USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 108
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-nine daughters and two sons. Mrs. Shep- herd's paternal grandfather, Henry Breth, died in his native Germany at the remarkable age of 106 years.
Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Shepherd began housekeeping at Patchinsville, where, as already indicated, they lived for five years, afterwards moving to the present homestead, the only building then standing being an old log barn, the land consisting of about 100 acres. Mrs. Elizabeth Shepherd died July 25, 1875. Her living children, in addition to the subject of this sketch, are Esther, wife of J. Mahood, resid- ing in Missouri; Anna, wife of J. McKee, a farmer; Crissie E., wife of C. Sebring; Ben- jamin, who is engaged in farming in Burn- side township; and McClellan, who is a farmer in Arkansas.
After the death of his first wife, Elizabeth, Frederick Shepherd married, May 25, 1876, Mary Irwin (nee McCullough), sister of Nathaniel Shepherd's wife's mother.
Nathaniel H. Shepherd worked for his father until reaching the age of twenty-one years, at which time he married and bought a farm at Glen Campbell. This he sold at the time of his father's death and returned to the homestead, where he has since resided, being engaged in general agriculture. A good prac- tical farmer, he has been successful in his operations and is now one of the substantial citizens of his township. Mr. Shepherd is a Democrat in politics and has served ten years on the local school board, also two terms as auditor. He is a member of the Evangelical church.
He was married in 1874 to Margaret J. Mckay, who was born in Indiana county, Pa .. August 27. 1852, a daughter of John and
Nancy (Mccullough) Mckay. Her father died December 8, 1875. He was a son of Neil Mckay, born in county Derry, Ireland, who died in 1840. Neil's wife was in maidenhood Jane Shields. Coming to America after his father's death, John McKay resided in New York for two years and later in Philadelphia, finally settling in Clearfield county, in 1845, where the rest of his life was spent. The land which he cleared and on which he built a small cabin, is now one of the most valuable coal fields in Pennsylvania.
Nancy Mccullough, Mrs. Shepherd's mother, was born in Indiana county, August 23, 1827, a daughter of John and Margaret (Sharp) McCullough. Her father was born in Indiana county, Pa .. July 15. 1775, and died at the age of eighty-seven years. His wife died May 10, 1863, at the age of seventy- three. She was a daughter of Captain An- drew Sharp, who served in the War of 1812, and who was later shot by the Indians in the vicinity of Pittsburg. At the same time, by way of amusement, they shot a pipe from his wife's mouth, which they compelled her to hold while they showed their marksmanship. Sharpsburg, Pa., was named after Capt. An- drew Sharp, he having received by grant for his military service several thousand acres of land near Pittsburg. The maiden name of his wife was Ann Wood. She was of Scotch descent, her parents settling at an early day in Cumberland county, Pa.
Mrs. Shepherd's great-great-grandfather Sharp married a Rutherford, and died in 1817; his wife died at the age of 103 years, a truly venerable old lady.
Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd were the parents of four children, namely : Edith, residing at home with her father; Pearl, wife of D. G. Plouse.
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a contractor living in Cambria county, they to his present homestead, which he had previ- having five children; Warren E., who married Blanche Rarick, and resides at Westover, har- ing three children; and Clyde, residing at home.
JAMES C. OWENS, a prosperous farmer of Burnside township, was born on the old Owens homestead in this township, January 11, 1841, son of William and Hannah ( Wag- ner) Owens. His paternal grandfather was Robert Owens, who was born May 28, 1787, and who married Margaret Carns. Robert Owens came to Burnside township in 1836, set- tling near Patchin, where he engaged in lun- bering and rafting on the Susquehanna river. His wife, Margaret, died in 1871.
William Owens, father of our subject, was born November 9, 1815, in a Pennsylvania town near the New Jersey line, and he was twenty-one years of age when he accompa- nied his parents to Clearfield county. He was associated industrially with his father and also engaged in farming, buying the present Owens homestead, which he cleared. Later he purchased an additional farm, and was en- gaged in lumbering and agriculture for the rest of his life, which closed in January, 1903. He married Hannah Wagner, who was born in Center county, Pa., April 19. 1819, the daughter of well known and respected resi- dents of that county. Her mother, Mrs. Jane Wagner, who was born in 1784. died October 21, 1853. The subject of this sketch is the only one of their children now surviving.
