Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 47

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 47

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SAMUEL KEPORT RANK, of Glen Camp- bell, Indiana county, is engaged in the insur- ance business at that point and makes his home in the town of Hillsdale, in the adjoin- ing township of Montgomery. The family has sainted father of the writer and other noble long been established in this part of Indiana men who feared to do wrong more than they county, and its members in every generation feared unjust imprisonment and the confisca- tion of their homes, did feed, shelter and con- have displayed those qualities of substantial worth which justify their high standing in duct many a company of black skinned fel- the regard of their fellow citizens.

George Rank, of Union county, Pa., great- publican party finished its work grandfather of Samuel K. Rank, is the first of the family of whom we have record. He and spent his last years in heartily supporting married Elizabeth Vertz.

Prohibition. In the church he was an untir- ing worker. In nine years as his pastor we came to expect him in his place in every serv- tion of gospel principles. His last public work was in the Sabbath school three days before his call to heaven."

On Dec. 24, 1850, Mr. Rank was married in Indiana county to Jane Clark, who was born Aug. 9, 1829, at Lewisberry, York Co., Pa., daughter of Virtue and Catharine (Grove) Clark, and died Oct. 5, 1902, surviving her

less invalid for a year and nine months before her decease. Four children were born to this Linnie, widow of Dr. H. H. Jacobs; and

denly, Jan. 8, 1902, at the home where he had passed so many years. The following, by Rev. Samuel K. P. B. Campbell, appeared in deceased's church Virtue Clark, father of Mrs. Jane (Clark) paper a few weeks later: "Brother Rank Rank, was born May 17, 1799, in Connecticut, was born near this spot and so he knew well and was one of the twelve children of-

lows on their way to Canada. When the Re- * Brother Rank took up the next living issue

Samuel Rank, son of George and Elizabeth (Vertz) Rank, was born Oct. 18, 1802, in Union county, and died Nov. 26, 1869. In ice unless unavoidably prevented, while his 1826 he married Mary Ann Keports, a native prayers and contributions were a constant of Switzerland, born July 28, 1805, who came benediction to the cause he loved so well. The from her native land to America when twelve Sabbath school was perhaps his choice of all years old. She could not speak "a word of places. His years of superintendence and English" when she came to America. She teaching have done much for the dissemina-

was a daughter of Samuel and Mary (Wehrle) Keports, of Switzerland, the former of whom served in Napoleon's army in the invasion of Russia, in 1812. Samuel and Mary Ann (Ke- ports) Rank had a family of nine children. Mrs. Rank died March 29, 1873.

George Rank, eldest of the nine children born to Samuel and Mary Ann (Keports) Rank, born Oct. 16, 1827, near Cherrytree, in husband but a few months. She was a help- Indiana county, Pa., became a farmer in his native county, his home being near Hillsdale, in Montgomery township. He died, very sud- union: Fra C .; Ettie P., Mrs. A. C. Rankin ;

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

and Patience Clark. Before his marriage he three children: (1) Viva Rank, born Aug. left his native State, and in 1841 moved with 11, 1882, at Stephensport, Ky., was married his family to Indiana county, Pa., and died Nov. 16, 1908, to Rev. Thomas Curtis Shane, Feb. 7, 1863. On June 10, 1827, he married a minister of the Wesleyan Methodist Church now stationed at Rochester, Pa., and they have two children, Allan Curtis, born Nov. 21, 1909, at Hillsdale, Pa., and Eunice, born Jan. 20, 1913, at Beaver, Pa. (2) Alline Rank, born Nov. 5, 1886, at Cherrytree, Pa., was en- gaged as a public school teacher for four years, and lives at home. (3) Samuel Har- rison, born July 26, 1897, at Mahaffey, Pa., is a student in the public schools, and lives at home. Catharine Grove, who was born March 5, 1807, in York county, Pa., one of the family of twelve children born to Samuel and Hannah (Reinhart) Grove, the latter a native of New York; her grandparents were Samuel (a native of Holland) and Katy (Ensminger) Grove and Joseph and Susan (Danner) Rein- hart. Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Virtue Clark. The mother died Sept. 10, 1893.

