Clearfield County PA Archives - Photos: BONSAL, Amos and his wife Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Ellis Michaels, , Oct 2008 Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/ ________________________________________________ http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/photos/bonsal-amos-wife.txt Photo may be viewed at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/clearfield/photos/bonsal-amos-wife.jpg Bonsal, Amos and his wife, leading citizens of Clearfield County photo scanned from Roland D. Swoopes "Twentieth Century History of Clearfield County, PA and Representative Citizens", published 1911, page 510 AMOS BONSALL, a retired farmer, residing in Brady township, Clearfield county, Pa., on his valuable farm of 161 acres, near Troutville, is one of the most venerable residents of this section and one of the most highly esteemed. He has spent almost his entire life in Brady township but was born in Perry county, Pa., August 31, 1822, and was brought here when two years, two months and sixteen days old. His parents were Benjamin and Maria (Fowler) Bonsall. Benjamin Bonsall was a tanner in his early manhood, in Perry county, where he also cleared up considerable land and engaged in farming. In 1824 he brought his family to Clearfield county and bought a farm in Brady township, near Luthersburg, where he spent the remainder of his life. Benjamin Bonsall and his wife and youngest son Reuben died within six weeks. They were the parents of eleven children, as follows: Rebecca, John, Jackson, Sarah, Amos, Jane, Emily, Joseph, Anna Maria, Reuben and Louisa, the last named being the wife of Adam Foust of DuBois. She and her brother Amos are the only survivors of this large family. Amos Bonsall had but meager school advantages in his youth. The family was a growing one and there was a great deal of necessary work to be done on the farm and very early Mr. Bonsall and his older brothers, John and Jackson, were able to be of great assistance to their father. Farming in the summer time and lumbering in the winter seasons in large degree filled up the measure of Mr. Bonsall's time prior to his marriage, after which he left the homestead and bought a farm of fifty-two acres at Coal Hill. After clearing one-half of that land he sold it and bought the farm on which he stills resides, it having previously been the property of his father-in-law, Jacob Kuntz. Mr. Bonsall paid $1,500 for the 161 acres, which was then underlaid with coal which he subsequently sold for $87.50 per acre. He also realized a large sum from the sale of timber. In 1857 he built his comfortable farm-house. Recently he has disposed of his interests to his son Jackson Bonsall, with whom he now resides. On January 25, 1849, Mr. Bonsall was married to Miss Cahterine Kuntz, who was born in Germany and came to America with her parents in childhood. She lived to be eighty years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Bonsall had ten children: three died in infancy; the others were: Jacob L., Susanna (deceased), Sarah (deceased); Mary, wife of Jonas Peifer; Vina, wife of George H. Weber, and Jackson. Mr. Bonsall has a number of grandchildren and even great-grandchildren and takes much pleasure in viewing such a vigorous lot of descendants. For many years Mr. Bonsall has not taken much interest in public matters although he never fails to cast his vote for the candidates of the Democratic party. In earlier years, however, he was considered one of the reliable men when it came to appointments to office and it is related that in 1848, against his own wishes, he was made constable of Brady township and while serving in that capacity it became his duty to take Lorrin Solliman to Clearfield, on a charge of murder. It created a great excitement, as that was the first murder case ever tried in the county. Mr. Bonsall is a valued member of the Lutheran church.