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/699

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES w as sold in bondage lo ])ay his passage to A m erica, working fo r sonic years a lte r his a r­ rival to repay the money. George Brc-isch was bom in Montgomery county, P a., and came to Columbia county in 1802, when he established the old Breisch homestead which has bcrit in the fam ily ever since. H e died in 1870. Joscph Brcisch w as reared on the farm, leaving to take charge o f a place o f his own in 1852. In 18 5 3 he n arrie d H arriet Miller, and they had five children: jo h n £ ., living at C ataw issa; Em m a J ., w ife o f Charles W. Newhauscr, living in Washington, D. C .; R e ­ becca, unm arried; Hannon M ., living at C alaw issa; and Regina, w ife u f Britton Hughes. Joseph Breisch and his w ife were both mem­ bers of the Lutheran Church. H e died in 19 0 1, and they are buried in the cemetery at Catawissa. Harmon M . Breisch attended the public schools near his home and later was a student in Dickinson Sem inary, at W illiamsport, Pa. Returning home he purchased his father's farm in 1892, adding land adjoining until he now has over fo u r hundred acres, and in addi­ tion to general farm ing he has a dairy, serving the people o f Catawdssa with milk and dealing in cattle as a side line. H e also carries on a profitable lumber business. One o f his spe­ cialties is the culti%’ation o f plums, o f which he has a fine orchard, the yearly product from the trees being about 150 bushels. M r. Brcisch married Maude Cotner, daugh­ ter o f Fran k Cotner, o f Limestoneville, Mon­ tour county, and they have the following fam ­ ily : Florence, Pearl, Ralph, W arren, Eugene, M ildred and Louise. M r. Breisch is a Democrat and has served a s school director o f his township. H e is the largest taxpayer in the township and a busi­ ness nun as well as a successful farm er. He is a member of the Lutheran d n irch, and o f C ataw issa Lodge, I. O. O. F. T H O M .A S E. H .A R D E R, proprietor o f one of the most important enterprises at Cata­ wissa, o(>crated as the Mammoth Furniture Store, and president of the Catawissa K nit­ ting M ills Company, an industrial plant of much value to the borough, w as bom Dec. 15, 1843, son o f W ashington H arder and grand­ son o f John Harder. John H arder had the follow ing children: Tliom as, Sam uel, W ash­ ington, M ary A .. Nancy, Susan and Sarah A. W ashington H arder, son o f Jo h n Harder, became the father of the follow ing children: Dr. Charles, who w as in active practice as a physician and surgeon at Rohrsburg and

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Bloom.sl>u^, P a., when he d ied; George, a veteran of the C ivil war, who resided at Cata­ wissa, where he w as a policeman until his death; Thom as E .; Sarah, who nurried Frederick M crccran; and M ary, M rs. 'Diorp, living in Ohio. Thom as E. H ard er married C lara .A. H am ­ lin, and they have had children as follow s: Ch,‘) rlcs M ., who is as.sisting his father; Guy W .; and Pearl, who is the w ife o f Charles M. Evans, o f Bloomsburg, the leading shoe mer­ chant o f that city. M r. H arder not only handles a full line of furniture o f all kinds at the Mammoth Store, but is also in Ihe undertaking business, and has a full equipment fo r carrying out the wi.'hcs of his patrons regarding funeral a r­ rangements. He belongs to Catawissa Lodge, N o. 349. F . & A . M ., and to Catawissa Chap­ ter, R . A . M . Politically a Republican, he has served as buigess of the borough and member of the council, as well as in other capacities. M r. H arder and his two brothers served in the C ivil w ar fo r the Union cause, Dr. Charles in the Iron Guards, as a pria'ate fo r some two years, and George in the i32 d Pennsylvania 'olunteer In fa n try; he reenlisted, in the 3d i ’ennsylvania H eavy A rtilleo'* itnd again in the i ^ t h Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, serv'ing in all about three years. T h o n u s E. H arder enlisted fo r nine months in 1862 in Company H. i3 2 d Pennsylvania Volunteer In ­ fantry, and was mustered out in the spring of 1863. Rccnlisting in the 30th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infan try, he scr’ed on the Colonel's staff as sergeant m ajor during this term, which w as an honor seldom conferred ujion a youth of his age. A gain in 1864 he rcenlisted, with the 3d Pennsylvania H c.ivy .Artillery, serx’ing until the close of the war. H e was located at Fortress Monroe, V a., Ihe last several months o f his .sciwicc. A fte r activities cndcil he was a clerk in the pay department at Fortress Monroe until he was mustered out. H e particijutcd in the battles o f South Mountain, .Antietam (w here his regiment stood in front o f Ihc “ bloody lane” ), Fredericksburg and Chanccllorsville, but much o f his time was 5[>cnt on special duty, such as scouting, etc. He w as at Petersburg and the t.*iking o f Rich­ mond. in fact w.as in the thick of the fray most of the time. .At Frcdcricksbuig he was stung by a flying missile. When he recovered enough to get In action he was surrounded by the dead and wounded, he being the only one on his feet o f those left on the held. T h k C a t a w is s a K n it t in g M il l s C o m ­ p a n y w as organized in November, 1909, with