USA > Pennsylvania > Bedford County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 28
USA > Pennsylvania > Somerset County > History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania, with genealogical and personal history > Part 28
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Hartman Reitz married a Miss Grindlesparger, who bore him two children : John C., of Rockwood, married Mary Keefer; and Conrad Z. married Elizabeth Keller and lives in Iowa. After the death of the mother of these children, Mr. Reitz mar- ried, in 1845, Sarah Geiger, and by this marriage became the father of the following children: Elanora, wife of Oliver Spangler, of Colorado; Hartman H., miller and lumberman of Elk Liek township, married Mary Foust; Elizabeth, wife of Gabriel Engle, of Westmoreland county; Joseph, of whom later; William, for twenty years a miller of Somerset, now of Ohio, married Emma Stoner; Henry A., grain broker of Johns- town, married Lizzie Foust; Jacob J., miller of Elton, Penn- sylvania, married Ella Stull, and after her death Sadie Landis; Daniel, millwright and inventor of milling machinery, mar- ried Emma Musser, and died in 1899 in Berlin. Two other children died in infancy. The death of Mr. Reitz occurred in 1882, when he was seventy-seven years old, and his widow passed away in 1892, at the age of seventy-two.
Joseph Reitz, son of Hartman and Sarah (Geiger) Reitz, was born April 20, 1853, on the farm and mill property on the Glade road, near Roxbury, in Stony Creek township, and re-
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ceived his education in the public schools. His first occupation was working in a sawmill, where he remained three years. He then went to Wellersburg, where he was employed in the grist and flour mill, but after a time went to Canton, Ohio, and thence to Iowa, where he spent one summer. He then returned and worked with his father in the gristmill, learning the trade of a miller, and in 1885 became by purchase the owner of the mill, which he has since continuously operated. In 1882, on the occasion of his marriage, he moved into the house which is still his home. The farm connected with the mill consists of about fifty acres, with two dwelling-houses and a fine barn, built by Mr. Reitz in 1896. Fruit of all kinds abounds and there is a sugar camp of five hundred vessels, producing about fifteen hundred pounds annually. The farm is well stocked, and though small, is productive. Mr. Reitz was formerly a Repub- lican, but is now a Prohibitionist. He is a member of the Rox- bury Lutheran church, in which he serves as deacon and super- intendent of the Sunday school, having formerly held the office of trustee.
Mr. Reitz married, February 16, 1882, Laura Long, and their children are as follows: Eva B., born March 6, 1883, edu- cated in common and normal schools, has taught for three years in public schools of township, lives at home, member of the Lutheran church; Walter L., born April 24, 1888, educated in common and normal schools, now teaching in Southampton township, member of the Lutheran church; Grace, born Decem- ber 15, 1890, died at the age of three years and six months; Pearl E. and Nevin (twins), born August 28, 1893; the former attends school and the latter died at the age of six months; Ethel, born May 15, 1903. Two other children died in infancy. Mrs. Reitz is a daughter of Michael and Lavinia Long, of Wel- lersburg, the former a land agent and for thirty years justice of the peace. He and his wife were members of the Evangelical church. Their children are: Alexander, of Wellersburg; Laura, born January 2, 1857, educated in Wellersburg schools, member of Evangelical church, now the wife of Joseph Reitz; Bella, wife of Jesse Cook, of Wellersburg; William; and two daughters who died in infancy. Mr. Long died December 28, 1894, aged seventy-three, and his widow, who resides in Wel- lersburg, is in good health and active at the age of seventy-five.
LUTHER J. HILLEGASS.
The Hillegass family can be traced back to an ancestry living in France near the German border. They afterward set- tled in Germany, and at an early period came to the United States. The first treasurer of the United States was Michael Hillegass, from whom the Somerset family claim descent.
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Luther J. Hillegass, of Berlin, is a grandson of Jacob Hillegass, who was born November 2, 1777, and was a farmer of Bedford county. He married Annie M. B. Halbert, who was born February 4, 1787. Mr. Hillegass died February 9, 1848, and his widow survived until May 31, 1864.
Jacob B. Hillegass, son of Jacob and Annie M. B. (Hal- bert) Hillegass, was born May 18, 1818, and lived as a farmer in Bedford county until 1859, when he moved to Somerset county. In 1881 he returned to Bedford county and took up his abode in New Buena Vista, where he passed the remainder of his days in retirement. For several terms he filled the office of school director. In politics he was first a Whig and later a Republican. He and his wife were members of the Reformed church, in which for a long period he served continuously as deacon and elder.
