MEYERSDALE AREA OBITUARIES and BIOGRAPHIES
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Meyersdale Library Special Collections Project--Approximately 28,000 obituaries from the Meyersdale Public Library Special Collections, dating from local newspapers from 1970 to 2004, are being uploaded to the PA GenWeb/US GenWeb Archives.
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Name Birth Date Death Date Age
Source
Obituary/Biography
PECK, JACOB W. June 18, 1845 Died Unknown Age Unknown
Source: History of Bedford & Somerset Counties, PA;v.3; Bedford County by E. Howard Blackburn; Somerset County by William H. Welfley; Lewis Pub. Co., NY/Chicago 1906; ppg. 418-421. Transcribed by Candace Roth.
Jacob W. PECK, a successful farmer of Summit township, Somerset county, and a minister of the German Baptist Brethren church, descends from one of the old families of the county. He was born in what was formerly Addison (now Elk Lick) township, June 18, 1845, the son of John and Elizabeth (MAUST) PECK, the grandson of John Jacob and Annie (Olinger) PECK, and the great-grandson of the American ancestors, John Adam and Katarina Fillabina (Smith) PECK.
John Adam PECK was born in Switzerland, of German parents, about the year 1750. He came to America in the ship "Hamilton," sailing from Rotterdam, on October 6, 1767, landing in Philadelphia, Pa. On April 12, 1772, he married Katarina Fillabina SMITH. They settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. John Adam was a weaver, and became possessed of considerable property. This he sold and received payment in Continental money, which so depreciated in value that it caused his financial ruin. With wife and family he packed his belongings in a "prairie schooner" and crossed the mountains to southern Ohio, where his health failed him. He contracted ague, and was compelled to return to the more healthy region of Pennsylvania, where he settled in Addison township, Somerset county. Here he cleared a farm from the wilderness and here died and was buried on the farm. This farm is now owned by two of his great-grandchildren.
John was a favorite name in the family, as the following list of the children of John Adam and Katarine F. (SMITH) PECK will show: John Jacob, grandfather of Jacob W. PECK; John, John Daniel, John George, John Peter, Henry, whose given name was most likely John; Catherine, Elizabeth. (II) John Jacob PECK was born at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, March 20, 1773. He was a farmer and helped clear the homestead farm in Elk Lick. He was a religious man and a faithful member of the Brethren church. He was a Whig in politics. He married Annie OLINGER, December 22, 1799. The children of John Jacob and Annie (OLINGER) PECK were thirteen. It was in this generation that the name changed from Pick, the original form, to PECK; Susannah, Mary D., John, Sarah, Catharine, Jacob, Jonas, John, the father of Jacob W.; Elias, the only living member of the family, lives in Falls City, Nebraska, aged ninety-two years; Lydia D., Eliza, Moses, Daniel. John Jacob PECK died March 2, 1852.
(III) John PECK, the eighth child and fourth son of John Jacob and Annie (Olinger) PECK, was born on the farm in Elk Lick, September 18, 1813. He received a limited education in the subscription schools of the day. He became a farmer, and with his brother Jonas owned a farm of 1,800 acres, a greater part of which they had reclaimed from the forest. In 1856 John bought out his brother and became sole owner. He was an extensive stock-raiser as well as farmer. In church relations he was a German Baptist and strictly observed the rules of that denomination. He was faithful to all his obligations and a good citizen. Politically he was Republican of the deepest dye.
John PECK married, November 13, 1837, Elizabeth MAUST, born May 1, 1818, a daughter of Abraham MAUST. The children born to John and Elizabeth (MAUST) PECK are: William, a retired farmer and owner of part of the home farm; he married Mary A. WEIMER and has four sons, Sherman, Albert, Jonas and Charles. Mahlon, died in infancy. Abraham, deceased; he was a farmer near Friedens; he married Lucinda Barclay and had one daughter, Ada (Mrs. George Reitz). Jacob M., see forward. Sarah Ann (Mrs. Jacob M. Fike), lives near Somerset and has one son, John. Magdalena, married Samuel P. MEYERS of Meyersdale; they have two daughters, Elizabeth (Mrs. C.C. Heckle) and Emma (Mrs. S.S. RICKARD). Two other daughters perished at the burning of the MEYERS residence in Meyersdale several years ago. Lewis A., a farmer, owning the larger part of the home farm; he is a minister of the German Baptist Brethren Church; his first wife was Mary FIKE, to whom was born Howard, Cora and Stella (Mrs. Dalton Cook); his second wife was Annie BAER, to whom has been born John Galen and May. Elizabeth (Mrs. J.P. GROWALL) of Rockwood. Jonas and Susan, twins; Jonas died in infancy and Susan is Mrs. Cyrus A. JUST of Meyersdale; their children are Sadie, Edith and Florence.
