Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, Part 93

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 93

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Mr. Oberdorf is well known socially, being a member of Lodge No. 22, F. & A. M., and of the Temple Club of Sunbury; of the Americus Club of Sunbury; and of the Rolling Green Country Club. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Sunbury, and served as trustee of the congre- gation for a number of years. Politically he is a Republican, and he has served as auditor of the town.

berland, and they have one child, Rhoda Jane, born Jan. 16, 1910. He is a member of Masonic Lodge No. 22, of Sunbury.

Aug. 19, 1807, and died Feb. 28, 1866. He and his wife Charity are buried at the Klinesgrove M. E. Church. He was educated in the old pay school of his day, and trained from early life to farming, which he began for himself in 1855, pur- chasing his father's place from the estate. He lived there all his life. The farm then com- prised 226 acres. Originally a Democrat, later a Whig, when the war broke out he became a fol- lower of Abraham Lincoln. He helped to estab- lish the first public school in the township, which was built by subscription, and he himself did much of the carpenter work on this school building. He served as overscer of the poor, in short he was an all-round active and useful citizen. In re- ligion a Lutheran, he was a member of St. John's Church, and was in the church council some years. Mr. Oberdorf was married twice, first to Catharine Campbell, daughter of Robert Campbell. She was born Jan. 12, 1812, and died May 30, 1835; she is buried at Klinesgrove. By this union there were two children: Margaret, born Jan. 11, 1834, who died Aug. 15, 1836; and Joseph, born March 8, 1835, who died Aug. 4, 1835. Mr. Oberdorf's second marriage was to Charity Sowders, on Feb. 16, 1837. She died Aug. 5, 1865, aged fifty-five Years. eleven months, twenty days, the mother of five children, namely : Harriet, born July 5, 1838, married Oscar Heller, and they lived in Rush town- ship; Mary C.,. born Sept. 25, 1841, married A. D. Moore and they live at Klinesgrove, Pa. : Peter J., born Nov. 13, 1843, died April 21, 1887, and is buried at Klinesgrove M. E. Church (he inar- ried Lydia A. Recd, who died Dec. 8, 1888, aged thirty-nine years. six months, four days, and their son, Frank H., born in 1873, died in 1894) ; George Forrest was born May 2, 1816: Elizabeth, born April 25, 1848, married Joel Rabuck, and they live in Rush township.

CHARLES D. OBERDORF, son of Samuel, was born July 17, 1851. He began teaching at the age of seventeen, on Bald Top, near Danville, afterwards teaching two years near the Odd Fellows Orphan- age in Upper Augusta township. For the next two GEORGE FORREST OBERDORF. farmer in Upper Augusta township, at Klinesgrove, was born May 2. 1846, on the farin he now occupies. He was educated in the township public schools and rearcd as a farmer, beginning farming for himself in the spring of 1887, on the homestead where he has since continued to live. In March, 1887. the home- stcad farm passed into his possession. It was then years he was a tutor in the private school of N. Foster Browne, one year at Sunbury, and one in Lewistown, preparing at the same time for col- lege. Entering Princeton University in the fall of 1874, he graduated in 1878; served as principal of the Mount Carmel high school for the next three years, and was then clected supervisory principal of the Sunbury schools, serving as such for twelve a tract of 226 acres, of which he sold off forty- years. He was then elected borough superintend- ent of the Sunbury schools, for two terms of three years each. Since that time, from 1900 to 1911

nine acres, subsequently adding thirty-three acres. He and his brother Peter J. at first owned the farm in partnership and built the present house, to which

