USA > Pennsylvania > Jefferson County > Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : her pioneers and people, 1800-1915, Volume II > Part 101
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qualities. They have also been famous for lon- gevity, Mr. Lanzendorfer's father, John Lan- zendorfer, having died at Driehacker when ninety-five years old; he was a merchant at that place. His grandfather attained the age of ninety-nine years, and his great-grandfather was frozen to death in Austria when one hun- dred and five years old. Among the children of John Lanzendorfer were: Joseph, who became a manufacturing jeweler; William, who is a ' miller ; Daniel. a jeweler; Peter, a college professor : John; Mary; Anna; Lena, and Pauline.
John Lanzendorfer, a son of John, above mentioned, had ordinary educational advan- tages, and, as was customary in his native land, was bound out for five years when a boy, to learn the trade of jeweler. His father paid one hundred dollars in Austrian gold for his in- struction during apprenticeship. After its com- pletion the young man traveled over Europe as a journeyman jeweler for two years, broadening his experience, until he obtained a master's certificate. In 1866 he was drafted for service in the Austrian army, and had the prospect of ten years of military life. But he found it so irksome that after he had served nine months as a soldier he made his escape following a battle. taking refuge with his brother Peter, who then lived at Aachen, Ger- many. The brother protected him success- fully, keeping him locked in a room for six weeks, during which time the house was watched by soldiers, who suspected his pres- ence there. But he finally got away and aboard a ship bound for America, landing at Philadelphia in 1866. He remained in that city two years, following his trade, spent an- other two years at Trenton. N. J., where lie was watchmaker for the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company, and in 1873 came to Punxsu- tawney, which seemed a promising business community. He immediately bought out the interest of a watch tinker named Gelispie. paying him six hundred dollars for his busi- ness, which he took over in November of that year, thus founding what has since grown into one of the most important establishments of its kind in Jefferson county. Mrs. Lanzen- dorfer contributed largely to this consum- mation by taking an active part in the busi- ness. His store at No. 115 Mahoning street is one of the most carefully appointed in the bor- ough, and his stock is selected with such excel- lent taste that patrons know they could not be better served anywhere outside of the large shopping centers. Mr. Lanzendorfer took an active part in the enlargement of Punxsutaw
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ney borough and has shown his faith in its time of his death, and attained the venerable future in the most substantial manner, by in- age of eighty-three years. His wife was sev- enty-six at the time of her death, which occur- red at Knox Dale. vesting in local enterprises whose prosperity is linked with that of the town. He was one of the organizers of the Punxsutawney Water Company, and was one of the first promoters of the Punxsutawney Fair, which he helped to organize. Other worthy undertakings have had his unqualified encouragement, given at the right time.
Mr. Lanzendorfer married Annie Hartlein, daughter of John and Anna B. (Heiman) Hartlein, natives of Germany, the former born in Bavaria, the latter in Saxony. Mr. Hart- lein died at Camden, N. J., where he settled upon coming to America, and his wife sur- vived him, passing away at the age of eighty- nine years in Punxsutawney. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lanzendorfer: William died when six years old; Pauline is the widow of Daniel E. McGregor, and lives at Greenville, Mercer Co., Pa .; Daniel G., a mechanic, is now in Philadelphia ; Joseph II., a jeweler, is working with his father; Mary Catherine married J. R. McElwain and they reside at Altoona, Pa .; Margaret is the wife of William McMillen, of Punxsutawney.
ALBERT SEBRING has improved and re- sides upon one of the fine farms of Knox township, and though he has found great satis- faction and much pride in bringing this beau- tiful rural home up to its present status and is to be considered one of the progressive farmers of Jefferson county, yet he has been best known as a contractor and builder, in which he has been a leader in this part of the county. where many admirable buildings re- main to attest his skill as an artisan. His homestead is situated two and a half miles east of Knox Dale and he is now serving his sixth consecutive term as justice of the peace ; his decisions have been marked by fairness and justice in every case that has come before him for adjudication. His long retention of the office indicates the high estimate placed upon him by his fellow men ; his present term ex- pires in 1920.
