BIO: Robert G. GIFFORD, Huntingdon County, PA

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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 393-394.
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  ROBERT G. GIFFORD, Valley Point, Huntingdon county, Pa., was born in 
Huntingdon county, July 30, 1828; he is the son of John and Mary 
(Gardner) Gifford. The Gifford family is of English origin; the great-
grandfather, Isaac Gifford, came form England and settled in Tuscarora 
valley, in Huntingdon county, when all around was a wilderness; there 
he built a hut, and lived at first by fishing and hunting. Rescuing his 
farm from its wild condition, he passed the remainder of his life in 
cultivating it. He had a family of three children: Joseph; William; and 
Isaac. His son, Joseph, after residing for a time in New Jersey, came 
to Black Log valley in 1806, cut down timber and cleared a farm for 
himself, where he cultivated the soil and raised live stock. He married 
Mary Stillwell, and had a family of nine children: John; William; 
Isaac; Joseph; Benjamin; Jemima, married firs to William Gardner, 
afterwards to Thomas Vaughn; Mary, wife of James Matthews; Rachel, wife 
of Jacob Bolinger; Elizabeth, wife of Hugh Ross; all deceased. Joseph 
Gifford died in 1853, aged over eight years; his wife died in 1847.
  John Gifford, eldest son of Joseph, was born in Huntingdon county. In 
his earlier life, he worked as a general laborer and as a furnace hand 
for a number of years, afterwards settling down upon a farm, which he 
cultivated for the remainder of his life. His first wife was Mary, 
daughter of Robert Gardner. They had six children: Robert; Jane, died 
in 1847; Joseph, died in October, 1890, aged seventy-one; John, died 
August 19, 1893, over seventy years of age; two died in infancy. Mrs. 
Mary Gifford died in 1832. In 1836, Mr. Gifford married Esther, 
daughter of John McWilliams; there are no children of this marriage. 
John Gifford died October 16, 1873, aged eighty years. His wife died in 
February, 1874, at the age of seventy-eight. Mr. Gifford was for sixty 
years a member of the United Brethren church, in which he was an 
office-bearer and for many years a Sunday-school worker.
  Robert G. Gifford had a common school education, up to the time when 
he reached his sixteenth year; from that time until his majority, he 
helped his father on the farm. He then arranged to take charge of the 
farm on half shares, attending to the stock in winter for his board. He 
had visited Cambria county with a view to engaging in the lumbering 
business there, but remained only three weeks. Under the above 
agreement, he worked with his father for about six months, and then, in 
September, 1850, he went into the tannery, and continued there about 
six months. Again he returned to his father, and managed the farm for 
one year for a third of the profits. During 1852, until the fall of the 
year, he worked as a general laborer, but in the winter of 1852, when 
he retired from business, he was a farmer. He has filled various 
township offices; was elected supervisor four times, the first time in 
1882, when he served for two years in succession. Mr. Gifford is a 
Democrat.
  The marriage of Robert G. Gifford to Nancy A., daughter of Andrew and 
Mary (Carren) Gilliland, took place December 22, 1852. Of their ten 
children, two died in infancy; William E. died May 7, 1895, aged 
twenty-nine years, one month and eleven days; Andrew died August 4, 
1867, aged eight years. The six survivors are: John A.; Mary J.; wife 
of Isaac Kelley; Esther, wife of Samuel H. Johnson; George B.; James; 
and Katie, wife of Edward C. Hirer. Mr. Gifford is a member of the 
United Brethren church; has been class-leader for many years, and also 
for a number of years superintendent of the Sunday-school.