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 198
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Jonathan Shearer, father of Christopher learned the shoemaker's trade with his father, and followed it for a few years, after which he became an artist, and some of his paintings can be found in Reading to this day. Subsequently he learned the tanner's and currier's trade with Abel Ebling, and this he carried on for some time but in 1832 he engaged in farming, in which he con- tinued until his death, when he was aged sixty-four years. His wife lived to be eighty years of age, and had a family of eleven children, as follows: Peter, Christopher, Benjamin, Joseph, Julian, Solomon, Mary, Hannah, Daniel, Jonathan and Rebecca. The family were Lutherans in religious belief, and Whigs in politics.
Christopher Shearer was educated in the pay schools of Reading, also spending two terms in the common schools. He learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for fifteen years, and then located in Muhlen- berg township and purchased the old Daniel Maurer farm, which he converted into the Tuckerton Fruit farm. This property became famous throughout the county, a season crop including from 3,000 to 5,000 bushels of potatoes, 1,000 to 1,500 bushels of Bartlett pears, 3,000 to 4,000 bushels of apples, many bushels of cherries and 3,000 to 4,000 baskets of peaches, not to men- tion hay, corn, etc. In addition to the crops mentioned about one hundred tons of tobacco and from eighty to one hundred barrels of Clinton grape wine are pro-
Mr. Shearer has done more, perhaps, to build up this section of the country than any other citizen. He pe- titioned the court to open Muhlenberg street, which was granted, and here he made a draft and laid out the solid block between Eighth and Ninth streets, Bing- aman and Muhlenberg, named Spring Garden street, purchased a half-square of land on which he built twenty-one houses, bought the acre of land from Eighth street to Lemon alley and from Cherry to Frank- . lin, building eleven houses on Lemon alley, two on Eighth street, and four south of Franklin street. He also purchased the corner of Penn and Eighth streets, where he built four houses and bought land on Walnut, Elm and Buttonwood streets. He petitioned the court to open Elm and Buttonwood streets, both being grant- ed, and built a number of houses, being both a con- tractor and builder. Finally he purchased a five-acre lot below the Charles Evans cemetery.
In 1843 Mr. Shearer was married (first) to Cath- erine Deem, and to them were born these children: Peter D., Christopher H., Esther, Oliver R., Edmond L., Rebecca, Mary, Catherine and Rose. Mr. Shearer was married (second) to Fietta M. Lease, and to them four children were born: Clara, Sylvan, one who died in in- fancy, and Gay Y. Mr. Shearer was a Lutheran in religious belief, but is now a Spiritualist. In politics he was first a Whig, then a Republican and now is in- dependent. He was a candidate for lieutenant gover- nor on the Greenback ticket, and was nominated for congress in the Berks county district, was defeated by the old party, though receiving a satisfactory vote. Though now eighty-eight years old he is still well and strong, and is actively engaged in looking after his truck farm and his numerous properties.
LIEUT. JONATHAN C. BEAR, a substantial citi- zen of Windsor township, Berks county, and an hon- ored veteran of the great Civil war, who is now living retired on North Third street, Hamburg, Pa., was born in Longswamp township, Berks county, Aug. 6, 1835, son of Charles Bear.
John (or Hans) Bear, great-great-grandfather of Lieut. Jonathan C., emigrated from Zweibrücken, Ger- many, landing at Philadelphia, Sept. 30, 1743, in the ship "Phenix." He lived for a short time at Ger- mantown, but before 1750 he settled in Weisenburg, Lehigh county, his farm being what is now the Kersh- ner farm about one mile south of Claussville. He had these children: Jacob; John, who removed to Wind- sor township, where his descendants may be found today; Adam, who removed to about two miles north- west of the old home on what is now the Peter F. Baer farm; and Barbara, who married Henry Fetter and lived in Allentown.
Jacob Bear, son of John, lived at Weisenburg, Le- high county, and had twelve children .- six sons and
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HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
six daughters. He was very well-to-do, and gave wife of J. Jerome Dailins, and has these children: each one of his six sons a farm.
