USA > Pennsylvania > Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania Vol. II > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89
During a meeting of the Presbytery of Hud- son, at Amity, Orange county, New York, on September II, 1839, James Wood was examined and licensed as a minister of the Presbyterian church. He was ordained and installed as pastor of the church of his denomination at Deckertown, New Jersey, on December II, same year, and con- tinued his pastorate there until September, 1845, when he resigned and began work for the Amer- ican Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mis- sions in New York. As a representative of that society he preached for the mission in Chester, New York, and without solicitation on his part a call was extended to him to accept the pastor- ate there. This invitation he accepted, and be- gan his work in Chester on November 1, 1845. For seventeen years he remained there, in which time about four hundred members were added to the church, and a large and beautiful house of worship was erected at a cost of about ten thou-
sand dollars. October 1, 1862, Rev. Wood re- signed his pastorate at Chester and removed to Easton, Pennsylvania. On the 18th of the same month he sailed for the old world, visiting Eur- ope and the Holy Land, and in the fall of 1863 returned to America. He then accepted a call from the Presbyterian church of Allentown, Pennsylvania, April 23, 1865, and was installed as its pastor by the Presbytery of Philadelphia, Oc- tober 25th of that year. He continued to reside in Allentown until his death, which came very unexpectedly. Both he and his wife lie buried in the Able family lot in the cemetery at Easton, Pennsylvania. Rev. Wood was a man of attrac- tive personal appearance, of medium height, good physique, dark hair, and a fine face with which kindness supplemented intellectuality. He was always an earnest student, and continued his ac- quaintance with the classics and the German and French languages as well as with the writings of the English tongue. His scholarly attainments were recognized by his alma mater on July 2d, 1879, when the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him, and to this honor he respond- ed in an oration delivered in the Latin tongue. He became well known as an orator, and made frequent contributions to the press and general publications, both religious and secular. His oratorical power caused him to be selected to ad- dress many popular public gatherings, and he was as well, a most entertaining conversationalist, so that his companionship was eagerly sought by both young and old. He was, moreover, a man of broad humanitarian principles and of deep sym- pathy and he held friendship inviolable. He was a student of the signs of the times, and kept in- formed in the great social and economic ques- tions of the country, for he regarded the things of the day as a part of man's life, and as a pre- paration for the life to come. His influence was far-reaching, and his memory is yet enshrined in the hearts of many who knew him.
Rev. James Wood was married October 9, 1839, in Easton, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth Caro- line Able, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. Daniel T. Wood, of Middletown, New York,
83
GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
and Rev. Dr. Gray, of Easton, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Wood was a daughter of Jacob Able, a son of Jacob Able, Sr., who in his childhood came from Germany to America in 1750. Mrs. Wood was a lady of superior education and culture, and possessed a remarkable memory. In early life she was a leader in society circles of Easton, and became a most earnest worker in the Sunday- schools. At the age of eighteen she united with the Presbyterian church of Easton, under the pastorate of Dr. Gray, and throughout her mar- ried life was a most devoted assistant to her hus- band, sharing with him in his work in all possible ways. She died at her home in Allentown, Penn- sylvania, April 6, 1882. The children of her mar- riage are Jacob Winslow ; James Whitfield, of Easton ; Mrs. Elizabeth Able Harrison, of Min- neapolis, Minnesota ; and Daniel Burton Wood, of Dickens, Missouri.
J. Winslow Wood was born in Deckertown, New Jersey, March 27, 1843, and during his early childhood accompanied his parents on their re- moval to Chester, New York. His early educa- tion acquired in the public schools was supple- mented by a course in Chester Academy, where he prepared for college. He then entered Am- herst College at Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1863, and was graduated in 1866. In the same year he went to Easton, where he took up the study of law under the direction of Matthew Hale Jones, and in 1867 he was admitted to the bar. He practiced for a short time in Easton and in New York, and in 1868 took up his abode in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he continued in the law practice until 1883. In that year he put aside the duties of his profession, and has since devoted his attention to manufacturing interests, covering a period of twenty years, in which he has developed an enterprise of importance in industrial circles in Lehigh county. He is a Re- publican in politics, and is an active and earnest exponent of the principles of his party.
