Biographies from Historical and Biographical Annals by Morton Montgomery

YARNELL,
JARED G.

p. 1366

Surnames: YARNELL, LERCH, HUGHES, BOONE, PENROSE, KIRBY, LIGHTFOOT,
DUNKEL, YARNALL, STEFFE, TOBIAS, ADAMS, MOORE, FRANKS

Jared G. Yarnell, a highly esteemed retired citizen of West Reading
borough, Pa., who was for many years engaged in contracting in
Spring township, Berks county, was born Feb. 23, 1840, in Bern
township, son of George and Margaret (Lerch) Yarnell.

The Yarnell family is of old English Quaker
stock. Francis and Peter Yarnell came from their native lands with
the Hughes, Boones, Penroses, Kirbys, and Lightfoots, and settled
in Oley township. They were of the fifty or more families who had
been left out when the township was erected. The people to the
“south part of Oley” therefore petitioned the Court at
Philadelphia, in 1741, to erect that part into a township. The
petition was granted. Among the sixteen signers to this petition
were Francis and Peter Yarnell, one of whom was the
great-grandfather of Jared G.

Peter Yarnell, grandfather of Jared G., had a
brother Jasper, who was a blacksmith by trade, and who had settled
in Maidencreek township prior to 1800; in 1802 he bought a tract of
land in that district from Michael Dunkel. The Yarnell family was
related by marriage to the Lightfoot family of the Revolutionary
days. Peter Yarnell, the grandfather, is buried at the Quaker
Meeting House in Maiden-creek township. He married Maria Yarnall
(the original spelling of the name), and their one son, George, was
born Aug. 4, 1793, in Maiden-creek township.

George Yarnell, son of Peter, obtained a fair
education in the local schools and learned the shoemaking trade,
which, however, he did not follow. He worked at the carpenter’s
trade, and also followed farming, having a small tract of land in
Bern township, near “Leinbach’s Hotel,” where he died April 23,
1842, and was buried at Epler’s Church. Mr. Yarnell married
Margaret Lerch, born Jan 3, 1803, in Bern township, daughter of
John and Margaret (Steffe) Lerch, who died Sept. 27, 1888, and was
buried beside her husband. They were members of the Reformed
church, and in politics, Mr. Yarnell was a Whig. To George and
Margaret (Lerch) Yarnell there were born these children: Mary, born
Feb. 16, 1825, is unmarried and reside at the Home for Widows and
Single Women, Reading; Reuben J., born Jan 1, 1834, died unmarried
Feb. 17, 1861; Catharine, born April 26, 1837, married Henry R.
Tobias, of Bern township; and Jared G.

Jared G. Yarnell attended the schools of Bern
township, and the Normal school for two terms, and then taught two
winters in Bern and Brecknock townships, after which he learned the
stone mason’s trade, which he followed in connection with stone
cutting for several years. He engaged for a short time in boating
on the Schuylkill canal, and in 1867 engaged in the contracting
business, beginning operations in this line by building the
Albright school house in Bern township. He built ten county
bridges, the waterworks at Fleetwood, the Maiden Creek pumping
station and pipe line, and did a great deal of sewer contracting in
the city, also breaking the ground for the City Park at Reading.
For twenty-five years he did work for the city and county. In 1884
he located in West Reading, where he built fifteen private
residences, but since 1905 he has been living retired. On Sept. 18,
1906, Mr. Yarnell met with an accident, through which he lost his
left leg, eight and one-half inches below the knee.

At the beginning of the Civil war Mr. Yarnell
enlisted in Company E. 42d regiment for the State defense, and in
1864 re-enlisted becoming on Sept 2d, a private in Company H, 205th
Pa. V. I., with which he served until the close of the war, being
with the Army of the Potomac. For many years Mr. Yarnell was a
member of Keim Post. G. A. R. He was raised a Mason in 1882,
belongs to Chandler Lodge, No. 227, F. & A. M., Reading
Commandery No. 42, and Excelsior Chapter, No. 237. He was a member
of LuLu Temple, of Philadelphia, and a charter member of Rajah
Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., Reading. In politics he is a stanch
Republican, being one of the first councilmen of West Reading, and
a prime mover in the establishment of the borough. He is a member
of Bethany Lutheran Church, of which he has been an elder since
1902. On Feb. 10, 1867, Mr. Yarnell was married to Katie M. Adams,
of Cumru township, daughter of Amos and Mary A. (Moore) Adams. One
child has been born to this union: Charles W., alderman of the
Fifth ward of Reading, who married Sarah, daughter of Albert
Franks.

