Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 53

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 53

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and has two children, John A. and Emeline J .; Newton married Bertha Zoug and their children are Miriam, Myrland, Carold and Herman ; John A. married Irene Benneth and their children are Melvin and Mildred ; Peter married Lottie Wag- ner; Maude married Myrle Crunly and has chil- dren, Margaret and Paul; Jeremiah married Della Renn and their children are Charlotte and Roy Henry ; Bessie married Frank Muffley and has one in the various activities of his community, has son, Abram C .; Samuel and Pearl are unmarried. filled the office of school director five years and that of supervisor many years, and has long been JOHN WEISER BUCHER, formerly of Sun- bury, a citizen of that borough whose activities in business, social and public circles made him known to most of its residents, was born there Sept. 15, 1835. He is a member of the third gen- eration of his family to live at that place, the Buchers having been active and prominent here from the early days, the emigrant members of the family having settled in Sunbury in the days of the Indian occupation. an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Point township, of which he has been a trustee since 1904; he was elder for a number of years, and has served in all the various church offices. His family are also Lutherans in religion. Po- litically he is a Democrat. He is a man whose upright life and devotion to duty commend him to the confidence of his fellow citizens, and he is respected wherever known. To Mr. and Mrs. Clemens have been born children as follows: of St. Joseph, Mo .; Catharine A., who is unmar- ried and living at home; Lucy A., a widow, of St. Joseph. Mo .; Maria V., who died aged twenty years ; Mary M., who married Spencer Black, of Watsontown, Pa .; Abraham B., of Sunbury, this county; Maud S., who married August Schaffer and lives in Point township; and Jeremiah, also of Point township.

John, Henry and Dietrich Bucher came to Penn- Harvey S., now of Northumberland; Albert W., sylvania from Switzerland, Dietrich establishing an iron furnace near Reading, Berks county, John and Henry locating at Sunbury, Northumberland county. Henry Bucher, who was the grandfather of John Weiser Bucher, was born April 16, 1764, in Switzerland, was a farmer by occupation, and resided at what is now the southwest corner of Walnut and Third streets, owning much land in Sunbury-nearly all that part of the borough be- from the mouth of the latter to Spruce street. He was the first to put this land under cultivation. He married Catharine Epley, who was born Jan. 24. 1768, and died at Sunbury Aug. 17, 1847. Mr. Bucher died at Sunbury Feb. 3, 1824. Their chil- dren were: Henry : Elizabeth, who married George Weiser, a tanner ; Mary, who married Jacob Leis- enring; Francis; George, who was a soldier in the war of 1812: and John. Of this family, Henry lived and died in Sunbury ; he had a hotel on Front street, and operated the ferry for some years.

ABRAM CLEMENS, son of Abraham and Lucy tween the Susquehanna river and Shamokin creek Ann (Heilman) Clement, was born Sept. 12, 1850. in Lower Augusta township, where he attended school. When twelve years old he went with his father to Milton, where he continued his studies for a time, and he remained with his father until his marriage, living at Mooresburg for six months. In 1871 he came to his present farm in East Chillisquaque township, the Andrew Kurtz place, on the road between Milton and Danville. This property he bought in 1885. It comprises about seventy aeres, and a fine limestone quarry is lo- cated on the tract. In addition to farming Mr. Clemens has done an extensive business burning Francis Bucher, youngest son of Henry and Catharine ( Epley) Bucher, lived at the old home- stead in Sunbury. He learned the trade of tan- ner and was one of the last persons engaged in that business in the borough. He died March 19, 1875, at the age of seventy. On Dec. 8, 1831, he lime, which is very plentiful on his land, finding a ready market for the product in his immediate vicinity. He has prospered by hard work and strict attention to business, and he enjoys the esteein of his neighbors, whom he has served in the office of school director. In politics he is a married Mary Ann Masser, and to their union

Democrat. in religion a member of the Lutheran Church, which he serves at present as elder.

