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 29
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Mr. Hafer married Catherine Osenbach, a daughter of Daniel and Kate (Dreisbach) Osenbach, and we have the following record of their large fam- ily: (1) Daniel Jacob, born Oct. 16, 1866, married Annie Trexel, and they reside at Reading, Pa. Their children are Edith, Ruth, Mary, Erma and Grace. (2) Kate Isabella, born Feb. 4, 1868, had one child (now deceased), by her first husband, Charles D. Rapp. After his death she married (second) Elmer Diener, and they live in East Brunswick township. (3) Jared Milton, born Nov. 18, 1869, lives in Rush township, Schuylkill county. He married Rosie Hoppes, and they have had children as follows: One that died in infancy, Elma (deceased ), Bertha, Cora, Raymond, Nathan, Calvin, Oliver. Mary, Eva, Abner and Mildred. (4) Anna Rebecca, born July 13, 1871, married Lewis Gerber, and they have had two children, one that died young and Mary. They reside in West Penn township. (5) A son born Jan. 14. 1873, is deceased. (6) Sarah Alice, born Dec. 24, 1873, is the wife of Charles Hoppes, of West Penn township. Their children are Alvin, Jennie. one deceased, Leon and Raymond. (7) Freddie Edwin, born Feb. 21, 1875, mar- ried Mary Zellner, and has one child. Elsie May. Their home is in East Brunswick township. (8) Moses William, born May 13. 1876, is deceased. (9) Calvin, born Sept. 28, 1877, is unmarried. (10) Caroline, born May 16, 1879, married Henry Weaver, of East Brunswick township. (II) A son born Dec. 6, 1881, is deceased. (12) Samuel Aaron, born May 19, 1883, is unmarried. (13) Frank Howard, born Aug. 28, 1884, married Katie Baer,
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and their children are Florence, Leroy, Stella and Dorothy. They live in Reading, Pa. (14) Clara Agnes, born July 5, 1886, is deceased. (15) Mary Levina, born Sept. 15, 1888, is unmarried. (16) Jennie May, born March 22, 1890, is deceased. (17) Eva Minerva, born July 27, 1893, is unmarried.
Mrs. Catherine (Osenbach) Hafer was born Feb. 17, 1850, in East Brunswick township, was educated there, and lived at home until her mar- riage. She is a daughter of Daniel Osenbach and granddaughter of Christian Osenbach, of East Brunswick township. He followed farming and charcoal burning all his life, dying when about sixty years old. His wife, Catherine (Gottshall), died in May, 1874, aged ninety-seven years, and they are buried at the Frieden's Church in New Ringgold. He was a member of the Lutheran congregation there, and served faithfully as deacon. On political questions he was a Democrat. Mr. and Mrs. Osenbach had a large family, but the names of several of their children are not obtainable. We have record of the following: Daniel was the father of Mrs. Hafer; Christian married Sarah Gottshall, and both are deceased; William married Brigetta Kemmerer, who is deceased; John married a Miss Halderman, and both are deceased; Joseph married Mary Beableheimer, who is deceased ; Kate married Daniel Bankes, and after his death a Mr. Snyder, and they are now deceased; Mary married John Baer, and both are deceased; Sarah married John Kemmerer, who is deceased; Susanna married Charles Beableheimer.
Daniel Osenbach, father of Mrs. Jared Hafer, was born Feb. 5, 1819, in East Brunswick township, and died in that township in November, 1882. He was reared and educated in East Brunswick township, learned the wheel- wright's trade, and farmed for many years. He and his son-in-law, Jared Hafer, owned farms together in West Penn township, and came to East Brunswick township together. Mr. Osenbach owned forty-three acres of the original 260 acres in the Hafer farm, which he later traded for another piece of land; this tract of forty-three acres is now owned by Mr. Elmer Diener. Mr. Osenbach had a shop on his farm and followed his trade along with farming. He was a Democrat, and kept in touch with local politics and public matters, was elected to the offices of school director and super- visor, and served his fellow citizens capably in both. Church work was always one of his chief interests, and he was very active as a member of the Frieden's Lutheran Church at New Ringgold, which he served as deacon. Mr. Osenbach married Catherine Dreisbach, who was born Oct. 31, 1817, and died when over seventy years of age. She is buried with her husband in West Penn township, Schuylkill county. Children as follows were born to them: Carolina married Aaron Schrack (deceased ) and (second) John F. Staudt : Rebecca died when nine years old; Catherine is Mrs. Jared Hafer ; two childred died unnamed.