YEAGER,
EDWARD

p. 1492

Surnames: YEAGER, DICKINSON, ERMENTROUT, HECKMAN, GLASE,
LICHTENTHALER, KRUG, JONES, OAKS, RINGLER, REAZOR, GRASS

Edward Yeager, ex-mayor of Reading and one of the leading and
representative men of the city, was born there July 6, 1859, the
son of Abraham and Harriet (Dickinson) Yeager.

The Yeager family has been resident in America
for three generations, the first to settle here bearing the name
Abraham. He came from Wales at an early day and located first in
Philadelphia, but after some years there moved to Reading, and
remained in that city the rest of his life. He reared a large
family of children.

Abraham Yeager (2) was born while his parents
lived in Philadelphia, but spent his boyhood in Reading. When old
enough to go to work he began in the confectionery line and after
learning his trade conducted a store on the corner of 5th and Penn
streets for many years. In time he abandoned this occupation and
learned instead the trade of plumber, which he followed the rest of
his life. He met with considerable success in this line and was
comfortably off when he died. Mr. Yeager was very active in local
politics and represented the Fifth ward of the city as a delegate
to the Democratic county convention in 1862. He favored Daniel
Ermentrout, who gained the nomination at that time for district
attorney and was afterward elected. Abraham Yeager passed from this
world June 20, 1870.

Mrs. Abraham Yeager was a Miss Harriet Dickinson
and was born in Myerstown, Lebanon county, the daughter of Henry
and Phoebe Dickinson. The union was a very happy one and was
blessed with five sons and three daughters, namely: Clara E.;
William B.; who conducts a tinsmithing, galvanizing and copper
cornice establishment in Reading; Alice, who married Henry Heckman,
a tinsmith and manufacturer of incubators in Oakland, Calif.; Henry
P., who is employed in the establishment of Glase &
Lichtenthaler, carpet dealers, of Reading; Edward; Pearson N., who
has been employed for the past twelve years in the office of the
passenger agent for the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad; Albert,
deceased; and Phoebe, wife of Harry Krug, a clerk in the employ of
the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, at Reading.

Edward Yeager was educated in the public schools
of Reading, and then began to work in the japanning department of
the Jones & Oaks Lock Works, Reading. After two years’
experience with them, Mr. Yeager was employed for a time on the
canal boat “Yubadon,” under command of Capt. John W. Ringler, which
plied the Susquehanna from the upper coal regions to tide water,
returning with a cargo of watermelons in place of coal. After this,
he was for six months in the boiler works of Enoch Reazor, as a
rivet heater, but at the end of that time he decided to enter upon
an entirely different activity and began preparing for the law.

Mr. Yeager first read law in the office of
Daniel and James M. Ermentrout, prominent attorneys in Reading, and
there, in January, 1880, he secured the appointment of Court Crier
in all courts of the city except the Orphans Court, a capacity in
which he has ever since served. He is a strong Democrat,
politically, and has from early manhood been in active service for
the party. His first office was in the common council, where he
represented the 6th ward, and later he represented the same
district in the select council, serving on the committees on law,
fire and city property. He removed from the 6th ward to the 5th,
which was Republican by about 285 votes, but such was the
confidence inspired by Mr. Yeager’s previous record, that he was
elected again to the council by a majority of 96, and at the end of
that term was re-elected by a majority of 116. In 1896 he was a
candidate for the nomination of mayor but was defeated by one vote.
Two years later, however, he secured the nomination, was elected
and serviced with distinction. On the expiration of his term he was
made city registrar and again proved himself an efficient man, as
in every other capacity. He has always been a faithful worker,
using his time and influence for the best interests of the city and
has promoted many enterprises which proved of great benefit to the
community. His valuable services have established him firmly in the
good will of his fellow citizens and he stands deservedly high in
Reading.

One of Mr. Yeager’s main interests has been for
many years the question of fire service. During his terms in the
select council, his influence secured recognition of two newly
organized companies in the fire department. He has been himself an
active fireman since February, 1878, and during the greater part of
the time has been preside of the Keystone Hook and Ladder Company,
never missing a meeting unless prevented by official duties. He has
also served frequently as a delegate to the State Fireman’s
Association and is widely known as a leading member of that body.
It was almost entirely due to Mr. Yeager’s efforts that the present
quarters of the Keystone Truck and Chemical Company, built at a
cost of $16,000, were paid for by the city the year following its
erection.

On April 19, 1882, Mr. Yeager was united in
marriage to Miss Kate Irene Grass, a lady whose admirable traits of
character have won the affection of all with whom she is
acquainted. Both Mr. and Mrs. Yeager are devoted members of the
Baptist Church.