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George F. Oberdorf has since made additions. ily of his grandfather, Peter, when only ten years The old house which Peter Oberdorf built about' old, and there lived with them until they died. 1810, on this tract, is still standing and in a good In the spring of 1907 he obtained the homestead, state of preservation. It is a log house, now where he lived until his removal to Sunbury. He weather-boarded. In 1856 George Oberdorf, his cultivated a tract of 185 acres, and conducted his son, remodeled it, and tore out two big stone chim- affairs successfully, also taking an active interest neys that extended from the first floor up. It is in local public affairs. Politically he is a Repub- lican. In the spring of 1911 he came to Sunbury generation. In 1899 George F. Oberdorf rebuilt to live, making his home on Catawissa avenue.

now occupied by George C. Oberdorf, of the fourth the barn, and in 1909 added a big straw shed. His land is fertile and adapted to general farm- ing as well as fruit growing. He has a peach or- chard of 300 trees. Mr. Oberdorf has been active in various interests in his locality and is one of the best known men in the township. He is a Repub- lican and was school director for six years, serving a year as president and the same length of time . as treasurer of the board. He is now president of the Augusta Mutual Fire Insurance Company, whos" headquarters are in Sin 'ry, a well con- ducted company, of which Saul Shipman is secre- tary and David Cooper treasurer. The board con- sists of six directors. Mr. Oberdorf is an Odd Fel- low, belonging to Snydertown Lodge, No. 527, of which he is a past grand and at one time was most active in its work. He and his family have wor- shiped in the Methodist Episcopal Church at Klinesgrove since 1876. and Mr. Oberdorf is one of the pillars of the church, which he has served officially for a number of years.

On Jan. 5, 1876, Mr. Oberdorf married Laura Alice Mettler, daughter of Carter and Mary (Haughawout) Mettler, of Rush township, and they have had a family of five children : Mary, who died in infancy ; Harriet M., at home ; William R., at home; George C., who married Ruth A. Camp- bell, and lives in the old homestead residence; and Annie, who died of pneumonia when two and a half years old.

Martin Oberdorf, son of Peter, was born in Up- per Augusta township, and was a farmer owning a farm of ninety acres. His death, which occurred in 1871 in Rush township, was the result of a cowardly shooting. He is buried at the Meth- odist Church at Klinesgrove. However, he was a member of the Reformed Church, as was his wife, Susan ( Evert). They had children as follows: Henry M., of Stonington, Pa. : John E., of Sun- aged twenty-three years, six months, twenty-two days : William, of Jola, Kans .: Peter, who died at Berwick, Pa. : Philip, who died at Berwick; and Elmer E.

ELMER E. OBERDORF was a farmer in Upper Angusta township, on the farm of his grandfather, Peter Oberdorf .. He was born Sept. 20, 1861, in Rush township, attended the public schools, and has always lived on the farm. When his father, Martin Oberdorf, was shot he went into the fam-

On Sept. 30, 1908, Mr. Oberdorf married Edith Shipman, daughter of John HI. and Barbara ( Snyder) Shipman, and granddaughter of Jacob Shipman, both the Shipmans being from Lower Augusta township, as was also Barbara Snyder, daughter of Col. Thomas Snyder. Mr. Oberdorf is a Lutheran in religious connection, and his wife is a Baptist.

HARRY C. BARNHART, farmer, who has a large property in Point township, Northumber- land county, located along the north branch of the Susquehanna river, was born Aug. 9, 1871, in Mon- tour county, Pa., son of Martin Barnhart and grandson of Michael Barnhart.

Michael Barnhart was born in Rush township, Northumberland county, and died at Shamokin Creek, below Sunbury, when sixty-eight years old. He is buried at Snydertown. He was a farmer by occupation and a Lutheran in religion. His first marriage was to a Miss Keefer, his second to Sarah Elizabeth (Neidig) Fryling, widow of Stophel Fryling. The following named children were born to the first union: John settled in Ohio: David became a resident of Sunbury, Pa .; Benjamin, of Watsontown, Pa .; George, of Sacramento, Cal .; Martin was the father of Harry C. Barnhart ; Mary married Jonas Hollenbach : Hannah married John Bowen : Sophia married Mr. Donavan; Elizabeth married Thomas Rogers.