FREDERICK W. BRACHMAN, of Tuscarora, has spent all his life in that section of Schuylkill county and is deservedly held in esteem as one of its most creditable citizens. By diligence and the most honorable methods he has made his way up until he is now one of the notably successful busi- ness men of his locality. The large wholesale and retail meat trade which he commands has been developed through his judgment and foresight, which have never been at fault in estimating the opportunities of the region in which his operations have been carried on. His faith in local possibilities has not
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only given him the courage to branch out in his own enterprise, but has been a factor in encouraging other activities.
Mr. Brachman is a native of Brockton, Schuylkill county, born April 6, 1866, son of the late Frederick W. and Margaret (Gross) Brachman. The father was born in Germany July 13, 1823, and spent his early years in that country, coming to the United States when a young man of nineteen. He was one of the first settlers at Patterson (now Brockton post office), in Schuyl- kill township, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where he spent the rest of his life, at first doing mine work there, until 1864. Then he engaged in the hotel business, which he continued until his death, Sept. 18. 1888. He is buried in the Lutheran cemetery at Middleport. A man of intelligence and progressive ideas, he took a genuine interest in the welfare of the community and the proper administration of local government, and himself served as tax col- lector and school director, holding the latter office for many years. He was a Lutheran in religious doctrine. Mrs. Brachman died March 20, 1910, and is buried at Brockton. They were the parents of the following children: Caro- line died in infancy; Kate married Richard McBreen; John is a resident of Middleport, this county; Mary is married to Frank Wadlinger: Sophia mar- ried Fred Krantz; Peter is a resident of Tamaqua, this county ; Lena (de- ceased) was the wife of the late Peter L. Hoffman; Frederick W. is next in the family; Margaret (deceased) was the wife of Lewis Lawrence, district superintendent for the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company, at Shenandoah, Pa .; Matilda married Michael J. Hoffman; Emma married Michael Bonenberger; Harry J. is a business man of Brockton.
Frederick W. Brachman received a public school education at Brockton. Until he was twenty years old he was employed about the collieries, beginning as a slate picker at the Boston Run breaker. Then he went to work for Charles Miller, a butcher at Tuscarora, with whom he had been engaged but one year when he and his brother Peter bought out Mr. Miller, conduct- ing the business under the name of Brachman Brothers. They carried it on in partnership until 1907, when Frederick W. Brachman purchased his broth- er's interest, and he has continued it since as sole proprietor. Under his management it has been increasing steadily, his trade now extending all over the territory adjacent to Brockton. Mr. Brachman has forged ahead by strict application to the building up of his business, but he has found time also to serve his fellow citizens in public trusts, having been a member of the board of school directors in Schuylkill township for nine years; he was president of that body, and also treasurer for four years. On political questions he has stood with the Republican party. At one time Mr. Brachman was a member of the Elks lodge at Tamaqua.
Mr. Brachman married Sarah Schroner, daughter of Daniel Schroner, of Lewistown, Schuylkill county, and children as follows have been born to them: Ida, now the wife of William DeLay; Margaret; Fredericka, who died when three and a half years old; Harry; Herbert; Lloyd; Norman; Beatrice, and Ruth. Mr. Brachman and his family have their religious con- nection with the Reformed denomination.
BENJAMIN J. YOST, who is now holding the honorable position of chief burgess in Tamaqua borough, is an official of proved fidelity and trust- worthiness, favorably known in the several sections of Schuylkill county where he has resided. He is himself a native of Pottsville, this county, a
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son of Benjamin K. Yost, and belongs to a family whose members have long been respected for their adherence to high principles and upright lives.
The Yost family is of old standing in Pennsylvania. Daniel Yost, great- grandfather of Benjamin J. Yost, was born in Montgomery county, Pa., in 1759, and removed at an early day to what is now McKeansburg, Schuylkill county, where he died in 1839. He was an active, enterprising man in his day. A Whig in political faith, he always interested himself in public affairs, believing it the duty of every good citizen to protect and foster the common good, and he stood deservedly high in the community, not only because of his honorable character but also for his intelligence and good judgment. He was called to various positions of trust, being justice of the peace for a number of years in his township, and discharged the duties of the office with such marked ability and signal impartiality to all concerned that he was called up higher, being elected associate judge of the county. Judge Yost married Barbara Hillogus, and they had a family of ten children.
