Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 13

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co.
Number of Pages: 1024

USA > Pennsylvania > Northumberland County > Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2 > Part 13

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In 1851 Mr. Klinger married Barbara Wiest, daughter of John and Catharine (Merkel) Wiest, and eleven children have been born to them : Pres- ton, Francis, Ottis, Calvin, Alexander, Amelia. Barbara, Catharine. Christian, and two who died young. . The family is highly respected, being numbered among the progressive members of the community.

Elias Klinger, son of George, was a farmer in the Lykens Valley, near Gratz, where he is buried. He died in 1855, when yet a young man. In re- ligion he was a Lutheran. His widow, Sarah (Kissinger), remarried, becoming the wife of Elias Bush. To her marriage with Mr. Klinger were born five children, three sons and two daugh- ters: Caroline, whe married Joel Daniel; John, who died aged seventeen years; Frank, of Gratz; Emanuel; and Catharine, who amarried Urich Trautman.

Emanuel Klinger, son of Elias, was born May 25, 1848, and was reared to farming. His father died when he was only eight years old, and he worked for his mother until he was over twenty- one. After his marriage, which occurred in 1870, he began farming at Hebe on the farm now owned by William Bohner, remaining there for two years. He then lived two years in Lower Mahanoy town- ship on the farm he now occupies, thence moving to Elias Boyer's farm for a year and later to Abraham Boyer's place. After several removals he located on the Jacob Hilbush farm. near Maha- nov, in Jackson township, where he lived and farmed for cleven years, in 1890 returning to the farm in Lower Mahanoy. This farm has since been his home. It consists of one hundred aeres. lo- cated about two miles northeast of Hickory Cor- ners, and Mr. Klinger purchased it from Benja- min Boyer. He and his family are members of Zion's Church of Stone Valley, and in political matters he is identified with the Democratic party.

Mr. Klinger married Elizabeth Bohner, dangh- Jordan township, and they have had a large fam- ily : Monroe, who was drowned in infancy: Hat- tie, who married David Bordner; Elias, of Jordan township; John, of Sunbury, Pa .: Penrose. of Lower Mahanoy ; Charles, of Herndon, Pa. ; Jacob, of Urban, Pa .; Henry C .; and Lizzie, who is un- married and living at home.

George Klinger, great-grandfather of Henry C. Klinger, of Lower Mahanoy township, Northum- berland county, was a grandson of Johan Philip Klinger, the emigrant ancestor of this family. Ac- cording to the above record, the emigrant's sons Alexander and Peter each had a son named George. He owned a farne and followed farming near Gratz, in Dauphin county, and he is buried at Klinger's Church. In religion he was a Lutheran. (There are two George Klingers buried at Klinger's Church : George P., born Jan. 2, 1798, died Sept. 6, 1880; wife Elizabeth, born Feb. 20, 1805, died Sept. 12. 1885. George, born March 17. 1795, died Sept. 18, 1866 ; wife Eve, born Jan. 20, 1798, died Aug. 26, 1863.) To George Klinger and his wife were born children as follows: Daniel, who lived at Seven Points, Pa .; William, a farmer in 'in the localities where he is known. In 190; Mr. the Lykens Valley, in Dauphin county, who died at Gratz: Elias; and Mary, wife of John Shade.

HENRY C. KLINGER, son of Emanuel, was born Jan. 4, 1885, in Jackson township. He received his education in the public schools in the vicinity of home, and for five terms attended a summer normal school conducted at Herndon. He was licensed to teach in the public schools of North -. umberland county, by Prof. I. A. DeWitt, then county superintendent, and began teaching in the fall of 1904, in Lower Mahanoy township, where he taught one term. For the next two terms he was engaged in Jackson township, returning at the end of that time to Lower Mahanoy, where he has taught for the past three terms. In 1907 he was granted a teacher's professional certificate. He enjoys the reputation of being a successful in- structor and disciplinarian and is well thought of Klinger was elected assessor of his township, and reelected at the end of his teri, being still the

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The Klinger name has been perpetuated in the town and postoffice bearing the name Klingers- ter of John and Hettie (Troutman) Bohner, of town, so called in honor of John Klinger, as well as in the Klinger Church and Klingerstown Church, and Klingerstown Gap, which is in the Mahantango mountains : the town and gap are at the corner of Schuylkill, Dauphin and Northum- berland counties, on the Schuylkill county side.

