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 74
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Mr. Patterson was married to Inez Geiger, daughter of George Geiger, well known in this district as lieutenant of the C. & I. police, which position he filled for thirty-five years ; he is a resident of New Boston. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson are the parents of one daughter, Marion, born Feb. 15, 1915.
MAT. SABALESKI, of Minersville, has lived in that borough from boy- hood, and for a number of years was engaged in mine work, but since 1912 has been in business on his own account. He is a native of Russia, born in 1887, son of William Sabaleski, who was also born in Russia and came to
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America. The father lived for a time in Luzerne county, Pa., but did not remain in this country, returning to his native land, where he died.
Mat. Sabaleski came to America when sixteen years old, and for six months afterwards lived at Cleveland, Ohio. He then came to Minersville, Pa., where he first worked by the day and later engaged in mining, which he followed for a period of about ten years. In 1912 he embarked in the wholesale liquor business, which he has since conducted, handling fine wines and all kinds of spirits, and he has built up a wide trade. His business location is at No. 136 North street. Mr. Sabaleski was naturalized Sept. 1, 1906.
Mr. Sabaleski married Frances Meliski, and they have two children, Leo and Albert. He is a member of the Lithuanian Church, and also belongs to St. Charles Uniform Body, and to the Citizens' Lodge.
GEORGE D. KREITZER, for the last eleven years inside foreman at the New Boston colliery of the Mill Creek Coal Company, is considered one of the most capable mine workers in the district, and has a high reputation for reliability wherever known. A native of Germany, he was born April 2, 1871, son of the late Florina Kreitzer. The father followed mining in Germany, until he brought his family to America, in 1882, landing at Philadelphia, Pa. They first located in Luzerne county, this State, and on May 4, 1886, Mr. Kreitzer came to New Boston, Schuylkill county, where he continued to do mine work until his death, in 1912. He is buried in the German Catholic ceme- tery at Mahanoy City. His wife, Mrs. Mary (Rad) Kreitzer, has resided at Frackville, this county, since 1894. Mr. Kreitzer made his home at New Boston from 1886 to 1894. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kreitzer: George D .; Pauline, wife of Harry Shadle, of Frackville; and Thomas and Ulrich, both living with their mother.
George D. Kreitzer had the advantages afforded by the public schools until he began work, in the year 1884. He started as a slate picker at the Tom Hicken breaker, and in the spring of 1886 came to New Boston, where he filled the various positions assigned to boys, tending door, driving mules, running cars, etc. From time to time he was advanced, until he became a regular miner, being so engaged for six and a half years. In 1900 he passed the examination for mine foreman, after which he was fire boss at the Buck Mountain colliery for some time. In August, 1904, he returned to New Boston to take the position of inside foreman at the colliery of the Mill Creek Coal Company, and he has been retained in that capacity continuously since. About one hundred and fifty men are employed regularly on the inside at these operations, and Mr. Kreitzer has proved his intelligence and good judgment in overseeing their work, performing all his duties to the entire satisfaction of his superiors. Personally he is respected by all who know him, and has the favorable regard of his associates in all the relations of life. He is a member of the Catholic Church and of the St. Joseph Society at Mahanoy City.
Mr. Kreitzer married Mary Rodgers, daughter of James and Lucy Rodgers, and four children have been born to them: James, Mary, Florence (who died when four years old), and Helen.
JOHN TOOLE, of Minersville, was born in Primrose, Cass township, Schuylkill county, Dec. 9, 1855. On Oct. 24, 1877, he married Sarah A.
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Donohoe, who died Oct. 16, 1910. To them were born six children, three of whom are living, Helen, Lillian and James.
Mr. Toole has been the local representative of the American Book Com- pany, of New York, for the last fifteen years.
JOHN MILTON STAUFFER, of Hazleton, Pa., prominent in business circles as a banker, manufacturer and coal operator, is a member of an old Pennsylvania family which has contributed many high-class citizens to the Commonwealth. He was born Feb. 13, 1863, in Ringtown, Schuylkill Co., Pa., son of Benneville Stauffer, and is descended from Hans Stauffer, who was a Mennonite and a native of Switzerland, born in 1655 at Altzheim or Weisenau. In 1710 he came to America with his sons Jacob, Daniel and Henry, and he is buried in the Mennonite cemetery at Valley Forge, Pennsyl- vania.
Jacob Stauffer, son of Hans, was born in Switzerland in 1696, came with his father to America, and is buried in the Mennonite cemetery at Bally, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.
