USA > Pennsylvania > Schuylkill County > Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania; genealogy-family history-biography; containing historical sketches of old families and of representative and prominent citizens, past and present, Volume I > Part 37
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Judge Seitzinger married Catherine Reese, of Reading, Pa., who was born July 8, 1815, and died Dec. 1, 1881. His death occurred July 14, 1879. They are buried in the Odd Fellows cemetery at Tamaqua. The following children were born of this marriage: Charles, who is deceased; Alfred, deceased ; Nicholas, deceased; Amelia, deceased; Emma, who lives at Tamaqua ; Jacob, of Tamaqua; Henry, of Tamaqua; Frances, of Bayonne, N. J .; Ella, of Tamaqua ; and Alice, widow of Roger Kinsel, of Tamaqua.
WILLIAM FRANCIS DOYLE, M. D., is one of the leading physicians of Pottsville, where he has been in practice since he commenced on his own account, and, though his time is well occupied with his professional duties, he has also kept up interest in such local affairs as affect the general welfare. Ile is a native of Schuylkill County, born June 25, 1874, in Blythe Township, son of Thomas Doyle and grandson of Michael Doyle. The grandfather was born in Queen's County, Ireland, and emigrated from that country in 1833, settling in Schuylkill County, Pa. By occupation he was a miner, and was employed at such work on his own account in Blythe Township. His death occurred in 1856 at New Philadelphia, this County. He married Mary Welsh, and they had a family of five children, two sons and three daughters.
Thomas Doyle, son of Michael, was born Dec. 19, 1838, in Norwegian Township, Schuylkill Co., Pa. He had few educational advantages in his early life, though he attended public school in Blythe Township for a time. However, he was but twelve years old when he left school to go to work at the
OMfrancis Dogly
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mines. Though he began in an humble position, he rose steadily to one of great responsibility. It was often said that there was no work about a colliery, inside or outside, with which he was not familiar, as he had been employed in every position about the mines. In 1869 he became Inside Mine Boss at a colliery near Silver Creek, where he remained for four years. About 1873 he entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company as Mine Inspector of what was then known as the Pottsville District. Not long afterwards he became Superintendent of the Tremont District for the same Company, and held that position four years, in 1878 being transferred back to the Pottsville District as Superintendent, for one year. The next year he acted as assistant to Mr. John Veith, General Superintendent of all the mines of the Company, and in 1880 was made Division Superintendent of the Southern District, in which position he continued to serve until his death. The territory under his supervision was large, including all mines of the Company south of the Broad Mountain. Mr. Doyle's experience and his intelligent comprehension of all the needs of his work made his services valuable beyond the ordinary, and his ability, good judgment and devotion to duty were thor- oughly understood by his superiors, who appreciated them at their true worth. He was a man of the highest personal character and respected by all with whom he came in contact, either in his business or social relations.
Mr. Doyle was twice married, and six children were born to his first union, with Julia Keane, daughter of Patrick Keane, namely: Michael, Julia, John, Mary,. William Francis and Thomas. His second marriage was to Mrs. Margaret (Reilly) Branagan, daughter of Bernard Reilly and sister of Hon. James B. Reilly, representative of the Thirteenth Pennsylvania Dis- trict in Congress. To this marriage were born two children, Margaret and James. By her first union Mrs. Doyle had one daughter, Ellen. Mr. Doyle died July 26, 1903, and is buried at Pottsville.
Dr. William Francis Doyle obtained the greater part of his preparatory education in the public schools of Pottsville, graduating from the Pottsville High School and later spending one year as a student at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1893 he entered Hahnemann Medical College, at Philadel- phia, from which institution he was graduated in 1896. In December of that year he became Interne at the Metropolitan Hospital in New York City, where he remained until June, 1898, also taking a course of study at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York. He then opened an office at Tarry- town, N. Y., where he soon had a lucrative practice, which, however, he gave up to return to his native town, because of his father's permanent ill health. Locating at Pottsville in 1899, he has found his field of work there ever since, and has built up a large practice as physician and surgeon by unremitting atten- tion to his work wherever his services have been engaged. His office is at No. 416 Garfield Square, he being the third generation of homeopathic physi- cians to practice at this location-his predecessors having been an uncle and grandfather by marriage, the late Dr. Charles Herman Haeseler and his father, Dr. Charles Haeseler, one of the founders of homeopathy in this section of the State.
