USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 106
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On May 28, 1892, Mr. Fowler was married to Miss Emma Heane, a daughter of William and Emma ( Price) Heane. Her parents came to America from England and located first at Philipsburg. Pa., but later moved to Musser, where the father still resides, the mother hav- ing died May 28, 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have had four children: William and Samuel, both of whom are mine workers; James, who is yet in school; and Mary, who is deceased. Mr. Fowler and wife are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal church at Morrisdale. He be- longs to Lodge No. 933, Odd Fellow's, at All- port ; Lodge No. 161, Knights of Pythias, at Morrisdale: and to Lodge No. 88, Knights of Malta, at Philipsburg. In politics he is a Re- publican.
DANIEL MOYER, a successful farmer and citizen of Cooper township, was born in Kylerstown, Pa., Feb. 26, 1872, a son of Peter and Mary E. ( Adams) Moyer. His mother, a daughter of Thomas Adams, was born in Montour county, Pa., her marriage to Peter Moyer taking place Feb. 11, 1867. Of their three children, two died in infancy, namely Mary Eve and Samuel.
Daniel Moyer was the youngest of his par- ents' children. He was educated in the public schools of his native locality and subsequently
learned the butcher's trade, also mercantile bus- iness. In 1896 he turned his attention to ag- riculture and now resides on a well cultivated farm vi 77 acres, which he managed person- ally up to Dec. 1, 1909. He is a member of Lodge No. 161, K. of P., of Morrisdale Mines ; AAllport Lodge No. 933, I. O. O. F .; Tomoka Lodge Red Men No. 96, Morrisdale Mines; Oak Hill Grange at Karthaus; and Royal Or- der of Moose, No. 123 at Philipsburg. He was married Oct. 9, 1894, to Miss Alice E. Kirk, of Luthersburg, this county, a daughter of Joseph H. Kirk. He and his wife are the parents of three children, namely : Joseph Peter, Anna Mary and Frederick Daniel. Mr. Moyer is a Democrat in politics but sup- ports the Keystone ticket, and has served as assessor of Cooper township. He belongs to the Presbyterian church at Kylertown. His paternal grandparents were Adam and Eve Moyer, who came to Clearfield county from Germany with their family.
F. B. READ, M. D., physician and surgeon at Osceola Mills, Pa., where he is proprietor of a drug store, is one of the prominent and ac- tive citizens of the place, interested vitally in all that concerns the welfare of the commun- ity, of which he has been a member for thirty- one years. Dr. Read was born in Lawrence Township, Clearfield County, Pa., June 7, 1841, and is a son of Ross and Mary (Thompson) Read, and a grandson of .Alexander Read. The latter was a very early settler in Clearfield County and in 1800 he conducted the first post office between Clearfield and Bellefonte, estab- lishing it on the William Mitchell farm, one mile south of Clearfield. He carried the mail between these places on horseback.
Ross Read, father of Dr. Read, was born
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in Lawrence Township and followed farming until past middle age, when he retired with his wife to Clearfield, where both died. He mar- ried Mary Thompson, a daughter of Ignatius Thompson, who was of Irish birth. The mother of Mrs. Read was born in England. Ross Read and wife became parents of eight children, the four survivors of their family be- ing: F. B .; Margaret Ella McKendrick, resid- ing at Ebensburg, Pa .; Alexander Ross, resid- ing at Akron, O .; and Rebecca Matilda Spack- man, now living at Detroit, Mich.
F. B. Read was reared on a farmi and at- tended the local schools and Clearfield Acad- emy before beginning his medical studies. In 1867 he was graduated from Jefferson Medical College, at Philadelphia, having been with Dr. Woods, of Clearfield for three years before entering college. Dr. Read engaged in prac- tice first at Bigler, Pa., where he remained for fifteen years, and in 1880 came from there to Osceola Mills. In 1886 he established his drug store, which he has conducted ever since. In spite of advancing years, Dr. Read still at- tends to a large practice. He preaches the medical value of fresh air and exercise and is himself the best example of these theories, driving out over the country in the roughest kind of weather and seemingly enjoying the stimulation found in battling with the elements.
