Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 75

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin, 1837-1917; Hand, Alfred, 1835-; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1026

USA > Pennsylvania > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 75
USA > Wyoming > Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II > Part 75

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now living. The death of Mr. Evan F. Williams occurred in Nanticoke, 1879, and his widow passed away in 1884.

Evan J. Williams, son of Evan T. and Eliza- beth (Jones) Williams, was born June 26, 1851, in Aberystwith, Cardinshire, Wales, and re- ceived his education in the public schools of his native town. Later he learned the tailor's trade, and at the age of eighteen emigrated with the other members of his father's family to the United States. He lived for eleven years at Tay- lor, working in the mines and also following his trade, and in 1880 moved to Nanticoke, where he worked in the mines for three years and then followed his trade until 1886, when he estab- 'lished himself as a merchant tailor. His business from a small beginning has grown to its present proportions which are such as to entitle him to the prominent position which he holds among the business men of the borough. He is a direc- tor of the Nanticoke National Bank, director in the Susquehanna Lumber Company, and is in- terested in various enterprises in the borough. His neighbors have given many proofs of the confidence which they repose in him, among then that of choosing him a member of the town council. He is a member of Nanticoke Lodge, No. 541, F. and A. M., Bloomsburg Consistory, of Bloomsburg, Valley Chapter, of Plymouth, Dieu Le Veut Commandery, No. 45, also Irem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. His political affiliations are with the Republicans. He is an active worker in the Welsh Baptist Church.

Mr. Williams married, April 22, 1878, Re- becca, daughter of William S. and Sarah Evans, natives of Wales and residents of Nanticoke. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Williams consists of seven children: Sarah, who is the wife of Jenken Evans, and they have two children, Re- becca and Evan. William G., who married Eliz- abeth A. Ford, and they have two children, Ce- celia and William. Evan J., Jr., who is princi- pal of the Main Street school, Nanticoke. Rich- ard. Bessie. Percy. Oscar.

ALFRED WILLIAM MAY, of Nanticoke, is a son of William May, who was born in Eng- land, and was a contractor whose business was to sink shafts in mining districts. He made two visits to the United States, but it was not until the occasion of his third trip in 1859 that he de- cided to adopt this country as his home. His- wife was Mary Bazley, also a native of England, and they were the parents of seven children, all

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of whom grew to maturity. About 1876 Mr. May took up his abode in Nanticoke, where he resided until his death, which occurred July 30, 1904, aged sixty-three years, and was quickly followed by that of his widow, who passed away November 27, 1904, aged sixty-five years.

Alfred William May, son of William and Mary (Bazley) May, was born September 25, 1864, in Bloomsburg, Columbia county, Pennsyl- vania, and was about four years old when the fam- ily moved to Westfall, Nova Scotia, whither his father and uncle, William Paul Fay, were obliged to go by reason of their business as contractors. There for eight years Alfred attended the public schools, and in 1876 when the family settled in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, he was employed for some time in and about the mines. When about twenty years of age he turned his attention to the carpenter's trade, which he has followed suc- cessfully to the present time. In 1891 he added to it the business of a contractor, a venture which has produced the most gratifying and profitable results. He supplies the best material and the finest workmanship, and has erected a number of substantial buildings which are ornaments to the borough and will be monuments to his memory. He is a member of Nanticoke Lodge, Knights of Malta, and in politics is a Republican, but in local affairs acts independently of party consideration. Mr. May is a member of St. George Protestant Episcopal Church, is one of the active workers and most liberal supporters of the same, and for eight years served in the capacity of superintend- ent of the Sunday school connected therewith. Mr. May married, November 25, 1890, Anna Belle, daughter of William and Jane Allen, of Nanticoke, and six children have been born to them : William, Bessie Belle, Alfred Leonard, Oliver Linden, Mildred Jeannette, and Joseph Allen.

JOHN HAMILTON, a contractor and builder, whose residence in Nanticoke extends over a period of nearly thirty years, during twenty of which he has conducted his present business, is a representative of that class of for- eign-born men, who upon their arrival in a new country become at once loyal and faithful to the interests of the same. His parents were James and Bessie (Drieppes) Hamilton, natives of Scotland, who emigrated to this country about 1874: their family consisted of five children, three of whom are living, namely: James. John and William. James Hamilton ( father) died in

1900, having survived his wife several years, her demise occurring in 1885.