Dr. Doyle holds membership in various medical societies: The Pottsville Medical Club, the Schuylkill County Homeopathic Medical Society, the Homeo- pathic Medical Society of Pennsylvania, the Schuylkill County Medical Society, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the American Medical Association, and has prepared medical papers on various subjects for these and other societies. Vol. 1-16
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Socially Dr. Doyle belongs to the B. P. O. Elks (Lodge No. 207), the Com- mercial Club, the Rotary Club and the Knights of Columbus of Pottsville. He is a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church.
Dr. Doyle's success has rested upon the solid foundation of hard work and close attention to the demands of his profession, his patients appreciating the devotion and skill which have gained him so large a share of the confidence of the community. As a citizen he can be relied upon to support the best interests of the community, whether in private or public enterprises.
Dr. Doyle married Louise G., only daughter of the late Adolph W. Schalck, a leading attorney of Pottsville, and they have one son, Francis Schalck Doyle.
ABRAHAM POTT SELIGMAN, M. D., of Mahanoy City, is descended in both paternal and maternal lines from honored old stock in Schuylkill county of which he himself is an honorable representative in the present gen- eration. Born Feb. 14, 1870, at Port Carbon, this county, he is a son of Joseph Seligman and grandson of Solomon Seligman, and on the paternal side is of German extraction.
Solomon Seligman came to Schuylkill county from Germany. His first settlement here was at Ringtown, whence he removed to Port Carbon in the early days of that borough, following merchandising during his residence there. Later in life he located at Mahanoy City, where he died when seventy-eight years old. His wife, Elizabeth (Maurer), was born in Norwegian township, this county, and they had children as follows: Abraham, Laura, Joseph, Ben- jamin, Hannah, Emma, Albert, David A. and George.
Joseph Seligman, son of Solomon, was born and reared at Port Carbon, but during most of his business career has been established at Mahanoy City. For a time in his earlier manhood he was engaged as a merchant at St. Clair, moving thence to Mahanoy City, where he became a mine superintendent. For the last thirty years he has been a timber contractor, supplying much timber for the mines in the district, and is still actively interested in this line ; he is a director of the Union National Bank of Mahanoy City. By his marriage to Emma C. Pott, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Christian) Pott, he had four children, namely: Bessie, now the wife of Dr. James H. Hagenbuch, of Mahanoy City, Pa .; Bertha, deceased; Lettie; and Abraham Pott. Mrs. Seligman died in 1907.
Abraham Pott Seligman obtained his preliminary education in the public schools of Mahanoy City, and took his regular medical course at the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, graduating in 1892. Being ambitious to make his preparation as thorough as possible he then took a post-graduate course at the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia, which he completed in 1894, the same year beginning practice at Mahanoy City. He has remained here continuously since, giving his best to the community of his choice. While his professional labors among his private patrons have had first claim he has combined them very effectively with services of general usefulness to his gen- eration. For the last five years he has been a member of the borough school board, and has been chosen president of that body. The Doctor is a member of the Schuylkill Medical Society, the Pennsylvania State Medical Society, and the American Medical Association. His fondness for outdoor sports has led him into many pleasant associations, and fraternally he is an enthusiastic Mason, a past high priest of Mizpah Chapter, No. 252, R. A. M .; member of
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Ivanhoe Chapter, K. T .; of Caldwell Consistory, Bloomsburg; and Rajah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Reading ; he is also a past officer in the local lodge of Elks.
Dr. Seligman married Mary Matilda Shafer, daughter of David Shafer, of Mahanoy City, and they have two children, Bertha and James.
In the maternal line Dr. Seligman traces his ancestry back to John Pott, who with his two sons, John Wilhelm and Johannes (minors), and his brother Dagenheart arrived in Philadelphia from Rotterdam, Holland, on the ship "St. Andrew," Capt. John Steadman, in 1734. He first settled in Germantown, afterwards removing to what is now Oley, Berks (then Philadelphia) county, Pennsylvania.
John Wilhelm Pott was born in 1725 in Europe (place uncertain), married Maria Hock, daughter of John Hock, and died in 1767.
John Pott, son of John Wilhelm, was born in Oley township in 1757, and died in 1827. In 1786 he married Maria Lesher, daughter of John Lesher. She was born in 1768 and died in 1823.
Abraham Pott, son of John and Maria (Lesher) Pott, was born in Potts- ville, and one of his daughters, Emma C., was the mother of Dr. Seligman. Another, Mrs. Elizabeth (Pott) Eshleman, born March 4, 1831, died in December, 1893; her daughter, Mrs. Cora L. Miller, was born April 11, 1848; the latter's daughter, Mrs. Annie (Miller) Melick, was born July 11, 1867, and had children, Joel Willit and Jamie.
