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 II > Part 11
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In September, 1884, Mr. Kraus married Maude C. Iffert, daughter of John Iffert, and the three children born to this union are all living at home, viz .: Gertrude, widow of Herbert Mengle; John W., who married Hattie Matthews (he is a member of the school board of Ryon township at present) ; and Maude C.
ALEXANDER THOMPSON (deceased) was a native of Scotland, and came to this country during his young manhood. The rest of his life was spent in Schuylkill county, Pa., where he was widely and favorably known during his active, useful career. He first settled at Middleport, where he was engaged in hauling machinery, timber, etc., and later lived at the York Farm, near Pottsville, which he bought, cultivating that tract for many years. He also had small drifts opened on the property and sold coal to the public, this being the first coal taken from the workings later developed into the famous York Farm colliery. After a long residence there he removed to Porter township, in 1854, being one of the early settlers in this section, where he
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bought a farm of ro acres, from which he subsequently sold a number of building lots for the town of Sharadin, which was laid out in 1869. This was his home until his death, which occurred Dec. 4, 1873; he is buried in the Greenwood cemetery in Porter township. Besides farming, Mr. Thompson also engaged in milling in Porter township, building a gristmill upon his tract which was known in his day as Thompson's mill. It was sold to Grimm & Womer, and later to the Reading Company, the present owners of the land. Mr. Thompson was a man of intelligence and strong character, and in his day was one of the most influential men in this section.
By his first marriage, to Isabella Pennman, Mr. Thompson had nine chil- dren : George was killed at York Farm; David P., deceased, was a soldier in the Civil war; Elizabeth, deceased, was the wife of Hiram Kimmel; Janette married Benjamin Houtz; William died while serving in the Civil war; Alex- ander is living at Lykens, Pa .; Robert is deceased; Isabella is the widow of George Powell; James is living in West Virginia. For his second wife Mr. Thompson married Mary Bast, daughter of Isaac Bast, and by this union there was also a large family: Isaac B .; George, who is now living in Alaska; Mary, wife of Daniel Stout; John, residing at Sharadin, Pa .; Andrew, a resi- dent of Michigan; Charles, deceased; Abraham, deceased; Winfield S., of Michigan ; William U. S. G., deceased ; Elmer E., of Sharadin ; and Rebecca M., wife of Hoplin Evans, living on the old Thompson homestead in Porter township.
Hon. Alexander Thompson, eldest surviving son of Alexander Thompson, has been a very prominent man in his district, a member of the Dauphin county bar and at one time a member of the State Senate. During the Civil war he served in the Union army. His home is at Lykens, Dauphin county. and he is also very well known in Schuylkill county. Since 1912 he has been blind, having lost his sight in an explosion on his farm at Lykens.
ISAAC B. THOMPSON, eldest son of Alexander and Mary ( Bast) Thompson, was born Dec. 26, 1853, at York Farm, and had ordinary school advantages during his early boyhood. When twelve years old he began picking slate, and he continued to be employed about the mines for a period of twenty-eight years. Then he turned to carpenter work, which he has been following ever since. His home is at Sharadin, in Porter township, and he is one of the well known citizens of the valley, having taken an active interest in local affairs for a number of years. He has been a member of the Porter township school board, and served the township as tax collector for twelve years. Socially he belongs to the Knights of Pythias at Tower City. Mr. Thompson was one of the executors of his father's estate, serving with his brothers David P. and A. F. Thompson.
Mr. Thompson married Mary Goodman, daughter of William Goodman, and the following children were born to them: Cora, wife of Francis W. Shomber; Arthur; Charles; Ralph; Lillie, deceased; Roy; Mary wife of Wilbur Kaufman; Carrie, wife of Harry Shomber; Russell ; Lester, deceased ; and Leona, wife of Clarence Lenkert. The family are Methodists in religious connection. Mrs. Thompson died in January, 1911, and is buried in the Green- wood cemetery in Porter township.
GABRIEL B. DERR, an old resident of the borough of Tremont, now living retired after many years in the service of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company, is a native of Schuylkill county and of old Pennsylvania
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stock. His grandfather, John Derr, was born in this State, where the family has been established since the pioneer period, the earlier generations living in Lehigh county for many years and moving thence to Northumberland county. John Derr settled in the Shamokin valley in Northumberland county, remain- ing there until his death. He was a shoemaker by trade and also followed farming. Besides James, the father of Gabriel B. Derr, his children were: Benjamin, the eldest, who lived to be ninety-two years old; Peter, the second, who died at the age of eighty-nine years ; Jacob, who attained the age of ninety ; George, who died when fifty years old; Kate; Matilda; Elizabeth, who reached the age of ninety-six years; one that died in infancy ; and Mary.
