William Reitz (1808 - 1888)

Born 13 Aug 1808 in Union Corner, Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 9 Dec 1888 at age 80 in Beaver Township, Jefferson, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

William was born in 1808 in Upper Mahanoy Township, Northumberland, PA. ^[1]

His early life was devoted to merchandising, but later turned to agricultural pursuits.^[2] In 1852^[2] or 1854,^[3] William and his family moved from Northumberland County to Beaver township, Jefferson County. ^[4] When he settled there, his 126 acres were mostly virgin forest. Over the years, he cleared more land for cultivation, but stayed active in lumbering operations. His home there was still standing in 1917.^[3]

William served as township supervisor and held other offices. He and his wife were zealous communicants of the Berkhouse Lutheran Church.^[3] When passed away in 1888, he was buried in the nearby Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery in Ohl, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, USA.^[1]

Family

Ten children lived to maturity^[3]

• Daniel: prominent lumberman and the owner of a saw mill, lived in Brookville
• Sarah: wife of Simon Burkhouse
• Peter L.: lived in Beaver township until his death
• Caroline: wife of John Howe (of Union township), lived in Brookville
• Lydia: wife of Joseph Spare, lived in Clarion county
• Susanne: wife of Adam Schwab, lived in Clarion county
• Levi: farmer and hotelkeeper, lived in Brookville
• Morris: lived on his farm near Shannondale, Clarion
• Jonathan L.: lived on his father's homestead
• Margaret: wife of George Shaffer, lived in Clarion

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 28 August 2018), memorial page for William Reitz (13 Aug 1808–9 Dec 1888), Find A Grave Memorial no. Find A Grave: Memorial #44830884, citing Bethlehem Lutheran Cemetery, Ohl, Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Law-Miller Roots (contributor 47103448)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} J.H. Beers & Co (1898). Commemorative biographical record of central Pennsylvania : including the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. Chicago, IL: J.H. Beers. Pages 1103-4. Retrieved August 28, 2018, from https://archive.org/details/commemorativebio02jhbe_0.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} McKnight, W. J. (1917). Jefferson County, Pennsylvania : Her pioneers and people, 1800-1915 (Vol. 2). Chicago, IL: J.H. Beers. Pages 492-3. Retrieved August 28, 2018, from https://archive.org/details/jeffersoncountyp02mckn.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXRZ-XNH : 18 February 2021), William Reitz, 1860.