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 154

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 154

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In 1866 Mr. Fahrenbach married Mary Ziebach, of Bernville, and seven children were born to them, five of whom survive. namely: Sallie. who taught school ten years, married Rev. W. B. Werner, a minister of the Reformed Church, of Schwenkville. Montgomery county, and they have two children, Helen and Emily; Frank, who attended Stoner's Business College, taught eight terms of school. and is now a pure food inspector for the Government at Cleveland. Ohio (he is married to Cora Haag. of Williamsport, and has one son, Frank); George W. is mentioned below; Mary taught school before her marriage to Charles Bender, and is now living in Penn township (she has one child. George Frank); John H. received his early education in Read- ing, and is a member of the class of 1909 at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster.

GEORGE W. FAHRENBACH, M. D., son of George D., was born in Penn township April 16, 1873, and re- ceived his early education in the public schools and Bernville high school. Before taking his professional course he taught school for six terms, in Robeson, Lower Alsace and Spring townships, Berks county, and West Cocalico township, Lancaster county. He then entered the Baltimore Medical College, graduating from that institution in 1900, magna cum laude. Im- mediately afterward he located at Bernville, which he

John Hafer, great-grandfather of the Hafer brothers, was a native of Berks county, Pa., and for many years resided on his farm in Exeter township, which he cultivated in addition to working at his trade of stone mason. He assisted in the erection of the old Schwartzwald stone church and of Spies's church in Alsace township. He is recalled as a man of robust appearance. His first marriage was to Gertrude Kline. When she died she was interred at the Re- formed Church cemetery, at Sixth and Washington streets, Reading, Pa., but later she was reinterred, by the side of her husband. at the Schwartzwald Church. His second wife was Mrs. Diehl (widow), by whom he had no children. To the first marriage were born: George m. Ellen Heller, and had children, William. Phebe, Daniel and Amanda; Daniel m. Charlot Egel- man, and had children, Charles E., Maryetta, John E., Rosetta, Daniel E., Wilhelmina, Edward E. and Anna; John was twice married, and by his first wife, Rebecca Esterly, he had four children-George, John, Mary and Amanda-and by his second wife, Sarah Moyer, he had -Henry, Westley, and three daughters; Sarah m. Abra- ham Wien, and had children, John, Rebecca, Sarah and Samuel; William m. a Miss Lerch, and had two children, William and Margaret; Mathias m. Rachel Romig, daughter of Jacob Romig, and had four chil- dren, Samuel R., Amelia (wife of Daniel Yergey), Snsan (died in infancy) and Anna (widow of Henry L. Gil- bert); Henry m. Julia Egelman, and had children, Henry, Heryetta, William, Mary, Augustus, John and Cyrus; Levi m. a Miss Hoffa, and had children, Adam, .Emelia. Louisa and another daughter; and Anna m. Samuel Romich, and had one son. Franklin. All the family are deceased.

Mathias Hafer, son of John, was born in Alsace township, Berks county, and died on his farm in Exeter township, in 1898, aged eighty-two years. He was a life-long farmer and owned a tract of ten acres of land on which he lived. Both he and his wife belonged to the Reformed Church, and they lie buried in the Schwartzwald cemetery. He married Rachel Romig, daughter of Jacob Romig, and they had four children. namely, Samuel R .; Amelia, wife of Daniel Yergey, re- siding in Exeter township: Susan, who died in infancy; and Anna, widow of Henry L. Gilbert.

