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 73
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William C. Fleming was given the advantages of the public school in his boyhood, and began work as a door boy at the mines. In time he became a regular miner, but he did not continue long in this line of work. Meantime he had been continuing his studies, taking two of the Scranton Correspondence Schools courses, one a general course, and the other in penmanship, carrying this on along with his work for about eleven months. After a brief employ- ment as brakeman with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company he took an exami- nation, and as a result was one of the seven chosen to go to Shenandoah as track foreman for the company. This was in 1887, and he has held this position ever since, remaining at Shenandoah until May 21, 1895, after which he was located at St. Clair for nine months. He has since been at Potts- ville. Mr. Fleming has charge of Division No. 27, on the Philadelphia & Erie line, having five and a half miles of main track under his supervision and directing the work of fourteen men. He has had many interesting ex- periences during his career as a railroad man, but the most notable one was not in the line of his work. In 1908 he was a passenger on a train which was wrecked at Malone's Cut, and though badly injured about the head lost no time in signaling other trains of the danger. His coolness and bravery were acknowledged in the following letter :
Wilkes Barre, Pa., June 29, 1908.
Mr. W. C. Fleming, Foreman S. D. No. 27.
Dear Sir : The superintendent and assistant engineer desires me to convey to you their appreciation of the manner in which you conducted yourself immediately after the wreck to train No. 403 on Saturday, A. M., at Malone's Cut, on which train you were a passenger. They desire to thank you for the interest displayed by you in using such wise judgment to take a flag and protect any other trains from danger when you yourself were injured.
I wish to join my superior officers in commending you for using such excellent judg- ment at this time. Yours truly, W. F. COURT, Supervisor.
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Mr. Fleming still carries the marks of the injuries he received on this occasion.
In 1905 Mr. Fleming married Mary Gould, of Manor street, Columbia, Lancaster Co., Pa., daughter of Richard Gould, who still resides there. They have four children : William R., John J., Mary C. and Vincent P. The fam- ily home is at No. 449 East Mauch Chunk street, Pottsville. Mr. Fleming is a member of the Phoenix Fire Company, of that borough. Politically he is a Democrat.
JOHN H. MARTIN, foreman in the machine shops of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company at Gordon, Schuylkill Co., Pa., was born in that town in 1871, and is the son of Thomas and Catherine (Donahoe) Mar- tin, the former a native of Ireland and the latter a native of Wales.
Thomas Martin came to America in 1864 and settled in Gordon. There he entered the employ of the Reading Company as repairman, was promoted to brakeman, conductor, fireman and engineer, and finally retired by the company upon a pension. He and his wife Catherine (Donahoe) had ten children: John H., the eldest, is mentioned below; William is deceased ; Michael, Mary, Thomas, Edward and James are also deceased; Frank is a resident of Gordon; Elizabeth is the wife of Albert Reif, of Gordon; Charles resides in Philadelphia.
John H. Martin was educated in the schools of Gordon, and at the age of twelve started to work in the colliery there, where he remained until he was seventeen years old. He then entered the machine shops of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company as an apprentice. From 1897 to 1898 he worked as brakeman on the railroad, returning to the shops, of which he was made foreman in 1907, a position which he has ever since held. In July, 1891, Mr. Martin married Margaret Curran, daughter of James and Ann Curran, and of the children born to them Elizabeth and Grace, twins, are deceased; Mary was born Oct. 31, 1900; and Anna was born in 1910.
Mr. Martin is a member of the Roman Catholic Church ; of Sarto Council, Knights of Columbus; the Ancient Order of Hibernians; the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers; and the Citizens' Fire Company, No. 1, holding the office of chief fire marshal. He is also assistant deputy State marshal. In politics he is a Democrat. He served an enlistment in Company F, N. G. P., of Girardville.
JACOB A. HESS is a respected resident of Minersville, where he has been settled for almost thirty years. He is an official of the local G. A. R. post and well and favorably known to his fellow citizens in the borough. Mr. Hess's forefathers came to this region from Lancaster county, Pa., his grandfather making his home at Greenbrier, Northumberland county, where he followed farming. His children were: Solomon, John, David, Abraham, Gideon, Mrs. Ressler and Mrs. Sol. Laudenslader.