James C. Owens, after attending school for a time, was engaged in farming on the par- ental homestead until reaching the age of twenty-four years. He then operated a farm of his own until 190.4. subsequently removing
ously owned. He has been successful in his operations and is now one of the substantial citizens of his township. He is a member of Harmony Grange, No. 1201, and takes an active interest in whatever is calculated to ad- vance the welfare of the community. In pol- itics a Republican, he has served as a member of the school board for the last twelve years. being president of the board for one term. Mr. Owens is a Civil war veteran, having en- listed in Company E, 172d Pa. Vol. Infantry, for nine months, his regiment forming a part of Gen. Howard's command, Army of the Potomac, after the Battle of Gettysburg. He is a member of the old G. A. R. post at West- over, Pa.
Mr. Owens married Sarah Fulton, a daugh- ter of Simon and Elizabeth ( Young) Fulton. Of this marriage there have been five children, as follows: Elizabeth, is the wife of S. Brickley of Westover, and the mother of nine children. Her daughter, Iva, married Fred Kitchen, and has two children. William A. married Letta Kitchen and resides in Kansas. He has a family of nine children. Rosa J. is the wife of L. Kepler, a machinist residing on the Owens homestead and has three children. Rebecca, is the wife of Charles Litchfield and lives in Kansas. She has four children. Har- vey married Ora Jane Fyock, who is associated in the farming industry with our subject. He and his wife have three children. Thus it will be seen that Mr. Owens has no less than twen- ty-eight grandchildren, besides two great- grandchildren, showing that he and his family have no need of Mr. Roosevelt's warning to beware of race suicide. Mrs. Sarah Owens, the mother of the above mentioned children, died in 1905 at the age of fifty-nine years. She
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was a good wife and mother and highly re- spected throughout the community.
RUSH NORMAN HOSLER, a progres- sive young business man and representative citizen of Morris township, has been chief en- gineer for the Morrisdale Coal Company, at the Morrisdale Mines, Clearfield county, Pa., for the past nine years. He was born in Fish- ing Creek, Columbia county, Pa., August 8, 1874, and is a son of White N. and Mary Ellen (Dreisbach) Hosler.
The parents of Mr. Hosler were both na- tives of Columbia county, where the father was born April 18, 1843, and the mother, July 6, in the same year. White N. Hosler served more than three years as a soldier in the Civil war and was a member of the 143rd Pa. Vol. Inf. This regiment lost heavily and Mr. Hos- ler was transferred from one company to an- other and received his honorable discharge from Company I, after the battle of the Wil- derness, in which he lost his good right arm. He took part in many notable engagements, including Gettysburg. After he left the ser- vice he attended a school for wounded sol- diers, at Philadelphia, and afterward taught school, both before and after marriage, and later was engaged in the mercantile business for a number of years. His death occurred September 8, 1901.
In 1867 White N. Hosler was married to Ellen Dreisbach, and one daughter and three sons were born to them, namely: Annie E., who lives with her mother in Columbia county : William C., who is a chemist, lives at Benton, Columbia county, and married Emma Hart- man; Rush Norman: and Frank Kent, the youngest, who is chief inspector for the Stan- dard Steel Car Company, at Hammond, Ind., and married Maud Morton, of Erie, Pa.
Rush Norman Hosler was educated in the Jonestown public schools, New Columbus Academy, in Luzerne county, and the State Normal School at Bloomsburg, graduating from this institution in 1896. For about eighteen months he was engaged in Y. M. C. A. work and then started with a railroad en- gineering corps, working on the proposed line of the Independent Anthracite Coal operators and remaining with that body of hard work- ers through one summer. He then became connected with the Lehigh & Wilkesbarre Coal Company in the engineering department, and continued until the spring of 1900. Mr. Hosler then went to the West and located as an engineer at Alderson, in what was then Indian Territory, where he was employed by the McAllister Coal Company and remained one year, becoming then chief engineer for the Wilberton Coal Mining Company at Wil- berton, Indian Territory, where he remained until July 1, 1902, when he accepted his pres- ent responsible position.
Mr. Hosler was married September 19, 1901, to Miss Margaret McGhee, of Auden- ried, a daughter of John E. and Hannah Mc- Ghee. John E. McGhee was master mechanic for the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre Coal Com- pany. Mrs. Hosler was reared and educated in Carbon county and for several years prior to her marriage was a successful teacher. Mr. and Mrs. Hosler have one son, Norman White, who was born April 1, 1905. Mr. Hosler is a member of Philipsburg Lodge, No. 391, F. & A. M .; Williamsport Consis- tory; Clearfield Chapter and Jaffa Temple of the Mystic Shrine, at Altoona. He belongs also to the Coal Mining Institute of America and to the Western Pennsylvania Engineering Society at Pittsburg. In politics he has al- ways been a firm Republican and is serving as
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supervisor of Morris township, having been elected on a cash tax basis. He served as president of the Supervisors Association of Clearfield county. With his wife he belongs to the Presbyterian church at Philipsburg, in which he is an elder.
