Bios: Jacob Omwake and descendants of Franklin Co, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Susan E Watts. wattsnew@juno.com USGENWEB NOTICE: Printing this file by non-commercial individuals and libraries is encouraged, as long as all notices and submitter information is included. Any other use, including copying files to other sites requires permission from the submitters PRIOR to uploading to any other sites. We encourage links to the state and county table of contents. ____________________________________________________________ Synopsized by Susan E. Watts The Biographical Annals of Franklin County Pennsylvania" George O. Seilhamer The Genealogical Publishing Co. 1905 pg. 167 Omwake Family The original name in German was "Amweg". Lenhardt Amweg immigrated from the Palatinate in 1729. I- Jacob Omwake, a descendant of Lenhardt was b. in Berks County, PA and was the first on the name to settle in Franklin County, PA. He settled near Salem Church in Washington Twp. He m. Catherine Hassler and they had six children. Two sons and four daughters. He died. Nov 17, 1814 aged 41. His widow, Catherine m. Daniel Mowen. * Note from The Kittochtinny Historical Society, Papers Read Before The Society Oct, 1950 to May, 1957 Vol XIII pg. 465 in an article titled "Some Early Franklin County Wills from a Woman's Standpoint" by Mrs. Marge Small Kieffer Sept. 7, 1956 " Daniel Mowen provides that his well beloved wife Catherine shall have 2 cows and her living in a house which his son Ludwig Mowen is to build "before harvest coming", by the spring on his plantation, to be 2 story high with a good room in the upper story to be for a still house." II- John Omwake , son of Jacob, was b. Berks County, PA and was eight years old when his family moved to Franklin County. He m. Elizabeth Ledy, dau of Henry and Elizabeth (Miller) Ledy in 1821. He d. in 1865. They had nine children. 1. Catharine, wife of Wesley Koons. 2. Samuel m. Elizabeth Keckler 3. John, married and moved to Ohio. 4. Jeremiah,m. in Ohio to Ann Sheets 5. Henry(III) 6. Susan, wife of christian Lesher 7. Elizabeth, wife of William Koons 8. Mary Ann 9. Rebecca III Henry b. Dec 6, 1830. Taught in the Salem district. In 1854 moved to Antrim Twp. In 1867 bought Peter Witmer home near Greencastle. In 1881 he began serving as County Commisioner for a period of three years. In March of 1854 he m. Eveline Beaver, dau of John Beaver and they had nine children. 1. John of Cincinnati, Ohio. 2. William Tell (IV) 3. Mary K. 4. Augustus B. of Washington D.C. 5. James E. 6. Jeremiah S. practicing Law in Shippensburg. 7. Chalmers P. 8. George L. 9. Howard R. IV William Tell Omwake b. Antrim Twp. May 23, 1856. Admitted to the Bar in 1881. Began practicing law in Waynesboro. A member of the Reformed Church, and of the Masonic Land Elk Fraternities. He m. Mary L. Snively, dau of Benjamin and Matilda (Mitchell) Snively of Antrim Twp. One child. I Matilda Mitchell >From History of the Cumberland Valley Counties of Franklin and Cumberland Edited By Dr. George P. Donehoo Vol I pg. 414 Antrim Township Formed in 1741 included practically all the territory which is now Franklin County wiht the exceptions of Warren, Fannet, and Metal Townships.Named for Antrim, Ireland. Early settlers were of Hardy Scotch-Irish Stock. Names of some: Jacob Snively, James Johnston, Joseph Crunkleton and James Rody all before 1775. For a long period this area was known as the Conococheague settlement. Greencastle is the principal town. Land deeded to John Smith, November 4, 1761, conveyed to John Davison, and then to William Allison, transferred to William's son John Allison who laid out the village of Greencastle in 1782. Named for a place called Green Castle in County Donegal, Ireland. Clay Hill is one of the important villages in the Twp. Located near the Browns Mill historic settlement. Originally settled by Scotch_Irish but the Germans later purchased the land. Some of the original families in this region were the Bender, Strickler, McKnight,Kennedy, Phillipy,Mowery, Omwakes, Seilhammer, Hollinger and Davison. Near this place is the Historic Brown Mill graveyard. General Potter who served in the Revolution is buried there. HISTORY OF THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY COUNTIES OF FRANKLIN AND CUMBERLAND Edited by Dr. George P. Donehoo Published by the SUSQUEHANNA HISTORY ASSOCIATION HARRISBURG 1930 Vol II pg. 309 Omwake, Henry and Eveline (Beaver) The first person bearing the name Amweg in PA was John who purchased a tract of land in 1706 in Summerhausen, now a part of Germantown in Philadelphia. He made further purchases and then February 5, 1720 sold everything and there is no furthur record of him. It is not known if he is related to the Amweg family who arrived on Sept. 11, 1729 on the ship "Allen" under James Craigie. These were Leonard, Magdalina and John Michael Amweg. It is assumed that Leonard and Magdalina were the parents of John. John Michael Amweg settled on a tract near the Cocalico Creek in Lancaster county. He m. Ursula, possibly the dau. of