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inenmbent of the office-the youngest assessor his 1880, and is buried in Pomfret Manor cemetery. township has ever had. Politically he is a Demo- On Dec. 12, 1824, at Millersburg, Dauphin cou- erat, and has been active in the interests of his tv. he married Susanna Frederick, who was born party in this locality for a number of years, doing effective work in the local organization. He is considered one of the enterprising young men of his seetion, and holds the respect of all who know him.

JOHN H. GEIST, a retired citizen of Sunbury, was born Jan. 5, 1838, at Northumberland, North- minberland county, and is a member of an old Pennsylvania family first settled in Berks county, 1833, died in infaney; Amelia, born Feb. 28, being a great-grandson of Conrad Geist, who came from Germany about 1760 and located in that county. There is also a large family of Geists in Montgomery county. Pa., descended from one Christopher Geist, and there were others in Ches- ter county. In 1790 there lived in Lancaster eounty the families of George and Jacob Geist. and in the same year the families of John and Matthew Geist lived in Montgomery county. In 1790 Conrad Geist, of the borough of Reading, had three sons over sixteen years old; two daugh- . ters; and wife. The same year there is record of George Geist. of Longswamp township, Berks county, with one son under sixteen years of age, one daughter, and wife; and of Valentine Geist, of Longswamp township, with one son under six- teen, two daughters, and wife.

John Geist (son of Conrad. who came from Germany about 1760) was the grandfather of John H. Geist, of Sunbury. He and his wife, Elizabeth (Koch), were both from Berks county, and lived in that section of Northumberland county now embraeed in Snyder county, where he followed farming. He spoke German. The date of his wife's death is not known, but his occurred in the year 1812. Among their children were: Daniel, who was a farmer in Montour county, Pa. : Hen- ry, who located in the West : Conrad, who died in Dauphin county. Pa. : John ; and Peggy, who mar- ried a Mr. Dentler and lived in Chillisquaque township, this county.

John Geist, son of John and Elizabethi ( Koch) Geist, was born Sept. 29, 1801. and in early life learned the trade of tanner with a Mr. Ziegler, in Sunbury. He engaged in the business on his State canal was built. when he sold out, the eanal dueted it for some years, after which he bought a boat and team and engaged in boating for a few years. Selling out, he became a lock tender at Chapman, Snyder county, during the Civil war period, tending the locks there for a number of vears. He was toll tender at the North Branch. at Northumberland borongh, for eleven years. Hc died on North Second street. Sunbury, Jan. 8.

Nov. 25, 1805, and died Feb. 5, 1894. She was a member of an old Pennsylvania family, and her parents were living in Philadelphia when the British entered that city, being obliged to take refuge in their eellar until the danger was over. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Geist: William F., born Sept. 28, 1825. died at Pottsville, Pa., in 1910; Margaret E .. born Jan. 6, 1828, married Jolin Clark; Frederick, born in

1835, married H. H. Hetzel and they live in Wil- liamsport, Pa .; John II. is mentioned below; Catharine, born June 1, 1810, married Henry Clement and died Aug. 18, 1899: Michael F., born Oet. 22, 1842, died in infancy; Caroline, born Sept. 26, 1846, died May 9, 1851.

John H. Geist received his education in the common schools. He learned the trade of black- smith, and in 1866 entered the service of the Pennsylvania Railway Company as a tool dresser, being in the same employ, in that capacity, for about thirty years, until he was retired and pen- sioned at the age of sixty-five. He is a member of the Veterans Association of the Pennsylvania Company and wears a veteran's button. Mr. . Geist is an honorable and respected eitizen and enjoys the good will of all who know him.

