Husband Jacob Fordney Kreps 1
Born: 15 Jun 1806 - Greencastle, Franklin Co, PA 1
Christened:
Died: May 1888 2 3
Buried:
Father: Jacob Kreps (1772- ) 4
Mother: Catherine Hetterick ( - ) 4
Marriage: 20 Jan 1831 - Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA 4
Wife Eliza Turney 3 4
Born: 1812 - Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA 3
Christened:
Died: 3 Mar 1887 - West Newton, South Huntingdon Twp, Westmoreland Co, PA 2 3
Buried:
Father: Adam Turney ( -1872) 4 5 6
Mother: Hannah Weber (1791- ) 6 7 8
Children
1 F Catharine Kreps 9 10
Born: 28 Oct 1831 - Greensburg, Westmoreland Co, PA 11 12
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Dr. John Q. Robinson (1817- ) 10 13
Marr: 12 Nov 1850 11 12
2 M George Rippey Kreps 14
Born:
Christened:
Died: Aft 1909
Buried:
3 F Hannah Kreps 14
Born:
Christened:
Died: Aft 1909
Buried:
Spouse: A. E. Dravo ( -Bef 1909) 14
4 M Capt. John W. Kreps 14
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
5 M Francis A. M. Kreps 8 15
AKA: Maj. Frank A. M. Kreps 14
Born:
Christened:
Died: Bef 1888
Buried:
6 M Adam T. Kreps 14
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Alice Hamblin ( - ) 16
7 M David Dempsey Kreps 14
Born:
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
8 M Col. William Augustus Kreps 3 8 14
Born: 27 Nov 1846 - Greencastle, Franklin Co, PA 3
Christened:
Died:
Buried:
Spouse: Lucetta Taylor (1848-Aft 1909) 17
Marr: 22 Sep 1875 2
General Notes: Husband - Jacob Fordney Kreps
His father made frequent trips south, and on one of these excursions his son Jacob accompanied him and the opportunity was afforded him of taking a boy's view of the institution of slavery. His impressions formed at the time were decidedly unfavorable and were never changed.
His opportunities for acquiring a common education were perhaps as favorable as were enjoyed in those early times, having been kept at school from the age of four to thirteen years with some intermission, during the last two years of which, the study of grammar and geography having been introduced, he acquired a slight knowledge of those branches. At the age of thirteen he was placed in a hardware store with his uncle, William Kreps, Esq., at Hagerstown, Maryland, who was also postmaster. This was a great advantage to him, giving him a better knowledge of arithmetic and improving his penmanship. His chief associate in the post-office was his cousin, John M. Kreps.
He remained with his uncle until the death of the latter, which occurred in 1822. He then returned home to learn the trade of his father. In those days it was considered important (at all events it was very common) for young men, after serving their apprenticeship, to travel some (“take a tramp”) in order to see the country and to become more perfect in their occupation.
