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OF CAMBRIA COUNTY. | 93 |
north of Ebensburg, this county. He is a careful and methodical farmer, and has been successful from the very beginning. He is a member of the State Grange, and takes an intelligent interest in all matters pertaining to the art of husbandry. He subscribes to the tenets of the Calvinistic Methodist church, in which he is an active worker, having been deacon of the church since 1891. In 1869, he married Mary Evans, a daughter of E. J. Evans, of Cambria township, and to them have been born three sons: Arthur, at home; Ambrose, a laborer on a farm of Johnson county, Iowa; and William H., at home. Mr. Jones is regarded as a good citizen, and is held in high esteem by his many friends and associates.
HENRY R. SHAFFER, an old and highly respected citizen of Conemaugh township, who has served as a justice of the peace for a quarter of a century, is a son of John P. and Maria (Lehman) Shaffer, and was born in Richland township, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1828. His paternal great-grandfather, George Shaffer, was a native of Germany, who came to this country prior to the Revolutionary war, in which he served as a soldier in the American army. He settled in the Kishacoquillas valley, in the eastern part of the State, where he lived until his death. His son, Henry Shaffer, emigrated from the valley to Richland township, where he followed farming as an occupation. He served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and his son, John P., who lived for some time in Richland township, was born on the old valley homestead in eastern Pennsylvania, July 19, 1804, and in 1848 removed to Conemaugh township, where he died November 30, 1875. |
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John P. Shaffer did not enjoy very good educational privileges, as his father died when he was but fourteen years of age, and he was then busied with many cares. He was a farmer and a democrat, and held membership in the Reformed church for many years. He married Maria Lehman, whose father, Christian Lehman, was a resident of Richland township. Mrs. Shaffer died February, 1861, aged fifty-six years. Their family consisted of five sons and four daughters. Henry R. Shaffer spent his boyhood days on the farm, received a good English education in the schools of his day, and commenced life for himself as a repair hand on the old Portage railroad. He afterwards taught four terms of school, and then learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed for ten years. At the end of that time, in 1861, physical disability caused him to abandon his trade, and also prevented him from entering the Union army. Not desiring to be idle, he took timber contracts for the Cambria Iron company and the Pennsylvania Railroad company, and was thus engaged until 1866, when he removed to his present farm in Conemaugh township, which he tilled up to 1894. Since that year, Mr. Shaffer has been engaged in introducing improved and modern farming implements into the county. His farm, which is five miles from Johnstown, contains one hundred and forty-three acres of good land, one-half of which is cleared and improved. In matters of national import and issue, Mr. Shaffer has always supported the Democratic party, but in local affairs is independent, supporting men instead of parties. He has been honored with all of his township offices, served as county auditor in 1867, 1868 and 1869, and has been justice of the peace for twenty-five years, serving continuously from |
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