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 83
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Thirty-five years ago Mr. Smith joined the Washington Fire Company of Ashland, in which he has continued to hold membership ever since, and he
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served at one time as chief fire marshal. He was treasurer of the first firemen's convention of the county, held at Ashland, and was a delegate to the State convention held at Lebanon county in 1912. He was a member of the State Firemen's Association.
On Jan. 8, 1874, Mr. Smith married Margaret Ney, who was born in this county, near Pottsville, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Gast) Ney, who came from Germany and settled here many years ago. Her father was a farmer by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Ney are both deceased. They had a family of seven children. Mrs. Smith passed away in August, 1913, the mother of four- teen children, of whom Frank Joseph G., now located at Mount Carmel, Pa., is superintendent of the Cumberland Shirt Factory ; Mary is the wife of Wil- liam Barrang, who is a foreman in the navy yard at Washington, D. C .; Annie is the wife of Charles Webber, a house painter of Rochester, N. Y .; William Leopold served three years in the United States army as a member of the engineer corps, and is now at Washington, D. C., employed as a clerk at the station of the Southern Railway Company ; Stella Theresa is deceased ; Regina Margaret is a resident of Washington, D. C .; Josephine Mary is the wife of Jacob Malber of Ashland; James Henry is a blacksmith at Ashland; Stella Ney keeps house for her father; John Leo is in the government service at Washington, D. C., as a member of the civil engineer corps; Lucy Agnes is at home. Mr. Smith and his family are members of St. Mauritius German Catho- lic Church, at Ashland.
HENRY TALLMAN, late of Porter township, had an extensive acquaint- ance in his section of Schuylkill county, where he was a prosperous farmer and hotelkeeper for twenty years. His widow still resides at his homestead there. He was of German origin. Jacob and Amelia ( Beller) Tallman, his parents, came to this country from their native land, Germany, in the early thirties, and settled near Gratz, Pa., in Dauphin county, where the father fol- lowed farming and his trade, that of stonemason. He had the first hotel at Wiconisco, that county, carrying it on for thirty-seven years. To Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Tallman was born a family of eleven children, five of whom reached maturity, Jacob, Matthew, John, Henry and Amanda. The parents were members of the Lutheran Church.
Henry Tallman had such advantages as the public schools of the home locality afforded. Five years after his marriage he settled in the western part of Porter township, Schuylkill county, at Sharadin, where he bought the "Brookside Hotel" and a farm of eighty-six acres, and there he made a perma- nent home, conducting the hotel very successfully, and doing equally well in his agricultural operations. He took a keen interest in local affairs, serving as school director and in other public offices, was identified with the Democratic party, and held membership in the Lutheran Church. He passed away Feb. I, 1891, and his widow has, since occupied the farm, her son Franklin now looking after the cultivation of the property, making a specialty of dairying.
In 1865 Mr. Tallman married Mary A. Schreffler, daughter of Henry and Catherine (Satzler) Schreffler, of Dauphin county, where Mr. Schreffler fol- lowed farming and carpenter work. Their family consisted of seven children, of whom Sarah Delilah married John M. Bellow (deceased), and now lives in South Dakota ; Louisa died aged fifteen years; Elizabeth married Edward Munsch, and is living in Iowa; Mary A. is the widow of Henry Tallman ; Catherine, deceased, was the wife of John Good, of Boone, Iowa; John is a
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retired farmer living at Polo, Ill .; Ellen married John Wolf, and both are deceased.
Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Tallman: Harry H., now living at Lebanon, Pa., married Amelia Lutz, and they have one son, Lloyd; . J. Franklin operates the home farm in Porter township and is a member of the township school board; Edwin M., of Lebanon, Pa., married Edna Ditzler, and they have one son, Homer E .; Minnie L. died when four years old; Kate R. is the wife of John Reinhardt, a merchant of Tower City, and they have had six children, Malba, Mary A., Henry, Ama, Dorothy, and Ethel, the last named deceased ; Charles C. is clerk at the "Hotel Grand," in Schuylkill Haven, Pa .; Prof. Joseph R. graduated from the Keystone State Normal School at Kutztown, Pa., and from Muhlenberg College, at Allentown, Pa., and attended one term at Mount Airy Seminary, and taught school until his death, at the age of thirty-four years, being engaged in Porter township, later as principal of the schools of Hamburg, Pa., and finally as superintendent of the Potts- ville schools (he is buried in Greenwood cemetery, at Tower City) ; Bessie died in May, 1906, when twenty-seven years old; Lulu E. resides at home; George Oliver, of Allentown, married Minnie Arehart, and they have one son, Jacob; Andrew is a resident of Allentown; William lives at home; Lettie A. died when thirteen years old.
