USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 27
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 27
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Abraham M. Sevits was educated in the common and nor- mal schools of Somerset county. In early life he learned the trade of stonemason, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, at which he worked during the summer months, and throughout the remainder of the year taught school, one term in Stony Creek township and eight terms in Brothers Valley. At the age of forty-three he abandoned his trade and turned his attention to farming, conducting his oper- ations on a farm located five miles west of Berlin on the Clay pike. In 1902 he sold the farm to Harvey Pritts and moved to Beachdale, where he built a pretty home, surrounded by an acre of ground, where he has since led a retired life.
In 1864 Mr. Sevits enlisted in Company E, Ninety-third Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers, and fought with his regi- ment through the bloody battles in the Shenandoah Valley and in front of Petersburg during the last year of the war. He was neither sick, wounded nor captured during his term of service, although in one battle he had five bullets pass through his clothing and knapsack without leaving a scratch upon his body. He was honorably discharged at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1865. He has held the offices of school director, supervisor, auditor and a member of the election boards, rendering valua- ble and efficient service in each and all. He was formerly a Republican in politics, but of late years has cast his vote for the candidates of the Prohibition party. He is a member of the Brethren church, near Beachdale, in which he serves as deacon, and is also assistant superintendent of the Sabbath school connected therewith. He is a member of Cummins Post, No. 210, Grand Army of the Republic, at Somerset, Pennsyl- vania.
On January 31, 1861, Mr. Sevits married Catherine Bitt- ner, born August 11, 1837, one of six children born to John J., a farmer of Brothers Valley, and Susanna (Boger) Bittner, members of the German Baptist church. One of the brothers of Catherine (Bittner) Sevits, Silas Bittner, was a Union sol- dier and died in Libby prison. Six children were the issue of this marriage, as follows: Lizzie, born August 10, 1862, be-
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came the wife of Harvey Schrock; she died October 3, 1884, leaving two children; Hilton, who resides in Somerset; and Lizzie, who was taken by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Sevits, with whom she still resides. Susan M., born April 6, 1867, became the wife of H. H. Brant, and they are the parents of five children. John R., born August 20, 1869, a farmer, mar- ried Annie Pritts, and they are the parents of three children. Jennie, born April 1, 1874, became the wife of Harvey G. Hay, and they are the parents of three children. William G., born December 31, 1875, married Daisy Brant, who bore him two children. Henry C., born May 4, 1882, married Essie Brant ; issue, one child. These children all received a good common school education, and are filling well their several stations in life. Mr. and Mrs. Sevits are now enjoying the fruits of a well-spent life.
ROBERT McLUCKIE.
Robert McLnckie, one of the most prosperous farmers, miners and general business men of Somerset county, Penn- sylvania, is a native of Scotland, and the first of his family to have settled in Somerset county. He brought with him the habits of thrift, industry and frugality for which the Scotch are noted, and this has contributed in no small measure to his success.
William McLuckie, father of Robert McLuckie, was born in Scotland, June 27, 1826. He was a miner in his native conn- try, and came to the United States in 1852, settling near Pitts- burg, Pennsylvania, where he worked as a miner. After a time he removed to Maryland, where he also worked as a miner, but for the last thirty-five years of his life he conducted a gen- eral store in Frostburg, Maryland, with a reasonable amount of success. He managed this business until his death, which occurred June 6, 1905. He was a very intelligent and well edu- cated man, was a member of the Lutheran church, and affiliated. with the Republican party. He married Mary McLuckie, born in Scotland in 1821, daughter of Anthony MeLnckie, who was the grandson of Anthony MeLuckie, a finely educated man. He was a superintendent of mines and iron works, and the author of a number of books and pamphlets on religious sub- jects. Mrs. McLnckie, the wife of William McLuckie, was a well educated woman, member of the Methodist church. She died August 18, 1899. The children of Mr. and Mrs. William MeLuckie are: Robert, of whom later; Matthew, unmarried; William, married Jennie Gunnett; Alexander, married Mary Williamson; Elizabeth, married Thomas Rowe; Andrew, mar- ried Allie Larue; James, unmarried; Margaret, unmarried ; Mary Belle, died August 1, 1899; Anthony, unmarried; Abra-
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ham, married Matilda Everline. The first two named children were born in Scotland, the others in Frostburg, Maryland.
