Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 94

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 94

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).

The subject of this sketch spent his early life on the paternal farm, and got what school- ing he could at the public schools. In the meantime he worked at farming and lumber- ing. He early showed his ambition for the best things of life by attending night school, and, after a hard day's labor in the woods, would walk to the little school house, and pa- tiently endeavor to acquire an education.

In 1893, when he was twenty-five years old, having saved some capital, he engaged in the mercantile business at West Houtzdale. After two years and a half, he started in the insur- ance business, in which he has been very suc- cessful. For two years he continued at Houtz- dale, but in 1897 moved to Clearfield, and be- came a partner in the well known firm of Biddle & Helmbold, which afterwards became Helm- bold & Stewart, with a very large business in fire, life, accident and liability insurance. Mr. Stewart has travelled extensively in this bus- iness, and has met with great success in writ- ing large lines of insurance. He has a wide acquaintance throughout Clearfield County, and is everywhere well and favorably known. He enjoys the confidence of the people, and is a man whom all respect and esteem.

Mr. Stewart has always been interested in

public affairs, and for that reason has been an active politician in the best sense of that term. He has filled many offices. He was elected inspector in 1892 and then judge of election of Bigler township in 1893. He was for years a member of the Republican Vigi- lance Committee of Bigler township and after- wards of Woodward Township. He served as school director of Clearfield Borough for six years. In 1905 he was elected treasurer of Clearfield county, an office of great respon- sibility, and filled it with the commendation of all. In- 1908 he was chosen chairman of the Republican County Committee, and managed the campaign of that year with signal success.

In church affairs Mr. Stewart has always been active, and an earnest and liberal sup- porter of religious institutions. He and his family for ten years devotedly labored to build up and support the Eleventh Street M. E. Church in Clearfield, and is is largely owing to their constant efforts that that church has been able to erect its beautiful buildings and to extend its usefulness.

Mr. Stewart is an enthusiastic member of a number of fraternal orders, and has taken an active part in them. He belongs to Clearfield Lodge, No. 314, F. and A. M., and is a Past Master of the lodge. He is a member of Clear- field Chapter, Moshannon Commandery, Knights Templar, No. 90, of Philipsburg, Pa., the Consistory of Williamsport, Pa., and of Jaffa Temple at Altoona, Pa. Mr. Stewart is an Odd Fellow, and a member of Clearfield Lodge No. 198, and of Clearfield Encamp- ment. He also belongs to Washington Camp. No. 591, P. O. S. of A., of Clearfield.

Mr. Stewart was married on August 28, 1889, to Miss Laura O. Patterson, daughter of Peter Patterson, of Jordan township, Clear-

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

field County, and they are the parents of eight children: Wade I., born Nov. 23. 1890: now a student at the Western College of Pharmacy ; J. Linn, born April 18, 1892; Blanche R., born February 15, 1894: B. Franklin, born Decem- ber 22, 1895; W. Howard, born January 20. 1898; Grace M., born January 23, 1900; Fran- ces M., born October 24. 1902, and Elizabeth E .. born January 24. 1906. Mr. Stewart and his family occupy a handsome house in Clear- field, which is the centre of a happy, Christian home, in which this large band of children are being reared with the benefit of the best influ- ences, and educated to make the best type of men and women.

ROBERT M. SHOFF, who owns a valua- ble farm of 105 acres, richly underlaid with coal and situated in Bigler Township, Clear- field County. Pa., was born on this farm, in an old log house then standing, and is a son of Samuel and Jane (Haggerty) Shoff.

Samuel Shoff was born in Clinton County, Pa .. a son of Christopher Shoff, who was a native of Germany. The former was a farmer all his life. He was a Democrat in politics. His wife, Jane Haggerty, who was born in Clearfield County, was a member of the Pres- byterian church. They reared a large family, namely: Sarah, who is now deceased (was the wife of George Stitt): Elizabeth, who is de- ceased : Christopher C .; Susanna, who is the wife of Asa Byers; Rebecca, who is the wife of Bigler Dunlap; Isabella, who is the wife of Josiah Lamburn; Robert M .; Abraham C .: James; and Hannah, who is the widow of James Stitt.

Robert M. Shoff has devoted himself to farming and looking after his coal interests ever since he left school and went into busi-

ness. For five years coal has been taken out from under the surface of his farm and still the vein has not been exhausted. He carries on general farming and raises stock for his own use.

