USA > Pennsylvania > Westmoreland County > History of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Vol. II > Part 95
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645
HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
John W. Bennett married, December 13, 1883, Mamie E. Sease, a daugh- ter of Henry and Elizabeth (Slonaker) Sease. Fo this union three children have been born: Gertrude Mt., June 13, 1885. a graduate of the high school and the Peterson Business College, of Scottdale : James Roy, May 16, 1891, resides at home ; and Harry Joseph, June 22, 1893, lives at home with his parents.
JOHN ALFRED BLANK, a prominent resident of Greensburg, West- moreland county, Pennsylvania, a contractor in the house papering and paint- ing industry, is a descendant of one of the pioneer families of the state.
(1) Solomon Blank, grandfather of John Alfred Blank, was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, October 10, 1807. He was a shoe- maker by trade, and migrated to Westmoreland county in 1837. He was a member of the Lutheran church, and gave his strong support to the Democratic party. He married ( first) Catherine Whistler, of Lehigh county, Pennsyl- vania, a native of Holland, who came to this country in 1836. She was a sister of Whistler, the famous painter. The children of Solomon and Cath- erine ( Whistler) Blank were: 1. Thomas, born February 14, 1828, mar- ried Keziah Smith, daughter of Jacob Smith, of Harrison City, and had children : Sylvester, Oliver and Kate, who, married Edward Hammer, of Greensburg. 2. Henry, see forward. 3. George Adam, born January 27, 1831, married Lavinia Baum, and had children: George, Jacob, Henry and Solomon. 4. Eliza, born March 12, 1833, married Frederick Bauman. 5. Lydia, born April 12, 1836, married Henry Dixon. 6. Sophia, born Octo- ber 8, 1839, married Philip Brindle. (See sketch of Richard C. Welty). 7. Susan, born October 11, 1841, married Henry Hilligass, of Bucks county, Pennsylvania, and had among other children: Charles, Elmer, Emma. 8. Jonathan died at the age of eight years. Mrs. Blank died in 1840. Mr. Blank married ( second) Elizabeth Weaver, and they had children : 1. Mary, married Simon Feightner, and had children: Herman, John, Josephine and Thomas. 2. Josephine, married John M. Zimmermann.
( II) Henry Blank, second son and child of Solomon (1) and Cath- erine ( Whistler ) Blank, was born in Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, October 27, 1829. He obtained a good education in Hempfield township, in the Gate, Dickey and Thomas schoolhouses. He is a member of the First Lutheran church of Greensburg, and is an active worker for the Republican party. He married, September 12, 1850, Susanna Louisa Cribbs, daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Miller ) Cribbs, of Hempfield township. Their children were: 1. John Alfred, see forward. 2. Elizabeth Alice, born June 28, 1854, married William F. Holtzer, one of the most prosperous farmers of Hempfield township, and has children: Daisy, Charles, Harry, Clara, Lloyd, Oliver and Jennie May. 3. Amanda Jane, born October 16, 1856, died December 4, 1904; she was the wife of Simon Wise, and had children : Coulter, Cora, Gertrude, Clark, and Howard. 4. Sarah Ellen, born September 2, 1860, died in infancy. 5. Mary Caroline, born December 25. 1868, married Harry B. Loughrey, of Greensburg.
( III) John Alfred Blank, eldest child of Henry (2) and Susanna Louisa (Cribbs ) Blank, was born in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, February 14. 1852. He was educated in the public schools of Adamsburg and Grapeville, and was then apprenticed to learn the trade of painting with Amos Eisaman, of Greensburg. He is at present success- fully engaged in contracting for the papering and painting of houses and similar work. He has been an active worker in the political field of his
646
HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
county for the Republican party, and was elected constable for the first ward in Greensburg for three years in February, 1905. He fills this office very acceptably, and his publie spirit has won for him many friends. He married October 23, 1873, Jennie Reamer, daughter of John and Hannah ( Pool) Reamer, of Greensburg, and they have had children: 1. A child not named, died in infancy. 2. Henry Clinton, born August 26, 1875, married Nannie Wallace, daughter of Michael Wallace, of Greensburg, and had children : Elizabeth, Alfred, Sarah, one who died in infancy, and 3. John Reamer, born January 21, 1879, married Maud George, of Greensburg, and has one child, Helen. 4. James Howard, born August, 1881, died February, 1884. 5. Lula Maud, born 1883, married Samuel S. Brownfield. 6 and 7. Jessie Bessie and Joseph Dewitt, born July, 1886, died in infancy. 8. Richard Charles, born November 1, 1895.
In the maternal line Mr. Blank is deseended from a family prominently identified with the development of Westmoreland eounty. The Cribbs family traees its ancestry to the province of Alsace-Lorraine, in Germany. The founders of the family in this country came to America about 1750, landing at Philadelphia. Their children were: George; John, see forward; Jacob, who purchased land and settled in Westmoreland county shortly after the war of the revolution; Susan, married and resided in Philadelphia; Peter George, who served with bravery and was killed in the war of the revolution.
