BIOGRAPHY: David VARNER, 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. 373-4
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David VARNER

DAVID VARNER, a prosperous retired farmer, is a son of Justus and Saloma 
(Grosenickel) Varner, and was born December 27, 182 1, in Richland township, 
this county. His grandfather, Nicholas Varner, was a native of Hagerstown, 
Maryland, but early in life located on a farm on the Frankstown road, in 
Conemaugh township, this county. There he established himself after clearing a 
large tract of land, and spent all of his active life in that community. He was 
an old-line whig, and although he took no active part in politics was always 
deeply interested in the success of the party whose principles he advocated.
     Justus Varner, father, was born in Morrison's Cove, Bedford county, 
Pennsylvania, but on reaching the age of maturity he began life on his own 
account, and located on a farm near Salix, this county, and devoted his time to 
agriculture. Politically he was a whig, until the organization of the Republican 
party, when he adopted the principles of that organization, to which he has 
always yielded his hearty support.
     He married Saloma Grosenickel, and to them were born five boys and seven 
girls: Susanna, the wife of Daniel Thomas; David; John, a farmer, who resides 
near Elton, this county; Elizabeth, who became the wife of George Custer, a 
farmer, located near Salix; Rachel, the widow of Jacob Gramling; George, 
deceased; Jesse, a farmer, located in Adams township; Daniel, also a farmer; 
Sarah, the wife of Henry Smay, of Johnstown; Hannah, who married John Reichert, 
and lives near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and Christiana.
     David Varner's education was limited to the common schools of this county. 
The untiring energy that has always characterized his life developed at an early 
age; when but a boy he was employed to work by the day, receiving as 
compensation fifty cents a day, By cultivating frugal and economical habits, and 
by his remarkable industry, at the age of twenty-three, he had saved sufficient 
money to purchase the farm on which he now lives. It contains one hundred and 
thirty-eight acres, but at the time of his purchase only a portion of it was 
cleared, Since that time he has cleared and improved the greater part of his 
farm, and his labors have been well rewarded, as be now owns one of the fertile 
farms of this county.
     He, too, is a republican, but while taking a normal interest in all 
political questions, has never sought nor held any office.
     He has taken more than an ordinary interest in the religious affairs of his 
community; is a member of the United Evangelical church of that district, and 
during the greater part of his life has been an active supporter of that church, 
in which he has been an exhorter and class-leader for many years.
     May 3, 1849, he married Miss Magdalena Custer, a daughter of Jacob Custer, 
of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, and this marriage has resulted in the birth of 
the following children: Benjamin T., was born in 1850, and is now a carpenter, 
located in Adams township; Christiana, born December 30, 1852, now the wife of 
Daniel Stull, of Johnstown, and Sarah, born October 26, 1857, who married Louis 
Emigh, of Adams township.
     Always thrifty and prudent, Mr. Varner has toiled hard, managed well and 
commands the respect and good will of his neighbors.