BIO: Hon. George A. KNARR, 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 567 - 569. _____________________________________________________________ HON. GEORGE A. KNARR, who is engaged in a general mercantile business at Troutville, Pa., and is serving in the highest borough office, being chief burgess, is one of the leading men of this section and is a worthy representative of one of the old pioneer families of Clearfield county. He was born March 15, 1869, at Troutville, and is a son of George L. and Elizabeth (Zolliox) Knarr. The founder of the Knarr family in Clearfield county was George Knoerr, according to the German orthography, and he was born in Bavaria, Germany, and in 1831 came to America, accompanied by his family. He took up 200 acre of government land in Brady township, between Troutville and Luthersburg, and continued to live there until the close of his life, dying at the advanced age of ninety-two years. His wife, Louisa, died before him. They had six children: Henry, Andrew, George, Adam (all long since deceased); Charlotte, who was the wife of Christian Haag (both deceased); and Caroline, who resides at DuBois, Pa., and is the widow of Andrew Weaver. Henry Knarr, the grandfather of George A., was eighteen years of age when the family reached Clearfield county. He bought 100 acres of land near Luthersburg, for three dollars an acre, and to this first purchase later added more land and continued to live there during the rest of his life, his death occurring in 1886, when he was aged seventy-three years. In 1843 he married Catherine Marshall, who was also born in Germany, and she died at Troutville in 1898, at the age of seventy-two years. To Henry and Catherine Knarr seventeen children were born, their names being recorded as follows: George L., Caroline, Simon, David, Loraina, Henry S., Reuben, William, Fred, Adam, Mary, Samuel A., Ferdinand, Catherine, Louise, and two who died in infancy. George L. Knarr was born on the old Knarr homestead, May 25, 1846, and was reared there and helped to clear off a large part of the brush and timber, but later learned the shoemaking trade, which he followed at Grampian and later at Troutville. He built up a large shoe business after factories commenced to turn out shoes in such numbers that hand-made shoes were not in such great demand, and gradually added other goods to his stock until he found himself a general merchant and doing well. He conducted this business from 1876 until shortly before his death, December 31, 1910, and was always known as a man of business honor and the strictest personal integrity. He was a Democrat and loyally supported his party's candidates, and was active in the fraternal order of Knights of Pythias. With his wife he belonged to the Lutheran church. George L. Knarr was married first in 1867 to Elizabeth Zilliox, who was born in Brady township and died here leaving three children; George Adam; Mary Emma, who is the wife of J. E. Rishel; and Sarah Annie, who died at the age of two months, August 22, 1874. The mother of these children died June 27, 1874, aged 24 years, 6 months and 24 days. The second marriage of George L. Knarr was to Annis B. Johnson, who survives him. George Adam Knarr attended school at Troutville until his father considered him old enough to be entrusted with duties in the store and he helped his father as a clerk until he was seventeen years old, when he began to carry the mail between Troutville and Luthersburg, this being prior to the construction of the B. R. & P. line from DuBois to Punxsutawney. He is still carrying mail, his route now being from Troutville to Skyesville, and his present term will expire in July, 1913. He has been otherwise interested, for twelve years being secretary of the Troutville branch of the German National Building and Loan Association, of Pittsburg, and for five years secretary of this branch for the Jamestown Building and Loan Association. He is a stockholder in the Citizens' Building and Loan Association at DuBois, and has been interested there since 1889. Mr. Knarr is also a stockholder in the Deposit National Bank at DuBois. In December, 1893, Mr. Knarr was married to Miss Florence Margaret Weber, a daughter of J. F. Weber, of Skyesville, and they have one son, Carroll B., who was born July 19, 1896. Shortly before the death of his father, Mr. Knarr succeeded to the mercantile business he had founded and the son also bought the homestead farm of eighty- seven acres, which is situated near Troutville. He has been a very active citizen and enjoys the confidence of his fellow citizens to such a degree that they have frequently sought him to accept public office. For several years he has served as tax collector and in 1910 was made burgess of Troutville borough, and has administered public affairs with the same careful attention that he has ever devoted to his own. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias at Troutville, and is a past grand of Mingle Lodge No. 753, I. O. O. F., same place. In politics he is a stanch Democrat.