Samuel K. Rank was born June 22, 1857, at Hillsdale, in Montgomery township, Indiana county, and obtained his early education in ried Mary A. Albertson, of that State, and they had a family of nine children.

the local public schools. Later he attended the normal school at Indiana, Pa., and then took a course in the National School of Elocu- tion and Oratory at Philadelphia, being grad- uated with honors in 1880. For twenty-four years he was engaged in educational work, largely in Indiana county, Pa., though he has taught in five States altogether. He has done regular school work as well as elocution in- struction, in which he was particularly suc- cessful. For ten years after giving up teach- ing Mr. Rank was in the employ of the Clark Brothers Company, measuring and estimating timber, and buying timber lands, not only in Pennsylvania but also in North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. In 1906 he entered his present line of work, the in- surance business, in which he has built up a very profitable patronage. His office is in the Bank building at Glen Campbell. Mr. Rank handles "every good kind" of insurance, rep- resenting the Hartford, Franklin, Springfield Fire & Marine, Pennsylvania, Home and Con- necticut Fire Insurance Companies, the Travelers' Insurance Company and the Amer- ican Live Stock Insurance Company. He has found a congenial field of labor in insurance work, and his success shows his adaptability and business qualities of a high order.

Like his father, Mr. Rank is an earnest church and Sunday school worker. He is a member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, parsonage trustee, teacher of a Bible class and superintendent of Sunday school. The cause of Prohibition has always had his strongest sympathy and support, and he was a delegate to the State and National conventions of the party in 1912.

Benjamin Lay, of Virginia, great-grand- father of Mrs. Della M. (Lay) Rank, mar-

James Lay, a son of Benjamin and Mary A. (Albertson) Lay, was born July 5, 1812, at Stephensport, Ky., and died Sept. 15, 1854. On Sept. 15, 1835, he married Mary J. Cox, who was born at Stephensport May 12, 1820, one of the three children of William and Mary (Seaton) Cox, both of Virginia, and died May 5, 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Lay had eight children.

Harrison Lay, son of James and Mary J. (Cox) Lay, was born Sept. 24, 1838, at Stephensport, Ky., and died Dec. 8, 1906. He was a merchant by occupation. On Jan. 1, 1860, he married Olevia Perrigo, who was born Feb. 10, 1838, at Rome, Ind., and they had three children.

William Perrigo, grandfather of Mrs. Olevia (Perrigo) Lay, was born in 1776 and was of French descent-from Massachusetts. His death occurred in 1855. He was married in 1796 to Elizabeth Herrington, of New York, a "full-blooded Yankee," born in 1779, who died in 1865. They were the parents of thirteen children.

Samuel Perrigo, son of William and Eliza- beth (Herrington) Perrigo, was born Nov. 27, 1808, in New York, and died July 9, 1864. On June 4, 1835, he married Catharine Acker- man, a native of Kentucky, born July 7, 1814, daughter of Andrew and Louisa (Reinhart) Ackerman, of Germany, the latter coming from her native land to New York; Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman had a family of seven chil- dren. To Samuel and Catharine (Ackerman) Perrigo were born twelve children. The mother died Aug. 4, 1896.

JACOB C. CONNER, president of the Con- On Sept. 14, 1881, Mr. Rank was married ner Vehicle Company of Indiana, has been in to Della M. Lay, a native of Stephensport, Ky., born May 24, 1862, and they have had

business in that borough since 1900 and is recognized as one of the progressive element

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

in this section which has been striving to keep William and Catherine (Burns) Glass, a full its activities up to the demands of modern record of the Glass ancestry being found in trade. His establishment is well equipped and another part of this work. its product thoroughly up-to-date.

