My Genealogy Hound

J. CHARLES BEDELL, merchant, Mansfield Valley, is a native of Allegheny county, Pa., born in 1839. His parents, Daniel, a farmer, and Elizabeth (Jacobs) Bedell, had a family of ten children, seven of whom are living, and of these J. Charles is among the youngest. The father died in 1861, aged seventy-six years; the mother, when aged sixty-two years. The grandfather, Abner Bedell, who was a farmer, came to America from France with Gen. Lafayette, and the original spelling of the name was B’Dell. The subject of this sketch was educated at the common schools, and also attended night school. Early in life he became a compositor, and was employed in a publishing-house in Pittsburgh for several years. Soon afterward he went to Dakota territory, where he edited the first paper, remaining three years, after which he was employed by the P. & Ft. W. K. R., and was four years paymaster. In 1866 he came to Mansfield and engaged in mercantile business until 1877. Then, in company with his father-in-law, Mr. Kennedy, he organized the Mansfield Saving & Deposit Bank. This partnership continued until 1879, but since that date Mr. Bedell has been successfully carrying on mercantile business. He married, in 1865, Dell, daughter of Samuel Kennedy, of Mansfield, Pa., and they have three children: Winifred, Violet and Idyl. Mr. Bedell has been a member of the school board and town council. He is a member of the M. E. Church, and is a republican.