Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 90

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 90

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NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

from 1904 until the spring of 1910. when he July 13, 1861, was reared to farming, and has moved to Dornsife. For seventeen years he lived on his farm at Dornsife. Mr. Deppen is a Demo- crat in political opinion, and a Lutheran in re- ligious faith.

In 1859 Mr. Deppen married Catharine Stepp, daughter of Bastian Stepp, of Jackson township. She died in 1885, at the age of forty-two years, the mother of a family of seven children, two sons and five daughters: William S. (of Dornsife), Charles (of Altoona, Pa.), Agnes (who died at the age of twenty-four years), Emma, Minnie, Jane and Lizzie.

In 1904 Mr. Deppen married Mrs. Sarah A. (Kerr) Stewart, widow of James Gordon Stewart. Mrs. Deppen had eleven children by her first mar- riage, James (who has a son, James Edward), Mary, Edward, Sadie, Jane, and six who died young. Twenty years ago Mrs. Deppen and her first husband, with six children, went from Pitts- burg to Seattle, Wash., where they kept house hanoy. He is a Democrat in political faith. for a year, then moving to Portland, Oregon. Mr. On Sept. 16, 1883, Mr. Deppen married Emma Last. daughter of David Last, and they have one daughter, Ada V., now the wife of Irwin Peifer (son of George C. Peifer) and mother of three Stewart then went to California, thinking he would like it better, but as he did not he returned to Oregon, and they kept house there for two years. The youngest child died and was buried out there, children. Elmer L., Eva and Vera. The family after which the rest of the family returned to are Lutheran members of St. John's Church at Pump Station, which Mr. Deppen has served offi- cially as deacon and elder. Pittsburg, where Mr. Stewart died. In a few years Mrs. Stewart, with her youngest daughter, went out again to Oregon, where she has two mar- David Last, father of Mrs. Deppen, was a cooper by trade, and lived in the Kratzerville - district in Snyder eounty. He died about 1867, when about forty-nine years old, and is buried at ITad- ley's Church in Snyder county. His wife, Harriet (Leitzel), daughter of John Leitzel, died about 1878, at the age of sixty-two, and is buried at the same place. They had three children : Mary, wife of Lewis Pontius; Ella, wife of Charles Wet- ried daughters. On the trip out eight mountain robbers held up the train six miles out of St. Paul, at Fergus Falls, Minn .; blowing the express car to pieees with dynamite, and this delayed then so that it was eight days before they arrived in Portland. Mrs. Deppen stayed there a year with her two daughters, returning to Pittsburg. One of her sons lives in Laneaster, Ohio. one in Cora- opolis, Pa .; one of her daughters lives in Harris- zel : and Emma, wife of William S. Deppen.

burg. She has one sister living in Pittsburg, and one in Shiremanstown, Pa., and two brothers in Washington, D. C.

Joseph and Sydney Ann (Horn) Kerr, parents of Mrs. Deppen, were natives of Allegheny eoun- tv, Pa., and the father was a tailor by oeenpa- tion. He was a Seoteh Presbyterian in religions faith. He died in 1869, and is buried in the South Side cemetery, at Pittsburg, while the moth- er, who died in 1885, is buried at Baltimore. They had a family of thirteen children, Lizzie, Robert, Thomas, Julia, Emma, Sarah A., and sev- en who are deceased.

Mrs. Sydney Ann ( Horn) Kerr belonged to a. son township. He died Feb. 7, 1850, and his noble German family. Her father came to Amer- iea when young, and here passed the remainder of his life. His father, a man of wealth and high rank, died, and the son was notified and summoned to elaim his inheritanee, but he was afraid to cross the ocean, and never received the property.

WILLIAM S. DEPPEN, son of Alexander, was born

followed that calling all his life. On March 26, 1884, he began farming the place in Jackson town- ship then owned by his grandfather, Abraham Deppen, which he cultivated for the next four- teen years. The following two years he farmed for Joseph Tressler, and then for two years for his father on a 165-acre farm in Little Mahanoy township. In the spring of 1901 he moved to his present farm in the same township, near Dorn- sife, a tract of fifty-nine acres located on the north side of Mahanoy creek, formerly the homestead of Michael Peifer. Mr. Deppen remodeled and enlarged the house and has sinee resided on this place. He is an energetic and prosperous farmer, a substantial member of the community and a citizen willing to do his duty in every relation of life. He served three years as school director in Jackson township, and in 1910 we reelected for his second term in that office in Little Ma-

