USA > Pennsylvania > Clearfield County > Twentieth century history of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and representative citizens > Part 97
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is also interested in the La Soya Oil Company of Oklahoma. Mr. Kantz was elected coun- cilman on the Prohibition ticket and is now serving his second term in that office. He be- longs to the Methodist Protestant church, and is superintendent of the Sunday school. He belongs also to the order of Redmen at Patch- insville, Lodge No. 522.
Mr. Kantz was married May 14, 1902, to Sarah Elizabeth Bellis, who was born at Buck- ley, North Wales, in 1875, daughter of Thomas and Ellen (Lamb) Bellis. Her pa- ternal grandparents were Robert and Eliza- beth (Lewis) Bellis, both natives of Wales. the former being a merchant and miner, who died in his native land in 1895. Thomas Bel- lis, father of Mrs. Kantz, was also a miner. entering the Welsh mines at the age of eight years as trapper boy. Subsequently, after a residence of three years in Lancashire, Eng- land, he came at the age of twenty-nine years to America, accompanied by his wife and chil- dren, this being about 1880. He settled at Philipsburg, Pa., where he was engaged in mining until 1890 and then removing to Urey. Indiana county, was foreman and superinten- dent of mines there until his death, which took place in 1910. His wife, to whom he was married in Buckley, N. W., in 1870, was a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Jones) Lamb, her father being a brick molder. To Mr. and Mrs. Kantz have been born four chil- dren, namely-Thomas Bellis, aged eight years ; Ellen V., now six; Alice, and Lillian Ruth.
I. S. FLEGAL, M. D., who has been a resi- dent of Karthaus, Pa., for the past fourteen years, has conducted a drug store at this place
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
since 1901, although it has been his custom to handle and compound his own prescriptions ever since he entered into medical practice. He was born at Shawville, Clearfield county, Pa., and is a son of Robert K. and Keturah (Irwin) Flegal.
The Flegal family is an old one in Penn- sylvania and the great-grandparents of Dr. Flegal, Valentine and Christina Flegal, lived near Harrisburg, where descendants still are numerous. Good citizenship has marked them all.
Jacob Flegal, grandfather of Dr. Flegal, was born June 3, 1800, and died April 1, 1868. He married Margaret Leonard, born January 23, 1800, who died in June, 1884. She was a daughter of Joseph and Eleanor Leonard. They had the following children: James L., born March 14, 1823, died February 25, 1857 ; John A. L., born April 19, 1825, died October, 1890; Eleanor, born August 7, 1829, died March 15, 1848; Robert K., born April II. 1832, died March 20, 1904; Jacob Scott, born August 14, 1834, lives in North Dakota; Mary E., born July 30, 1836, lives in Goslien township; Martin S., born April 27, 1838, died from an accident, February 1, 1869; Sa- rah Jane, born February 9, 1841, died March 25, 1850.
Robert K. Flegal, father of Dr. Flegal, was eleven years old when he accompanied his par- ents to Goshen township, Clearfield county. The family had previously lived on the Mat- thew Read farm in Lawrence township, and prior to that in Bradford township and in the neighborhood of Madera. He followed farm- ing and lumbering until 1899, when he sold his effects and moved to Clearfield, where his death followed some six years later. He was a Democrat in politics and served in local of-
fices. He was a leading member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, as his father had been before him. The latter was a class leader and was a constant church attendant and on the occasion of his last meeting in the church he left his cane behind him and this relic of a good and worthy man is there preserved as a memorial of him.
Robert K. Flegal married Marcy Keturah Irwin, who was born in Lawrence township, August 25, 1837. She was a daughter of Henry and Mary (Ogden) Irwin. Her death occurred December 29, 1903. The following children were born to them: Mertie MI., born December 17, 1863, lives in Clearfield; Irwin Scott; Lewis Elmer, born July 22, 1866, lives at Eugene, Ore., married Blanche Read, a daughter of Thompson Read; Forrest K., born October 6, 1867, lives at Altoona, and married Lucy Norris, who is now deceased; Martin Creighton, born November 1, 1871, is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, belonging to the Central Presbyterian Conier- ence, and married Dora Smith, of Goshen township; Clark, born February 13, 1876, lives in Clearfield and married Helen Bollin- ger; and Ruth, born February 3, 1879, died March 2, 1895.