On October 10, 1865, Dr. Read was mar- ried to Miss Sue A. Rider, who was born at Karthaus, Clearfield County, Pa., a daughter of John W. Rider, at that time a well known farmer and lumberman. Dr. and Mrs. Read have had eight children, namely: Ralplı May- nard, who is in a hotel business at Johnstown, Pa., married Winnifred Scollins, and has three children; Paul Shelton, who resides at Osce- ola, and married Maggie Scollins; Maude, who
is the wife of Frank P. O'Brien, who is in the furniture and undertaking business at Osceola Mills; Howard W., who lives at Philadelphia ; Mae, who is the wife of S. R. Hamilton, of Osceola Mills ; Haskell, a resident of Philadel- phia, who married Bessie Scott; Alma, who is a student in her third year at the Women's Medical College, Philadelphia ; and Charles, who died in infancy. Dr. Read and family be- long to the Presbyterian church. He served some sixteen years as a member of the borough school board and a number of times as bur- gess, possessing together with his professional qualifications, the natural capacity which has made him ever recognized as a leader in public matters and an example of true citizenship.
PETER STOTT, who has been a resident of Munson Station, Clearfield County, Pa., since 1888, where he fills the important posi- tion of foreman of the Kyler mine for the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Company, was born February 16, 1866, at St. Helens, Lan- . cashire, England, and is a son of Henry and Jane Stott.
Henry Stott was born in England in 1844 and still resides at St. Helens where he is well known and much respected. His wife was also born in England and died there in 1876, at the age of thirty-four years. Three sons and one daughter were born to them, namely: James, who is a glass blower by trade, lives at St. Helens; Henry, who is in the same busi- ness as his older brother, also lives at St. Helens; Alice, who is the wife of Thomas Stott, also lives at St. Helens; and Peter, the only one of the family in the United States. The father is a coal miner.
Peter Stott was permitted to attend school at St. Helens until he was twelve years of
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age, when he entered the mines and continued to work as a coal miner in his native land until he was twenty-one years old. In his twenty- second year he set sail for America and landed in the port of New York in November. 1888. from which place he came immediately to Mun- son Station, Clearfield County. He has de- voted seventeen of the years he has resided here to working in the Kyler mine for R. C. Fishburn and the rest of the time has worked in nearby mines, always being able to secure remunerative employment, being an industri- ous and peaceable man. For ten years he was assistant foreman of the Kyler mine and since December, 1906, has been foreman.
In December. 1890, Mr. Stott was married at Houtzdale, Pa., to Miss Edith Woodiwiss, a daughter of Charles and Emma Woodiwiss, of Yorkshire, England, and they have an in- teresting family of three daughters and one son : Jessie, Harry, Jennie Lillian and Frances. In politics Mr. Stott is a Republican and in 1909 he was elected a school director in Morris Township and has twice served as judge of elections. He is a member of Thesbian Lodge, Knights of Pythias, No. 293, Munson Station, and has passed all the chairs; and belongs also to Moshannon Lodge No. 391, F. & A. M., Philipsburg and class of 1911 Williamsport Consistory and is a Thirty-second degree Ma- son. He stands high both as a citizen and as a man. With his wife he belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church.
WILLIAM C. LANGSFORD .* county commissioner of Clearfield County, Pa., and a well known and representative citizen, is a na- tive of Great Britain, born in England. Jan. 24, 1847. His parents were William and Eliza (Oliver) Langsford, who passed their lives
in England and reared a family of five chil- dren.
William C. Langsford is a self made man. He attended school in his native land and then worked in the coal mines until 1869, when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean to America, locat- ing in Pennsylvania coal regions. He con- tinued to work in the mines until 1872 and then invested his capital in the barber business and later purchased and conducted a stationery store. Still later he went out as a traveling salesman for a tailoring house and also was in- terested in the same capacity for a piano and organ firm. He early identified himself with the Republican party and in 1908, was elected on its ticket, a member of the board of county commissioners. Prior to this, however, he served a number of years as a justice of the peace and for seventeen years was a member of the borough council. In public as in bus- iness life, Mr. Langsford has proved efficient and honorable.
Mr. Langsford married Miss Ellen Charl- ton and six children were born to them. With his family he belongs to the Episcopal church. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias.
JOHN F. ROWLES, M. D.,* physician and surgeon at Mahaffey, Pa., was born in Clear- field County, Pa., April 29. 1869, and is a son of John A. and Elinor ( Wiley) Rowles. The father was a native of Lawrence Township and the mother of Greenwood Township, Clearfield County. They were the parents of nine children, John F. being the youngest born. The father was engaged in the lumber business throughout his active life.
John F. Rowles became an orphan when but five years old. He first attended school in
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Greenwood Township and later graduated from the Bower graded school, after which he entered the Lock Haven Normal School, grad- uating from that institution in 1893. For some time afterward he taught school in Clear- field County, in the meanwhile doing prepara- tory medical reading, and in 1900 he entered the Medico-Chirurgical College, Philadelphia, where he was graduated with credit in 1904. Dr. Rowles located immediately at Mahaffey and here has built up an excellent practice and has become one of the representative citizens.