JAMES LAWRENCE MCGONIGAL. Probably no man in Karthaus township is better or more favorably known than is James Lawrence McGonigal, land owner, coal op- erator, capitalist and sportsman, who during a residence of about twenty years in Clearfield county has made his influence and personality felt in various lines of endeavor. Mr. Mc- Gonigal was born in West Keating township, Clinton county, Pa., June 30, 1862, a son of John and Sarah (Conaway) McGonigal.
Hugh McGonigal, the grandfather of James L., was born in county Donegal, north of Ireland, and came to America in the early part of the nineteenth century, locating at Center Furnace, in Center county, Pa. At this place John McGonigal was born, and dur- ing his schooldays was a playmate of Judge Orvis. In early manhood he engaged in lum- bering and moved from Center Furnace to Snow Shoe, and thence to West Keating town- ship, Clinton county, owning the present site of the MeGonigal Rod and Gun Club. He died January 26, 1888, at the age of seventy- one years, and was buried in Ganoe cemetery, in Clinton county, where the mother of James L. MeGonigal was buried later, her death hav- ing occurred October 17, 1892. Mrs. McGon- igal was the daughter of George Conaway, an early settler of Karthaus township, and a member of an old and honored family. Mr. and Mrs. McGonigal had the following chil- dren: Daniel, deceased, who lived in Kar-
thaus township; Hugh G., who is living in West Clearfield; William R., deceased, who lived in Karthaus township; Annie C., who married Daniel T. Moore of this township; James Lawrence ; Bartley C., who died at Cat- aract ; George B., who resides at Johnsonburg, Elk county; John T., residing in Clearfield; Joseph O., who lives on the Ed McGarvey farm; Permilla Jane, who married A. B. Salts- man of Johnsonburg; Miles Alexander, who lives at Erie, Pa .; and Sarah Belle, who died when three months old.
James Lawrence McGonigal attended the schools of West Keating township, and ever since attaining manhood he has engaged in lumbering, farming and coal operating. He came to Clearfield county in 1892, and for the past twelve years has been operating at Pot- tersdale. Besides the 100-acre farm on which he has resided since coming to the county, he owns another of 125 acres in Karthaus town- ship, a farm of fifty acres of cleared land in Clinton county, about 450 acres in the New Garden coal basin and 181 acres in Clinton county which are the premises of the McGon- igal Rod and Gun Club, a pleasure organiza- tion started by Mr. McGonigal in 1910, and of which he is the president. Mr. McGonigal is a stockholder of the County National and Farmers and Traders Banks of Clearfield.
On August 27, 1893, Mr. McGonigal was married to Annie C. Rauch, who was born in Karthaus township, a daughter of J. W. Rauch, and to this union there have been born the following children: George E., Ira Wil- son, Stella Permilla. Jessie Alda, Mary Emaline and E. Belle.
Mr. McGonigal is a Democrat in politics, and for nine years he served Karthaus town- ship as road supervisor. Fraternally he is
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connected with Renova Lodge, No. 595, I. O. O. F., of which he has been a member for fif- teen years; the Order of Elks, No. 540, of Clearfield; the P. O. S. of A. Lodge, No. 136, of Sinnamahoning, Pa., and the Order of Moose, No. 190, at Lock Haven. He has al- ways shown himself ready to assist in for- warding those movements which have for their object the betterment of his community and his popularity is shown by his many warm friends and numberless acquaintances.
GILBERT JACOBSON, assistant electri- cian for the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Con- pany, at Winburne, Pa., was born at Fall- brook, Tioga county, Pa., June 18, 1884, son of Claus and Mary (Alm) Jacobson. The parents are now residents of Winburne, the father being aged sixty-six years and his wife, the mother of our subject, being in her sixty- first year. They were both born in Sweden and came to America in April 1879, settling at Fallbrook, Tioga county, Pa. Claus Ja- cobson worked in the mines for a short time but after the first year found outside employ- ment. They lived for twenty-three years in Fallbrook and one year in Antrim, in the same county, whence they came to Winburne in the fall of 1900. Their children were as follows : Theodore, who married Ellen Strand and has two children, Donald and Oscar; Gustaf, re- siding at home with his parents, who works for the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Company (is unmarried) : Arthur, unmarried, also an employe of the company above mentioned ; Alma, unmarried, residing with her parents, and Gilbert.