Thomas Burns, maternal ancestor of land, in 1750, and according to family annals served in the British army at the beginning of the Revolutionary war, but later served for other American commanders. In 1790 he was born in Green township, Indiana county, came to Indiana county, Pa., locating in

Mr. Conner was born in Indiana county in Thomas Burns Glass, was born at Dublin, Ire- 1858, and his father and grandfather were also natives of the county. The latter, George Conner, was born on a farm, and witnessed much of the early settlement of this locality. four years under Capt. John Paul Jones and Jacob S. Conner, father of Jacob C. Conner, and was a farmer by occupation. He married Catharine Dishong, daughter of Paul and Elizabeth (Riblet) Dishong, and they became the parents of ten children, two dying in in- fancy. The others still survive, namely : Paul; Anna, wife of Wilson Gross; Elizabeth, wife of R. N. McFeters; George ; Mollie, wife of Uriah Sides ; Jacob C .; Flora; wife of Jacob Breath; and Henry C. The parents were members of the M. E. Church. Mr. Conner died in 1893, Mrs. Conner in 1906.

Jacob C. Conner attended public school in Green township. He was still a young man when he became engaged in the lumber busi- ness, in which he continued until 1900. That year he embarked in the planing mill business at Indiana, where he has since been located. He followed his original line until 1906, when he organized the Conner Vehicle Company, which was incorporated with a capital stock of $25,000, and he has held the position of president throughout the existence of this con- cern. Vehicles of all kinds except heavy road wagons are manufactured, and the output has gained a reputation which insures a constant demand large enough to keep the plant busy. Mr. Conner's business methods are up-to-date, and he has conducted this business so success- fully as to win a place among the substantial manufacturers of the borough. He has ac- quired considerable real estate in Indiana, owning several houses.

THOMAS BURNS GLASS, farmer, resid- ing in Center township, Indiana Co., Pa., was born in that township April 5, 1865, son of

Center township. As a pioneer he made a somewhat precarious living for some years by chopping wood and burning charcoal, but sub- sequently acquired land on which he carried on farming. He died here Oct. 2, 1833, at the age of eighty-three years, and was buried in Bethel cemetery. In 1800 he was married (first) to Mary Hored, who died in 1816, aged sixty-four years. In 1817 he was married (second) to Sarah Boyle, daughter of Robert and Mary (Johnson) Boyle, who died Aug. 15, 1845, aged fifty-five years. They had the following children: William, born Sept. 17, 1818, was a soldier in the Civil war and died March 17, 1900; Thomas, born March 17, 1820, married Margaret Henry, and died Oct. 10, 1893; Catherine, born July 27, 1821, married William Glass, and died Oct. 17, 1886; James M., born March 4, 1824, died Oct. 10, 1855. Mrs. Charles E. Boyle, the only daughter of Thomas Burns, Jr., now resides on the home- stead in Center township.

Thomas Burns Glass was reared on the Burns farm and attended the Myers school in Center township. He lived with his uncles, Thomas and William Burns, and followed farming in Center township until 1893, when he removed to Armstrong township and lo- cated on a 113-acre tract belonging to Hugh Miller. There Mr. Glass remained eleven years, following farming and general indus- trial activities, and when he sold that prop- erty he located in Rayne township on a farm of fifty-two acres, which was known as the James McKendree farm. Four years later

In 1881 Mr. Conner married Lucelia Buter- baugh, daughter of Solomon Buterbaugh, of Indiana county, and to this marriage were born ten children, six of whom died in infancy. Mr. Glass disposed of his interests there to The others are: Boyd, Daisy (wife of John J. W. Helmen and bought fifty-seven aeres in the same township, from Prof. Samnel Wolf. This farm he cultivated for four years and then exchanged farms with Harry Weimer. This transaction took place in 1910 and he has continned general farming and stock raising here ever since. Myers), Effie and Emma. The mother died Nov. 8, 1907, and in June, 1908, Mr. Conner married (second) Margaret River, daughter of Pat River, of Indiana county. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church. On political questions he is independent.