Samuel R. Hafer, only son of Mathias Hafer, was born July 8, 1840, in Exeter township, Berks Co., Pa., and he attended the old subscription schools when his parents paid three cents a day for his tuition, his teacher at that time being Jonathan Moyer. He at- tended from twenty to sixty days a season and con- tinued until he was twenty-one years of age. Accord- ing to the habit of the times he was hired out to neigh- boring farmers during his youth. When eighteen years of age he came to Exeter Station, where he later be- came station agent and embarked also in a general store and hotel business, which he continued for eight years. He then moved to Birdsboro, where, for five years, he engaged in clerking in George W. Hain's general store and assisted also in the lumber and coal yard. For eight years thereafter he conducted the Co-

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operative Association store, and during President Cleveland's first administration he served as post- master at that point. In 1888 he came to Reading and since May, 1905, he has been bookkeeper for the com- mission house of Hafer Brothers, his sons. For some years after his location at Reading. Mr. Hafer con- ducted a grocery store, for John F. Reifsnyder, whom he later bought out. In 1864, he married Elizabeth G. Lincoln, daughter of John D. Lincoln. a distant relative of the great President. They have five children, namely: Ammon L .; Adelle, wife of John Seigfried; Samuel L .; Matthias L., a grocery merchant at Reading; and Rachel, wife of Harry Mckinney, a furniture merchant at Reading. Samuel R. Hafer is a member of the Re- formed Church.

Ammon L. Hafer was educated in the public schools at Birdsboro, where his boyhood was spent, and at an early age he commenced to work as a clerk in a store in that town, and later went to work in the Brooke Nail Factory, at Birdsboro. In 1887 he came to Read- ing, and for two years he drove a team for Daniel S. Esterly, wholesale grocer. In 1889, he entered the em- ploy of John F. Reifsnyder, commission and produce merchant, at Reading. both he and his brother, this house for seventeen years, both he and his brother, Samuel L., becoming silent partners. In March, 1905, Mr. Reifsnyder died, and on May 1st, following, Hafer Brothers became sole owners, purchasing the good will, stock and fixtures, as per agreement.

In 1895 Ammon L. Hafer married Nellie Lebkicher, daughter of Alfred Lebkicher, of Reading, and they have one son, Lloyd A. Mr. Hafer belongs to Progres- sive Lodge, No. 470, I. O. O. F .. Reading. He is a mem- ber of the Second Reformed Church, and was an official of the Birdsboro Reformed Church, prior to coming to Reading.

SAMUEL L. HAFER, member of the firm of Hafer Brothers, the largest wholesale commission merchants at Reading, was born Sept. 20, 1870, in Exeter town- ship, Berks Co., Pa. His schooling was obtained at Birdsboro, and when sixteen years of age he became a clerk for J. H. Brindley, of that place, with whom he remained for three years. When nineteen years of age he became a salesman for John F. Reifsnyder, com- mission merchant at Reading, with whom he continued two years and then took service with M. B. Slichter & Co., at No. 6 South Sixth street. One year after, he became a salesman for still another commission firm, Claus & Silvas, where he remained for two years, when both he and his brother Ammon L. became silent part- ners with the late John F. Reifsnyder-a partnership which continued until May 1, 1905. On that date the firm of Hafer Brothers became sole owners, Mr. Reif- snyder having died in the previous March. The mem- bers of the firm are successful business men of high repute, and they do the largest produce business in Berks county. They employ fifteen men, and have six teams in constant use. They have established trade re- lations which make them the leaders in the wholesale commission line at Reading.

In 1890 Samuel L. Hafer married Ida M. Endy, and they have three children: Earl E., Paul E., and Nellie M. The eldest son is a graduate of the Interstate Business College at Reading, of the class of 1906, and he now fills a lucrative position as clerk for the Read- ing Iron Works. The other son and the daughter are still at school. Mr. Hafer and family are members of the Second Reformed Church at Reading, a religious body to which the family has been faithful for genera- tions. He is an Odd Fellow, and belongs to Progressive township, 120 acres. Lodge. No. 470, at Reading.

JAMES B. LEINBACH, a retired citizen residing in Friedensburg, and one of the best known musicians in Berks county, was born in Oley township, July 10, 1846, son of Daniel S. and Susanna H. (Barto) Lein- bach, and a member of one of the oldest and most prominent families of the county.

