Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 125

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036

USA > Pennsylvania > Blair County > Altoona > Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 125

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

944

HISTORY OF BLAIR COUNTY

where he is conducting a prosperous business in the line of clothing, shoes and men's fur- nishings.

Mr. Suckling was first married in January, 1885, to Bertha Barr, who was born and reared in Gaysport, and who was a daughter of Joseph Barr. She died in August, 1896, leaving two children: Hester E., who is the wife of Will- iam Richards of Trenton, N. J., and has one child, Mary Catherine; and Frank, who is em- ployed in the store with his father, and mar- ried Edna K. Bollinger, a daughter of Frank Bollinger, a Pennsylvania Railroad engineer.

Mr. Suckling formed a second union in May, 1903, with Alethe Harlow, of Medina, N. Y., and of this union have been born three chil- dren : Loraine, who is now six years of age; Howard, aged four; and Thomas Henry, Jr., now a babe of one year. Mr. Suckling has been a member of the I. O. O. F. since 1882; he is past grand of Lodge No. 119, of Holli- daysburg, and was one of the organizers and the first presiding officer of Wanita Lodge, No. 1142, of Hollidaysburg. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. In poli- tics he is an independent voter.

Mr. Suckling is a member and officer of the Baptist Church and is best known as a church and Sunday school worker; he has also for many years been active in the temperance. cause. Since 1892 he has been the teacher of the Judson Adult Bible Class of the Baptist Church, now numbering sixty members. This class which was established in 1843, and of which he has been a member since 1877, is the oldest organized class in America. Mr. Suck- ling is the second teacher in its history, Captain A. M. Lloyd having been its founder and first teacher. Mr. Suckling was for several years president of the Blair County Sunday School Association and is now a member of its Execu- tive Committee. He is interested in the work of the Young People's Society of Christian En- deavor, has held various county offices and is now President of the Hollidaysburg C. E. Union. He is church clerk of the Hollidays- burg Baptist Church of which he is also a dea- con and trustee. He has been connected with the work of the Central Pennsylvania Associa-

tion of Baptist Churches, of which he has been for many years a trustee; also chairman of the Advisory Committee and of the Stewardship Committee, as well as a member of the Penn- sylvania State Stewardship Commission of the Baptist denomination.

His services as a public speaker are in con- stant demand in all parts of central Pennsylva- nia in county and district Sunday school and C. E. conventions and in church meetings and. celebrations of all kinds and in all denomina- tions. He has done literary work for various religious publications, including the "Sunday School Times" and the "Baptist Common- wealth;" has written several pamphlets on Sun- day school and young people's work that have had wide circulation.

HARRY S. FLECK, M. A., superintendent of the public schools of Tyrone, Pa., who has been identified with the educational interests of this borough since 1891, is favorably known in professional and literary circles all through this section. Superintendent Fleck was born July 30, 1860, in Sinking Valley, Blair County, Pa .; he is a son of Gabriel and Rebecca (Stoner) Fleck, a grandson of David and a great-grand- son of George Fleck.

The Fleck family is of German extraction. Prior to the Revolutionary War four brothers of the name of Fleck crossed the Atlantic to the colonies so soon to be delivered from Eng- lish rule; two of these voyagers settled in Montgomery County, Pa., and two in Hunting- don County which part has now become Sink- ing Valley, in Blair County. The brothers who secured homes in Sinking Valley bore the names of George and Peter Fleck, and both later became soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

George Fleck, the great-grandfather of Harry S. Fleck of Tyrone, was born in 1748, in Germany, and died in Sinking Valley, Blair County, June 10, 1836. After the termination of his military service he gave his attention to agricultural pursuits and took an active part in the various movements which brought about peace and plenty and the advantages of civili- zation in this section. He secured about 350

945

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

acres of land, purchasing from john Penn, the elder, and John Penn, the younger. In 1793 he erected a strong log house which not only protected his family from inclement weather but was so well constructed that it also resisted attacks from Indians. For his land he paid the sum of 295 pounds, three shillings and two pence. He was a man of great physical en- durance and unusual strength. It is said that after he was eighty-seven years of age he was able to compete with younger men, working with a sickle in the wheat field. With other settlers he helped to build a log structure that was used as a school-house, church, and gen- eral meeting house for business purposes for a time.

