Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 36

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 36

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Mr. Grow married Emma Dinger, daughter of John Dinger, of Schuylkill county, and they have one son, Lewis E., who is at present a high school student.

Henry Lippiatt was a miner in England, where his entire life was passed. He married Ann Hod- ges, who after her husband's death brought her three children to America, landing at New York City in May, 1864. They first located at Locust Gap, Pa., but in 1865 came to Shamokin. Mrs. Lippiatt, the mother, is still living, now (1911) at the age of eighty-six years, and makes her home with her son Thomas H. Her children were : Elizabeth, who married James Swift, and died in Shamokin in 1908, the mother of Saralı, John, Job, William, Jennie, May and David; James, chief of police at Lewisburg, Pa. : and Thomas H.

In 1875 Mr. Lippiatt married Clara Zimmer- man, daughter of George and Sarah ( Fasold) Zim- merman, of Upper Augusta township, Northuni- berland county. Seven children have been born to them, as follows: Alice C. married Samuel Harris, of Philadelphia, and has two sons, Clar- ence and Paul Eugene; Eva E., who was a trained nurse for ten years, is now the wife of M. G. Gon- nerman, of Shamokin, and has one son, Frederick L .; George died aged nine years; Charles is a member of the firm of T. H. Lippiatt & Sons, hav- ing ben admitted as a partner in the fall of 1908; Elizabeth married Joseph Jones and has one daughter, Gertrude Elizabeth; John Stanley be- came a member of the firm of T. H. Lippiatt & Sons in the fall of 1908; Fay is at home.

Mr. Lippiatt has taken a very prominent part in church and Sunday school work, has held all THOMAS H. LIPPIATT, who has long been in the front rank of the progressive and success- the offices in the Lincoln Street Methodist Epis- copal Church, and has served as general super- intendent of the Sunday school, a position which he still continues to occupy. Since 1900 ful business men of Shamokin, where he is at pres- he has been president of the Northumberland ent engaged as a dealer in furniture and carpets, is a native of Somersetshire, England, born Jan. 3, 1853, son of Henry and Ann (Hodges) Lip- piatt.

Sunday School Association. At the time the new church was built he was appointed collector, and in five years' time had raised $25,000. The church was built in 1883, and Mr. Lippiatt was a member of the building committee. He is a charter mem- ber of the Shamokin Business Men's Association, and was elected its president in 1909. Fraternally he is a member of Lodge No. 125, I. O. O. F. In politics he is a Republican. In many ways he has proved himself a very useful citizen, as well as a very genial companion, and he is highly respected as a man and esteemed as a friend.

LEWIS LEVAN HUNTZINGER has been sta- tioned at Sunbury in the employ of the Pennsyl- vania Railway Company since 1899 and now holds the responsible position of train dispatcher at that point. He has been in the railroad service from youth and with the Pennsylvania Company since Nov. 7, 1894, and has proved able and efficient in the performance of the various duties which have been intrusted to l'im. Mr. Huntzinger is

Thomas H. Lippiatt accompanied his mother to America and to Shamokin, and here attended the public schools. His first work was in the mines, where he continued to work for seventeen years. In 1881 he began the manufacture of picture frames, and later he took up photography in con- a native of Shamokin, Northumberland county, born March 17, 1876, and is a member of the fifth generation of his branch of the family in America, being a lineal descendant of John George Huntzinger.

. nection with his frame business. His studio was located on Independence street; where he had a most attractive art room, as well as the leading place of its kind in this section of the State. In 1892 he built a fine four-story building, and bought John George Huntzinger came to this country from Germany in 1749 as a passenger on the ship "Jacob," from Amsterdam, which qualified Oct. 2, 1749. He became a taxpayer of what is now out the furniture business of ex-County Treasurer Malcolm Farrow in February, 1894. At this time he gave up the photographic part of his business, and by devoting his whole time and energy to the Brunswick township. Schuylkill (then Berks) Co., one line has made a great. success of it. He is a Pa., where he was a pioneer farmer and died in

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1802. His family consisted of nine children, six this county, and during the Civil war enlisted sons and three daugliters: Jacob, George, John, for service in the navy, Sept. 2, 1863, being as- Henry, Michael, Daniel, Rosina, Molly and Cath- signed to the "Iroquois," under Capt. C. R. P. arine.

