USA > Pennsylvania > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Vol. I > Part 53
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Emanuel F. Venter, eldest surviving son of Henry and Theresa Venter, was a student at the parochial school at Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where he received a good English education. He then served a two and a half years apprenticeship with Mr. Henry Schultz at the tinsmith trade, became an expert mechanic, and for a number of years subsequent to his apprenticeship was em- ployed by Mr. Schultz as a journeyman. In 1862
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he purchased from his employer the interest and good will of the business, and from that date up to the present time (1903) has been engaged in the stove, hardware and tinsmith trade in the city of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. He has conducted his business in an honorable and straightforward manner, thus deserving the financial success which has crowned his well directed efforts. Politically Mr. Venter is a Democrat, and fra- ternally he is a member of the Knights of St. John and Malta. He was a member for years of the town council, the board of Moravian trustees, the board of Home Missions, and the board of the Nazareth Water Company.
On May 19, 1870, Mr. Venter married Cor- nelia J. Cope, daughter of Jacob Cope, of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. Three children were the issue of this union, the eldest of whom died in infancy. The surviving members of the family are: Charles E., engaged with his father in busi- ness, and Constance A., wife of the Rev. Frantz Zeller, pastor of the Moravian church. Mr. Ven- ter and his family are members of the Moravian church of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
LEWIS F. KLEPPINGER, a retired car- riage manufacturer of the borough of Lehigh- ton, Pennsylvania, where for many years he has been one of its respected and useful citizens, is the youngest child of Lewis Kleppinger, who was born in Northampton county, January 16, 1790, and died in 1842. He attended the common schools adjacent to his home, and upon attaining young manhood chose the occupation of farming for his life work. This proved a profitable source of income, and he became the owner of three productive farms which he eventually di- vided among his children, seven in number, who were born to him by his wife, Barbara (Harmon) Kleppinger, daughter of George Harmon, a farmer of Northampton county, Pennsylvania. The children were David, Sarah, Thomas, Joseph, William ; Rebecca, who married John M. Hower, of Northampton county, and Lewis F.
Lawis F. Kleppinger was born in Northamp- ton caunty, Pennsylvania, December 15, 1834. He was reared and received his educational advan-
tages at Cherryville, Northampton county, after which he removed to Bath, the same county, where he learned the carriage making business. He worked at various places at the bench as a journeyman up to 1860, in which year he located at Weissport, where he engaged in business on his own account. He was beginning to realize some profit from this enterprise when the great freshet of 1862 occurred, and this catastrophe completely destroyed his entire plant. He then decided to remove to higher ground, locating in Lehighton, where he continued in the business of manufacturing carriages for twenty-five con- secutive years, two years of which time he had a branch shop in Mauch Chunk. During a period of eight years he engaged in the livery business in conjunction with his other line in Lehighton, and about the year 1888 he abandoned the carriage building trade and devoted his entire time up to 1895 to the livery business. He then was the proprietor of a hotel for four years and was very successful in the management of the same, but at the expiration of this period of time was com- pelled to retire from active business life on ac- count of failing health.
Mr. Kleppinger was united in marriage in 1861 to Amanda E. Beaver, daughter of Reuben and Priscilla Beaver. Having no children of their own, they adopted a daughter, Miss Lizzie Beck. The family are members of the Lutheran church, in which body Mr. Kleppinger serves in the ca- pacity of deacon.
Mrs. Amanda E. Kleppinger is a great-grand- daughter of John Beaver, a German by birth, who was the father of two sons, John and Conrad. The latter named was the grandfather of Mrs. Klep- pinger, and his wife, Catherine (Beiry) Beaver, bore him three sons-Henry, a carriage maker by trade; Solomon, a tanner; and Reuben, a farmer, he having followed in the footsteps of his father. Reuben Beaver, father of Mrs. Klep- pinger, was born in 1808, and died in 1881. He- was a prosperous resident of Northampton county, but several years prior to his death lived in retirement in the borough of Bath. He served in several township offices, including that of jus- tice of the peace. He held membership in the
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Lutheran church, and served as a member of its board of deacons. His wife, Priscilla Beaver, born in 1812 and died in 1887, bore him four children -- Angeline, deceased ; Amanda E., men- tioned above as the wife of Lewis F. Kleppinger, the only surviving member of the family, who is now in possession of the Beaver property, which has been owned by the family for over one hun- dred years; Lizzie J., deceased; and William Beaver, who lost his life at the age of twenty- one years while serving as second lieutenant in the One Hundred and Fifty-Third Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was a graduate of Weaversville Academy, and was preparing himself for a life of usefulness and promise at the time when the United States gov- ernment was on the eve of drafting men to serve in the Civil war. In order to avoid the humilia- tion of being drafted he importuned his parents to allow him to volunteer, which he accordingly did, and lost his life as above stated.
