Bios: Amos Rutter 1830-1902: Lancaster County

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Biographies
from - "Proceedings of Pennsylvania-German Society Volume XII, 1901

                         Amos Rutter 1830-1902

	Amos Rutter was born May 24, 1830, in Leacock Township, of Lancaster
County, Penn. He was a son of Amos Rutter, Sr., b. Apr. 6, 1791, d.
July 21, 1868, who was the son of Joseph  Rutter, who was the son of
Henry Rutter, d. 1811, who was the son of Andrew Rutter, who was the
son of Conrad Rutter, d. 1734, who left Rhenish Prussia in 1682 and
arrived in America Aug. 20, 1683, in the ship "America," coming in
company with thirteen other families under the leadership of Daniel
Pastorius. He remained in Germantown until 1689, when he went to
Montgomery County, thence removing to Lancaster County in 1700, with
an English family named Douglass, and settled in Salisbury Township,
where he took up a tract of 588 acres of land, now owned by Moses
Sharp's heirs, Amos Hershey, Henry Hershey, and others. He was one of
the building committee when the first Episcopal church was built at
Compassville in 1729.
	His mother was Esther Royer, b. Sept. 5, 1795, d. Feb. 5, 1851, who
was daughter of Jonathan Royer, who was son of Philip Royer, who was
son of Amos Royer, who, with a family of four sons, came to America
in 1720 and made his first settlement in Montgomery County, near the
Schuylkill River, now known as Royer's Ford. He afterwards settles in
Elizabeth Township. He was a Lutheran and gave the land at
Brickerville on which the Lutheran Church is built. After the death
of his second wife he became a member of the Reformed Church and
donated ground for a church building of that denomination.
	After spending his boyhood years on his father's farm, Mr. Rutter
entered the general store of D. Richwine & Bro., in New Holland,
becoming a member of the firm in a few years. In 1860 the Richwine
Brothers sold their interest to him and his brother, Jeremiah, now
deceased. In 1863 this business was sold and a store opened at
Intercourse, now occupied by I.N. Diller & Bro. They remained there
until 1874, when they again disposed of their business and Mr. Rutter
returned to New Holland. Here he was engaged in the mercantile
business until the extension of the railroad from Honeybrook, when he
embarked in the grin and coal business, conducting the same on a large
scale until his decease. He also served for a number of years as the
ticket and freight agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
	Mr. Rutter was a prominent citizen of New Holland and held in great
respect by all. He possessed, to a large degree, the qualities of
amiability and geniality, to which were added those of charity and
generosity. He made every effort to improve the condition and
character of the lawless element along the Welsch Mountains, who were
under the leadership of Abe Buzzard, and was one of the few who
possessed their confidence. In all movements tending to promote the
interests of the community in which he lived he was at the head, and
he never failed to respond to an appeal for help from others.
	In politics he was an unswerving Republican and served for a term of
three years as Prison Inspector, though never aspiring to office.
	In early life he connected himself with the Trinity Lutheran Church,
of which he remained a faithful member, officer and teacher in the
Sunday-school. He was liberal in his support of the church and, at
the time of his death, was the oldest member of the church council
and longest in office.
	On September 2, 1856, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Katherine
Mentzer, a daughter of the late Paul Mentzer, who survives him, with
one son, Eugene M., and one daughter, Miss Lillian M.
	His decease, which occurred shortly after midnight, August 15, 1902,
was hastened by injuries sustained, some two months before, in a fall
from a wagon. He had not been in good health for a long time previous.
	He was a member of the Lancaster County Historical Society, and was
elected to membership in the Pennsylvania-German Society on January
18, 1898. H.M.M.R.