George Mansfield Sheffer

NOT A DIRECT ANCESTOR George Mansfield Sheffer is not in my direct ancestry. He is the father of James Austin Sheffer and Otis Branfield Sheffer who married Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline and Beulah Gladys Kline; the wives are 1 step removed in the following ways: Sister of Winnifred May Kline Daughter of of John Abram Kline and Elizabeth Anna Frederick

(Emlenton, Pennsylvania)

	Date	Location	Notes	Sources
Birth	June 1847
Marriage	22 Apr 1875		To Sarah Myers
Death	1937	Emlenton PA
Burial		Emlenton Cemetery

Ancestry chart segment

    Generation 3               Generation 4                   Generation 5            Generation 6            Generation 7
                                                                                                          +-- Adam Schaeffer
                                                                                                          |    (~1751-1840)
                                                                                  +-- John Sheffer -------+
                                                                                  |   (1784-  )           |
                                                          +-- Jacob Best Sheffer--+                       +-- Catherine Dorothea Trope (Sipe)
                                                          |   (1814-1900)         |
                           +-- George Mansfield Sheffer --+                       +-- Barbara Anna Bescht/Best
                           |   (1847-1937 )               |
 +--James Austin Sheffer --+                              +-- Sarah Linn
 |  (1880-1960)            |                                  (1824-1890)
 |                         +-- Sarah Myers
 |                             (1853-1910 )
 |
 +-- Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline
     (1885-1939) 
 Sources: 

Children

(all children with Sarah Myers)

Name	Gender	Date of Birth	Birthplace	Spouse	Notes	Sources
Hattie Lauretta Sheffer	F	b. 14 Aug 1877 - d. 12 Sept 1878			died age 1 yr. bur. Georgeville Cem.
Bertha Florence Sheffer	F	b. 13 Feb 1879 - d. 4 June 1892; bur. Georgeville Cem.			Died in explosion, New Kensington PA where residing with her aunt & uncle, M/M L.S. Watson.
James Austin Garfield Sheffer	M	b.11 June 1880	bur. Emlenton Cem.	Anna Catherine "Annie" Kline
Stella Sheffer	M	b.10 July 1882 - d.8 Oct 1939		Silas M. Wonderling (b. 24 July 1868-d. Jan 1952; bur. Worthville cemetery): married 18 Sept 1928	Cared for Dorothy Sheffer, dau. of W.O.B. Sheffer & Beulah Gladys Kline, after Dorothy's parents' death
Plummer Nicholson Sheffer	M	b.30 Mar 1885 - d. 26 Nov 1920, age 35; bur. Emlenton Cemetery		not married	paralyzed by sledding accident when young; wheel-chair bound; died of burns from smoking in wheel-chair.
William Otis Branfield Sheffer	M	b. 27 June 1887 - d. 6 Oct 1920 buried Emlenton Cem.		Beulah Gladys Kline

Places of Residence

Location	Dates	Notes	Sources
Richland Twp, Venango Co, PA	by 1850
Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA	by 1860
Salem Twp, Clarion Co, PA	by 1880
Emlenton, Venango Co.PA	by 1900 through death

Photo Gallery

Geo.M Sheffer age 17

Photo by Mathew Brady Studio, Washington, D. C. in Feb. 1864. Photo & story contributed by great-grandson Rick Sheffer in March 2021. The story is, George Mansfield Sheffer joined the 4th Pennsylvania Cavalry in Feb. 1964, a couple months short of his 17th birthday. One had to be 18 to join, so he and a friend each wrote "18" on a piece of paper and put it in their shoe. When the recruiter asked their ages, the response was "Sir, we are both standing on 18". With that they were officially inducted into the service.

Family of G. M. Sheffer & Sarah Myers, ca. 1891.

Left to right: youngest son Wm. Otis Branfield Sheffer, father G. M. Sheffer, older daughter Bertha Florence Sheffer, (in front) Stella Sheffer, oldest son James Austin G. Sheffer, mother Sarah Myers (Sheffer), and middle son Plummer N. Sheffer. The youngest child, Otis Branfield, appears to be about age 5 or younger, so the year might be about 1892. Daughter Bertha died in an explosion in June of that year.