Mr. Hillegass married, October 17, 1843, Esther Ann, born February 23, 1824, daughter of James A. Burns, of Burns' Mills, Bedford county. Mr. Burns was a Democrat and for several years was associate judge of Bedford county, and served two terms in the legislature. His father, James Burns, lived to the extraordinary age of one hundred and one years. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Hillegass consisted of the follow- ing children: James A., born September 8, 1844, farmer of Allegheny township, married Catharine A. Kimmel, has ten children; William H., born February 23, 1847, farmer of Alle- gheny township, married Sarah Glessner, has fourteen chil- dren; Calvin B., born February 19. 1849, lives with his brothers, James A. and William H .; Cyrus P., born February 13, 1851, died March 31, 1852; Henrietta H., born November 23, 1853, wife of Samuel G. Walker, farmer of Allegheny township, has four children; Luther J., of whom later; Harry T., born No- vember 23, 1862, lives in Chicago; Annie M. B., born February 22, 1864, wife of Irvin Taylor, farmer near New Paris, Bedford county, has four children. The mother of these children died May 31, 1865. Mr. Hillegass married (second), January 16, 1868, Louisa Mortimore, who died May 22, 1891; no issue. Mr. Hillegass died May 4, 1891.
Luther J. Hillegass, son of Jacob B. and Esther Ann (Burns) Hillegass, was born January 19, 1859, on a farm at Burns' Mills, Juniata township, Bedford county, and was edu- cated in the public schools of Somerset county and at the Berlin Normal school. His first occupation was teaching in the public schools of Somerset and Bedford counties, where he remained four years, and for the two years following cultivated a farm in Allegheny township. He then removed to Stony Creek town- ship, where he bought and settled on the farm which has since
Vol. III 17
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been his home. This property consists of one hundred and eighteen acres and includes a neighboring tract of thirty-six acres. There is an abundance of fruit of various kinds and there is also a sugar camp of five hundred vessels. The farm horses are nearly all pure-blooded Percherons, and the cattle are short-horns. Coal underlies the farm, in which Mr. Hille- gass retains the right, with the exception of the B vein, which has been sold. All the buildings have been erected since the property was purchased by the present owner, the barn having been built in 1886 and the house in 1903. A fine spring fur- nishes both structures a plentiful supply of running water. Mr. Hillegass raises a great deal of stock, using for the pur- pose a farm of two hundred acres which he owns in Allegheny township. About thirty head of cattle are constantly grazing there. He has served two terms as school director. He is a Republican in politics. He and his wife are members of the Reformed church, which he has served as deacon. He has re- cently been re-elected elder of the Roxbury congregation.
Mr. Hillegass married, August 12, 1880, Mary E., born February 26, 1861, daughter of Tobias and Caroline (Walker) Glessner, and educated in the township schools. Mr. and Mrs. Hillegass are the parents of the following children: Robert T., born October 30, 1881, educated in common and normal schools, taught five years in Stony Creek township, where he now culti- vates his own farm; Republican and member of Reformed church; married Harriet Stutzman; they have one child, Jacob L., born October 24, 1905. J. Howard, born March 12, 1882, educated in public schools, resides in Pittsburg; Republican and member of Reformed church. John G., born February 3, 1885, educated in common and normal schools, taught two years, attended Pennsylvania Business College; is now bookkeeper for Westinghouse Company; Republican and member of Re- formed church. George A., born July 9, 1888, educated in common and normal schools, lives at home, member of Re- formed church. Nellie B., born September 10, 1889, at home, educated in common and normal schools, member of Reformed church. Henrietta W., born May 14, 1891, attending school, member of Reformed church. Harry H., born April 17, 1893, attending school. Mary E., born March 11, 1895. Annie P., born October 18, 1896. Ross L., born October 15, 1898. Alvin H., born May 13, 1900. Nevin S., born August 18, 1902. Lester C., born October 7, 1904. It is a noteworthy fact that every member of this large family is in perfect health, and that the circle has never yet been broken by death.
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HENRY J. CHRISTNER.
Henry J. Christner, a merchant of West Salisbury, is de- scended from ancestors who were among the early settlers of Elk Lick township. His grandfather and father were both Joseph Christner, the latter a native of Somerset county and a farmer. He was a German Baptist. He was a Democrat for forty years before his death, at the age of eighty-four. He married Mary Keim, by whom he had twelve children, all living in 1906 but three. Mary (Keim) Christner died at the age of fifty-three.
