Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 72

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 72

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deacon. Politically he is a Democrat, and he has been sehool director sinee 1908.

ABRAHAM KIEFFER. another son of John and Magdalena (Heim) Kieffer, is now retired, living on the farm near Rebuck which has been his home for so many years. He was born Nov. 11, 1836, on the homestead of his grandfather Kieffer, in Washington township, received his education in the subscription schools which were the rule during his boyhood, and was reared to farming pursuits. He worked for his parents until he attained his majority, and after his marriage worked five years for his father-in-law, John Sehlegel, of Jordan township, eventually settling at his present place. the five sehools now located in the distriet. He He has a traet of forty-five acres, which he cul- tivated suecessfully during his active years, retir- ing some time ago. This tract was part of a Gon- ser homestead, and the briek house now standing on the property was built by one Killian Rothermel in 1864.

Jonathan Keiffer, son of John, was born on the farm now owned by his son Daniel M. Keiffer, and followed farming practically all his life, though in his earlier manhood he worked as a carpenter at Sunbury. He owned a farm of 110 acres in Wash- ington township, one mile south of Rebuck, one of the best pieces of property in that section, and erected the present set of buildings thereon. The place is an old Kieffer homestead. Mr. Keiffer died June 21, 1902, aged seventy-six years, eight months, twelve days. He was a progressive man, and served his township eighteen years in the office of school director, in that capacity helping to build

was a Demoerat in politics, and he and his family were members of the Reformed congregation at the Himmel Church. He married Sarah A. Kehres, daughter of William Kehres, and she died Oct. 29, 1886, aged forty-three years, five months, elev- en days, the mother of nine children: Emanuel, who is now in Nebraska; William J., who died Aug. 1, 1900, aged thirty-four years, eleven months, eleven days; Kate, married to C. B: Hetrick; Mary, widow of Freeman Fertie; Jane, married to Henry Sehlegel ; Emma, married to Edw. Boy- er; Samuel, living in Washington township; George, deeeased ; and Daniel M. For his second wife Jonathan Keiffer married Louisa Rauseh, wid- ow of Adam German, and she survives him, now making her home in Snyder county. She was the mother of several children.

About 1865 Mr. Kieffer married Mary Jane Sehlegel, daughter of John Sehlegel, a native of Northumberland county, and granddaughter of William Schlegel, a native of Berks county, Pa. Mrs. Kieffer was born in 1842. She and her hus- band have four children: William, of Trevorton, Northumberland county; Charles, of Elizabeth- ville, Dauphin eounty, where he carries on a hotel ; Alice, wife of Daniel Treon; and Mary Agnes, married to O. S. Dunkelberger. The family are Lutheran members of the Himmel Chureh, and Mr. Kieffer has always been regarded as one of the most worthy and zealous members of the congre- gation, which he served in official capaeities almost continuously in his active years, having been deaeon, elder, trustee and treasurer. He is a Dem-

DANIEL M. KEIFFER, son of Jonathan, lives at the old homestead in Washington township, where he is a prosperous farmer and a successful auc- tioneer. He was born at that place March 22, 1879, received his edueation in the public schools ocrat in politieal sentiment, and has served as of the township, and has been engaged at farm tax collector of Washington township.

work all his life. Until he was eighteen he worked for his parents. Then he entered the employ of PAUL DUROVCIK, hotel-keeper of Mount Carmel, has conducted his present stand at No. 123 North Market street sinee 1894. He is a native of Austria-Hungary and the acknowledged leader of his countrymen in Mount Carmel and vicinity, a man of substantial worth as a citizen of his adopted country and respected by all who know John Hetriek, for whom he worked four years, after which he operated the huckster wagon of F. L. Kehres one year. In 1902 he began agri- cultural pursuits on his own aecount at the home- stead, where he has since remained, having pur- chased the property in the fall of 1901. It is one of the fertile spots in the Swabian Creek Valley, him. and Mr. Keiffer has done well in its cultivation. Mr. Duroveik was born in Austria Dec. 8, 1866, In 1904 Mr. Keiffer began to cry sales, and his in the town of Lucka. His father, also named services have been in demand for such work ever Paul, was a farmer in Austria and died in that country. The son came to America when sixteen since, to such an extent that he was auctioneer at thirty sales in the spring of 1909. IIc is an en- years old and spent his first three years here in

