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/715

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES and also had charge of the canal lock at that p b c c fo r ten years. L ater on in life he re­ turned to his first line o f work, and began farm ing in Centre township, following agricultur.'iT pursuits the rest o f his active life. Becoming the owner o f eighty-five acres of b n d, he took a good deal o? pride in improv­ ing his property, erected substantial build­ ings, and kept ever>’thing in good order about his premises. A fte r his retirement he resided until his death on a one-acre lot which his son, W illiam Ile n ry H ess, then bought. lE e r e H enry Hess died Aug. i i. 1887, and was buried in the cemetery o f H idlay's Church, where his mother had been b id to rest. He w as a consistent member of the Reform ed Church, which he served faithfu lly and well as deacon and elder, and w as a man o f high standing in that body. A stanch Democrat, he gave his scri'ices cheerfully in various local positions, and w as a conscientious, effi­ cient public official. On M arch 25, 18 32, Henry Hess married M aria Haym an. who w as boro in Berks county, Pa., a daughter o f Peter and Savilla Haym an, both o f whom died in Columbia county in 1827. M rs. H ess passed aw ay M arch 19. 18 9 1, having sun'ivcd her hus­ band several years, and she w as buried in the same cemetery. H er religious affiliations were with the Lutheran Church. H enry Hess and his w ife had children as follow s: S a v ilb , who married in September, 1853, Daniel Mouery, o f Scott township, Columbia county, died Oct. 2 1. 18 8 6; Levina married W esley H ess, o f Centre township, and both are deceased; Joseph A., who married Levina Coleman, died in Centre township; William H enry is rocntioncil b elow; Isaiah Jacob, who married A lice H ess, resides in Berw ick, P a .; Emma Ja n e married Lloyd I. Conner, resided at Hazleton. P a., and died eight years ag o; Jam es Har’cy resides at Berw ick. Pennsyl­ vania, W illiam H enry H ess, son o f H enry Hess, attended the local schools and grew up on the farm, teaming all the details o f .igncultural life from boyhood. H is first employment aw ay from home was with Isaac H ess, a dis­ tant rcb tivc, who paid him twelve d o lb rs ler month, and he w as thus engaged when IC began his career a s a soldier. From the outbreak of the C ivil w.ar he had been greatly interested, hut hts youth for­ bade his enlistment during the e.arlicr years of the great stniggle. H ow ever, on Sept. 2, 1864, he enrolled with Company F, 209th Pennsylvania Volunteer In fan try, untlcr Capt.

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H enry L ee and Col. L. B. Kauffm an. T liis rt^ m ent w as organized at H arrisburg Sept. lO, 1864. and w as sent to the front, being assigned to the ist Brigade, 3d Division, 7th C o ^ s, A rm y of the Potomac. M r. Hess re­ mained with his company until the close o f (he war, and participated in every engagement o f his rtgim cnt, including the fall o f Pclcrsbuig, A pril 5, 1865. A t the lim e o f his d isch a^ e M r. H ess re­ turned home to resume his peaceful occupa­ tion o f farm ing, obtaining emplo)'mcnt on the L evi Hutchinson farm, which he operated on shares. T his w as a tract o f 105 acres, and he conducted it fo r fo u r years, when he left to go on the E lias Creasy farm, which contained ninety-four acres. T h is he also operated on shares, fo r eight and a half years, until 1879. when he w as able to buy the Gilbert Fow ler property o f seventy-five acres in Centre town­ ship. H e inaugurated and carried out nuny valuable improvements during (he two years he lived upon it. Seeing better opportunities in a change, he went to Briarcreek township, Columbia county, settling on the E li Whitney farm . M r. W hitney w as the nephew of the celebrated E li W h itn ^, inventor of the cotton gin. T h e Whitney farm w as a small prop­ erty. A fte r reiiuining on il fo r two years lr . H ess moved back to Centre township, and located on hLs father’s cighty-fivc-acrc farm, on which he began making improvements. T h is place continued to be his home for a uart«r o f a century, and he carried on general arming and stock raising with considerable profit. Feeling that lie had accomplished enough M r. Hess then turned the nroperty over to his son, C. H . H ess, and settled with his w ife on the one-acre lot where his father spent his last years. T hey made an addition to the house, which is now Larger than the farmhouse. I'o r over a year M r. H ess has been in poor health. On S ^ t. 28, 1867, M r. H ess w as marric<l to Savilla Haym an, a native o f Orange town­ ship. Columbia Co., F a., daughter o f Ben­ jam in and Franey Haym an. T h e form er, bom in Berks county. Fa., died in O range township, Columbia county, and the latter died in Centre township, Columbia county. M r. Haym an w as the first sheriff o f Columbia county. Mrs. Hess is a woman o f marked intelligence, and her interest in the Centre township Grange has been as deep as her husband's, both being active memlKrs o f that organization. While alive to the trend o f public events, she is de­ voted to her home and fam ily and is a noted housewife. Though not connected with any

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