The earliest known ancestors of the Leinbachs of Berks county were Henry Leinbach and his wife Bar- bara Lerch, of Wetterau, Germany. From them the line of descent to James B. Leinbach is through Johan- nes, Sr., and Anna Elizabeth (Kleiss); Johannes, Jr., and Catharine (Riehm); John Daniel and Mary Mag- dalena (Hartman); Benjamin and Catharine (Snyder) ; and Daniel S. and Susanna H. (Barto).

Benjamin Leinbach, son of John Daniel, and grand- father of James B., was born on his father's home- stead in Oley township, Sept. 25, 1793, and his sponsors were Benjamin and Margaret Leinbach. He died in Oley Oct. 29, 1851. By trade he was a tailor, and he followed that occupation in his neighborhood for many years. In those days it was customary for the tailors to visit the farmers, and make the clothes for the fam- ily. These clothes were of home spun, the pioneers raising their own flax and weaving the cloth. Mr. Leinbach was buried at Friedensburg. He was twice married. His first wife, Catharine Snyder, was a daughter of Daniel Snyder, of Exeter township. She bore him three sons and two daughters: Daniel S .; Augustus, died without issue; Dr. Benjamin died with- out family; Lucy Ann m. Benjamin Ritter, and died leaving no children; and Hannah m. William Glase, and reared a large family. Mr. Leinbach m. (second) Catharine Guldin, and two children were born of this marriage: Sarah died in 1908, aged seventy-six years, unmarried; and Israel G. died in 1907, aged seventy- two years, leaving children-Benjamin, Charles and Emma (wife of Aaron Grim).

Daniel S. Leinbach, son of Benjamin, was born in Oley township Feb. 24, 1819, and he died Jan. 3, 1881. In his earlier life he was a farmer, but later became associated as clerk with B. A. Glase in his large general store. His last years were passed in Friedensburg, and the last year of his life he lived retired. in the residence now occupied by his son, James B. He mar- ried Susanna H. Barto, daughter of Benjamin and Catharine (Hunter) Barto. She was born Nov. 16. 1825, and died April 17, 1901. They had one son, James B.

James B. Leinbach was reared under the parental roof, and obtained his education in Oley Academy un- der the instruction of Dr. D. M. Wolf. In 1867, Prof. John S. Ermentrout licensed him to teach, and for twelve consecutive terms he was in charge of the Palm school in his native township. When only ten years of age he began his musical education under Samuel Fellen, a native German of high ability, and later he passed under the instruction of Frederick Herr- mann, a student of Leipsic University. In 1867 he be- gan teaching music to the youth of his own district, having from thirty to forty pupils in Oley and sur- rounding townships. Since 1863 he has served as church organist, beginning that year in Friedens Church in Oley township, and in 1871 he went to Schwartzwald congregation; from 1875 to 1886 he served the congre- gation at New Jerusalem in Rockland township. He has officiated at more than two thousand funerals. He and his family belong to the Reformed Congregation at Friedensburg. Since 1893 he has served as an elder, and in 1908 was made superintendent of the Sunday school. He has always been active in Sunday school work, becoming a teacher when he was only fourteen years old. In politics he is a Republican. and always takes a keen interest in his party's welfare.

Since his retirement from active business, he has devoted his time to the management of his farms. Two of these came under his supervision through his wife, one in Exeter containing 135 acres, and one in Spring

On May 27, 1875, Mr. Leinbach married Amelia Sail- er, daughter of Adam H. and Mary Ann (Gring) Sailer. Two children have been born of this union: (1) Clem- ent Waldo, a graduate of Franklin and Marshall Col- lege, class of 1898, taught school for four terms in the Oley township high school, and since the spring of 1907 has been connected with A. J. Brumbach's pants factory. He m. Chrissie Miller, daughter of Henry

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Miller, of Monroe county and has three children: Mary Evelyn, Anna Magdalene and Margaret Genevieve. (2) Rev. Henry Jerome was educated in Oley Academy, Franklin and Marshall College, class of 1901, and the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church of the United States, at Lancaster, Pa., graduating in 1904. He was ordained and licensed the same year at Reading, and for upwards of three years served Olivet congrega- tion, Reading, but in the fall of 1907 accepted a call to Jonestown, Lebanon county. He m. Mary Snavely, daughter of George Snavely, of Spangsville, and has a son, Carl.

