Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I, Part 120

Author: Montgomery, Morton L. (Morton Luther), b. 1846; J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1909
Publisher: Chicago : J. H. Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1018


USA > Pennsylvania > Berks County > Historical and biographical annals of Berks County, Pennsylvania, embracing a concise history of the county and a genealogical and biographical record of representative families, Volume I > Part 120


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Mr. Hawley married, Dec. 15. 1863, Kate E. Ritter, daughter of the late Louis Ritter. When the Reading Eagle Company was formed in 1904, Mrs. Hawley be- came president, in which capacity she served until her death, June 1, 1906. Two daughters remain: Edith. wife of William Seyfert; and Helen, wife of Edwin A. Quier. Mr. Seyfert is now president of the corporation, and Mr. Quier vice-president.


CHARLES R. BUCK, proprietor of the Boyertown Steam Laundry and one of the enterprising business men of that borough, was born at Red Hill, Montgomery county, Nov. 7, 1850, son of Charles Buck, and his wife Christena, and grandson of Jacob Buck.


(I) Jacob Buck was a native of Berks county, and by trade was a blacksmith, for some years living and work- ing at Longswamp. He moved to Hereford, Berks county, and then to Sumneytown. Montgomery county, and always followed his trade. He is buried at Old Goshenhoppen cemetery. His wife was a member of the Schmeck family of Berks county, and is buried by his side. They had issue


Jessel. Hawley.


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as follows : Charles, Daniel, Henry, Jacob, James, Camilla, the Boyertown Casket Company and they have two chil- Maria, and Caroline. Jacob Buck had a brother Joseph, dren, Kathryn and Lillian; and Charles A., born April 15, 1885, who is his father's assistant and a bright, young business man. The family stands very high in the com- munity, in both a business and a social way. who lived and died at Hamburg, Berks county, and another brother who lived at Ashland, Pa. Joseph Buck had a son Harry P. who lives at Hamburg, Berks county.


(II) Charles Buck, son of Jacob Buck, and father of Charles R., was a native of Longswamp township, Berks county, and was born Aug. 3, 1820. He died Dec. 18, 1902, aged eighty-two years and four months, and is buried at New Goshenhoppen Reformed church, East Greenville, Montgomery county. He was also a blacksmith by trade, and followed that trade a number of years. In April, 1862, he moved from Red Hill to Green Lane the same county, and engaged in farming, and nine years thereafter retired in comfortable circumstances. He was an active man in the church, and he and his family were members of the Re- formed church at New Goshenhoppen where he and his wife rest from their labors. In politics he was a Democrat, and served very acceptably as school director in Marl- borough township, Montgomery county. His wife was Christiana Royer, a descendant of one of Pennsylvania's old and honored settlers, and she was born in 1824, and died in 1883. They had three children: William H., of Green Lane, formerly a school teacher, is now a farmer and a prominent man in his locality, and he has been a justice of the peace for thirty-three years, serving his seventh continuous term, and has also served contin- uously as school director since 1880; Charles R .; and Ellen R., married Herman Hillegas, a coal, feed and lumber merchant at Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.


(III) Charles R. Buck was educated in the common schools of Montgomery county, and Mount Pleasant sem- inary, Berks county, under the tutorship of Prof. L. M. Koons. When Mr. Buck was twenty, he learned the mill- ing trade from John R. Kepler, of Upper Hanover town- ship, Montgomery county, and followed it for fourteen years in Berks county. In 1885 he had the misfortune of being burned out, his mill and contents at Morysville, in Berks county, being consumed. Having lost his property, Mr. Buck went to work for P. A. Brauss & Co., in the cigar and box factory, as paying clerk, and thus continued for three years. In 1888 he embarked in the huckster business, operating between Boyertown and Philadelphia for ten years. In this he prospered, and built up a large trade, shipping as many as 1,000 dozen eggs per week as well as all other kinds of produce in like proportion. In 1898 Mr. Buck organized the Boyertown steam laundry, which he has since operated with marked success. Em- ployment is given seven people, and he commands the trade and approval of the very best people of Boyertown. The plant is conveniently located on Jefferson street, be- tween Rhoades and Philadelphia avenue, and it is 40 x 24 feet with an annex.


