USA > Pennsylvania > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Vol. I > Part 75
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Lucy (Kistler), Polly (Krause), Joseph, Reuben, Peter, William, and Matilda, the last named of whom became the wife of Owen Seibert.
To Owen and Matilda (Miller) Seibert were born seven children, of whom the two first died in infancy. Those who came to maturity were: 3. Dr. William A. Seibert, to be further men- tioned; 4. Cena M., who became the wife of Michael D. Kistler, and lived and died in Mor- ganton, North Carolina; 5. George P. Seibert, who has succeeded to the business founded and conducted for many years by his father; 6. Mary, who became the wife of Clyde Skinner, and resides in Easton ; 7. Dr. Walter W. Seibert, who is a physician and is associated in practice with his brother, Dr. William A. Seibert.
William A. Seibert, M. D., eldest of the living children of Owen and Matilda (Miller) Seibert, and the third in order of birth, was born on the homestead farm in Lowhill township, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, February 10, 1859. He was a child of three years when his parents lo- cated in Easton, and he there made the beginnings of his education in the public schools. He was afforded excellent educational advantages and improved them to the utmost. In 1875, at the age of sixteen, he graduated from Stevens' In- stitute of Business and in 1878 from Trach's Academy. He then entered Lafayette College, from which he graduated with the class of 1882, having received a first honor, the mathematical oration. While in college he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and after gradu- ation was elected a member of the Phi Beta Kappa. He began his professional studies in Hahnemann Medical College, Philadelphia, in 1882, and continued until the next year, when he entered the School of Medicine of Boston Univer- sity, from which he was graduated with the de- gree of Doctor of Medicine in 1885. While a senior he was appointed house physician at Grove Hall Homes, Boston, and after graduation became house surgeon at the Massachusetts Homœopathic Hospital for one year, and occu- pied this position until 1886, when he located in Easton, Pennsylvania, which has since been the scene of his labors. He is a well regarded mem-
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ber of various leading professional bodies-the American Institute of Homoeopathy, the Penn- sylvania State Homoeopathic Medical Society, the Lehigh Valley Homeopathic Medical So- ciety, and the Easton Microscopical Society, in all of which he is highly regarded. He is at present the president elect of the Pennsylvania State Homoeopathic Medical Society, and was lately elected a consulting physician to the Easton Hospital. He is a member of the Pomfret Club of Easton, and the Country Club of Northampton county. In politics he is a Republican and an original member of the Mckinley Club. In re- ligion he is a Lutheran, and a liberal contributor to his church and its various benevolences, as well as to other worthy objects.
Dr. Seibert was married, May 6, 1886, to Miss Rosa A. Werkheiser, of Easton, a daughter of William. and Ann E. (Shimer) Werkheiser, a graduate of Mt. Holyoke College, class of 1884, and a learned and noble woman. In 1897 Dr. Seibert experienced a dreadful affliction in the death of his beloved wife and children from diphtheria. The one child living is a daughter, Anna Matilda.
CHARLES COLLUM, for almost a quarter of a century actively and prominently identified with the manufacturing interests of the city of Allentown, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, is a na- tive of Cambria county, Pennsylvania, born in 1859, a son of Patrick C. and Bridget (McFad- den) Collum, the former named having been a son of James and Ann (Ferry) Collum, and the latter a daughter of Hugh and Jane (Martin) McFadden. Patrick C. and Bridget (McFad- den) Collum were the parents of six children, three of whom-Cecelia, Winifred and Hugh- died in early life, and the remaining members of the family who attained years of maturity were as follows : Mary, who became the wife of Ed- ward McGinley, and mother of five children- Mary, Michael, John, Patrick, and Charles Mc- Ginley. John, unmarried, who is a soldier in the United States army, now serving in the Philip- pines. Charles mentioned in the following para- graph.