GEORGE W. DELANY, secretary of the Reading Iron Company, which employs about five thousand men, enjoys the distinction of having been private secretary to three Reading railroad presidents. His an- cestors came from France, Germany and Ireland. and his father, Henry Delany, who was born in New York, became a shoe dealer in Philadelphia, where he died in January, 1904. aged seventy-two years. Henry De- lany married Johanna Houck, daughter of William H. Houck, a manufacturing saddler of Easton, Pa. Six of the ten children born of this union are living, and of these George W. is the eldest.

George W. Delany was born in Philadelphia Aug. 10, 1860, and after receiving an education in the public schools, entered the Reading Railroad service as a junior clerk, and he remained with that road for fif- teen years, having been during that time stenographer and private secretary to George de B. Keim, president of the Reading system. Later he held the same rela- tion to Franklin B. Gowen, who also was president, and a month after the death of the latter, in December, 1889, settled in Reading in a similar position under George F. Baer, the present president of the company, retaining that position until October, 1900, when he became secretary of the Reading Iron Company. Mr. Delany is also secretary of the Deer Park Land Com- pany, was for three years treasurer of the Berkshire Country Club, and is now a member of the board of directors and secretary of the club, having resigned the treasurership on account of its onerous duties.

Mr. Delany was married April 14, 1891, to May B. Rothenhausler, daughter of J. N. Rothenhausler, a wholesale dealer in glass and crockery ware in Phila- delphia. Three children were born of this union: Katharine and Josephine, both in school; and George, Jr. In politics Mr. Delany is an ardent Democrat. In his religious faith he is a Presbyterian. His position at various times as private secretary to three great rail- road magnates was certainly remarkable, reflecting credit upon his intelligence and ability.

DR. CHARLES CLINTON BOYER .. The Boyers, as the original spelling of the name Beyer or Bayer indicates, are Rhine Bavarians. The records show that this family dates back into the earliest tribal history of Germany and France, in both of which countries they hold an honorable place today. Many of them be- came Protestants both in Germany and France; per- secution drove them to America. About thirty-five Boyers, as the ships' lists show, came to Pennsylvania before the Revolutionary war. From the well-known fact that the earlier settlers "sent for their relatives and kin," we gather that the Boyer settlers of Pennsyl- vania were blood relatives in Europe. There are thous- ands of them now in Philadelphia, Reading, and in the States of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Virginia, Ken- tucky, Missouri, Illinois, etc.

Philip Beyer. who came over in the ship "Winter Galley" in 1738, was the European ancestor of Dr. Charles Clinton Boyer, of Kutztown. Philip Beyer, as the connection of events proves, found his way into Bern township, Berks county, where, as the list of Berks county taxables shows, he owned property in the vi- cinity of what is now known as St. Michael's Church, before 1755. This church was founded a few years before Philip died, and it is likely that he is buried in

the cemetery of St. Michael's, but the brown headstones found over the earliest graves of the church reveal nothing concerning him. The early church records, to- gether with the list of Bern taxables, seem to prove that there were at least four sons, namely: Michael, Henry, John and Christopher. The mother's name, at this writing, has not been ascertained. Philip disap- pears from the tax list in 1780.

