Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 144

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 884

USA > Pennsylvania > Indiana County > Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II > Part 144

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

William H. Meekins received his education in Green township, attending at the Buter- baugh schoolhouse. During his boyhood he became familiar with farm work, afterward learning the trade of miller at Punxsutaw ney, Pa. On June 14, 1863, he enlisted from Indiana county, becoming a member of Com- pany E, 1st Battalion, Pennsylvania Cavalry, with which he served six months, being dis- charged Dec. 28, 1863. He was under Col- onel Dale and Captain Grinnell. After the Civil war had ended he came back to Indiana county and settled on the home farm, where he engaged in general agricultural pursuits until 1901. That year he left the old place and lived retired for a time, a year later buy- ing the place he has since occupied and cul- tivated. He is a prosperous and up-to-date farmer, and one of the substantial citizens of his township, which he has served as over- seer of the poor (for several years), super- visor and member of the election board.

Indiana county, and has two children), Wil- liam, Dollie, Eva, Ola and (2) George, a resident of Green township, mar- ried Adda Frampton, of Indiana county, and they have eight children, Esta, Ivan, Claire, Hazel, Wesley, Bernard, Albert and Shirley. (3) Harvey, a resident of Johnstown, Pa., married Savine Thompson, of that place, and they have four children, Irwin, Wardell, Herbert and Cleda. (4) Tillie is the wife of Joshua Gibson, of Center township, this county, and their children are Vada, Turl, Maud and Eva. (5) John, now a resident of Lovejoy, this county, married Winnie Hughes, of Indiana county, and they have five chil- dren, Hope, Fay, Charity, Vera and Grace. (6) Howard, who lives at Pleasant Valley, Pa., married Ella Connor, of Indiana county, and they have five children, Dean, Lelah, Clarence, Leroy and Arthur. (7) Bertha, wife of Morris Clark, lives in Indiana county. They have six children, Ethel, Walter, Wil- liam, Ellen, Howard and Joy. (8) Levi died when eleven years old. (9) Ossie is the wife of Layton Lowman, of Pine Flats, this county, and has five sons, Norville, Wilbur, Paul, Horace, and one not named. (10) Walter, the youngest, is still living at home.

Mr. and Mrs. Meekins are members of the German Baptist Church, and he has held various offices in the congregation. He is a member of the G. A. R.

HARRY C. MOCK, of Clymer, Indiana county, is one of the wide-awake young busi- ness men of that borough who have estab- lished profitable business connections by mak- ing the most of the opportunities afforded in its rapid though substantial development. As a building contractor he has acquired valuable interests, and he has shown his good judgment and public spirit in the character of his work, being known for reliability and the honorable fulfilment of everything he undertakes.

On Feb. 11, 1869, Mr. Meekins married Sarah Jane Gossard, who was born Aug. 9, 1848, in Cambria county, Pa., daughter of John and Elizabeth (Long) Gossard, the Mr. Mock was born Oct. 12, 1878, on the old Mock homestead in Cherryhill township, son of W. H. and Elizabeth (Howe) Mock, and grandson of William Howe, of Cherry- hill township. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Mock had seven children, namely: E. S., who is now in Colorado, engaged in farming; Min- former a native of Cambria county, the lat- ter a native of Indiana county. Mr. and Mrs. Gossard lived and died in Cambria county. He was engaged in railroad work. Four of his family survive, two sons and one daugh- ter living in Cambria county. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Meekins: nie E., wife of H. E. Kurtz, of Canton, Ohio (1) Elizabeth married Michael Hadden, of (they have one child); Anna, deceased ;

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Grant, who lives in the borough of Indiana Rayne township, where he died Dec. 27, 1906. and is employed by the Interurban Railway He married Jane Stuchell, who was born in Company (he married Pearl Trimel and has Washington township, this county, daughter three children) ; Harry C .; and J. O. and of Abraham Stuchell, a farmer, and died J. E., twins, the former living in Colorado, March 17, 1901. John F. was the only child born to Lewis and Jane (Stuchell) Glasser. unmarried, the latter living in Clymer, where he follows the trade of mason (he married Zula Davis and has two children).

