My Genealogy Hound

A. H. GOTTSHALK, the well known tinner of Collegeville, was born at Schwenksville, Montgomery county, March 16, 1825. He was reared on a farm and received a limited education.

The Gottshalks came from Holland in 1735, and A. H. Gottshalk is about the sixth generation from the immigrant. The family have always been members of the Mennonite church, and thrifty, worthy people. Gottshalk Guttshalk (grandfather) was a farmer in Frederick township, Montgomery county, and was a prominent and influential man. He was one of the leaders of the Mennonite church in its early history in this country, and was a deacon in the church. He died at a ripe old age, on the homestead which has been in the family for more than one hundred years, and which still belongs to one of its members. The children of Gottshalk Guttshalk: William (father); Dillman, a farmer.

William Gottshalk (father) was born and reared in Montgomery county. He and his sons managed a large farm and attended market. He was a Whig and a Republican, but never aspired to office. He was a deacon in the Mennonite church, and one of the promoters and builders of the church at Schwenksville. He died in 1874 at the age of ninety-one years, after a life spent in useful industry. His wife died in 1862. She was Magdalena (Hunsberger) Gottshalk. At the time of the death of William Gottshalk his descendants numbered 272. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Gottshalk: Dillman, a farmer; William, a farmer in Lower Salford township, now ninety-two years of age; Adam, a farmer; Moses, a farmer and also a preacher in the Mennonite church, who was possessed of a remarkable memory; Gotshalk, a farmer; Jacob, a farmer; John, a farmer; Joseph, a farmer; A. H., the subject of this sketch; Abraham, a farmer and minister in the Mennonite church; Elizabeth (Mrs. N. Umstead); Catharine (Mrs. Burgin). All of these children lived and reared families, but all are now deceased except William and A. H.

At the age of sixteen years A. H. Gottshalk left his father’s home to be apprenticed to the trade of tinner. He served three years, and then worked as a journeyman for seven years in Philadelphia and Norristown. In 1850 he married, and in the next year opened a shop at Perkiomen Bridge. He bought at different times one, two and four acres of land, on which he erected a substantial building, and where he still lives. His home is a three story brick house, and in addition to this there are several other brick houses and a brick shop on his ground. He carried on his store, selling stoves, doing general tinning, spouting, and trimming, and during his active years did a great amount of work. He is still in business, but is not pushing it as he once did, although he is a vigorous, strong man for his years. He is a Mennonite.

A. H. Gottshalk married Miss Mary A. Schwartz, born in Frederick township in 1827. She is the daughter of Andrew and Miss (Heebner) Schwartz. Mr. Schwartz was a farmer and hotel keeper in Montgomery county. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Schwartz: William (deceased) a farmer, who married and left a family; Henry, a wheelwright; George, a carpenter; James, a farmer; Mary Ann (Mrs. Gottshalk); Catharine (Mrs. D. Smith); Elizabeth (Mrs. J. Kline); Amelia (Mrs. H . Hilabiddle). The Schwartz family were Lutherans.

The children of A. H. and Mary Ann (Schwartz) Gottshalk: Ella, married D. M. Markley, a mail carrier in Philadelphia, and has two children; Lizzie M., married J. A. Johnson, a real estate dealer of Norristown, and has six children; Andrew, learned the tinner trade, and carried on the business in connection with his father, and was an energetic, pushing man, but died at the age of thirty-four years. He had two children, one dying. His wife also died and he only survived two years. His son Harry, born October 31, 1890, is being reared by his grandparents, A. H. and Mary Gottshalk. Mr. A. H. Gottshalk is a Republican.

The maternal grandfather of Mr. Gottshalk, Mr. Hunsberger, was a farmer, and a leading member of the Mennonite church. His children: Isaac, Martin, Abraham, Magdalena (mother); Hannah (Mrs. Weand); Sarah (Mrs. Wyand); Elizabeth (Mrs. Umstead), and Mary (Mrs. Keeler).