On March 23. 1892, Mr. Glass was married to Lizzie Kunkle, a daughter of Michael Kunkle and sister of L. C. Kunkle, extended mention of which family will be found in an-

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

other part of this volume. One daughter born Indiana Co., Pa., in June, 1872, daughter of to this marriage died in infancy. Mr. and Hiram and Susan Lockard, both of whom are Mrs. Glass belong to the Presbyterian Church, deceased. One son has been born to Mr. and attending at Bethel. He is independent in his Mrs. Boucher, Paul James, who is on the old political attitude.

JOHN I. BOUCHER, manager of the Greenwich Supply Company, at Lovejoy, Indi- ana county, was born in Rayne township, this county, Oct. 26, 1876, and is a son of James and Melissa (Shields) Boucher. His grand- father, Andrew James Boucher, was of French descent, the family having come from near the border line of Germany and France. He was an early settler in Rayne township, taking up the land where his son and grand- son were born from the government, clearing it and spending the rest of his life in farming there, in addition to doing considerable car- penter work.

James Boucher, son of Andrew James and father of John I. Boucher, was born in Rayne township, and followed in the footsteps of his father, being engaged in farming all of his life and still residing on the old home place. He married Melissa Shields, also a native of Rayne township, and to them have been born six children : Effie, the wife of J. L. Way, of Home, Pa .; John I .; Myrtle, the wife of Thomas Williams, of Punxsutawney, Pa .; Della, the wife of W. L. Hare, of Rayne town- ship; Beulah, the wife of Luther J. Hughes, living in Spangler, Cambria county; and Charles, who resides at home.

William Shields, the maternal grandfather of Jolın I. Boucher, was a native of Pennsyl- vania, and during his early life followed the occupation of boatman. Later he settled in Rayne township and turned his attention to farming, at which he was occupied until his death, when he was eighty-eight years of age.

John I. Boucher attended the district schools of Rayne township, dividing his time between acquiring an education and working on the home farm. Subsequently he attended Purchase Line Academy, and after his gradu- ation from that institution. entered the mer- cantile business as a clerk in the employ of the Burns Run Supply Company. One year later he became manager of the Westover Lumber Company, a position which he con- tinued to occupy until 1907, when he became manager of the Greenwich Supply Company, at Lovejoy, where he has since been employed. He is recognized as a business man of more than ordinary capacity and has done much to develop his firm's business.

farm. Mr. Boucher is a member of the Lutheran Church, while his wife adheres to the Presbyterian faith.

SPENCER HICKCOX RHOADS, post- master at Iselin, Young township, and book- keeper for the Ridge Supply Company's store at that point, was born at Tunkhannock, Wyoming Co., Pa., July 12, 1862, son of Dr. John W. and Mary Jennie (Hickcox) Rhoads.

John W. Rhoads, M. D., belonged to an old and honored Virginia family, while his wife descended from Connecticut stock. Dr. Rhoads practiced medicine for many years at Tunkhannock and later at Houtzdale, Pa., where he died in 1889. His widow survived until 1891, and passed away in Northumber- land county, Pennsylvania.

Spencer Hickcox Rhoads was educated in the public schools of Northumberland county and in Dickinson Seminary, at Williamsport, Pa. After leaving school he became assistant agent and operator at Houtzdale, Pa., and later engaged as bookkeeper and clerk for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company at different points in Pennsylvania. In 1899 he accepted the position of bookkeeper in the office of Platt, Barber & Co., at Dubois, Pa., holding it for seven years. In 1906 he left this firm to accept the same position with the Pittsburg Gas Coal Company at their Iselin plant in Young township, Indiana county, and he holds the same office with the Ridge Supply Com- pany. Mr. Rhoads was assistant postmaster under Joseph H. Burgess, and in April, 1911, when the office was made a third-class one, he received the appointment as postmaster un- der President Taft, still retaining it.