Mary died in childhood. John PECK, the father of these children, died May 1, 1890, and Elizabeth (MAUST) PECK, their mother, passed away September 22, 1896. (IV) Jacob W. PECK, fourth son and child of John and Elizabeth (MAUST) PECK, was educated in the public schools.
He worked on the farm for his father until of age, and for six years thereafter, until his marriage at the age of 27 was in his fathers' employ. After marriage he rented a farm in Elk Lick, which he worked for one year and then rented the home farm for two years, at which time he became by purchase the owner of one-half the homestead, which he cultivated for six years. He then bought a farm at Summit Mills and moved thereto, renting out his other farm. For four years he owned and worked the Summit Mills farm and then sold it. In 1884 he bought the fine farm near Meyersdale, known as the Abraham Saylor farm, and one of the highest priced farms in the neighborhood. Here Mr. PECK has since resided. The farm contains one hundred and ninety-two acres, all under cultivation except twenty acres leased to the Meyersdale Fair Association. There are extensive orchards and commodious barns and buildings on the property. In 1887 Mr. PECK built the present residence building. He carries on a general farming business and is rated as one of the most successful farmers of Somerset County.
In 1870 Mr. PECK became a member of the German Baptist church. He became a deacon and studied for the ministry, to which he was in due time elected in the first degree, passed to the second and then to the third degree as minister and bishop of the Summit Mills congregation, preaching in two churches. Mr. PECK is a well-read man and stand high in the estimation of those who know him. Politically he is a Republican. He has been director of the poor for Somerset County and was president of the board that erected the building for the insane. For fifteen years he was auditor of Summit Township, and is one of the present board of supervisors. In 1900 he was United States census enumerator.
Mr. PECK chose as his life partner Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (BEACHLEY) FLICKINGER of Elk Lick Township. She was born November 29, 1849, and was married to Jacob PECK on December 29, 1872. She is a member of the same church as her husband. The children of this marriage are: Cora Alice, born October 25, 1873; she married John P. Saylor and lives on the adjoining farm; they have three children, J. Vincent, Emmert and Alva. Lloyd Dillon, born August 29, 1875; he has taught several years in the public schools, but is now a farmer with his father. John Elmer, born July 18, 1877, also a farmer. Emma May, born April 10, 1880, at home. Carrie, born April 8, 1882, who makes her home with Bishop LINT in Meyersdale. Missouri, born June 21, 1883, stenographer in the Citizen's National Bank of Meyersdale. Sadie Pearl, born May 30, 1886, at home. Robert Earl, born December 5, 1887, a farmer. The children are all members of the same church with their parents and the sons vote the Republican ticket. They have all received good educations and are well equipped for life's battle."

POLLARD, DR. RICHARD T. Nov. 24, 1848 Death Date Unknown Age Unknown
"History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pa." Bedford County by E. Howard Blackburn; Somerset County by William H. Welfley; v.3, Pub. The Lewis Publishing Company, New York/Chicago 1906, pgs. 201-203. Transcribed by Candace Roth.
The career of Dr. POLLARD of Garrett is a striking instance of the possibility for a young man of energy, perseverance and good character to rise superior to his circumstances and environment and to make for himself an honored position in any community.
Richard T. POLLARD is descended from a family of mine workers of Cornwall, England. His father, Thomas POLLARD, was a tin dresser at the Cornwall tin mines. He was a fairly well educated man and a member of the Primitive Methodist CHURCH. He and his wife, Elizabeth POLLARD, were the parents of six children, all of whom attained years of maturity, and three of whom came to America: William, deceased; Elizabeth Jane, deceased, and Richard T., whose name heads this sketch. Thomas POLLARD died in England, 1886.
Richard T. POLLARD was born at Chacewater, Cornwall, England, November 24, 1848. He had none of the advantages of early education, but from youth worked in the tin and copper mines of his native country. He came to America at the age of twenty, and at that time did not know his multiplication table and was equally backward in all other branches. He first went to Hibernia, Morris County, New Jersey, where he was employed in the mines until 1871, when he came to Somerset, Somerset Co., Pa., and entered the employ of William H. WELFLEY, the author of this history. He assisted him in his photographic work for about one year, and for several years thereafter mined and farmed in the southern part of the county. In 1889 he began the study of medicine at the Baltimore Medical College. In the years since 1871, when he began his studies under L. A. SMITH, editor of the Meyersdale Commercial, he had studied and earnestly applied himself at all possible times to improve his mind. He denied himself all pleasures and luxuries in order to further the object he had in view, namely, the securing of an education. He spent two years in Baltimore Medical College, graduating in 1891. He then entered Western University of Pa., completing his course there in 1893 and obtaining his diploma as a regular practitioner of the allopathic or old school of medicine.