Martin Barnhart was born Jan. 4, 1823, in Rush township, was a lifelong farmer, and for many years owned and lived on the farm in Point town- ship now occupied by his son Harry C. He died June 3, 1898, and is buried at Northumberland. Like the members of his family generally, he was a Lutheran in religious matters. In 1845 he mar- ried Sarah Elizabeth Fryling, who was born in Oc- tober, 1826, daughter of Stophel and Sarah Eliz- abeth (Crissinger) Fryling, and granddaughter . bury, Pa. ; Mary Eliza, who died Nov. 21. 1870, of Christopher Fryling, who lived along the Sham-

okin ereek in Northumberland county. Though now in her eighty-eighth year, Mrs. Barnhart is well preserved. She is the mother of ten children. born as follows: William, 1846: Mary Alice, 1849 (died in 1855) : Anna D., 1852: Hannah J., 1854 (died in 1855) : Sarah Elizabeth, 1857; Josephine Lee, 1860; Angeline, 1862: James McClellan. 1865: Emma, 1867; Harry C., 1871.

Harry C. Barnhart was reared to farming, and when twenty-six years old began cultivating his

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father's farm in Point township on his own ae- ness, for he was very liberal in his charities and in count. This place has remained in the family sinee the father's death, in 1898, Harry C. Barn- hart now owning it, and he has operated it profit- ably, showing himself equal to the responsibility of so large a traet. The place contains 200 acres, located on the north branch, and its level, fertile fields, of productive river soil, make it most val- uable for general farming purposes. It was the old Joseph Bird homestead and has been occupied for several generations. A number of Indian relics have been found on the place.

On May 6, 1908, Mr. Barnhart married Minnie Morgan, daughter of William Morgan, and they have two children, Elizabeth and William. Mr. Church, and he is a Democrat politieally.

and Mrs. Barnhart are members of the Lutheran honored couple: Henry, Daniel (of Montour

MOSER. The Moser family now well known in the northern portion of Northumberland county is deseended from Peter Moser, a native of Berks county, Pa., who in 1838 eame to Derry township. then in Northumberland county, but now ineluded in Montour county. He had considerable land and was a lifelong farmer, being succeeded on his home plaee by his son-in-law, Gideon Dietrich. He was an early live stock dealer, and was a prominent and successful man, being able to give a farm to

each of his nine ehildren. He is buried at Wash- gan operations on his own account in Anthony ingtonville Church, which he helped to build, be- township, Montour county, where he farmed on ing one of the foremost members of the Luthieran shares for seven years, in 1884 coming to his pres- congregation there: he served many years in the ent farm in Lewis township, Northumberland church eouneil. His children were as follows: Ja- cob, Samuel, John, George, Henry, Fred, Mrs. Samuel Shirey, Sallie (wife of Samuel Snyder), Susan (wife of Gideon Dietrich) and Margaret (married Philip Boyer ).

John Moser, son of Peter, was born Jan. 19, 1822, near Amityville, in Berks county, Pa., and was a youth when he moved with his parents to Derry township, in what is now Montour eounty. He was trained to agricultural work from early life, and inheriting a traet of 264 aeres from his father continued to eultivate that place until 1897, when he removed to Turbutville. In 1900 he built the fine home there (the place now owned by his son Henry) where he died Feb. 13, 1909, at the elected him to the office of township treasurer for advanced age of eighty-seven years. He is buried many years, and he has also served as tax collector. He votes independently, being bound by no party ties. in the Moser family plot in the new cemetery at Turbutville. Mr. Moser was an unusually success- ful man, and as he dealt in horses and cattle for In 1876 Mr. Moser married Anna E. Carey, many years in addition to farming he became daughter of James and Rachel ( Hindershot) Car- widely known throughont this region. Though he ey, of White Hall, Montour Co., Pa. They have suffered a loss of about three thousand dollars in the no children. Mr. and Mrs. Moser are members of Turbutville fire of Ang. 11, 1900, the estate which the old Lutheran Church at Turbutville, and he has served as trustee thereof. Socially he holds membership in Warrior Run Lodge, No. 401, F. & A. M., of Watsontown, and in Warrior Run Lodge, he left at his death was valued at fifteen thousand dollars, and he had distributed a much larger amount among his children during his lifetime. Moreover, his means were all acenmulated in hon- No. 645, I. O. O. F., of Turbutville.