Harry C. Mock attended school at Green- ville, Indiana county, receiving a good educa- tion, to which he has added constantly dur- ing his long experience as a teacher. He has taught school off and on for fifteen years, and is at present engaged in the school at Clymer. In his early manhood he learned the trade of carpenter and builder, and when the borough of Clymer was started, some six years ago, he found plenty of work at hand, proving himself so thoroughly equal to the demands of the growing town that he has become a conspicuous figure in local con- struction work. He has been the contractor for many of the new buildings erected within the last few years, and his conscientious work and up-to-date ideas have made him a strong influence for substantial, modern structures which will be a credit to the town in the years to come as well as at the present. He has been elected to local office, having served four years as assessor and four years as sec- retary of the school board of Cherryhill town- ship, and has discharged his duties faithfully in both positions.

On Jan. 15, 1905, Mr. Mock married Esta Adams, daughter of W. H. Adams, of Penn has spent his long and useful career in agri- Run, this county, and they have had two children : Evelyn, born July 26, 1906, and Ruth, boru July 28, 1908. The family attend the M. E. Church.

JOHN F. GLASSER is living in Rayne township, Indiana county, on part of the old Glasser homestead formerly owned by his father and grandfather. He was born there Jan. 29, 1861, son of Lewis Glasser, whose father came to this country from Germany, settling about 1848 in Rayne township, Indi- ana Co., Pa. He was a cabinetmaker by

John F. Glasser is engaged in operating part of the old homestead which his grand- father and father before him conducted. He is a highly esteemed citizen of his township, where he has served in various official ca- pacities, having been auditor for three years, school director for two years and assessor for six years. His work in every connection has been commendable and highly creditable to him and his constituents. His political asso- ciation has been with the Republican party, and he is a strong advocate of Progressive principles. He attends the Lutheran Church.

On April 27, 1882, Mr. Glasser was mar- ried to Laura A. Boucher, of Rayne town- ship, daughter of Andrew Boucher, a farmer, and five children have been born to them: Norman L., who is engaged as a teacher in Philadelphia ; Charles F., a farmer in Rayne township, who married Nora Frech, of that township, and has one child, Earl Lewis; James C., who is attending medical college in Philadelphia; Irvin S., a member of the firm of Christy & Co., of Indiana borough; and Eva Myrtle, who died in infancy.

WILLIAM KERR, who is now living re- tired in West Mahoning township, where he cultural pursuits, was born on the old Kerr homestead place in that township, in March, 1838, son of Samuel and Polly (Thomas) Kerr.

Valentine Kerr, the first of this family to come to the United States, was born in Ger- many, and on emigrating to America took up wild land near Shelocta, Indiana Co., Pa., where he spent the rest of his life in agricul- tural pursuits and died. He reared a large family of children.

Samuel Kerr, son of Valentine Kerr, and father of William Kerr, was born near She- trade. He died on the place where he made locta in 1796, and in 1822 came to West his permanent home, at the age of eighty-two years, and his wife passed away there, at the age of seventy-four. They had a family of seven children, Lewis, George Washington, Sophia, Elizabeth, Magdaline, Frederick and Susan. Mahoning township, where he first lived in a log cabin. He married Polly Thomas, of near Shelocta, daughter of Israel Thomas, and they became leading people of their part of the county, were known as faithful members of the United Presbyterian Church, and had

Lewis Glasser, father of John F. Glasser, the respect and esteem of all with whom they was born Feb. 22, 1836, in New York City, came into contact. Mr. Kerr was first a Whig and was a boy when the family located in and later became a member of the Republican

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

party. Ten children were born to him and Mr .. and Mrs. Kerr had the following chil- Alice, deceased, was the wife of his wife, namely: Israel, deceased, was a dren: farmer of West Mahoning township; Hannah, Thomas Hoover, and had children, Josephine, who married Griffith Condon, went West, and died in Iowa; John was a farmer on the old homestead; a son died in infancy; Val- entine is living in Jefferson county ; Amos, deceased, lived in Nebraska; Margaret, de- ceased, was the wife of M. Condon; Joseph died in Iowa; William is mentioned below; Thomas met his death in battle during the Civil war, while a private of Company A, 78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.