Mrs. Tallman built her present home in 1891, and has made many other notable improvements on the farm. The barn was built in 1892, and the dairy business was started in 1897 and has been conducted according to modern standards, neither expense nor pains having been spared to provide facilities for proper attention to the requirements of the present day in that line, and for the care of their fine Jersey cattle. The product is marketed at Tower City.
GEORGE F. BOWMAN, of Minersville, junior member of the firm of Spayd & Bowman, dealers in books and stationery, bears a name which for gen- erations has stood for industry and integrity in this section of Pennsylvania. He is of old Mennonite ancestry, a descendant of Wendell Bowman, a native of Switzerland and one of the founders of the Mennonite faith in Brecknock township, Berks county, this State. He came into the Allegheny valley in 1760, owned considerable land, and was rated among the well-to-do farmers. He was twice married, but his children were all by his first marriage. They were: Christian ; Wendell and Joseph, who both settled in Canada; Susanna, who married a Bechtol, and also went to Canada; Elizabeth, who married Daniel Gehman; and Esther (born July 31, 1790-died Sept. 11, 1827), who married Henry Weber (born June 7, 1794-died. Jan. 16, 1873).
Christian Bowman, son of Wendell, was a well known farmer in the Allegheny valley, making his home in Brecknock township. In 1777 he built the Bowman mill, which is still in the family, being owned and operated by Noah M. Bowman, the great-grandson of the builder. Christian Bowman adhered to the faith of his fathers, and was active in the Mennonite Church. He is buried at the Allegheny meetinghouse, and his grave is marked by a sandstone, whose inscription has long. since been effaced by the elements. He married Nancy Huber (or Hoover), and their children were: (1) Joseph, born Jan. 22, 1784, died Jan. 9, 1841. He was a well known miller, owning and operating the Bowman mill in Brecknock township, and also cultivating the fifty acres of land belonging to the mill property, and was successful in all his business undertakings. He was buried at the Allegheny meetinghouse.
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By his marriage to Nancy Hoover he had a family of three sons and three daughters: Elizabeth, who married Samuel Bowman, of County Waterloo, Ontario, Canada ; Isaac, who married Judith Gehman ; Benjamin, who married Lovina Mosser; Esther, who married Joseph Gehman; Nancy, who married Jacob Mosser; and Jacob. (2) Lizzie, born Nov. 20, 1785, married Jacob Good, and died July 6, 1866, aged eighty years, seven months, sixteen days. (3) Samuel, Born Dec. 1, 1789, died Jan. 19, 1857. He was a noted man of his day, the founder of Bowmansville, Pa. (4) Daniel settled near Bowmans- ville, Pa. (5) Maricha married Samuel Weaver. (6) Mary married Jonas Good. (7) Sallie married Johathan Weaver.
John Bowman, grandfather of George F. Bowman, was a native of Berks county, Pa., and came thence to Minersville, Schuylkill county, also living at different times in small towns near that borough. He was engaged in the timber business. His death occurred at Minersville and he is buried in the Lutheran and Reformed cemetery. During the Civil war he served in Com- pany K, 67th Regiment, from Pennsylvania. His wife was Catherine Hanich, and they had a family of seven children, all now deceased, namely: William, John, Kate (Mrs. E. Zumbalt), Sarah (Mrs. Philip Lebler), Joseph, Henry and George.
John Bowman, son of John and Catherine (Hanich) Bowman, was born Feb. 2, 1841, near Minersville, and in his early manhood was employed with his father in the timber business. Later he followed the trade of carpenter at the mines, but during the last twelve years of his life his health was so poor that he had to give up all work. This was the result of injuries he received during the Civil war. Like his father he was a private in Company K, 67th Pennsylvania Regiment, was wounded in the head, taken prisoner, and con- fined for thirty-four days in the notorious Libby prison. He was a charter member of Capt. James Lawrence Post, G. A. R., in whose work he took an active part, and by virtue of his father's service was entitled to membership in the Sons of Veterans, being very much interested in this order, whose camp at Minersville he helped to organize, being one of its charter members. His death occurred April 21, 1895, and he is buried in the Lutheran and Reformed cemetery. His wife, Mary E. ( Miller), is still living, at No. 124 North street, Minersville. She is a daughter of George and Mary (Wolf) Miller, the former a resident of Minersville and a carpenter at the mines. To Mr. and Mrs. Bowman were born three children: William H., who lives at Minersville; Christie Rebecca, who is deceased ; and George F.