James Derr, son of John, was born in the Shamokin valley in Northum- berland county in the year 1818, and moved thence to Schuylkill county, set- tling in the Mahantongo valley in 1836. Afterwards he moved to Porter town- ship, and from there in 1860 to Tremont, where he passed the remainder of his days, dying May 9, 1890. During his residence in this county James Derr engaged in farming, and also followed the lumber business. In Porter town- ship he married Catherine Haertter, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, daughter of Christ Haertter. Her father was also born in Bavaria, Germany, and when he came to America first located at Reading, Pa., later moving to Pine Grove, Schuylkill county, and then to Porter township, this county, where he died in 1852. By trade he was a brushmaker, and he followed farm- ing as well. His children were: Christ, Jacob, Casper, Mary, Barbara and Catherine. Mr. and Mrs. James Derr had the following children: Regina, the eldest, now deceased; Gabriel B .; John, who lives at Tremont ; Catherine, deceased; Mary, deceased; Emma, deceased; and George, deceased. All but Catherine died at Tremont, where they are buried.
Gabriel B. Derr was born, June 13, 1844, in Porter township, this county, where he was reared. In his early boyhood he helped with the farm work at home. When thirteen years old he came to Tremont, where he worked with his father in the timber business until 1868, in which year he ,entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company. He began rail- road work as a trackman, later became brakeman, and worked up to the posi- tion of conductor and baggageman, being so engaged for some time. He was retired July 1, 1914, and is now on the pension list.
Mr. Derr is respected by all his fellow citizens, among whom he had a wide acquaintance. He is a prominent member of the Grand Army of the Republic, being commander of the post at Tremont. In 1864 he enlisted from Tremont, joining Company D, 16th Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, with which he served until the close of the Civil war, being mustered out at Richmond, Va., in August, 1865. He took part in the actions around Petersburg and in other important battles. Mr. Derr also holds membership in the P. O. S. of A. and the I. O. O. F .. at Tremont, and is especially interested in the Odd Fellows, having passed all the chairs in the local lodge. He is a member of the Lutheran Church in the borough.
On March 27, 1873. Mr. Derr married Sarah Betz, and they have had children as follows : Emma and George (twins). Edward, Rutherford. Charles, Martha, and William, the last named deceased. George, who is living at Tremont, was in the service during the Spanish-American war. having enlisted from Philadelphia; Rutherford, who lives at Pottsville. this county, also served in the Spanish-American war; Edward is a resident of Allentown, Pa .; Charles lives at Tremont ; Martha is the wife of Leo Frille, of Tremont.
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Peter and Esther (Bowen) Betz, Mrs. Derr's parents, settled in Potts- ville, Schuylkill county, in 1875, and he followed the trade of painter there for many years. The family subsequently moved to Berwick, Pa., where Mr. and Mrs. Betz ended their days, her death occurring in March, 1905, his in July, 1913. He was one of a large family, among his brothers being Daniel and Charles. Mrs. Betz was also a member of a large family, her parents hav- ing children as follows: James, Henry, William, Charles, Sarah, Katherine, Susan, Esther and Emma. We have the following record of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Betz: Henry the eldest, is deceased; Edward is deceased ; Howard is a resident of Schuylkill Haven; George lives at Pottsville, this county ; Charles is located at Berwick; Sarah, who was born at Lehighton, Carbon Co., Pa., is Mrs. Gabriel B. Derr; Frank is in Philadelphia. The last named is a veteran of the Spanish-American war. Peter Betz, the father, served three years in the Union army during the Civil war.
JOHN C. SCHILLING has been engaged in business at Ashland since 1900. He bears a name highly respected in this section, being a grandson of Peter Schilling, who emigrated to this country from Germany in 1855, settling at Ashland when it had but five houses on the present town site. He was em- ployed at the mines. During the Civil war he served in the Union army, and he was a man of solid worth and one of the esteemed citizens of this region to the end of his days. At the time of his death he was living in Cen- tralia, just over the line in Columbia county. He was the father of three children, Philip, John and Peter, all of whom are now deceased. John moved out to Minnesota, where he took up government land, became wealthy, and remained there until the end of his days.