William Kerr, son of Samuel Kerr, re- ceived only a limited education in his boy- hood, and his entire life has been passed on the home farm.' Some time prior to the Civil war he learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed off and on for some years, but the greater part of his time and attention after the war was devoted to agricultural matters. At this time he is living retired, feeling that the earnest and arduous labors of his early years have earned him a rest. He was married in September, 1860, to Ida Raush, of Center county, Pa., daughter of Henry Raush, a farmer, who on coming to this county settled in West Mahoning township.

On July 30, 1863, Mr. Kerr enlisted for service in the Union army during the Civil war, in Company D, 102d Pennsylvania Vol- unteer Infantry, became a corporal, and served as such until the time of his honorable discharge, June 28, 1865. He enlisted at Kittanning, Pa., was sent to Pittsburg and there drilled. During the next spring his regiment joined the Army of the Potomac, just prior to the battle of the Wilderness, where he received his baptism of fire. Sub- sequently he participated in the battles of Spottsylvania and Cold Harbor, being then sent to Washington, D. C., and then into the Shenandoah valley with General Sherman, fighting throughout the subsequent campaign, after which he returned to the Army of the Potomac and to Pittsburg. He was also in various skirmishes. At the battle of Spott- sylvania Mr. Kerr was hit by a piece of shell, in his right shoulder, and he was sick con- siderably while in the service. He was known as a brave and cheerful soldier, faithfully performing the tasks assigned to him, con- tent in the knowledge that he was serving his country's cause. At the close of hos- tilities he returned to the occupations of peace, and proved just as good a private cit- izen as he had been a soldier.

Blanche, Agnes, Roy, Rebecca, Carl, Marie and Clara; Annie, deceased, married George Griffith and had three children, Charles, Pearl and Carrie; Seth B. married Etta Laughry and has four children, Myrtle, Olive, Clyde and Alice; Edgar, a traveling salesman, whose home is at Punxsutawney, married Maggie Dormire, and has two chil- dren; Joseph, who is conducting the old homestead, married Marietta Weaver, by whom he had three children, Clarence, Annie . and Pearl, and married (second) Maude Corman, by whom he has three children, Alice, Bert and Max; Ira, a railroad fore- man, of Marion Center, Pa., married Jessie Gray.

Mr. Kerr's political principles, are those of the Republican party, and he has served as tax collector, school director and in other ca- pacities. With his wife and children he at- tends the Lutheran Church of Smicksburg.

NORRIS W. BENNETT owns and lives upon his grandfather's old homestead in In- diana county, where he follows farming and coal mining, being one of the prosperous men of his vicinity. He was born in Montgomery township, Indiana county, Dec. 12, 1858, son of John and Sarah J. (Gardner) Bennett, and grandson of William Bennett, a native of Pennsylvania who came to this section from York county in 1839. The great- grandfather came from Germany. William Bennett followed farming and lumbering throughout his active years. He and his wife both died when seventy-two years old.

John Bennett, father of Norris W. Ben- nett, was born Aug. 28, 1828, in York county, Pa., came with his father to Indiana county, and was trained to farm work and lumbering from his earliest years, continuing to engage in those lines all his life. He died in 1899, his wife in 1909.

