USA > Pennsylvania > Montgomery County > Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a history, Volume III > Part 40
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Dr. Cooley is affiliated with St. Paul's Lodge, No. 124, Free and Accepted Masons, of Auburn, New York; Loyal Order of Moose; the Order of Owls; Beta Theta Pi fraternity of Colgate College; Phi Alpha Gamma of New York Homeopathic College ; and commander of George A. A. Mole Post, No. 47, American Legion. He is a member of the staff of Pottstown Homeopathic Hospital, and a member of the Tri-County Homeopathic Medical Society. He is also a member of the Trinity Reformed Church of Pottstown. In politics he is a Democrat.
On May 1, 1915, at Reading, Pennsylvania, Dr. Cooley was united in marriage with Ida Portz, daughter of Charles and Regina (Sheitrumpf) Portz, the former for many years an engineer on the Pennsylvania & Reading railroad, but now deceased. Dr. and Mrs. Cooley are the parents of one child, Jeanne, born August 29, 1916. Dr. Cooley is inter- ested in all out-of-door sports, especially hunting. The family home is at No. 223 King street, Pottstown.
CHESTER WILLIAM KNIPE-After five years connection with metropolitan journalism, Mr. Knipe began, in connection with county newspapers, an important branch of journalism in which he has met with success. He is now Lansdale's only newspaper owner and editor, having merged the three former papers of the town into one, to the benefit of all. He is a son of George Crouthamel and Emma (Beisel) Knipe, his mother a daughter of William G. and Ellen (Gordon) Beisel, the former born in Germany, the latter of Scotch-Irish ancestry. William G. Beisel was born April 6, 1833; his wife, Ellen (Gordon) Beisel, in 1837. He was a Lutheran in religion, and a Democrat in politics. Emma (Beisel) Knipe was the fifth of their children, the others being: Ross, Fannie, Erwin, Hassler, Emma, and Elmer.
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George Crouthamel Knipe was born June 10, 1868, and was a skilled woodworker, being for thirty years superintendent of a planing mill at North Wales, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and in politics a Republican. He married Emma Beisel, born February 26, 1872, and they were the parents of seven children : Lloyd H .; Chester William, of further mention; Erwin G .; Helen M .; George W .; Gordon B .; and Gladys M.
Chester William Knipe was born in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1892, and was educated in the public schools of North Wales, Pennsyl- vania. He learned the printer's trade, and later, spent five years in metropolitan journalism and advertising work. He assisted in founding the "North Penn Review" at North Wales, in December, 1915, and con- tinued with that paper until January, 1918. He effected a merger of the "North Penn Review" and the Lansdale "Republican" and continued as editor and manager until May, 1920. He then purchased both papers and changed the merged paper from a weekly to a semi-weekly, later to a tri-weekly. In March, 1923, he bought the Lansdale "Reporter" and merged that paper with the "Republican" and "Review," giving Lans- dale one strong paper. On May I, 1923, he added the "Twin County Tribune" to the "Review" and "Reporter," giving him the largest and most influential newspaper in the North Penn Valley.
Mr. Knipe is a director of the Home Building and Loan Association of Lansdale, is a Lutheran in religious preference, and a Republican in politics. His fraternal memberships are with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Malta, Loyal Order of Moose, and the Woodmen of the World.
Mr. Knipe married, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 23, 1918, Edith Virginia Lenhart, born February 28, 1894, daughter of John E. and Kathryn Lenhart, her father a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Knipe are the parents of three children: Pauline Marie, born November 30, 1918; Chester W., Jr., born April 26, 1920; and Doris Isabell, born January 13, 1922.
F. KENNETH MOORE has practiced law for a decade, and nine of those years have been spent in practice at the Montgomery county bar, located in Norristown. He is well established in public confidence, and serves his clientele satisfactorily. He is a son of Samuel M. Moore, also a native son of Norristown, a man prominent in the business life of his city. Samuel M. Moore was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in January, 1851. He engaged in different business enterprises in Nor- ristown, principally real estate, serving the Norristown Trust Company as a director, and other local enterprises. He married Savilla P. Um- stead, and they were the parents of three children : Herbert U., a lawyer of Norristown ; Meta, who married G. Carroll Hoover ; and F. Kenneth, whose name furnishes the caption of this review.