Peter Schilling, son of Peter Schilling, was born in Bavaria, Germany, and was but a boy when the family came to America. He was soon afterwards bound out to a farmer, and continued to follow agricultural work until he became a young man, after which he was engaged on the railroad for forty years as foreman with the Philadelphia & Reading Company. In this capacity he built the Mine Hill railroad, the first railroad in this part of Pennsylvania. He was regarded as one of the substantial citizens of Ashland, where he was a member of the Washington Fire Company and interested in all the affairs of the locality. He was a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and helped to build the first German Catholic Church at Ashland. Politically he was a stanch Democrat. Mr. Schilling married Emma Schmidt, who was born at Reading, Pa., and died April 12, 1897, at Ashland. Of the children born to this union all died in infancy but John C. The father died at Ashland March IO, IQII.
Theodore Schmidt, father of Mrs. Peter Schilling, was a native of Ger- many, and learned the business of painting and decorating there, acquiring considerable reputation before his emigration to America. He settled at Read- ing, Pa., and afterwards came to Ashland, and followed his calling very stic- cessfully, being one of the finest in his line in this section of Pennsylvania. He died at Ashland when sixty-three years old. His wife's maiden name was Webber. He was the father of twenty-four children.
John C. Schilling was born Sept. 27, 1874, at Ashland, where he was reared and educated. In 1900 he commenced business on his own account, establish- ing himself at his present location at No. 1839 Centre street. He has always carried a complete general stock and in 1904 he added a meat market. which
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has been continued ever since. By honorable methods and his accommodat- ing disposition Mr. Schilling has succeeded in building up a profitable trade which has shown a wholesome increase from the beginning, and he has estab- lished himself among the substantial merchants of the borough. His thrift and reliability in business have attracted the attention of his fellow citizens, who have honored him with election as member of the council, in which body he has served two years, 1912-1914. His official duties are discharged with characteristic consideration for the best interests of his constituents. He is a member of St. Mauritius' Church at Ashland, and is a grand knight of Sarto Council, Knights of Columbus.
On May 26, 1896, Mr. Schilling married Mary Llewellyn, who was born in Ashland, daughter of David and Mary (Rhoades) Llewellyn, the former of whom died Nov. 21, 1901. He was an engineer at the mines. Mrs. Llewel- lyn, now ( 1914) sixty-one years of age, makes her home at Ashland. Their family consisted of sixteen children, and we have record of: David, who is foreman at the Excelsior colliery; Harry, a mason contractor; Mary, Mrs. Schilling; Hannah; William, head mechanic of the Excelsior colliery ; Charles ; Abraham, a graduate of Girard College, now engaged as a civil engineer.
To Mr. and Mrs. John C. Schilling have been born seven children, of whom but three survive: Leo (now aged thirteen years), Emma and Catherine. The others died in infancy.
VALENTINE W. QUIGEL, cashier of the First National Bank at Hegins, is considered one of the ablest financiers of his section of Schuylkill county. His reputation has been built up in years of exemplary service in positions of great responsibility, his present connection dating from the establishment of the bank, in 1908.
Mr. Quigel is a worthy representative of old Pennsylvania stock, the fam- ily having been founded here during the Provincial period. The name itself has been anglicized, its original form being Quickel. Quigel and its earlier variations are mentioned in a work on the "Teutonic Name System," by a Ger- man author, who claims that the root of the name is found in the ancient Norse language, the original meaning being "sword." The founder of the family was evidently a maker of swords or very dexterous in handling them, hence the surname. In the year 1736 there arrived at the port of Philadelphia, in the ship "Fantana," a number of German emigrants, among the passengers over sixteen years old being John M. and John P. Quigel, as well as other members of the family, including Christian, George and Peter Quigel. The "Fantana" sailed from Rotterdam, Holland, and it is probable the Quigels came to that port down the Rhine from their home in the Palatinate, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, where many bearing the name of Quickel are still to be found. Chris- tian Quigel was a son of John P. Quigel, and they settled in Lancaster, the others in York county, Pa. (York county, however, was not separated from Lancaster until the late forties.)