On April 4, 1878. Mr. Shoff was married to Miss Hannah Dewitt, a daughter of George and Rachel (Bloom) Dewitt, the former of whom was born in the State of New York, and the latter in Clearfield County. Mrs. Shoff was the first born of their children, the others being: William, Amos, Dorsey, Catherine and Fredora (wife of Nelson Raniker) ; Lewis, Wallace and Edward; and May, who is the wife of George Whitten. Nine children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Shoff, as follows: Jane, who is the wife of William S. Moore; May, who is the wife of Milton Shaffer; and Samuel, Clyde, Cam W., Myrtle, Everett, Nellie and Thomas Jefferson. Mr. Shoff and family attend the Presbyterian church. He has been an active citizen in his township and has served very acceptably as school director and road superintendent. Since 1873 he has been identified with Glen Hope Lodge, No. 669. Odd Fellows.

HENRY HOOVER, one of Clearfield County's prominent and successful agricult- urists, who is carrying on extensive operations in Cooper (formerly Morris) Township, is a member of an old and honored family, and was born in what was known as Hoover Set- tlement, Hickory Bottom, February 18, 1845, a son of Jeremiah and Catherine (Beam) Hoover, and a grandson of John Hoover.

John Hoover was an early settler at what is now Allport, Pa., and there he spent his life engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was the father of seven children, as follows : Sarah.

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who married Joseph Rubly and moved to Kar- thaus Hill, where her death occurred; Hannah, who married William Shippee and for many years lived at Wallaceton where she died, burial being made at Allport (after her death Mr. Shippee removed to Illinois) ; Mrs. James Potter, deceased, who for many years lived only one and one-half miles from the home of Henry Hoover; John, who was a lifelong ag- riculturist of Cooper Township; Samuel, who owned a farm adjoining the old homestead ; and George and Jeremiah, who purchased the home farm from their father's estate. The maternal grandfather of Henry Hoover, Hen- ry Beam, was one of the early settlers of Clearfield County, whence he came from Dau- phin county.

Jeremiah Hoover, the father of Henry, spent his life on the old home farm, and was not only successful in agricultural ventures but became a prominent man in public affairs, serving as supervisor and member of the school board for many years. He died about 1888, his wife having passed away ten years prior to that time, and they were the parents of the following children: William, who was a pri- vate in Captain Mccullough's company of the famous Bucktails, the 45th Reg., Pa. Vols., and he died in 1867 at Lockhaven, of sickness contracted during the war; Wilson, who is engaged in farming one mile from the place of his birth, and who married Miss Harriet Din- gie ; Gilbert, who married Miss Marjorie Zim- merman, who is now deceased, and is farming one-half mile from the old home; Henry ; Margaret, deceased, who was the wife of Aaron Kyler; John, who married Miss Alice Dingie and is now living on the old home- stead; Sarah, who married a Mr. Murray and resides in the State of Washington; George,

who married a Miss Emerick, now deceased, and lives in Karthaus; Matilda, who married Henry Moyer, of Washington; and two chil- dren who died in infancy.

Henry Hoover attended school in the Hoover Settlement until he was eighteen years of age and one session in Curwensville under Superintendent George Snyder and during the following year, 1868, he took a normal course at Clearfield. He was engaged in farming with his father up to the time he was twenty- seven years of age, at which time he was mar- ried and moved to his present property, a tract of II0 acres, of which about seventy acres are under cultivation. When he located on this property, all that it boasted in the way of buildings was an old log barn and part of a house, but Mr. Hoover soon erected new build- ings, completed the house, set out orchards, fenced his property well, and made such im- provement on the place that he is now con- sidered to be the model farmer of the township. He has been very successful in his operations and is rated among the solid, substantial citi- zens of his community. This property is un- derlaid with coal, and it has been leased by Mr. Hoover to the Clearfield Bituminous Coal Cor- poration.

In 1872 Mr. Hoover was married to Miss Miriem Zimmerman, who was born in Center County, Pa., daughter of William and Sarah (Strausser) Zimmerman, who came from Snyder County. Mr. Zimmerman, who was a carpenter by trade, liad lived for some years in Clearfield County, but his death took place in Center County, while his widow makes her home with Mr. Hoover. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hoover: William, a fireman and engineer on the New York Cen- tral Railway, who married Millie Taylor,

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

daugliter of Latimer Taylor of Kylertown, and has had two children, Fay and Grace, the latter being deceased ; Ammon, a carpenter by trade, who recently went to the State of Washing- ton, where he has been located for two years ; Lisle, an employe of the Pennsylvania Rail- road shops, who married Birdie Hess, daugh- ter of George Hess of Cooper Township and has three children, Russell, Eloise and Ethel; Belle, who married Arthur Brown, a farmer of Cooper Township and has five children, Maud, Ruth, Clarence, Foster and Mary; Clarence, a resident of Youngstown, O., who married Nellie Ardry, the daughter of Charles Ardry; Ocie, who married Paul Holt, an em- ploye of the Pennsylvania Railroad shops and a son of Oscar Holt, and has one child, Grace; and Frank and Pearl, who are single and re- side with their father on the home farm. Mr. Hoover is a Democrat in politics and he has served as school director for several terms.