George Fleck was married twice; first to Mollie Weeks and second to Catherine Ramey. Mollie Weeks, who was the mother of all his children, was born in September, 1748. The children of George and Mollie Fleck were as follows: George, Conrad, Margaret, Jacob, Catherine Elizabeth, Henry David and Mollie. The eldest of the above family bearing his father's name was born August 28, 1774, and died April 4, 1815. Conrad was born January I, 1780, married Mary Moore, died September 12, 1845. Margaret was born April 3, 1782, married John Fleck, died June 28, 1866. Ja- cob was born October 16, 1783, married Nellie Mattay, died August 31, 1862. Catherine was born October 23, 1785, married Daniel F. Crissman, died September 18, 1874. Eliza- beth (birth date unknown), married Abram Crissman and died at the age of eighty-two years. Henry was born June 16, 1791, and died March 27, 1859. He was the father of the late Rev. H. R. Fleck, who spent fifty years in the ministry of the Lutheran Church. Henry was twice married, first to Catherine Ramey and second to Mary Keller. David was born February 27, 1793 and died August 27, 1870. Mollie was born in 1797, married Peter Burket, died May 14, 1817. George Fleck, his two wives, all his sons, his daugh- ters except one, his sons-in-law and daughters- in-law, with one exception, were laid to rest in the cemetery attached to St. John's Lutheran

Church in Sinking Valley, where six genera- tions of the family rest.

David Fleck, grandfather of Prof. Fleck, was born February 27, 1793, was reared on the pioneer farm and when he succeeded to the paternal estate, continued his father's indus- trial activities. At that time one of the chief drawbacks to agricultural success as a business was the lack of transportation, and David Fleck found his nearest market at Lewiston, where the mill was also situated, a whole week being required to make the trip, with a two- wheel cart, back and forth. At certain seasons he loaded his four-horse wagon with farm pro- duce and covered the whole distance to Balti- more, Md., returning with necessary supplies. He was a leading citizen of his community and at one time served as director of the poor, for Blair County. He was married first to Mary Ramey and second to Keziah Shannon. Mary Ramey was born November 15, 1799, and died November 15, 1863, aged sixty-four years. The children of David Fleck were as follows : Gabriel; Catherine, who married George Lotz; Francis, who died in childhood; Mary, who married Robert Crawford; Abigail and Eli Ramey, both of whom died young; Eliza, who married J. M. Carl; Jane, who married John Keatley, at one time district attorney of Blair County ; and M. Luther, who married Maggie Fox.

Gabriel Fleck, father of Prof. Harry S. Fleck, was born September 24, 1820, on the old homestead, where he spent his life, his death occurring October 31, 1891. He was a man of intelligence and good judgment, frequently was elected to responsible town offices, and was looked upon as a responsible and representa- tive citizen. He was very active in all matters pertaining to St. John's Lutheran Church, serving as a member of its select council and in his last sickness, which was one of great suf- fering, displayed the patience and resignation of a sincere Christian. On February 26, 1846, he was married to Rebecca Stoner, a daughter of Christian Stoner. She was born on the Isaac Neff property near Petersburg, in Hunt- ingdon County and when a child was brought to the old Stoner farm in Sinking Valley. The

946

HISTORY OF BLAIR COUNTY

following children were born to Gabriel and Rebecca Stoner : Ira S., Eli F., J. Mosheim, Lindley N., Mary Elizabeth, Clara J., Cyrus L., Sallie J., Harry S., John S., Clair C. and David C. Ira S. is editor of a newspaper and lives in Russell, Kansas, where he has been prominent for some thirty years, serving as county clerk and also as a member of the Kan- sas legislature. He married Sarah Fleck. Eli F. is engaged as a clerk in a Tyrone business house. He married Annie Hunter. J. Mosheim died in infancy. Rev. Lindley N., D. D., is a distinguished member of the Luth- eran clergy residing at Newry, Pa., and mar- ried Emma Henderson. Mary Elizabeth be- came the wife of C. H. Jones, assistant passen- ger agent for the Pennsylvania Railroad at Tipton, Pa. Clara J. is the wife of Benner Culp, who is in the railroad shops at Altoona. Rev. Cyrus L. has been pastor of the Lutheran Church at Reiglesville, Pa., for the past twen- ty-three years. He married Annie Leas. Sal- lie J., who died in 1903, was the wife of J. Howard Lotz, of Sinking Valley. John S., who resides on the old home farm in Sinking Valley, served with the rank of sergeant in the Spanish-American War. He married Annie Krider. Clair C., who resides on the Russell Crawford farm adjoining the old homestead, married Ella Warfel. David C. is engaged in the contracting business at Altoona and mar- ried Annie Carls.

