BIO: John Wharton REITER, 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 830 & 831. _____________________________________________________________ JOHN WHARTON REITER, a well known and influential citizen of Karthaus township, who has resided on his present valuable property for more than forty years, and is now serving as president of the school board, was born in Covington township, Clearfield county, Pa., September 29, 1844, son of John and Amelia (Buck) Reiter. John Reiter, the grandfather of John W. Reiter, was a native of Germany, who came to the United States at an early day and settled in Montgomery county, Pa. Later he purchased the old Reiter homestead place in Covington township, and there he resided until his death, his life being spent in agricultural pursuits. He was buried at Keewaydin cemetery. Mr. Reiter and his wife had the following children: Michael, deceased, who at the time of his death was living at the Reidges, near Milesburg, Pa.; Catherine, deceased, who was the wife of F. W. Schnars of Keewaydin; Betsy, deceased, who was the wife of Joseph Vothers, of Oak Hill, Karthaus township; and John. The family have always been members of the Lutheran church. John Reiter, son of John and father of John W. Reiter, was born in Montgomery county, Pa., and was fourteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to Clearfield county, the journey being made up-stream from Harrisburg in a flat- bottom boat. The family first located at Karthaus, where young John drove a team for old Peter Karthaus for a time, and later bought the twenty acres of land from his father in Covington township. He next purchased 124 acres of land on the opposite side of the road, and in addition to farming and lumbering to some extent, kept a public inn, which, although not a licensed place, often entertained as high as 100 guests and fed from fifteen to twenty head of horses a night, the inn being located on a road that was extensively used by raftsmen and teams going through to St. Mary's, Elk county. Mr. Reiter was a Republican, and held various township offices. He died at the age of seventy-five years, and was buried at Keewaydin, where his widow, who survived him for some time, was also laid to rest. Mr. Reiter was married to Amelia Buck, who was born in Bradford township, Clearfield county, daughter of Henry Buck, a native of Germany and an early settler of Bradford township, and to this union there were born the following children: Henry, deceased, who lived on the property adjoining the home farm; Lavina, deceased, who was the wife of George Emerick of Karthaus township; Sarah, deceased, who married William Hoffer; Reuben L., deceased, who was a resident of Keewaydin; Rosaline, who lives at Punxsutawney, Jefferson county; John Wharton; Anna, deceased, who was the wife of Christian M. Hertlein of Karthaus township; Mary, who was the wife of Elisha Evans of Oak Hill; and Ella, deceased, who was the wife of Edward Schars of Covington township. John Wharton Reiter attended the school near the old home place and as a young man engaged in farming and lumbering. In June, 1871, he came to Karthaus township and settled in the woods, on a tract of five acres which he had purchased. He made a clearing, erected a dwelling and started in to improve his property, adding to it from time to time until he now has one of the excellent farms of Karthaus township. He also owns some of his father's farm, in addition to some property in Karthaus, and he engages in the coal business to some extent, producing the commodity on his own property. On May 14, 1871, Mr. Reiter was married to Miss Mary C. Maurer, who was born in Covington township, daughter of Jacob and Lydia (Rigley) Maurer, who came to Clearfield county from Mifflin county. To Mr. and Mrs. Reiter there have been born nine children: Harry, living in Karthaus township, who married Clara Heichel and has three children, Clare, Clifford and DeLee; Fred, also living in Karthaus township, who married Emma Brown and has two children, Ruth and Helen; Cameron, living in Tyrone, who married Iva Conaway and has three children, Lauriel, Vida and Burton Taft; Paul, who is living at home; Alma, who is a graduate of Punxsutawney Hospital and is now located at Cleveland, Ohio; Boyd, Frank and Muriel, who are all living at home; and Augusta, who died when three years of age. Mr. Reiter has served for a number of years as a member of the school board and he is now acting as president of that body.