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 16

Author: J.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, J.H. Beers
Number of Pages: 684


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 16


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and well stocked. Mr. Eiler began taking violin lessons when twelve years old, and later had instruction on other instruments, and has become an accomplished performer. He organized Eiler's Band, of Schuylkill Haven, which had an existence of about eighteen years, and was its leader during that time. Later he became the leader of the Schuylkill Haven Band, which he is still conduct- ing, and he plays the cornet in the Third Brigade Band, of Pottsville, which was led by the late Frederic Gerhard until his death; Mr. Braun is the present leader. For the last twenty-seven years Mr. Eiler has been a member of the choir of the Second Reformed Church, to which he belongs, and has taken part in all the local enterprises of this nature. He has a high reputation, his work being of the best quality. Socially he is a member of Page Lodge, No. 270, F. & A. M., of the I. O. O. F. and of the Sons of America.


Mr. Eiler married Annie Rupp, daughter of John Rupp. They have no children.


Mrs. Eiler's grandfather brought his family to this country from Germany, settling at Schuylkill Haven, where he died. His children were: Joseph, Thomas, Mary, Barbara and John.


John Rupp, the father of Mrs. Eiler, was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and came to America with his parents. He learned blacksmithing, which he followed throughout his active life at Schuylkill Haven, and his death occurred there. By his marriage to Charity Reed, daughter of Thomas Reed, he had the following children: Margaret, who married Frank Heiser : Joseph ; and Emma, Mrs. Frank Sterner. For his second wife he married Catherine Himmel, and the children of this union were: Sarah, Annie ( Mrs. Eiler), Barbara (de- ceased), Elizabeth (deceased), Charles, Thomas, Frank and George.


DAVID VETTER, one of the best known citizens of New Ringgold, Schuylkill county, is now living retired after a lifetime of useful labor in business and public service, assisting his fellow citizens in the upbuilding of the town and county, to whose interests he has become deeply attached in long years of intimate association. Mr. Vetter was born at Pottsville, Schuylkill county, Feb. 22, 1843, and is of German lineage, his grandfather, John Vetter, having spent the whole of his life in Germany.


John Vetter, father of David Vetter, was born in the Grand Duchy of Baden Feb. 26, 1815, and with his wife, Mary (Hetzel), who was also a native of Germany, emigrated to America in the year 1828. He first settled in the State of New York, and in 1840 removed to Pottsville, where he carried on the occupations of brickmaking and farming until 1864. In the latter year he moved to New Ringgold, where both he and his wife died, the former on Aug. 8, 1885, and the latter on April 20, 1883. In religious association Mr. Vetter was a member of the Lutheran Church. He had a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, all of whom grew to maturity.


David Vetter attended school at Pottsville and soon after leaving school became employed on the Schuylkill and Erie canal as boatman. When the Civil war began he became enthused with the prospect of fighting for his coun- try and enlisted on Aug. 22, 1862, in Company H, 120th Regiment, New York Volunteers, at Kingston, N. Y. This regiment was assigned to the 2d Brigade, 2d Division, 3d Corps, Army of the Potomac, with which he served until the close of the war, participating in the battles of Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Gettysburg, and others of minor im- portance. After the war Mr. Vetter returned to New Ringgold and learned


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D.Vetter


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telegraphy, in 1870 entering the employ of the Reading Company, and serving for over twenty-one years as night operator. In 1891 he was promoted to the position of station agent at New Ringgold, which he held until he was retired, in 1913, with a pension, after a continuous service of over forty-three years with the company at that point. He was also agent for the United States Express Company at New Ringgold. Mr. Vetter was formerly a Republican, but soon after its organization joined the Washington Progressive party, and was its candidate for sheriff of Schuylkill county in 1913, being defeated by a small margin. He was also the Washington party candidate for General As- semblyman in 1914, but was again defeated by a small majority.


Mr. Vetter was elected to the office of justice of the peace in 1878, and has served continuously in that position ever since. He was a member of the borough school board for thirty-five years, being secretary during this entire period of service, and was a member of the borough council for five years. He has been a member of Washington Camp No. 100, P. O. S. of A., for forty- seven years, is a past president, has been recording secretary for many years, and has been representative to the State camp a number of times. He has also been a member of East Brunswick Lodge No. 802, I. O. O. F., for the last forty-three years, is a past grand, and has held all the offices within the gift of the lodge. By virtue of his Civil war service he is a member of the G. A. R., having been connected with Doubleday Post, No. 189, of Tamaqua, for over thirty years. He is a member of the General Council branch of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, has held all the church offices, and is also interested in the Sunday school, having been superintendent of the same for many years, and a teacher as well.


