USA > Pennsylvania > Cambria County > History of Cambria County, Pennsylvania, Volume III > Part 43
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WILLIAM J. KUNTZ, one of the leading business men and a well known citizen of Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, is a representative of a family which has been resident in the state of Penn- sylvania, for a number of generations.
Joseph Kuntz, father of William J. Kuntz, was born at Stoves- town, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1828, son of Marx and (Elizabeth) Kuntz. Joseph was by occupation a carpenter and builder, a trade which he followed successfully for fifty years, re- tiring from active business life fifteen years ago. He married Sarah A. Jacoby, born in Stonycreek township, May 2, 1830, died December 10, 1898, and had children: 1. Susan M., married George Stevenson. 2. Mar- garet, deceased. 3. Henry J., married Mary Degman. 4. Ephraim M., unmarried. 5. Mary A., married Moses Alwine. (See Moses Alwine sketch.) 6. Sarah M., married James Cullen. 7. Lucy, married Lloyd Stine. S. William J., see forward. 9. Charles F., unmarried. 10. Wal- ter D., married Elizabeth Glass. 11. Carrie E., married Charles V. Raab. 12. May, married William Murray.
William J. Kuntz, third son and eighth child of Joseph and Sarah A. (Jacoby) Kuntz, was born in Johnstown, Cambria county, Penn-
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sylvania, May 3, 1864. His education was obtained in the common schools of his native town, and he then attended the Iron City College of Pittsburg, from which he was graduated March 23, 1887. He im- mediately entered into business in Johnstown in the contracting and building lines, and has been connected with that branch of industry since that time. The firm which was formerly known as E. M. Kuntz & Brother, was later changed to Kunt & Alwine, under which name it now exists. They are well and favorably known in Johnstown and its vicinity, and have an enviable reputation for reliability and strict at- tention to all details. Mr. Kuntz is a member of the Lutheran church, and a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. He is president of the Citizens' Coal Company, and of the Operators' Coal Company, and is a member of Cambria Lodge, No. 278, Free and Accepted Masons. He married, November 21, 1889, Elizabeth C. Bole, daughter of Isaac C. and Christina (Gochnour) Bole, and they have three children: Ethel V., born October 25, 1890; Roy J., July 8, 1894; and Joseph E., July 25, 1903.
EMIL C. ROTH, of the firm of John Ludwig & Son, wholesale liquor dealers of Johnstown, was born March 1, 1859, in Baltimore, Mary- land, son of Christopher Roth, born July 2, 1826, at Geln-Hausen, Hessen-Nassau, Germany, and spent two years of his life in the mili- tary service of his native country, serving at one time in the royal guard of William, then king of Prussia, afterward emperor of Germany.
Christopher Roth emigrated to the United States in 1850, settling in Baltimore, where he worked at the carpenter's trade. He went to Pittsburg shortly before the period of the Civil war, upon the outbreak of which he enlisted in Company B, Eighty-second Regiment Pennsyl- vania Volunteers, under Captain William Knapp, a Philadelphia regi- ment. He served throughout the entire conflict (three years and four months in all), his commanders being Mcclellan and other great leaders, and was present at Bull Run, Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Antietam, Fred- ericksburg, Charlottesburg, Gettysburg, Rappahannock, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and many other great battles. He was once taken prisoner and for six months was in the custody of the Confederates. At the close of the war he returned to Pittsburg, and until 1872 was employed by the well-known firm of the Flemings of that city. In 1873 he moved with his family to Johnstown, where he entered the service of the Cambria Iron Company, working in the capacity of patternmaker until the great flood of 1889, when he retired from active labor. He was a member of the Liederkranz, a German singing society of Pittsburg.
Christopher Roth married Dorothy Friend, born in Germany, July 2. 1823, died September 9, 1901, and their children were: Catharine, wife of Christopher Ripple; children, Emma, Lena, Lizzie, Florence, Karl and William. Emma, wife of William Liebschner, of East Liver- pool, Ohio; children, William, Emily, Karl, Emma, Tilly and Annie. Herman, died in infancy. Emil C., of whom later.
