BIO: Olaf F. FERRIS, native of Mahoopany, Wyoming County, PA

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Author: Biographical Publishing Co.

OLAF F. FERRIS.* Among the self-made men of Columbia County and one of her
foremost agriculturists, as well as a gentleman respected for his sterling worth
and integrity, we take pleasure in mentioning a few facts connected with the
life of the gentleman whose name heads these lines. He is a farmer by calling
and is engaged in the prosecution of his vocation on his fine farm a few miles
from the town of Berwick. He was born at Mahoopany, Wyoming County, Pa., March
21, 1848, and is a son of Simeon and Holy Ann (June) Ferris.

  Ransford Ferris, the great-grandfather of our subject, was one of the
prominent farmers of Stamford, Conn., and spent his entire life in that
occupation. He passed from this life about 1821. His wife was Lizzie June, and
they were the parents of the following children: Avery, Simeon. Alvin, Joseph,
Debbie, Betsey, Lucetis, and Abigail. Simeon Ferris, the grandfather of our
subject, was born at Stamford, Conn., and died at his home in Sussex County, N.
J., September, 1821. His occupation was that of a shoemaker, which he followed
in connection with farming. He was joined in marriage to Nancy Simmons and the
following children blessed their home: Isaac, who moved to the West during his
young manhood; Appollos, deceased, was a miller at Boontown, N. J.; Simeon, the
father of our subject; John Calvin, a retired farmer residing at Tunkhannock,
Wyoming County, Pa.; Abbie, deceased, who was the wife of Isaac Ward; Polly,
deceased, who was the wife of Smith Lockwood, of Connecticut; Mary Ann,
deceased, who was united in marriage to Rufus Lonsburg of Connecticut; Clarinda,
deceased, who wedded William Douglas of Lovelton, Pa.; Martha, widow of the late
William T. Adams of Lovelton, Pa.; and Electa, deceased, who was the wife of
Edwin Lewis.

  Simeon Ferris, father of our subject, was born in Stamford, Conn., August 12,
1809, and during his boyhood days he worked with his father, learning the
shoemaker's trade, which he followed in Sussex County, N. J., until 1836, when
he moved to Mahoopany, Wyoming County, Pa. He purchased a tract of land and
engaged in general farming the rest of his active days. In religious views he
was a devoted and consistent member of the Methodist Church. He exerted a great
influence for the good of the church and might be called the father of the
Mahoopany Methodist Church. He entered the world of rest March 7, 1875. He was
joined in the bonds of wedlock to Holy Ann June, and a family of twelve children
blessed their home, namely: Appollos, who was born at Wanaque, N. J., June 14,
1828, and was a stonemason and builder residing at Tunkhannock, Pa.; David L.,
who was born at Wanaque, N. J., February 25, 1830, and was a carpenter and
builder of Tunkhannock, Pa.; Michael, born November 24, 1831, died August 12,
1860; Harriet, born at Liberty Corner, N. J., November 23, 1833. and died April
25, 1855; Eliza Jane, born at Liberty Corner, N. J., November 4, 1835, widow of
the late William Labor of Tunkhannock, Pa.; Henry, born at Mahoopany, Pa., April
14, 1838, was a soldier in the Civil War, and died at Hamburg, Pa., December 25,
1861, after serving three months in Company B, 52nd Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf.; Levi
L., born March 11, 1840, enlisted in Company B, 52nd Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf., in
September, 1861, and was killed May 31, 1862, in the battle of Fair Oaks, Va.,
by a minie ball, which struck him above the right eye; Mary Emily, born June 28,
1842, who is the widow of the late John C. Fraley of Mahoopany, Pa.; Charles,
born June 13, 1844, enlisted in the same company as did his two brothers, got as
far as Alexandria, Va., when he was taken sick and was sent to the camp
hospital, where he died April 20, 1864; Clarissa, born in Mahoopany, April 20,
1846, who is the wife of Frank Smith, a lumberman; and our subject.

   Olaf F. Ferris was reared on his father's farm and attended school until he
was twenty-one years of age. He then learned the trade of a carpenter, which he
followed as a journeyman a number of years; later he was a contractor and
builder at Nanticoke, Pa., for a period of ten years. He then embarked in the
grocery business in the same town, and four years later, in 1857, he removed to
his present farm, which consists of 288 acres of the best land in Briarcreek
township. In addition to carrying on farming he keeps a dairy and has a herd of
fifteen head of thoroughbred Jersey cattle. He also has a fine poultry yard,
which contains the following variety of chickens: golden wyandottes; silver
laced wyandottes; buff cochins; partridge cochins; buff leghorn; and Indian
game. Our subject is a member of the Wyoming Lodge No. 248, F. & A. M., and also
is past master of the same lodge; Caldwell Consistory, S. P. R. S., N. M. J. of
Bloomsburg; Berwick Lodge, I. O. O. F., and grand past master of Warrior Run
Lodge, I. O. O. F., of Nanticoke, Pa.; Berwick Castle No. 20, K. of G. E.; and
in religious views he is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Politically Mr.
Ferris is a firm Republican and has served in the town council. January 7, 1875,
he was united in the bonds of matrimony to Martha Fairchild, a daughter of the
late John Fairchild, a farmer of Nanticoke, Pa. To this union four children were
born: Ada A., John Horace, Martha Elizabeth, and Olaf Carleton, all of whom
reside at home with their parents.

Additional Comments:
* The information contained in this biography was supplied by the subject of
this sketch. A type-set copy of the biography was sent to the subject to be
proof-read, but the subject did not edit and return the copy, so this biography
may contain typographical errors.

  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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