“Tramps” of that period were quite a different genus of men from the tramps which became common in later years. The business of manufacturing hats (by hand) was then carried on all over the country, and was profitable and respectable, and journeymen hatters constituted a large class, traveling over the country and stopping to work when necessary. They were united by associations, and were ever ready to give assistance to their comrades when in need. They were “traveled men,” and consequently intelligent. Their acquaintance was sought and they were introduced into the best society of the place. The State of Kentucky was a favorite “tramping-ground,” for the reason that in many of her chief towns large shops were located, in which a number of men were employed, besides, the people of that state, perhaps more than any other, were given to fine dress, and of course it required the very finest “beaver” to complete the dress of a gentleman. At the age of twenty-one, with a comrade, Joseph Gilmore, he started on one of these “tramps,” and at the end of the fifth day arrived at Pittsburgh, foot-sore and weary, but cheerful and happy at the prospect of the pleasure before them. They remained at Pittsburgh a few days to rest and see the sights, boarding with a Mrs. Beltzhoover, who lived on the southeast corner of the Diamond. The grand river with its splendid steamers and the busy city were sources of never-ending wonder and excitement. They took passage on board the “Ben Franklin” for Cincinnati and Louisville, remaining a few days at each of these places. While at the latter place they had a new and strange experience in assisting a brother hatter in taking a flat-boat loaded with hats over the falls. The pilot on this occasion was one Boone, a descendant of the famous Daniel Boone. It seemed to them a dangerous undertaking, and the service was rendered only to accommodate one of their craft. Upon leaving Louisville they visited a number of towns in the interior, among which were Lexington, Frankfort, Lancaster, Harrodsburg, and Bardstown. At Lancaster, Mr. Gilmore concluded to stop for a while, and Mr. Kreps continued his travels in company with Joseph Lockwood, also a journeyman hatter. After losing his traveling companion, and being without an intimate friend, a few months was sufficient to satisfy him with such a wandering life, and he set his face homeward. The steamer “Kanhawa,” upon which he took passage for Wheeling, collapsed her boilers at the mouth of Guyannotte River, and twenty-three of the passengers, officers, and crew were either killed or badly injured. The heartrending scenes upon this occasion made an indelible impression upon the mind of the young traveler. A few months after this he settled in Greensburg, PA, where, in partnership with James Wood, he carried on his trade for a couple of years.
After marriage, he returned to Greencastle with his family, December, 1831, where he engaged in different branches of business, railroading, merchandising, etc. In the spring of 1845 he was appointed postmaster, holding the office until 1849, when he resigned and settled in West Newton, Westmoreland County. In the spring of 1850 he engaged in the foundry business, afterwards adding general merchandising, and was moderately successful.
At the commencement of the Rebellion he took a deep interest in every means employed for its suppression. He was called to preside over the first war-meeting that was held in his part of the county, and was elected one of the officers of a company organized for home protection, under the command of the venerable Gen. Joseph Markle as captain. During the summer of 1861 he enlisted nineteen men to make up the quota necessary to fill the ranks of the company commanded by Capt. A. G. Oliver in the Twelfth Reserves, went with them to Harrisburg, saw them sworn in, and accompanied them to their camp at Washington. He never harbored a doubt of the success of the Union arms. He was one of the first men in the county to invest his money in the 5-20 bonds of the government, when so many were doubting and faltering. Five of his sons volunteered, and spent an aggregate of twelve years in the service.
In 1863 Mr. Kreps was appointed a commissioner to visit the Pennsylvania regiments attached to Rosecrans' army in Tennessee, where he spent five or six weeks. Three of his sons were in this branch of the army. In 1864, with a number of other gentlemen, he was again appointed a commissioner to visit the Pennsylvania regiments in front of Richmond and Petersburg, and to supervise the Presidential election of that year.
He always felt a deep interest in the improvement and welfare of his adopted home, and at different times was elected to a place in the Borough Council and school board. In 1869 he was honored by an election to a seat in the Legislature from the Westmoreland and Indiana legislative district, and served in the session of 1870.
He and his wife, although partially reared in another branch of the Christian Church, were for many years attached to the Methodist Episcopal Church. A license to preach as a local preacher is among the many positions of honor and trust to which he was called by his church. According to their means they were liberal contributors to the different benevolent institutions of the church, especially to the Freedman's Aid Society, in which they always felt a deep interest. [HWC 1882, 665]
He was a native of Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, who was born June 6, 1806, and when quite a young man mastered the trade of a hatter. For a number of years he was a merchant at Greencastle, Pennsylvania, and served as postmaster in the Pierce administration. In the late eighteen-forties he removed to West Newton, where he engaged both in the foundry business and merchandising. In this locality he was long a prominent Republican, in 1869 representing Westmoreland in the Pennsylvania legislature. He and his wife had thirteen children were born to them, of whom six sons and two daughters lived to mature years. [HMC 1909, 383]