LEVI HORN, of Weissport, Pennsylvania, is an energetic and capable business man, and in his chosen line of work has achieved not only a large degree of financial success, but has won for himself an enviable reputation as an expert me- chanic. He is a native of the city in which he now resides, the year of his birth being 1848, and he traces his ancestry to one of the old and hon- ored families who settled in the Mahoning Val- ley at a very early date, subsequently removing to Lehighton, Carbon county.
John Horn (great-grandfather) was a native of Germany, and during his active business ca- reer followed the occupation of butcher in con- nection with agricultural pursuits. He was hon- orable and upright in all his transactions, pos- sessed all the dignity and courtesy of the old school gentleman, and therefore had a wide circle of friends and acquaintances. By his marriage there were born to him the following named chil- dren : John, Thomas, Christian, Casper and Jacob.
Christian Horn (grandfather) was born on the Atlantic ocean, while his parents were mak- ing the voyage to America. His boyhood days
were passed in the Mahoning Valley, where he acquired a thorough English education, but upon attaining man's estate he removed to Lehighton, and at once began his active life work. He served an apprenticeship at the trade of butcher, which line of industry he followed for a period of years, and he was also proprietor of a hotel. During those early days it required a large amount of courage to conduct the latter named line of busi- ness in the Lehigh Valley, and Mr. Horn had several encounters with hard characters, but al- ways came out of the difficulty the victor. He was the owner of considerable land, farmed ex- tensively for a man of his day, and wielded a wide and beneficent influence in the community. By his first marriage he became the father of nine children, namely: Charles, George, Lewis, Har- mon, John, Rebecca, Hattie, Sarah and Leah. His second wife, Polly (Fisher) Horn, of Dan- ville, Pennsylvania, bore him four children : Amanda, Mary, Eliza and Maria. Two of his children are living at the present time (1904) : Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Culton. Christian Horn, the father of these children, died at the age of sixty-two years.
Lewis Horn ( father) was born at Lehighton, Pennsylvania. After acquiring a common school education, he devoted his attention for several years to building, but subsequently changed his occupation to that of farming, and, being indus- trious and energetic, both pursuits proved a re- munerative means of livelihood. He was the in- cumbent of several township offices, this fact being a sufficient evidence of the esteem in which he was held by his fellow citizens. Mr. Horn was twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Miss Lentz, bore him two children, Ella and Susan, the last named now deceased. His second wife, Charlotte (Snyder) Horn, of Lehigh Gap, bore him the following named chil- dren : Mary A., Levi, Emma, Sevilla, Ida, Lewis, George, Garrett, and Miles, the two last named being deceased.
Levi Horn, eldest son of Lewis and Charlotte (Snyder) Horn, was reared and educated in his native town, Weissport, and in his early manhood followed farming, and later became interested in
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bridge building and general contracting. This proving a congenial and profitable line of work, he has continued to follow it to the present time, being now one of the most extensive contractors in that section of the county. He has always taken a keen and active interest in local politics, has held several township offices, and in 1894 was chosen as the county treasurer, the duties of which responsible and onerous position he discharged with credit to himself and his constituents. He holds membership in the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and the Independent Order of Red Men.
Mr. Horn was married in 1869 to Miss Martha Snyder, daughter of Cornelius and Amelia Sny- der. Their children are: Gertrude, wife of Mr. Strausberger, and mother of one child, Mark Strausberger ; Warren, who married Emma Ger- man, who bore him one child, Helen Horn; Mamie, wife of Howard Arner; James; Bessie ; Lottie, deceased, and an unnamed infant. The family are connected with the Evangelical church.
