Biographical Annals of Northumberland County:  REBUCK       

Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Tony  Rebuck.   
tar2@psu.edu      

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Reprinted from Genealogical and Biographical  Annals of  Northumberland County, 
PA  J L Floyd &  Co.           
REBUCK   Pages 762 thru 765 & 783-784            

	REBUCK  The name of Rebuck is perpetuated in Northumberland county in 
the post office Rebuck, named after one of the members of this family its 
representatives are numerous and among the most respected residents of their   
section, Washington township and the surrounding territory.  [T]he first 
ancestor of the family in this  country was from [Beiber in] the German  
Palatinate.  This pioneer ancestor was known in the New World by the 
name [Valentine] Rebuck.  He first located in Berks county, whence he came 
to Northumberland county, settling in Jackson township, in that part now 
embraced in Washington township. There is the old-established business   
stand, now for many years conducted and owned by the Kehres family, where 
the post office and hamlet of Rebuck are located.  The hamlet contains about 
a dozen dwellings. The pioneer was a farmer. Among his children were  
[Peter], John Adam, and Michael.  Valentine Rebuck in 1778 was among the 
taxables of Mahanoy township, which then included considerable territory in 
the lower end of the county.      
	Michael Rebuck, son of [Valentine], the pioneer, was born  July 14, 
1769, and died Oct. 7, 1852, when over eighty-three years of age.  He lived 
on Greenbrier creek, in Washington township, and was an extensive farmer, 
following agricultural pursuits all his life.  He had a tract of 162  acres  
which is still in the family name, being now owned by his grandson, John 
Rebuck.  He built the barn still standing on that property, and also a small 
dwelling house. He was a Reformed member of the Himmel Church. His wife,  
Catharine (Reis), born Aug. 21, 1775, died Nov. 7, 1858. Their children were:  
Bevvy,  who married Peter Ferster; and Godfried, called "Big Godfried."   
	Godfried Rebuck, son of Michael, was born July 28, 1798, and died May 
29, 1875. He was a tall heavy man, with dark  hair , was a farmer by  
occupation, and owned much land, living on the Greenbrier homestead of the 
Rebuck Family. He and his family worshipped with the Reformed congregation of  
the Himmel Church, and they are buried there.  His wife, Catharine (Wagner), 
 born March 26, 1801, died June 30, 1860.  They had children as follows: 
Salome married John Schreffler; Daniel W. is mentioned below; Catharine 
married  Harry Rebuck; Hannah married John Wetzel; Polly married Peter Snyder 
and (second) Henry Herb; Lydia married Philip Reitz; Harrison was born July 
12, 1834; Jacob, born in 1837, died unmarried, in 1855; John, born in 1839,  
died  unmarried, in 1861; Sarah married John Kieffer and (second) Jacob 
Reber.  Of this family, Harrison was a farmer during his active years, and now 
lives at Herndon, Pa., with his son J. Wilson Rebuck. During the Civil war 
he was in the  Union service as a member of Company K, 172d Regiment for  
nine months.  He married Elizabeth Paul, who died in September, 1904, in 
her seventy-second year, and they had children: John, James, Elmira L., 
Augustus, J. Wilson and Reilly.     
	Daniel W. Rebuck, son of Godfried and Catharine (Wagner) Rebuck, was 
born on the Greenbrier homestead in Washington township.  Though he owned 
considerable land, he followed his trade of shoemaker principally, leaving 
the cultivation of the farm to his children. He made many new shoes and did  
repairing, and his sons also took up the trade.  His farm at one time 
consisted of nearly three hundred acres.  A tall, heavy and strong man, he 
was thrifty and industrious, and brought his children up in the same way. He 
was a regular attendant of the Himmel Church, many members of the Rebuck 
family belonging to the Reformed congregation there,  and held various offices 
in that  church.  His wife, Lydia (Delp), daughter of George and Maricha 
(Thomas) Delp, bore him children as follows:  Cassie, a widow,  who has been  
twice  married, first to Joseph Hepler and later to George Wolfgang; Charles, 
who died  aged twenty-one years;  Mary,  who died when twenty years old; Joel; 
Lydia;  Eliza,  wife of Samuel Zartman; Elsworth; Daniel, deceased; and John.  