LUCIUS L. DARR, who conducts a sad- dlery and harness making business at Burn- side, Pa., is one of the well known citizens of this section, where, prior to 1904, he was en- gaged in farming and lumbering. He was born August 29, 1865, in Indiana County, Pa., and is a son of Absalom W. and Jane ( Reed) Darr.

Absalom W. Darr was born December 26, 1834, in Indiana County, a son of George Darr, who was born at Swatara Creek, Dau- phin County, Pa. In 1822, George Darr, with his father, also George Darr, took up timber land at Cherry Tree, Pa., but five years later returned to Indiana County where he engaged in milling. In 1845 he came to Burnside and operated what is now known as the Irwin mill

and his death occurred in Burnside Township in 1868. He married Margaret Bucher, a daughter of Henry and Jane (Wolf) Bucher, of Franklin County. Of their children there are three survivors: Absalom, who is now in his seventy-sixth year; Henry, who is a farmer in Burnside Township; and Nancy, who is the wife of John Kine. Absalom W. Darr learned the shoemaker's trade in his youth and worked at it for seven years, after which he engaged in farming and lumbering until 1890, when he retired. In 1856 he married Jane E. Reed, who was born March 20, 1833, a daugh- ter of Alexander and Lucy ( Henderson) Reed, who were natives of Indiana County. Her grandparents were John and Jane ( Fulton) Reed, and hier great-grandfather was John Reed, who came to the colonies during the Rev- olutionary War, being of English birth, and settled at Baltimore. Mrs. Darr is now in her seventy-seventh year. To Absalom W. Darr and wife were born the following children: Vincent, who resides at Dixonville, Pa .; Leon- ard, who lives at Topeka, Kans .; Lucius L .; Lucy, a twin sister, who is the wife of L. Ma- haffey, of La Jose, Pa .; Ella, who is deceased ; and Verna, who is the wife of H. E. Clark, who is in the lumber business at Glenn Camp- bell, Pa.

Lucius L. Darr was educated in the public schools. In politics he is a Republican and has served on the election board at Burnside as judge, clerk and inspector. He is identified with the order of Odd Fellow's at this place and is past grand of the local lodge. Mr. Darr is unmarried.

WILLIAM SCHULTZ, who came to what is now Karthaus Township, Clearfield County, Pa., in the spring of 1868, and has since, ex-

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cept for an interval of nine months, lived con- tinuously in this county, was born in Germany, December 25, 1844, and was one year old when his parents, Gangoilf and Nancy (Weaver) Schultz came to America.

The parents of Mr. Schultz came to Clear- field County, Pa., and settled in Covington Township, where they practically spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying at the home of his son-in-law, Lawrence Flood in Cooper Settlement. His family consisted of twelve children, as follows: William; Eliza- beth, who died young; Joseph, who died when aged fifteen years; Andrew, who lived at Kar- thaus, died at the age of thirty-three years; Paul, who died when aged twenty years ; Maggie, who is the widow of James Parker, re- sides at Philipsburg; Rosa, who is the wife of Washington George Dygert, lives in Maine; Nancy, who is the wife of Harvey Crawford, lives in Philadelphia; Annie, who is the wife of Lawrence Flood, lives at Grass Flat; and three infants who died almost at birth.

William Schultz was reared in Covington Township and lived there until 1868, when he came to Karthaus Township, settling first on a farm that adjoins his present one and then coming to this place after passing nine monthis in Center County, having twenty-seven acres under cultivation. He has been a very busy man all his life and has worked at farm- ing and lumbering, also at the blacksmith trade and at mason work. He is a natural mechanic and all these trades came easy to him without serving any apprenticeship. He is a reliable and efficient worker also in steel and wood.