John Adam Bear, son of Jacob and grandfather of Lieut. Jonathan C., was born in Weisenburg town- ship, Lehigh county, in 1772, and died in 1856. He removed to Maxatawny township, Berks county, in 1812, settling on what is now the Hartman farm, about one and one-half miles north of Kutztown, which he owned and cultivated for upwards of twenty years. He was married to Susanna Knerr, and they had these children: Jonathan, born in 1796, died in Greenwich township in, 1878; Eva m. Jacob Schollen- berger; John m. Katharine Adam; Peter lived in Raisin Center, Mich., had nine children; Charles is mentioned below; Solomon was a large land-owner of Akron, Ohio; Betsy m. Solomon Stoyer, and lived in Mercer county, Pa .; Lydia and Polly lived in Lock- port, N. Y .; and Susanna m. Samuel Smith.
Charles Bear, son of John Adam, was born in Weis- enburg township, Lehigh county, July 13, 1806. He was reared on his father's farm in Maxatawny township, receiving his education in the pioneer schools. He learned the trade of stone mason in early life, and this was his occupation throughout his active career. Of a very kindly and jovial nature, he had many friends, and was considered a man of high honor and good judgment.
Jonathan C. Bear attended the schools of his neigh- borhood, and was fortunate in having such well known educators as William Schubert, one of the brightest instructors in Eastern Pennsylvania, Adolph Everhart, and E. Lemke, as teachers. He worked on the farm until eighteen years of age, when he learned the stone mason's trade, afterward becoming a brick layer and plasterer, occupations which he followed for up- wards of twenty years. In the spring of 1855 he first came. to Hamburg, and here worked at his trades, helping to build over 150 houses, including three churches and several schoolhouses, and in 1858 as- sisted in building the old church which was destroyed by fire in 1898.
Mr. Bear has been a lifelong Democrat, and served the borough one year as assistant burgess, one term as chief burgess, and one year as chief of police. He was also councilman for nine consecutive years and was chairman of the Finance committee. which when he was succeeded by his son, Irwin A. graded the streets and put up the lights. He is a member of the First Reformed Church, and served nine years as deacon and a like period as trustee thereof.
In 1855 Mr. Bear enlisted in the Hamburg Artillery. State Militia, and served in that company as third sergeant until the Civil war broke out. On Oct. 16, 1861, he enlisted in Company G, 96th Pa. V. I., and became its first sergeant. He was a gallant sol- dier throughout the war, and was mustered out Feb. 14, 1864. This discharge was by reason of re-enlist- ment, and afterward he served in Company G, 95th Pa. V. I., and was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, in which capacity he continued until July 16, 1865, when he was discharged with the rest of his company. During the year 1864 he was signal officer of the Sixth Army Corps, under General Sedg- wick, a position in which he served satisfactorily until he was called to the position of interpreter, which he obtained through a competitive examination. Lieu- tenant Bear participated in the following battles: Gaines' Mills, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericks- burg, Crampton's Pass, Gettysburg, Mine Run, Cul- peper, Warrenton, and the whole of the Wilderness Campaign. His last battle was Fort Steadman. His record was exceptionally good, and outside of a vet- eran furlough, was never absent from his regiment for a single day.
Caroline Butler and Harold W. On Feb. 14, 1895, Mr. Bear was married (second) to Hettian Buck, who died June 24, 1901, when sixty-three years old. Lieutenant Bear resides with Mrs. Dailins, his adopted daughter, on North Third street, Hamburg, in a house which he has owned since 1858.
DIENER BROTHERS, merchants at Hamburg, are sons and successors of Peter L. Diener, who was en- gaged in the mercantile business at Hamburg for twenty years. He was born in Longswamp township in 1836, near Topton, the present site of the Orphans' Home. After receiving his education in the township school and at Collegeville, he secured a position as clerk in a general store, at Dryville, where he was em- ployed for three years. He then engaged in business for himself at Schweyer's, and afterward was in the mercantile, coal, grain and lumber business at Topton until 1887. At the same time he was in the iron busi- ness. For five years he served as postmaster at Topton. In 1887 he removed to Hamburg, and carried on a large general store there for twenty years. His son Irwin became a partner in 1898, and his son Henry in 1902. Upon his decease, in 1906, the sons secured the store in the settlement of the estate, and they have since carried on the business in a successful manner under the name of Diener Brothers.