All  the surviving members of this family live in Washington township.   
	JOEL REBUCK, son of Daniel W., was  born Sept. 8, 1854, on one of the 
Rebuck  homesteads,  and was reared to farm life,  remaining  at home until he 
reached the age of twenty-six years.  He was twenty four at the time of his 
marriage, and two years later began farming on a fifty acre tract in  
Washington township, where he lived for two years.  Thence he moved to another 
farm in the same township, the Elias Lahr place, where he lived until  1901.  
For the next two years his home was at Trevorton, from which place he  
returned to the farm for three years. at the end of which  time he moved to 
his present place where he has resided since 1906.  He has 110 acres of good 
land which is now cultivated by his son William.  The large stone house  was  
built in 1823 and remodeled in 1904.  Mr. Rebuck has been an active and 
useful member of his community, and has served as supervisor and school    
director of Washington township, holding the latter office nine years.  He is 
a  Democrat in politics.  He and his family attend religious worship at 
Himmel Church,  where he has held all the offices and done his share of the 
work.  Mr. Rebuck has the old German family Bible which his emigrant ancestor   
brought from the old country, and which contains an  inscription  specifying 
that it shall never be sold, but descend from the oldest to the next oldest 
of the family, always remaining in the Rebuck name. It bears the date 1748, 
and is highly prized by the family.     
	In 1874 Mr. Rebuck married Amanda Lahr,  daughter of Elias and Polly 
(Snyder) Lahr, of Herndon, Pa.; and they have had a family of eight  
children: Ida, who married Frank Klock,  after his decease becoming the wife 
of William Reitz; Emma, who married Roy Snyder; Daniel; William E.; Agnes, 
who  married Anthony Heath; Gertie, who married Daniel Dubendorf; a son that 
died in  infancy; and Charles.     
	John Adam Rebuck,  son of [Valentine] the pioneer; born [in Beiber, 
Germany] July 8, 1763, died in Upper Mahanoy township (of which Washington 
was then a part) June 15, 1835.  He made his last will and testament Sept. 28, 
1831, and it was entered for probate June 23, 1835. The executors were  his 
sons John and Godfried. The will is on record in the courthouse at Sunbury, in 
Book 3, page 202.  The wife it appears had died previously.  The records show 
Maria (Haubt), wife of Adam Rebuck, born Jan. 20, 1763, died July 29, 1830. 
The  following were his children: John, Adam, Conrad, Henry, Peter, Michael, 
Maria (married Jacob Robenhover), Frederick, Godfried, Jonas and Leonard. 
Nine of the sons grew to manhood and reared families.  The son Godfried was  
called "Little Godfried," and had a son Godfried who because of his red hair 
was known as Red Godfried.      
	Henry Rebuck, one of the sons of John  Adam Rebuck, Jr.,  was born May 
24, 1790, and died Oct. 17, 1817. He lived and died in Washington township, 
and he and his family are buried at the Himmel Church, of which they were 
Lutheran members. He owned a tract of seventy acres about one mile south  
of that church, his home place, and another tract of forty five acres in the 
same  township.  "Henner" Rebuck, as he was known,  married Anna Maria 
Brosius, who was born May 10, 1795, and died Jan. 13, 1869. They had two 
sons,  Peter  and Elias, both of whom were farmers in Washington township. 
The latter had the following children: Henry; John; Susanna, who married  
William Krissinger; and Maria, who married Luther Rebuck.      
	Peter Rebuck, son of Henry, was born May 10, 1815, in Washington 
township, and died March 19, 1858, in the prime of life. He was a member of  
the Himmel Church, where he is buried. By occupation he was a farmer, owning 
the place of 118 acres now owned by his son Isaac.  His wife, Catharine  
Ferster, daughter of Michael Ferster, was born Nov. 23, 1818, and died June 
23, 1881. Their children were as follows: Benjamin, who never married; 
Samuel; Isaac, of Washington township; Daniel, born in 1851, who died in  
1870; and Joseph, of Washington township.     
