USA > Pennsylvania > Lehigh County > History of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania and a genealogical and biographical record of its families, Vol. II > Part 25
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ship, Northampton county, as early as February 5, 1740, A. D., and that on May 16, 1743, he took out a second warrant, containing 103 acres. The first warrant was for 200 acres. The records further show that on Sept. 13, 1743, John Philip Boehm and Anna Maria, his wife, con- veyed unto their eldest surviving son, Anthony Philip Boehm, "for natural love and affection and for better perferment in the world for divers other good causes," a tract of land in Whitpain township, Philadelphia county; that by inden- ture dated Nov. 13, 1762, Anthony Philip Boehm obtained from the Penns three tracts in Upper Saucon township, now Lehigh county, the first tract was twenty and one-half acres; the second tract was for thirty-eight acres; the third tract contained sixty-eight acres.
II.
Anthony William Boehm was married to Han- nah Philis (-) Boehm. They had one son, Philip. Anthony Philip Boehm died intestate in Upper Saucon township, Lehigh county. His widow and their son, Philip, survived him. He was buried on a private cemetery on his farm. The inscription on his tombstone is as follows :
Hier Huhet in Gott Anton Wilhelm Boehm Ist Geboren den 27ten April, 1714, in Worms ; Ist Gestorben den 6ten April, 1766, Alter, 52 Jahre.
Anna Maria Boehm, was married to Adam Moser. Sebina Boehm, was married to Ludwig Bitting. Elizabeth Boehm, was married to George Shambach. Maria Phillipina Boehm married to Cornelius De- wees.
John Philip Boehm, was married to Anna Maria Yost, on Aug. 2, 1753. They had the following children: Elizabeth ; Philip; Daniel, who died in infancy; Mary, who was married on May 24, 1784, to William Peltz; Philip; Jacob; Daniel, who married Catharine Peltz on Dec. 2, 1792; and Elizabeth.
III.
Philip Boehm, son of John Philip, was born December 14, 1747, and died January 10, 1816. He married Anna Barbara Deshler, who was born Nov. 2, 1747, and died October 10, 1832. Both were buried at The Lower Saucon church. Children: Anthony, Philip, John, David, Cath- arine, Susanna, Mary and Elizabeth.
IV.
Anthony Boehm, son of Philip, was born Jan. 17, 1770, and died Sept. 25, 1848. On April I, 1801, he married Catharine Geissinger, who was born Dec. 9, 1774, and died March 6, 1845. Both are buried at Apple's church.
They had five children: Mary, Susanna, Eliz- abeth, David and Solomon.
Philip Boehm, the second son of Philip, was born March 7, 1770, and died June 28, 1869. He married Elizabeth Wasser, who was born Aug. 18, 1781, and died Jan. 6, 1850.
They had nine children: John Peter, Thomas M., James M., Mary, wife of Daniel Frey ; Sarah, wife of Stephen Balliett; Polly, wife of George Stuber ; Catharine, wife of George Ruth ; Juliann, wife of Hesse Billheimer, and Eliza- beth, wife of George Henn.
John Boehm, the third son of Philip, married to Rebecca Fravel.
Children: Charles, Henry, Levi, Israel, Jonas, Mary, Hannah, Henrietta, and Rebecca.
Catharine Boehm was married to Jacob Kramm.
Children : Jacob, David, Joseph, Samuel, Susanna, and a daughter who was married to a Mr. Dill.
Susanna Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, June 14, 1776, and died December 19, 1846. She was married to Jacob Ochs, born in Upper Milford township, June 8, 1776, died May 9, 1866. Both are buried at the Lower Saucon church. Their children were as fol- lows: Mary, wife of John Ache; Charles, Jacob, David, Jesse, John, Philip and Susanna, wife of Aaron Buchecker.
Mary Boehm was married to Jacob Haas.
Elizabeth Boehm was married to Jacob Miller.
V.
David Boehm, son of Anthony, was born Sept. 13, 1812. On Jan. 5, 1843, he married Hannah Solliday, who was born in Springfield township, March 29, 1818, and died Jan. 27, 1892. They had the following children: Mary M. ; William H .; Isabella S., wife of A. Benner; Jacob H .; and Emeline, deceased.