Abraham Hess, father of Jacob A. Hess, was a shoemaker by occupation and for a period of fifty-five years was in business in that line at Gratz, Dau- phin Co., Pa., being one of the best known citizens of that place. Having removed thence to Short Mountain farm, he lived there for about thirty years, after which he settled at Loyalton, Dauphin county, where he erected the well known "Loyalton House," which he conducted for a time. He died there when about seventy-five years old. By his marriage to Catherine Hoffman he
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had a family of six children, namely : Mary, Adeline, Emma, Amanda (de- ceased ), Jacob A. and Edward. Mrs. Hess's father, Jacob Hoffman, lived in the locality known as Specktown, where the family settled during the days when the Indians were still in that region.
Jacob A. Hess was born Jan. 29, 1840, at Gratz, Dauphin Co., Pa., and lived there until fifteen years old, meantime attending the public school. He was then engaged in farm work at Short Mountain, whence he removed to Williamstown, Dauphin county, living at that place for eleven years. In 1886 he came to Minersville, Schuylkill county, where for a period of thir- teen years he was employed at the Oak Hill colliery, until he took his present position at the "Washington Hotel," Minersville, where he has charge of the yard and stables.
During the Civil war Mr. Hess served eleven months in the Union army, being a member of Company H, 210th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, con- nected with the 5th Corps, 3d Brigade, 2d Division, Army of the Potomac. He is a popular member of Lawrence Post, No. 17, G. A. R., of Minersville, and well known among his comrades, at present serving as senior vice com- mander of his post. The Hess family are Methodists in religious connection.
Mr. Hess married Amanda Klinger, daughter of Elias Klinger, of Union- town (Pillow post office), Dauphin county, and the following children have been born to them: Cora is the wife of William Stutzman; Annie is the wife of Charles Stottler; Mary is unmarried; William, who lives at home, and assists his father, is also well known in this locality as a photographer, having done considerable work in that line at Minersville; John is a clerk in the Philadelphia postoffice; Mabel is the wife of George Hay.
JOHN W. PRICE has been employed at the Buck Mountain colliery ever since he started out to earn his own living, and the fact that he is now inside foreman at the Vulcan slope there indicates that he has been faithful to every trust and proved his efficiency in all the duties assigned him. His father. John J. Price, is also one of the reliable workers at the Buck Mountain col- liery. He was born in Wales, where he followed mining until he brought his family to America, in the year 1887. He first settled at Mahanoy City. Schuylkill Co., Pa., later moving to New Boston, this county, where he was employed at the mines, returning to Mahanoy City for a time, and eventually settling at Buck Mountain. He married Mary Ann Price, and of the chil- dren born to them three are living: Thomas, John W. and William.
John W. Price was born in Wales in 1884, and was a child when the family settled in Schuylkill county. He attended the public schools of Ma- hanoy township and Mahanoy City for a few years, and when a boy of ten began to work on the breaker at the Buck Mountain colliery, being steadily promoted as opportunity offered. He had experience in most of the different kinds of work about the mines until he became fire boss, holding that position until made assistant inside foreman. On June 16, 1912, he was promoted to his present position, being inside foreman at the Vulcan slope, where he has made a creditable record. About three hundred and twenty men are em- ployed on the inside at this colliery, and his duties are numerous, demanding close and constant attention. Though one of the younger mine foreman in this region he has a high reputation.
Mr. Price is well known among the local fraternal organizations, being a member and past master of Mahanoy City Lodge, No. 357, F. & A. M.,
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and of the Knights of the Golden Eagle, and also belongs to the I. O. O. F. He was married to Mamie Krauch, and they have three children, namely : Thelma, Margaret and John. The family are members of the Methodist Church.
PETER HOAK, late of Pottsville, was born in that borough July 6, 1873, and was of German descent. Peter Hoak, his father, was born in Bavaria, Germany, and came to America in 1850, landing at New York. After spending a few weeks in that city he proceeded to Schuylkill county, Pa., and located at Pottsville, where he worked by the day, obtaining his first employ- ment at Branch Dale, at the Otto colliery. Subsequently he was employed as supervisor at Yorkville borough for fourteen years, and was afterwards en- gaged in the Philadelphia & Reading shops for about nine years before his retirement. For several years he served as police officer of Yorkville borough. His death occurred Feb. 21, 1908. He married Theresa Scheafer, also a native of Germany, and seven children were born to this union, namely : Frank, who is living at Yorkville, Pa .; Katie, Mrs. E. F. Welker, of Potts- ville; Barbara, deceased; John, deceased; Peter, deceased; William, living with his mother in Pottsville; and Catherine, deceased.
