USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 23
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 23
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JOHN O. REAM.
John O. Ream, of Berlin, is a great-grandson of Michael Ream, who was a manufacturer of hats in Berlin, Pennsyl- vania, moving thence to Berlin, Ohio, where he passed the re- mainder of his life, his death occurring at an advanced age.
Joseph Ream, son of Michael Ream, was born November 23, 1800, at Berlin, where he followed his trade of hatter. He was a Democrat. He married, about 1822, Elizabeth Zorn, born August 31, 1802, and their children were: Sarah, widow of Peter Zimmerman, lives in Stoystown; Charles, of Berlin, married Mary Shaffer, and after her death Emma Rhodes; William, of Boswell, married Mary Meyers, and after her death the widow of Henry Penrod; Philip, of Portland, Oregon, mar- ried Lydia Black; Daniel, married Catharine Bill, and after her death Lizzie Homer, and died in 1904, aged seventy-five; Catharine died in 1905, aged seventy-three, wife of Philip Cole- man; Barbara died in infancy; Michael, of whom later; Joseph, killed in the battle of Gettysburg; Jane, widow of Joseph Im- hoff, lives in Berlin; Jacob, of Berlin, married Elizabeth Sny- der, and after her death Harriet Gumbert. By a remarkable coincidence the father and mother of this family expired on the same day, November 26, 1863.
Michael Ream, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Zorn) Ream, was born November 5, 1834, and learned the carpenter's trade, being for twenty years thereafter engaged in erecting buildings in Somerset county. In 1862 he was married, and the follow-
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ing day-August 20 --- enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Forty-second Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. While engaged in helping to build one of the forts erected for the de- fense of Washington, he was injured by a falling tree, and was subsequently transferred to the One Hundred and Ninth Com- pany, Second Battalion, Invalid Corps. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged. After his return home Michael engaged in farming near Berlin, and in 1890 entered into partnership with his son, John O., first in meat dealing and afterward in the livery business. In 1898 he sold his in- terest, and is now leading a retired life at Berlin. His resi- dence, built in 1902, is in the eastern part of the town, and is a very attractive, pleasant home. He is a Prohibitionist and a member and trustee of the United Evangelical church.
Mr. Ream married, August 19, 1862, Mary, born October 26, 1838, daughter of John and Eve (Zerfoss) Shaffer, the former a farmer of Somerset township and a Democrat. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran church. Their daugliter Mary was educated in the public schools. Mrs. Shaf- fer lived to be ninety-one and her husband passed away at the age of ninety-two. The family of Michael and Mary Ream consists of the following children : Irvin, born April 14, 1865, Democrat, married Belinda Snyder and has six children; Susan B., born November 13, 1866, deceased; Darley Alice, born February 1, 1868, member of United Evangelical church, married Herbert Strawn, and after his death Milton Landis, four children by first marriage and two by second; John O., of whom later; Mary F., born October 26, 1871, member of United Evangelical church, wife of Nevin Allfather, of Berlin, has three children; Hiram L., born March 26, 1874, of Berlin, Republican, married Gertrude Urhardt, has three children; Florence, born October 13, 1875, member of United Evangelical church, wife of Franklin Zorn, of Berlin, has three children; Cloyd Sylvester, born September 30, 1877, at home, Democrat; Lucy E., born December 4, 1880, member of United Evangelical church, wife of John Groff, clerk in Groff's Department Store, Berlin, has one child. All these children were educated in the township and Berlin schools. The mother of the family is a member of the Lutheran church.