In fraternal as well as political circles, Mr.
Yeager is a prominent figure, and he belongs also to various social
organizations. He is president of the Independent Gun Club, of
Reading; has been president of the West End Club for eleven years;
president of the Commercial Club for the past two years; and is a
member of Reading Lodge No. 549, F. and A. M.; of Reading Chapter,
No. 152, R. A. M.; of De Molay Commandery, No. 9, Knights Templar;
of Rajah Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.; of the Foresters of America; of
Wigwam No. 89, I. O. R. M.; and a charter member of Castle No. 8,
Knights of the Golden Eagle.

YEAGER,
HIRAM P.

p. 1262

Surnames: YEAGER, GIFT, SEIDERS, WILSON, SEIGFRED, KOCH, WHITMAN,
REASOR, McCOY

Hiram P. Yeager, proprietor of the Pennsylvania Boiler Works, and a
prominent citizen of Reading, Pa., was born in Schuylkill county,
June 26, 1844, son of John L. and Mary (Gift) Yeager, and grandson
of John Yeager.

John Yeager, the grandfather, who was a native
of Germany and a hatter by trade, served as a soldier in the war of
1812. He and his wife were both buried in the Charles Evans
cemetery, being members of the Reformed Church. In politics John
Yeager was a Whig. He and his wife had seven children: John,
Nicholas, Harry, George, Michael, Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Seiders.

John L. Yeager, father of Hiram P., was also a
hatter by occupation, a trade which he learned of his father. When
a young man he located in Schuylkill county, and there for a number
of years followed his trade, but later went into the hotel
business, conducting a hostelry for about thirty years. Mr. Yeager
died in 1858, aged fifty-seven years, while his widow survived him
until 1879, being in her seventy-eighth year at the time of her
death. He was a member of Orwigsburg Lodge, F. & A. M., of
Schuylkill county. In politics he was a Whig.

Hiram P. Yeager, received his literary training
in the schools of his native county, and in early youth learned the
blacksmith’s trade. In 1862, he enlisted in Company B, 129th Pa. V.
I., and served with that regiment until 1863, when he was
discharged; but he immediately re-enlisted, veteranizing with Co.
B, 205th Pa. V. I., with which he remained until the close of the
war. Mr. Yeager had an honorable war record, and was several times
wounded in battle. On returning to Schuylkill county, Mr. Yeager
learned the boilermaking trade, and went to Philadelphia to work on
the Centennial grounds in 1876, later in the year locating in
Reading where he worked for Reasor & McCoy for two years. He
then engaged in business on his own account under the name of the
Yeager Boiler Company, but was later connected with Wilson &
Co. In 1905, he purchased Mr. Wilson’s interest in the business,
which he has since conducted alone, doing a general line of boiler
repairing and manufacturing. He is a practical mechanic and an
expert in his line, and the excellence of his work has won him a
large patronage. Mr. Yeager is a member of Chandler Lodge, No. 227,
F. & A. M., and of McLean Post No. 16, G. A. R. Politically he
is a Republican. Mr. Yeager is a member of the Second Reformed
Church of Reading.

Mr. Yeager has been twice married, his first
wife, whom he married in 1872, being Anna Seigfred. Four children
were born to that union: Harry, of Philadelphia; George and Luther
of Reading; and Florence, at home. Mr. Yeager was married (second)
in 1886, to Susan Koch. They have no children.

YEAGER, WILLIAM B.

p. 606

Surnames: YEAGER, DICKINSON, MILLER, HECKMAN, BROWN, HAIN,
LEITHEISER, ADAMS

William B. Yeager, proprietor of the Reading Cornice Works, with
business situated on the northwest corner of Eighth and Chestnut
streets, Reading, Pa., is one of the leading business men of this
city. He was born at Reading, in 1851, a son of Abraham and Harriet
(Dickinson) Yeager.

Abraham Yeager was one of the business men of
Reading for years. For a long period he was a confectioner and
later went into the plumbing business in partnership with his
father-in-law William Dickinson, under the firm name of Dickinson
& Yeager. The business was located on Sixth street near Penn
street, Reading. Subsequently Mr. Yeager was associated with a Mr.
Miller and the firm became Miller & Yeager and so continued
until the latter’s death, at the comparatively early age of
thirty-seven years. He was laid to rest in Charles Evans cemetery.
Mr. Yeager was survived by a widow and children. He married Harriet
Dickinson, daughter of William P. and Elizabeth (Miller) Dickinson,
the Miller family being a very old and prominent one at Reading.
The children of this union were: William B., of this sketch;
Edward, formerly mayor of the city of Reading; Harry; Pearson;
Clara; and Alice, wife of Henry Heckman, of California.