In 1870 Mr. Clemens married Sarah Kurtz. daughter of Andrew and Sarah (Teel) Kurtz, and . granddaughter of Andrew Kurtz, who lived in Northampton county. Mr. and Mrs. Clemens have a large family, viz. : Andrew married Betty Nori-

vonk and has children, Harold and Lee; Maggie

were born six sons and two daughters: The eldest two, both named Henry, died in infancy: John Weiser is the oldest surviving member of the fam- ily : Emily died unmarried in 1908; Edward (de- ceased ) married Amelia Fisher (whose mother was ninety-seven years old in 1910-the oldest living woman in Sunbury ) : Richard, who lived and died

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in Sunbury, was in the army for fifteen years, his more active years he was prominent in various was held prisoner at Andersonville for over a year fraternal bodies, and he was the oldest Mason in and was in Custer's forces; Louisa died young; Sunbury (member of Lodge No. 22, F. &. A. M.) William H. is a resident of Sunbury.

and the oldest Odd Fellow in that borough (mein- John Weiser Bucher received an academic edu- ber of Lodge No. 203). He formerly held mem- cation, and learned the trade of tanner with his bership in the Knights of Pythias, I. O. R. M., father. When abont twenty years old he became P. O. S. of A. and American Mechanics. IIe clerk and deputy to the register and recorder, fill- was long identified with the First Reformed ing that position about six years, after which he Church of Sunbury, which he served many years was appointed deputy prothonotary, serving as as organist. In 1891 Mr. Bucher erected the .such one year ; he also served one term as deputy beautiful home at No. 1048 River Road which he occupied until his removal from the borough. treasurer of the county. He served one year in the Civil war, and upon his return to Sunbury resumed the tanning business, at which he was en- gaged for two or three years. He then entered the employ of Ira T. Clement, in whose employ he continued for a quarter of a century, beginning as bookkeeper in his manufacturing establishment, and after several years in that position becoming secretary of the Sunbury Steam Ferry and Tow Boat Company and associate manager or super- intendent of the various manufacturing industries of Mr. Clement. In July, 1890, he was elected secretary and treasurer of the Sunbury Trust & Safe Deposit Company, then a new banking con- cern, just established in its quarters at Fourth and Market streets. Though not as active in business

On Dec. 15, 1858, Mr. Bucher was married in Sunbury to Hester A. Beard, daughter of James Beard (deceased), at one time prothonotary of Northumberland county and afterward a lawyer. She died Dec. 26, 1862, leaving three children : Francis Edward, who graduated from Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pa., and is now a prominent lawyer in Philadelphia ; John Beard, a merchant of Sunbury ; and Mary Margaret, born Sept. 13, 1862, who died Feb. 14, 1877. On March 4, 1868, Mr. Bucher married (second) Mary Jane Clement, daughter of Ira T. Clement, and she died in December of the same year, leav- ing a daughter, Laura Irene, born Dec. 19, 1868, who died Nov. 2, 1892. On Feb. 13, 1872, Mr. as formerly, Mr. Bucher retained many of his Bucher married (third) Mary Faust, and to their local interests as long as he remained in Sunbury. union were born five children : Samuel Faust, who On Feb. 19, 1911, he and his daughter Sarah left

is deceased ; William Henry, a graduate of Buck- Sunbury for Kingman. Ariz., to make their home nell University, Lewisburg, Pa., and of the Med- with his son William Henry.

ico-Chirurgical College, Philadelphia, who was a

Mr. Bucher took a prominent part in adminis- surgeon in the United States navy from 1897 and tering the public affairs of the borough, having because of physical disability stationed at King- served many years as town clerk and in the coun- man, Ariz., since 1908 (he is now retired) ; Sarah cil, and in 1868 as chief burgess; he was also Helen, unmarried : George Franklin; and Mary elected treasurer of the borough, in every position Ann Masser, deceased. justifying the confidence his fellow citizens have shown in his ability and integrity. He cast his

TROUTMAN. The Troutman family, numer- first vote for Buchanan, but has since been a Re- ous and well known in the lower end of Northum- publican in politics.

berland county, particularly in and around Jordan At St. David's Church, at Hebe, in that town- ship, are buried many of the name, and we find record there of one Heinrich Troutman, born Dec. 23, 1764, died Dec. 16, 1833, a farmer who lived in the South Jordan district and was a Reformed G. A. R., of Sunbury, and served as quartermaster member of Hebe Church. His children by his first wife were: Peter, Jacob, Anna (married Henry Bohner), Adam and Jonas, By his second marriage, to Catharine Hain, born April 10, 1754, died Oct. 23, 1854. he had children : George, Ben-

In February, 1865, Mr. Bucher enlisted in township, has been long established in that region. Company C, 47th P. V. I., at Harrisburg, and served one year in the 19th Army Corps, as a private under General Hancock. He was mustered out at Charleston, S. C. He is a prominent mem- ber of Lieut. William A. Brunner Post, No. 335, of that organization continuously from 1895. The history of the members of that post which he com- piled, containing a biography with detailed war record of 246 comrades, cost him much time and labor, occupying him for over two years, and is a jamin (who married a Dreibelbis) and Abraham valuable and interesting work : he has also compiled (who married Anna Schaffer. daughter of John). a complete roster of the post. Mr. Bucher is AAbraham Troutman, brother of Heinrich, above, was born Dec. 9, 173, and died April 1, 1852. quite an authority on matters of local history. having long devoted mueh of his leisure to intelli- His wife Elizabeth. born Oct. 7. 1980, died May gent study, and his fine library of over fifteen 9, 1844. Their daughter Salome, born June 30. hundred volumes contains many valuable works, 1816, married Heinrich Troutman, and died April which he thoroughly appreciates and enjoys. In 15, 1818.

