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 201

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 201

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Robert W. Spang was sent to the public schools, but he was of an active, adventurous temperament, and when only fourteen years of age ran away from home and enlisted in Company B, 93d Pa. V. I., being mus- tered in at Camp Coleman, Lebanon county. When the war broke out in 1861, he was one of the first to enlist, and saw much active service as a private in the Army of the Potomac, participating in the battles of Yorktown, the Wilderness, Antietam and Spottsylvania. In time he was given a furlough and returned to his home once more. His mother refused to let him rejoin the army, as he was still so young, and he never re- ceived a formal discharge until during Grover Cleve- land's administration.

On settling down again in Reading Mr. Spang went into the Philadelphia and Reading shops, and learned the trade of a machinist, remaining in the employ of that road for eighteen years. The next eighteen were spent in the electrical business, in company with his brother. and during seven of those years he was in New York City. The last seven years he has been employed by the Carpenter Steel Company, at Reading.

Mr. Spang married Miss Cordelia Filbert, whose great-uncle was the first mayor of Reading. They have one son, Charles R., a plumber by occupation. Mr. Spang is a Lutheran in his religious faith, but his wife and son are of the Reformed faith. He is a man well known in Reading and has many friends. One of his greatest pleasures is to recall from his present pleas- ant vantage ground, stories of the many hardships which he endured in the days of the war.

shoemaker's trade, which he followed for some time, later engaging in the retail shoe business. This he carried on until his death, at the age of forty-four years. His wife, Susan T. Long, was a native of Lancaster county, Pa., and was the mother of two children: Cornelius T .; and Sylvanus, who was in the employ_ of the L. D. Anderson Jewelry Company.

Cornelius T. Anderson was educated in the schools of Reading, Pa., and after completing his literary train- ing was employed as a clerk in a shoe store for a few years. He was then employed by his uncle, Fred Anderson, in the retail and wholesale shoe business as a traveling salesman, but later engaged in the manu- facture of jewelry in Reading, becoming quite pros- perous. Mr. Anderson then disposed of his business interests in Reading and removed to Redlands, Cal., where he had been living about five years at the time of his death. He was a man who made friends where- ever he traveled, and had a wide acquaintance in the business world, where he was highly esteemed for his honesty and integrity. He was a member of the I. O. O. F., and the Royal Arcanum, and for seventeen years was recording secretary of the Y. M. C. A. In politics he was independent. He was connected with St. Mat- thew's Lutheran Church, and was active in the work of that denomination.

Mr. Anderson married, in 1876, Miss Margaret B. Wunder, daughter of Louis and Susan (Setley) Wunder, and three children were born to this union: Louis, engaged in the manufacture of jewelry in Reading; Ella; and Robert, at school.

HENRY D. CHRIST, farmer, of Penn township, was born there Dec. 31, 1845, son of John and Elizabeth EDWARD SCHULZE, present proprietor of the (Dundore) Christ, also natives of Penn township.

Elias Schulze & Son, the firm name under which the . John Christ was born on the old Christ homestead, immense business of the Liberty Dye Works is carried where he himself later engaged in farming, and where in 1884, when seventy-three years old. They had nine children, namely: Jonathan, Harrison, Aaron, Henry D., James D., Levi, Louisa, Catherine and Sarah. Mr. and Mrs. Christ were members of the German Reform- ed Church. In politics he was a Democrat. on, at the corner of Mifflin and Chestnut streets, Read- he died in 1887, aged seventy-eight years; his wife died ing, is the junior member of the firm. The business was established by his late father, at Philadelphia, in 1891, where it was conducted until 1897 when the plant was removed to Reading and located at No. 133 Pearl street. Two years later the firm purchased the old Henry Keeper tanning property, on which they built

Henry D. Christ attended pay school in his youth, an up-to-date plant. The senior member of the firm and from the time he was able to do any work has been died in October, 1903, since when Edward has con- ducted the business, retaining the old style. familiar with farming, which occupation he has always followed. He remained at home with his father until Elias Schulze was born in Saxony, Germany, and came to America in 1881. His business had been learned and pursued in his native land, and he was an expert in his line. eighteen years old, when he went out West, living at Naperville, Il1., thirty miles west of Chicago, where he was employed at farm work for two years. Returning home, he was with his father for another year, and after his marriage he engaged in farming on the Peter Phillips place in Centre township, Berks county, where

Edward Schulze, the present proprietor, was fifteen years of age when he came to America and has been familiar with the dye business since boyhood. For he resided for two years. He has since lived on the

736

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

old homestead in Penn township, which he farmed for he died. His duties required him to visit the public in- eight years before his father's death, buying the place stitutions of the county and to make report of their man- in 1888. It contains 106 acres of good land, which he has been improving steadily ever since he took the management. The dwelling on this property is one of the landmarks of the vicinity, and is a fine stone house built over a hundred years ago. The farm has been in the possession of the family ever since it was owned by Johannes Christ, the great-grandfather of Henry D. Christ. It is located one mile east of the borough of Bernville, and the land is fertile and valuable, with an unusually good water supply.

