Husband John Christian Fisher Motz 1 2 3
Born: 25 Apr 1872 - Woodward, Haines Twp, Centre Co, PA 1 2 3
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Father: John Christian Motz (1832-1893) 1 3 4
Mother: Miranda H. Reighard (1835- ) 1 3
Marriage: 2 Sep 1907 5
Wife Ray Whitsett Ruse 5
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Father: David P. Whitsett ( - ) 5
Mother:
Children
1 M John Christian Fisher Motz, Jr. 5
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Died: Aft 1918
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General Notes: Husband - John Christian Fisher Motz
He was educated at Williamsport, at State College, Pennsylvania, and at the Eastman Business College. He got a good insight into business six years under the preceptorship of his father, who one year before he died gave John, individually, the store in Woodward, which the latter then successfully carried on under the name of J. C. F. Motz.
He was a Republican in political preference, while in matters of religion he was identified with the Evangelical Association.
He was a student at Dickason Seminary at Williamsport, Pennsylvania State College, and Eastman Business College, from which he was graduated in 1890. In the following year, 1891, with the assistance of his father, he opened a general store in Woodward, which he conducted successfully until 1901. Later he became general manager of the Bellefonte, Aaronsburg & Youngstown Turnpike Road Company, this turnpike running from Mifflinsburg, Union County, to the Old Fort, Centre County, a distance of thirty-six miles, having seven toll gates. He gradually worked into the lumber business, having a large mill at Woodward and several portable mills in the mountain district, and in 1901 the mill at Woodward was destroyed by fire, together with the entire stock of lumber at the yards, entailing a great financial loss. At the same time he had charge of two grist mills, one at Woodward and the other located near Coburn, called the Pine Creek mill.
Having decided to investigate other fields, Mr. Motz visited the town of Monessen and finding the prospects enticing, he located there and formed a partership with a Mr. Coryell, a contractor, they opening up a lumber and general contracting business, but Mr. Coryell being greatly in debt, the partnership was dissolved six weeks later, Mr. Motz taking over the business by appointing a receiver. Two years and a half later, all of the indebtedness being paid, the business continued as The Motz Lumber Company. As Mr. Motz had no knowledge of the building business, his experience having been entirely in the manufacturing end, he took a correspondence course in architecture and building, studying at night, and so developed out of an insolvent business one of the most flourishing contracting concerns in the Monongahela River Valley. In 1910 The Motz Lumber Company was incorporated, taking in employees as partners, and it became one of the largest businesses of its kind in Westmoreland County.
In June, 1915, Mr. Motz organized the Monessen Pure Ice Company, manufacturing ice by a modern process, also handling cold storage. The plant was very successful, running to full capacity, and doing its part towards alleviating the great ice famine of 1918.
Mr. Motz was also interested in other enterprises and was a member of the Board of Trade of Monessen. With the assistance of Harry Lebowitz, he planned and promoted the largest Marathon race run in the Monongahela River Valley, in the interest of sports. Mr. Motz was a member of the Methodist church of Monessen, in which he took an active interest, serving in the capacity of superintendent of the Sunday school for a number of years.
He and his wife had three sons; only one was living in 1918.