At Cherry Hill, four miles east of Indi- ana borough, Pa., Albert Sebring was born on the toth of December, 1851. He was six- teen years of age at the time of his father's death. his early education having been acquired in the public schools of his native county. He is a son of William and Sarah (Fyhock) Sebring. his father following carpentry during the major part of his active life. He was a resident of Greenville, Indiana county, at the
In his youth Albert Sebring served a prac- tical apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade, and his allegiance to the same has continued (luring the intervening years, which have been marked by success as a contractor and builder. Though he has a fine farm and has been a resident on the same a score of years he has never plowed a furrow, as he found his activities more productive at his trade and chose the expedient of employing others to do farm work. After the death of his father he worked at his trade under the direction of an uncle for two years, and at the age of nineteen formed a partnership with a Mr. Wilson and engaged in contracting and building for two years. For one year thereafter he worked at his trade in the oil fields, and in 1874 became a member of a colony of forty persons who came to Jefferson county to buy and develop timber lands, there having been at the time a large amount of timber still remaining, por- tions of which were little more than a forest of pine and hemlock. At the time it seemed to Mr. Sebring that the supply of timber would never be exhausted, but all has been cleared away and even the last little tract of hemlock timber in Knox township was cut in 1916. Among these Indiana county settlers of 1874 there were very few who failed to locate in Knox township and nearly all of them re- mained. Prominent among the number were Robert B. Stewart ; Maybury Rhodes, who died in 1913: David Meyers, whose death oc- curred in 1915: William McCowan, now at Knox Dale; A. Knabb, who finally went to Pittsburgh, where his death occurred in Feb- ruary, 1916; Joseph Knabb, who lives at Knox Dale ; as also David E. Sebring, only brother of Albert; and William Fyhock, now a resi- dent of Pinecreek township.
In coming to Jefferson county Mr. Sebring had as his prime object the erection of a plan- ing-mill for R. B. Stewart, which he built at a point a short distance northwest of Knox Dale. Thereafter he found almost constant demand for his services as a contractor and builder, and for ten years owned and operated a small portable sawmill. About twenty years ago Mr. Sebring began the improvement of his present farm, then covered with timber or stumps, the owner having cut a considerable amount of second-growth pine. He now has about sixty acres under cultivation and devoted to diversi- hed agriculture ; the total area of the farm is
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sixty-eight acres. Mr. Sebring has brought his skill into effect in the erection of high-grade buildings, from timber felled on the place and made into lumber for the purpose. The attrac- tive house was designed and built by him, and the same is true of the other buildings on the place. As a contractor he has put up fully two-thirds of the houses and barns in this vicinity, and at points more distant he has erected a number of buildings for manufac- turing purposes.
Though always ready to lend his influence and cooperation in the furtherance of measures for the general good, Mr. Sebring has been in no sense an office-seeker. He served two years as overseer of the poor and thereafter refused all overtures to take office until he was elected justice of the peace, now serving his sixth con- secutive term, five or six years each. At its close, in 1920, he will have given nearly thirty- two years of consecutive service in this minor but important judicial office.
In a total of about one hundred cases that have been tried before him nearly all have been settled without appeal, and few of his decisions have been reversed. ITis constant effort has been to effect the settlement of disputes and difficulties without litigation and his kindly and wise counsel has done much to promote har- mony in the community. In a private as well as an official way, Squire Sebring has come to be looked upon as a peacemaker, and he has made the office of justice of the peace fully merit its title. Though liberal in his views and well fortified in his convictions, Mr. Sebring has not denied a stanch allegiance to the Re- publican party. At Maysville he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, and at Punxsutawney to the Red Men. besides which he has been active in the Junior Order of United American Me- chanics, which he has represented in the su- preme lodge of Pennsylvania. He is implacable in his opposition to the liquor traffic and has been an earnest worker in the cause of temper- ance.
At the age of twenty-two years Mr. Sebring wedded Catherine Fenstermaker, who passed away after becoming the mother of the follow- ing children, who still survive her: Centen- nial, who received his name by reason of his having been born on the 4th of July, 1876. resides upon the homestead of his father and is a carpenter by trade; Sarah is the wife of Martin Gailhousen, of Knox township: Floy Belle is the wife of Albert Day, of Renovo, Clinton county, and with her resides her sister. Miss Mary Sebring; Shields Knowlton, the youngest of the children, resides at Knox Dale.
For his second wife Mr. Sebring married Re- becca Yoder, who had lived in the home of the Sebrings and assisted the first wife in caring for the children. By this union there are ten children : William died at the age of nine years; Clayton is employed by the Pennsyl- vania Railroad Company as a telegraph oper- ator : Albert Loan is a carpenter and sawmill operator : Charles Earl and Robert are associ- ated in the management of the home farm; Anna, Wayne, Floyd, Catherine and Alma are the younger members of the attractive home circle.
