BIO: PRE-REV. WIRTH~ WIRT~WERT Adam+Eva DEU>Dauphin Co PA~
http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/northumberland/bios2/f735758.txthttp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/pa/northumberland/bios2/f735758.txt
WIRT.In business and agricultural life the Wirt family is represented among the substantial citizens of several portions of Northumberland county. Its members have been useful and worthy residents of the several communities with which they have been identified, and the name has always been associated with the qualities of integrity and thrift which characterize those who bear it. Benneville Wirt, now of Sunbury, was long engaged in the hotel business in the borough of Mount Carmel.Daniel W. Wirt, his brother, is a prosperous farmer of Little Mahanoy township. John Wirt, their cousin, a resident of Rockefeller township, is one of the leading undertakers in his section of this county. We give the line of these Wirts as far back as the records show.
The name is variously spelled Wirt and Wert by most of the present members of the family; the earlier spelling was probably Wirth, as shown by tombstone records.The family is of German origin.Adam, the first of this line to come to America from Germany, arrived in this country with his wife Eva before the Revolutionary war, and settled at what is now the site of Millersburg, in Dauphin county, Pa. These pioneers had nine sons, who settled in different parts of the country, the family becoming scattered over New Jersey, the Carolinas, Ohio and through the West, besides having many representatives in Pennsylvania. Henry Wirt (or Wert) was a pioneer farmer of the Mahantango Valley, in Northumberland county, having settled in that section when the Indians still roamed the forests, and the Red men were neighborly with "Henner" Wirt, to whom they bade farewell when they left the region. He and his wife Elizabeth are buried side by side at the Stone Valley Church in Lower Mahantango, where we find the following tombstone records Johann Heinrich Wirth, born Dec. 22, 1769, died June 2, 1846; his wife Elizabeth, born Nov. 30, 1771, died Sept. 6, 1838.They had children as follows: John and Michael (born March 16, 1798, died Dec. 27, 1872; wife Lydia, born June 18, 1809, died Sept. 2, 1884), who both lived in the Mahantango valley; Henry and Philip, who lived in the Sugar Valley, near Lewisburg, Pa.; Mrs. Philip Kerstetter; Mrs.Michael Schaffer;and Mrs. Peter Bischoff. John Wirt, son of Henry, lived for a number of years in the Mahantango Valley, in 1838 settling at Mandata, where he engaged in the milling business. That year he built the frame mill at Mandata, which is still standing, and he followed the business for a number of years, prospering continuously.He acquired considerable land about Mandata.He and his family worshipped at the Stone Valley Lutheran Church, where he and his wife Barbara, daughter of Matthias Witmer, are buried, their tombstone records reading as follows: Johannes Wirth, born Nov. 16, 1795, died Sept. 8, 1852; his wife Barbara, born Nov. 30, 1794, died July 30, 1871.Their children were as follows: Lydia married David Campbell; Elizabeth was the second wife of David Campbell; Catharine married Jacob Garman; Anna married Frederick Snyder; Mary married Martin Harris; Michael died soon after his marriage to Mary Lesher; John married Judith Wentzel; Daniel married Rebecca Seiler; Moses married Mary Ann Spotts. John Wirt, son of John and grandson of Henry, was born April 26, 1826, in Lower Mahanoy township, on his father's farm, and is now probably the oldest surviving resident of that district. In his earlier manhood he followed the milling business, but since 1875 he has lived at Mandata, where he conducted a store for fourteen years, being quite END OF PAGE 743 successful as a merchanthe also farmed for some years, now living in retirement and the enjoyment of the rest he earned by years of industry. During the Civil war Mr. Wirt was drafted three times. He married Judith Wentzel, who died Oct. 1, 1902, aged eighty-one years, nine months, twelve days; she is buried at the Stone Valley Church.Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wirt, namely: Benneville; William of Mandata, who in his earlier life was engaged in cattle dealing (he married Sarah, daughterofElias Bower, and has two sons and two daughters); Daniel W.; and Michael, deceased. BENNEVILLE WIRT, son of John and Judith (Wentzel) Wirt, was born June 29, 1848, in Jordan township, Northumberland county. He was reared to manhood under the parental roof, and during his youth assisted his father as clerk in the store, making himself generally useful.At the age of fifteen he commenced to learn the miller's trade at Mandata from one William Good, following that work for seventeen years in all, working nine years for his father in the milling business after he had thoroughly mastered its details. He then rented a mill at the mouth of Mahantango creek, known as Boyer's mill, which he operated successfully, but he remained there only a short time, the following spring going to Millersburg, where for three years he ran a flour mill for Samuel Buck.The mill was sold at the end of that period and Mr. Wirt continued with the new owner for four years.In 1882 he came thence to Mandata, where he lived while engaged in his cattle dealing operations, purchasing carloads of cattle in Crawford county which he sold at Herndon, this county. In this line he was associated with his brother William, under the firm name of Wirt