John Hamilton was born in Londonderry county, Ireland, in 1852. He attended the schools of his native town, and after completing his studies served an apprenticeship at the trade of brick-layer. In 1869, having previously decided to make for himself a new home amid different surroundings, he emigrated to the United States, settling at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1874, in which year he removed to Nanticoke. The first seven years of his resi- dence in that borough he was employed as brick- layer by the Susquehanna Coal Company, after which he engaged in business on his own account as a contractor and builder. He supplies all materials used in his work, being fully competent to do the same as he thoroughly understands the building business from beginning to end. Many of the substantial buildings, both public and pri- vate, in his own and adjacent towns stand as evidence of his skill and workmanship, and the success which he has achieved has been won by long experience, a thorough knowledge of his business, and his honesty and integrity in deal- ing with his patrons. He is one of the most active and liberal members of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Nanticoke. He is a mem- ber of the Order of Heptosophs, Nanticoke Lodge.

In 1872 Mr. Hamilton was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Meiwerter, who died in 1880. Their children are: James, a resident of Phila- delphia ; William, a resident of Wilkes-Barre ; John, a resident of Philadelphia; and Thomas, a resident of Nanticoke. In 1884 Mr. Hamilton married Miss Sarah Eynon, daughter of John and Mary (James) Eynon, of Nanticoke, and their children are: Ernest, Arthur, Robert A., Miriam and Lida Hamilton.

SAMUEL LEWIS HOLLEY, M. D. The oldest practicing physician in the borough of Nanticoke is Samuel Lewis Holley. Dr. Hol- ley is a son of Christian Holley, who was born in Germany, and was a wheelwright by trade. In 1850 he emigrated to the United States and set- tled in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, where he became a farmer and engaged in the lumber business. After remaining there a number of years he moved to the vicinity of Parkersburg, West Virginia. His wife was Catherine Fish, also a native of Germany, and of the children born to them seven grew to maturity, six of

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whom are living : Henry ; Mary, who is the wife of Michael Dare : Lizzie, who is married to Charles Holmaden ; Katie, who became the wife of Henry Fish : John : Samuel Lewis, mentioned at length hereinafter; and Adam, who died at the age of twenty years. The mother of these children died in 1901, at the advanced age of eighty-five. Her husband was still more re- markable for longevity, being now ( 1905) nine- ty-five years of age.

Samuel Lewis Holley, son of Christian and Catherine (Fish) Holley, was born August 15, 1848, in Germany, and was two years old when brought by his parents to the United States. He received his primary education in the district schools of Allegheny county, and later attended Wilkensburg Academy and the Cooper Institute, New York. On the conclusion of his school days he took a position as timekeeper at Ashley with the Central Railroad of New Jersey, re- maining in the service of the company about four years. He then turned his attention to the sci- ence of medieine, and after two years' study with Dr. Diefenderfer, at Ashley, he entered the Uni- versity of Michigan in 1876, completing his course at the Miami Medical College, Cincinnati, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1878, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. The same year he settled in Nanticoke, where he has since remained. He was for six years surgeon of the Ninth Regiment, Pennsylvania National Guard. He has served as a member of the town council, of Nanticoke, and in the sphere of politics is identified with the Republicans. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, in which for a mim- ber of years he has held the office of elder. Dr. Holley married, in 1880, Theresa, daughter of the late Jonathan and Sarah ( Peterson) Jones, natives of Wales and New York state respective- ly, and residents for many years of Wilkes-Barre. Dr. and Mrs. Holley were the parents of one child, Brayton F., who died in 1885, at the age of four years.

XAVIER WERNET, who is now leading a retired life at his home in Nanticoke, surrounded with peace and plenty, and realizing to the full that there is no reward so satisfactory as the consciousness of a life well spent, is a native of Germany, of which faet he is justly proud, born January 24. 1831, a son of the late Andrew and Catherine Wernet, who were also natives of Germany. Xavier Wernet and his brother Thomas were the only members of the family to leave the native soil for a home in the new world.

The common schools of his fatherland afford- ed Xavier Wernet the means of obtaining a prac- tical education, and by close application to his studies he became well informed on a number of subjects. In 1851 he emigrated to this country, landing in New York City, April 9, and on Au- gust 23 of the same year took up his residence in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. He first went to work in the coal mines, at Pittston, Pennsylva- nia, and later to White Haven, where he worked in the woods from June till August, when lie came to Nanticoke and worked as an outside man for the Nottingham mine where he remained until it closed down, and later served an appren- ticeship at the trade of shoemaker. In 1854 he opened a shop for the making and repairing of boots and shoes, and for twelve years conducted the same. Then he engaged in the grocery busi- ness, but at the expiration of two years he dis- posed of this and purchased a hotel in Berwiek. Columbia county, Pennsylvania, which he con- ducted two years. In 1870 he returned to Nanti- coke and built the large hotel on Main street. known as the "Wernet House," which he still owns. This he opened in December, 1870, and managed successfully eighteen years, during which time it gained the reputation of being one of the best conducted hostelries in that section of the county. He then leased the hotel, and is now spending his declining years in ease and afflu- ence. He is universally honored and respected in the community where more than half a een- tury of his life has been passed.

