BIO: Christian B. HAAG, 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 357-359. _____________________________________________________________ CHRISTIAN B. HAAG, a lifelong resident of Clearfield County, Pa., who is a representative citizen of Troutville, where he has been in the undertaking business since 1878, also devotes some attention to farming in Brady Township. He was born on the family homestead in Brady Township, September 17, 1853, and is a son of Christian and Catherine (Weise) Haag. Christian Haag was the eldest of five children born to his parents, the other four being: Elizabeth, who was the wife of Jacob Dunmeyer (both deceased); Mary, who is the widow of Moses Ireily; Philip, who lives at Punxatawney, Pa., whose twin brother, Henry, is deceased. His family live in Akron, O. Christian Haag, father of Christian B., was born in Germany, in 1823, and was nine years old when the family set sail for America, a country he almost failed to reach, as on one occasion, he fell from the deck of the vessel and but for the quick action of a sailor, would speedily have been drowned in the Atlantic Ocean. He lived to become a man of large estate and one of Bardy Township's most respected citizens. He grew to manhood in Jefferson County, Pa., but later bought fifty acres of land one mile south of Troutville, in Clearfield County, subsequently adding two more tracts of fifty acres each. He devoted himself exclusively to agriculture and remained interested in his crops and stock during all the rest of his active life. His death occurred in 1890, in Brady Township. He was twice married, first to Charlotte Knarr and they had three children: Mary, who is deceased, who was the wife of Henry W. Weber; and Henry and Adam. The mother of these children died in 1847. Mr. Haag was married second to Catherine Weise, who died in 1889, having been the mother of nine children, namely: Christian B., John, Catherine, Philip, Frederick, August, William, Jacob and Joseph. Catherine is the wife of William McConnell, and Frederick is deceased. Christian Haag, the father of Christian B. Haag, died in 1890. Christian B. Haag spent his boyhood on the home farm but later learned the carpenter's trade and followed the same for many years. In 1876 he moved into Troutville, where he lived ten years, afterwards residing ten years on the farm and then returning to Troutville, where he now lives and where he has a fine residence and office adjoining, having resided here for the last fifteen years. He went into the undertaking business in 1878, having received his diploma in embalming at the Pittsburg College of Embalming, where he was under the instruction of Prof. Sullivan, and where he has returned several times in order to take post graduate work. He has since been continuously engaged in this work, a period of 33 years. He is well equipped for funeral directing, having a handsome black funeral car and a team of horses that are very generally admired, being well matched blacks, with white star foreheads. He has all the appurtenances required for either an elaborate funeral, or for the quieter service that many families prefer. In September, 1876, Mr. Haag was married to Miss Sarah M. Bonsall, who died April 8, 1911. She was a daughter of Amos Bonsall, a prominent citizen of this section. A family of five children has been born to them, namely: Amos, who is manager of the railroad company's farms at Helvetia, Clearfield county, married Florence London and they have one child, Arthur; Orpha, married M. A. Zimmerman, of Troutville, Pa., and they now live in Warren, O. (they have two children - Margaret and Donald); Morris, who is a graduate of the dental department of the Baltimore Medical College, is practicing dentistry at Meriden, Conn., and married Belle Hanney; Vina, is the wife of Allen R. McHenry, of Sagamore, Pa., who is general manager for the B. & O. people of that place. Miss Huldah resides at home. Mr. Haag and family belong to the Lutheran church. In his political views he is a Democrat but he has never accepted any public office other than school director, and only that from a sense of duty. He has been a very active member of Mingle Lodge, No. 753, at Troutville, for many years and belongs also to the auxiliary society, the Rebeccas, and in 1910 he was sent as a representative to the Grand Lodge at Williamsport, which is considered a signal honor.