History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 105

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1390

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Mrs. Jane ( Wilson) Kerr was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and a most sincere and earnest Christian. She was noted for her

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

acts of kindness, and helped many a fugitive slave escape across the river. She died in the family home in 1866, aged seventy-four years. Nine children were born to Mathew and Jane ( Wilson) Kerr, as follows: ( I) Thomas G., born May 10, 1817, a carpenter in Chambers- burg, married Malinda Renfrew, and they have two sons, John R. and William, both engaged in the printing business in Chambers- burg. (2) Robert, born Dec. 14, 1818, lives with his brother, Mathew, Jr .; he married Carrie Ward ( deceased ), by whom he had one child, Emma, who married a Mr. Brown, and lives in Dakota. (3) James L., born Jan. 18, 1821, a retired lime merchant, lives in Wrights- ville; his wife was a Miss Tompson. (4) John, born June 27, 1823, died in Wrights- ville, April 7, 1850; he married Elizabeth Hep- penstall. (5) George W., born July 4, 1826, married Jane Virginia Bahn, and lives in Wrightsville. (6) William H., born Oct. 19, 1828, married Elizabeth Beaverson, and lives in Wrightsville. (7) Mathew, Jr., is men- tioned below. (8) David, born Aug. 1, 1833, married Aurelia Matson ( deceased), and lives in Kansas. (9) Sarah Jane, born Feb. 25, 1836, married James B. McKillops, and died in Pittsburg.

Mathew Kerr, Jr., was born Feb. 16, 1831, at the family home now owned by his brother William. He was educated in the Wrightsville public schools; his first teacher was Miss Becky Fitz, and later he was taught by his father. As a young man he worked with his father at the lime quarry, and after the latter's death, Mathew, with his brothers, James, Will- iam and Robert carried on the business. The brothers retired from time to time, Mathew remaining until 1894. He has been very suc- cessful in his affairs, and in 1880 built the beautiful home in which he still lives. He has always adhered to the Democratic party since casting his first presidential vote for Pierce, and in local matters has served his town as a school director. He joined the Presbyterian Church when a young man, and succeeded his father as elder, an office he still retains. For seventeen years he has been a director of the Columbia (Pa.) National Bank.

In January, 1856, Mr. Kerr married Julia Thompson, who was born in Dauphin county, near Derry Church. Her father, Robert M. Thompson, was a school teacher in early life

and a blacksmith by trade, becoming weigh- master at the York blast furnace, where he re- mained until his death. Mrs. Kerr was a de- vout Presbyterian. She died April 7, 1890, aged sixty-three. To Mr. and Mrs. Kerr were born seven children, as follows: John P., pas- tor of the Third Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth, N. J., who married Julia, sister of Senator E. K. McConkey ; Annie M., who died in December, 1903, wife of A. J. Warfield, station agent at Wrightsville; Mary J., who married J. E. Roth, of Fairfield, Iowa: Miss Sally J., at home ; Jennie M., who married J. S. Moul, of Hanover, Pa .; Miss Ella ; and Charles M., who married Blanche McConkey.

JOHN FRANKLIN SECHRIST. The manufacture of cigars has gradually assumed large proportions throughout a great part of Pennsylvania, and has become one of the lead- ing industries in York county. Starting, like many others, in a small way, the factory owned by John F. Sechrist has, from the first, steadily increased its output, until now Mr. Sechrist is at the head of a concern known in all parts of the United States. This successful business man is a native of the county, where he was born on his father's farm July 18, 1863, son of John and Susan ( Fry ) Sechrist.

His paternal grandfather was a farmer and distiller in Chanceford township, well known all through his section. He hauled his whiskey to Baltimore for sale, and did a considerable business in addition to running a large farm. He was twice married.

John Sechrist was born on his father's farm, and followed farming all his life. He was sent to the common schools, and when older was employed by his father to haul the whiskey to Baltimore. When he married he settled on the homestead, and lived there fifty-six years, at the end of that time, selling the place, 149 acres, and moving to Red Lion, where he died in 1901, aged eighty-eight. He was a lifelong Demo- crat, but would never accept office. He first joined the United Brethren Church, but aft- erward united with the Evangelical Church, in which he was a trustee for many years. He was a devout Christian, who carried his faith into all practical dealings. He married Miss Susan Fry, daughter of Jacob Fry. Mrs. Se- christ is still living, now aged eighty-three; she has been a life long and active member of the Evangelical Church. The children born to

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their union were: Henry F., farmer in Chance- is connected with the Freysville Lutheran ford township, married to Miss Sarah Rechard; Jacob, a farmer and supervisor of Dallastown, who married Mrs. Mary Schall; Amos, for- merly a farmer, now a cigar manufacturer at Red Lion, who married Miss Sarah Craley ; Leah, Mrs. Emanuel Stabley, deceased in the summer of 1904; Lizzie, unmarried; James, who married Miss Della Rechard, and is an Evangelical preacher at Berwick, Pa .; Steven S., who married Miss Susan Stine, and is one of the proprietors of the Porto Rico Cigar Fac- tory at Red Lion ; William, who died at the age of eight; John F.

