Sullivan County PA Biographies
C-D
JAMES C. DEININGER, assistant chief clerk in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, is one of the most respected citizens of the village of Sonestown, Pa., and is a man of many sterling qualities. The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this narrative is of German origin and was born at Millheim, Center County, Pa., May 7, 1873, and is a son of Augustus O. and Hannah (Hoover) Deininger, and a grandson of Emanuel Deininger. Our subject's grandfather was born in Germany, and while a young man removed to the United States, settling in Philadelphia, where he remained a number of years, when he became a resident of Center County, Pa. While residing in his native country he was a teacher of languages and pursued that profession to some extent in this country. He was united in matrimonial bonds with Miss Ovenland and they became the parents of five children, who were named as follows: Christian F., who was a prominent minister and presided in the pulpit of the Evangelical Church for a period of nearly fifty years; Mary, who was the wife of Jacob Keen; Benjamin O., proprietor and editor of the Millheim Journal, and one of the trustees of Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, Pa.; Jonathan O.; and Augustus O. Our subject's paternal grandfather passed away at the age of nearly eighty years, while his grandmother died aged sixty-five years.
Augustus O. Deininger, father of our subject, was born in Philadelphia, and when he reached manhood, as the Civil War was in progress, he enlisted in Company A, 148th Reg., Pa. Vol. Inf., and served until the close of the war. After peace had been restored he accepted a position in the War Department at Washington. D. C., in which capacity he remained about eighteen months; he then entered the marble business at Millheim, Center County. Pa., from which business he retired to enter the revenue service. He was joined in the bonds of wedlock with Hannah Hoover, and to this union a family of seven children was born. James C. Deininger, our subject, received his primary education in the public schools of his native town, which was later supplemented by a course in the high school at Hughesville, Pa. Upon leaving school he accepted a position with the W. & N. B. R. R., working in the freight department; later he was promoted-to the passenger service as baggage-master and conductor, and while working in that capacity made his home at Nordmont, Pa. In 1894 he severed his connection with the railroad company to engage with M. W. Botsford in the manufacture of cigars, from which business he retired a year later and removed to Sonestown, Pa. In 1895 he accepted a clerkship in the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, and in February, 1898, he was promoted to his present position as assistant chief-clerk. In June, 1898, he was appointed one of the commissioners to represent Pennsylvania at the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition, held at Omaha, Neb. Our subject is a member of Masonic Lodge No. 299 of Muncy, Pa., in which he takes much interest. Mr. Deininger holds the interests of Sullivan County much at heart and is held in high esteem by a large circle of acquaintances in every section of Sullivan County.(Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY 1899 Page 469 Transcribed by Tammy Clark)
ELIAS DILTZ
ELIAS DILTZ, a progressive and enterprising farmer of Davidson township, Sullivan County, Pa., comes of German ancestry, although he, himself, was born April 1, 1865, in Sugar Loaf township, Columbia County, and is a son of Emanuel and Lovina A. (Kline) Diltz. George Diltz, our subject's grandfather, was the original emigrant, having been reared to manhood in Germany. Upon his arrival in this country he settled in Sugar Loaf township, Columbia County, Pa., where he took up a tract of 150 acres of timber land. This farm is now divided among his sons Emanuel and John, and a part belongs to Thomas Smith; it has since been cleared and now constitutes one of the best pieces of farming land in that township. Our subject's grandfather followed both the farming and lumbering business, in which he was remarkably successful; he owned two saw mills, one of which is still in operation and in possession of Silas Benjamin. He died in 1873 at the age of sixty-five years, and his wife died at about the same time aged sixty years. Their children were: Philip, Sally, Emanuel, John, Elias, and Betsey. Emanuel Diltz was born in Sugar Loaf township, and was also reared and educated there; he started out in life as a lumberman, and while still a young man purchased from his father 50 acres of land, upon which he has continued to reside up to the present time. He also bought his father's saw and shingle mill, which he continues to operate. Mr. Diltz is past his sixty-fifth year in life and is prominently known throughout his community as