Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 19

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 19

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William Mendon Kleckner was born Nov. 9, 1872, at Vicksburg, Union Co., Pa., and obtained his early education in the public schools of that locality. Later he became a student at Bucknell University, after which he entered the Williams- port Commercial College, at Williamsport, Pa., from which latter institution he was graduated in 1900. Receiving a license to teach public school, he took charge of the commercial depart- ment of the Sunbury high school in 1902, and has since continued to fill that responsible posi- tion. The department has attained a high stand- ard of efficiency under his management, and the importance of his work, together with the able manner in which be has handled it, has gained him many admirers among pupils and patrons. In 190? he founded the Suubury Commercial Col- lege, located on Fairmount avenue, which has had a continned career of prosperity, the average at- tendance being one hundred students. Professor Kleckner is a conscientious, untiring worker, de- voted to his calling and sparing neither time nor pains in his efforts to bring the best in liis pupils to the surface, and his success has been marked.

On Aug. 6, 1905, Professor Kleckner married Ida Mussina, daughter of Henry B. and Eve (Hoover) Mussina. of Mount Carmel, Northum- berland county. They worship at the Methodist Church, and socially he holds membership in the Modern Woodmen of America. In political sen- timent 'he is a Republican,

LONG. The Longs of Northumberland county, descendants of George Long, have been represent- ed principally in the prosperous agricultural class, but at present one member of the family, Peter D. Long. is a well known shoe merchant of Sun- bury, where his uncle, Benjamin C. Long. is now living in retirement after a long and active life as a fariner. David D. Long, brother of Peter D. Long, is a well-to-do farmer of Little Maha- noy township. We give the line of these from the emigrant ancestor.

George Long, a native of England, settled on the farm near Augustaville, in Rockefeller town- ship, now owned by A. J. Smith, and formerly by Andrew Gonser. Mr. Long took up the land by warrant from the government of Pennsylvania. Here he lived and died, and he is buried at the Augustaville Stone Church. He was a lifelong farmer, and made great improvements on this property. The original set of buildings on the place were located on the road leading from A. J. Smith's to the old Shipman mill, in what is now the meadow about two hundred rods north of

Perhaps he was better known by the name of Jolin George Long. He was a member of the chnreli at Augustaville, which he helped to build. He was twice married, his first wife dying in middle age, and she was the mother of all his children, namely: George, a farmer, who lived in Upper Mahanoy township, and who had, among other children, sons Henry, John, Samuel and William (who was killed by a train, at Paxinos) ; Henry, who was a cripple and never married; and John.

John Long, son of George, was born in 1805 in Rockefeller township, this county, and died in Montandon, May 20, 1888, aged eighty-two years, six months, one day, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Seabolt. He was a farmer in Rockefeller township, owning and cultivating the place which is now the property of Albert Witmer. In stat- ure he was comparatively small, five feet. . five inches in height, but lie was vigorous, as may be judged by the advanced age he attained. His wife, Anna Camp, born Oct. 18, 1808. died March 27. 1880, and they are interred at the Ebenezer Methodist Church in Rockefeller township, of which Mr. Long was a member. Their children were as follows: Elizabeth, Sanmel C., Catharine, Henry (of Trevorton, Pa.). Jane ( married Wil- liam Zimmerman), John (died in February, 1888, in Indiana), Julia (married John Seabolt), Ben- jamin C. and Lucinda (nnmarried, who lives in Mifflinburg, Pa. ).

Samuel C. Long, son of Jolin. was born Dec. 22, 1828, in what is now Rockefeller township, and died April 28, 1890, aged sixty-one years, four months, six days. He learned the trade of miller. which he followed for abont fifteen years, during that period operating what was known as John Dunkelberger's mill. on Mahanoy creek. for a time: he had learned the business there. He next went to Rockefeller township. where he did milling for Hiram Miller, and he also followed the butcher trade in that township for some years." In 1867 he returned to Little Mahanoy township and began farming on the David Dunkelberger farm. which he purchased, and which then com- prised 170 acres. He continued to make his home there to the end of his days. Mr. Long was a man who took an intelligent part in the inter- ests of his community, served his township a num- her of years as supervisor, and was an active mem- ber of the Little Mahanoy Lutheran Church, of which he was elder and trustee. Politically he was a Democrat.

In 1854 Mr. Long married Lydia Dunkelberger, who was born in 1833, daughter of David and Anna Marie (Smith) Dunkelberger, and died Sept. 18. 1902. aged seventy-three years, eleven

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months, nineteen days. Mr. and Mrs. Long are years as member of the school board and was 'buried at the Little Mahanoy Lutheran Church. treasurer of that body. In political faith he is They were the parents of the following children : a Democrat. Peter D. : Mary, who died young; Elizabeth, who married Frank Bobb (lie is deceased ) ; Phoebe J., who married Joseph D. Wagner; David D .; and Lonisa, who died when two years old.