F. Kenneth Moore, son of Samuel M. and Savilla P. (Umstead) Moore, was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, January 25, 1889. He
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was educated in the public schools, finishing high school in 1907; the University of Pennsylvania, A. B., class of 1911, and the law department of the University, Bachelor of Laws, class of 1913. He was associated with Horace M. Rumsey of the Philadelphia bar for one year, then estab- lished offices in Norristown, where he has practiced his profession until the present (1923). He is a member of the county and State bar asso- ciations, a member of the Masonic order, the Patriotic Order Sons of America, and of the First Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Moore married, August 21, 1915, in Philadelphia, Helen Wyn- koop, daughter of Cornelius Wynkoop. Mr. and Mrs. Moore are the parents of a daughter, Beatrice, born October 10, 1916. The family home is at No. 1231 West Airy street, Mr. Moore's office at No. 415 Swede street, Norristown.
JONATHAN CLEAVER, who has been identified with his father's contracting and heating business since his graduation from Drexel Institute in 1916, is descended from an old German family, which has been among the staunch members of the Society of Friends in practically every generation in this country, and which traces its ancestry to Peter Klever (as the name was originally spelled), immigrant ancestor, who was among the group of German immigrants from the Lower Rhine. The Shoemakers, Lukenses, Conrads, and others were among the group which arrived soon after Pastorius and others settled in Germantown, and it was in this group that Peter Klever came, settling in Bristol township, Philadelphia county, adjoining Germantown, where he died in 1727. He is on record as having been naturalized in 1691. His children were: 1. Isaac, who owned land in Cheltenham and probably removed to that township. 2. John, who succeeded his father on the farm in Bristol township, and was the father of six children: Elizabeth, Peter, William, Sarah, John, and Hannah. 3. Peter, Jr. 4. Derrick. 5. Agnes. 6. Christiana, who married a Mr. Melchior. 7. Eve, who married a Mr. Adams. Many of the descendants of these have remained in Montgomery county, among them being the ancestors of Jonathan Cleaver.
Jonathan Cleaver, son of Jonathan and Kate (Shephard) Cleaver, was born in Conshohocken, September 24, 1894, and received his education at Plymouth Friends, Plymouth Meeting; at Franklyn Institute, which he attended for three years; and at Drexel Institute, from which he was graduated in 1916. After his graduation, he became associated with his father in the heating and contracting business, and in 1917, upon the death of his father, took entire charge of the business. Since that time he has most efficiently conducted the business, which has been extremely prosperous and which is known for its excellent work and depend- able methods. The business is located at No. 1068 Fayette street. Along with his business responsibilities, Mr. Cleaver has found time to take an active part in the affairs of his community. Politically he gives his support to the Republican party. Upon the outbreak of the World War he enlisted September 18, 1917, in the 79th Division, 314th Infantry,
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Company K, and after being stationed at Camp Meade for a time, sailed for France on the Leviathan, July 8, 1918, arriving at Brest July 15th. He participated in eight major engagements, being promoted to the rank of sergeant, and was discharged on Memorial Day, 1919. Fraternally, Mr. Cleaver is a member of the Knights of Pythias of Conshohocken, and his religious affiliation is with the Friends' Society.
On December 3, 1917, Mr. Cleaver married Helene Caine, daughter of Edward and Anne Caine.
EMANUEL H. BRENDLINGER-The forty-seven years that rep- resent the life span of Emanuel H. Brendlinger were quietly spent in devotion to home and business, but his passing left a deep sense of loss in the community, and caused sincere sorrow among his many friends and associates. As a successful farmer, and later as a hotel proprietor, he demonstrated his ability to win success in two lines of activity, and in the routine of daily life contributed his share to the development of the community. The history of the Brendlinger family in this country dates back to 1737.
Elias Brendlinger, father of Emanuel H. Brendlinger, was a farmer and huckster of Frederick township. He married Elizabeth Hunsberger, and they were the parents of nine children: Mary, who married Emans Oberholtzer ; Jacob, deceased ; Emanuel H., of further mention ; Samuel ; Elizabeth, deceased, who married John Mensch; Katherine, deceased, who married Jacob Boyer; Morris; Abram; and Missouri, who married Emans Steadler.
Emanuel H. Brendlinger was born in Frederick township, March 27, 1857, and died August 9, 1904. He received his education in the public school of his district, and when school days were over engaged in farm- ing, first in association with his father, and later for himself. That occupation he followed for many years, and then gave up the life of the agriculturist to engage in business as a hotel proprietor. He successfully conducted the Hotel Leverington in Roxboro for a period of thirteen years, and then took charge of Hardranf Hotel, in Norristown, which he continued to manage until the time of his death in 1904. He was widely known and highly esteemed both as a business man and as a progressive citizen, as well as a valued friend and associate. He had few interests outside his home and his business, but to these he devoted his energies, giving his social and genial nature full expression in the various connections and associations of his business life. Patrons valued those qualities which gave to the hotel accommodations something of the spirit and atmosphere of the home, and most of those who came for a second time to his hostelry, came with an expectation of friendly wel- come, which anticipation was always realized. Politically Mr. Brend- linger gave his support to the candidates and the principles of the Repub- lican party, and his religious affiliation was with Lutheran Grace Church of Norristown.
