Henry R. Shaffer

   User ID: 144.

  General Notes:

Taken from Biographical & Portrait of Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA, 1896

Source found at Cambria County Historical Society, Ebensburg, PA, 10-94


Henry R. Shaffer, an old and higly respected citizen of Conemaugh townshi p, who has served as a justice of the peace for a quarter of a centur y, is a son of John P. and Maria (Lehman) Shaffer, and was born in Richla nd township, Cambria county, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1828. His patern al great-grandfather, George Shaffer, was a native of Germany, who ca me to this country prior to the Revolutionary war, in which he serv ed as a soldier in the American army. He settled in the Kishacoquillas va lley, in the eastern part of the State, where he lived until his deat h. His son, Henry Shaffer, emigrated from the valley to Richland townshi p, where he followed farming as an occupation. He served as a soldi er in the War of 1812, and his son, John P., who lived for some time in Ri chland township, was born on the old valley homestead in eastern Pennsylva nia, July 19, 1804, and in 1848 removed to Conemaugh township, where he di ed November 30, 1875.
John P. Shaffer did not enjoy very good educational privileges, as h is father died when he was but fourteen years of age, and he was then busi ed with many cares. He was a farmer and a democrat, and held membersh ip in the Reformed church for many years. He married Maria Lehman, who se father, Christian Lehman, was a resident of Richland township. Mrs Sh affer died February, 1861, aged fifty-six years. Their family consist ed of five sons and four daughters.
Henry R. Shaffer spent his boyhood days on the farm, received a go od English education in the schools of his day, and commenced life for him self as a repair hand on the old Portage railroad. He afterwards taught f our terms of school, and then learned the trade of carpenter, which he fol lowed for ten years. At the end of that time, in 1861, physical disabilil ty caused him to abandon his trade, and also prevented him from entering t he Union army. Not desiring to be idle, he took timber contracts for t he Cambria Iron Company, and was thus engaged until 1866, when he remov ed to his present farm in Conemaugh township, which he tilled up to 189 4. Since that year, Mr. Shaffer has been engaged in introducing improv ed and modern farming implements into the county. His farm, which is fi ve miles from Johnstown, contains one hundred and fourty-three acres of go od land, one-half of which is cleared and improved. In matters of nation al import and issue, Mr. Shaffer has always suppported the Democratic part y, but in local affairs is independent, supporting men instead of partie s. He has been honored with all of his township offices, served as coun ty auditor in 1867, 1868, and 1869, and has been justice of the peace f or twenty-five years, serving continuously from 1869 to 1896, except two y ears. 'Squire Shaffer is a member and trustee of Mt Carmel United Brethe rn church, and ranks as one of the oldest and most representative citize ns of his section of the county.
On May 7, 1857, 'Squire Shaffer married Elizabeth Strayer, a daught er of Jacob P. Strayer, of Yoder Township. To 'Squire and Mrs Shaffer ha ve been born eight children: Anna Matilda, wife of William Giffin, a farm er of Adams township; Charles, who died young; George W., who died Apr il 11, 1894, aged thirty-two years; William B. F.; Mary E., wife of Edw ard H. Boytes, of near Somerset, Somerset County; Ellen, who marri ed A. C. Rively, of Richland township; Effie Etta, wife of Harry Gilma n, a farmer; and Robert H., who is at home with his parents. One di ed in infancy. The Shaffer family is one among the old families of t he western part of the State, while its members have always been kno wn as respectable and reliable people.