George F. Bowman was born Dec. 5, 1879, at Minersville, where he received the advantages of the excellent public schools, graduating from high school in 1898, after which he became a clerk for L. F. Roehrig, in whose employ he continued until 1900, in which year he became associated with Prof. H. H. Spayd in his present line, under the firm name of Spayd & Bowman. They have built up a large trade as dealers in books, stationery and wall paper, carrying a large and well selected stock. In his years of work as an educator Professor Spayd became very widely known throughout this section, and Mr. Bowman is everywhere regarded as a most trustworthy young business man, so that the business which they have attracted has been no surprise to their fellow towns- men. As men of the highest integrity and unquestioned qualifications, they are carrying on their business according to the modern ideas of trade and accomoda- tion, and their reward has been in proportion to their efforts.
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Mr. Bowman is a member of the Sons of Veterans, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Royal Arcanum, and his religious connection is with the English Lutheran Church. He is unmarried and makes his home at Minersville with his mother.
CHRISTIAN FRANTZ, of Shenandoah, is one of the responsible em- ployes at the plant of the Home Brewing Company, being foreman of the fermenting cellar. He is a native of Alsace-Lorraine, Germany, born April 22, 1868, at Alteglashüte, son of Henry and Catherine ( Piett) Frantz, and grandson of Frank and Margaret (Miller) Frantz.
Frank Frantz followed lumbering in Alsace and the Rhine Province dur- ing his young manhood, and later learned the trade of blacksmith, which he followed until his death, which occurred when he was ninety-three years old. He and his wife were Catholics in religious faith. They had the following children : Henry was the father of Christian Frantz; Nicholas, a blacksmith, still living at Alteglashüte, has been married twice, having three children (Nicholas, Elizabeth and Frank) by his first wife, Elizabeth ( Koenig), and none by his second; Elizabeth married Remisus Gregoria, manager of the Gargon & Wendel Coal Company (known as the Klein Rossel' Coal Com- pany) in Alsace-Lorraine, and they had ten children, Desire (he died at the age of nine years), Catherine (who married George Bradiger and had one child, Catherine), Elizabeth (Mrs. Arnold, who has a daughter), Mary (who is married and living in Germany), Margaret (married and living in Ger- many), Virginia (married and living in Germany), and four children who died when infants ; Catherine married Joseph Hesse, a stonemason, boss contractor at Alteglashüte, and had children, Nicholas, John, Remisus, Henry, Joseph, Frank, Catherine and Mary; John, a mine boss at Alteglashüte, married Theresa Klein and had John, Catherine, Jean Baptiste, Margaret, Frank and one younger ; Mary died aged thirteen years.
Henry Frantz was born at Alteglashüte, and died in Germany in February, 1889, at the age of fifty-eight years. By occupation he was a miner. His wife, also a native of Alteglashüte, came to Shenandoah, Schuylkill Co., Pa., the year of his death, and died there Aug. 8, 1907. They were German Catholics, and after coming to this country Mrs. Frantz became a member of the Holy Family Church at Shenandoah. She was the mother of nine children, viz .: Nicholas, born Aug. 25, 1858, in Alsace-Lorraine, is now stable boss at the Maple colliery, Shenandoah; John, deceased at the age of forty-nine years, who was a miner at the silver mines at Salida, Colo., mar- ried Mary Klepfal, and they had six children, Catherine, Christian, Mary, Frank, John and Carl; Christian died when nine years old; John died at the age of twenty-one years in 1885; Christian is next in the family; Frank, brewmaster at Rupert's brewery, in New York City, married Elizabeth Graber (they have no children) ; Catherine is the wife of Eberhard C. Grosskettler, of Shenandoah, fireman at the Home brewery, and they have had two chil- dren, Theresa (born July 4, 1904) and Francis (who died when two years old) ; Peter died at the age of six years; Henry is employed at the Indian Ridge colliery, Shenandoah.
