BIO: John M. GARNER, Huntingdon County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by JO Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ********************************************************** __________________________________________________________________ Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley: Comprising the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata and Perry, Pennsylvania, Containing Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens and Many of the Early Settlers. Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, pages 268, 271-272. __________________________________________________________________ JOHN M. GARNER, Aitch, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born in Penn township, March 18, 1836, son of John and Mary (Morningstar) Garner. The original name of the family, which is of German origin, was Gartner, or Gardener. As this is one of the most extensive families in the central region of Pennsylvania, a brief resume of its genealogy will not be out of place here. JOHN MICHAEL CARNER, born in 1728, at Wittemberg, Germany, came to America at ten years of age; he was married September 24, 1769, to Catherine Seiss, a native of Switzerland, and lived near Antietam Creek and Sharpsburg, Md., till the autumn of 1783, when he removed with his family to Huntingdon county, and bought a farm on which he and his wife resided for the rest of their lives. Their children were: I. John; II. Michael; III. John Matthew; IV. Susan; V. Anna Mary; VI. George; and VII. John Philip. I. The eldest son, John, born near Sharpsburg, February 10, 1772, married Mary, daughter of Henry Freed, a native of Maryland, and one of the largest land-owners in Huntingdon county. Their children are: Catharine, deceased; John, married Mary Morningstar, April 21, 1822, had nine children: Michael; Matthew, deceased; Jacob, deceased; Philip, married Margaret Morningstar, ten children; Susan, deceased, wife of Matthew McCall, two children; Mary, second wife of Matthew McCall, ten children; and Henry, married Mary Weight, six children. II. John Michael Garner, born June 1, 1774, married Catharine Acker; their children are: Elizabeth (Mrs. John Miller), has six children; Mary (Mrs. Henry Smith), seven children; Susan (Mrs. Adam Fouse), nine children; Catharine; Barbara (Mrs. Jacob Hetrick), thirteen children; Magdalene (Mrs. George Hetrick), ten children; George, married Elizabeth Sorrick, eight children; John; married, first, Catharine Sorrick, afterward Mary Boyer, six children; twins, one that died an infant, and Philip, married, first, Elizabeth Heffner, afterwards Eliza Postein; Henry; and Jacob, married, first, Ellen Eberhart, afterward Susan Eberhart; and thirdly, Catharine Garner, six children. III. John Matthew Garner, born September 21, 1776, married Mary Brumbaugh, and had children: Catharine (Mrs. John Beaver), had eleven children; Susan (Mrs. Henry Boyer), six children; Elizabeth (Mrs. James Isett), eleven children; John, married, first, Ellen Norris, afterward, Mrs. Mattie Adams, twelve children; George, married Rachel Sorrick, six children; and Samuel B., married Susanna Sorrick, five children. IV. Susan Garner, born August 22, 1780, married to Daniel Stover, and had children: Elizabeth (Mrs. Garman), has three children; Catharine (Mrs. Wall), eleven children; Jonathan, married Miss Boyer, ten children; Martha (Mrs. Smith); Mary (Mrs. Hamer); Daniel, deceased; Nancy; Jacob, married Miss Weight, seven children; and Frances (Mrs. McDermott), nine children. V. Anna Mary Garner, born March 21, 1783, married to Jacob Grubb, and had children: Elizabeth (Mrs. Charles Magill), has three children; Abraham, married Mary Norris, two children; Andrew, married Catharine Norris, five children; Catharine (Mrs. William Parks), twelve children; Susan (Mrs. Jacob Heffner), two children; Mary (Mrs. Joseph Heffner), two children; Jacob, married Eliza Acker, two children; twins, Samuel and John, the former married Elizabeth McCall, has seven children, the latter deceased; and Sarah (Mrs. George Lininger), three children. VI. George Garner, born October 8, 1785, married Catharine Smith, and has children: Elizabeth (Mrs. Henry Acker), has seven children; Henry S., married, first, Sarah Heffner, two, and secondly, Angeline Anderson, three children; Hannah (Mrs. Isaac Heffner), five children; Solomon, married Mary Bowers, two children; David S., married, first, Rebecca Wall, afterwards Mattie Wall, eight children; and then Elizabeth Kephart; Catharine (Mrs. J. George Metz), nine children; and Andrew, deceased. VII. John Philip Garner, born September 1, 1790, married Catharine Fouse, and had children: Jonathan, deceased; Elizabeth (Mrs. John Acker), had eight children; Margaret (Mrs. Jacob Hoover), two children; Sarah (Mrs. Henry Peightel), nine children; Daniel, married, first, Margaret