orable business transactions and not by penurious-

his gifts to religious work, giving with a free hand to his own and to all other churches. In Column- bia county he donated seven hundred dollars to the Madison township Lutheran Church. He was the oldest resident of Turbntville at the time of his death, and his funeral was largely attended. In 1907 his sons John Wellington and Henry Moser gave a fine memorial window to the German Evan- gelical Lutheran Church at Turbutville in his honor. His wife, Margaret (Cromly), daughter of Daniel and Margaret ( Evert) Cromly, though now in her eightieth year (she was born Aug. 5, 1831), is well preserved, and still makes her home at Tur- butville. Children as follows were born to this

county), S. Anna (who, died young), J. Welling- ton, Catharine (married John A. Ellis and died leaving two children, Margaret and Ella), William Hurley and Peter (a farmer of Lewis township).

HENRY MOSER, son of John, is a prominent eit- izen and farmer of Lewis township, where he owns a fine traet of eighty-four aeres near Tur- butville. He was born Sept. 24, 1852, near Wash- ingtonville, Montour county, and was educated in the common sehools, beginning work meantime with his father, with whom he remained until he reached the age of twenty-four years. He then be-

county. It is a fine piece of limestone soil, for- merly the old Wykoff homestead, and Mr. Moser has developed its resources to the best advantage, having three lime kilns on the place which are kept going nearly all the year round. He burns fromn fifty thousand to sixty thousand bushels of linie annually, employing five men in this work alone. An able manager in the conduct of his business affairs, he has reached a substantial place among the well-to-do citizens of his loeality, hav- ing acquired several properties in Turbutville and holdings of considerable value in various banks. His reliability and acumen in finaneial matters have been recognized by his fellow townsmen, who

JOHN WELLINGTON MOSER, Son of John, a highly

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esteemed resident of Turbutville, was born Dec. was born March 28, 1845, in Liberty township, 4, 1857, in Columbia county, Pa., and received his Montour Co., Pa., son of Jacob and Justine (Boy- schooling at White Hall. He was reared to farm er) Moser, and grandson of Peter Moser. He was life, and began farming for himself in the spring of 1889, for the next eighteen years being thus engaged in Limestone township, Montour county. In 1907 he built the home at Turbutville which he has since occupied, renting his farm, though he occasionally works upon it. He is a man of the most honorable standing, widely- esteemed.

tee that has the remodeling of the church in hand at present (1910). Politically he is a Republican.

educated in the public schools and reared to farm- ing, also assisting his father in the general store at Mooresburg, Montour county. In 1868 he be- gan farming on the homestead in Liberty town- ship, where he lived and farmed on shares for six- teen years, his parents making their home with him. After that he bought a tract of sixty acres in Liberty township, along Mexico Ridge, and. a year later bought another sixty acres, adjoining.

On March 7, 1889, Mr. Moser married Emma R. Dietrich, daughter of Daniel Dietrich, of No. 1007 Franklin street, Reading, Pa., who died Jan. He continued to cultivate this property for nine 10, 1911. They have one son, J. Alvin, born Aug. years, when he sold it and moved to Limestone 26, 1894. The family are members of the Luth- township, where he had a 170-acre tract. There he eran Church, in which Mr. Moser takes an active also farmed for nine years, and he still owns the interest, being a member of the building commit- place, which is one of the most valuable farms in that district. He has a tenant on the place now. Mr. Moser also owns another farm, of 118 .acres,