Emil C. Roth, son of Christopher and Dorothy (Friend) Roth, re- ceived his education in the public schools of Pittsburg, and at an early age evinced considerable talent for music, pursuing his studies on the violin with great earnestness. At thirteen he was a member of the or- chestra at the Grand Opera House, and played the violin at the Saenger- fest in Allegheny City. About this time his musical studies were in- terrupted by the removal of the family to Johnstown, where he was ent-
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ployed in the dry goods department of Wood & Morrell, finding little time thereafter to devote to music. He remained with Wood & Morrell until 1886, when he engaged in business for himself, opening a dry goods store in Clinton street, and conducting it successfully until the flood, when, like many others, he lost everything. Soon after he established a new business in temporary quarters in the park buildings erected by the flood commission, and there conducted it until those structures were torn down, when he returned to Clinton street and opened a dry goods store on the site of his former place of business. He remained there un- til the panic of 1894, when he was obliged to close the business, after which he became connected with the firm of John Ludwig & Son.
For some time Mr. Roth taught music and played in the orchestra of the Johnstown Opera House. He continues to take great interest in music and has participated in many of the concerts given in Johnstown. He is still a member of the Germania Quartette Club, and also belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Turners. In politics he is a staneh Democrat, and an active worker and leader in the af- fairs of the organization among the German element of Johnstown. He is a member of the German Lutheran church.
Mr. Roth has been twice married. By his first wife, Katie, daugh- ter of Christopher Kreger, of Johnstown, he had two children: Emil ; and Florence, wife of Charles Emmerling, one daughter, Katherine. By his second wife, Annie M., daughter of John Ludwig, he has one son, Herman L. The genealogy of the Ludwig family is given elsewhere in this work.
GEORGE R. COOK, a well known and popular dentist of Johns- town, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, represents in the present genera- tion a family which settled in Pennsylvania a number of years ago.
His great-great-grandfather, George Cook, was born near Harris- burg, Pennsylvania, January 10, 1760, died near Wellersburg, Pennsyl- vania, March 7, 1850, buried in White Oak Church cemetery.
His great-grandfather, Jacob Cook, born near Wellersburg, Penn- sylvania, January 31. 1285, died in the vieinity of his birth place, Au- gust 26, 1864, buried in Cook's cemetery.
His grandfather, Jesse Cook, born near Wellersburg, Pennsylvania, December 6, 1818, died in that vicinity, May 17, 1893, buried in Cook's cemetery. He married Elizabeth Hoyman, born near Wellersburg, Penn- sylvania, July 27, 1818, died in that vicinity, August 27, 1900, buried in Cook's cemetery. Their children were: Josiah, born November 21, 1840. Catharine, July 16, 1842. Jonas M., November 8, 1843. Edward L., March 25, 1845. Martha E., February 8, 1847. Simon, June 22, 1848, deceased. William H., December 15, 1851. Jesse J., Septem- ber 18, 1856. Elizabeth and Alice (twins), October 10, 1858.
Edward L. Cook, father of George R. Cook, was a resident of Som- erset county, and married Delia Brubaker. Their children were: Frank B., unmarried. George R., see forward. Howard C., married Mary Marsh, and has three children : Margaret, Josephine, and Leroy. Marian. married Emil Young, and has two children : Edward and Richard. Emma G., unmarried.
George R. Cook, second son and child of Edward L. and Delia (Brubaker) Cook, was born in Berlin, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, October 27. 1872. His early education was acquired in the public schools of his native township, and later he attended Rowe College, from which he was graduated in 1896. He then matriculated at the Dental College
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of Pennsylvania, from which he was graduated in 1899. He removed to Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, in 1892, opened a dental office there, but remained only a short time, when he removed to Johnstown, where he has since that time been located. He opened an office on Washington street, where he has pleasant and commodious quarters, and where he enjoys a large and lucrative patronage. He has become justly popular in his profession, as his work will compare favorably with the best in the country. He is a member of the C. N. Pierce Dental Society, and of Apollo Lodge, No. 386, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Apollo.
Mr. Cook married, October 1, 1902, Curta L. Peelor, daughter of James M. and Lyda (Dithridge) Peelor, and one of three children : John, William and Curta L. The children of George R. and Curta L. (Peelor) Cook are: Edward, born July 28, 1903. George, Jr., May 18, 1905.
WILLIAM WARREN DEMPSEY, proprietor of an extensive whole- sale lumber business in the city of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was born near Foustwell, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1862, son of William and Mary (Frayne) Dempsey. The grandparents were Will- iam and (Livingstone) Dempsey.