GEORGE OHL, a venerable resident of Jefferson county, has been living in retirement at Summerville for the last ten years, enjoying the freedom from responsibility earned in long years of active toil. Mr. Ohl found his chief occupation in farming and lambering, which have always been among the leading industries relied upon by the inhabitants of this county, especially those of landed possessions, and he still retains the ownership of some valuable property, though he gave up active work when he removed from his farm to Summerville. He has always taken a pride in keeping in touch with all matters of importance to his town and county, and was considered so well informed that he was frequently called upon for service in public matters, those who knew his worth placing a high estimate upon his opinions and counsel.
Mr. Ohl is a native of what is now Clinton county. Pa., born April 20, 1836, son of .An- drew and Catharine ( Moyer), Ohl. In both paternal and maternal lines he is of German descent, his mother's grandfather, Gideon Moyer, coming to Pennsylvania from Ger- many in the year 1743. He located in Schuyl- kill county, near Pottsville, where he raised a family. As they grew up all left him but Henry, the youngest son, Mr. Ohl's grand- father, who stayed with his parents as long as they lived. In the year 1805 he moved with his family to Union county, where he bought a farm near Hartleton. His son Valentine, Mr. Ohl's uncle, settled in Center county, in the Nittany Valley, and, his wife dying, was left with a family of small children. His sis- ter Catharine went to his aid and took charge of his family until the year 1833, when she was married to Andrew Ohl, and a few years later Mr. and Mrs. Ohl moved to Jefferson county, where they settled on a tract of land which he bought from J. E. Brown, agent for the Duncan land, in 1835.
Andrew Ohl had been thrown upon his own
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resources at an early age, dutifully undertak- ing to support his mother and the rest of the family. He was ambitious to make his way. and in the pioneer country found the oppor- tunity. It took courage and perseverance as well as hard work to lay the foundations for a good home, for at that time the region was practically an unbroken forest, and not one foot of his land had been cleared. But he was equal to the task, and prospered deservedly.
George Ohl grew up on the home place. situated in Rose township, spending his early years under circumstances then common to rural life which offered few advantages for education and such hard living conditions that nothing but unceasing work could meet them. Yet he persisted in spite of many drawbacks. and as the country developed found his labors more remunerative if not less ardnons. The home farm seemed to him as promising as any other might be, and he remained there, buying the place in 1868, and continuing to operate it until 1906, also carrying on lumbering profit- ably. In the year named he disposed of the farm and removed to Summerville, where he has a fine property and is comfortably settled.
On June 3, 1862, Mr. Ohl was united in mar- riage with Minerva Floffman, of Washington county, Ohio, who was one of a family of ten children, five sons and five daughters. Mrs. Ohl passed away May 15, 1910, at the age of sixty-four years, and is buried in the cemetery taken from the old homestead. Twelve chil- (Iren were born to this marriage, nine of whom survive. and Mr. Ohil may take great satis- faction in the useful lives and substantial suc- cess of his sons and daughters. Edgar B., the eldest, born March 12, 1863. is a resident of Reynoldsville, and engaged as agent for glass plants : he is married to Laura Lurch and has two living children. Sarah C., born April 22. 1864. is the wife of Dr. Levi Reinsel, of Pitts- burgh, and they have two sons. James T., born June 9, 1865, is a merchant in Portland, Ore- gon : he married Agnes Carrier, and they have two children. Willis Henry, born July 12. 186 ;. is a farmer in Clover township; he mar- ried Carrie Me Aninch, and they have had two children, one surviving. George Albert, born May 13. 1870, is a Pennsylvania railroad em- ploye : he married Mamie Smith, and they have three children. Orval L. M., Harry Reed and Benny all died of diphtheria in 1878 within a space of six weeks. John M., born July 28. 1870, lives in La Grande, Oregon, and is an employe of the Standard Oil Company; he married Mrs. Elizabeth Young. Ralph ... born March 28. 1881, is a merchant at Salem,
Ohio ; he married Emma Ditty. Eliza Ruth, born Sept. 10, 1886, makes her home at Cor- sica, where her husband, Clyde Simpson, is in the mercantile business; they have one child. Twila Linn, born July 2, 1889, is the wife of William Smith, a rural mail carrier of Sum- merville.
