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/520

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES di$]>aicher at K iiigsioa. Pa., on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad. He w as so engaged until 1864. when he moved to Dan­ ville and became teller in the Danville N a­ tional Hank, serving in that capacity for twenty-seven years, during which time he thoroughly familiarized himself with the banking busincs.*! and banking methods. He w as thus well qualified for his next step in life, assuming the duties o f cashier of the bank, which position he held in a highly sat­ isfactory manner until 1896, when he was obliged to give up work on account o f ill health. M r. Gearhart spent some time in re­ tirement. but recuperate<l to such an extent that he w as able to do work about the office and acted as assistant cashier until his death, which occurred March 9, 19 10. It w as re­ garded as a distinct loss to the community where he had been active in financial circles fo r so many years. He w as possessed o f ex­ cellent business ability, and w as decidedly successful in the management o f his affairs, owning his beautiful residence on Market .street and considerable other property in the town. He had many excellent traits o f char­ acter, and no citizen of Danville ever had m ore friends or was held in higher esteem than M r. Gearhart. H e was treasurer and secretary of the Danville Bridge Company, and served on the school board for three years. H e was a member of the Grove Presbyterian Church, o f which he w as an elder. In 1863 A ir. Gearhart married Cordelia E. C lark, who was horn A pril 19. 1842. at I’ottsville. Pa., and sur>'ivcs him. continuing to m ake her home at Danville. Three children w ere bom to this m arriage: David C.. bom N ov. I. i866. died M ay 26. 18 7 0; Charles W illels. born Ju ly 15. 18 7 1. a graduate o f L e h ^ h University, w as fo r a time electrical engineer at the power house of the Brooklyn bridge, later in the electrical supply business a t Brooklyn. .V. Y .. and is now with the B crk cly C!onstruction Company. New Y o rk (h e married Louise M . Rodman, and their children arc Louisa. Geoigianna and Rod­ m a n ); Eleanor Clark, born Nov. 15. 1873. is the w ife of Frederick C. Kirkendall. of W ilkes-Barre. Pa. (president of the TintfsL e a d er Piihli-shlng C o m fan y). and has three children. Fred O uirles. Eleanor and Conlelia. D. w m C l a r k, father o f M rs. Cordelia E. G earhart, w as born Jan. 3 1 . 18 14 . at Cata­ w issa. Pa., son o f John and Jan e (O a rk ) C lark. The parents were not related, though bearing the same name. The ancestors on both sides were early settlers of Pennsylvania.

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J<^n Clark w as a saddler by occupation. H e and his w ife had a fam ily o f seven children, o f whom David, the youngest, long survived the rest. H e a tte n d ^ school in his native town and passed his early manhood there, be­ ginning work as clerk in a store. .After being thus engaged for a few years he became a merchant on his own account, keeping a gen­ eral store until 1845, when he was elected justice of the peace. Soon after this, how­ ever, he changed his residence to Danville, in 1846, where in 1850 he became associated actively with the Danville National Bank, o f which institution he was one of the founders. H is first position in the bank w as that of teller, from which he was promoted to as­ sistant cashier, and in 1864 he became cashier. Subsequently he was elected president of the bank, and served in that capacity until his death, which occurred Dec. 17, 1893, in his eightieth year. Though most o f his time and attention was devoted to the bank he had in­ terests in various other local enterprises, among them the nail works, o f w hkh he was a director. H e was elected burgess of the l>orough. di.scharging the du tks o f that posi­ tion to the satisfaction o f all concerned, and w as highly esteemed in every relation o f life. Politically he was a Republican, fraternally a Freemason. He attended the Mahoning Presbyterian Church. Mr.’ Clark married Eleatwr Gearhart, who was born in 18 19. daughter o f William tk a rhart and granddaughter u f William Gearhart, brother o f Jaco b Gearhart. She died in Octo­ ber. 1842. the mother o f one child, Cordelia E. (M rs. G earhart). For hLs second w ife M r. C lark married Desdemona Wadsworth, o f Catawissa. and had two children: M ary, w ife o f William C. F r ic k; and William M c­ Gill, who died young. William (icarhart, brother o f Capt. Jacob Gearliari. was bom in Strasburg. Germany, and came to .America in 1754. H e settled in Hunterdon county. N. J . When the Revolu­ tionary war broke out he enlisted in the Hunterdon county militia and was promote<l to ensign. -After the war, about 1790. he came to Northumberland county and pur­ chased a large tract o f land to the .southeast o f his brother Capt. Jacob Gearhart’s tract, settling in Rush township. In New Je rse y he married Eleanor DcKnight, and they became (he parents o f four sons and three daughters, as follow s: W illiam. Aaron. Tobias. Jacob, Elizabeth (M rs. A m cns), .Ann (M rs. Amens) and M ao* (M rs. Uambcrson). William Gearhart, son o f W illiam, was