Christian Quigel, who came to this country in the "Fantana" with his father, John P. Quigel, was the ancestor of Valentine W. Quigel. He lived in Man- heim township, Lancaster Co., Pa., and enlisted from that township for service in the Revolutionary war, Aug. 27, 1776. He was a soldier in Colonel Swope's battalion, part of the troops of the celebrated "Flying Camp" commanded by General Washington on Long Island. Reference to his service may be found in the Pennsylvania Archives. Christian Quigel had six children: Peter, who
Valentwith Quiget
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was a soldier in the Revolution; Balzer, who removed to that part of North- umberland county now known as Lycoming, and was the ancestor of the fam- ily at Quigelville ; Nicholas, ancestor of the McElhattan ( Pa.) Quigels; Philip, a Revolutionary soldier, ancestor of the branch of the family found at Pine Station, Clinton Co., Pa .; Michael, who settled in Northumberland county ( he was the ancestor of Hon. A. J. Quigley) ; and Catherine, who married John Myers.
The descendants of these six children of Christian Quigel, as well as the other Quigels and Quickels who came to this country in the early days, have become scattered all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, the West and the South, and include a number of persons of dictinction and renown, notably Hon. William B. Allison, United States senator from Iowa, and Hon. Hoke Smith, secre- tary of the Interior in Cleveland's cabinet. The Maclaurin family of South Carolina, and the Montgomery, Allen, Crawford, Crane, Stewart, McCormick, White, Williams, Grier, Baird, Welsh, Guise, Mobly, Hess, Simons, Shaw, Hanna and other well known families of this section of Pennsylvania, are also connected with the Quigels.
Balzer Quigel, son of Christian, married Rosanna Fink, by whom he had children : George, John and Michael.
George Quigel, son of Balzer, died in 1884, aged ninety-six years. He mar- ried Leah Kinley, and their children were: Michael, Jesse, John, Ambrose, Mary Ann, Catherine, Lydia and Sophia.
John Quigel, son of George, was born July 9, 1838, at Quigelville, Lycom- ing Co., Pa., and was reared there. He had the common school advantages afforded in the home neighborhood, and followed farming throughout his active years. In religion he was a Lutheran, in politics a Democrat. During the Civil war he was in the Union service from September, 1862, to August, 1863, belonging to Captain Dodd's company, of the 77th Pennsylvania Volun- teer Infantry. Mr. Quigel married Julia Ann Capple, a native of Germany, who came to America when two years old with her parents, George and Mar- garet Capple, both now deceased; the Capples resided in Lewis township, Lycoming county. Mr. and Mrs. John Quigel had three children, Valentine W., Sylvester and Margaret.
Valentine W. Quigel was born April 1, 1862, at Quigelville, Lycoming Co., Pa. His education was acquired in the schools of his native county, and included instruction in the normal school at Muncy, Pa. In his early manhood he taught for three terms, but bookkeeping was his business profession, and he was engaged in that kind of work for years. In 1879 he went to Williams- port, Lycoming county, and entered the employ of J. C. Green & Co., with whom he remained until 1885. That year he became connected with the railway mail service, in which he continued during Cleveland's administration. For four years he was with the Gazette & Bulletin Publishing Association at Williams- port, served for five years as secretary of the Pennsylvania Beneficial Associa- tion, and in 1908 came to Hegins, where he has since been established. His comprehensive knowledge and understanding of financial questions was so gen- erally recognized that he was called upon to serve the city of Williamsport as treasurer and the county of Lycoming as auditor, filling each office for two terms to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens.
The First National Bank of Hegins was organized April 23, 1908, with local capital, F. P. Barnd of Hegins being the first president and one of the original board of directors, his fellow members being : H. William Bressler, R. R. Artz, Vol. II-5
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Mr. D. E. Kurtz, W. R. Dinger, S. W. Kessler, G. W. Baum, S. A. Buffington, H. H. Geist, Dr. W. D. Karterman, Moses Schadel and John W. Heckert. Dr. Karterman is now president, and serving with him on the board of directors are H. W. Bressler, W. R. Dinger, H. H. Geist, W. W. Haas, M. W. Kessler, S. E. Kessler, H. Fred Lauer (of Ashland, Pa.), V. W. Quigel, Moses Schadel, L. L. Snyder and C. F. Otto. Mr. Lauer is secretary of the board. Mr. Quigel has filled the position of cashier uninterruptedly since the bank was organized, and his services and advice have been of inestimable value in the direction of its affairs. The capital stock is $50,000, and there is at present a surplus of $12,000, the undivided profits amounting to over $2,000. The sound principles which have characterized the operation of the First National Bank of Hegins from the beginning have had an appreciably beneficial influence upon business activities in the town and adjacent territory in Schuylkill county. Much of the credit for the wholesome conditions it has helped to create and maintain must be assigned to Mr. Quigel's clear-headedness.