George Ohl is a member of the Methodist Church. Politically he has always been in sympathy with the Democratic party, and he was at one time an enthusiastic worker in its local councils. He filled a number of town- ship offices, having been school director, as- sessor and auditor, and invariably discharged the duties intrusted to him with promptness and fidelity.
THEODORE LEVIS, SR., has long been known in Brockwayville as proprietor of one of its most reliable stores, and as one of the first to establish a moving picture show for high class entertainment. His success in both has been the result of untiring endeavors to give patrons full value, a policy which has worked both in his favor and theirs. It is over thirty years since Mr. Levis first embarked in business as a general merchant, and the steady patronage he has received is evidence that his conscientious attempts to serve his trade satisfactorily have not been ignored. His son George is now associated with him in the grocery business. which is operated accord- ing to modern ideas, giving up-to-date service, the stock being carefully selected to meet the demands of discriminating customers.
Mr. Levis was born Dec. 25, 1849, in Brook- ville, a son of Johann Batista Levis, who was a native of Belgium, where he married Frances- coff Van Wynendalle. They came to Brook- ville in 1846 with their one child, Clementine, while a son, Constantine T., was born during the ocean voyage. The father worked as a day laborer, but died only a few years after- wards, about 1850-51: the mother, by close application and economy, managed to keep her children together. She spent the last years of her life in Brockwayville with her son Theodore and a daughter, and died here at the age of ninety-one years. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Levis, namely: Clem- entine, married Ira Felt and settled at Brock- wayville ; they have three living children, one, Wallace, having died in infancy. Dr. Constan- tine T. Levis is a dentist in Franklin. Charles 1 . resides at Brookville, and Theodore com- pletes the list. The ancestors on both sides have always lived in Belgium so far as known, near the site of the battlefield of Waterloo,
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some eight miles from Brussels. Mrs. Johann Batista Levis was only a young girl at the time the battle was fought, but she remembered many incidents of the occasion.
Theodore Levis, Sr., though but a boy dur- ing the Civil war, recollects the underground railway station operated at Brookville by a Mr. Johnson. 1Ie obtained his education in the public schools, which he attended up to the age of fifteen years, after which he was variously employed for several years. In 1870 he came to Brockwayville, and on Feb. 28, 1882, started his first independent business venture by opening a general store, continuing in that line until a few years ago. He has since con- fined his operations to the grocery trade, and has a well equipped store, to which his per- sonal popularity as well as the merits of his goods has drawn a profitable patronage. For the last ten years his son George has assisted him in its conduct, though the father still de- votes a good share of his time to its manage- ment. Nine years ago he entered the moving picture business, then a comparatively untried line, and the complete success of his "Thea- torium" has justified the venture. His con- servative principles and executive ability have proved just as valuable in the new line as the old, the best element in the town extending liberal patronage to this popular and whole- some place of amusement. Except for the interest a good citizen takes in the welfare of his community he has not had any part in public affairs. On political questions he is a Democrat.
In June, 1879, Mr. Levis married Annie Ply- ler, of Worthville, and they are the parents of nine children: Edward Charles, now located in Cleveland, Ohio; Bertha, at home: Mar- garet, wife of Alex. Bovaird, of Beechwoods; Nora, wife of John Hemphill, of Brockway- ville ; Theodore : Harvey and Calvin, of Punx- sutawney ; George W. ; and Raymond, at home, who married Mayme Richards and has two children. Raymond and Natonia.
THEODORE LEVIS, JR., born at Brockway- ville, May 1. 1881, acquired his education in the public schools. On Feb. 28, 1899, he en- listed in Company B, 2d United States Infan- try, and during the three years of his service was in both Cuba and the Philippines, receiv- ing his discharge Feb. 28. 1902, at the Presidio, San Francisco. For a short time he was em- ploved in the gristmill of MeCauley. MeKav & Co .. was then a brakeman on the Erie rail- road for three years, and was a fireman for T. H. Corbet, contractor, operating a steam shovel. He then joined his father in the meat
market and grocery store, and in 1914 opened his present meat market, where he has estab- lished a lucrative trade. He is keeping up the reputation of the family for honorable dealing and business ability. Mr. Levis is a member of Donoti Tribe, No. 493. I. O. Red Men, and of the M. E. Church. Politically he sup- ports the Democratic party.