In 1871, Mr. Christ married Mary A. Phillips, daugh- ter of Henry Phillips, of Mohrsville, Pa., and they have two children, Helen and Rosa Jane, both of whom are with their parents.

Mr. Christ has long been active in the educational affairs of the township, having served as school direc- tor for fifteen years and for ten years as treasurer of the school board. He is a Democrat in politics, and has done local work for the party, having been a mem- ber of the township election board. He is a member of St. Thomas' Reformed Church and has served as deacon and elder; when younger he was a regular at- tendant of the Sunday-school.

the business of cigar-making for himself. This was in 1847, and he continued at the business with increasing success in the vicinity of Seventh and Penn streets until his death, a period covering more than sixty years. At first he was in partnership with William Harman for several years. He engaged in the manufacture of cigars exclusively until 1861, and then became a manufacturer and dealer in smoking and chewing tobacco, both whole- sale and retail; and he ever afterward carried on the two together. As his sons grew to manhood they were led to learn and follow the same business, each being ad- mitted to partnership with him. In this way he had four sons associated in the firm (Thomas, Charles, Jr., Edgar and Milton), and trading under the name of Charles Breneiser & Sons. The two sons last named retired from the firm in 1898 to engage in the cigar and tobacco busi- ness, wholesale and retail, for themselves, and since then they have traded under the name of Breneiser Brothers, locating on the northeast corner of Eighth and Penn streets in April, 1907. The father's firm manufactures many superior and popular brands of cigars which have a large sale throughout the country. This firm has fitted up the most costly and attractive cigar stand in Reading.

Mr. Breneiser, in connection with his increasing busi- ness and property interests, assisted in organizing the Union Bank in 1857, and the Reading Trust Company in 1886, and he served as a director of these two prom- inent institutions until his death. He represented the Southeast ward of Reading in the common branch of the city councils in 1862 and 1863; and the Eighth ward in the select branch from 1869 to 1872. He also assisted in organizing the Oley Turnpike Company in 1862, and the Maxatawny Mutual Fire & Storm Insurance Com- pany in 1893, serving as a director and also officiating as the president of each for many years.

As a humanitarian Mr. Breneiser was prominently before the community for many years. Soon after the local board of public charities was established in 1874 he was selected by the State authorities as one of the three commissioners, and he filled .the appointment until

agement and condition to the State. He was one of the first subscribers of the stock in the establishment of the Reading Library Company in 1868, and he always con- tinued to show a practical interest in the library. In 1897 he was one of a party of liberal citizens who raised a fund to extinguish the debt on the library building and make the institution free to the public. He was actively identified with the Reading Benevolent So- ciety from 1870, and with the Reading Relief Society and the Reading Hospital from their inception. He was one of the few public-spirited individuals of the Third and Eighth wards who took the first steps toward converting the open commons at the head of Penn street, and along Perkiomen avenue to Hill road, from an of- fensive depository for all kinds of objectionable materials to an attractive park, by contributing annually toward the expenses for a number of years before 1887, when it came to be recognized as a park and a part of the park sys- tem of Reading. He was selected one of the board of trustees of the Charles Evans Cemetery Company in 1893, and served in that capacity until his death.

In 1848 Mr. Breneiser married Mary Ann Neihart, daugh- ter of Jacob and Catherine (Goodman) Neihart, of Read- ing, and by her had twelve children : Emma m. George W. Dauth; Adaline m. Chester Grim; Thomas m. Mary F. Grotevant; Charles m. Fannie K. Spang; Edgar m. Sarah Lenhart; Robert Milton m. Eva Umble; Harry died in 1904, aged thirty-seven years; five others died in infancy. The mother died in 1897. Mr. Breneiser died June 30, 1909.

