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 79
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Captain Norton was discharged from the volunteer service at Harrisburg, and immediately entered the regular army as property and disbursing officer of the signal bureau at Washington, D. C., until May, 1867. Thereafter until 1870 he was acting signal officer and property and disbursing officer in the office of the chief signal officer of the United States regular army. He was brevetted major in the United States Volunteers for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Gettysburg, where he was chief signal officer, and for faithful and meritorious services during the Civil war; brevetted lieutenant colonel, United States Volunteers, for faithful and meritorious services in the campaigns against Richmond, Va .; promoted to second lieutenant, 30th United States Infantry, 1866; first lieutenant, 30th United States Infantry, September, 1868; brevet first lieutenant, United States Army, for gallant and meritorious services at the battle of Gettysburg; brevet captain, United States Army, for gallant and meritorious services during the war; brevet major, United States Army, for meritorious services in the signal corps during the war, especially
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while chief signal officer of the Army of the Potomac, Department of Vir- ginia and North Carolina, and Department of the Susquehanna.
Because of illness Mr. Norton was granted leave of absence, during which he acted as inspector of the United States weather stations along the Atlantic coast from Maryland to Maine. He returned to Philadelphia, where he died Dec. 23, 1871, at the early age of thirty-two. He was a member of the Holy Family Roman Catholic Church of Philadelphia ( now the Church of the Gesu ), and is buried in the Old Cathedral cemetery in that city. By his marriage to Mary R. Doherty he had two children : Lemuel B. and Mary R., the latter deceased.
Mrs. Mary R. (Doherty ) Norton was born in February, 1841, in Philadel- phia, where she was reared and educated, and died in 1896. Her father, Wil- liam Doherty, was a native of Strabane, County Tyrone, Ireland, born in 1807, and was about sixteen years old when he came to Philadelphia, where he spent the remainder of his life. His wife, Catherine ( Fliegel), daughter of William and Catherine Fliegel, was of Prussian ancestry. She died in 1898, when over eighty years old, and is buried with Mr. Doherty at Philadelphia.
Lemuel B. Norton was brought up in Philadelphia. He accompanied his father on the latter's inspection tour of United States weather stations. His early education was obtained in the parochial schools, and later he took a course at LaSalle College, a celebrated Catholic institution of Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in 1883 with the degree of B. A. He received his master's degree a few years later. He took his theological course at the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, Philadelphia, graduating in 1800, in which year he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Ryan, in Philadelphia. He studied one year at the Catholic University of America, Washington, D. C., joining the second-year class, and received the degree of S. T. B. there in 1891. For five years Father Norton was connected with St. Agatha's Church, was a curate under Rev. Daniel O'Connor (uncle of Daniel Ferguson), in West Philadelphia, where he had been appointed assist- ant pastor in 1891, and in July, 1896, he was sent to St. Mary's parish, Coal- dale, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where he was pastor for eleven years. During that time there was a notable growth in the membership, which showed an increase of two hundred, being seventeen hundred when he turned the charge over to his successor. The fine parish house he erected the year of his arrival, at a cost of three thousand dollars, and he administered the temporal affairs of the church so wisely that the church property was cleared of indebtedness while he was pastor. For a year after leaving St. Mary's he was at St. Joseph's Church, Summit Hill, Carbon county, in December, 1908, coming to Shenan- doah to assume his duties at the Church of the Annunciation. His work here has been particularly successful, many new names having been added to the membership through his influence, and the affairs of the parish have received a wholesome impetus which has stimulated all the church enterprises. The new church and priest's residence have been erected since he came, and his capable management has been specially valuable in the development of his present charge, which has responded to his efforts in a gratifying degree.
Father Norton has had the esteem and good wishes of the entire commu- nity wherever his work has called him, his efforts being appreciated outside of his parish as well as among his own people. The hearty participation of his parishioners, new and old, when he celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his ordination in May, 1915, showed how well beloved and popular he is.
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He is a member of Shenandoah Council, Knights of Columbus. Father Nor- ton is particularly well versed in history and the languages, being able to write ten, a qualification which has been of great assistance to him in this region, where the population consist of diversified elements. He edited the history of Bishop Conwell, published in the "American Catholic Historical Review," and has written and published several volumes of sermons. The following historical notes from his pen are particularly interesting to resi- dents of this section.
