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 56
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March 22, 1888; Oliver Jacob, born Feb. 12, 1879, died March 26, 1888; a daughter, born Feb. 10, 1881, died Feb. 27, 1881 ; Grant Delwin, born Feb. 17, 1884, died March 26, 1888; Harvey Francis, born Oct. 1, 1886, died Oct. 1, 1888.
GEORGE B. O'NEILL has but recently settled at Ashland, where he has continued the line of business which he formerly carried on at Reading, Pa., as a member of the firm of O'Neill & Faller. A little over a year ago he established his bakery at Nineteenth and Centre streets, Ashland, where he is engaged in the manufacture of Vienna steam pretzels.
Mr. O'Neill is a native of Schuylkill county, born June 14, 1881, at Shen- andoah, son of Dennis and Catherine (Huth) O'Neill. His father was born in Ireland, came to America when a young man, and settled at Shenandoah, where he became well known. At one time he was superintendent of stores there, and he was one of the first telegraph operators at that point. He also managed stores at Minersville and other places in this section. His death occurred in 1894 at Shenandoah. His wife, who was a native of Germany, died in 1909 at Reading, Pa. They are buried at Minersville, Schuylkill county. Of the fourteen children born to them we have record of the follow- ing: John, the eldest, a mechanic, lives at Llewellyn, Schuylkill Co., Pa .; Killian, of Shenandoah, is an engineer; Dennis, of Shenandoah, is an engineer at the mines; Mary is the wife of Thomas Reio, of Reading, Pa .; Sylvester is a resident of Reading; Frank lives at Camden, N. J .; George B. lives at Ash- land.
George B. O'Neill received a public school education at Shenandoalı, this county, graduating from the grammar school. The family moving to Read- ing, Pa., he found employment there in the pretzel bakery of J. S. Bachman, with whom he remained for ten years, learning the business in all its details. He then became engaged in the same line in partnership with Mr. Faller, with whom he was associated for sixteen months, until he came to Ashland and started the business to which now he gives all his attention. His bakery is a two-story building, equipped with all modern machinery for the production of pretzels. Mr. O'Neill is looked upon as an enterprising young business man, and personally also he deserves the esteem in which he is held. His familiarity with the business, combined with energy, are fair indications that he has a prosperous future.
In November, 1912, Mr. O'Neill was married to Bridget Toomey, of Shenandoah, this county, and they have one child, Katherine. Mr. O'Neill is a Catholic in religious connection and socially he holds membership in Sarto council, Knights of Columbus, at Ashland, and the Knights of St. George, at Reading, Pennsylvania.
THOMAS PATTEN, hotelkeeper at Jonestown, is a successful business man of Cass township, and belongs to a respected family which has been in this section of Schuylkill county for over eighty years.
The Pattens are of English extraction, and the family was founded here by Thomas Patten, grandfather of Thomas, who was born in England, and brought his family to America in the year 1834. . Mr. Patten became one of the leading citizens of the day in that locality. Settling at what became known as Patten's Valley, in the neighborhood of Forestville, Cass township, Schuylkill county, he cleared most of the land above Minersville, where Jones-
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town is now located, and for a time was extensively engaged in sawmilling, running two mills at Jonestown and another between Forestville and Llewel- lyn. He continued in the activities of the development of this section until his death. One of his sons, William Patten, ran the first engine over the Mine Hill railroad from Schuylkill Haven.
James Patten, son of Thomas, above, was born in England, and came to this country with the family in 1834. In the early days he hauled cars by horses from Schuylkill Haven to Minersville and Branchdale, but mining was for many years his principal occupation. Part of the time he was an engineer at the mines. He died at the age of seventy-eight years, and is buried at Minersville. To his marriage with Elizabeth Grooms was born a large family, namely : William, Margaret, Elizabeth, Robert, Alice and Mary, twins, Thomas, George (who was two years old when the family left Barry Town- ship), James, Annie and Sarah.
Thomas Patten, son of James and Elizabeth (Grooms) Patten, was born July 18, 1867, in Barry township, Schuylkill county, and was four years old when brought thence to Cass township, in 1871. He had ordinary common school advantages and began work at the mines when a boy, going through the usual routine of picking slate, tending door and driving mules, until he became a regular miner. He was successfully engaged at that calling until 1904, when he became interested in the hotel business, to which he has devoted all his time and attention. He has an up-to-date establishment at Jonestown, which has become very popular under his management, and he numbers many of the residents of Cass township among his friends. He has been associated with public affairs to the extent of serving as assessor.
