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Subject: [PaCambri] JOHN H SOMMERVILLE
Date: Wed, 9 May 2001 13:20:42 EDT

I found several mentions of Sommerville, which is likely aka SUMMERVILLE,
this is a partial biography of J H SOMMERVILLE, source: Biographical and
Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria County, dated 1896
I could find no SPELLEN in my data. I am sorry I cannot help you with the
location of Summerville, I have never gone to Cambria County that I have not
gotten lost and pass the same Citgo station over and over.
JOHN H. SOMMERVILLE, a respected citizen of Patton, and a retired farmer and
lumberman of many years of successful experience, is a son of William H. and
Jane LAVERTY Sommerville, and was born in Chest Twp, Clearfield County,
Pennsylvania. March 20, 1838. He is descended from Scottish ancestors, and
his paternal grandfather, James Sommerville, was a Revolutionary soldier, and
after peace settled at the site of Gaysport, Huntingdon County, which was
afterwards built on his farm. James SOMMERVILLE became prominent in local
affairs, and was known as 'Squire SOMMERVILLE', from being justice of the
peace, and had been for many years a member of the Presbyterian church. He
married Mary HOLLIDAY, who was a member of the celebrated HOLLIDAY family
after which Hollidaysburg was named and founded in 1768 by Adam and William
HOLLIDAY, natives of the north of Ireland, and pioneers and frontiersmen of
the Juniata Valley. Squire and Mrs. Sommerville reared a large family, of
which William H SOMMERVILLE was the youngest child. William H SOMMERVILLE was
born at Gaysport, Blair County, in 1800 and died in Chest Twp. He removed in
1836 to Chest Twp where he purchased and tilled a small farm, but finding
active business life more to his inclinations, he devoted most of his time to
lumbering.**Married Jean, daughter of James LAVERTY, of Susquehanna, then a
part of White Twp. Mr. and Mrs. SOMMERVILLE reared a family of seven sons and
four daughters: James a farmer of Susquehanna Twp; John H., William and
Holliday, who are dead; Samuel, a hotel keeper at Niagara Falls, New York;
Blair, engaged in farming in Clearfield County; Daniel and Mary Jane, who are
deceased; Ruth married Oliver STEPHENS, and is now dead; Martha Jane, wife of
Joseph STIFFLER, and Etta, who married a Mr. BALDWIN.
John H. SOMMERVILLE, wedded Mary HELFRICH, daughter of Nicholas HELFRICH, of
Chest Twp. To their union have been born four children, all sons: Jesse, now
deceased; Dr. Harry, a graduate of the Cincinnati Medical College, and a
resident physician of Chest Springs; Raynal, a graduate of Ann Arbor,
Michigan Law school, and a lawyer of Patton; and Guy, now deceased.

Annie Whiteman
SC PAGenExchange

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