In 1878 J. Winslow Wood was married to Miss Mary Jane Allbright, a daughter of Phaon and Lucinda (Guth) Allbright, who were the par- ents of six children: (1) Ellen is the wife of
John P. Dillinger, and had four children : Flora, who married Henry Greenwald, and has two children, Henry and Ralph; Lewis, who married Annie Ibach, and has four children, John, Harry, Lewis and Helen; Sallie, who was the wife of Edwin Gross, and had four children ; and Myra, who married Fred Horlacher, and has three chil- dren, Frederick Edgar and Robert. (2) Josiah, married Mary Amanda Eberhard, and has one daughter, Eva. (3) Griffith, married Hannah Cleaver, and their children are Sallie, Frank, John, Lucy and Joseph. (4) Myra, married Sam- uel A. Butz, and their children are Gertrude, who married Joseph C. Groff, and Edgar. (5) Mary Jane, who married J. Winslow Wood, whose name introduces this sketch, became the mother of two children, James W. and Frances. (6) George married Sallie Brobst, and they are the parents of five children: Lewis, who married Cena Bittner; Arthur, Kate, Margaret and Mi- riam.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Winslow Wood are the par- ents of five children, two of whom are now living, James W., and Frances ; and three are deceased : Guy, Elizabeth, and Lucena. Mr. Wood and family are members of St. John's Lutheran church of Allentown.
GEORGE FREDERIC HERMAN, now liv- ing retired in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was born in Lower Nazareth township, Northampton coun- ty, Pennsylvania, October 4, 1831. His paternal grandparents were Frederic and Catherine (Lutz) Herman, and his maternal grandparents were John George and Catherine (Fuchs) Frederic, so that Mr. Herman of this review bears the full name of each grandfather.
His parents were Jacob and Susan (Fred- eric) Herman, in whose family were seven chil- dren: Jacob Tilghman, who married Anna Brown, and their children are: Jacob J., Martin, Ellen, Camilla, Anna, Susanna, and Christian. 2. George Frederic, mentioned hereinafter. 3. Daniel, who married Sarah Ann Johnson, by whom he has nine children: Richard, Simon, Eugene, John, Palmar, Sabila, Sarah, Esther and
84
HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
Minnie. 4. Samuel, who married Sarah Ann Kern, and they are the parents of one son, How- ard, deceased. 5. Catherine, who became the wife of Owen Clewall; both are now deceased, and one child survives them, Maria, now mar- ried to Tilman Fogel; Sallie Ann, who became the life of David Barnett, by whom she had one child, Eliza Etta, now deceased. Mrs. Barnett is now deceased. 7. Rebecca, who became the wife of Andrew Kriedler, now deceased.
George Frederic Herman attended the public schools of his native township during his early boyhood days, and in his leisure hours assisted his father, who at that time was one of the prosperous farmers of Lower Nazareth township. He re- mained at home until twenty-one years of age, at which time he began learning the trade of miller under the direction of Colonel Yohe, of Easton, serving an apprenticeship of two years. He after- ward returned to his father's farm, and then es- tablished a steam mill at Hecktown, which he op- erated for four or five years. In 1865 he took up his abode in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in the grain and wholesale liquor busi- ness, following that pursuit with success up to the year 1880, a period of fifteen years, when he closed out the business. In the same year he was elected sheriff of Northampton county, filling the office for one term. In 1885 he was appointed postmaster of Bethlehem by President Cleveland, and acted in that capacity for three years. On the expiration of that period he retired from public life, and has since devoted his time to his family and the supervision of his invested interests. In 1902, after a residence of thirty-seven years in Bethlehem, Mr. Herman removed to Allentown, locating at No. 1109 Hamilton street, where he still resides. Mr. Herman is a Lutheran in re- ligious faith, a Democrat in politics, and a mem- ber of Bethlehem Lodge, Free and Accepted Ma- sons.
Mr. Herman has been married twice, his first union having been with Sarah Ann Koehler, a daughter of David and Lavina (Schortz) Koeh- ler. They had a family of five children. (I) Ascher W., cashier of the N. H. National Bank at
Easton ; he married Ellen Reinich, who bore him the following named children: George, Henry, Lillie. (2) Mary Jane, widow of Dr. Thomas Cooper, and mother of one son, George Herman Cooper. (3) Emma Catherine, who became the wife of Paul Kampsmith, and their children are: Frederic and Ralph. (4) Susanna Lavina, who resides at home. 5. Ida MI., wife of George Reigel, by whom she has two sons: Franklin and a babe. Mr. Herman married for his second wife Araminta A. Roth, a daughter of Jesse and Catherine (Gauff) Roth.
