BIOS: The COUNTRYMAN Family, Somerset County, PA

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Candace Roth

Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/
________________________________________________

History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania; Bedford County by E. 
Howard Blackburn; Somerset County by William H. Welfley; v.3, Pub. The Lewis 
Publishing Company, New York/Chicago 1906, ppg. 176-178

COUNTRYMAN Family.

This sketch relates to the Countryman family of Somerset county, Pennsylvania, 
to which belongs Harry A. G. Countryman, of Somerset borough, who is now engaged 
in the undertaking and furniture business.
(I) George Countryman was one of the pioneer settlers in Brothers Valley 
township, Somerset county, Pennsylvania.  The date of his coming was 1761, two 
years prior to that of the settlement made by Simon Hay, which was according to 
records in 1763, or five years prior to lands being open for actual settlers by 
purchase.  Mr. Countryman went to some one of the eastern counties of 
Pennsylvania to secure work, and while there met Simon Hay and told him that he 
had two "tomahawk claims" in the wild woods across the Allegheny mountains, and 
that if he would help him do some work he would give him one of the claims, 
where the Indians still roamed at will and frequently made hostile attacks upon 
the whites.  The claims thus offered was what is now the Philip Hay farm.  Mr. 
Countryman kept the south claim; in all, he claimed one thousand acres.  The 
land office records show that he made application for four hundred and ten acres 
December 9, 1772, which was surveyed May 17, 1774. 
George Countryman married a Miss Griffith, by whom was born one son, Jacob.
(II) Jacob Countryman, only son of George Countryman (I), was born in Somerset 
county in 1787, died March 4, 1869, aged eighty-two years, two months and eight 
days.  He married Hannah, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Lane, of Berlin, 
Pennsylvania.  By this union were born: Mary, Catharine, Jacob J., Malinda, 
Caroline, Jerome, Samuel, Ephraim, Francis J.
(III) Francis J. Countryman, son of Jacob and Hannah (Lane) Countryman (2), 
married Laura, daughter of George Fritz and wife, by whom were born: Clarissa, 
George, Jacob, Ellen, Henry, Elriam, Tracy, Milton, Herman, William.  The father 
died in Jenner township, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, October, 1883.  Mrs. 
Francis J. Countryman, the mother, died at Meyersdale, February, 1887.
(IV) George Jacob Countryman, son of Francis J. and Laura (Fritz) Countryman 
(3), was born in 1854.  He obtained his education at the common schools and 
taught for three terms successfully.  His chief occupation, however, was that of 
a farmer.  In his church connections he was a member of the German Reformed body 
and served as deacon.  Politically he was always a staunch, intelligent 
Republican, believing that this party came closer to meeting the demands of the 
people at large than any other organization.  He married Belinda, daughter of 
Mr. and Mrs. William G. Hay, of Brothers Valley township, Somerset county, 
Pennsylvania, in 1874.  By this union were born four children: William, married, 
October 21, 1901, Estella Pile, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania; they have one 
child, James. Harvey, married, December 27, 1905, Edith Dysart, of Nachusa, 
Illinois.  Harry A. G., of whom later.  Ellen, married, June 7, 1903, John 
Seibert, now deceased.  Mr. Countryman, the father, died in Quemahoning 
township, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, April 28, 1890.
(V) Harry A. G. Countryman, son of George Jacob and Belinda (Hay) Countryman 
(4), was born in Jennerstown, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, April 1, 1880.  He 
attended the common schools and worked on the farm until seventeen years of age, 
when he went to Dixon, Illinois, where he worked on a dairy farm for a time, but 
soon came east and found employment with the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company 
as fireman, but believing there was some easier, safer manner of gaining a 
livelihood, he came to Somerset borough and assisted in establishing the first 
regular music store of the place.  This was in 1900, and in 1901 he sold to W. 
L. Morrison.  The next six months he clerked in the hardward store of John H. 
Miller.  He then purchased a half interest in the furniture business of F. H. 
Sufalls.  In the autumn of 1901 he attended the Pittsburg (Pennsylvania) School 
of Anatomy, from which he graduated.  To the former business he then added an 
undertaking department (generally coupled with the furniture trade, especially 
in the smaller places), and in 1903 the firm of Sufalls & Countryman built a 
department store of their own, on West Main street, Somerset, where they enjoy a 
prosperous business.  In each of the years 1904 and 1905 Mr. Countryman erected 
a dwelling, one of which he now lives in.  In politics he is a Republican, and 
in the matter of religion is a member of the German Reformed church.
He was united in marriage November 14, 1901, to Nellie Ardene Gaynor, daughter 
of Thomas and Frances (Fogle) Gaynor, and they have one child, Thelma Marie, 
born March 3, 1906.  Mrs. Countryman was well educated in the common schools, 
and in 1898 accepted employment as clerk in the large dry goods store of J. H. 
Siffords & Company of Somerset, Pennsylvania, where she remained until the date 
of her marriage.  Little is known of her paternal ancestry except the fact that 
when but twelve years of age her father, Thomas Gaynor, left his home in New 
Jersey to become a drummer-boy in the Union army during the great civil war 
period.  It is related of him that he took passage from home under a box-car, 
thus riding to the point where he hoped to be admitted to the government 
service, but upon being rejected he went to Baltimore, Maryland, then drifted 
north into the copper mine regions, from which location he came to Somerset, 
Pennsylvania.  His marriage occurred in Maryland.
Among the enterprising business factors of Somerset no young man stands higher 
in business circles than does he for whom this record is given.