John F. Sechrist was educated in the town- ship schools, where his first teacher was Jacob Crumbling, and his last his own brother, Steven S. He left school at the age of fifteen, but had made good use of all his time there. During vacations, and until he was twenty-one years old, he worked on the farm for his father, and for the following four years, after his marriage, he remained there, farming it on the shares. He then removed to Freysville, the former home of his wife, bought three and a half acres from his father-in-law, built a home and a cigar factory, with other buildings, and started out for him- self. The original factory was 18 x 26 feet, two stories in height, but three years later an addition was put on, 18 x 24 feet, and in 1892 another. 18 x 24 feet. Employing at first six hands, Mr. Sechrist, in 1903, had fifty-two em- ployes, and his output is 2,000,000 cigars an- nually, which are shipped to all parts of the country. He manufactures ten-cent brands, five-cent ones, and two for five. In addition to his own factory, he has controlled as many as seven others. Mr. Sechrist has made his own way entirely, for when he started he was obliged to borrow the money to put up his buildings. For three years he himself made cigars, but now he has simply the management of the establishment, which is a splendid wit- ness to his industry, good management and fair dealing. So exactly does he live up to all his agreements, that when a customer is once made his permanent trade is assured.

Mr. Sechrist was married, Aug. 25, 1885, by the Rev. Lenhart, to Miss Emma Jane Stine, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth ( Crum- bling) Stine, and she a member of one of York county's oldest families. The chil- dren born to this union numbered four : Gertrude Irene; Carrie, who died aged thirteen; Maude; and Helen M. The family

Church, in which Mr. Sechrist has been a dea- con for six years, and where he continues the Sunday-school work which in one form or an- other has been uninterrupted since his child- hood. As a boy of fifteen he united with the Evangelical Church at his native place, and on removing to Freysville, he transferred his mem- bership to the Freysville Evangelical. After another year, however, he changed again from that to the Lutheran Church, which he now attends. In politics Mr. Sechrist is a Demo- crat, he casting his first vote for President Cleveland. He is a member of Katahdin Lodge, No. 560, I. O. O. F., and Red Lion En- campment.

JONATHAN B. HERRMAN, who has been a justice of the peace in Red Lion for the past twenty years, was born Feb. 15, 1857, in 1820 they sailed for the United States. near Anstine's mill, now owned by John Myer.

The Herrman family is of Swiss extraction. Peter Herrman, the grandfather of Jonathan B., was born in Switzerland, in the city of Berne, where he studied and later followed the practice of medicine, continuing that profes- sion after coming to America. Peter Herr- man married Sarah Elliker in Switzerland and in 1820 they sailed for the United States. One child was added to the family during the voyage, and was named Martha Magdalena, the latter in honor of the ship so named which brought them safely into the port of Baltimore after a stormy passage of six weeks. Peter Herrman later became a preacher, first in the U. B. Church and later in the Lutheran Church, in the latter connection preaching at Freysville, Kreutz Creek and other points. His death occurred after a life of good works, and he was interred in Staley's Church cemetery, in North Hopewell township. His children were : John M., deceased, who was a homeo- pathic physician at Windsor: Elizabeth, de- ceased, Mrs. Shade, of Baltimore, Md .; Mar- tha M., Mrs. John Fry, of Windsor township; Frederic, who died in Peach Bottom town- ship; Susan, widow of Jacob Jones, of Balti- more, Md .; Samuel E., father of Jonathan B .: Anna, Mrs. William Stewart, who died in Baltimore: Mrs. Joseph Jamison, of Balti- more ; and William O., who died at Delta, York county, in 1904.

