BIO: Jesse CLEAVER, Centre County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including 
the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing 
Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc. 
Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898.
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  JESSE CLEAVER, one of the representative and prominent citizens of 
the borough of Unionville, Centre county, is a native of that county, 
born February 5, 1844, on the banks of the Bald Eagle creek, not far 
from the present site of Unionville.  He traces his ancestry back to 
Joshua Cleaver, who came to America from Wales, locating in New Jersey.  
He wedded Margaret, who lost her membership in the Society of Friends 
by her marriage, he being a member of the Church of England.  He died 
in 1783, at Philadelphia, leaving his widow with four children: Nathan, 
Jesse, Eunice and Andrew.
  The youngest of this family, Andrew Cleaver, was bound out to 
Benjamin Tompkins, of Bucks county, Penn., with whom he remained until 
reaching the age of twenty-one, and then returned to his mother.  He 
married Hannah Clark, a daughter of William and Hannah Clark, and one 
of their twelve children was William, the father of our subject.  The 
grandfather was born December 4, 1783, and died January 8, 1840, about 
one mile east of Curwensville, Penn.  He was laid to rest in the 
Friends cemetery at Grampian Hills, Clearfield county.
  William Cleaver was born in Clearfield, Penn., April 20, 1811, and 
died March 30, 1857.  He was four times married, his first wife being 
Anna Way, whom he wedded in Centre county, and they had one son, Thomas 
W., who was born October 13, 1834, and is now a farmer of Bedford 
county, Penn.  After the death of his first wife, Mr. Cleaver married 
Keziah Griest, of Bald Eagle Valley, who was born September 3,

COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.  317

1810, and died May 14, 1846.  She was a daughter of Amos and Phoebe 
(Swain) Griest, natives of Chester county, Penn., who removed to York 
county, where her father spent his remaining days.  By this union Mr. 
Cleaver had three children: Charles G., who was born November 22, 1841, 
and is now engaged in farming in Bedford county, Penn.; Jesse, subject 
of this sketch; and a daughter who died in infancy.  For his third 
wife, Mr. Cleaver wedded Hannah Kirk, of Lumber City, Clearfield 
county, and to them was born a son, Isaac K., now residing in the State 
of Washington, whose birth occurred March 28, 1850.  After her death he 
married Louisa Garretson, widow of Isaac Garretson, and one child 
graced their union: William P., born in February, 1857.
  Jesse Cleaver obtained a good practical education in the common and 
select schools of his day, and subsequently followed the profession of 
teaching during the winter seasons, while the summer months were spent 
in agricultural pursuits.  Soon after the death of his mother he went 
with his father to Clearfield county, where he remained until the 
latter was called to his final rest in 1857.  He then made his home 
with friends for about three or four years, after which he served a 
three-years' apprenticeship under a carpenter and cabinet maker of 
Curwensville, and later followed those occupations for a time.  During 
the oil excitement he was induced to go to the oil regions, where he 
assisted in the erection of many of the first derricks and engine 
houses in the famous Pithole City, which rose, flourished and faded, as 
it were, in a day.  Later, for a time, he boated oil on Oil creek and 
the Allegheny river to Franklin.  In the meanwhile he had studied 
surveying under the direction of an old and competent surveyor, and has 
now for over twenty-two years followed that occupation.
  On March 31, 1869, Mr. Cleaver was united in marriage with Miss Edith 
Wickersham, of Adams county, Penn., and the names and dates of births 
of their children are as follows: Eva W., August 17, 1870; Florence N., 
September 9, 1872; Bertha K., August 23, 1876; and Edgar W., June 29, 
1881.  They are all still at home with their parents, and constitute a 
most interesting family.
  Mrs. Cleaver was born in York county, Penn., September 22, 1835, a 
daughter of Abner and Anne (Griest) Wickersham, who spent their entire 
lives in that county.  The father was born September 11, 1788, and died 
February 9, 1853.  He was married in March, 1821, to Anna Griest, who 
was born May 16, 1796, and died April 25, 1863.  Mr. Wickersham studied 
medicine, but never engaged in its practice, turning his attention 
exclusively to agricultural pursuits.  He was a son of James and Sarah 
(Garrison) Wickersham, who were born in Chester county, and spent their 
last days in York county.  The paternal great-great-grandfather of Mrs. 
Cleaver was of English birth; her maternal great-grandfather, John 
Griest, came from England, and his son Willing (her grandfather) was 
born near Wilmington, Del.  The latter married Anne McMillan, a native 
of Pennsylvania.  Mrs. Cleaver is one of a family of four children, the 
others being as follows: Maria (born March 15, 1822, died July 27, 
1890), married William Cook, also deceased; Josiah (born May 12, 1825, 
died February 19, 1882), and Mary A. (born May 15, 1831) is a resident 
of Adams county, Pennsylvania.  From the age of sixteen years until 
1891 (with the exception of two years at boarding-school) Mrs. Cleaver 
successfully engaged in teaching, at different times having charge of 
both public and select schools.  She is a highly cultured and refined 
lady, who with her husband belongs to the Society of Friends.
  In politics Mr. Cleaver is an ardent Republican, and is now the 
candidate of that party for the office of county surveyor, for which 
position he is eminently fitted, as by private surveying he is 
thoroughly familiar with the lands of Centre county.  In all respects 
he is accounted as a useful and desirable member of society, and is 
universally held in high esteem.