Christopher Beyer, in all probability the youngest son of Philip Beyer, was born in Bern township, Berks county, about 1740 or 1745. He became a member of the Lutheran Church. To his marriage with Katherine Reifschneider were born children as follows: Chris- topher, born in 1765; Jacob, 1767; Henry; Christian, 1781; Daniel, and two daughters. In 1785, or soon afterwards, the family removed to what is now Bruns- wick township, Schuylkill county. The elder Chris- topher's name appears for the first time on the tax list of Brunswick township in 1791. He lived in a log hut, probably constructed by himself, against a hill side in the rear of what is now known as Friedens Church, about a mile north of McKeansburg. Whether or not he was the schoolmaster of the congregation is a little uncer- tain. Missionaries stopped at his house and preached in his barn, as Rev. H. A. Weller records in his history of Friedens Church. He was certainly closely identified with this congregation, as we infer from a fragment of church records to which his name is signed. His name disappears from the tax list in 1811, or soon afterward. He and his wife lie buried in Boyer's Row, Friedens cemetery, but the brown headstones that marked the graves were rudely removed when the present church building was erected.

Jacob Boyer. second son of Christopher and Kather- ine (Reifschneider) Beyer, was born in Bern township, Berks county, Jan. 14, 1767, and became a member of Friedens Church (Lutheran). In 1802 he owned a large farm in Lewistown Valley, about four miles north of Friedens Church. He died April 1, 1829. and lies buried in Friedens cemetery. His wife, Susanna Schaeffer, born Jan. 14, 1775, died Nov. 4, 1849, in the home of a daughter, and is buried in the cemetery of the Lutheran Church, East Germantown, Ind. Their children were: Jacob, Samuel. Joseph, Daniel, Mary, Elizabeth, Susan, Kate and Hettie.

Samuel Boyer, second son of Jacob and Susanna (Schaeffer) Boyer, was born in Lewistown, Schuylkill county, Feb. 12, 1801. He was confirmed in the Luth- eran Church and on Nov. 9, 1823, was married by Pastor Schofer to Lydia Bensinger, daughter of Michael Ben- singer. When his father died six years later, Samuel, who was a blacksmith by trade, took the father's farm, which, as the deeds show, comprised about 300 acres. On the Yost farm, which he owned soon afterward, he carried on milling. He was prominently identified with the founding and maintenance of the Lutheran Church at Lewistown. In 1873, when he was serving as township supervisor, he died in the Bauscher home, where he had called to warm himself on a bitterly cold morning. His wife, Lydia, born Feb. 29, 1808, survived him until 1894. They are buried at Lewistown. The sons and daughters of this marriage were: Israel, Samuel, Emanuel, Joseph, Benjamin, William, Jacob, Daniel, John, Catherine, Elizabeth and Caroline.

Joseph Boyer, fourth son of Samuel and Lydia (Ben- singer) Boyer, was born Jan. 27, 1831. When he began to go to school the free school bill of 1834 and 1835, framed by Lawyer Breck and saved by Thaddeus Stevens in Governor Wolf's administration, had just been put into operation by Secretary of State Thomas Burrowes. The Lewistown school fell in line in 1837. The teachers, however, were poorly qualified. Joseph's best teacher was a Mr. Huey. The school terms were short, about three months, and the branches about the same as those of subscription schools. The rod was freely used, and the pupils were hardly able to under- stand the importance of an education. The English language was not in high repute in the valley as yet, and

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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

German spelling, together with the trapping system in Hancher. In 1900, when Vice Principal Rothermel be- the "paragraph reading" of the German Psalter, was came Principal, Dr. Boyer became Vice Principal of the Normal School, a position which he fills with much ability at this writing. about all that counted for much in serious study. There were no blackboards and few books. The long plank benches were arranged around the walls of the room, with benches for the smaller boys and girls in the middle of the room. The old frame schoolhouse, how- ever, in which Joseph Boyer received his education, has long since been replaced. Joseph was a miller by trade, but lived on a Lewistown farm the greater part of his life. He was confirmed in the Lutheran Church of Lewistown. In 1856 he married Magdalena Gunsette, daughter of Christian Gunsette (who came from Alsace with his father Philip Henry and his mother Margaret (Houser) Gunsette in 1828) and Mary (Lintz) Gunsette (a Lehigh county girl). To this marriage were born: Charles Clinton. Alice Minerva, George Harris and Frank Samuel. Joseph Boyer served his township eight terms as supervisor of roads, took an active interest in the political affairs of his times, and lived to enjoy a ripe old age. At this writing he is seventy-nine years old and his faithful helpmate seventy-five.

