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/692

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COI.UMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

fo r nine months' seivicc. He scr-cd eight months, and a fte r particiiuting in the battle of Antictam was detailed to carc fo r the wounded, hut was taken ill and removed to the convalescent camp in Virginia, where he w as later discharged fo r disability. H e then went to Washington and cndcavorccl to rejoin his regiment, but was refused. A rriving home one month before the return of the regiment, he again tried to reenlist. but his disability pre­ vented his acceptance. M r. H arder then re­ sumed his trade, which he followed until his death, lu ly 17, 1 9 11. In the summer o f 1885 he built seventeen houses, and he was con­ tractor for the greatest numlier o f houses in Catawissa ever erected by one man. H is large planing mill, built in 1876, was one of the chief industries of the town. Mr. Ila n le r was a Republican in politics, a member of the L u ­ theran Church, and the Grand Arm y of the Republic, and had passed all the chairs in the Odd Fellows lodge at Catawissa. M rs. Sarah B. Harder, widow o f Clark F. Harder, still lives in Catawissa and is happy in the affection o f her children and grandchil­ dren. H er children a re : E rr. who married Hattie Shadle, resides at W iikcs-Barrc. and has two children, Puri and R olicrt: Edw in P. married Cordelia Cousins, resides in Buffalo. N. Y ., and has five children. Elizabeth. Lclaml. W illiam. Louise and R u th; Elizalicth li.. who married J. K. Sharjilcss, lives at Buffalo. N. Y .; lane H. m am cd William (i. Lentz, a traveling salcsm.in, lives at Catawissa. and has two children, William G ., J r .. and Sarah E .; K o I k 'I I is a ncwspa[>er man at Berwick, Pennsylvania. S A M U E L I). A L E X A N D E R, deceased, was bom in NorthumUTland county. Pa., May 12, 1807, son o f William and lu titia (V an Sandt) Alexander. His maternal grandfather, Gabriel V an Sandt. was a native o f Jcrscytown. Pa., and a farm er by occupation. D ur­ ing the Revolutionary w ar he was a soldier on the patriot side, and came to Northumberland county at an early day, spending the remainder o f his life within its confines. Sam uel D. .Alexander was a wagonmaker by trade, and in his later life cngagc< in farm ­ ing. H e died Nov. 9. 1863. He nurried .Ara­ minta D. P ark, whose father. Dr. Russell Park, w as a native o f Ireland, bom Dec. 3. 1776. Studying medicine in his native land, he bwam c a physician. H e married Ruth H op­ kins, a d a ii^ t c r o f Rev. Caleb and Ruth Hopkins. Dr. I*ark served this country as a surgeon during the w ar o f 18 12, having come

from Ireland to America and settled at Je rse y ­ town. Pa. H e died Ju n e 5, 18 5 1. M rs. Araminta D. (P a r k ) Alexander was bom March 2 1, 18 19, and died Oct. 2 1, iSSi). She and her huslund had the following chil­ dren: M ary was the w ife o f Joseph Jones, o f Danville, Pa., and both are deceased; .Mar­ tha and Letitia were twins, the former m an ying Charles Loticr, o f Danville, Pa., now de­ ceased, and the latter having been the w ife of the Lite William C- Davis, fonn erly a confec­ tioner and baker o f Danville. Pa., the .son o f William S . Davis, a native o f W ales; W illiam P . is deceased: Silas is deceased: H arriet Jresidcs at Berwick, P a .; Jan e is deceased: Elizabeth is dccca.scd; Sarah is deceased; B en ­ jam in died in infancy. Mr. Alexander w as a consistent member of the Methodist Church and a man well and favorably known. H e w as an honorable citizen and a true Christian character, and he is remembered with the utmost respect by those who knew him. S A M U E L S E C H L E R . o f Liberty town­ ship, Montour county, was bom M ay 9. 1855, in the old “ M oser Hotel.” in V alley township, that county, son o f Thom as and Christine ( Ile n r y ) fw h lc r. H e is a member o f one of the olacst f.imilic.s o f Danville. H e attended school at I^rwisburg. Pa., and then cam e to this section, working on a fam i until his m ar­ riage. when he bought the property he and his fam ily now cultivate. M r. Sechler n u rried M ary C. Davis, who w as bom Oct. lO, 1852. in W est O iillisquaque township. Northumber­ land Co., P a., and to their union have been lx>m five children: Grace, bom Nov. 9. 1882. is the w ife o f Frank Crom is: John, bom Oct. 9. 18S5, is living at hom e; ILannah M ., bom Ju ly I, 1889. and C arrie Anna, bom Aug. t2. 1897, arc at hom e; Ralph, bom Ju ly 20, 1893. is a fam icr. Mr. Sechler and his fam ily at­ tend the Metho<1ist Church at M exico, in L ib ­ erty township. John Davis, great-grandfather o f M rs. M ary C. (D av is) Sechler. w as one of the old­ est settlers in Montour county. H e married Susan Martin. Ilis son Azariah, M rs. Sech­ ler's grandfather, w as one of the earliest set­ tlers o f Limestone township, Montour county, l i e married Hannah Parker, and they had one child, W illiam Henry. William Henry Davis, son o f Azariah, was bom in Liberty township in 1826, and died in 1889. B y calling he was a millwright, and he followed the trade in W est Chillisquaque township, Northumberland Co., Pa., until 1855. when he moved to Iowa, farm ing there