Solomon, son of Anthony, was born at Heller- town, Aug. 19, 1815. He died Dec. 30, 1895. On Jan. 28, 1844, he married Juliann Merkle, born in Salisbury township, March 28, 1819. Their five children follow: Clara Elizabeth, wife of Alfred Keck; Preston A .; William H., de- ceased ; and Richard H., who died in infancy.
John Peter Boehm, son of Philip and Eliza- beth ( Wasser) Boehm, was born Oct. 13, 1800, died Oct. 26, 1887. He married Anna Maria Arner, born Jan. 3, 1805, and died March 2, 1852. Their children follow: William H., de- ceased ; Eliza Ann; Edwin H .; Judith Ann; Catharine Ann; Franklin H .; Mary Ann; Co- dilla Ann, and two sons, each named Titus H., who died in infancy.
Thomas M. Boehm, son of Philip, was born in
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
Lower Saucon township, September 14, 1812, and died May 11, 1892. On May 22, 1836, he married Lucinda F. Hall, who was born in Han- over township, Jan. 20, 1817, and died Jan. 3, 1894.
The children were: Mary A., wife of Aaron Fetzer; Susanna, wife of Josiah Laubach; Mar- tin H., Amanda, Wife of William Kichline; Diana, wife of Alfred Eschbach ; Cornelius, James H., Edward, and Oliver.
James M. Boehm, son of Philip, was born in Lower Saucon township, Sept. 10, 1815, and died March 7, 1891. On October 21, 1857, he married Maria Desh, who was born in Macungie township, Nov. 8, 1816, and died Nov. 6, 1893. Both buried at Lower Saucon.
Children: Wilson H., Henry M., William A., Alfred J., George W., Lucy A., wife of Charles Kichline; and Ellen, wife of Lawrence Hoffert.
Charles Boehm, son of Philip, was born in Lower Saucon township, Nov. 24, 1815. On Nov. 3, 1844, he married Martha A. Dorn- bloser, who was born Oct. 19, 1818.
The children were John J., George F., Henry A., Isadora, and Oliver D.
Henry Boehm, son of Philip, was born in Hel- lertown, Pa., June 3, 1821. He married Mar- garet Smith, who was born in Whitehall, Nov. 23, 1820. Children: John F., Milton A., Annie I., Sylvania E., Susanna A., Henry W., Francis M., Mary E., Laura V., George B., McL., and Horace S.
Levi Boehm, son of Philip, married Mary Wagner. Children: Jacob, Lizzie, Minnie, and Mary.
Israel Boehm, son of Philip, was born in Lower Saucon, in 1816, died in Mauch Chunk, Feb. 28, 1863. Married Jan. 5, 1847, to Ma- hala Dodson, died in Mauch Chunk, May 3, 1899. Children: Mary, Lizzie D., born in Mauch Chunk, Sept. 18, 1849; Robert B., Han- nah, born in Mauch Chunk, Dec. 27, 1858; Isaac D., Isabella, and Mallie.
Jonas Boehm, son of Philip, had these chil- dren: Isabelle, Hannah, Catherine, Sarah, Alice, Susan, Amanda, and Lucinda.
VI.
William H. Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, Nov. 15, 1846. He married Alice C. Foelker, June 3, 1877, who was born in Allen- town, Pa., April 25, 1853. Children : D. Frank, Fred. S., and Homer C.
Preston A. Boehm was born April 29, 1858, at Seidersville, Pa., on May 30, 1884, he mar- ried Lizzie O. Pflueger, who was born April 25, 1867.
Franklin H. Boehm was born April, 1839, and died April 20, 1896; he married Matilda Jacoby.
James M. Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, March 3, 1850; he married Rebecca F. Musselman, who was born in Springfield township, May 29, 1846. Children: Clara C., Gertrude G., Roger R., Bertha B., Katie L .. Thomas J., and Grover C.
Edward Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, April 4, 1852. In 1870 he married Matilda Ehrig, who was born in Upper Saucon township, December 23, 1853. Children: Al- fred T., George E., Robert J., Cora L., Lillie E., Victor V., Lizzie L., deceased; Oliver R., Emma R., Susan S., Bertha B., deceased; Wil- liam H. and Violet M.
Oliver Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, May 11, 1857; on February 7, 1877, he married Jane Kemp, who was born in Corn- wall, England, October 14, 1853. Children: Addie E., May L., Ambrose C., Susan D. G., William J. K., and Martin H.