Mr. Patten married Martha Jenkins, daughter of William Jenkins, of Cass township, and five children have been born to this union: Susanna, the eldest, born Nov. 23, 1888, who is deceased; James, born Dec. 9, 1890; William, born Nov. 5, 1892, who married Mamie Rebuck, of Ashland; Elizabeth, born March 23, 1902; and Thomas, born Oct. 23, 1908.
JAMES M. SEITZINGER, engineer on the Philadelphia & Reading rail- road, residing at Gordon, Pa., was born Nov. 24, 1846, in Pottsville, Schuyl- kill Co., Pa., and is a son of Israel Seitzinger and grandson of Jacob Seit- zinger. The ancestry of the family is German.
Jacob Seitzinger, the grandfather, was a member of an old family of Berks county, this state, and came to Pottsville during the days of its settle- ment. He was very active in politics there, and at the time of his death was a justice of the peace. He was a veteran of the War of 1812. He died in Pottsville and is buried there. Of his eight children, only two are living: Mrs. Elizabeth Bigler, of Anamosa, Iowa, and Mrs. Adelia Hipple, wife of C. D. Hipple, a former captain of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, now resid- ing in Kansas.
Israel Seitzinger, father of James M., was born at Pottsville, Aug. 27, 1820, and there gained his education. Coming to Fountain Springs in 1850, he conducted a hotel there, and was also in the same business at Gordon. He married Margaret Heebner, of Schuylkill Haven, and they had ten chil- dren : John, a member of Company L, 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry, who had his left foot shot off in a battle of the Civil war, and is now deceased; James M .; Elizabeth, Charles and Jacob, deceased; Isabella, wife of Charles Rice, of
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Gordon; Sarah, wife of Elias Thomas, of Mt. Carmel; William O., residing in Gordon; and Harry and Frank, deceased.
It is interesting to record that the war records of Israel and James M. Seitzinger, father and son, are closely interwoven, so that the record of one is part of the other. Israel Seitzinger organized the first company that went from Ashland, April 1, 1861, and was made its captain. This was Company E, 6th Pa. Vols., which saw but three months' service. Then in 1864 both father and son enlisted in Company G, 116th Pa. Vol. Inf., and both served till the close of the war, the father being mustered out in July, 1865, and the . son in May of the same year. Both took part in the battles of the Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Spottsylvania and Petersburg. The son was wounded at Reams' Station, near Petersburg, on Aug. 25, 1864, being injured twice in that battle. At the battle of Cold Harbor he saved the colors, and for this was presented a gold medal by Congress, thus making him a member of the Legion of Honor. He was also made sergeant of the company. He has the cap and other articles he wore during the war. At the close of the war father and son returned to Gordon, where the father died in 1894, at the age of seventy-four years.
Margaret Heebner, mother of James M. Seitzinger, was born near Schuyl- kill Haven, March 29, 1825, and died in October, 1909. She is buried in the Fountain Springs cemetery.
John Heebner, father of Mrs. Margaret Seitzinger, was a native of Chester county, Pa., and was a pioneer at Schuylkill Haven, a well known man of his time. He was a blacksmith by trade. He died in 1871, and his wife in 1870, both being well along in age. He had ten children, only one of whom is now living, residing in Iowa.
James M. Seitzinger was educated in the schools of Pottsville and Gordon, Pa. He entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company as brakeman, was successively promoted to conductor, fireman and engineer, and has now been in the employ of the company for fifty-two years (1915). He has been engineer for thirty-seven years and is still running on different branches out of Gordon. On Dec. 2, 1867, he was married to Hannah C. Evert, daughter of William Evert, of Ashland, and they had the following children : Stella, wife of A. D. Miller, of Philadelphia; Cora, widow of Harry Gasken, of Shamokin ; Madue, deceased; Milton, residing in Pottsville, a fire- man on the Pennsylvania railroad; Lucy, wife of Harry Dunkleberger, of Philadelphia ; Henrietta, wife of Charles J. Groff, of Pottsville. Mrs. Seit- zinger died July 2, 1898, and in 1903 Mr. Seitzinger married Mary E. Hop- kins, her sister.
Mr. Seitzinger is a member of Post No. 170, G. A. R., of Catawissa, Columbia Co., Pa., and has been commander of that post. He is also a mem- ber of Catawissa Lodge, No. 349, F. & A. M., in which he has passed all the chairs, and is connected with the Methodist Church.
Milton Seitzinger, son of James M., is a fireman on the Pennsylvania rail- road. During the Spanish-American war he served in Company C, 12th Pa. Vol. Inf., and was discharged after contracting typhoid fever. He is a member of Camp No. 72, Sons of Veterans.
