Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/240

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES L E. Wilson, A. M. Barniiz, William Moses, ^. B. Mann, George M. K lcp fcr, Sam uel D. Vilson, A. Law rence M iller, Robert M. Snyder, William R. Pickcn, J. M. Johnston, and the present pastor, Rev. K. H. Stine. T he church has been repeatedly improved and remodeled, the latest expenditure, in 19 13 , being $ i ,500. In 1906 a $2,500 pipe organ was installed, h alf of the cost of which was con­ tributed by Andrew Carnegie, the ironmaster. T he present membership is 340 and the Su n­ d ay school has 300 attendants, the superintend­ ent being R. M. Graham. T he trustees of the church fo r 19 14 a r e : Charles S. Kline, R. M. G raham, D r. L. B. Kline. C. J. Fisher, O. P. Kostenbauder, H. C. O bcrdorf. D. E. M urray. T h e stewards a r e : M. J. Grim es, John K. D cem cr, W illiam C. K uster, M. E. Irwin, O scar Milter, S. M. Miller. William Eveland. Jo h n Fenstermachcr, P erry Heacock. Mrs. M. E. Irw in is president of the Ladies’ A id Society, and M iss M ary Fcgley is president of the Epworth League. C E M E T E R IE S

Catawissa is well supplied with burying grounds. In the one adjoining the Quaker meetinghouse lie many ot that sect, as well a s those o f other denominations. N ext to this i s a more modem cemetery. N ear the upper end of the town is the Union cemetery, do­ nated to the public by Christian Brobst in 1802. H ere lie the remains o f himself and w ife under a massive slab o f marble. H e w as bom Sept. 14, 176 7, and di^d Ja n. 14. 1849. H is w ife.

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Barbara, was bom Sept. 2 1, 1767, and died Dec. 24, 1847. M any of the ancestors of the present residents of the town are also buried here, and (he grounds arc very well kept, con­ sidering their age and public ownership. C A T A W IS S A

n iB L IO P H IL E S

Organized fo r the social as well as for the intellectual benefit, along literary lines, were the Bibliophiles— the booklovers o f Catawissa, consisting o f fourteen ladies, in 1908. The club has flourished and since then meetings have heen held weekly, at which literary works have been taken up. studied and discussed at length. N o definite line o f work is laid down fo r the club. Each succeeding work is taken up as the members desire, and the prc^rams interspersed from time to time with social gatherings and discussions o f contemporary fic­ tion, a s well as more elaborate entertainments. The meetings are held at the homes of the members in turn, on Monday evenings. The first members of the club were the fm low ing: M rs. A. S. Truckenmillcr, president; Mrs. C. E. Randall, M rs. H arry Fahringcr, M rs. George Schmick, M rs. H arry Yetter. Mrs. M aude Berninger, M rs. C. E. Geycr, Mrs. F. A. F rear, the M isses Sue Berninger. H attie Abbott, Jan e H arder, Helen Baldy, B crd W alter. Ida W alter. "The oflKcr* for IQ I4 are: M rs. C. E . Geyer, president; Mrs. R A . F rear, vice president; M rs. C . E . R an ­ dall. treasurer. The membership has been in­ creased to sixteen.

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C E N T R A L I A B O R O U G H — C O N Y N G H A M T O W N S H IP T h is extrem e southernmost township in Columbia county* w as in 1856 separated from Locust township and made a division unto itself, being named after the then presiding ju d ge. John Nesbitt Conyngham. T he session over which the Ju d ge presided when the town­ ship w as erected w as the last one o f his tenn. Conyngham township is in almost every re­ spect unlike the other divisions o f Columhia county. H aving no railroad communication by direct route with the county seat, and separated from the rest of the county by towering and rugged mountain ranges, it is practically cut o ff from its sister townships. T o reach the

county seat the residents o f Centralia are o b lig ^ to travel by one o f two roundabout railroad routes, six times the distance by the direct public road. T h e latter road is in such a state of disrepair as to be almost im­ passable. In addition the heavy grades make the journey long and hazardous to (he traveler. T o a great degree the people are dependent on the towns in Schuylkill and Northumlierland counties for supplies and interchange o f social courtesies. T h e township is almost destitute o f agri­ cultural possibilities, and but for the immense coal deposits therein would have remained for