Samuel E. Herrman was born in 1831. at Baltimore, Md., and resided there during his

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HISTORY OF YORK COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

early boyhood. During the time his father was connected with the U. B. Conference the family lived in Baltimore, but after he be- came associated with the Lutheran Church he was stationed at different points, and the chil- dren attended school wherever he was set- tled. Samuel learned the trade of a brick- layer, but he was early convinced of the truths of religion and became a preacher at Windsor- ville and in the surrounding neighborhood. Later he joined the religious body known as the Church of God and preached at Duncan- non and in other sections of the State, always impressing those who heard him with his sin- cerity. Late in life he retired to Red Lion, where he died in 1902. He was a lifelong Democrat.

Samuel E. Herrman married Sarah Bull, who was born in 1832, in Lebanon county, Pa., and who still survives. She was brought to this county when young, her father, Jona- than Bull, being a son of English parents. When a young man he engaged in freighting from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, and at one time was the manager of Margaretta Furnace, in York county. For some years he engaged in charcoal burning in Lebanon and York counties. His death occurred on his farm in Lower Windsor township in the year 1878, at the age of seventy-seven years. His wife, who was of Scotch descent, was Elizabeth. Doug- las, born in Lancaster county, Pa., in 1809, and dying in 1885. The children of Samuel E. Herrman and his wife were: Jonathan B .; Lizzie, Mrs. R. T. Smith, of Red Lion; Syl- vester J., of Red Lion, who married Ida Hein- del, since deceased; Elmer E., of Steelton, who married Frances A. McAllister; Sarah, Mrs. M. F. Harlan, of Steelton; Maggie, deceased ; Samuel H., of Red Lion, who married Susan Howard; and Walter J., of York, who mar- ried Bertha McGuigan.

Jonathan B. Herrman was educated mainly in the Windsorville school, where he continued until the age of twelve years, when his grandfather removed to Lower Windsor township and he was able to attend the Neiman school, taught by a brother of Dr. Gable of York. At the age of twenty years he finished his education, his last teacher being Greer Barnett. Mr. Herrman was reared from in- fancy to manhood by his grandfather Bull. The discussion over his name, when he was an infant, caused some friction between the two

excellent men, his father and his maternal grandfather. The latter wished the child named for him, Jonathan Bull, but the former, who was a strong Democrat, wished the middle name to be Buchanan, in honor of James Buchanan. The two could not agree on this matter, but finally compromised on the initial B, without further ending. Jonathan B. Herr- man remained at work on the farm until the age of twenty-one and then married and settled in Lower Windsor township, where he fol- lowed the trade of brick-laying which he had learned from his father. He resided there until 1883, when he removed to Red Lion, and was again employed at his trade until the duties of the various offices to which he was elected otherwise occupied his time. In 1884 he was elected a member of the town council, serving thus three years, and the following two as clerk of that body. In 1886 he was elected as a justice of the peace, and his re- election and continuous service demonstrate very clearly the value set upon his ability by his fellow-citizens. He has been a prominent citizen since locating at Red Lion, serving four years as a. school director and three years as secretary of the school board, and taking an active part in all the important public matters arising to be decided by the suffrages of the people. He has always been identified with the Democratic party.

Judge Herrman was reared in the U. B. Church in boyhood, but later attended the serv- ices of the M. E. Church and for five years was secretary of the Sunday-school. He has always been a liberal donator to all religious enterprises and charitable objects. He was in- terested for a time in the newspaper business, on Sept. 23, 1892, issuing the first number of the Red Lion Press, in partnership with W. L. Lock, and being succeeded by his eldest son, in 190I.

On April 26, 1877, in Lower Windsor township, Jonathan B. Herrman married Miss Jennie Kinaird, daughter of the late Henry and Elizabeth (Kauffman) Kinaird, and they have children as follows: Claude, a successful young business man ; Pearl, Mrs. Harry Neff, of Red Lion; Minerva, and Nellie.

In fraternal life Judge Herrman has ever been a very prominent factor in York county. He is a member of Zeredatha Lodge, No. 451, A. F. & A. M. At the age of twenty-one he joined Lodge No. 944, I. O. O. F., has been

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a member of York Encampment, No. 67, for some years, and is past chief patriarch in that body. In 1887 he organized Katahdin Lodge, No. 560, I. O. O. F., of Red Lion, in which he is past grand, has belonged to Red Lion En- campment for the past decade, now holding the position of past chief patriarch in the or- ganization, and belongs to Salome Lodge, of the Daughters of Rebekah, of York. He is also a member of Red Lion Council, No. 125, of the O. U. A. M. In public, fraternal and social life he stands as one of the representa- tive men of this section of York county, being widely known and held in universal esteem. He has administered impartial justice for many years, has set an example of good citi- zenship and public spirit, and has made a record for himself that reflects credit upon himself and upon his community.