Rogers. At the time of President Lincoln's as- sassination he was on the island of Java. He had many and varied experiences while in the navy, traveling all around the world, and was dis- charged in 1867.

Jacob Huntzinger, son of John George, lived at Orwigsburg, Schuylkill county, where he was a leading merchant, and he died there during the time of the Civil war, at the age of eighty- seven years. He also owned farm lands, and was On Oct. 30, 1870, Mr. Huntzinger married Catharine Louise Hoover, daughter of Benjamin and Margaret ( Kcefer) Hoover, and eight chil- dren were born to this union : Frederick Charles and Lewis Levan of Sunbury; Annie, wife of a wealthy man for his day. He and his wife, · whose maiden name was Holler, were both six fect in height. They had a large family, viz. : Samuel, who died at Pottsville; Jacob, who died at Pottsville; Edward, who died at Schuylkill James Schlegel, of Shamokin, Pa. : Arthur B., of Haven ; Frank, who died at Fairfield, Iowa; Wil- Sayre, Bradford Co., Pa .; Margaret, wife of Ar- thur Hudson, of Shamokin; and three who died

liam, who died at Schuylkill Haven; Charles, who died at Philadelphia ; Mrs. Stephen Balliet; Mrs. young. The mother of this family died Oct. 22, John Schoener; and George L., who died in Cuba. 1908, and is buried at Shamokin.

Charles Huntzinger, son of Jacob, was born in 1820 and died Jan. 27, 1902, at Philadelphia, whither he removed in' 1864. He was engaged in business at Schuylkill Haven, having a large mercantile establishment there while the canal was at the height of its popularity, and also had farms Lewis Levan Huntzinger attended the public schools of Shamokin and the district schools of Upper Augusta township. this county, graduating from the grammar school at Shamokin and from the Shamokin business college. He was engaged for a year at Shamokin in the Koch bookstore ' and a boat yard, being a thrifty, energetic and as clerk and circulation manager, and then took

prosperous man. He married Amanda Kitchen, daughter of William Kitchen, at one time sheriff of Montour county, Pa., and she survived him, dying at Philadelphia Feb. 28, 1903, at the age of eighty-one ycars. They were the parents of eight children, as follows: Emma married Harry Rothermel; Sue married George Wells, a promi- nent citizen of Des Moines, Iowa; William C. is mentioned below ; Albert died in Philadelphia; Ida married Robert Clark, of New York City; Addie (deceased) married William Folger; Nellie married William Hedley, of Philadelphia ; George died young, in Philadelphia.

a position with the Adams Express Company at Shamokin, since which time he has been in the railroad service. He began as a student of te- legraphy on the Philadelphia & Reading railroad at Excelsior, Northumberland county, serving three months while learning, after which he was engaged in the main office at Shamokin under the management of E. G. Markley, until placed as extra operator between Tamaqua and Newberry Junction. He resigned in 1894 to enter the serv- ice of the Pennsylvania Company, as night opera- tor at Shamokin, and after only a week's service in that capacity was made day operator at Weigh Scales, this county, continuing for four and a half years under W. W. Evert, weigh master. In 1899 he was transferred to Sunbury as extra operator, was made regular operator here Feb. 1, 1901, and Dec. 20, 1902, became assistant to the train dis- patcher. He was himself promoted to the posi- tion of train dispatcher May 15. 1905. Mr. Huntzinger was sent by the company to Shenan- doah Aug. 6, 1905, to handle Philadelphia & Reading trains over the Pennsylvania tracks caused by Mahanoy Plane breaking down, a trust which he discharged most ably and satisfactorily. He returned to Sunbury Sept. 17, 1905.