During the Civil war Mr. Geist was in the Union service eleven months, having enlisted at Northumberland in the band of the 5th Regiment, was one of the emergency men of the 20th Regi- ment, a member of the 13th Pennsylvania Militia. and also in the construction corps in Sherman's army. He is a member of Bruner Post, G. A. R., and an honorary member of the Odd Fellows at Sunbury. In religious connection Mr. Geist is a Methodist, and he served several terms as steward of the church during his more active years.

In February, 1867, Mr. Geist married Anna Elizabeth Kline, who was born Dee. 23. 1844. daughter of Dewitt Kline, and died Oet. 23, 1891. the mother of three children, namely: (1) Clinton D). conducts a papering and painting business in Sunbury. He married Florence Niece and has a son, Homer J. (?) Laura, who was an invalid. own account at Northumberland until the old died unmarried. (3) Harry C. lives in Sunbury. where he is engaged as agent for the Prudential passing through the property. He, then bought a Insurance Company. He married Bessie Stuart hotel in the borough of Northumberland and con- and has children, Miklred, Harold and Edna.

IRVIN K. WETZEL, proprietor of the . "Man- sion House" at Shamokin, one of the best located hotels in that borough, has been in business at that stand since January, 1906. He has been a hotel- keeper in Shamokin and Mount Carmel since 1894. and is well known to the traveling public.

Mr. Wetzel was born May 16, 1868, in Eldred

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township, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where the family maining there until he attained the age of eigh- . has been loeated for some generations. His teen. Having learned the trade of butehier he fol- grandfather, Peter Wetzel, followed farming in lowed it for six years, and then for five years that township and died there. His farm is still conducted a general store which he had purchased. .in the family. His wife's maiden name was Sny- In 1894 he entered the hotel business, to which der, and their children were as follows: Peter, he has since devoted his attention. On Aug. 14th Daniel, Charles. Elias (living at the old home- of that year he began keeping hotel on North stead in Schuylkill county), Polly (married Ben- Second street, in Shamokin, continuing at that lo- jamin Herring), Sarah (married Cornelius Her- cation for two years and three months, at the ring), Lydia (married Elias Morgan) and Mrs. end of which time he went to Mount Carmel and Ephraim Neiswelter.

took charge of the "Loeust Mountain Hotel,"

Daniel Wetzel, father of Irvin K., was born in three years later purchasing that property, which 1835 at the homestead in Eldred township, and he still owns, and which he himself conducted died there in 1876, at the age of forty-one years. for eight years in all. In January, 1906, he eame He was well known in his neighborhood, where to Shamokin and leased the "Mansion House," lie followed the blacksmith's trade all his active one of the oldest hotels in the city, purehasing it life. In religion he was a member of the Evan- Nov. 7, 1909, in partnership with Augustus Kehl- gelieal Church, in the work of which he took an er. A few months later Mr. Wetzel bought out aetive part, and he was a Republican in politieal Mr. Keller. This house, located at Market, Lin- opinion. A good man, industrious, thrifty and coln and Arch streets, near the Soldiers' monu- honorable, he was highly respected. He married ment, oeeupies one of the best and most eonven- Catharine Kehler, daughter of John Keliler and ient sites in the eity, and the accommodations it granddaughter of Johnston and Catharine offers attract a good class of patrons. There are (Knarr) Kehler, farming people of Schuylkill fifty rooms, and the place is well equipped with county. Mrs. Wetzel survived her husband many the comforts and conveniences which go to make years, dying July 7, 1908, at the age of sixty-nine. a desirable stopping place for travelers. In addi- Their children were as follows: Catharine, who tion to this profitable stand Mr. Wetzel owns the well known "Maysville Hotel," about three miles tern and has had children, Vertie (deceased), Ira, from Shamokin, which he bought in May, 1909. Herbert, Elizabeth, Maud, and William (de- He also engages quite extensively in dealing in ceased) ; Helen, who lives at Shamokin, is the horses, and in both lines of business he bears a wife of Simon F. Dunkelberger and has children, high reputation among his customers and assoei- Walter, Estella, Joseph, Mabel and Golden; ates, his suecess having been won by straightfor- ward methods and unimpeachable transactions.