Christian Stauffer, son of Jacob, was born Dec. 18, 1728, died July 14, 1797, and is buried at Bally, Pa. He was a Revolutionary soldier, serving throughout the war, was under the command of "Mad Anthony" Wayne, and took part in the battles of Three Rivers, Canada, Ticonderoga, Brandy- wine, Monmouth, Stony River, Green Spring and Yorktown.
John Stauffer, second child and only son of Christian, was born Dec. 24, 1758, in New Hanover township, Montgomery Co., Pa., and lived in his native county until 1809, when he settled in Ryan township, Berks (now Schuyl- kill) county. On May 10, 1839, he moved with his son David to the Catawissa valley. He died March 5, 1845, while on a visit to his son Jacob at Broad Mountain, Schuylkill county, and is buried in Locust Valley, near Mahanoy City, Schuylkill county. Mr. Stauffer was always a farmer. He was a Mennonite, like his father and earlier ancestors, but under the influence of Rev. Mr. Shaeffer, a Lutheran missionary who came into their district, all his children became Lutherans. Politically he was a Democrat. On Dec. 18, 1782, he married Elizabeth Yerger, who is buried with him at Locust Valley. His children were as follows: Jacob, Rebecca (Mrs. Peifer), John, Elizabeth (Mrs. Drase), Catherine (Mrs. Puhl), George, Isaac, Henry, Magdalene (Mrs. Bittler), Sarah (Mrs. Shell), David (married Maria Anne Andreas), Joseph and Amos.
David Stauffer, son of John, was born Feb. 21, 1804, near the Trappe, in Montgomery county, and was five years old when the family moved to Ryan township, in what is now Schuylkill county, settling on the Klingaman farm, five miles southeast of Mahanoy City. Later he moved to Pottsville, Pa., in which town he was a pioneer settler, and thence to Tuscarora, Schuylkill county. He was superintendent of construction on a portion of the Schuylkill Valley railroad, and also of the opening and operation of important coal work- ings, serving mostly as outside foreman. In May, 1839, he moved to Union township, Schuylkill county, where he bought five hundred acres of land, principally timbered, and he sold considerable of this tract to his brothers, retaining 160 acres for himself. He built a log cabin thereon and set about the work of clearing, making great improvement in the property. The log cabin was his dwelling for almost six years, until he completed a better resi- dence a short distance from it, moving into the new house in 1844. He con-
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tinued to make his home on that place until 1855, when he purchased a tract of sixty-five acres in what is now Ringtown borough, on which were located a store, dwelling and hotel. Having formerly been in the hotel business at Middleport he resumed it at his new location, carrying on the hotel there for three years and retiring in 1858. Mr. Stauffer enjoyed a long life, dying July 12, 1887. His father was a Mennonite, as the earlier ancestors had been, but as previously mentioned the children were converted to the Lutheran faith, and David Stauffer was duly received into the denomination by con- firmation. He was an earnest member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church at Ringtown.
On Jan. 26, 1829, Mr. Stauffer married Maria Anne Andreas, who was born Jan. 13, 1809, in East Penn township, Schuylkill Co., Pa., daughter of Daniel and Maria Gertrude (Guldnerin) Andreas, whose children were: Salome (Mrs. Henry Rumbel), Maria Anne, Catherine (Mrs. John Bankes), Peter and Rebecca (Mrs. John Rumbel). Daniel Andreas came from North- ampton county to Union township, Schuylkill county, where he worked at his trade until he died; he was a harnessmaker, and also followed shoemaking. Politically he was a Democrat, and in religion he adhered to the Reformed faith. Mrs. Maria Anne (Andreas) Stauffer survived her husband a few years, passing away Jan. 21, 1892, and hers was the first funeral held in the new Reformed Church at Ringtown. She is buried with her husband in St. Paul's Lutheran cemetery near that borough. They were the parents of the following children: Daniel M., born May 18, 1831, died Aug. 16, 1898; he was twice married, to Amanda De Frane and Amanda Maurer, respectively. Joseph, born May 18, 1833, married Retta Lindermuth, of Ringtown. Benne- ville, born April 8, 1836, married Mary Ann Brobst, and they are mentioned below. Angeline, born Nov. 29, 1838, is the widow of J. A. Seeley, and lives at Hazleton, Pa. Sarah A. G., born April 13, 1841, married Jacob Rumbel (deceased) and (second) Joseph A. Long, and lives in the Conyngham valley, Luzerne Co., Pa. David, born June 22, 1843, married Lucy A. Zimmerman, and they live at Ringtown, Pa. William, born June 10, 1845, married Martha Bean, and died March 3, 1876. Franklin, born Jan. 29, 1848, married Mary Ann Barrow, and they live at Hazleton, Pa. Elias K., born Feb. 15, 1850, married Missouri Ann Goho, and they live at Ringtown. Mary C., born April 27, 1854, is the wife of Theodore A. Breisch, and they live at Nuremberg, Schuylkill Co., Pennsylvania.