William C. Huntzinger, son of Charles, was born Feb, 6, 1847, at Schuylkill Haven, Schuyl- kill Co., Pa., and received his education in the public schools of that place and at the Danville Business Academy .. He was employed as book- keeper by Douty, Reed & Gable, miners, and later took a position as bookkeeper with Heim & Good- will, of Shamokin, remaining with them for six years, at the end of which time he entered the employ of the 'Adams Express Company, with which his services cover a period of forty years. He still holds a position with that company, and is one of the most respected citizens of Shamo- kin, where he has so long made his home. He is Since he has made his home in Sunbury Mr. Huntzinger has taken part in its public adminis- tration as a member of the school board from the Eighth ward, in which position he has served con- tinuously since 1906. He has been chairman of the financial committee of the board ever since well known there in various connections, being a member of Shamokin Lodge, No. 255, F. & A. M., of which he is a past master; a member of the Temple Clb of Shamokin ; a past noble grand of Mount Tabor Lodge, No. 125, I. O. O. F .; and a past chief patriarch of Susquehanna En- becoming a member of that body, of which he was campment, I. O. O. F. He was at one time cap- treasurer in 1909. Two buildings have been tain of a military company at Mount Carmel, erected during his incumbency, the Lloyd T. 42

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Rohrbach and Francis E. Druniheller, M. D. school ing Nancy" of London. Charles Stedman, master, buildings. Mr. Huntzinger has been very active from Rotterdam, qualified Oct. 8, 1737. in the Republican organization, was committee- Philip Wetzel eame on the ship "Davy," William man of the Eighth ward two terms and was made Patton, commander, from Amsterdam, qualified chairman of the Republican Club of Sunbury or- Oct. 25, 1738.

ganized in 1904. Socially he is a well known Mason, holding membership in Lodge No. 22. F. mokin Lodge No. 255), of which he is the pres- ent master, in Northumberland Chapter, No. 174, R. A. M., and Mount Hermon Commandery, No. 85, K. T., and a charter member of the Temple Club.

Hans Martin Wetzel, who came to the New World in 1731, settled on that territory now em- & A. M., of Sunbury (having demitted from Sha- braced in Lehigh county, Pa. Six years later he was followed by John Jacob Wetzel, who located in Hereford township. in Berks county, only several miles distant: and these two, in 1738, were fol- lowed by Philip Wetzel .. That a kinship existed between these three pioneers cannot be doubted, and Ou Feb. 28, 1894, Mr. Huntzinger married Mary Rebecca Kramer, daughter of Joseph and it is very probable that they were brothers-an- other group of the "three brothers" found among Sarah ( Rhoads) Kramer, of Excelsior, Pa., and the emigrant ancestors of so many American fam- ilies.

In the list of early settlers in the region of fancy. The family are members of the Zion Luth- Emaus, Lehigh Co., Pa., in the section of Milford eran Church.

and Longswamp townships, whose names with plaee of birth appear on the original church record of the Emaus Moravian Church, was that of Cath- arina Wetzel, who was from "Uppa", Mannheim, in the Palatinate. The genealogist gleans from the above item that the Wetzels were German- Palatinates.

According to family tradition an old Wetzel had settled somewhere on the Ohio river. and had a number of children, among whom were sons: John, Georg, and Louis. It is further stated that this pioneer and his wife were scalped by the In- dians, and that when the sons returned home and found their parents thus cruelly murdered they vowed vengeance upon the savages. Louis there- after devoted himself to the extermination of the Indians. He was a rare marksman. and could Inn like a deer. The compiler of this article is of the impression that the place of settlement was not the Ohio, but the Susquehanna, river. A large number of Wetzels live in Snyder county, Pa., in the Buffalo Valley, in Union county, and in the Mahantango valley. in the lower part of Northum- berland county. They all speak German, and say their forbears spoke of "Der Longswamp, in Bereks County."