Brothers, and they continued in the business two years. In the spring of 1884 Benneville Wirt located at Herndon, where he conducted the "Union House" (now the "Wiest Hotel") for one year, after which he settled in Mount Carmel. He was a resident of that borough for over twenty-five years, for a quarter of a century conducting a hotel there. When he gave up that business, after a successful career, he lived retired at Mount Carmel for two years, in September, 1907, coming to Sunbury, where he now makes his home. Though he has given up many of his responsibilities he still attends to the management of his property, owning considerable real estate which he acquired as he prospered in his other ventures, and he has valuable holdings in Mount Carmel and Hazleton, Pa., and in Brooklyn, N. Y. He also deals in real estate, and has been connected with a number of important transactions in that line. Mr. Wirt has always enjoyed excellent standing among those with whom he has been associated in business, having a high reputation for honor and straightforwardness in all his undertakings. On April 30, 1871, Mr. Wirt married Mary Malinda Witmer, daughter of Isaac L. Witmer, and to their union have been born eight children, six of whom are deceased.The survivors are Alice, wife of U. J. Evans, of Scranton, Pa., and Charles of Sunbury.Mr. Wirt and his family are members of the Reformed Church. He is a Republican in politics, and a Mason in social connection, holding membership in Mount Carmel Lodge, No. 378, F. & A.M. DANIEL W. WIRT, son of John and Judith (Wentzel) Wirt, was born April 11, 1855, at Mandata, and was reared at that place. He was trained to farming, and when quite young began driving his father's huckster wagon, being thus engaged until 1876, the year of his marriage. After that for many years he cultivated what was formerly the Scholly homestead, which he owns, a tract of 140 acres located on the Little Mahanoy creek, which has the reputation of being the finest and most valuable farm in Little Mahanoy township. It is unusually well watered, is in a high state of cultivation, and improved with substantial and convenient buildings, all kept in first-class condition. The Swiss barn on this property was built by Mr. Wirt in 1881, and replaced the one destroyed by fire that year.The present dwelling was erected in 1882. Mr. Wirt retired from the active work of farming in the spring of 1908, since when the place has been carried on by his son-in-law, Conrad Raker. Mr. Wirt has not only become well known in his section as a successful farmer, but also in his connection with local publicaffairs, hehaving served fourteen years as school director of Little Mahanoy township, five years as supervisor under the old law, and three years in that office under the new law.For years his chief recreation has been found in fishing, and before the sulphur of the coal mines killed the fish of the Mahanoy creeks he caught large numbers.His trips are usually successful, and he takes great delight in a good catch. In 1876Mr. Wirt marriedAmanda Swartz, daughter of the late David and Elizabeth (Shaffer) Swartz. To this union was born one child, Tama, now the wife of Conrad Raker, who as previously stated is now engaged in cultivating the Wirt farm. Mr. and Mrs. Wirt have one son, Fred.Mr. and Mrs. Wirt are members of the Lutheran congregation of St. Paul's Church, at Urban, in Jordan township.Politically he is a Democrat. Daniel Wirt son of John and grandson of Henry, was born May 6, 1829, at Mandata, in Jordan township, Northumberland county, and died there Sept. 9, 1855, at the early age of twenty-six years. His death was caused by typhoid fever.Early in life he began to learn the milling business, working at the Mandata mill for ten years, until his END OF PAGE 744 death. He owned the property, obtaining it from his father, and was on the road to prosperity when put down so suddenly. He was a particularly well built and strong man, and his early death was deeply mourned.On Jan. 10, 1853, he married Rebecca Seiler, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Ebright) Seiler, residents of Jackson township, this county.Daniel Wirt is buried at Zion's Church in Stone Valley, of which he and his wife were Lutheran members. They had two children, John and Sarah, the daughter marrying Dr. Richard P. Haas; they reside at Williamstown, Pa. Ten years after Mr. Wirt's death his widow married Henry Dornsife, of Little Mahanoy township, and they moved to Kansas City, Mo. They had four children, Ervin, Elizabeth, Samuel and Daniel, all in Kansas City.Mrs. Dornsife is now (1911) seventy-seven years old. JOHN WIRT, son of Daniel and Rebecca (Seiler) Wirt, was born Oct. 5, 1855, at Mandata, Jordan township. He received his education in the common schools, and when sixteen commenced to learn cabinet-making, which he has continued to follow to the present time. He served his apprenticeship at Sunbury, and at the end of eight years training and experience there began working for the Pennsylvania Railway Company in the shops at Renovo, ClintonCo., Pa., remaining there six years. In the spring of 1885 he came to Rockefeller township, this county, settling near Seven Points, at the place where he has since made his home. Here he owns one of the best farms in the county, a level, fertile tract in a high state of cultivation, for though he has combined farming with his other interests he has made a success of both. He is a practical agriculturist, as his fine crops show, and his buildings and all the