Emanuel Breneiser, the father of Charles Breneiser, Sr., was born in 1784, in Lancaster, Pa., and there learned the trade of saddler. Locating at Reading about the time he became of age, he carried on this business for about fifty years, and then lived in retirement until his death, in

CHARLES BRENEISER, SR., manufacturer of cigars and tobacco at Reading for sixty years, was born at Reading March 24, 1828. He attended one of the first pub- lic schools opened at Reading in 1834, but he was not per- mitted to obtain more than a limited common education, because he was obliged to turn his attention, while still a boy, toward assisting in the support of the family. He first engaged as a helper in laying bricks and then grad- nally learned the trade, but after some years in this laborious employment he changed to cigar-making, and after serving a regular apprenticeship followed the trade until he was twenty years of age, when he engaged in-1865, on the day Lee surrendered to Grant in the Civil war. He m. Christina Swartz, daughter of George Swartz, of Oley, who removed to Reading when a young man, and became the proprietor of a hotel on the northwest corner of Seventh and Penn streets, which he conducted for forty years. Emanuel Breneiser was the father of eleven chil- dren : Benneville m. Lovina Drenkel; Charles is mentioned above; George was drowned while a youth driving a boat team on the Schuylkill canal; Sarah m. Samuel Derr; An- geline m. John Call; Catharine m. Peter B. Madeira; Emma m. Peter Eiler; Caroline m. Otto Mellert; three daughters died young. The mother died in 1849, aged fifty-six years.

Valentine Breneiser, the grandfather, emigrated from Germany about 1730. He conducted an inn at Lancaster for a number of years and died there in 1786. In his last will he devises his property to his wife Salome, and nine sons, Christian, Valentine, Jacob, Simon, Benjamin, Joseph, John, George and Emanuel.

THOMAS BRENEISER, eldest son of Charles Breneiser, Sr., was born at Reading Dec. 23, 1856. He received his pre- liminary education in the common schools, and after tak- ing a special course in a business college at Philadelphia entered his father's store as a clerk at the age of sixteen years. He showed great devotion to the business, and upon the day when he reached his majority his father formed a partnership with him as the junior partner, trad- ing under the name of Charles Breneiser & Son. When the second son became of age he too was included in the firm, the name being changed to Charles Breneiser & Sons; and so the firm name has continued until the present time. For the past ten years Thomas has had the practical man- agement of the business on account of the increasing age of the senior partner. The responsibilities of his position requiring all his time he could not take an active interest in political or social affairs; but Sunday-school work in Trinity Lutheran Church and afterward in Grace Lutheran Church received his active encouragement for many years.

In 1878 Thomas Breneiser married Mary Fredericka Gro- tevant, daughter of Frederick J. and Rosa (Greiner)

Chas Briser

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BIOGRAPHICAL

Grotevant, of Reading, and by her he has four children, Beauty Angelo, Berry Clargo, Clapps Favorite and the Elizabeth Grotevant, Caroline Valeria, Amos Pfleger and Sheldon. He has fifty cherry trees, among them the Richmond, Mount Moranga and Black Datarian, and orchard covers about three acres. Stanley Grotevant. His wife's father followed the busi- ness of practical jeweler at Sixth and Penn streets for a ' 300 grape stalks, all Clinton, which promise well. The number of years, and then filled the position of locksmith for the Philadelphia and Reading Railway Company, until his decease, in 1873. Her maternal grandfather, Christian Greiner, was a master stone-mason at Reading for many years, having had charge of the stone work in the con- struction of the court-house, which was finished in 1839.

HENRY K. FURLOW, one of the most popular hotel. men of Berks county, who is proprietor of the well known "Furlow (Eight Mile House) Hotel" in Brecknock township, the only public house in the town- ship, was born Nov. 20, 1857, in East Cocalico town- ship, Lancaster Co., Pa., son of Henry and Eliza (Kegerise) Furlow.

Peter Furlow, grandfather of Henry K., lived in East Cocalico township, where he followed farming all of his life. He married a Waldschmidt, of German extraction, and they had these children: Polly, m. to John Mohn; Anna m. to Levi Trostle; Sallie, who died young; Susanna, who still lives in Lancaster county; Betzy, who died single; Henry and Samuel, who died young; John, who died aged eighty years; and Isaac, who died aged eighty-four years.

Henry Furlow, father of Henry K., was born Dec. 26, 1821, in East Cocalico township, and died June 1, 1869, being buried at the Swamp Church in Lancaster county. He had a tract of about twenty-five acres of land, from which he cut the timber, which he burned into charcoal and sold to the old furnaces of Berks county. In 1854 Mr. Furlow was married to Eliza Kegerise, born April 30, 1834, daughter of William Kegerise, and she is still surviving and has lived with her son Henry K. since 1880. To Henry Furlow and his wife were born these children: William, born in February, 1855, died in his second year; Henry K .; Sarah and Kate were twins, born in December, 1859, the former of whom married Samuel Fry, of Vera Cruz, Pa., and the latter Henry Whitmoyer of Ross- ville, Pa .; John, born Sept. 20, 1865, a farmer residing near Wernersville, Pa., married Lillie Dundore; and Frank, born Nov. 16, 1868, is foreman in a planing mill at Pottsville, having formerly been in business with his brother, Henry K., at Denver, Pa. (m. Ida Kohl).