Gilbert Jacobson attended the public schools of Fallbrook, in which place he resided for fifteen years. At the age of thirteen he be-
came a trapper in the mines and was thus em- ployed for one year, after which for a year and a half he held a position as driver. He then moved to Antrim, where he entered the mine as a miner, which he followed for six months. He then became a machine helper in the mines, having charge of a machine. Com- ing to Winburne in the fall of 1900, he en- tered the mines of the Beech Creek Coal and Coke Company (now the Pennsylvania Coal and Coke Company), and spent six years therein occupying various positions. In No- vember, 1906, he entered the shops of the same company as electrician's helper, which position he still holds. He is a practical man in his line and is a valuable citizen.
Mr. Jacobson married Miss Jennie Lim- berg, a daughter of Louis Limberg and Ma- tilda Limberg, of Lanse. Mrs. Jacobson's father has charge of the Winburne Water Company's repairing. Mrs. Jacobson was born at Williamsport, Lycoming county, Pa., and removed when young to Lanse, Clearfield county. She has two brothers, Albin and Frank Limberg. Of the marriage of our sub- ject and his wife, which took place June 5, 1909, one son was born, Lewis Gilbert. Mr. Jacobson is a member of the Presbyterian church of Winburne. He is a Republican in politics and belongs to Lodge No. 61, I. O. O. F.
WILLIAM BERNARD STEINKERCH- NER, proprietor of the hotel at Peale, Cooper township, this county, was born Feb- ruary 12. 1887, on the parental farm at Cooper (P. O. Drifting), a son of Joseph C. and Elizabeth ( Ollinger) Steinkerchner. His grandparents were George and Cora (Sunda- man) Steinkerchner, natives of Germany, the
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
former being a shoemaker by trade, who, Bellefonte and to the B. P. O. E. of Philips- however, after coming to America, was en- burg. Mr. Steinkerchner married Miss Mar- garet Gleason, a daughter of Thomas and Mary Gleason of Snow Shoe, Pa., the mar- riage taking place December 1, 1908. They have one daughter. Genevieve, aged two years. In addition to carrying on the hotel business, Mr. Steinkerchner is a dealer in live stock. He has been all his life a resident of Cooper town- ship and is popular wherever known. He suf- fered a severe loss by the burning of his hotel, but is not the sort of man to let such an event discourage him, and his energy and persever- ance are meeting with due reward.
gaged in mining at Bellefonte, Pa., for some time. Later he engaged in farming in Cooper township, this being about 1855, when the place was practically wild land, no timber hav- ing been cut. Here he developed a good farm, building also a neat residence. He died about 1893 at the age of seventy-four years, and his wife in 1877 at the age of sixty-two. They were Catholics in religion. Of their four chil- dren two died in infancy, the living being Jo- seph C., the father of our subject ; and Cath- erine, wife of William McGowan of Clear- field.
Josephi C. Steinkerchner aided his father to clear the farm and later became its owner by purchase. He built the present residence in 1894 and about 1898 built a fine barn 45 x 65 feet, besides carrying on agriculture he has been engaged in mercantile business for the last six years, and is postmaster at Drifting. He was married in 1877 to Elizabeth Ollinger, of Pine Glen, Pa., a daughter of John and Mary Ollinger, of which union there were eight children.
JOSEPH C. STEINKERCHINER, one of the most successful farmers in Clearfield county and one of the county's best known citizens, is also postmaster at Drifting, this county, his property being located in this (Cooper) township. He was born January 31, 1849, son of George and Cora (Sunda- man) Steinkerchner. The parents of our sub- ject were born in Germany, the father coming to America when a young man, the mother being eight years younger. After coming to America George Steinkerchner was engaged at shoemaking at Bellefonte, Center county. Pa., he was a shoemaker by trade. He and his brother purchased a farm three miles from the present farm of our subject in Cooper town- ship, it being the first one he purchased. The latter was born at Millsburg, Center County, settling on this place in 1855, at which time not a tree or bush had been cut on it. He first built a small shanty, which he afterwards replaced by a neat four-room, two-story residence. This house is still standing. His farm con- sisted of 114 acres. He had several brothers,
William B. Steinkerchner was educated in the local schools, working in the intervals on the farm of his parents, which also included a fine orchard. He was graduated at Williams- port Commercial College in 1908. He continued agricultural pursuits up to the age of twenty- one years and during the winter of 1906-7 he worked on the Pennsylvania Railroad. In June, 1909, he purchased the Peale Hotel from Wilbur Holt and has conducted it successfully to the present time, making a genial and pop- ular landlord. He is a communicant of St. Severine's R. C. church and in politics is a Democrat. He belongs to the K. of C. at one of whom died at Milesburg the year they
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moved to this place. George Steinkerehner died about 1892 in his seventy-fifth year. His wife died in 1877 at the age of sixty-two. They were the parents of four children, two of whom died in infancy, the subject of this sketch being the oldest survivor. The other is Catharine, wife of William McGowan, of Clearfield. The father was a Democrat in politics and a communicant of St. Severine's R. C. church. Both parents are buried in the Catholic cemetery.