	SAMUEL REBUCK, son of Peter, born on  his father's farm in  Washington 
township Aug. 3, 1845, obtained such education as the subscription schools 
which flourished in his boyhood afforded.  He has always followed 
agricultural pursuits, and began farming for himself on his father's place of   
about 120 acres, living there from 1860 until 1895, when he removed to his 
present home. It is a ninety-six-acre tract situated between Mahanoy and  
Rebuck, and was formerly the  Michael Smith farm.  Mr. Rebuck has enlarged the 
barn, remodeled the house, and beautified his surroundings in many ways   
during his ownership of the place, which is nicely  situated and shows the 
modern methods which he has employed in the management.  In 1873 Mr. Rebuck  
married Dinah Reitz, daughter of David Reitz, and they had the following 
children: Alice, who is deceased; James; and  Morris, a farmer, living with  
his  father. On Sept. 17, 1886, Mr. Rebuck married (second) Katie Reitz, 
daughter of Peter and Mary (Hetrich) Reitz. No children have been born  to 
this union. Mr. Rebuck and his family are Lutheran members of the Himmel  
Church.     
	Michael Reitz, grandfather of Mrs. Samuel  Rebuck, was a  farmer, and 
lived a half mile north of Himmel's Church.  He  married Lena Eister, and 
they  had children as follows: Peter, Abraham, David, Leonard, Jonas and 
Christiana.      
	Peter Reitz, son of Michael, had a family of five children: John, 
Samuel, Louisa, Katie (Mrs. Samuel Rebuck) and Henry.      
	Peter Rebuck, one of the sons of John  Adam Rebuck, Jr., was a native of 
Washington  township, born Jan. 12, 1794, and died March 21, 1857. He is 
buried at St Peter's (Krebs) Church, near which he lived, owning the farm 
which now belongs to the Diener Estate, a tract of about sixty acres.  There 
he lived and died.  He was twice married, his second  wife being Eve Groh, 
who is buried at Valley View Church.  They had children as follows: Susanna, 
Helena, Lovina, and  Peter.      
	Peter Rebuck, son of Peter, was born March  4, 1829, in  Washington 
township, and was a lifelong farmer, owning the property in that township 
which now belongs to Benjamin Stepp. He  also followed carpentering, and was 
active in the affairs of the community as well as in his own business. He    
was a Democrat in politics and served as supervisor. His death occurred March 
9, 1875, and he is buried at St. Peter's Church, of which he  was a Reformed 
member. His first wife, Lydia (Ferster), born May 9, 1830, died Feb. 8, 
1870, the mother of six children: Luther; William; Henry; Samuel, born in 
1883, who died in 1882; Mary, who married William Seiler, of Valley View; 
and Harriet, born, in 1868, who died in  1870. Mr. Rebuck's second marriage 
was  to Susanna Brown, and they had two children: John and  Lovina.     
	LUTHER REBUCK, son of Peter and Lydia (Ferster) Rebuck, was born Feb. 
9, 1855, in Washington township, and was  educated in the local public 
schools. When sixteen years old he went to learn the carpenter's trade with 
one Joseph  Brosius.  Subsequently he worked a year at Hickory Corners, and 
then for a number of years was employed in the lumber districts of the East. 
For seven years he followed tin-smithing. In the spring of 1895 Mr. Rebuck 
returned to  Washington township, where he has since followed farming,  
owning a Rebuck farm  which formerly belonged to Elias Rebuck, and which  
came to him through marriage into the Reitz family. It comprises 120 acres. 
On July 17, 1902, Mr. Rebuck's, barn was destroyed by lightning, together  
with the entire year's crop, entailing a heavy loss, but he immediately 
rebuilt; putting up a good barn 80 by 35 feet.  Mr. Rebuck is a man of   
intelligence and  broad views, his varied experiences  and travel in his 
younger manhood having made him familiar with human life in its various 
phases.  He has a number of old and valuable books, and an old family  Bible  
which he cherishes greatly.      
	On March 7, 1895, Mr. Rebuck married  Maria Rebuck, daughter of Elias 
and Mary (Reitz) Rebuck, and granddaughter of Henry Rebuck. Their only 
child is Sarah Alice.  Mr. Rebuck and his family are members of the  
Reformed Church.      