DAVID G. HUGHES ranks among the skilled mine workers in the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company, having charge as inside foreman at the Suffolk colliery, in Mahanoy township, Schuylkill county. He has been employed at these workings continuously since 1889, and has worked
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his own way up to his present position from a humble beginning. Like many expert miners of the locality he is of Welsh origin, having been born in Wales March 2, 1853. His father, Joseph Hughes, was a contractor and builder in Wales, and died there when a young man.
Mr. Hughes was reared in his native land, and began to work in the mines when between eight and nine years old. Mining has always been his occupation, and his experience has been entirely in coal mines. Since he settled in this country he has been employed actively in the Pennsylvania coal fields. In 1886 Mr. Hughes came to America and to Pennsylvania, and for a couple of years worked at Glen Lyon, Luzerne and Nanticoke, all in Luzerne county. In 1888 he located at Girardville, Schuylkill county, where
he entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company, mining there one year, at the end of which time he came to the Suffolk colliery, in Mahanoy township. There he built two large fan holes, shafts, etc., for the mines, and when this work was completed was made fire boss, which position he held for eight years and four months. His next promotion was to assistant inside foreman, and after four years and four months in that capacity he was made inside foreman, in September, 1902, his long familiarity with the work- ings at the Suffolk colliery qualifying him thoroughly for such responsibility. There are about six hundred men under his charge, and in the arrangement and adjustment of their work he has shown himself well fitted for his duties, as well as by his own competence, which has been tested to his credit on many occasions. Personally he enjoys as high standing as in his business relations, because of his manly worth and reliable character. He is a member of Lodge No. 695, B. P. O. Elks, Mahanoy City, and of the K. G. E. Castle at that place.
Sarah Phillips, the companion of his life, was also born in Wales, and he brought her with him to the United States. They have had five children: David died in infancy ; Miriam is the wife of William Davidson, and they are living at St. Nicholas, Schuylkill county ; Matilda is the wife of Richard David- son, of St. Nicholas; Annie and Gladys are deceased.
GEORGE W. SCHAPPELL, of Palo Alto, is one of the oldest employees of the Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company. He has been an engi- neer for over thirty-five years. Mr. Schappell was born Sept. 6, 1847, at Spring Garden, Schuylkill county, son of Samuel Schappell, and the branch of the family to which he belongs was established in this country by his grand- father, Jacob, who moved here from Berks county, where his name is on record from the days of its settlement.
In Perry township, Berks county, which until 1853 was a part of Wind- sor township, Berks county, is a prominent family bearing the name of Schap- pelle, Choppelle, Schobbel or Schobel, but now more commonly found spelled Shappell, Schappel and Schappell. The original home of the founder was in France, but through religions persecution its members sought refuge in Germany, making their home at Wittenberg. Among the 108 passengers on the good ship "Patience," which landed at the port of Philadelphia Sept. 17, 1753, was a Jeremie Chappelle and one Jean Pierre Chappelle. The kinship of these two emigrants is unknown, but it is not doubted that they were rela- tives. What became of Jean Pierre after landing in the New World is not known. Jeremias Schappelle (as it appears on the tombstone) or Schobel and Eberhart Schoppel, brothers, were residents in Windsor township, Berks Co., Pa., in 1754 (see Rupp's History).
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According to the tombstone inscription at Zion's Church, in Perry (for- merly Windsor) township, Jeremias Schappelle was born in 1715, and he died Oct. 15, 1804. His wife Catharine, born in 1724, passed away June 8, 1801. The will of Jeremiah Shappel (sic) is on record in Berks county courthouse in Will Book A, page 505. It was made Feb. II, 1803, and probated Jan. 7, 1805. At the time the will was made he was a resident of Windsor township. The following children were mentioned in the will: Jacob (who was made executor of his father's estate), Matthias, Jeremiah, Magdalena and Cath- arine. In the cemetery at Zion's Church is a tombstone bearing the following inscription : "Elizabeth Schappelle, wife of Jeremias, formerly of Deutsch- land, born Feb. 16, 1771, died July 9, 1817, aged forty-six years, five months, twenty-three days." This probably refers to the wife of Jeremias or Jeremiah, son of Jeremias (I).
Jacob Schappell, son of Jeremias, was better known as "Jockey." a nick- name evidently taken from the German pronunciation of his name. He was born in Wittenberg, Germany, Feb. 2, 1744, and died Sept. 11, 1826. As stated above he was the executor of his father's will in 1805. His wife Susanna was born Feb. 2, 1751, and she died July 24, 1828. They were both buried at Zion's Church. Jeremias, Eberhart and Jockey were founders of the original Zion's Church. Tradition says Jacob and Susanna had a large family, some of their children, however, dying in infancy and childhood. Of these of whom there is record may be mentioned : Peter, born April 19, 1770; Col. Jeremiah, born March 20, 1774; Daniel, who was a taxable resident in Manheim town- ship, Schuylkill county, in 1790; and Hannah, married to George Hoffman, a farmer of Perry township.