Mr. Buck is a Democrat in politics, and served very creditably as justice of the peace, from 1898 to 1903. He was a member of the school board in Colebrookdale town- ship for four years and has always taken an active interest in local events. He has been a delegate to the county convention, and was a candidate for the office of prison inspector of Berks county. Fraternally Mr. Buck is a member of Washington Camp, No. 104, P. O. S. of A. of Boyertown; Rosalind Castle No. 228, K. G. E. of Boyer- town, and is Clerk of exchequer of the Castle, having held that office since 1902. He and his family are members of the Reformed Church of the Good Shepherd, of which he is trustee; he was made an official of the church in 1894, and has continued in office ever since. He is very liberal in his contributions and can always be de- pended upon to do even more than one man's part towards the advancement of any measure, either in church or civic life, tending towards the uplifting of humanity.


On Nov. 6, 1875, Mr. Buck married Sarah Johnson, daughter of Abraham B. and Catherine (Gruber) Johnson, of Colebrookdale township. Mrs. Buck was born July 30, 1854, and died Dec. 25, 1903. Her many virtues are tend- erly cherished by her husband and children and her loss is still mourned. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Buck were: Flora, m. to Milton W. Briel, who is connected with


NICHOLAS BUCK, the emigrant ancestor of many of the name, was descended from an ancient family long established in the vicinity of Thionville, Lorraine. The date of his birth is unknown. The Buckville branch of the family descended from Nicholas Buck, Jr., his third son, who was nineteen years old at the time of his father's death. Lorraine is within the valley of the Rhine and on the frontier of Germany, Belgium, Hol- land and Luxembourg, and suffered severely from war dur- ing the years between 1670 and 1733. The calamities oc- casioned by such long strife induced one Nicholas Buck, a single man, to embark at Rotterdam, on the ship "St. Andrew" for America. He arrived in Philadelphia, Sept. 25, 1752. For a short time he lived near Reading, and then came by way of Goshenhoppen to Springfield township, Bucks county. There he settled down and spent the re- mainder of his life. There is doubt as to the exact year of the emigration of Nicholas Buck. The ship "Edin- burgh" arrived in Philadelphia Sept. 5, 1748, from Rotter- dam. In the list of passengers were mentioned Michael Hartman and "John Nickel Buck," the former no doubt the father of Nicholas Buck's second wife whom he mar- ried in 1766. In 1760 he signed a petition asking for a road in Springfield township. On this he wrote his name "Nickly Buck." On April 21, 1761, he married Mary Abigail, daughter of George and Barbara Kohl, of Nocka- mixon. The first child, Leonard, was born Sept. 1, 1763, and the second son, Joseph, in 1764. The wife and mother died Jan. 7, 1765, at the age of twenty-two years. On May 12, 1766, Mr. Buck married (second) Elizabeth, daughter of Michael and Margaret Hartman. The chil- dren of the second union were: Nicholas, Jacob, John, Catharine, Barbara, Elizabeth, Magdalena and Mary Ann. In his last marriage record the father is mentioned as a widower and farmer. In 1768 he purchased from Ludwig Nuspickel, a tract of land of forty-six acres. In 1777 he was in the Revolutionary war.


Leonard Buck, son of Nicholas, married Elizabeth Kra- mer, born in 1769. He was a farmer. In 1786 he inherited under conditions half of his father's estate. He died in 1809, aged forty-six years. His widow survived some years. Their four children were: Mary, Catharine, Sarah and Abigail.


Joseph Buck, son of Nicholas, married Rosina. He had a son John and other children. He sold to his brother his holdings in real estate and removed to Whitehall township, in Lehigh county, in 1800.


