The Raymer Family of Smethport, Pennsylvania

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Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, has been the seat of a German population, probably from the early years of the eighteenth century, although the early history of white settlement in this region is obscure. The names Raymer and Ramer are found in several instances in the Pennsylvania archives, yet it may be doubted whether these references are to members of the present family. The probability favors such a connection, but it is not clear.

(I) Nicholas Raymer

Nicholas Raymer, the first member of this family about whom we have definite information, was born, probably on the Mahantongo road, which is in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and the adjacent parts of the state, about 1770, died on the Mahantongo road, about 1854. His life was spent near the place of his birth, and his occupation was farming. He was a Whig. In the work of the Methodist church he took an active interest, and his wife also was a member of that church. The name of his wife is not known; she died on the Mahantongo road, before her husband’s death. Children:

  1. George, died on Mahantongo road; farmer; married Sarah; children: George and others.
  2. Joshua, died at Pine Grove, Pennsylvania; wheelwright; married Harriet Sibert, deceased; children:
    1. William, deceased;
    2. Charles, residing in Virginia;
    3. John, deceased.
  3. Joseph, lived at McVeytown, Pennsylvania; married, had large family.
  4. William, of whom further.
  5. Isaac, died at Mifflin, Pennsylvania; farmer; married Mary; had a family.
  6. Caroline, died on Mahantongo road; married Joseph Wolfgang; he was a farmer; children:
    • Catharine,
    • Mary,
    • Salome,
    • others.
  7. Salome, died on Mahantongo road, unmarried.
  8. Magdalene, died on Mahantongo road; married George Bensinger, deceased; he was a farmer; children: George, policeman in Buffalo; at least one other.
  9. Catharine, died on Mahantongo road; married George Bensinger, deceased; had children.

(II) William Raymer

William, son of Nicholas Raymer, was born in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, April 20, 1825, died at Smethport, about 1899. In his native place he received a district school education. He was a wheelwright and wagonmaker at Pine Grove, Schuylkill county, about twenty-two miles from the place of his birth, until 1856, when he removed to Smethport. In 1858 he purchased a farm in Keating township, McKean county, where he carried on farming, raising of stock and dairying. He was a Republican. He was a member of the Methodist church; his wife attended this church also, though she was a Lutheran. He married, at Pine Grove, Matilda, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Ludwig) Fry, who was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, March 6, 1829, died at Smethport, July 10, 1904. Children of William and Matilda (Fry) Raymer:

  • Lewis, born at Pine Grove, January 4, 1848; he received a public school education at Smethport, then worked on his father’s farm at that place until March, 1883; removing to Port Allegany he took a farm on shares for Fitz-Henry Arnold; in 1887 he went into the butcher business, in which he continued for twelve years, but sickness prevented his active work for the next two years; in 1901 he took a position as foreman in the sawmill of S. J. Clifford, at Smethport; after three years he re-entered the butcher business, and he continued until June, 1909, then opened pool and billiard parlors opposite the Smethport postoffice, where he is doing a flourishing business, and has an excellent class of trade; he is a member of the Maccabees, Tent No. 9, Smethport; he is a Republican; for two years he was street commissioner and for two years councilman, and in 1911 was elected again to the latter office for a term of four years from January 1, 1912; he married Florence, born in Norwich township, Pennsylvania, May 31, 1851, daughter of Orrin Wilson and Nancy (Corwin) Gallup; for her ancestry see sketch of Warley Gifford in this work; children:
    1. Octavia, born June 4, 1873;
    2. Ward W., born April 29, 1883, married Ethel Lund, has two children,
      1. Lewis Lund, born October 16, 1907,
      2. Florence, born June 29, 1910.
  • Alice, of whom further.
  • Henry, born at Pine Grove, March 5, 1852, died at the age of eight months.
  • Nathaniel, born at Smethport, September 8, 1858; farmer and general workman, residing at Smethport; married Jane Lambert; child,
    1. Elmer, born May 5, 1884, married Sadie Hall.
  • John, twin of Nathaniel, born September 8, 1858, died under one year old.
  • Samuel, born at Smethport, November 14, 1860; farmer and carpenter, residing at Smethport; unmarried.

