| Notes |
- Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania: Including
the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion: Containing
Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Etc.
Chicago: J. H. Beers, 1898.
_____________________________________________________________________
HENRY CLAY HOLTER, a veteran of the Civil war, and a prominent
resident of Howard borough, Centre county, is a descendant of three
well-known pioneer families. On the paternal side, his grandfather,
Jacob Holter, Sr., who was born in Maryland in 1776, came to Centre
county in 1800, and opened a blacksmith shop in Howard township, where
he later engaged in farming. He died at the age of eighty-six years.
His first wife, who was a Miss Miller, died leaving two children, and
he afterward married Miss Catherine Neff, a native of the Bald Eagle
Valley, who died at the age of eighty-five years.
By this last union there were eleven children, among whom was a son,
Jacob, Jr., the father of our subject, who was born January 19, 1819,
and lived in Howard township until recent years, having now retired to
Liberty township, in the same county. In his more active days he was a
successful agriculturist, and also took an influential part in local
affairs and in the Republican party, serving as school director,
overseer of the poor and supervisor. He married Miss Catherine
Pletcher, a native of Howard township, and a daughter of Henry and
Magdalena (Schenck) Pletcher, who were born, reared and married in
Lancaster county, Penn., but located in 1796 upon a farm in Howard
township and made their permanent home. Mrs. Catherine Holter died at
the old homestead September 9, 1889, aged seventy-four years, six
months and eighteen days. She was a devout Christian, and for forty-
nine years had been a member of the Mennonite Church, to which her
husband has belonged for about fifty years.
To Jacob Holter, Jr., and his wife, Catherine (Pletcher), were born
children as follows: (1) Joseph L., a resident of Howard, married
Martha Kaup, and has one child - Anna J. (2) Henry C. is our subject;
(3) Michael P., a carpenter at Howard, married Susan B. Schenck, and
seven children were born to them - Minnie M., Lydia J. (Mrs. Pletcher),
Charles E., Albert L., James A., Samuel B., and Herbert J., who died
September 28, 1895. (4) John B., a stone mason and plasterer, of
Howard, married Carrie B. Smith (no children). (5) Magdalena died in
1852. (6) Catherine M. married Isaac Williams, a barber at Eagleville,
Penn., and has had eight children - Harry G., Shuman S., Eliza C.,
Henry S., Dela, Frankie, Laura and John J. (7) Nancy J. married Albert
Schenck, a farmer of Liberty township, Centre county, and had seven
children, all yet living - Carrie, May (Mrs. Coder; she has two
children - Albert and Reynold), Elsie, Wilber, Catherine, Irvine and
Viola; Mrs. Nancy J. Schenck died March 11, 1893. (8) Christian died in
infancy. (9) Jacob S., a plasterer at Howard, married Mary E. Miller,
and has one child - Sherman M. (10) Mary A. married Bower Schenck, a
farmer of Liberty township, and they have three children - Charles,
Morris and Lydia. (11) Susan E. married J. Z. Loder, of Howard, and
they also have three children - Joseph M., Mary B. and Mabel E.
The subject of our sketch was born September 21, 1843, and remained
at the old home in
316 COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Howard township, Centre county, until he was about nineteen years of
age, assisting in the farm work and attending the neighboring schools.
He displayed decided mechanical ability, and making choice of the
carpenter's trade began an apprenticeship in 1862. The "dark days" of
the Rebellion were drawing on, and every loyal man felt the prompting
within to aid as he could in the preservation of the Union. Young as
he was, Mr. Holter left the carpenter's bench after six months of his
apprenticeship had passed, and went to the front as a member of Company
D, 45th P. V. I., under Capt. Austin Curtin. He continued in the
service until the army was disbanded, and received but one wound, and
that a slight one, although he saw much severe fighting, especially in
the battles of the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Bethesda Church, Cold
Harbor, North Anna, the long struggle before Petersburg and the final
combat with Lee's forces. He was mustered out July 17, 1865, but he
has since been for some time a member of the 46th Regiment Pennsylvania
Militia. In 1876 he joined Centre County Veteran Club.
On his return from the war Mr. Holter resumed his work as an
apprentice, and completed his preparation for his trade, which he has
since followed successfully, six sawmills being among his list of large
buildings constructed. In 1876 he added undertaking; and in this
branch of work he formed a partnership in 1892 with J. H. Schenck. Mr.
Holter is highly esteemed in business circles, but his popularity does
not end there by any means. To mention the various offices which he
has held would be to enumerate all the important places on the local
ticket. He has been school director nine years; town councilman six
years; overseer of the door [poor] two years; chief burgess one term;
assessor one year; county collector two years; supervisor one year; and
for three years was secretary of the school board. He is a prominent
member of the Grand Army Post, No. 262, at Howard, and served five
years as commander and three as adjutant. He also held the leading
offices in the Patriotic Order Sons of America before their
disbandment. While he is not identified with any Church, he gives
generous support to all religious and philanthropic enterprises.
On June 30, 1868, Mr. Holter married Miss Mary E. Hall, who was born
June 30, 1849, the daughter of Robert and Mary (Armegast) Hall, natives
and lifelong residents of Union township, Centre county. Mr. and Mrs.
Holter have a bright, clever family of children. The eldest, Daniel
W., born April 26, 1869, is at home; Frank E., born February 11, 1872,
died May 5,1874; Nannie K., born January 16, 1874, married Lot
Thompson, of Liberty township, Centre county, and their children were -
Annie M., born June 2, 1895, died November 23, 1895; George C., born
June 21, 1896; and Clarence Cameron, born December 1, 1897; Lizzie M.,
born August 1, 1875, is a successful school teacher, and resides with
her parents; John S., born March 7, 1877, is an intelligent young man
with fine literary taste, and is now employed as clerk in the "Syracuse
Hotel" at Howard; Robert B., born January 19, 1879, is at home; Ella
L., born May 23, 1881, died March 13, 1897 (She was a member of the M.
E. Church and Epworth League); Mary A., born June 18, 1883, is at home;
Jacob L., born April 12, 1885, died December 26, 1888; David A., born
February 19, 1887, Philip C., born January 28, 1889, Simon C. B., born
September 4, 1892, and Henry W., born July 26, 1894, are at home.
|
Our Family History
1843 - 1918 (74 years)
[5, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29] 
