My Genealogy Hound

ABRAHAM KEELER METZ was born in Worcester township, Montgomery county, May 25, 1846. He attended the public schools until he was seventeen years of age and then started to work on his father’s farm. He has been a farmer ever since. A few years after leaving school he purchased the Samuel R. Detwiler farm, where he has lived ever since. He married Mary Jane, daughter of Matthias Fox, of Towamencin township. They had twelve children: Margaret, born January 30, 1869, is unmarried; Joseph, born January 13, 1870, died September 13, 1871; Harvey, born September 12, 1871, died February 6, 1893; Amos, born February 21, 1873, died September 15, 1874; Hannah, born December 7, 1874, died March 20, 1877; Mary Elizabeth, born October 29, 1876; Martha, born September 3, 1878, married Harry Burgert in the spring of 1901; Henry, born June 13, 1880; Susanna, born May 28, 1882, was married June 16, 1900, to Oswin S. Erb, son of Reuben and Sarah Erb; Abraham F., born July 28, 1884; Emma, born January 3, 1887, and Harrison, born January 11, 1889, are at home. Of these children Henry married Sophrania Graft and they have three children; Elmer, born February 20, 1899; Flora, born in August, 1901, and Eleanor, born in September, 1903. The farm of Abraham K. Metz consists of twenty-nine acres and one hundred and thirty-nine perches. The house was built in 1755. In politics Mr. Metz is a Republican and he belongs to the Mennonite church.

Garrett Metz (grandfather) was born April 28, 1715, in Towamencin township. He married Hannah Heebner.

Joseph H. Metz (father), of Worcester township, married, March 31, 1844, Hannah H. Keeler, daughter of Henry and Susan (Hunsberger) Keeler, who was born June 17, 1822. The ceremony was performed by Rev. W. T. Gerhart. Their children: Abraham K., the subject of this sketch; Lydia K., born December 29, 1847, died in infancy; Susanna K., born May 13, 1849, married Henry F. Frederick, a farmer, they having no children; Garret K., born January 24, 1851, married Hannah Saylor, daughter of Jeriah Saylor, who lives in Philadelphia, they having seven children; Hannah K., born September 30, 1853, married John Heffendrager, a farmer, they having three children; Margaret K.,born November 23, 1854, married Joseph Moyer, a son of Abraham Moyer, who is a farmer, they having five children, one deceased; Henry K., born March 8, 1856, died in infancy; Jacob K., born August 26, 1857, died in infancy; John K., twin brother of Jacob K.; William K., born November 3, 1859; Joseph K., born December 24, 1861, died in infancy; Samuel K., born September 20, 1863, married Lizzie Gotshall, daughter of Jacob Gotshall, Samuel being a farmer in Towamencin, and they having seven children, one deceased; Lizzie K., born August 31, 1866, lives with her brother, William K.

Mary Jane (Fox) Metz, wife of Abraham K. Metz, was born July 10, 1847, in Chester county. Her father was Matthias Fox, a plasterer by trade, who died at the age of forty-seven years, and is buried near Kulpsville, Pennsylvania. His wife was Margaret (Gotshalk) Fox, who died at the age of seventy-one years. Their children are: Mary Jane (Mrs. Metz); Andrew Fox, born in 1850; Henry, who was born in 1853, and lives in Nebraska, where he is a painter by trade; Matthias, born in 1856, a farmer and lives in Skippack township; William, born in 1858, residing at Lansdale; Hannah, born about 1860; Abraham, born in 1861, living at Ambler.

The brothers and sister of Matthias Fox were: Nicholas, John, Moses, Abraham, Henry, Benjamin and Kate, who married John Meadows. The sisters of Mrs. Metz’s mother were: Susan, wife of Simon Heist; and Annie, who was the first wife of Mrs. Metz’s father. There was one child by that marriage- Jacob Fox.