BIO: John C. STOVER, Centre County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JRB Copyright 2006. 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. _________________________________________________________________________ 150 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. JOHN C. STOVER, of Aaronsburg, Centre county, is one of the representative citizens of the county, and his influence is recognized as a helpful factor in all the varied movements which promote the welfare of his locality. His family has been prominent in Penn's Valley from the earliest times, and is probably more numerous at the present day than any other in Centre county. The first to come to that beautiful and fertile region was Jacob Stover, Sr., our subject's great-great-grandfather, a Huguenot, who was born, about 1715, in Alsace-Lorraine, then a part of France, and came to America with many other persecuted followers of his faith to settle in Lyken's Valley, Dauphin Co., Penn. About 1772 he visited Penn's Valley, and entered a large tract of land in what is now Haines township, Centre county, extending from mountain to mountain. He never resided there but, being well advanced in years, gave the estate to three of his sons, Jacob, Jr., our subject's great-grandfather, taking the northern portion, Adam the southern, and John the central. Another son of this worthy pioneer went to Canada, another, Michael, to Maryland, and (later) another, Fred, located in the eastern part of what is now Haines township, near Woodward. The four who settled in Centre county are the ancestors of this prosperous and highly respected family who have always displayed the characteristic thrift, industry, independence and uprightness of their forefathers, together with a love of nature which has led them to choose almost invariably the calling of agriculture. No member of the family has ever taken a conspicuous part in politics. During the Revolutionary war several battles were fought in Penn's Valley, and traces of a stockade, which was built on the farm of Adam Stover, were still visible a few years ago. On July 3, 1778, occurred the massacre of Wyoming, in which old men, women and children were brutally slaughtered, and the news of this horrible butchering caused a stampede among the settlers on what was then the "frontier," and all fled "down country" for protection, the event being known as the "the big runaway." When the dwellers of Penn's Valley returned to their former homes they found the property in ruins, the only evidence of their occupancy to escape the flames lit by the savages being an apple tree planted some years before at the homestead of Jacob Stover, Jr. This interesting reminder of early days is still standing. In time the settlement was rebuilt, and in 1789 Jacob Stover, Jr., donated seven acres of land for a school site and for the use of the teacher, and thirty acres for a church, parsonage and cemetery. Most of this land is still devoted to these purposes, and the more modern buildings which have taken the place of the original structures are used partly for a school and partly as a chapel for holding funeral services. In the cemetery but few have COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 151 been interred except the members of the Stover family, and prominent among these are Jacob Stover, Jr.. and his wife, Anne M. Weaver, the great- grandparents of our subject. Jacob Stover, who. was born in 1749 and died in 18--, seems to have been very influential in his day. Of the other three brothers, Fred married Anne Hetzle, and Adam married Pauline Troutner. Jacob Stover, Jr., had two sons of whom there is especial record. John, Jr., passed his life quietly as a farmer at the old homestead, two and a half miles east of Aaronsburg, and is noted as having been the only Whig in the family, all the others having been stanch Democrats. He married Barbara Wolf, and has seven children: (1) George died in Aaronsburg. (2) Eve married George Bright, Sr., of Aaronsburg, and J. W. Bright, whose biography appears elsewhere, is their grandson. (3) John married Miss Catherine Brown, and lived on a farm two miles east of Aaronsburg. (4) Henry married Miss Gredle Guiswite, and made his home on a farm north of the same town. (5) Catherine married Adam Harper, a farmer who lived three miles east of Aaronsburg. (6) Thomas, with his wife, Abilene France, occupied the old homestead. (7) Jacob W. married Catherine Yeagley, and resided two miles and a half northeast of Aaronsburg. His son Moses is now a resident of Haines township. All of this family attended the Stover school in youth, and all were Lutherans in religious faith. Adam Stover, son of Jacob, Jr., and the grandfather of our subject, reared a large family of children, among whom were Michael, now residing in Haines township, and Jacob, our subject's father, who married Polly Kersteter, and after spending some years at the old homestead with his parents moved to another farm in the same township. His wife died at the age of seventy- four, and was buried in St. Paul's cemetery, but he lived to be over eighty years of age before his remains were laid to rest beside hers. He was six feet, two inches tall, stout in proportion, and was active until a short time before his death. Like the rest of the family, he was a successful farmer, and although he voted the Democratic ticket regularly, he was not especially interested in politics. He was a member of the Reformed Church, to which he contributed liberally. Of his twelve children, nine are still living. Elizabeth, widow of David Corman, and Christina, widow of Jacob Bowers, reside in Haines township, Centre county. Harriet died in early womanhood. Benjamin is a resident of Haines township. John C. is mentioned more fully below. William K. is a farmer of Haines township. Julia was taken away in early womanhood. Sally married Jacob Detwiler, of Tusseyville, Penn. Nellie married Charles Smith, of Haines township. Leonard died in childhood. Lydia married Moses Eby, of Haines township. Susan L. (now Mrs. William Musser) resides in the same locality. J. C. Stover was born July 18, 1834, and was educated in the schools near his father's farm, his first teacher being Hon. J. G. Meyer. Farm work was done by primitive methods in his boyhood, and he has spent day and day in "trampping out" wheat. At nineteen he began to learn the blacksmith's trade with Jacob Condo, of Boalsburg, and for two years' work received $50. After completing his apprenticeship he returned home, assisted his father during one summer, and then spent a year as a journeyman blacksmith with "Squire " Hosterman, of Haines township. On November 5, 1857, Mr. Stover married Miss Amelia Hosterman, a daughter of John and Polly (Bower) Hosterman. She was born August 9, 1834, in Haines township, and was educated there, her first teacher being Mercy Hill. At the time of his marriage, Mr. Stover had no capital, save his native abilities, supported by a strong will; but he fearlessly faced his responsibilities, and has prospered as he deserved. In the spring of 1858 he bought a blacksmith shop and residence at Aaronsburg from John Guiswite at a cost of $1,100, borrowing money for the first payment, and there he carried on his trade until March, 1871, when he sold out to settle upon a farm in Haines township. For two years after his removal he followed his trade at the farm, but later devoted his attention exclusively to agriculture. In March, 1890, he rented the property and moved to Aaronsburg. His farm consists of seventy-four acres, and he also owns several acres of land adjoining Aaronsburg. Mr. Stover and his wife have been members of the Reformed Church for more than forty-five years. For fifteen years he held the office of elder, and at present he is a trustee. He has a neat residence in Aaronsburg, and he and Mrs. Stover are socially prominent. They have had seven children: (1) Clara V., formerly a successful teacher, married John A. Grenoble, of Spring Mills, and has five children - Charley E., Margaret A., William, Roberd R. and Anna M. (2) Tamma C. died in childhood. (3) Mary L. (now Mrs. E. E. Ardery, of Bellefonte) has two children - Lela A. and Verna A. (4) Annie R. (Mrs. Franklin Guiswite, of Woodward) has two children - Fred S. and Mary A. (5,) Katy I. married George Weaver, of Haines township, Centre county. (6) Cora E. is at home. (7) 152 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. Clymer H., a merchant and tinsmith of Aaronsburg, married Miss Anna C. March, and has two children - Mary Jane A. and John L. Politically, our subject has always been a Democrat, and while he has never been especially desirous of public office he has served ably as school director and supervisor.