Peter Hoak was reared in Pottsville and attended the local public schools. When fourteen years old he went to work as a slate picker at the Richardson colliery, Glen Carbon, where he remained one year. Then for one year he was employed upon a brickyard for Isaac Rich, and his next position was with the Lehigh Valley Railroad Company, by whom he was employed for fourteen months. He then went to work for D. G. Yuengling & Son, with whom he remained for a period of ten years, and in 1901 he engaged in the hotel business, taking charge of the "West End Hotel" at Pottsville. His experience there covered a period of seven years, at the end of which time he moved to the location at Seventh and Minersville streets, Pottsville, where he conducted a saloon business until his recent death. It is in the Fifth ward. Mr. Hoak was popular with a wide circle of acquaintances and commanded a profitable trade. He was a Republican on political questions and his relig- ious connection was with St. John's Catholic Church.
Mr. Hoak married Theresa Elison, daughter of Charles Elison, of Potts- ville, and of the ten children born to their union five survive: Clara, Florence, Dorothy, Vincent and Robert. Francis died when nine months old; Catherine died when nineteen days old; and three others died in infancy.
Joseph Elison, grandfather of Mrs. Peter Hoak, lived and died in Ger- many. He learned the trade of wheelwright, and afterwards followed farm- ing, which he continued until his death. To him and his wife, Magdalena (Obergeffel), were born five children: Alois, who died in Pottsville, Pa .; August, who died in Pottsville; Joseph, who died at Godhaven, Greenland; Charles ; and Catherine, who is living at the old homestead in Germany. Of this family Joseph, born Jan. 12, 1849, in Baden, Germany, died July 8, 1884, at Godhaven, Greenland. He was a sergeant in the United States army, attached in 1888 to Lieutenant Greeley's Arctic Expedition, and succumbed after the party was rescued by Schley's Relief Squadron.
Charles Elison, father of Mrs. Hoak, was born Nov. 22, 1844, in Ger- many, where he served three years in the regular army. Coming to America in 1868, he landed at New York City Feb. 29th, and continued his journey to Pottsville, Pa. He was a shoemaker, and after following his trade for over
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twenty-five years, doing custom work, turned his attention to teaming, which he carried on for several years. He also engaged to some extent in farnı work and in marketing, during this time residing at Yorkville, where he held the position of health officer for fourteen years, until that borough was made part of Pottsville. He married Catherine Sippel, who died Aug. 4, 1903, the mother of the following children: Frank and Charles reside at Pottsville; Theresa is the widow of Peter Hoak, of Pottsville; Mamie married Robert Ryan, and lives at Pottsville; Carrie is the wife of William Dimmerling; Bertha married James Lundy, of Tamaqua, Pa .; Frederick lives at Potts- ville; Florence is the wife of John Kuss, of Pottsville.
CHARLES F. SCHIEF, a respected resident of Schuylkill Haven, has made his home at that borough ever since he came to America, in the year 1880. Mr. Schief is a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, born in 1862 at Oberbergen. He was reared in the Fatherland, learned the trade of baker there with his father, and on coming to America settled at Schuylkill Haven, and continued to follow his trade. He is now in the employ of Charles L. Lutz, a baker of Pottsville. He is a member of the Improved Order of Red Men, and known as a man of estimable qualities, industrious, and thor- oughly deserving of the esteem in which he is held by everyone.
Mr. Schief married Sofie Millershane, a daughter of Frederick Miller- shane, and children as follows have been born to their union: Carl, a rail- road conductor, who is now living in South Dakota; and Frederick, William, Luther, George and Walter, all of Schuylkill Haven. The family are mem- bers of the Lutheran Church.
Frederick Millershane, father of Mrs. Schief, was a native of Germany and followed farming there. He served eight years in the German army, taking part in the Franco-Prussian war. He died in Germany at the advanced age of eighty-two years, and his wife lived to the age of eighty-nine. They were the parents of seven children, viz .: Mary, Joan, Sofie, Louisa, Fritz, Wilhelm, and Carl. As is the custom in Germany the three sons were trained in the German army, and now, with their sons, are engaged in the present war. Mrs. Schief is the only one of her family to come to America. She has made three return visits to the home in Germany where she was born. In 1907 she built the beautiful residence on Market street, Schuylkill Haven, the commodious eighteen-room dwelling which the family occupies. She owns other valuable real estate besides.
WILLIAM TIELMAN, of Butler township, has long been a highly respected citizen in his section of Schuylkill county, where he has been en- gaged in farming for over twenty years. By his industry he has placed him- self in comfortable circumstances, and has done his share towards advancing the agricultural standards of the neighborhood.
Mr. Tielman was born in Germany, in the Rhine province, Ang. 16, 1861, and his parents, Engelbert and Louisa (Weiand) Tielman, lived and died in that country. They had a family of eight children, of whom six still survive, viz .: Robert, Albert and Matilda, all in Germany; Leonard. who lives with his brother William; and Charles, a resident of Kulpmont, Penn- sylvania.