	WILLIAM REBUCK, brother of Luther  Rebuck, was born in  Washington 
township Nov. 27, 1856, and has spent all his life in the same district.  He 
was reared to farming, and worked as a hired man and laborer until able to 
start for himself, beginning  farming at his present home in Washington  
township in the spring of 1899.  His farm of eighty-one acres, an old Reitz 
homestead, was formerly the property of one Jonathan Reitz and later of 
Daniel Latsha.  Mr. Rebuck is a Democrat, and gave  several years  public   
service as overseer of the poor of his district.  He and his family worship 
with the Lutheran congregation of the Himmel Church.      
	On June 28, 1887, Mr. Rebuck married Mary Amelia Reitz, daughter of 
Samuel and  Elizabeth (Reitz)Reitz and granddaughter of Daniel Reitz (who 
lived where Luther Rebuck is now located) and of Philip Reitz (who lived at  
the present home of Cornelius Adams). Mr. and Mrs. Rebuck  have four   
children: Lydia A., Harvey E.; Ida L. and Gertie  M.          
	JOHN H. RABUCK, stonemason and  farmer of Upper Mahanoy township,  
Northumberland county, was born Sept. 27, 1862, in Washington township, this 
county, son of Harrison W. and  Eliza (Paul) Rabuck. The family  name, 
usually spelled Rebuck, has been perpetuated in this region in the post    
office Rebuck, named after a member of this well known  family, which is  
especially numerous in Washington township and the surrounding territory.     
	[T]he first ancestor of the family in this country was from the German 
Palatinate and came to America [from Beiber] in his native land.  This  
pioneer ancestor was known in the New World by the name [Valentine] Rebuck.  
He first located in Berks county, whence he came to Northumberland county,   
settling in Jackson township, in that part now embraced in Washington township. 
There is the old-established business stand, now for many years conducted 
and owned by the Kehres family, where the post office and hamlet of Rebuck 
are located.  The hamlet contains about a dozen dwellings. The pioneer was a 
farmer. Among his children were [Peter], John Adam, and Michael.  Valentine 
Rebuck in 1778 was among the taxables of Mahanoy  township, which then 
included considerable territory in the lower end of the county.    
	Michael Rebuck, son of [Valentine], the pioneer, was born July 14, 1769, 
and died Oct. 7, 1852, when over eighty-three years of age.  He lived  on 
Greenbrier creek, in Washington township, and was an extensive farmer, 
following agricultural pursuits all his life.  He had a tract of 162  acres  
which is still in the family name, being now owned by his grandson, John 
Rebuck.  He built the barn still standing on that property, and also a small 
dwelling house. He was a Reformed member of the Himmel  Church. His wife,   
Catharine (Reis), born Aug. 21, 1775, died Nov. 7, 1858. Their children were:  
Bevvy, who married Peter Ferster; and Godfried, called "Big Godfried."  
Godfried Rebuck, Son of Michael, was born July 28, 1798, and died May 29,  
1875. He was a tall heavy man, with dark  hair, was a farmer by occupation, and 
owned much land, living on the Greenbrier homestead of the Rebuck family.  
He and his family worshipped with the Reformed  congregation at  the Himmel 
Church, and they are buried there.  His wife, Catharine (Wagner), born  
March 26, 1801, died June 30, 1860. They had children as follows: Salome 
married  John Schreffler; Daniel W. married Lydia Delp; Catharine  married  
Harry Rebuck; Hannah married John Wentzel; Polly married Peter Snyder and 
(second) Henry Herb; Lydia married Philip Reitz; Harrison W. is mentioned 
below; Jacob, born in 1837,  died unmarried; John, born in 1839 died unmarried, 
in  1861; Sarah married John Kieffer and (second) Jacob Reber.  There were 
three Godfried Rebucks, known as "Big Godfried,"  "Little Godfried" and "Red  
Godfried." The latter, Godfried B. Rebuck, kept the store and post office at 
Rebuck.     
	Harrison W. Rebuck, son of Godfried, was  born July 12, 1834, and was a 
farmer during his active years.  He moved from Washington township to 
Eldred township, Schuylkill county, thence to Jordan township, this county, 
and then to Mifflin  township, Dauphin Co., Pa., in 1881 returning thence to  
Northumberland county and locating in Jordan township  again. From there he 
returned to Dauphin county, settling near Gratztown, in Lykens township.  He 
now lives at  Herndon, Pa., with his son J. Wilson Rebuck. During the  Civil 
war he was in the Union service as a member of  Company K, 172d  Regiment for 
nine months. He married Elizabeth Paul, who died in September, 1904, in her 
seventy-second year, and they had children: John H., James, Elmira L.,  
Augustus, J., Wilson and Reilly.      