WILLIAM HURLEY MOSER, son of John, is also a in Turbut township, Northumberland county. He highly respected resident of Turbutville. He was is now living retired in Watsontown, where he has born May 6, 1861, at the homestead in Columbia ocenpied his fine modern residence since April, county. He attended the common schools and 1908. He is a man of substance and sterling assisted with the farm work at home until he was worth, and has an honored place in the community. thirty-three years old, after which he undertook He and his family are members of the new Luth- eran Church, and he was deacon and elder of the church at his former home. On political ques- the cultivation of the place, which is near White Hall, on his own account. He continued thus for fourteen years, when he sold out his farm stock tions he is a Republican.

and moved to the borough of Turbutville. He has a large residence on the main street. Mr. Moser retains the ownership of the homestead farm, a maker) Fenstermacher, who lived in Valley town- tract of 264 acres, which he rents out.

In 1869 Mr. Moser married Mary Fenster- macher, daughter of Charles and Catharine ( Shmu- ship, Montour county, where he had a farm and On Feb. 26, 1895, Mr. Moser married Sue also followed tanning. To this union have been born the following children: Ella married Allen Watson and they live in Anthony township, Mon- tour county; Warren lives on his father's farm in Turbut township : Laura graduated from the State Normal school at Lock Haven and is engaged in teaching; Charles lives with his parents; Clyde farms his uncle Peter Moser's farm in Liberty. township, Montour county ; Tina married Cortney Baird and they live in Lock Haven, Pa .; Catharine

Jacob Moser, son of Peter, was born in Berks county, Pa., and went to Montour county about and Ida are unmarried : Jacob farms a place be- two years after his father's removal thither. He longing to his uncle Peter Moser in Liberty town- followed farming, and also conducted a store at ship; Mary is unmarried.

WALTER L. WEIDENHAMER, merchant of county, at the age of ninety-three years, and is Watsontown, Northumberland county, belongs to a buried in Oak Grove cemetery. His wife, Justine family which has been settled in Pennsylvania (Boyer), daughter of Jacob Boyer, of Berks from about the middle of the eighteenth century. county, died at the age of eighty-four years. They The. progenitor in America, Johannes Weidenham- had children as follows: Anna, who married Jere- er, was a native of Germany, born Nov. 14, 1726.

In 1750 he married Margaret Magdalena Eblinger, and they were survived by five sons and four daugh- ters, twenty-seven grandchildren and forty-eight great grandchildren. Johannes Weidenhamer died Ang. 3, 1804, in his seventy-eighth year, his wife, who was born in 1729, dying in April, 1812, when eighty-three years old. . The original Weiden-

JACOB B. MOSER, now living retired in the bor- ough of Watsontown, Northumberland county, hamer homestead was about three quarters of a

Wolfe, daughter of William and Martha (Wolfe) Wolfe, of Derry township, Montour county, her pa- ternal and maternal grandfathers, George Wolfe and Leonard Wolfe, having been second cousins. Mr. and Mrs. Moser have no children. They are members of the Imtheran Church. In politics he is a Republican.

Mooresburg for eleven years, after which he re- tired. He died at Pottsgrove, Northumberland miah Fix; Hettie, who died unmarried ; Peter, who died at Pottsgrove in 1911; Catharine, who married Daniel Dietrich ; Sarah, who married Sam- uel Sanders ; David, who died in 1861; Mary, who married William Sheets and (second) Eli Bickel ; Jacob B. ; and John, deceased.