Harry S. Fleck was educated in the local schools, and at Cincinnati. He did much home study and secured from the Susquehanna Uni- versity his degree of M. A., which was be- stowed upon him May 19, 1909. He began teaching school in 1882 and taught for nine consecutive years in Sinking Valley and then was called to Tyrone where he later . became principal of the High School; in this position he continued for ten years. In 1908 he was made superintendent of the public schools; his success has been so pronounced that he has been favorably mentioned for the office of county superintendent and undoubtedly pos- sesses every qualification for the same. For over a quarter of a century he has been en- gaged in educational work, twenty years of

which have been passed at Tyrone. In politics he is a Republican, being at present (19II)' one of the secretaries of the County Commit- tee; he has ever been an active and loyal citi- zen. He has an admirable record as a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard. In 1880 he enlisted as a private in the Sheridan Troop, won promotion, becoming corporal, then ser- geant and in November, 1894, was elected sec- ond lieutenant. During the Spanish-American War he ranked as first lieutenant and was de- tailed as quartermaster of the squadron that was made up of all the Pennsylvania cavalry. He gained an excellent record in every depart- ment. The Pennsylvania cavalry squadron saw service in Porto Rico, and Lieutenant Fleck was commander of one of the troops on the way home.

Professor Fleck is a ready writer and has contributed largely both in prose and verse, to different publications. He has written on a wide range of subjects, being at home in various fields of literature.

On June 30, 1897, Professor Fleck was mar- ried to Miss Katherine Wertz, a daughter of the late John W. and Edith (Wright) Wertz, and a direct descendant in the sixth generation of John Bartram, a noted botanist in Pennsyl- vania, who was a contemporary and friend of Washington, Jefferson and Franklin. These noted men frequently visited the Bartram home and garden on the banks of the Schuylkill. Mr. and Mrs. Fleck have had five children, three of whom survive: Edith Rebecca, Harold Bartram and Hester Katherine. Mr. Fleck is very active in the affairs of the Lutheran Church, of which he has been a member since he was thirteen years of age. For many years he has been an elder, and at present is secre -. tary of the council.

HON. THOMAS PATTERSON GHEER, three times burgess of Bellwood, Pa., and a man of prominence and business importance in this borough, was born September 4, 1851, at Hensheytown, or Davidsburg, Pa., and is a son of John and Amelia ( Patterson) Gheer, and a grandson of Jacob Gheer.

Jacob Gheer was born in Cumberland

947

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

County, Pa., in 1774, and was of German an- cestry. He owned a farm in Cumberland County on which he resided until 1839, moving then to near Worcester, Montgomery County, but shortly afterward left there to settle in Perry County, in 1840 buying a farm in Sher- man's Valley, near Landisburg. There he died February 8, 1859, at the age of eighty-five years. In early days he was a Whig and later became a Jacksonian Democrat. He was twice married, first to Margaret Thomas and second to Sarah Fleming and was the father of thir- teen children, eight born to his first union and five to the second.

John Gheer, father of Thomas P., was born November 7, 1814, near Mechanicsburg, Cum- berland County, Pa., and was a son of Jacob and Margaret (Thomas) Gheer. When seven- teen years old he learned the cabinetmaking trade and in 1843 came to Blair County and located at Hensheytown, which, at that time, had reason to think it would become a place of importance, but later its hopes were blasted when the proposed railroad line was built in another direction. Its situation at that time was on the main thoroughfare through the val- ley but business was so deflected that it never became more than a village. It has some claims to public notice, however, for, at the out- break of the Civil War, when its total popula- tion did not exceed 125 persons, practically every young man, thirty-three in number, en- listed for service in the Federal Army, the only males left in the hamlet being the boys and aged men. John Gheer removed from there in 1872 and settled at Bellwood, where he con- tinued work at his trade and also engaged in the undertaking business. He built and occu- pied the first house west of the Pennsylvania Railroad tracks. In his early political life he was a Democrat but when the Republican party was organized he felt more in sympathy with its principles and identified himself with it. He was a man of high character and served many years as a justice of the peace. He was a mem- ber and liberal supporter of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

In 1840 John Gheer was married to Amelia Patterson, who was born at Williamsburg, Pa.,

and died in 1851, when her son, Thomas P. was a babe of one month. Her father, Thomas Patterson, was a well known contractor and builder at Williamsburg and the Patterson name is one held in very high regard all over Pennsylvania. To John and Amelia Gheer three children were born, namely: Jane Mar- garet, Anna M. and Thomas Patterson. Jane Margaret Gheer, whose death occurred at the home of her sister, Mrs. Daniel A. Hicks, at Altoona, on June 20, 1910, was a woman of unusual force of character. She was highly cultivated and had been educated as a teacher and in that capacity went to Japan, in Septem- ber, 1879, under the auspices of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. For about thirty years she devoted herself to missionary and educational work but finally decided to return to her native land only to pass away one week after reaching the home of her sister. Her life was one of great self denial but of equally great useful- ness, and tender memories of her will long sur- vive. Anna M. Gheer married Daniel A. Hicks, and is a resident of Altoona. John Gheer was married second to Mary A. Bell, of Carlisle, Cumberland County, Pa.