In 1906 Dr. Rowles was married to Miss Bessie Mahaffey, of Mahaffey, Pa., and they have two children, Elizabeth and John F. Dr. Rowles is a member of numerous medical or- ganizations and belongs also to Lodge No. 574, F. & A. M., at Coalport, Pa., and to Anawan Tribe, No. 361, I. O. R. M., at Mahaffey, of which latter he has not been a trustee for two years. He is not active politically, his pro- fessional responsibilities absorbing his time and attention very fully.
WESLEY DANIEL LITTLE, mine su- perintendent for W. H. Wayne & Co .. fire brick manufacturers in Decatur township, Clearfield county. Pa., resides within three miles of the place of his birth, on his farm of thirty acres, which lies in Decatur township. He was born in Boggs township, Clearfield county, Pa., January 31, 1873, and is a son of John and Anna (Smeal) Little.
John Little was born in Center County, Pa., near Bellefonte. He learned the carpenter's trade and followed it until within three years of his death, at the age of fifty-two years, and then engaged in farming. His widow sur- vives. Their children were born in Boggs Township, namely : Jennie, who is the wife of
Matthew Waldron, of Philadelphia; Wesley Daniel; Helen, who is the widow of Harry Pierce, of Philadelphia; Sadie, who also lives in Philadelphia : John, who is engaged in the ice business in Philadelphia, married Mary Thompson ; Ethel, who resides in Philadelphia ; and Sylvester, who died when aged eight years.
Wesley Daniel Little attended school until he was sixteen years of age, after which he engaged in farming in the summers and worked in the mines in the winters until he was twen- ty-two years old, at which time he accepted the position of engineer for S. B. Stine, at Os- ceola Mills. He continued there two years and then spent five years with the Clearfield Fire Brick Company. In 1902 he moved to Blue Ball, where he was engaged for two years in the boiler room and seven years later became superintendent of the same mine. His entire life has been passed in Clearfield County and he is known as a reliable man and well posted on every detail of the manufacture of fire brick. He owns property that he has secured through his industry and prudence and has a very comfortable home.
Mr. Little was married February 19, 1894, to Miss Ella Read, a daughter of John F. Read, of Glen Richey. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Little, namely : Gertrude, Wil- liam, John Dewey, Maud, Anna, Creighton, a baby. Martha and Charles. In politics Mr. Lit- tle is a Democrat. In religious faith he is in sympathy with the views of the United Breth- ren church.
ARTHUR M. DRAUCKER, who owns and conducts a blacksmith shop at Luthersburg, Clearfield County, Pa., and has 140 acres of farm land in Brady Township, farming one tract of 80 acres and devoting the other 60
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acres to pasture, and renting the buildings, also has a one-half interest in 250 acres of timber land, in partnership with a brother, P. W. Drancker. He has been a lifelong resident of Clearfield County, and is a leading citizen of Brady Township, where he was born on the old home farm, February 5, 1847. a son of Isaac and Mary ( Bloom) Draucker.
Isaac Draucker was born in Lancaster Coun- ty, Pa., and came to Clearfield with his brother, John Draucker. He located in Brady township, two and one-half miles east of Luthersburg, on the Erie turnpike road, where he conducted a hotel for many years. The old Draucker House was well known to travelers along the stage coach line. He died there in 1852, at the age of forty-five years. His widow con- tinued the business and in turn was succeeded by one of the sons, Perry W., who still lives on the place. Isaac Draucker married Mary Bloom, who was born at Curwensville, Clear- field County. Her father, William Bloom, was a pioneer in this section, which, at that time was almost a wilderness, the nearest milling point being Bellfonte. Mrs. Draucker sur- vived until 1888, dying at the age of seventy- seven years, nine months and twenty-six days. Fifteen children were born to this marriage. The children of this marriage were as follows : Sarah, who is now deceased, was the wife of John Scott, also deceased: Levie, who is de- ceased; Catherine, who is deceased, was the wife of Christian Smith, also deceased; Leah, who is the wife of Daniel Goodlander : Ellen, who is the widow of Lever Flegal ; Joseph and Porter, twins, both of whom are deceased ; Adam, who is also deceased; Hannah, who is the widow of Edward Holley; James; Eliza, who is the wife of Daniel Rodgers; and Ar-
thur M., Perry W. and Lucy, the last named being deceased.