There is a valley in Perry township known to the local residents as Schap- pell's Dale, because of the many Schappells living there.
Peter Schappell, son of Jacob and Susanna, was born April 19, 1770, and died Nov. 18, 1851. He was a farmer in Windsor township, and he and his family all belonged to Zion's Church, and are buried in the cemetery there. His first wife was Elizabeth (Lenhart) (1768-1790), and his second Annie (Kosch) (1778-1841). His children were: Jacob, who located in Schuylkill county : Benjamin, who died young; Daniel, who settled in Schuylkill county; Samuel, who settled in Windsor township; John, who settled in Richmond township, Berks county; Mary, married to William Miller; Kate, married to Martin Eisenhaur ; Elizabeth, married to Jacob Boyer ; a daughter married to Anthony Adam; and Solomon.
Jacob Shappell lived at Shartlesville, in. Berks county, until his removal to Schuylkill county, where he settled in North Manheim township with his family. Purchasing a tract of land, he followed farming successfully during the remainder of his days, dying here, and is buried in the old cemetery at Schuylkill Haven. His children were as follows: Jacob, who died in North- umberland county; Samuel; David, who died in Schuylkill county; Mary, who married John Womer; and Lydia, Mrs. Long.
Samuel Shappell, son of Jacob, was born in 1825 at Shartlesville, Berks county, accompanied his father to Schuylkill county, and passed the remainder of his life here. After working several years as a boatbuilder he bought the J. Womer farm, in North Manheim township, comprising twenty acres, and later increased his holdings by the purchase of part of his father's homestead, as well as part of the Pryor estate. He also acquired part of the Osewald farm and some land from Fred Hinckle, having a total of 108 acres. He
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carried on general farming and the timber business as well for many years, becoming a well known man in his day. He was a Democrat, and in religion a member of the Reformed Church, in which he was active, holding the posi- tion of deacon. Mr. Shappell married Sarah Oswald, who was born in 1823, daughter of Daniel Oswald, and lived to the age of eighty-two years, dying in 1906. His death occurred many years before, in 1884, when he was fifty- nine years old. Mr. and Mrs. Shappell are buried in the Union cemetery at Schuylkill Haven. They had a large family, namely: George W .; Henry, who is a resident of Philadelphia ; Sarah, deceased; Maria, Mrs. Frank Luck- enbill, living in North Manheim township; Samuel, who went West; Benja- min, of North Manheim township; Hattie, wife of Jonathan Achey, of Allen- town, Pa .; Mahlon and Galen, twins, the former deceased, the latter in the West; and Isaac, of Schuylkill Haven, who is in the employ of the Reading Company.
George W. Schappell attended public school and remained on the home farm until he reached the age of twenty-one years. He then went to learn the blacksmith's trade at Schuylkill Haven, and he followed it for three years, until he entered the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company in 1873. His first position was that of brakeman and he was afterwards fire- man, until promoted to engineer in 1878. For many years he was on the Frackville grade, and he is now engineer on the Pottsville shifter. Mr. Schap- pell is a man of reliable character and steady industrious habits, which have gained him the respect of his associates and the confidence of his superiors. He is a member of the Philadelphia & Reading Relief Association and of the P. O. S. of A., and his religious connection is with the English Lutheran Church. His home is at No. 302 Savery street, Palo Alto.
In 1874 Mr. Schappell married Clara Burton, daughter of George W. Bur- ton, a member of an old family of Philadelphia. Eleven children have been born to this union, namely: Mary L., now deceased; Samuel E., deceased; Ida M., the wife of William Nabholtz; George B .; Charles F. ; Elwood I .; Wil- liam H .; Bessie, wife of Fred Reinhart; Maude E., wife of George Runkle; Clara E., wife of William Dewalt, and Ralph F.
MILTON BARR, of Schuylkill Haven, a well known contracting plasterer was born Dec. 14, 1868, in that borough, son of David S. Barr, grandson of Jacob Baer and great-grandson of Melchior Baer.