George Deppen, grandson of Christian Deppy, the ancestor, was born June 21, 1787, in Berks county, Pa., and came to Northumberland eounty with his brother William, as previously.stated, in 1810. He was a lifelong farmer, and upon his removal from his native county settled on the farm now owned by Isaac Tressler, a tract one and a half miles north of Herndon. This place he sold, and purchased an adjoining farm, on which stood a gristmill. From the latter property he removed to the farm now owned by his grandson, Samuel Deppen, a fine place of fully 200 aeres in Jack-

wife, Maria Magd. Greise, a native of Berks coun- ty, born April 3, 1785, long survived him, dying Aug. 11. 1869. They are buried at St. Peter's Church, in Mahanoy township. He and his fan - ily were Reformed members of St. Peter's, which was a union church. and he served as an official : he was an old-line Whig in political opinion. To

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Mr. and Mrs. Deppen were born four children, he was twenty-four years old, in the spring of namely : Rebecea, who married Jolm Haas, of Sun- bury ; William ; John, who died in Herndon; and Isaac, who spent much of his life at Herndon and died in Snyder county, Pennsylvania.

William Deppen, eldest son of George, born in 1814, was a merchant in Jackson township and other places in this county for forty years, at one time owned much real estate, and was a promi- nent man in his section. He engaged in the mer- cantile business at Augustaville when a young man, and was subsequently at Mahanov, in Jackson township, for eighteen years. In the spring of 1860 he located at Trevorton, where he was a merchant for about two years, until his retire- ment from business. He died Jan. S. 1876, and is buried at Mahanov, in Jackson township. He . was a member of the German Reformed Church, and a Republican in politics. His wife, Susan Lantz, who survived him. was of Lower Augusta township, this county, and to them were born children as follows: Mary, Samuel, William (all three died young), Benjamin F., George W., Rich- ard L. (of Shamokin) and Sarah A. (married and living in Trevorton). George W. Deppen, who was cashier of the First National Bank of Sunbury, died in January, 1909.

Benjamin F. Deppen, son of William, was born in 1847 in Jackson township, Northumberland county, and received his education in the publie In 1878 Mr. Deppen married Luey Ann Zart- man, daughter of Adam and Susan (Forncy) Zartman, of Jackson township. They have had three children: Carrie married W. P. Zartman, a lumber merchant of Shamokin, Pa. : Mamie mar- ried Calvin Ziegler and lives in Philadelphia ; Su- schools. He was appointed station agent of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company at Trev- orton, and held that position for twenty years, in 1889 engaging in the mercantile business at that place. He married Snsan Herb, who died in 1888, leaving four children, viz .: Laura M., san married John Witmer and resides at Herndon. Susan M., Samuel H. and William R. Mr. Deppen is a Republican in politics.

John Deppen, son of George, was born July 4, 1815, in Jackson township, and died Dee. 11, 1893, at Herndon, where he had lived retired for. ten years. He followed farming during his active years, owning the place which is now the property of his son Samuel. He was a devout Christian, he and his family worshiping with the Reformed congregation. of St. Peter's Church; which . he served as deacon and elder. Hle and his brother William married sisters, his wife being Catharine Lantz; she was born Nov. 16, 1819. and died Jan. 7, 1889, the mother of four children: Mary married Albert Holshue : Samnel is mentioned be- low : William H .. born March 15, 1856, died Dec. 10, 1877 (he married Kate Tressler, and they had two sons. Irwin and William, both of whom live at Harrisburg. Pa.) : Susan married William F. Bower.

SAMUEL DEPPEN, son of John, was born Sept. 5, 1853, in Jackson township, attended the eom- mon schools in the home district, and was reared to farm life. He worked for his parents until

1878 commeneing to farm for himself on the home- stead, where he continued for thirty years, in the spring of 1908 renting the farm and moving to Herndon, where he now makes his home. Since settling in the town he has driven a dray, doing all kinds of hauling. He is of the third genera- tion of his family to own the old homestead, which is located on the road from Herndon to Dornsife. The house on the place is of logs, and was built about 1800, by a Sehaffer. The present barn, 85 by 38 feet in dimensions, was built by Samuel Deppen in 1900 to take the place of the one de- stroyed by lightning Aug. 23d of that year, to- gether with the year's crop, farm implements, and a horse and three head of young cattle.

Mr. Deppen has always been active and pro- gressive, and- has taken part in the loeal govern- ment to some extent. He was school direetor in Jackson township for the long period of twenty- one years, seven terms of three years each, and was president and treasurer of the school board many years, serving with honor and eredit; his has been the longest record of service held by any one man up to this time in Jackson township. He and his family worship at St. Peter's Union Church at Mahanoy, of which his father and grand- father before him were active members and sup- porters.