Robert MeLuckie, eldest child of William and Mary (Mc- Luckie) McLuckie, was born near Glasgow, Scotland, May 3, 1850. He was three years old when his parents came to the United States. He was educated in the public schools of Frost- burg, Maryland, and at an early age began work in the mines as a breaker boy. Later Robert became a miner, which occu- pation he followed until the age of twenty-eight years. In 1878 he removed to Brothers Valley, Pennsylvania, where he pur- chased a farm, which he cultivated and on which he has since that time resided. The farm consists of three hundred acres, on which a large barn was built in 1889, and a commodious resi- dence in 1894. It is well stocked with good blooded farm an- imals of all kinds. The entire farm is underlaid with coal. Mr. McLuckie is working one vein of this rich deposit, with which he supplies the local trade, furnishing about ten thousand bushels of bed "B" coal each winter. There is also an excel- lent and thriving orchard of apple and other fruit trees. Mr. McLuckie is the owner of two other farms, which are also in a most flourishing condition. He affiliates with the Republican party, and cast his first presidential vote for Ulysses S. Grant. He is a member of the Lutheran church.
He married, December 12, 1874, Emma Angwin, born in Michigan, September 30, 1855, daughter of Benjamin and Emily Angwin, of Frostburg, Maryland. Mr. Angwin is a miner, a Republican, and a member of the Methodist church. He and his wife are still living (1906), and have had a family of ten children. Mrs. McLuckie is a member of the Lutheran church. The children of Robert MeLuckie and his wife are: William A., born in Frostburg, Maryland, September 10, 1875, married Lula Schrock, is a carpenter by trade, and lives in Berlin, Pennsylvania. Margaret, born in Frostburg, Maryland, No- vember 10, 1876, died October 30, 1881. Benjamin, born in Frostburg, Maryland, April 10, 1878, married Ruth Miller, and is his father's assistant on the farm, where he resides; two children, Paul N., aged three, and Merle, aged one year. Es- tella, born January 5, 1880, educated in the public schools and is a graduate of Southwestern Normal College, of California, Pennsylvania. She teaches in public schools at Windber, Som- erset county, Pennsylvania. Mary B., born October 14, 1881, married Frederick Dively, a carpenter, and lives in Berlin, Pennsylvania; two children: Geneva, three years, and Olin, aged one year. Cora B., born January 29, 1883, married Ed- ward Miller, a cigarmaker, who lives in Berlin, Pennsylvania. Martha N., born September 29, 1884, lives at home with her parents. Robert L., born February 18, 1886, educated in the
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public and normal schools and in the Tri-State Business Col- lege at Cumberland, Maryland. He passed the civil service examination, took a six months' course of bookkeeping and stenography at the naval school, Brooklyn navy yard, and is now stenographer to Commander Sharpe, United States cruiser "Chattanooga." Elizabeth, born November 11, 1888, died September 26, 1889. Annie P., born July 17, 1890, is receiving her education in the public and normal schools. Emily, born July 13, 1892, attends school. James E., born April 27, 1894, died December 2, 1895. All the children, except the three older ones, were born in Brothers Valley township, and all are mem- bers of the Lutheran church. The sons who have reached the voting age are members of the Republican party.
CHARLES J. HEMMINGER, M. D.
Dr. Charles J. Hemminger, of Rockwood, was born 1873, in Somerset township, son of Cyrus Hemminger, who was born in 1848, in Somerset county, a descendant of German ancestors. Cyrus Hemminger received a common school education and made agriculture his life-work. He served his township as school director for three terms, was a Republican in politics, and held the faith of the Lutheran church. His wife was Mis- souri Barron, also of German descent, born in 1849, in Somer- set county.
Charles J. Hemminger, son of Cyrus and Missouri (Bar- ron) Hemminger, was educated in the common and normal schools, also Mt. Pleasant Academy. His professional train- ing was received at the Eclectic Medical Institute, Cincinnati. Ohio, from which he graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He is superintendent and half owner of the Rock- wood Electric Company. For one term (three years) he served as school director of Rockwood borough, during the erection of Rockwood school house. with signal ability, and is now (1906) councilman of borough. He is physician of the N. W. A .. ex- aminer for eleven old line insurance companies, prelate of the Knights of Pythias, and trustee of the T. O. O. F. In politics he is a Republican and in religious belief a Lutheran.
Dr. Hemminger married, December 31, 1898, Annie C. Berkey, a graduate of the high school. Mrs. Hemminger is the daughter of a farmer, both her parents being of German descent.
CHARLES W. KNEPPER.
