Biography: Mahlon E. Weidner: Berks County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Betty Burdan bjburdan@.ptd.net USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. _________________________________________________________ "Historical and Biographical Annals of Berks County", by Morten Montgomery Surnames: Albright, Arthur, Bertolett, Boyer, Davis, Delacamp, Fisher, Frymuth, Engel, Goodman, Hine, Jones, Levengood, Ludwig, Lundy, Miles, Moser, Reinert, Renz, Rhoads, Romich, Sands, Schaeffer, Schealer, Shadler, Swavely, Weidner. Vol. I, p.565-66 MAHLON E. WEIDNER, director of the National Bank of Boyertown, proprietor of the Manatawny Flour Mills, in Amity Township, and extensive land owner, is a member of an early settled Berks County family. (I) David WEIDNER, son of Adam of Oley Township, located in Amity Township prior to 1752, and settled on a farm now (1909) owned by Matthias LEVENGOOD, but which at that time was much more extensive, including the adjoining property now owned by Anthony ALBRIGHT. On the LEVENGOOD farm was a private burial ground which since 1900 has been under cultivation. Here were buried David WEIDNER and wife, and some of their children and grandchildren. David WEIDNER was a farmer by occupation. He married Hannah MOSER. In the federal census of 1790 he is recorded as the head of a family consisting of nine persons, as follows: father and mother, one son above sixteen years of age, and two sons below sixteen years of age and four daughters. (II) Jacob WEIDNER, son of David, in the federal census report of 1790 is recorded the head of a family consisting of eight persons: the parents, four sons under sixteen years of age, and two daughters. Jacob WEIDNER married Barbara WEIDNER and their children were: Peter; Jacob lived in Amity Township, where he owned a small farm now the property of a FRYMUTH; David m. and lived at Birdsboro (No issue); Susanna m. a ROMICH, and had a blind daughter, Susanna; Elizabeth m. Tobias FISHER; and one whose name is not given. Jacob WEIDNER owned the farm on the Swamp Road in Amity which later became property of John SWAVELY. (III) Peter WEIDNER, son of Jacob, was born Dec. 4, 1787, and died Nov. 9, 1847. He was a weaver by trade, and had a shop in Amityville on a lot now owned by John BERTOLETT. He also owned a small farm at Amityville, which became the property of his son Charles. He married Elizabeth LEVENGOOD, born May 1, 1792, and died May 21, 1844, and they are both buried west of the present church at Amityville. They were members of the Reformed congregation. Peter WEIDNER and his wife became the parents of twelve children, namely: Harriet m. Jared JONES, Charles and Samuel were twins; Nellie m. Charles GOODMAN; Sallie m. John LUNDY, and they moved to Greencastle, IN, where both died; Lewis (Ludwig) is mentioned below. Anna, born Jan. 6, 1823, m. in 1852 Christopher RENZ, a native of Germany, who died Nov. 10, 1876, aged seventy years, the father of Lydia, Emma, Rosa, Albert, Annie and Laura, widow of Edward G. DAVIS, of Reading. Peter was next in the order of birth. Aaron, born 1826, died 1847. Elizabeth m. William SCHAEFFER. Catharine is the widow of Samuel DEHART, of Bloomsburg, PA. Lydia died aged nineteen years. (IV)Lewis (Ludwig) WEIDNER, son of Peter, was born in Amity Township, Dec. 27, 1820, and died Aug. 25, 1907. He was a laborer and post fence maker, being an expert at the latter. In the possession of his son, Mahlon E., is the following document: "On the 19th day of August, 1843, Lewis WEIDNER was honorably discharged from all the duties enjoined of him as a member of the National Blues attached to the Washington Battalion of Volunteers, within the Second Brigade, 6th Division of P. M. Given under my hand and seal the day and year above written. J. W. RHOADS, Capt." Lewis WEIDNER was a private in Company B, 205th PA. V. I., enlisting Aug. 24, 1864, to serve one year. On June 2, 1865, he was honorably discharged. During the latter years of his life he lived with his son Mahlon E., and from the time of the Spanish-American war in 1898, in which James S. (son of Mahlon E.) served as a private under Gen. Nelson A. MILES in the Porto Rico [sic] campaign, three generations of one family lived in the same house, who had served their country in time of war. Lewis WEIDNER married Hannah ENGEL (daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth), born Oct. 1, 1820, died Dec. 3, 1895, and both she and her husband are buried at Amityville, where they were Reformed members of the Amityville Church. Their children were: Mahlon E.; Francis, of Amityville; George, who died in 1867; Bertolet, of Pottstown; and John, of Reading. Lewis WEIDNER was a stanch Republican from the time of the organization of the party. (V) Mahlon E. WEIDNER was born in Amity, Oct. 2, 1844. His schooling was limited, and was all received in the common schools of Amity. From the time he was ten years of age he worked among the neighboring farmers, and at fifteen he was apprenticed to learn the wheelwright's trade. He had served eighteen months of his time when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted Sept. 30, 1861, at Lebanon, PA, in Company B., 93d PA V. I., under Capt. John E. ARTHUR (afterward Col. ARTHUR), and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac, and served principally in the Sixth Army Corps. While with the regiment (which was one of the fighting regiments from Pennsylvania) he participated in the battles of Williamsburg, Fair Oaks, Seven Days' Retreat, Malvern Hill, Chantilly, Harper's Ferry, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Marye's Heights, Salem Heights, Gettysburg, Mine Run and the Wilderness. In the last mentioned battle Mr. WEIDNER was wounded in the right fore arm (May 5, 1864), and was confined eight months in the Carver General Hospital, Washington, D. C. He was first honorably discharged Dec. 31, 1863, at Halltown, VA, and re-enlisted as a Veteran Volunteer Jan. 1, 1864, and was promoted for merit to corporal, and was honorably discharged at Carver General Hospital Jan. 27, 1865, because of wounds received in battle. After the war Mr. WEIDNER learned the milling trade at Solomon RHOADS' mill, serving an apprenticeship of two years. He then worked two years more as a journeyman at the same place and eight years at a neighboring mill. In the spring of 1879 he took possession of the Manatawny Flour Mill, which he had purchased of the Solomon RHOADS estate in the fall of 1878, and he has successfully conducted this mill for thirty years. In 1884 he entirely remodeled the mill, and installed the roller process, and since then has made many other improvements, having one of the most up-to-date mills in the county, with a capacity of two and one-half barrels an hour. There is a tract of sixty acres of land with this mill, on which in 1899 Mr. WEIDNER built a new barn 43 x 70. The large stone house was built in 1807 by Othniel R. SANDS. In 1893 Mr. WEIDNER purchased the Amity Mill, also on Manatawny Creek, and this has been named the Glen Alpine Flour Mill. It also has the roller process and a capacity of two barrels per hour. To this mill belongs thirty acres of land. On this property was a stone mill erected in 1745, but the present brick mill replaced it in about 1840. This mill is conducted by Mr. WEIDNER and his brother Francis, under the firm name of F.E. WEIDNER & Brother. The flour is shipped to Philadelphia. Mr. WEIDNER owns the Ezekiel RHOADS farm of 122 acres in Amity Township, which he purchased in October, 1907. He is a director of the National Bank of Boyertown, to which position he was elected in 1896. He is one of the substantial and foremost citizens of the township, and wields great influence in public affairs. In politics Mr. WEIDNER is a stanch Republican, and from 1866 to 1902 served as a member of the county committee, giving efficient and faithful service. He has, however, always refused to hold office. Fraternally he belongs to Camp No. 43, Union Veteran Legion, of Reading; Post No. 16, G. A. R., of Reading; and the P.O.S. of A., No. 213, of Amityville. On Sept 23, 1865, Mr. WEIDNER married Amanda SHADLER, daughter of Jeremiah and Harriet (SHEALER) SHADLER, who in later years lived near Republic, Ohio, where they died and were buried. They became the parents of eleven children: Mary Ellen m. Irwin REINERT; George is deceased; Grant C. died in infancy; Emma m. Marks BOYER, and both are deceased; William H. is miller at the Glen Alpine Mill; Anna m. George DELCAMP; Louisa m. Jeremiah HINE; Irwin died in infancy; John is a farmer in Amity; James operates the Manatawny roller mills; and Sallie died in infancy.