WILLIAM S. KOCH, one of the enterpris- ing and well known citizens of Lehighton, Carbon county, Pennsylvania, resides on a farm of sixty acres which is located south and west of the bor- ough, but running beyond the borough limits. He is a native of Lower Saucon township, North- ampton county, Pennsylvania, having been born in the year 1848, a son of Daniel and Mary (Stahl) Koch, and grandson of a Mr. Koch, who was a native of Germany.
Daniel Koch (father) was born in North- ampton county, Pennsylvania. He was a con- tractor by occupation, and in addition to this line of industry he devoted considerable time and attention to the burning of lime and the cultiva- tion and operation of an extensive farm. He was a worthy and public-spirited citizen in all respects, possessed rare ability and good judgment, and through his instrumentality there were a number of fine macadamized roads built throughout the county. By his marriage to Mary Stahl there were born eight children, all of whom are living at the present time ( 1904) : Milton Isborn. Will- iam S., Elizabeth, Catherine, Mary, Amanda and
Amelia. The family are members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church, William S. Koch serving as a member of the board of trustees.
William S. Koch was reared in his native county, acquired an excellent education in its common schools, subsequently learned the trade of cigar maker, and in 1876 removed from thence to Lehighton, Carbon county, where he followed his trade up to 1886, at which date he moved to his present residence. At first he directed his at- tention to dairying on a somewhat extensive scale, equipping his dairy with twenty-four cows of a choice breed, and the product therefrom he dis- pensed to the many customers who patronized his milk route. After conducting this business for two years he gave up the milk route, and until 1899 shipped the product of his dairy to the mar- kets of Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. In that years he rented his farm and dairy, and since then has confined his efforts to the manufacture of brick. The clay used in this enterprise is from his own farm, is of the very best quality, and the brick is both durable and excellent for all build- ing purposes. Mr. Koch is one of the best known and most popular residents of the borough, and for a number of years creditably served as coun- cilman.
Mr. Koch was married, in 1881, to Susan E. Olewine, daughter of Daniel and Esther (Zoll) Olewine, and their family consists of two chil- dren : Mary E. and Daniel W. Koch.
The Olewine family numbers among the early settlers of the Lehigh Valley. The grandparents of Mrs. Susan E. (Olewine) Koch were George and Susan (Erdman) Olewine, the former named having been born in Carbon county, and the lat- ter in Bucks county, and their family consisted of eight children, four sons and four daughters. Daniel Olewine, the seventh child of the afore- mentioned family, and father of Mrs. Susan E. (Olewine) Koch, was born in Lower Towamen- cin township, Carbon county, April 13, 1815. After obtaining all the advantages of the common schools, he was apprenticed to the trade of tan- ner, and spent ten years as a journeyman. In 1847 he removed to Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the tanning and shoe manu-
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facturing business. In 1856 he located in Le- highton, but still continued the tanning business up to 1873, in which year the buildings were de- stroyed by fire. From 1875 to 1877 he engaged in general foundry business, which proved both successful and profitable. He was a director in the Second National Bank of Mauch Chunk for five years, president of the First National Bank of Lehighton for five years, and a consistent mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church for thirty years. At the age of thirty-five years he was united in marriage to Esther Zoll, aged thirty- two years, of Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, the ceremony being performed on April 14, 1850. Their children are: Susan E., mentioned above as the wife of William S. Koch ; Clara A., wife of Mr. Lentz ; and Daniel I.
SAMUEL SEILER, a resident of Lehighton Carbon county, Pennsylvania, where during his active business career, which was devoted to various pursuits, he became well known for his integrity, enterprise and thrift, is now leading a practically retired life, only attending to his ex- tensive real estate holdings, and is enjoying to the full the ample competence which he acquired by means of hard and honest toil. He was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, October 17, 1841, one of three sons-Benjamin, Daniel and Samuel-born to Henry and Leah (Shuler) Seiler, both of whom were natives of Montgom- ery county, Pennsylvania. Henry Seiler ( father) was born in 1801, a son of Henry Seiler, a farmer, who lived and died in Marlboro township, Mont- gomery county, Pennsylvania. He was a pros- perous agriculturist, and died in his native state in Marlboro township in 1876. Leah (Shuler) Seiler (mother) was born in 1812 and died in 1881.
