Augustus T. Pontius and Laura S. Goodhart

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Husband Augustus T. Pontius ¹

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           Born: 24 Dec 1841 - Dayton, Wayne Twp, Armstrong Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 4 Apr 1891 - Parker City, Armstrong Co, PA 2
         Buried:  - Emery Chapel Cemetery, Dayton, Armstrong Co, PA

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         Father: Ezra Pontius (1814-1888) 1
         Mother: Emily Turney (1822-1862) 2

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       Marriage: 1867 2

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Wife Laura S. Goodhart ²

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: Aft 1914
         Buried: 

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         Father: Dr. George Goodhart (cal 1817/1818-1852) 2
         Mother: Eliza M. Lias (      -1900) 2 3

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Children

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• They had no children.

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General Notes: Husband - Augustus T. Pontius

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He was reared on the farm and received his early education in the common schools, later attending Dayton Union Academy. He remained on the farm until he reached the age of nineteen years, and taught school for several terms. He then entered the office of Dr. J. R. Crouch, of Dayton, with whom he read medicine until his enlistment, in 1862, in the Union service, becoming a private in Company B, 139th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteers. He was promoted from fifth sergeant to first duty sergeant, and was in line of promotion for a commissioned rank when his right arm was shattered in front of Petersburg, necessitating amputation at the shoulder. From Petersburg he was taken to a hospital situated on an island in the Hudson river (Davis), remaining there until all in his ward were dying of gangrene except himself and one other, a man who had been shot through the tongue. Clad only in shirt, drawers and shoddy slippers they found their way to Chester hospital, and after Mr. Pontius' arrival there his people were informed that he still lived. He was discharged from there June 14, 1865. Until injured he was in all the engagements in which his command took part.
Returning to his home in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Mr. Pontius was elected county commissioner in 1865, on the Republican ticket, and served two successive terms, being reelected in 1869. From 1872 to 1880 he was engaged in the fire insurance business at Parker City and Kittanning, settling in the former place in 1876. In 1881 he was commissioned postmaster at Parker City, under the Garfield administration, and continued to serve until 1885, when he was removed under the Cleveland administration, for making political speeches. In 1887 and 1888 he served as mayor, and he was a member of both the common and select branches of the borough council. His record as a public official was uniformly high. After leaving the post office, he engaged in the mercantile business, which he continued successfully until his death. He was buried in the M. E. cemetery there, but within a year his body was removed to Emery Chapel Cemetery, Dayton, and rests with his kindred. He served as steward of the Parker City M. E. Church, in which he was choir leader for several years. He was a member of good standing of the G. A. R. and the I. O. O. F.

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General Notes: Wife - Laura S. Goodhart

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After the death of her husband, she made her home at Dayton, Wayne township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. She owned a fine farm in Wayne township.

1 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 594.

2 —, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, Her People Past and Present (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1914), Pg 595.

3 Samuel T. Wiley, Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Indiana and Armstrong Counties, Pennsylvania (Philadelphia: John M. Gresham & Co., 1891), Pg 493.