Mr. Wernet has been a member of the com- mon council of Nanticoke, and also a member of the school board, of which body he was treasurer for one year. He is a Democrat in politics. He is a charter member of Nanticoke Lodge, No. 541, Free and Accepted Masons, and has filled the office of treasurer of the same since its or- ganization. August 10, 1875. He is also a mem- ber of Chapter No. 182, of Wilkes-Barre; Mt. Horeb Council, R. and S. M .; of Dieu Le Veut Commandery, No. 45. Wilkes-Barre; a member of Irem Temple, Wilkes-Barre ; a member of Scottish Rite Consistory, at Bloomsburg ; a mem- ber of Berwick Lodge, No. 246, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and also of the Encamp- ment, of which he was treasurer for several years.

On March 2, 1861, Mr. Wernet was united in marriage to Miss Anna E. Garringer, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Lueder) Garringer, natives of Hanover township. Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. In 1898 Mr. Wernet sustained a

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severe loss by the death of his wife, who had been a true help-mate through the various vicis- situdes of life and whose memory is still fondly cherished by him. Mr. Wernet has an adopted daughter, Ella Wernet, who married George W. Sutliff, and they had one son, Xavier Wernet Sutliff, born July 27, 1889. Mrs. Sutliff makes her home with Mr. Wernet.

WILLIAM KELLEY, proprietor of the Homestead Dairy, and one of the energetic busi- ness men of the borough of Nanticoke, where he has gained a reputation for honesty, industry and perseverance, is a man of great force of charac- ter and the success he has achieved in his particu- lar line of business is due entirely to his well directed efforts. He was born in Scotland, Sep- tember 5, 1847, one of seven children, five of whom attained years of maturity-Helen, James, Lucy, William and John-born to James and Helen (Monteith) Kelley, natives of Scotland, whose deaths occurred, respectively, 1875 and 1854. William and his two sisters were the only members of this family who came to the United 'States. Helen became the wife of John Morris and now resides in South Wales ; and Lucy be- came the wife of Christopher Small and now resides in Jersey City, New Jersey.

William Kelley was reared and educated in Scotland, and in 1872 emigrated to this country. accompanied by his family, locating at Smith- town. Long Island, where they resided until 1888. He then removed to Danville, Montour county, Pennsylvania, and engaged in the dairy business which he continued until 1896, when he disposed of his business at that place and re- moved to Nanticoke. Here he established his present business, from which he derives a good- ly income. In the present age the dairy business has become an important factor in business cir- cles. Formerly the production of milk and butter was delegated to the common or average farmer. but of late years, however, it has been discovered that the production of good. pure milk required as much care as any other good article of home or foreign production. The Homestead Dairy, of which Mr. Kelley is proprietor, produces daily two hundred and twenty-five quarts of milk from the best grade of Jersey cows. This milk is aerated, bottled and delivered fresh to his numer- ous customers. His dairy is equipped with the modern and useful appliances used in the busi- ness, and his farm contains one hundred and twenty-five acres of land which he leases from the Susquehanna Coal Company. Mr. Kelley is

serving his second term in the borough council. He is a Republican in politics. He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles, of Nanticoke, and of Montgomery Council, No. 962, Royal Arcanum.

In 1870 Mr. Kelley was married to Miss Margaret Bechan, who was born in the Orkney Islands, which was also the birth place of her parents-James and Elizabeth ( Ritch) Bechan- and where they also spent their entire lives, their deaths occurring, respectively, in 1899 and 1887. They were the parents of seven children. Mrs. William Kelley and one sister, who emigrated in 1899, were the only members who came to this country. Seven children were the issue of the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. William Kelley ; James, who died at the age of twenty-six years ; William, who married and resides in Lewistown, Pennsylvania ; Jean, wife of Robert Somerville, of Philadelphia ; Walter ; Margaret, a teacher in the public schools of Nanticoke ; Frank, an elec- trician ; and Anna. The family are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Kelley was a trustee.