The educational advantages enjoyed by Sam- uel Seiler were obtained in the schools of his na- tive county, and in early life he was apprenticed to the coach making trade, at which he worked in his native county up to 1865, when he removed to Carbon county. He then secured employ- ment with the Lehigh Valley Company in their car shops at Packerton, and this position he re-
tained for eight years. At the expiration of this period of time, in 1873, he left the Valley people and turned his attention to butchering, which oc- cupation he followed up to 1887, and which proved a profitable source of income. About this time he lost somewhat heavily by various specula- tions, and in order to save his property he also engaged in the hardware business in the borough of Lehighton, using this as a side issue. This enterprise proved most successful and remunera- tive, and he conducted it for two years. In 1889 he engaged in the real estate business, and he was largely instrumental in the growth and prosper- ity of the town. He erected about twenty-four houses, thirteen of which he still owns and rents, and the remainder he sold to parties on easy terms. He also disposed of a number of lots in the borough, on which have been erected modern residences, and this has added materially to the improvement and development of the com- munity. Although not now engaged in any active business pursuits, Mr. Seiler is a member of the Lehighton Foundry and Machine Company, and is a director of the Lehigh Valley Building and Loan Association. He has served the borough as councilman and treasurer, proving most effi- cient in the discharge of his duties. He is a prominent member of the Lutheran church, and has held membership in that body for thirty con- secutive years. He is affiliated with the Im- proved Order of Red Men, Knights of Pythias, and Knights of the Golden Eagle.
In 1870 Mr. Seiler was married to Elizabeth Graver, daughter of Lewis and Leah (Lauchner) Graver. Of the three children born of this union, two are living at the present time : Anna L., wife of Charles Schwartz ; and Edgar L., a clerk in the employ of Cook Brothers, of Allentown, Pennsylvania.
JOSIAH RUCH, a retired citizen of Weiss- port, Pennsylvania, and one of the well known and prominent men of that section of Carbon county, possesses a vast amount of practical and valuable experience and more than ordinary in- telligence. History informs us that three broth- ers-Lawrence, l'eter and Joseph-emigrated
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from Switzerland at a very early age, and settled at Whitehall, Northampton county, Pennsylvania. Of these three, Peter was the great-grandfather of Josiah Ruch, and his son, also named Peter, grandfather of Josiah Ruch, was a miller by trade and also conducted extensive farming interests. He built a three stock brick mill at Harmony, near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and was consid- ered a wealthy man in his day.
John Ruch, father of Josiah Ruch, was born at Whitehall, Northampton county, in 1800, and died in 1842. His wife, whose maiden name was Catherine Sigfried, a native of Sigfried's Bridge, Northampton county, Pennsylvania, was born January 31, 1805, and died in 1887, at the ad- vanced age of eighty-one years. Their children were: Josiah, John, Jonathan, Angeline, Louise and a child that died in infancy.
Josiah Ruch was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, January 13, 1826. He was edu- cated in the common schools of his native county, and remained a resident thereof until his seven- teenth year. About the year 1860 he removed to Weissport, and was first employed in a hotel. Subsequently he was employed by the sheriff of Carbon county, John Snyder, to take care of the prisoners in the Carbon county jail, which was located in the city of Mauch Chunk. After a short period of time spent in the latter named occupation he returned to Weissport, and was en- gaged in the capacity of clerk in a gen- eral store owned by Lewis Weiss, and while so employed acquired a large fund of knowledge along this line of enterprise which proved valuable to him in later years. His next occupation was in the boat yard at Weissport, after which he secured a position with the Lehigh Navigation Company in building boats, and in connection with this employment he was engaged in burning lime to a considerable extent at Weiss- port. In 1877 he established a general store which he conducted in a profitable and businesslike man- ner until 1891, when he disposed of it to the firm of Krum & Lentz, and since then has lived a retired life. Mr. Ruch is a representative of the class of men who by their own industry and
enterprise achieve financial success, he having been thrown upon his own resources at the early age of eight years, and his first occupation was driving on the canal. He was the incumbent of the office of school director in Franklin township for two years, during which time he was secre- tary of the board, and largely through his instru- mentality a large school debt was liquidated.
On August 27, 1849, Mr. Ruch was married to Mary Heller, and to this union were born four children, all of whom died in infancy. His sec- ond marriage, which occurred November 24, 1894, was to Lydia A. Muschlet. Mr. Ruch is a member of the United Evangelical church, in which he served as exhorter and class leader for a number of years. He is a descendant of a Swiss ancestry.
