BIOGRAPHY: Ephraim WIAN, Mifflin County, PA

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The Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of the Juniata Valley, Comprising 
the Counties of Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, and Perry, Pennsylvania.
Chambersburg, Pa.: J. M. Runk & Co., 1897, Volume I, pages 477-479.

  EPHRAIM WIAN, Lewistown, Mifflin county, Pa., was born April 1, 1839, in Union 
township, Mifflin county.  He is a son of Solomon and Catherine (Rearick) Wian.  
His grandparents, William and Catherine (Holzapfel) Wian, were both descendants 
of German families;  William Wian was a tailor.  They spent the latter part of 
their lives in Brown township, Mifflin county.  Their children were:  four who 
died young;  John, married Miss Anderson, had four sons and one daughter;  
James, married and removed to Clarion county, Pa., has fourteen or fifteen 
children;  Benjamin, twin brother of James, married Miss Mosser, has six 
children;  Philip, removed to Morrisons Cove, Pa., where he married, has ten 
daughters and sons;  Solomon;  George, married Mary Anna Hawke, had one child;  
Catherine (Mrs. Isaac Fleming), started for the West with her husband on the 
morning after their marriage, by wagon, took up land on Alum creek, in Delaware 
county, Ohio, settled there and lived there for forty years before the family 
heard from them;  Elizabeth (Mrs. James Fleming), was married at the same time 
with her sister Catherine, Isaac and James Fleming being brothers, and the two 
couples went to Delaware county, Ohio, together, where their descendants are to-
day substantial and respected residents;  Mary (Mrs. Jacob Harman), resided in 
Brown township, had seven sons and one daughter;  Martha (Mrs. Robert Sankey), 
resided in Union township, had three daughters and four sons;  Christine (Mrs. 
Robert Clark), had one son, William, removed to Illinois;  Fanny (Mrs. Joseph 
McGirk), resided in Fergusons valley, Granville township, had ten children.  
William Wian lived to the age of sixty, and his wife to that of eighty years.
  Solomon Wian, the fifth son of this large family, was born in Union township 
and educated in the common schools.  He resided with his parents until he became 
a man, obtaining at home a practical knowledge of farming, which was his 
lifelong business.  He was a just and conscientious man, and was esteemed by his 
neighbours and acquaintance.  During the latter part of his life, he lived in 
Centre county, Pa.  His wife, Catherine, was the daughter of Peter and ------ 
(Shook) Rearick.  Three of their children died very young;  the others are:  
John, married Eve Ann Hyle, had seven children, and his wife dying, he was 
married again to Elizabeth Mallory, and had by this marriage four children;  
Peter, of Bellefonte, Pa., married Elizabeth Hyle, had twelve children;  
Ephraim;  Eliphaz, married Catherine Cafferty, has four children living;  Levi, 
died when about eleven years old;  Elizabeth (Mrs. Scott Tate), of Centre 
county, has twelve children living;  Catherine (Mrs. George Taylor), of 
Bellefonte, Pa., has four children living;  Molly (Mrs. Aaron Mallory), of 
Bellefonte, has seven children living;  and Mary Jane, who died aged about 
fourteen, on the same day with her brother Levi, both dying from lead-pipe 
poisoning.  Solomon Wian died at the age of seventy-eight;  his wife survived 
him until she was eighty-one years old.  Both were earnest and consistent 
members of the Dunkard church.
  Ephraim Wian attended the common schools of Union township, and worked on the 
home farm until he was sixteen.  He then began working as a farm hand for the 
farmers of the vicinity.  When about twenty-two years of age he was employed in 
William Mann, Jr., & Company's Axe Factory, and remained in their employ for 
about thirteen years.  In 1874 he began farming on one of the John R. Mitchell 
farms, in Dry valley;  here he remained for two years, but upon the decease of 
his wife, returned to Reedsville, and resided there for one year.  He then 
removed to Lewistown, and lived in Third street.  In 1885, he removed to the 
house in which he now resides.  Since his residence in Lewistown, Mr. Wian has 
been engaged in butchering, but relinquished it for farming in 1895, when he 
purchased the Henry Buch farm in Granville township.  He has judiciously 
improved this farm, and brought it to a fine state of cultivation.  Mr. Wian's 
comfortable and assured position among business men has been acquired by his 
ability, diligence and honorable dealings.  He is a 'self-made' man, in regard 
to his means, which are the outcome of his own persevering efforts.  Although 
frugal, he gives willingly to further the progress of the borough, or for any 
beneficent object.  Although decided in his opinions on politics, as a Democrat, 
he has no aspirations towards political office.
  Ephraim Wian was married May 7, 1861, to Elizabeth, daughter of William and 
Mary Ann White.  Two of their children are deceased:  George Thomas, died May 
25, 1873, when about thirteen months old;  and Anna Margaret (Mrs. Walter 
Felix), died in Cumberland, Md., aged about twenty-six.  The other children are:  
William Harrison, married Mary Martin, has three sons, Walter E., George Irvine, 
and James Oscar;  Charles Benton, married Annie Hill, has one son, Robert E.;  
and Mary Olive (Mrs. Finley McGirk).  Mrs. Ephraim Wian died November 11, 1873;  
she, as well as her husband, attended the Methodist Episcopal church.