was a well Charles (of Kansas City, Mo.), Margaret (wife known citizen of this part of Northumberland of A. Brown, of Lewisburg, Pa.), Jean (Mrs. Price, county, where he passed the latter half of his long of Galesburg, Ill. ) and Helen (Mrs. Pennfield, of life. His earlier years were spent in the adjoining Connecticut) ; Ursula is the widow of Daniel section of Montour county, and he came of an old Gouger; Alice married F. J. Foster, of Kansas, family of this region-upper Northumberland and had children, Dr. Dean Foster (of Stamford, county and the adjacent territory of what is now Conn. ), Andrew (an electrician, of Joplin, Mo.), Montour county. He was active in politics and Hugh (an electrician, also of Joplin, Mo. ), Lloyd public affairs for a number of years, and had given (of Harper county, Kans. ) and Peggie (Mrs. Ful- honorable service in various positions.

ton, of Harper county, Kans.) : Martha married

Mr. Dean was born Oct. 27, 1827, near Washing- Capt. Samuel Bryson and had children. James, Dr. tonville, Columbia (now Montour) Co., Pa. The Howard, Nellie and Janette; Helen and Susan family is of English origin, and his great-grand- died young; Oliver H. is a member of the law father was one of General Wolfe's aides-de-camp at firm of Warner, Dean & McLeod, of Kansas City, the battle of Quebec, in 1759. At the close of the Mo. (Mr. Warner, the senior member, is United French and Indian war he returned to England, States senator from Missouri).

where he died. His son, Joseph Dean, grandfather William A. Dean, oldest son of Joseph by his of William A. Dean, was impressed on board an second marriage, was reared and educated in Mon- English vessel, and brought from England to tour county, where he followed farming and survey- America. He served as a soldier in the Revolu- tionary war, and after its close married Esther Florel, and settled in Montour (then Columbia) county, Pennsylvania. ing until he purchased a farm in Lewis township, Northumberland county, in 1872, removing there- on. He lived there until 1884, when he gave up ar- duous labor and settled at Milton, making his home in that borough until 1906, in which year he re- moved to Watsontown, at which place he spent his remaining days, in retirement. He on Main street, above First. He

Joseph Dean, son of Joseph and Esther, was born in what is now Montour county in 1786, and died in 1867. He was a farmer by occupation, and proved himself a man of enterprise and intelli- lived gence in business matters, accumulating consider- died June

9, 1910, in his eighty-third

able means. He was an influential citizen of his year. Thoughi farming was his principal vo- day, serving one term as treasurer of Montour cation during his more active years, Mr. Dean county and ten years as associate judge. He was liad other interests of importance and was chosen a strong Democrat in politics, and in religion a to a number of public positions, in which his serv- member of the Presbyterian church, in which he ices were highly satisfactory. He served over twenty served many years as elder. Progressive and en- years as justice of the peace, in Montour and

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Northumberland counties ; represented the district tered the Union service, in which he remained including Northumberland county in the State Legislature from 1886 to 1888; was school director some years, and for three years secretary of the school board; was deputy sheriff under Robert Montgomery, and upon his death, in 1892, was ap- pointed sheriff to complete the unexpired term. He has always been an enthusiastie Democrat, and has been delegate to a number of county and State conventions. He was a stockholder in the Milton Trust & Safe Deposit Company and served as men- ber of the examining board. Mr. Dean was made a Mason in Danville Lodge, No. 224, F. & A. M., in 1850, later transferring his membership to Mil- ton Lodge, No. 256, to which he belonged until his death. He and his family were associated with the Presbyterian church. Although past eighty at the time of his deeease, Mr. Dean was active and vig- orous for one of his years, possessed a good memory, and was greatly beloved for his kindly spirit and admirable disposition.

On Oct. 3, 1853, Mr. Dean married Susan .Gauger, daughter of John and Mary (Bilhneyer) Gauger, of Montour county, and she died March 3, 1881. This union was blessed with two daugh- ters : (1) Mary Ada married John Z. McFarland, of Watsontown, and they have a family of seven children : Dean, who is a mail carrier on the rural route . from Watsontown; John Z., who married Maggie McGee, of McGees Mills, Clearfield Co., Pa., where they reside ( they have two children) ; Jessie, who graduated from Bucknell University and is now teaching at Altoona, Pa .; Sarah, a student at Bucknell University; Oliver H. : Fran- cis; and George. (?) Jessie is the wife of George F. Riclimond, of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

On Jan. 8, 1884, Mr. Dean married (seeond) Louisa McCurdy, daughter of Jacob and Ann (Day) McCurdy, of Union county, Pennsylvania.

three years, being a member of the 13th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In his young manhood he read law, but the legal profession did not appeal to him and he never completed the course. Im- mediately after the war he taught school, and through his own efforts has become a man of marked intellectual attainments, reading and study having always been his delight and a souree of keen pleasure to him. He has for years been successfully engaged as a general contractor and builder, employing from ten to twenty men, as oe- casion requires, and has done considerable govern- ment work and built many bridges. He has con- tinned to reside at Degraff, Logan Co., Ohio, and has long been an influential citizen of his commun- ity, having served a number of years as mayor of his town and several terms as county auditor. A Republican whose activity and influence in the party have made him widely known, he has served as delegate to a number of state conventions and once as a national delegate. Mr. Barr married Mary E. Stilwell, who was born in Logan county, Ohio, where her father, Stephen Stilwell, lived at the time; he subsequently moved to Kentucky, where his death occurred.

Jolm W. Barr received his common school edu- cation at Degraff, and took a technical course at Springfield, Ohio, leaving school to engage in the steel business at that place. After two years' ex- perience in that line he went to Baltimore, Md., in the fall of 1889, to take the position of assistant to the manager of the Whitley Harvesting Machine Company, continuing there about four years, until the eastern branehi was removed. His next employ- ment was at the photo engraving business in Balti- more, at which he was engaged for one year, at the end of that time selling out and moving to Phila- delphia, where he became interested in architectur- al work. During the several years of his residence in that city he built nearly three thousand houses, do- ing a very successful business. In 1901 Mr. Barr removed to New York City, where he was engaged as consulting engineer on construction work, and during 1902-03 he built a considerable part of the Coney Island resort. In the spring of 1903 he came to Watsontown, Northumberland Co., Pa., where he has ever since resided. He immediately took charge of the works of the Breon Table Con-

JOHN W. BARR, of Watsontown, Northumber- land county, has been connected with the Breon Table Company ever since his arrival at that place, having come there in the spring of 1903 to take charge of the plant, which he purchased four years later. It is one of the important local indus- tries, and Mr. Barr has made a high reputation as a manufacturer and as a business manager dur- ing his comparatively brief residence in the bor- ough. He has had a varied business career. Mr. pany, and after four years as manager of that con- Barr was born March 25. 1872, at Degraff, Logan eern bought it. The business is a large one, the Co., Ohio, son of Hugh H. Barr and grandson of manufacture of dining tables being its special fea- William Barr. The latter lived in Illinois, where ture, and the produet finding a ready market all he followed farming, and died abont 1880. He is over the east, the demand being so extensive as to buried in that state. He was of Scotch-Irish ex- keep seventy mien steadily employed. Mr. Barr traction and a Presbyterian in religious faith.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, Part 91

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co. Number of Pages: 1090

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co.
Number of Pages: 1090