William B. Yeager was educated in the schools of
his native city, including the high school. His first acquaintance
with business was as a clerk in the dry goods store of B. H. Brown,
where he remained a short time, and then entered the Reading Sheet
Mill Works, and for one year worked at piling scrap iron. His next
business connection was with the firm of Delp & Rapp, with whom
he was associated with two and a half years. In 1878 he went with
W. T. Hain, working at the tinning trade, and remained with him for
sixteen years. That long experience gave him a thorough
understanding of his present line of work. During this period he
spent some eighteen months in Schuylkill county, in the same
business.

In 1887, Mr. Yeager engaged in business at his
present site and has met with most encouraging success. The Reading
Cornice Works include in their manufactures copper and iron
cornices, crestings, hipping, and finals, roofing, spouting and
heater work and sheet metal work of all kinds. His plant is well
equipped with all manner of modern machinery and he gives
employment to ten skilled workmen. On Jan 15, 1906, he received a
patent right for a metal window sash and frame, and this device has
met with a ready sale. Mr. Yeager visits neighboring towns in the
interests of his business, and has friends all over the region.

Mr. Yeager was married to Susan Leitheiser, a
daughter of Francis and Mary (Adams) Leitheiser, of Hyde Park,
Reading. They have a daughter and son, Bessie and Harry, the latter
of whom proves a very apt assistant to his father. In politics Mr.
Yeager is a Republican. Fraternally he belongs to Chandler Lodge
No. 227, F. & A. M., Excelsior Chapter, and Reading Commandery,
and is a past officer of the Royal Arcanum. Mr. Yeager and family
belong to the Lutheran Church. They have a pleasant home at No. 646
North Sixth street, Reading.

YEAGLEY, GEORGE W.

p. 1037

Surnames: YEAGLEY, DERR, KNOLL, GRUBER, EARL, MILLER

George W. Yeagley, of Reading, engaged in business as a painter,
paper hanger and decorator, was born August 14, 1865, in Jefferson
township, Berks county, son of William Yeagley, grandson of Samuel
Yeagley, great-grandson of Mathias Yeagley, and a direct descendant
of Baltzer Yeagley of Hereford township, Berks Co., Pennsylvania.

William Yeagley, his father, was a blacksmith
and farmer in Jefferson township, where he died Dec. 19, 1899. He
is buried at St. Paul’s Church, Schaefferstown, that township, as
is also his wife, whose maiden name was Salome Derr. They had
children as follows: Morris, whose is living at Lebanon, Pa., Levi,
of Philadelphia; James, of Myerstown, Lebanon Co., Pa; George W.;
Alfred, who died at the age of thirty years; and Elizabeth, married
to Howard S. Knoll.

George W. Yeagley attended the public schools of
his native township and a graded school at Bernville taught by
Prof. M. A. Gruber. He taught school two terms, one in Spring
township and one in Tulpehocken, and then went to Lebanon, where he
learned the trade of painter and paper hanger. He remained at that
place five years, then went to Philadelphia for a year, and in 1892
settled in Reading, where he has since made his home. For nine
years after coming to Reading he was in the employ of M. J. Earl,
at the end of that time becoming a member of the firm of Kuebler,
Yeagley & Co., located at No. 917 Penn street. He was
interested in that business until 1906, since when he has been
engaged in the same line on his own account, his establishment
being at No. 1018 Chestnut street. He has a large patronage, gained
by reliable work and honorable dealing. He is a member of Chandler
Lodge. No. 227, F. & A. M.; Aerie No. 66, F. O. E.; Camp No.
663, P. O. S. of A., and other societies.

On June 26, 1890, Mr. Yeagley married Tamsey
Miller, daughter of Joseph Miller, of Pottsville, Pa., and they
have had three children: Harry G., born Oct. 17, 1891, now a member
of the class of 1910, Reading high school; Alfred, born Nov. 13,
1894; and Helen, born April 23, 1897, who died Jan 15, 1898, and is
buried in the Charles Evans cemetery, at Reading.

YEAKEL,
ISAAC B. (DR.)

p. 1639

Surnames: YEAKEL, WEIGNER, SEIPT, HOFFMAN, SCHULTZ, BERTOLET,
GRIESEMER, GULDIN, MAJOR, HANKEY, BERTOLETT, WIEAND, KRAUSS,
SHREIBER, BENDER

Dr. Isaac B. Yeakel, who is engaged in the practice of his
profession at Bally, was born in Upper Hanover township, Montgomery
county, Pa., July 6, 1840, a member of a family already residing in
Pennsylvania for more than a hundred years.