CASPER HEINRICH OERMANN, senior member of Oermann & Blaebaum, of York, Pa., although comparatively a young man, has made his mark in the business world. He was born March 21, 1863, in the Prussian province of Westphalia, Germany, at the village of Buttendorf, near Lubbecke, son of Heinrich and Anna Maria (Sieker) Oermann. The parents of Mr. Oermann were farming people in Germany. Two brothers of Heinrich Oer- mann came to York: William A., a shoe- maker, in 1846, who died in 1875, leaving five sons and one daughter ; and Charles, a farmer, who died in 1896, leaving a son and daughter. Casper H. Oermann is the second son of his parents, the other members of the family be- ing Heinrich, a farmer of Westphalia; Will- iam H., a painter and contractor at York, and Carl, who died in 1886 and was buried in Prospect Hill cemetery.

While the Prussian provinces do not af- ford as good business opportunities to ambi- tious young men as does America, in many ways the public schools are better, and when Casper H. Oermann had completed his educa- tion in the local institutions, he had a thorough knowledge of the branches taught. In 1881 he decided to join his uncle at York, Pa., being then eighteen years of age. From the port of New York he came directly to that city and soon found work there as a carpenter, a trade he had learned in Germany. This he followed until 1894, when he embarked in his present business of contracting and building, entering

into a partnership with another practical man in the business. In addition to a great deal of firm work, Mr. Oermann has done much individually in the way of erecting houses for sale, some twenty-five in number. These are all well constructed, modern in style and add to the attractiveness of the localities in which they are built. He is looked upon as one of the first-class men in his line in this part of York county. His own beautiful residence at No. 17 Carlisle avenue was built in 1898, and is a model of modern convenience.

Mr. Oermann was married April 16, 1884, to Wilhelmina Moellering, who was born in Westphalia and came to York in 1880. She is a daughter of Heinrich and Catherine (Brockman) Moellering, deceased. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Oermann are as follows : Anna, born May 13, 1886; Henry, born April 18, 1888, who is attending Concordia College at Hawthorne, Westchester Co., N. Y., in prep- aration for the ministry of the German Luther- an Church in the Missouri Synod; William, born Sept. 25, 1890, a student in the same col- lege; Carl, born Aug. 23, 1892; Clara, born Aug. 27, 1894, and Edward, born March 24, I899. Mr. Oermann has been one of the leading members and liberal supporters of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of York for many years and has served on its official board.

The business house of Mr. Oermann is sit- uated on the rear of No. 450 West Phila- delphia street and from Nos. 446 to 472 Clark alley. The work of the firm covers all kinds of building and contracting, and a large force of men is constantly employed. Personally Mr. Oermann is an honorable, upright man, fair in all his dealings with others and well represents the best class of business men in York.

JACOB HETZEL LEBER was born on the paternal mansion farm in Lower Windsor township, just to the rear of the Canadochley church, April 29, 1839, and there he was reared to the age of eighteen, assisting in the work of the farm and availing himself of the educational opportunities offered in the lo- cality. At the age of six years he became a pupil in the Canadochley school, over which Henry G. Kauffman presided over as in- structor, and there he continued a pupil during the winter terms until he reached the age of

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eigliteen years, his last teacher being David loyal citizen. He served two terms as county Keller, who is now engaged in the coal business committeeman and twice as delegate, while he has also been an incumbent of the offices of election inspector and judge, assessor, township clerk and school director, having held the last mentioned position one term, and being at the time of this writing in the midst of his fourth term of service as township clerk. He was a charter member of the Lower Windsor Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of whose directorate he has been a member since its organization, while he has been president of this well-con- ducted institution since 1891. In a fraternal way Mr. Leber is affiliated with Winona Lodge, No. 944, I. O. O. F., at East Prospect, and is a past grand of that body. in the city of York. At the age noted he entered upon an apprenticeship at the black- smith's trade, under the direction of Matthias Reigart, of Stony Brook, with whom he re- mained two years, after which he served an equal period with Michael Beockle, near Hel- lam. His father then erected for him a shop on the home farm and he there began business for himself in 1861, gaining a wide reputation as a skillful and reliable workman and secur- ing a large and representative patronage. He continued operations there until 1884, and for the ensuing seventeen years was engaged in agricultural pursuits on the farm of his father- in-law, in Lower Windsor township. He then, in 1901, returned to the old home farm and re- sumed his trade, in which he was actively en- gaged up to a comparatively recent date, while, for the accommodation of his old customers, he still does considerable work in his shop. Mr. Leber has throughout life devoted much time to the reading of substantial literature, while also keeping in touch with the questions and issues of the hour, and he is a man of broad and exact information. He has been for many years a constant reader of the Bible, and its goodly precepts and lessons he has not failed to teach at the home fireside. When a youth of sixteen years Mr. Leber became a member of the Reformed Church, having been cate- chised by Rev. Daniel Ziegler, of Canadochley Church. In his boyhood he first attended Sunday-school at Margaretta Furnace, one and one-half miles distant from his home, but when the Sunday-school was established at the Canadochley Church, in the immediate vicinity of the homestead, he joined that or- ganization. He has ever since been identified with the latter church, and for several years has been a teacher in its Sunday-school. For six years he was a deacon in the church, and for the past ten years has served as elder, taking an active and zealous interest in all de- partments of the religious work, including its collateral benevolences.