Charles W. Knepper, of Berlin, is a great-grandson of John Knepper, who was of German descent, and was born in this country in 1765. He was a shoemaker by trade, and when a young man came to Somerset county and settled in Brothers Valley township. John Knepper married Anna Maria Gless-
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ner, and their children were: William, Jacob, John (of whom later), Lewis, Peter, Jonathan, George, Simon, Henry, Benja- min, Elizabeth (Mrs. Hauger), Catharine (Mrs. Hay), and Polly (Mrs. Haas). The eldest son, William, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died at the age of eighty-eight. The death of the father of the family occurred in 1817.
John Knepper, son of John and Anna Maria (Glessner) Knepper, was born in 1795, in Somerset county. He is entitled to the honor of having been the first Abolitionist in Brothers Valley township, and the only voter who cast his ballot for the free-soil candidate. John Knepper married Susan Stahl, who bore him the following children: John, Lewis J. (of whom later), David, Solomon, Sally (Mrs. Coleman), Elizabeth (Mrs. Graham), Rebecca, deceased (Mrs. Cover), and Polly (Mrs. Smith). Of these children, Solomon, born in 1820, was a minis- ter of the German Baptist church, and died in 1854. His son, John H. Knepper, railroad agent at Berlin, entered upon the ministry of the German Baptist church in 1880. John Knepper, the father, died in 1857.
Lewis J. Knepper, son of John and Susan (Stahl) Knep- per, whose biography appears on another page of this work, was twice married. His second wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Jonathan Walker, and their children were: Charles W., of whom later; Edward M., farmer of Brothers Valley township; Henry, died at the age of eleven years; and Emma, died at the age of two years and a half. After the death of her husband, in 1888, Mrs. Knepper retained the management of the home farm, which had been willed to her, and cultivated it successfully until 1905, when she sold it to her sons, Charles W. and Ed- ward M. She was a woman of great business ability, and under her management the estate was rendered safely and substan- tially profitable. Mrs. Knepper still resides on the farm.
Charles W. Knepper, son of Lewis J. and Elizabeth (Walker) Knepper, was born August 9, 1870, on the homestead, and received his education in the public schools. After his father's death he remained at home as his mother's assistant until his marriage, when he bought the George Schrock farm and worked it for five years. At the end of that time he sold the property to H. Mostoller and moved to his present farm, which he purchased in 1902. This farm consists of two hun- dred and eighteen acres, well stocked with good horses and cows and having an abundance of fruit of various kinds. Coal underlies the farm, Mr. Knepper retaining his ownership of the four-foot vein. In connection with the farm there is a large dairy. Mr. Knepper has recently purchased of his mother a half interest in the home farm. In taking the census of 1900 Mr. Knepper was made one of the enumerators. He is a Re-
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publican and a member of the German Baptist church, also be- longing to the Sunday school.
Mr. Knepper married, April 15, 1897, Eleanora Critchfield, and they are the parents of two children: Blanche C., aged seven; and Elizabeth M., aged five. Mrs. Knepper is a daugh- ter of Jacob C. Critchfield, a farmer of Milford township, where he also owned and operated a gristmill. He filled various town- ship offices, among them those of county commissioner, poor- house commissioner and school director. He was a Republican and a member of the Lutheran church. Mr. Critchfield married Mary Dull, and their children were: Oliver, farmer of Black township, married Rohama Knepper; John M., farmer of Mil- ford township, married Annie Hay; Louisa, wife of Jacob B. Critchfield, a lumberman of Rockwood; Minerva, wife of Ed- ward Hoover, ex-sheriff of Somerset county, lives at Somerset; William W., farmer of Milford township, married Sadie Brahm; Emma, widow of Watson Schrock, lives in Crete, Ne- braska; Edward S., connected with Doane College, Crete, Ne- braska, married Kate Ferman; Annie M., wife of Edward Spangler, policeman of Rockwood; Eleanora, born March 22, 1871, educated in public and normal schools of the county, taught one year in the Berlin schools and five years in the township schools previous to her marriage to Mr. Knepper. She is a member of the German Baptist church. Mrs. Critch- field, who was a member of the Lutheran church, died August 1, 1889, aged sixty-one, and the death of Mr. Critchfield occurred June 1, 1894, when he was sixty-five years old.
S. SYLVESTER HAY.
S. Sylvester Hay, of Berlin, is a great-grandson of Simon Hay, who was born April 18, 1742, in Germany, and in 1763 emigrated to the American colonies. His wife was Anna May and they were the parents of a large family. Simon Hay died February 3, 1804, and his widow passed away in April, 1863.
Peter S. Hay, son of Simon and Anna (May) Hay, was born April 18, 1790, and married Elizabeth Walker, born Sep- tember 30, 1794. Their children were: David, Michael, Philip (of whom later), Mary, Susanna, Elizabeth, Catharine, Peter, Valentine, and Caroline.