Gravestone of Hattie L. Sheffer, Georgeville Cemetery

First daughter Hattie L. Sheffer died age 1 yr., and was buried in the plot of her grandparents Jacob B. & Sarah Linn Sheffer, at Georgeville Cemetery. This cemetery locate Rockland Twp. Venango Co. PA just S of Rt. 322. Turn off Rt 38 west onto township Rd. T381.

Stella Sheffer, at home of her parents

G. M. Sheffer & grandchildren Elmer, Ailene, Branny, Hazel, Arthur, Fred, ca. 1922

Sources

Ref. Num.	Description	Image of original
1	1850 United States Federal Census, Richland Twp, Venango Co, PA, page 12. Census page is not dated, but previous page dated 30 Oct 1850. Lines 3-7:Jacob Shafer, 36, farmer, Real property $1500; Sarah, 26; Mary E., 4; George M., 3; John, 1. All b. PA.
2	1860 United States Federal Census, Rockland Twp, Venango Co, PA, page 29. Census dated 24 July 1860. Lines 10-18:Jacob Shaffer, 45, farmer, real property $2000, personal $250; Sarah, 35; Mary E., 14; George M., 13; John, 11; Barbara E., 9; Ann M., 7; Benjamin F., 5; Charles, 2. All b. PA. Children attended school except Mary and Charles.
3	1870 United States Federal Census (no record found)
4	1880 United States Federal Census, District 81, Salem Twp, Clarion Co., PA, page 27. Census dated 17 June, 1880. Lines 13-15: George M. Sheffer, husband, 32, machinist; Sarah E., 27, wife, housework; Bertha F., 1, dau., at home. All and all parents b. PA.
5	1890 United States Veteral Schedule, District 110, Scrubgrass and Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 5. Line 6: George M. Sheffer, private, Company L, 4th PA Cav. Enlisted 17 Feb 1864, discharged in June 186? (year not filled in).
6	1900 United States Federal Census, District 141, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 10. Census dated 5 June 1900. Lines 93-98: George M. Sheffer, head, 52, b. July 1847, married 25 years, machinist, owns home with mortgage; Sara E., wife, 47, b. Feb 1853, married 25 years, 6 children born, 4 living; Austin J., son, 19, b. June, 1880, at school; Estella, dau., 17, b. July 1882, at school; Plummer N., son, 15, b. Mar 1885, at school; William A., son, 12, b. June 1887, at school. All and all parents b. PA. Family resides at 108 Hill Street.
7	1910 United States Federal Census, District 112, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 11. Census dated 19 Apr 1910. Lines 10-14: George M. Sheffer, head, 63, ist marriage, 35 years, machinist, machine shop, owns home, no mortgage; Sarah M., wife, 57, 1st marriage, 35 years, 6 children born, 4 living; Estella, dau., 28; Plummer, son, 25; Otis W., son, 22, freight agent, depot. All and all parents b. PA. All can read, write and speak English.
8	1920 United States Federal Census, District 110, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 10. Census dated 10 Jan 1920. Lines 93-95: George M. Sheffer, head, 73, widower, owns home mortgage free; Stella, dau., 37, single; Plumber N., son, 34, single, machinist, own shop. All and all parents b. PA. Family lives on Hill Street.
10	1930 United States Federal Census, District 10, Emlenton, Venango Co, PA, page 8. Census dated 8 Apr 1930. Line 83: George M. Sheffer, head, 73, widower, owns home $8000, b. PA, parents b. PA, machinist, machine shop, veteran, can read, write and speak English. Lives on 8th Street.
11	Personal correspondence from Elizabeth Wilson Williams, granddaughter of Winnifred May Kline.