In 1880 Mr. Long married Lizzie Leathers, daughter of John Leathers, who lived and died in Union county, Pa. They have had two chil- dren : Charles O., who graduated from Bucknell University, at Lewisburg, Pa., in the civil engi- neering course, is now holding a responsible posi- tion in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railway Company, stationed at Bellwood. Pa .; and Flor- ence is a graduate of Sunbury high school. Mr. Long and his family are members of the Lutheran Church at Sunbury. Fraternally he is a member which time he went to Shamokin to learn the of True Cross Commandery, No. 122, Knights of Malta, of Sunbury.

PETER D. LONG, son of Samuel C., was born Dec. 6, 1854. He was reared in Rockefeller town- ship until his parents settled in Little Mahanoy, in 1867, and there he worked on the farm which his father purchased from his maternal grand- father, David Dunkelberger. He remained there until he attained the age of twenty-two years, at blacksmith's trade, which he followed there for three years. He next went to Clinton county, Pa., entering the shops of the Pennsylvania Railway Company at Renovo, and he continued to work for that company for twelve years, though he did not continue at his trade. Beginning in the freight service, he was engaged in that branch for six years, after which he was changed to the passenger service, and during the last three years

DAVID D. LONG, son of Samuel C. Long, was born Oct. 15, 1865, and grew to manhood on the home farm, the place formerly known as the David Dunkelberger farm (now owned by J. F. Dreibel- bies) in Little Mahanoy township. When he be- gan farming on his own account it was on that property, where he lived for thirty-three years, owning it for ten years. He farmed it one year of the period mentioned he was conductor of a for his father, for whom he worked until he was passenger train between Renovo and Erie. He twenty-two years old. In 1900 he purchased his began as brakeman and rose by merit to the re- present farm, which then consisted of 142 acres, sponsible position of passenger conductor. At the forty-two of which he has since sold. It is lo-

time he left the Pennsylvania service he was of- fered an appointment in the passenger service of the Baltimore & Ohio Company, but he had de- cided to begin business on his own account, and he has never had reason to regret his choice. In 1890 he came to Sunbury, where he bought out the good-will, stock and fixtures of Jasper Slaymaker, who conducted a shoe findings and harness manufacturing business. He carried this on successfully for a few years, but in the mean- time lie had discovered a more congenial and prof- itable field in the shoe dealing line, and. he ac- cordingly sold out, in 1892, to Frank Simpson (who has since died). That year he opened his present store at No. 732 Market street, Sunbury, where he is engaged exclusively as a shoe dealer, carrying the largest line of footwear in the bor- ough. He handles all the leading makes, and doing a business. of large proportions is able to keep a very complete line, being the leading mer- chant of his kind in Sunbury. His customers come from a wide territory around Sunbury.

cated between Line Mountain and Mahanoy creek, a quarter of a mile east of Hunter station. This was at one time the Jonathan Dunkelberger home- stead, but Mr. Long purchased it from Isaac D. Raker. The present owner has made a number of improvements, and the fine barn on the place was built by him in 1902, to replace one destroyed by fire the evening of Jan. 13th. that year: the cause of the fire has never been known. Though Mr. Long has never served an apprenticeship at any trade, and has made farming his principal business, he is a skilful mechanic in various lines, and has done carpenter work for many in his neighborhood, giving the utmost satisfaction. He has also worked as a stonemason, blacksmith and barber. .Besides being an industrious and sub- stantial citizen, he has proved a most useful men- ber of his community, where he has served nine consecutive years as school director (being secre- tary of the board eight years of that time) and four years as supervisor; he was elected to the latter office when only twenty-four years old. He is a Democrat in political connection. He and

Mr .. Long is best known as a shoe merchant in and around Sunbury, but he has not confined his family are members of Immanuel's Evangeli- his energies to the one line by any means, being cal Lutheran Church of Little Mahanoy, of which connected with various other local enterprises of he has been deacon. elder and trustee. importance to the community. He has served as

On March 28, 1889, Mr. Long married L. Cora president of the Business Men's Association, has Kerstetter. daughter of Felix and Elizabeth been a director of the Sunbury National Bank ( Beachell) Kerstetter, and granddaughter of Phil- since 1909, and has to some extent engaged in ip and Catharine ( Eisenhart) Kerstetter. Mr. and real estate dealing, winning a reputation for good Mrs. Long have had a family of ten children. judgment in all his ventures. He has served nine namely: Alvin C. (in U. S. Navy), R. Frederick

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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

(attending Sunbury high school), L. Lizzie, Mary son William is out West. Charles was another M., Samuel F., John M., E. Paul, Catharine L., son. Eva J. and J. Daniel.

