John W. Fancher

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

John W. Fancher

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

Morris county has been fortunate in the possession of many citizens who combine with successful ability in private enterprise a high degree of public spirit, so that they have served well in both themselves and their communities. In this class of residents belongs John W. FANCHER, who for many years has been actively identified with business affairs in Succasunna, where for the past ten years he has conducted an establishment for undertaking and as a funeral director. His family is an old honored one, and many of its members besides himself were in the day and generation useful and esteemed citizens.

John W. FRANCHER was born in Morris county, November 8, 1854, a son of James H. and Margaret (HART) FANCHER. The founder of the name in America was the great-grandfather, John FRANCHER, who came to America with General LAFAYETTE, and fought with that gallant Frenchman in the war for independence. While the elder John FRANCHER carried a flintlock with the American troops, his son, John FRANCHER Jr., grandfather of the Morris county business man, was afterwards a drummer boy in the War of 1812. John FRANCHER Jr. married Mary LeFEVER.

James H. FRANCHER, the father, first followed the trade of blacksmith; was for ten years associate judge of the Common Pleas Court of Morris county, and was long an active Democrat. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, and died at his home on Friday, February 3, 1905. He was born at Ledgewood, Morris county, New Jersey, September 2, 1818, and was therefore eighty-seven years of age at the time of his death. All his life was spent in Roxbury township, and in the borough of Mt. Arlington. Judge FRANCHER had the following children:

Reuben FRANCHER, who died June 6, 1912, in Succasunna, at the age of sixty-seven years, four months and sixteen days;
Peter, born July 20, 1844, died at the age of forty-two years;
Mary E., born August 16, 1848, died August 9, 1850;
John H., born December 17, 1850, died February 7, 1851;
Matthias, who is a butcher in Kenvil;
John W., mentioned further;
William H., of Slide Mountain, New York;
two other children died in childhood.

Margaret (HART) FANCHER, the mother of these children, died October 29, 1883, at the age of sixty-three. She was born at Alpaugh, Morris county, and her parents were representatives of old families in this section.

John W. FANCHER attended school at Chestnut Hill and was early instructed in practical accomplishments. For some fifteen years he followed the trade of carpenter, was in the coal business thirteen years, and since 1903 has been a funeral director, and given a skillful and much appreciated service in that important capacity. Always a Democratic voter of Morris county, Mr. FANCHER has for thirty years served as a justice of the peace in Succasunna, and in all this time he has never had but one reversal. His first office was that of constable, which he filled six years. For fifteen years he has been a member of the board of freeholders, and in 1911 was director of the board; he has held offices of various kinds, always giving intelligent and faithful service in every capacity. His church is the Presbyterian, and fraternally he is affiliated with the J. O. U. A. M. and the I. O. R. M.

His first marriage was celebrated November 21, 1877, when Sarah VORHEES, a daughter of William VORHEES, and a native of Washington township, Morris county, became his wife. Her death occurred August 1, 1898, at the age of thirty-eight years. During the twenty-one years of their happy married life, one daughter and two sons were born, and the three children are:

Alice, wife of George HAND, of Succasunna;
George, who is with the LeHigh & Hudson River Railroad Company;
Allen H., with the New York Telephone Company.

Both sons are unmarried. On May 16, 1900, Mr. FANCHER married Elizabeth Grace RODER, daughter of Henry RODER, of Newark, New Jersey. Her grandfather was a native of Germany. To this second union has been born one child,

Linnet, now ten years of age.

Mr. FRANCHER has spent all his active life in Succasunna, has been known to the citizens of that locality since childhood and since reaching majority has been a valued member of the community. The residence in which he and his family now enjoy the comforts of life was built by him in 1900, and prior to that he had erected two other houses, both of which he sold.

This biography was transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003).