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New York City, arriving at Mount Carmel, North- lived and died, and like his father followed farn- umberland Co., Pa., June 7, 1885. Here he has ing and operated the sawmill. since made his home. He followed mining about nine years, in 1894 engaging in the hotel busi- ness at No. 123 North Market street, where he is still located, having established a steady and lucra- tive trade. Mr. Duroveik has acquired other in- terests as his prosperity enabled him to invest else- where, and he was one of the organizers of the Guarantee Trust and Safe Deposit Company, which he serves as director. He has twice repre- sented his ward (the Second) in the borough coun- cil as the Republican candidate, having been first elected in 1907 and reelected in 1910. Mr. Dur- oveik belongs to the local lodge of Elks, to the Red Men and the Owls, being treasurer of the local or- ganization of the latter society. He is very prom- inent in the various Slavic societies, and is a mem- ber of the Slavic Reformed Church, in the work of which he takes a leading part.

Peter Lenker, father of George H. Lenker, was born on the old homestead in Lower Mahanoy township, and died in the house in which he was born, though he had passed many years of his life elsewhere. He was a lifelong farmer, and at one time owned a farm, later renting the land he cul- tivated. For thirteen years he lived near Line Mountain post office, in Upper Mahanoy township. He was a member of the Stone Valley Church, where as above stated he is buried. His first wife, Susanna Bobb, was the mother of twelve children, viz .: John, Magdalena, Peter, Nicholas, Adam, Michael, and six who died young. His second marriage was to Esther Hetrich, daughter of George Hetrich, and to this union were born six children: Daniel died aged nineteen years; Lydia is unmarried ; Simon died when eleven years old; George H. is mentioned below: Benjamin lives in Lower Augusta township; Rebecca died when six

On Jan. 17, 1888, MIr. Durovcik married Anna Dovei, like himself a native of Austria, and they years old.

have a family of five children : Paul, Jr., Annie, Mary, Jolin and Agnes. George H. Lenker had three months of instruc- tion in the old-fashioned subscription schools for- merly conducted in this section, but he was edu- GEORGE H. LENKER, farmer of Washington township, was born Feb. 14, 1851, in Upper Maha- noy township, Northumberland county, son of Peter Lenker. He is a descendant of Adam or John Adam Lenker, a native of Switzerland, who cated principally in the public schools, which he attended off and on until he was of age. He was trained from youth to farming, and in 1871 began that occupation for himself in Washington town- ship, where he has since continued to live. He was one of the pioneer settlers in this region, lo- owns eighty acres of cleared land and fifteen acres eating in territory now embraced in Lower Maha- of woodland, and built a substantial house on his noy township, where he followed farming. The property in 1897. The barn was built by the Zer- original homestead upon which he settled was the. fings about 1870. Mr. Lenker is an intelligent farm. now owned by David Bohner. He was born and progressive citizen, and though he has devoted Dec. 12, 1765, and died March 24, 1834, and is his attention to his work and cultivated his land buried at the Zion Church in Stone Valley, as is profitably he has found time to take part in the administration of local affairs. For twelve years he served as auditor of his township, and after

also his wife, Anna Maria ; she was born June 15, 1764, and died May 12, 1822. Their children were: Michael, John Adamn, Jacob, Polly (mar- that became school director, in which office he has ried John Witmer) and Mary (married William Schaffer).

served continuously since 1895, having been re- elected five times. He is a Democrat in political

Jacob Lenker, son of Adam, was born in Ger- opinion. He and his family are members of the Lutheran congregation at St. Peter's Church,

many, landed at Philadelphia upon his emigration

to America, and soon afterward settled in the which he has served as deacon, being much inter- Mahantango Valley, in Northumberland county, ested in the welfare of the church.

