BIO: HENRY GARDNER, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson OCRed by Judy Banja Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ _____________________________________________________________ >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 273-275 _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/ HENRY GARDNER, one of the well known and much esteemed residents of the city of Carlisle, comes of one of the old and honorable early families of York county, where he was born Aug. 26, 1827, a son of Martin and Mary (Thomas) Gardner. Martin Gardner, his grandfather, probably came from Germany, but he certainly was a very early settler in York county, and owned farming land in the lower part. His son Martin was one of several children, and was born about 1775 in York county, 274 CUMBERLAND COUNTY. dying in 1837 in the city of York. He was a man of prominence in his community, and for eight years prior to his death had been steward at the York county almshouse. For many years he conducted a farm situated between York and Wrightsville. Mr. Gardner was noted for the commendable spirit he displayed in all public enterprises and he was active in his promotion of all movements looking to the improving of the public highways and the furthering of religious and educational matters. He married Mary Thomas, and they had a family of eight children born to them, as follows Franklin (deceased) was a manufacturer at Carlisle; Israel, who was a blacksmith, died at Carlisle; Martin died at Altoona, where he worked as a molder in a foundry; Henry is mentioned below; Albert is a machinist living at Altoona; Lucy (deceased) was the wife of Danford Edmonds; two died in childhood. Henry Gardner was a lad in his teens when the family removed from York to Cumberland county and he was educated in the schools at Carlisle. When he was eighteen years old he entered a foundry at Carlisle and remained there until he had learned the trade of molder, to which occupation he gave some fifty years of his life. During this time he was connected with various large shops and accumulated a competency. Since 1899 he has lived retired from activity, in the enjoyment of the ease won by past industry. On July 12, 1849, Mr. Gardner was united in marriage with Miss Leah Kreider, who was born Oct. 7, 1827, in Warwick township, Lancaster Co., Pa., and died Feb. 4, 1901. She was a daughter of Benjamin and Elnora (McCoim) Kreider, of Lititz, Pa., the former of whom was appointed prothonotary of Lancaster county by Gov. Wolf; he and his wife were interred in the old Moravian graveyard at Lititz. Mrs. Gardner was a consistent member of the Lutheran Church, with which her husband is also connected. A family of ten children was born to them, as follows: Wilhelmina, who resides in Philadelphia, is the widow of Franklin Hutter, who died at Harrisburg, April 7, 1879, and whom she married May 14, 1872; Mary was married July 14, 1874, to Robert Mclvor, of Carlisle, who died Sept. 23, 1876; Benjamin, a resident of Harrisburg, married Emma Longsdorf Feb. 20, 1883; Harry is mentioned later; Catherine died March 13, 1863 unmarried; James Monroe died July 14, 1856; Ella N. was married March 20, 1897, to William Wooster, of Harrisburg, who, was a casket maker, and died Feb. 7, 1901, his widow now residing with her father; Anna M. died Aug. 13, 1864; George, who is a bookkeeper for a New York business firm, on April 25, 1899, married America Glanville, and they reside at East Orange, N. J.; Rena is a saleslady in the Bowman mercantile establishment at Carlisle. HARRY GARDNER, son of Henry and Leah (Kreider) Gardner, is one of the city's representative citizens. He was born Dec. 6, 1853, and was educated in the public schools of Carlisle, after leaving which he engaged for a time in clerking and then learned the trade of carpenter and builder, following the same very profitably for some years. In 1881 he made a trip to Mexico, where he remained some eighteen months, employed at car building, in 1882 returning to Carlisle and resuming work in the city. On Aug. 11, 1884, he entered the carpentry department at the Indian School at Carlisle, and some two years later was made foreman of that department of this great industrial institution. Not all men CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 275 possess the qualifications necessary to succeed in such a position, but these Mr. Gardner evidently possesses, as he is held in the highest esteem both by employers and employes. On Dec. 30, 1879, Mr. Gardner married Miss Ellen Longsdorf, daughter of Emanuel A. and Catherine (Wanderly) Longsdorf, who removed from Cumberland county in 1885 to Kansas, and Mr. Longsdorf died at Wichita, that State, Dec. 21, 1898, aged fifty-seven years. The mother of Mrs. Gardner resides at Columbia, Lancaster county. By trade Mr. Longsdorf was a shoemakers and he followed same the greater part of his life. For several years he served as disciplinarian at the White Hall Orphan School. Mr. and Mrs. Longsdorf had the following children born to them: Sherman, a resident of Mt. Pleasant, Utah; Ellen, Mrs. Gardner; Michael H. (named for his grandfather), a resident of Kansas City, Mo. ; Emma J., who married B. F. Gardner, of Harrisburg; Flora, who married Warren Stiker, of Grottoes, Va.; Bertie, who married Dr. Levi Coak, of Nevada, Mo.; George, deceased; Lizzie, who married George Wageck, of Ponca City, Okla.; William, residing at Wichita, Kan.; and Alice, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner have one son, Walter Monroe, a machinist, engaged at Pittsburg. They are consistent members of the Lutheran Church. In politics Mr. Gardner is identified with the Democratic party, and fraternally he belongs to the Knights of the Mystic Circle. He has taken an active interest in civic affairs and has ably served on the borough council. The handsome and hospitable family residence is situated at No. 601 North Hanover street, in Carlisle.