Wilson H. Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, Jan. 14, 1840; on February 24, 1861, he married Louisa Ache, who was born in Lower Saucon township, Dec. 16, 1840. Died June 6, 1900.
Henry M. Boehm was born March 20, 1847, in Lower Saucon township. On Aug. 1, 1868, he married Saraetta Ehrig, who was born in Up- per Saucon township, Nov. 1, 1846. Children : Harvey P., Anna M., Wilson H., Ammon A., Celeste M., Ellen S., Carrie I., and Milton W.
William A. Boehm was born April 2, 1851, in Lower Saucon township; on Nov. 10, 1872, he married Mary A. Hillegass, who was born April 20, 1852. Children: Calvin J., Peter J., Edward R., Ellwood J., Howard W., Steward A., Charles H. (?) and Maria E.
Alfred J. Boehm was born Nov. 23, 1859, in Lower Saucon township; on Aug. 5, 1879, he married Tevilla S. Owens, who was born Jan. II, 1861, in Lower Saucon township. Children : Sadie P., Flora C., James A., Lizzie M., and I. May.
George W. Boehm was born February 22, 1853, in Lower Saucon township; on Aug. 2, 1879, he married Isabella Young. He was born Oct. 14, 1861. Children: William J. and Harry W.
John J. Boehm was born Sept. 25, 1845, and died April 17, 1890. He was married to Emma Gallmeyer; children,-Clarence H. and Rus- sell.
George F. Boehm was born Sept. 5, 1847.
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
and married Mary Bergstresser. Children: Wil- lis and Charles R.
Robert B. Boehm was born in Mauch Chunk, Pa., Nov. 28, 1853; married to Eleanore E. Mc- Connell, Oct. 24, 1889, born in Philadelphia, Nov. 28, 1855. Child: Hugh Arthur, born in Bethlehem, Pa., July 10, 1891.
Isaac D. Boehm was born in Mauch Chunk, Pa., Dec. 2, 1862; married April 23, 1889, to Agnes Swartz, born Nov. 28, 1861. Children : Robert B., Louise, and Elizabeth B.
John F. Boehm married Annie Sedame. Chil- dren: Grace and Walter.
Milton A. Boehm married Mary Cogan. Child -Harry.
Horace S. Boehm married Ida Kramer. Chil- dren: Madge, Julian, and Horace S.
Francis M. Boehm married Margaret J. Nickum. Children : Arthur C., Frank W., Earl, Mabel C., and Laura M.
VII.
Alfred T. Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, March 6, 1871. On Nov. 21, 1891, he married Annie M. Miller, who was born in Allen township, July 25, 1873. Children : Thomas S., Oliver A., and Franklin.
Wilson H. Boehm born in Lower Saucon township, Feb. 25, 1875; in September, 1899, he was married to Minnie M. Doudt, born in South Bethlehem, Pa., July 24, 1882. They have one child.
Peter J. Boehm was born in Lower Saucon township, Nov. 10, 1875; on May 12, 1894, he married Mamie Hutchinson, who was born at Hokendauqua, Pa., Dec. 18, 1873. Child :- Frank A.
VIII.
Arthur C. Boehm was born in Philadelphia, Sept. 8, 1879; he married Emily Ritter, born in Bethlehem, Pa.
GEORGE FRABEL BOEHM, son of Charles and Martha Ann (Dornbloeser) Boehm, late of Al- lentown, was born at Hellertown, Northamp- ton county, Sept. 5, 1847. After attending the public schools, he learned the trade of a car- penter from Joseph Dornbloeser, his grandfather. He followed this about Hellertown for a num- ber of years. He was then engaged in the fur- niture business conducting a store in Heller- town for several years. From there he went to New Jersey and after a time came to Philadel- phia. He followed his trade at each place. On Sept. 1, 1885, he came to Allentown, and ac- cepted employment with the C. A. Dorney Fur- niture Company, in whose employ he continued for a period of nineteen years. His health be- came so bad, in 1904, that he had to retire, and
on March 25, 1906, he died at his residence, 944 Chew Street, Allentown. In politics he was a Republican. He was an active member of Trin- ity United Evangelical Church. He had been a class-leader for a number of years; and while living at Hellertown he was the teacher of a Sunday school class for some time.