Christian Piett, father of Mrs. Catherine (Piett) Frantz, died in the old country when fifty-three or fifty-four years old, from the effects of injuries received two years previously while engaged at his occupation of lumbering. His wife, Susanna (Forgeng), then came to America, and she died at the
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age of ninety-three years near Wellsford, Kiowa Co., Kans., at the residence of her grandsons, Christian and Nicholas Frantz. Of the five children born to Mr. and Mrs. Christian Piett, one died in infancy. Mary, who never mar- ried, died in Germany. Catherine was the wife of Henry Frantz. Katherina married Peter Spor and they settled in Shenandoah; they had eight chil- dren, seven sons and one daughter, viz .: Nicholas, who died in infancy ; John, a miner at Shenandoah; Nicholas (2), who is employed in the wash house of the Home brewery (he married Mary MacAndrew; they have no children) ; Peter, who works in the Home brewery ( he is unmarried) ; Henry, fire boss at the Maple Hill colliery ; John, carpenter at the Shenandoah City colliery ; Valentine, a brakeman, who lives in Pittsburgh (he married Anna Hayo) ; and Catherine, wife of Theodore Abel, a linen weaver, of Reading, Pa. Margaret Piett married Adam Miro.
Christian Frantz received a good common school education in Germany, and later was trained to mine work there. In 1888 he and his brother John came to this country together, sailing from Havre, France, in the steamer "Champagne," and landing at New York. Thence they continued their journey. to Shenandoah, Schuylkill Co., Pa., where Christian Frantz found work as a laborer, being so employed from September, 1888, until May, 1889. Meantime, his mother, with the rest of the family and her mother, had come to this country and settled in Kiowa county, Kans., and he joined them there, farming in that section for a period of five years. Returning to Shenandoah, Pa., he then found work at the Shenandoah City colliery under Fred Carl, foreman, and eighteen months later became a regu- lar miner, being so employed under Mr. Carl for four years. The next two years he was at the Kohinoor colliery, after that experience accepting his present position in the Home brewery, where he has proved a faithful and reliable worker. He is a good citizen and stands well among his associates. Socially he holds membership in the Washington Beneficial Society and St. Michael's Society. In politics he sides with the Republican party.
On July 26, 1904, Mr. Frantz was married, in the Holy Family Church at Shenandoah, to Mary Josephine Grosskettler, who was born July 17, 1874, at Endorf, Westphalia, Germany. Four children have been born to this mar- riage : Anna M., May 22, 1905; Mary Catherine, June 7, 1907 : Henry Gerard, Nov. 3. 1909: John Eugene, May 11, 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Frantz are mem- bers of the Holy Family Catholic Church.
Eberhardt Grosskettler, Mrs. Frantz's father, was born at Holtum, near Werl, Westphalia, received his education in the local government schools, and served a thorough apprenticeship at the trades of locksmith and machinist, obtaining certificates which entitled him to work as a journeyman, in which capacity he was engaged for several years. He saw considerable service in the German army, in the wars waged during 1864, 1866 and 1870. He mar- ried at Endorf, Westphalia, and was engaged in the wholesale produce business at that place until he brought his family to America in 1881. Locating at Shenandoah, Schuylkill Co., Pa., Mr. Grosskettler found employment as a blacksmith at the Plank Ridge colliery, where he remained for two years. Then he traveled down to Alabama, and westward to Franklin county, Mo., in search of a suitable place for a permanent home, eventually returning to Shenandoah, where he bought a blacksmith shop, at the corner of Coal street and Pear alley, where he was established in business for some time. He lived retired for several years before his death, which occurred in April,
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1901. His wife, Anna Maria (Pott), was born at Endorf, daughter of Anton and Theresa (Beste) Pott, the former a farmer and blacksmith. Mrs. Anna Maria Grosskettler died in 1912. To Mr. and Mrs. Grosskettler were born children as follows: Joseph; Eberhard, fireman at the Home brewery, who married Catherine Frantz; John, of Shenandoah; Anton, who died at the age of twenty-two years; Theresa, who is the wife of Eugene Fretz and has one child, Marguerite; and Mary Josephine, Mrs. Christian Frantz. All the family belong to the German Catholic Church of the Holy Family, and Mr. Grosskettler was a member of St. Michael's Society. In politics he was a Democrat.
WILLIAM R. MAURER, of Orwigsburg, is at present giving all his attention to the duties of deputy sheriff of Schuylkill county. He has been well known for a number of years as a prominent local worker in the Demo- cratic party, and as such has been quite influential in the selection of proper officials for the county. He was born at Orwigsburg Dec. 5, 1870, son of George Maurer. Though he had public school advantages, they were rather limited, as he was only eleven and a half years old when he began to work as a tobacco stripper for S. P. Kepner. The boy was ambitious, however, and after working all day here attended night school, continuing his studies until he had a good average education. He remained with Mr. Kepner for the long period of thirty-one years, in different capacities. After learning the trade thoroughly he worked at the bench for many years, and eventually became foreman of the plant, which he left to engage in the business on his own account. After three years of independent work he returned to Mr. Kepner's employ, in which he continued until he resigned his position Jan. 5, 1914, to become deputy sheriff, having been appointed by Charles F. Ditchey, the present sheriff. As noted, Mr. Maurer has been prominent in the councils of the Democratic party, and for twelve years he was a member of the standing committee of his district, in which connection he became very well known in political circles. Personally he has the highest respect of all his acquaintances, and they are many in this region. He is a prominent member of St. John's Reformed Church of Orwigsburg, taking an active part in its work, and is one of the faithful teachers in the Sunday school, from which he has not been absent once in the last seven years. Socially Mr. Maurer is a member in good standing of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the P. O. S. of A. He continues to live at Orwigsburg, his old home town.
