Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 80

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 80

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

William H. Mertz, born June 6, 1853, beeame a florist of note. He married Jan. 8, 1878, Eine- line Mover, daughter of George Mover, and they had nine ehildren : Adelia A., Mabel I., Mary E.,

Boyd F. and Harold R.

FRED F. KUMER, of Shamokin. has built up a fine business as a contraetor in the line of eement and eonerete work sinee he established himself in the borough in 1899. He is a native of Wartem- berg, Germany, born July 5. 1869. son of Joseph Kumer, who was superintendent of a cement plant in the Fatherland. Joseph Kumer eame to Amer- ica in 1888, settling in Philadelphia, where lic re- mained until his death, in 1896. He married Maria Bauer, also of Germany, who died in Phil- adelphia in 1904. They had children as follows: Theresa, Mary, Franciscos, Anna, Fred F. and Louisa.

Fred F. Kumer received a good education in the schools of his native land and there also learned the making of eement and concrete. Com- ing to this country when little more than a boy, he landed at New York City in March, 1885, and for some time after his arrival followed his trade at . Philadelphia, removing thence to Bloomsburg, Pa .. where he did considerable work in that line. In 1899 he eame to Shamokin, where he has since made his home .. He has had a number of im-

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portant contracts, and employs from ten to fif- Mr. Roush's first wife, R. Minda . (Leightner ), teen men, his work including the laying of cement of Snyder county, Pa., died in 1904. The two curbing, coping, steps, cellar and stable floors, and children born to this union died in infancy. On improved artificial stone pavements. He built his Sept. 19, 1906, Mr. Roush married (second) own fine residence, at No. 913 West Arch street, Christena J. Kern, of Erie, Pa., and they reside in 1908, and there he also has his business head- at No. 114 Mahoning street, in the borough of quarters. His high-grade work is bringing him Milton. a steady and lucrative patronage.

On Feb. 21, 1895, Mr. Kumer married Margar- ita Malfaeira, who is of French and Italian de- scent, and they have five children: Joseph John, Frank F., Mary Elizabeth, Christian William and Vincent Paul. Mr. Kumer is a member of St. Edward's Catholic Church and of the Knights of Columbus.

JOSHUA F. HILL, of Montandon, until. re- cently road foreman for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, now retired, was in the employ of that company over thirty years and was a trusted and reliable worker. Mr. Hill was born Oet. 13, 1844, at Montgomery Station, Lycoming Co., Pa., son of John Hill and grandson of John Hill.

The grandfather lived and died in Lycoming county, and is buried at the Baptist Church near Montgomery station. He was a carpenter by trade, and followed that calling many years. To him and his wife were born the following children : George,

ROBERT J. ROUSH, of Milton, Northumber- land county, is engaged as an engineer on the Phil- adelphia & Reading railroad, his run being on the Shamokin division. He is a native of Lower Augusta township, this county, born July 14, 1870, John, Joseph, Daniel, Henry, Sarah and Hannah. and comes of a family long settled in the State of Pennsylvania.

David Roush, great-grandfather of Robert J. Roush, lived and died at Frecburg, Snyder county. His children were Nathan and Isaae.

Nathan Roush, son of David, was a well known truck farmer in Juniata county, where he died. He and his wife had a family of eight children : Wilson was the father of Robert J. Roush ; Elmer lives at Shamokin. Northumberland county ; Dan- iel lives in Snyder county; Edward lives in Sha- deceased. mokin ; Fred, of Sunbury, married Jane Downey and they have children, Frances, Harry, Clarence,

Roy and Danicl : Caroline is deceased : Annic mar- worked among the farmers about Montgom- ried John Walter: Agnes married James Reinert. ery. 1880 he entered the employ of Wilson Roush was born in Snyder county, and the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, as seetion now lives at Winfield, Union Co., Pa. He has been in the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company for a period of twenty-two years. He married Malinda Seers, and they are the par- ents of four sons. namely : Robert J., Joseph, Boyd and Stillwell. hand, and was engaged in that capacity. for five years, at the end of which period he was made foreman, of the Northumberland division. He built six and a half miles of track, from Northum- berland to Montandon, and had charge of the road at Montandon, 278 to 281 east, having ten men in his gang, until placed on the retired list, May 1, 1911. He is ar able man, discharging his re- sponsibilities with the utmost fidelity.