Peter Diener married Mary B. Schaeffer, daughter of Jonathan and great-granddaughter of George, who emigrated from the Palatinate in 1750, and settled in what is now the northwestern section of Berks county. She became the mother of five children: Irwin A .; Liz- zic A., m. to Isaac A. Deisher; Alice M .; Henry J .; and Peter G., m. to Bertha Cover. While at Topton, the father of this family was a member of the town council when the borough was established in 1875. He filled the office of school director of Longswamp township for six years; and he organized the Sunday-school at Siegfried's Church, of which he acted as assistant super- intendent for ten years and as superintendent for fifteen years. He assisted in establishing the trolley line from Allentown to Reading, and, becoming one of the direc- tors of the company, served as such until his death,
IRWIN A. DIENER, senior partner of the firm of Diener Brothers, was born at Topton, Oct. 22, 1867. He attended the borough schools and the Keystone State Normal, and then tanght public school for three terms. He became associated with his father in the mercantile business in 1898, and has continued in this business to the present time. He assisted in establishing the silk mill at Hamburg in 1902, and retained his interest in this enterprise until 1906, having acted as manager, accountant and treasurer of the company. He retired from this company on account of the death of his father, in order to devote all his time to the large general store which his father had developed with the assist- ance of himself and brother. He is a public-spirited citizen of the borough, taking an active part in the Board of Trade, and serving as a school director. In 1897 he was married to Mamie L. Miller (daughter of David G. Miller, of Hamburg). She taught public school at Hamburg for four terms, was active in the Sunday- school work of St. John's Union Church, and served as organist of the church for a number of years. They have four children: Paul A., Walter M., John B. and Mary Olive. Mr. Diener is a member of the F. & A. M., Lodge No. 406, and of Camp 76, P. O. S. of A. He has served as superintendent of the Sunday-school of the First Reformed Church since 1905. In politics he is a Republican.
HENRY J. DIENER, junior partner of the firm of Diener Brothers, was born at Topton Jan. 19, 1873. He was educated in the public schools of that place, and then attended the Hamburg high school. After serving
On Dec. 13, 1856, Lieutenant Bear was married to Caroline M. Mogel, daughter of Daniel and Polly (Machamer) Mogel, and. Mrs. Bear died without issue in 1892, in the sixty-third year of her age. Mr. Bear adopted her niece, Ida K. Butler, who is now the as a clerk in his father's store for some years, he se-
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BIOGRAPHICAL
cured a one-third interest in 1902, and at his father's Smith, daughter of John Smith, of Lyons, Pa., and death, in 1906, he and his brother Irwin A. became the they have two children, Grant J. and Pauline M. owners. . Since then they have conducted the business under the firm name of Diener Brothers, and have in- creased the stock and made the store one of the largest department stores in the upper section of Berks county. Mr. Diener was also interested in the silk mill at Ham- burg from 1902 to 1906. In 1901 he married Laura K. Tobias, daughter of Charles H. and Mary E. (Wagner) Tobias, of Hamburg, and they have a son Charles H. They are members of the First Reformed Church.
Henry Diener, grandfather of the Diener brothers, was born in Longswamp township in 1803, and carried on farming until his decease in 1880. He married Eliz- abeth Leibelsperger, daughter of Daniel, of Richmond township, and they had two sons, Peter L. and Henry L., and five daughters.
John Diener, the great-grandfather, was of Long- swamp township, and he married Maria M. Fisher, daughter of Michael Fisher, and they had four sons, John, Amos, Henry and Peter, and five daughters.