On February 28, 1880, at Sumneytown, Montgomery county, Penn-
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sylvania, Emanuel H. Brendlinger married Lovina Leidy, daughter of Philip and Elizabeth (Krause) Leidy, the latter the parents of seven chil- dren : Ephriam and Valera, both deceased; Emma Eliza, who died in infancy ; Ella Mina, who died in infancy ; Samuel, died in infancy ; Lovina, who married Emanuel H. Brendlinger ; and Eva, deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Brendlinger were the parents of two children: Eliza- beth B., who married Norvin S. Wile, general manager of the Dill Com- pany of Norristown ; and Emanuel L., vice-president of the Dill Manu- facturing Company, who married Margaret Niley of Norristown, and has one child, Elizabeth Louise Brendlinger.
FRANK ZIEGLER KEHS-One of the well known business men of Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, is Frank Ziegler Kehs, who since 1906 has been owner and manager of the marble and granite-cutting business formerly owned and conducted by George E. Baer.
Mr. Kehs was born in Schwenkville, Pennsylvania, June 20, 1874, son of Nathaniel and Sarah Ann (Ziegler) Kehs, the former of whom was the owner of the buttonhole factory at Schwenkville, which is now used as a fire house. Frank Z. Kehs received his education in the public schools of his native district, and when his school training was com- pleted, became associated with his father in the buttonhole manufactur- ing business, which connection he maintained until 1893. He then made a change and apprenticed himself to George E. Baer, who was engaged in the marble and granite-cutting business. He remained in Mr. Baer's employ from 1893 to 1906, and then purchased the business, which he has continuously operated from that time to the present (1923). He is well known in the county, and is esteemed as a public-spirited and pro- gressive citizen as well as a successful business man, as was his father before him, the latter having served in the Civil War. Politically Mr. Kehs gives his support to the principles and the candidates of the Repub- lican party, and fraternally is affiliated with Warren Lodge, No. 31, Free and Accepted Masons, of Collegeville, in which order he is a member of the Philadelphia Consistory (thirty-second degree) ; of the Reading Shrine; and of Spring City Forest, No. 34, Tall Cedars of Lebanon. He is also a member of Pottstown Lodge, No. 369, Loyal Order of Moose ; of the Patriotic Sons of America, Camp No. 387, of Schwenkville; Perkiomen Valley Citizens' Association; Schwenkville Fire Company ; and of the Cemetery Association of the Reformed Churches of Schwenk- ville, which he serves as vice-president. His religious affiliation is with the Lutheran Reformed church of Schwenkville, of which he is a member of the board of deacons.
On February 25, 1899, at Schwenkville, Pennsylvania, Frank Z. Kehs married Flora Kratz, daughter of Franklin W. and Susanna L. Kratz. Mr. and Mrs. Kehs are the parents of eight children: Susanna, born in 1899; Edgar, born in 1900; Franklin, born in 1903; Ralph, born in 1905; Leonard, born in 1907; Dorothea, born in 1909; Charles, born in 1911; and Elmer, born in 1917.
Hm. N . Jegoulicimer.
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WILLIAM HENRY GEGENHEIMER-Until 1913 William H. Gegenheimer, now a garage owner and proprietor of Ambler, Pennsyl- vania, was a merchant of Philadelphia, the city of his birth. He was suc- cessful as a merchant and has continued that success in Ambler, although in so entirely different a line that one is led to the opinion that success is more a matter of the man than of his business.
William Henry Gegenheimer is a son of William Gegenheimer, born in Germany in 1846, who was brought to the United States by his par- ents when eight months of age, the family making their home at the cor- ner of Lawrence and Jefferson streets, Philadelphia. There were twelve sons in the family, all of whom became butchers. William Gegenheimer enlisted in the Union Army, June 17, 1863, being then sixteen years of age, serving until the close of the Civil War in Company F, 20th Regi- ment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. He fought at Rudds Hill, May 14, 1864, and was in all the battles of the Army of the Potomac in which the cavalry were engaged, from that date until the surrender at Appo- mattox, in April, 1865. After marching in the Grand Review in Wash- ington, D. C., May 23, 1865, he was mustered out with an honorable dis- charge, July 13, 1865, his discharge papers being in the possession of his daughter, Mrs. Wilhelmina Grant, of Philadelphia. After his discharge from the army he returned to Philadelphia and there was engaged in the butcher business until his death in 1908. William Gegenheimer married Wilhelmina Henry, in Germany, in 1846, who died in Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania in 1916; they were the parents of six children, all born in Phila- delphia : Louis P .; Wilhelmina, widow of James C. Grant; Matilda, deceased ; William Henry, of further mention; Carolina, married W. T. Clark ; Linda V., married David McMullen, of Ambler, Pennsylvania.