	John H. Rabuck attended the common  schools of Jordan  township and later 
those of Mifflin township, Dauphin county.  But he was obliged to begin 
work early, leaving school during the panic of 1873 and beginning to learn 
the trade of stone mason. As the hard times did not seem to lessen in  
severity be left Dauphin county, where his parents were then living, for a 
time.      
	In 1888 he first came to the farm where he  now lives, in  Upper Mahanoy 
township, a tract of sixty-six acres which formerly belonged to Andrew  
Snyder, who built the present house there. In the earlier days it was owned 
by Heinrich  Schadel, whose son William succeeded him, and during William   
Schadel's ownership of the place all the buildings on the premises were 
destroyed by fire.  Mr. Rabuck and his father built the barn. John H. Rabuck 
has owned this farm since 1904.  He is a thrifty and successful farmer, and 
he  has become one of the substantial and respected citizens of his   
neighborhood, where he is very popular, being a man of intelligence and well 
read, with an interesting personality which draws  many friends to him. He is  
a member of the I.O.O.F., belonging to Lodge No. 637, of Klingerstown,  and  
in religion is a  Lutheran; holding membership in the Hebe Church.   
	Politically he is identified with the Republican party. Mr. Rabuck's travels 
and varied experiences have  given him a broad out look on affairs affecting  
the general welfare, in which he is much interested.  He retains many traits 
developed during his roving life, and he is one of the best climbers anywhere 
in  his  section.     
	Elias F. Rebuck; a farmer in Upper Mahanoy  township, was born there Feb. 
23, 1842, son of Samuel Rebuck and grandson of John Rebuck. The latter was 
a farmer in the same township, owning what is now the property of David Paul. 
He is buried  at the Himmel Church. By his first wife, Catharine Brosius; he 
had seven children: Samuel, David, Catharine, Godlieb, Gabriel, Polly and 
John. His second marriage was to Catharine Thomas, by whom he. had three 
children, Elias, Daniel and Anna.  By his third wife, Elizabeth 
(Druckenmiller), there were no children. His three wives  are buried at the  
Himmel Church.     
	Samuel Rebuck, son of John, was born June 17, 1810, and died March 30, 
1882, where his son Elias now lives. He is buried at the Salem Church, of  
which he was a Reformed  member, and served as deacon and elder of his  
congregation.  He followed farming during his active years where David S. Paul    
now lives, in Upper Mahanoy township, and in his earlier life also engaged in 
shoemaking.  He owned a tract of land at Seven Points. He was a public- 
spirited man, and served his township as school director and supervisor.  His 
wife, whose maiden name was Brosius, was born March 5, 1809, and  died Feb. 
23,  1894.  To them were born children as follows: Rosina married William  
Heim; Lydia married Elias Ochs; Mary died unmarried; John married Elizabeth 
Ossman; Samuel married Lovina  Kehres;  Elias F. is mentioned  below; Polly 
married  Daniel Schlegel; Kate married Nathan Steely; Amelia married William  
Kutz.      
	Elias F. Rebuck had limited advantages for securing an education in the 
subscription schools conducted in the vicinity of his early home. He was  
reared to farm life, and began farming for himself in the spring of 1877 at 
the place where he has since continued to reside, a farm of 114 acres in Upper    
Mahanoy township, originally an Orendorf homestead, later owned by John 
Eisenhart, Heinrich Fetter and Samuel Rebuck, successively, before it passed 
into the present ownership. A fine frame dwelling Mr. Rebuck erected in 
1906 replaced an old log house which had stood for over one hundred years.      
	In 1879 Mr. Rebuck married Sarah Snyder, daughter of Levi  Snyder, now 
the oldest resident of Upper Mahanoy township, and they have had  children 
as follows: Meda C. (Mrs. John  Baum), Mary A., Samuel Henry, Rosa C., Katie 
C., Charles Elias and Lulu E.  Mr. Rebuck is a member of the  Salem (Herb) 
Church, of which he was an elder for six years; his  wife belongs to the 
Lutheran  congregation of that church.  Politically Mr. Rebuck is a 
Democrat.