Arthur M. Draucker spent his boyhood on the home farm and in the winter time attended one of the old-fashioned school houses, where slab benches were provided for seats and all other accommodations were primitive. He re- mained on the farm until his marriage when he purchased his shop at Luthersburg, paying $200 for the business. He had learned the trade here with its former owner, Joseph Red- ding. After his mother's death he bought her farm and has since combined farming and blacksmithing. In addition to his interests mentioned, for the past thirty-five years he has also been an auctioneer and in this capacity is favorably known all through this section. Mr. Draucker has frequently been elected to im- portant township offices, serving three years as constable, fifteen years as tax collector, six years as assessor and also as a member of the election board.
On May 7, 1868, Mr. Draucker was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Breon, who was born at Luthersburg, a daughter of Michael Breon, who was born in Lycoming County in 1819, and is the oldest resident of Brady Township. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Draucker have been as follows: Lillian, who is the wife of Wm. Gillern; Lucy, who is the wife of Harry C. Shay, Lillian and Lucy being twins; Anna, who is the wife of Harry Carlisle; Effie, who was the wife of Jesse Lines and died May 14, I911, aged 39 years, one month and 25 days ; Hattie, who is the wife of Dr. T. E. Farrell ; Madge; Ruth, who is the wife of James B. Kirk, Jr .; Pearl; and Levi, who married Maude Shaffer. Mr. Draucker and family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
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In politics he is a Democrat. He belongs to the K. of P., at New Salem.
HON. JESSE RICHNER, burgess of Irvona, Pa., is a prominent citizen and repre- sentative business man of this flourishing bor- ough, and has spent the greater part of his life connected with coal mining and is now super- intendent of a local mine. He was born July 7, 1880, near Philipsburg, Pa., and is a son of Jacob and Sarah (Knough) Richner.
Jacob Richner and wife were born in Ger- inany and both were brought to the United States when young and grew to maturity and married in Clearfield county, Pa. Jacob Rich- ner served as a soldier in the Federal army during the Civil war and was several times wounded. He owned a farm and also was interested in lumbering. His death occurred when he was about sixty years of age. His widow survives and is now in her seventy- sixth year. Their children were as follows: Philip, who resides at Clearfield, is a barber by trade; Mary, who is the wife of Frank Westburn, residing in Morrisdale; Maggie, who is the wife of Thomas Haynes, of Deca- tur township ; George, who is a clerk in a store at Osceola; Ida, who is the wife of Fred Baughman, residing on a farm near Turkey Hill; Alice, who is the wife of John Cornell, of Jeffries; David, who is mine foreman at the Burley Clay Works; Jesse; and Amanda, who is the wife of Joseph Kline, of Happy Valley.
has been his main business and no one better understands mining and the conditions sur- rounding the lives of miners than does Bur- gess Richner. He is a very level-headed man and when he was elected burgess of Irvona, on the Republican ticket, in February, 1909, he was acceptable to all his fellow citizens and his administration has brought about excel- lent conditions in the borough.
Mr. Richner was married May 15, 1901, to Miss Millie Potts, a daughter of Walter and Mittie Potts, residents of Irvona. They have two children, Ethel Icie and Flora. He owns his comfortable home at Irvona and has ac- quired property through his industry and pru- dence. He belongs to tlie Patriotic Sons of America, at Rosebud, and to the Knights of the Mystic Chain.
JESSE BUTERBAUGH,* merchant, a representative business man of Burnside Town- ship, who has been established on his present corner, near East Ridge, since 1908, was born August 21, 1865, in Indiana County, Pa. His parents were George M. and Mary (Zigler) Buterbauglı.
George M. Buterbaugh was born in Indiana County, where lie still lives, being now in his eightieth year. His father was William Buter- baugh, of German ancestry ; George M. Buter- baugh married Mary Zigler, who died at the age of fifty-three years. They had the fol- lowing children: Milligan, who is a farmer in Indiana County: Alexander, who is a woodsman in West Virginia: Jesse; Grant, who is a merchant in Somerset County ; Daniel, who is in partnership with his next older brother; Rebecca, who is the wife of A. Pitt- man, a farmer in Green Township, Indiana
Jesse Richiner attended school more or less regularly until he was seventeen years of age, first at Laurel Run and later at Irvona. He then engaged in teaming and afterward went into the mines and for fourteen of the seven- teen years of his residence at Irvona, mining County; Susanna, who is the wife of John
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Edmonson, of West Virginia; and Ida, who is the wife of O. Hall, of Indiana County.
