Husband George W. Pifer 1 2
AKA: George Piper 3
Born: 24 Oct 1844 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 1 2
Christened:
Died: 31 Oct 1911 2
Buried:
Father: John Pifer ( -1864) 1
Mother: Anna Martha [Unk] ( -1850) 1
Marriage: 2 Nov 1865 - Kittanning, Armstrong Co, PA 1
Other Spouse: Hannah Melinda Wolff (1848-1911) 1 - 9 Mar 1876 - Kittanning, Armstrong Co, PA 1
Wife Hannah H. Schrum 1 4
Born: 27 Mar 1846 - Armstrong Co, PA 4
Christened:
Died: 18 Aug 1874 1 4
Buried:
Father: George Schrum ( - ) 5
Mother: Sarah Heilman ( - ) 5
Children
1 F Anna Bertha Pifer 6
Born: 4 Jul 1866 2
Christened:
Died: Jun 1868 2 6
Buried:
Spouse: Did Not Marry
2 F Sarah Lillian Pifer 2 6
Born: 12 Apr 1868 2
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: S. E. Lenkerd ( - ) 2
3 M James Herbert Pifer 2 6
Born: 19 Apr 1870 - Manor Twp, Armstrong Co, PA 2
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Caroline May Robinson ( - ) 4
Marr: 25 Dec 1892 4
4 M Charles Elmer Pifer 6 7
Born: 13 Dec 1871 2
Christened:
Died: 28 Feb 1937 2
Buried:
Spouse: Mary Elizabeth Shaw ( - ) 7
Marr: 30 Jan 1901 2
General Notes: Husband - George W. Pifer
As he was only eight years of age when his father moved to Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, his education was mainly acquired in the schools of that locality. He had not entered upon an independent business when he left home to enter the army, but after receiving his final discharge at Newbern, North Carolina, in 1865, he returned to Armstrong County and engaged in farming. Shortly afterward he became interested in a threshing machine, which he operated for seven years, and in 1877 he moved to Clarion County, where he successfully conducted a grocery business one year; for five years he was engaged in the hotel business in Jefferson City, and owned a number of oil wells in that district. In 1882 he located at Du Bois, and built a shingle mill which he conducted for four years, in partnership with N. D. Fairchild, and then sold out to go into a saw-mill business with his brother. Later he became a partner of J. A. Bowerson in a sawmill and a retail lumber business, and in 1896 he formed a partnership with George Hess, in a general planing-mill business, and in the manufacture of coffins, furniture and all kinds of wood work to order. Their factory was a two-story building, 90 x 48 feet, and they employed from eight to seventeen men.
When a mere youth of sixteen, he enlisted, in 1861, for three years in Company C, 103d P. V. I., and served in the Army of the Potomac throughout the war, re-enlisting, in 1864, at the close of his first term in the same company. He took part in many important battles, including the fierce conflict in the Wilderness and the engagements at Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Williamsburg, Chickamauga, White Oak, Railroad Bridge, Bellows Bridge, Long Bridge, Jones Ford, Charles City Cross Roads, Harrison Point, Kingston, White Hall, Goldsboro, Blackwater, Southwest Creek, Blount's Creek, Foster Mills, Williamsburg, Chickahominy and others. Of his three brothers, one was not old enough to enter the army, but the other two enlisted, and one of them, Henry, lost his life in the service.
He was an active worker in the G. A. R., belonging to Easton Post, No. 229, at Du Bois, in which he twice held the rank of senior vice commander. He also held the office of treasurer of Sandy township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania.
He was a farmer in Manor Township, Armstrong County, for a number of years, and later in Clarion County, where he operated a bakery and grocery business for some years. He then conducted a hotel in Jefferson City, Clarion County. On June 6, 1882, he came to Du Bois and opened a shingle mill in partnership with Dell Fairchild, continuing it for some years before going into the sawmill business with his brother, John Pifer. They carried on their milling business in different parts of the district of Pennsylvania-Clearfield, Clarion, Jefferson, Elk and McKean counties. While so engaged, they started a planing mill and retail lumber enterprise in Du Bois, with Squire J. A. Bowersox as a partner. In 1896 they decided to devote their attention entirely to this business, whereupon they admitted a Mr. Hess to the firm, which came to be known as Pifer & Hess. After a year, Mr. Hess sold his interests in it, however, and Mr. Pifer's sons, James H. and Charles E. Pifer, formed a new company, known as G. W. Pifer & Sons. This company was continued until George W. Pifer's death, in 1911, when the sons took over the work and changed the firm style to G. W. Pifer Sons. In 1936 Charles E. Pifer gave his share in the business to his two sons, John G. and William J. Pifer, and their uncle, James H. Pifer, sold them his share after a serious illness made it imperative that he retire.