Henry J. Christner, third son of Joseph Christner, was born September 17, 1853, in Elk Lick township, and until the age of nineteen attended the public schools for a term of three months annually. He assisted his father in the labors of the farm and in the management of the sawmill until 1875, and then for a short time was employed by the neighboring farmers. Afterward he worked in the mines until 1887, when he again sought and found employment among the farmers. In 1903, in company with his wife, he bought the grocery and feed busi- ness of Joseph Patton, of West Salisbury, and has since car- ried on the business at that place. Since 1904 he has held the office of assistant postmaster of West Salisbury, and for one term served as assessor of Elk Liek township. He is an ad- herent of the Democratic party and a member of the Reformed church.
Mr. Christner married Charlotte Wagner, daughter of Peter Wagner, of Elk Lick township, and they are the parents of three children: Florence Ruth (Mrs. Frank Argenbright), Harry Buford, and Herbert Engene.
DANIEL LIVENGOOD.
Daniel Livengood, of Elk Liek, is one of the numerous de- seendants of the Rev. Peter Livengood, who came from Ger- man Switzerland and settled in Elk Liek township a century and a half ago. One of his sons, John Livengood, was the father of Samuel P. Livengood. a farmer of Elk Lick township, where he was born.
Jacob S. Livengood, son of Samuel P. Livengood, was born in 1816, in Elk Lick township, and was a farmer and cooper. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Miller, of the same township, having moved thither from the east shortly after the Revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs. Livengood were the parents of the following children: Barbara, Archibald, Jonas, Sarah, Elijah (see forward), Savilla, Elizabeth, Mahlon, Eliza, Lydia, Harriet, Harvey, and John.
Elijah Livengood, son of Jacob S. and Elizabeth (Miller)
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Livengood, was born April 5, 1848, on the old homestead. in Elk Lick township, where he attended the public schools until his sixteenth year. During the Civil war he enlisted in Com- pany K, Fifth Regiment, Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, and participated in a number of engagements. On June 29, 1865, he was honorably discharged from the service. After his re- turn home he was employed by his father until 1869, when he rented his father-in-law's farm, remaining there until 1872. He then purchased the property and has ever since made it his home. He is largely interested in timber land, both in Penn- sylvania and Maryland, where he operates a mill near Grants- ville. He holds the office of auditor, is a Republican and a member of the German Baptist church. Mr. Livengood mar- ried, October 17, 1872, Caroline, daughter of Henry Yoder, of Elk Lick township, and they are the parents of the following children: Henry, Elizabeth, Joseph, Abraham, and Daniel, see forward.
Daniel Livengood, son of Elijah and Caroline (Yoder) Livengood, was born October 12, 1884, in Elk Lick township, where he received his preparatory education in the public schools. At the age of fifteen he entered Juniata College, Hunt- ingdon, Pennsylvania, graduating therefrom in 1902. For one year he taught in the schools of his native township, and was then employed for a time as clerk in a drug store, after which he took a course in Grand Rapids Veterinary School. On June 1, 1904, he helped found the West Salisbury Feed Com- pany, which was organized with the following board of officers: President, Richard Newman; secretary and manager, Daniel W. Livengood.
Mr. Livengood married, December 26, 1905, Mabel, daugh- ter of Hiram Miller, of Meyersdale. Mabel was born October 10, 1885; graduated from Juniata College, class of 1904.
SIMON S. MILLER.
Simon S. Miller, of Springs, Elk Lick township, traces his ancestry to John Miller, who moved to Somerset county from Berks county, Pennsylvania. The next in line of descent was Jacob Miller, born in Elk Lick township, Somerset county, re- moved to Ohio in 1808-09. His son, Benedict Miller, born in Elk Lick township, November 19, 1781, died in June, 1837. He was a farmer and carpenter. He married Catharine, daughter of Peter Bitsche, who came from Switzerland in 1754 and set- tled in Elk Lick township, and their children were: Henry, Peter, William, Salome, Catharine, Joel (see forward), Su- sanna, Elizabeth, Benedict, Barbara, Moses and Jacob.
Joel Miller, son of Benedict and Catharine (Bitsche) Mil- ler, was born March 27, 1811, in Allegheny county, Maryland,
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and like his father was a farmer and carpenter, adding to these callings that of a blacksmith. His wife was Catharine Brenne- man, born April 5, 1813, in Germany, and came to the United States in 1828. Their children were: Samuel J., see forward; Daniel J., born December 19, 1836, married Lucretia Fuller; Elias J., born February 21, 1839, married Nancy Miller; Eliza- beth, born August 17, 1841, wife of Elias Hershbarger; Mary, born 1843, wife of Emmanuel Hershberger; Joel J., born De- cember 14, 1844, married Savilla Beachy; Catharine, born March 14, 1848, wife of Elias M. Miller; Christian J., born November 18, 1850, married Barbara Gnagey; Lydia, born March 25, 1853, died January 30, 1856; and Anna, born Feb- ruary 1, 1858, wife of John D. Yoder.
