BIOGRAPHY: Rev. Martin L. WEAVER, 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. 441-2 ____________________________________________________________ REV. MARTIN L. WEAVER is a son of Henry L. and Elizabeth (Corb) Weaver, and was born February 21, 1858, in Troutville, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania. His grandfather, George Weaver, was a native of Bavaria, Germany, whence he emigrated to America, and located in Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, in 1832. Later, he removed to Clearfield county, where he engaged in farming and the lumber business, and where he died in 1879. His father was also born in Germany, but, at the age of four years, came with his parents to America. He was reared in Jefferson county. In early manhood he embarked in the lumber business, owning and operating a saw-mill, and also paid some attention to farming. During the Civil War he entered the military service of his adopted country for a term of nine months. For a part of this time he was assigned to duty in the hospital as nurse. He was a member of company E, One Hundred and Seventy-second regiment. Politically, he is a prohibitionist. He is also a zealous member of the United Evangelical church. Both Mr. Weaver and his estimable wife have always taken an active interest in religious work. Two sons, Martin L. and J. Milton, entered the ministry of the United Evangelical church. A third son, George W., was destined for the same calling, but died at college while preparing himself for its duties. Three daughters, all active church members, are living, viz.: Elenora, wife of the Rev. William M. Covert, a minister of the Presbyterian church; Rosa M., wife of George W. Livengood, merchant of Scott City, Kansas; and Alice, the widow of the late Arthur B. McDaniel. Annetta and Walter S., died in infancy. J. Milton, the youngest son, is now at Mt. Union, Ohio, where he is taking a supplemental college course. The parents are now residents of the city of Johnstown. Rev. Martin L. Weaver was educated in the common schools. This was supplemented by a rigid course of private reading and study, especially in the direction of theology, and chiefly by his own efforts he fitted himself for the profession of the ministry, which he entered and in which he was signally successful. In early life Mr. Weaver was a teacher in the public schools for several years, and conducted one term of Normal school at Reynoldsville, Jefferson county. He was converted at the age of nine years, and united with the church. At fourteen he was made Sabbath-school superintendent, and delivered his first address before the County Sabbath-school association or convention. At the age of fifteen he was elected exhorter, and when sixteen years of age preached his first sermon. At seventeen years of age he received license to preach regularly from the Pittsburg Conference of the Evangelical Association, now known as the United Evangelical church. At twenty he entered upon his first regular pastorate in northeastern Ohio, and continued for eleven years consecutively in active work. He then took a vacation for a year, being at the time located at Oil City, Pennsylvania. On account of the illness of the pastor of the church at Johnstown, following the great flood, he was called to the pastorate of the church now known as Trinity United Evangelical church, where he remained for about fifteen months. Later he served the congregation at East Conemaugh for one year, and the Morrellville congregation for six months. In January, 1891, Rev. Weaver established the Johnstown Evangelist, a parish paper, and continued its publication for fifteen months. Its sphere of usefulness was limited to the congregation in whose interests it was published, and the editor, believing there was a broad field for a non-sectarian religious newspaper, discontinued the publication of the Evangelist and founded The Theocrat, primarily in the interests of good government, and incidentally of all reforms tending to that end, among them church unity, Sabbath observance and temperance. The success of the venture has been fairly good, considering the depression in business matters. The Theocrat occupies a field distinctively its own, and the prospects of extended usefulness, as a reward of its editor's persevering efforts, are very good. Rev. Weaver was married June 1, 1881, to Miss Martha M. Moody. This estimable lady is a daughter of Rev. William Moody, of Westmoreland county. To this union have been born the following children: George W.; Olive B.; Iva May; Florence Ethel, deceased; Stanley Hamer; and Luther Dow, deceased. Editor Weaver is the founder of "The Theocrat Press Association," and, though engaged in the newspaper business, finds time to do much pulpit work in response to the frequent demands of his brother ministers, and also spends some time in the lecture field. He retains his situation as a minister in regular standing of the Pittsburg conference of the United Evangelical church.