BIO: Henry Clay HOLTER, 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. _____________________________________________________________________ HENRY CLAY HOLTER, a veteran of the Civil war, and a prominent resident of Howard borough, Centre county, is a descendant of three well-known pioneer families. On the paternal side, his grandfather, Jacob Holter, Sr., who was born in Maryland in 1776, came to Centre county in 1800, and opened a blacksmith shop in Howard township, where he later engaged in farming. He died at the age of eighty-six years. His first wife, who was a Miss Miller, died leaving two children, and he afterward married Miss Catherine Neff, a native of the Bald Eagle Valley, who died at the age of eighty-five years. By this last union there were eleven children, among whom was a son, Jacob, Jr., the father of our subject, who was born January 19, 1819, and lived in Howard township until recent years, having now retired to Liberty township, in the same county. In his more active days he was a successful agriculturist, and also took an influential part in local affairs and in the Republican party, serving as school director, overseer of the poor and supervisor. He married Miss Catherine Pletcher, a native of Howard township, and a daughter of Henry and Magdalena (Schenck) Pletcher, who were born, reared and married in Lancaster county, Penn., but located in 1796 upon a farm in Howard township and made their permanent home. Mrs. Catherine Holter died at the old homestead September 9, 1889, aged seventy-four years, six months and eighteen days. She was a devout Christian, and for forty- nine years had been a member of the Mennonite Church, to which her husband has belonged for about fifty years. To Jacob Holter, Jr., and his wife, Catherine (Pletcher), were born children as follows: (1) Joseph L., a resident of Howard, married Martha Kaup, and has one child - Anna J. (2) Henry C. is our subject; (3) Michael P., a carpenter at Howard, married Susan B. Schenck, and seven children were born to them - Minnie M., Lydia J. (Mrs. Pletcher), Charles E., Albert L., James A., Samuel B., and Herbert J., who died September 28, 1895. (4) John B., a stone mason and plasterer, of Howard, married Carrie B. Smith (no children). (5) Magdalena died in 1852. (6) Catherine M. married Isaac Williams, a barber at Eagleville, Penn., and has had eight children - Harry G., Shuman S., Eliza C., Henry S., Dela, Frankie, Laura and John J. (7) Nancy J. married Albert Schenck, a farmer of Liberty township, Centre county, and had seven children, all yet living - Carrie, May (Mrs. Coder; she has two children - Albert and Reynold), Elsie, Wilber, Catherine, Irvine and Viola; Mrs. Nancy J. Schenck died March 11, 1893. (8) Christian died in infancy. (9) Jacob S., a plasterer at Howard, married Mary E. Miller, and has one child - Sherman M. (10) Mary A. married Bower Schenck, a farmer of Liberty township, and they have three children - Charles, Morris and Lydia. (11) Susan E. married J. Z. Loder, of Howard, and they also have three children - Joseph M., Mary B. and Mabel E. The subject of our sketch was born September 21, 1843, and remained at the old home in 316 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Howard township, Centre county, until he was about nineteen years of age, assisting in the farm work and attending the neighboring schools. He displayed decided mechanical ability, and making choice of the carpenter's trade began an apprenticeship in 1862. The "dark days" of the Rebellion were drawing on, and every loyal man felt the prompting within to aid as he could in the preservation of the Union. Young as he was, Mr. Holter left the carpenter's bench after six months of his apprenticeship had passed, and went to the front as a member of Company D, 45th P. V. I., under Capt. Austin Curtin. He continued in the service until the army was disbanded, and received but one wound, and that a slight one, although he saw much severe fighting, especially in the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Bethesda Church, Cold Harbor, North Anna, the long struggle before Petersburg and the final combat with Lee's forces. He was mustered out July 17, 1865, but he has since been for some time a member of the 46th Regiment Pennsylvania Militia. In 1876 he joined Centre County Veteran Club. On his return from the war Mr. Holter resumed his work as an apprentice, and completed his preparation for his trade, which he has since followed successfully, six sawmills being among his list of large buildings constructed. In 1876 he added undertaking; and in this branch of work he formed a partnership in 1892 with J. H. Schenck. Mr. Holter is highly esteemed in business circles, but his popularity does not end there by any means. To mention the various offices which he has held would be to enumerate all the important places on the local ticket. He has been school director nine years; town councilman six years; overseer of the door [poor] two years; chief burgess one term; assessor one year; county collector two years; supervisor one year; and for three years was secretary of the school board. He is a prominent member of the Grand Army Post, No. 262, at Howard, and served five years as commander and three as adjutant. He also held the leading offices in the Patriotic Order Sons of America before their disbandment. While he is not identified with any Church, he gives generous support to all religious and philanthropic enterprises. On June 30, 1868, Mr. Holter married Miss Mary E. Hall, who was born June 30, 1849, the daughter of Robert and Mary (Armegast) Hall, natives and lifelong residents of Union township, Centre county. Mr. and Mrs. Holter have a bright, clever family of children. The eldest, Daniel W., born April 26, 1869, is at home; Frank E., born February 11, 1872, died May 5,1874; Nannie K., born January 16, 1874, married Lot Thompson, of Liberty township, Centre county, and their children were - Annie M., born June 2, 1895, died November 23, 1895; George C., born June 21, 1896; and Clarence Cameron, born December 1, 1897; Lizzie M., born August 1, 1875, is a successful school teacher, and resides with her parents; John S., born March 7, 1877, is an intelligent young man with fine literary taste, and is now employed as clerk in the "Syracuse Hotel" at Howard; Robert B., born January 19, 1879, is at home; Ella L., born May 23, 1881, died March 13, 1897 (She was a member of the M. E. Church and Epworth League); Mary A., born June 18, 1883, is at home; Jacob L., born April 12, 1885, died December 26, 1888; David A., born February 19, 1887, Philip C., born January 28, 1889, Simon C. B., born September 4, 1892, and Henry W., born July 26, 1894, are at home.