USA > Pennsylvania > Two centuries of the Church of the Brethren in western Pennsylvania, 1751-1950 > Part 42
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John Willard Brumbaugh and Wife
union six children were born: Claude E., Freda Imogene, Norman H., Mary A., Ruby K., and John W. On September 18, 1910, Brother Brum- baugh united with the church at Riddlesburg, where his father served
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as elder for a number of years. John has always been studious and has acquired a very practical education. He has been employed by the Bethlehem Steel Company as a machinist for the past twenty-five years. The Riddlesburg church called him to the office of deacon; this office was served faithfully. The family moved to Conemaugh in 1920. This church elected him to the ministry April 8, 1940, and one year later ordained him to the full ministry. He has preached whenever and wherever there was need. At present he is serving the Nanty Glo church as their pastor. All of the Brumbaugh family have been active workers in the Conemaugh congregation, giving of their talents and devotion in many fields of endeavor.
LEWIS HENRY BRUMBAUGH (April 21, 1894-) was the son of Francis and Frances (Gehman) Brumbaugh of Hartville, Ohio. He holds Bach- elor of Arts, Master of Arts, Bachelor of Divinity, and Doctor of Philos- ophy degrees from Mount Morris College, the University of Chicago, Yale University, and the University of Pittsburgh, respectively. He was called to the ministry in 1917 and ordained as an elder about 1930. He served as pastor in Harrisburg two years, coming to Roxbury in 1940 and remaining there five years. Most of his life has been given to educational work; he has taught in the public schools and in Mount Morris, Blue Ridge, and Western Maryland colleges. In 1945 he went to Northland College, Ashland, Wisconsin, as dean and became presi- dent of the institution in 1947. Brother Brumbaugh married Amelia H. Johnson of Cambridge, Massachusetts. They are the parents of three daughters. In 1945 the family affiliated with the Congregational-Chris- tian Church.
SOLOMON BUCKLEW (August 25, 1840-1925) was a native of Preston County, Virginia. He united with the church in 1860 and in 1864 he was elected to the ministry. About two years later he was ordained as an elder. When the old Sandy Creek congregation was divided and the Markleysburg congregation was reorganized he was given the over- sight of the new congregation. From 1887 until 1914 Elder Bucklew lived in Illinois and in Iowa. During this period his wife, Elizabeth (Strawser) Bucklew, whom he married in 1862, passed away. After again returning to the Markleysburg congregation he was married to Mary C. Sterner, who now resides in Ohio. Elder Bucklew had a mag- nificent voice which made him one of the outstanding speakers at Annual Meetings. His great-granddaughter, Mrs. Mary (Cover) Bow- man, wrote thus of him: "Somehow when I try to think about God and what he is like, my thoughts always get tangled up with Grandpa and Daddy-two of the best men I ever knew, as far as disposition, gentleness, kindness, and love are concerned. ... He had a great respect for the personality of children and treated them with dignity, always giving them their share of attention with grown-ups. How I loved him! He was so thoroughly and honestly good."
(1) JOHN A. BUFFENMYER (March 27, 1887-July 7, 1943), the son of John C. and Matilda (Adams) Buffenmyer, was reared in the Cones- toga congregation, where he was baptized on November 4, 1899. The Elizabethtown church called him to the ministry on May 8, 1919. He
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entered pastoral work April 1, 1920, at Uniontown, going to Connells- ville April 1, 1922, where he was ordained as an elder May 31, 1923. The Scalp Level church called him November 1, 1927, and he re- mained there until March 1, 1933. Following these churches he worked with the Alliance, Ohio, congregation, and the Lost Creek and New- ville churches. He served on many district committees and held many evangelistic meetings. He was married to Stella Hoffer. Two sons are in the ministry: Luke H. (December 1, 1916) of Newport, and John H., of whom more is written later.
John A. Buffenmyer and Wife
(1) MRS. J. A. BUFFENMYER (October 28, 1888-) was born in Dauphin County. When she was eleven her family moved to Harris- burg, where she had her first contact with the Church of the Brethren. On May 2, 1904, she was baptized. She met John A. Buffenmyer while they were students at Elizabethtown College. They were graduated in June 1907, and on December 24 of that year they were united in marriage. She is a licensed minister, and upon the death of her husband in 1943 she completed his term as pastor of the Newville church. Sister Buffenmyer was the president of the District Aid So- cieties from 1927 to 1929 while her husband was serving as pastor of the Scalp Level church. She is the mother of six children. Two sons, John and Luke, are ministers. On June 4, 1950, she was married to H. B. Markley, who is elder of the West Conestoga congregation in Eastern Pennsylvania.