William Tielman was educated in his native land, living there until twen- ty-three years old, and on coming to America landed at New York. He soon
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located at Ashland, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where he worked in the mines four years. Then he went West, spending nine years in the State of Colorado, where he took up a homestead and carried on farming to some extent. Re- turning to Schuylkill county he bought his present place in Butler township, and has since devoted himself to its cultivation, giving some attention to dairy- ing along with his general farming interests.
In 1891 Mr. Tielman married Alvina Ruth, like himself a native of Ger- many, born in Westpreussen, daughter of John and Augustina (Mielke) Ruth, who came to America in an early day. Mr. Ruth is deceased, and his widow now makes her home with her daughter Mrs. Tielman. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Tielman, three sons and three daughters: Hilda, Walter, Martha, Freda. William and Elmer. The parents are members of the German Lutheran Church.
CHRIST J. ROONEY has recently been placed in charge of the opera- tions at No. 2 shaft of the Maple Hill colliery, at Shenandoah, as inside fore- man, a promotion which he has won by serious attention to every duty assigned to him. As fire boss at the mine for ten years he gained close familiarity with every detail of the extensive workings, which are among the largest in the local anthracite fields, and he has had long experience at the actual work of mining, so that he is well qualified to fill his present position satisfactorily. His father and grandfather also followed mine work in this part of Penn- sylvania. His grandfather, Christ Rooney, was born in County Dublin, Ire- land, came to America in young manhood, and was an early settler at Potts- ville, Schuylkill Co., Pa. At first he did railroad work, but later he built a home at Cumbola, this county, and removed to that place, working at the mines while residing there. Finally he moved to Scranton, Pa., where he died. He was the father of three children : Mary Ann, Ellen and Andrew.
Andrew Rooney, father of Christ J. Rooney, was born at Pottsville, and spent all his life in Pennsylvania. For a number of years he was employed at the mines, on shaft and slope work, and driving tunnels. In 1868 he removed to Centralia, Columbia county, where he engaged in the hotel husiness, con- tinuing same until his death, which occurred in 1910. He is buried at Cen- tralia, and his widow, Mrs. Ellen ( Sweeny) Rooney, still resides there. Chil- dren as follows were born to them: Christ J., Edward, Andrew, John, Kate, Mary, Ellen, Esther and Jennie.
Christ J. Rooney was born in Pottsville June 16, 1854, and received his education in Schuylkill county, being in his fifteenth year when he moved with the family to Centralia. He began work in the Bellman shaft, and was em- ployed at many different collieries, among them the Eagle Head and Silver Creek. Returning to Centralia for a short stay, he soon located at Girardville, Schuylkill county, where he was engaged in mining for a time. Again he went to Centralia, and continued mining, later acted as foreman for the Lehigh Company at Mount Carmel for two years, and then spent two years at Ashland, \V. Va. Once more he returned to Centralia, and subsequently spent two years at Trevorton, Northumberland county, where he sank a slope and did tunnel work. He was next in the employ of the Lehigh company as fire boss at Packer No. 3 colliery for a time, from there changing to the Morea colliery, in Schuylkill county, where he was engaged in robbing pillars for one year, until 1900. Then he came to the Maple Hill colliery, where he has since been stationed. During his first six months here he was engaged in driving gang-
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ways, and then for ten years he acted as fire boss, from which position he was advanced to assistant inside foreman. He continued in that capacity for four years, on March 1, 1915, becoming inside foreman, having full charge of No. 2 shaft. Mr. Rooney is a member of the Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, and the Foresters of America, and his personal reputation is above reproach.
Mr. Rooney married Annie Purcell, of Centralia, Pa., and they are the parents of a large family : Andrew J., a graduate of the Medico-Chirurgical College, Philadelphia, now practicing medicine at Mahanoy City; Edward ; Christ, also a graduate of the Medico-Chirurgical College of Philadelphia, now in practice at Shenandoah, this county; Ellen; Jettie; Annie ; Thomas ; John; Mary ; Agnes; Flora, and Josephine.
JOHN SHIREY is a trusted foreman at the Maple Hill colliery in Ma- hanoy township, one of the most important workings in the Schuylkill district, where some one thousand, six hundred men and boys of the region find regu- lar employment. The nature of his duties has brought him into personal touch with most of them, and in his long connection with operations at the collieries he has acquired a wide acquaintance among mine workers especially, though his friends are by no means limited to his fellow employees.
