My Genealogy Hound

JEREMIAH MAHLE, a soldier of the Army of the Potomac and a grape culturist of the village of Ripley, was born at Fryburg, Clarion county, Pennsylvania, March 17, 1844, and is a son of Helwig and Frances (Reckenbrode) Mahle. His paternal grandfather, Henry Mahle, was born in Germany, came about 1816 to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, which he soon left to settle in that part of Venango which is now in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, where he followed farming and distilling, supported successively the Whig and Republican parties and reared a family of four sons and four daughters. His maternal grandfather, George Reckenbrode, was a native of Germany, which he left to come to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, but shortly afterwards removed to Clarion county, of the same State, where he tilled his farm, and in political matters was first a democrat and afterwards became a republican. Helwig Mahle (father) was born in Germany and at four years of age was brought by his parents to Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. He afterwards was taken by them to what is now Clarion county, where he followed farming until his death, in 1864. He was a democrat and later a republican in politics, and a Lutheran in religious belief, and married Frances Reckenbrode. They had four sons and seven daughters, of whom Clemmens, of Corry, Pennsylvania, is an inventor of several valuable and successful machines; and Christian, who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Clarion county.

Jeremiah Mahle was reared in Clarion county where he received his education in the common schools. At eighteen years of age, on August 28, 1862, he enlisted in Co. G, 155th Pennsylvania Infantry and served in the Army of the Potomac until June 6, 1865, when he was honorably discharged from the United States service. He was in the great battles of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, the terrific Wilderness fights, the bloody assaults at Spottsylvania Court-house, Cold Harbor and Petersburg and the series of conflicts in front of the Confederate capital which terminated the existence of the Southern Confederacy. Returning home in 1865 he managed his father’s farm until after his mother’s death in June, 1870, when he purchased it. From 1870 to 1875 he followed farming and the lumber business at Fryburg. In the last named year he came to the town of Ripley, where he resided until 1888 when he removed to the village. He has been engaged in the culture of grapes since 1885 and owns a farm of eighty-two acres at Ripley Crossing, on the L. S. & M. S. railroad, of which thirty acres are in vineyards.

On May 2, 1871, he united in marriage with Elmira Henlen, of Clarion county, Pennsylvania, and their union has been blessed with one child, Grace E., born March 17, 1880. Mrs. Mahle was engaged for eight years in teaching in which she took great delight and won an enviable reputation for success as a teacher. Her grandfathers on both sides of the house, Christopher Henlen, of French extraction, and George Kapp, of German descent, were natives of Lancaster and became two of the first three settlers of Clarion county, Pennsylvania, where they bought land of the Holland Land company. They and their families crossed the mountains in wagons drawn by oxen. John Henlen, son of Christopher Henlen and father of Mrs. Mahle, was born in Lancaster county, in 1816, removed with his parents when quite young to Clarion county, in 1839, and married Elizabeth Kapp; they reared a family of two sons and four daughters.

Jeremiah Mahle is a republican in politics. He and his wife are members of the Ripley Presbyterian church. He is also a member of Summit Lodge, No. 219, F. & A. M., of Westfield, Ripley Grange, No. 65, Patrons of Husbandry and William Sackett Post, No. 324, Grand Army of the Republic.