On Sept. 7, 1886, he was married to Miss Mary E. Bergstresser, a daughter of Reuben and Maria (Walter) Bergstresser, of Allentown. Maria Walter was a daughter of David and Anna Margaret ( Wittman) Walter, of White -- hall township. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Boehm are born two sons, Willis B. and Charles R.
BOGERT ( BOGER ) FAMILY.
Peter Bogert, a grandson of Bahrdel and Anna Barbara Bogert, was born in Germany, Dec. 13, 1721; emigrated to America on the ship Friendship, which landed at Philadelphia, Nov. 2, 1744. He settled on the Little Lehigh in Salisbury township, now Lehigh county, Pennsyl- vania. There he took up 304 acres of land, most of which to this day remains in possession of his family and descendants. Among Peter Bogert's children were: Catharine, married to Frederick Mohr; and Jacob.
Jacob Bogert, son of Peter, was born August 26, 1748, died August 7, 1802. He was a farmer in Salisbury township; was married to Anna Mohry, born July 15, 1753, and died Nov. 4, 1826. Their children were as follows: Peter, John, Catharine, Magdalena, Maria E., Solo- mon, Anna, Margaret, Barbara and Anna Maria.
John Bogert, the second son of Jacob, was born Dec. 1, 1772, died Aug. 15, 1854, aged 82 years, 8 months and 14 days. He married Eliza- beth Kline, born Oct. 28, 1767, died Dec. 18, 1867, aged 100 years, I month and 21 days. Both parents and some of their children are buried at the Western Salisbury church. Their children were: Jacob, Fronica, Lydia, John, and Eliza- beth.
Jacob Bogert, son of John, was born Nov. 14, 1797, died March 14, 1894, aged 96 years, 3 months and 21 days. He was married to Anna Wilt, born in 1807, died in 1867.
John Bogert, son of John, Sr., was born Sept. 28, 1808, died March 11, 1874; was married to Abigail Knauss, born Jan. 26, 1812, died Feb. 27, 1890. Their children were: Sarus K., Charles H., Hiram J., Maria E., married to Tilghman Neimeyer, whose full history appears in this volume; Matthias S., and Oscar.
HIRAM J. BOGERT, third son of John, was born Nov. 9, 1836. He was engaged for 22 years in the general merchandise business with Tilghman Neimeyer, under the firm name of
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Neimeyer & Company, located at the corner of Main and Second streets, Emaus, Pa. He died May 10, 1901, and is buried at the Western Salisburg church.
He was married to Amanda C. Neimeyer, a daughter of George and Margaret (Ruder) Nei- meyer. They have an only son, George J. Bog- ert, who resides with his mother on Main street, Emaus Pa. He is the secretary of the Home Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Emaus, Pa.
Sarus K. Bogert, eldest son of John, was born August 28, 1832, died Oct. 2, 1906; was mar- ried to Sarah A. Moyer, born 1839, died 1909. They had the following children: Cora E., married to John J. D. Weaver ; Clara, married to Edward C. Erdman; Emanuel C .; Charles M .; John M .; Clinton M., and Anna Maria Bogert.
Matthias S. Bogert, son of John, was married to Carrie Schafrath. They reside at Allentown and have one daughter, Estella B.
Oscar Bogert, son of John, is married to Maggie Clauser. They have no children.
JOHN W. H. BOGERT.
John W. H. Bogert was born July 6, 1855. He was reared on the farm and educated in the public schools. He worked for his father until his marriage, when he took charge of the home- stead. Mr. Bogert conducts a dairy farm consist- ing of 143 acres. He is a member of the Salis- bury Reformed church and was deacon and elder for many years.
John W. H. Bogert was married in 1884 to Miss Emma Hottenstein, daughter of John and Mary Hottenstein. They have four children : Victor, of Allentown, m. Miss Kern; Clinton; Roman, and Meta, at home.
HOWARD C. BOLICH.
Howard C. Bolich, manufacturer of ladies' ribbed underwear, was born at New Ringgold, Schuylkill county, May 27, 1874. His father, Charles S. Bolich, a retired farmer, resides at New Ringgold. He was married to Sarah Kindt, a daughter of Nathan Kindt, of Schuylkill county. This union was blessed with the following chil- dren: Howard C .; Cora, married to Charles Ketner, and resides at Temple, Berks county ; Laura, married to Charles Moyer ; William, of Philadelphia; Abbie, deceased ; Clayton, a hosiery manufacturer at Newmanstown. His grand- father was William Bolich, whose wife, Mary, nee Sechler, is now in her ninety-third year.