I. S. Flegal was reared in Goshen township and attended the schools there in boyhood and for several years was a student in the summer Normal schools in Clearfield and during one year in the State Normal School at Edinboro. He then began to teach school and continued from October, 1883, until 1891, in the mean- while doing his preparatory medical reading, and in the latter year entered the Western Pennsylvania Medical College at Pittsburg, where he was graduated with his degree in 1894. He chose Lumber City, Pa., as his first
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field for practice, and remained there for two and one-half years, coming then to Karthaus, where he has been established since January, 1897. He is identified with the leading inter- ests of this section and is recognized as a ca- pable and efficient business man and a skillful and careful physician. He was one of the or- ganizers of the Karthaus Rural Telephone Company, of which he is secretary, served as township supervisor for three years and has given time and attention to furthering educa- tional interests. He is a member of the Amer- ican Medical Association together with the county and state organizations.
Dr. Flegal was married September 20, 1899, to Miss Lulu M. Bollinger, who was born in Woodward township, Clinton county, Pa., and was a daughter of Alfred W. and Elizabeth (Reed) Bollinger. Mrs. Flegal died October 3, 1904. Three children were born to this marriage: Elizabeth Daphne, July 18, 1900; Helen May, February 19, 1902; and Robert Keith, September 2, 1903, who died Septem- ber 20th in the same year.
R. S. MAURER, postmaster at West De- catur, Pa., where he is a leading and substan- tial citizen, was born October 19, 1859, in Clearfield county, Pa., and is a son of Thomas and Jane (Conaway) Maurer.
The parents of Mr. Maurer were both born in Clearfield county. The father was a black- smith by trade. His death occurred some years since but the mother survives and lives at Clearfield. Their children were Anna, R. S., Alice, William, Henry, Sarah, Dora, Car- rie, Arvie and Ralph. The paternal grand- father of this family was Solomon Maurer, and the maternal grandfather was George Conaway.
R. S. Maurer was educated in the public
schools and the State Normal School at In- diana, and for seven years afterward taught school. In April, 1903, he moved to Blue Ball, where he owns a comfortable and attractive residence and also the postoffice building, and has been postmaster at West Decatur ever since. He is serving as secretary of the school board and has also served as judge of elec- tions.
In 1890 Mr. Maurer was married to Miss Alice Thompson, a daughter of William and Mary (Gerhart) Thompson and four children have been born to them, Helen, Florence, Wil- liam and Louis. Mr. and Mrs. Maurer are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
CHARLES FRENDBERG, assistant fore- man of the Knox Run mine of the Bitu- minous Coal Corporation, has been in the em- ploy of this great company for practically all of the twenty-seven years that he has been a resident of Clearfield county. Mr. Frendberg was born June 7. 1866. in Dalsland, Sweden, a son of Lars and Bertha Frendberg.
Lars Frendberg, who carried on agricultu- ral pursuits in Sweden, came to America in, 1873 and entered the mines, working in the coal fields of Tioga. Lycoming, Clearfield and Elk counties for seven years. In 1880 he re- turned to his native country and brought his family back to America, after which he again became employed as a miner, and he now has charge of the boilers of the Knox Run mine. Seven children were born to Mr. Frendberg and his wife, namely: Andrew, who is fore- man of the Knox Run mine; Charles; Lars, who is engineer of the Knox run mine: Gust, who is a miner at Grass Flat ; Annie: Amelia, who married Charles Carlson ; and Emanuel, who is deceased.
Charles Frendberg attended a little pay
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
school in his native country and as a young man came to this country with the family. He entered the employ of the Clearfield County Bituminous Coal Corporation, assisting in opening up mines at Grass Flat, and working as a blacksmith and in various other capaci- ties until he was made assistant foreman, a capacity in which he is now serving. Mr. Frendberg bought a residence in Lanse in 1905, with five acres of land, and here he car- ries on farming in a small way. He is one of the good, reliable citizens of Cooper township, and his acquaintance in the coal fields is ex- tensive.
On June 4, 1891, Mr. Frendberg was united in marriage with Miss Annie Sophia Larson, who was born in Sweden in 1871, daughter of Peter Larson, and she came to this country when about seven years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Frendberg have had nine children: Nellie, who resides in Pittsburg: Ruth, who lives in Williamsport; Abbie, residing at home; Helen, Dora and Mildred, all at home; and Esther. Ellen and an infant, who are deceased. Mr. Frendberg is a member of Grass Flat Swedish Lutheran church.