Mrs. Maria (Hock) Pott, wife of John Wilhelm Pott, was a granddaughter of Rudolph Hock, who emigrated to this country with his brother Melchoir in 1717, coming first to what was then Philadelphia county, in the Province of Virginia. They finally settled in Oley, Pa., near Pikeville, and the old home there is still owned by the Hock family. Rudolph Hock had two sons, John and Samuel, John being the father of Mrs. Maria Pott. He had eleven children, born as follows: Deborah, May 6, 1721; Samuel, March, 1723; Rudolph, September, 1725; Daneal, May, 1728; Maria, December, 1730; Mag- dalena, December, 1730; John, March, 1733; Susanna, May, 1735; Jacob, December, 1738; Esther, September, 1742; Abraham, September, 1745.
Through the Leshers Dr. Seligman is of Revolutionary stock, being a great- grandson of Jolin Lesher, who was born in Holland Jan. 5, 1711, and died April 5, 1794. He was buried at Oley, Berks county, where he had settled upon his immigration to America, in 1734. The territory was then Philadel- phia county. He was a freeholder and a leading man of his time, for a period of fifty years being prominently identified with the iron industry in Berks county, as proprietor of the "Oley Forge" and the "Mary Ann Furnace." His name is found on the records both Lesher and Leosher. In 1759, during the French and Indian war, he served as wagonmaster, being appointed because he spoke both English and German. When the struggle for independence was being waged in the Colonies he was one of the foremost men active in the cause of his section, useful in every branch of the service. He was chaplain in Colonel Patton's regiment of the Pennsylvania Line, with which he served in the Revolution, being in the campaign commencing with the battle of Long Island, Aug. 27, 1776. According to Montgomery's history of Berks .. county (page 145) he was captain of the company from that county in Patton's regiment. On June 20, 1776, he was notified of his appointment (which appointment was made March 2, 1778) as one of the commissioners for pur- chasing supplies for the Continental army (Pennsylvania Archives, Vol. VI,
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page 32). He was elected a member of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania, serving as such from 1776 to 1782; and was a member of the First Constitu- tional Convention of Pennsylvania, held at Carpenter's Hall June 18, 1776, and was one of the committee of ten chosen to draw up an essay for a form of government (Hughes' "American Constitution," Vol. II, page 217).
Mr. Lesher was a member of the Reformed Church, "an active Christian gentleman," and on his application the courts granted him the privilege of building the First Reformed Church at Oley, Berks county, which he did in the year 1755. He suggested that the courts should direct five or six ministers to conduct divine services, and Dominies Weiss, Schalter and Steiner were appointed to supply the congregation.
John Lesher was a native of Germany, born Jan. 5. 17II, only son and heir-at-law of Michael Lesher. He emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1734, and first settled in the upper section of Bucks county, but later in Oley township. Berks county. He was naturalized in 1743. In 1744 he and two other men, John Yoder and John Ross, erected a forge along the Manatawny creek, ncar the Oley Church, which became known as the "Oley Forge," and from that time on for fifty years he was prominently identified with the iron industry of the county. He represented the county in the Constitutional Convention of 1776, and helped to prepare the "Declaration of Rights." He served in the General Assembly from 1776 to 1782. During the Revolution he acted as one of the commissioners for purchasing army supplies. He addressed an interest- ing letter to the Supreme Executive Council in 1778, relative to the taking of supplies from him. (See Berks County in the Revolution, page 181.) John Lesher died in Oley township, April 5, 1794, leaving a widow, two sons and five daughters, namely: John (had a son Isaac). Jacob, Barbara (married Jacob Morgan), Hannah (married George Focht), Maria (married John Pott), Catharine (married John Tysher) and Elizabeth.
HORACE F. REBER. Among the citizens of southern Schuylkill county worthy of mention is Horace F. Reber, editor and one of the publishers of the Pine Grove Herald, a weekly paper, which has a strong clientele in western and southern Schuylkill county. It is one of the most influential weeklies in the county.
Mr. Reber is the son of Franklin W. Reber and his wife Rebecca ( Man- beck), and was born at White Horse, now Rock, in Washington township. Schuylkill county, on Feb. 25, 1866. His grandparents on his mother's side were John Manbeck, of the same place, and his wife Barbara (Katerman). from Strausstown, Berks county.