Pa., where he owned a large farm which he cul- In 1871 Mr. Lenker married Henrietta Carl, tivated successfully. He built a sawmill, which he daughter of John and Catharine (Diener) Carl, operated in connection with his agricultural work, natives of Pike township, Berks Co., Pa., and they and was a prosperous man. In religion he was . have a family of seven children: Hiram O., who · a Lutheran, as are most of his descendants ( a few lives at Lavelle, Schuylkill county; Charles MI .. being members of the Evangelical' Association), of Shamokin ; Alice R., wife of George Thomas, of

Jackson township; Nathan H., of Mowry, Schuyl- kill county ; George C., of Allentown, Pa .: Isaac I., of Washington township ; and Henrietta R., who married Monroe Bobb, of Washington township.

and he and his son Jacob, as well as Peter Lenker, father of George H., are buried at the Stone Valley Church in Lower Mahanoy township. He served his adopted country as a soldier. He and his wife, Anna (Feldy), had children as follows: Peter; Jacob; Simon : Jonathan : Philip: Mrs. Jacob JOHN B. SEYER. of Shamokin, chief dyer at Hepner : Mrs. John Shaffer : and Mrs. Seaman. the J. H. & C. K. Eagle silk factory, located in The son Jacob obtained the homestead, where he that borough, is a man of the widest experience in

NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA 823

his line, gained in the foremost establishments of in that township long known as the Newcomer this country, and is himself interested in the busi- farm. It consisted of about one hundred acres. ness as vice president of the Garfield Silk Dyeing & Finishing Company, of Garfield ( Passaic), N. J. All his active years have been given to this

He married Elizabeth Lantz, of Turbut township, and in 1864 took his family out to Iowa, mak- ing the trip by team. The journey occupied three line of industry, in which he is a noted authority, months, and they crossed only one railroad track known to the trade all over the United States. -one of the old-fashioned kind, with wooden rails. Mr. Newcomer took up land in Iowa and there

Mr. Seyer was born in 1866 in France, front which country his father, also John B. Seyer, spent the remainder of his life, dying there. He brought his family to America in 1870. He made

and his wife had a large family, viz. : John Sam- a home at Paterson, N. J., where he died. There uel, Daniel, Susan ( Mrs. Thomas Stover), Eman- the son received his education in the public schools, uel, Levi (who served as a captain during the and there he began to learn his present business Civil war, from Iowa), Philip, Margaret (Mrs. Aaron Costenbador), Kate (married Edw. Kelly), Annie (Mrs. Woodwring), Joseph, and four oth- ers not named. in the plant of the Weidmann Silk Dyeing Com- pany, the largest dyeing house in the United States. So thoroughly did he master the work that he was made foreman in this establishment, holding John Samuel Newcomer, son of Philip, was the father of Franklin A. Newcomer. He was born June 3, 1825, in Turbut township, Northumber- land county, and there grew to manhood. When the family moved out to Iowa he accompanied them, but not caring for the country returned to his native township, where he subsequently bought his father-in-law's farm, which he cultivated until his death. He died there Sept. 6, 1908, at the advanced age of eighty-three, and is buried at Milton. In religious faith he was a Lutheran. He married Matilda Jacoby, daughter of Samuel and Catharine (Bachman) Jacoby, and they reared a family of three children: Elizabeth C., who is the wife of Isaac Seers, and resides in Mil- ton ; Hattie M., who married Charles C. Gast and lives in. Milton (their children are John N. and that responsible position for a period of nineteen years, at the end of which time he formed a con- nection with Ashley & Bailey, another important concern at Paterson, taking charge of their plant for seven years. In company with other men he then organized the Garfield Silk Dyeing and Fin- ishing Company, of Garfield, N. J., of which he is vice-president, and of whose plant he had charge for two years, leaving to enter the establishment - of the Standard Silk Company, at Phillipsburg, N. J. In July, 1909, he came to Shamokin, to i enter upon his duties as chief dyer at the Eagle plant. Mr. Seyer has about one hundred and twenty-five employees under his charge in the dye house, which is one of the most completely equipped plants of the kind in the country. The Eagle silk factory, though one of the more recently Helen M.) ; and Franklin A.