Thomas Patterson Gheer attended the Antis Township schools and Logan Academy, at Bellwood. In 1873 he began working at the carpenter trade at Bellwood but continued to live with his parents until they later moved also to Bellwood and this place has been his home throughout his entire business career. In 1878 he erected the planing mill now owned and operated by the Bellwood Lumber and Con- struction Company and manufactured his own building supplies, having as many as seventy- five men in his employ, and continued to ope- rate this mill until 1895. He has been one of the extensive and most uniformly successful contractors at Bellville and has done a large part of the fine building here, including a large number of the leading business blocks and handsome private residences, one of the latter being his own, which he built in 1898. He also built the very much admired Methodist Epis- copal Church edifice here.

Mr. Gheer was married May 27, 1875, to

5 1

948

HISTORY OF BLAIR COUNTY

Miss Ada Renner, who was born at Peters- burg, Huntingdon County, Pa., a daughter of Abraham and Martha (Jones) Renner, an old family in that section of the state. They have four living children, one babe dying at birth : Mary Martha, who is a graduate of the Phila- delphia Methodist Episcopal Church Hospital, is a professional nurse; John Renner, who is a resident of Bellwood, married Mary Wilmena Hegarty and they have two children-Marion Elda and Thomas; Charles Wesley, who is foreman in the planing mill of the Bellwood Lumber and Construction Company, married Ethel Geneva Henshey, and they have two sons-Robert Wesley and Russell; Amelia Jane is the wife of Paul Aubrey Bevan and they have one son, George Thomas. Mr. Gheer and family are members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, in the affairs of which he has been active since youth. For twenty consecutive years he served as superintendent of the Sabbath-school. In politics he is a Re- publican and in 1889 he was first elected bur- gess of Bellwood and was reelected for two ad- ditional terms. He made an admirable execu- tive and under his several administrations the borough made important strides forward. He is identified fraternally with Bellwood Lodge, No. 819, Odd Fellows; Bellwood Castle No. 128, Knights of the Golden Eagles and the P. O. S. A.

A. WESLEY BEYER, a prominent busi- ness man of Tyrone, Pa., one of the members of the Tyrone Milling Co., was born near Tip- ton, where Fuoss mill is now located, August 16, 1847, a son of Aaron and Lydia (Reamy) Beyer. His mother is a sister of D. K. Reamy. Mr. Beyer's paternal grandfather was David Beyer, in early days a resident of Frederick, Md., who came to this part of Pennsylvania in 1800, settling in the upper part of Sinking Val- ley, on what is now known as the Breiden- baugh farm. He erected one of the first mills, if not the first, in that part of the county. He also erected the first mill on the site of the pres- ent Fuoss mill. He was the father of eight children. The maternal grandfather, Freder- ick Reamy, who was an iron worker by trade, in 1807 settled at Tyrone Forge, but later re-

moved to Sinking Valley, where he purchased a farm. A son of his, Daniel Reamy, for many years conducted a hotel in Hollidaysburg. Fred Reamy of Altoona is a grandson of Fred- erick Reamy, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch.

Aaron Beyer, the father of our subject, was also a miller and owned and operated what is now known as the Fuoss mill for many years. A large man physically, he was also large minded, having a keen sense of honor and bearing an excellent reputation for honesty and business integrity. He and his wife Lydia were the parents of a large family of children, of whom those now living are : Mrs. Martha A. Dysart of Altoona; Mrs. S. B. Bain of Juni- ata; A. W., the subject of this sketch; and William, an attorney residing in Altoona, who formerly served as city attorney there. The deceased children of Aaron and Lydia (Reamy) Beyer are as follows:

F. D. Beyer, who was a prominent lumber merchant of Tyrone. He learned the carpen- ter's trade and held a position as mill foreman. In 1862 he entered into business at Beyer's Mill, which was erected by Aaron Beyer, his father. He came to Tyrone about 1867 and conducted a large lumber business until his re- tirement in 1886, at which time he turned the business over to his sons, who are successful business men.