Jonathan Yost, son of Daniel, was born in Montgomery county, Pa., in 1797, and died in East Brunswick township, Schuylkill county, in 1866. He came to this county with his father, learned the blacksmith's trade, and fol- lowed it a number of years, but gave it up to go farming, which was his work during the last twenty years of his life. He was an active and ardent member of the German Reformed Church at McKeansburg, serving in nearly all the official positions in the church organization. He married Mary Kleck- ner, a daughter of Andrew Kleckner, one of the earlier emigrants from Ger- many into East Brunswick township, this county, where he followed farming and where he died. To this union were born twelve children, six sons and six daughters.
Benjamin K. Yost, son of Jonathan, was born in Schuylkill county. He learned the trade of shoemaker, and later operated the "Rising Sun Hotel" at Pottsville. For a time he was located near New Philadelphia, this county, lived for three years at McKeansburg, and in 1861 went to Mahanoy City, removing thence to Lofty, where he resided for three years. He then spent six months at Reading before he settled at Shenandoah, Schuylkill county, where he carried on the hotel business, and later the shoe business, until his death. He is buried at McKeansburg, this county. Mr. Yost was a member of the Masonic fraternity. Five children were born to his marriage with Mary Wagner, namely: Jonathan: S. W., who died in June, 1914 (he was cashier of the Shenandoah National Bank) ; Oscar, who died in 1915; Mary, who is living with her mother in Pennsylvania; and Benjamin J.
Benjamin J. Yost was born Aug. 20, 1853. He received his education in the public schools, principally at Shenandoah, and during his youth clerked for some time in a store there, also learning the trade of barber. Soon after this he turned his attention to the work of organizing camps for the Patriotic Order Sons of America, in Schuylkill, Union, Centre, Snyder, Clinton, Clear- field and Columbia counties, and was so engaged for a period of eighteen months, meeting with notable success. Returning to his trade he followed it for a few years, until appointed deputy clerk of the Schuylkill county courts, in which position he served one term. After that he resumed his trade at Shenandoah for two years, until he took charge of the "Lakeside Hotel" at Lakeside, Pa., which he carried on for eleven years. For another year he was in the restaurant business at Lansford, Pa., in September, 1911, coming to Tamaqua and going back to his trade. In June, 1914, he was appointed
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chief burgess of the borough, by the Schuylkill county courts, and he is giving faithful attention to the duties of this responsible office, striving earn- estly to promote the best interests of his town and fellow townsmen. Mr. Yost made an excellent record in his previous public service, having acted as health officer of Rush and Ryon townships, this county ; as deputy coroner ; and for seven years as a member of the council in Shenandoah.
Mr. Yost has always kept up his active connection with the P. O. S. of A. He holds membership in Washington Camp No. 112, of Shenandoah, has served as State marshal, and has attended twenty State and National con- ventions.
Mr. Yost was united in marriage with Martha R. Kohler, who died in June, 1914, and by whom he had the following children: Robert, Gertrude, Martha, Emma and Edgar.
WILLIAM R. BUCKLEY, M. D., one of the younger physicians in prac- tice at Schuylkill county, is now acting as first assistant surgeon in the State hospital at Fountain Springs, with which institution he has been associated since his graduation, in 1913. Dr. Buckley was born at Girardville, this county, March 10, 1886, son of William and Mary ( Horan) Buckley.
William Buckley, the father, was born in the Mill Creek district, near Pottsville, Schuylkill county. His father, Peter Buckley, a native of Ireland, had settled there upon coming to this country. He remained there until his death, working as an engineer at the mines. William Buckley came to Girardville when nineteen years old, and has been a resident of that place ever since. He has been engaged in mine work all his life, for years serving as superintendent and outside foreman at the Otto colliery, near Girard- ville, one of the large coal workings in Schuylkill county. His wife was born at Minersville, this county, daughter of Thomas Horan, who was born in Ireland and came to the United States at an early date, living for a time at Minersville and later moving to Girardville, where he conducted a hotel. He also served as tax collector of the latter place, and died there. Mr. and Mrs. William Buckley have had a family of nine children: Catherine, who is the wife of B. J. Duffy, an attorney, of Coaldale, Schuylkill county ; Thomas V., a physician and surgeon, located at Lansford, Carbon Co., Pa .; William R .; John, deceased; Mary, who is engaged in teaching school at Branchdale, this county ; Ella, also a teacher, at present engaged at Bridgeton, N. J .; Florence, Walter and Edwin, at home.