Dr. Charles Clinton Boyer, eldest son of Joseph and Magdalena ( Gunsette) Boyer, was born at Lewistown, Schuylkill county, Ang. 6. 1860. His first school teacher was Mr. Benjamin Scheirer, a man of learning, of charming personality and remarkable teaching powers. His last teacher in the public schools was that excellent master of boys, Mr. David Bauscher. He was confirmed in the Lutheran faith by Rev. I. N. S. Erb, and it was partly through his influence, and that of Mr. Bauscher, that in 1877 Mr. Boyer first came to the Kutztown Nor- mal school, to which he continued to return every spring as a student until 1883. For one term he was a pupil of the now illustrious Dr. Thomas Balliet in his Center Square Academy. He prepared for college under Rev. Mr. Erb, while teaching at Landingville and Orwigsburg. In 1885 he was graduated from Muhlenberg College with second honor. He studied Theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, hut. called to the chair of Latin and Greek at Kutztown through Dr. Schaeffer, he completed his theological course under Dr. Hancher, and was ordained with his class in 1888. Then, while teaching, writing and preaching. he com- pleted six years of post-graduate work, graduating from Wooster University in 1894, and receiving the title Doctor of Philosophy cum laude. His thesis on "Psychic Initia- tive in Education" attracted considerable attention. After that he studied psychology, experimental and theoretical. under Dr. Hugo Munsterberg, of Harvard University. In 1901 he traveled in Europe, accom- panied by Professor George E. Kramlich, the main ob- ject of interest being history, education and art.

Dr. Boyer began his teaching career at Patterson, Schuylkill Co., Pa .. when he was seventeen years of age. Then he taught an ungraded school in Lewistown for two years. He gave up this school for the Landing- ville grammar school. in order that he might take up college preparatory work under the Rev. Mr. Erb. of Orwigsburg. This proved to be his stepping-stone to the principalship of the Orwigsburg high school, where he remained until in 1883, when he entered college. In the fall of 1887, after conducting a very successful summer school for teaching at Lynnville. Pa., he was called to the chair of Latin and Greek in the State Normal School, at Kutztown, Pa. Two years later when he had entered upon his duties as professor of Greek in the Pennsylvania Military Academy, at Chester, Pa., he was recalled to Kutztown to teach psychology and English classics. Two years later, after supplying the pul- pit of St. John's Lutheran Church at Boyertown, Pa., for six months or more. and confirming a large class of catechumens, he went to Boyertown as pastor of this congregation. remaining there until 1893. Then Dr. Schaeffer. the principal of the Normal School, became Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Professor Mr. Barbey was a Democrat in politics, but never inclined to fill any public offices. He assisted in organizing Boyer was called back to the Normal again, this time to the chair of Pedagogy, under the principalship of Dr. the Keystone National Bank in 1883 and served as a direc-

Dr. Boyer has few superiors as a teacher. His rapid promotions were due not simply to his acknowledged scholarship, but to his marked teaching powers. Pro- gressive and modern in spirit and method, he is also well proportioned and conservative. He has served the cause of the Normal school and education about twenty-two years at this writing. As an institute in- structor and lecturer he is as well received in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey as in Pennsylvania. Among the subjects on which he has lectured most frequently are"Mental Moods and Tenses," "On the Up-Grade." "Lawlessness in Pupils." "Serpent and Dove in Disci- pline," "As You Would Like It in Schooldays," "The Roman Child and Ours," "Spencer's Theory of Con- sequence." "In Touch with the Infinite in Teaching," "Vulcan and Venus." and "An Hour in Europe." He is considered an eloquent and forceful talker, and a master in the art of thinking, and this is as true of his sermons as of his lectures. The most tempting propositions have at this writing not persuaded him to leave Kutztown.

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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 154

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

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