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/747

 COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES (hey catnc to Columbia county and settled in Franklin township, where they occupied a tract o f 400 acres, 160 o f which is still in the possession of their descendants. Here Mr. Mensch lived and died, passing aw ay Oct. 26, i 82(>, at the a^e o f eighty-one. and was b u r i^ at Catawissa. H is w ife died in 1829, at the age of scvcnty-six. T heir children w e re : Adam, a fann er and miller o f Roaringcreek township: Abraham, fo r a time a farm er of Montour township, who later moved to B u f­ falo valley, Union county, where he owned 500 acres o f b n d; John, mentioned below; Peter, who inherited part o f his father's farm, but b tc r moved to the B b c k Hole valley, L y ­ coming county, where he d ied; Afrs. Keiser. who died in Berks county; and Mrs. Rodcn­ bcrgcr, also a resident 01 Berks county until her death. John Mensch, son o f Johannes G iristian, w as born Nov. 5, 1789. in Berks county, and came to this county with his father, inherit­ ing a part of the homestead, he purchased the rest, ami upon this extensive farm passed the remainder of his life. H e erected on it a b rg e ham and made numerous improventents. H e died in June, 1875, aged eighty-live years, and was buried at Catawissa. H is w ife, Cath­ erine Hcimbach, bom Oct. 16, 1796, died Ju n e 20, >872. at the age o f seventy-five years. Their children w ere: Sarah, who married Joseph Reitz and (second) Isaac B erger; Michael. mcntionc<l below; Eliza, w ife o f Charles B itting; Jcssc, who married Catherine S h u ltz; Christian, who married M argaret Crom eley; M aria, w ife o f Washington P a rr; W illb m, who married Catharine I,e ib y; Abby, w ife o f Lafayette R eitz; and Catherine, who married John Sidler and (second) Jonathan Loam w n. Michael Mensch, grandfather o f L ew is C. Mensch, was bom A pril 1 1, 18 16. on the old homestead in Franklin township, and became owner o f part of the farm upon his father’s death. Later he bought a small tract in the same township, to which he removed, cultivat­ ing it until his death, Dec. 15, 1884. He was school director and supervisor of the townshii>, and prominent in public affairs. His w ife, Catherine {o r M.argarct), daughter o f John Shuman, w as boni ^fay 9. 18 16, and died Feb. 26, 1902. Both are buried in the Cata­ wissa cemetery. T hey had four children: John S ., a farm er residing near Bloomsburg; Thom as M .. mentioned below; Catherine, wife o f Owen C layton; and Matilda, w ife o f W il­ liam Bcnninger. Thom as Si. Mensch, father o f Lew is C.,

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was bom in Franklin township and followed farming fo r a time. H e purchased a tract of 109 acres, which w as taken up A p ril 2, 1773, tn* George .Muller, who obtained his title from Thom as and John Penn. l.atcr in life Mr. Mensch moved to Catawissa, where he en­ gaged in the milling business until his death, Aug. 20. 1907. H e married Sarah B. L aw ­ rence, and they had children as follow s: Je n ­ nie and John (J.. deceased; Clinton C . and Kd­ ward C., living in C ataw issa; Louis C .; H ar­ vey T .. o f PInbdelphia; .Anna M .; and Edna S ., w ife o f K . S . W cm cr, residing at Spo­ kane, Washington. Lew is C . Mcn.sch .attended the public schools and the Bloomshurg Stale Normal school, and b tc r entered the Northern Indiana I,aw School, at Valparaiso. Ind., from which he w as graduated M ay 13, 1900. He was ad ­ mitted to practice at the Columbia county bar Ju n e 4. 1900, and also practices before the State Supreme court and the United States courts. He lu s a rapidly growing practice and is one of the rising men of the county. A t present he is borough solicitor. He was one of the o rg an ize s of the A ll W ear Shoe Com­ pany, o f Catawissa, and is now a director and treasurer o f that concern. M r. Mensch mar­ ried Edna C. Getty, daughter o f George and A lvarctta (H ow er) Getty, and they have one son, George Thomas, and one daughter, Kathr^'nc A. M r. Mensch is a republican, and soc u lly is a member o f Catawissa Lodge, No. 349. F. & -A. M. (o f which he Is past m aster), and o f Caldwell Consistory. H e attends St. Mathew’s l.utheran Clmrch, o f which he is treasurer and deacon. H e owns and operates his father’s old farm. JO H N E D W IN M O O R E, o f Danville, head of the J. E. Moore 1.umlier Company, has been devoting his attention principally to that busi­ ness fo r the b st ten years, and it has been built up to its present proportions through his untiring efforts. H is son is associated with him and they have interests at Moun­ tain Grove, V a., as well as in this vicinity. Mr. Moore w as bom in Danville lu ly 14. 1853, son o f Rolicrt and Phebc Ellen (Girton) Moore, the fom icr o f whom was a prominent citizen o f .Montour county in his day. He w as born in the county (then Colum bia), in W est Hemlock township, and in 1847 came to Danville. In his early life he had done farm work, but he conducted a general store after coming to I>.anville, and he w as intcrcsic«I in the nunufaciuring o f nails, lioth at Duncansville. B lair Co., P a., and as a mcm-