John O. Ream, son of Michael and Mary (Shaffer) Ream, was born September 20, 1869, near Berlin, in Brothers Valley township, where he received his education in the common schools, afterward attending the Berlin Normal school. He worked on his father's farm until the age of twenty, when he went to Mount Savage, Maryland, and there learned the busi- ness of a butcher under the instruction of Joseph Snyder. In 1890 he returned to Berlin and entered into partnership with
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his father, opening a meat market and restaurant under the firm name of Ream & Son. This connection was maintained eight years and the business prospered. In 1895 the firm added to their establishment a livery stable, which has proved a very good investment, and in 1898 Mr. Ream purchased his father's interest, thus becoming sole owner. In 1903 he erected a modern bakery, which was successful from the start and gives constant work to the men employed there. In addition to supplying the town daily with meats and bakery products, the wagons .make daily trips to the mines and surrounding vil- lages. The livery business has grown to large proportions, re- quiring from fifteen to twenty horses to meet the demands. The restaurant was abandoned some time ago, and the grocery business, which was carried on in connection with the meat market, is now in process of closing. The market is situated on Berlin's main street and has recently been enlarged and refitted. There Mr. Ream has his office and transacts the busi- ness of his different enterprises, which are all in a flourishing condition. He owns the Knepper farm of two hundred acres, near Berlin. This estate is partially worked, but is used chiefly as a stock farm, where Mr. Ream fattens the cattle which he has purchased elsewhere by the carload for the retail trade. He also owns and rents a two-story brick residence adjoining his market property. The bakery is situated in the east part of the town and is a residence and bakery combined.
Mr. Ream has served the town three years as auditor, and for three terms has been councilman of the borough. He be- longs to Berlin Post, Sons of Veterans, and is a Democrat in politics. He is a member and trustee of the Lutheran church and also a teacher in the Sunday school. He is unmarried.
TOBIAS GLESSNER.
The family of which Tobias Glessner, of Berlin, is a rep- resentative, was founded in this country by Jacob Glessner, a native of Germany, who emigrated to the American colonies about 1735 and settled on a farm near Berlin, where for more than half a century he was loved and respected by all his neigh- bors. He was an elder of the Berlin congregation of the Re- formed church, the pastor of this church, in 1794, being Cyri- acus Spangenberg, a Hessian who had come to America with the British army and had by some means contrived to receive ordination in the Reformed church. His congregation, on dis- covering that their pastor was a man of bad character, called a meeting for the purpose of removing him, and just before a vote was taken Elder Glessner arose and briefly stated that, in his opinion, the best interests of the church would be served by the removal of the minister. On hearing this Spangenberg.
Vol. III 14
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who was present, drew a dirk which he had concealed about him, and rushing upon the elder, stabbed him to the heart. This tragedy resulted in the execution of the murderer April 11, 1795, at the jail in Bedford. Every effort was made by his friends to save him, an appeal being made to President Wash- ington, who returned the papers, saying that there was no ground for either pardon or commutation of the sentence.
Joseph Glessner, son of Jacob Glessner, was a farmer and miller of Stony Creek township, adhered to the Democratic party and was a member of the Reformed church. He married Lena Faust, and their children were: Jacob, Joseph (of whom later), Lewis, Henry, Tobias, Edward, Margaret, Magdalena, Sarah, Lena, Rebecca, and Elizabeth. Mr. Glessner at the time of his death was seventy years old, and his widow died at the age of eighty.
Joseph Glessner, son of Joseph and Lena (Faust) Gless- ner, was born November 10, 1800, and followed agricultural pursuits in Stony Creek township. He was a Democrat and a member of the Reformed church, being ardently interested in politics and greatly devoted to church work, serving for many years as deacon and elder. Mr. Glessner married, in 1825, Catharine Musser, born September 19, 1808, and a member of the same church as himself. Their children were: Tobias, of whom later; Jacob, born November 25, 1827; Susan, Novem- ber 5, 1829; John M., November 21, 1832, deceased; Joseph, May 21, 1835; Samuel, June 14, 1837, deceased; Henry, Feb- ruary 19, 1839, lives at Shanksville; Catharine, September 2, 1841, widow of Edward Mummau; Mary, March 4, 1844, died in childhood; Sarah, November 6, 1846, deceased, was wife of William Hillegass; Eliza, April 11, 1850, died in childhood; and Edmund, March 31, 1852, farmer of Jefferson township. The death of Mr. Glessner occurred September 25, 1879, and his widow passed away May 7, 1894.