Henry K. Furlow was reared upon the home farm until twenty-one years of age, when he engaged in the produce business in his native and surrounding townships, residing during this time in East Cocalico township. He had a large huckster route, over which he went once a week, handling upwards of 2.000 dozen of eggs and about 800 pounds of butter weekly. This produce he sold at the market and at private places in Reading, and during the time he continued in this business, from 1878 to 1890 he was very successful and made many friends. In 1885 Mr. Furlow and Jacob R. Kessler bought the well-known "Eight Mile Hotel" from William Ziemer, and this partnership continued for one year, when Mr. Furlow bought Mr. Kessler's interest, and has since been conducting the hostelry alone. He rebuilt the premises in 1904, making one of the finest stands in Berks county, outside of the city of Reading. The hotel is situated at the west end of Brecknock township, where four leading roads meet, and on an elevation which affords a beautiful view. The water is of the best and purest in the State, the table fare is excellent and the rooms are well furnished, comfortable and clean, there being six on the first floor, eleven including a bath on the second, and three on the third. Connected with the hotel is a tract of thirty- four acres of land, which Mr. Furlow cultivates, and he also has a fine orchard of fruit trees and a vineyard. He has a pear orchard of 250 trees which bear as many as 600 bushels yearly, the varieties being Kiefers,

On May 3, 1889, Mr. Furlow married Lavinia . Kramer, born Sept. 8, 1870, daughter of Samuel and Julian (Ziemer) Kramer, farming people of Breck- nock township, and to this union there have been born four children: Bessie, Elizabeth, John and Sam- uel. In politics Mr. Furlow is a Democrat, and for a period of twenty-one years, from 1885 until 1906, he was postmaster at Knauers. He and his wife are Re- formed members of Allegheny Union Church.

Henry Kramer, Mrs. Furlow's grandfather, lived in Brecknock township, Berks county, and died aged about forty-eight. He married Elizabeth Fritz, and their children were: Susan Johnson. of Honeybrook; Kate Schaellkopf, of Reading; Eliza Ziemer, of Breck- nock; Lovesia Kachel, of Brecknock; Samuel Kramer; Isaac; Elias, of near Bowmansville, in Lancaster coun- ty, and Sarah Sparr, of Morgantown.

Isaac Kramer, son of Henry, and uncle of Mrs. Fur- low, lives on his father's farm, and also owns three or four other farms in that neighborhood. He married Elizabeth Hoshauer, and their children are: Amanda Stover, of Bowmansville; Mary Kern, of Brecknock; Emma Kieffer, of Morgantown; Sallie Snader, of Terre- hill; Cassie Kachel, of Alleghenyville; and Isaac, Jr., of Alleghenyville.

Samuel Kramer, son of Henry and father of Mrs. Furlow, was born March 15, 1827, and died May 18, 1906. His wife Julian Ziemer was born July 29, 1833, and died April 1, 1901. Their children were: John, Albert, Harvey, Samuel, Peter, Sarah Schweitzer, Eliza- beth Kachel, Lavinia Furlow, Katie Hoyer and Henry. Henry, the last named, died unmarried at the age of forty-one. With his brother, Harvey, he was in the leaf tobacco business, and Harvey still continues in that line, also carrying on his father's farm (which he now owns) and raising fine crops of tobacco.

HENRY A. BEADENCUP, who for ten years prior to his death, May 9, 1900, was engaged in farming at Birdsboro, Pa., was born in the city of Reading, Nov. 11, 1835, son of Henry A. and Sarah (Printz) Beaden- cup.

Henry Beadencup was a puddler by trade, but in later life located on a farm in Robeson township, where he died in the faith of the Reformed Church.

Henry A. Beadencup was reared in his native city. As a boy he had followed canal boat driving, later be- coming master of the boat. He then learned the pud- dling trade at Birdsboro, which he followed for a period of thirty-five years. In 1890 he relinquished his trade to give his attention to his farm in Birdsboro, where his death took place ten years later. He was a Repub- lican in politics, and served efficiently as a member of the borough council, and was fraternally connected with the I. O. O. F., Neversink Lodge; and Chandler Lodge of Masons, No. 227, of Reading.

