USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 96
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John Reese was born in Germany and was reared there to manhood and then, with his brothers and sisters, came to the United States. They lived first at Baltimore, Md., and from there he went to Philadelphia and then came to Clearfield county and settled in Covington township, where he acquired a farm of 300 acres. His death occurred here in 1899 and his burial was at Frenchville. He was an industrious, prudent man and lived peaceably with his neighbors and had their friendship and esteem. He married Mrs. Mary (Lingle) Smith, a native also of Ger- many, who came to America in youth and still resides in Covington township. Six children were born to her first marriage, with William Smith, namely: John, Solomon, Joseph, Wil- liam, George and Susan. The last named was the wife of Henry Sinclair. To John and Mary Reese the following children were born : Winslow, who died at the age of thirty-six years, at Frenchville; Anna, who is the wife of George Spangler, of Falls Creek, Pa. ; Mar- garet, who is the wife of Samuel Reiter, of Covington township; George, who lives in Covington township on the old homestead; and James Walter, who is in the meat busi- ness at Karthaus and is a representative busi- ness man of that place.
Mr. Reese was married in 1899, to Miss Malinda Flood, who was born and reared in Covington township, and is a daughter of Lawrence and Rebecca Flood, of this town- ship. Mr. and Mrs. Reese have three children, Mildred, Ward and Willard. In politics Mr. Reese is a stanch Democrat and is a man well qualified to serve in township offices as his
WILLIAM HELPER*, general farmer and manager of a tract of 194 acres, lying two and one-half miles west of Grampian, in Penn township, Clearfield county, Pa., was born in Penn township, March 11, 1870, and is a son of Charles and Annie (Sharp) Helper.
Charles Helper, who now lives retired on a well improved litttle farm of twenty acres, at Grampian, Pa., was born May 30, 1844, in Madison county, N. Y. He is a son of E. and Augusta (Robby) Helper, the former of whom was born in France and the latter in Germany. Charles was the fourth born in their family of seven children. His father died in 1851 and his mother at about the same age and their burial was in Onondago county, N. Y. Charles Helper worked on a farm until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he entered the Union army, becoming a member of the 157th N. Y. Vol. Inf., which was organized and drilled at Hamilton, N. Y. At the battle of Gettysburg, Mr. Helper was wounded be- low the left knee and this injury became very dangerous on account of blood poisoning, for it must be remembered that at that time the best of surgeons knew little of the preventives in the way of antiseptics as they are in use at the present day. After much suffering he re- covered and continued with his regiment until the close of the war, when he returned to Mad- ison county, N. Y. In 1866 he came to Clear- field county, reaching Curwensville, in Pike township, early in March of that year and continued in Pike township for two years after his marriage. He then came to Penn town- ship and for seventeen years rented the farm
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which now is the property of James D. Wall. Mr. Helper then purchased his present place and conducted a license hotel at Gramipian un- til 1895, when his eyesight failed and at the present writing he is blind. In politics he is a Democrat. On May 3, 1866, Mr. Helper was married to Miss Annie Sharp, who was born April 24. 1839, at Bell Landing, a daughter of James and Jane (McCracken) Sharp, of Bell township, Clearfield county, Pa., and four children were born to them, namely: Norman, who died at the age of six- teen years; William: Dora, who is the wife of William Woods and is a school teacher at Grampian, resides at home and has three chil- dren-Vane A., Inez and Daisy : and Timothy Jerome, who resides at home.
William Helper attended school at Penns- ville, Pa., until he was fourteen years of age and then went to work in the lumber camps and although but a boy in years, did an amount of hard labor that would have been creditable in a man. Since his marriage, in 1897, Mr. Helper has been manager of the farm on which he lives and has it well culti- vated, thirty acres of the place being yet in timber. He also operates a first class dairy and produces fifty pounds of fine butter a week. He is a quiet, industrious man, look- ing carefully after the interests of his busi- ness and family and is held in general esteem by the community. He votes the Republican ticket and is now serving as a member of the school board of Penn township.