12	Rick Sheffer personal correspondence Aug 2008 - ongoing. "Sheffer Family Journey, from the Rhineland to Venango County, Pa.", copyright 2008 by Rick Sheffer, a powerpoint presentation of data and photos,program presented in Emlenton PA Sept. 2008. Information based on Hazel Sheffer Crawford's collection of family and other photos to be donated to the Pumping Jack Museum (of the local oil industry),located in the former Crawford High School building, Emlenton, Venango Co. PA. George M. Sheffer lived in a rather large brick 2 or 3 story house which he built on the SW corner of Hill St. & 2nd St. If 2nd St. were extended further north it would run onto the E. side of the Catholic Church. This is the hill where Plummer "Tummie" Sheffer was paralyzed riding on a "go-devil" (a one-runner sled). George M. Sheffer's machine shop was located next to his house, on the south side, down the hill and along the old RR track bed. The building was still standing in 2008-09, but scheduled for demolition. (This area lies toward the old entrance to the closed Penzoil Refinery on the Allegheny River) Austin Sheffer's home was just west of the George M. Sheffer home (toward the refinery) and further up Hill St. It lies across Hill St. from the west end of the Catholic Church playground. Austin's machine shop was attached to the house. The Elmer Sheffer home was the former Lutheran Church parsonage, on the NE corner of Kerr Ave. (brick paved) & Hill St.; across from the old Crawford High School; Emlenton PA. The farm owned by John Sheffer (son of John Adam Sheffer) is today under Kahle Lake, Salem Twp., Clarion Co. PA.
13	The John Adam Scheffer Family History and Lineage 1751-1958 compiled by Hazel Sheffer Crawford, Emlenton, PA 1958. Submitted to us by Nancy Beals Walls Oct 2008.
14	Patents by G. M. Sheffer, provided to us March 2009 by Rick Sheffer. Click on patent to see diagrams & descriptions: Sucker-Rod Extractor, patented 5 Sept 1876, "an improved device for extracting sucker-rods from bore-holes of wells, &tc." Rotary Engine, patented 27 Nov 1888, "to provide a packing block or cushion for engines of this class which shall be capable of a limited automatic adjustment toward & from the piston casing upon the cylinder at the lowest point thereof, and to preserve at all times a perfectly tight joint between the exhaust-side of the live-steam side of the piston casing..." Rail-Joint, patented 29 June 1909, "relating to railroad construction and improvement of the general construction of rail joints, ...render(ing) it unnecessary to drill or punch the ends of rails for the reception of bolts..." Current Motor, patented 17 Oct 1916, "a device mounted on a float (which) may be raised or lowered...to provide for variations in water conditions....for operating the said motor in a direction to propel the boat or scow..."
15	Obituary of George Mansfield Sheffer, from collection of Peg Kahle. Original source not given. George Mansfield Sheffer, age 90, last survivor of Civil War in Emlenton, died at his home on Hill and Eigth Streets Thursday morning 16 Sept 1937. Born 19 June 1847 in Richland Twp., son of the late Jacob Sheffer and Mrs. Sarah Linn Sheffer. MArried Sarah Eleanor Myers of Rockland 22 Apr 1875. They were the parents of six children, four of whom preceded him in death. Mrs. Sheffer died 10 July 1910. Surviving are one son: J. Austin Sheffer and one daughter, Estella, wife of Silas Wonderling, both of Emlenton; and two brothers: U.G. Sheffer of Rock Springs, WY and John Sheffer of Lakeland, FL. Mr. Sheffer enlisted in the Union Army 17 Feb 1864 at Franklin, PA and seved during the rest of the Civil War with Company I, 4th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. Discharged 13 June 1865. Funeral services were held Thursday 16 Sept 1937 at 2 pm at the family home. Officiating were Rev. Robert W. Roschy of St. John's Reformed Church and Rev. B.F. Williams, retired Presbyterian minister. Interment in the family plot in Emlenton Cemetery. Pallbearers: nephews Marion Sheffer, MArshall Sheffer, Plumer Myers, Arthur M. Lynn, Warren Sheffer and Luke Myers. A body of American Legionnaires conducted military honors: G.A. Detar, commander; H.A.Davis, bugler; Howard Panton in charge of firing squad made up of Robert Rankin, Harry Cartwright, Ward McElhattan, Clause Frederick, Fred Longnaker, Ira Elder and Wash McCord. Color bearers were Clell Logue and Peter Rappi. * Margin note from Mrs. Kahle: Lot 84-2