Tobias Glessner, son of Joseph and Catharine (Musser) Glessner, was born August 20, 1826, on the Glessner home- stead, and received his education in the Glessner public school. He worked on the farm for his father until the age of seven- teen, and then began to learn the tanner's trade, at which he worked for seven years. At the age of twenty-four he pur- chased two hundred and seventy-one acres of timber land near Shanksville, and there, in the forest, erected a log house and a sawmill, working as a lumberman for seventeen years. At the end of that time, the tract being partially cleared, he sold the remainder and moved back to the homestead, which he purchased from his father and on which he still resides. The farm originally contained two hundred and seventy-five acres, seventy-five of which Mr. Glessner sold to his son Jacob W.
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In 1903 he sold the remaining two hundred acres to his son Albert, with whom he makes his home. The house, which was built in 1860 by Joseph Glessner, is a substantial two-story brick structure of twelve rooms, to all appearances in as good condition as when it was finished. The barn, which was built in 1836, is unweakened by time, although it has its second roof. The farm is amply stocked with well-bred horses and cows. There are on the farm orchards of apples and other fruits, as well as a sugar camp of twelve hundred vessels. On the prop- erty is a two-story frame dwelling, built by Mr. Glessner after he purchased the farm for his parents' use, and in this dwell- ing they ended their days. Mr. Glessner is a Democrat, having cast his first vote in 1848 for Lewis Cass, of Missouri, then the presidential candidate of that party. He is a member of the Reformed church at Roxbury, which he has served as trustee, deacon and elder.
Tobias Glessner married, February 20, 1848, Caroline Walker, and their children are: Catharine, born February 17, 1849, died December 5, 1856; Jacob W., born April 20, 1850, farmer near Shanksville, married Emma Teller, has ten chil- dren; Joseph T., born November 22, 1851, married Mary A. Kimmel, has eleven children, and is a farmer of Waterloo, Iowa; Polly, born September 29, 1853, died December 5, 1856; Catharine and Polly died the same day of scarlet fever and were buried in the same casket; Tobias, born January 6, 1856, died February 19, 1862; John L., born October 25, 1858, farmer near Downey, married Hattie J. Will and has two children; Mary E., wife of Luther Hillegass; Alice, born March 22, 1863, wife of John A. Lowry, merchant and postmaster at Downey; Edward B., born March 2, 1865, farmer of Brothers Valley township, married Emma Walker, has five children; Calvin, born November 19, 1866, died February 5, 1878; Minnie A., born February 27, 1870, wife of Edward D. Boyer, farmer of Stony Creek, has five children; Albert G., born October 21, 1872, married Cora, daughter of William and Ella (Knepper) Weigle, the former a farmer of Stony Creek township. Mr. and Mrs. Glessner have one child, John M., eight years old. Another son, William Tobias, died at the age of three years. Mrs. Caroline (Walker) Glessner was a daughter of Jacob J. Walker, and was born September 26, 1826. She was edu- cated in the Glade public school. She was her husband's de- voted and uncomplaining helper during their life of privation and hardship in the timber camps, and the affectionate and self-sacrificing mother of their twelve children. Her death, which occurred October 17, 1896, was deeply mourned.
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JOSIAH SPECHT.
Josiah Specht, of Stoystown, is a grandson of Andrew Specht, a lifelong resident of Shade, where he was the owner and successful manager of a good farm, and also the possessor of a sawmill, in which he manufactured large quantities of lumber. He was an active member of the Seventh Day Baptist church. Andrew Specht married Rebecca Pisel, and they were the parents of seven children, of whom all are now dead. Mr. Specht, the father, was known to all his neighbors as a man of strict integrity.