Auperly, afterward Elizabeth Sorrick, twelve children; Frederick, married, first, Margaret Sorrick, three children; and afterward Fanny Shifler, one child; Adam, married Catharine Summers, three children; Benjamin, married Catharine Sorrick, four children; Philip, married Susan Acker, four children; William, married Eve Sorrick, nine children; Michael F., married, first Elizabeth Showalter, six, and Catharine Alice -----, two children; and Catharine (Mrs. Abram Meyers), ten children. Members of this family are found in the churches of eight denominations. Over forty of its men served as soldiers in the war of the Rebellion. The father of these seven sons and daughters, John Michael Garner, was a blacksmith. His father, with whom he came to America, died in Maryland, and was buried in the cemetery at Antietam. John Michael died in Huntingdon county. He was one of the earliest settlers of Penn township. He was a Democrat. He was an excellent old man, a member of the Lutheran church, and much liked. His eldest son, John Garner, was also a blacksmith, and farmed and raised stock on 161 acres in Penn township. He, too, had been a Democrat all his life, and a staunch one, but it is said of him that on his deathbed he called his sons together, and enjoined it upon them ever after to vote Republican ticket, which injunction they have faithfully obeyed. John Garner was a Lutheran. He was a good man, kind and honorable, and was much respected. His eldest son, John Garner, Jr., was born June 23, 1800. He had only a German education, there being no English schools at that time, except subscription schools, kept no more than six weeks in the year. He was a farmer and blacksmith, but gave his attention principally to farming in Penn township, where he owned and cultivated some 220 acres and raised stock. His wife, Mary (Morningstar) Garner, was born in Walker township, and was of German descent. Their children are: Catharine, deceased, wife of George Otto; Margaret, widow of Daniel Weight, now resides with her brother, John M. Garner; Mary, died young; Frederick, deceased; Matthew, deceased; Christina, deceased; John M.; Barbara, who keeps house for John M.; Nancy, died young. John Garner was a loving and kind father and a good neighbor, and was highly esteemed. He was all his life a Republican. He belonged to the Lutheran church. John Garner died in Penn township, January 1, 1868. John M. Garner attended one of the old-fashioned log school houses with slab benches, when the common schools were open only three months during the winter, affording but slender opportunities for education. He remained on the homestead, assisting his father in the work of the farm, until the war of the Rebellion broke out. He enlisted, September 16, 1861, in the Fifty-third Pennsylvania Volunteers, Company C, Col. J. R. Brooke and Capt. J. H. Wintrobe. His enlistment was at Marklesburg. Mr. Garner was in the battles of Seven Pines, Fair Oaks, the Seven Days, the Second Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg; then receiving at the last-named place a bullet wound in his hip, he was detained for two months in Ward D, of the Military Hospital at Washington, D. C. Receiving a furlough, he was transferred to a hospital in Philadelphia, and remained there two months. He then spent one month in camp and was discharged May 16, 1863. In August, 1864, Mr. Garner re-enlisted, in Company D, Two Hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, Colonel Matthews, Captain Reed; was in the battles of Fort Steadman and of Petersburg. On April 6, 1865, Mr. Garner received well- merited promotion, being made sergeant. The company was mustered out of service June 2, 1865, and after being present at the grand review in Washington, D.C., Sergeant Garner returned to his home, having given about three of the best years of his life to the noble work of saving his country in her peril. For some six months after his return, Mr. Garner worked on the Huntingdon and Broad Top R.R. He then went to Davenport, Ia., where he was employed on a farm for seven months. Returning to the homestead in Penn township, he has ever since given his attention to its cultivation. He now owns over 214 acres of land, on which he raises stock, besides farming the land. He has spent more than $3,300 in cash upon improvements. Mr. Garner is a Republican. He has served the township as supervisor of roads and in other offices. Mr. Garner is a citizen of acknowledged worth and enjoys the esteem of his neighbors. Beginning life with but small opportunities for education, his intelligence and ambition would not suffer him to remain in ignorance. He always employed what leisure he could command, even amid the scene of army life, for improvement. This wise course has helped to give him his present good standing in the community. He is a member of the Lutheran church, holding the office of deacon.