established industrial plants of Shamokin, has

from the first been regarded as an important fac- at the place where he still resides, and obtained tor in local business prosperity, and Mr. Seyer's his education in the public schools of that lo- work has done much toward making its product popular and in steady demand. His skill, taste and ingenuity make him one of the most valu- able of the clever men associated with this con- cern who have placed its goods among the most desirable on the market.

Mr. Seyer is well known in the Masonic frater- nity, holding membership in Falls City Lodge, No. 82; Cataract City Chapter, No. 10, R. A. M .; Shamokin Commandery, No. 77, K. T .; Jer- sey City Consistory, thirty-second degree ; and Sa- laam Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., in the latter connection also belonging to the Temple Club at Shamokin. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F. and the Shamokin Automobile Club.

In 1891 Mr. Seyer married Adeline Ferry, and they have two children, Blanche and Henry.

FRANKLIN A. NEWCOMER, of Turbut township, Northumberland county, represents the third generation of his family in that section, his grandfather, Philip Newcomer, a native of Pennsylvania, having owned and ocenpied a farm

Franklin A. Newcomer was born Dec. 31, 1866,

cality and in Milton high school and Milton Acad- demy, the latter institution taught by the able Professor Schneider. He then taught for one year at the Ireland schoolhouse in Turbut township, aft- er which he turned his attention to teaching music, both vocal and instrumental, being thus engaged until 1897. He made a success of his professional work, but for a number of years he has devoted his principal attention to farming. In 1897 he located at the old home with his father and farmed for him. and in the fall of 1908 he bought the property. He makes a specialty of truck rais- ing, and attends the Milton markets. He is a inember of the Modern Woodmen and of Turbut Grange, interested in all affairs that affect the welfare of his loeality, and one of the progressive, intelligent citizens of his section. In religious connection he is a Lutheran, a well known mem- ber of Christ Church at Milton, which he served as organist for a period of. sixteen years. Mr. Newcomer is independent on political questions, supporting the best men and measures without re- gard to party.

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In 1892 Mr. Newcomer married Jennie L. Clew- of which he was a deaeon many years. Earlier ell, daughter of Godfrey William and Catharine in life he was a millwright, and followed his trade (Artley) Clewell, and to them have been born two children, Franklin C. and John William.

throughout eastern Pennsylvania. Later he farmed in Lower Augusta on the homestead. He was a The Clewell family is of French Huguenot ori- Democrat. The following were their nine ehil- gin, and the family history is very complete. dren : Reuben died at Sunbury, Pa .; Raehel mar Jacob Clewell, Mrs. Newcomer's grandfather, was ried Edw. Trowbridge; Jacob lives at Lykens, Pa. ; born May 13, 1783, and on Oct. 16, 1808, mar- Mary married John Townsend; Barbara married Charles Sarvis; Emma married Samuel Snyder ; David S. is mentioned below; Sarah J. married Adam Wynn, a cousin; Susanna married John Orendorf. ried Sarah Miller, who was born Mareh S, 1785. They lived at Catawissa, Pa., where they were farming people. Their children were born as fol- lows: Catharine, Jan. 11, 1812; Jacob, Jan. 3, 1815; Sarah, Oct. 11, 1817; Daniel, Oct. 18, 1818; Mariam, Feb. 4, 1821; Mathias, Jan. 20, 1822; Lovina, Aug. 19, 1825; Godfrey William, Jan. 8, 1828.