JOHN M. BYERS, a well known resident of Cherry Tree, who is engaged in the monu- ment and tombstone business at that place, was born at Cherry Tree, September 4, 1858, son of Abram and Martha (Conner) Byers. The father of our subject came to Cherry Tree with his mother from York county, Pa., while yet a boy, and here followed farming and lumbering for a number of years. He died at the age of seventy-one years at Cherry Tree, Pa. During the Civil war he enlisted and saw active service in the Union army, serving in Co. F, 57th Reg. Pa. Vol. Infantry. He married
Martha Conner, a daughter of John Conner, and of their children. there are four now liv- ing, two sons and two daughters, namely : John M., the subject of this sketch; A. S., who resides at Cherry Tree; Ellen, wife of Wil- liam H. Lutman, of Cookport, Indiana county, Pa .; and Carrie M., wife of D. Somerville, a justice of the peace, residing in Cambria county, Pa.
John M. Byers after attending school re- mained at home with his parents, and worked on the farm until reaching the age of twenty- two years. At the end of this period he be- gan to learn the stone mason's trade, which he followed as apprentice and journeyman for eight years. In 1889 he engaged in the busi- ness of manufacturing tombstones and monu- ments at Cherry Tree, where he has since con- tinued and is now doing a prosperous busi- ness. He is a member of Lodge No. 417, I. O. O. F., at Cherry Tree, which he is now serving as recording secretary; and also be- longs to the Modern Woodmen of America, Camp No. 6924, at Barnesboro, Pa., and sev- eral other fraternal organizations. In politics a Republican, he has been an active worker for his party and was elected justice of the peace in Burnside township, Clearfield county, Pa., in 1906.
In 1882 Mr. Byers married Ida M. Stiffler, who was born October 7, 1859. in Clearfield county, a daughter of P. J. and Rebecca (Gar- man) Stiffler. Mrs. Byers' parents are both living in Cherry Tree, her father being now eighty-three years of age and her mother eighty-four. There have been born to our sub- ject and his wife three children, of whom the only one now living is G. Monte, aged twen- ty-five, a fireman in the Cherry Tree Iron Works, residing at home with his parents.
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FRANK ROSS, whose excellent farm of seventy-three acres is situated in Greenwood township, one-half mile south of Curry Run, Pa., was born in Greenwood township, March 18, 1873, and is a son of Robert and Sarah (Read) Ross.
Robert Ross was also born in Greenwood township, June 2, 1839, his father having been an early settler here. Robert Ross followed farming and erected all the substantial build- ings now on the property above mentioned. About fifty acres of the farm has been cleared and is under an excellent state of cultivation.
Robert Ross was married in August, 1861, to Sarah Read, who was born in Ferguson township, Clearfield county, a daughter of William Read. They had the following chil- dren: Alexander, who was born October 12, 1862, married Elizabeth Sharp (now de- ceased), and had six children-Zoe, Erina, Clell, Maggie, Thomas and Ruth; Clara, who married Robert McMaster, and has five chil- dren-John, Merl, Vern, Frank and Stella; Minerva, who married Mert Millen, of Law- rence township; Agnes, Frank and George, all of whom are unmarried; Harry, who married Erma Campbell, and has seven children-Ar- thur, Pearl, Claire, Minnie, Blair, Ada and Lloyd; Sarah, who is the wife of Harvey Rainey, of Westover, Pa., and has three chil- dren-Clara, Robert and Don; and Eli and William, who still live at home. The Ross family has always been Democratic in its po- litical faith. They all attend the Methodist Episcopal church. This family is widely known and its members are held in esteem, father and sons being good farmers, kind neighbors and reliable citizens.
where he conducts a hardware store, was born in Scotland, ten miles from the historic old city of Glasgow, May 5, 1867, and is a son of John and Martha (Shields) Muirhead
Robert S. Muirhead came to Winburne when the mines opened here and began to dig coal in the first mine opened and continued in the mining business until 1905, when he in- vested his earnings and savings in a hardware. store and through honest and upright dealing has built up a fine trade. He has spent all of his life since coming to America in this place, with the exception of three months, when he lived first at Snow Shoe, in Center county. He is one of a family of eight children, six of whom survive, and he was the fourth in order of birth. One brother, John, died in Scotland, when aged seventeen years. James lives in Clearfield, Pa., where he has a family .. Henry is a coal miner. William, who is now em- ployed in a pipe factory at Providence, R. I., lived at Winburne for some seven years. Archie is a grocery merchant at Winburne and Charles is a mine worker here. John the youngest, is deceased.
Robert S. Muirhead married Miss Mar- garet Meiklejohn, a daughter of Andrew Meiklejohn. She was born in Scotland and came to America when seven years old. They have one son, Andrew, who is a bright lad of ten years. Mr. and Mrs. Muirhead are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. In politics he is a Democrat.
GEORGE A. McKEAGE, general mer- chant and a leading citizen of Burnside, Pa., was born May 11, 1856, at Cherry Tree, In- diana county, Pa., a son of Robert and Jane (Atchison) McKeage.