David Yeakel came to Pennsylvania with the
little band of Schwenkfelders in 1743. He was on the sick list when
he arrived at Philadelphia, and no record of his death and no
mention of his wife can be found. He was accompanied by six sons
and two daughters, namely: Christopher; Abraham; Balthasar;
Jeremias; Hans Heinrich; Caspar; Susanna (who married George
Weigner) and Rosina.

Christopher Yeakel, son of David, married May
30, 1751, Rosina, widow of Christopher Seipt, and daughter of
Balthasar Hoffman. She died June 14, 1788, aged seventy years, and
he died July 1, 1800. Their children were: Jacob, born Jan 9, 1753;
and Salome, born Oct. 24, 1762.

Jacob Yeakel, son of Christopher was born Jan 9,
1753. He became a farmer in Upper Hanover township, Montgomery
county, where he died Feb. 17, 1819. He married, May 7, 1778,
Susanna Schultz, daughter of Christopher Schultz, and she died June
28, 1829, aged seventy years. Their children were: Magdalena, born
1779, died 1828; Rosina, born July 4, 1780; Daniel, born 1781, died
same year; Regina, born 1782, died 1783; Christopher; Andrew, born
June 7, 1786; Carl, born June 21, 1788; Christina, born March 30,
1780; and Sarah, born Feb. 8, 1795.

Christopher Yeakel, son of Jacob, born Sept. 4,
1784, lived on the farm in Upper Hanover township now owned by his
son Joseph B. On May 10, 1810, he married Elizabeth Yeakel,
daughter of Caspar Yeakel, and she died Feb. 27, 1864, He passed
away March 25, 1874. They were the parents of six children:
Abigail, born Oct. 9, 1811; Samuel, Jan 27, 1813; Reuben, August 3,
1816; Joel, Nov 18, 1817; Deborah, March 24, 1821; and Joseph B.,
Dec. 10, 1823.

Samuel Yeakel, son of Christopher, was born in
Upper Hanover township Jan. 27, 1813, died in 1842, on his farm,
and is buried at Schwenkfelder’s Meeting house at Kraussdale, of
which he was a member. He was a farmer. He married Hannah Bertolet,
daughter of Daniel and Maria (Griesemer) Bertolet, of Oley
township, Berks county. She died in February, 1867, aged fifty
years, and is buried at the side of her second husband, John
Guldin, at Friedensburg. The only son born to Samuel and Hannah
Yeakel was Dr. Isaac B.

Dr. Isaac B. Yeakel received his early education
in the public schools and in Oley Academy, the latter in charge of
Professors’ Jacob H. Major and I. B. Hankey. He then taught school
for seven terms–three in Oley, and four in Upper Milford township,
Lehigh county. Determining to enter the professional world, he
began the study of medicine with Dr. P. G. Bertolett, at
Friedensburg, later attending the University of Pennsylvania,
whence he graduated as an M. D. in 1866. He located for practice in
what is now Bally, and has continued there to the present time,
winning a large and lucrative practice that extended over a radius
of twelve miles in the country. For seven years he rode in a high
sulky through summer rains and winter snows, the sulky being a
slight improvement over the horse back riding of Colonial days. The
Doctor has witnessed many changes in his community, and has taken
part in many of the movements tending toward progress. He is a tall
man, five feet ten and one-half inches in height, and in his early
days had jet black hair.

In his political faith the Doctor is a true
Republican, and he served for nine years as a director of
Schultzville Independent school, being secretary of the board
during the entire time. He was local chairman of the party in
Washington township for many years. Until 1888 he was a member of
the Knights of Pythias at East Greenville. He and his family are
members of the Niantic Reformed Church, and he has served as elder,
deacon and trustee, always taking a great interest in religious
affairs.

On Oct. 16, 1866, Dr. Yeakel was married to
Maria K. Wieand, daughter of Charles and Susan (Krauss) Wieand, of
Upper Milford township, Lehigh county. Four children, two sons and
two daughters, were born to them: C. Frederick, a contractor and
builder at Denver, Colo.; Hannah B., for seven years a public
school teacher, and now living in Philadelphia; Susan, who married
Frank Shreiber, of Shimerville, Lehigh county, and died in 1902;
and Asher C., who married Lizzie Bender, of Reading, and died in
1900, aged twenty-six years.