JAMES A. MILLER, proprietor of the Hotel German, at New Tripoli, and also engaged in general merchandising there, was born on the old family homestead in Linn township, Lehigh county, on the 3d of May, 1863. The family was established in America by Andrew Miller, the. great-grandfather of him whose name introduces this record. He was a native of Switzerland, who, crossing the Atlantic to the new world, set- tled in Lehigh county. He married and among his children was John Miller, Jr., the grandfather, whose birth occurred in Linn township, where he was reared and educated. He attended the com- mon schools, and after putting aside his text books began farming on his own account, making that his life occupation. He married Marie Rex, of the same county, and among their children was. Reuben Miller, the father of James A. Miller. Reuben Miller was born in Linn township, No- vember 27, 1824, and was reared in the usual' manner of farmer lads of that period. He ac- quired his education in the common schools, and then turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, which he carried on with success for a number of years, acquiring thereby a competence that enabled him to live retired until his death, May 17, 1904. He made his home in New Tripoli,. where ne enjoyed a well earned rest from his labors. He married Sarah A. Mantz, a daugh- ter of David Mantz, of Linn township, Lehigh county, and the children born of this marriage are as follows: Alvena M., who married Reuben Fis- ter, and had four children ; George D., who mar-
Jas. C. Miller
85
GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
ried Josephine Oldt, by whom he had three chil- dren ; Mary J., who married James D. Snyder ; William A., who wedded Savilla Krause, by whom he had one child ; and Catherine E.
James A. Miller spent his boyhood days on the old homestead, assisting in the labors of the fields through the summer months, and during the remainder of the year pursuing his education in the common schools. He also attended several select schools, and when his course was finished he engaged in teaching, becoming a successful representative of educational interests in Lynn township of Lehigh county. He then entered the employ of his father-in-law, Jonas German, and managed his store and hotel business for nineteen years until the death of Mr. German, July 5, 1900. He then purchased the hotel property and began business August 17, 1900, and is now conducting a good hostlery which finds favor with the public. He is also proprietor of the general store in the town, and his dual business interests are bringing to him gratifying success. Aside from his mer- cantile and hotel enterprises he is serving as justice of the peace, to which position he was first elected in 1882, and by re-election he has been continued in the office to the present time, (1904.) In 1903 Mr. Miller was elected a director of the Merchants' National Bank of Allentown, and takes an active interest in that flourishing in- stitution. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party, and, keeping well informed on the issues of the day, he is enabled to support his position by intelligent argument. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, to the Odd Fellows, to the Knights of the Golden Eagle and the Junior Order of the United American Mechanics. He also holds membership relations with the Penn- sylvania German Society, and he and his family attend the German Reformed church.
Mr. Miller was married in 1881 to Miss Louisa G. German, a daughter of Jonas German, deceased. Her father was a resident farmer of Linn township. By this marriage there has been born one son, Ralph E., whose birth occurred January 26, 1882, and who now attends Ursinus College, and will graduate with the class of 1905.
HENRY D. HERSH, of the F. Hersh Hard- ware Company, of Allentown, was born near Al- bertis, Upper Macungie township, December 6, 1846. His paternal grandfather, Henry Hersh, was the father of Franklin Hersh, who married Emma Yeager, a daughter of Daniel Yeager, who married a Miss Christman. To Franklin and Emma Hersh were born seven children, of whom two died in infancy. The oldest living is Henry Daniel Hersh, of this review.
James N. Hersh, the second, married Emma Mertz, a daughter of Elias and Sophia Mertz, and they have four children: Henry, at home ; Edgar, who married Ella Troxell, and has two children, Lloyd and Clarence ; Harvey, who mar- ried Rebecca Kocher, by whom he had a son, Ralph, and after her death wedded Mary Eliza- beth, Wisner, by whom he has six children- Grace, Marie, Paul, James, Marion and Harvey, Jr. ; and Willis, who married Roxie Welty, and has three children : Earle, Emma and Ethel.
