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Below is a family biography included in the Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania published in 1904 by T. S. Benham & Company and The Lewis Publishing Company; Elwood Roberts, Editor.  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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FREAS STYER was born June 7, 1859, in Whitpain township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Wm. Augustus and Elizabeth Keeley (Freas) Styer and kindred to the numerous Whitpain township families of that name, his ancestors having located in Whitpain township prior to the Revolution. Wm. Augustus Styer, like most of the family and their forefathers, was a farmer and was the father of a family of eight children, of whom six, Henry C., Hannah, Freas, Martha C. (Naylor), Horace E. and Ellis K. are living. The son Freas is unmarried and has always maintained his home with his parents, who are still living. Their residence until 1898 was the farm of 100 acres in Whitpain and since then in the borough of Norristown.

Freas Styer spent his childhood and youth on the farm and participated in all the labor thereof, attending the public schools in the winter months and afterwards attended Treemount Seminary, Norristown and Centre Square Academy, several terms. During 1879-1880 and 1880-1881, he taught in the public schools of Plymouth township, at the same time continuing his studies and preparing himself both intellectually and financially for college. He entered the freshman class, Classical Course, Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, in September, 1880, and was graduated therefrom in June, 1885, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and in 1888 the same institution conferred on him the degree Master of Arts. In June, 1885, Freas Styer registered as a law student in the office of N. H. Larzelere, Esq., and was admitted to the bar of Montgomery county in October, 1887. Since that time, he has devoted himself to the practice of his profession, and has obtained a large clientage and has become widely known as a skillful and successful practitioner. At the beginning of the present year (1904) he associated with himself, Herbert U. Moore, Esq., an active and talented young barrister, and since then they have been practicing law under the firm name of Styer & Moore.

Mr. Styer, in addition to his law practice, has always been actively interested in business and financial matters. He was one of the organizers and a director and vice-president of the Consumers Ice Company from its organization; one of the organizers and a director in the Cedar Hollow Lime Company, a director in the Penn Trust Company, solicitor and director for the several Building and Loan Associations and other corporations.

Mr. Styer has always been an active Republican in politics but has never been an office seeker, unless a desire for the District Attorneyship nomination, in the early years of his professional career, can be considered such. He has, however, for a number of years represented his ward in town council and occupied the position of solicitor and clerk to the board of directors of the poor.

Freas Styer, like his father and grandfather before him, is a member of the Society of Friends, and is a regular attendant of its religious meetings.

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This family biography is one of more than 1,000 biographies included in the Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania published in 1904 by T. S. Benham & Company and The Lewis Publishing Company.  For the complete description, click here: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

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

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