On his father's side the grandparents were George Reber, of the Deibert's valley, South Manheim township. Schuylkill county, and his wife Maria (Rushy), of near Reading, Berks county. The great-grandparents of Mr. Reber were George and Katherine ( Miller) Reber, both from near Reading, Berks county.
The Rebers are of German descent. Between the year 1732 and the year of the breaking out of the Revolutionary war a number of the name emigrated to this country, landing at the ports of New York or Philadelphia. The family name is quite prominent in southern Schuylkill and northern Berks counties, including the city of Reading. The Rebers are identified with the business, professional, manufacturing and social life of the counties of Schuyl- kill and Berks as well as the farming life of the two counties. Rebersburg,
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in Centre county, is named after the family of Reber, a number having settled in that county.
Franklin W. Reber was born Aug. 30, 1831, in the Deibert's valley, near Schuylkill Haven, and was the oldest of thirteen children: Franklin W., aged eighty-five, is still living; Sallie married Fred Hasler, and both are deceased ; Isaac, of Indiana, who fought in the Civil war in an Indiana regiment, is deceased; George, of Reading, is deceased; Elizabeth married Henry Deibert, and both are deceased; Levi died of smallpox many years ago; Mary, widow of Jonathan Emerich, is residing at Port Carbon; Jonathan is now residing in Philadelphia ; Gideon is residing at Reading ; Lewis, of Missouri, is deceased ; Albert lives in South Manheim township, on the old homestead near Schuylkill Haven : Amanda is a widow and lives at Schuylkill Haven; Alexander, a Read- ing Railway conductor, resides at Reading. Five of the sons served in the Civil war, namely: George and Lewis in the 127th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, the latter being captured at Fredericksburg, in 1862, and afterwards paroled; Isaac served in an Indiana regiment; Jonathan and Gideon served in Company E of the famous 7th Pennsylvania Veteran Volunteer Cavalry, all having honorable records.
Franklin W. Reber commenced teaching in the public schools at the age of eighteen, in 1849, at Long Run, and taught nine terms, being one of the oldest ex-school teachers in the county. The rest of his time was devoted to farming. He was wedded to Rebecca Manbeck on Oct. 21, 1854, by Rev. John Schell, of the Evangelical Association, on Mahantongo street, Pottsville, and on Oct. 21, 1915, they observed the sixty-first wedding anniversary, being the oldest married couple living in that section of the State.
There were but two children born to Franklin W. Reber and wife, the eldest being Mary Alice, who married Charles F. Molly, of Pine Grove. She died at Reading Feb. 25, 1897. Horace F. Reber was thirteen years old when the family moved to Pine Grove, where the parents and the son and his family still reside, and where Mr. Reber attended the public schools. He served as clerk in the store of his father, who was associated with his son-in-law in the mercantile business in the Molly stand on North Tulpehocken street. Horace F. Reber graduated from the Pine Grove high school in the class of 1885, under Prof. G. W. Channell, later of Port Carbon. For a short time he worked at the D. & J. Gensemer tannery, and later on the work train of the Reading railway, where he was advanced to the scale office in October of that year under weighmaster Samuel Morrett Helms. On May 12, 1887, he was wedded to Ella R. Hoffman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John P. Hoffman, of Tower City, and this union was blessed with six children, namely: Florence V., who graduated from the Pine Grove high school and later from the Millers- ville State Normal School, taught school at Irving, Pine Grove, and Lykens, and is at present teaching at Schuylkill Haven; Norman Dean graduated from the Pine Grove high school and later from the Schissler Business College at Norristown, served as a page in the House of Representatives at Harrisburg in the session of 1903. and is now the head accountant for the two Gensemer & Salen tanneries at Pine Grove; Ferd. L. graduated from the Pine Grove high school, and the Peirce Business College, at Philadelphia, and is at present resort solicitor for the Philadelphia Record and identified with the Philadel- phia Choral Society; Harold McM. graduated from the Pine Grove high school and later from the Lebanon Business College, and is at present clerk for Messrs. Simon & Sherman, slaughterers, at Reading (prior to serving with
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this firm he was a chauffeur for the Toms River, N. J., garage for a year, where he became an enthusiastic autoist and expert at the wheel) ; Esther E. graduated from the Pine Grove high school and is at present clerking in the health department at Harrisburg; Dorothy is a member of the senior class of the Pine Grove high school and expects to graduate with the class of 1916, when the father and six children will have graduated from the samme high school.