Samuel J. Miller, son of Joel and Catharine (Brenneman) Miller, was born November 23, 1834, in Elk Lick township, and was all his life devoted to agricultural pursuits. He married, November 15, 1854, Magdalena, daughter of Christian Swartz- endruber, of Elk Lick township, and their children were: Jacob S., born August 12, 1855, married Anna Beachy; Elias S., born June 14, 1858, married Catharine Beachy; Simon S., see for- ward; Amanda, born October 12, 1864, wife of Daniel Beachy; and Lucy, born February 20, 1876, wife of Moses Beachy. Mr. S. J. Miller died September 16, 1906; his wife died May, 1892.
Simon S. Miller, son of Samuel J. and Magdalena (Swartz- endruber) Miller, was born March 2, 1862, on the farm on which he now lives, in Elk Liek township, and attended the pub- lic schools until the age of nineteen. He worked for his father on the homestead until 1887, when he became by purchase the owner of the farm. He was engaged in the retail coal business from 1887 to June 30, 1905, when he leased his coal to E. O. F. Stotler, of Meyersdale, and the works are now operated under the name of the Meyersdale Fuel Company. He has served two terms as school director, is a Republican, and a member of the Amish Mennonite church, in which since 1902 he has held the office of treasurer.
Mr. Miller married Lydia, daughter of Daniel Beachy, of Aurora, West Virginia, and their children are: Anselm, Allan, Essie, Anna, Earle, Claude, and Ernest.
GEORGE WASHINGTON GOHN COBAUGH.
George W. G. Cobaugh, a prosperous and enterprising farmer of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, was there born on the old Cobaugh homestead, November 6, 1877, the son of Daniel P. and Nancy C. (Gohn) Cobaugh, both natives of Som- erset county.
(I) Frederick Cobaugh, a native of France, settled in this
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country at Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1783, when the country was thiekly wooded, and save for the presence of Indians and wild animals an almost unbroken solitude. Purchasing a tract of land, he engaged in farming. which pursuit he followed for the remainder of his active life. He was the father of six children, three sons and three daugh- ters, and lived to the advanced age of eighty years.
(II) John Cobaugh, eldest son of Frederick Cobaugh, was a native of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, born in March, 1788, died January, 1874. He went to Somerset county about 1805, and there settled on a farm in Somerset township, two and a half miles north of the town of Somerset, which is now owned by George W. G. Cobaugh. John Cobaugh married Rebecca Good, who lived to be eighty years of age, and by whom he had two children, viz .: George and Sarah (Mrs. Lichty).
(III) George Cobaugh, son of John and Rebecca (Good) Cobaugh, was born July 11, 1816, on his father's farm. He followed the quiet but useful occupation of a farmer, working on his father's farm until 1881, when he purchased a farm nearer Somerset, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was a highly successful farmer, and at the time of his death, March 23, 1902, owned about a thousand acres of good farm- ing land. He married, March 31, 1838, Louisa Emert, who was born in 1815 and died 1886. She was the daughter of John and Susan (Zimmerman) Emert. Mr. and Mrs. George Cobaugh had two sons, John E. and Daniel P.
(IV) John E. Cobaugh, son of George and Louisa (Emert) Cobaugh, was born February 24, 1839. He served as a private in the Civil war in Company A, Tenth Pennsylvania Regiment of Volunteers. May 5, 1864, near Richmond, Virginia, in the battle of the Wilderness, he was wounded, and was taken to Fredericksburgh, where he died May 19, 1864, his last words being, "I am ready; all is well."
(IV) Daniel P. Cobaugh, younger son of George and Louisa (Emert) Cobaugh, and father of George W. G. Cobaugh, was born November 3, 1845, on the homestead farm near Som- crset. He obtained a good education in the common schools of his native place, and engaged for some years in school teach- ing. After relinquishing the occupation of a teacher, he en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, which line of work he followed for the remainder of his working life.