YEAKEL,
JOSEPH B.

p. 1642

Surnames: YEAKEL, WEIGNER, WARNER, KRAUSS, KRIEBEL, BRENNER,
CARNEGIE, WIEST

Joseph B. Yeakel. Among the little band of religious people know as
the Schwenkfelders, who came to America in 1734, was David Yeakel,
who was on the sick list when the boat landed at Philadelphia. No
record of his death can be found, nor does any mention of his wife
appear. Apparently he was a widower, and he was accompanied by his
six sons and two daughters: Christopher; Abraham; Balthaser;
Jeremias; Hans Heinrich; Casper; Susanna (who married George
Weigner) and Rosina.

Balthaser Yeakel, son of David, came over as
above with his father in 1734. On Nov. 24, 1737, he married Barbara
Warner, who died Feb. 25, 1808. He died Jan. 28, 1762. Their
children were: Susanna (1739-1808), Anna, David (1744-1756), George
(1746-1751), Casper and Rosina.

Casper Yeakel, son of Balthaser, was born in
Pennsylvania Jan 6, 1748, and he married in 1775, Anna Yeakel,
daughter of Christopher Yeakel. He died July 11, 1804, and his wife
passed away May 11,1837. Their children were: Balthaser
(1777-1778), Maria, Jeremiah, Esther, Regina, Elizabeth, Susanna,
Abraham, Benjamin (1793-1796) and Anna.

Jeremiah Yeakel, son of Casper, was born August
11, 1781, and he lived to advanced old age. In 1806 he married
(first) Lydia Krauss, daughter of Balthaser Krauss. She died Jan
19, 1812, survived by her husband and two sons, Daniel (1807-1813)
and Benjamin. Jeremiah Yeakel married (second) Sarah Kriebel,
daughter of the Rev. Melchior Kriebel.

Benjamin Yeakel, son of Jeremiah, was born Aug.
9, 1810, and his death occurred at Allentown Jan 12, 1871. He was a
man of enterprising and inventive mind, and was financially
successful. He built the first reaper in Pennsylvania, and this was
used on the old Yeakel farm in Hereford township. It worked well,
and its first practical test was witnessed by upwards of one
hundred people. He was the owner of the farm now belonging to his
son, Joseph B. In 1855 he moved from Hereford township to No. 319
Hamilton street, Allentown, where he built farm implements of all
kinds and descriptions, employing about thirteen men in his shop in
Hereford township, and a similar number in Allentown. He was a
member of the Evangelical church, and is buried in the Union
cemetery at Allentown, being the first man buried there. He married
Catharine Elizabeth Brenner, who died Jan 20, 1875. Their children
were: Solomon, deceased; Lydia E., deceased; Susan, of Allentown;
Daniel, born 1844, and died the same year; Joseph B., of Allentown;
and Simon, of Allentown.

Joseph B. Yeakel, son of Benjamin and Catharine
Elizabeth (Brenner) Yeakel, was born on the old family homestead in
Hereford township Sept. 7, 1845. He attended the common schools of
the neighborhood for a few winters, and in 1855 his parents moved
to Allentown, in which town he completed his education. He worked
in his father’s machine shop some years, and in 1871 he went to
White Hall township, Lehigh county, where for thirty-five years he
operated a farm of fifty-eight acres. In the spring of 1905 he came
to Allentown, now residing in his comfortable home at No. 1321
Linden street. He owns the old Yeakel homestead in Hereford and
Upper Hanover township (Montgomery county), consisting of 153
acres. The house now standing was built in 1851 by Benjamin and
Catharine Elizabeth Yeakel, and is one of the largest private
residences in the county, a part of it being three stories in
height and the rest four stories high. It contains twenty-one large
rooms. The barn was built in 1816 by Mr. Yeakel’s grandfather
Jeremiah Yeakel. His farm of a little over fifty acres in Whitehall
township, Lehigh county, was sold for $50,000.

Mr. Yeakel is greatly interested in church work,
and is a foremost member of Grace United Evangelical Church,
Allentown, being one of its liberal supporters. During the erection
of the present building, Mr. Yeakel subscribed $2,500, and also
contributed $1,750 toward the pipe organ, Andrew Carnegie giving
$1,000. He is a regular in his worship, and is a member of the
Sunday-school.

In 1894, Mr. Yeakel made an extended tour of the
West, remaining one week each at Salt Lake City, Garden of the
Gods, Pike’s Peak and Denver, traveling in California, where he
remained for two months, spending nine days in the territory of New
Mexico, and also visiting old Mexico. He had relatives in Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska and Kansas. These he visited and he
frequently referred to his pleasure in meeting his mother’s
half-sisters and brothers, Mary, Lydia, Caroline (of Holton,
Kans.), Sarah Wiest (of Morris, Ill.), Solomon (of Fort Wayne,
Ind.) and Jesse Wiest (of Bluffton, Ind.). His aunt Mary, who lived
at Bluffton, Ind., aged seventy-five, died three weeks after his
visit, his remembrance of her and her kindness during his visit
being a source of great pleasure.