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Among the wills on record in Northumberland county we find (Will Book 2, page 97) that of Peter Troutman, Mahanoy township, filed April 3, 1809, whose "dearly beloved wife," Eve, is ap- pointed executor : names of children are not given, but all the estate is bequeathed to them. The will of one Jaeob Troutman, who died early in No- vember, 1844, appoints his wife, Anna Maria, as the exeeutor, and shows the children to have been Catharine, Abraham, Mary, Christena, Lidia, Eliz- abeth ("shall have the cow she raised from a ealf in advans"), Lalia, George, Esther and Solomy. At the time of the father's death the family lived in Jackson township Another Jacob Troutman died in October, 1854; one John Troutman was his executor. One Moses Troutman died in July, died in infancy. 1868; executor, Solomon Troutman.

Jacob Troutinan, the known progenitor of many of the name now residing in Northumberland eounty, may have been a son of the Heinrich pre- viously mentioned, though we have no definite rec- ords to substantiate the theory. But as Heinrich lived in the region in which the family is so well represented, and as Jacob had a brother Peter (also mentioned among Heinrich's children), it is possible they were of the same line. Jacob Troutman owned and lived upon a farm in Jor- dan township, near Uniontown, the property now owned by Phoebe Troutman, one of his grand- daughters ; the place now comprises eighty aeres. He is interred in the Uniontown cemetery, the burial place of many Troutmans. He and his wife Magdalena (Brosius) were the parents of the fol- lowing ehildren : John; Polly, Mrs. John Lesher ; Moses; Carolina, Mrs. Nathan Brower; Peter ; Samuel ; and Eve, Mrs. Isaac Wolf.

by Joel Kratzer, son of his daughter Ellemina by her first marriage, to Joel Kratzer. Mr. Troutman was active in church work, the founder and leading member of Troutman's United Evan- gelieal Church, so named in his honor. He built the meetinghouse of that congregation at Union-

Mr. Troutman was twice married, his first union being with Sarah Lesher, who was born Oct. 19,- 1817, and died April 27, 1841. Mr. Troutman subsequently married her sister, Harriet Lesher,. who died April 27, 1888. They were daughters- of Samnel and Magadelene (Smith) Lesher, who were from Berks county; Mr. Lesher was a large property owner. Mr. Troutman was the father of fifteen children, Engeline and Simon by his: first wife, and the following by his second: Mag- dalena (who died unmarried), Ellemina (wife of Joel Kratzer and second Jeremiah Peifer), Henry L., Isaac L., Moses L., Mary (who married Hiraut Landis), Amos, George L., John L., Phoebe, one that died in infancy, Cornelius, and another that

GEORGE L. TROUTMAN, son of John, was born June 21, 1858. He was reared to farm life, and worked for his parents until he attained his ma- jority, after which he began farming on his own account in Upper Paxton township, Dauphin county, where he was a tenant for a few years. In 1881 he came to his present liome in Jordan township, a 120-acre farm located on the road between Hebe and Klingerstown, formerly the homestead of John Eister, who built the present barn in 1840 and the house in 1836. Samuel Wiest bought the property from Mr. Eister for liis son Jaeob, who occupied it for thirty-five years, since when it has been in Mr. Troutman's possession. It has long been regarded as one of the most valuable farms in the valley, its succes- sive owners having taken considerable pride in keeping it up, and it has not deteriorated under Mr. Troutman's management. He is one of the industrious and thrifty farmers of his seetion.

Jolm Troutman, son of Jaeob, was born June On Dee. 8, 1878, Mr. Troutman married Mary Wert, daughter of William and Catharine ( Riegel) Wert. and they have three children: Alice A., who married John Romberger and lives on the homestead (they have one son, Ralph T.) ; Victor, of Klingerstown, Pa., married to Sallie B., daugh- ter of Tobias Wiest; and Dora A., who married William B. Wiest, Jr., and is now living in Al- berta, Canada, where they settled on a homestead of their own and have prospered. 10, 1817, in Jordan township, near Uniontown, and was a lifelong farmer and one of the most prosperous men in his seetion, of which he was a leading citizen for many years of his long life. Besides his home place of 132 aeres (which was given to his son John L. and his daughter Mag- adelene) he owned six farms, the one now owned by his son George L., another which his son Simon obtained, one given to his daughter Ellemina, Mrs. Jeremiah Peifer, another owned by his son Adam Mr. Troutman and his family have been identi- L., another owned by his son Henry, and another fied with the Troutman United Evangelical Church, of which his father was the founder. He is a Republican in political sentiment.

