| WOODSON COUNTIES, KANSAS. | 817 cont'd |
JACOB FRY.
A good farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section thirty-two Eminence township is the property of Jacob Fry and is an indication of the manner in which he spends his days, his time being occupied with the labors of field and meadow. He came to Woodson County in 1879 from Berks County, Pennsylvania, which was the place of his birth. There he first opened his eyes to the light of day September 20, 1845. His grandfather, Jacob Fry, spent his entire life in the Keystone state and died when our subject was a small boy. The latter is a son of Henry Fry who
| 818 | HISTORY OF ALLEN AND |
was reared in Berks County, the family home being a short distance northeast of Reading. The father was a laborer and spent his entire life in his native state, dying in 1876, when he had reached the very advanced age of ninety-three years. His wife bore the maiden name of Catherine Moser, and was a daughter of Charles Moser. Both the Mosers and the Frys were Pennsylvania-Germans, the respective families being founded in the Keystone state at an early day. Mrs. Fry passed away prior to her husband's demise, her death occurring in 1873. This worthy couple were the parents of the following children: Betsy, deceased wife of M. Otthias; Polly, who is the widow of Christian Lang and resides in Pennsylvania; Catherine, wife of Charles Ridenour of Burks county; Sarah, deceased wife of Ephraim Long; Hannah, who is the widow of John Wise and resides in Philadelphia; Charles, of Missouri; Matilda, deceased wife of Louis Donaman; Jacob, of this review; Caroline, who has passed away, and Rebecca, wife of Alfred Oswald, of Yates Center.
Jacob Fry, whose name begins this record spent his early youth in his native county, and at the age of twelve years began work in the rolling mill. He remained with one company for eighteen years and learned rolling and puddling, becoming an expert in those lines. He then left the iron fields and spent two years as a farm hand in Huntington County, Pennsylvania, after which he came to Kansas in 1879, took up his abode upon his farm in Woodson County, and has since given it his attention.
While in Pennsylvania, in 1862, Mr. Frye[sic] was joined in wedlock to Miss Amanda Webb, of Merztown, and their marriage was blessed with the following children: Ella, who became the wife of David Hicks, of Colfax, Washington, but is now deceased; Charles; Daniel; Matilda, wife of John Owens, and Susie wife of Otto Brett, of Chanute, Kansas; Mary, wife of David Hicks, of Yates Center; Frank, Louise and Henry, who are still under the parental roof. In his political views Mr. Fry is a Democrat, but has never been an office seeker. His life has been one of marked industry and to this he owes his prosperity. Dependent upon his own resources from the early age of twelve years he has worked his way continuously upward, overcoming all obstacles by determined purpose and resolute will.
Pages 817-818, transcribed by Carolyn Ward from History of Allen and Woodson Counties, Kansas: embellished with portraits of well known people of these counties, with biographies of our representative citizens, cuts of public buildings and a map of each county / Edited and Compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas. F. Scott. Iola Registers, Printers and Binders, Iola, Kan.: 1901; 894 p., [36] leaves of plates: ill., ports.; includes index.
