Columbia-Northumberland County PA Archives Biographies.....Vastine, Jacob H. 1836 - 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 July 8, 2005, 3:25 pm Author: Biographical Publishing Co. JACOB H. VASTINE, M. D., one of the influential and honored physicians of Columbia County and a highly esteemed citizen of Catawissa, was born in Rush township, Northumberland County, Pa., April 2, 1836. Our subject is a descendant of Amos Vastine, who emigrated from Holland and settled in Bucks County, Pa. His son, John, was a native of Bucks County, but with his parents moved to Northumberland County, where he engaged in farming and distilling the rest of his active days. He was united in the bonds of wedlock with Catherine Osman, a native of Hackettstown, N. J., and they reared seven children, as follows: Elizabeth, William, Amos, Marguerite, Sarah, Thomas, and John. Mr. Vastine died aged sixty-two years; his wife passed from this life at the age of eighty years. William Vastine, the father of our subject, was born in Rush township, Northumberland County, Pa., in 1812, and his boyhood days were spent working with his father. Attaining his majority, he purchased a farm and successfully carried on general farming all his life. He was joined in marriage with Elizabeth Hursh, a daughter of John Hursh, a native of Rush township, Northumberland County. The father of our subject entered the world of rest in 1859. Mrs. Vastine passed to the unknown beyond in 1890, aged eighty-one years. The following children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Vastine: Amos, a retired farmer of Danville. Pa.; Hugh, a farmer residing near Riverside, Pa.; Simon, who resides on the old homestead; Ezra, deceased, who was a retired farmer and resided at Danville, Pa.; Elizabeth, the wife of Dr. James Ogleby of Danville; Daniel, who died at the age of eleven years; and Ellen, who also died at the age of eleven years. Mr. Vastine was a Whig; religiously he and his family favored the Lutheran Church. Dr. Jacob H. Vastine received his primary education in the common schools of his native town, which was later supplemented by an academic course in Danville Academy and Shamokin Collegiate Institute. He then entered Jefferson Medical College and was graduated with the class of 1858. He immediately began practicing his profession at Elysburg, Pa., and after remaining there two years went to Numidia, Columbia County, Pa., and successfully followed his profession in that district for a period of twenty-one years. In 1881 he removed to Catawissa, where he has since resided. Dr. Vastine has always had a large and lucrative practice, and during his younger days he covered a field in which three doctors now work. Until recently the Doctor has been a strong, robust man, never refused a call, and for thirty-five years he was not once compelled to take to his bed on account of sickness. He was a director of the old Bank of Catawissa, and since the formation of the First National Bank he has been its president. Dr. Vastine was married in 1861 to Sarah Hughs, a daughter of George Hughs of Catawissa, and they are the parents of the following children: Henrietta, wife of Asa Spencer of Lansdale, Pa.; Elizabeth, deceased; Dr. George H. Vastine, who was educated in the University of Susquehanna and then took a medical course in the University of Pennsylvania,—after spending one year abroad he returned and began practicing in Catawissa, and has since been united in marriage with Nellie Pfahler of Catawissa; William, cashier of the First National Bank of Catawissa, who received his education in the Susquehanna University and later graduated from Gettysburg College in 1893; Marion, a medical student; Harriet B.; Sarah; and Alder. During the late Rebellion our subject served one year as assistant surgeon in the 127th Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf. Dr. Vastine is prominent among his professional brethren and an influential member of the Columbia County Medical Association, of which he was one of the original members; the State Medical Association, of which he has been a member since 1875; American Medical Association; in 1887 he attended the ninth International Medical Congress at Washington, D. C., as a delegate from the state association; has been president of both county and state associations; has been physician for the Pennsylvania Railroad for a number of years; was the first president of the board of health of Catawissa; is a member of the I. O. O. F.; Catawissa Lodge, F. & A. M., and the R. A. M., and is past high priest of the same; and is a member and present commander of Hoagland Post, G. A. R. Politically Dr. Vastine is a stanch Republican. We present a recent portrait of our subject on a previous page. 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: 5.2 Kb