BIO:  Alfred Franklin Dreisbach, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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Part II, Biographical Sketches, Shrewsbury Township, Pg 172

REV. ALFRED FRANKLIN DREISBACH, A. B., resident pastor of the Reformed Church, at Shrewsbury, 
was born in Northampton County, Penn., September 8, 1851.  His parents were Jacob and Matilda 
(Gormanton) Dreisbach, of Pennsylvania, and of German and French descent.  They had a family of 
eight children – three sons and one daughter (of whom Rev. Alfred is the youngest) now living.  
Of the parents, the mother died in 1861, at the age of forty-nine years, while his father is 
still residing at his native place.  The primary education of our subject was received at the 
public schools, but at the age of sixteen years he went to Easton Collegiate Institute, where 
he remained nine or ten terms.  He studied the languages under Rev. Dr. E. W. Reinecke, of 
Nazareth, Penn., for two years, and also taught school for six terms.  At the age of twenty-one 
he entered Franklin & Marshall College at Lancaster, Penn., and graduated in 1877 as A. B.  He 
at once entered the theological seminary at Lancaster, from which he graduated in May, 1880, 
and in August he was called to his present charge, and was ordained as soon as called.  June 
29, 1880, he was married at Lancaster, Penn., to Mary E. Hoffmeier, daughter of William M. 
Hoffmeier, of Lancaster, and of German and Scotch-Irish descent.  He reorganized a neglected 
congregation at New Freedom, and built a church and parsonage at Shrewsbury.  At present he 
preaches at Shrewsbury; at St. Peter’s, in Springfield Township; at Jerusalem, in Shrewsbury 
Township; and at Bethlehem in Codorus Township, and at New Freedom.