Mr. Shirey belongs to a pioneer family of Schuylkill county, his great- grandfather having settled here at an early day. His children were: George, Daniel, Samuel, Mary and Margaret. Samuel Shirey, the grandfather, was born near Cumbola, Schuylkill county, and died at Bear Ridge, this county. He is buried at Port Carbon. He was engaged in the timber business. His family, Henry, Joseph, Edward and Angeline, are all deceased.
Henry Shirey, son of Samuel, was born at Cumbola, and in his early life began railroading, following that line for many years. When about thirty- eight years old he located at Shenandoah, this county, and thereafter did out- side work at the mines, being employed at the Maple Hill colliery at the time of his death. His widow, Mrs. Barbara (Roop) Shirey, now (1915) over seventy years of age, is living at St. Nicholas, Schuylkill county. They had the following children: John, Adam, Reuben, Wilfred (who is in the West), George, Sevilla (of Philadelphia), Mary (of Maple Hill) and Elizabeth (who died young).
John Shirey was born Jan. 1, 1863, at Cumbola, Schuylkill county, and had ordinary public school advantages in early boyhood. When nine years old he had his start at mining in the usual way, picking slate at the breaker in > the employ of Lewis Sutter, at Wadesville, this county. He was also at the East Mine shaft, doing outside work, and later came to Shenandoah, where he was chief runner and gig boss at the Indian Ridge colliery. His next work was at the Knickerbocker colliery, whence he came to the Maple Hill colliery to take the position of assistant outside foreman. He held it continuously for fourteen years following, until transferred to the Hammond colliery as outside foreman, being there three years, and similarly engaged at the Knickerbocker colliery for three years. In 1910 he returned to the Maple Hill colliery, where he had been assigned to his present duties as outside foreman. These ex- tensive workings, with the large force required, demand expert supervision, and the utmost proficiency on the part of the foremen who oversee operations, and the very fact that a man is chosen for such responsibilities shows that he has proved his worth and has an established reputation for reliability.
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Mr. Shirey is a valued citizen of Shenandoah, and an esteemed associate of his fellow members in Mahanoy City Lodge, No. 695, B. P. O. Elks; Wash- ington Camp No. 112, P. O. S. of A., of Shenandoah; and Lodge No. 515, I. O. O. F., of Shenandoah. He is also a member of the German Reformed Church at Shenandoah.
Mr. Shirey was united in marriage with Elizabeth Callihan, daughter of John Callihan, of Frackville, Pa. They have no children.
FRANK B. PATTERSON, of New Boston, Schuylkill county, though a young man has worked his way up from minor positions to that of outside foreman with the Mill Creek Coal Company, in whose employ he has been since boyhood. That he enjoys the confidence of his fellow men generally is shown in the fact that he has been the head of the Mahanoy township school board for six years, an unusual honor but one well deserved.
Mr. Patterson was born in Luzerne county, Pa., May 28, 1882. His father, the late Joseph S. Patterson, was a native of Lansford, Carbon Co., Pa., died in 1911, and is buried in the Charles Baber cemetery at Pottsville, Schuyl- kill county. For many years he was engaged as store manager, by various coal companies. He married Miriam Bynon, of Summit Hill, Pa., who now lives at Hazleton, this State, and they had two children, Harry B. and Frank B. The former is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, at Phila- delphia, and is now a practicing physician, located in Pittsburgh.
Frank B. Patterson obtained his education in the public schools at Potts- ville and Mahanoy township, Schuylkill county. When a boy he went to work with the engineer corps of the Mill Creek Coal Company, being so employed about three years, after which he held various positions about the colliery at New Boston, receiving promotion gradually but steadily until he reached the grade of foreman. He assisted in pumping out the water at the Boston mine, which took eighteen months, and has since had charge of the work outside, with about three hundred men under his direction. He is well and favorably known in this section, for his high character as well as for his competence in mine work. Mr. Patterson has been a public-spirited citizen, having interested himself in the general welfare from early manhood, and he has not hesitated to give his time in the service of the community. His intelli- gence and honorable intentions are so well recognized that he was made presi- dent of the township school board when first elected to that office, six years ago, and has held the position continuously since, a comment on his fidelity to its duties which need not be amplified. He is a member of the English Lutheran Church, and socially a Mason and an Elk, belonging to Mahanoy City Lodge, No. 357, F. & A. M .; Mizpah Chapter, No. 252, R. A. M .; Ivanhoe Commandery, No. 31, K. T., of Mahanoy City; and Mahanoy City Lodge, No. 696, B. P. O. Elks.
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