Norris W. Bennett was reared on the farm, and received a good public school education, attending at Rock Run. When yet a young man he became engaged as a lumber and log contractor on the Susquehanna river, devot- ing all his time to this line for eleven years. Then, at the age of thirty-two, he embarked in the meat business, wholesale and retail, at Spangler, Cambria Co., Pa., being located there for another period of eleven years. Dur- ing that time he became one of the prominent citizens of the place, serving five years as con-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

stable, two years as chief of police, and three a resident of Apollo, Pa., married to Minnie Walker.

years as burgess. When forty-three years old Mr. Bennett returned to farming, which he has since carried on very successfully, now owning and cultivating the old homestead of his grandfather, a tract of eighty-three acres in Banks township. He also operates two coal mines in the locality, which he is devel- oping into good paying properties. As usual, he has proved himself a public-spirited and useful member of the community, having given good service as member of the school board of the borough of Glen Campbell.

On Sept. 20, 1894, Mr. Bennett married On Oct. 6, 1873, Mr. Fouts was married, Elizabeth Murray, of Mountaindale, Cambria in Butler county, Pa., to Sarah Elizabeth Co., Pa., daughter of Thomas and Rose (Me- Cartney) Murray, the former a native of Maine. Mr. Murray served thirteen years as postmaster at Mountaindale. He was for years a farmer by occupation. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Bennett: Sarah H., John Murray, Percy Arnold, Thomas Domer, Vada Bernice and Ernest Francis. Mr. Bennett is a prominent mem- ber of the M. E. Church, which he serves as trustee, of both church and parsonage.

TAYLOR WINFIELD FOUTS, farmer of Armstrong township, Indiana county, belongs to an old and respected family of this part of Pennsylvania, and the name, originally spelled Pfoutz or Pfouts, is perpetuated in Pfonts Valley, Perry county.

Susann Frank, a native of Dauphin county, has been practicing dentistry in Arcadia, In-

John Fouts, father of Taylor Winfield Fouts, was born in Pfouts Valley, on the old homestead, and in Perry county married Pa. They moved from Perry county to In- diana borough, and thence to Susquehanna township, Cambria county, and from there in 1871-72 to Venango county, this State, where Mr. Fouts followed his trade, that of carpen- ter. He next lived at Broadford, Pa., and his death occurred at Tarkwood, in 1886. He was a Republican in his political views, and in religious connection a member of the M. E. Church. His wife died in 1884. They were the parents of the following children : St. Clair, now of North Baltimore, Ohio, who married Sarah Adams; Missouri, who mar- ried George Tate, of MeKean county, Pa .; Taylor Winfield; Alahama, who married Charles L. Avery and lives in Noblestown, Pa .; Buena Vista, who married Henry Croks, of Venango county; Miller, of Mckean county, who married Lucinda Tarr; Clifford, an oil driller, who is unmarried; and Curtin,

Taylor Winfield Fouts was born Nov. 8, 1850, in Susquehanna township, Cambria Co., Pa., and passed his early life in Cambria, Clearfield and Venango counties, this State. He learned the trade of carpenter, was in the oil fields for a time, engaged in various occu- pations, and saw much of the development and opening up of the oil regions. After his marriage he came to his present home, in Armstrong township, Indiana county, where he is engaged in farming.

Craig, a native of Butler county, born Sept. 27, 1856, daughter of James A. and Mary (Campbell) Craig, and received her educa- tion in the public schools. Mr. Craig was born July 2, 1825, in Butler county, Pa., son of George and Margaret (Hunter) Craig, and died in 1896 in Armstrong county, Pa .; his wife died in 1894. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Fouts: James Harry, of Armstrong county, who married Minnie Moore; Charles, who is deceased; Wil- bert Ellsworth, of Indiana, who married Rhoda Williams; Ralph, of Armstrong town- ship, Indiana county, married to Elizabeth Campbell; Homer, of Youngstown, Ohio; Frank C., of Armstrong township, who mar- ried Daisy Sealor; Mary Jane, wife of Clair Edmundson, living in Indiana borough; and Ervin Earl, at home.