Isaae L. Troutman, sixth son of John Trout- man, and grandson of Jacob. was born Sept. 4, 1849, in Jordan township, and was reared on the town, was always a liberal contributor to the paternal farm, working for his parents through- church and one of its pillars to the end of his out his youth. When about twenty-one years old life. Mr. Troutman served some years as treas- urer of his township. He died upon his farmi March 17, 1900, and is buried with his wife in 1869, from that time for many years working for the family plot in Uniontown cemetery.

he began farming for himself in Rockefeller town- ship, at Seven Points, where he located about his father-in-law, Daniel Klinger, with whom he

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lived. Mr. Troutman remained with Mr. Klinger until his death, and he still lives on that place. I .. Troutman, of Hebe, in Jordan township, was He and his family are Lutheran members of the a farmer of that township. Cross Road Church, in which he has been active, George T. Trontman, son of Joseph, born Jan. having held the offices of trustee, deacon and elder, 27, 1804, was a farmer in Jordan township, own- in which latter he is still serving. Politically he is a Republican.

Mr. Troutman married Mary Ann Klinger, daughter of Daniel and Caroline (Schadel) Kling- er, and they have had children as follows: Lizzie married Theodore MeKinney and they live at Sun- bury, Pa. ; Harvey Albert married Edna Long and lives at Sunbury, Pa. ; Elmer F. is mentioned be- low; Lillie married Elmer Zimmerman and they live in Rockefeller township; William H. died aged fourteen years.

Daniel Klinger, father of Mrs. Troutman, was born Nov. 2, 1824, and married Caroline Schadel, who was born May 22, 1827. They came from the vicinity of Klingerstown, Schuylkill county, after their marriage, and settled in Rockefeller township, where they passed the remainder of their lives, and there they are buried, at Emanuel Luth- eran Church. Mr. Klinger died Aug. 21, 1908, Mrs. Klinger on Oct. 22, 1907. They were farm- ing people and among the prosperous residents of their section.

ELMER F. TROUTMAN, son of Isaac L., was born Nov. 22, 1876, in Rockefeller township, where he attended the local sehools and was brought up to farm life. Working for his parents until lie reached liis majority, he began farming for him- self in the spring of 1898, on the tract of sixty- seven acres in the Plnm Creek district, in Rock- efeller township, where he has sinee lived. This was formerly a Furman homestead, later owned by a Klinger, and the present set of buildings on the place was erected by William Furman. Mr. Troutman has improved the property materially since it came into his ownership, and the barn and stables have been equipped with modem ap- pliances and are kept serupulously clean, his live stock being a matter of pride and probably the by the side of his first wife.

finest in the township, this being true of his cattle and horses both. He has made a specialty of dairy farming, keeping fifteen milch cows in the summer season and in winter usually as many as twenty-three, running a milk team to Sunbury daily. He has been enterprising and industrious. and his intelligent methods and good management have brought their own reward.

On Dec. 22, 1899, Mr. Troutman married Adel- la Bloom, daughter of the late Hiram Bloom, who was a farmer of Rockefeller township. Two chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Troutman, Gertrude and Russell. Mr. and Mrs. Trontman are Lutheran members of the Plum Creek Church. He is a Republican in political connection, and has several local elective offices.

Joseph Troutman, great-grandfather of William

ing the place which he occupied and cultivated. It is now the property of S. W. Reed, a famn of about 130 acres. He married Jestina Klark, who was born Nov. 22, 1811, and died June 4, 1876, surviving Mr. Trontman, who passed away Feb. 14, 1869. They are buried at Hebe. Their chil- dren were: William K., Henry K., Joseph K. (died Dec. 27, 1906, aged sixty-six years, eight months, two days: wife Esther died May 31, 1888, aged forty-three years, three months, fifteen days), Aaron K., Harriet, Catharine, Louisa, Helena, Mary and Saralı.