On June 15, 1863, Mr. Vetter married Mary C. Hetzel, a daughter of John and Christina Hetzel, of Ulster county, N. Y., and to them were born these children: (1) Sarah Esther, born Aug. 19, 1870, married Christian Miller, formerly of Mahanoy City, now an employee at the Bethlehem Steel Works, and they have six children, Lottie, Carrie, Gertrude, Ella, Edward and Barbara. (2) Mary Rebecca, born April 27, 1873, married George Sassaman, at one time a farmer of Barnesville, this county, now engaged as a carpenter at Tamaqua, Pa. They have two children, Goldie and Gladys. (3) Flora Louisa, born April 27, 1873 (twin of Mary), married Alvin Fussleman, a carpenter, for a time a resident of Slatington, Lehigh Co., Pa., now of Tamaqua, Pa. They have two children, David and Clarence. (4) John Howard, born Oct. 2, 1875, a shoemaker of Lititz, Pa., married Carrie E. Miller, and they have two chil- dren, William and Mary Ellen. (5) George William, born Aug. 14, 1878, a telegraph operator at Connellsville, Pa., is married to Emma Schwender, and they have one child, Helen. (6) Katie Magdalena, born Jan. 22, 1880, married E. R. Neiswender, station agent of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Com- pany at New Ringgold, Pa., and they have one child, Florence. (7) Carrie Emma, born May 10, 1884, married George F. Knittle, State health officer and telegraph operator, and they have three children, Robert, Miriam and Alma. (8) Lottie Pearl Altie, born April 27, 1889, married Walter Neiswender, a lum- berman of New Ringgold, and they have two children, Mary and Dorothy. All of Mr. Vetter's children were born at New Ringgold and all of them are mem- bers of the Lutheran Church.


Mrs. Mary C. (Hetzel) Vetter, wife of David Vetter, was born Nov. 3, 18.12, at Rondout, near Kingston, Ulster Co., N. Y., was educated in that part Vol. II-7


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of the Empire State, and resided at home until her marriage. She died Sept. 15, 1912, and is buried at the Frieden's Church, New Ringgold, Pennsylvania.


John Hetzel, father of Mrs. David Vetter, was born in Germany, and by occupation was a quarryman, employed at the Rosendale Cement Quarries in Ulster County, N. Y. He married Christina Steigmire, and they had the following children : John, the only survivor of the family, is a boatman on the North river for the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad Company (he has two children) ; George, Mary C. and William are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Hetzel were members of the Lutheran Church. Both are buried at Rondout, New York.


THEODORE D. SCHNEIDER, proprietor of what is known as the Schneider Pharmacy, in Pottsville, has been operating on his own account only a short time, but his varied experiences with responsible drug houses covering a long period of his business life should be a sufficient guaranty that he is well qualified for his chosen line. He has recently taken over the old established trade of George G. Hinterleitner.


The Schneiders are of German extraction. Theodore D. Schneider, the grandfather of Theodore D. Schneider, was born in Hanover, Germany, and when a young man left his country to escape the military service, taking refuge in France, whence he sailed for America. Locating at Ashland, in Schuylkill county, Pa., he became engaged as a butcher and drover, established a large business, and remained there until his death.


Lewis Schneider, father of Theodore D. Schneider, was born in Schuylkill county, Pa., and passed his entire life here, dying in September, 1913. From boyhood he was associated with his father in business as a butcher and drover, continuing to follow that line successfully at Ashland all his life. Politically he was a Democrat, and active in party and political affairs in his locality, serving ten years as a member of the borough council. He belonged to the German Reformed Church. He married Clara Hetherington, whose father, Jonathan Hetherington, was an Englishman, who was engaged in the mule and mine timber business at St. Clair, Schuylkill county, later moving to Ringtown, this county, where he followed farming. Mrs. Schneider is still living, at Ashland, Pa. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Schneider, namely : Theodore D. and Lottie, the latter dying when six years old.