----

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mile north of Moselen Springs, in Berks county, and Walter L. Mr. Weidenhamer was a member of Pa., on the Easton road. .

the Lutheran Church, to which his wife also be- John Adam (or Johann) Weidenhamer, one of longed, and he served as deacon and elder.

the sons of Johannes, the emigrant, came with the family from Germany and lived in Maiden-creek township, Berks county, where he followed farm- ing. He married Elizabeth Danker, and to thein were born children as follows: Jacob : Benjamin, who moved to Ohio, where he died; George, who died in Maiden-creek township, Berks county ; John; Susanna, Mrs. Daniel Kauffnian, whose children were Mrs. Charles Hottenstein, Mrs. street, between First and Second, and by enterpris- Peter Dunkle and Mrs. Jacob Hoffman; Maria, ing methods has built up a prosperous trade, which has increased steadily. Mrs. Daniel Althouse ; Sarah, who died unmarried ; and Betsy, Mrs. Williams.

Walter L. Weidenhamer was born Sept. 9, 1870, at Dewart, and there began his education in the public schools. He early began to assist his father as clerk in the store, and was thus engaged until 1893, when he opened his present business at Wat- sontown, carrying a line of stationery, jewelry, sporting goods, cigars and tobacco, as well as news- papers. He has a well appointed store on Main

On April 24, 1895, Mr. Weidenhamer married Jacob Weidenhamer, grandfather of Walter L. Eva Rissel, daughter of Peter Rissel (formerly Weidenhamer, and son of John Adam, was born in spelled Rishel), a railroader, and they have had two children, Harold R. and Alberta May. Mr. Weidenhamer and his family are members of the 1797 in Berks county. He married Susanna Dreibelbis, also a native of Berks county, born Oct. 1, 1805, daughter of Daniel Dreibelbis, of Rich- Lutheran Church. He is well known fraternally, mond township, Berks county. In 1837 Mr. and holding membership in Watsontown Lodge, No. 619, I. O. O. F .; Council No. 514, Jr. O. U. A. M., at Watsontown ; the A. O. M. P., No. 33; and Mil- ton Lodge, No. 913, B. P. O. Elks, of Milton, this county. Politically he is a Democrat, and he has held local offices at Watsontown. Mrs. Weidenhamer moved to Montour county, this State, settling in Limestone township, where Mr. Weidenhamer bought a valuable farm of about two hundred acres. Here he followed farming un- til his death, which occurred in 1863, in his sixty- seventh year. He was also interested in the mer- eantile business at Limestoneville. Politically he was a Democrat, and held various township offices. His wife died in 1887. To them were born chil- dren as follows : Wellington D., who lived and died in Limestone (he was a tanner by occupation, and

EVERITT. The name Everitt was for over forty years closely associated with business interests in Watsontown, where Enos and Enoch Everitt, twin brothers, were engaged in general merchandising for many years, were foremost in the organization served as justice of the peace) : Sarah, who lived of the Farmers' National Bank, and otherwise filled a useful place in the welfare and advance- ment of the community. They were born in De- cember, 1829, in Columbia county, Pa., sons of

and died at Limestoneville; William, who died July 7, 1910; John Adam; Daniel, living at Mil- ton ; and Elizabeth E., who first married John Sheep and later Emanuel Mauser, of Liberty town- James Everitt. The father was born in Easton, ship, Montour county (or maybe of Milton), and Northampton Co., Pa., where he married a had three children, Edward Sheep (now living in member of a substantial family of that county, a Michigan) and William and Maude Mauser.

woman of energetic disposition and noble char- acter. They came to Columbia county after several

John Adam Weidenhamer, son of Jacob, was born April 5, 1836, in Berks county, Pa., and re- children had been born to theni, and there followed ceived a common school education. When fourteen farming. Their family was a large one, viz .: An- drew ; William; Moses; Enos and Enoch, twins; Hiram, who was the youngest; Elizabeth, Mrs. Long: Sarah, Mrs. John Wells: Martha ; Mary, who died out West; Susan, who married; Lucy, Mrs. Finas Young. he began clerking in his brother's store, and for some years during his earlier manhood he was en- gaged in farming in Limestone township, Mon- tour county, whence he came to Dewart, Northum- berland county, in 1867, buying C. B. Reifsnyder's general store. He conducted that business until

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 1, Part 93

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