ROBERT S. MUIRHEAD, one of the Robert McKeage was born at Egg Harbor, representative business men at Winburne, Pa., N. J. When he came to establish himself in
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
business in Pennsylvania, he located at Cherry Tree, where he operated a saw mill, acquired timber lands and rafted lumber and also was interested in a grist mill at this point. He married Jane Atchison, a daughter of George and Katie (McClellan) Atchison, the latter of whom belonged to the same family into which Gen. George B. McClellan, of Civil war ' fame, was born.
George Atchison, the maternal grandfather of George A. McKeage, was born in County Roscommon, Ireland, in 1792. In his boyhood while out hunting he rendered himself liable to prosecution for having broken the Tenant law and in order to escape imprisonment, fled to America. In Center county, Pa., he was married and with his wife settled in the moun- tains, far from any settlement and in order to procure the necessities of life had to walk long distances through regions filled with wild and dangerous animals, and carried food back to his family often at the risk of his life. He was a radical Abolitionist and was one of the conductors of the so-called Underground Railway, the medium through which many slaves, prior to the Civil war, escaped bondage and found freedom in Canada. In 1845 he built a fine mansion by the side of the log cabin in which he had previously lived, but this was subsequently destroyed by fire. In this house he had contrived a secret chamber, in which he hid many escaping slaves, but this was never discovered until 1876. Some years before his death he moved to Cherry Tree. Pa. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Mc- Keage, was Cornelius McKcage who was born in County Latrone, Ireland, and it is said of him that he built the first saw mill in Clear- field, county.
To Robert and Jane Mckeage the follow-
ing children were born: George A .; William, who is a resident of Cherry Tree; Margaret, who is the wife of E. B. McCormick, a mer- chant at Cherry Tree: Jennie, who is the wife . of D. E. Notley, of Cherry Tree; Emily, who is the wife of J. M. Notley, of Cherry Tree; and John, who lives at Pittsburg.
After his school days were over, George A. McKeage worked for his father until he was twenty-five years old. He then married and for some years followed farming in In- diana county, afterward moving to Hillsdale, Pa., where he was in the mercantile business for ten years. In 1900 he came to Burnside and embarked in the mercantile business here and has additional interests.
Mr. McKeage married Miss Annabelle Ake, who was born August 17, 1863, at Gettys- burg, Pa., a daughter of Jacob G. and Eliza- beth (Nottley) Ake. Jacob G. Ake was born in 1811 and his wife in 1820. She was a daughter of John Nottley, who was born Feb- ruary 14, 1789, in Ireland, where he married Elizabeth Flanegan, who was born in 1792. John Nottley and wife emigrated to Quebec. Can., in a sailing vessel, in 1829, passing ten weeks on the Atlantic Ocean. Later they came to the United States. Jacob G. Ake was a son of Daniel and Mary (Higgins) Ake. Mr. and Mrs. McKeage have two children : Mayme, who is the wife of Carl Eugene Patchin, of Burnside; and John A., who is as- sociated with his father in business.
JOHN S. MCCREERY, who has been a justice of the peace in Ferguson township for twenty-seven years, enjoying the distinction of having served continuously in this office longer than any other in this township, is a qualified civil and mining engineer and timber
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estimator. He was born March 4, 1854, at Marion Center, Indiana county, Pa., and is a son of Robert and Nancy McCreery, both of whom are now deceased.
John S. McCreery was educated in the pub- lic schools, Mt. Pleasant Institute, and West- minster College, and afterward spent some years teaching school in Westmoreland and Clearfield counties, and in the latter was an instructor in the Lumber City Academy. He also had farm interests and engaged also in lumbering to some extent and in a professional way is known all through this section, serving at present as mine engineer for three clay mines and having many contracts on hand for land surveys and timber estimates.
Mr. McCreery was married to Miss Emma Watts, a daughter of Martin Watts, of Fer- guson township. They are members of the Presbyterian church, in which he is an elder. Mr. McCreery is a charter member of Kerr- moor Grange. In his views on public ques- tions he is a Prohibitionist. He has served several terms as school director in his town- ship and has been a jury commissioner of Clearfield county. He is a stockholder in the different telephone companies in this section of the county and is a charter member of the Farmers and Traders Bank of Clearfield.
ANDREW J. KLARE, who is now living retired, at Wallacetown, Pa., of which he has been a worthy resident for forty years, is a highly respected citizen and is a veteran of the great Civil war. He was born in France, April 25, 1831, and is a son of Joseph and Catherine (Fruhhauff) Klare. The parents never came to the United States and of their children, Andrew J. is the only survivor.