November 27, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Nancy C. Gohn, who was born October 27, 1857, the daughter of George L. and Christiana (Hoffman) Gohn. George L. Gohn was born February 19, 1822. He is a very good teamster, an occupation which he followed for a number of years, during that time being the owner of excellent horses. He served for
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one year in the Civil war. About thirty years of his life were spent on a farm situated about three miles north of Somerset, and he is now living a retired life in the town of Somerset. November 12, 1855, he married Christiana Hoffman, daughter of John and Nancy (Noftsinger) Hoffman. By this union one child was born, Nancy C., who became the wife of Daniel P. Cobaugh. Mr. and Mrs. Cobaugh have children as follows: Lulu C., died July 1, 1878; George W. G., of whom later; Bruce U. P., born May S, 1881; received a high school education and taught in the public schools several years; he then took a four years' course in the Gettysburg College, graduating in June, 1905, and is now associated with the Gettysburg College as as- sistant instructor in chemistry; John E. H., born October 3, 1883. obtained a common school education and follows the oc- cupation of a farmer. Daniel P. Cobaugh, the father of the above named children, died September 28, 1897.
George W. G. Cobaugh, second child and eldest son of Daniel P. and Nancy C. (Gohn) Cobaugh, received his educa- tion in the common schools of his native place, and after leav- ing school adopted the vocation of his forefathers, that of a farmer, and lives on the farm that has been in the Cobaugh family for four generations. In 1903 he purchased Meadow Brook farm, which contains one hundred and forty-eight acres of well-located land, and one hundred and thirty perches, which contains sixty acres of rich creek bottom land, which, when drained, makes the finest kind of farming land in this part of the country, and which is now in a good state of cultivation. Mr. Cobaugh is in every way adapted to the life of a farmer, and has a strong liking for this occupation. It is his aim to make old "Meadow Brook" farm one of the centers of attrac- tion and agriculture in the county, and it bids fair to become such. George Cobaugh comes of a sturdy, long-lived race, who lived lives of sobriety, industry and honesty. Coming and set- tling in Somerset county when it was little more than an un- cultivated wilderness, they with characteristic energy and de- termination applied themselves to the task of clearing and cultivating land, and assisting in the general upbuilding of the county, little dreaming of the mines that are now in operation there or the farmers' telphone lines that exist at the present day.
A Republican by inheritance and convictions, Mr. Cobaugh is interested in all party affairs, and is willing and anxious to lend his assistance to any enterprise that will tend to advance the interest and progress of the community. He holds member- ship in the Highland Grange, No. 879, P. of H., and has been an office holder in this society ; member of the American Society of Equity. In church relations he affiliates with the Evangelical
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faith. At the age of fifteen he joined the Evangelical Associa- tion, or Albright church, but when the schism occurred he held to the new side and is now a member of the United Evangelical church, of which he is class leader, Sunday school superin- tendent and secretary of the board of trustees.
September 27, 1899, he married Miss Anna Bertha Tospon, at the home of her parents, about five miles from Somerset. She was born June 4, 1882, the daughter of Augustus H. and Lizzie ( Wessel) Tospon. On the paternal side she is descended from Daniel Tospon, a native of Saxony, Germany, who was born in 1810 and died May 10, 1880. He came to the United States in 1851 and settled in Somerset county, near Bakers- ville. He was a weaver of fine linen in Germany and followed that occupation in this country. His wife was Caroline Bixon, by whom he had children as follows: Henry, William (both of whom served in the Civil war), Mary, Augustus H., John.
Augustus H., fourth child and third son of Daniel and Caro- line (Bixon) Tospon, was born in Saxony, Germany, August 5, 1849. He was about a year and a half old when he came here with his parents, and followed the occupation of farming throughout his active working life. He married, March 21, 1871, Miss Lizzie Wessel, and their children were: William H., John W., Caroline E., Frank B., Anna B. (Mrs. Cobaugh), Estelle P., and Harry A. Augustus H. died September 24, 1903. Mrs. Cobaugh's maternal grandfather was John Fred- erick Wessel, who was also a native of Saxony, Germany. He was a tailor by trade in the old country, and coming to the United States settled near Berlin in Somerset county. He was married in Germany to Caroline Rowls, who was born March 29, 1819, and died April 20, 1890. By her the following children were born: Hannah, Margaret, Lizzie, Susan, Charles and Frederick. Of these Lizzie became the wife of Augustus H. Tospon, and Margaret, Charles and Frederick are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. George W. G. Cobaugh are the parents of chil- dren as follows: Elizabeth Catherine, born December 5, 1900, on the farm then owned by George L. Gohn, near Somerset; Harry William Harte, born October 7, 1902, a mile and a quar- ter north of Somerset, on a farm owned by George Cobaugh, Sr.
SAMUEL D. GLOTFELTY.
The family of which Samuel D. Glotfelty, of Elk Lick, is a representative, is of Swiss origin. In the opinion of Professor Dandliker, a well-known historian of Zurich, Switzerland, the patronymic was undoubtedly derived from Feld-der-Glatt, a branch of the Rhine, on the banks of which was the small town of Glattfelden. The original orthography of the name was Glattfelder.
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