The father, William Dempsey, was born in Conemaugh township, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1822. and died December 15, 1880. By trade he was a blacksmith. In politics he was a Whig, and later an ardent Republican. He was a member of the United Breth- ern church, in which he took an active part, and was considered a leader in all church work. He was buried at Hooversville, Pennsylvania. He married Mary Frayne, born in Paint township, Somerset county, Penn- sylvania, September 26, 1826, who was the daughter of George Frayne and wife: he came from York county, Pennsylvania, when a young man and married a Berkebile. She is still living at the advanced age of past eighty years. Their children were: Samuel, of Hooversville, Pennsyl- vania; Joseph, of Logansport, Indiana; Sarah, married Jacob Living- stone, and is now deceased; Henry, deceased; William W., the subject ; Louisa, wife of George Beaver, of Hooversville: Ella, wife of Harry Mowery, residing near Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
William W. Dempsey was educated at the public schools and county normal schools of Somerset county. When a mere boy he taught school three years, and clerked in a store at Hooversville two years, after which he came to Johnstown when aged twenty years, and was in the employ of W. J. Rose & Sons for sixteen years, after which he engaged in the wholesale lumber trade at Johnstown. The date was January 1, 1898; and he is still thus engaged. His business has grown to large propor- tions, and now he enjoys a trade extending over a large territory, includ- ing all the adjoining states and as far east as Boston and west to Michi- gan. He purchases all of his stock, some of which comes from the state of Washington and some from Florida. For a time he was his own salesman on the road, and was highly successful at such work. He is now kept busy in his offices, with many men in his employ. He is also interested as a stockholder in the Warn Lumber company, a corporation of West Virginia: and is a stockholder in and one of the original stock- holders of the Johnstown Trust Company. His present residence is on Ohio street, in the beautiful suburb of Moxham, this property being the former residence of the founder of the place, A. J. Moxham. In politics Mr. Dempsey is not a strict partisan, but reserves the right to support
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the men he deems best suited for office, but generally speaking votes with the Republican party. During the early part of 1887, he became associ- ated with the United Brethren church (Vine street), where his member- ship is still held.
He was united in marriage at Somerset, Pennsylvania, July 22, 1886, to Bertha E. Young, a daughter of John A. and Elizabeth (Custer) Young. Her father was a soldier in the Civil war. Mrs. Dempsey was educated in the public schools of Stoyestown, Pennsylvania, where her parents still reside. The children of this union are: 1. William War- ren, Jr., born September 20, 1889. 2. Ira Millard, born April 5, 1892. 3. Frank Earl, born October 26, 1894. 4. Ruth, born June 2, 1897. These children are all attending the public schools of Johnstown, the two older being students in the high school.
JOSEPH EARYCH, of Johnstown, who enjoys the distinction of being the oldest citizen of Cambria county, was born November 29, 1811, in Little York, Pennsylvania, son of John Earych, whose father, also John Earych, was a native of Hesse, Germany, and became the founder of the American branch of the family.
John Earych, the emigrant, on his arrival in this country, settled at Little York, where he engaged in farming. He married, in his na- tive land, but the names of his five children, with the exception of that of a son John, have not been preserved. Both John Earych and his wife ended their days in Little York.
John Earych, son of John Earych, was born in Hesse, Germany, and was still a child when brought by his parents to the United States. As a young man he followed the calling of a teamster, traveling between Philadelphia, Pittsburg and Baltimore. During the war of 1812 he served as a volunteer. About 1813 he removed to Greensburg, Pennsyl- vania, where he bought a farm, but died before settling on the land. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran church. John Earych was twice married, his first wife being Shoemaker, and his second Nancy Shoemaker, daughter of John Shoemaker, of Little York. By his second wife he became the father of the following children: Dan- iel, left home after the death of his father, and was never heard from; John, deceased ; Harry, also deceased ; Joseph, of whom later ; and Martha, died at eighteen in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. John Earych, the father, died at the age of seventy-six, and his widow survived him many years.