Leonard Kerstetter, Mrs. Long's first ancestor in Northumberland county, was an early settler in the western part of Cameron township. He ship, working in the coal mines. On April 15, owned a tract of forty-four acres on which he

1866, he married Elizabeth Hingham, and of their farmed, erected a house and barn on this place, four children three are deceased, the survivor, and died aged about eighty years. He is buried Benjamin Franklin Kerstetter, being a fariner. He sold the farm in Little Mahanoy and moved onto their property in Cameron township. Benjamin in Cameron township. In 1776 the names of Leonard and Martin Kerstetter appear among the pioneers of Mahanoy township, but in the first as- F. works at the coal mines and on his small farm. sessment of Cameron township, in 1814. Leon- He married R. Agues Long, and their children ard's name appears among the taxables. His name are: Elizabeth, Lloyd, George, Francis and Tre- appears in 1803 among the organizers of St. tha (now deceased). Jacob's Lutheran and Reformed Church, in Up- per Mahanov township. His wife's maiden name was Gerhard, and she is buried by his side. They had a large family, namely : Leonard, Philip, John, George. Daniel, Michael, Susan (married Peter Weigel), Hannah (married John Reichard), and Mary Elizabeth (married Michael Derk and died in May, 1898, aged one hundred years, three months, eighteen days, at the home of her nephew, Simon Peter Kerstetter, in West Cameron town- ship ; she is buried at St. Peter's Church in that township).

Leonard Kerstetter (?), son of Leonard, was a farmer in the western part of Cameron town- ship, where he and his wife, Barbara (Heller), are buried. They had five children: John, who died young; Simon Peter; Isaac; Catharine, who married Daniel Kraemer: Salome, who married Solomon Gottshall. .

Philip Kerstetter, son of Leonard, lived at Trevorton. He was a farmer for some years, in his later life hauling eoal. He was twice mar- ried, and by his first wife (who was a Schleigh) had five children. Robert, Elizabeth. Sallie; Henry * (who died young) and Adam. To his second mar- riage, with Catharine (Eisenhart) Stein, widow

- of Jonas Stein, were born three children: Felix, church work and local public affairs. He served Mary and Catharine.

John Kerstetter, son of Leonard, was a farmer in Cameron township. His children were: John, Abraham, Adam. Salome and Elizabeth.

George Kerstetter, son of Leonard, was a farm- er and landowner of Cameron township, and is buried there. His wife was a Derek, and their children were: Daniel, George and Levi.

Daniel Kerstetter, son of Leonard, lived in the eastern part of Cameron township, near Gowen City. He engaged in work around the coal mines. He married Lusenna Wary, and among their chil- dren are Alexander and Joseph.

Michael Kerstetter. son of Leonard, lived in Bear Valley, two miles from Shamokin, where . he did work about the coal mines. He married his associates in every relation of life.

a Martz, and they had a large family. Their

Simon Peter Kerstetter, son of Leonard (?) and grandson of Leonard, was born June 3, 1840, and spent most of his life in Cameron town-

BENJAMIN C. LONG, son of John, was born Dee. 30, 1841; and was reared on the home farm near Augustaville now owned by Albert Witmer. He worked for his parents until he was twenty-two years old, at which time he moved to the place of his father-in-law, Samuel Kelly, in Plum Creek valley. He lived and farmed there from 1863 until his retirement, in 1901, a period of thirty-eight years, during which he prospered and acquired the farm, which consists of 120 aeres of valuable land in Rockefeller township. This traet is all fertile, level land, and the place is equipped with fine, large buildings, erected by Samuel Kel- ly, who was one of the thrifty farmers of his day in that vicinity ; he was a man of means and in- fluenee in his neighborhood, owning considerable good land, ineluding the farm of 130 aeres ad- .joining the 120-aere traet above mentioned. In 1901, when he gave up arduous labor, Mr. Long moved to Sunbury, where he has sinee made his home, but he still retains the ownership of the farm, which he rents to his son Samuel E. He also owns his residence at No. 209 Catawissa avenue, Sunbury.