On May 9, 1857, Mr. Beadencup married Margaret Elizabeth Grant, daughter of George and Mary (Hess) Grant, who lived in Birdsboro from the time she was thirteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Beadencup had but one child, Sarah, who died when six years of age. Mrs. Beadencup was a faithful member of the Birds- boro Methodist Episcopal Church and was well known in church and charitable work. She died Nov. 21, 1908, at the age of sixty-eight years.

Lewis Grant, Mrs. Beadencup's nephew, who con- ducted the farm after Mr. Beadencup's death, was born in May, 1865, in Birdsboro, son of John and Susan (Hartz) Grant, and was educated in Birdsboro. He was married in 1886, to Miss Ida Rimby, daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann (Snyder) Rimby, by whom he has had seven children: Nora, m. to Harry Seidel; Anna, single; Margarett, m. to William Buchanan; Iva, single; Harry, Lewis and Catherine.

738

HISTORY OF BERKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

WALTER S. LOY, a prosperous farmer and justice for two terms, after which he entered Franklin and of the peace of Perry township, was born Nov. 8, Marshall College at Lancaster, Pa., graduating in 1905, 1850, in Windsor township, near Windsor Castle, Berks county, son of Joseph and Cathrine (Smith) Loy.

The popular tradition that two brothers came from the Rhine Valley in Germany, is confirmed in this case by record, and tradition also has it that they were still single. On the same ship on which Matthias Loy emigrated in 1733 to the land of his adoption. was Anna Maria Ley (Loy), who is supposed to have been his sister, ond who was then twenty-four years old. The DAVID K. KAUFMAN. One of the old and hon- which has a worthy representative in Reading in David K. Kaufman, now living retired after a busy and suc- cessful career. other brother's name was Hans Jurick (George) Ley, ored families of Berks county, Pa., is that of Kaufman, who was then, in 1733. recorded as twenty-eight years old. He settled in Windsor township, and owned the farm of 220 acres now in possession of Joseph L. Smith. His wife was Barbara Bossart, of Windsor township, and they had children: Susanna, m. to John George Focht, who purchased Mr. Loy's farm; Molly, who died single; Jacob, m. to a Miss Billig, and father of Leah, Charles and Nathan; Charles, m. to Deborah Leiby, and father of Catherine, Henry W. and Alfred W. (m. Esther Anna Folk, and had two sons, Alfred B. and William D. F.).

Matthias Loy, great-grandfather of Walter S., was the first of that name to settle in Albany township, locating in that district prior to the Revolutionary war. He was a farmer and owned the original homestead, which is now in the possession of Levi Sechler. As far as is known Mathias Loy had two sons: Adam; and Michael, who had two sons, William and Phalon, who resides in Albany township. Michael owned and cultivated a farm of 154 acres, also in Albany township.

Adam Loy was a weaver and farmer in Albany town- ship, owning the Loy homestead, on which he was born and reared, and on which he lived and died. Adam Loy an'd wife had twelve children, viz .: Samuel, Michael, George, Jacob, Jessee, Jeremiah, William, Mary, Susan, Adam, Elizabeth and Joseph.

Joseph Loy, son of Adam, was born Oct. 25. 1828, in Albany township, Berks county, and came to Wind- sor township when sixteen years of age; here he ac- quired land and engaged in farming. He was also a wheelwright by trade and did much of this work for the farmers of his vicinity. Mr. Loy, who is well pre- served for a man of his years, resides with his son. He married Cathrine Smith, who died Dec. 29, 1905, in her eighty-first year, and to this union there was born but one child, Walter S.

Walter S. Loy obtained his education in the public schools and at the Keystone State Normal School, teaching school in his native township from 1871 to 1874, but the following year engaged in wheelwright- ing, a trade which he learned from his father. He had a shop near Dreibelbis Station, which he conducted successfully for five years, then purchasing the 115- acre farm on which he now resides. This property he greatly improved, remodelling the barn and beautifying the entire premises, and after the destruction of his house by fire, he erected a handsome brick residence. He now has one of the finest places in the township, his farm being in good condition, fertile, well-managed and productive. Mr. Loy is a Democrat in politics. He is an active worker in the interests of his party, having served as delegate to a number of county con- ventions, as school director in Perry township, and in other minor offices. In the spring of 1904, he was elected justice of the peace, in which capacity he has rendered valuable service to the community. Mr. Loy occupies a prominent position in his locality. He is a man of influence and means, is public-spirited, enter- prising, and a good citizen. and has won the friend- ship and esteem of a large number of acquaintances.

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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 201

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