Dr. POLLARD began practicing his profession at Hagerstown, Md., where he remained two years. He then located in Garrett, Pa., where he has practiced very successfully for the past 13 years, and has proved the wisdom of his choice of a profession. He is a member of the state and county medical societies, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Surgeons' Association, and is local surgeon for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad at Garrett. He is an elder of the German Baptist Brethren Church and frequently fills the pulpits of that denomination. He belongs to the Berlin congregation. In politics he is a Republican and has served his borough as councilman and school director.
Dr. POLLARD married, May 2, 1879, Mrs. Hannah KIMMEL, widow of Peter KIMMEL, of Elderton, Armstrong County, Pa. She is a daughter of Joseph and Catherine SHOEMAKER. By her first marriage there was one child, Ida, wife of William H. MILLER, of Garrett. The children of Dr. and Mrs. POLLARD are: Thomas S., a miner, married Ida Walter, and their children are Richard, William and Goldie. Lee W., a druggist of Garrett, married Rosa McQUAIDE, and they have one child, Richard E. POLLARD. Dr. POLLARD has a well appointed home in Garrett, where he also has his office, and here he is enjoying the comforts and pleasures made possible by his earlier years of self-denial and earnest effort.
POORBAUGH, AMMON and JAMES      
"History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania" Bedford County by E. Howard Blackburn; Somerset County by William H. Welfley; v.3, Pub. The Lewis Publishing Company, New York/Chicago 1906, ppg. 188-9. Transcribed by Candace Roth.
These two brothers, who are residents of Meyersdale, are the grandsons of Samuel POORBAUGH, who was a farmer. He married a Miss RINGLER, by whom he was the father of the following children: Benjamin, William Henry, of whom later; John W., Ellen, Lydia, Simon P., Mary, Samuel W., Jeremiah R. and Elizabeth. After the death of the mother of these children, Mr. POORBAUGH married the widow of Herman HEINEMEYER of Somerset County, the issue of this marriage being one daughter, Grace.
William Henry POORBAUGH, son of Samuel and ______ (RINGLER) POORBAUGH, was born in November 1841, in Stony Creek Township, and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits in connection with the lumber business. He served his township in various capacities, among them that of school director, an office he held for a number of terms. He was a member of the Reformed church, Sunday school superintendent for ten years of Mt. Lebanon congregation. He was a Republican in politics. Mr. POORBAUGH married Sarah, daughter of Simon BLUEBAUGH of Maryland. Their children were: Harvey E., Lucretia M., Ammon Weinbird, of whom later; Nettie, James Allen, of whom later; Alvin P., Pearl E., and Foster T. The death of Mr. POORBAUGH occurred Sept. 24, 1893. Mrs. POORBAUGH is still living, enjoying good health, at Meyersdale.
Ammon Weinbird POORBAUGH and James Allen POORBAUGH, sons of William Henry and Sarah (BLUEBAUGH) POORBAUGH, were born in Northampton Township, the former on May 9, 1878, and the latter on July 24, 1881. Both attended school until about 19-years-old, and were engaged in business as butchers in connection with farming during the greater part of the time until February 1, 1905, when the butchery business of their father's estate was bought out by Ammon Weinbird POORBAUGH and W. F. MUHLENBERG, under the firm name of POORBAUGH & MUHLENBERG. The connection was maintained until June 10, 1905, when Mr. MUHLENBERG sold his interest to James Allen POORBAUGH. It is located on the corner of Center and North streets, Meyersdale. Both brothers are stockholders in the Economy Telegraph Company. Both are Republicans. Ammon Weinbird POORBAUGH is a member of the United Brethren Church and James Allen POORBAUGH belongs to the Reformed Church.
Ammon Weinbird POORBAUGH married Sept. 16, 1900, Mollie, daughter of Jacob BOWSER of Meyersdale. They have one child, Jacob William, born June 28, 1901.
James Allen POORBAUGH married, November 13, 1903, Norah, daughter of Herman MUHLENBERG of Northampton Township, and they are the parents of two children: Herman and Lulu.

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