Benneville Stauffer was born April 8, 1836, at Tuscarora, and spent most of his youth in Union township, where he began his education in the local schools. Later he was a student at the Bloomsburg (Pa.) State Normal School and Dickinson Seminary, at Williamsport, Pa. Coming to Ringtown he taught there for a time, being the first teacher engaged there after the organi- zation of the public schools in that section. Then he taught one term at Mc- Keansburg, this county, returning thence to Ringtown, where he embarked in the mercantile business, conducting a general store for five years. For a num- ber of years he continued teaching in Union township, later served some time as clerk in the county commissioner's office at Pottsville, and then for four years was clerk of the Schuylkill county almshouse. In 1881 he moved to Beaver Meadows, Carbon Co., Pa., where for seven years he held the position of outside foreman with Coxe Bros. & Co., coal operators. From there he went to Hazleton, where he was storekeeper for the Lehigh Valley Railroad company for a period of six years. Because of ill health Mr. Stauffer retired
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from active labor about ten years before his death, which occurred Feb. I, 1910. He had filled the office of assessor and other minor public positions in Union township, was a Democrat in political connection, and fraternally be- longed to the Masons and the P. O. S. of A. (Washington Camp No. 219, of Beaver Meadows). His Masonic affiliations were with Hazle Lodge, No. 327, F. & A. M., of Hazleton; Hazleton Chapter, No. 277, R. A. M., and Mount Vernon Commandery, No. 73, K. T., of Hazleton. Mr. Stauffer joined St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church at Ringtown and took an active in- terest in its work, serving as superintendent of the Sunday school. Later he united with Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church at Hazleton, which he served for years as elder and deacon, and was also a member of the board of trustees.
On Dec. 25, 1861, Mr. Stauffer was married to Mary Ann Brobst, who was born in May, 1838, daughter of John and Catherine (Gilbert) Brobst, and granddaughter of Henry Gilbert, one of the pioneers of the Catawissa valley ; he died in 1883, at the age of ninety-five years. Her great-grandfather, An- drew Gilbert, lived at Girard Manor, now included in East Union township, Schuylkill county, and his was the first name drawn for jury service in Schuyl- kill county, the jury meeting at Orwigsburg in 1811. He always wore knicker- bockers. The Gilberts were English, and an old family of Schuylkill county. The Brobsts came from Berks county, Pa. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Benneville Stauffer: John Milton; Laura E., born Dec. 17, 1865, who lives in Hazleton, Pa .; Mary C., born Oct. 1, 1867, who was married Aug. 17, 1890, to Prof. Henry Krebs, who is superintendent of public schools in Plainfield, N. J .; William T., born July 26, 1876, an attorney at law, of Newport News, Va .; and Frances Jenette, born April 3, 1878, a teacher in New York City.
John Milton Stauffer received his education at Ringtown, attending the public schools there until seventeen years of age, when he commenced to teach. The first term he was at Slabtown, North Union township, the second term at Rumbel's school, in Union township, moved to Hazleton, and taught one term in Sugar Loaf township, Luzerne county. When school closed in the spring he resumed his studies at the Millersville State Normal School. Then he taught four terms in the Leviston school, in Banks township, Carbon Co., Pa., and later for three years at Beaver Meadows, that county. There he commenced lumbering, and in 1898, when that place became incorporated as a borough, he was honored as the choice of his fellow citizens for first chief burgess, holding the office creditably for three years. In 1904 he served as a member of the borough school board, and in 1905 was elected poor director of the Middle Coal Field poor district; after serving one term he retired, and was reelected after an interval of one term, being still a member of that board, having been reappointed for a term of five years from April 1, 1916. In 1898 Mr. Stauffer went into the coal business as an operator, having work- ings at Audenried, Llewellyn and Shamokin, and he continued in that line until recently, at the same time carrying on lumbering. At present he is the treasurer and general manager of the Harleigh Iron Works, of Hazleton, general machinists, dealers in scrap iron, etc .; a director of the First National Bank of Ringtown, which he helped to organize ; a director of the First Na- tional Bank of Hazleton; and vice president of the Weatherly Foundry & Machine Company, of Weatherly, Carbon county. He assisted in the organiza- tion of the First National Bank of Weatherly, of which he was a director and
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vice president for years; helped to organize the People's Savings & Trust Company of Hazleton; and in 1895 organized the Citizens' Water Company of Beaver Meadows, serving as secretary from that time until he left Beaver Meadows, in 1904. Since his removal to Hazleton he has served one term as school director. He gives his political support to the Republican party.