David Specht, youngest child of Andrew and Rebecca (Pisel) Specht, was born February 13, 1819, in Shade, Penn- sylvania, where during the greater part of his life he was en- gaged in farming on the old homestead. . In 1868 he came to Somerset county, settling in the village of Sprucetown, Quema- honing, where he established a gristmill and general store and built up a large and profitable business. He served his fellow- townsmen in various capacities and was identified with the Re- publican party. He and his wife were members of the Lu- theran church. Mr. Specht married Elizabeth, born April 24, 1824, in Quemahoning township, daughter of Jacob and Eliza- beth (Bender) Kimmel, and now the sole survivor of eleven children. Of the four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Specht three are now living: Hester, wife of Pearson Lohr, has had twelve children, of whom six survive, Jane, David, Annie, Florence, James and Joseph; Franklin K. served during the Civil War in Company K, Fifth Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, married Mary, daughter of Noah Miller, and has four chil- dren-Charles E., Annie, James and Jennie; and Josiah, of whom later. The death of Mr. Specht occurred February 24, 1896. He bequeathed to his family a large property.
Josiah Specht, son of David and Elizabeth (Kimmel) Specht, was born November 24, 1848, in Shade, Pennsylvania, where he received a common school education. After leaving school he learned the miller's trade under the instruction of his father, with whom he remained until 1873. In that year his father's mill was destroyed by fire, after which Mr. Specht built a gristmill and engaged in business for himself. He was very successful, and in 1877 erected a store which he stocked with general merchandise. He has since carried on an ex- tensive business, both as miller and merchant. In December, 1893, Mr. Specht's mill and store were burned, the entire con- tents of both being destroyed by the flames. The property was unprotected by insurance and the loss was sixty-five thousand dollars. The next day Mr. Specht put up a shanty for tem- porary use, and in 1894 built a new gristmill, which is fully
grich Specht
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equipped with all the modern appliances for carrying on mill- ing operations. In 1895 he completed his new store, which is one of the finest in regard to its stock to be found in this part of the state, and in which he is now conducting a flourishing business.
He is one of the directors of the Somerset County Bank. He has served as school director, and in the spring of 1906 was, without any solicitation on his part, presented by his friends as a candidate for county commissioner, and was elected by an unusually large majority. Soon after qualify- ing as county commissioner he was elected president of the board of commissioners, which illustrates in a measure his popularity and the high esteem in which he is held by the people and his fellow officers.
Mr. Specht is also a director in the Berlin Mutual Fire Insurance Company; vice-president of the Somerset Mutual Fire Insurance Company; secretary of the Lincoln Oil and Gas Company; also treasurer of the Emert & Cook woolen mills of Somerset, a new enterprise organized in May, 1906, capital stock of forty thousand dollars.
In politics he is a staunch Republican. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. His residence, which he has built for himself, is one of the finest in the county.
Mr. Specht married. September 28, 1870, Josephine, daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Nealey) Zimmerman, and their children are: William E., born April 10, 1871, married Willia Maud Wagner, daughter of David E. Wagner, and has one child, Mary Josephine; Howard O., born December 6, 1872, died September 13, 1875; Myrtie M., born February 25, 1875, married Ross H. Rininger, and has the following children- Josie Ellen, Meredith R., Pauline, Carl R. M., and William; Harvey, born January 15, 1877, married, March 30, 1899, Idelle, born December 27, 1878, daughter of Pierce and Emma (Ben- der) Miller, and has one child, Lloyd Alger, born September 1, 1900; Daniel B., born March 18, 1881; David H., born April 24, 1883, married Maggie Adams, have two children; Franklin B., born August 15, 1885; and Donald C., April 30, 1891.
HENTZ FAMILY.