STEPHEN A. PRAMUK, of Shamokin. North- umberland county, was born Aug. 20, 1822, in Austria, son of Andrew and Anna ( Steffick) Pra- muk. The father, also a native of Austria. died in that country. and the widowed mother came to America with her four children. She now makes her home with her son Stephen in Shamokin. The family consisted of four children. as follows: Stephen A. and Andrew, twins, the latter now in his brother Stephen's employ ; Michael, who lives in Shamokin : and Mary, married to Bert Yan- koskie and living in Shamokin.

In the spring of 1882 Stephen A. Pramuk eame to America with his mother, the family landing in New York City. Their first home here was in Clearfield eonntv. Pa .. where they remained only a short time, however, settling in Shamokin in 1883. Thongh a mere child at the time they lived in Clearfield county Stephen A. Pramuk was employed at the coke ovens there, and upon com- ing to Shamokin began work at the mines as a slate picker. later following mining. In 1896 he gave up that work and engaged in the hotel busi-

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ness in the borough, continuing same for about in Upper Mahantango township, Schuylkill coun- six years, until he commenced his present busi- ty; Catharine married Henry Snyder, and died at Danville, Pennsylvania.

ness, in 1902. He has since been established at No. 314 South Market street, where he is engaged as a wholesale dealer in liquors, wines, beer, ale and porter. having a steady patronage. He is a man of good business ability and an exeellent man- ager, as the growth of his trade testifies. On April 15, 1909, he was appointed receiver for the Shamokin Brewing Company. He still keeps up his interest in his former work as a director of the Miners' Loan Association. Socially he is a well known member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and of St. Mary's Church and its affiliated soeieties. In politics he is a Demoerat.

On Sept. 8, 1896. Mr. Pramuk was married to Matilda M. Zusehian, also of Austria, and they have had the following children: Mary, Stephen, Adolph, Clara, Bernard, Albert and Benjamin. The family live at No. 316 South Market street.

PROF. SAMUEL G. SMITH, of Trevorton, has been a teacher at the place for several years and has followed the profession in this eounty sinee 1887, though not continuously. He is eon- neeted with the high school. Mr. Smith was born in this eounty, at Leck Kill, Mareh 21, 1870, and belongs to a family which has long been settled here. He is of the fifth generation in this country, his great-great-grandfather having emigrated from Germany and settled in Berks eounty, Pa., where he died.

Jacob Smith, great-grandfather of Professor Smith, came to this region from Berks eounty in the early days, before the Indians had left, and settled in what is now Upper Mahanoy town- ship. He was a land owner and cleared eonsid- erable. land, and also followed hunting and fish- ing, game being plentiful in these parts in his time. His children were: Jaeob and John died in the West: Elizabeth married Solomon Shank- weiler : Samuel married Sarah Arnold : Mary mar- ried John Core: Jonathan, who died at Green- brier, this county. married Sarah Snyder; Peter, who died at Leck Kill, married Elizabeth Geist.

William Smith, son of Samuel, was born in 1831, and lived on the original Smith homestead near Leck Kill, in Upper Mahanoy township, spending all his life there. The farm consists of 135 acres of excellent land, and he was a thrifty and pros- perou's agrieulturist. He was one of the most pro- gressive men of his day, one of the first to advo- eate the establishment in his district of free schools, which at that time were not generally looked upon with favor, and served faithfully as school director, in which eapaeity he was able to accomplish much for the eause of free edueation. There were few men in the township better or more favorably known. For fifty years he was a member of the Odd Fellows fraternity, and he was a faithful member of the Reformed Church, taking an ac- tive part in its work. His death occurred in 1907. Mr. Smith married Caroline Falek, daughter of Solomon Falck, of Greenbrier, this eounty, where she now resides. Four children were born to them : Riehard F. is now a suceessful farmer at Enter- prise, Oregon, where he took up a homestead : Savilla married E. D. Snyder, of Girardville, Pa. ; Carolyn married H. G. Snyder, and lives at Girard- ville : Samuel G. is a resident of Trevorton.