On June 30, 1897, Mr. Helper was married to Mrs. Lovenia (Norris) Wall, widow of Truman J. Wall and daughter of John Nor- ris. Sr., of Pike township. Mrs. Helper was born in Pike township, November 28, 1856, and was married first, in Colorado, Septem-
ber I, 1876 to Truman J. Wall who died Jan- uary 29, 1891. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wall, namely: Sarah, who was born in Colorado, married John Lienell and they live in Maine and have two children --- Norris and Frank; Ord, who married Lois Spencer, a daughter of Irwin Spencer, is a clerk in the superintendent's office of the B. R. P. Railroad, at DuBois; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Leslie Merl, resides in Maine; Alice, who married Boyd Crissman, who car- ries on a blacksmith business at Curwensville, and they have one daughter, Mabel; Cecelia. who is the wife of Charles Stockridge, of Gary, Ind .; Truman J., who is a school teacher at Bell Run, Clearfield county; and Irwin Clark, who died at the age of one year and nine days. Mr. and Mrs. Helper have one daughter, Mildred, who now attends school. Mrs. Helper and her daughter are stockhold- ers in the Curwensville National Bank.
JACOB SANCROFT, a leading citizen of Cooper township, Clearfield county, Pa., where he was born on October 5, 1850, is a son of Sebastian and Mary (Schnider) Sancroft.
Sebastian Sancroft was born in Crofen, Reinfeldt, Germany, December 12, 1812, and was about thirty-five years of age when he came to America in 1848. He settled at Ky- lertown, Pa., and there found work at his trade-that of stonemason-and followed it during the greater part of his life. He pos- sessed a certain skill in handicraft and was useful to his family and neighborhood in many ways. His death occurred November 18, 1875. He married Mary Schnider, who was born March 16, 1816, and died May 7, 1884. They had two children, Jacob and Catherine, the latter of whom lives on the old homestead.
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For a short time in his youth, Mr. San- every relation of life he has been a good citi- croft attended school at Kylertown. When zen. He was devoted to his parents, watched over their declining years and assumed all their indebtedness. In times of trouble or dis- aster, he has been foremost in offering help in the way most appreciated. He and family are widely known and highly esteemed and their home is the abode of comfort and hospitality.
seventeen years old he began to work in the timber and followed this occupation for twen- ty-five years, or up to 1883. In the spring of this year he started in a restaurant business at Kylertown, but subsequently went from there to Munson, in Center county, where, for two years, he was in the hotel business. Later he leased a hotel-the Moshannon House-at Munson, which he conducted for eight years and two months, when he sold out his inter- ests there and in 1904 and came to Kylertown, where he purchased a hotel from Wilbur Hoover, which he now rents. He is engaged in the real estate business, and owns a farm of fifty-one acres, which he operates and which adjoins Kylertown, in which place he has other property. Mr. Sancroft is justly proud of the fact that he has made his own way in the world, working hard, saving his money and never having one eent of borrowed money to return.
In 1884 Mr. Sancroft was married to Miss Catherine Ponteer, a daughter of Joseph and Tressa ( Harber ) Pontcer, who came from Germany. Joseph Pontcer was a lumberman and farmer, owned 150 acres of land and built two lumber mills. Of his family of twelve children eleven still survive. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sancroft: Fred, who was educated at the Lock Haven State Normal School; and Margaretta and Frances, the latter being named for her moth- er's oldest sister. In politics Mr. Saneroft is a Democrat and is an active and influential member of his party. He has worked hard and has always been accustomed to an active life and even now, when necessity no longer drives, is not contented unless occupied. In
JAMES W. BYERS, a thriving and well known farmer of Burnside township, was born on the old Byers home near Mt. Zion church, in this township, October 12, 1840, son of John and Sarah (Weaver) Byers. He is a grandson on the paternal side of John and Mary (Colgan) Byers, early settlers in this region. He is a descendant also of John By- ers, born at Valley Forge, near Philadelphia, who came to Clearfield county from Hunting- don county in 1821.
John Byers, father of our subject, was born about 1798 and died in 1879 at the age of eighty-one. He came to the present Byers homestead accompanied by a brother and his death took place at New Washington. Of his family, in addition to the subject of this sketch, there are one son and two daughters living, namely: Samuel, who resides in Westover; Sarah, wife of H. B. Darr, a farmer of Burnside township; and Eliza, who is the wife of J. C. London, of Kane, Pa.
James W. Byers, after a short period de- voted to school studies, became engaged in the lumbering industry. Then he and a brother, about 1865, purchased their father's interest in his business, and he has since continued in this line of industry, having met with a gratifying success. He has also carried on agriculture, in which he has been equally successful. In polities he is a Republican and has served in
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several of the township offices, proving a ca- pable official. Two of his brothers served in widely respected.
the Union army during the Civil war.