Howard C. Bolich was educated in the public schools and worked on the farm for his parents until 22 years of age, when he purchased a farm ยท and engaged in farming. In 1892 he bought the
general store at Obold, Berks county, which he conducted for three years, at which time he was also postmaster. From here he went to New Ringgold, Pa., where he conducted a general store for six years and at the same time for a period of two years conducted a shirt factory and for four years manufactured underwear. In 1912, he en- gaged in the present business of manufacturing fine ladies' ribbed underwear only and selling ex- clusively to jobbers. His mill is located at Sixth and Lehigh streets and consists of a 30 ft. x 80 ft. two-story brick building and a 30 ft. by 40 ft. annex. He owns and occupies the old Twelfth ward school building. -
To him and his good wife, Lillie Dreher, a daughter of James and Mary (Shoener) Dreher, of Orwigsburg, Pa., were born three children: Harrison, a graduate of the Keystone State Nor- mal School, assisting his father in the mill; Charles and Clarence.
BORTZ FAMILY.
There were three Bortz brothers who emi- grated from Germany before the Revolutionary War and landed in Philadelphia. Their names were Henry, John Jacob and George.
Mention is made in Rupp's "Thirty Thousand Names of Immigrants in Pennsylvania," of Lud- wig Bortz, who was one of the first settlers in this county, but it is not known whether he was related to the three brothers above named, who arrived at a later date.
These three brothers settled in Oley township, Berks county. Later one of them moved to Mil- lerstown, now Macungie, and another to Long- swamp, which is also in Berks.
Henry Bortz was married to Lydia Reintz- heimer in Germany. They spent eighteen weeks on the ocean in coming to this country. When within sight of land their oldest child died, but the captain permitted them to bring the remains to Philadelphia, where the child was buried.
According to a statement made by Rev. F. J. Schantz at the Bortz reunion in Mercer county in 1887, Henry Bortz moved from Oley to the head of the Cedar creek in Lehigh county. There he bought a mill property and built a log house. in which he resided for a time. Later he moved to what is now called Wescoesville. The exact date of this removal is not known. There was only one small stone building in the place then, but in 1797 Henry Bortz built a very large stone house, the stones of which were hauled a distance of more than two miles. He built this house for a hotel, and it is the hotel of Wescoesville to-day.
His family consisted of nine children, six sons : John, Jacob, George, Philip, Henry, Christopher ;
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HISTORY OF LEHIGH COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.
and four daughters: Maria, Margaretha, Magda- lena, and Eva who married John Michael Mosser.
Philip Bortz married Lydia Steininger and in 1805 moved to Canfield township, Trumbull county, Ohio. After residing there six months he removed to Ellsworth township in the same county. His descendants are numerous in Ohio.
John Bortz married Mary Kemmerer. He resided near the mill property at the Cedar creek, and had one son, John, and one daughter, who was married, first, to Mr. Unger; second, to a Mr. Ritter; and afterwards to John Biery.
Jacob Bortz resided near Guthsville. He was married to a Miss Guth, and had three sons: Peter, Jonas and Edwin, and several daughters, one of whom was married to Titus Kern, of Reading.
Henry Bortz, Jr., was twice married. By his first wife, Catharine Kromer, he had one son, named Nathan; by his second wife, who was a sister of Hon. John Fogel, he had a daughter named Lucy. He died in 1826. He was the owner of the hotel his father had built. In 1827 this property was sold to Philip Wescoe, after whom the village was named Wescoesville.
George Bortz went to Cumberland Valley, Bedford county, married a Miss Smith, and died there. He had no children. After his father's death, his mother, who was then ninety-five years old, rode in a heavy covered wagon from Lehigh to Bedford county, to visit her son and her daugh- ter. Having remained there some time, she died at the age of ninety-seven and was buried at French Cove, Bedford county.
Christopher Bortz was born in 1781 and was married to Catharine Ueberroth. His family consisted of five sons: David, John, George, Jesse and Henry; and three daughters: Fyetta, Sophia and Henrietta.
Maria Bortz was married to Jacob Schantz in 1788. Mr. Schantz resided on the mill prop- erty at the head of the Cedar creek. They had three sons : Jacob, Peter and John; and six daughters, who became the wives of Jacob Hen- ninger, Peter Mohr, Rev. John Helffrich, Jacob Fisher, John B. Shimer, and Charles B. Shimer.