Joseph Earych, son of John and Nancy (Shoemaker) Earych, was but two years old when his parents removed to Greensburg, and after the death of his father was taken by his mother to Derry Station, West- moreland county, where he attended the subscription schools until the age of ten years. Short as was the period of his school life it was ren- dered profitable by his ability and application and was supplemented by a fund of information acquired in later years. At the early age of ten years he began to work among the neighboring farmers, his small earn- ings being devoted to the support of his widowed mother and sister. He was paid at first but ten cents a day, which was gradually increased to forty cents, an amount which was then regarded as a man's wages. In this way the family was maintained until the deaths of his mother and sister, that of the former occurring when Joseph was twenty-seven years old. He then secured employment on public works, first at Laurel Hill Furnace. Westmoreland county, where his wages were from one dollar and a quarter to one dollar and a half a day. His next employment was
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with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company as foreman of a gang of men engaged in grading the two miles of road on the Florence section. He was then sent by the company to Allegheny mountain, where he was em- ployed for five years in grading what is known as the Lee cut. On the completion of this work he was transferred to Blairsville, where he fin- ished the two first miles of the Indiana branch, and about 1848 was sent to Johnstown, where for the next sixteen years he was assistant foreman under Supervisor A. N. Haves in grading roads. During the next four years he was employed as foreman in building a tramway four miles long extending from Millwood into the coal and coke region. About 1848 he removed to what was then known as Sharpsburg, now a part of Johns- town, and a few years later purchased property on Water street, where he made his home for four years, after which he sold the house and bought his present residence. or, more properly speaking. the land on which his present home is situated, the former dwelling having been de- stroyed in the Johnstown flood. Mr. Earych remained in his house un- til fifteen minutes before it and the adjoining dwelling were swept away, when his grandson, Joseph Howard, came to the porch in a skiff. and rescued him. They had gone but a short distance when the boat capsized and Mr. Earych sank to the bottom,' the water being fourteen feet deep, but came to the surface and managed to reach terra firma in safety. For four or five days thereafter the family made their home in a school house on top of the hill. Mr. Earych's loss in money amounted to eight hundred dollars. In politics he is a stanch, uncompromising Democrat, always supporting to the utmost of his ability the men and measures endorsed by the organization. He is a member of the Luth- eran church, with which he has been identified for so long a period that his connection with it may be said to be life-long.
Mr. Earych married. September 10, 1840, in Ligonier Valley, West- moreland county, Jane Ann, daughter of John and Fanny (Galbraith) Decker, and they were the parents of four daughters: Charlotte, deceased ; Martha, died in infancy ; Lucretia, deceased ; and Florilla, who married Levi G. Howard. of Johnstown, and became the mother of eight chil- dren ; Joseph, John, Jane. Henry, Emery, Gertrude, Rebecca and Ori- etta. Mrs. Howard is deceased. Mrs. Earych. the mother and grand- mother of these two generations, died about forty-eight years ago.
VICTOR E. FAITH. of Cambria City, Johnstown, was born Decem- ber 18, 1861, in Wallendorf, Austro-Hungary, son of August and Jo- hanna (Kusinszk) Faith. The former was a cabinet-maker and served twelve years in the Austrian army, taking part in four wars and being wounded in a battle with the Italians.
Victor E. Faith attended the schools of his native place and grad- nated from college at the age of eighteen. He then served one year in the Austrian army as a member of Tenth Battery. Eighth Artillery Regi- ment, and afterward worked one year at his trade which was that of a miller. In 1883 he came to the United States, landing in New York on May 15 of that year. having made the voyage from Hamburg in the steamship "Frisia" in fourteen days. On the day following his land- ing in New York he arrived in Johnstown, and obtained employment in the blast furnaces, where he remained five years. He was next employed as bartender by Charles Boyle. proprietor of Boyle's Hotel. serving in that capacity until the flood of 1889 in which Mr. Boyle lost his life. For a year thereafter Mr. Faith took charge of the business in behalf of the widow of his deceased employer, after which he served five months
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as bartender for Henry Saly. He then made a visit to his native land, remaining six weeks, and at the end of that time returning to Johns- town. He was again employed as bartender by Henry Saly, this time for the short space of three months, after which he purchased a team and for several years worked as a teamster. In 1894 he opened a steamship and exchange office, where he now represents fourteen lines, and does a general exchange banking business. In 1902 he erected a distilling plant in Cambria City, on Chestnut street, with all modern improve- ments, with a capacity of 325 gallons daily. This he operated until April, 1906, when he disposed of the plant, which is, however, conducted under the firm name of Faith & Co., and is a valuable plant. He is also the owner of a large number of residential properties in Cambria City, and of several properties in Johnstown and Minersville, and a fine $13,000 farm sonth of Johnstown. He has acquired all these prop- erties through his own unaided efforts, starting with nothing in this country, possessing only pluck, energy and perseverance, and how well he has succeeded can be surmised by the fact that his rentals amount to $10.000 annually. He is a stanch Republican, and a member of St. Mary's German Roman Catholic church, and of the church committee.
