BIO: Daniel GRAZIER, Huntingdon County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Denise Phillips

Copyright 2006.  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 120-121.
__________________________________________________________________ 

DANIEL GRAZIER, deceased, of Warriors Mark, Huntingdon county, Pa., son 
of Michael and Mary (Beck) Grazier, was born March 31, 1820, on the 
farm on which he resided all his life.  His grandfather, Joseph 
Grazier, was born in Germany and came to this country in 1787.  The 
circumstances of his leaving his native land were as follows:  Being 
very fond of hunting he had ever regarded the game laws of his country 
as unjust, and one day while in the mountains, he saw a fine deer, 
which he shot at and killed.  This fact becoming known, he was to 
suffer banishment, but he resolved to come to America instead.  The 
family landed presumably at New York, and made their way to Huntingdon 
county, settling on a large tract of land in Warriors Mark township, 
which they at once proceeded to clear.  But while this work was going 
on, sad to relate, the father was killed by the falling of a tree.  
Some years later, the tract was divided into five farms, each of the 
five sons settling on a farm.  Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Grazier are buried 
in the old cemetery in Warriors Mark.  Their children were:  Michael; 
John, died in Warriors Mark township; Peter, deceased; Henry, deceased; 
Nicholas; and twin girls, Christina and Elizabeth, the former married 
to Vincent Stevens, and the latter to Mr. Beck.  Four of the brothers 
married four sisters of Vincent Stevens.
  Michael Grazier was born in Germany in 1783, and was only four years 
old when his parents brought him to America.  He settled on one of the 
farms left by his father, and afterwards bought the one belonging to 
his brother Nicholas, who went West, and settled on the banks of the 
Ohio river, where he died.  Mrs. Michael Grazier was Miss Mary Beck.  
Her husband was a member of the Lutheran church and she was a Dunkard.  
For a long time the Dunkards held meetings at their home, and she would 
often prepare a bountiful dinner for all at the end of the service.  
They had the following children:  Catharine, born December 3, 1806, 
married Jacob Nearhoof, deceased, of Warriors Mark township, and has 
been blessed with such health and strength that in her ninety-first 
year she still does her own work;  Christina, born October 20, 1808, 
married Henry Kreider, both deceased; Mary, born February 22, 1811, 
died in infancy; Elizabeth, born October 7, 1813, married Andrew Green, 
both now deceased, was the mother of eight children, only one of whom 
she ever saw, having become blind at the birth of her first child; 
Joseph B., deceased, was born August 17, 1815, was a farmer, and 
married Mary Webb; Nancy, born January 17, 1818, married James Bell, 
both deceased; Daniel; Samuel, born November 17, 1822, farmer in 
Warriors Mark township, married Caroline Madara; Susanna, deceased, 
born May 20, 1825, married Caleb Guyer, who now lives in Tyrone; 
Jeremiah, born August 31, 1828, died in Warriors Mark township, married 
Catharine Miller, who survives him.  Mr. and Mrs. Michael Grazier both 
died on the farm, the father in 1850, and the mother July 27, 1841, 
aged fifty-years, six months and twenty-seven days.  They are buried in 
the family cemetery.
  Daniel Grazier had few opportunities for an education when young, his 
service being needed on the farm, so that if he could go to school one 
day a week he was fortunate.  In those days wheat was threshed on the 
barn floor, and rye was threshed with what was called a "poverty pole;" 
of course such primitive methods demanded the services of many hands.  
He grew up on the homestead farm.  Standing at the door of their home 
in those early days he many a time saw four or five deer gamboling on 
the hillside, but he was not inclined to hunt.  On September 14, 1848, 
he was married in Ferguson township, Centre county, to Elizabeth Rider, 
daughter of Michael and Barbara (Krider) Rider.  After their marriage 
they went to housekeeping on the old farm, where, the mother having 
died, the young wife keeps house for all.  Following the death of the 
father in 1850, the property was appraised, Daniel and his brother 
taking it at the appraisement, and later the former bought his 
brother's interest in the farm, which now consists of 120 acres of 
arable land and 180 acres of woodland.  He erected his present house, 
and has made other improvements.  Mrs. Grazier died May, 1883, in the 
sixty-first year of her age.  She was a devout Christian, a member of 
the Methodist church at Warriors Mark, always taking the greatest 
interest in church affairs; a member who was dearly beloved by all.  
She is buried in the family cemetery in Warriors Mark.  Mr. Grazier was 
also a member of the Methodist church, has held the office of trustee, 
and was a class leader for many years.  Some time previous to building 
a church, the Methodist congregation held protracted meetings in his 
barn.  The children of this family were:  Frances, married Rev. M. C. 
Piper, resides in Mercer county, Pa.; Catharine (Mrs. C. W. Keef), of 
Council Grove, Kas., whither they went in 1885; Mary E., wife of Rev. 
J. R. Baker, died in Council Grove, Kas.; Jennie B. (Mrs. McLellan 
Geist), resides on the homestead; and Emma R. (Mrs. J. B. Henderson), 
of Warriors Mark.  Mr. Grazier was a Democrat all his life, but favored 
Prohibition.  He died April 27, 1897.