George Koch and Effa Jean "Effie" Weaver

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Husband George Koch ¹

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           Born: 6 Apr 1847 - East Sandy, Cranberry Twp, Venango Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 29 Jan 1910
         Buried:  - Maple Shade (Mt. Zion) Cemetery, Cranberry Twp, Venango Co, PA

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         Father: Abraham D. Koch (1807-1867) 1 2
         Mother: Harriet Henrietta Fritz (1816-1911) 1 2

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       Marriage: 18 Sep 1892

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Wife Effa Jean "Effie" Weaver

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried:  - Maple Shade (Mt. Zion) Cemetery, Cranberry Twp, Venango Co, PA

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         Father: Joshua Weaver (1837-1901)
         Mother: Mary Ann Rumberger (1837-1927) 3

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Children

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1 F Lena Georgiene Koch

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           Born: 
     Christened: 
           Died: 
         Buried: 

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General Notes: Husband - George Koch

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He was educated in common schools and at Duff's Commercial Col­lege of Pittsburgh, PA. He followed the oil business: in company with his brother William and Doctor Knight he drilled thirty-one oil wells in Clarion County, PA, and in company with his brothers William and Jerry H., and in several cases with others, he drilled seventy-four wells, making one hundred and five wells, ninety-six of which were good producing wells. He edited the Fern City Weekly Illuminator, and was a candidate for the Pennsylvania legislature in 1886; he was the in­ventor and held a patent on the full sized drill, doing away with the rimmer, which lowered the cost of drilling three-fourths, and, in company with his brother William, had a patent on solid rim bull-wheels, which was of great service to the trade. He and his brother William had eight United States patents, mostly relating to the oil business. [HVC 1890, 1124]

Obit for George Koch,
Venango Vindicator, Venango County, PA; Feb 4, 1910:
"Oil Man Succumbs to Injuries"
As a result of an injury sustained on September 6, 1909, George Koch, one of the prominent and best known oil operators of the county died at 12:25 o'clock Saturday morning at his home in East Sandy. the funeral services were held at the family residence at 10 o'clock Monday morning, the interment following in the Mount Zion Cemetery. The injury which was the primary cause of Mr. Koch's death was in the form of a fractured skull, caused by a horse striking him with its feet on the side of the head.
The deceased was one of the best known and most successful producers of oil in the Pennsylvania fields. He was born at East Sandy, April 6, 1847 of German parents, they being distant relatives of the noted scientist Dr. Robert Koch, of tuberculosis bacilli fame. His great grandfather came to this country previous to the Revolution and settled in this state. His father, A. C (D). Koch, came to Venango County in 1846 and built a grist mill at East Sandy. His death occurred in 1867. George Koch, the son, worked in his father's mill until he was 20 years of age and then went to Philadelphia where he learned the trade of machinist. Returning to the oil country he engaged in the oil business as a driller and soon branched out as an oil operator, in company with his brother and Dr. Knight, he drilled 21 paying wells in the Clarion County field.
George Koch's greatest success followed his efforts in the second Clarion County development. Up to and including 1898 he has been interested in 123 wells most of which were good producers. He at one time embarked in journalism and was editor of the Fern City Illuminator, a Sunday oil journal published at Fern City, Clarion Co., during the brief career of that oil settlement. In 1887-8 he was member of the Producers' council, also of the council of the Producers' Limited society. He was married September 18, 1892 to Miss Effie Weaver, who, with one daughter, Miss Lena, survive him. He is also survived by his mother who lives on the old homestead at East Sandy and who is 92 years of age, and four brothers, Alfred of Oil City; William of Lamartine, Clarion Co., J. H. of Alpha, WV, and Aaron of East Sandy.

1 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1123.

2 Charles A. Babcock, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Her Pioneers and People (Chicago, IL: J. H. Beers & Co., 1919), Pg 857.

3 —, History of Venango County, Pennsylvania (Chicago, IL: Brown, Runk, & Co., Publishers, 1890), Pg 1124.