CHARLES N. BREYMEIER. One of those thrifty and thorough-going business men whose presence in any community imparts a healthful impetus to its commerce and manufactures is Charles N. Breymeier, of Duryea. Mr. Breymeier is a son of Charles W. Breymeier, who was born in Germany, and in 1845 emigrated to the United States. He settled in Luzerne county, where he passed the remainder of his life as a farmer, de- voting his attention chiefly to the raising of vege- tables. His wife was Mary Jones, and they were the parents of nine children, of whom the fol- lowing are living : Charles N., mentioned at length hereinafter; Lewis P .; Kate, who is the wife of S. P. Rummage, of Wilkes-Barre : Jacob ; Edward; and Lena, who is the wife of J. W. Eastwood, of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Mrs. Breymeier, the mother of these children, passed away in 1881, and the death of her husband oc- curred in 1887.

Charles N. Breymeier, son of Charles W. and Mary (Jones) Breymeier, was born in 1856, in Luzerne county, and with the exception of a brief residence in Scranton his life has thus far been passed in the vicinity of his birthplace. His boyhood was spent in assisting his father on the farm, at an early age he began to work in the mines. Later he accepted a position as clerk in a store in Scranton, where he remained eighteen months. He then returned to Duryea and estab-

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lished himself in the general merchandise busi- ness. He has now for twelve years carried on a flourishing trade, hisstore being one of the best, and his reputation for honest and upright dealing of the highest. As a citizen he is extremely pop- ular and has filled various political offices in his borough, among them that of school director. He was for six years a member of the National Guard, and is now serving as auditor of the borough. He belongs to Washington Lodge, No. 174, Patriotic Order Sons of America, of Moo- sic ; Slocum Council, No. 271, Junior Order United American Mechanics, of Pittston ; and Valley Lodge, No. 499, Free and Accepted Ma- sons, also of Pittston. Politically, he is a stanch Republican. Mr. Breymeier married, May, 1889, Elva, daughter of Woodbury and Sarah Wilbur, of Susquehanna county, and they have one child, Inez A. Breymeier.

WILLIAM HENRY CAMPBELL. Dur- ing his residence in Olyphant, Lackawanna county, Pennsylvania, William H. Campbell has become well known as one of the reliable busi- ness men of the place, and has made a large num- ber of friends among his fellow-citizens. He was born in Honesdale, Wayne county, Penn- sylvania, June 7, 1864, a son of John and Mary ( Malaney) Campbell. The Campbell family are of Scotch-Irish extraction, and have been active and prominent factors in religious and social cir- cles. They are members of the Roman Catholic Church.

John Campbell ( father), a native of Ireland, is now a resident of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, where for many years he has been identified with its best interests, its business enterprises and its political affairs. His wife, Mary (Malaney) Campbell, also a native of Ireland, now deceased, bore him nine children, four of whom are living at the present time ( 1906) : Patrick, Michael, Kate and William Henry.

The common schools of Honesdale, Pennsyl- vania, afforded William H. Campbell an excel- lent opportunity for acquiring a practical Eng- lish education. In 1881, at the age of seven- teen years, he went to Scranton, same state, where he served an apprenticeship at the car- riage and general blacksmith trade. After work- ing there for a period of time he located in Car- bondale, later removing to Archbald, where he purchased a piece of property and settled down to a permanent business, but was forced to move from there owing to the fact that the New York, Ontario & Western Railroad laid its tracks

through his property. In 1891 he established himself in the busy town of Olyphant, Lacka- wanna county, opened a large and commodious shop and manufactures all kinds of road ve- hicles drawn by horse power. He makes a spe- cialty of repair work and is a practical horse- shoer, and in order to turn out the work satis- factorily to the demands of, his numerous pa- trons employs several expert mechanics. Mr. Campbell belongs to the Order of Heptasophs.

Mr. Campbell married, February 24, 1885, Ellen McAndrew, daughter of Edward and Mary McAndrew, of Archbald, Pennsylvania, and to this union there were born nine children, seven of whom are living: Harold, Lorretta, Regenie, Joseph, William, Agnetius and Mary Campbell. The family are well respected in the neighborhood in which they reside and enjoy the acquaintance of a wide circle of friends.

D. E. JONES, M. B. A leading name in the musical circles of Scranton is that of Professor D. E. Jones, of Taylor. Professor Jones is the son of D. E. and Tabitha (Smith) Jones, both natives of South Wales, whose family consisted of the following children: Ann, Jennie, Hannah, Miriam, Bessie and D. E., mentioned hereafter. Four of these children are residents of Taylor.