a good neighbor and excellent citizen. Politically he is a Democrat, and is an earnest and conscientious supporter of his party. Religiously he is a member of the Methodist Church. His union with Lovina A. Kline resulted in the birth of the following children: Irvin, who wedded Clara Kitchen; Elias, our subject; Emma, wife of Britton Cole; Lizzie B., wife of Harvey Clinger; and Oma. Elias Diltz received his schooling in his native township. His first business venture was in farming, he having rented his father's farm for one year. After carrying on lumbering a short time he removed to Sullivan County and settled in Nordmont, where he worked in the woods peeling bark. In 1886 he took up his residence in Davidson township, where he purchased his present farm of 50 acres of Joseph Robbins. In 1893 he erected a two-story frame house and in 1896 a fine commodious barn. The house stands on the same ground where, 75 years ago, William J. and Susannah Robbins, grandparents of Mrs. Alice Robbins Diltz, first built a log house and settled, and where they lived for several years. They came from Columbia County, when Davidson township, Sullivan County, and in fact the whole of Sullivan County, was little better than a wilderness of forest. The pioneers cleared the farm and raised a family of four sons and one daughter,-Henderson, Thomas, Leonard, Joseph, and Mary. During the winter months after the harvests had been gathered Mr. Diltz worked in the woods for different contractors. Our subject is an industrious, painstaking, honest farmer, possessing many warm friends in the community of which he is a valued member. Mr. Diltz was joined in matrimonial bonds with Alice Robbins, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Henley) Robbins, and five children have been born to them, namely: Lester, Charles, Hazel Josephine, Willard, and Mary. In politics Mr. Diltz, though not an office-seeker, firmly advocates the principles of the Democratic party.(Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY 1899 Page 653 Transcribed by Tammy Clark)
CORRELL DUNLAP
CORRELL DUNLAP learned the art of farming on his father's farm and has ever since continued in that independent calling. He is also engaged extensively in stock raising and lumbering and owns a fine farm in Hillsgrove township, Sullivan County. He was born in Plunkett's Creek township, Lycoming County, Pa., September 1, 1847, and is a son of George Grant and Margaret (Foulcroud) Dunlap. George Grant Dunlap was born in Newberry, Pa., but moved to Middletown, Pa., where he carried on lumbering; later he followed the same business at Barbara's Mills, then Sandy Bottom, Pa. He finally settled on the farm now owned by our subject, which then was covered by a dense forest; he cleared a portion of it and farming was his principal occupation the remainder of his life. His death occurred on April 6, 1870, while his wife departed this life June 13, 1882. They were the parents of nine children, who were named as follows: Mary Elizabeth, widow of Charles Simon, who now resides at Williamsport, Pa.; Sarah Jane, who died in her younger days; Correll, our subject: Henry, died August 15, 1869; Benjamin, who wedded Mary Diggins, and they are residents of Hillsgrove township; George, died September 1, 1881; Florence, wife of William Montgomery, and they live at Laporte, the county seat of Sullivan County; Rosa, who also resides at Laporte; and Orella, who died September 15, 1881. Correll Dunlap worked at gardening at Newberry, Pa., in his early manhood, and later he took charge of his father's farm, and, with the exception of two years which were spent in a tannery at Proctor, Pa., he has continuously resided on the homestead. Our subject is a hard, industrious worker, and his farm, which contains eighty acres, ranks among the best farms in Sullivan County. Mr. Dunlap is a stanch Democrat, firmly supporting the principles as advocated by his party, and he has held many township offices. Fraternally he is a member of Hillsgrove Lodge, No. 305, I. O. O. F. Religiously he and his wife are devoted members of the Baptist Church at Loyalsock, Pa. July 3, 1866, our subject was joined in marriage with Mary E. Grier, born in Lycoming County, March 14, 1849, and a daughter of John and Mary (Luck) Grier, both now deceased. The following children were born to them: William, a farmer, who married Kate Hines; Adeline, who died aged six years; George Grant, who resides at Muncy Valley, Pa., and married Margaret Snell; Mary Ellen, died aged one year; Charles, a farmer residing near our subject, and who wedded Sarah Van Horn; Lillian, the wife of Harvey Birdsell; one who died in infancy; and Harry B., who is attending school.(Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District Published by Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY 1899 Page 606 Transcribed by Tammy Clark)
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