"The early events in the history of Catholicity in this region are involved in much obscurity. Indeed, the same may be said of the whole State. For although the honor of first successfully establishing religious liberty in the thir- teen original Colonies belongs to William Penn, his subordinates, the rulers in England, and the settlers of various creeds who flocked into Pennsylvania, were not greatly inclined to respect his legal enactments. On more than one occasion officials and counselors of Pennsylvania made complaints that not only lay Catholics, but priests, were allowed to reside and practice their re- ligious duties in this Colony. Hence, priests especially were obliged to hide their religious character, and it is not known for certain whether even the per- sons named in these official remonstrances were really priests or not. It is more than likely traveling missionaries from the French settlements, from among the Indian tribes, and from the Jesuit provinces of Maryland invaded Pennsylvania, from time to time, and no doubt took advantage of the oppor- tunity to minister the rites of religion to such Catholics as they heard of, and could reach. But the first permanent settlement of a priest in Pennsylvania is that of Father Greaton, S. J., the reverend founder of old St. Joseph's Church, Philadelphia. Somewhere between 1730 and 1740 Father Greaton made a missionary journey through eastern Pennsylvania. The Jesuit fathers contemplated the erection of a new province in Pennsylvania, and it seems very probable that Father Greaton's journey was made with the purpose of finding out how many Catholics there were who would be benefited by the proposed arrangement. At any rate such a province was established in 1740, under the title and invocation of St. Francis Borgia, and in 1741 Fathers Theodore Schneider and William Wapeler, S. J., were sent hither to attend to the spiritual welfare of the Catholics of the eastern part of the State. These gentlemen founded congregations at Goshenhoppen, Lancaster and Conewago, and in 1747, in an official report to Lord Loudon, Father Schneider, who fixed his residence at Goshenhoppen (now Bally), stated that he had under his care ninety-one men and forty-five women (children not being enumerated) German Catholics in the counties of Berks, Bucks, Chester and Northampton. Berks and Northampton counties included at that time all the territory now known as Schuylkill county except the Union townships. Mr. Martin Griffin, the indefatigable delver into American Catholic History, states that there were at the time forty-one Irish in the counties named. But who shall say whether Father Schneider or any of his predecessors or co-laborers found any Irish Catholics in this locality, or, if so, whether their descendants had preserved the faith during the seventy-five years that had elapsed before there were other priests than the good fathers at Goshenhoppen to instruct and strengthen them by the grace of the sacraments, or bishops to confirm them in the faith? If so, their stories would be sermons well worthy of the attention of some of the indolent Catholics of to-day, who are in continuous need of a good shep- herd to look them up and pull them out of the briars, and who find a few
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squares too lengthy for a walk to church. At the time of the Revolution there were many persons having Irish names scattered through this part of the State, and many such enlisted in the army of Freedom. Not a few of these recruits were undoubtedly Catholics, but it is not well to rely too much upon the evidence of their names, since most of the early settlers in Pennsylvania from Ireland were what are inaccurately called Scotch-Irish-were the most bitter haters of Catholicity in these Colonies. Doubtless, between that time and the founding of the first regular congregation in this region, there were many priests who made occasional visits to the Irish Catholics residing therein. One case at least is well authenticated. Rev. Patrick Lonergan, an Irish Fran- ciscan, made his headquarters in Northumberland county from May 5th to Nov. 22, 1796. Though not improbable, it is still not of record, that he visited this neighborhood. The more authentic history of this region begins with the advent of Rev. John Fitzpatrick, who was the first resident pastor in the neighborhood. He was stationed at Milton, Northumberland county, as early as 1812, and is mentioned in a letter of Bishop Neuman as having been the first resident pastor in that place. He seems to have retired from Milton in a few years, and to have returned to Philadelphia diocese from Petersburg, Va., in 1823, for Bishop Conwell, of Philadelphia, writing to Archbishop Marechal, of Baltimore, on July 26, 1823, says: 'Fitzpatrick from Peters- burg came here yesterday.' For a year or so thereafter he was an assistant pastor of St. Joseph's Church, Philadelphia. About 1826 he returned to Mil- ton, and for many years attended to the spiritual need of the Catholics residing in a triangle extending from Milton to Pottsville and Easton. In December, 1829, his residence in Milton was burned to the ground, and by the following February he had removed to Pottsville. Again he returned to Milton in 1834, and remained there until 1837. Where he went after that is not known.