Another daughter of Henry Bortz, Sr., was married to Isaac Larosh and lived near what is now East Macungie. A third daughter was mar- ried to a Mr. Schaefer. They lived for a short time in Lehigh county and then removed to French Cove, Bedford county. There Mr. Schae- fer died and Mrs. Schaefer married again. Her second husband was Rev. Yeager.
Henry Bortz the elder died in 1810 and was buried at the Lehigh church. The Bortzes were of the Lutheran faith.
Owen Bortz, a son of Solomon and Maria
( Hoffman) Bortz, was born in Upper Macungie township, Jan. 5, 1820, and was reared in Rock- land township, Berks county, Pa. In this vicinity he obtained a practical education in the common schools. He remained at home until he learned the trade of a miller, when he removed to Lehigh county and for seven years conducted a mill. He later became a farmer, achieving a fair de- gree of success, for many years and during the last years of his life gained a lucrative livelihood by engaging in the coal business at Allentown. He was a straight-forward honorable man, and numbered among the valued and substantial citi- zens of his community. He had five brothers: Gideon, Jonas, William, Nathan, Benneville and Edwin; and two sisters: Fianna and Caroline.
By his marriage to Hannah Wenner, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Strauss) Wenner, and a native of South Whitehall township, Le- high county, the following children were born :
(1). Harrison, who was born Nov. 15, 1844.
(2). Louis Franklin, who was born Jan. 14, 1846.
(3). William, who was born June 10, 1849, and died Feb. 9, 1854.
(4). Maria Elizabeth, who was born May 15, 1855.
Mr. Bortz died Dec. 20, 1891, aged 71 years, II months and 15 days. Mrs. Bortz died Jan. 18, 1889, aged 72 years and 7 months.
Harrison Bortz was born Nov. 15, 1844, in South Whitehall township. In early life he re- moved to Macungie and assisted his father upon the farm during the summer months and during the winter months attended the common schools in the neighborhood of his home. At the age of fifteen years he entered the classical school at Quakertown and the knowledge thus obtained was supplemented by a course at the Excelsior Normal School at Carversville, Pa. For a period of time following his graduattion from the latter named institution he was engaged in teaching school, and with the money thus obtained he en- tered Muhlenberg College. In the meantime he joined a corps of engineers and for a year practiced surveying and in 1869 entered the employ of the Lehigh Iron Company as outside superintendent. By his thorough knowledge of the craft of an iron master, and the efficiency and faithfulness he displayed in the performance of his duties, he was successively promoted until he became man- ager and secretary of the works, and after serving in that capacity for a number of years, he was appointed to the position of superintendent. With the exception of ten years, from 1892 to 1902 spent in the employ of the Coplay furnace, he was closely connected with this firm from 1869 to 1904. After severing his relations from the Lehigh
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GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL.
Iron Company, he accepted a position as superin- tendent of the Rittersville State Homeopathic Hospital, which position he held at the time of his death. He was at one time a director of the Coopersburg Turnpike Company, and the Emaus Home Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He was proprietor of a mining company, operating near Emaus, for several years, and also operated an ore mine in Northumberland county at the same time.
Mr. Bortz was a member of St. Mark's Lu- theran church at South Allentown, in which church he was an officer and a liberal contributor. He was one of the organizers who erected this church and the Zion's United Evangelical church.
He was one of the leading members of the South Allentown Society, which at that time erected the present hall, known as the South Al- lentown Beneficial Society Hall.
Mr. Bortz, while not an active politician, evinced a keen interest in the success of the Re- publican party ; was five times a delegate to the state convention, and was in 1880, a delegate to the national convention at Chicago, which nom- inated James A. Garfield during the greatest political convention of the Republican party. He was chairman of the county executive committee for four years and served as school director for 24 years, 21 years of which he served consecutive- ly, in a district largely Democratic. He was a personal friend of the late Senator M. S. Quay and Governor James A. Beaver. He had large real estate possessions, but through going bail for others lost heavily. He was actively identified with Greenleaf Lodge, No. 561, Free and Ac- cepted Masons; Allen Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Greenleaf Lodge, Knights of Pythias ; and the Knights of the Mystic Chain.
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