The Reber family were first identified with the Whig party, the father of Horace F. Reber casting his first vote for the "Pathfinder," Gen. John C. Fremont, and later with the Republican party. When yet in his teens the subject of this sketch evinced an interest in politics and served in the many marching clubs that the town used to have in presidential and gubernatorial campaigns. After attaining his majority he was elected to the borough council and later to the board of education; while a member of the council and near the close of the term he resigned, having been elected to a county office ; sub- sequently he was elected to the school board and served with Edward Hummel, Joseph Schwalm, Frank Evans, Samuel Reinbold and Dr. F. J. Walter, all of whom were deadlocked on the election of teachers and ousted by the court. Mr. Reber was afterwards reinstated, and in November, 1915, was again elected to the school board under the new code, defeating his opponent, Joseph Schwalm, by a big majority.
On June 8, 1891, Mr. Reber joined Company G, 4th Regiment, National Guard of Pennsylvania, as a private. He filled the position of company clerk under Capt. James W. Umbenhauer, and later was elected second lieutenant of the same company; he served in the riots at Homestead in 1892, and in 1897 at Drifton and Hazleton, following the Lattimer riots. He tendered his resignation because of confliction with his civil duties and was honorably dis- charged on Feb. 19, 1898, by Col. David Brainerd Case, of Columbia.
Fraternally Mr. Reber has been a member of Camp No. 49, P. O. S. of A., and Castle No. 124, Knights of the Golden Eagle, for many years; in the latter he served as one of the trustees for many years, and as one of the instructors for fifty-four terms ; also as representative to many State Grand Castle sessions, and was tendered the nomination to be advanced to State offices in Grand Castle, but declined. He has also, at some time or other, belonged to a number of political clubs in the county and elsewhere, including the Union Republican Club of North Broad street, Philadelphia.
On Jan. 1, 1894, Mr. Reber entered the office of the county commissioners as a second assistant clerk, under chief clerk Phil J. Connell. The commis- sioners at that time inducted into office were John P. Martin, of Pine Grove, Democrat ; Charles F. Allen, of Tamaqua, and Frank Rentz, of Ashland, Republicans, the latter the president of the board. On Jan. 1, 1895, he was appointed first assistant clerk, or tax clerk, serving in this capacity until Jan. I, 1897, when with the reelection of Frank Rentz and John P. Martin and the election of Charles F. Meyers he was appointed chief clerk, serving in that capacity until May, 1898, when the board was dropped from office as the result of a court trial, Frank R. Kantner, of Lofty, and John Stauffer, of Schuylkill Haven, being appointed as commissioners. In November of that year Benjamin Kauffman, of Tremont, became the third member of the board. All the appointed officials of the board were dropped excepting Mr. Reber, who was appointed first assistant clerk under John F. Zerbey, and served until the end of 1899. Having become a candidate for the office during that year
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and elected by the highest majority of the commissioners for that year, he was inducted into office as a county commissioner with Frank R. Kantner and George Opie, of Donaldson, being one of the youngest men ever elected to that important office in Schuylkill county. He and his colleagues served for two terms, or during the years 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904 and 1905.
In 1906 Mr. Reber formed a business partnership with John Reber, of Fourteenth and Market streets, Pottsville, for the manufacture of hosiery, and a plant was erected on a lot purchased from the P. & R. Railway Com- pany, on East Pottsville street, on which was erected a frame factory. In addition to the manufacture of hosiery the firm also operated a coal washery in the Swatara creek, which provided fuel for the plant. The latter part of 1909 Mr. Reber sold out his interest to his partner, John Reber, and in Decem- ber of that year became associated with Charles F. Anderson in publishing the Pine Grove Herald, in which business he still continues. He is also engaged in reportorial work for a number of daily newspapers from his community. While in the hosiery manufacturing business he had installed his own little electric light plant, which was the first of its kind to be installed in that section of the county. Other industries in the town have since followed in the wake of electric light.
Mr. Reber and his family are identified with the Methodist Church of his home town, in which he is one of the officials. Possessed of a genial disposi- tion, he is a man who makes friends readily and possesses the happy faculty of holding them. His political opponents have at various times tried their utmost to hang a political defeat over his head, but have not been able to do so yet. He has frequently of late years been appealed to by the leaders of his party at the county seat to consent to run for the State Legislature, being considered good timber. But though it would be desirable to place a candidate in the western end of Schuylkill county, he has shooed the legislative bee away thus far, being at present content to help run a newspaper and help his political friends when appealed to.
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