Mr. Schultz was married August 31, 1868, to Miss Amelia Mary Shaffer, who was born in Germany and was about seven years old

when she accompanied her parents to Amer- ica. They were Nicholas and Margaret Shaffer. Mr. and Mrs. Schultz have children and grandchildren, a large, united and happy family, although death has, at times, invaded the household. The eldest, Caroline, married William Bolinger and both are now deceased. They have five children, of whom the first and fifth died unnamed, the three others being Honest, Mabel and Earl. Mary May, the second daughter, died at the age of five years. William Edward, the eldest son, lives on the home place. He married Annie Bradford and they have had the following children: Guy, who died in infancy ; John Irvin ; Paul Edward; Violet Amelia, who died at the age of four years; and Charles Raymond, William Earl and James Lea. James Andrew, the second son, lives at home. Margaret Evelyn is the wife of Edward Bradford and they have one son, Lloyd. Adelaide has one son, Harold William. Janet and Mary both died young, and a babe died unnamed. The youngest two of the family are Charles Gangoilf and Gladys Gertrude. Mr. Schultz and family are men- bers of the Catholic church at Karthaus. He belongs to the Odd Fellows and the I. O. R. M., at Karthaus. In politics Mr. Schultz is a Democrat and is held in high regard by his party which has frequently elected him to town- ship offices. He has served three terms as supervisor and has also been overseer of the poor.

CHARLES A. JOHNSON, a progressive and prosperous citizen of Grass Flat, Clear- field County, Pa., where he is proprietor of a general store, was born near the city of War- berg, Sweden, in the county of Halland, March 28, 1866, and is a son of Johnson Neil-

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

son and Johanna (.Anderson) Neilson, the parents came to America. Mr. and Mrs. John- family names not being inherited from father to son according to the custom in America.

Johnson Neilson and wife were natives of Sweden and the father was a farmer. He died in 1889 at the' age of sixty-six years and the mother in 1879, at the age of forty-four years. They had six children : Albertina, now deceased: Josephine, who married M. Anton, of Halland, Sweden: Johan Emanuel, who lives on the old home place: Albertina, who married Johan Swan and lives in Sweden; Augusta Louise, who lives in New Jersey ; and Charles A.

Charles A. Johnson wsa educated in his na- tive land which he left in 1885 and came to the United States. From New York City he went to Chicago, Ill., where he worked from April I to September 10, 1886. He then came to Grass Flat, Clearfield County, Pa., and worked here in the coal mines until 1907, when he gave up mining. For the next three years he was engaged in teaming and in the summer of 1902, he conducted' an ice cream parlor. Mr. John- son proved to be an excellent business man and although he has been dependent entirely upon his own efforts since coming to America, he has accumulated property, has successfully carried out a number of undertakings and has established himself as a reliable, dependable business man and good citizen, having been naturalized at Clearfield. In April, 1910. he purchased the general mercantile business of John G. Anderson, at Grass Flat and has made it a commercial success. He revisited Sweden in 1901.

On December 24. 1888, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Julia Anderson, who was born in Sweden, June 5, 1872, a daughter of Andrew K. Anderson, and was ten years old when her

son have six children, namely: George, who was born April 23. 1891, and died July 18, 1891: Carl Berger, who was born August 2, 1897: Ernest Herbert, who was born June 12, 1900; John Arthur, who was born July 20, 1902: Reinhold Gerhard, who was born No- vember 22, 1905, and died July 1, 1907; and Henry Reinhard, who was born November 30, 1908. Mr. Johnson and wife are mem- bers of the Swedish Lutheran church. In pol- itics he is a Republican.

The mother of Mrs. Johnson died in 1909, but the father is living at Jersey City, N. J., aged sixty-two years. He came to America in 1882 and located first at McIntire, Lycom- ing County, Pa., and moved from there to Peale, Clearfield County, and subsequently to New Jersey.

· CHARLES F. BROTHERS, who is inter- ested in lumbering and farming on the old Brothers homestead, situated in Burnside town- ship, Clearfield County, Pa., was born here July 27, 1857, and is a son of William and Martha Jane (Myers) Brothers.

William Brothers followed the lumber busi- ness all his life, operating a saw mill as his main business. His death occurred on the homestead, October 12, 1887, at the age of sixty years. He married Martha Jane Myers, who survives, a daughter of John and Jane (Ruggles) Myers. Of their children the fol- lowing are living: Charles F .; John, who lives near the old homestead: Albert, who is a farmer and coal miner in Burnside Township: Joseph,' who lives in Burnside Township; Ev- erett, who carries on farming also in Burnside township: Letta, who is the wife of H. E. Phillips; Minerva, who is the wife of Edward

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King, of Westover, Pa .; and Jennie, who is ship. Mrs. Westover survives and resides near the wife of William De Losier, an engineer, at Lilly, Cambria County, Pa.

Charles F. Brothers obtained his education in the district schools and afterward went into the woods and continued lumbering along the Susquehannah River until 1902, as contractor and jobber and saw mill operator. In addi- tion to his farm interests, which, for some years have also been important, he is finan- cially concerned in coal mines. He is one of the representative business men of this section, a man of much enterprise and of practical ex- perience. As a thoughtful and honest citizen, he has always concerned himself to some de- gree in public matters, especially in those of local importance. His convictions have made him a Republican and on that ticket he has been elected to township offices and has served as judge of elections and also as auditor.