(2) JOHN HOFFER BUFFENMYER (November 19, 1908-) attended Juniata and Blue Ridge colleges and took work with the Moody Bible Institute. He was baptized February 20, 1918, licensed to the ministry
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December 6, 1925, installed the following year, and ordained as an elder October 25, 1950. For several years he was the pastor of the Hyndman church; about 1951 he moved near Cumberland, Maryland, where he works in a factory and cares for the Glendale church in that state. He was married to Marian Burkett on July 6, 1929. They are the parents of a son and a daughter.
JOSEPH S. BURKHART (December 22, 1829-July 14, 1927) was the son of Ephraim and Catherine (Hildebrand) Burkhart. Educational facili- ties were very limited for him, but he acquired a thorough knowledge of the Bible and a love for his Lord by reading the Scriptures to his aged grandmother, whose eyesight had failed her. But since only grown folks belonged to the church then, Joseph had to wait until he grew up to be baptized. The church almost lost an excellent preacher, for he was thirty-seven when he united with the church. One year later, in 1867, he was elected to the ministry. Catherine Sproul, the daughter of Andrew and Mary (Ripple) Sproul, became his wife on December 21, 1854. They resided in Adams Township, Cambria County, until 1914, when they moved to Walnut Grove. Sister Burkhart passed away in her ninety-second year. Of the six children born into this home, four grew to maturity. Jennie became the wife of Elder Corne- lius W. Harshberger and the mother of Lori B. Harshberger. John and Ephraim lived in Johnstown. Flora Trout lived in Virginia.
F. J. BYER (May 21, 1884-) was born in Lancaster County. He was baptized on January 28, 1904, in the Middle Creek congregation, Lancaster County. In 1911 he was united in marriage with Elizabeth
F. J. Byer and Wife
M. Eby of Lancaster. He attended Elizabethtown College, Mount Morris College, and Bethany Biblical Seminary, graduating from the last two institutions with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Divinity degrees respectively. He is also a graduate of the Columbia College of Expres- sion in Chicago, and in 1926 he graduated from Columbia University in New York with a Master of Arts degree. During the course of his
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studies at Bethany, he taught expression there for six years on half time. On October 10, 1909, Brother Byer was ordained to the ministry. On April 13, 1913, he was advanced to the second degree of the ministry, and on September 12, 1915, was ordained to the eldership in the Batavia church, Illinois. For a number of years he taught public speaking, Bible, and English in the following colleges: Elizabethtown College; State Teachers College, Springfield, South Dakota; Manchester College; and West Texas State Teachers College. His later years have been given to pastoral work. During nineteen years he has been pastor of the following churches: Batavia, Illinois; Brooklyn, New York; Wil- liamsburg and Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania; Plum Creek since December 1946. Brother Byer has done some successful evangelistic work, but he has always felt that his field is teaching and expository and devotional preaching.
JOHN H. CASSADY (October 24, 1871-1939) was born in Grant County, West Virginia. After studying at the Fairmont State Normal he spent some time teaching in the public schools and farming. He entered the church on December 25, 1890. On January 25, 1896, he was united in marriage with Meribah Idleman. Being dissatisfied with his education, he moved his family to Huntingdon in 1900 and entered Juniata College. There, six years later, he was graduated with a Bach- elor of Arts degree, having first completed the Normal English course. While he was in college, on March 23, 1903, the Huntingdon church elected him to the ministry. After only two years as principal of the Yeagertown schools, he was called to the pastorate of the West Johns- town church in 1908. On September 1, 1914, he left Johnstown to be the pastor of the Huntingdon church. While there he was ordained to the eldership on May 4, 1911. After he closed his pastorate there, the family remained in Huntingdon, and Elder Cassady devoted his time to evangelistic meetings, in which he was more than ordinarily successful. He was in great demand all over the district and the Brotherhood for such services. Elder and Sister Cassady were the parents of seven splendid children. Maynard, now deceased, was elected to the ministry. Sister Cassady, who through the years knew well the joys and the re- sponsibilities of a pastor's and an evangelist's wife, died on December 19, 1950.