Capt. Nicholas Buck, third son of the ancestor Nicholas, in 1789 married Mary Magdalena, daughter of John Eck, of Upper Salford. In 1792 he bought a tract of sixty-four acres. In 1803 and later he was a collector of taxes in Nockamixon. In 1807 he raised a company and had it fully equipped and prepared for action the following spring. This company of militia continued to have him as its captain until a few years before his death. He had six children : Elizabeth, Nicholas, Sarah, Mary Mag- dalena, Jacob S. and Samuel.


Major Jacob Buck, fourth son of the ancestor Nicholas, was born in Springfield, May 1, 1770. He was a farmer. In 1790 he married Susanna, daughter of Philip and Eliza- beth Haring, of Haycock. He conducted a public house at Nockamixon in 1800. In 1814 or sooner he became owner of the "Bear Tavern" at Red Hill. About the same time his brother John became the owner of "Sorrel Horse." Major Jacob Buck's children were: John, Jacob, Elizabeth, Nicholas, Samuel, Catharine and Joseph. His descendants are numerous and reside chiefly in Bucks county, Philadelphia and New Jersey.


Major John Buck was the youngest of the ancestor's sons. He was born Feb. 19, 1775. In 1795 he married Salome McCarty. He, too, early in life had a penchant for the militia. In 1808 he was a captain of a company


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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA


organized by his brother Jacob. He served this company as major until the close of the war with England. In 1808 he purchased his brother Jacob's property at Revere. The tract consisted of 136 acres and on it was the famous "Sorrel Horse" hotel, which was built of logs. After many years' service this was torn down in 1818. He was the father of ten children: Elizabeth, John, Joel, Edward, Martha, Reading, Enoch, Theodore, Rebecca and Nicholas. His descendants live in Bucks county, Philadelphia, New Jersey, Illinois and the West.


GEORGE R. MALTZBERGER, a prominent tobacco manufacturer of Reading, bears a name well konwn in that city as a synonym for honesty and reliability.


John Maltzberger, father of George R., was for many years one of Reading's most honored citizens, although others occupied positions more in the public eye. He was born in Reading March 17, 1815, and his whole life was identified with the city. He was given a common school education and then learned the manufacture of tobacco products. Later he learned brick laying and was engaged at that work until 1846, when he returned to the tobacco business and laid the foundations of the large concern now conducted by his son. At first he had only a small estab- lishment in the house where George R. Maltzberger now lives, at No. 38 South Fifth street, and he continued to do business there until the close of the war. Then he acquired the property now occupied by the store, adjoin- ing the residence, at No. 36 South Fifth street, where he was until his death.


John Maltzberger was married to Miss Elizabeth Cole- man, and children were born to them as follows: Henry, deceased ; Mary, Mrs. James C. Brown, deceased; Harri- son, a prominent attorney in Reading, now deceased ; Charles, deceased; Emma, Mrs. John O. Geise, of Ger- mantown, Pa .; and George R. The father of this family passed away in January, 1878, aged sixty-three, and his wife survived him until February, 1882, when she, too, died, aged sixty-seven. He was a member of the Re- formed Church and she of the Lutheran. They were very popular in Reading, where they had a host of friends. Mr. Maltzberger was widely known as a man of absolute adherence to his word, and was held up as a constant ex- ample to others. He was a prominent member of Lodge No. 62, F. & A. M. and also took an active part in the Odd Fellows, belonging to Montgomery Lodge. From 1865 to 1867 he served on the water commission of Read- ing, and also for a long time was on the board of direc- tors of the Reading Hospital. He was one of the found- ers of that institution, and subscribed a large amount of money for its support, after his son Harrison succeeded to his place on the board. John Maltzberger made many other donations to charitable institutions, besides giving much help to individuals, but kind hearted and generous as he was known to be, the full extent of his philanthropic work was never made public.