Mr. Faith married. in Johnstown, in 1887, Adela Shoenvisky. a native of Austro-Hungary, who came to the United States in 1881, being then fourteen years old. Mr. and Mrs. Faith are the parents of the following children : Victor. Mary. Frank, Katie, Anten, Albert, and August.
JOHN W. PRICE, a well known citizen of Johnstown, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, who has been in the employ of the Cambria Steel Company since 1860, with the exception of the years he spent in the Union army during the Civil war, and in which his record has been a notable and interesting one, is a representative of an old family of the state.
James Price, father of John W. Price, was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, about 1820, a son of John Price. He married Mary E. Clinger, born in Huntingdon county, daughter of John and Julia A. (Creamer) Clinger, and one of six children : Joseph, John, George, Will- iam, Rosanna and Mary E. The children of James and Mary E. (Clin- ger) Price were: James B., Joseph H., Annie M., and John W., see for- ward.
John W. Price, son of James and Mary E. (Clinger) Price, was born at Colerain Forge, Huntingdon county, Pennsylvania. July 11, 1846. The education which he received was a very limited one, and he commenced the serious business of life by working in a charcoal furnace, and then in the Mill Creek Furnace. He worked there until 1860. when he removed with his family to Benscreek, Somerset county, and secured a position with the Cambria Steel Company. This he retained for one year, and then, in 1862, enlisted as a private in Company M, Twelfth Pennsylvania Cavalry, but was not accepted as his mother objected to his going because of his youth. He was taken home and put to work on the farm of his grandfather, but in July of the same year he left the har- vest field without the permission of his parents and enlisted in Company A. One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment. Captain Abram Kopelin commanding. John Downey later taking charge. Mr. Price served nine months in this company, never losing a day of duty, and was with his comrades in all their marches and battles. He was discharged shortly before the battle of Gettysburg. when Captain Powell Stackhouse reor-
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ganized the company for emergency purposes. Mr. Price was made a corporal in this company. Later he enlisted, for the second time, in Company M, Twelfth Cavalry, his mother not interfering. A short time after joining this regiment, which was then located at Martins- burg, Virginia, he was detailed with a scouting party to hunt the enemy, and after a sharp skirmish with Imboden's Cavalry, the horse on which Mr. Price was riding was shot from under him, and he and the other sixteen Union men were taken prisoners and marched up the valley to Staunton, where they were placed on cars for Richmond, landing in Castle Thunder. From there they were escorted to Libby and from there to the Pemberton Building in Richmond, and after a short time were sent to Andersonville. They reached the stockade June 2, and re- mained there until September 28, when Mr. Price was taken to Florence, South Carolina, and remained there until January 15, 1865. From there he was taken to Milan, Georgia, after a few weeks was sent to Sa- vannah, thence to Charleston, South Carolina, and later to Wilmington and Goldsboro, North Carolina. About this time Sherman's army began to close in on the Confederates, and being unable to hold the prisoners any longer, they were paroled at Goldsboro and sent through the Union lines at Burned Bridge, on the Cheat river. Here the Union forces took charge of Mr. Price and sent him back to Wilmington, and from there he was taken to the hospital at Annapolis, Maryland. He was honorably discharged, with an excellent record for bravery and gallant conduct throughout the war.
He returned to the Cambria Steel Company in 1866 and has re- mained in their employ since that time. His first position was that of foreman of the laborers of the rolling mill department, and this he held for about twenty years. He was then advanced to the position of weigh- master at the old nine-inch mill, then transferred to the Franklin works as a watchman, and is at present (1906) storekeeper of the Franklin oil house. He is a member of the Methodist church, and in politics is a Republican. He is a member and past commander of the R. Emory Fisher Post. No. 30. Grand Army of the Republic and has filled every office in the post. He was at one time on the staff of General Alger, when the latter was commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Re- public. and had the rank of colonel.
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