William R. Buckley obtained his preparatory education at' Girardville. In 1909 he entered the Medico-Chirurgical College, at Philadelphia, and com- pleted the course in 1912, graduating with the degree of M. D. Shortly after- wards he was appointed a member of the staff of the State hospital at Fountain Springs, in his native county, and he has since been appointed first assistant surgeon at that institution, which position he now holds. It affords exceptional facilities for experience, and Dr. Buckley's training has been such as to enable him to take advantage of this. Though he is just at the outset of his career he has already gained the reputation of being a thoroughly reliable surgeon, and his personal qualities as well as his professional attainments are such that he has every promise of a useful and successful future. He is a member of , the Schuylkill County Medical Society, the State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Socially he belongs to Sheridan Council,
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Knights of Columbus, for which organization he is medical examiner. In religious faith he is a Catholic, belonging to St. Joseph's Church.
JOHN GREGORY (deceased), of Shenandoah, son of Simon and Han- nah (Webb) Gregory, was born Nov. 30, 1861, at Wadesville, Schuylkill county. He attended schools at Wadesville and Shenandoah, but his oppor- tunities were limited, for at the age of nine years he began picking slate at Shenandoah, working at this for one year, when he left to take a position as clerk in the hardware store of Mr. Leuburg, at Shenandoah. In that store he remained until the year 1894, when he finally decided to enter business him- self. Not having sufficient capital he succeeded in interesting H. W. Titman to venture with him into the business world as a partner, and on June 4, 1894, they deposited in the Merchants' National Bank an equal sum of money for the purpose of transacting business as above stated, the earnings of said com- pany to be equally divided, John Gregory serving as manager for the con- cern, which was known as "The City Supply Co." On July 3, 1906, H. W. Titman sold his interest to John Gregory, wiping out the firm of the City Supply Co. and leaving John Gregory the sole owner. Under his capable management he built up a large wholesale and retail hardware business, and contributed his share towards establishing the high modern standards of busi- ness now characteristic of commercial life in the borough of Shenandoah, where all of his active years were spent. Though he started out without means, Mr. Gregory won his way steadily forward to a prominent position among local merchants, and by his sterling personal traits came to hold an equally high place in social relations. His business operations have left a permanent impression of improved conditions in mercantile interests in the community. On Sept. 1, 1913, while out automobiling, he had an accident, receiving injuries which resulted in his death Oct. 17, 1913.
Mr. Gregory was beloved as well as respected. It has been said that he never had any enemies. High-minded, just and sensible, he displayed most excellent qualities in all his associations, was esteemed for his goodness and kindness, and admired for his notable accomplishments in business. With his wife he belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Shenandoah, and took a genuine interest in its work, serving as librarian of the Sunday school. Fraternally he belonged to the Odd Fellows, holding membership in the lodge at Shenandoah. He was one of the directors of the Merchants' National Bank of Shenandoah and took an active part in its development.
On Sept. 22, 1885, Mr. Gregory married Eliza R. Evans, and of the children born to this marriage four reached maturity ; Dollie E., who is actively engaged in managing her father's hardware business; Lillie M., who is attend- ing the Peirce Business College in Philadelphia ; Harold J., who is in the mili- tary school at Wenonah, N. J .; and Ruth M., in school at home.
Mr. Gregory's parents were natives of England and his father was a mine foreman in the local anthracite fields. He met his death, on the evening of Sept. 1, 1880, through the agency of an explosion of a quantity of an unknown explosive gas, while on duty at the Kehley Run colliery, Shenandoah, Pa. He had three brothers and one sister, all born in England, John, Richard, Mary and Elsia.
Mr. Gregory's mother, Hannah (Webb) Gregory, born in September, 1836, was the daughter of John Webb, who came to this country from Eng- land. He worked as a laborer and driver at the colliery, serving also as
John Gregory
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stable boss, and died at the age of eighty-two years. He married in England Elizabeth Miles, and they had five children, the eldest, Charles Webb, born in 1834; Hannah was born in 1836; William, born in 1839, was killed at Raven Run; George, born in 1841, died at Wadesville; Henry John was born in 1854. The only surviving member of this family is Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Gregory, mother of John Gregory. She has had six children: Lillie (de- ceased), William, George, Emma, John (deceased) and Alfred S.
Lot Franklin and Phoebe Evans, grandparents of Mrs. John Gregory, were both of Quaker stock. They had children as follows: Thomas, now a clerk in his son's store in St. Clair, Schuylkill county; Baldwin, who clerks in a store at Glen Carbon, and is a shipper at the Pine Forest colliery; Frank, now deceased, who was mine boss at Pine Forest; Elizabeth, who married John Bowen, superintendent of one of the mine districts of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company; Sarah, who married Austin Darrah (they are deceased ) ; and Lot Franklin. All had families.