WETZEL. Among the early immigrants to The Federal Census Report of 1290 records these Wetzels as heads of families, etc .: George Wet- zel and wife had five sons and two daughters. all the sons under sixteen years of age: he then lived in Longswamp township. Conrad Wetzel also lived in Longswamp township and had two daugh- ters. Philip Wetzel lived in Hereford township. and he and wife had then two sons under sixteen years of age, and three daughters. John Wetzel had two sons over sixteen years of age, one son un- Pennsylvania were a number of Wetzels, some of them undoubtedly related. One Hans Martin Wet- zel arrived on the ship "Brittania" and qualified by taking the oath of allegiance, at Philadelphia. Sept. 21, 1731. His age then is given as thirty-one vears. His wife, Maria Barbara Wetzel, was thir- ty-three years old. On the same ship were the fol- lowing, probably children: Hans Martin Wetzel, aged six years ; Nicholaus Wetzel, aged four years : Katherina Wetzel, aged three years. There is also der sixteen, and two daughters: he lived in Mac- the name of Maria Barbara Wetzel, who may have angie township, Northampton (now Lehigh) been a sister of the pioneer ( Pennsylvania Ar- county. John Wetzel, Jr., lived in the same town- chives, pages 29, 34 and 35). ship as his father, and he and his wife had two

John Jacob Wetzel came on the ship "Charm- daughters. Conrad Wetzel lived in Upper Mil-

they have had two children, Sarah Catharine and William Joseph, the latter of whom died in in-

FREDERICK CHARLES HUNTZINGER, brother of Lewis Levan, was born in Mount Carmel, Ang. 20, 1874. He was educated in Shamokin schools, graduating from the Shamokin high school in May, 1889. He began as a clerk in a book and stationery store in Shamokin for E. A. Koeh and remained here for about two years, and then ac- cepted a position as driver for the Adams Express Company. He then came to Sunbury as messen- ger for the same company, was transferred to Wil- liamsport, Pa., as depot agent, remaining here three years, then to Harrisburg as receiving clerk, remaining two years, finally coming back to Sun- bury as agent of that station in 1903, and he is now filling that position to the satisfaction of the company.

Mr. Huntzinger married Emma G. Garber. daughter of John and Mary Ellen ( Search) Gar- ber, of Montandon, and they reside at No. 444 Race street, Sunbury. In politics Mr. Huntzinger is a Republican. He and his family worship at Zion's Lutheran Church at Sunbury. He is a member of Lodge No. 22, F. & A. M., of Sun- bury.

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ford township; Lis family consisted of himself and Berks county, Pa .. was born in the adjoining wife, two sons under sixteen years of age, and three daughters. Peter Wetzel lived in Upper Mil- ford township, Northampton (now Lehigh) eoun- ty, and had one son under sixteen years of age and two daughters. Michael and Conrad Wetzel both lived in Penn township. Northampton county, in 1790; it appears that Michael was a widower, and had a son over sixteen years old, and that Conrad was married but had no children.

John Wetzel lived near the present line of Berks and Lehigh counties, Pa. Hle had sons: Henry, Peter, Daniel and Ilans Georg, who lived in Le- high county. The old Wetzel homestead is lo- cated near St. Peter's Church, in Upper Milford township. It was built in 1740, of logs, and was occupied until 1900.

Peter Wetzel, son of John, was born in 1978 and died in 1870, in his ninety-second year. He owned a thirty aere tract of land near Red Lion. in Long- swamp township. on which he lived. He was a carpenter and coffin maker, being an excellent me- chanie and an expert wood worker. In his day he made many coffins. It was then the custom to place the dead on a large covered wagon, to which usually were hitched fourteen horses. The seats were arranged along the two sides of the wagon, and occupied by the bereaved, the coffin being placed in the middle between the two rows of mourners. They now proceeded to the church. "Old Peter" Wetzel, as he was known, was a pop- ular man, personally, and well known in his line. He held many funerals, and taught many the ear- penter's trade. His wife, Anna Margaret Gaumer, died when past eighty years of age. Both were members of the Reformed congregation of Long- swamp church. They had children: George: Sal- lie, who married Nathan Heimbach and had chil- dren, Amanda, Lovina, Sarah and Henry: and Lydia, who married Henry Heimbach, a brother of Nathan (they had no children).