On July 3, 1870, Mr. Hill married Elvina Dich !. daughter of William and Hattie ( Fry ) Diehl. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are members of the Methodist Church at Montandon. -

JACOB F. BERLEW, who conducts a thriving business at No. 850 Susquehanna avenue, in the engineer. Mr. Roush is a reliable and trust- Fifth ward of Sunbury, is a rising young merehant worthy man, a respected citizen of his home place, of that borough. He has had considerable experi- and well known among his fellow engineers. He ence in the line in which he is engaged. and has holds membership in the P. O. S. of A., the F. O. shown his ability to gain and hold trade by the E. and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, most upright method's, being honest as well as and I. O. O. F. In religion he is a member of the Baptist Church.

enterprising. He was born in Sunbury Jan. 16, 1875, and is a member of the fourth generation

John Hill, father of Joshua F. Hill, was born in 1806 in Lycoming county, and did day's work among the farmers of his district, where he was much liked and respected, having many friends. He died in 1892 and is buried in the same church- vard where his father rests. His wife, Sarah ( Farley), was a daughter of John Farley, and they had these children : Joshua F. ; John ; Frank- lin; James; Benjamin; Elizabeth, unmarried ; Sarah, unmarried; Mary, deceased; and Harriet,

Joshua F. Hill attended public school in his home locality and in his young manhood

Robert J. Roush attended public school at Win- field and followed farm work during his early man- hood, continuing thus until he was nineteen years old. At the age of twenty he came to Milton. and entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company, beginning as a repairman. Later he was on the gravel train, and then worked as brakeman for a time, bceoming an engineer when only twenty-five years old. He has been on the Shamokin division throughout his service as

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of the Berlew family in Northumberland county. a number of years he has had the most iniportant We give a brief account of the earlier generations, eontraets in his home place, having plastered the as far as recorded. jail, the courthouse, the leading hotels, all the

Peter Berlew, great-grandfather of Jacob F. churches but two, and many other buildings. At Berlew, was born in 1768 in New Jersey, and was times he has had as many as twenty men in his employ, but for a few years past he has been re- linquishing heavy responsibilities. one of the cmigrants from that State who located in Lower Augusta township, this county, some time after the Revolutionary war. He owned a tract In 1869 Mr. Berlew married Catharine Felsing- er, daughter of Michael and Charlotte ( Knobel ) Felsinger, of Sunbury, who came from Wurins, Germany, in 1851. Mr. and Mrs. Berlew have had four children : Lottie, now the wife of Charles Felton, of Sunbury; Jacob F .; John, of Phila- delphia ; and William, a merehant of Sunbury. Mr. Berlew and his family are members of the Baptist Church, in the work of which he has long been prominent, having served as trustee and librarian and, for thirty-five years, as member of the choir, having an excellent bass voice. Politi- cally he is a Republican. of land in that township on the north side of the Mahanoy mountains. He was a wood ehopper and trapper, and so successful a hunter that he had a fenee around his house made of the horns of deer he had killed. One day (about 1800) he shot eight deer in two hours on the spot where Trev- orton is now located. He moved thither from Lower Augusta township when Indians were still roving over the region, and lived at Trevorton until his death in the winter of 1855, at the ripe age of eighty-seven years. He is buried at the Methodist Church in Irish valley. According to tradition his wife was a Shipman and also from

Jacob F. Berlew received his education in the New Jersey. She died long before her husband, public schools of Sunbury, graduating from the

and is buried at the Mountain Presbyterian Church. They had a family of four children, namely: Ruth married Samuel Randall; Gilbert is mentioned below : David settled in Luzerne county, Pa., above Pittston; Polly married Wil- liain Feaster, a brother of Phoebe Feaster, her brother Gilbert's wife.

Gilbert Berlew, son of Peter, was born Feb. 29, 1818, in Lower Augusta township, and was seven years old when taken into the family of Squire

high school in 1895. At an early age he began clerking for his father, and in 1892 became in- terested in the mercantile business on Market street, where he was engaged for nine years. In 1903 he took a responsible position at Greens- burg, Westmoreland Co., Pa., with the large mer- cantile house of A. E. Troutman & Co., having charge of the dress goods and silks, and he re- mained with that concern until he entered the business on his own account in 1906, establishing

Weiser, with whom he lived in Sunbury until he himself at his present location in Sunbury. His reaelied the age of twenty-one years. He had store on Susquehanna avenue has a frontage of 40 learned the trade of plasterer, which he followed feet, and is 90 feet long, His stock is large and at Trevorton, Shamokin and Ashland after he at- well assorted, and he gives employment to five tained his majority until 1864, when he settled elerks. Mr. Berlew's enterprise and obliging traits at Sunbury. He continued to live there until his have brought him an extensive eustom, which he death, in February, 1883, and is buried in the is striving to increase by the most commendable methods, and he has every prospect of a prosper- ous future. In addition to his mercantile busi- ness, he has the distriet agency for the Pullinan motor car, 1911 models. He is a member of the Order. of Moose, at Sunbury, and belongs to the Presbyterian Church. old cemetery on South Fourth street, Sunbury He was quite a prosperous plastering contractor, employing as many as ten men and doing a large business for that day. His wife, Phoebe ( Feaster), was a daughter of Samuel Feaster. of Lower Au- gusta township, and they were the parents of ehildren, namely: Addison, Mary J .. John, Ange- line, Thomas, Norton, Elizabeth, Emanuel and Maria. Mr. Berlew and his family were Baptists.