MERTON E. CHURCHILL, D. D. S., who diana county, for the last ten years, is a mem- ber of an old and much respected family of this section, being a son of Philander and Elizabeth Harriet (Rank) Churchill, and grandson of John L. and Maria (Hazlett) Churchill. John L. Churchill was a shoemaker and farmer. He came from New York to Indiana county in 1831, and later went West. where he died. His wife who was a native of Bellefonte, Pa., died in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.

Philander Churchill was born March 22, 1832, in Montgomery. township, Indiana Co., Pa., was educated in the public schools, and when a young man was engaged in the man- ufacture of shoes for eight years. Since 1865 he has been engaged in the mercantile busi- ness at Hillsdale, and with the exception of four years has been postmaster there con- tinuously since 1873. He has served two terms as secretary of the Montgomery town-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

ship school board. On June 19, 1856, he mar- schools. He has always been engaged in farm- ried Elizabeth Harriet Rank, daughter of ing, in which he has prospered, and he is Samuel and Mary Ann Rank, and of the chil- one of the most highly esteemed citizens of dren born to them Albert, Edward, Clara Ann his township, where his industrious and up- (Mrs. Stevens), Jesse D. (a merchant) and right life has won him universal respect.

Bertha (who married D. Ford Rankin and In March, 1849, Mr. Keith married, in after his death became the wife of James A. Green township, Isabella Plowse, who was Smith) are deceased. Six survive: Mary born in New York State, daughter of George Almeda, who married James Weaver and Plowse, who came to Indiana county and

(second) Wesley Standish ; Sarah Frances, wife of James D. Ake; William T., who mar- ried Elva Spicher; George R., a physician, who has been twice married, first to Ollie Hazlett; Merton E .; and John S., who mar- ried Mand McElhinny.

Merton E. Churchill was born Oct. 18, 1878, at Hillsdale, in Montgomery township, this county, and received his literary educa- tion in the public schools there. He took his course in dentistry at the Pittsburg Dental College, graduating in May, 1902, and has

In 1899 Mr. and Mrs. Keith had the pleas- since been engaged in the practice of his pro- ure of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of fession at Arcadia, where he has established a their marriage, an occasion made doubly en- fine patronage by good work and reliability. joyable by the fact that all their children Though he himself takes little active part in were present. public affairs he is a thoroughly public- spirited citizen, supporting the men and measures he thinks will benefit the commu- nity best. He votes the Prohibition ticket. He is a member of the Alumni of the Pitts- hurg Dental College.

On Oct. 15, 1902, Dr. Churchill married Pearl Wissell, of Indiana county, daughter of Martin L. and Lucy (Moorhead) Wissell, the former a contractor engaged in moving buildings.

GEORGE KEITH, a venerable resident of Green township, Indiana county, was born there May 15, 1830, son of John and Mary M. (Lowmaster) Keith. His grandfather, Adam Keith, came to this county in pioneer times.

John Keith, father of George Keith, was born in New York, and came to Indiana county at an early day, settling on the farm in Green township now occupied by his son George. He died in 1836. His wife, Mary M. (Lowmaster), was born in Virginia, daughter of George Lowmaster, a very early settler in Indiana county, and died in 1904, at an ad- vanced age. Mr. and Mrs. Keith had three children, George, the eldest, being now the only survivor; Michael and John are de- had four children: William, who was burned ceased. The former served in the Civil war. to death at Phoenix, Armstrong Co., Pa.,

George Keith passed his early days in married Deborah Pears; John had a grist- Green township on the farm where he is now mill east of Punxsutawney, Pa .; Samuel and living, and received his education in the local

first settled in Brushvalley township, later moving to Green township. By occupation he was a farmer. Of the large family born to Mr. and Mrs. Keith Martha Jane is the wife of Jacob Patterson and lives in Green township; Lavina is deceased; George M. survives; John is a resident of Green town- ship; Michael is living in Green township; Elias is deceased; Isaiah is living in Green township; Annie is deceased; Ida is the wife of Ottis Lydick, of Green township.