Annias Wynn, son of John, was born in Lower Augusta township, where he also died. His wife, Elizabeth (White), was born Oct. 27, 1809, and died Sept. 26, 1863. Both are buried in the Bap- tist cemetery. Elizabeth White was a daughter of Robert White, an Englishman, who after being in America some years returned to his native eoun-

Godfrey William Clewell, son of Jacob, was dur- ing his active years a sueeessful farmer in Mon- tour county, near the Northumberland eounty line. He is now living retired at Milton. He try, and there enlisted in the English navy. An- married Catharine Artley, and to them were born nias Wynn was a deaeon of the Baptist church, three children, Jennie L. (Mrs. Franklin A. New- of which he was a member for sixty years. He comer), William and Artley. The two sons are was a farmer, and owned the tract now owned by farmers in Liberty township, Montour county, the Samuel Still. He and his wife had twelve ehil- father having divided his farm between them, each one having his own traet.

dren, namely : Susanna; Sarah, who married Wil- liam' Conrad; John G., who died Sept. 2, 1897, aged sixty-four years, three months, nine days (his wife Lydia died Oet. 3, 1901, aged fifty-five years, eight months, eighteen days) ; Lafayette; Oscar T., who married Ellen Kritz; William, who mar-

WYNN. John Wynn, said to be a native of New Jersey, was a pioneer settler of Lower Au- · gusta township, Northumberland county. He was of Welsh extraetion. Prior to May 18, 1818, he ried Annie Welker; Jane, Mrs. Reuben Conrad ; came to Northumberland eounty, and settled on Luseius C., deeeased, who married Annie Spotts; Annias, who served in the regular army and who was never married; Silas H., who married Orilla E. Shipman (died Nov. 30, 1883, aged twenty- six years, one month, fourteen days) and (seeond) Maggie Obetz; and Mary and Samuel, both of whom died young. the farm now owned by his grandson, David S. Wynn. This traet was originally taken up by warrant by John and Margaret Snyder. On May 18, 1818, John "Win," as his name appears in the deed, purchased these eighty-two acres for $659.69. Here. he ereeted the first set of build- ings, of logs. The log house stood until about

John Wynn, Jr., son of John, was a farmer 1880, when it was razed by David S. Wynn. He in Lower Augusta township. He was born Feb. and his wife Elizabeth probably were Baptists, as all their children were of that faith. . Elizabeth Wynn was the first person buried in the Augusta Baptist ehureh cemetery. Her husband is buried at the Mountain Presbyterian Church. They had these children : Samuel, Annias, John, Jr., Mat- thias (settled out West), Byram (settled out West), and Sallie (married John Van Sant, who was a merchant in Rockefeller township).

In 1847 John Wynn, Sr., sold his farm to his son Samuel D. On the deed conveying this land to the son the pioneer wrote his name in plain English John "Wynn."

Samuel D. Wynn, son of John, was born in Lower Augusta township Jan. 24, 1795, and died on his farm April 27, 1878. His wife Elizabeth, daughter of Jacob Shipman, died Feb. 3, 1890, aged eighty-four years, five months, ten days, and they are buried at the Augusta Baptist cemetery. They were Baptists, and members of that ehureh,

10, 1797, and died Oet. 8, 1875. His wife, Betzy Snyder, is buried in Kansas. They had children : Adam, Stephen, Chambers (his wife's name was Mary; their daughter Lydia died Feb. 2, 1861, aged one year, eleven months, fourteen days, and their daughter Amanda, born May 26, 1854, died Jan. 20, 1858), Albert, Jemima, Martha J. (born March 27, 1850, died Feb. 7, 1872), Mary and Samantha.