Mr. Maurer married Annie Burkhart, a daughter of Henry Burkhart, of East Brunswick township, Schuylkill county, and they have one son, Allen, born Sept. 25, 1892. He is now a law student at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
WILLIAM H. SABOLD, SR., has been a resident of Palo Alto for over thirty years, and as yardmaster at the Philadelphia & Reading yards for many years became widely known in the borough and to a large number of the Philadelphia & Reading employes. He was retired in 1910, after more than forty-seven years of service with the same company.
Mr. Sabold was born at Pottstown, Montgomery Co., Pa., Oct. 5, 1840. His father, John Sabold, also a native of Montgomery county, followed farm- ing there, and died in that county at the advanced age of eighty-four years. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary Schick, was also born in Mont-
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gomery county, and like her husband lived to be eighty-four years old. They had the following family : Mary, who died young; John, who lived to the age of seventy-four years; Charlotte, who married Samuel Hartenstine, and had fourteen children; Aaron, who died young; and William H.
William H. Sabold obtained his education in the public schools at Potts- town. He was reared upon the home farm, remaining there until he reached the age of twenty-two years, and meantime had learned the trade of black- smith. It was during the Civil war period that he entered the service of the Philadelphia & Reading Company. In 1863 he enlisted for service in the Union army, from Montgomery county, entering Company H, 175th Pennsyl- vania Regiment, for a term of nine months. His officers were Captain Steele and Col. S. A. Dyer. Upon his return home he went to work again for the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company, with which he remained there for a period of ten years. Two ycars and nine days later, on March 26, 1875, he moved to Pottsville from Philadelphia and resumed work with his old company, remaining there for eight years, becoming engineer in the mean- time. On April 1, 1883, he took the position of night yardmaster at the yards situated in Palo Alto, this county, holding that position for the next seven years. On June 9, 1890, Mr. Sabold was made day assistant and wreckmaster, and in 1896 he received further promotion, becoming day yardmaster, in which responsibility he was retained until his retirement, Oct. 31, 1910. His service at the Palo Alto yards covered more than twenty-nine years, and his entire service with the Philadelphia & Reading Company forty-seven years and seven months. Mr. Sabold is one of the respected old residents of Palo Alto, where his home is at No. 404 West Bacon street. He is a Republican on political questions, and a member of the I. O. O. F. in social connection, and religiously an adherent of the Reformed faith. His family, however, are Lutherans.
In 1862 Mr. Sabold married Annie Favinger, daughter of Charles and Lydia (Mauger) Favinger, of Pottstown, Montgomery county, both now deceased. Mrs. Sabold passed away Feb. 13, 1912. She was the mother of the following children : Sallie died in 1864; Elizabeth also died young; Annie married Samuel Little, and died in 1911 : William H., Jr., is a fireman in the employ of the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company; Mary is the wife of Thomas Berger; Harvey is an engineer with the Philadelphia & Reading Railway Company; Bertha, who lives at home, is the wife of Charles S. Evert, a corporal of the State police at Pottsville.
EBERHARD CASPER GROSSKETTLER, of Shenandoah, is a typical member of a respected family of that borough, a man of steady habits and reliable character, and one of the trustworthy assistants at the plant of the Home Brewing Company, where he has charge of the boiler house. He was born in Endorf, Westphalia, Germany, Dec. 11, 1876, and was in his fifth year when he came to America with his parents, Eberhardt and Anna Maria (Pott) Grosskettler.
Joseph Grosskettler, the grandfather, was born at Holtum, near Werl, Westphalia, where there is still a fort which was built at the time of the Roman conquest. He was a country gentleman, owning an estate of two hundred acres which had been in the family for many generations, and there he spent all of his long life, dying at the age of eighty-four years. His wife passed away when seventy-four years old, and is buried at Holtum, near Werl.
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