My Genealogy Hound

P. L. SWARTZ, grocer, was born in Clarion county, Pa., April 25, 1841. His father, F. Swartz, is a native of Wurtemburg, Germany, and was born in 1810, and is now living in Nemaha county, Neb. His mother, Margaret (Laubaugh) Swartz, is a native of the Keystone State, and was born in 1813, and died in 1856. In the spring of 1855, he moved with his parents to Nemaha county, Neb., locating on a farm near Brownville. Mr. Swartz was raised principally on a farm, and educated in the common schools and the Rimersburgh (Pa.) Academy. In the spring of 1861 he went to Colorado and engaged in mining. In July following he enlisted in Co. A,, First Colorado Independent Cavalry Volunteers, Capt. Backus, commanding, and after the command had been reorganized he went to New Mexico, Ft. Union, and the Panhandle, Texas, and participated at Appache Canyon, under Col. J. C. Slow, and against the Texans, under Colonel Sibley, and was in numerous other engagements against the Confederates and Indians. He was mustered out at Ft. Leavenworth in Nov., 1865, and came to Newton county, Mo., in December of that year, but shortly after returned to Leavenworth and engaged in teaching during the summer; again returned to Newton county and occupied his time teaching at Granby, and improving land which he had previously entered; he continued there three years and then came to Thurman, same county, and mined for a few months, and came to Joplin in Feb., 1873, and opened a lumber yard in East Joplin, but soon after disposed of his interests in that line, and engaged in mining, in which occupation he remained four years; he then embarked in the grocery business at Lone Elm, where he remained two years, after which he purchased property on Main Street and engaged in his present business. Mr. Swartz was married in Newton county, Mo., May 15, 1867, to Miss Nancy J. Dennen, who died in Nov., 1872. He was again married in June, 1876, to Miss Almina Guinn, who was born in Berlin, Ill. From this union there are three children: Edward P., born April 3, 1877; Albert G., born Nov., 1878, and Frederick P., born Nov., 1880. Mrs. S. is a member of the Catholic Church. Mr. S. has been a member of the city council, township and city assessor, and is considered one of the foremost of Joplin’s reliable business men.