George Wetzel was born in Longswamp town- ship in November, 1818, and died there in Oeto- . ber, 1900, aged eighty-two years. His wife Leah was a daughter of David Conrad, of Long-wanip There was a John Wetzel who became an early resident of Packer township, Carbon Co .. Pa., as early as 1812, and located on lands still owned by his descendants. He had four sons, John, Val- entine, Daniel and David, and four daughters. The sons settled in the township. David living to be very old. The daughters became the wives of Stephen Kerber, James Troy. Lewis Hettinger and Philip Hinkle, respectively. township. She was born in 1821, and died in 1899, aged seventy-eight years. They are buried at the Longswamp Church, of which both were members, belonging to the German Reformed Congregation : he was a deacon and elder. He was a Democrat in politics, and served his district on the school board. He owned his father's homestead of thirty acres. and also bought 120 acres of land, was prosperous. and built an addition to the old barn. He and his wife had eleven children, namely: Peter, Mary, WILLIAM A. RILAND. of Sunbury, has been engaged in business there as a liveryman for over Charles, Caroline, David C., Henry C., Lovina, Sallie, Amanda, Katie and Levi. Of these Mary, a quarter of a century, has been prominent in the Caroline, Lovina, Katie and Levi all died within six weeks' time, from. diphtheria, in 1862. municipal administration as president of the bor- ough couneil, in which capacity he served two

township of Longswamp, Feb. 28. 1817. When seventeen years old he commenced to learn his trade from his brother Charles. When twenty- four he married Amelia, daughter of William and Amelia ( Ruth) Meitzler. of Hereford township, and in 1823 they moved to Seisholtzville, where they have since lived. He usually had three or four apprentices, and in a winter season made ser- eral hundred pairs of shoes by hand, shoe factories in those days being unknown. He and his family occupy a house that was built abont the time of the Revolutionary war. if not earlier; it is of log construction, but is now weather-boarded, and in winter is very warm. Mr. Wetzel and his family are members of the Reformed Church in Long- swamp township. He and his wife have two chil- dren: Irwin D., now of Norristown, Pa., married Rosa Fry, and their children are. Ambrose, Her- bert. Warren and Minerva : Minnie married Harry O. Moll, of Seisholtzville, Pa., and had Pearl, Ver- na and George.

Henry C. Wetzel (brother of David C. Wetzel). a retired farmer at Seisholtzville, Pa., was born in Longswamp township, Feb. 11. 1849. When twenty-one years of age he began farming for his father at Red Lion. continuing thus for fourteen years. In 1888 he purchased the Christophel Bit- tenbender fann on which he has since lived, a tract of 112 acres. The present house on this farm was built by Jacob Bittenbender, Sr. Mr. Wet- zel in 1895 built the present barn. He has a val- uable property and the excellent condition of farm and buildings' testifies to his good management and prosperity. He retired in 1900. He is a Democrat and has held township offices. He and his wife are members of Huff's Church, where he serves as elder. In 1825 he married Hannah: daughter of Christophel and Abby ( Rush) Bit- tenbender, and granddaughter of Jacob and Su- sanna (Jung) Bittenbender, also of Hereford township. Mr. and Mrs. Wetzel have had one son, Ambrose, who was born in 1826 and died in 1895.

David C. Wetzel, shoemaker at Seisholtzville, in years, and has been found a valuable and substan-

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tial man in all the relations of life, business, so- cial or purely personal. He is thoroughly respect- ed and inerits the high position he holds in the es- timation of his fellow citizens.