SHARP NEAL, SR., was born Ang. 2, 1832, on the old Neal homestead in North Mahon- ing township; Indiana county, and has for years been engaged in business at Perrys- ville, just across the line in Jefferson county. He has kept hotel there for twenty-five years, and has worked at his trade, that of tailor, for sixty years in all.

William Neal, his grandfather, the first of this branch of the family to settle in America, was from the North of Ireland. His wife was Mary Reynolds. They first located at Philadelphia, later in Franklin county, Pa., and eventually came to Indiana county, in the eighteenth century, where he obtained nearly three thousand acres of land west of Indiana, near Jacksonville. He was a sur- veyor and became very well known. His death occurred Sept. 5, 1813, when he was seventy-seven years old, and he was buried in the cemetery at Bethel Church, in this county. We have the following record of his children : (1) Thomas lived on part of his father's old place at Jacksonville, where he put up a gristmill, and later moved to near Georgeville, this county. He was twice mar- ried, first to Margaret Creviston, by whom he

Thomas went West. To his second marriage,

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

with Catherine Barnhart, were born five chil- Patterson. Hardy Hill married Margaret dren : Margaret married S. Hoover and Trimble and had three children; he lived in (second) George Weaver, and lived in Perry Porter township, Jefferson county. township, Jefferson Co., Pa .; Arr lived in The second wife of William Neal was Susan Punxsutawney, Pa .; Ogg was killed by a live Neff, by whom he had six children, namely : wire in Horatio, Pa .; Thomas was killed by a James C., a merchant of Perrysville, Pa., boiler explosion in Homer City, Pa .; Mary R. married Catherine Hadden; Winfield Scott, married R. Trusel. (2) John lived near Jack- of Perrysville, married Rebecca Piper ; sonville and was engaged in farming. He Amelia (Millie) married Joseph Uncapher; Euphemia died unmarried; Sanford (de- ceased) married Lydia Lewis, lived in Punx- sutawney, and was a land owner; Sharp is mentioned below. married Lydia Lewis, and they had four chil- dren, John, Hugh, Rachel Loman and Kissie Inadid. (3) Mary died unmarried. (4) Ro- sanna died unmarried. (5) William was the father of Sharp Neal.

Sharp Neal, son of William and Susan William Neal, son of William and Mary (Reynolds) Neal, was born in Franklin county, Pa., on Caneoguages creek, and had little opportunity to acquire an education. He was noted in his day for his musical at- tainments. Prior to 1807 he settled on the Big Mahoning, where there were only two white settlers at that time, and it was he who ran (Neff) Neal, grew up in the primitive sur- roundings characteristic of this region in his early days, and had little chance to attend school. When a boy of eleven years he went to live with his brother Thomas, at North- point, remaining with him two years. Then for two years he was with Joseph Uncapher, in 1847 going to Indiana, this county, to the first raft down Big Mahoning creek. His learn his trade. He served an apprenticeship home was half a mile from Perryville, where at tailoring, with Wilson Long, for four years. Thence he went to Blairsville, Pa., before the railroad was extended from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, continuing there for one season. He then attended school for a time, going to the old academy at Indiana, of which Thomas Searls was then principal. Returning to his he cleared three acres of what is now the Rob- ert Hamilton farm. Later he moved to where Charles Neal now lives. in North Mahoning township, which place he improved, making his home there for a number of years. In 1832 he moved across the creek north, to where H. Neal now lives, and died March 17, old home locality he located in 1857 at Perrys- 1869, at the home of his son John Neal, in ville, where he built a hotel in 1868, and in

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 144

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 884

Author: Stewart, Joshua Thompson, 1862- comp
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, J. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 884