Theodore D. Schneider was born at Ashland in 1880, and received an excellent education in the public schools of that place, graduating from the high school in 1898. He received his first training in the drug business under L. C. Voshage, of Ashland, where he remained for eighteen months. His next position was at Sunbury, where he was in the employ of a Mr. Kelley for three years, after which he spent four months at Bellefonte, Pa., and five months at Harrisburg. In January, 1904, Mr. Schneider came to Pottsville, where he spent seven years in the employ of William S. Cowen. His next change was to Hazleton, Pa., where he was connected with the Eble Pharmacy, as manager, for two years and three months. Returning to Pottsville, he purchased the well known drug store of George G. Hinterleitner, at No. 300 North Centre street, which he has since been conducting. Mr. Schneider has a thorough grasp of modern business methods, has kept up with the best ideas in his particular line, and has a high sense of responsibility attaching to his chosen calling, an important point which has gained him the absolute confidence of his townsmen in Pottsville. The wide acquaintance and high reputation he


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gained during his association with Mr. Cowen, at Pottsville, has aided him greatly in establishing himself since he started business on his own account. Personally he is regarded as an excellent citizen in every respect, and is highly thought of by his fellow members in Ashland Lodge, No. 384, B. P. O. Elks. He belongs to the Reformed Church. Mr. Schneider is an independent voter, supporting the candidates he thinks best fitted for the office and the measures which in his opinion will confer the greatest benefit on the community.


On Sept. 16, 1913, Mr. Schneider married Elsie L. Kline, daughter of Wil- liam H. Kline. Her father formerly conducted the well known Kline's cafe, on Centre street, Pottsville ; he is now residing at Yellow House, Berks Co., Pa. Mrs. Schneider was born at Farmersville, in Lancaster county, this State.


WALTER WINFIELD SCOTT, a prosperous farmer, owning the only farm between Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven, was born Oct. 1, 1868, at Wadesville, Schuylkill Co., Pa., son of John Alexander Scott. The family is an old and honored one in England.


John Alexander Scott, father of Walter W. Scott, was born at Greatbridge, Staffordshire, England, and came to America when he was thirty-one years of age. He settled at Summer Hill, Schuylkill Co., Pa., and was employed by a man named Brown in a small mine near there. He then went to Wadesville, where he sank the first mining shaft in this section, by contract, the superin- tendent of the mine being a Mr. Althouse. After a time Mr. Scott became mine boss, having at one period four hundred men under his direct super- vision. He took a trip to his old home in England after a number of years of labor in the mines, and upon his return went to Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where he followed mining for a time, but eventually returned to the Wadesville shaft, remaining there until 1875. Mr. Scott then bought the old Minnich homestead of seventy-three acres at St. Clair, a mile above Schuylkill Haven, on the main road, and there followed farming until his death, which occurred Aug. 30, 1880, at Cape Horn, on the Reading railroad, through an accident. He is buried in the borough cemetery at St. Clair.


John A. Scott was married to Matilda Reid, daughter of Joseph Reid. She was born half a mile from her husband's birthplace, and died June 30, 1912, and is buried in the Charles Baber cemetery at Pottsville, Pa. The following children were born to John A. Scott and his wife: John A., of Schuylkill Haven; Mary, wife of William Yeager, of Reading, Pa .; Walter W .; Ella; Frank; Edward; and two who died in infancy.


Walter W. Scott was born at Wadesville, Schuylkill Co., Pa., and lived upon his father's farm until he was twenty-seven years old. He then obtained a position with the Atlantic Refining Company at Mount Carbon, where he remained for two years. Returning to the home farm he spent nine months there, after which he accepted the position of assistant farmer at the county almshouse farm, continuing there for one year. Again he returned home, for one year, next working on the local trolley road as motorman, for seven years, and then after five years' residence on the home farm he reentered the service of the Atlantic Refining Company, for eight and a half months. Having ac- cumulated a competency, he invested in land, buying first the family homestead of sixty-eight and a half acres in 1913, and also thirteen acres of the old Mellet farm, and ten acres of the John Womer tract, adjoining. Mr. Scott now has one of the finest farms in the county, all good land, and the only one on the road between Pottsville and Schuylkill Haven. His farm and buildings are


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kept in up-to-date condition, and he has adopted modern methods of cultivating the soil.


On Jan. 11, 1898, Mr. Scott was married to Anna Doretta Kear, daughter of William Kear, and they have had children as follows : Camilla May, Walter W., Elmer N., Luther R. and Mary Matilda. Mr. Scott is a Republican, and has served upon the school board of North Manheim township, and as commit- teeman and delegate to the county conventions. He and his family attend the Lutheran Church.