D. EDWARD CAUFFIEL (January 25, 1907-) grew up in the home of his parents, Alexander H. and Lucenda (Rhodes) Cauffiel, in Jenner Township, Somerset County. Being at first of the Lutheran faith, he united with the Roxbury Church of the Brethren on January 25, 1928, and was licensed to preach on September 17, 1941. After several years assisting in various pulpits in the Johnstown area, he accepted a part- time pastorate in the Locust Grove church on August 1, 1946, where he is now serving. To supplement his income, he is employed in the steel mills. The Locust Grove church ordained him to the full ministry July 10, 1947. He was ordained as an elder on October 24, 1951. Olive Mosholder became his wife on June 20, 1928. They are the parents of a daughter, Betty Lou.
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D. Edward Cauffiel and Wife
ANDREW CHAMBERS (December 23, 1858-April 6, 1916) was a native of West Virginia. His first wife was Anna R. Meisenhelder, who died March 25, 1900, leaving two sons and three daughters. Seven years later he married Mrs. L. J. Covalt. He united with the church in March 1882, and on November 13, 1886, he was called to the ministry in the Ryerson Station congregation in Greene County. The second degree of the ministry was con- ferred upon him on October 17, 1891. Brother Chambers had a fine mind and was an able orator. He found much joy in defending the doctrines of the church in de- bate. It was with regret that the Ryerson Station church saw him move to Virginia; he had baptized more than forty members in a few years.
NELSON B. CHRISTNER (July 22, 1851-July 1904) was the last son to bless the home of Gabriel and Magdalene (Dickey) Christ- ner before the family moved from Somerset County to Westmore- Andrew Chambers land County. Mary A. Wissinger became his wife on March 12, 1870, and both were baptized in October
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of that year. He was elected to the ministry in the Indian Creek congre- gation in the 1870's. He labored in many counties in our district, finally going south for his health. Although many children were born into this home, all died when quite young.
(1) DAVID STEELE CLAPPER (September 2, 1846-June 30, 1914) was a son of Elder Henry and Hannah (Steele) Clapper of Bedford County. When he was seventeen years of age, he united with the church. Six years later he married Susanna Teeter. At the age of twenty-five he was elected to the ministry. For forty-three years he served the church faithfully. His daughter, Grace, wrote of him, "He found a pulpit wherever he went and made use of it, whether it was a church, a grove, a schoolhouse, or a barn, the living room or back porch of neighbors and friends." Many new fields were opened for the church, mostly at his own expense. The church at Everett was one such ven- ture. In 1906 he came into this district, locating in the Moxham church. After a short period of service there he contracted pneumonia, which eventuated in tuberculosis and caused his death later. Of his children, V. Grace became a missionary to China. A grandson, Edwin E. Crist, is a minister.
(2) V. GRACE CLAPPER (February 23, 1887-) was born in Bedford County. She prepared for the teaching profession, taking the Normal English course at Juniata College. While Grace was a student at Juni- ata, the call of the Lord came to her to go to a foreign mission field. After teaching public school for five years, she went to Bethany Bible School in Chicago and acquired a Bachelor of Sacred Literature degree in 1917. In September of the same year she was sent to China. After her first term of service, she again attended Juni- ata College and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1925. The follow- ing years, furloughs excepted, were spent in China until World War II interrupted the work. Sister Grace was interned in Pekin, China, from the time of the Pearl Harbor inci- dent in 1941 until the following May, when she was transferred to a Jap- anese concentration camp in China. In September 1943, because of the serious illness contracted while in- terned there, she was sent home on V. Grace Clapper the Gripsholm with the first ex- change of war prisoners. The next five years of Grace's life were spent fighting the illness which threatened to end her work on earth. God is good, and through her unfaltering faith she was restored to active service in His Kingdom. At present, she is busy bringing inspiration to the churches at home
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and working in summer camps. Through it all, Sister Grace has main- tained an unswerving faith in His love and care, growing constantly in patience and in knowledge that He is able to do wondrous things. Her miraculous escapes from dangers, the freedom from fear while im- prisoned by unscrupulous men, the funds that descended upon her in answer to her prayers for resources to pay for expenses caused by her illness-all these and many other experiences plus the splendid Chris- tian she has always been, have added up to make a magnificent and tri- umphant personality.