(I) Captain John Cribbs, a representative of the second generation of this family in America, was a soldier of the revolution and was killed at the time of St. Clair's defeat, November 4, 1791, leaving to survive him a widow, Catherine ( Harrold) Cribbs, and seven children : Peter, married - - Steel- smith ; Christopher, see forward; John, married Elizabeth Keiffer, Clarion county ; George, married -, Canton, Ohio; Elizabeth, married Joseph Berlin ; Mary, married George Repine ; Susan, died in infancy.
(II) Christopher Cribbs, seeond son and child of Captain John (1) and Catherine ( Harrold) Cribbs, was born February 10, 1780. He married ( first ), November 18, 1800, Mary Magdalene Silvis, born November 4, 1780, and had children: 1. John, born August 9, 1801, died July 25, 1805. 2. Peter, born February 3, 1803, married Catherine Miller, December 30, 1824. 3. Catherine, born January 13, 1805, married Daniel Miller, February 25, 1824. 4. Sarah, born January 15, 1807, married Peter Miller, October 8, 1829. 5. Anna, born April 6, 1808, married John Fox, November 18, 1828. 6. Joshua, see forward. 7. Levi, born April 10, 1811, married Hannah Miller, September 19, 1833. 8. Elizabeth, born November 2, 1812, died
Mary, born November 13. 1814, married Jacob September 20, 1819. 9.
Miller, April 17, 1834. 10. Magdalene, born June 6, 1816, married Peter
Smeltzer. Mareh 19, 1837. II. Samuel, born March 14, 1818, married Sarah Smeltzer, October 27, 1839. 12. George, born April 15, 1820, mar- ried Jane Skelly, of Hempfield township, September 4, 1845. 13. Leah, born November 26, 1821, married Jacob Altman, May 20, 1847. 14. Susan- nah, born April 23, 1823. Christopher Cribbs married ( second), April 30, 1847, Elizabeth Fisher.
(III) Joshua Cribbs, third son and sixth child of Christopher (2) and Mary Magdalene (Silvis) Cribbs, was born October 6, 1809. He married Elizabeth Miller, February 9, 1832, and among their children was Susannah Louisa.
(IV) Susannah Louisa Cribbs, daughter of Joshua and Elizabeth (Mil- ler) Cribbs, married Henry Blank, September 12, 1850, and their eldest child was John Alfred Blank, whose name heads this sketch.
647
HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
WILLIAM KIRK MAYERS. Among the merchants conducting a prosperous business at Greensburg is William K. Mayers whose paternal great-grandfather's name was Richard. He was born and lived his entire life in England. By trade he was a tailor. He was a dwarf, weighing about the same as the famous Tom Thumb. He married a lady weighing nearly two hundred pounds, and among the children born to them was one son named Robert.
Robert Mayers was also a native of England. He also followed the trade of a tailor, and was not an old man at the time of his death. His wife's maiden name was Elizabeth, who died prior to her husband, leaving several children.
Wliliam Mayers, son of Robert and Elizabeth Mayers, was born about 1841, in England, and cared for his young brothers and sisters by mining coal, which he commenced a year after the death of his father, when but eight years of age. He had no advantages whatever for securing an education, which he has deeply regretted all his life. In 1868 he came to America, first touching at Parker's Landing, Butler county, Pennsylvania. From there he went to Petersburg, Pennsylvania, remained there about three years, engaging as a coal miner. He married in 1875 and has lived at Apollo, Armstrong county, at Fairbanks, Jefferson City and numerous places in this section of Pennsyl- vania, where his services as a miner seemed most demanded. In 1884 the fam- ily removed to Greensburg, and they still reside in Carbon, a mining hamlet hard by the borough of Greensburg. In 1899 he became partner in a general store at Carbon ; the firm being Sowalsh & Mayers. Mr. Mayers bought his partner out a year later and still continues in trade there.
January 27, 1875, he married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Thompson and Margaret Jane (Brown) Mckinstry, born April 9. 1837. By this union the following children were born : Charles Thompson, May 17, 1876, married Emma Rosensteel; William Kirk, October 4, 1877. married Maggie Hayden ; James Raymond, November 13, 1879: Maggie Viola, July 8, 1886, married Richard E. Kemerer; Bertha Elizabeth, September 19, 1888, married Henry E. Blaine : Daisy Pearl, October 14, 1891 : Walter, December 1, 1894: Clar- ence, March 20, 1897. The mother of this family, Mary Elizabeth (McKin- stry) Mayers, descends from James Mckinstry, who lived near Apollo, Penn- sylvania. He married Sarah Jackson and reared the following children : Jane, Kate, Sarah, Polly, Betsey, William, James, Alexander, Jackson and Thomp- son.