Jacob Fry was a native of Berks county, born about 1788, was a farmer near Pine Grove and there he died in 1872. His wife was of German extraction, born in 1793, died at Pine Grove in 1865. Children of Jacob and Elizabeth (Ludwig) Fry, all born in Berks county, order uncertain:

  1. Samuel, died at Pine Grove; farmer; married Susan Snyder, deceased; children:
    1. Malinda, deceased;
    2. Maria, residing at Pine Grove;
    3. Rose, residing at Pine Grove.
  2. Jacob, died at McVeytown; married Mary Kymes, deceased; children, perhaps not all:
    1. Clara,
    2. Ella,
    3. Charles,
    4. Harry.
  3. George, died at Pine Grove, unmarried.
  4. William, died at Pine Grove; married Rachel Swartz, deceased; he was a paperhanger; children:
    1. James, deceased;
    2. William,
    3. Samuel.
  5. John, died at Pine Grove.
  6. Isaac, died at South Bend, Indiana; a contractor; married Anna Keefer, who resides at Pine Grove; child,
    1. Vitalis, resides at South Bend.
  7. Matilda, married William Raymer.
  8. Elizabeth, born in 1833, died at Pine Grove, July 7, 1888; married Philip Landenberger, deceased; children:
    1. Sarah, born January 20, 1856, deceased, married Frank Vickery;
    2. Louis, born May 1, 1858, resides in Reading, married Kate Hane;
    3. Catharine, born February 3, 1860, married John Bender;
    4. William, born May 12, 1862, resides at Perkasie, married Sarah Sattigan;
    5. Anna, born October 31, 1864, married Washington Starks, deceased;
    6. George, born August 27, 1866, resides at Fremont, married Emma Kopp;
    7. Clara, born June 27, 1868, married Clifford Burlingame;
    8. Mary, born July 10, 1871, married M. Colegrove.

(III) Alice Raymer

Alice, daughter of William and Matilda (Fry) Raymer, was born at Pine Grove, May 17, 1850. At an early age she was sent to a select school at Pine Grove; she was only eight when her parents settled at Smethport, and her education was there continued in the public school. At Smethport she has continued to reside to the present. She is a member of the Protected Home Circle, and attends the Methodist Episcopal church. She married (first) November 1, 1867, Robert, born near Smethport, February 26, 1846, died at Kane, Pennsylvania, October 14, 1879, son of Augustus and Minetta (Weber) Walters. His father was an immigrant from Germany, who settled in Philadelphia, but removed to Sergeant township, McKean county; he was a cabinetmaker. She married (second) at Smethport, November 13, 1883, Samuel, born at Franklinville, Pennsylvania, May 3, 1835, died at Smethport, December 31, 1903, son of Joseph and Patty (Long) McClure. He was a carpenter and tool dresser. He was the third of eight children, as follows: Charles, resides at Delevan, New York; Pauline, died in Washington, married Samuel Bly; Samuel, married Alice (Raymer) Walters; William, deceased; Seymour, died in Canada, a machinist; Francinia, died at Sardinia, New York, married Delos Rice, deceased; Edwin, died at Wellsville, New York, unmarried; ??, died in young manhood. Children of Alice (Raymer-Walters) McClure, four by first, three by second husband:

  1. Frederick, born at Smethport, June 5, 1868, died at Smethport, August 25, 1879.
  2. Leon A., born at Smethport, December 9, 1871; resides in Chicago; married Harriet Canfield, of Manistee, Michigan; children:
    1. Elizabeth, born March 6, 1906;
    2. Augustine, born December 5, 1907.
  3. Addie, born at Smethport, January 9, 1875; married F. E. Baldwin, of Duke Center, Pennsylvania; he was very seriously affected by the Austin flood; at this time (1912) he is state senator, and has been renominated by a handsome majority.
  4. Robert Raymer, born at Smethport, September 17, 1879; hardware dealer at Manistee, Michigan; married Margaret Vincent, of Manistee; children:
    1. Mary, born January 28, 1910;
    2. Alice, born October 23, 1911.
  5. Edwin, born at Smethport, July 22, 1884; works on the state highway; unmarried.
  6. Frances, born at Smethport, April 25, 1886; married Louis A. Kenyon, from Canastota, New York; he is now a machinist in Buffalo, New York; children:
    1. Alice, born March 3, 1907;
    2. Louise, born July 9, 1911.
  7. Scott A., born at Smethport, March 21, 1890; works on the state highway; unmarried.

See: Genealogy of the Allegheny Valley Pennsylvania

Source

Jordan, J. W. 1840-1921. (1913). Genealogical and personal history of the Allegheny Valley, Pennsylvania. New York: Lewis Historical Pub. Co.

This genealogy is based upon the source cited above. Only the structure and formatting have been changed for clearer presentation; the genealogical and biographical content

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