DAVID K. CLAPPER (November 8, 1864-January 16, 1927) was reared in Bedford County, his parents being Samuel and Nancy (Kagarise) Clapper. He became a Christian on February 16, 1881, at New Enter- prise. Rachel Hoover, a daughter of Jonathan Hoover, became his wife on January 25, 1885. After farming a few years he became employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com- pany. During this time, at home or in his caboose, he carried his books and educated himself in various lines, including the Bible. He was called to the ministry at Hyndman on September 25, 1890, and ordained as an elder at Meyersdale on May 15, 1915. In 1907 he decided to de- vote all his time to the Lord's work. The family moved to Meyersdale, where he spent the remainder of his life. He preached many evangelistic meetings, served as pastor at Mey- ersdale for a year and one-half and served as elder of several churches. For a few years he worked as dis- trict evangelist for the District of Middle Maryland. He served our David K. Clapper district the first years of its exist- ence as the treasurer of the committee on selection and support of misionaries on the foreign field.
JOHN HARVEY CLAWSON was born in Westmoreland County to Brother and Sister John E. Clawson. He was graduated from Juniata College in 1928, from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1931, and from the University of Pittsburgh in 1939. He has also attended Temple University and Bethany Biblical Seminary. He united with the Greensburg Church of the Brethren in 1925, after having been a member of the Reformed Church since the age of eleven. The Greens- burg church licensed him to preach in 1926 and installed him in 1927. He was ordained as an elder in 1933. The following congregations
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have been served by Brother Claw- son: Robinson, from 1927 to 1929; North Liberty, Indiana, 1929; Calva- ry, Philadelphia, 1929 to 1932. Since 1932 he has worked with the Robin- son church, the Community church at Heshbon, and the Penn Run congre- gation. In addition, he has taught school for nineteen years. In 1930 he was married to Ruth Betts. Two sons, John and Wayne, bless their home. John has been licensed to the ministry recently.
MABEL GERTRUDE CLAYPOOL (Oc- tober 19, 1921-) is the daughter of Loyal and Florence (Kimmel) Clay- pool of Armstrong County and a granddaughter of Elder Lewis Kim- mel. She was baptized at the Center Hill church May 13, 1932. In 1944 she received a Bachelor of Science John Harvey Clawson degree from Clarion State Teachers' College. For several years she taught in the public schools and worked in summer church camps. The call of the Master to the foreign mission
field came to her in various ways through the years. In the summer of 1948 while in a camp she made her decision to yield to the call. She made further preparation at Beth- any Biblical Seminary during the 1949-1950 school year. The following year she studied at Scarritt College, Tennessee. On February 16, 1951, she sailed for India. Mabel lives the Sermon on the Mount wherever she goes. She never hesitates to go that second mile. No task is too menial, nor is any work too hard to be undertaken if it is His will. Her love for all of God's children exemplifies the spirit of her Lord. India will be the richer for her presence and her work.
"GEORGE D. CLEAVER [July 30, 1848-1926] ... was born ... in Clear- Mabel Gertrude Claypool field County. ... Here he lived with his parents until 1869. Being now of age, he went to Bedford County, where he was married and lived ten years. In 1879 he returned to Clearfield County with his family
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and has lived there ever since. He became a member of the Church of the Brethren in 1886, was called to the ministry in the Rockton congregation in 1887, and was ordained to the eldership in 1912. As resident elder of the Rockton congregation he succeeded Elder J. H. Beer, who in turn had followed his father, Peter Beer."-Taken from the Blough history
LEWIS COBAUGH (September 6, 1833-November 17, 1869) was born to Frederick and Susan (Benshoff) Cobaugh, early settlers in Taylor Township, Cambria County. When Lewis was sixteen his father died; he then assumed the responsibility of the farm, all the while pursuing studies in languages and other fields of knowledge. He chose, as his wife, Susan, the daughter of Brother Peter Berkey of the Old Shade Creek congregation. The Conemaugh congregation called him to the ministry in 1855. He became an eloquent and earnest preacher, and his services were much sought over a wide area of the district. In March 1869 he moved his family into Johnstown, where he was asso- ciated with Judge Mahlon W. Keim in operating a store and a tannery. Four children blessed this good home: Peter A., Sarah J., Hannah B., and Paul J.
Cober (Cover, Kober) Family
(1) PETER and MARGARETTE COVER emigrated from Germany to America and settled in what is now Somerset County, Pennsylvania, sometime before the Revolutionary War. They were among the first twenty white families to reside in this new territory. In 1775 he se- cured a patent for land which remained in the Cover family for many years. This first Peter Cover died in 1805. His widow, Margarette, and the following children survived: Elizabeth, wife of Michael Kurtz; Nicolas; Feronscathe, wife of John Boger; Margaret, wife of Christian Wageman; Peter Cover, of whom more is written; John Cover, who married Hannah Beeghly; Catherine and Susannah, who married Ben- nett brothers; and Mary, whose husband is unknown to the writer.