Mr. Byers was married in 1868 to Lucretia McCracken, who died in 1871 at the age of twenty-five years. Of this union there is one child living, David Thomas Byers, of Vander- grift, Pa., who married Tallie Kaufman and has two children. Mr. Byers was again mar- ried in 1880 to Elizabeth Kunsman, who was born November 20, 1860, near Bethlehem, Pa. Her parents were William and Mary C. (Smith) Kunsman. Her maternal grand- father, John Smith (born in Lancaster county, 1791, died 1858), settled at Bethle- hem and married Mary Snyder, who was born in 1790 and died in 1879. He planted the first orchards in that section of Clearfield county, carrying the young trees and slips all the way from Union county. The McGees, Johnsons and Barnharts came to this part soon after. William Kunsman was born in 1830 and died in 1899. He and his wife were the parents of nine children, there being three sons and two daughters now living, including Mrs. Byers.
The children of Mr. and Mrs. Byers are as follows: Ada, is the wife of H. M. Dins- more of South Dakota, and has one child, Frank B. Lulu, is the wife of Dr. J. M. E. Brown, of New Bethlehem, and has one child, Thelma. Mary Zella is deceased. John Ros- well is deceased. Lorinda Rose, twin sister of John R., is residing at home. Erminnie is teaching school in Dakota, and so also is Mar- garet Sarah. Ruth and Blaine, twins, both unmarried, are residing at home, and so is Anna Catherine, born in 1899, who is at- tending school. Mr. and Mrs. Byers are both members of the local Grange. They are in-
dustrious people, good neighbors, and are
J. WILSON RAUCH, who at the expira- tion of his present term will have served as justice of the peace of Karthaus township for a quarter of a century, has been a resident of Clearfield county since 1857. He was born in Union county, Pa., December 1, 1842, and is a son of James and Caroline (Hartman) Rauch.
James Rauch was born in Union county, a son of Henry and Rebecca (Sipe) Rauch, who came to America from Switzerland, al- though Mr. Rauch was of German birth. The maternal grandparents of J. W. Rauch were Simeon and Elizabeth (Bisel) Hartman, early settlers of Union county, having come from Pottsville, Pa. The children of James and Caroline (Hartman) Rauch were as fol- lows: James Wilson; Emeline, who married Thomas White of Karthaus township; Charles Franklin, who died at the age of nine- teen years ; Mary Jane, deceased, who was the wife of Charles Welsh, also deceased; Wil- liam Henry, who lives at DuBois; Simon Pe- ter, who resides in Karthaus township; Re- becca Elizabeth, who married James Michaels of Karthaus township; and Thomas Richard, who lives at Cataract.
James Wilson Rauch attended school in Union county until he was fifteen years old, when his parents removed to Clearfield county, and here he spent one winter in school. With the exception of one and one-half years spent in West Keating township, Mr. Rauch has lived in Karthaus township since that time. On his return from West Keating township he had intended to stay one year, or longer if he found conditions satisfactory, and he re-
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mained thirty-two years on that property. He first bought the Price place, a tract of thirty- two acres, later purchasing the Charles Welsh property of four acres, and here he continued engaged in farming and lumbering until a few years ago. In January, 1865, Mr. Rauch reported at Ridgeway, Pa., where he became a member of Co. M. 100th Pa. Vol. Inf., known as the "Roundhead" Regiment. Third Brigade, Ist Division, 9th Army Corps, and served through the Virginia campaign. He was scratched on the hand by a bullet at Pe- tersburg, and in July, 1865, was stricken with typhoid fever, being confined to the hospital at Harrisburg, Pa., for one week. He re- turned to his home in Clearfield county, but recovered sufficiently to participate in the Grand Review at Washington. He is a mem- ber of Bucktail Post, G. A. R., at Renovo.