. lives at Ashland, Pa., is the wife of William Mat-

Minerva married William Snyder and lives at Allentown (they have had a large family, George, On Nov. 20, 1886, Mr. Wetzel married Ida M. Howard, Beatrice, Eugene. Lueale, Tureie, and Snyder, daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Wetzel) three who died young) ; Elsworth, a plasterer by Snyder and like himself a native of Eldred town- as follows: Beulah (who is married to Ray Sehoener and has two children, Ruth and Irvin), trade, who died when twenty-eight years old, mar- ship, Schuylkill county. They have had ehildren ried Ida Costerter and they had two children, Katie and Eva; Irvin K. is mentioned below ; Harriet was married Feb. 22, 1886, to Jefferson Walter (who is studying at Dental College in C. Daniel, who was born in Eldred township, Philadelphia), Robert (who died young), Lottie, Schuylkill county, and they reside at Shamokin Edith, Clayton, and Palmer (who died young). (they have two children, Lamor and Daniel) ;

Mr. Wetzel is a member of the Evangelical Susanna, twin of Harriet, lives in Camden, N. J .. Church and fraternally of the F. O. E., the Red . the wife of George Rudolph, and they have had Men, the P. O. S. of .A. and the I. O. O. F .; he four children, Raymond, Edna, Clayton, and also belongs to the Independent Fire Company of Matilda (deceased) ; Osear K., born Sept. 30, 1873, Shamokin. In polities he is a Republican. is a well known merehant at Market and Areh streets, Shamokin (he marrried Carrie May Foulk

JOHN H. DEPPEN, who is a resident of Jor- and they have one son, George Albert, who is at dan township and well known in his seetion of school) ; Elizabeth died in infancy ; May married Northumberland county, is a carpenter by trade Lester Wetzel, of Shamokin, and they have had and has also engaged in farming, and he 'is three children, Franklin, Catharine L., and Myron widely known in his connection with the official (deeeased ).

life of the county. He was born Jan. 9, 1865.

Irvin K. Wetzel received his education in the at Hebe, and is a son of Henry W. Deppen, who common sehools of the home neighborhood. Be- was born in Jordan township and passed all his ing so young when his father died he went to live life there, dying at the home of his son Charles, in Schuylkill county with his maternal unele, at Hebe, Oct. 20, 1902. aged sixty-eight years, one Franklin Kehler, by whom he was reared, re- month, two days. He followed his trade, that of

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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

carpenter, in his own and surrounding neigh- is a carpenter and lives with his parents at Hebe. borhoods, and was employed as such for over twen- Mr. Deppen and his family are members of the ty years by the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Lutheran Church at Hebe, and he has been one Company. He owned a forty-acre farm in Jor- of its most useful workers, having held the offices dan township, and cultivated it for some years, of deaeon and elder and at present serving as meantime also continuing his trade. He held a trustee. He is one of the most influential and respected residents of his township.

number of local offiecs, serving as sehool director and, assistant assessor, and he held the offices of elder and deacon in the Lutheran congregation CHARLES SHIFFER, of Sunbury, dealer in patent medicines, toilet artieles, etc., was born Dee. S, 1847, at Effort, Monroe Co., Pa., son of of St. David's Church at Hebe, to which he and his wife belonged. They were faithful members of that ehureh and deeply interested in its wel- Abraham and grandson of Conrad Shiffer. The fare. Mr. Deppen was a Republican in politics. name was originally spelled Schiffer. He married Amanda Lettichi (Lettig), whose pa- Conrad Shiffer lived at Brodheadsville, Mon- roe county, where he engaged in farming, and he rents were "residents of near Elizabethville, in Washington township, Dauphin Co., Pa., and she is buried at Pleasant Valley Church in that coun- died several years before Mr. Deppen, on Ang. ty. He and his wife had a large family, among 19, 1896, aged forty-nine years, eight months, their children being: George. Conrad, Charles, one day. Mr. and Mrs. Deppen are buried side Jacob, Abraham, John and Sally Ann (who mar- by side at St. David's Church. They were the ried Jolin Kresge and lived at Brodheadsville).

