BIO: Benjamin Martz, Jefferson County, PA

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Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including 
the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion, Containing 
Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens. 
Chicago, Ill.: J. H. Beers, 1898, pages 1085-1086.
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BENJAMIN MARTZ, a retired farmer, now makes his home in North Freedom, 
Jefferson county.  His has been a long and busy career, with little 
time for idleness along the thoroughfare of life, where he has left his 
mark and may truly feel that he has not lived in vain.  The object of 
respect by young and old, his familiar figure is greeted with affection 
and esteem, and in his declining days he is enjoying the reward of a 
well-ordered life, and one in which he has exerted himself to do good 
to those around him.
  Mr. Martz was born May 27, 1825, in Northumberland county, Penn., 
while the birth of his parents, John and Mary (Weary) Martz, occurred 
in Schuylkill and Northumberland counties, respectively.  The father 
was born June 16, 1801, a son of John Martz, also a native of 
Schuylkill county, who died near Shamokin, in Northumberland county.  
The parents of our subject were married in Mahanoy, where they  
continued to reside until 1835, when they came to Ringgold township, 
Jefferson county, where the father and a Mr. Campbell purchased a large 
tract of land.  There the former continued to engage in agricultural 
pursuits until his death, which occurred February 17, 1888.  The 
mother, who was born in 1808, and died in 1867, was laid by his side in 
Ringgold Cemetery.
  The children of the family were Daniel, who died unmarried in 
Ringgold at the age of fifty years; Elias, who died in 1897; William, 
also deceased; Benjamin, of this sketch; Charles, a farmer of Ringgold 
township; Catherine, who married Michael Shilling, but both are now 
deceased; Solomon, a farmer of Nebraska; Elizabeth, deceased wife of 
Samuel Stewart, who was drowned; and Polly, widow of William Slagel, of 
Brookville, Pennsylvania.
   Until twenty-two years of age, Benjamin Martz remained upon the home 
farm, and then went into the woods, where he cleared and improved a 
good farm, on which his son now resides, and continued to reside 
thereon until coming to North Freedom, in the fall of 1892, since which 
time he has lived retired.  As a stalwart Democrat, he has ever taken 
an active and prominent part in public affairs, and has been called 
upon to fill a number of responsible positions, including those of 
councilman, supervisor, school director, tax collector and overseer of 
the poor.  He is a prominent and faithful member of the English 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and has ever given his support to all 
measures calculated to benefit the community or advance the general 
welfare.
  In Ringgold, December 10, 1847, Mr. Martz was married to Miss 
Catherine Shaffer, the wedding ceremony being performed by Rev. J. S. 
Young.  She was born in Northumberland county, January 12, 1827, a 
daughter of John and Elizabeth Shaffer, and died in December, 1896, 
being buried at Ringgold.  The following children graced this union:  
John, born July 24, 1848, married Rebecca Haines, and is engaged in 
farming near Emerickville, in Jefferson county; Lucetta, born June 19, 
1850, is the wife of Henry Shillings, a farmer of Ringgold township; 
Daniel, born July 13, 1851, wedded Mary Weaver, and also follows 
farming in Ringgold township; Amos, born November 2, 1853, married 
Lydia Thomas, of Beaver township, Jefferson county, and died December 
31, 1886; Franklin, born March 7, 1856, died January 13, 1880; Mary E., 
born September 9, 1858, is the wife of Daniel Sherry, a farmer of 
Ringgold; Sarah E., born January 13, 1862, is the wife of William 
Merket, an oil driller and farmer of Clarion county, Penn.; Ida A., 
born July 6, 1865, died April 22, 1883; Katherine J., born September 5, 
1868, married J. H. Yont, of Armstrong county, and died in 1894; and 
George C., born June 25, 1871, married Annie Huber, and resides on the 
old homestead in Ringgold township.  Mr. Martz has had forty-one 
grandchildren and four great-grandchildren, six of the former now being 
deceased.