Montour County PA Archives Biographies.....DIVEL, Henry 1843 - living in 1899
  ************************************************
  Copyright.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm
  ************************************************
  
  File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
  Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com June 29, 2005, 11:20 pm
  
  Author: Biographical Publishing Co.
  
  JUDGE HENRY DIVEL. Prominent among the progressive and energetic business men of
  the town of Danville is the above-named gentleman who is a member of the firm
  Hoffman & Divel, the largest meat dealers in Montour County. He was born in
  Milton, Pa., December 26, 1839, and is a son of Joseph and Maria (Bowers) Divel,
  and a grandson of Joseph Divel.
  
    Joseph Divel, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Germany, and was
  a butcher and marketman of Wurtemberg, Germany, all his life. Joseph Divel, the
  father of our subject, was also born in Germany, and followed the trade of a
  butcher all his active days. In 1839 Joseph immigrated to the United States and
  settled in New York City; later he moved to Milton, Pa., where some of his
  relatives resided. He next went to Harrisburg where he worked as a journeyman
  for a short time and then returned to Milton, where he formed a partnership with
  Jacob Bowers and opened a butcher shop. They continued that business for two
  years and then dissolved partnership, and Mr. Divel moved to Danville, where he
  remained but a short time, when he went to Mooresburg; there he engaged in the
  meat business and carried on that line until his death, which occurred in 1885
  at the age of seventy-five years. Our subject's father was twice united in
  marriage, his first wife was Maria Bowers, a native of Germany, and they reared
  two children: Henry, the subject of this personal history; and Mary, the wife of
  John Moyer of Milton, Pa. Mr. Divel chose for his second wife, Catherine Griff,
  who bore him the following children: Sophia, wife of Robert Mills of Lockhaven,
  Pa.; Joanna, who wedded Simon L. Ritter of Mooresburg, Pa.; Joseph F., a veteran
  of the Rebellion; and three who died in their infancy.
  
    Henry Divel received a liberal education in the common schools of his native
  town and at the age of sixteen years worked with his father, learning the trade
  of a butcher, which business he has since followed to the present time. In 1859
  he removed to Danville and worked as a journeyman for Moyer & Lyon for six years
  and seven months, and during his employment with this firm, he never lost but
  one week's work and that was owing to a felon on one of his fingers. July 4,
  1865, in company with John Rockfellow, he opened and conducted a butcher shop at
  No. 334 Mill street. April 1, 1875, Theodore Hoffman, whose sketch may also be
  found in this Book of Biographies, purchased the interest of Mr. Rockfellow, and
  the firm has since been known as Hoffman & Divel. The firm has since erected new
  stables and built a large slaughter-house 50 by 80 feet on Montgomery street;
  also has a stock-yard 200 by 80 feet, and as the firm makes large shipments to
  the western part of the state, the D., L. & W. R. R. laid a side-track to its
  yards.
  
    Mr. Divel was united in Hymen's bonds to Barbara Fleckenstein, a daughter of
  Peter Fleckenstein, and their home has been blessed by the following children:
  Emma, wife of S. G. Johnson, a large real estate dealer of Carthage, Mo.;
  Elizabeth, who was wedded to W. L. Sidler, register and recorder of Montour
  County, Pa.; Lilly May, united in marriage to Henry Woolheater, a farmer of
  Union County, Pa.; Charlotte; Maggie; Laura; Ella; Minnie; Joseph; and Annie.
  Our subject owns a handsome residence, No. 404 Church street, which he makes his
  home; also two large tenement houses. He and his family are members of the
  Lutheran Church of Danville; politically he is an earnest adherent of Democratic
  principles and lends the weight of influence to the support of his party. He
  enjoys the confidence and respect of his townsmen, and has served one term in
  the town council, and was associate judge from 1890 to 1895, and was re-elected
  in 1895 for his second term. Socially Judge Divel is a member of Danville Lodge,
  No. 516, F. & A. M., and is past master of the same.
  
  
  Additional Comments:
  Extracted from:
  
  Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District
  Published by 
  Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)
  
  This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/
  
  File size: 4.5 Kb