Lot Franklin Evans, father of Mrs. Gregory, was born in Chester county, Pa., and was engaged as a stationary engineer at colliery No. 2, Lost Creek, near Shenandoah. He married Elizabeth Hammer, and they had a family of ten children, viz .: (1) Clara married Ambrose Titus, a mine engineer, of St. Clair, and they had children, Edward and Benjamin. The parents are deceased. (2) Albert, a carpet weaver, of Shenandoah, never married. (3) Phoebe, unmarried, lives at Shenandoah with her sister, Mrs. Gregory. (4) Isabella died unmarried. (5) Alonzo died at the age of fourteen years. (6) Lot F., employed as an engineer at the mines at St. Clair, married Sarah Pearson. They have no children. (7) Sarah is the wife of David Phillips, who is employed at outside work at the Scranton ( Pa.) mines, and they have eight children, Roy, Jennie, Claud, Harry, Albert, Elizabeth, Thelma and Dolly. (8) Eliza R. is the widow of John Gregory. (9) Dolly died at the age of twenty-three years. (10) Sanford, deceased, married Saphronia Roth, who resides at Shenandoah. They had children: Elizabeth, who mar- ried Will Davis, of Stamford, Conn .; Myrtle, unmarried ; Ethel, and Florence, the three last named living with their aunt Mrs. Gregory. All the members of this family attend the Methodist Episcopal Church at Shenandoah.
HENRY SACHS, of Nuremberg, Schuylkill county, is one of the best known residents of North Union township, his duties as postmaster and mer- chant bringing him into daily contact with most of his fellow citizens. He was born July 18, 1871, at Eckley, in Luzerne county, Pa., and is of German descent, his grandfather, John Sachs, having lived and died in Germany. He was a blacksmith at Eba, and is buried there. His wife came to America, and is buried at Nuremberg, Schuylkill Co., Pa. They were the parents of the following children: Daniel Martin; Elizabeth, widow of Henry Hill, liv- ing at Hazleton, Pa .; Adam, a retired miner and hotel-keeper of Freeland, Pa., who married Barbara Wiegand; Gertrude, wife of John Benner, watch- man at the Hazleton National Bank; and Jacob, a miner, of Hazleton, who married Mary Heimbach. The parents adhered to the German Reformed faith.
Daniel Martin Sachs, son of John, was born_Oct. 26, 1842, at Eba, Ger- many, and grew up in his native land, receiving ordinary educational advan- tages. When sixteen years old he made the journey to America alone, land- ing at New York and proceeding thence to Lofty, Schuylkill Co., Pa., whence Vol. II-13
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he walked to Eckley, Luzerne county. There he found work in the coal mines, first for Leisering & Co., later for Wentz & Co., and in time became foreman for the company. When he had been in this country about one year he sent to Germany for his mother, who joined him at Eckley. He removed from that place Aug. 15, 1881, to Deringer, Luzerne county, where he was mine foreman for Coxe Bros. & Co., and later was promoted to general mine foreman, holding that position until his death, which occurred at Deringer March 7, 1909. He and his wife, Anna Elizabeth (Wiegand), are buried at Nuremberg, Pa. He was a member of the German Reformed Church, a Republican in political sentiment, and at one time belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was elected to the office of school director, and was one of the highly respected members of the community in which he resided. To Mr. and Mrs. Daniel M. Sachs were born the following children: Eliz- abeth resides at Nuremberg, Pa .; William, of Hazleton, Pa., a surveyor, mar- ried Mary Spiece; Henry is next in the family; Anna Catherine is the wife of John Rabuck, draughtsman for the L. & N. Railroad Company, at Louisville, Ky .; Daniel Martin, of Oil City, Pa., vice president of the Northern Pipe Line Company, married Olive Lobach ; Anna Donatas is a public school teacher at Weston, Pa., and lives at Nuremberg.
Mrs. Anna Elizabeth (Wiegand) Sachs was born in 1848 in Germany, and came to America with her parents when two years old, the family set- tling at Stockton, Luzerne Co., Pa. Her father, Christopher Wiegand, was a blacksmith, and after following his trade for a time turned to hotelkeeping, conducting the "Wiegand Hotel" at Freeland, Pa., up to the time of his death. He and his wife are both buried at Freeland. He belonged to the Reformed Church at that place, and in politics was associated with the Republican party. His children were: Gertrude, widow of William Sipple, living in Philadelphia; Anna Elizabeth, Mrs. Sachs; and Barbara, who is married to Adamı Sachs, of Freeland.
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