On November 25, 1863, Mr. Ranch was married to Miss Mary E. Conaway, who was born in Clinton county, Pa., and is a dangh- ter of Charles and Catherine (MeGonigal) Conaway. Mrs. Rauch's parents came to Clearfield county from Clinton county, and here spent the remainder of their lives. They had four children: Gracie Ann, deceased. who was the wife of William White; Hugh, who was killed by a sharpshooter before Pe- tersburg: James Alexander, who was found dead at the tunnel just above Karthaus; and Mary Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Ranch have had the following children: James McClel- lan, deceased, who married Elizabeth Zimmer and had two children, Malvin Earl and Alda May; Charles Henry, living at Barnesville, Clinton county, who married Cynthia Wads- worth and has four children, Raymond. Roy Blanchard, Myrtle May and Arthur Merle; George Thomas, residing in Clearfield, who
married Amanda Rohn and had four children. Alma Elizabeth, Lawrence Herman, Maurice Alonzo and Irvin Dewey, the second named being now deceased; Simon Alexander, who is unmarried; Torrence Hugh, who died aged three months; Alonzo, who is single and lives at home: William Bucher, who married Mar- garet Conaway and has five children, Labitha Bernice, Lorintha Dorcas, William Charles Wilson, Oliver Samuel and Francis Alex- ander, the latter being deceased; Mary Ellen, deceased, who was the wife of Herbert Ashley Wadsworth and had seven children, Myrtle Pearl, Leonard Cleo, Bernice May, Al- . bert Wilson, Lottie Elizabeth, Alice Emily and Mary Ellen; Rosanna Caroline, who married James L. McGonigal of Karthans township and had six children, of whom one is now de- ceased; Francis Lafayette, who is unmarried and living at home: Sarah Milney, who mar- ried Roger S. Schnars of Karthaus township and has five children, Florence May, Elizabeth Caroline, Rosanna Virginia, James Wilson and David Leslie; Rebecca Emeline, who married James Moore of Karthans township and has two children, Francis Zell Bucher and Vivian Evelyn; Lucetta B., who died aged one year; Katie Ethel Bell, who married Alphens S. Moore and lives in Karthaus township, and whose only child, Vida Beatrice, died aged one year; and one child which died unnamed. In addition to luis long service as justice of the peace, Mr. Rauch has served as school director and supervisor, was for nine years assessor, and is now serving in his fifth year as col- lector.
AMOS G. HAAG, superintendent of the Helvetia Farm, a tract of 600 acres lying in Brady township, which is owned by L. W.
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Robinson, of the B. R. & P. Railroad, is a died in Center county aged eighty-five years. competent and successful agriculturist. He was born at Troutville, Clearfield county, September 22, 1877, and is a son of C. B. and Sarah (Bonsall) Haag, the former of whom died April 8, 1911.
Amos G. Haag obtained his education in the public schools and secured the training that has made him successful as an agricultur- ist, two years with his father and the rest of the time on the Helvetia Farm. He first be- gan work on the Helvetia Farm in 1897, where he has continued ever since, with the exception of one year, which he spent in the office of L. W. Robinson, its owner, at Punx- atawney. Mr. Robinson makes the farm his home. Extensive farm industries are carried on and fine stock is raised. In August, 1906, Mr. Haag was married to Miss Florence Lon- don, who is a daughter of Arthur and Pauline London, of Jefferson county, Pa. They have one son, Arthur, a sturdy little lad who was aged eleven months on the 24th of April (1911). Mr. Haag is a member of the Lutheran church. Mrs. Haag belongs to the Reformed church.
HARRY L. JONES, a prominent citizen of Kylertown, Pa., and justice of the peace and president of the school board of Cooper township, was born on the site of the house in which he now resides in Kylertown, Clearfield county, Pa., September 4, 1868, a son of Ferdinand H. and Martha (Austin) Jones.
Joseph H. Jones, the paternal grandfather of Harry L. Jones, was of Welsh descent, and was a brickmaker by trade, making the brick for the first brick buildings at Clearfield, where he died. On the maternal side Mr. Jones is descended from James Austin, who
Joseph H. Jones had four children: Zacha- rias, who is living in Missouri aged seventy- five years; Ferdinand H .; Alexander, who is deceased; and Lydia, who died at Philipsburg. James Austin was the father of six children, of whom William went to the army during the Civil war and was never again heard from; Nancy married Jolin Straub, a machinist of Bellefonte; Margaret was the wife of Amos Tison and resided near the State College in Center county; Martha became the wife of Ferdinand H. Jones; Elizabeth is a widow and resides at Boalsburg, and the youngest died in childhood.
Ferdinand H. Jones was born in June, 1841, and since 1860 has been a resident of Kyler- town, where he has been engaged at the car- penter's trade. He married Martha Austin, a native of Center county, and they became the parents of five children, namely : James, who died at the age of twenty-three years of ty- phoid fever; Harry L .; Grace, who married Harry Denning of Philipsburg; William Wal- ter, a carpenter near Milesburg, who married Agatha Ammerman of Center county; and Harvey G., a dentist with offices at Kylertown and Winburne, who married Mary Beam.