"Father John Curtin attended part of this region in 1832 and 1833. Father Arthur Wainwright, as pastor of Pottsville and Tamaqua, probably attended part of this territory after 1833. So also did Rev. J. Maloney, his successor in Tamaqua and Beaver Meadow up to 1848, when he was suc- ceeded in Tamaqua by Rev. P. J. Hennegan. The various priests named ministered, no doubt, to such Catholics as were resident in this neighborhood up to that period, but as there were no residents on the site of Shenandoah before 1837, and as far as known few, if any, Catholics previous to 1860, these notes refer rather to the Catholic history of this neighborhood in gen- eral than to Shenandoah. In a latter number of the Record we propose to follow up the history of this town and parish."
CHURCH OF THE ANNUNCIATION, Shenandoah .- The activity of the min- ing industry in the early history of Shenandoah attracted people of all nation- alities and beliefs then in Schuylkill county, and among them a goodly number of Irish birth or parentage from St. Clair to Minersville, many of whose descendants are prominent in the town at the present time. As there was no church of their faith here it was no uncommon thing for them to walk or drive to the towns below the mountain to attend to their religious duties, and this continued for several years. However, it soon became burdensome, and as the number grew Rev. Father MacEvoy, of Mahanoy, was placed in charge and organized the parish as a mission or adjunct to the Mahanoy City parish. In 1868 it was organized as a separate parish, and the small building now (1915) standing on the northeast corner of Cherry and Chestnut streets was erected on Mayberry street. In 1870 it was separated from Mahanoy City,
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and Rev. Henry F. O'Reilly was appointed pastor. In 1871 the membership of the parish had increased so much that the little church was too small for its accommodation, and Father O'Reilly had it removed to its present loca- tion and began the erection of the church which was torn down in June, 1914, to be replaced by the larger and more commodious structure now erected on the site. At the same time he built the pastoral residence in which he lived the remainder of his days. The cornerstone of the church was laid in 1872 by Father O'Reilly himself, as Bishop Wood was unable to be present owing to illness. For thirty-eight years Father O'Reilly labored in Shenandoah, until he passed to his reward on Nov. 23, 1908. He was succeeded as rector in December following by the present rector, Rev. Lemuel B. Norton.
Father Norton found a large task awaiting him. The church and residence built in 1872 had both been seriously damaged by mining operations in that part of the town, so much so that it was deemed wise to raze both and erect buildings in their places which would be more commodious for worship and comfortable to live in. He began with the parochial residence in 1909. erecting a dwelling large enough to provide comfortable quarters for the increased clerical force now necessary to serve the spiritual needs of the large parish, and an ornament to that section of the town.
The erection of the new church, begun in June, 1914, proved to be a stupendous undertaking. The cornerstone was laid on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26th, by Right Rev. John J. McCort, Bishop of Azotus and auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia, who also dedicated the completed edifice, on Sunday, Oct. 10, 1915. The work was pushed forward as rapidly as possible, and the basement was ready for services by Christmas. While the new building was in course of erection church services were held in the old building which the congregation had used forty-six years ago, and also for a time in the old St. Michael's United Greek Church, on West Centre street.
Father Norton has been ably assisted in the parish work and building operations by Revs. R. F. L. Hanagan, Richard J. Branton, Joseph M. O'Hara, M. A. Crane, Joseph A. Hayes, all now of Philadelphia, and his present capable assistants, Revs. George P. Boyle and James V. McEnery. Father Boyle was master of ceremonies at the dedication ceremonies, which were attended by a large number of visiting priests, including some of those who had formerly officiated here. One of the largest crowds ever assembled in the town on the occasion of religious services witnessed the exercises. At ten o'clock Bishop McCort and his assistants formed a procession of priests and acolytes and proceeded with the ceremony of blessing the outside walls of the church. After passing around the edifice the procession entered the church, when the inside was blessed. At the completion of this ceremony the doors were thrown open and the worshipers admitted. Many exclama- tions of surprise were heard as the people passed through the vestibule and beheld for the first time the beautiful interior. There were many in the con- gregation who had learned to love the old church, which was associated with their most sacred memories, but they rejoiced with the younger genera- tion at the beauty and elegance of the new building, and that they were among the first to worship in it.