Thompson Mckinstry (grandfather) was born April 9, 1837. He fol- lowed farming and coal mining for his livelihood and both he and his wife now reside in this vicinity. He married Margaret Jane Brown, daughter of Charles and Jane (Kirk ) Brown. They were married when but seventeen years of age, in Ireland, and came to Indiana county, Pennsylvania. The chil- dred born to them were: Mary Elizabeth, (mother of subject) April 11, 1859; Sarah Jane, August 3. 1860: Ida Gertrude, July 26, 1862, died July 2, 1881 ; Nancy L., October, 1864 : Minnie M. Alice. December 12, 1866; Harriet Lydia Ella, December 10, 1868: Maud, June 27, 1870: Ansley M., February 22, 1875 : Lilly, June 25. 1878: Pearl, January, 1880.
William Kirk Mayers, son of William and Mary Elizabeth ( Mckinstry) Mayers, was born October 4, 1877, and received a good common school edu- cation and engaged in business carly in life. He married Maggie Hayden, only daughter of John R. Hayden and wife of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. To them have been born : Harry, died in infancy ; Margaret ; Kirk, William Rus- sell. Politically Mr. Mayers is a supporter of the Democratic party.
6.48
HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
JOHN E. KUNKLE, junior member of the well known firm of Robbins & Kunkle, who control a large and important practice, having their residence and professional headquarters in Greensburg, the attractive judicial centre of the county, is a representative of a family that was established in Westmoreland county in the early pioneer era, and their name has long been linked with the history of the old Keystone state.
Michael Kunkle, grandfather of John E. Kunkle, was a worthy and in- fluential farmer of Westmoreland county, where he spent his entire life, and where he met his death as the result of the explosion of the wooden cylinder of an old fashioned tumbling shaft threshing machine.
Amos Kunkle, father of John E. Kunkle, was born in Hempfield town- ship, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, on the old homestead farm. Dur- ing a greater portion of his active career he was actively identified with agri- cultural pursuits, but for a number of years he was also engaged in the lum- bering business. He has ever stood high in the esteem of his fellowmen, and is one of the honored pioneer citizens of the county. He is now retired from business and maintains his home in Greensburg. He is a stalwart Re- publican in politics, and both he and his wife have long been active and devoted members of the First Reformed church. He married Sarah Kepple, also a native of Hempfield township, and of their children seven are living, John E. being the oldest in order of birth. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kungle are representatives of old and honored families of the county, and both are of sterling German lineage.
John E. Kunkle was born in Hempfield township, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, August 16, 1862. He passed his boyhood days on the old homestead farm. in the meantime acquiring his preliminary education in the public schools. He continued his studies under Messrs. Chamberlain and Ryckman, taught school in Hempfield township in the winter, and attended the Greensburg seminary in the summer, preparatory to studying law. He then took up the study of law in the office of McAfee, Atkinson & Peoples, of Greensburg, at that time one of the leading law firms of the county. He made excellent progress in his technical reading, and December 17, 1887, at the age of twenty-five years, was admitted to the bar of his native county, as well as later to practice in the Superior and Supreme courts. In 1889 Mr. Kunkle entered into his present professional alliance, this firm controlling a large and representative legal business and being concerned in much import- ant litigation. Mr. Kunkle has shown himself a thoroughly qualified trial lawyer and one well informed in the minutiae of the science of jurisprudence, and has ever fortified himself by close and continuous study and by careful and conscientious preparation for every cause which he has brought before court or jury. He is a close observer of the unwritten code of professional ethics, and commands the esteem of his confreres and the confidence and re- gard of his clientele, while as a citizen he is essentially loyal and public-spir- ited. He is a member of the Westmoreland County Bar Association, and has attained to high degree in the Masonic fraternity, a member of Kedron Com- mandery, Knights Templar, Greensburg, and has risen to the thirty-second degree, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, being identified with the consistory at Pittsburg, while he is also affiliated with the various York Rite bodies, and is a Noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is a Republican in politics. He has long been a member of the First Reformed church and for years an elder in the congregation as well as secretary and superintendent of the Sunday school. He is one of the trus- tees of Franklin and Marshall College, at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and was
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HISTORY OF WESTMORELAND COUNTY.
for a number of years a director of St. Paul's Orphans' Home, Butler, Penn- ·sylvania, and is now president of that institution.
Mr. Kunkle married, August 17, 1886, Alice Grant Walthour, who was born and reared in Adamsburg, Westmoreland county, daughter ,of Michael and Cordelia Walthour. Their children are: Cordelia, who died at the age of one year: Sara, Katharine, Margaret, John Edward, Jr., Paul Wal- thour, Alice Walthour and Louisa.
ELMER AMZIE KUNKLE, proprietor of the "City Restaurant," Greensburg, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, was born May 28, 1871, the son of Amos and Sarah (Kepple) Kunkle. He was born on a farm in Hempfield township, about one mile north of Greensburg. In 1903 he formed a partnership with John Kettering, and they engaged in the catering business, becoming the proprietors of the City Restaurant. They have been very suc- cessful in this line, and the business grows continuously. Mr. Kunkle mar- ried, October 22, 1903, Alice C. Kemp, daughter of Arthur Kemp, of Pleas- ant Unity.
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MAR 2 5 1953
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