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/497

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

cntcnirisc* but to Ihc community whose sup­ port tu s made his endeavors worth white. On Feb. 27, 1900* M r. Pursel n u rried Vida Miller, dauglitcr o f C. W. and Cora (Eshlcn u n ) M iller, o f Bloomsburg. and they have a fam ily o f four children: Elizabeth, Frank, Charles and M argcric. In religious connec­ tion M r. Pursel is a Prcsbyierian, and socially he holds membership in the B. F. O. E lk s at Bloomsburg. D O R A N C E K. R IS H E L * o f O ttawa, the leading business man o f northern Montour county, h.is gained this creditable and substan­ tial position through his own efforts and is one of the influential citizens o f his section. H e w as born M arch 4, 1875, in Mahoning township, near Danville, at w W is known as Frogtown, son o f Peter Rishel. T lie fam ily is an old one in these parts. M artin Kishcl, great-great-grandfather of Dorance K. Rishel, was a soldier in the R evo ­ lutionary w ar, and shortly a fte r its close came to Afahoning tow*nship, in what is now M on­ tour county, taking up about two hundred acres o f government land from which he cleared the farm where he passed the re­ mainder o f his life. T he farm is still owned in the fam ily (by J . C . Rishel, a son o f George W. R ish e l), a deed fo r part o f it being at one time held by George W. Rishel, gran dfa­ ther o f Dorance R. Rishel. M artin Rishel w as a farm er and most o f his descendants have followed the same vocation. Solomon Rishel, son o f M artin, w as bom in 1799 in Mahoning township, and married Sarah Harpine. a native 0 Berks county, P a., whose father, David larpine, w as a colonel in the Revolution. George W. Rishel w as born Ju ly 24, 1825, within h alf a mile of the place in Mahoning township where he made his home fo r so man^ years, g rew up on the farm, and received his education in the subscription schools conducted in the locality. Then he began farm ing on his own account, carr^'ing on stock grow ing as well as general agriculture, so successfully that he acquired the ownership o f two well improved farm s in Montour county, as well as three houses and lots in the town o f Mechanicsvtlle. near Danville. H e died when alx>ut eighty years old. at the old homestead of Solomon Kishcl, in Mahoning township. He lived on his own farm alnxost to the end o f his days. M r. Rishel w as not only enter­ prising in the management o f his own affairs, Hit took a leading part in local movements, particularly church w ork, serving a s class

leader, steward, trustee and Sabbath school superintendent in the Methodist Episcopal Church, o f which his w ife w as also an active member. H e w as a Republican in his political convictions. In 1847 M r. Rishel m arried Susanna G k i sart, daughter o f Hugh Cousart, and o f E j ^ hsh and Irish origin, and they Itad children a s follow s: Peter, mentioned t^ lo w; Sarah J., w ife o f .Alfred Thompson, a farm e r; James C., a house plasterer, living on the old home­ stead in Mahoning tow nship; William £ .; Elizabeth A ., w ife o f AUchacI L. Leighow. a railroad m an; H. Clarence, farm er and daii7m an; George W .. a fa rm e r; Charles H .; A rthur F .. in Union county, P a .; and Ella Virginia, deceased. Peter Rishel, son o f George W. Rishel, was born at Mechanicsville, near Danville, and dkd A pril 1, 19 12, at Jerseytow n, Columbia county, i lc followed farm ing, in 18 S1 moving to M aus­ dale, where he w as so engaged for several years, at (he end o f (hat time settling in .Anthony township, where he remained six years. Then he bought the home and a farm at W hite Hall which he operated for nineteen years, shortly before his death moving lo J e r ­ seytown. H e m arried M argaret Roberts, a native o f Mahoning township, daughter of David Roberts, and she survives him, Hing at Jerseytow n. Seven children were bom to M r. and M rs. R ish el: W illiam, who is on the old home pLicc; Dorance R .; Essie, w ife o f Jam es W esley Campbell, o f D an ville; R oy, o f South Danville, an insurance m an; Jo h n, a merchant at Jerseytow n, niarric<l to Nellie K ra c m c r; Joseph K ., a coal and grain dealer at Turbotville, P a .; and George, who lives with his mother at Jerseytovtm (he married a i 4artran ft). Dorance R. Rishel obtained a good common school education in the home neighborhood, and soon a fte r leaving school located at Ottawa station. Montour county, where he has proved a highly successful business man. H e learned telegraphy and in 1895 became station agent and operator for the S. R. & B. R ailw ay Co., also acting a s express agent, for all o f which he received a salary o f fifteen dollars a month, out o f which he had to |:^y board. H e is still station agent. But he w as th rifty and on the alert for business opportunities, nnd about a year after locating at the station he began the handling o f coal, hay and grain, as well as various other farm products, buying and shipping. In i8yS he bought the general mer­ cantile business o f W illiam G earhart, which he has since continued, and in connection with