The building has been specially designed, because of the uncertainty of the surface due to mine operations, having a reinforced concrete founda- tion, with frame construction for the superstructure. The front on Cherry street has a tower on each side. The main auditorium, 72 feet wide and
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114 feet long in its greatest dimensions, has a seating capacity of nine hun- dred. The ceilings of the main aisle are 40 feet above the floor, of the side aisles 27 feet. Besides the three entrance doors in front, there are large exits on either side of the main auditorium. Special attention has been paid to the lighting, there being four large stained glass windows in each of the side aisles, three large windows at each end of the transept, and the ellip- tical ceiling over the transept and center aisle has twelve windows. Two large windows are provided in the sanctuary and three in the gallery. There are two systems of electric lighting for night, a direct for ordinary use and an indirect, with gas lighting outlets for emergency. The plumbing is of the most approved modern variety; the building is steam heated, and a complete vacuum cleaning system has been installed. The building cost sixty thousand dollars, exclusive of furnishings and art glass, and is a distinct addition to the material attractions of the borough as well as a credit to the congregation whose liberality and enterprise made its construction possible.
PETER F. HAVERTY, deceased, spent most of his mature years in Schuylkill county, during the latter part of his life residing at Shenandoah, where he had a high reputation as a reliable mechanic. In his personal rela- tions, also, he was much respected by all his associates for his genuine worth. Mr. Haverty was a native of County Mayo, Ireland, born in January, 1848. His father was a farmer in that country.
Coming to America when very young, the boy lived for several years in New York City, where he learned the trade of plastering and cement finish- ing with his uncle, James Haverty (a brother of his father). Later he came to Mahanoy City, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where he followed his trade for a number of years, thence removing to Shenandoah. There he successfully carried on his trade until his death, which occurred Aug. 8, 1888. He is buried in the cemetery of the Annunciation Church. Mr. Haverty was a self-made man, succeeding by close application to his work, of which there are still many pieces in the town to testify to the fine workmanship for which he became noted. One is the "Hotel Ferguson," which he plastered many years ago. He also plastered the old Church of the Annunciation and the pastor's house connected with it. He acquired a wide reputation as a clever workman, of versatile and inventive faculties as well as mechanical skill, doing fine plaster of paris and cement work. He showed the possession of artistic sense in many pieces he finished. In this connection it may be mentioned that he made a successful plaster cast of his own head. He was the inventor of a patent cement mixture, and made tombstones that would neither crack nor break. Mr. Haverty was a member of the Church of the Annunciation and of St. Patrick's Society, and in politics supported the Democratic party.
Mr. Haverty married Mary Ann O'Leary, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Father Schmidt, in Bloomsburg, Pa. Children as follows were born to this marriage: David P. died when sixteen months old; John F., deceased, who was a plasterer, married Catherine Dwyer, and they had two children, Peter and Mary (this family resides in Shenandoah) ; Peter J., who died in 1898, when twenty-three years old, was at the time of his death an art student at the Drexel Institute, Philadelphia (he had great artistic talent, and had painted successfully on glass, porcelain and cloth fabrics) ; James M., who was a plumber in Shenandoah, died in 1910, when twenty-eight years old; Vol. II-35
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Thomas A., the only survivor of the family, born Dec. 30, 1883, is a graduate of the State normal school at Stroudsburg, Pa., class of 1908, and is now engaged in looking after his mother's interests (he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, B. P. O. Elks and Phoenix Fire Company, all of Shenandoah, and of the Church of the Annunciation) ; Mary Anne and Catherine died of diphtheria, the former when six, the latter when four years old; Margaret Veronica died when eight months old; Margaret (2) died aged one year, ten months. All of this family were baptized by Rev. Father H. F. O'Reilly.
