BIOGRAPHY: Thomas HOOVER, Cambria County, PA 

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lynne Canterbury and Diann 
Olsen. 

Portions of this book were transcribed by Clark Creery, Martha Humenik, Betty 
Mirovich and Sharon Ringler.

USGENWEB ARCHIVES (tm) NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives 
remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in 
accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of 
providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by 
anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities 
so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic 
pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including 
copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to 
uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb 
Archives to store the file permanently for free access. 
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cambria/ 
____________________________________________________________

From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 356-7
____________________________________________________________

THOMAS HOOVER, ex-steward of the Cambria county almshouse, an ex-teacher of that 
county, and who is a prosperous and well-to-do farmer and general business man, 
is a son of Peter and Catharine (Strittmatter) Hoover, and was born in Cambria 
township, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, March 27, 1842.
     His paternal grandfather, Jacob Hoover, was a native of the German empire, 
born at Bonn, near Cologne—the chief city of the Rhine provinces. Here upon the 
banks of the majestic Rhine, amidst the most beautiful and picturesque scenery 
of the world, Jacob Hoover grew to manhood, married, and spent the greater part 
of his life. He was a weaver and farmer, which combined occupations he followed 
all his active life. He was a consistent member of the Roman Catholic church, 
and took a deep interest in all religious and philanthropic work.
     After the dissolution of the German empire, and the formation of the 
Rhenish Confederation under the French protectorate in 1806, he had the honor of 
serving as a soldier under the command of Napoleon I. Mr. Hoover's marriage 
resulted in the birth of eight sons and one daughter.
     One of these sons, Peter Hoover, was born on the river Rhine, March 6, 
1818, and at the early age of eighteen years, in 1836, left his kindred and 
native land to seek a home in the New World. He located in Cambria township, and 
took up one hundred acres of land. At that time the sum total of his cash 
capital was eleven cents; but he set to work with that push and determination 
which are characteristic of the German race, clearing and cultivating his land 
in the summer, and cutting cord-wood in the winter. This plan he followed, 
however, but a few years, until he had made such improvements upon his farm that 
its cultivation required his entire time. He became thrifty and prosperous, and 
at the time of his death, which occurred upon his farm, February 14, 1895, he 
owned three good farms and a valuable house and lot. At the solicitation of Mr. 
Hoover, in 1850, his father, Jacob Hoover, and his family came to this country, 
and settled upon one of his farms. Here his father lived in comparative 
retirement until his death, at the advanced age of eighty-six years.
     Peter Hoover married Catharine Strittmatter, a daughter of Andrew 
Strittmatter, of Carroll township, Cambria county, and they are the parents of 
thirteen children, nine sons and four daughters: Thomas J., the eldest, and 
subject of this sketch; Mary, deceased; Fannie, the wife of William Dishart, of 
White township, this county; James of Altoona, Pennsylvania; Simon, of 
Carrolltown, this county; Joseph, of Carroll township; Rev F. R. Vincent, 
professor and director of St. Vincent college—a Catholic institution of Latrobe, 
Pennsylvania; Edward, who is in the government service as postmaster; Theresa, a 
nun in St. Mary's Convent, in Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Peter, a merchant, of 
Carrolltown; Catharine, also a nun in St. Mary's convent and William, a teacher 
of Carrolltown.
     Thomas Hoover was brought up on the farm, educated in the graded schools of 
Carrolltown, and then engaged in teaching during the winter, and farming in the 
summer for fourteen years. In 1886 he purchased his present farm of one hundred 
and forty acres, situated in the northeastern part of Cambria township, upon 
which he has since resided. He is an active and staunch democrat, and in   1890 
was elected steward of the county almshouse, and filled that office ably and 
acceptably until 1895. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church, served on 
the church committee, and has been a member of the choir since fourteen years of 
age.
     January 30, 1866, the nuptials were celebrated, which made Mr. Hoover and 
Miss Elizabeth Zern, a daughter of Jacob Zern, a farmer of Carroll township, 
husband and wife, and they have lived happily together for over a quarter of a 
century.
     Moved by a thorough Christian and philanthropic spirit, Mr. Hoover has 
adopted and reared six orphan children, who have assumed his surname. They are: 
Edwin, an engineer on the Pennsylvania railroad, running between Philadelphia 
and Reading; Rosa, the widow of George Lutz; Mary, the wife of Walter Dowling, 
of Johnstown, and three sons, who reside at home with their adopted father.