BIO: George REIBER, 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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  GEORGE REIBER is prominently identified with the agricultural 
interests of Potter township, Centre county. He has achieved success by 
his own unaided exertions, and is, in fact, a self-made man, starting 
out in life with nothing but youth in his favor, and his endowments of 
fine health, a vigorous muscle and a clear, cool brain. After all, a 
man possessing these need fear nothing; with a determination to 
succeed, success is his almost from the start, although it may be that 
years of patient waiting and hard toil are necessary before his 
endeavors are crowned with the full measure of success.
  At Sinking Springs, Berks Co., Penn., Mr. Reiber was born February 
15, 1830, a son of 

460  COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.  

Jacob and Mary (Flisher) Reiber, who, with their four children, came to 
Centre county, in 1836, locating near Tusseyville. They drove the 
entire distance from Butler, Penn., whither they had removed from Berks 
county; but being dissatisfied with the locality, they came to Centre 
county, where the father first rented land and worked at his trade of 
blacksmithing. Later he bought a farm of Potter Brothers, with whom he 
had deposited $1,000, which amount was applied on his place just before 
the failure of that well-known firm. There he continued to reside until 
his death, which occurred when he was over sixty years old. His wife 
was about the same age when she, too, was called to her final rest, and 
they now sleep side by side in the Tusseyville cemetery. They were 
earnest and consistent members of the Lutheran Church, in which the 
father had held office, and in politics he was a Democrat. Their family 
consisted of four children: Elizabeth, now Mrs. Adam Stemm, of Berrien 
county, Mich.; George; John, a tinner of St. Jo., Mich.; and William, a 
retired physician of Berrien Springs, in the same State.
  Until the free schools were established the educational privileges of 
our subject were limited, but in the common schools he obtained a fair 
literary training, his first teacher being James Powley. At the age of 
thirteen, however, he laid aside his text books and learned the 
blacksmith's trade in his father's shop, where he continued to work 
until the age of twenty-four years. He was then married in Potter 
township to Miss Esther Mayer, a native of that township, and a 
daughter of Jacob and Julia A. (Trion) Mayer. By trade her father was a 
tanner, and for many years followed that business near Colyer. Mr. and 
Mrs. Reiber have a son, William, born in Potter township, December 25, 
1854. He was educated in the district schools, and has always remained 
at home. Being very handy with all sorts of tools, he does all kinds of 
repairing of watches, clocks and jewelry, and in 1896 he built an 
excellent home and workshop near Colyer. In 1879 he was married in 
Potter township, to Miss Mary E., daughter of Conrad Decker, and they 
have three children - William A., Clara and Blanche - all at home.
  After his marriage, Mr. Reiber, the subject of this sketch, rented a 
house near his father-in-law's tannery, where he worked for some time, 
and later owned an interest in the business, which he continued to 
follow for about sixteen years, when he sold out to Mr. Mayer. In 1874 
he bought from the Peter McMinn estate his present farm of 112 acres, 
at $60 per acre, but the buildings were all poor, and those now 
standing on the place have been erected by our subject. His first real 
estate consisted of a half interest in the Red Mill property in Potter 
township. In 1894 he also purchased the old Slack homestead of 100 
acres.
  In politics, Mr. Reiber is a strong Democrat, which party his son 
also supports. In religious belief he is a Lutheran, has been a liberal 
contributor to the Church, and has served as deacon, and in other 
official positions. By hard work and unrelenting toil he has 
accumulated a very comfortable competence, and his success is all the 
more creditable, knowing that he has been handicapped by the lack of 
good education. His reputation for integrity, fair and honorable 
dealing and justice in all things has gained him the confidence and 
good will of all who know him. His faithful wife died in January, 1887, 
and was laid to rest in the Tusseyville cemetery.