Rev. James S. Beyer was a soldier in the Union army. After the war he was a member of Central Pennsylvania Conference for many years. He died ten years ago. S. F. Beyer was also a soldier and was killed near Peters- burg. Catherine Beyer was a nurse in the army and was later engaged in missionary work. The others were Lydia R., who married a Mr. Waring, Angeline and Mary.

A. W. Beyer acquired his education in the common schools and remained with his father until he attained the age of twenty years. He spent fourteen years in the planing mill busi- ness and was for six years in the mercantile business. In 1907 the Tyrone Milling Co.'s plant was destroyed by fire, as a result of which catastrophe Mr. Beyer came near losing his life. Some time previous to the fire, he with

949

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

others had purchased the Tyrone Forges mill, then owned by S. C. Stewart. The mill is a large building four stories high and has a ca- pacity of seventy-five barrels of flour per day. The style has since been changed to the Tyrone Milling Co. It turns out a staple brand of flour known as the Golden Eagle flour. The present owners have spent considerable money in improving the plant, and they have a large demand for their product.

Mr. Beyer first married Miss Annie M. Aults, a daughter of Samuel M. Aults. She died about sixteen years ago. Three children were born to this union, namely: Edwin B., who is married and is superintendent of the Tyrone Milling Co .; Mary Elizabeth, who is a teacher of domestic science in Philadelphia; and Ambrose, who died at the age of six years. Mr. Beyer married for his second wife Mrs. Delcena Crabtree, a daughter of Jacob Jones. Her father was a contractor and builder. Mr. Beyer is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His early political training affiliated him with the Republican party but he has inde- pendent proclivities and votes for the candidate he thinks best fitted for the office. For the past forty years he has been a resident of Tyrone, where he is respected as a man of business en- terprise and personal probity, exemplifying the value of a good heredity.

THOMAS H. GREEVY, a representative citizen of Altoona, Pa., is one of the leading lawyers of central Pennsylvania, and has long been an influential factor in Democratic poli- tics; he has also been identified with journal- ism. Mr. Greevy was born in Birmingham, England, April 4, 1850, a son of Luke and Mary (King) Greevy. His parents were na- tives of Ireland, but resided in the great Eng- lish manufacturing city of Birmingham for a number of years after their marriage.

In 1856 Luke Greevy, with his family, emi- grated to America. He was a draper by occu- pation, and after his arrival here he found profitable employment in a large mercantile house at Williamsport, Pa. There he resided until his death, which took place when he was fifty years of age. He had been an active and

useful resident of the borough and had achieved sufficient popularity to be elected to public office. He was a Democrat politically, and in religion a member of the Catholic church.

Thomas H. Greevy was a little more than six years old when he accompanied his parents to America and he was reared and educated in Williamsport. His first venture into business was in the line of journalism, and there are doubtless many who now recall the Labor Re- form Journal, a weekly once issued at Will- iamsport, and remember its bright editorials and earnest discussions of pregnant topics which gave life to its pages, as the young editor sought thus forcibly to proclaim the aims of his journal. The same brilliance and earnest- ness remain with Mr. Greevy today, and with his convincing manner have been the chief fac- tors in advancing him along the path of the law, upon which he entered, by admission to the Blair County bar, in 1874; they have also in like manner helped to bring about his promi- nence in politics.

In 1877 Mr. Greevy was elected city re- corder of Altoona, which office he filled ac- ceptably until 1882. By that time he had be- come one of the leaders of his political party in the county and at different times was chosen as a delegate to important state and other con- ventions. In 1888 he was his party's standard bearer for Congress, from the Twentieth Con- gressional District, but was defeated in the con- test by the Hon. Edward Scull, though by a comparatively small majority. In 1890 he was again nominated for this office, but Mr. Scull again claimed the election. For various 1ea- sons Mr. Greevy decided to contest this de- cision, and the testimony taken at the investiga- tion made it one of the most noted cases of the kind since the famous case of Curtin vs. Yocum in 1877. Mr. Greevy did not succeed in estab- lishing his claim to the election, but has since held many other important offices performing the duties pertaining thereto with thoroughness and efficiency. In 1892 he was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention at St. Louis that renominated Grover Cleveland to the Presidency.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Twentieth century history of Altoona and Blair County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 125

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Number of Pages: 1036

Author: Sell, Jesse C 1872-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Richmond-Arnold Publishing
Number of Pages: 1036