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John Shaner
JOHN SHANER, a farmer of Parks township, Armstrong county, one of the
oldest and most highly respected residents of his section, was born Sept. 18,
1832, in Westmoreland county, Pa., eldest son of Henry Shaner.Peter Shaner, great-grandfather of John Shaner, was the founder of the
family in this country. He came to America from Germany before the
Revolutionary war, and settled in western Pennsylvania, along the Schuylkill
river. After living there for some time he removed to Maryland, where he died.
His family consisted of twelve children, nine sons and three daughters,
namely: Adam; Peter; Henry; Christopher; David; Daniel; John; Andrew; another
son whose name is not remembered; Christian (daughter) and Catherine, whose
husbands were both named Keefer; and another daughter who became Mrs. Ichus.
All the sons except John and Andrew removed to western Pennsylvania about the
year 1800, Adam and Henry settling in Butler county; some of their descendants
are living in Pittsburgh. Christopher had the following children: William,
Frederick, Joseph, Sampson, Katy (Mrs. Shafer) and Polly (married Henry
Klingensmith); of these, Joseph and Sampson never married.George Shaner, brother of Peter Shaner, the emigrant, fought under
Washington in the American Revolution. He settled in Westmoreland county, Pa.,
and some of his descendants are now living near Turtle Creek, in Allegheny
county, this State.Daniel Shaner, son of Peter the emigrant, settled near Buena Vista, in
Allegheny county, about 1807. The place was then known as Brown’s Ferry. His
children were John (the historian of the Shaner family), William, Daniel,
George, Hetty and Peggy. Shaner’s station, on the Baltimore & Ohio
railroad, was named after Daniel Shaner, of this family.Peter Shaner, Jr., grandfather of John Shaner, was a farmer by occupation,
and lived and died in Westmoreland county. He was killed at Adamsburg. His
children were: Jacob; Eli; Henry; Margaret, who died unmarried; Mrs. Henry
Brewer; and one daughter who died young.Henry Shaner, son of Peter, was born in 1809 in Allegheny township,
Westmoreland county, and owned two farms in that township. Besides following
farming he worked in the winter time at making barrels, as well as flaxbrakes
for his neighbors. He was an active man in the community, served as tax
collector, was a member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics was identified
with the Republican party. He died Nov. 6, 1881, and is buried in Pleasant
View cemetery in Westmoreland county. His wife, Catherine (Cline), daughter of
Peter Cline, died in March, 1887. They had a large family, viz.: John is
mentioned below; Daniel lives in Gilpin township, Armstrong county; Henry
lives in Gilpin township; William, who now lives in Allegheny township,
Westmoreland county, served during the Civil war in Company C, 139th
Pennsylvania Regiment, and was wounded at Spottsylvania Court House, May 12,
1864; Catherine is the widow of John Keppel and resides in Parks township,
where she has a farm; Peter enlisted June 8, 1861, in the 11th Pennsylvania
Reserves, and was killed at the battle of Gaines’s Mill, June 27, 1862; Eli is
living on the old homestead in Westmoreland county; Andrew, twin of Eli, died
when five years old; David lives at Apollo, Pa. (he is the father of Sheriff
Thomas Shaner of Armstrong county); Thomas, a contractor, resides at Warren,
Pa.; Caroline is the widow of Isaac Heckman and resides in Gilpin township;
Rebecca, widow of William Frederick, resides in Westmoreland county; Solomon
is living at New Kingston, Pa.; Zacharias is living at the old homestead in
Westmoreland county; Elizabeth married Joseph McGeary, of Butler,
Pennsylvania.John Shaner, son of Henry, attended public school in his native county, and
continued to live at home, assisting his father, until he was twenty-two years
old. After that he was in the employ of Mrs. Owens for two years, doing farm
work, and for one year employed elsewhere. He then married and started farming
on his own account, on the old homestead. After living there for two and a
half years he removed to Armstrong county, where he took care of his brother
Daniel’s coal land, looking after the latter’s interests during his service
and absence on account of the Civil war. He then removed to the David Kepple
farm in what is now Parks township, remaining there for about one and a half
years, after which he bought the James Hunter farm of 107 acres in Parks
township. It lies three miles above Leechburg, along the Kiskiminetas river,
and has become a valuable piece of property under his intelligent cultivation
and excellent management. Mr. Shaner has had the good fortune never to lose a
day’s work because of illness during his residence there, and although he is
in his eightieth year is still actively interested in the farm work. He has
served his fellow citizens in the office of township supervisor, and for six
years he was an elder of the First Lutheran Church of Leechburg, in which he
holds membership. He is identified with the Republican party in politics.Mr. Shaner was married to Hannah E. Seese, daughter of William Seese, who
came to this country from Germany. They have become the parents of nine
children: Annie married Thomas M. Klingensmith; Ida married G. B. Gourley;
Henry W. D. died when eleven months, eleven days old; George married Florence
Kunkel; Finley married Jennie Goodsill; Elsie, deceased, was the wife of Henry
Wangaman; Lizzie J., unmarried, lives at home; John S., who married Lillie
Shaner, lives at home and is engaged in farming the home place; Mattie is
married to Charles Carnahan.Source: Pages 803-804, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and
Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed October 1998 by James R Hindman for the Armstrong County Beers
Project
Contributed for use by the Armstrong County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/armstrong/)Armstrong County Genealogy Project Notice:
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