Mr. Leber is well fortified in his political views and has been a stalwart supporter of the Republican party ever since attaining his legal majority, casting his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, in 1860. He has been prominent and influential in local public af- fairs and is recognized as a public-spirited and

In Lower Windsor township, on Nov. 27, 1862, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Leber to Welmina Leiphart, who was born and reared in that township, daughter of John and Catherine (Dellinger) Leiphart, the latter of whom is deceased, while the former, one of York county's oldest and most honored pioneers, celebrated his ninety-third birthday anniversary in October, 1905. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Leber we have the following record : Anna, who became the wife of James A. Fry, died in Lower Windsor township in 1897; Mary Jane is the wife of Clayton Thomas, of the same township; Leah is the wife of Jacob Forry, of Windsor township; Lydia A. is the wife of Howard F. Crumling, of Lower Windsor township; Katy May is the wife of Moses Dietz, of the same township; Maggie is the wife of John Hengst, of Hellam township; Samuel A. and John E. were twins, the latter dying in infancy, while the former, who married Laura Jacobs, is a successful farmer of Hellam township; Caroline and Emma Rebecca remain at the parental home.

Samuel Leber, father of Jacob H. Leber, was born in what is now Lower Windsor township, May 15, 1800, a son of Conrad and Maria Leber. Conrad Leber was likewise born in the present township of Lower Windsor, on Dec. 24, 1751, and this date would indi- cate that the family was among the early set- tlers in York county. This worthy pioneer, who was a man of influence and affairs, died Dec. 2, 1814. He was a farmer by vocation and owned what was known as Butcher's ore- bank farm, comprising at least 200 acres and located in Lower Windsor township as at pres- ent constituted. His first wife, Margaret, was

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born Aug. 13, 1758, and died Oct. 18, 1797. fices, such as tax collector, township assessor His second wife, whose maiden name was and auditor and member of the election board. He was a devoted adherent to the German Re- formed Church, and was a member of the com- mittee which had charge of the building of the second edifice, in 1867, while for many years he was an elder and deacon in the church. He was a man of spotless integrity and universally commanded the highest respect. He died on his old homestead Nov. 30, 1880. Maria Hammer, was born Dec. 4, 1773, and died Dec. 4, 1821. All were laid to rest in the cemetery of the Canadochley Church, to which they had been devotedly attached. Mr. Leber had been a member of its building committee when the original edifice was erected, in 1801. The children of his first marriage were as fol- lows : John, who was a wagonmaker by voca- tion, died in York; Jacob died near the present town of Ephrata, Lancaster Co., Pa., where he was engaged in the hotel business for many years (his wife, Nancy, was a daughter of Colonel Wright, who rendered gallant service as a Colonial offi- cer in the war of the Revolution) ; Eliza- beth, the third child, married a Mr. Paules and both died in Lancaster county ; Peter, who was thrice married, died at East Prospect, and Conrad, who married twice, died in Lower Windsor township. The children of the sec- ond marriage were as follows: David, who died in Windsor township; and Samuel, father of Jacob H. Philip and Jacob Leber, brothers of Conrad, Sr., were soldiers in the Continental line during the Revolution, being captured by Hessian soldiers and held prisoners for some time.

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History of York County Pennsylvania, Volume II, Part 105

Author: Prowell, George R. Publication date: 1907 Publisher: J. H. Beers Number of Pages: 1390

Author: Prowell, George R.
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: J. H. Beers
Number of Pages: 1390