Philip Hay, son of Peter S. and Elizabeth (Walker) Hay, was born April 3, 1820, and married, February 5, 1846, Anna Olinger, born August 29, 1824. The following were their chil- dren: William P., S. Sylvester (of whom later), Hiram P., Peter S., Melissa, Clara A., P. Ephraim, Sarah, Luke, Ellen (deceased), and Mark (deceased). Mrs. Hay died October 27, 1868, and the death of Mr. Hay occurred August 15, 1902.
S. Sylvester Hay, son of Philip and Anna (Olinger) Hay,
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was born January 8, 1855, on the farm which he now owns, and was educated in the public schools. He began farming early in life, working for his father until his marriage. After that event he worked the home farm two years on shares, and in 1884 purchased it from his father. The estate consists of three hundred and fifteen acres and the improvements are extensive, including a brick house, barns and other buildings. There is a sugar camp of between eight hundred and nine hundred ves- sels, good orchards, and the farm is underlaid with coal, which is not being worked. The place is well stocked with good farm cattle, and in addition to being a stock raiser Mr. Hay is a stock buyer and feeder for the market, doing a large business. He is interested financially in the Citizens' National Bank of Meyersdale, the Economy Telephone Company, and in Ohio oil wells. Politically he is a Democrat, having cast his first presi- dential vote for Samuel J. Tilden. He is a member of the Mount Zion congregation of the Reformed church, which he has served as deacon and trustee. He is also interested in the Sunday school, of which he is treasurer.
Mr. Hay married, February 23, 1882, Alice, daughter of Joel Berkley, and they are the parents of one child, Edison M., born April 2, 1884, and educated in the public schools of the township, the Berlin Normal school and the Mercersburg Acad- emy, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania. He has chosen farming as his occupation. Mrs. Hay was born June 3, 1859, was educated in the public schools and is a member of the Reformed church.
EDWARD D. GLESSNER.
Edward D. Glessner, of Berlin, is a son of Tobias Glessner, whose sketch will be found on another page. There also will be found an extended account of the Glessner family in America. Edward D. Glessner was born March 2, 1865, on the home- stead in Stony Creek township, and obtained his education in the common and normal schools of the county. He worked on the farm for his father until the age of twenty-one, when he married, and for five years thereafter worked the farm on shares with his father. He then rented a farm from his father- in-law, which he cultivated for three years, and at the end of that time bought a farm of one hundred and ninety acres in Stony Creek township from his father, on which he made his home for the next nine years. This property he still owns and cultivates. The farm on which he now lives is the old home- stead farm of Cyrus H. Walker, in Brothers Valley township, which Mr. Glessner has recently purchased. It is a valuable property of two hundred acres, with fine improvements and well stocked with a good grade of farm animals. There are flourishing orchards of apple and other fruit trees and a sugar
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camp of four hundred vessels, there being also a camp of two hundred and fifty vessels on the Stony Creek farm. In addi- tion to the regular grain and hay farming, Mr. Glessner carries on an extensive dairy business, keeping several head of cattle for that purpose. The house and yard are beautifully shaded and make a delightful country home. In the sphere of politics Mr. Glessner supports the men and measures indorsed by the Democratic party. He is a member of the Reformed church, in which he served for several years as deacon, also teaching in the Sunday school.
Mr. Glessner married, January 17, 1886, Emma Bell Walker, and the following are their children: Leroy W., aged nineteen, educated in the common and normal schools, a mem- ber of the Reformed church, is now at home and assisting his father. Cyrus T., aged seventeen, educated in common and normal schools, has taught for two years in public schools. He is fitting himself for a profession at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, whither he will return after this year's teaching. He is a member of the Reformed church. Harry H., aged fifteen, at home, educated in common and nor- mal schools. Eleanor R., aged twelve, and Williard D., aged ten, attending school. Mrs. Glessner is a daughter of Cyrus H. and Elizabeth S. (Schrock) Walker, the former a farmer of Brothers Valley township, a Democrat and a member of the German Baptist church. He and his wife were the parents of the following children: Alice, wife of Daniel Schrock; Emma Bell, born March 14, 1867, educated in public schools, member of Reformed church and wife of Edward D. Glessner; Cath- arine, wife of Albert Cover, has two children, Paul and Leon; John Calvin, died in infancy. Mr. Walker died May 4, 1905, aged sixty-four years, and his widow, who is sixty-three and in good health, resides in Berlin.
JOHN F. REIMAN.