Jacob Brunner an immigrant from Switzerland. It is believed that the Amwegs were also from Switzerland. He was a member of the Reformed Church. He was founder of the Swamp Church in Northern Lancaster County. He was naturalized as a British subject on April 10, 1760. He swore the oath of Allegiance in Ephrata on Nov. 3, 1778 approx. a year before his death. A son, Jacob retained the family home in Lancaster. In his will he was designated " Yeoman" and was survived by his 2nd wife Catherine. She appeared in the 1799 census as the only person bearing the name Amweg who was head of a family, her name appearing as "Widow Amway". Jacob Amweg, Jr. eldest son of Jacob and Catherine,m. Catherine Hassler and moved with their son John to Besore's (now Salem) Church in Washington Twp., Franklin County. In 1808 he was thirty five, he purchased 4 acres of land in that area and here brought up his family of six children. At this point the name is changed. (Due, the story goes, to the schoolmaster under whom the children received their education, who was Scotch-Irish). The spelling of this branch of the family became Omwake. John Omwake, eldest son of Jacob and Catherine(Hassler) Amweg, retained his father's homestead. At 21 he m. Elizabeth Ledy whose grandfather was Henry Ledy. They had five sons and five daughters. At the death of John, the homestead passed to his eldest son, Samuel. Three other sons immigrated as young men, to Northern Ohio. The three older sisters m. into excellent families. Two younger dau. died early. From this line comes Henry Omwake fifth generation descendant of Leonard Amweg and sixth child of John and Elizabeth (Ledy) Omwake. He was b. Dec 6,1830. March 14, 1854 m. Eveline Beaver, dau. of John and Dorothy (Mowen) Beaver who was b. May 6, 1833. Eveline Beaver's grandfather, Jacob Beaver founded the Beaver family of Jacob's church in Washington Twp. Franklin County. In 1894 Henry built a home in Greencastle. He d. there in 1910. Eveline d. Jun 14, 1913. Their children were, John, William Tell, Susan Rebecca, who d. in childhood. Charles Henry who d. at age eleven. Mary Catherine, Jerimiah Simon, George Leslie, Chalmers Payson, and Howard Rufus. Pg. 313 Omwake, Howard Rufus, b. in Greencastle, May 1, 1878 son of Henry and Eveline (Beaver)Omwake. On June 20, 1906 he m. Frances Lauretta Geiger, dau of Captain and Mrs. Charles Geiger of Shippensburg. Four children; Henri Geiger m. Dorothy Lotta Jones of N.J; Anna Evelyn, Mary Katherine, and Eleanor Long. pg. 314 Omwake, James Edward, b. near Greencastle in 1867 son of Henry and Eveline (Beaver) Omwake. He was a treasurer of the Kittochtinny Historical Society. In 1914 he married Jessie H. Speielman, dau. of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Spielman of Greencastle. Both are members of the Grace Reformed Church. pg. 314 Omwake, Jeremiah S., son of Henry and Eveline (Beaver) Omwake. He was b. in Antrim Twp. March 14, 1869 on "Indian Spring Farm", the family homestead. He was admitted to the bar of Cumberland County June 1896 and immediately following admitted to the Franklin County Bar. On July 15th 1896 he opened his office in Shippensburg. On June 2, 1904 he m. Mary Catherine, dau of J. Calvin and Alice Parker (Lowe) Rummel. One dau. Dorothy Alice Omwake. They are members of the Presbyterian Church. pg. 315 Omwake, John, eldest son of Henry and Eveline (Beaver) Omwake. He was b. near Greencastle in the Cumberland Valley on Jan 13, 1855. He m. Teressa Josephine Iredell. One dau. Mrs. Erwin Parsons Bosworth. pg. 316 Omwake, William Tell b. in 1856. Admitted to the bar in 1881 and began practicing law the following year. May 4, 1887 he m. Mary Snively. One child. Mathilda who m. Samuel F. Newman and is the mother of Mary S., Emma F., Barbara, William O., and Margaret Mitchel Newman. pg. 308 Omwake, George Leslie, LLD., son of Henry and Eveline (Beaver) Omwake. Born on Indian Springs Farm, near Greencastle, July 13, 1871. President of Ursinus College, inducted into office Oct. 7, 1913. Superintendent of the Sunday School of the Trinity Reformed Church in Collegeville. He m. 1st on June 18, 1902 at Hummelstown, PA to Bessie May Landis, who d. Feb. 10, 1904. He m. 2nd to Sophie Hendricks Casselberry, dau of Joseph and Sarah (Hendricks) Casselberry of Oaks, PA on Aug. 28, 1906. They have two children, Stanley and Eveline Beaver Omwake. >From The Kittochtinny Historical Society, Papers Read Before The Society Oct, 1950 to May, 1957 Vol XIII pg. 239 OMWAKE, George Leslie b. July 13, 1871, on "Indian Spring Farm" Antrim Township, Franklin County PA. Son of Henry and Eveline (Beaver) Omwake. He m. Bessie M. Landis June 18, 1902. She d. Feb. 10. 1904. He m. Sophia H. Casselberry Aug 28, 1906. Two children born. Stanley and Eveline. George Leslie d. Feb 3. 1957. OMWAKE, Howard Rufus B. May 1st 1878, Youngest of eleven children of Henry and Eveline (Beaver) Omwake. He m. Frances Geiger of Shippensburg. Three dau and one son. Howard Rufus d. July 20, 1942. Buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery, Greencastle.