Sullivan County PA Archives Biographies.....MAGARGEL, Phoebe E. 
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  File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
  Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com August 6, 2005, 4:05 pm
  
  Author: Biographical Publishing Co.
  
  MRS. PHOEBE E. MAGARGEL, who, until January 2, 1899, was proprietor of one of
  the most popular public houses in the southern part of Sullivan County, is the
  widow of the late Thomas S. Magargel, who was born in the city of Philadelphia
  and who was a son of Britten and Ann (Schuster) Magargel.
  
    Britten Magargel was of Scotch descent and settled in Lairdsville, Pa., during
  his later years, where he conducted a mercantile store and later engaged in
  general farming.
  
    Thomas S. Magargel possessed a fine education and his boyhood days were spent
  assisting his father in running the store and later aided him in the labors
  about the farm. After his marriage he settled in Sonestown, where he rented the
  old Taylor Hotel, and through his successful management of the same accumulated
  enough money to purchase the property, and, in 1886, he erected a three and
  one-half story hotel of 17 rooms; the rooms were large, comfortable and well
  furnished, and Mr. Magargel gave the business the closest supervision and no
  expense or trouble was spared to make the hotel service perfect, even to the
  smallest detail. That these efforts were not lost on those accepting of his
  hospitality was evidenced by the fact that once guests they were always guests
  when business afterwards called them to that locality. He was very popular with
  the transients, and aided by his loving wife did all in his power to make it as
  homelike as possible. The demise of Mr. Magargel, which occurred in the year
  1889, was greatly lamented by a host of friends, who recognized him as a man of
  sterling worth and strict integrity. He was an upright citizen, highly esteemed
  in his community, and exerted his influence in the promotion of its best interests.
  
    Mr. Magargel chose for his life companion Phoebe E. Houseknecht, who has
  proved herself a kind and loving wife, and much of the success of her husband
  was due to the part she had taken in the management of the hotel. She is a
  daughter of Jacob and Susanna (Sones) Houseknecht, and her father was born in
  Lycoming County and was a son of John Houseknecht who was a farmer and who died
  aged eighty-seven years. Mr. and Mrs. Houseknecht were the parents of the
  following children: John; Julian; Peter; Betsey; Jacob; Benjamin; Daniel;
  Charles; Mary Jane; Issachar; and Phoebe E., the subject of this sketch. Mrs.
  Magargel conducted the hotel after her husband's death until January 2, 1899,
  and has won the highest respect of the traveling public as a landlady; the
  hotel, as operated by her, was by all odds the best in its section of the
  county, was well furnished, and the meals served by this establishment also
  added greatly to its popularity with the traveling public.
  
     Mr. Magargel was a solid Democrat in politics, and served as commissioner and
  as constable; fraternally he was a member and past grand of the I. O. O. F. Mr.
  and Mrs. Magargel reared the following children: Harry, a farmer by trade, was
  married to Belle Ray by whom he reared four children, -Brewnard, Schuster,
  Emerson, and Wort; Ella May is the wife of Lincoln Sheets; Clara is the wife of
  Charles Starr, and two children blessed their home, -Celia and Frank, the latter
  deceased; Jacob B. is a prominent merchant of Sonestown; Frank, a merchant of
  Muncy Valley, Pa., was wedded to Cora Crawley; Ralph is living at home; and
  Maude, deceased.
  
  
  
  Additional Comments:
    Extracted from:
      
      Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District
      Published by 
      Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)
  
  
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