Columbia County PA Archives Biographies.....YOST, Alfred Nevin 1855 - living in 1899 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 7, 2005, 7:49 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. ALFRED NEVIN YOST stands foremost among the worthy men of Columnbia County as an energetic, able and upright attorney, a courteous gentleman, and a kind neighbor and friend. He was born in Fishing Creek township, Columbia County, August 23, 1855, and is a son of David and Sarah Catherine (Creveling) Yost, grandson of Samuel and Esther (Winters) Yost, great-grandson of Henry and Margaret (Rickert) Yost, and great-great-grandson of John and Molly (Krause) Yost. The father of John was a native of Germany who immigrated to America and located in Chester County, Pa., where he was engaged in the cultivation of the soil. John Yost, the great-great-grandfather of our subject, was born in Chester County and later settled in Pottstown, Montgomery County, Pa., and followed the vocation of an agriculturist all his life. He was twice wedded; his first wife was Molly Krause who bore him a family of five children, namely: Henry, Philly, Samuel, Elizabeth, and Mary; his second marriage was to Miss Seivel and the following children were born to them: John, Jacob, Catherine, Rachel, and Sarah. Henry Yost, the greatgrandfather of our subject, was one of the pioneer farmers of Roaring Creek township, Columbia County; he was also engaged in the tannery business for about seven years. Later in life he moved to Conyngham township, Luzerne County, where he carried on general farming the rest of his active days. He was joined in wedlock to Margaret Rickert and the following children blessed their home: Susan, Elizabeth, John, Solomon, Henry, Mary, and Samuel. Mr. Yost passed from this life in 1862 at the age of eighty-seven years; his wife died in 1862 aged eighty-five years. Samuel Yost, grandfather of our subject, was born in Roaring Creek township, Columbia County, June 13, 1805, and during his younger days he learned the trade of a carpenter and cabinet-maker, which trade he followed in the vicinity of Conyngham and Hazleton until 1842, when he purchased a farm in Fishing Creek township, Columbia County, Pa., and successfully carried on general farming until 1866; he then retired from active work and spent the remainder of his life quietly enjoying a well-earned competency. His demise occurred in 1894 at the age of eighty-nine years. The old homestead is now in possession of his grandsons, George, Clarence, and our subject. In December, 1826, Mr. Yost was united in marriage to Esther Winters, who passed from this life aged sixty years. She left the following children: Margaret, wife of G. M. Howell; Sarah, who married William Lunderbauch; Mary, who was twice wedded,—her first husband was Nathan Pennington, and after his death she married Nathan Dreisbach; and David, the father of our subject. Mr. Yost married for his second wife Mrs. Henrietta Hart-man. He was a very prominent man of his community and held many township offices; in religious views he was a believer in and a member of the Reformed Church and was deacon and elder of that church for many years. David Yost, the father of our subject, was born in Conyngham, Luzerne County, Pa., December 13, 1830, and was reared upon his father's farm in Fishing Creek township, and when he attained his majority carried on farming for some years. Later he bought the John Creveling farm, where he has successfully carried on agricultural pursuits to the present time. Mr. Yost always works for the betterment of the community and is held in high esteem throughout the county. In 1884 he was appointed justice of the peace to fill a vacancy and was later elected to the same office for a term of five years. He was the first superintendent of the Sabbath School of the Reformed Church of Van Camp, of which he is a member and is at present elder of the same. In 1887 he represented his church at the general synod held at Akron, Ohio. Our subject's father was united in marriage to Sarah Catherine Creveling, a daughter of John Creveling, a farmer of Columbia County. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Yost: Alfred N., born August 23, 1855; Mary Alice, born September 17, 1857, was the wife of Noah W. Hess; Clarence Wilbur, born September 9, 1859, wedded Ida De Witt and they reside on the old homestead; John C., born February 18, 1862; George D., born August 14, 1864, united in wedlock to Alice Hayman, and he is a blacksmith by trade and resides in Benton, Pa.; Bruce C., born June 30, 1866, a lumberman residing in the state of Washington; Dora Esther, born February 2, 1870, resides at home; and Samuel, born September 23, 1878. Alfred Nevin Yost attended the primary schools and then took an academic course in the Orangeville Seminary; later he attended the State Normal School at Bloomsbnrg. He then taught in the high schools at Wilkes-barre and Plymouth, Luzerne County, and later became a law student under Judge E. R. Ikeler and was admitted to the bar in 1884. Since then he has been practicing law at Bloomsburg. He served as deputy sheriff in 1885-86; as treasurer of Bloomsburg; secretary of the Columbia County Agricultural Association for six years; and as secretary of the local building and loan association. Mr. Yost is a man possessed of great energy and will power, the elements of character which have carried him to the front in business circles. Our subject formed a matrimonial alliance with Bessie J. Holmes, a daughter of W. O. Holmes of Bloomsburg. They were happily wedded December 15, 1897, and now reside in their new home, corner of Fourth and Jefferson streets. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899) This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb