Family Reunions: The Levengood Family

Family Reunions: The Levengood Family

Source: Morton Montgomery, p. 318

Surnames: LEVENGOOD/LIVENGOOD/LIVINGOOD, STITZER, ECK, SPOHN, SHIVE, HERZOG, LIEBENGUTH, SHUSTER

Levengood (Livengood, Livingood). The first reunion of the Levengood
family was held in the fall of 1906 to celebrate the ninety-third
birthday anniversary of its oldest living member, Adam Levengood, and
the gathering took place at the home of his son, Jacob S. Levengood, in
Oley, near Friedensburg. The second and third meetings were held at
the same place, the third on September 7, 1908, and the fourth is to be
held in Friedensburg Park on Labor Day, 1909. The venerable man in
whose honor the first meeting was held was present at the second and
third meetings also, well preserved and hearty. The organization was
decided upon at the first gathering. In 1908 the following officers
were elected:

President, David D. Livingood, Pottstown, Pa.

Vice-Presidents, William Livingood, Pottstown, Pa.; John Stitzer, Reading, Pa.; Casper Livingood, Birdsboro, Pa.; James Eck, Reading, Pa.; Abner Livingood, Millersville, Pa.; Jacob Livingood, Elverson, Pa.

Secretary, Howard M. Livengood, Birdsboro, Pa.

Assistant Secretary, Oscar Levengood, Gilbertsville, Pa.

Treasurer, Jacob S. Levengood, Oley, Pa.

Historian, Howard M. Livengood, Birdsboro, Pa.

Assistant Historians, John Stitzer, Reading, Pa.; Irwin Livingood, Pottstown, Pa.

Executive Committee, Adam Livingood, Birdsboro, Pa.; Jacob S. Levengood, Oley, Pa.; Elsworth Spohn, Oley, Pa.; Monroe Shive, Reading, Pa.

After the business meeting the assembly, which included about two
hundred and fifty representatives of the family, was addressed by
ex-Representative Jacob R. Herzog and by Mr. Howard M. Livengood.

The Levengood family traces its ancestry back to Ulrich and Susanna
Liebenguth, who came to America from the Palatinate about 1733, in the
ship “Charming Betsy,” landing at Philadelphia, Oct. 12, 1733. At that
time he was forty-five years old, his wife thirty-six. He was a man of
sterling qualities, and his descendants belong to the best of the
sturdy Pennsylvania German element in their section. Many of those who
bear the name have made a reputation in the learned professions, and
they are generally known for the substantial qualities that
distinguished the early representatives of the family.

Ulrich and Susanna Liebenguth brought five children with them: Peter,
aged sixteen; Adam, aged thirteen; Jacob, aged ten; Maria, aged eight;
and Anna, aged five. From Philadelphia the family proceeded to New
Hanover township, where they settled.

Jacob, third son of the emigrant ancestors, was born in Alsace,
Germany, and was the progenitor of the Levengood family of which this
article treats. He died April 1, 1804, and his remains are interred in
the cemetery adjoining the Swamp Reformed Church. He had one son,
Matthias, who married Catharine Shuster, and they had five children.

Adam Levengood is the father of four sons: Jacob S., at whose home the
first three reunions were held; James, of Elverson, Pa.; Solomon, of
Joanna Heights, Pa.; and Adam, of Friedensburg.