Mrs. Haverty married for her second husband MICHAEL PURCELL, Rev. Father Kane performing the ceremony in Shenandoah. No children were born to this marriage. Mr. Purcell was born in New Philadelphia, Schuylkill county, and settled at Shenandoah, where he was engaged in the insurance business, being superintendent of the Prudential Insurance Company. Later he moved to Philipsburg, Pa., where he served the same company as super- intendent. Returning to Shenandoah, he became a merchant, selling goods for a while on the installment plan. He died in 1900, aged about fifty years, and is buried in the Annunciation cemetery. Politically he was a Democrat. By his first marriage, to Annie Hughes, of Minersville, Mr. Purcell had three children, Catherine (married to Garrett Burns), Mary and Thomas, all of whom are living in Shenandoah.
Mrs. Mary Ann Purcell was born in London, England, Jan. 11, 1853, and was educated in that city, at St. Joseph's convent, Chelsea, coming to Amer- ica when fifteen years old. The voyage was made in a sailing vessel, and she landed in New York after six weeks at sea.
John O'Leary, Mrs. Purcell's grandfather, was a farmer in County Lim- erick, Ireland, where he and his wife died. Their children were: Kate, Mrs. Cooney, who died in Ireland; Thomas; John, a miner, who was killed at Brownsville, Schuylkill county ; and David.
David O'Leary, son of John, was born in County Limerick, and died in May, 1913, at the remarkable age of ninety-five years. He left Ireland when a young man, for a number of years thereafter making his home in England. He worked as a steeplejack in London, was married in that city, and after coming to America lived in Schuylkill county, Pa. It was in 1865 that he settled in Mahanoy City, where he followed the trade of plasterer, and a few years later he moved to Shenandoah. Mr. O'Leary was a stanch Democrat, and a member of the Church of the Annunciation, St. Patrick's Society and the T. A. B. Society of the church.
Mr. O'Leary married Anna Murray, daughter of Thomas Murray, of County Mayo, Ireland, and she lived to be nearly ninety years old. Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary both died at Shenandoah. They had the following chil- dren : John, who is engaged in the plastering business in Pittsburgh, married Mary Ann McLouglin, and their children are Anna, Mame, Agnes, Cath- erine, Ellen, David and John; Catherine is the widow of Patrick King, who was a hotelkeeper in Philadelphia, and her children are Martin, David, John, Frank and James ; Mary Ann is Mrs. Purcell.
HARRY KEEFER, business man and justice of the peace at Pine Grove, has spent all his life in Pine Grove township, where he was born in 1873, son of Reuben and Susan (Barr) Keefer. In both paternal and maternal lines he is descended from pioneer stock which aided in the settlement and develop- ment of this region, and worthily bears a name which has been representative
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of good citizenship wherever known. Elias Keefer, his great-grandfather, was the founder of the family here, and followed the occupation of farmer. He married a Miss Houtz.
Joseph Keefer, son of Elias, was also a farmer. He continued to live at his birthplace until his death. By his marriage to Sallie Nagle he had a family of seven children, of whom the following are still living: William, who lives on the old homestead place ; Sallie, wife of Noah Shubert, of South Bend, Ind .; Maria, widow of P. C. Darbey, now residing at Pottsville; Anna, widow of Isaac Frye, also of South Bend, Ind. ; and David, of South Bend, Indiana.
Reuben Keefer, son of Joseph, was born in Pine Grove township, at the place where he followed farming practically all his life, and died there in May, 1899. His wife Susan (Barr) was born there also, and died May 3, 1906. She was one of four children born to Jacob and Sarah (Hegley) Barr, Samuel, Harriet (deceased), Amelia (deceased) and Susan. Jacob Barr was born in Pine Grove township, where he lived and died, and his wife, a native of Pennsylvania, also died here. By trade he was a tailor, but he followed farming for a number of years, spending the latter part of his life in retire- ment. ' Mr. and Mrs. Keefer became the parents of four children: Annie, the eldest, is deceased; Lydia is the wife of Lyman Stutzen, of Pine Grove; Frank is deceased; Harry completes the family.
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