Heinrich Bernhardt Diener, the great-great-grand- father, emigrated from Baden, Germany, in 1751, and settled in Oley now Pike township. He had five sons, George and Peter, who settled in what is now Schuyl- kill county; John and Jacob, who settled in Long- swamp township; and Henry, Sr., who lived in Earl township, and he had a son, Henry, Jr.
S. JAIRUS KUTZ, hosiery manufacturer at Bechtels- ville, is a native son of Berks county, born in Max- atawny township, March 2, 1856. He received his edu- cation in the public schools of his home district, and in the Keystone State Normal School at Kutztown. He gave his services to his parents on the home farm until David Campbell was born at Middletown, Dauphin of his native home. When a young man he engaged in the contracting business, his specialty being the erection of blast furnaces, and he built many plans throughout the South and West. His familiarity with the iron business secured for him recognition among the prominent iron masters of the country, and in 1878 he was offered, and accepted a lucrative position as superintendent of the Henry Clay furnaces in this city, a position he held up to the time of his death. he had attained the age of twenty-four years, when county, Dec. 30, 1832, and in youth attended the schools he began to learn the machinist's trade with Zehm & Brother, at Kutztown. This trade he followed with great success for twenty years-nine years at Kutz- town, and eleven years at Reading. For eight years he was connected with the Boss Knitting Machine Works at Reading, as partner, owning a half interest. In 1900 he entered business for himself alone at Read- ing, employing twenty-five men. In 1905 he located in Bechtelsville, and two years later he erected a large three-story factory of cement blocks, 30 x 85 feet, and they employ sixty hands. Their product is seamless hosiery, and they ship all over the country, having a high reputation for general excellence.
In 1877 Mr. Kutz was married to Ellen Bailey, daugh- ter of Joseph and Leanda (Saul) Bailey, of Maxatawny township. They have had children : Calvin J., Bernard L., Paul M. and Jennie E., living; and Stella V., Gertrude E., Vida L. and Findley D., deceased. Of these, Paul M., born Ang. 4, 1887, received his education in the public schools of Reading and is now a sergeant of Company A, 17th Battery, Field Artillery, stationed at Havana, Cuba. Mr. Kutz and his family attend the First Re- formed Church.
CALVIN J. Kurz, son of S. Jairus, and member of the firm of Kutz Knitting Mills, was born near Kutztown May 24, 1880. He attended the common schools, and later the Keystone State Normal School, and Prof. D. B. Brunner's Business College at Reading. He was but fourteen when under his father he began to learn the trade of machinist, an occupation he followed until 1902. He then went to Pittsburg, and worked there for fourteen months, at the end of that time returning to Reading, and with his father and brother, Bernard L., formed the Kutz Knitting Mills, a firm that has won a steady success since its foundation. Mr. Kutz is a member of Camp No. 324, P. O. S. of A., at Bechtelsville, of which he is president. He drew the plans for the present large lodge hall which was built in 1907-08. Mr. Kutz and his family attend the First Reformed Church at Reading. He married Annie
BERNARD L. KUTZ, son of S. Jairus, and mem- ber of the firm of Kutz Knitting Mills, was born at Kutztown March 31, 1884. He attended the public schools at Kutztown, and later at Reading, to which city his parents had removed, and he graduated from the high school in the class of 1903. He then learned the machinist's trade from his father and brother, and later entered the hosiery manufacturing business with them. Mr. Kutz is a member of Chandler Lodge, No. 227, F. & A. M .; Excelsior Chapter, No. 327, R. A. M .; Reading Commandery; and Camp No. 324, P. O. S. of A., at Bechtelsville. He is justice of the peace at Becht- elsville, to which office he was elected by the Demo- cratic party. Mr. Kutz married Florence Will, daughter of Alfred and Annie (Sheifley) Will, of Reading, and they have had three children, namely: Vida E., Finley J. and Olga V., of whom Finley J. died in childhood.
David F. Kutz, father of S. Jairus Kutz, had children as follows: Cyrenius, Cosmos, Albert, Moses, S. Jairus, Alfred (who died young), Elsworth, Valeria (m. Mil- ton Schollenberger, a farmer of Richmond township), and Evella (m. Alvin Weiser, a farmer of Bowers Station).