Mr. Quigel is a Democrat in politics, in which he takes a real interest, a member of the Lutheran Church, and socially connected with the Royal Arcanum and Modern Woodmen of America.
On July 8, 1886, Mr. Quigel married Jennie L. Smith, who died Jan. 5, 1887. On Jan. 3, 1889, he married ( second) Caroline Hadtner, and they have one child, Beatrice E., now an employee in the First National Bank at Hegins ; Miss Quigel holds a commission as notary public. .
CHARLES A. SCHROPE, who is engaged in business at Tower City as a contracting miner, was born at Valley View, Schuylkill Co., Pa., in 1882, and is a son of George W. and Elizabeth (Smith) Schrope, grandson of Amos Schrope, great-grandson of John Schrope, and great-great-grandson of Andrew Schrope.
Andrew Schrope was born in Germany, and at about the time of the war of the Revolution became a pioneer of Valley View, Schuylkill county, where he took up a large tract of land. His operations were very extensive in scope, as may be judged from the fact that his property, now cut up, con- tained what is now six farms, all of great size. There he passed the remain- ing years of his life, one of the substantial and reliable men of his community, an influential voice in civic affairs and a force for progress and advancement along all lines. He died and was buried in the Sacramento community of Hubley township. He was the father of two sons, John and Andrew.
John Schrope, son of the pioneer, followed in his father's footsteps and when ready to adopt an occupation of his own took up farming. Through thrift, industry and good management his affairs prospered, and he became the owner of 325 acres of valuable land in Hegins township and a man of worth and substance in his locality. His life was devoted to the cultivation of the soil, and his death occurred near Sacramento, where he was laid to rest. Mr. Schrope married Maud Halderman, and they became the parents of four children : Amos, Jacob, Maria and Kate. After the death of his first wife Mr. Schrope was again married, to Lydia Haas, but there were no children born to this union.
Amos Schrope, the grandfather of Charles A. Schrope, was born on his father's homestead in Hegins Township, Schuylkill Co., Pa., and there received his education and grew to manhood. When ready to establish a home of his own he secured a part of the homestead place, 105 acres, to the cultivation
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and development of which he devoted the entire period of his active life. He still survives, in comfortable retirement, at his home at Valley View. Mr. Schrope has upheld the family name for public-spirited participation in civic affairs, and has served capably and faithfully in various offices, including those of school director and tax collector. Always a man of the strictest integrity, he has well merited the esteem and confidence in which he is held by those among whom his life has been passed. Mr. Schrope married Harriet Haas, daughter of Isaac Haas, of Mahantongo Valley, and four children were born to this union: Monroe, who is deceased; George W .; Ellen, who is the wife of Emanuel Schmeltz; and Webster, who resides with his father at Val- ley View.
George W. Schrope, father of Charles A. Schrope, was born at Valley View, Hegins township, Schuylkill Co., Pa., Oct. 10, 1864, and received his education in the public schools of that community. He remained at home on the farm, assisting his father, until he was seventeen years of age, at which time he secured employment as a laborer at the Brookside colliery. Later he turned his attention to mining, at which he was engaged for about fifteen years, then returning to the homestead and engaging in farming for eight years. Then he again went to the Brookside colliery, where for three years he was a miner, and through his efforts won promotion to the position of assistant inside foreman, a capacity in which he acted for seven years. In 1912 he was made foreman at the East Brookside colliery, and this post he continues to fill, being one of his company's most trusted men. Mr. Schrope married Elizabeth Smith, daughter of John Smith, of Mahantongo Valley, and to this union there were born the following children: Charles A .; John, whose death occurred when he was seven years old: Kate, who is the wife of Charles Long; Lillie, who is the wife of Harry Miller; George, who resides at Tower City: Robert, also a resident of that community; Minnie, who is the wife of A. Hoffler; Jacob, who is a student at Haverford College; Eva, wife of Charles Shuey; Mabel, who resides with her parents; and Harriet, who died when nine months old. The mother of these children died in April, 1913, deeply mourned by a wide circle of friends. Mr. Schrope is one of the well known men of his community and an influential factor in civic affairs. He has served capably as a member of the school board of Tower City. Fra- ternally he is affiliated with the local lodges of the Junior Order United Amer- ican Mechanics, the Improved Order of Red Men and the Loyal Order of Moose.
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