When Charles Collum was eight years of age his parents removed from Cambria county to Lower Macungie, Lehigh county, and he attended the common schools adjacent to his home. In 1872, when he was only thirteen years of age, his parents removed to Allentown, and he was sent to the boiler works of Cole & Heilman to learn the trade of boiler making. After serving an ap- prenticeship of two and a half years he started out as a journeyman. Having previously deter- mined to see something of life in other cities, he entered the employ of the Janesville Iron Com- pany, at Janesville, Schuylkill county ; later went to Chester, Pennsylvania, where he was employed by the John B. Roach Ship Building Company ; and from there he went to Wilmington, Dela- ware, where he secured employment with the firm of Pusey & Jones. Here he took a course in mechanical engineering and drafting, after which he located at Delano, Schuylkill county, and en- tered the shops of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, and in the year 1882 he returned to Allentown, where he has since resided. He entered into partnership with John Allen, and they established the business known as the Allentown Boiler Works, to which they later admitted Joseph F. Barber, a member of the Barber Foundry and Machine Company, and this connection continued for a number of years. Mr. Allen was the first member to withdraw his interest from the firm; later Mr. Barber retired; and after continuing the business alone for a period of two and a half years Mr. Collum admitted J. D. Knouse, of Ce- darville, Lehigh county, into partnership. The original plant, which was used for two years, oc- cupied a small place in the rear of the Barber Machine Company ; from there they moved to the corner of Third and Walnut streets, and from there to their present location, 328 to 358 Walnut street, in 1896. Their plant covers an area of three and a quarter acres of land ; they give steady employment to one hundred and fifty men, re- quiring the services of a larger force during the busy seasons ; and they manufacture everything in the line of sheet iron and metal work, steam and hot water boilers, and drying kilns for ce- ment work. Their product is shipped to all parts
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HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
of the world, and they have equipped many of the large buildings in the country, such as Siegel & Cooper, of New York city, and the government plant at West Point, New York. He is a straight- forward, honorable business man, and in the com- munity where he is known his word is as good as his bond. Although his business interests are very extensive, he finds time to devote to matters which are calculated to advance the welfare of the community. Politically he is a Democrat, and fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, and the Catholic Benevolent Legion.
Mr. Collum was united in marriage to Kath- rine DeVine, of Elmira, New York, daughter of Edward and Mary Ann (Crow) DeVine, who reared a family of seven children, namely : Robert, who married Etta Kelly, of Shamokin, and they are the parents of one child, Marion De Vine. Mar- garet, wife of Michael Whalen, of Binghamton, New York, and mother of eight children-Ed- ward, Madline, Florence, William, Raymond, Vincent, Margaret and Francis. William, who married Sarah Lynch, of Toronto, Canada, and they are the parents of two children, Dorothy and Catherine. Edward, unmarried. Annie, unmar- ried. Elizabeth unmarried. Kathrine aforemen- tioned as the wife of Charles Collum.
The family of Mr. and Mrs. Collum consist of the following named children : I. C. DeVine, Francis, Leroy, Robert Leo, John Edward, Eliza- beth Geraldine, Kathrine Madline and Mary Veronica. Mr. Collum and his family are mem- bers of the Roman Catholic church.
JAMES NOBLE RHODA, whose knowl- edge of mechanics and thorough and practical understanding of the special department of labor to which he has directed his energies has gained him a position at the lead of one of the leading productive industries of Allentown, in which he is also financially interested, is numbered among Pennsylvania's native sons who had their birth in Reading. His parents were Mathew and Sa- rah (Noble) Rhoda, in which family were four children, but two died in infancy. The daughter Eliza, wife of Morris Redington, has one son,
John. Mathew Rhoda, by his second wife, Cecelia Stefee, had six children: John, Sarah, George, Grace, Sallie and Susan Garfield.
In the public schools James Noble Rhoda acquired his preliminary education, and after- ward attended Muhlenberg College, so that with mental powers quickened and stimulated by his col- legiate course he entered the business world well equipped to master the problems that might arise in his efforts to improve conditions and shape possibilities to his own ends. When he was quite young his father, who was a practical boiler maker, removed from Reading to Tamaqua, and afterward to Hazleton, Pennsylvania, whence he came to Allentown in 1865, establishing a boiler manufactory here. His literary education com- pleted, James N. Rhoda began learning the boilermaker's trade in the shops and under the direction of his father, with whom he remained for a number of years, and then entered the em- ploy of the firm of Cole & Heilman. As he was an efficient draughtsman he was soon placed in charge of that department of their works, and after the death of Mr. Cole he was appointed foreman and manager. He continued in that po- sition until the death of Mr. Heilman, when upon the reorganization of the company he pur- chased an interest in the business, and at the same time took entire charge of the mechanical part of the work. He has since superintended the operation of the plant, in which are now em- ployed a large number of workmen, and the foundry is operated to its full capacity in supply- ing the demand for equipments made by different gas and cement companies. The business has reached very profitable proportions, and not a little of the success of the enterprise is attributable to Mr. Rhoda's thorough understanding of the work in which as a young tradesman he em- barked. With thorough knowledge of the great scientific principles which underlie his work, as well as familiarity with the practical operation of the machinery, he has so managed the foundry along economical lines as to render it a profitable investment, and at the same time the workman- ship is so thorough as to cause its products to be a most marketable commodity.