DAVID CAMPBELL, who at the time of his death was superintendent of the Henry Clay furnaces of Reading, Pa., was a son of James and Sophia Campbell, the former one of the early ironmasters of the vicinity of Dauphin -county and a very prominent man of his day. He died in 1851, and his wife in 1876, both in the faith of the Church of God. They were the parents of these children: John, Joseph, David, Jo- seph (2), Sophia, Porter, Benjamin, Isabel and Simon.
Mr. Campbell was a veteran of the Civil war, having served in the 127th and 200th Pa. V. I. His first enlistment was in Company H, 127th Pa. V. I. He was later promoted to quartermaster-sergeant, and in this capacity he served with his command until it was mustered out, May 29, 1863. On Dec. 1, 1864, Mr. Campbell received a lieutenant's commission in Company G, 200th Pa. V. I., and served until mus- tered out, May 30, 1865.
Mr. Campbell was a member of Chandler Lodge, No. 227, F. & A. M., and Simon Cameron Post, G. A. R., of Middletown. Besides his wife, Addie J. Zimmer- man, daughter of Philip and Mary (Vogel) Zimmer- man, he is survived by a son, Harry E., and three daughters, Mrs. Jacob Bauder, of Chicago; Misses Elizabeth McVey and Helen Meigs, at home; and four brothers, Joseph J. and Porter, of Middletown; Benjamin, of Harrisburg; and John, residing in Illi- nois. During his residence in Reading Mr. Campbell was an attendant at the First Baptist Church.
EPHRAIM ARMSTRONG, who for many years was one of Reading's leading tailors, was born in Jonestown, Lebanon county, March 12, 1812, and died in Reading, Aug. 20, 1890. He came to Reading when ten years of age, and for a number of years clerked in his uncle's store, later learning the tailoring'trade, which he subsequently followed for thirty years.
Mr. Armstrong took an important part in local affairs, being prominent in the ranks of the Demo- cratic party, and serving as prothonotary of Berks county for some years, as school controller of the
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Fifth ward, and at the time of his death holding the prominent in the Evangelical Church, serving in all position of school treasurer, having served in that the principal offices. He established a school and church capacity for many years with great credit. He was a very capable official and was painstaking in his meth- ods. Mr. Armstrong was a life-long member of St. James Lutheran Church, holding the office of treas- urer therein for a number of years.
In 1880 Mr. Armstrong married Mary A. Good, daughter of Bennewell and Catherine (Haas) Good, and to this union were born children as follows: Catherine; Sadie; and Lillie May. Bennewell Good, Mrs. Armstrong's father, was a native of Lebanon county, and was extensively engaged in farming in the vicinity of Jonestown. He died aged sixty-two years, and she March 9, 1887, when seventy-three years of age. In religious belief the family were mem- bers of the Reformed Church. Mr. and Mrs. Good had children as follows: Sarah, m. to Josiah Loser; Mary A., Mrs. Armstrong; Amanda, m. to Henry Fasnacht; Amelia, m. to Henry Pelfer; and Dr. Frank, of Reading, m. to Mary Rocktasel.
MOHN FAMILY. The founder of this early family in the history of Berks county was Johannes Mohn, the great-great-grandfather of the present generation. He was born at Hanover, Germany, in 1700, and emigrated with his wife and four children to Pennsylvania in 1733. In the Pennsylvania Archives (second series), Volume 17, page 83, it appears that he took passage on the ship "Elizabeth" from Rotterdam, and was qualified Aug. 27, 1733. On page 106 of this publication the names of him- self' and family, and their ages, are given as follows : Johannes Mohn, 33; Margaret Mohn, 44; Marica (Maria), 10; Matiles (Magdalena), 8; Vernor (Werner), 6; Conon Ludwig (Ludwig), 32.