On April 19, 1899, Mr. Rhoads was united in marriage with Margaret Munson, the cere- mony taking place at Philipsburg, Center Co., Pa. Mrs. Rhoads is a daughter of Levi Mun- son, and comes of an old Connecticut family. One daughter, Margaret Valentine, has been born of this marriage. Mr. Rhoads is very much interested in the Union Church, which he and his wife attend, and he was on the building committee that had charge of the erection of the present church edifice. He is one of the energetic men of the township, and is a very efficient public official, administrat- ing the affairs of his office in a manner that

In 1894 Mr. Boucher was married to Kate Lockard, who was born in Green township, gives satisfaction to all parties concerned.

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

FRANK C. AMOND, general farmer, of daughter: Vinton Dale, John L., Chester Cherryhill township, Indiana Co., Pa., was Arthur, Wilbur Roy and Florence Elizabeth. born there Jan. 19, 1871, son of Levi J. and Barbara (Dick) Amond.

Frederick Amond, grandfather of Frank C. Amond, was born at what is known as Salem Cross Roads, in Westmoreland county, Pa., and came to Indiana county in 1845, set- tling in what was the Spruce district. Sub- sequently, in 1856, he moved to the farm on which Frank C. Amond is now carrying on operations, and also devoted some attention to following the trade of wagonmaker, to learn which he had been bound out until he was eighteen years of age. His death. oc- curred in the house in which his grandson now lives, in 1875, and his wife passed away near this home.

Mr. Amond is a member of Lodge No. 1163, I. O. O. F., of Clymer, in which he has numer- ous friends. He is known as an adherent of the principles of morality, education and good citizenship, and at this time is school director, election judge and health officer of Cherryhill township.

REV. FATHER NEIL P. McNELIS, pas- tor of the Catholic Church in the borough of Indiana, Indiana county, is a native of County Donegal, Ireland, born in 1858, son of James and Margaret McNelis. He began to attend school in his native country, though he was only ten years old when brought to America, in 1869, the family locating in Lehigh county, Pa. There he obtained his elementary edu- cation in the public schools, and pursued his

Levi J. Amond was born in Salem township, Westmoreland Co., Pa., in 1843, and in his youth learned the trade of plasterer and stone college preparatory studies at St. Francis and brick mason, a vocation which he followed College, at Loretto, Cambria Co., Pa., in 1887 for thirty-seven years in Indiana county, entering St. Vincent College, at Latrobe, Pa. He finished his course in 1893, and the same year was ordained priest. His first appoint- ment was as assistant at Verona, near Pitts- burg, where he remained for two years. He was then pastor of the church at Mount Pleas-

making his home where his son Frank C. now resides, and where his death occurred Dec. 5, 1907. He and his wife had eight children, as follows: Charles, a resident of Cherryhill township; Frank C .; Belle, wife of Jerry Learn, a resident of Indiana county; Daisy, ant, Westmoreland Co., Pa., for two years, wife of Beecher Learn, a resident of Cook- port; and four children who died young.

and inspector of schools for one year, in 1898 taking his present charge, at Indiana.

Simon Dick, the maternal grandfather of Frank C. Amond, came from the East and in his labors at this point, and he is held in settled in Indiana county at an early day, being engaged in agricultural operations until his death in 1850. His widow survived many years, passing away in 1869.