George T. Hersh, third son of Franklin Hersh, married Emma Edwards, a daughter of Benjamin in Lydia (Bartholomew) Edwards. They have five children : Florence, wife of Robert F. Mil- ler, by whom she has one child ; George Warren ; Harold Edwards ; Lewis Edwards; and Isabella. George T. Hersh was educated in the public schools, and in the early part of his business ca- reer was engaged in clerking for five years in Philadelphia. In 1876 he removed to Allentown, and became a member of the hardware firm of F. Hersh's Sons & Company. In public affairs he has been active and influential, serving for four years as a member of the board of control, for one term in the city council, and as a member of the board of managers of the building committee of the Young Men's Christian Association. He is also a director in the Allentown Foundry & Ma- chine Company. He is a Republican in politics, belongs to Zion Reformed church, and holds mem- bership with Greenleaf Lodge, No. 561, F. & A. M.
Frank H. Hersh, twin brother of George, at- tended the public schools in Allentown, and after-
86
HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
ward became a student in the business college in New Haven, Connecticut. On his return to Pennsylvania he went to Philadelphia, where he engaged in clerking for a brief period, and then entered the Lehigh Valley Railroad service as yardmaster, being employed in that way for four years. On the expiration of that period he be- came a member of the firm of Hersh & Brother, of Allentown, and was associated with the busi- ness until 1902, when on account of ill health he retired. He is, however, a director in the Allen- town National Bank, and is also one of the trus- tees of the College for Women. He married Jen- nie E. Glick, and they have a daughter, Ruth A. Hersh.
Clara M. Hersh, the only daughter of Frank- lin Hersh, became the wife of Arnold R. Lewis, and had a son Roy, who died in infancy.
Henry Daniel Hersh, the eldest of the broth- ers, pursued his early education in the public schools and entered upon his business career as a salesman in the employ of Joseph Stein, of Weis- enberg township, Lehigh county, in order to learn the methods pursued in the mercantile world. ยท After six months, however, he entered his fa- ther's hardware store, and had charge of the busi- ness during his father's absence at the front in the Civil war. After his father return, Mr. Hersh was in the employ of Joseph Hartman for a time, and was afterward in the general store of Burdge & Jones for four years. In 1866 he became a member of the firm of Hersh & Mosser, hardware dealers of Allentown. Several changes in own- ership have occurred since that time, and the firm style has been successively Hersh, Mosser & Co., F. Hersh's Sons & Company ; F. Hersh & Sons, and the F. Hersh Hardware Company, the last being the present name. This is one of the largest and best equipped hardware stores in the Lehigh Valley, and the annual sales reach a large figure.
In matters relating to the public welfare and general improvement, Henry D. Hersh is actively interested. He is a Republican in politics, and has served as a member of the city council of Allentown, and also of the school board. He be- longs to Zion Reformed church, and also to Camp
No. 63, P. O. S. A., and Lehigh Commandery No. 6.
Henry D. Hersh married Miss Annie E. Knauss, a daughter of Ephraim T. and Mary (Kline) Knauss. Ten children have been born to them, of whom seven are now living: John F., who married Maggie Wren, and had one child, which died in infancy ; Mary M .; Howard N., who married Hat- tie Ruch, and has one child; Grace E., who married Christian Pretz, and has one son, Richard; Charles W., Nina M., and Franklin Arnold Hersh.
GEORGE ALBERT GREISS, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church at Allentown, Pennsyl- vania, was born at Alburtis, Lehigh county, Penn- sylvania, October 22, 1874.
Peter Greiss was probably the ancestor and founder of the family in America. He came from Germany in the latter half of the eighteenth cen- tury and settled in Philadelphia, where he re- maned until the colonists entered upon a war for independence. He then left home to became a Revolutionary soldier, and is supposed to have been killed in battle, as no news of him was afterward received. His wife, who was prob- ably of German lineage, was left with the care of their three sons, Philip, Peter, and Joseph (or John). There is some little doubt concerning the name of the third, his history being unknown, as he left no descendants, but it was probably Jo- seph. Philip married and removed to either Center or Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and had a large family. Peter Griess, the second son, married Margaret Rauch. He was indent- ured at the age of three years to a farmer of the name of Leeser, who resided near Huff's church, in Berks county, Pennsylvania. Late in life he was confirmed as a member of the German Re- formed church, and was known to rise at three o'clock in the morning and read his Bible until dawn. By trade he was a weaver, and in follow- ing that pursuit provided for his family. His children were Magdalena, Peter, George, Joseph, Philip, Hannah, David, Katie, Polly, Barbara,
87
GENEALOGICAL AND PERSONAL MEMOIRS.
Rebecca, John and Elizabeth. Of this family George Greiss was the grandfather of the Rev. - George A. Greiss. He married Lydia Gehris, and their children were: Philip, John, Peter, Jacob, George G., Daniel, David, Sarah and Julia.
