BIO: Henry J. DIEM, Clearfield County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja & Sally Copyright 2005. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/1picts/swoope/swoope.htm _____________________________________________________________ From Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and Representative Citizens, by Roland D. Swoope, Jr., Chicago: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Company, 1911, pages 735 & 736. _____________________________________________________________ HENRY J. DIEM, farmer and ex-county commissioner, is one of the representative men of Bell Township, where his farm and lumber interests have been important for many years. He was born May 7, 1856, in Brady Township, Clearfield County, and is a son of Henry and Louisa (Stegner) Diem. Henry Diem was born January 15, 1815, in Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany. In 1846, with his own family and two older sisters, he came to Pennsylvania and located on wild land in Brady Township, Clearfield County. He cleared and developed his land and resided on the same until 1878, when he moved to the farm his son Henry J. Diem had purchased, in Bell Township, where his death occurred July 24, 1885. In every relation of life he was an honest, upright and worthy man. In Germany he married Louisa Stegner, who was born September 22, 1813, and died March 28, 1875. Of their seven children there are three survivors: Henry J.; Louisa, who is the wife of J. M. Le Barr, a machinist, residing at Clearfield; and David D., who is a farmer residing in Bell Township. Henry J. Diem had but indifferent school advantages but he made the most of his opportunities and is a well informed man of excellent judgment, and has served acceptably in numerous important public offices, including those of township assessor, auditor, school director and supervisor and in 1900 was elected county commissioner. He is the only ex-county official residing in this section. In politics he is a Democrat. In his youth, until he was eighteen years of age, he worked for his father assisting him in the clearing of the farm, and when about twenty-one years old he purchased his present farm and subsequently cleared it. He has a valuable and well improved property. More or less he has devoted his entire mature life to farming and lumbering. Mr. Diem was married on October 9, 1879, to Miss Keturah M. Long, who was born January 29, 1863, in Pike Township, Clearfield County, Pa., a daughter of Philip A. and Elizabeth C. (Owens) Long. The father of Mrs. Diem came to Clearfield County with his parents when five years old and was reared at Pine Grove. His death occurred in 1907, at the age of seventy-two years. He married Elizabeth C. Owens, a daughter of John and Margery (Caldwell) Owens. Mrs. Long died January 27, 1875. Mrs. Diem has two sisters: Nevada F., who is the wife of William A. Miller, of Glen Richey, Pa., and Sarah Alice, who is the wife of A. Snaars, of DuBois, Pa. Mr. and Mrs. Diem have had five children born to them, namely: Stella, who was born July 23, 1880, resides at home; Newton L., who was born January 18, 1882, is now manager of the West Branch Store at Barnesboro, Pa., married Cornie E. Haag, and they have one son, Albert E.; Vada A., who was born August 12, 1883, married J. L. Fryer, residing at Jersey Shore, Pa., and they have two children - Alvin L. and Alfred D.; Nona S., who was born February 11, 1886, is a widow and lives at Jersey Shore and has a son, Theodore M.; and Harry M., who was born July 15, 1894, who resides at home. Mrs. Diem is a member of the Evangelical church and is interested in mission work, being a member of the Ladies Aid Society. Both Mr. and Mrs. Diem are members of the Grange, and he belongs also to Minkel Lodge, No. 753, Odd Fellows, at Troutville.