D. E. Jones, son of D. E. and Tabitha (Smith) Jones, was born November 25, 1867, at Cwmdare, near Aberdare, South Wales, and was for eight years successively pupil, teacher and as- sistant master at St. Fagan's National school, Trecynon, Aberdare. He was the pupil of Rich- ard Howells, F. R. C. O., of Aberdare, in piano and organ, and of Tom Price, of Merthyr, in theory. Before leaving Wales he graduated at the Tonic Sol-fa College. In 1887 his father died while on a visit to this country, in consequence of which Professor Jones emigrated thither and in 1888 took up his abode in Taylor. He took a business course in a Scranton business college, and continued his higher musical studies under T. J. Davies, M. B., now of Pittsburg, Pennsyl- vania, Dr. Mason, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylva- nia, Professor Haydn Evans, and J. A. Pen- nington in organ and piano. Trinity University, of Toronto, conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Music. He has taught music, both instrumental and vocal, for six years, and has served as organist in the Methodist Episcopal and in the Calvary Baptist churches, in the for- mer for ten and in the latter for six years. He is especially gifted as a conductor, and in 1901 gave a very successful performance in Taylor of

ones.

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Handel's "Judas Maccabeus," with full orches- tral accompaniment. He was assistant conductor of the Scranton United Choral Society, which won the great prize in Brooklyn under the lead- ership of Professor Watkins. He is also an en- thusiastic Eisteddfodwr, having acted as musical judge at Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburg and other neighboring towns. November II, 1903, he acted as adjudicator at Rome, New York, his critical duties being performed with a fair- ness, precision and courtesy which gave the most complete satisfaction to all concerned. In 1897 he was made musical critic and editor of the Scranton Republican, and in 1900 the Honorable J. A. Scranton, proprietor of the Republican, having been elected treasurer of Lackawanna county, appointed Professor Jones his deputy, an office which he still holds. He is a member of Acacia Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, of Taylor.

Professor Jones married in 1893, Caroline, daughter of and Catherine Neiger, of Taylor, and they are the parents of two children, Verna and Rhea.

DR. CHARLES B. MAYBERRY, the resi- dent and practicing physician of the state depart- ment for the insane at Retreat, Pennsylvania, was born in Massachusetts, in 1862, the son of Dr. Edwin and Leonora (Hall) Mayberry, both natives of Maine, and grandson of William May- berry, a native and resident of Maine, who was loyal both to state and government. Of his fam- ily of three children all are deceased. Dr. May- berry's father, Dr. Edwin Mayberry, was a prac- ticing physician in Weymouth, Massachusetts. He married Leonora Hall, a daughter of James and Hannah (Lowell) Hall. Mrs. Mayberry's mother, Mrs. Hall, was a Winslow of English descent, whose family dates back to 1260, emi- grating to this country about 1620, landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Dr. and Mrs. Edwin Mayberry have four children living, namely : George L., an attorney at Waltham, practicing in Boston ; Edwin M., a physician of Weymouth ; Mrs. H. N. Allen, of Brookline, Massachusetts ; and Dr. Charles B. Mayberry.

Charles B. Mayberry acquired his early, intel- lectual training in the common schools of his native place, and subsequently attended Tufts College, from which he was graduated in 1883 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, one year later receiving the degree of Master of Arts from the same institution. He later entered Harvard University, from which he was graduated in 1887

with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. After a special course in mental diseases for one year, he was appointed assistant physician at Danville, Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1899, when he received the appointment of resident physician of the State Department for the Insane at Retreat, Pennsylvania, being the first physi- cian to fill this responsible position in that insti- tution. Here Dr. Mayberry has charge of about five hundred and thirty patients, and having made a special and minute study of all mental diseases, no one is better qualified to do this great work than he. In former times the care of the insane was regarded as a great burden, and was left principally to those who treated these unfortunates more as prisoners than as persons who should have the most tender ministration at all times. The indigent insane were chiefly con- fined in poor quarters in the county alinhouses, the larger institutions of the state being also inadequately equipped. The increase of insanity brought public attention to this' important mat- ter, and the influential men in every community exerted their best efforts toward establishing dif- ferent and better treatment for the people so afflicted. The desired result was brought about. State institutions were reconstructed, hospitals were erected on modern plans, and the county care act of 1897 provided for the care of indigent persons of unsound mind in local institutions under the most favorable conditions. Some of the county hospitals for the insane are in every respect equal to larger institutions, and this is notably true of the famous Luzerne

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Genealogical and family history of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys, Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 75

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin, 1837-1917; Hand, Alfred, 1835-; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921; Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1906 Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Hayden, Horace Edwin, 1837-1917; Hand, Alfred, 1835-; Jordan, John W. (John Woolf), 1840-1921; Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York, Chicago, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 1026