GEORGE W. LEVIS, born in March, 1889, in Brockwayville, obtained his education in the common schools and at the age of seventeen became associated with his father. His ener- getic methods and obliging disposition have been of incalculable value. He is a member of the Red Men and a Democrat in politics. Mr. Levis married Malissa Butters, of Brad- ford county, and they have three children, V'erle Maxine. Theodore John and Beverly Elaine.
SAMUEL S. HAUCK, of Brookville, was born July 15, 1860, in Bell township, son of Joseph Ilauck and grandson of Daniel Hauck, who was born in 1795 in Dauphin county, Pa. Locating near Howard Furnace, in Center county, on Bald Eagle Mountain, he remained there six years, in 1838 removing to a farm near Hecla Furnace. In 1841 he bought 170 acres in McCalmont township, twenty acres having been cleared. For six years he gave his time to the development of this property, spent the next four years on a farm near Brookville, and then returned to the McCal- mont farm where he died, surviving his wife, Catherine (Herring ), two years. They had
ten children : Joseph is mentioned below ; Isaac, born in Union county, was married in 1842 to Miss Neal, and died in Center county ; William, born in Union county, a miller by trade, resided in DuBois for some years, his death occurring in 1891 ; his wife, Catherine Himes, of Reynoldsville, survives him ; Uriah, born in Union county, married Katie Mungold, and owned a farm in Bell township, Clear- field county; Andrew, born in Union county, was a farmer in Bell township, Jefferson county, where he died in 1888, his wife, Sarah (Grube), of Center county, dying two years before: Daniel, born in Center county, after his marriage to Margaret Bigley settled in Perry township. Jefferson county, where he (lied in 1890, surviving his wife several years ; Robert, born in Center county, in early man- hood went to Kittanning. where he married and resided until his death, in 1893; Thomas M., also a Civil war veteran, born June 30, 1827, near Howard Furnace, married Sarah J. Gray ; they had a family of seven children.
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Both died at Big Run. Catherine, born in Center county, married Daniel Coder, of Brookville: they moved to Denton county, Iowa, where he died, his wife surviving. Jane, born in Center county, married Joseph Shes- ley, of Reynoldsville.
Joseph Hauck was born in Center county and moved to Jefferson county with his par- ents, became a farmer in Bell township, and there died Aug. 3, 1873, at the age of sixty- three years. He is buried in Zion cemetery. He married Mercy Jane Tindel, who was born April 9, 1827, daughter of Charles and Jane (McIlvain ) Tindel, natives of New Jersey who came to Jefferson county, where his father, Nathaniel Tindel, was an early settler. Mrs. Hauck passed her latter years at Punxsutaw ney and died Nov. 2, 1903. The family were associated with the Lutheran Church, and politically he was a Democrat. Nine children were born to them: Elizabeth, born April 26. 1848, who married George W. Rhoads; Kate, who died in childhood ; Charles T., of Punx- sutawney; John, of Eldred township: Mary A., who married George Dicky, of DuBois; Abigail C., married to Jacob Shaffer, of Wil- liamsport ; Samuel S. ; Alice, married to Christ Kuntz. and living in Gaskill township; and Rena, who married Clark Wells, of Indiana county.
Samuel S. Hauck was reared in Bell town- ship, where he farmed until 1903, removing then to Porter township, Clarion county. In the spring of 1911, returning to Jefferson county, he purchased the old Uriah Matson farm at Brookville, a fine tract of 220 acres, devoted to general farming, and which has been greatly improved by the present owner.
On New Year's Day, 1890, Mr. Hauck mar- ried Barbara Kuntz, and their children are: Ruth, who graduated from the Clarion Nor- mal in 1911, taught for four years and is now a student in Ohio University. at Athens, Ohio ; Lulu, who died in infancy; Max and Della, both of whom graduated from the Brookville high school in 1915: Paul; Florence ; Hazel : Edna ; Budd, and Vaughn. The family are Lutherans in religious association.
Jacob Kuntz, grandfather of Mrs. Samuel S. Hauck, was a native of Bavaria, and lived in Germany until several years after marriage. to Catherine Yockey, daughter of Casper Yockey, who came to America in 1837 and died two years later. Mr. and Mrs. Kuntz and three children started from their old home in May, 1830, and sailing from Havre landed after a tiresome voyage at New York. At- tracted by the fertile lands, they took posses-
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