YERGER,
JAMES M.

p. 604

Surnames: YERGER, MOLL, NUNEMACHER, SPIES, HEFFNER, SEIDEL, STOYER,
HIMMELBERGER, ULRICH, KLINE, SEAMAN

James M. Yerger, who was one of the county commissioners of Berks
county from Jan 1, 1906 to Jan 1, 1909, was born in Upper
Tulpehocken township, this county, June 22, 1860, son of William
and Diana (Moll) Yerger.

Samuel Yerger, grandfather of James M., was a
native of Berks county, born in Bern township. He was a farmer and
stock raiser by occupation and was quite a prominent man in his
day. Mr. Yerger married a Miss Nunemacher, and their children were:
Joseph; John; Betsy, m. to Elias Spies; and William. In religious
belief the family were Lutherans. Mr. Yerger was a Democrat.

William Yerger was educated in the common
schools of Bern township, Berks county, and in his youth learned
the carpenter’s trade, at which, in conjunction with agricultural
pursuits, he continued all his life. Mr. Yerger passed away in
1885, aged sixty-three years, and his wife Diana (Moll) passed away
in 1860, when thirty-three years of age. These children were born
to them: Cyrus; Elizabeth, m. to Henry Heffner, of Youngstown,
Ohio; William; Amos; Amanda, deceased; Clarietta, m. to Franklin
Seidel; Annetta, m. to Alfred Stoyer; and James M. Mr. Yerger’s
second marriage was to Theresa Himmelberger Ulrich, and to this
union there were born three children; Wilson; Morris; and
Catharine, deceased. Mr. Yerger was a Lutheran. He was a Democrat
in his political views, and for some years held the office of
school director.

James M. Yerger received his educational
advantages in the schools of Centre township, and this was
supplemented by an advance course at Keystone State Normal school
at Kutztown, Pa. He taught school for seven terms and then engaged
in the produce business, shipping to Reading and Philadelphia.
After six years Mr. Yerger moved to Reading, being appointed during
President Cleveland’s second administration to the position of
stamp clerk in the revenue office located in the post-office
building in Reading. After leaving this position, Mr. Yerger was
engaged for some time in the manufacture of cigars, disposing of
this enterprise to enter the insurance field as agent for the
Equitable and Prudential insurance companies, and in this latter
capacity he continued successfully until his election to the office
of county commissioner in the fall of 1905 on the Democratic
ticket. Mr. Yerger took up his official duties Jan 1, 1906. He has
been ever a faithful worker in the ranks of his party, and is
considered one of the leaders thereof in this section. Mr. Yerger
and his wife are members of the Lutheran Church. He is fraternally
connected with Leesport Lodge, No. 141, I. O. O. F., St. John’s
Lodge No. 435, F. & A. M., of Reading, and of Centreport Lodge
No. 446, P. O. S. of A., being a charter member of the latter.

Mr. Yerger was married Oct. 15, 1887, to Anna S.
Kline, daughter of Samuel and Mary (Seaman) Kline; five children
were born to this union, James K., William, Samuel, Mary and Earl,
all deceased except for James K.

YERGER,
JOHN

p. 1465

Surnames: YERGER, MEDLER, BECHTEL, GEHRIS, BOWMAN, HUNNERBREICH,
YODER, WANNER, KURTZ, SNYDER

John Yerger, of Muhlenberg township, where he is the proprietor of
a sausage factory, was born in Muhlenberg township, in 1852, son of
John and Rebecca (Medler) Yerger.

George Yerger, the grandfather of John, made his
home at Tenth and Court streets, Reading, and there his death
occurred. Mr. Yerger married Catharine Bechtel, and among their
children were two sons, George and John. John Yerger was born in
1814, and became one of the leading butchers of his day. His death
occurred Feb. 28, 1872, at which time he left a widow and six
children: Emma m. Mahlon Gehris, and had six children–John,
Charles, Mahlon, William, Edwin and Elizabeth; John; Deborah m.
John Bowman; George died single; William is single; Edwin m. Alice
Hunnerbreich, and had eight children. The mother of John Yerger was
married (second) in 1874, to Solomon Yoder, and still survives,
living at Hyde Park.

John Yerger was educated in the schools of
Muhlenberg township, and learned the butchering trade with his
father, an occupation which he as followed ever since. In 1887 he
established his present plant, where he manufactures all kinds of
sausages, smoked meats, etc., His enterprise and business ability
have built up a good trade, and his fair dealing in business
matters have won for him a reputation for honesty and integrity. In
politics Mr. Yerger is a Republican. He and his family are members
of the Lutheran Church.