parents of the following ehildren: Elizabeth, de- ceased, wife of William Kopenhaver; William Thomas, who died in infaney; Sarah, who mar- ried Charles Ludwig; John H .; Emma, wife of Abraham Shiffer was born May 18, 1823, and died May 5, 1892, just before the close of his sixty-ninth year. He lived at Brodheadsville, Monroe county, and was a man well known in Henry Schwalm : Samuel, of Elizabethville, Pa .; his vieinity, having taught school for many years, Salarah, married to Wilson Knorr; Charles, of and later engaged as a huekster, buteher and Hebe; Daniel, of Hebe; Arthur, who died aged farmer, owning a farm, upon which he made eleven years ; and Harvey, who died in childhood. his home. He was a member of the Reformed

John H. Deppen received his education in the Church and is buried at Brodheadsville. His public schools of Jordan township and when six- wife, Julian Searfos (daughter of William Sear- teen years old began to learn the earpenter's trade. fos). was born in 1829 and died in February, He followed it for about three years, and for an- 1891. They had one son, Charles.

other three years was an employee of the Phila- Charles Shiffer received his education in the delphia & Reading Railroad Company, later com- publie schools in the home neighborhood. He meneing to farm in Jordan township, near Hebe, was trained to farm work, which he followed dur- where he was thus 'engaged for a period of fif- ing his earlier years, and was later employed in teen years. Mr. Deppen has had numerous. publie responsibilities. having served the township ef- fieiently as school director, auditor and election offieer, and he was appointed postmaster at Hebe during the Harrison administration, under Post- master General Wanamaker. He continued to hold the position twelve years, resigning when he re- ceived the appointment of turnkey at the North- umberland county prison. He gave highly satis- factory service in that capacity under George Han- cock for three years. In 1900 he was eensus enu- merator of Jordan township, and was again ap- pointed in 1910. For many years he has been one he went to Jamison City, Columbia Co., Pa .. the lumber industry for sixteen years, on the Lehigh river in Luzerne (now Lackawanna ) eoun- ty, taking different contraets and at times em- ploying his own help. He assisted the Drum Brothers in the mercantile establishment, and also worked in their elothes-pin factory, being in their employ about four years, after which he re- turned to farming for a year. He was next lo- cated at Freeland, Luzerne county, where he fol- lowed the earpenter's trade about eight years, the last four years of that period in the employ of Eekley B. Cox, eoal operator. In September, 1893. where he and the Drum Brothers (previously

of the aetive workers of the Republican party in

the lower end of the county. was committeeman mentioned) purchased the company store at that of the party in his township for twelve successive place from the Union Tanning Company. Mr. years, has been delegate to a number of county Shiffer was engaged there for two and a half conventions and in 1907 served as delegate to the years, thenee removing to Williamsport, Pa., where State convention, when John O. Sheetz was nom- inated for the office of State treasurer, to which he was elected.

he was located for two years, conducting a gro- eery store. In February, 1899, he came to Sun- bury, where he has since been established in his present line of business at No. 18 North Third street, between the Pennsylvania depot and Mar-

In 1884 Mr. Deppen married Catharine Trout- man, daughter of Simon and Sarah (Shadel) Troutman, and they have one son. Allen S .. who ket Square. Mr. Shiffer carries a large and com-