George R. Maltzberger was born in Reading Aug. 27, 1846. He went first to the public schools, in an old build- ing on the site of the present Chestnut street school, and then to the Reading high school. He also went for a while to a school at Second and Chestnut, now a part of the old foundry property. When he had finished his studies he went into his father's tobacco store, and was still there when the latter died. From that time until 1882, the business was conducted by the estate, but in that year George R. Maltzberger purchased the establishment and has since managed affairs for himself. He manufactured a good grade of five and ten cent goods, and is engaged for the most part in a wholesale trade filling orders in the different States. He has been eminently successful and has also built up a very large trade.


In political views he is a Republican, as was also his father in later years, though just before the war he was one of the stanchest Abolitionists.


SAMUEL W. DIEFFENBACH, a highly esteemed citi- zen of Tulpehocken township, Berks county, and the popu- lar proprietor of the "Brown House" at Mount Aetna, was born June 15, 1866, in the same township, son of Samuel and Elizabeth ( Fisher ) Dieffenbach.


John Jacob Dieffenbach, the great-great-grandfather of Samuel W., had the reputation of being the first American- born citizen to make a pipe organ in this country, one of his first instruments being made in 1787 for the Tulpe- hocken church. He lived about one and one-half miles west of Millersburg, Bethel township, Berks county, where his son, Christian, who succeeded him, continued the busi- ness for many years. John Jacob Dieffenbach came to the Tulpehocken settlement from Schoharie, N. Y., and was first engaged in building wagons, plows and harrows for the farmers. He had, however, an ambition to build church organs, and while on a trip to Philadelphia, carefully inspected the imported organs. Returning home he began work, but he did not know how to weld the seams of the metal pipes, nor did any one else in all this part of the country. Finally a foreign tramp came along, and he taught Mr. Dieffenbach the secret of the work. This was the beginning of an extensive industry. Mr. Dieffenbach first used animal bones for the keys, but later procured ele- phant's tusks, sawing them into shape and polishing them himself. Among his children were Christian and Thomas. The last named was succeeded in the cabinet making and undertaking business by his oldest son Henry, now ad- vanced in years and living on the old homestead.


Christian Dieffenbach, son of John Jacob, succeeded to the organ business. He died at an advanced age, the father of the following children: David, grandfather of Samuel W .; Elizabeth, who died in Millersburg, at the age of eighty-one years (m. John Wagner) ; Catherine, who resided near the old homestead, where she died aged about seventy-five years (m. Joseph Naftsinger) ; July, who died unmarried when over seventy years of age; and Jonathan, who died in Miamisburg, Ohio, aged sixty-eight years.


David Dieffenbach, son of Christian, carried on the business founded by his grandfather and built a number of instruments, being later succeeded by his son, Thomas. He married Margaret Smith, and to them were born the following children : Elias, a cabinet maker and contractor in Bethel township, making a specialty of bridges and churches, died aged eighty-six years (he m. Catherine Holtzman) ; Thomas, born Jan. 22, 1821, and died in Mil- lersburg in his eightieth year ( he m. Maria Loose) ; David, born in 1823 (m. Mary Rollman) ; Lovina (m. Amos De Hart of Myerstown) ; Caroline, who died unmarried aged seventy-six ; and Samuel.


Samuel Dieffenbach was born near Freystown, Bethel township, where he received his education and learned the trade of shoemaker, at the same time working more or less at carpentering and wheelwrighting with his brother David. Subsequently he engaged in huckstering, and this he carried on until his death Aug. 26, 1906. On Jan. 29, 1861, he married Elizabeth Fisher, daughter of Peter and Susanna (Stoudt) Fisher. She is now making her home at Mt. Aetna, in the house built by Mr. Dieffenbach in 1876. Of the six children born to Samuel Dieffenbach and wife, four sons died young, the survivors being Miss Mary, who lives with her mother ; and Samuel W.


