USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a history, Volume II > Part 43
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Fraternally Mr. Keyser is affiliated with Warren Lodge, No. 310, Free and Accepted Masons, of Collegeville, and with the Tall Cedars of
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Lebanon. He is also a member and first vice-commander of Byron S. Fegley Post of the American Legion in Collegeville ; and a member of the 108th Field Artillery, in which he holds the rank of lieutenant. He is a member of the Acacia Club, and his religious affiliation is with St. Luke's Reformed Church. His favorite recreation is bowling.
On August 30, 1922, Mr. Keyser married Florence M. Detwiler, a daughter of A. Heyser and Cora (Miller) Detwiler, of Trappe, Pennsyl- vania. Mr. and Mrs. Keyser reside at No. 201 West Main street.
JOHN U. ISETT-The founders of the Isett family, of which John U. Isett, of Royersford, Pennsylvania, is representative, were Frederick and Jacob Isett, who, with their widowed mother, sailed from Rotterdam in 1732 with a little colony, including their pastor, a Lutheran clergyman. They did not come penniless for the Widow Isett had a large quantity of gold and soon after landing bought a farm for her son, Jacob Isett, that is now included within the limits of the city of Philadelphia, "Girard College" standing on part of that farm. She also bought a farm for her son, Frederick Isett, near Trappe, in Montgomery county, the farm adjoining being the home of the parents of Governor Shunk. The farm was for many years in possession of the Isetts, now being known as the "Warner Farm." The Isetts intermarried with the Markleys, of Mont- gomery county, Rebecca Isett contracting the first marriage between the families. The Frederick Isett family located principally in Montgomery county, the original farm being in Upper Providence township, where Frederick (1) Isett, a pillar of the Lutheran church, and a member of the vestry was laid at rest in the Lutheran Churchyard at Trappe. He was succeeded in this line by his eldest son Frederick (2).
Frederick (2) Isett was born at the homestead in Upper Providence, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, becoming a skilled mechanic, famous as a maker of edged tools. He prospered, owned his own home and was a man of intelligent, broad mind, and of strictly upright life. He mar- ried Mary Hallman and they were the parents of five sons, the second, Frederick (3), the head of the following generation in this line.
Frederick (3) Isett was born July 26, 1812, died November 11, 1899, having attained the great age of eighty-seven years. He obtained a good education and for more than twenty years taught school. He also was familiar with farm work, and with the plasterer's trade, and during his twenty years of teaching was engaged during the summer season in working at his trade. He was a painstaking, persevering teacher, strict in discipline and highly esteemed. After teaching twenty years, he retired and henceforth gave all his attention to the cultivation of his farm. He was originally a Democrat, then a Whig, and when that party "gave up the ghost," he affiliated with its young and vigorous successor, the Republican party. He served as school director and as member and secretary of the board rendered valuable service. Frederick (3) Isett married, February 4, 1841, Henrietta Shade, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Shunk) Shade, her mother a cousin of Francis R. Shunk, governor of
Mont-22
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Pennsylvania. Jacob Shade, her father, was a prosperous farmer of Montgomery county, owning part of the land on which Royersford is located. Frederick (3) and Henrietta (Shade) Isett were the parents of seven children : Mary, married John Y. Eisenburg; she died February 17, 1921 ; Lavina, died unmarried at the age of twenty-four years; Jacob R., a farmer owning the homestead, married Anna B. Amole; he died January 10, 1921 ; Charlotte, married William Y. Eisenberg; Frederick S., a physician of Philadelphia, died July 28, 1895; John U., of further mention ; and Henrietta, married John M. Mauger; she died December 8, 1922. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick (3) Isett were members of the Brethren Church.
John U. Isett, son of Frederick (3) and Henrietta (Shade) Isett, was born in Limerick township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, August 21, 1852. He was educated in the public schools, and at Washington Hall, Trappe, Pennsylvania, then with school years completed, began learning the carpenter's trade. Two years later he engaged in mercantile life for a time as a clerk, finally in 1879 aided in organizing the Grander Store Company. He was connected with that company for twenty years and for seventeen of those years was engaged as a traveling sales- man. He also owned an interest in the company and while still holding that interest, he established a private lumber yard and coal bins at Royersford and for seven years held that interest, finally selling it. For the seven years following, he was in the flour and feed trade in Royers- ford, but with the ending of that term, he withdrew from business and is now retired from any stated business, but always busy.
A Republican in politics, Mr. Isett has always been active in public affairs. For three years he was a member of the Borough Council, and in 1920 was appointed burgess to fill a vacancy. In the fall of 1921 he was elected to succeed himself in that office. He has often represented Royersford in party conventions, and is one of the influential men of the party. He is a member and past master of Royersford Lodge, No. 585, Free and Accepted Masons; a companion of Pottstown Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and a Sir Knight and charter member of Nativity Com- mandery, Knights Templar, of Pottstown.
John U. Isett married, November 24, 1881, Ida Winter, daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Schwenk) Winter, her father the last survivor of the founders of the borough of Royersford. Reuben Winter was born near Trappe. Upper Providence township, Montgomery county, Penn- sylvania, October 30. 1823, died April 29, 1918. He was the son of John and Deborah (Raysor) Winter, and grandson of John Winter, of ancient Berks county family, who served in the Revolutionary War, and in 1793 was keeping a hotel in Philadelphia, on Water street. He died in Upper Providence in 1836, aged over eighty years and was buried in the grave- yard adjoining the Trappe Lutheran Church, of which he was a member. His son, John Winter, came to Montgomery county with his parents in 1812 and succeeded his father in the hotel business near Trappe. Ulti- mately he purchased a farm located half a mile below what is now Roy- ersford (the Moyer Farm), and removed from his hotel at Trappe about
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1825. In 1831 he sold that farm and returned to Upper Providence, where he built a residence on land he owned in connection with the old hotel property. He built that residence in 1829, and there died in 1870, aged eighty-four years. He was a member of the Lutheran church, a Whig in politics and later a Republican. John Winter married (first) Catherine Moyer ; she died in 1818; he married (second) Deborah Raysor, in 1821, she dying in 1859.
