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Below is a family biography included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co.   These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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ZEPHANIAH WILLIAMS ABER, farmer, post-office Monroeville, is a grandson of Matthew Aber, who came from New Jersey to Allegheny county before the Indians were subdued, and was obliged to leave his land for a time on account of their depredations John Aber, father of Matthew, was also born in New Jersey, and the family is probably of German extraction. Matthew had a son named Matthew, who was born in this county and married Prudence Bryan, also a native of the county, and to them was born in 1821 the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. Zephaniah Bryan, father of Prudence, came to this county about the same time as Matthew Aber. The former reared sixteen children and the latter nine. Mr. Bryan was a revolutionary soldier, and helped defend Fort Moultrie from the attack of the British at Charleston, S. C. Mrs. Bryan, nee De Vosse, was of French extraction. Z. W. Aber was reared on the home place, and settled after his marriage on his present farm, which he cleared and improved. His first vote was cast for the liberty party, with which he remained until the republicans adopted its principles, and he has served his township as assessor, collector and school director. He is an elder in the Presbyterian Church, with which all the members of the family are associated. In 1844 he married Elizabeth Linn, a native of Patton, and a daughter of John and Eleanor Linn, of Ireland and Eastern Pennsylvania, respectively, and following are the names of their children: Eleanor, wife of R. A. Kent, of Oskaloosa, Iowa; Matthew, shot near Petersburg, Va., while serving in the 1st P. V. R. Cav.; John, in Oskaloosa, Iowa; Jane and Mary M., at home; Emily Wilson, wife of Prof. J. A. Wesco, of Portland, Ore.; William George, in Bingham, Wyo. T.; Seth P., who died on the Rocky mountains at the age of twenty-three; Matthew, Charles L., at home, and an adopted daughter, Margretta De Vosse.

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This family biography is one of 2,156 biographies included in the History of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania published in 1889 by A. Warner & Co.

View additional Allegheny County, Pennsylvania family biographies here: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Biographies

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