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/678

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES reading. She went to school but little until her sixteenth year—three terms, and prob­ ably enough short periods to a g g r^ a te another full term, but workc<l nnd studied at home. Entering the State Norm al School she grad­ uated in June, 1892. one of the youngest in a class o f ninety-six. Between 1892 and 1897 she taught four terms in the graded schools, one in Union county, one in i.uzcrne county .and two in E.spy. She then returned to school fo r a year nnd complettxl her post-graduate work, receiving the B. P. degree in 1 8 ^. Then followed one year o f ungradcil work in Columbia county, in 1899-1900, and more in IQ02-04, at Rohrsburg, and in 1905-07 in Cornw all. I.e 1 >anon county. In 1901 M iss Robison w as elected superin­ tendent of the home department of the County Sabbath School .Association, in 1906 added the duties o f prim ary superintendent, and in 1007 left the Cornwall school and was called back to take the position o f field secretary of the county assocLation. T h is was new work and she w as obligc«l to go slowly, hut rn.an.agcd to carry il on until Jan u ary, 1908, when she was calle<l to the field w ork o f (he State .Associa­ tion and given full charge o f Columbia. .Norllnimberlaiid, Montour. Union and Snyder counties. In two years her work had reached a high standard o f excellence, and she is mov­ ing steadily toward the goal o f success. U n­ til the fall of 19 13 she did general field work in the central part of the iatatc. In Novcml)cr, 19 13. the Slate board o f directors created the department o f R u ral W ork, o f which she w as made superintendent. M iss Robison united with the Baptist denomination at the age o f sixteen, and continues in the same ChurchJE R E M I.A H R. F O W f.E R (dcccase<l). at one time county treasurer o f Columbia county. P a., w as bom in Pine township. Columbia county, March 17, 1854, son o f John F. and ju lia A. f Fortner) Fowler. The fam ily Is of Knglish descent. Benjamin Fow ler, the great-grandfather, w as one of the first settlers o f Columbia coun­ ty. H e w as a British subject, and when a boy cam e to this countr)- as a ser-ant to one of the officers in the English arm y fighting against the Colonists. .After surrendering w ilh Cornwallis at Yorktow n. the w ar clos­ ing. he learned the trade o f blacksmith and scttleil above Espy, in Columbia county. Pa., where he followcil his trailc and farmed. H e m arried Deborah, a d.iughtcr o f David F ow ­ ler. but not a member of the same fam ily, and

569

they had these children: Jam es, David, Dan­ iel. Benjamin, WiUiam. Gilbert, Sarah and Nancy. Ilis son. Da d, the grandfather o f Jerem iah R ., died in 1876), at the age o f ninetyone years. H e raised four children: Cath­ erine. Sarah, John F . and Sophia. John F . Fowler, father o f Jerem iah R ., was born in Centre township, M ay 2, 18 13, and having been reared to farm ing operated his father's farm until 1842, when he went to Pine township and bought a farm. H e remained there until 1866), and then Ixiught a farm near Pine Summit where he resided until his death. On M ay 29, 1836, he nurried Ju lia A ., d.tughter o f John Fortn er; and she died Ja n. 29. 1866, leaving seven children: Dorcas F .. M ary E ., A lvin C ., Sarah E ., David, Jerem iah R. and William M. F o r his second w ife Mr. F ow ler married, Ja n. 10, 1867. Hannah M., daughter o f Joseidi and M ary (Sp arks) I loughton, and by this union had two children. H arvey O. and M attie M. Jerem iah R. Fow ler w as reared on the home farm and rcnuined with his parents until twelve years o f age. A fte r his mother's death he went to Danville and leametl the trade of puddler. working in (he rolling mill fo r sev­ eral years. In 1875 he cng.igcd in the lime business in Muncy township. I.ycoming coun­ ty, continuing there until 1880. when he came to Pine township and carried on the same business fo r one ^ear. He also established a distillery at Pine .Summit, which he conducted till 1883, when he sold out and {Hirchased (he Fow ler Lyons farm o f 250 acres. T h is he greatly improved and cultivateil until 1885. when he movcil lo Bloomsburg and entere<l the restaurant business. H e also managed the Opera House there. H e scr-cd one term as county treasurer, taking office in 1894, and was a vigorous w orker fo r the improvement of the d t y and county. H e w.as conncctcil with the (M d I'cllow s lodge. Mr. Foivler died in tQ08. and is hurieil in the Rosemont cemeler*. Sir. Fow ler v,as united in marri.age with Eliza I..athlean. daughter o f Joseph and Mary (D unn) Uathlean. natives o f Simrlco. Eng­ land. and they had one child. T.illian Dunn Fowler. M rs. Fow ler died in 19 14, .at her home on E ast F irst street. Bloomsburg. aged sixty-tw o years, five months, ten days, and was buried in Roscmont cemetery. She was a native of the north o f England and came to this country when twenty-one years old. living with her sister in N ew Jersey. She and Mr. Fow ler were m.arric<l during the Centennial at Philadelphia. .After her husband’s death she