The Baer (Barr) family of Pennsylvania has an interesting history. The name in different forms is common in both Europe and America, and the Colonial records show that over forty immigrants of the name came to America prior to 1750. Those of the family in eastern Pennsylvania have their origin in three distinct branches or families ; those of John, Melchior and Christopher, or Stoffel, as he was familiarly called. These three men of the name of Baer, with other immigrants, crossed the ocean in the ship "Phoenix." landing at Philadelphia Sept. 30, 1743. Their descendants are many and are scattered through the counties of Berks, Lehigh and Schuylkill. The German spelling of the name is Bär, and in various sections it is written Baer, Baehr, Bahr, Bair, Bare, Bear and Barr.
Melchior Baer, the great-great-grandfather of Milton Barr, settled in Le- high county, Pa., where he farmed and reared a large family, being married twice. He died in Upper Milford township, Lehigh county. Among his chil- dren was a son, Melchior.
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Melchior Baer (2) was a farmer, as his ancestors had been, and lived dur- ing his youth and early manhood in Lehigh, his native county. Afterwards he moved to Mercer county, Pa., where he died, at the home of his youngest daughter. His children were: Daniel, Jacob, George and Charles (twins), Susan, Henry, Mrs. Rice, Mrs. Jacob Dieffenderfer and Mrs. Moses Dieffen- derfer.
Jacob Baer, grandfather of Milton Barr, was born in Lehigh county, Pa., and was a stonemason, following that trade all of his active life. He died in Macungie, Lehigh county, in 1861, at the age of sixty-nine years. He mar- ried Maria Snyder, of Berks county, and they had twelve children: Wil- liam, Charles, Henry, Solomon, Jonas, David S., Sallie, Lydia, Susanna, Han- nah, Maria and Emma.
David S. Barr, father of Milton, was born in Macungie, Lehigh Co., Pa., June 7, 1838, and was reared upon a farm, attending the country schools there. In the year 1854 his father moved to Schuylkill Haven. Until then he spelled his name "Baer," but his brother and cousin here used the spelling "Barr," and he also adopted it. It has continued to be the form used up to the present by this branch of the family. David S. Barr learned the trade of plasterer, and for many years was engaged in that work in Schuylkill Haven. In 1894 he retired and turned his contracts and work over to his sons. He now leads a quiet existence with his son George at Schuylkill Haven. Mr. Barr served in the great conflict between the North and South, having early enlisted in Com- pany B, 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and remained in the army until the close of the war, participating in several engagements. He was mustered out in September, 1865, at Manchester, Va., at the close of the conflict. He is a member of Jere Helms Post, G. A. R., of Schuylkill Haven.
Mr. Barr was married to Elizabeth Groh, daughter of David and Anna Maria. (Degler) Groh, and she died Nov. 18, 1907, and is buried at Schuylkill Haven. Of the children born to this union three are living: Milton; Oscar, a railroad man of Schuylkill Haven; and George, who is a partner with his brother Milton in the plastering business at Schuylkill Haven. Mr. Barr is a member of the Evangelical Church.
Milton Barr attended public schools at Schuylkill Haven, and later learned the plastering business with his father. When his father retired in 1894 he and his brother George took over the business and have continued to take contracts in the borough since that time. The firm, known as Milton Barr & Bro., is noted throughout this section of the county for good work and thor- oughness of detail. Both of the brothers are skilled mechanics, and they employ from five to ten men throughout the year in their various contracts.
Milton Barr was married to Mrs. Cora Jane ( Potteiger) Deitrich, daughter of Henry and Emeline (Hicks) Potteiger, of Shartlesville, Berks county ; she was first married to Irvin Deitrich, who was a veterinary surgeon at Schuylkill Haven, where he died, leaving her with two children, Robert and Alice. No children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Barr.
Mr. Barr is a member of Page Lodge, No. 270, F. & A. M., of Schuylkill Haven, of which he was master in 1897. He is also a member of the Jr. O. U. A. M., the Red Men and the Heptasophs. He attends the English Lutheran Church. A Republican, he has served for several years as judge of elections in his district.
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GEORGE M. SCHWALM, of Porter township, is one of the leading figures among the wide-awake agriculturists in his section. The fine place he occupies and cultivates, adjoining Reiner City, is a model farm and residence property, improved according to the most modern standards, and its condition is typical of everything Mr. Schwalm handles. Progressive and aggressive, his example has been a helpful influence in promoting the advancement of farm- ing in Schuylkill county, where the family has been settled for several genera- tions. Mr. Schwalm has spent practically all his life in Porter township. He was born in Hubley township, this county, Sept. 20, 1865, son of Peter Schwalm and grandson of Frederick Schwalm. The great-grandparents, John and Tillie Schwalm, came from Germany and settled in Schuylkill county, Pa., among the pioneers in what is now known as Hubley township (then Mahan- tongo), in the Hegins valley. They were farmers by occupation.
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