STEWARD M. STOFFLET. The Stofflet family is of French lineage. John Stofflet, the great-grandfather of Steward M. Stofflet, was born in France and emigrated to America about 1800. He was a stone mason by trade, and was employed in the erection of many of the stone arches that span the streams of Northampton county to-day. As the years advanced he became a contractor, and because of his excellent me- chanical skill and ability secured a liberal patron- age. His family numbered the following: Ed- ward, John, Charles, Amanda, Mrs. R. Russell, Mrs. Rickard, Mrs. Frankenfield and Mrs. Klemp.
Of this number John Stofflet was the grand- father of our subject. He followed the occupa- tion of farming, and was a man of broad experi- ence and acquired considerable capability. He purchased the mill which is now being operated by his grandson, Steward. He had it operated by his son Charles H. Stofflet, who had a practi- cal knowledge of the milling business. The grandfather was a gentleman of considerable influence, prominent and honored in the com- munity where he resided. He married Lydia Weaver, and to them were born eight children: John, Charles H., Thomas, Frank, Mary, Eliza, Hannah and Susanna. Seven of this number are
Stoffler IM. Q C. F:
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yet residents of Northampton county, and all were born in Hamilton township, Monroe county, Pennsylvania.
Charles H. Stofflet, a son of John Stofflet, was born in 1848, and in early life became an exten- sive miller, which business he has followed to the present time with the exception of a brief inter- val of two years. In 1870 he was united in mar- riage to Miss Emma Ackerman, and their chil- dren are as follows : Steward M., Clinton F., born in 1877 : Anna, born in 1882; and Laura, born in 1886. Charles H. Stofflet is a member of Pen Argyl Lodge, No. 594; F. and A. M., and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
Steward M. Stofflet was born in 1871, pur- sued his education in the public schools, and served an apprenticeship to the miller's trade in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He returned to Dele- bole perfectly competent to take charge of a flouring mill, and after working for his father for several years he became a partner in their present milling enterprises in 1900. One of the oldest mills in the northern part of Northampton county was erected by the grandfather of Dr. Keller in Bangor county, Pennsylvania. in the town of Delebole, early in the eighteenth century, and was equipped with one of the old fashioned overshot water wheels. This mill did faithful service for the pioneer settlers who braved the hardship inci- dent to life in a frontier region while developing homes in a new country. As time passed the mill became the property of the father and son through successive generations, and improve- ments were carried on in keeping with the press of the times. The present mill was built by a son of the deceased Mr. Keller in the year 1848. Afterward a sawmill was built and operated in connection with a flouring mill, but as lumber became scarce in this section of the country the sawmill was suspended and torn down. The firm of Stofflet & Son has operated the mill since 1873, and since by purchase it came into posses- sion of the firm many necessary and desirable im- provements have been made. The mill has been operated both by water and steam power, the lat- ter being furnished by a steam engine of fifty horse-power, while the water force amounts to
thirty horse-power. The mill has a capacity of forty barrels of flour per day and eight tons of feed. Charles Stofflet and his son Steward, who constitute the firm, are millers of broad practical experience, and supply adjoining towns with an excellent quality of flour.
Steward M. Stofflet was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Stiles, of Upper Mount Bethel, in 1893. To this union were born four children : Jennie, Charles, Russell and Esther.
Dr. Clinton F. Stofflet, the second son of Charles H. and Anna Ackerman Stofflet, is one of the leading physicians of Fen Argyl, Penn- sylvania. He was educated in the common schools of Plainfield and Washington townships of Northampton county, and in Easton Academy, in which he completed a course of study and was graduated in 1894. He then pursued a special course of study in Lafayette College preparatory to entering upon the practice of medicine. Later he matriculated in the Chirurgical Medical Col- lege of Pennsylvania, in which he was graduated with the class of 1898. Immediately afterward he became a resident of Pen Argyl, where he has succeeded in building up an excellent practice that has come to him as a public recognition of his skill and ability in the line of his chosen pro- fession. He is a man of genial deportment, of kindly spirit and broad sympathy, and his cheery manner carries with it into the sick room much of the sunshine and happiness of life. He is a member of the Northampton County Medical So- ciety and the Pennsylvania State Medical So- ciety. He is also the president of the board of health of Pen Argyl, and belongs to the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Improved Order of Foresters.
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