Mr. Brothers was married to Miss Anna H. Westover, who was born April 12, 1859, in Burnside Township, and is a daughter of Oli- ver J. and Cordelia S. (Oaks) Westover. The mother of Mrs. Brothers was born March 22, 1829, in Maine, a daughter of Stephen L. and Sally ( Ames) Oaks, both of whom were born in Maine. Her father died in 1875, aged seventy-nine years and her mother in 1877. Cordelia' S. Oaks married Oliver J. Westover, who was born in August, 1825, in Blair Coun- ty, Pa. / He was twelve years old when his parents came to Cambria County, Pa. In March, 1848, he moved to Burnside Township, Clearfield County and settled on the place ever since known as the Westover homestead, which land he cleared. His father was John West- over, who was twice married, first to a Ziegler and second to Sally Myers .¿ Other members of the Westover family settled in Chest Town-

Mr. and Mrs. Brothers. Of the eight children of the Westover family, Mrs. Brothers was the fourth in order of birth.

Mr. and Mrs. Brothers have had eight chil- dren namely: Morie who at the age of twen- ty-eight years, is foreman of a construction company on Vancouver Island, a successful young business man; Viola, who resides at home; Lilly, who is the wife of Joseph Leamer, and has two children-Evelyn and Harrold: Noel, who is a railroad man in California ; Wi- nona, who is the wife of Edward Craver, an engineer in a coal mine and has one child, Burl; Elsie, Hazel and Charlie who reside at home; and three who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Brothers are members of the Evan- gelical church. He is identified with Har- mony Lodge, Grange, the Odd Fellows at Cherry Tree and the P. S. O. of A., at Potts- ville.

MATTHEW SHADEK, who has been prominent in, the business affairs of Karthaus, Pa., for the last ten years and is identified with many of the enterprises contributing to its com- mercial importance, was born January 22, 1863, in Germany, and is a son of Michael and Mar- garet Shadek. The parents of Mr. Shadek never came to America, the mother dying when Matthew was nine years old.

Matthew Shadek left his native land and came to the United States when he was twenty- one years of age, as have hundreds of others. Not all of these, however, have so rapidly se- cured independence or, within comparatively so short a time, have become useful and impor- tant residents of the communities in which they have chosen to live. When Mr. Shadek reached America in 1884, he located first in

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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY

Tioga County, Pa., and went to work at Wells- boro as a railroad section hand, his wages be- ing $1.12 per day, and they were earned. After he married he lived there two years, moving then to Peale, Clearfield County, where he remained six months, from there going to Morrisdale, in Clearfield County. In 1889 he moved onto a farm on which he continued for thirteen years before coming to Karthaus. Mr. Shadek is a man quick to seize business oppor- tunities. He has been operating a saw mill across the river, in Center County, for the past five years, and is a member of the firm of Kelly & Shadek, coal operators, operating the Mt. Carmel and Mosquito Creek mines, having been interested in coal operating ever since coming to Karthaus. He also owns and oper- ates a first class livery, and is still further in- terested, having a restaurant and a grocery store. All his business undertakings are pros- persing and he is one of the substantial men of the town.

Mr. Shadek was married in 1880 to Miss Mary Hammes, who was born in Germany, and is a daughter of Nicholas and Susanna (Simon) Hammes, the former of whom is de- ceased. Mrs. Hammes married secondly Ste- phen Young, who, now in his eighty-seventh year, is the most venerable resident of Kar- thaus. Mr. and Mrs. Young reside with Mr. and Mrs. Shadek. They are members of the Catholic church.

To Matthew Shadek and wife eleven chil- dren have been born, as follows: Michael, who operates the store and restaurant belong- ing to his father, married Edna Pecard and they have four daughters-Emma, Helen, Jennie and Agnes : Peter, who died at the age of nineteen years; Matthew, who married Clara Renaud, and they have three sons-Leo,

Bernard and Leonard; John, who is a resident of Karthaus, married Mabel Renaud, and they have one son, Earl; Mary, who married Her- man Coudreit, of Karthaus ; and they have four children-Lawrence, Irene, Paul and Logan ; Annie, who married James Renaud, and they have three children-Russell, Francis and Rob- ert ; and George August, Agatha, Nicholas, Paul and Joseph. Mr. Shadek and family are members of St. John's and Paul's Catholic church. He is a Democrat in politics.

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Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens, Part 94

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Swoope, Roland D. (Roland Davis), 1885-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1040