Biographical Sketch of Harry D. FUNK (1893); Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by John Morris . *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: Printing this file within by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Source: "Biographical and Portrait Cyclopedia of Chester County, Pennsyl- vania, comprising a historical sketch of the county", by Samuel T. Wiley and edited by Winfield Scott Garner, Gresham Publishing Company, Phila- delphia, PA, 1893, pp. 558-9. "HARRY D. FUNK, one of East Pikeland township's representative farmers, is a son of John and Elizabeth (Detwiler) Funk, and was born in East Vincent township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, May 14, 1859. He grew to manhood on his father's farm, where as a boy he was noted for his skill in breaking and training unmanageable horses. He received a good common school educa- tion, and since leaving school has been continuously engaged in farming in East Vincent and East Pikeland townships. In 1889 he purchased his present farm in Eats Pikeland township, where he has resided ever since. He is a careful and successful farmer, and conducts all of his agricultural opera- tions scientifically and by systematized methods. His farm of one hundred and three acres is well improved and very productive. Mr. Funk also oper- ates a dairy. He has achieved success by his own original and independent business methods, and is now situated to enjoy the fruits of his past labors while yet in the very prime of life. He is a republican in poli- tics. "On December 19, 1879, Mr. Funk married H. Kate Latchaw, and their union has been blessed with five children, three sons and two daughters: Sallie E., Elsie, Horace, John and Clarence. Mrs. Funk is a granddaughter of Jacob Latchaw, a native of East Pikeland township, where he was a farmer. Jacob Latchaw married and reared a family of seven children: Daniel, David, John, Elizabeth Bechtel, Mary Ebert, Catharine Buckwalter and Anna Stauffer. Rev. John Latchaw, the father of Mrs. Funk, was born in East Pikeland town- ship, and is now an active minister of the Mennonite church. He was largely instrumental in the establishment of Spring City, and did much to build it up during its growth as a village and before it developed into a town. He is a republican in politics, and married Sarah Stauffer, and has had ten children: William F., Mary S., wife of Davis K. Loomis, exprotho- notary of Chester county; Harriet S., married Joseph I. Mowry, who is in the coal and feed business at Spring City; H. Kate Funk, wife of the sub- ject of this sketch; Henry S.; Ella E., now dead; Sallie, wife of Evan J. Yeager, a member of the stove manufacturing firm of Yeager & Hunter, of Spring City; John E.; Hosea E.; and Harvey J. "Harry D. Funk is a grandson of Jacob Funk, who was born and lived during the early part of his life on Stony run, in East Vincent township. He was a wheelwright by trade, and after working at various places purchased a farm of one hundred and ten acres in his native township. There he lived until his death in 1885 at eighty-seven years of age. He married Anna Heistand, and had a family of six children: David, Elizabeth Culp, John, Anna Mowry, Sarah Frances Wissimer, and Henry. John Funk (father) was born in 1824, in East Vincent township, where he always lived the life of a farmer until his retirement two years previous to his death, which occurred June 12, 1890, at the age of sixty-six years. He died from heart failure. John Funk was a republican, and a member of East Vincent Mennon- ite church. His widow, Elizabeth Funk, is a daughter of Henry and Kate (Latchaw) Detwiler. To John and Elizabeth Funk were born seven children, three sons and four daughters: Elizabeth, Catherine Buckwalter, Anna, Harry D. (subject), Susie, Jacob and David. Of these children, Elizabeth and Susie died in childhood."