Mr. Yerger was married in 1874, to Ellen Wanner,
daughter of Reuben Wanner, and to this union there have been born
four children; Deborah m. John Kurtz, proprietor of the “Kurtz
House” and has one child,–Mary A.; John R. m. Sallie Snyder and
has one child,–John A.; Jennie R. is unmarried; and Roy A.

YETTER, CHARLES M.

p. 1244

Surnames: YETTER, SMITH, YOCUM, LESSLEY

Charles M. Yetter, a prosperous young business man of Cumru
township, engaged in the manufacture of cigars at Shillington, was
born in Millway, Lancaster county, July 12, 1872, son of Michael
and Louisa (Smith) Yetter.

Michael Yetter, who was born in Germany, was a
miller by trade and emigrated to America when a young man of
twenty-nine years. He settled at Millway, Lancaster county, and
followed his trade until his death, in 1888, at the age of
sixty-six years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Louisa
Smith, is still living, the mother of these children: Louisa, m.
Harry Y. Yocum, who resides at Grill, Cumru township; Albert, a
prominent cigar manufacturer of Lancaster county; and Charles M.

Charles M. Yetter attended the schools of
Brecknock township, Lancaster county, and the Millersville State
Normal school, after graduating from which latter institution he
taught school for nine years, three terms in Lancaster county and
six in Cumru township, where he became well and favorably known. He
learned the cigar making business during the summer months, and
engaged in business at Mohnton in 1901. There he continued until
1905, when he located at his present place, building a factory on
Broad street, just off Wyomissing. It is a substantial three-story
structure, 73 x 30 feet, with a fine cement cellar for storage, and
having a capacity of 31,000 cigars daily; 130 workmen are employed.
His goods are known and find a ready market from coast to coast,
and include the following well known brands: “Walter Thomas,” “Real
Diamond,” “John Mitchell,” “Patriarch Club,” and “Richard Webster.”
His factory is No. 71, and is in the first district. In political
matters he is a Republican, and was one of the leaders in the
movement to have Shillington become a borough. He is enterprising
and energetic and although yet young in years is one of the most
substantial men of his community. For some years Mr. Yetter has
been vice-president of the Mohnton National Bank of Mohnton. His
fine residence on Wyomissing avenue, which he erected in 1905, is
one of the most modern in the locality. His religious belief is
that of the Lutheran Church, which his wife also attends. He is
fraternally connected with Reading Lodge, B. P. 0. E., No. 115,
Aerie No. 66 of the Eagles, of Reading, and the Knights of Pythias,
of Mohnton, Lodge No. 485.

Mr. Yetter married Emma Lessley, daughter of
William Lessley, and they have two children, Earl F. and Myrtle
Ruth.

YETZER,
JOSEPH

p. 1160

Surnames: YETZER, KEMP, PAULEUS, BOAS

Joseph Yetzer, a successful tin and sheet iron worker at Hyde
Park., Pa., was born near Landis Store, Berks county, son of Joseph
Sr., and Catharine (Kemp) Yetzer, the former a native of
Switzerland, the latter of Berks county.

Joseph Yetzer, Sr., came to America and settled
in the vicinity of Landis Store, working at his trade of
tinsmithing. Later he purchased a small farm which he cultivated
while still continuing his trade. In 1866, however, he sold his
property, and removing to Reading, bought a residence on Walnut
street, where he lived until 1870. He then disposed of it and
bought the property at 105 South Ninth street. There he lived until
1885 when he died, aged sixty. His wife survived him until 1905,
and was about eighty at the time of her demise. They had these
children: Mary, now a sister of charity at Danville, Pa.; Emma,
unmarried; John, who married Minerva Pauleus, and has three
children– Frank, Clara and William; and Joseph. In religious
belief the entire family are Catholics. In politics Joseph Yetzer
Sr., was a Democrat.

Joseph Yetzer, son of Joseph Yetzer, Sr., was
educated in the schools of Reading, and learned his trade under his
father. Mr. Yetzer has always been a tinsmith, and came to Hyde
Park in 1898, where he has built up a flourishing business by the
thoroughness of his work and his honorable business methods.

In 1886 Mr. Yetzer married Ella Boas, and their
children are: Charles, Gertrude, Mary, Helen, Esther, Raymond,
Arthur and Harold. Like the other members of the family, Mr. and
Mrs. Yetzer are Catholics. In politics, Mr. Yetzer is a Democrat.