Joseph C. Steinkerchner in his boyhood days attended a log school house two and a half miles from where he now resides. He aided his father in clearing the farm and later be- came its owner by purchase. The present house he erected in 1892, and about 1898 he built a fine barn 45 x 65 feet. For the past six years he has been engaged in mercantile business and has been postmaster at Drifting for two years, his daughter Cora, and later his son John, having been previously in charge of the postoffice.
Mr. Steinkerchner was married in the Catholic church in Cooper township, August 21, 1879, to Miss Elizabeth Ollinger, of Pine Glen, Center county, Pa. Her parents were John and Mary Ollinger, the former of whom died about sixteen years ago. Of this union there have been children as follows: Cora. wife of Clement Coudriet, of St. Marys, and the mother of four children ; John, of Philips- burg, who worked for three years in the brew- ery there, and who married Miss Catharine Beezer. of Bellefonte, Center county, and has two children, a son and daughter ; Mary resid- ing in Buffalo, N. Y .; Agnes, residing at home, who looks after the store and postoffice ; Austin, who died at the age of six months : William B., who married Margaret Gleason of
Snow Shoe, Center, and who conducts a hotel at Peale, Clearfield county, and has one child living ; Nora, who is single and resides in Buf- falo, N. Y .; Lucy and Simon, unmarried and residing at home.
Mr. Steinkerchner has a fine orchard, he himself having set out about one-half of the trees, the others having been planted by his father. His farm is in an excellent state of cultivation and is highly productive, being provided also with substantial and commodi- ous buildings. Formerly for a time he was in the lumber business. He has seen many changes and improvements since his early days, in the county, since his father used to take hides to the tannery at the old Gillen Mill at Gillentown, Center county, to get leather, of which he made boots and shoes, and carried grain to market to the same place on his shoul- ders. He has kept pace with the times, has availed himself of all modern improvements in the methods of agriculture, and his efforts have been rewarded by a gratifying degree of pros- perity. He is one of the substantial citizens of his town and a man highly esteemed by his neighbors for his personal characteristics.
H. B. CLARY,* postmaster at Grampian. Pa., and engaged in business as a painter and paperhanger, was born in Bloom township, Clearfield county, Pa., September 29, 1870, and is a son of John and a grandson of Rev. James Clary.
John Clary was born in 1842, in Mercer county, Pa., and when twenty years of age came to Clearfield county, accompanying his parents. His father was Rev. James Clary, who came to Penn township to preach the Baptist faith. When the Civil war broke out, John Clary enlisted for service in the 105th
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Pa. Vol. Inf., known as the Wildcat regiment, much public spirit and enterprise both in the and he was honorably discharged near Peters- manner of conducting the public office as well as in the management of his own affairs. He now has two rural mail routes established and the entire business of the office is carried on rapidly and efficiently. In politics he is a Re- publican and he is a member of the borough council and is also borough auditor. burg, Va., August 27, 1864. He came home but never fully recovered from the injuries he had received, having been wounded thrice at the battle of Gettysburg and once at the battle of the Wilderness. He survived until 1876, Thanksgiving Day in that year being the day of his burial. He married Mary Ellen Hep- In May, 1900, Mr. Clary was married to Miss Christiana Enzbranner, who was born in Blair county, Pa., December 23, 1876, a daughter of Peter and Margaret Enzbranner, natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Clary have two children, Jean Margaret and Frank Harris. The grandmother of Mr. Clary, Su- san Bigler, was a sister of Hon. William D. Bigler, once governor of Pennsylvania. burn, in Bloom township, who was born in Greenwood township, a daughter of John Hepburn, and she resides at Bell Landing, Pa. He was a member of the Baptist church. In national affairs he was a Republican but in local matters voted with the Democrats. He served as a school director and as a justice of the peace in Bloom township. While develop- ing a farm and improving it, in Bloom town- ship, he was also interested in lumbering. He had four children: Edgar Early, H. B., Kearney Patton (deceased) and Alice Blanche, who lives at Covington, Ky.
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