Father McNelis has been highly successful the highest esteem by all classes in the borough, regardless of church affiliations. The church at Indiana was erected the year he came to America, but it was not completed at that time, and since he settled here he has expended about seventeen thousand dollars upon the improvement of the church prop- erty. His devotion and efficient services, in the management of both the spiritual and

Frank C. Amond was married at Belsano, Cambria Co., Pa., June 15, 1893, to Minnie B. Edward, who was born in Cambria county March 28, 1872, daughter of John L. and Eliza Jane (Thomas) Edward, early pioneers of Cambria county, the grandparents of Mrs. material interests of the congregation, liave Amond on both sides of the family coming to been notable and thoroughly appreciated. this country from Wales and engaging in farming and lumbering. Her father also fol- JOHN ANDREW FENNELL is a repre- sentative of an old family of this section of Pennsylvania which has been settled in West- moreland county for several generations. He himself is a native of that county, and has been a resident of Indiana county for the last twenty years. lowed these occupations at Belsano, where he and his wife still survive. They are the par- ents of seven children : Walter, a farmer near Belsano; William, a resident of Hobart Mills, Cal., and a veteran of the. Spanish-American war, in which he served under two enlist- ments, one being under Admiral Dewey; Min- John Fennell, his grandfather, was born in Germany, and was a young man when he came to America with his parents. The fam- ily located in Salem township, Westmoreland Co., Pa., at what is now called Fennelltown, nie B., who married Mr. Amond; Merton, a merchant at Belsano; Vinton, a resident of Cherryhill township, near Penn Run; Oscar, a resident of Belsano; and Bertha, at home. Mr. and Mrs. Amond have four sons and one making a permanent home there. They built

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HISTORY OF INDIANA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

a large stone house on their farm. John ship in that capacity for one term. He has Fennell remained with his parents until they filled other responsible offices in both places, died, inherited the farm, and there passed the giving satisfaction to all concerned. In his remainder of his life. He was a member of St. James' Lutheran Church, of which he

early life he was a Democrat, following the lead of other members of his family, but he was a deacon for many years. In politics he has been a Republican for a number of years was a Democrat. His children were: Mary, Elizabeth, Katharine, John, Christopher, Ja- cob, Michael, Andrew and George, the last named still living on the old homestead. and a strong believer in the principles of the party. In religion he was originally a Lu- theran, serving as an elder in St. James' Church, during his residence in Westmoreland county, and after coming to Indiana county joined the Bethel Presbyterian Church near his home.

Michael Fennell, son of John, was reared on his father's farm in Salem township and obtained his education in the public schools there. He remained at home until after his On Oct. 19, 1876, Mr. Fennell married Salina McWilliams, daughter of Andrew and Mary (Branthover) McWilliams, of West- moreland county, and they have had a family of eight children: Lawrence Ward is mine marriage, when he purchased a 104-acre farm in Washington township, Westmoreland coun- ty, upon which he lived for the next fifteen years. Selling out he bought another farm of 165 acres in Salem township, where he foreman for the Jamison Coal Company at made his home for the rest of his life. He was New Alexandria, Pa .; Harvey Homer is a farmer in Armstrong township, Indiana coun- ty; May married Hazard Rupert, an clectric- ian, of Vandergrift, Pa .; Nannie married Al- bert Hanan, of Homer, Pa .; Roy is unmarried and lives at Vandergrift, Pa .; Ethel, who lives at home, graduated from the Indiana State normal school and is engaged in teaching; Boyd died in infancy ; Ella died when twelve a member of the Baptist Church, and his po litical connection was with the Democratic party. He married Susan Fennell, daughter of Jacob Fennell, of Salem township, West- moreland county, and she died in 1903, at the age of seventy-nine years. Mr. Fennell died in 1905, at the age of eighty. They are buried in the Fennelltown family cemetery. Eight children were born to them: Elizabeth, years old. who married Samuel Walton, of Westmore- land county; Tillie, who died young; Mary, who married James Young; Sarah, who mar- ried James Blakney, deceased ; John Andrew ; Jacob, of Congruity, Pa .; Susan, who mar- ried Lincoln Pitt; and George, of Avonmore, Pennsylvania.

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Indiana County, Pennsylvania; her people, past and present, Volume II, Part 47

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