Samuel W. Dieffenbach received his early education in the public schools of the district and the high school, and after leaving school he assisted his father in the business for some time, and was then appointed U. S. storekeeper and ganger at various distilleries throughout the country for a period of six years. He married Lizzie Harnish, daughter of Christian and Sallie (Smith) Harnish. Two children were born of this union: Ella Mary, at home; and Anna Maria, who died aged one year. Mr. and Mrs. Dieffenbach reside at Mt. Aetna, where for eight years


Mrs. Maltzberger was a Miss Ella C. Kershner, daughter of the well-known carriage manufacturer of Reading. John H. Kershner. They have had five children, but two of them are deceased. The others are: Elizabeth, George R., Jr., and John S. Mr. Maltzberger is a Presbyterian in religious faith, but has never united with any church. they have successfully conducted the "Brown House."


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Mr. Dieffenbach is an active member of the Lutheran denomination, while his wife belongs to the Reformed faith. He is a Democrat in politics, but has never aspired to office. Fraternally he is connected with Camp No. 69, P. O, S. of A., and the O. of U. A. He has a pleasing personality, and is very popular throughout the township and county.


B. FRANKLIN KLEINGINNI, a versatile and useful citizen of the borough of Mohnton, Pa., where he is ef- ficiently serving as a councilman, was born Nov. 18, 1858, on the old family homestead in Cumru township, Berks county. The name was originally spelled Kleinginny.


(I) Johannes Kleinginny, great-great-grandfather of B. Franklin, was a native of Switzerland, and came to Amer- ยท ica on the "Bilander Thistle," George Huston, commander, sailing from Rotterdam. He landed at Philadelphia, and took the oath of allegiance Oct. 28, 1738. In 1759 he owned land in Cumru township, paying four pounds (equal to about $10.64). He died in 1773, and his son Johannes, according to records in the Berks county courthouse, was made executor of the estate.


(II) Johannes Kleinginny, son of Johannes the emi- grant, was a farmer in Cumru, where he owned land. He bought three tracts, the first of thirty-nine acres on Feb. 6, 1783, from Elizabeth, widow of Benjamin Lightfoot; the second of twenty-four acres Feb. 3, 1790, from Peter Gower; the third of fifty acres June 23, 1795, from George Breining. On his property is an old cemetery in which, it is believed, he is buried, but the graves are marked with only rough sandstones from which the in- scriptions have long since been effaced. Among his chil- dren were: John, born July 16, 1776, died Jan. 23, 1860, aged eighty-three years, six months, seven days; Daniel, born May 14, 1778, died unmarried Dec. 4, 1856, aged seventy-eight years, six months, twenty days; John Adam, born May 3, 1783, died March 15, 1861, aged seventy-seven years, ten months, twelve days; and Benjamin, born July 11, 1791, died Oct. 12, 1878, aged eighty-seven years, three months, one day ..


(III) John Kleinginni, son of Johannes, born July 16, 1776, followed in the footsteps of his father, and engaged in agricultural pursuits, becoming in time the owner of the homestead. He married Susan Krick, who was born April 26, 1788, daughter of George Krick; she died Sept. 10, 1854, the mother of the following family: Levi, who settled in Exeter township; Benneville, mentioned below; Harriet, m. to George Rollman, of Cumru township; Su- sanna, m. to John Haas, of Cumru township; and Mary, m. to Elias Warren, of the same township.