Mr. Stauffer has numerous social connections. In April, 1881, he became a member of Washington Camp No. 265, P. O. S. of A., of Ringtown, later changing his membership to Washington Camp No. 219, at Beaver Meadows. He is a past president, and served five terms as district president. At present he is affiliated with Washington Camp No. 91, at Hazleton. While at Beaver Meadows he was also affiilated with the Odd Fellows, and is a past grand of the lodge there; and he belonged to the Beaver Meadows Council, Jr. O. U. A. M. He still holds membership in Hazle Lodge, No. 327, F. & A. M., of Hazleton ; Hazleton Chapter, No. 277, R. A. M .; Mount Vernon Commandery, No. 73, K. T., of Hazleton; Caldwell Consistory, thirty-second degree, Valley of Bloomsburg ; Irem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Wilkes-Barre; and Hazle- ton Lodge, No. 200, B. P. O. Elks. He was a member of the Centennial Memorial Association of Valley Forge, and was treasurer and one of the di- rectors of that organization. In religion Mr. Stauffer is a Lutheran, and was originally a member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ringtown; he was superintendent of its Sunday school when but seventeen years of age. At present he unites with Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hazleton.
On Nov. 20, 1889, Mr. Stauffer was married to Carrie Madara, of Frack- ville, who was born Oct. 30, 1863, in New Castle, Schuylkill county, and children as follows have been born to them: Bird Leroy, born Aug. 31, 1890, is a graduate of the Hazleton high school and of the College of Business, of Wyoming, Luzerne Co., Pa., where he took the commercial course, and is now clerk to the superintendent of construction of the Lehigh Navigation Electric and Affiliated Companies. Raymond Madara, born Feb. 28, 1892, is a machin- ist at the Harleigh Iron Works, Hazleton, where he resides, and is a member of Washington Camp No. 91, P. O. S. of A .; he married Catherine Cooney, who was born March 22, 1892, daughter of Martin L. and Catherine (Crotty) Cooney, natives of Bellefonte, Pa. Guy Robert, born Aug. 3, 1893, is a gradu- ate of the Hazleton high school and of the Hazleton Business College, and is now located at Shamokin, Pa .; he married Anna Bontz. Caroline, born Sept. 20, 1895, is a graduate of the Hazleton high school, and is living at home. John Milton, born Jan. 3, 1899, and Grace Rowe, born Jan. 28, 1901, are attending school at Hazleton. The family home is at No. 424 West Broad street, Hazleton.
The Madara family, to which Mrs. Stauffer belongs, have been prominent in the history of Schuylkill county. Many of the name have been stonemasons, and it was a Madara who built the foundation for the Henry Clay monu- ment at Pottsville. John R. Madara, Mrs. Stauffer's father, was born in New Castle, Schuylkill county, where he was reared and educated, and for some time he followed the lumber business there. Later he was in the general mercantile business at Frackville, this county, and subsequently held the posi- tion of foreman at the Ellsworth colliery, in New Castle, after his retirement living at Frackville with his daughter Hannah, Mrs. W. P. Holt. He died in July, 1914, at the age of eighty-nine years. In his earlier years Mr. Madara was one of the leading citizens of that borough, where he held the office of chief burgess. He was school director of New Castle township a number
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of terms, and filled all the other township offices, being considered one of the most efficient public men in that vicinity by those whom he had served so well. In politics he was a Republican, in religion a Methodist. He and his wife, Hannah (Okum), are buried in the family plot at St. Clair, Schuylkill county. They had the following children: Mary, who is now the wife of W. H. Barrow, of Ringtown; Carrie, Mrs. Stauffer; Ella, wife of William J. Price, of Shamokin, Pa .; Hannah, Mrs. W. P. Holt, of Frackville; Maud, Mrs. W. H. Hoover, of Hazleton; Sadie, Mrs. W. H. Shaeffer, of Tamaqua; and Harry E., at present chief burgess of Frackville, who married Gussie Price.
Mrs. Stauffer received her education in the common schools of New Castle township. She was but eleven years old when her mother died, and she kept house for the family until her marriage. She belongs to the First Presbyterian Church of Hazleton.
