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/698

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

in >795, when hut twelve years old. A t Phila­ delphia he learned brickinaking, which trade he subsequently followed at Morristown. H aving accumulated a little money he bought land in Anthony township, Montour county, near the farm o f Robert M cK cc, but he later sold this property and bought another in Derr)- township, that county. In time, as he prospered, he bought two other farms, and afterw ards another, the one occupied by his son Frank, at one time owning fo u r farms. H e died in i860, at the age o f seventy-seven years. He was twice married, his first w ife being Sarah M cCord, who was the mother o f ten children: Joseph. W illiam, Jam es, Robert, ohn, Joseph ( 2 ), Sarah, M ary, M argaret and Llizabeth; the three last named were living in llinois in 1887, the others at that time all deceased. B y his second marriage, to H an­ nah Gingles (whose motlicr was one o f those who escaped at the Wyoming ma8S.acrc). M r. Blcc had five children: Sarah A ., w ife o f E d ­ ward M orris, o f W a sh it^ o n v illc; Susan H., w ife o f John Butler, o f D anville; Savilla and M aria P ., twins, who died in childhood; and Frank G. Fran k G . Blee was born A u g. 5, 1839. and w as reared in Pennsylvania. U'hen a youth o f seventeen he went out to Illinois, where he remained until the spring o f i860. In 1861 he joined an ann y wagon train in the quarter­ master's department, with which he continued until the fall o f 1862. On Aug. 9, 1862, he enlisted, fo r nine months, in Company A, I32d Pennsylvania Volunteer Infan try, and saw considerable hard service, taking ]» r t in the important battles of South Mountain, Antictani, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. A fte r he was mustered out. at H arrisbui^, M ay 24. 1863, he relum ed to the farm, but he followed lumbering in North Carolina to some extent during the next few years, and while so engaged rented his place. In 1872 he settled upon the farm, which is located at W ashing­ tonvillc, and there made his home the rest o f his life, dying Feb. 16. 1 9 1 1. H e was one of the influential citizens of the county for many years, and the positions o f responsibility with which he w as honored showed how popular he w as with his fellow citizens. In 1878 he was elected county commissioner, which oflkc he held fo r three successive terms, being re­ elected in i88t and again in 1884, each time nm ning ahead o f his ticket, the I^m ocratic. During the nineties he became associate judgc. which office he continued to fill thereafter until his death, at which time he was serving his third tcmi.

On Sept. 24, 1863, M r. Blcc married Louisa .. Butler, daughter o f Daniel and Eliza (Spencer) Butler, of D erry township, and they had a fam ily o f six children: Robert E ., W inifred (deceased). Fran k (}ordon, H arry W . (who died in 1868). Sallic M . (w ho died Dec. 20, 1885) and IJz z Je (w ho died Ju ly 26, 18 7 7 ). T he mother dic<l in Jan uary. 1878. Frank Gordon Blee was bom M ay 1. 1874. in D erry township. Montour county, where liis lioyhood days were spent. H e had common school advantages, attending until he w as thir­ teen years nld, when he accompanied his father to Western Pennsylvania, engaging in the lumber business there fo r the next seven years. R elum ing home, he remained there until he reached his m ajority, and then went to Middletown, Conn., where he found a iiosition as attendant in the Connecticut State llo s pital. H e w as there three years, going next to Boston, M ass., where fo r the three years following he w as cmp!oyc<l a s a motonnan. Subsequently he was engaged as an electrical w orker fo r nine years. Coming back to the home farm at the time o f his father’s death, he continued there until Jan u ary. 19 13 . when he moved to his present farm in (.iniestone township, following general agriaiU ure and stock dealing. H e lias alw ays devoted him self 10 his work, never taking any active (xirt in public affairs, and he has never desired tfflicial honors. Politically he is a Democrat. On Ju n e 24. 1903. Mr. Blee married Edith M . L>ilc. a native o f Pennsylvania, bom N ov. 13 . 1876. daughter o f Jacob and Caroline (Fu ltz) I.vtlc, fanning people o f B lair coun­ ty. Pa., wfio live at Williamsburg. M r. and M rs. Blee have two children: Frank Gordon, bom Sept. 3 . 19 0 4: and M axine L ytle, bom Sept. I I . 1909. M r. Blcc holds membership in the Presby­ terian O iurch, his w ife in the Lutheran Ouirch. H A R M O N M. B R E IS C H . a prominent farm er, cattleman and lumber dealer o f Cat­ awissa township. Columbia county, was bom in that township Ju ly 29. 1859. and is a son o f Joseph Breisch. a well known and respected farm er o f Gernvin descent, who w as an old resident in (his .section of the State. Joseph Breisch was bom in Catawissa township. Coliimhia county. Aug. 15. 1822. and w as a son o f George and R e b w a (W all) Breisch, who were natives o f this State and o f German descent. H is grandfather, Jacob Breisch. was bom in the old countn* and came to .America in early youth. G randfather W all