farm surroundings bespeak excellent management and a care in the details which betokens unusual executive ability. In 1904 Mr. Wirt erected a large hay barn, and in 1905 he remodeled the residence.He is constantly making changes which improve the appearance of his property and enhance its value as a home as well as from a more material point of view. Meantime Mr. Wirt has followed the undertaking business, in the pursuit of which he has become one of the best known men in his section of the county, his patronage coming principally from Shamokin, Rockefeller and Lower Augusta townships, though he has had many customers outside of that particular territory.Since he embarked in that business, in 1890, he has conducted 1,468 funerals.He is an intelligent and esteemed citizen, and has high standing among his neighbors and friends. On Jan. 15, 1880, Mr. Wirt married Emma Caroline Weiser, and they have three children: Jennie M., now the wife of Frederick Drumheller, of Sunbury; Earl; and Beulah R.Mr. Wirt and his family are members of the Reformed congregation at Augustaville. He is a Republican and has taken considerable interest in local polities, having served as judge of elections. He was constable for many years, and he also was a supervisor of his township. Mrs. Wirt is a descendant of Conrad Weiser, the celebrated interpreter and friend of the Indians, whose name is so closely linked with the Colonial history of this section of Pennsylvania. Her grandfather, Jacob Weiser, was a grandson of Conrad, and had brothers Peter, John, Jonathan and Thomas, and sisters Caroline, Lavinia, and five not named. Jacob Weiser was a native of near Womelsdorf, in Heidelberg township, Berks Co., Pa., was a carpenter by occupation, and lived near Herndon, in Northumberland county. He married Mary Magdalena Highhold, who was from Myerstown, Lebanon Co., Pa., and who was a member of the family generally known by its proper name of Eichholtz, of which "Highhold" is an Anglicized corruption; most of the family use the original spelling. Jacob and Mary Magdalena Weiser had a family of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, namely: Elizabeth Regina, Rebecca, Reuben, John, Caroline, Emanuel, Levi, Lavinia, Clementine, Sarah A., Jeremiah G. and Jonathan. Of these, Reuben, who married Esther Malick, was the father of Mrs. John Wirt. Moses Wert, son of John and grandson of Henry, was born Jan. 24, 1832, in the Mahantango Valley in Lower Mahanoy township, Northumberland countyHe was a lifelong farmer, living in Jordan township, near Mandata, where he had a tract of two hundred acres, until fourteen or fifteen years before his death, when he retired. Upon giving up active labor he settled in Herndon, where he died in 1904. His widow still occupies their home at that place. He was a man well known and highly respected, and though he devoted himself principally to the management of his own affairs, he served as supervisor.He was a Democrat in politics and in religion a Lutheran, his family adhering to the same belief.In his earlier years he belonged to the Stone Valley Church, but after removing to Herndon he became a member of the church there, and he is buried in the Wirt and Shaffer family plot at Herndon. He was a devout Christian and an enthusiastic church worker, serving in various church offices and taking a keen interest in the welfare of the Sunday school. Mr. Wert married Mary Ann Spotts and they had four children, namely: Clara Rebecca married George T. Shaffer, of Herndon, who is deceased; Emma J. married John P. Tressler, of Herndon; Alveretta, who died in 1886, was the wife of Dr. Fred D. Raker, of Shamokin; John A. married Ella S. Eisenhart. END OF PAGE 745 The following account of the Wirt was given by Mrs. Emma Wert Lentz, of Altoona, Pa.: My great-grandfather's name was John Wirt 1st and my grandfather's name was John Wirt 2d.He was married to Elizabeth Miller. They had seven sons and two daughters (my father, Simon Wirt, of Millersburg, being the oldest), Simon, Elias, Josiah, Joseph, Jonathan, Amos, Benjamin, Susan and Rebecca. I glean from my father's obituary that his grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, served seven years under George Washington and participated in the battles of Germantown and Brandywine. His father, John Wirt, 2d, was in the war of 1812 and had a son and grandsons in the Civil war. I have lost sight of some of my cousins and cannot give an accurate list. There were five in our immediate family: (1) Linda E. E. (2) Sarah A. married H. H. Moper, of Millersburg, and had three sons:Charles E., of Hughesville, Pa.; Simon, of Harrisburg, Pa.; and H. H. Neff, deceased. Her second marriage was to Jonas Garman of Lykens by whom she had two daughters, Jessie and Pauline, Mrs. William Ennis and Mrs. Russell Brodus, both of Bowling Green, Va.(3) Mary C. married Cyrus Mark, of Lebanon county, and (second) Frank S. Bowman, of Millersburg, and had two sons: Hay Wirt, editor of the Millersburg Sentinel, and Rev. Dr. Linn, pastor of Park Avenue M. E. Church, Philadelphia.(4) Rev. John A., D. D. married Martha Buehler, of Gettysburg, and had four sons, Ray and Edgar, deceased, John (married) and Guyon.(5) Emma J. married Rev. D. S. Lentz, and has had four children, Suzanne, Linda Wirt, Marie, and David (deceased). Edgar, son of Dr. Wirt, of Des Moines, was married and had two children, a daughter and a son.
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Re: BIO: PRE-REV. WIRTH~ WIRT~WERT Adam+Eva DEU>Dauphin Co PA~
Jonathan Wert 5/05/03