Harry L. Jones attended the schools of Kylertown, completing his education at the age of seventeen years, when he took up tel- egraphy and was employed for eight years by the Beech Creek (now New York Central) Railroad. He was first elected justice of the peace in 1896, and he has served for almost fifteen consecutive years, now being in his third term in that office. He is serving his second term as president of the school board of Cooper township, and in every way has shown himself efficient and capable and wor-
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thy the trust reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. His politics are those of the Re- publican party. Fraternally he is connected with Forest City Lodge. No. 176, I. O. O. F. of Kylertown, and Lodge No. 310, O. U. A. M .. and he also holds membership in Kyler- town Grange No. 1406. He is a Presbyte- rian in his religious belief.
Mr. Jones was married in June, 1895, to Miss Flora Belle Schreck, a daughter of John A. and Mary Schreck, and to this union there have been born six children, namely: The- resa Irene, Harold, Ruel, Malin and Lois and Louise, twins.
JOHN A. MCCLELLAND, justice of the peace at Brisbin, Pa., has been a resident of this borough for thirty-one years and has been identified with many of its leading business in- terests. He was born September 27, 1864, in county Antrim, Ireland, although of Scotch descent, and is a son of Alexander and Ellen McClelland. His father died when he was three years old and his mother when he was eleven. At that time he was taken to Scotland, living with an aunt until coming to America in 1880. There were three sons: Robert, Thomas and John A., all of whom came to America and the two older brothers live in Cambria county, Pa.
John A. McClelland is a self-made man, having only the opportunities for improve- ment in his youth that he made for himself. He attended night schools in Scotland and this country and started to learn the blacksmith's trade before coming to America when he was fifteen years of age. He came to Brisbin, where, through his own industry, he supported himself and soon gained the confidence of those with whom he was associated. For
fourteen years he successfully represented the Grand Union Tea Company, and then con- ducted a store for eight years, and later be- came interested in the coal industry. At pres- ent Mr. McClelland is operating two coal mines at Ashland, in Decatur township. He has been quite active politically for a number of years and during the term of office of Rep- resentatives Boulton and Scofield, was em- ployed in a state position at Harrisburg. For the past fifteen years he has served acceptably as a justice of the peace, his present term ex- piring in 1914, when he undoubtedly will be re-elected. He has been a Republican since he became a voter and at present is identified with what is termed the insurgent wing of the party, the one that demands progressiveness and stands for purity in politics. He was his party's candidate for the General Assembly in 1910. He has served in the borough council and in many local offices and during eleven years as a member of the school board, was its secretary during the larger period.
Mr. McClelland was married in 1885. to Miss Annie Gertrude Berkstresser, a daugh- ter of Rev. Jesse Berkstresser, now of Har- risburg. Mrs. McClelland died January 26, 1906. Four of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. McClelland survive, namely: Jesse Val- entine, Gertrude, Ellen Beatrice and Ernest. the other two being Catherine and John Ross. Since 1885 Mr. McClelland has been a men- ber of the Church of God. He is identified fraternally with the Red Men and the Broth- erhood of the Union, and was for eighteen years superintendent of the Sabbath school.
EDWIN E. KANTZ. of Burnside, Pa., who is prominently connected with the coal mining industry, as mine superintendent and
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owner, was born at Patchinsville, this county, which he now owns a one-third interest. He in 1877, a son of Reuben and Susannah (Bowder) Kantz. His paternal grandfather was John Kantz of Snyder county, who mar- ried Sarah Ann Baker, and who came to Patchinsville in 1846.
Reuben Kantz was born in Snyder county, Pa., and in addition to lumbering and carpen- ter work, engaged in agriculture, which occu- pation he has followed up to the present time, being now sixty-three years old. His wife, Susannah, who is living at the age of sixty- one, is the daughter of Jacob and Anna ( Ben- nord) Bowder, the former of whom met an accidental death in 1877. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Kantz were as follows: Charles E., who is a physician practicing in Philadelphia : Howard S., a resident of Burn- side, Pa .: Milton L., who resides in Okla- homa: Paul S., who is a school superinten- dent in Idaho; Guy V .; Violet Elizabeth, who is a teacher residing at home; Geneva, also at home; Pearl, who died in infancy; and Edwin E., subject of this sketch.
Edwin E. Kantz after attending school un- til the age of sixteen years, engaged in farm- ing with his father, and during the winter worked at the stone masons' and carpenters' trades, also learning the creamery business. At the age of twenty he entered the mines, in which he worked for three years, for two years subsequently being engineer on the rail- way for hauling coal. He was then engaged in prospecting for coal for two years, locating mines for his company and opening up the Bellwood coal mines. In 1895 he passed the state examination for mine foreman and took charge of the Bellmore mines until 1910, when he resigned the position to take that of super- intendent for the Bellmore Coal Company, in
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