BIOGRAPHY: David VAN SCOYOC, Cambria County, PA 

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From Wiley, Samuel T., ed. Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria 
County, Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Union Publishing Co., 1896, p. 409-10
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DAVID VAN SCOYOC, of Mountaindale, Reade township, this county, is a son of John 
and Mary (Hutchinson) Van Scoyoc, and was born in what is now Reade, then White 
township, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, December 8, 1845.
    The old-world origin of the family of which our subject is a worthy scion, 
is in the prosperous little kingdom of Holland, from which country his paternal 
grandfather emigrated to this. He located in what is now Blair county, then a 
part of Huntingdon county, this State. John Van Scoyoc (father) was born in 
Huntingdon county, now Blair, in 1802, and died at his home in Mountaindale, 
this county, at the age of sixty-six years. In his early days he was a collier, 
but in 1845 he removed to the vicinity of what is now Mountaindale, and 
purchased a tract of wooded land containing one hundred and twenty-six acres. 
This he cleared for cultivation, and devoted the remainder of his life to the 
pursuits of agriculture. He was a substantial and thrifty citizen, and a pillar 
in the Baptist church organization at Mountaindale, serving a number of years as 
a deacon. He married Mary Hutchinson, of Blair county, and their union was 
blessed in the birth of twelve children, six of whom grew to maturity. They were 
as follows: Sarah Ann, deceased, was the wife of David Stevens; Rev. Thomas, who 
for a number of years was a minister of the Baptist church. He was a very ardent 
church worker, was widely known, and did much for the cause of Christianity. He 
was largely instrumental in the building of the present Baptist church in 
Mountaindale; John, a farmer of Reade township; Elizabeth, wife of James W. 
McCartney, a farmer of the same township; Rebecca, wife of George Franklin, of 
Elton, Iowa; and David, subject.
    The subject of this sketch is the youngest of twelve children, and was 
reared upon the farm. Being reared to agricultural pursuits, he naturally took 
up that line of business when he commenced the battle of life on his own 
account. He owns forty acres of land adjacent to Mountaindale, and, in 
connection with the tilling of the soil, has been alive to any pursuit that 
promised a fair remuneration, and has done some lumbering, etc.
    In the fraternal world he stands deservedly high, being a respected member 
of Coalport Lodge, No. 574, F. and A. M., of Coalport, Clearfield county.
    November 3, 1868, he married Mary L. Jackson, a daughter of John Jackson, a 
farmer of Blair county, and their union has been blessed in the birth of the 
following children Mary Edith, deceased; Charles, John E., Alice, and Howard.
    John Jackson was born in Blair county in August, 1816, and died in the same 
county in 1881. His avocation was that of a farmer all his life. He married a 
lady whose maiden name was Jane Crie, of Cambria county, and four sons and five 
daughters were born to this union. They were as follows: Andrew, a farmer of 
Reade township; George, of Altoona; David, a farmer of Blair county; Mary L.; 
Felicia, wife of James McGahan, of Altoona; Mary Ann, deceased, was the wife of 
James Gayley; Leroy L., of Altoona; Elizabeth Jane, wife of Anthony Walters, of 
Altoona.