Samuel G. Smith attended the publie sehools of his native township and was also for a short time a student at the academy at Gratz, Dauphin county. But as he was obliged to assist his father upon the farm he continued his studies at home, and by hard work fitted himself to take the State board examination, which he passed in 1887. He began teaching that year, and for five years was en- gaged at Greenbrier, after which he taught the school at Leek Kill for six years. His next eharge was Diehl's school, and from there he went to the Zion school. For some time afterward he was engaged in business pursuits. Going to Fraek- ville, he began clerking in a general store and was thus employed for a period of six months, follow- ing which he became manager for the Burd & Rogers branch store at Mount Carmel, where he remained until the store was elosed out. In 1907

Samuel Smith, son of Jaeob, owned the original homestead in Upper Mahanoy township and fol- he settled at Trevorton, where he has sinee made lowed farming throughout his active years. He his home, following his profession. Professor died upon his farm and is buried at Leek Kill. Smith has a high reputation as an educator, his conseientious, thorough work winning him friends among pupils and fellow teachers, and he is a citizen of recognized worth. He married Sarah Arnold, whose father was a resident of Berks county, Pa., and they had ehil- dren as follows: Daniel died at Trevorton; Wil- liam is mentioned below; Louisa, now the only survivor of the family, is unmarried and living at Sunbury : Mary : Elizabeth, who married Daniel

In 1890, Mr. Smith married Minnie J. Men- gel, daugliter of Manasses Mengel. and they have a family of five children : Carolyn, William, How- Stoplich and (second) William Randenbush, died ard, Herman and Esther. Carolyn graduated from at Loeust Dale, Schuylkill eounty; Sarah married the Trevorton high school in 1910. Mr. Smith Daniel Snyder, of Greenbrier : John died at Wav- . is a member of the Reformed Church, his wife erly, Iowa ; Harriet married Henry Haas, and died of the Evangelical Association.

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WILLIAM WELTER, proprietor of the "Eagle where peace was found beyond the power of the Hotel," at Brady, near Shamokin, Northumber- tyrant. John Leonhard Rith married Analisa land county, has the oldest stand of the kind in that district. He himself has done business there since 1904. Catrina, and their union was blessed by the birthi of these children: (1) Johan Nicholaus (born June 4, 1715, died Jan. 7, 1788) married Maria Mr. Welter was born Dec. 10, 1873, at Brady, Coal township, Northumberland county, son of Luke Welter, a native of Germany who came to America in young manhood and settled at Miners- ville. Schuylkill Co., Pa .. Later he moved to Brady, Northumberland county, among the early residents of that place, and there followed his trade, blacksmithing, to the close of his active life. He married Johanna Shissler, daughter of George Shissler, who came to America from Germany, bringing his family, and made his home at Trer- orton, Northumberland county. Mr. Welter died July 4, 1904, Mrs. Welter surviving until August, 1906. They were the parents of the following named children : Peter, who lives at Brady ; Annie, married to Jacob Bosch ; Michacl, living at Brady ; William ; and John, of Brady, who married Laura Fry. Barbara Seibert (born May 18, 1722, died Oct. 14, 1807), and had children, Jacob, Mrs. Jacob Schaef- fer and Mrs. Jacob Anspach. (2) Johan George R:+4 ( born in 1717, died in 1791) married Catrina Elsa, and they had children, John Leonard, Catharine (married Henry Minnich, who removed to Vir- ginia), Jonas, Peter and Frederick. (3) Johan- nes Friderick (born March 15, 1718, died Dec. 24, 1794) married Maria Engel, and they had a son, Jacob, whose son was John Jacob (married Eva Maria Seibert). John Jacob Rith was born April 10, 1770, and died Nov. 1, 1835, and George and Edward Reed, living at Ottawa. Ill., are of his descendants. (4) A daughter, Margaretha or Wilhelmina, married. Heinrich Zeller. (5) Leon- hard, Jr. (born Sept. 10, 1723, died April 28, 1801 or 1803). (6) Peter married Maria Catrina Ziegler, and they had three children, John, Barbara (married Jacob Moyer) and Catarine (married Adam Lehman). (7) Jacob (born in June, 1746, died March 28, 1821) married Margaret, and their children were: John Jacob, John and several. daughters. John Jacob married Margarid Emer- ich, and among other children they had a son. John. John Jacob in 1840 sold his farm and went West, and some of his descendants now live in the vicinity of Dayton and Martinsburg, Ohio.

William Welter received his education in the publie schools and when ten years old went to work at the Greenback breaker, picking slate. In time he became a miner, and he was thus engaged until 1904, when he engaged in his present business, purchasing the old "Eagle Hotel" stand at Brady. He is an enterprising and obliging business man, and his place is well conducted and well patron- ized.

Mr. Welter is a member of St. Edward's Cath- olie Church, of Shamokin, and fraternally he be- longs to the F. O. E.

REED. The Reed family of Little Mahanoy township is of old Berks county (Pa.) stock. and from the similarity of names between those of the earlier generations in Northumberland county and the posterity of the progenitor in Berks coun- ty there is no doubt that the branch in which we are interested descend from Johan Leonhard Rith, a German by birth, who was the ancestor of a numerous race. The name has undergone various ebanges in spelling.