anis. V. Choda
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GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
Mr. Rhoda is a prominent member of Allen- Horn, and Musicians Samuel Horn and Joseph town Eyrie, No. 110, Order of Eagles, and is . Horn. Two sons-in-law also served in this regi- a past as well as the present worthy president of the local lodge. He is well known to the fra- ternity throughout the state, and was a delegate to the national convention of the order which was held in Baltimore, in 1904, and is now dis- trict deputy grand president. In the Improved Order of Red Men he has likewise attained prom- inence, and belongs to the Clover Club of Allen- town. He is never lacking in citizenship, giving warmhearted allegiance to whatever he deems to be for the public welfare, and his political views concerning the great issues of the day are in ac- cord with the principles of the Republican party. ment. He was state surveyor for the eastern dis- trict of Pennsylvania. He married Susan Hay, a daughter of Melchior Hay, (also a Revolution- ary soldier) and they became the parents of eight sons and two daughters, of which number Mel- chior Hay Horn was born in Easton in 1783, and married Isabel Traill, a daughter of Robert Traill, a major and member of the committee of safety during the Revolution. Their children were Sybilla, Robina, Robert T., John J., Isabella R., Melchior H., Enoch C., Philip H., Sarah and Maria L. The father was married a second time, to Mrs. Stedinger, and they had one son, William Penn.
Mr. Rhoda was united in marriage to Miss Annie C. Miller, a daughter of Henry and Sarah (Seibert) Miller, in whose family were four chil- dren. Mary Miller became the wife of Jacob W. Grim, a member of the firm of Grim Broth- ers, brick manufacturers of Allentown, and after her death Mr. Grim married her sister Aggie. William Miller, the only son, married Emma Blein. Mr. and Mrs. Rhoda have five children, of whom the eldest, Ralph H. M. Rhoda, mar- ried Julia Hecker, a daughter of W. F. Hecker, a merchant of Allentown, who is represented on another page of this volume. The younger chil- dren of the Rhoda family are Warren, William, Margaret and Noble, all yet at home.
FRANK MELCHIOR HORN. The first Horn ancestor of Frank M. Horn of whom there is authentic record was Abram Horn, who was of German lineage and a native of Philadelphia. He moved to Easton, Pennsylvania, in early boy- hood. During the war of the Revolution he served his country as a sergeant in Captain Thomas Craig's company in the Second Pennsyl- vania Battalion, under Colonel (afterward Gen- eral) Arthur St. Clair. During the war of 1812 he was lieutenant-colonel of the First Regiment Volunteer Riflemen of Pennsylvania. In this regiment were his sons, Captain Abram Horn, Jr., (who was postmaster of Easton, Pennsylvania, during President Jackson's administration), First Lieutenant John Horn, Sergeant Melchior Hay
Melchior Hay Horn, son of Melchior and Isa- bella (Traill) Horn, was born in Easton, Penn- sylvania, April 9, 1822, and died February 28, 1890. He served his country as colonel of the "Iron Regiment," Thirty-eighth Pennsylvania Militia, in the Civil war. On the 12th of Oc- tober, 1845, he married Matilda L. Heller, who was born March 1, 1823, and died in August, 1903, and was a daughter of Jacob Heller. She was descended from Christopher Heller, who em- barked with his son, Johan Simon, at Rotterdam, on the ship "Winter Galley," Edward Paynter, master, and arrived at Philadelphia on September 5, 1736. Christopher Heller was born in 1688 and died in Lower Saucon township, Northamp- ton county. His son, Johan Simon Heller, was born in Peltersheim, in the Pfaltz, Germany, June 18, 1721, and died in Plainfield township, North- ampton county, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1783 ; he was married in 1749 to Lowii Dietz, whose birt !. occurred June 12, 1726, and who died April 13, 1768 ; their children were : Jacob, Elizabeth, John, Daniel, Anthony, Margaret, Abraham, Michael. Simon, Veronia, Sarah, Catherine, Mary and Levis.
Captain Jacob Heller, son of Johan Simon and Lowii (Dietz) Heller, was born in Lower Saucon township, Northampton county, March 6, 1750, and died in Plainfield township, of the same county, October 8, 1822. He married Su- sanna , who was born June 21, 1752, an-1
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died December 28, 1797. Their children were Jacob, Charles, Susanna and Elizabeth.
