Henry Kephart and Catharine "Kate" Smith
Husband Henry Kephart 1 2 3
Born: - Penn's Valley, Centre Co, PA Christened: Died: 1859 1 Buried:
Father: Nicholas Kephart ( - ) 2 Mother: Mary Frye ( - ) 4
Marriage: - Penn's Valley, Centre Co, PA
• Note: This may be the same person as : Henry Cephart.
Wife Catharine "Kate" Smith 2 5
Born: - Penn's Valley, Centre Co, PA Christened: Died: 1856 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 6 Buried:
• Note: This may be the same person as : Katherine "Katy" Smith.
Children
1 F Nancy Kephart 1 5 7
Born: - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA Christened: Died: 21 Dec 1905 8 Buried:Spouse: Richard Hughes (1819-1898) 1 5 7 Marr: 30 Jun 1844 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 5
2 M David Kephart 1 4 5
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1898 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA Buried:Spouse: [Unk] Hoffman ( - ) 1
3 F Margaret "Peggy" Kephart 1 5 6
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1898 - Freedom Furnace (Huntingdon Co, PA?) Buried:Spouse: William Harner ( - ) 1 6
4 M Henry Kephart 1 4 5
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1898 - Iowa Buried:Spouse: Unknown ( - )
5 F Mary Kephart 1 6 10
AKA: Mary [Unk] 9 Born: Cal 7 Jun 1805 - Huntingdon Co, PA Christened: Died: 30 May 1889 - Centre Co, PA 11 Buried:Spouse: Andrew Nearhoof (Abt 1799-Abt 1871) 6 9 11
6 M Andrew Kephart 1 4 12
Born: 1817 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 12 Christened: Died: 13 Sep 1882 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 1 12 Buried:Spouse: Rachel Kephart (1809- ) 12 Marr: Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA
7 F Ellen Kephart 1 5 6
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1898 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA Buried:Spouse: Daniel Kephart ( - ) 1 5 6
8 M George Kephart 1 2 5
Born: 1814 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 6 Christened: Died: 25 Mar 1865 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 6 Cause of Death: Accident Buried:Spouse: Mary Ann Amy ( -1882) 2
9 F Barbara Kephart 1 5
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1898 - Blair Co, PA Buried:Spouse: Simon Nearhoof ( - ) 6
10 M William Kephart 1 4 5
Born: Christened: Died: Bef 1898 - Republic Co, KS Buried:
11 F Charlotte Kephart 1 5 6
Born: Christened: Died: Buried:Spouse: John Crane ( - ) 1 5
12 M Stephen Kephart 1 5 6
Born: Abt 1826 Christened: Died: 5 Feb 1887 - Decatur Twp, Clearfield Co, PA 1 Cause of Death: Cancer Buried:
General Notes: Husband - Henry Kephart
He and his wife were born, reared and married in Penn's Valley, Centre County, Pennsylvania. At an early day they came to Decatur township, Clearfield County, where he followed farming throughout life. About 1857 he was lost in the mountains near Sandy Ridge, while returning to his home from Centre County. His wife had died a few months previously. [CBRCP-CCJC, 768]
He and his wife were of German ancestry, becoming pioneer settlers of Decatur township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. He opened up a farm northwest of Osceola Mills, where he continued to make his home throughout the remainder of his life. Upon that place his wife died, and a few months later he was lost in the Alleghany Mountains. [CBRCP-CCJC, 1021]
He was lost near Sandy Ridge, and was never found. He was returning from Tyrone and had come to the tavern of John Raudenbaugh by stage, intending to walk from there to his home. He started, but not arriving in due time his neighbors started out to hunt him, but without success, and he was never heard from again. [HCC 1887, 512]
He was probably born in Penn's Valley, Centre County, Pennsylvania. He often referred to that section and it is known that he came from there in 1804 and settled two miles west of Osceola Mills, Clearfield County, where he took up an improved claim, on which he lived until he was seventy-one years of age. He was a man of sterling character and of such kind and winning personality that he was much beloved by those who were his neighbors. On this account his mysterious death or disappearance, caused wide spread interest and regret. At that time wild animals still infested the mountains, but he had spent so many years in these regions that he was well prepared for any attack that could have been made on him by either bears or panthers; but, with his friendly disposition he might not have been equally secure from a murderous assault made by a fellow creature. In 1857 he started alone over the mountains to visit two daughters who lived in Bald Eagle Valley, walking to Sandy Ridge, where he met the stage and was taken to his destination. His visit over, some two weeks later he was a passenger with one Andy Green, to Sandy Ridge, where they stopped at a hotel for dinner and Mr. Green endeavored to have the aged gentleman continue on the stage as far as Philipsburg, from which place to his home would have been a less tiresome and shorter walk. Mr. Kephart, however, was too old and seasoned a mountain traveler to consider this proposition, and left his companion, saying: "I'll walk over the old mountain road." That was the last ever seen of this old pioneer of Decatur Township, although searchers traced him to a place half way between Sandy Ridge and the old toll gate. He was so well known all through this section and so highly esteemed that the whole country was aroused and hundreds left their farms and ordinary occupations in order to join in the search. Suspicious circumstances finally caused a certain man to be suspected of having waylaid Mr. Kephart, possibly for robbery, on the supposition that he was carrying money, and that the body may have been placed in the fill that was then being made in the construction of the railroad. There were many tragedies in those early days in some sections of the country but none in Decatur Township that ever so disturbed the whole people as the complete disappearance of this kindly, warm-hearted old gentleman. [TCHCC, 542]
General Notes: Wife - Catharine "Kate" Smith
At the time of her death she had eleven living children, ninety-six grandchildren and sixty-three great-grandchildren.
1 Lewis Cass Aldrich, History of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania (Syracuse, NY: D. Mason & Co., Publishers, 1887), Pg 512.
2 Roland D. Swoope, Jr., 20th Century History of Clearfield County, Pa., and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1911), Pg 541.
3 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 768, 1021.
4 Roland D. Swoope, Jr., 20th Century History of Clearfield County, Pa., and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1911), Pg 542.
5 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 768.
6 Roland D. Swoope, Jr., 20th Century History of Clearfield County, Pa., and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1911), Pg 543.
7 Roland D. Swoope, Jr., 20th Century History of Clearfield County, Pa., and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1911), Pg 529, 543.
8 Roland D. Swoope, Jr., 20th Century History of Clearfield County, Pa., and Representative Citizens (Chicago, IL: Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., 1911), Pg 529.
9 Addams S. McAllister, The Descendants of John Thomson, Pioneer Scotch Covenanter (Easton, PA: The Chemical Publishing Company, 1917), Pg 197, 199.
10 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 347, 768.
11 Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 347.
12
Editor, Commemorative Biographical Record of Central Pennsylvania, Including the Counties of Centre, Clearfield, Jefferson and Clarion. (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1898), Pg 1021.
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