William Henry Gegenheimer, fourth child and second son of Wil- liam and Wilhelmina (Henry) Gegenheimer, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 12, 1873. After completing grammar school courses in 1889, he entered the family business (meats) and became a retail dealer at No. 211I North Seventeenth street, Philadelphia, there continuing from 1889 until 1896. He then sold his business and bought a store at No. 3012-3014 Ridge avenue and there dealt in meats, both wholesale and retail, until 1913, when he sold his interests and moved to Ambler, where he established a garage and vulcanizing plant at Mount Pleasant avenue and Spring Garden street and there continues a pros- perous business. For three years prior to his leaving Philadelphia he was vice-president of the Keller Restaurant & Baking Company, and for two years was vice-president of Central Philadelphia Building and Loan Association.
During the war period, 1917-1918, Mr. Gegenheimer left his business to the care of others and volunteered his services to the government to be used in anyway, anywhere. He was assigned to duty at the Mid- vale Gun plant as overseer and while there the plant turned out the first center piece for the first sixteen-inch gun ever built by the government. He was slated for promotion to the position of manager of the plant, but the signing of the armistice prevented further promotions, and there
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being no further need for his services he returned to his business in Ambler.
In politics Mr. Gegenheimer is a Republican, in religious faith a Lutheran. He is affiliated with Ivanhoe Lodge, No. 449, Free and Accepted Masons; Columbia Chapter, No. 91, Royal Arch Masons; Corinthian Commandery, No. 53, Mounted Knights Templar; and of Philadelphia Consistory, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, in which he has attained the thirty-second degree.
He married, in Philadelphia, June 28, 1900, Lulu V. Mast, daughter of Charles L. and Louisa (Seidel) Mast, her father a manufacturer of woolen goods, who died in Philadelphia in 1892; her mother of German birth, now (1923) a resident of Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mr. and Mrs. Gegenheimer were the parents of three children born in Philadel- phia : Catherine L., born May 1, 1901 ; William Vernon, born March 12, 1904, a high school student ; Jackson, born August 12, 1908, now in gram- mar school. Mrs. Gegenheimer died suddenly at her residence in Ambler, on April 17, 1923.
The family home is in Ambler, Pennsylvania, where the children of the third generation are enjoying the blessings of the government their grandfather fought to preserve and which their father in a later war "did his bit" to establish as a world power.
WILLIAM A. SPRAGG-Formerly a landscape gardener, and at present engaged in business as the proprietor of a general store, Mr. Spragg is of English birth and parentage. He was born in the South Kensington district of the city of London, October 2, 1874, son of James and Elizabeth Spragg. His father was a landscape gardener, and from him Mr. Spragg undoubtedly inherited his skill as a horticulturist. Mr. Spragg's parents were both English, and he spent his boyhood and early youth in England, coming to the United States in 1895.
Mr. Spragg received his education in the London schools, and began his business career by learning the art of landscape gardening. He early came to the conclusion, however, that he would find a better opportunity for the exercise of his abilities in the New World, so came to the United States at the age of twenty-one, determined to achieve success and to make a place for himself in the business world of America. Already skilled as a gardener, he had no difficulty in forming an advantageous connection, and began his life in America as gardener on the Davison estate at Devon, Pennsylvania. Here he had charge of the landscape work and supervised the management of the greenhouses. Mr. Spragg found his connection very agreeable, and spent the next thirteen years at Devon. Under his care the gardens were maintained in a state of order and beauty and attracted favorable comment from visitors of all classes. In 1908, however, he decided to avail himself of an opportunity to establish a general store at Gulph, believing that he would find an independent establishment of his own a better field for the exercise of his business sense. He therefore resigned his position as gardener, to the regret of his employers and associates, and came to Gulph, where he
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has since made his home. His new venture at that place was imme- diately successful, and he has ever since continued as proprietor and manager of the Spragg general store. A natural discrimination in the selection of his stock, insistence upon a fresh and attractive arrangement of goods, and the maintenance of the highest standards of quality and service soon brought Mr. Spragg a host of customers and won for him a secure place in the business world. His trade has increased steadily since the establishment of the store, and the yearly volume of his sales is now equal to that of many larger establishments in towns of greater size than Gulph, and he is everywhere regarded as a progressive and far-sighted business man.