William K. Troutman, son of George T., was born in Northumberland county, and was a farmer of Jordan township, where he had a tract of 125 acres which he cultivated during his active years. Later, when he retired, he moved to a small place near Hebe. During his early years he was a ten- ant farmer, but by hard work and thrift he became well-to-do, and he was one of the respected citi- zens of his township, which he served as tax col- lector. Politically he was a Republican. and dur- ing the Civil war he served in the Union army, as a member of Company K, 172d Regiment. He and his family worshipped with the Reformed eon- gregation at Hebe, and he served as elder and trustee of the church.

Mr. Troutman's first wife, Lydia (Leitzel), daughter of Benjamin Leitzel, was born Jan. 15, 1834, and died Nov. 26, 1868, the mother of seven children : Amelia married Peter Kratzer: Eliza- beth married William Bohner; Catharine married Peter Boyer; Lydia married William Hoffman : Emma married John Long : Cossom married Mag- gie Shaud; William L. is mentioned below. The father died Nov. 2, 1897, aged sixty-six years, nine months, fourteen days, and is buried at Hebe

WILLIAM L. TROUTMAN, son of William K. and Lydia (Leitzel) Troutman, was born May 3, 1864, in Lykens Valley, Dauphin county, and like the average farmer's son was trained to agricultural pursuits from boyhood and worked for his parents until he became of age. His early literary train- ing was obtained at home and in the schools at Pillow, Dauphin county, and when twenty years old he was licensed to teach, by Prof. W. J. Wolv- erton, then superintendent of schools in Northuni- berland county. His first experience was at the Grove schoolhouse. No. 2. in Jordan township, and he has taught twenty-five years in all in that township, where he was engaged for twenty years consecutively. For two terms he was located at Leck Kill, in Upper Mahanoy township. His first professional certificate was granted in 100, his

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second in 1909, by Prof. W. W. Fetzer, county superintendent. Mr. Troutman was not only re- garded as a successful educator, but also as an executive officer, for while teaching he was ap- pointed school director of his township, serving as such abont a year, and during that time he was secretary of the board of health in his town- ship; the district had three cases of smallpox in his term. In the summer season Mr. Troutman followed farming, for the most part as a tenant farmer, though he at present owns a farm of ninety-eight acres and oversees the work of culti- vation. In 1885 he moved to near Hebe, and in 1906 moved into the village, where he built his present home in 1909. He has for a number of years been active in public affairs in the locality, having served one term as assessor of Jordan township and two terms as justice of the peace, to which office he was first elected in 1897, being reelected five. years later by a large majority. In politics he is a Republican. . He has been a most active member of the Reformed congregation of St. David's Church at Hebe, of which he was deacon for twelve years and elder for six years, and he has been secretary of the consistory for the past twenty years. being still the incumbent of that position. For fifteen years he was the efficient superintendent of the Sunday school.

EDGAR O. SEAMAN, of Watsontown, dealer in vehicles of all kinds, harness, farm implements, and a number of allied commodities, has found an excellent field for that business in the borough, which is situated in the midst of a prosperous agricultural community, from which he draws a large trade. He is a native of Watsontown. born Sept. 30, 1878, and he comes of a family which has been located in Pennsylvania since the middle of the eighteenth century, for over a hundred and sixty years. The form Seaman is the English spelling of a "surname of occupation" denoting a William B. Seaman, son of William K., was horn May 5, 1838, in Chillisquaque township, this county, and received his education in the schools sailor or one connected with the navigation of a vessel, and was applied to officers as well as com- mon sailors, although technically restricted to of Pottsgrove. He was reared to farmning, and those without rank. The German spelling is See- began on his own account after his marriage on niann ; Middle English. Seamon : Anglo-Saxon,. a place in his native township, where he farmed Seaman ; Dutch, Zeeman : Icelandic, Sjomathe; on shares until he moved to Delaware township Swedish, Sjoeman : Danish, Soemand. to the farm of his father-in-law, S. M. Miller.

Johan Ludwig Seaman, the ancestor of the Sea- inans here under consideration, was a native of Germany, and prior to coming to America was for eight years a member of the bodyguard of Frederick the Great of Prussia. He emigrated to America in 1748, landing at Philadelphia Oct. 25th of that year, and soon thereafter removed to Bern, which later became Upper Bern and is now Tilden township, in Berks county, Pa. He had children : Eberhart, born in 1:52; John, born in 1:53; Henry ; Margaretta, who married a Real; Mary Magdalena, born in 1759, who married Phil- ip Kauffman; Ludwig (Lewis), born in 1764; George, and Michael.

On Nov. 18, 1793, one Lewis Seaman received a warrant for 400 acres of land in Northumber- land connty, Pa. [Pennsylvania Archives, Third Series. ]

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 53

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