JEREMIAH FESSLER, one of the most respected residents of Cressona borough, now living retired, was born Jan. 28, 1845, in Panther valley, Wayne township, Schuylkill county. He belongs to an old family of German origin which has been in this county for several generations, his grandfather having been a pioneer in Long Run valley, Schuylkill county, where he followed farming and lived until his death. He was twice married, by the first union having two children, Joseph and John, and his second wife, whose maiden name was Confer, was the mother of the following: Andrew died in Schuylkill county ; Michael died in Berks county ; Abraham died in Shamokin, Pa .; Wil- liam and George died in Schuylkill county ; Molly married Solomon Luckenbill; Rebecca married Daniel Minich.


Of the above family, William Fessler, well known in his day as "Old Bill Fessler," was the father of Jeremiah Fessler. He was born in Long Run valley. Living in this section in the pioneer era he was a typical man of his day, a great hunter and fisherman, and shot several deer and bear in the Second Moun- tain district in Pennsylvania. He did railroad work during the early days of the railroad in this region, being one of the first men employed on the Mine Hill road, helping to lay the track, later hauling coal, and still later acting as roadmaster, which position he held until 1866. At that time he retired to his land, owning two farms in this section, and continued to live there until his death, which occurred when he was eighty-five years old; he is buried in the Union cemetery at Friedensburg, this county. Few men in this part of Schuylkill county were better or more favorably known. He and William Lark built the Union Church at Friedensburg, and he never lost his interest in church work, in which he took an active part. Politically he was a Republican. In his early days Cressona was known as West Haven. By his marriage to Elizabeth Luckenbill, daughter of Solomon Luckenbill, he had a large family, namely : William, who died in Wayne township, Schuylkill county ; Catherine, who died young; four who died in infancy; Esther, deceased, wife of George Lark; George, who died at Cressona ; Elias, who was a soldier in the Civil war ; Jere- miah, now one of the oldest residents of Cressona ; Elizabeth, widow of William Breininger; Henry and James, who live in Wisconsin; Josiah, a resident of Cressona ; and Amanda, who married John Lengle, and lives at Cressona. The mother of this family lived to the age of eighty years.


Jeremiah Fessler began work for the Mine Hill Railroad Company in 1858, and when the Reading Railway Company took over the ownership of the road continued in the same employ. In 1864 he became fireman on the engine of a passenger train on the Mine Hill road, and in 1873 was promoted to engineer, in which capacity he was engaged until 1909. In 1911 he was pensioned, and has since lived retired at Cressona. Mr. Fessler was a charter member of the Reading Relief Association, and well known in that organization. In the course of his industrious life he has made many friends in the borough, and is


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highly esteemed by all who know him, as he deserves to be. Mr. Fessler is a member of the United Evangelical Church, and has always been an active and interested worker in that direction. For over fifteen years he served as superintendent of its Sunday school.


By his first marriage, to Louisa Kantner, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Snyder) Kantner, Mr. Fessler had one child, Ida May, who married Dr. Frank Merkle; he died in Bucks county, and Mrs. Merkle now resides at Cressona and is engaged as a public school teacher. Mrs. Louisa Fessler died when twenty-seven years old, and Mr. Fessler subsequently married her sister, Caroline E. Kantner, by whom he has had three children: Charles, who died when seven months old; Thomas W., a merchant, of Minersville, Pa .; and Beulah, wife of Willard Weaver, of Cressona.


WILLIAM MARDIS, a venerable citizen of Pottsville, now living in retirement, has been a resident of Schuylkill county since 1845. He was born Oct. 10, 1822, in Cambria county, Pa., son of Samuel Mardis, a native of the State of Maryland and of Scotch descent. Samuel Mardis followed farming in Cambria county, and died in Indiana county, Pa. To his marriage with Abbie Yost were born the following children: Joseph died in Cambria county ; John died in California ; Jacob died in Cambria county ; James is a resident of Iowa ; George was killed by a robber in California ; William is next in the order of birth; Samuel died young; Mary and Catherine complete the family.


William Mardis obtained his education in the public schools of Cambria county, where he was reared upon a farm. Coming to Schuylkill county in June, 1845, he settled in Mahanoy township. His first mine work was in the soft coal fields of the Alleghenies. For one year he was in the employ of the State, engaged at railroad building over the Allegheny mountains. Besides mining in Schuylkill county, he assisted in building the Tremont railroad, and was also engaged on the work of widening the old Schuylkill canal. For twenty years he carried on farming on his own account, and for several years conducted a dairy business at Pottsville. He moved to that borough about twenty-eight years ago, and for a few years was an employee at the Philadelphia & Reading shops, since which time he has been variously engaged. Though over ninety years old Mr. Mardis is remarkably active, and he is able to read without the aid of glasses. He is a member of the Methodist Church, and he has always been among the most respected residents of the borough. His home is at No. 710 West Market street.