On Nov. 25, 1903, Mr. Berlew married Nellie Fox, daughter of Jaeob Fox, of Greensburg, Pa., and they have had one daughter, Catharine.

Thomas Berlew, son of Gilbert. was born Feb. 16, 1848, at Boyles Run, Northumberland county, LEVI B. BATDORF, who for the last twenty and received a public school education at Trev- years has been engaged in the groeery business at Shamokin, Pa., is a native of Northumberland county, born in Jackson township Sept. 12, 1843, son of Joseph Batdorf and grandson of John Bat- orton, to which place his parents had removed when lie was three years old. At the age of sev- enteen he commeneed to learn plastering from his father, and he has followed that trade all his life, dorf. being now the leading contractor in that line in John Batdorf came to Northumberland county Sunbury. Ile moved with his parents from Trev- from Berks county, Pa., where his home had been orton to Sunbury in 1864, and his work has been near the Lebanon county line. He made the prineipally in and around the borough, though he journey by wagon, and located in Jackson town- has done considerable business in Shamokin. For

ship, where he was among the very carly settlers.

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The Batdorfs had been located in Berks county baker in the city. Mr. Lebo was born Jan. 4, for many years, in the tax list of 1759 there ap- 1869, in Upper Paxton township, Dauphin Co., pearing the name of Christian Battorf (name is Pa., where the family has long been loeated, his father and grandfather having been also natives variously spelled by different members of the fan- ily), who paid two pounds tax, showing him to be a of the same township. man of some property in Bethel township. John Batdorf owned a small farm, and devoted him- self to farm work. He was a member of the Uni- ted Evangelical Church at Mahanoy, where he is buried. He married Mary Grow, who died aged ninety years. They became the parents of two sons and eight danghters, namely: Joseph, John, Polly, Catharine, Sarah, Rebecea, Eliza, Harriet, Tillie and Luey Ann, the last named, who is still living (1911), marrying Peter Kniss and having children, Rebecca Jane, Franklin, Hattie, Samuel and William.

Josepli Batdorf, son of John, was born in Read- ing, Pa., and accompanied his father to North- umberland county. He learned the blacksmith's trade, and followed it for some time, but later en- gaged in farming in Lower Mahanoy township, and died at Hickory Corners .. He married Sarah Bahner, and their children were: Isaae, of Lower Mahanoy township: Jeremiah and William, de- ceased : Levi B .; Lovina, who married Elias Zart- man ; Hannah, who married Isaac Clemens :. and Henrietta, who married John A. Long.

Levi B. Batdorf attended the sehools of Jaek- son township, and at the age of seventeen began to learn the shoemaker's trade, which he followed for several years. For sixteen years he was en- gaged in farming in Little Mahanoy township, and in 1886 came to Shamokin. In 1890 he op- ened his present grocery store, in the operation of which he has met with deserved sueeess. He carries a full line of groeeries which he markets at reasonable prices, giving his customers the bene- fit of the best goods at the lowest possible cost.

In 1864 Mr. Batdorf married Harriett Zart- man, daughter of Adam and Susan ( Forney) Zart- man, and they have two children : Irvin J., who is engaged in the insurance business at Harris- burg, married Ellen Enterline, and has two chil- dren, Claude W. and Ethel M .: Emma P. mar- ried N. I. 'Raker, of Shamokin. Mr. Batdorf is a inember of the United Evangelical Church, which he has served as class leader, steward and trustee for some time, and for ten years was sup- . erintendent of the Sunday school in Little Maha- noy township.

HARRY A. LEBO, of Sunbury, has followed the baker's trade there since he attained his major- ity, and he has been in business for himself since 1895. His place of business at No. 600 East Market street is equipped with the most modern appli- anees known to the trade, and he employs four bakers, keeping two teams constantly busy supply- ing his trade. He sells more bread than any other

Henry Lebo, the grandfather, was a shoemaker, following his trade in the days when shoes were made entirely by hand, and his services were in much demand in his locality. He died in middle life, of rheumatism, and is buried at St. David's Church, at Killinger, in Dauphin county. His wife, Annie (Billifelt), was from Berks eounty, Pa., and lived to be over seventy. Their children were: John died when a young man; Caroline married George Neagley and they lived at Millersburg; Nathaniel was the father of Harry A. Lebo : Mary M. married John Grove, of Harrisburg: Louisa married Jared Specht and both died at Millers- burg ; Rebecea, who is unmarried, lives at Millers- burg; Henry lived in Upper Paxton township, Dauphin county. Only two survive, Mrs. Grove and Miss Rebeeea Lebo.