Lafayette Wynn, son of Annias, is a farmer in Lower Augusta township, where he was born Aug. 28, 1835. During the Civil war he was a soldier in Company I, 58th Pennsylvania Infantry, under Col. J. Riter Jones, of Philadelphia, and he par- tieipated in many engagements and was shot through the left shoulder. He took part in the Grand Review at Washington, D. C., and was dis- charged Nov. 21. 1865. After the war he worked six years in the lumber woods, and railroaded for twenty-two years. In 1892 he purehased his

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eighty-four-acre farm in Lower Augusta, on which Lewis Young, of Philadelphia, and has a dangh- he has lived since 1903. Mr. Wynn was married ter, Fay; and Maria, born at Milton July 29, three times. His first wife, Elizabeth M. J. Lytle, 1872, who married A. S. Miller, of Milton. died Aug. 31, 1868, the mother of three children, George, Robert and Elmer. By his second mar- riage, to Maggie Haupt, he had two children, Peter and Edward. His third marriage, in 1885, was to Mary C. Smith, by whom he had one child, Arthur.

David S. Wynn, son of Samuel D., was born May 17, .1844, near Fishers Ferry. When nine- teen lie began railroading, which he followed six years. In 1870 he purchased the original Wynn siderable valuable real estate in Milton.

homestead where he has since lived and farmed. He is a Democrat, has been supervisor, and school director, and has been an active member of the Baptist Church, since 1899 serving as a deacon. Sinee 1900 lie has been Sunday school superintendent, and in 1909 he was elected president of the Sunday School Association, whiell is an auxiliary of the County Sunday School As- sociation. On April 28, 1870, he married Hen- rietta, daughter of William Randall, of Centre county, Pa. She died Feb. 13, 1887, aged twenty- seven years, ten months, nine days, the mother of children as follows: Jasper, Frank, Molly, Rachel, Charles and Henrietta. Mr. Wynn's second mar- riage, on May 4, 1888, was to Ellen, daughter of .

Jolin and Sarah (Bowman) Geiswhite, of Dauphin ship "Edinburgh," landing at Philadelphia Sept.

county, Pa. They have six children : Clayton, Al- ice, Warren, Eva, Joseph and Catharine.

Restaurant, at Milton, Pa., and one of the substan- tial and well-to-do citizens of that town, was born there March 24. 1868, son of Frederiek W. Wolf, Sr. His grandfather came to America from Ger- . many, and settled in Philadelphia, Pa., where he followed the baker's trade. He died there leay- ing two sons, Frederick W. and William, the lat- ter of whom resides in Philadelphia.

Frederick W. Wolf, Sr., was born in the King- dom of Wurtemberg, Germany, Nov. 26, 1838, and came to America about 1859, settling in Mereer county, N. J. On March 4, 1866, in Philadelphia, he married Mary Elizabeth Gehring, who was born April 18, 1841, in IIalle, Westphalia, Germany. He and his wife came to Milton in 1867, and went into the baking business on Mahoning street. near the old canal bridge. In 1872 they removed their place of business to South Front street, near the river bridge. and there they continued. Mr. Wolf died Oct. 28, 1877. and his wife on. Aug. 27, 1907, and both are buried in the Harmony cem- etery at Milton. During the Civil war Mr. Wolf enlisted as a baker, and served until the close of the war. He was a Democrat in politics, and his his father ..

Frederick W. Wolf attended the schools at Mil- ton, and then found employment with the Shim- ers, the Godcharleses and in the Milton car shops. He began his restaurant business in 1892, the next year buying the property, which is located at the corner of South Front and River bridge, and was once the old tollhouse. Mr. Wolf has greatly improved the place and has made it up-to- date in every particular. He is the owner of con-

Mr. Wolf married Hettie Wetzel, and they have had three children, Margaret, Frederick W. and Lulu. Mr. Wolf is a member of the F. O. E. and the P. O. S. of A. In politics he is a stanchi up- holder of Democratic principles. The family at- tend the Lutheran Church.

WARREN UNGER, the proprietor of the large hardware establishment at Nos. 309-313 Spruce street, Shamokin, is one of the enterprising busi- ness men and public-spirited citizens of that thriy- ing borough. He was born in Dauphin county, Pa., April 7, 1868, son of Daniel and Huldah (Raker) Unger.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 72

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