Reuben Winter taught school, and immediately after his marriage in 1848, removed to Royersford and engaged in business with his father- in-law, Daniel Schwenk, who was merchant, hotel keeper and postmaster. Reuben Winter succeeded Daniel Schwenk as postmaster at the latter's death in 1859, and was station agent of the Philadelphia and Reading railroad, the store and hotel having been closed and sold. He was station agent until 1881, attending to all telegraph, station and post office work, holding the postmastership for twenty-five years. When he first came to Royersford there were but three houses in the village. The railroad was built in 1835, the post office established in 1844, and the first postmaster, David Gow, who was succeeded by Daniel Schwenk, was commissioned by President Polk, Daniel Winter receiving his first commission from President James Buchanan. When he retired from the office he occupied himself with his private affairs until 1898, when he founded a lumber and coal business under the firm name R. Winter and Son. He was the oldest director of the National Bank of Phoenixville, a director of the Royersford Trust Company and interested in several Philadelphia cor- porations.
Reuben Winter married, in 1848, Elizabeth Schwenk, born October 23. 1825, died February 16, 1896, daughter of Daniel and Mary (Stetler) Schwenk, and granddaughter of Daniel Schwenk. Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Winter were the parents of four children: Mary J., married Silas Swartley : Ida, married John U. Isett, as previously noted; Reuben (2), his father's partner and successor in R. Winter and Son; and Elizabeth, married Burdett Geissinger.
Mr. and Mrs. John U. Isett are the parents of two children: Ethel, married Edward Kaltenbach, of Royersford, and have a son, John E., and a daughter, Ethel Louise; and Helen R., a graduate of Goucher College, class of 1919, taught school at Stroudsburg and Lititz, Pennsylvania, being a teacher of French and Spanish in high school.
CORNELIUS A. DESIMONE, one of the outstanding leaders of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, is prominent in the real estate and financial circles of the city. He has been the means of the erection of many struc- tures that have added greatly to the architectural beauty of Consho- hocken. He is the son of Joseph and Mary Desimone, and was born at Norristown, Pennsylvania, February 21, 1888. His education came from the parochial schools of Conshohocken, and was supplemented by a course in the Shissler Business College of Norristown, Pennsylvania.
Shortly after his graduation from the above college, he became man- ager of its Philadelphia department and remained in office four years.
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He returned to Conshohocken in 1911 and established a real estate and insurance business which has continued its prosperous career up to the present date. Mr. Desimone is a gifted developer of land propositions, and has added several home sections to the city, such as a tract of land on Tenth avenue, called Conshohocken Heights, which is to-day one of the neatest cluster of homes in that section. He has brought the Suskind Company and many other manufacturing plants to the city. Among his larger and better known buildings is the Riant Theatre, in which he was interested and he is responsible for the negotiations that culminated in the building of St. Matthew's Parish Church, noted as one of the most beautiful churches in America.
The Matsonford Building and Loan Association, the most thriving of the associations in Conshohocken, is the result of his efforts and he is now its secretary. He also started the movement that brought about the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce in January, 1920; is now one of its directors and was its first secretary. During the World War he was very active in the Library Loan drives, and holds a medal granted for his efficient work.
He is an Independent in politics; fraternizes with the Knights of Columbus of Conshohocken ; is a member of the Fire Department and is religiously affiliated with the St. Matthew's Parish Church.
On March 21, 1912, at Norristown, Pennsylvania, he was married to Eva Garner, daughter of George and Annie (Kennedy) Garner, of Trooper. Mr. and Mrs. Desimone have three children: Eva, Marie and Clara, all born in Conshohocken.
WILLIAM H. FAUST, as a financier and school official of Ambler, Pennsylvania, is recognized as a leader. A native son of the place, he has spent his life here and has had a conspicuous part in its develop- ment and improvement. He is the son of Edwin H. Faust, a tanner, and Eliza A. Faust, well known in Ambler, and was born there, October II, 1877.
He was graduated from the public schools of his natal town in 1895 and attended the Drexel Institute of Philadelphia for some time. He returned to Ambler and accepted the position as clerk in the First National Bank in 1896, was appointed teller in 1901, and made cashier in 1918. In addition to his life-long service in the bank he has given his time and attention to various financial affairs, including the Ambler Building and Loan Association, of which he is the secretary.
An independent Democrat, he is a director on the school board of Ambler, appointed in February, 1922. His fraternal association is with Fort Washington Lodge, No. 308, Free and Accepted Masons, his club the Keystone Auto, and he is a member of Upper Dublin Lutheran Church.
At Ambler. Pennsylvania, on October 12, 1904, William H. Faust was married to Alice B. Stout, daughter of Elwood and Emma Stout. Mr. and Mrs. Faust are the parents of a daughter, Dorothy M., born April I, 1908.
LAUREL BOOK SERVICE KATHERINE AND KARL GOEDECKE 565 North Laurel St. HAZLETON. PENNA.
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