Andrew J. Klare was twenty-two years of
age when he came to America, having previ- ously obtained a good education in his native land. He learned the shoemaking trade and for a number of years conducted a shoe store at Wallaceton. In 1861 he enlisted for ser- vice in the Civil war, entering Co. K, 110th Pa. Vol. Inf., and served with bravery and courage that won approbation, until his hon- orable discharge in 1865. He then returned to Wallaceton, resumed business, bought a home and has lived here ever since, having made many friends. He is a Democrat in politics and has been elected, in the course of years, to every township office except that of assessor, serving acceptably in all.
In 1856 Mr. Klare was married to Miss Su- san Gilman, a daughter of John and Catherine (Kramer) Gilman, of Clearfield county. Mrs. Klare had one brother, Albert. To Mr. and Mrs. Klare nine children were born, namely : Josephine, Alfred, Franklin, Emma, William, George, Martin, May and Edna, all of whom survive except Franklin. Mrs. Klare and children attend the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Klare was reared in the Catholic faith.
EMIL OLSON, who is a very popular cit- izen of Winburne, Pa., to which place he came early in its settlement, conducts a custom coal mine and, is one of the representative business men. He was born October 19, 1865, in WVarmland, Sweden, and is a son of John and Kate Olson. Both parents are now deceased, the mother dying when Emil was only three years old. He has one brother and one sister : Olof, who is a captain in the Swedish army; and Christiana, who is the wife of John Nord- strom, a baker by trade, and lives in Sweden.
Emil Olson was fourteen years old when
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HISTORY OF CLEARFIELD COUNTY
he accompanied his father, in 1879, to Amer- years and five months. They had ten chil- ica. They went to McIntyre, Lycoming dren, Mrs. Olson being the youngest born. county, Pa., where both found work in the To Mr. and Mrs. Olson eight children have been born, all residing at home, a happy, united family, namely: Clara May. Easton, Edward Livingston, Reba, Bertha, Alice, Ross and Richard Gordon. In politics, Mr. Olson is a Democrat and he has served in the offices of inspector and judge of elections. He has seen this place develop from almost a wilderness. heavy timber covering almost the entire coun- try when he first came here, the town having then not more than a half dozen houses, one store and a saw-mill. He attended night school which was conducted by John Somer- ville, who made no charge for his service and is remembered with a great deal of respect by Mr. Olson and many others. coal mines. In 1883 the father returned to Sweden and he remained in his native land until his death in 1904. In the year in which his father went back to Sweden, Emil Olson left Melntyre and located at Peale, in Cooper township, Clearfield county, where he aided in opening up the coal mines before the railroad had been built that far. From Peale, in 1885, he went to Morrisdale, where he secured em- ployment with the Morrisdale Coal Company and worked for them until 1889, when he came to Winburne. Here he was employed by the Somerville Coal Company with which he continued until 1907, when he embarked in the wholesale beer business and conducted it at Winburne until June 13, 1910, when he sold it and purchased the custom mine which he has conducted ever since, having a large domestic coal trade. He also does general hauling.
On September 1, 1887, Mr. Olson was mar- ried to Miss Ida Watkins, a daughter of B. Franklin and Rebecca ( McCartney) Watkins. Both parents of Mrs. Olson were born in Cen- ter county, Pa. For many years B. F. Wat- kins was engaged in the timber business in Center county. He came to Morris township. Clearfield county, in December. 1873. For five years he was in the hotel business at Mor- risdale. He died April 12, 1888, at the age of fifty years and ten months. His parents. Alexander and Jane Watkins, were old resi- lents of Center county, and his mother was in her ninety-fifth year at time of death. The mother of Mrs. Olson was a daughter of Thomas and Rachel McCartney. Her death occurred in 1892, at the age of fifty-seven
Mr. Olson is a member of the United Mine Workers of America and was the first presi- dent of Winburne Local. He belongs also to Winburne Lodge, No. 61, Odd Fellows; Phil- ipsburg Lodge, No. 123. Moose, and belongs additionally to the Scandanavian Brotherhood. With his family he is connected with the Pres- byterian church.
EDWARD A. THOMPSON, a leading and representative citizen of Greenwood town- ship, Clearfield county, Pa., was born April 10, 1860, on his present farm which contains 500 acres, and is a son of R. C. and Rebecca ( Gressley) Thompson.
R. C. Thompson was born in Indiana county, Pa .. where he attended the district schools and when sixteen years of age came to Clearfield county and was in the employ of John Patchen, a well known lumberman, for the next six years. He then married and con- tinued to live in the same township for one
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