Bedford County PA Archives Biographies.....Stayer, Joseph ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Banja jbanja@msn.com May 2003 JOSEPH STAYER, a School Director of Bedford Township, Bedford County, Pa., where he is an extensive land-owner and a prosperous and enterprising agriculturist, was born in Bedford, August 22, 1848. He is a son of the late Aaron Stayer. His grandfather, John Stayer, who was born at Harper's Ferry, Va., and lived there until near the prime of his life, then came with other pioneers to Bedford County, and located with his family in the town of Bedford. He was of German extraction. Aaron Stayer was a lad of about fourteen years when he came with his parents from Harper's Ferry to Bedford. He grew to manhood in his new home, and, having taken up farming as an occupation, he here spent the remainder of his life, dying at an advanced age. He was a man of high moral principles and a faithful member of the Dunkard church. He married Mary Diffenbaugh, and had a large family of children, of whom the following-named are still living: John, of Monroe township, Pa.; Charles, of East Tennessee; Joseph, the direct subject of this biography; Adam, of Black Valley, Pa.; Aaron D., of Monroe township, Pa.; Eleanor, wife of Israel Morris, of Bedford County, Pennsylvania; Sarah, wife of Wilson Davis, also of Monroe, Pa.; Mary, wife of Samuel Sparks, of Black Valley, Pa.; and Rebecca, wife of George Robinson, of Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Joseph Stayer obtained his education in the public schools of Bedford township, and before reaching man's estate acquired the practical knowledge of agriculture that has since gained his success in his free and independent occupation of farming. He has two hundred and seventy-six acres of land, a large part of which is devoted to tillage. For a number of years Mr. Stayer has also engaged in threshing and saw-milling. Taking a keen interest in the education of the young, he is now one of the township Board of School Directors. Fraternally, he belongs to the Oklahoma Tribe, No. 329, I.O.R.M., of Imlertown, and to the Brush Run Grange, P. of H. Religiously, he is a Lutheran and an active member of the church of that denomination. Mr. Stayer married Susan Beegle, daughter of the late Samuel Beegle, of Bedford township. They have six children; namely, William H., Edward R., Calvin J., Mary E., Carrie J., and Rosella. Source: Bedford Biographical Review, 1899, Bedford Co., Pa