George Gehris Greiss was born near Huff's church, July 4, 1839, and acquired his education in the neighborhood schools. In the years of his early manhood he followed the trade of a stone mason, and also engaged in farming. The larger part of his life was passed as an iron ore contractor, con- ducting a successful business in that line. His religious faith is that of the Lutheran church and his political support is given to the Prohibi- tion party, for he is a stanch advocate of the temperance cause. He has been elected to the office of school director of his district in Lower Macungie township. He marred Miss Anna Schirey, who was born in February, 1845, at Forge Dale, Berks county, Pennsylvania, and is a great-granddaughter of John Schirey. Her grandfather, John Schirey, worked in the forge and also followed farming. He served as a pri- vate in the war of 1812, and he established the Schirey homestead near Eschbach Crossing, in Berks county, Pennsylvana. He married Eliza- beth Marks, who was of English descent, while Mr. Schirey was of German lineage. Their son, William Schirey, wedded Elizabeth Boyer, who was also of German descent and was a daughter of Adam Boyer. It was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Boyer) Schirey, who became the wife of George Gehris Greiss, and the mother of our subject. Their children were: Bertha A., Annie Dell, Sallie Kate, George Albert, and Will- iam Henry.
In the public schools of his native town (Al- burtis, Lehigh county, Pennsylvania ), Rev. Greiss acquired his early education, which was supple- mented by a three years' course and afterward by a post-graduate course in the State Normal School at Kutztown, Pennsylvania, where the de- gree of Master of Elements was conferred upon him. He then engaged in teaching for two terms
in the public schools of his native town, and on the expiration of that period he was enrolled as a sophomore in Muhlenberg College, of Allen- town, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in June, 1896, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while that of Master of Arts was subsequently conferred upon him by the same institution. In the fall following his graduation from Muhlen- berg, he entered the Lutheran Theological Sem- inary of the General Synod, at Gettysburg, Penn- sylvania, and after three years was graduated in the spring of 1899, having completed the course and won the degree of Bachelor of Divinity.
Rev. Greiss entered upon the active work of the ministry at New Bloomfield, Perry county, Pennsylvania, in July, 1899. His pastorate cov- ered three Lutheran charges, and he remained at New Bloomfield for a year and two months, his labor there proving most pleasant. At the end of that time, upon the resignation of Dr. J. A. Sing- master, of St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran church at Allentown, he was called to fill that pul- pit, and entered upon his duties there in Septem- ber, 1900. His service there has continued to the present time (1904), and during this period a large number of persons have been received into the membership of the church, and thousands of dollars have been raised for local and benevolent objects. At this writing a magnificent house of worship in Gothic style of architecture is being erected on the site of the old church, which was torn down during the summer of 1903, and the new edifice, when completed, will cost sixty thou- sand dollars. The church work is well organized, and much good is being accomplished in its vari- ous departments. As a member of the Evangel- ical Lutheran Church of the General Synod of America and an ordained minister he is actively connected with the synodical and conference work, and also takes a very helpful and effective part in local religious and benevolent work.
Rev. George A. Greiss was married June 6, 1900, to Miss Daisy Irene Lonabaugh, the wed- ding taking place at her home, at No. 2324 North Eighth street, in Philadelphia. She is a daughter of Joseph Rhoats and Susie Ann (Bair) Lona-
88
HISTORIC HOMES AND INSTITUTIONS.
baugh, and is a lineal descendant of Augustus Lonabaugh, who was a native of Germany and came to America at the age of twelve years, be- coming the progenitor of the family in this coun- try. His son, August Lonabaugh, served as a pri- vate in the war of 1812. He married Katharine Stover, who was supposed to be among the heirs to the Trinity Chruch property on Broadway, in New York city. Their son, John August Lona- baugh, married Ann Paff, and they were the par- ents of Joseph Rhoats Lonabaugh, the father of Mrs. Greiss. His occupation is that of a job printer, but at the time of the Civil war he put aside all business and personal considerations, en- listing in defense of the Union, serving through- out the entire war as sergeant of the Fifteenth Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry. He married Susie Ann Bair, a daughter of Henry and Kate Bair. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lonabaugh are prom- inent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. To Rev. Mr. Greiss and wife was born a daugh- ter, Dorothy Lonabaugh, February 29, 1904.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.