Jacob Heller, son of Captain Jacob Heller, was born in Plainfield township, Northampton county, April 23, 1782, and died in Easton, Oc- tober 14, 1834. He was married March 18, 1804, to Susanna Butz, whose birth occurred June 8. 1783, and her death December 20, 1853. Their children were Maria, Susanna, Christian, Charles, William, Jacob, Matilda, and Daniel. Of these, Maria Heller, born November 9, 1805, died June 28, 1862; she became the wife of Samuel Yobe, who was born April 15, 1805, and died July 5, 1886. Susanna Heller, born March 14, 1810, died April 11, 1883; she was married April II, 1833, to John A. Junes. Christian B. Heller, born December 16, 1812, died May 13, 1873; he was married June 25, 1839, to Henrietta Detwiller, who was born June 13, 1819, and their children were Maria, Elizabeth, Alice and Henry. Charles Heller, who died in Philadelphia, April 14, 1896, had married Louisa Tindall, and they had two daughters, Sue and Mary. William Heller, who was born December 20, 1815, died January 15, 1888; he had married Annie E. Mixsell. Jacob B. Heller, born January 22, 1819, died Febru- ary 26, 1890; he married Maria Martha Gray, who was born October 23, 1823, and died Decem- ber 15, 1896. Their children were Samuel, Jacob B., William G., Mary, Matilda and Laura.
Matilda Louisa Heller, the youngest of the family of Jacob and Susanna (Butz) Heller, was born March 1, 1823, and was married October 12, 1845, to Melchior Hay Horn ; died August, 1903. They had seven children.
William H., who is now in Mexico.
Rev. Edward T. Horn (2) is a minister of the Lutheran church at Reading, Pennsylvania. Susan Butz Horn (3), born September 15, 1845, was married April 21, 1874, to Martin L. Dreisbach, who was born September 6, 1843. They had two children : Matilda E., born July 4, 1875, and John Martin, born November 26, 1878
Edward Traill Horn was born June 10, 1850; and was married June 15, 1880, to Harriet Chis- olm, who was born November 10, 1861. The" had seven children: Robert C., born September
12, 1881; William M., November 28, 1882; Isa- bella T., May 4, 1884; Harriet E., October 22, 1885 ; Edward T., September 23, 1887 ; Mary G., January 10, 1889; and M. Hay, who was born May 12, 1892, and died September 30, 1893.
Frank Melchior is the fourth of the family.
Harry Yohe, born January 8, 1859, was mar- ried November 10, 1881, to Annie M. Heller, who was born April 3, 1860, and died March 9, 1897. Their children are Matilda, born Novem- ber 23, 1884; Isabella T., born April 28, 1886: George Peter, born March 21, 1888; Robert Traill, born November 23, 1889; Annie Heller, born March 28, 1891 ; and Harry Yohe, Apri! 4, 1892.
Isabella Traill Horn, born February 4, 1861, died February 5, 1882.
Charles Robert Horn, born October 16, 1863, was married June 23, 1886, to Blanche Thomas, who was born April 6, 1863. Their children are : Isabella T., born September 18, 1887; Mary, who was born October 18, 1888, and died on the 15th of November, following ; Catherine R., born July 19, 1890; James Thomas, born March 19, 1892; Blanche, May 13, 1894; and Helen, born De- cember 22, 1896.
Frank M. Horn, born October 16, 1852, in Easton, Pennsylvania, was reared in Catasauqua, and acquired his education in the public schools. He is now cashier of the National Bank of Cata- sauqua and has been connected with the institu- tion since 1867, during which time he has filled various positions, acting as its president a part of that time, and by his enterprise and thorough understanding of the business contributing largely to its success.
On the 18th of January, 1882, Frank Melchior Horn was married to Miss Lizzie F. Williams, a daughter of John and Emma C. (Heilig) Will- iams. They have four children : Melchior Hay, born November 4, 1884; Emma Williams, born January 12, 1887; Susan, born August 13, 1889; and Eleanor Traill, born August 22, 1894.
JOHN FULMER, who is living retired in Nazareth, represents an old family of Pennsyl- vania that through several generations has been
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GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
connected with agricultural interests in this state. His grandfather, John F. Fulmer, was born in the old country and reared in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, pursued his education in the com- mon schools, and then began farming. Later he operated the old tan bark mill at Richmond. He married and had four sons, and four daughters. Christian Fulmer, the father of John Fulmer, was born at Richmond, Pennsylvania, in 1807, and died in 1870 at the age of sixty-three years. Hav- ing acquired his education in the common schools. he became associated with his father in the con- diict of the old tan bark mill in Lower Mount Bethel township, and ultimately became its owner. He carried on business in that way throughout his entire life. His political faith was in accord with the principles of the Republican party, and his religious belief in harmony with the teachings of the Reformed church. He married Sarah A. Butz, of Lower Mount Bethel township, North- ampton county, and their children were: John, Joseph, George, Henry and Hiram.