Mr. Mardis married Margaret Hudson, who died in 1886, and is buried in the Odd Fellows cemetery at Pottsville. They had one daughter, Catherine, who is the wife of John Mertz, and resides on East Market street, Pottsville. Mr. and Mrs. Mertz have one son, William Mertz, now a resident of Phila- delphia, Pa., who married a Miss Reikert; they have one daughter, Margaret.


JOHN W. FREEMAN, of Schuylkill Haven, who has been in the grocery business at Centre and Garfield avenues since 1907, is one of the live young business men of the borough, and has shown commendable enterprise in the development of his trade. The Freeman family is an old and honored one in Pennsylvania.


Jurig (George) Freeman, the American ancestor of the family, was born in Germany in 1706, and came to this country in his thirty-third year, in the


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ship "Samuel," commanded by Hugh Percy, landing at Philadelphia Aug. 27, 1739. It appears that he settled in Cumru township some time after 1750.


George Freeman, a descendant of Jurig, above, was born Jan. 10, 1783, and died in 1825. He married Elizabeth Gerhard, born in 1786, and they became the parents of children as follows : George, born Dec. 5, 1808; John ; Catherine, born May 7, 1811; Jacob, born Oct. 17, 1813; Elizabeth, born May 28, 1815; Benjamin, born June 1, 1817; Cornelius, born Nov. 29, 1819; Peter; and Samuel. (It seems possible the son John of this family was the great-grand- father of John W. Freeman.)


Johannes (or John) Freeman, great-grandfather of John W. Freeman, was born in Berks county, and settled in Wayne township, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where he followed farming. He died there, and is buried at the Summer Mountain Church. His wife was Sarah Fehr, and they had children as follows: Joseph, William, Jonathan, Benjamin, Mrs. John Reichert and Mrs. Wert.


Joseph Freeman, son of John, was born March 16, 1830, in Wayne town- ship, Schuylkill county, learned the trade of blacksmith, and followed that calling at Schuylkill Haven. He died on Centre avenue, in that borough, and is buried in the Union cemetery. By his marriage to Emma Eiler, daughter of George Eiler, he had the following children: Sarah married Charles Hoff- man ; Emma married Adam Moyer; Henry is living at Pottsville, this county ; John is mentioned below; Joseph (2) is a resident of Philadelphia, Pa .; George and Joseph (I) are deceased.


John Freeman, son of Joseph, was born Nov. 27, 1860, at Schuylkill Haven, where he is still living. For several years he was engaged in boating on the Schuylkill canal, afterwards entering the car shops in the borough, where he is still employed. On Dec. 29, 1884, he married Clara Shappell, daughter of William and Sarah (Ochenbach) Shappell, and granddaughter of John Shap- pell. Three children have been born to this union : John W. ; Mamie S., wife of John Mengle, living at Schuylkill Haven; and Sarah A., who died when nine days old.


John W. Freeman was born June 10, 1886, at Schuylkill Haven, and obtained the principal part of his education in the public schools there. He has also taken a course at the Pottsville business college. For a time he was employed by the Walkover Shoe Company at Schuylkill Haven, and on Dec. 15, 1907, engaged in business for himself, dealing in groceries, dry goods and notions. His store is at the corner of Centre and Garfield avenues, and he has a very creditable stock, carrying a large assortment of well selected goods, which supply the needs of a large patronage. Mr. Freeman deserves his prosperity, having built up his trade by unremitting attention to the wants of his customers, accommodating service and reliable goods. His circle of patrons is widening steadily.


Socially Mr. Freeman belongs to the Patriotic Order Sons of America and the Improved Order of Heptasophs. Politically he gives his support to the Democratic party. He married Grace Violet May Donmoyer, daughter of Morris W. Donmoyer.


G. EDGAR KLINE has proved his possession of stable business qualities in the management of the hotel and cafe at Pottsville which receives a liberal share of the local patronage. His father, who operated this place for seven years, had a long and successful career in the hotel business in different parts of Pennsylvania, and the son had the benefit of first hand experience from




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