No Somerset county family is more numerous or more widely known than is that of which Charles Hentz, of Rock- wood, is a representative. The origin and history of the race may be traced through the following generations :
Sir John Jacob Hentz was artiman of the town of Beuern, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany. This office, which is the highest in the place, is permanent, and bears a close resemblance to that of mayor in this country. Sir John Jacob was also a fine
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musician and the musical director of the town. His wife was Elenora Krauch, and their children were Henry Adam (of whom later), Catharine. Anna Maria and Louisa.
Henry Adam Hentz, son of Sir John Jacob and Elenora (Krauch) Hentz, was the father of eleven children-Henry Adam, Fredericka, Elenora, Philip, William, John, Jacob, Henry, Louisa, Anna Maria and Baltser, of whom later.
Catharine Hentz second child of Sir John Jacob and El- enora (Krauch) Hentz, married Casper Gerhardt and had the following children: Christina, Maria, Margaret and Cath- arine.
Anna Maria Hentz, third child of Sir John Jacob and El- enora (Krauch) Hentz, married, in 1799, Balthaser Gerhardt, by whom she had ten children, six sons and four daughters. One of the sons and all the daughters died in infancy in Ger- many. The following sons grew up to man's estate: John, Leonard, Casper, Jacob and William.
Louisa Hentz, fourth and youngest child of Sir John Jacob and Elenora (Krauch) Hentz, married Henry Adam Wistner. Nothing is known of their descendants, inasmuch as any they may have had were born, married, lived and died in Germany.
Henry Adam Hentz, eldest son of Henry Adam and grand- son of Sir John Jacob Hentz, married Christina Stine, and their children were: Barbara, Anna Maria, Louisa, Caroline and Elizabeth.
Fredericka Hentz, daughter of Henry Adam and grand- daughter of Sir John Jacob Hentz, married Christian Shomber, by whom she had the following children: Margaret, Louisa, Henry, William, Catharine, Philip, John and Elizabeth. They and their children live in Berlin.
William Hentz, son of Henry Adam and grandson of Sir John Jacob Hentz, was a silk manufacturer and a well-to-do man. He married Dill, and among his children who came to the United States were the following: John, Henry and John Philip.
Louisa Hentz, daughter of Henry Adam and grand- daughter of Sir John Jacob Hentz, married Hepner, lives in St. Louis, Missouri, and has two children: William and Louisa.
Anna Maria Hentz, daughter of Henry Adam and grand- daughter of Sir John Jacob Hentz, married Conrad Cassell and had the following children: John, Louisa, William, Mary, Jacob, Philip and Annie. All reside in or near Burlington, Iowa.
Baltzer Hentz, son of Henry Adam and grandson of Sir John Jacob Hentz, was married three times. His first wife was Elizabeth Fogler, by whom he had three children-Louisa,
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Philip and William. His second wife, --- Pfeifer, bore him no children. Both the first and second wives died in Germany, and after the death of the latter he emigrated to Pennsylvania, settling in Somerset county. He there married Mary Platt, by whom he had three children-Emma, Charles and John, of whom later. Mr. Hentz, the father, for a number of years lived at or near Wills church, then moved near Miller's mill and there passed the remainder of his life, his death occurring in September, 1894, at the age of eighty-four. He is buried in the Odd Fellows' cemetery, Berlin, Pennsylvania.
Christina Gerhardt, daughter of Casper and Catharine (Hentz) Gerhardt, married Casper Dom, known as Snyder Dom, from the fact that he was a tailor and to distinguish him from a distant relative who was also Casper Dom. Among the children born to him and his wife were the following: Alex- ander, Mary and Louisa.
Maria Gerhardt, daughter of Casper and Catharine (Hentz) Gerhardt, married John Baltzer, and had the follow- ing children: Henry, Aaron, Mary, Louisa, Ellen and George. All these, with the exception of George, live in or about Johns- town.
Margaret Gerhardt, daughter of Casper and Catharine (Hentz) Gerhardt, married Philip Dom and their children were: Henry, Ellen, Josiah, Malinda, Oliver, Leonard and William. Henry is supposed to have been slain by the Indians in 1845.
