BIO: Samuel GRAMLY, Centre County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/ http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/centre/1picts/commbios/comm-bios.htm _____________________________________________________________________ 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. _____________________________________________________________________ SAMUEL GRAMLY will have a lasting place in the history of this region as one of the pioneer educators of Brush Valley. Although he has made a success of other and more lucrative lines of efforts his influence has perhaps been most helpfully and directly brought to bear upon the community through his long service in early years as a teacher in the country schools of that time. Kind-hearted, genial, wise with the ripe experience of his well-spent life, he is for many a chosen adviser in perplexity and trouble. The early history of the Gramly family has been made the subject of careful research, but it is found impossible to trace it farther back than the time of Francis Gramly, the grandfather of the gentleman whose name opens this sketch. About the middle of the last century a number of people bearing the name of Gramly came to America from Germany, and it is supposed that Francis Gramly was among them, that he set- COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 369 tled in Pennsylvania and married here. It is certain that he came into Brush Valley in 1793, from Northampton county, Penn., with his wife, Margaret (Spangler), and from them all of the name in Brush Valley are descended. Francis Gramly carried with him a sack full of hard money when he rode into Brush Valley on horseback, and he became the owner of an immense tract of land in that "Garden of Centre County," where he operated a sawmill while clearing and improving the property. Several of his sons, all of whom remained at home, received at his death valuable estates. He died in the early "thirties," aged about seventy years, and he and his wife, who attained the age of eighty-six, were buried at Rebersburg. They were Lutherans in religion. Their children were: Adam, a maker of windmills; John, who lived in Brush Valley; Christian and George, who were farmers on the old tract; Francis, Jr., who lived in Sugar Valley, Clinton county; Philip, who is mentioned more fully below; Daniel, who met his death in boyhood while carrying breakfast to his father and brothers working in the clearing in the woods; Jacob, a machinist and operator of a gristmill, fulling-mill and carding-machine in Brush Valley; Margaret (Mrs. John Walker), of Brush Valley, and Susanna, the wife of William Krape, of Gregg township. All are now deceased. Philip Gramly, our subject's father, was born in 1798 in the lower end of Brush Valley, and was reared as a pioneer farmer's boy, his work necessarily consisting largely of clearing. At eighteen he began to learn the blacksmith's trade in Haines township, Centre county, and later he opened a shop of his own in Rebersburg. About 1820 he was married in Brush Valley to Miss Barbara Poorman, a native of Lehigh county, Penn., born in February, 1800. Her father, Daniel Poorman, a blacksmith, was an early settler in that Valley. Philip Gramly lived at Rebersburg until April, 1832, when he moved to a 200-acre tract of land which he had purchased in Sugar Valley, Green township, Clinton county. It was in its primitive condition, with not one stick cut, and there he built a log house for a residence and a shop for his work. He and his wife toiled energetically at the work of clearing and improving the land, and in five years' time had one hundred acres in cultivation; but Mrs. Gramly so injured her health by her labors in burning off the brush that she never recovered. After five years there they returned to Brush Valley and occupied the Francis Gramly homestead, about two miles from Rebersburg, and, later, Philip Gramly purchased the place, and while cultivating it carried on also a blacksmith shop and sawmill. In his day axes and other edge tools had to be made by smiths, and he became an expert in that line. He was an industrious man, and gave his entire attention to his own affairs, taking no interest in politics farther than to vote the Democratic ticket regularly. He gave liberally to religious movements, however, and was a prominent member of the Lutheran Church. His success in his varied enterprises enabled him to accumulate a handsome competence, and he left a large estate at his death, which occurred September 14, 1869. His first wife (our subject's mother) died in February, 1845, and the remains of both now rest at Rebersburg. His second wife was Miss Phoebe Dubs, of New Berlin, Union county. There were eight children by the first union: Regina, who died at the age of sixteen; Catherine (Mrs. Henry Wolfe), who died at Wolfs Store, in Brush Valley; Samuel, our subject; Susannah, now Mrs. John K. Hosterman, of Brush Valley; Reuben, a resident of Rebersburg; Mary A., now Mrs. Reuben Kreamer, of Rebersburg; and Daniel Franklin and Francis Simon (twins), who died at the age of four years and thirteen years, respectively. By the second marriage there was one daughter, Barbara J., now Mrs. J. H. Chatam, of Wayne township, Clinton county. Samuel Gramly's birth occurred March 4, 1827, and until he attained his majority his time was mainly spent in clearing land, that work being deemed of prime importance and schooling a secondary matter. He attended the local school for a few months one winter before he was ten years old, and learned rapidly, but his desire to continue was not often gratified later. He delighted in mathematics, solving examples which none of his schoolmates could understand. He excelled in penmanship also, and even now his writing is beautifully done. The changes which have brought educational privileges within reach of all in the present day meet with Mr. Gramly's entire approval, and he has done all in his power to further them. In the summer of 1848 he taught a subscription school, and then attended Mifflinburg Academy for eighteen weeks, preparing for better work in his chosen profession. His next school was in his home district, where many of his former mates were pupils. The first blackboard ever placed in a school in Miles township, Centre county, was secured through his efforts for the benefit of his scholars. In the spring of 1849 Mr. Gramly spent another term of ten weeks at the academy in Mifflinburg, and during the winter term of 1849-50 he taught in the home school. From 370 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. this time on he taught regularly till the spring of 1861, when he removed to a farm of his father's, and while cultivating that in summer continued his former work in winter till the spring of 1870. In the meantime he mastered surveying by private study, and when competent found plenty of work to do in that line. He bought the farm upon which he lived, and in 1875 purchased another home with a small piece of land in Rockville, Centre county, where he resided until 1892, when he removed to his present home in Rebersburg. He still owns the two properties near that town, and is accounted one of the substantial men of the locality. For twenty-five years he has represented the Centre Hall Mutual Insurance Co. at that place. On August 7, 1849, Mr. Gramly was married in Aaronsburg, to Miss Sarah J. Smull, a native of Miles township, Centre county, born March 15, 1832, and a daughter of Henry Smull. Seven children were born of this union, namely: Isabella and Tiras J. died in infancy; Prof. Cephas L. is mentioned elsewhere; Titus M. is in the creamery business at Spring Mills; Naomi J. married Charles Heckman, of Clinton county; Clement H. is a farmer at the old homestead in Miles township, Centre county; Ada E. married William T. Hubler, and resides at the old homestead. Mr. Gramly has spent money liberally to educate his children, who have shown their appreciation by making good use of their opportunities. The mother of this family died May 14, 1880, and was buried at Rebersburg. Mr. Gramly has since married a second wife, Mrs. Catherine A. Ocker, daughter of Daniel Spangler, of Union county, and widow of the late William Ocker, of Snyder county. In his political views Mr. Gramly is a pronounced Republican, although he was a Democrat until Lincoln's first term. In 1870 he was chosen county commissioner of Centre county, and served nearly three years; in 1869 he was elected justice of the peace, which office he has held for fifteen years, despite the fact that his township is the most strongly Democratic of any in the county. Early in life he united with the Lutheran Church, for forty years was secretary of the society, and at present he is an elder. He has always been active in the Sunday- school, in which he held the office of superintendent thirty-four years.