CHARLES FREDERICK DITCHEY, of Shenandoah, present sheriff of Schuylkill county, has the distinction of being the youngest sheriff in the State of Pennsylvania. He went into the office with one of the largest majori- ties ever received by any candidates for office in the county, and his record so far shows no likelihood that his administration will in any way impair the remarkable popularity which he previously enjoyed among his fellow citizens. It is a general saying that "everybody is his friend," and it is also well under- stood that he deserves everybody's good will because of his close attention to his obligations and his conscientious attempt to perform the duties of his high office without fear or favor. He possesses a strong personality, not easily influenced, and well balanced judgment, characteristics which have been apparent in his official services much to his credit.
Mr. Ditchey is of German and Irish ancestry. His grandparents, John and Wilhelmina (Hermann) Ditchey, were natives of Germany, whence they came to this country several years after their marriage, in 1847, locating near Middleport, Schuylkill Co., Pa., at Whitfield Patch. John Ditchey became a mine worker, and was so engaged until killed in the mines, by a fall of coal, about 1857. We have the following record of his family: Minnie, born in Germany, married Francis Gallagher (she has no children) ; Kate, born in Germany, married Fred Johns and has seven children, William, Fred, Jacob, Peter, Frank, Harry and Charles ; Caroline married August Kirby, and both are deceased (they had two sons, Jacob and Charles) ; Jacob W. is the father of Charles F. Ditchey; Frederick married Dora Krese, and they had children, Frederick, Leo, Arthur, Raymond, Mabel, Lottie and Dorothea.
Jacob W. Ditchey was born in September, 1853, near Middleport, and was therefore about four years old when his father was killed. He grew to man- hood in Schuylkill county, receiving his education at Patterson, and followed mine work until 1885, being engaged on the construction of breakers. That year he was "closed in" in the mine and when rescued gave up the occupa- tion, never even returning to the mine for his tools. In time he became engaged in the wholesale and retail liquor business, in which he was successful, and he is still interested in that line, though not now directly connected with it. For some time he lived at Tamaqua, where he was a merchant for twenty-five years, and he now resides at Leibysville, in West Penn township, this county, where he is in business as proprietor of the "Leibysville Hotel," which is considered the most popular hotel in the county. He has valuable real estate holdings in
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Schuylkill county. Mr. Ditchey married Elizabeth O'Keefe, and a family of eight children has been born to this union, namely: Charles Frederick is the eldest; Franklin J., who is engaged in the wholesale liquor business at Tamaqua, married Nora Delay and has two children, Francis and Edith; Minnie is the wife of Albert Berrigan, who is assistant foreman of the Potts Powder Com- pany at Reynolds, this county, and they have two children, John and Alphonso; Sarah A., who studied medicine with Dr. Shifferstine, of Tamaqua, is the wife of Herbert Dreher, secretary and treasurer of the George W. Stiles Construc- tion Company of Chicago, Ill., and they have two children, Anna B. and Charles ; Elmer J. is assisting his father in business and lives at home; Jacob W., Jr., is with his brother-in-law, Mr. Dreher, in Chicago; Bernard J. and John K. are members of the firm of J. W. Ditchey's Sons, wholesale liquor dealers, of Tamaqua.
Charles F. Ditchey was born March 31, 1881, at Mahanoy City, and ob- tained his education at Tamaqua, attending the common and high schools. He received his early business training in his father's employ, and as his father was agent at Tamaqua for the Lauer Brewing Company, of Reading, Pa., he was thoroughly grounded in the principles of the trade to which all his active busi- ness years have been devoted. In 1890 he started driving a delivery wagon for the company at Tamaqua, in 1901 was appointed agent at that point, and so continued until 1903, when he was transferred to Shenandoah as repre- sentative of the Lauer Company, establishing their agency in that borough Feb. 4, 1904. He gave it up when he became sheriff.
Mr. Ditchey has been an active worker in the Democratic party ever since he attained his majority, and while living at Tamaqua was a member of the standing committee there. He was elected assessor of that borough, resigning upon his removal to Shenandoah, where he has since resided. On Nov. 6, 1913, he had the honor of being elected sheriff of Schuylkill county by the rousing majority of 3,600, a tribute which he has tried to merit since he assumed the duties of the office. While at Tamaqua Mr. Ditchey joined va- rious social bodies there, belonging to the Citizens' Fire Company, the Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks (of which he is past State vice president), and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.
On Nov. 9, 1904, Mr. Ditchey married Augusta M. Kline, Father Schuettle- heafer performing the ceremony. They have had two children: Elizabeth Theresa, born Aug. 12, 1905, and Augusta, born Feb. 11, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Ditchey are members of the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Ditchey gave the altar of the Blessed Virgin to that church.
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