Catharine Gerhardt, daughter of Casper and Catharine (Hentz) Gerhardt, married William Kneedy, by whom she had the following children: Margaret, Mary; Joseph, deceased; Samuel, died at the age of twenty years; Henry W. and Ma- tilda.
John Gerhardt, son of Balthaser and Anna Maria (Hentz) Gerhardt, married Elizabeth Bittner and resided near Done- gal, Pennsylvania, where he died October 24, 1858, at the age of fifty-six.
Leonard Gerhardt, son of Balthaser and Anna Maria (Hentz) Gerhardt, married, in 1832, Anna Mary, daughter of William Fritz, and their son Leonard died February 18, 1842, aged sixteen months, his mother having expired January 10 of the the same year. Both are buried at Elizabethtown. Mr. Gerhardt subsequently married Barbara Wolf, who died No- vember 3, 1867, aged sixty years. Mr. Gerhardt, who was a minister of the Lutheran church, died at Mechanicsburg, Penn- sylvania, May 13, 1877, aged seventy-two years. The Rev. Mr. Gerhardt and his second wife are buried in the Lutheran ceme- tery at Shippensburg.
Casper Gerhardt, son of Balthaser and Anna Maria (Hentz) Gerhardt, married Hoffner at Mount Healthy, Hamil-
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ton county, Ohio, and died there in 1879, aged seventy-one. His children were: Mary Ann, Benjamin, Nancy and Leonard, who died in the army during the Civil war. He was twice married and his second wife still survives.
Jacob Gerhardt, son of Balthaser and Anna Maria (Hentz) Gerhardt. married Catharine, daughter of John Broucher, of Brothers Valley township, resides at Kingwood, Upper Turkey- foot township, and is the father of eight children.
William Gerhardt, son of Balthaser and Anna Maria (Hentz) Gerhardt, was also a minister of the Lutheran church. He married Lucinda Adeline Riley, of Gettysburg, by whom he had nine children. Mr. Gerhardt, the father, died June 18, 1857, aged eighty-one years, and is buried in a private cemetery near Donegal, Pennsylvania. His wife died January 30, 1865, at the home of her son, the Rev. William Gerhardt, D. D., Jonestown, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, and is buried in the Lutheran cemetery at that place. She was nearly eighty-eight years old.
Barbara Hentz, daughter of Henry Adam and Christina (Stine) Hentz, married Frederick Bieler and had five children: William, Lena, Henry, Lizzie and John. All live in the west.
Anna Maria Hentz, daughter of Henry Adam and Christina (Stine) Hentz, is one of the leading dressmakers in Somerset and makes her home with her sister, Mrs. Augustus Traup.
Louisa Hentz, daughter of Henry Adam and Christina (Stine) Hentz, married Augustus Traup and is the mother of Nellie H. Traup, who is now the wife of W. Fay Lloyd, of Pitts- burg.
Caroline Hentz, daughter of Henry Adam and Christina (Stine) Hentz, married Henry Stephens and resides at West Point, Illinois. Her sister Elizabeth married George Fogle, of Berlin, Pennsylvania, and their children are: Mary Lulu, Edwin, Caroline Cecilia, Warren, Della, Winford and Mildred.
Margaret Shomber, daughter of Christian and Fredericka (Hentz) Shomber, married Hone. Her sister Louisa married in the west.
Henry Shomer, son of Christian and Fredericka (Hentz) Shomber, was married twice. His first wife was Sally Stearns and his second Mrs. Rose (Dom) Stoner. Among his children are the following: Rebecca, Catharine, Mary, Charles and Henry. His daughter Catharine married Henry Poorbaugh and their children are Keyser, Edna and Catharine, who accompa- nied her aunts -- the two Misses Poorbaugh-to Japan, whither they went as missionaries.
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