In politics Mr. Spragg is a Republican, having become a naturalized citizen of the United States, and he takes a firm stand on the side of constructive legislative policies. He belongs to the Woodmen of the World, holding membership in the Norristown Lodge of that order, and to the Knights of Pythias, in the activities of which he takes a great interest. In religious faith Mr. Spragg belongs to the church of his fathers, being an active member of the Episcopal church at Gulph.
On November 27, 1901, Mr. Spragg married, at Philadelphia, Emily Campbell, daughter of John and Henrietta Campbell. Mr. and Mrs. Spragg have four children: Henry, Arthur, James, and Georgie.
GEORGE ASMUS-In this section of Montgomery county, Penn- sylvania, the members of the Asmus family have been well known and prosperous residents for several generations, and the farm which George Asmus now occupies has been owned by his people for over fifty years. It was on this farm in Hatfield township that Mr. Asmus was born, November 1, 1866, a grandson of George and Lena (Dewiler) Asmus, and a son of Louis and Catherine (Durand) Asmus. His parents both lived to be very old, indicating the great strength and vitality of the family. His father, who died in 1907, was eighty-one, and his mother, whose death occurred in 1921, attained the advanced age of ninety-one. George Asmus was the second child in a family of five, his brother's and sisters' names being Charles, Emma, Amelia and Lena.
The home farm which Mr. Asmus now owns contains one hundred and fifty acres of land, and in his operations he specializes in high-grade cattle with famous antecedents. Throughout his life Mr. Asmus has been a leading citizen of Hendricks and the surrounding section, possess- ing extensive property interests, and devoting a generous share of his time to matters of public concern. He is a director in the Valley National Bank of Green Lane, and serves his community as superintend- ent of roads, as well as in non-official capacities. In his political affilia- tion he adheres to the principles of the Democratic party. In religious affairs he believes in the tenets of the Evangelical denomination, of which church he is an active member. Mr. Asmus also maintains promi- nent connections in fraternal circles and is a leading member of Perkio- men Lodge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; and Green Lane Lodge, Improved Order of Red Men.
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WILLIAM JOSEPH MALLEN-A genial and forward-looking spirit, interested in all the affairs of the community of which he was for many years a resident, William J. Mallen was one of those men who take a quiet but constructive part in the advance of their day and time and leave the world better than they find it. For nearly a decade his face has been missing from the circles where he was so familiar, but his memory is still cherished by his many friends. Of distinguished Irish ancestry, Mr. Mallen's family history is of interest in this record.
Francis and Katherine Mallen, grandparents of William J. Mallen, were married at St. John's Cathedral, County Armagh, Ireland, in 1800, and they came to the United States as young people, locating in Chester county, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of John Mallen, who was born in Phoenixville, Chester county, Pennsylvania, and for a good many years was employed at the Phoenixville Iron Works, where he rose to the position of superintendent of the rolling department. A veteran of the Civil War and a highly respected citizen, he spent the latter part of his life in Conshohocken, where he died. He married Mary Brophy, daughter of Lieutenant James and Mary Brophy, her father a lieutenant of infantry in the Mexican War.
William Joseph Mallen was born in Phoenixville, Chester county, Pennsylvania, May 10, 1857, and died in Conshohocken, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, April 18, 1913. The family removing to Consho- hocken in his boyhood, it was in St. Matthew's Parochial School that he received his education. As a youth he learned the trade of harness- making, and for twenty years conducted a harness shop and store at No. 916 Fayette street, Conshohocken. He then became active in the hotel business, purchasing the McClean Hotel, at the corner of Elm and Poplar streets, and personally managing it for a period of ten years. He retired from this activity only about one year prior to his death, which occurred at his home at No. 105 West Third avenue, Conshohocken. Mr. Mallen was a man of broad interests, keeping always informed of the general progress, whether in his own field of endeavor or along other lines of advance. In a wholly disinterested way he worked for civic and political progress in local affairs, supporting the Republican party, but never accepting or desiring official honors. He was a director of the Fayette Building and Loan Association, and was a member of the Conshohocken Chamber of Commerce. A member of the Sons of Veterans, he was made an honorary member of the George Smith Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and was an enthusiastic worker for the interest of this organi- zation. He was a devoted member of St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church.
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