Page 93 and Page 94

Obit in the Weekly Tribune Friday 11-1-1907 Column 3 Page 6

Henry R. Shaffer

Henry R. Shaffer, a prominent farmer of Conemaugh Township, this coun ty, died suddenly at his home about five miles from Johnstown, betwe en 10 and 11 o'clock, THesday night, in his seventy ninth year. MR. Shaff er's health began to fail last may, but he was able to be about until a we ek ago. His condition changed for the worst, after 10 o'clock Tuesday nig ht and he expired before a physician could be summoned. THe cause of h is death was a complication of diseases.
Henry Shaffer was born in RIchland Township this county, on Dec 11, 1 828, being a son of John and Maria (Lehman) Shaffer, deceased. He was a b rother of Mrs Joseph Masters of Feeder Street, this city, and David and Ja cob Shaffer, both of Conemaugh Township. The deceased was a carpent er by trade having served an apprenticeship during his boyhood days. Aft er working at his trade for eight or nine years, he engaged in farming a nd for forty one years had resided on his farm in Conemaugh Township, whe re he owned some of the best cultivated land in this vicinity.
On May 7, 1857, Henry R. Shaffer and Miss Elizabeth Strayer were unit ed in marriage at the home of the latter's parents, Mr. & Mrs Jacob P. Str ayer, wo lived in what was then Conemaugh Township, but is now a part of L ower Yoder. THe ceremony was performed by the Reverend Mr Swope, at th at time Pastor of the Lutheran Church. Mr & Mrs. Shaffer pleasantly celebr ated their golden wedding anniversity at the Shaffer home last summer.
Mr. Shaffer was a lifelong Democrat and filled a number of offic es in the township in which he lived. He had been Justice of the Pea ce of Conemaugh Township for the past twenty five years, was assessor f or a number of terms, and was also at times, school director and townsh ip auditor.
He served once as County Auditor. In religion he was a United BRethern, b eing at the time of his death one of the officilas of the Mt Carmel Chur ch in Conemaugh Township. HE was one of the oldest members of Conona Lo dge, Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Conemaugh.
Beside his wife, sister and brothers, Mr. Shaffer is survive by fo ur daughters, two sons, twelve grand children and ten great grand childre n. The sons and daughters are Annie, wife of William Givven, of Adams Tow nship;; Mollie, wife of Edward Boyts, of Somerset; Ella, wife of A.C. Ri vely of RIchland Township; and Frank and Harry Shaffer, at home.
The funeral will take place at 10:30 o'clock tomorrow forenoon from t he Mt Carmel CHurch, where services will be conducted by other ministe rs of the U.B. denominations. The remains will be laid to rest in the chu rch cemetery.

This information was written down as published in the Tribune and tak en from a microfilm source in Ebensburg at the Cambria County Historic al Society in October 1994.

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A Gravesite Visit

It was a lonely area all by itself along the side road. Every so often a c ar would speed by or stop at a nearby stop sign for a second or two. I w alked through the weeds and highway litter that was thrown from cars, pick ing my way carefully as I looked for a name.
The walk wasn't long for there were not many man made effigies to dea th at this location and the tombstones were still visible in the high gras s. Finally, I came to one taller stone that had bold, deep cuts in the gr anite that shouted out the name - SHAFFER - for all to see.
I had talked earlier that day to a funeral director in Johnstown who ga ve me directions to the Mt Carmel church cemetery, and he told me it was l ocated at Frankstown Road and the Airport Road intersections. He also sa id that nobody is taken there anymore for buriel and I soon found out wh y. The church was gone, long ago, for whatever reason of storm, fire or v andelism., who knows. The dead were not talking, but they seemed so lone ly in the small plot of land beside the road where they were resting for e ternity.
I had made a goal of recording the location of my ancestors final resti ng places and found another one. The plot of Henry R. Shaffer (1828-191 5) son of John Phillip and my Great Grand Uncle was now known for duly ent ering into my computer.
Many times the question of "why" has been asked of me and the answer is ne ver "just because" as to the reason of my quest for finding the final st op of the journey of life on earth for my ancestors. These people, some d irect and others indirect past relations, were living, breathing membe rs of society and at the time they contributed to the continued flow of li fe's blood of my family. Some were the absolute reason of my existance a nd others were perhaps influences at the time to my being here today.
I feel that it is or should be the duty of the living to remember the depa rted and not just the close relatives, but all of our ancestors. In a hun dred years from now, I hope my desendants will be aware of who I was, my r elatives of today and of course those of yesteryear.
Without the members of our family of long ago, and us today and those tomo rrow, we would not exist and the future members of the family should be ab le to know just who was who and where they sleep the sleep of Morfiou s. DDB 4-19-98

Henry married Elizabeth Strayer, daughter of Jacob P. Strayer and Mrs Strayer, on 7 May 1857 in MT Carmel Church.²⁹ (Elizabeth Strayer was born on 14 Oct 1836 and died on 8 Apr 1915 in Conemaugh Twship, PA, MT Carmel Cem. ³².)