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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

plete line of patent medicines, toilet articles, (after a short residence in Northumberland coun- soaps, and allied conunodities, for which he has ty they returned to Montgomery county). found a ready market in the borough. He has Willoughby Walt, son of Solomon. was born enjoyed an excellent trade from the beginning, near Schwenkville, in Frederick township, Mont- and has steadily enlarged his circle of patrons. being an accommodating and enterprising busi- ness man, who knows how to anticipate the wants of his customers and keep his stock in advance of the demand as well as equal to it.

gomery county, and came to Northumberland county about 1839-40. He died at Dalmatia when eighty-two years old, and is buried at the Stone Valley Church. His wife, Helena (Ziegler), of Montgomery county, was also. about eighty-two In 1871 Mr. Shiffer married Savanna Wil- liams, daughter of Jacob and Hannah (Work- heiser) Williams, who then lived at Gouldsboro, Luzerne (now Lackawanna) county. They have at the time of her death. Eleven children were born to them, as follows: Catharine married Joe! Engle ; Abraham died young ; Polly ( Mary ) mar- ried Reuben Aucker; Alfred died young; Wil- had two children : Hubert F., now engaged as en- loughby C. is mentioned below ; Beuneville died in the Civil war; Peter lived at Dalmatia, Pa. ; Solo-

gineer at the Union Tannery, in Jamison City, Columbia county, married Esther Sutliff and has mon Z. is mentioned below ; three died young. one child, La Rue: Raymond, manager for the Western Union Telegraph Company at Sunbury, married Alice Orner, and has children Eleanor and Eugene. Mr. Shiffer and his family are members of the Methodist Church at Sunbury.

WALT. The Walt or Wald family is well · known along the Susquehanna in the southwest- ern portion of Northumberland county. several of its members residing at Herndon and Dalmatia. Solomon Z. Walt, a thrifty business man and farmer of Lower Mahanoy township, William A. Walt, a resident of Herndon, who has been track foreman of the Herndon branch of the Philadel- , phia & Reading road for a number of years, and Joshua Wald, who is now living retired at Dal- matia, are all of the same stock, descendants of Solomon Walt or Wald.

Solomon Walt (or Wald) was a native of Mont- gomery county, Pa., where he owned a fine farm and engaged in agricultural pursuits. Late in life, in about 1839, he removed to this section with his family, settling at Uniontown, which is aeross the river in Dauphin county. There he died, at a ripe old age, and there he is buried. He led a retired life after coming to Uniontown (also called Pillow), and for some years before his death was blind. He was a man of medium size. His wife. Catharine ( Underkoffler). also lived to an advanced age, and we have the follow- Church.

Willoughby C. Walt, son of Willoughby, is a native of Dahatia ( Georgetown), Northumber- land county, born April 12, 1841. In his earlier manhood he followed farm work, in June, 1869, beginning work on the Philadelphia & Reading railroad as a section hand. In 1817 he became section foreman on the Herndon branch, a posi- tion he held for over twenty years, during which time he came to be regarded as one of the capable employees of the company. Since 1900 he has been retired from active work of a laborious na- ture. He has served four years as supervisor of Herndon, and has been a useful citizen. During the Civil war he was a private in Company A. 208th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Intan- try, with which he took part in the engagement at Fort Steadman, in 1865, and at the taking of Fort Mahone, April 2, 1865. He made a cred- itable record in the army for faithful and honor- able service. In politics he is a Republican.

In 1866 Mr. Walt married Amanda Sultzbach, daughter of Jacob, of Dauphin county, and they have had five children : Mary married C. W. Um- holtz and they live in Philadelphia : William Au- gustus is mentioned below : Katie married Charles Bogar, of Herndon : Henry was drowned in 1871, when eighteen months old; Reuben was killed while playing baseball in Herndon, in 1906. Mr. Walt and his family are members of the Reformed

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 13

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co. Number of Pages: 1024

Author: Floyd, J.L., & Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, J. L. Floyd & Co.
Number of Pages: 1024