Samuel Riland, grandfather of William A. ger station, and does the leading business in his Riland, was a native of Ireland. On coming to line in Sunbury, keeping fifteen horses for hire, this country he settled in Upper Augusta town- and boarding a large number of horses. He deals occasionally in horses and teams, and, in fact, has built up an all-around profitable trade, which he has handled capably, and which occupies the great- er part of his time and attention. He is a director of the North Branch Fire Insurance Company of Pennsylvania, which was organized in 1910. ship, Northumberland Co., Pa., where he followed farming, owning the farm which was later the property of his son H. James Riland and is now in the possession of the latter's son, H. B. Riland. He married a native of Germany, and he was a mem- ber of the German Reformed Church. He is buried in the lower cemetery at Sunbury. His chil- dren were: H. James ; Mary, Mrs. William Sny- der ; Malinda, Mrs. Rohrbach ; Alice, Mrs. Hirst Trego : Martha, who married William Keller and (second) Jeremiah Cooper; and Lucy, who mar- ried James Strine, of Milton, Pennyslvania.

Mr. Riland has for a number of years been a leader in Democratic circles in Sunbury, and he has served four years as a member of the council, dur- ing the last two years of that time having the honor of presiding over that body. He is a mem- ber and trustee of Lodge No. 267, B. P. O. Elks, of Sunbury. and chairman of the board of trustees of the First Baptist Church, in the work of which he and his family take an active part. .

On May 25, 1897, Mr. Riland married Mary M. Walters, whose parents came from Germany. Three children have been born to them, one son and two daughters, namely: William, Jr., who died in infancy; Mildred M., and Gertrude L.

KRIEGER. The Kriegers of Northumberland county have been settled in this region for several generations, Wilson Krieger, the oldest living na- tive-born resident of the borough of Shamokin, being a son of Daniel Krieger (who was born in Lower Augusta township, this county) and a grandson of John Krieger.

The family is one of ancient record, and the name, variously spelled Cruger and Kruger in the earlier days and by branches of different na- tionalities, shows that it dates back to the time of the crusades, Cruger being originally Cruciger- the medieval Latin word for cross-bearer. From Cruciger the name became Creuziger and Creut- zinger, and finally Cruger, and in Germany and Holland it was written Kruger. The name was first given to a knight in one of the crusades, at the end of the eleventh century, and from him the family spread throughout Germany, Holland, Denmark and England. In 1190 Sir Philip de Crucuger went with Richard I. of England on the third crusade to Palestine. Sir Philip is supposed to have descended from the German baronial house is unbroken down to John Cruger, who founded an American branch of the family. One Caspar Cruciger, a German, helped Luther to translate the Bible in 1532.

Willian A. Riland was born Sept. 15, 1859, in of Von Kruger or Kruger, and from him the line Upper Augusta township, and there received his education in the public schools. He was reared to farm life, which, however, he did not follow long after commencing on his own account. For two years he worked at Berwick, Pa., after which The John Cruger mentioned as the founder of a he clerked in a general store at Sunbury for two branch of the family in America, an Englishman years and then returned to the homestead, where of good education, appearance and standing, came lie was engaged in farming for several years. In to New York about 1:00, and engaged in business.

H. James Riland was born in 1833 in Upper Augusta township, and passed his active years there, on the homestead farm of 135 acres, suc- ceeding his father in the ownership of that place. .He was an intelligent man and influential in the affairs of his day, serving a number of years as school director of his home township, as county commissioner from 1863 to 1866, and as repre- sentative of his district in the State Legislature from 1882 to 1884. He was prominent in the work of the Democratic party, and for several years served as county chairman. He was one of the promoters of the Upper Augusta Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of which he was a director for some years. Mr. Riland passed his last years in Sunbury, where he died in 1901, aged sixty-eight years, and is buried in Pomfret Manor cemetery. He was a member of the German Reformed Church, and socially belonged to the Knights of the Golden Eagle and to Lodge No. 22, F. & A. M., of which he was one of the oldest members at the time of his death.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 36

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