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/593

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES his father, and died there when his son, Joseph (f. Swank, was (wo years old. in 1846. John Sw ank, the father, married Caroline K irken­ dall, a daughter o f Joseph Kirkendall, a native o f Mifflin township, Columbia county, where he w as a farm er, as had been his father be­ fore him. T he Kirkendalls bought latge tracts o f land in Columbia county, and a portion of the farm now occupied Joseph ii. Swank, known as Kirkendall H ill, w as included in the holdings o f this family. Both the K irkendall grandparents died on the propcrtv now owned and occupied by their grandson. Joseph G. Sw ank, as did M rs. John Sw ank, who passed aw ay Dec. lO, 1900. aged eighty-four years. She and her husband had but one child. Joseph Kirkendall w.as one of the prominent men of his time and took an active part in public a ffa irs: he built the abutments of the old bridge which w as washed aw ay at Berwick a few years ago. Joseph G. Sw ank lived with his |>atenial grandfather at Lime Ridge until he w as ten years old. at which time he joined his maternal grandparents on the farm he now owns, and has resided on this properly ever since, having bought it when they died, l i e is engaged in a general line o f farming. In 181)4 he bwJime county commissioner atnl held that office dur­ ing 1894. 1895 and i8t/>. Joseph G . Sw ank has a war record, for on Sept. 9. i8fj2. he enlisted for three years, in C om fany K. i6th Pennsylvania C avalry, commanded by Col. J . K . Robinson, o f Mifflintown. Juniata Co.. Pa., and was assigned to tiregg ’s division o f Sheridan's cavalry. He jarticipated in many engagements, remaining m the service lo the close of the war. and was at the surrender at .Appomattox. He w as a charter member o f Captain Jackson Post. ti. .A. R.. o f Berwick, Pennsylvania. In |868 Joseph (i. . ^w.ink was n«rrie<l to ‘ M ar)’ E . Longenberger. who w as born in Columbia county. Pa., tlaughlcr o f .Simon and Lucinda ( KIrkcntlall I Longenberger. Mre. Sw ank died in (896. the mother o f three chil­ dren: Gerintde, who is the widow o f E. M. S . Gould, resides at Scranton. P a .: Walter, who married Dora Klinger, resides al Foundryville. P a .: Daniel is a <lniggist at Scranton. P a., superintendent of the Ixtrenz drug store. Joseph G . Sw ank w as married (second) in 1898 to .Amanda Miller, who was liorn in Mifflin township, daughter o f Henry and Phœbe (K irkendall) Nlillcr. lioth o f whom are deceased. They were prominent people o f Columbia county, well and favorably known.

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Mr. and M rs. Sw ank belong lo the Berwick Baptist Church, in which he has held offices, including those o f deacon. tru.stec and clerk. Joseph G. Sw ank has been president of the Fann ers’ Mutual Insurance Company o f Lime Ridge, Pa., for eighteen years, and wa.s a charter member o f that company. H e is deeply interested in all matters tending to­ wards (he betterment o f agricultural condi­ tions. .N O RM AN S. P U R S E L . late o f Bloomsburg, was a worthy member o f a substantial old fam ily o f Columbia county, which was established in the Frosty valley o% ‘cr a cen­ tury ago by his great-grandfather. Jonathan Purse), and during all his active years fol­ lowed the trade o f blacksmith, at which his father and grandfather were atso engaged. M r. Pursel w as bom in 1837 in the Frosty valley, in Hemlock township. Columbia coun­ ty, son o f Dennis Pursel, and died at Blooms­ burg. Sept. 28. 19 12, in his seventy-sixth year. .Mr. l^ r s c l’s great-grandfather, Jonathan Pursel. lived in .New Je rse y before settling in Pcnnsylv.ania, in the latter part of the eight­ eenth century. The Pursels arc of .ScotchIrish origin. Jonathan Pursel located in the Frosty valley, in what is now Hemlock townshi]i. t'olum bia county, on the fam i a fte r­ wards owned by his desccinlant, Jam es Dcjicw Pursel. He cleared the land he took up and devoted the remainder o f his active years to its improvement. H is tirst wife, Nancy ( K itch en ). was the mother o f all his children. He passed his closing years on the Dc{iew I ’ursel farm. T o quote from an earlier ac­ count ( 18 R 7 ): "T h e farm on which Sylvester lives was owiiccpew Pu r­ sel farm ." Daniel Pursel. son o f Jonathan, was bom Dec. 19. 17 7 1. learned the trade o f blacksmith, and also engaged in farm ing. Though he started life a txior man, by industry and hard work, and with the help o f a capable and de­ voted w ife, he prospered ami succeeded in accuimilaiing a coniiietence. From his father he bought (he farm where his son Sylvester s]icnt all his life, and in 18 16 built the stone house iqxin that place. He also a c q u ir^ own­ ership of the farm afterw ards owned by his son Isaac G . lAirsel. H e was a man o f high character, a member of the Episcopal Uluirch