Mr. Long has been prominent and' aetive in nineteen consecutive years as school director of Rockefeller township, having been elected for seven terms (twenty-one years), but gave up the last two years of his seventh term upon his removal to Sunbury. He served as tax collector at a pe- riod when nearly all. the bills were paid in silver, and when out on a collecting trip would put the money in a bag under the seat of his buggy. He and his family were long leading members of the Lutheran Church at Plum Creek, but sinee re- moving to Sunbury have joined the church there. Mr. Long has held many church offices, and has served a number of terms iu the church couneil. Wherever he is known his opinion is valued and his advice sought, and he is much esteented by

In 1862 Mr. Long married Rosanna H. Kelly,

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daughter of Samuel and Anna Maria (Miller) St. Joseph cemetery, at Danville, Pa. Eleven Kelly, of Rockefeller township, and they have had children were born to this union, namely: Patrick, .a family of nine children, namely: Anna Maria James, Mary, Thomas, Minnie (deceased), Michael P., Sue, Catherine, John, Harry and Daniel. The family are all members of the Catho- lic Church at Sunbury. married Charles Heckert, of Rockefeller township; Clara E. married George M. Hoffman, of Sun- bury, Pa .; Charity L. married Calvin N. Furman and they live in Sunbury; Emma T. is the widow of A. Johnson Savidge and lives with her chil- dren in Sunbury ; Samuel E. is a resident of Rock- .efeller township, cultivating his father's farm; . Edna R. married Harvey Troutman, of Sunbury ; John F. is a farmer of Rockefeller township; Edith married Charles Malick and they live in Upper Augusta township; Olive married Eugene Thomas and they live in Sunbury.

MICHAEL P. TIERNEY, attorney at law, and borough solicitor of Northumberland, is a na- tive of that place who, though young, has made a good start in his profession and bids fair to take an honorable place among the successful lawyers of his section. He was born in the borough Jan. 12, 1884, son of Michael Tierney.

Michael P. Tierney received his literary educa- tion in the public schools of the borough of North- umberland, graduating from the high school in 1901. In 1903 he became a clerk in the employ of the Trolley Company in the office of S. P. Wol- verton, at Sunbury, and in time began reading law in the same office, being admitted to the Northumberland county bar Oct. 12. 1907. Mean- time, in February, 1907, he had been elected jus- tice of the peace of the borough; in 1908 he was elected attorney for the borough, and is also bor- ough solicitor. Thus he found a field immediately for legal practice, and in addition to his public duties he has had considerable private work, having a steadily growing patronage. He has his office in the Morgan building at Northumberland. Hard- working and enterprising, he has every prospect of an active future.

Michael Tierney was born Oct. 10, 1843, in -County Galway, Province of Connaught, Ireland, . On July 18, 1910, Mr. Tierney married Eva Mailey, daughter of John H. Mailey, postmaster of Northumberland. He is a member of St. Mi- chael's Catholic Church at Sunbury. son of Patrick and Winifred (Comer) Tierney. In 1870 lie came to America, making his first lo- +cation at Danville, in Montour county, Pa., where he was employed in the iron works, living and working there for a year and a half. He next JOHN K. HETRICK, who lives near the Wolf's Cross Road Church in Rockefeller town- ship, has been a prosperous farmer and well known office holder of that township for many years. He was born May 29, 1854, in Lower Mahanoy town- ship, this county, and belongs to an old Pennsyl- vania family. His remarkable memory has en- abled him to learn by heart the complete record of the family from the time of his great-grand- father, Philip (or John Philip) Hetrick. went to Scranton, where he remained only three months, however, thence going to Oxford, Warren .Co., N. J., where he was employed for three years, "until a strike broke out. It was then he came to Northumberland, in 1876, his father-in-law, Pat- rick Carroll, living near, at New Berlin, Pa. Here he has since made his home. When he settled in Northumberland he had a little money, which he lost, however, through no fault of his own, lending it to a man who was sold out before Mr. There is a tradition that the early Hetrick or Hetrich family of Northumberland county, Pa., was first located in Berks county, this State, where in 1759 one William Hettrich was a taxable of Bern township, paying a Federal tax of eight Tierney could make his claim. For fifteen years Mr. Tierney worked for the Van Alens, iron- masters, as a puddler, after which he was given charge of the Taggart mill at Northumberland, .continuing there until Mr. Taggart died and the pounds. It is likely that this William Hettrich concern dissolved. Mr. Tierney took advantage of his respite from work to make a visit to his aged mother, who was then about eighty years old, but after he had been back home only two weeks he was summoned to return to Northumber- land, where he was appointed watchman at the cap factory. This establishment was destroyed "by fire in 1909, since when he has lived retired. He and his family occupy a nice residence at the -corner of Second and Orange streets, Northumber- land.