(IV) Benneville Kleinginni, son of John, was born Nov. 11, 1819. He early learned the principles of successful farming under the guidance of his father. He devoted his entire life to that calling, and was the owner of the old family home in Cumru, consisting of 164 acres of land. His father had erected most of the buildings, but he him- self erected the summer house the year he died. He was an old-time school master, and taught for five years, meet- ing with no little success as he was an able scholar, and an excellent penman, a high accomplishment in his day. He died March 13, 1875, aged fifty-five years, four months, two days, well-respected and well-known, with many dear friends. He was one of the founders of the Wyomissing cemetery, in which his remains were interred. In politics he was a Republican, and he held various township offices, giving of his time and ability freely for the good of the community. He was earnest and progressive, and he had the unbounded confidence of the people. He married Eliza Ann Glassmyer, who was born Oct. 31, 1834, and who died Oct. 6, 1895, aged sixty years, eleven months, five days. They were the parents of thirteen children, namely : Rosa m. John Coldren; Elmira m. John Reisch; Rebecca m. August Hoschaur; Susanna M. died young ; B. Franklin; Henry M., William E. and an infant son all died of scarlet fever close together; Manalvy A. m. August Schweitzer, of Reading; Kate m. George Hain, of Reading; Sallie is mentioned below; James P. m. Maggie


Krick; and Walter S. m. Carrie Wolfskill, and resides in Mohnton.


(V) B. Franklin Kleinginni, son of Benneville, was born at the old family home, and there reared, attending the township schools and assisting on the farm. At the age of sixteen he left home to learn the hatter's trade with George Hendel & Son, of Edison. Since March 1, 1879, he has followed this trade during the busy season. He has a remarkable aptitude for the handling of tools. and for mechanics in general. As a young man he learned the watch making trade by analyzing an old grandfather's clock which had wooden wheels, and he does a great deal of repairing in the evenings. He is also an able electrician, having learned in company with several of his neighbors in Mohnton, and he has wired a number of buildings, in- cluding Zion United Evangelical Church of Mohnton. He can handle a saw and chisel as well as a good carpenter, and he has helped in the erection of a number of houses and factories. His own residence in Mohnton is at the corner of Main and Church streets, and is fitted with all modern improvements, and surrounded by a well-kept lawn and cement pavements.


Mr. Kleinginni is a Republican, and served the district as judge of election. In the spring of 1907 when Mohnton was incorporated into a borough, he was elected a council- man, and is now serving on the Highway committee. He and his family attend the Gouglersville Church.


On April 18, 1885, Mr. Kleinginni was married to Miss Eva Ann Matz, who was born Jan. 13, 1866, daughter of Henry and Amanda (Huyett) Matz, the former a farmer in Cumru, and the latter a daughter of John Huyett. To Mr. and Mrs. Kleinginni were born three children, one son and two daughters, as follows: Mayme m. Edward Rudy, a cigar maker at Mohnton, and they have a daughter, Helen; a son died in infancy; and Carrie May m. Cleve- land Hawkins, of Mohnton.


(V) MISS SALLIE KLEINGINNI, daughter of Benneville and sister to B. Franklin, was born in Mohnsville, and is one of the most remarkable women in the world. She was born without hands, and only a stump about eight inches long in lieu of her right arm, and a slightly shorter one for the left. She has no knees, her feet being where the knees should be, and each foot has but three toes. Not- withstanding this misfortune, Miss Kleinginni is far from helpless. She is as capable a housekeeper as can be found, does all sorts of needlework, even to making her own clothes, cares for her garden, with whose flowers she has phenomenal success, plays the organ, carries on an exten- sive correspondence, and in fact accomplishes more than the majority of women blessed with the usual number of hands and feet. She lives alone in a property inherited from her father, and her cheerful happy disposition has endeared her to many friends. She devotes much time to reading, and is a devout student of the Bible. She is a regular attendant at the United Evangelical Church at Mohnsville. Many of the things she does are done by in- tuition, and she cannot explain either manner or method except by illustrating. She receives many callers, and all with courtesy. Knowing that her accomplishments are re- markable, she is exceedingly patient with her visitors, and cheerfully shows how she manages the many things she does, and when it comes to that, those who have seen her ask "Is there any thing a woman with two hands could do, that this woman has not done successfully?" So far it is safe to say she has accomplished every thing she has tried, but she regards the killing and dressing of her first chicken as her most difficult feat, although since the first one she has killed several others.




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