Johan Leonhard Rith, born in 1691, died in 1747. He was one of the many of his nationality who suffered under the terrible oppression of Gov- ernor Hunter, of Schoharie, N. Y., his being one of the twenty-three German families who in 1223 fled through the wilderness in spite of the deep snow, to the land of the Tulpehocken in Penn's Province. That these early pioneers suffered ter- ribly is well known. The awful cold, the primi- tive conditions, hunger, and the savage Indians made the journey nearly unbearable, but their un- dying faith in their Maker, and the comforting solace of the Bible, inspired them to superhuman efforts, and they finally reached their destination,

Johan Leonhard Rith was not the only one of that name. however, who had settled in Scho- harie, N. Y., later to come to the Province of Pennsylvania before 1740, as it is thought that the following were all relatives, they coming from one place and settling permanently in the Tulpe- hocken Valley : Michael, Casper, Adam, George and Peter. Michael Ritt ( Reith, Reed), one of the pioneers from the Livingstone Manor, and later of the Sehoharie, N. Y., came to the Tul- pehocken settlement in Berks county in 1723. and there took up land lying adjacent to the land of John Leonard Rith and George Reith. The re- lationship of these three is not known. but there is no doubt that they were related, probably be- ing cousins. The map of the Tulpehoeken settle- mient made by Mr. Charles Lindenmuth, a very accurate piece of work made with muell difficulty, shows the location of the Reith settlements. It was published in the "Pennsylvania German," Volume V. in October, 1904, and appeared also in a recent Berks county work.

The first ancestor of the Reed family in North- umberland county was Leonhard Ried, son of "John and Eva Maria Ried." In the record pre. viously given, Johan Leonhard Rith had a son Johannes Frederick, whose son Jacob was the fa- ther of John Jacob, who married Eva Maria Sei-

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bert. It would seem likely that this Leonard Ried was their son. He was born Mareh 10, 1790, and died Feb. 22, 1852. His wife, Elisabeth, born Feb. 18, 1784, died Feb. 10, 1861. He was a native of Marion township, Berks county, and eame to what is now Little Mahanoy township, in North- umberland county, before his marriage. His wife, whose maiden name was Dunkelberger, was a mem- ber of one of the very earliest families in what is now Little Mahanoy township. This couple experienced the hardships of life as entailed by the primitive conditions of the times. They set- tled on the tract of land which has sinee remained in the family, now owned by their grandson Sam- uel S. Reed, and Leonard Ried also followed his trade of stonemason in addition to farming, help- ing to lay the foundations for many houses and barns in the vicinity. He and his wife were Luth- erans, members of the Little Mahanoy Church, where their remains rest. William ; Amos, who settled in Rockefeller town- ship (his wife, Rebecca, born Aug. 21, 1826, died .Nov. 23, 1850) : Solomon: Catharine, who mar- ried Peter Fetterman : and Elizabeth, who married Abraham Shaffer.

Their children were: ma A.

William Reed, son of Leonard, was born Mareh 16, 1811, and lived in Little Mahanoy township on the farm now owned by his son Simon F. Reed, of Shamokin. This property comprises fifty acres, and he had another tract, of forty-five aeres, in the same township. A prominent man of his day, he was well known in public life and church af- fairs, having served as school director, constable and treasurer of his township, and as deacon, elder and trustee of the Lutheran congregation at the Little Mahanoy Church, of which he was a mem- ber, his family also belonging to that church. In politics he was a Republican. On April 8, 1834, he married Elizabeth Fegley, daughter of Daniel and Hettie (Rothermel) Fegley. Mr. Reed died Oct. 27, 1880, Mrs. Reed surviving until Oet. 30, 1900, reaching the age of eighty-seven years, five months, nine days. They had children as follows : Hiram F. ; William, who died in Nebraska Jan. 17, 1910: Maria, who married Benjamin Snyder ; Caroline, who married Galen Smith: Simon F .; Daniel. of Shamokin : Elizabeth, who married An- drew Long: Jeremiah F .. who died in 1822 (he was born in 1851) : Hannah, who married George Buffington : and Freeman. of Shamokin (his wife, Lydia, born Feb. 21, 1862, died April 3, 1900).

SIMON F. REED. of Shamokin, Northumberland county, was born Jan. 15, 1846, on the homestead of his father. William Reed, in Little Mahanoy township. His education was obtained in the local public schools. Until he was twenty-seven years old he worked for his parents, meantime learning the miller's trade, which, however, did not agree with his health. In 1868 he began to learn the tanner's trade, which he continued to follow until

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Genealogical and biographical annals of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, Vol. 2, Part 90

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