(2) PETER COBER, JR. (May 24, 1776-October 20, 1854) was born on the new land near what is now Berlin. He married Elizabeth Landis and reared a large family on the same land. Some of the children who were born into this home were: John P., of whom more is written, Samuel, Jonathan, Peter, Jacob, and Mary. Catherine, a daughter of Samuel Cober, became the wife of Valentine Blough. Just when Peter Cober united with the German Baptist Brethren is not known. How- ever, it is recorded that he filled all the offices from deacon to elder. He was elected to the ministry about 1814, and was ordained to the eldership at Berkley's, which later was known as Berkley's Mills. Elder Peter Cober was one of the outstanding ministers in the early church. He traveled throughout Somerset County looking after the interests of the Kingdom.
After the death of Michael Moyer in 1836, Peter Cober, Jr., and John Forney were jointly called to the bishop's office. Upon the death of Bishop Forney in 1846, Jacob Moyer was elected to take his place, and when the Summit Mills meetinghouse was erected in 1849 these
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two were the bishops of the Brethren churches in the county, except Shade. After the congregation was divided in the latter part of 1849, plans were made for a house of worship at Berkley's Mills. A deed was recorded in the Somerset County courthouse on April 2, 1851, which follows in part: "Between Jacob Berkley of Summit Township, Somer- set county and state of Pennsylvania, and his wife, Rebecca, of the one part, and Peter Kober and Jacob Moyer of Brothersvalley township, John Berkley of Summit township, and Jacob Lichty of Elklick town- ship, all of the county and state aforesaid, Bishops of (now) two church- es or congregations (being lately divided) and called the Brethren . . . , this being the same church or congregation that became located in the county aforesaid at its early settlement." Bishop Cober served the church as minister for forty years, and as bishop half of that period.
(3) JOHN P. COBER (March 26, 1803-July 31, 1884) was a son of Bishop Peter Cober. For the following account we are indebted to Jerome Blough: "John P. Cober, son of Elder Peter Cober, was born on the Cober homestead, near Berlin, Somerset County. ... He received such schooling as was available in his day, which was principally in German. . . . He was married to Miss Rosie Anne Putnam. . . . To Brother and Sister Cober were born six sons and four daughters. Sev- eral of the daughters were the wives of officials of the church. Pro- fessor Wesley H. Cober (Cover), who was a prominent schoolman in Somerset County, and at one time a promising young minister, was his grandson. . . . Besides being a farmer and minister, Brother Cober was a physician of considerable note. His services were in de- mand far and wide. It is said of him that he purchased Dr. Fahrney's doctor books, and that after his day's work on the farm was completed and his sermons were prepared, he would study medicine in his own garden. He had two large gardens, side by side-one in which he raised garden vegetables and in the other one his herbs. Brother Cober was doubly helpful to the sick. He could give them medical help and spiritual counsel and encouragement. . . . His ministerial labors were confined principally to his home congregation and several of the neighboring ones. ... While his education and preaching were in German, he spoke English fluently."
T. RODNEY COFFMAN (June 27, 1873-April 15, 1944) was the son of Samuel and Susan Coffman of Washington County, Maryland. After graduating from Wolf's Business College he taught for three years in the same institution. He was united in marriage to Blanche E. Fahrney on November 4, 1896. The following year both were baptized. On November 25, 1897, he was elected to the ministry in the Manor congre- gation, Maryland. After his call to the ministry he took some Bible work to prepare himself for better service. He was ordained as an elder on December 10, 1911, in the Parkerford church, which he was serving as pastor at the time. Previous to his nine years in the above-mentioned church, he served the Tyrone church in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. The Pittsburgh church called him on Febru- ary 2, 1913, and he served there until August 1917, when he took up the pastoral work at the Meyersdale church. Elder Coffman served the
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T. Rodney Coffman and Wife
Somerset congregation from October 1, 1929, until his retirement on September 1, 1940. The closing years of his life were spent in Pitts- burgh, where he and Sister Coffman made their home with their only daughter, Elizabeth, and her husband, Orville Hittie. Sister Coff- man was blinded by an illness seven years ago. She passed away on July 7, 1951. Elder Coffman possessed a splendid library and was an avid reader. He received much enjoyment, especially, in the study of life beyond the bounds of this earth.
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