John F. Reiman, of. Berlin, is a great-grandson of Gottlieb Reiman, who was born in 1747, in Germany, and founded the family in Somerset county some time prior to 1768. His chil- dren were: John, George (of whom later), Charles, Mary, and Elizabeth. Gottlieb Reiman died in 1804.
George Reiman, son of Gottlieb Reiman, was born in 1768, married and removed to Shade township. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran church. Their children were: Mary, deceased; John, deceased; Henry; Elizabeth; Susannah, de- ceased; George, deceased; Samuel; Joseph; Jacob, of whom later; Sarah, and Lydia. George Reiman died in 1834 and his wife in 1855.
Jacob Reiman, son of George Reiman, was born July 1,
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1813. He was a farmer. He was formerly a Whig, later identi- fying himself with the Republicans. He and his wife were members of the German Baptist church. Mr. Reiman married, November 4, 1838, Elizabeth, born in November, 1817, in Elk Lick township, daughter of Christian and Susan Fike, and their children were: Samuel F., deceased; John F., of whom later; Tobias, deceased; Moses and Elizabeth, died in childhood; Susan, and Jeremiahı J. The death of Mrs. Reiman occurred in 1889 and that of Mr. Reiman in 1891.
Jolın F. Reiman, son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Fike) Reiman, was born February 5, 1843, in Stony Creek township, and received his preparatory education in the common schools. Later he attended the Somerset Normal school, where he quali- fied himself for the profession of teaching, which he followed for three years in the schools of the county. At the age of twenty-three he married and bought a farm from Christian Schrock, on which he has since resided. The estate consists of two hundred and ten acres of good farm land, with the excep- tion of about twenty-five acres which are timber. There is an abundance of fruit, both apples and peaches. The improve- ments are modern and were made by the present owner. Stock, grain and hay are the products of the farm, and it is supplied with good breeds of horses and cattle. The house was built in 1848, rebuilt in 1893, and the barn in 1877. Mr. Reiman has served as school director and auditor, and is the present nomi- nee for poor farm director. He is a Republican in politics. He is a deacon of the German Baptist church and a member and former teacher of the Sunday school.
Mr. Reiman married, March 10, 1866, Sarah Schrock, and their children are: Milton S., born August 13, 1867, died De- cember 7, 1879; Emma S., born May 18, 1869, wife of Allen Mostoller, farmer of Stony Creek township, has one child, Orpha ; Cora M., born July 21, 1872, wife of A. A. Miller, farmer of Jefferson township, has five sons : Lloyd J., Harry, Elmer, Galen and Maurice; Lizzie B., born December 22, 1873, wife of U. S. Lehman, farmer on the farm adjoining the homestead; they had three children: Elsie, John and Verda, all deceased; Harvey G., born August 2, 1877, died February 25, 1880; Jacob C., born September 21, 1880, educated in common and normal schools, taught one year, and in 1903 bought his father's farm, where he now resides, his parents making their home with him; he married, April 16, 1903, Annie, daughter of Solomon M. and Mary Knepper, the former a farmer of Milford township; they have one child, Howard K., born February 16, 1906; a daughter who died in infancy. June 21, 1884.
Mrs. Reiman is a daughter of Jacob C. and Catharine (Horner) Schrock, who were married about 1835. Mr. Schrock
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was a Republican. He and his wife were members of the Ger- man Baptist church. Their children were: George, married Susan Musser, and after her death Elizabeth Meyer, of Somer- set; John, farmer of Somerset township, married Susan Miller; Israel, farmer at Friedens, married Annie Walker; Joseph, married Sarah Beachley and died in Iowa; Mary, wife of Daniel Beachley, retired farmer living at Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Sarah, born June 10, 1844, educated in public schools, member of the German Baptist church, and wife of John F. Reiman; Catharine, wife of Emmanuel Blough, retired farmer of Som- erset township; Rebecca, wife of J. J. Reiman; Anna, deceased, wife of William Platt.
JOSEPH REITZ,
Joseph Reitz, of Roxbury, is a son of Hartman Reitz, who was born in 1805, in Germany, and was by trade a miller. At the age of thirty he came to the United States, having pre- viously served in the German army, as required by law. He settled in Stony Creek township, Somerset county, on the mill property now owned by his son Joseph. It is probable that for one hundred and fifty years a gristmill has stood on this site, the present structure being the second erected on the prop- erty, having been built about 1805 by Speicher & Musser. There is a fair water-power, but the mill is worked chiefly by steam. Mr. Reitz was a Whig, but later became a Republican. He and his second wife were members of the Lutheran church.
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