Nathaniel Lebo, son of Henry, was born in February, 1830, in Upper Paxton township, was a farmer by oeeupation, and died in 1885. He. is buried at St. David's Church, Killinger, and was a member of the Reformed congregation of that ehureh. Mr. Lebo married Mary S. James, daughter of Isaae and Agnes (Albright) James, who lived in Armstrong Valley, and she survived him many years, dying April 5, 1907, when sixty- seven years old. Nine children were born to them. namely: Oliver lives in Upper Paxton township: Agnes, widow of J. P. Harrison, resides at Sun- bury ; Harry A. is mentioned below : Ira A. died in childhood ; J. Edward makes his home in Illi- nois; J. Wilson is a resident of Upper Paxton township; Anna Dora and Anna Cora, the former the wife of George Seitz, the latter the wife of William DeLancy, are twins: Charles N. is a resi- dent of Millersburg, Pennsylvania.

Harry A. Lebo received his education in the schools of the home loeality, which he attended until thirteen years old. Subsequently he worked on the farm and learned coachsmithing, which he followed for a few years, but when twenty-one years old he came to Sunbury and commeneed to learn the baker's trade, at which he has sinee been " engaged. He was in the employ of others until 1895, when he started business on his own account, in a humble way, doing most of the work him- self. Gradually he built up a thriving trade, whiel has grown to such proportions that he employs four bakers and runs two wagons, and he does the largest bread business in the eity. Mr. Lebo is a general baker, turning out all the ordinary products of a bakery, and he also sells groceries and confectionery, in which line he lias likewise established a good trade. He now owns all the ground from No. 600 Market street back to Wood-

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, lawn avenue, along Sixth street, and has gained this valuable holding by thrifty management and application to his business.

On July 3, 1893, Mr. Lebo married Katie M. Miller, daughter of Charles S. Miller, a prominent eitizen of Sunbury, and six children have been born to this union : Myrtle S., Donald E., Russell A., Harry A., Cora C. and Helen A. The family are members of the Reformed Church. Mr. Lebo is a Democrat in politieal opinion, and socially he belongs to the Modern Woodmen, being a char- ter member of his lodge; he is a member of the Ameriean Sick and Accident Company.

DARLINGTON R. KULP, late of Shamokin, was for a quarter of a eentury one of the foremost business men of Northumberland county, where his extensive and varied interests made him an important figure in its industrial life from the time of his settlement in that borough until his deatli. His activities were not, however, confined to this region, his limber business extending over a wide territory.

Mr. Kulp eame of a family of Holland Dutel origin whose first members in America were among the early settlers of Pennsylvania. Matteas or Mattheis Kolb (as the name was originally spelled ) came to America, arriving in the ship "Phoenix" Oet. 20, 1744, and lived in Pottstown and Gosh- enhoppen, Pa. He had one son Peter, whose son Joseph Kolb was born about 1740 and married Ann Maria Stettler. Joseph Kolb was overseer of the poor in New Hanover Mareh 25, 1770. He had nineteen children, the sixth of whom, Chris- tian, was the father of Darlington R. Kulp.

Christian Kulp was born Ang. 6, 1800. in Mont- gomery eounty, this State, and died March 9, 1874. He and his wife Catherine ( Renninger), a native of Berks county, both spent their lives in eastern Pennsylvania. She lived to the age of eighty- three. and they are buried at Niantie, a small town in Montgomery county, near Pottstown. They had eleven children. as follows: Darlington R. is mentioned below : Sarah married Jacob Hummel- richt, and died in Chester county: Elizabeth mar- ried George W. Drumheller, and died at Gilberts- ville, Pa. ; Henry is living in East Coventry town- ship, Chester county; Catharine married Jesse Longabach, and died at Pottstown. Pa. : Mary married William Fink and is living at Pottstown : Jacob married Amelia Wagner and lives at Houtz- date, Clearfield Co., Pa. : Christian lives at the old homestead at Niantie, Montgomery county: El- mina married Jacob Endy and resides at Potts- town ; Frederick R. died in Tamaqua, Pa. : Diana married William Gilbert and lives at Pottstown.

