Submitted by Patte Kelley patwikel@nb.net Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Family History: The Coder Family WILLIAM J. CODER, a Methodist Episcopal minister and physician born about 1785, resided and preached in Luzerne, Northumberland, and Columbia Counties, PA, in the early 19th century. Around 1838 he, along with a group of neighbors and family members, went west to Havana, Tazewell County [later Mason County], Illinois. At least one of his sons, GEORGE H. CODER, remained behind. The History of Menard and Mason Counties, Illinois (1879) says of William: The first practitioner of the healing art was William Coder, who had settled in the eastern part of Havana Township in 1838. He was a minister of some reputation as well as a physician, and sought by his labors to heal spiritual as well as physical infirmities. William and his wife had seven sons: · DAVID J. CODER b. 12 August 1812, Luzerne County, PA · GEORGE H. CODER b. 10 June 1814 PA · WILLIAM CODER · ROBERT CODER · ELISHA B. CODER b. 1820 PA · NELSON H. CODER b. about 1822 · And one son whose name is unknown to me. I do not know William's wife's name. Her first name may have been Harriet, as David and George each named his oldest daughter Harriet. According to some descendants of William his wife was "Pennsylvania Dutch." William died on 15 December 1841, in Mason County. His estate was administered in April of 1842 by his neighbors Robert Faulkner, Thomas K. Faulkner, and William Hibbs. An obituary, written by his son George H. Coder, appeared in the Danville Intelligencer, Danville, PA, on January 21, 1842, and read: On the 15th of December, in Mason County, Illinois, the REV. WILLIAM CODER, minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, formerly of Northumberland County, Pa. He died as he had lived, an exemplary Christian, and faithful minister of the Gospel, and often with the poet could he exclaim, My life my blood I here present, If for thy troth they may be spent, Fulfil [sic] thy sovereign counsel Lord; Thy will be done; thy name adored, Give me the strength, O God of power! Then let winds blow or thunders roar, Thy faithful witness I will be, Through time and in Eternity. So long as he was able, he was found at his post warning sinners to flee the rath [sic] to come, and often would exclaim Happy if with my latest breath, I may but gasp his name, Preach him to all, and cry in death, Behold! behold the lamb! He died without a struggle or a groan, he has left a wife and seven children to mourn the loss of a departed Father and friend, but their loss is his infinite gain. G.H.C. GEORGE H. CODER Son of William J. Coder On 7 December 1837 in Columbia County, PA, George H. Coder (born 1814 PA) married ALIDA PITNER (b. 1811 PA) daughter of JOHN PITNER and MARY TOMLINSON of Northumberland County, PA. The wedding was performed by Rev. Henry G. Dill of the Methodist Episcopal Church. George and Alida lived in Danville, Columbia County (now Montour County). Then, in 1850, they moved to Shamokin, Northumberland County. They had 8 children: · HARRIET CODER died in childhood · MARY ELLEN CODER b. 22 January 1842 PA · JOHN CODER b. 13 November 1843 PA · WILLIAM CODER died in childhood. · DARIUS CODER. b. March 1847 PA · ABNER PITNER CODER b.1848 PA · REBECCA CODER died in childhood, and · GEORGE CODER died in childhood. In Shamokin, George was first a miller, then a schoolteacher in the common school of Coal Township. The Coders resided in a "two-storey frame house with water at the door" on Sunbury Street, between Washington and Liberty. George belonged to the Oddfellows (Tabor Lodge) and the Lodge of the Good Templar. He and Alida belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and George was instrumental in the founding of the Shamokin church of that denomination. He was a trustee and his house was the meeting place for the church's founders. He was a strong supporter of the temperance movement and served on committees for that cause, including the Sons of Temperance. He was a Republican, served as town auditor, and also ran for commissioner and justice of the peace. In later years George suffered a series of paralyzing strokes. He worked for that time as a flagman at the Shamokin Street RR crossing. George died from the effects of his final stroke on 6 August 1875. Alida died at their son D! arius' home in Rush Township, on 27 February 1882. George and Alida are buried in the Coder/Booth family plot in the Shamokin Cemetery. MARY ELLEN CODER Daughter of George H. Coder Mary Ellen Coder married WILLIAM BOOTH in Shamokin, PA, in 1842. They had 13 children, many of whom died in childhood. · ELIZABETH A. BOOTH · GEORGE H. BOOTH · JAMES T. BOOTH · CHARLES WEAVER BOOTH · JOSEPH BOOTH · JOHN F. BOOTH · MARY C. BOOTH · ALIDA H. BOOTH · SARAH ELLEN BOOTH · JAMES NELSON BOOTH · WILLIAM B. BOOTH · EDWARD R. BOOTH · PHEBE BOOTH William was the superintendent of the Philadelphia and Reading Coal and Iron Company at Shamokin. In later years the family moved to Virginia. Mary died of pneumonia in 1896. JOHN CODER Son of George H. Coder John was born 13 November 1843. He enlisted in the Union Army, was wounded in the leg at the battle of Cedar Mountain, Virginia, and died at Wolf St. Hospital, Alexandria, VA, on 19 September 1862. He is buried in the Veteran's Circle at the Shamokin Cemetery. DARIUS CODER Son of George H. Coder Darius was born 11 March 1847. He married EMMA DIEBLER of Northumberland County on 6 December 1870. The service was conducted by Rev. N.S. Buckingham. Their children were · GEORGE W. CODER, a dentist who married MARGARET (last name unknown) and · ELLA CODER, a schoolteacher who never married. Darius was a machinist. He and his family moved to Sunbury, then to Philadelphia, PA, where he died in April of 1920. Darius and Emma are buried in the Coder/Booth family plot at the Shamokin Cemetery. ABNER PITNER CODER Son of George H. Coder Abner was born in 1848. He married AMELIA G. PITNER (Minnie) of Northumberland County who was born in 1847. They had 2 children: · JOHN CODER and · HATTIE CODER. Abner was a printer and at one time was co-owner of the Shamokin Herald with Elmer Hefflefinger. After 1880 he and his family moved to Washington DC, where he was a printer for the U.S. government. He died in DC in 1890 or 1891.