was the father or an elder brother of Philip Het- rich ( Hettrich), a pioneer of Washington town- ship, Northumberland county. It is certain the family is one of long standing in Pennsylvania, as the Pennsylvania Archives record the names of Christopher and Nicholas Hettrieh among the immigrants to the Province before 1750. The probability is that Christopher, Nicholas. William and Philip were brothers, and that they first set- tled in Berks county, William remaining there. In 1778, in the list of taxables of Mahanoy town-

In 1873 Mr. Tierney married Annie Carroll, ship, which then embraced all that part of North- daughter of Patrick and Susan (Doonen) Car -. umberland county south of Line Mountain, are roll, of New Berlin, Pa. She died in June, 1907, found the names of Nicholas and Christopher .at the age of fifty-two years, and was buried in Hettrich, natives of Germany.

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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

Philip Hetrich ( Hettrich) was a pioneer of resident of Sunbury, Pa .; Daniel lives in the what is now Washington township, where the borough of Northumberland; Ida died in infancy. family has since been well represented. In the John K. Hetrick worked for his father in the communion list (April 12, 1818) of the Lutheran tannery and on the farm. When a youth of seven- congregation of the Himmel Church there the teen he commenced to learn the trade of plasterer, name is conspicuous. It is likely Philip was one of the four IIettrichs above mentioned and the same person who landed at Philadelphia from the ship "Louisa" Oct. 3, 1753.

John Philip Hetrick, great-grandfather of John K. Hetrick, was born July 24, 1785, and died March 1, 1853. He lived in what is now Washing- ton township, Northumberland county, owning and occupying the property where his grandson, Daniel Hetrick, later resided, now owned by Henry Kabel. He and his wife, Catharine (Reitz), born Oct. 24, 1786, died June 25, 1854, are buried in the old cemetery at the Himniel Church in that township. Among their children were: Michael, Nicholas, Mrs. Abraham Deppen, Mrs. Henry Hoffman and Daniel.

John Hetrick, son of John Philip Hetrick, was a native of Washington township, followed farm- · ing, owning the property where Charles Hetrick now lives, and shortly before his death retired, moving to the Himmel Church locality. He died at the age of sixty-five years and is buried at Himmel's Church. His first wife, Catharine (Snyder), died long before him, and he subse- quently married her sister Elizabeth. All his chil- dren were by the first marriage, namely: Daniel ; Peter, of Punxsutawney, Pa .; John, who died on the homestead; William, who died in Washington township; Samuel, of Upper Mahanoy township; and Sarah, who married John Hoffman.

which he has followed off and on ever since, at present taking contracts, in the fulfillment of which he gives employment to several men. His work in that line is principally in Sunbury and the vicinity. After his marriage he went to work for his uncle Elias in Lower Augusta township, in the tannery, where he had been employed for two ycars when his uncle died. He has since resided in Rockefeller township, where he owns two tracts of land, the smaller comprising twelve acres, upon which his buildings are located. The other con- tains forty acres, near by. In 1907 Mr. Hetrick remodeled liis residence, and he has made many improvements, of various kinds, upon his property. He is a thrifty and systematic worker, and has prospered deservedly in his undertakings. Though busy with his own affairs he has found time to take part in the work of the Democratic party in his locality and has also been called upon to fill a number of public positions, having served six years as school director and eightcen years con- secutively as assessor. With his family he belongs to the Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church at Wolf's cross road, in the work of which he has long been active, having served in the church council and as superintendent of the Sunday school for a considerable length of time.

On May 29, 1872, Mr. Hetrick married Amanda Kehres, danghter of William and Catharine ( Erd- man) Kelires, of Washington township, and four children. have been born to thein: Theda V. married Curtis Hummel and died about one year after her marriage; Rosa F. married Charles E.

Daniel Hetrick, son of John, was born in what is now Washington township, and there passed all his life, owning and living upon the farm which is now the property of Henry Kabel. He Schreffler and they live in Rockefeller township; had a tract of 121 acres. Mr. Hetrick was a tan- Sapora married Charles Bobb and they live in ner as well as farmer, having a tannery on his Sunbury; Samuel O. dicd when six months old. farm which he conducted for many years. He Mr. and Mrs. Hetrick have adopted and reared died at the age of sixty-nine and is buried at the five other children: William Sultzbach, who is Himmel Church. of which he was a Lutheran now in Nebraska: Galen Hoffman and Willian Kehres. both now in Sunbury ; Dean Brosius, born April 15, 1895, who still lives with them; and Margaret Greggson, who is still in their hospitable home.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 19

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