Jesse Buterbaugh attended school more or less regularly until he was fifteen years of age and for three years afterward worked on farms and then worked by the day for about six years, accumulating in this way capital with which he started into a livery business at Cherry Tree, where he continued for three years. After selling that business he was in- terested in lumber for one year, then spent one year in the hotel business in Cambria Coun- ty and later went into the restaurant business at Cherry Tree. Since then Mr. Buterbaugh has been in the general mercantile line at his present location.
Mr. Buterbaugh married Miss Ella Young- ling, who was born in 1863, in Burnside Town- ship, a daughter of Jacob and Miranda (King) Youngling, and they have had the following children: Mary, who is the wife of William Caldwell, of Indiana County, and they have one chld, Hale, who is employed by the Penn- sylvania Railroad Company ; and Ethel, Freda, Genevieve, Geraldine and Jesse. Mr. Buter- baugh is a Republican and always casts his vote as a proof of good citizenship but he has never been willing to accept any office. He belongs to several fraternal organizations.
MARTIN RUSNAK, proprietor of the Em- pire Hotel, at Hawk Run, Morris Township, Clearfield County, Pa., was born November II. 1869, in Austria, and is a son of Steve and Elizabeth Rusnak. The mother died in Aus- tria and the father then came to America but subsequently returned to his native land and still survives, being now in his ninetieth year.
Martin Rusnak had some educational advan- tages before coming to the United States when
fourteen years of age. He first found work in the mines at Snow Shoe, in Center County, Pa., and afterward at the Morrisdale mines in Morris Township, Clearfield County. He was then seventeen years of age and he worked in the mines there for seventeen years, and was a miner twenty-six years in all. He followed that dangerous calling through all this period without accident but for the past two years has lived a safer and easier life. He took charge of the Empire Hotel at Hawk Run, which had been destroyed by fire in 1909. He rebuilt, putting up a modern brick structure, four sto- ries high, and has twenty-three well furnished rooms for the use of the traveling public. This house in its management, appearance and equipments would be creditable to a much larger place than Hawk Run and Mr. Rusnak is a popular host.
Mr. Rusnak was married in 1890, to Miss Bertha Striks, of Snow Shoe, and they have a large and happy family of thirteen children, all of whom survive: Mary, Martin, John, Steve, Joseph, Mike, Paul. Ludwig, Luke, Elizabeth, Annie, Bertha and Susie. The eldest daughter is the wife of George Veras of Hawk Run. Mr. Rusnak and family are members of the Roman Catholic church. In politics he is a Democrat.
JOSEPH HULL CHAPMAN,* a well known farmer of Burnside township, a son of James and Sarah Ann ( Mitchell) Chapman. The father, James Chapman, came to this township at the age of twenty years, or about 1868, settling near the Albright Harmony church, on what is now the old Chapman home- stead. He followed the occupation of lumber- ing, and died in 1910 at the age of 62 years. He was a son of John and Sarah (Cary ) Chap-
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man, of Indiana county, the former of whom died in 1848. Mrs. James Chapman died March 6, 1906, at the age of sixty-seven. She was the daughter of Joseph and Mary ( Fuller ) Mitchell. She and her husband were the par- ents of a large family, of whom those now liv- ing are as follows: Maud, who resides at home; Mary, wife of John Hippe, of New Washington ; Joseph H., subject of this sketch ; Nellie, wife of S. S. Young, of New Wash- ington; Grace, a teacher, residing at home; Smith, who resides in Burnside township; Margaret, a teacher residing at home : Jessie, wife of Ray Patchin: Daisy and Trudell, both of whom are engaged in teaching.
Joseph Hull Chapman, after the usual pe- riod of school attendance, was variously em- ployed until attaining his majority. In 1901 he bought the parental homestead and has since carried on farming and lumbering here in this vicinity and further south with gratifying suc- cess. Mr. Chapman is a Democrat politically but is not politically active. He is a member of the lodge of Red Men at Patchinville. He is recognized by all as a reliable and industri- ous citizen.
Mr. Chapman was married June 11, 1899, to Stella Young, who was born June 18, 1881, a daughter of T. J. and Alsontia ( McKee) Young of Burnside township. Mrs. Chap- man's parents are both living, Mr. Young being now 54 years of age and his wife forty-eight. The children of our subject and wife are as follows: James C., now aged twelve; Sylvia, aged nine: Thomas Eugene, eight; and Sarah Belle, eight. Mrs. Chapman is a member of Harmony church. Her brothers and sisters now living, are: Stanley; Nora, wife of M. Wagoner, of Pittsburg; Aincall, residing in Pittsburg: Sally, wife of Harry Riddle; Wil-
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