cation being very limited. But he was intelligent and enterprising, and this handicap did not ser- iously affeet his success. He learned the carpen- ter's trade and early engaged in the lumber busi- liess, becoming one of the most snecessful lumber dealers of his day in Northumberland county, whither he removed in 1867. In October of that year he settled in Shamokin, where he entered in- to partnership, in the lumber business, with D. S. Shultz and William H. Beehtel, the name of the firm being Shultz. Bechtel & Co. In 1869-20 he was a member of the firm of Kulp. Bechtel & Co., who operated the Ben Franklin colliery. In July, 1871, he became associated with Matthias Emes, nuder the name of Kulp & Emes, which lasted about six years, when Mr. Emes was succeeded by Isaac F. Stetler: ' The latter's interest was pur- chased May 1, 1878, by C. Q. McWilliams, the new firm being known as Kulp & McWilliams, who in 1879 extended their interests, adding ice and brick to the original line. They continued to deal in all three commodities until Jan. 1. 1882, when W. C. MeConnell joined the firm, whiel under the name of. Kulp, MeWilliams & Co. did business until Ang. 15, 1886. The partnership was then dissolved, Mr. Kulp taking the lumber interests, and he continued to follow that line the rest of his life. His work branched out far beyond the or- iginal lines, for he not only bouglit large traets of land and cut the timber, but he carried the work further, converting the eleared land into produc- tive farms: at the time of his death he owned ten farms in Northumberland and adjoining counties.

In company with his eldest son, Monroe H. Kulp, Mr. Kulp opened a store in Shamokin, which they condueted as D. R. Kulp & Son for three years. Mr. Kulp was also a director of the Roaring Creek Water Company and its first pres- ident. and he was a director of the Shamokin Water Company. Though not particularly active in pub- lie affairs he served in the borough council and as supervisor of the poor in Coal township. He was originally a Whig, later a Republican. in pol- ities. During Lee's invasion he was one of the "emergeney men" who answered the call to de- fend the State.

Mr. Kulp was a Mason, uniting with Elysburg Lodge. No. 414. F. & A. M .. and with Shamokin Chapter, No. 264, R. A. M. He was reared in the faith of the German Reformed Church, but joined the Lutheran Church after locating in Shamokin.

On Oct. 5. 1851, Mr. Kulp married Elizabeth Gilbert, a native of New Hanover. Montgomery county, daughter of George and Sallie ( Houck) Gilbert, of Montgomery county. She died Feb. 23. 1902, aged sixty-nine years, surviving Mr. Kulp, who passed away Dec. 29, 1893, at the age .of sixty-seven years. They are buried in the Sha-

Darlington R. Kulp was born in Philadelphia Nov. 29, 1826, and was reared in Montgomery county, near Pottstown. He attended the distriet mokiu cemetery. To this nnion were born twelve sehools, but not regularly, his advantages for edu -. children, eight of whom survive, namely: Zep-

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orah E. ; Joanna Catherine, widow of Edwin Shu- senior member. acting as bookkeeper and cashier man, residing in Shamokin (she has two children, until the dissolution of the company, in 1886, when Harry W. and Mary) ; Monroe H. ; Clayton A., a Darlington R. Kulp took all the lumber interests resident of Shamokin, who married Aliee Sehlegel, of the firmn. Monroe II. Kulp was made general and they have had three children, Darlington, manager and acted as sneh until the spring of Clarenee and Monroe : Ella J .; Chester G., who 1892. Meantime he had been junior member of the married Elizabeth Dintinger, and they have had firm of D. R. Kulp & Son, who had a mercantile five children, Kathleen A., Darlington W., Eliz- business for three years from the spring of 1886. abeth H., Chester G. and Elizabeth L. (the family In 1892, when Darlington R. Kulp was strieken live at Shamokin) : Howard C., a member of the with the illness which caused his death the follow- Kulp Planing Mill Company, manufacturers of ing year, the entire management of the extensive lumber and mill work, at Lewistown, Pa., who interests fell upon Monroe H. Kulp. It was no married Clara Eisenhuth, and their children are small responsibility, for the Kulps were operating Eleanora E., Darlington R., Leon E., Sarah. Mar- guerite and Florenee G .; and George Gilbert.

HON. MONROE H. KULP was one of the most widely known citizens of Shamokin, and there was probably no one resident of the place more thor- oughly identified with the local welfare. As rep- resentative of his district in Congress for two terms, and as a man of extensive business inter- ests, in the development of which he showed himself to be possessed of the ability which, years ago, in his father's career, made the name of Kulp famous in lumber cireles, he had a reputation which extended far beyond the limits of his home city. sylvania.

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 80

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