By the patent records of Pennsylvania it appears that John Moon ( Mohn) in 1737 took up a tract of 174 acres of land in Cumru (now Spring) township, and in 1744 another tract of seventy-one acres; and that, in 1750, he purchased forty-nine acres from Dietrich Marshall (which was a part of 341 acres taken up by Marshall in 1737). This land was situated along the Cacoosing creek, in the vicinity of Fritztown. In 1758, he sold the tract of forty- nine acres to his son Ludwig. He was a farmer by occu- pation. He died in September, 1764, leaving a last will, by which it appears that his four children survived him, and that his two daughters had become married-Magda- lena to George Hean (Hain), and Maria to Jacob Ledy.
His younger son, Ludwig, carried on farming in the same vicinity until after the Revolution, and then removed to Brecknock (now Spring) township, where he continued farming operations until he died in January, 1796. He married Anna Odilia Bautz, and by his last will it appears he had five sons-John, Ludwig, Henry, Daniel and Peter-and three daughters-Susanna (m. Philip Hatt) ; Elizabeth (m. Geyer) ; and Margaret (m. Jacob Albright).
Daniel, the fourth son, was born in the vicinity of Fritztown, and when a young man accompanied his father to Brecknock township, where he carried on farm- ing until his decease in 1846. He was married to Barbara Albright, and by her had twelve children: Six sons: Daniel (m. Banbara Fisher), John (m. Elizabeth Kege- rize), William (described in this sketch), Benjamin (m. first Harriet Deets, and second Sarah Shultz), Henry (m. Catharine VonNeida), and Joseph (m. Catharine Burkhart) ; and six daughters, Elizabeth (died unmarried in 1876, aged eighty years), Catharine (m. Adam Grill), Sarah (m. first Philip Grill and second Simpson Ruth), and Selina, Maria, and Polly (died young).
William Mohn (the third son and seventh child of Daniel) was born at Mohn's Hill Sept. 6, 1804. He was a farmer by occupation, having purchased the homestead from his father and cultivated it for a number of years; then he removed to Adamstown and engaged in the bus- iness of manufacturing flour, having purchased a grist- mill and carried it on successfully for ten years. He manifested much interest in religious affairs and became
at Mohn's Hill, and some years after his decease his son Jeremiah purchased the church property, and in 1895 presented it to the congregation worshiping there as a memorial to his parents, known since then as Mohn's Memorial Church. He died Jan. 23, 1889. He was mar- ried three times. His first wife was Polly Gerner, by whom he had nine children, seven sons (James G., Cyrus, Henry G., William G., Jeremiah G., Richard and John G.) and two daughters (Susanna m. Elias Redcay, and Cath- arine m. George Hendel). The mother having died May 16, 1851, he was subsequently married (second) to Margaret Adams, and third to Mrs. Katie Palm, by whom he had no children.
JEREMIAH GERNER MOHN, vice-president of the Penn National Bank and prominently identified with the hat industry at Reading as the senior partner of J. G. Mohn & Bros., was born at Mohn's Hill Nov. 1, 1839 (fifth son of William Mohn). His education was acquired in the schools of Spring township, and at Adamstown and Churchtown, in Lancaster county. In 1857, when eighteen years of age, he began clerking in a general store at Mohnsville, which was carried on by his cousin, S. K. Mohn, and after remaining there three years accepted a similar position in the general store of Mohn & Spatz, at Gouglersville, where he continued a year. While at the latter place, he cast his first vote for President of the United States on Nov. 1, 1860, this having been for Abraham Lincoln, in which fact he takes a special pride. For the next ten years he was engaged in stores at Rein- holdsville, Adamstown and Reamstown, filling for four years the position of general manager and bookkeeper in the store of J. R. Reddig, at Reamstown; then in 1870, he became the bookkeeper and shipping clerk in the hat factory of his brother-in-law, George Hendel, at Reading, and after filling this position for a year and feeling qual- ified to embark in the same business he joined his broth- ers William, Richard and John in the purchase of this factory, and they organized the firm of Mohn Brothers for the manufacture of wool hats. [For his connection with this firm and with J. G. Mohn & Bros., see following sketch of J. G. Mohn & Bros.]
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