John Fulmer was born in Lower Mount Bethel township, June 12, 1827, and at the usual age entered the common schools where he pre- pared for the practical duties of life. On putting aside his text books he worked for his father in the tanbark mill, but subsequently turned his attention to farming which he followed for many years, or until 1883, when he removed to Nazar- eth township, ,where he now resides. His life has been one of industry, and his rest from further labor is well merited. He was diligent in his business affairs and never took advantage of the necessities of his fellowmen in any trade transactions. In politics he is a Republican, and he attends the services of the Reformed church.
Mr. Fulmer has been married twice. His first wife was Susan Ott, and the wedding ceremony was performed February 14, 1850. Her parents were Henry and Mary (Kern) Ott, the former a farmer of Lower Mount Bethel township. The children of the first marriage were: Henry C., who was born January, 1851, and married Min- erva Dech ; and Emma, who was born September 31, 1852, and is the wife of Levy Beck, by whom she had four children ; William H., who was born
November 19, 1854, and died in 1874; Jacob, who was born April 21, 1856, and died the fol- lowing year; Mary A., who was born December 25, 1864, and is the wife of Wallace Sweitzer, by whom she had four children. In 1890 Mr. Fulmer married Mrs. Mary Hess, the widow of Jacob Hess, and a daughter of Josiah and Har- nah (Oyer) Krout, of Upper Mount Bethel township.
TILGHMAN C. HANDWERK follows farming in Heidelberg township, Lehigh county, where the family has been represented through several generations. His grandfather, Martin Handwerk, who was there born and reared, turned his attention to farming, which he fol- lowed throughout his entire life. He married Katherine Blose, of the same township, and to them were born the following named : Phaon, Maria Drusilla, Peter, Benjamin and Paul.
Paul Handwerk, father of Tilghman Hand- werk, was born on the old family homestead in Heidelberg township, Lehigh county, in the year 1833. He, too, has made farming his life work, entering upon an active career after acquiring a liberal education in the public schools. For a number of years he devoted his time and atten- tion in an undivided manner to agricultural pur- suits with good success, and then with a com- fortable competence accumulated through his own labors retired to private life. He yet makes his home in Heidelberg township, and is widely and favorably known throughout the community in which his entire life has been passed. His politi- cal support has ever been given to the Republican party, and although he is a stanch advocate of its principles he has always refused office, although frequently solicited to serve in local positions of public trust. When the Civil war was being fought he was drafted for service, but sent a sub- stitute to take his place in the army. He married Susan Lobach, also a native of Heidelberg town- ship, Lehigh county, and their children were: Tilghman, Leonora, Helen, Alice, Louisa, Aman- das, Emma, Henry, Minnie, Frederick, and two that died in infancy.
Tilghman Handwerk, whose birthplace was
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HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
the old home farm, and whose natal day was March 5, 1858, was educated in the common schools of his township, and when he had mas- tered the branches of learning taught in the public schools he became an active factor in the agricul- tural life of the township. He had early become familiar with the labors of field and meadow, which he is now carrying on, and in addition to the raising of cereals best adapted to the soil and climate he is also devoting some time to the pro- duction of vegetables for the city market, having a fine garden on his place. His views of political questions are in accord with the principles and policy of the Republican party. He has held the office of school director, and is deeply interested in the cause of education and other movements for the welfare and upbuilding of the locality. He and his family attend the Lutheran church.
Mr. Handwerk was married in 1889 to Miss Mary A. Krause, a daughter of Levi Krause, a farmer of Heidelberg township, and they now have two children, Della and Samuel, who are at home with their parents.
WILLIAM P. MOYER. Among the public- spirited citizens and influential business men of Allentown whose ability and enterprise have con- tributed materially to the growth and develop- ment of the city, is William P. Moyer, a native of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania.
The Moyer family is one of the oldest in the county, having settled in Lynn township, near New Tripoli, about the year 1770. Peter Moyer, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born in April, 1800, and died in the house in which he was born, in December, 1857. His wife was Catherine Gerard, born in Wurtem- berg, Germany, April 5, 1804, and came to this country with her mother in 1816, landing at Phil- adelphia, and was indentured to John Miller for the cost of the passage of the mother and daugh- ter, and served for the same for six years. Dur- ing this service the mother settled at New Tri- poli. In those days communication between Phil- adelphia and New Tripoli was only had by stage, the market for Lehigh county being principally confined to the city of Philadelphia, and farmers
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