My Genealogy Hound

REV. L. KRYDER EVANS, D. D., pastor of Trinity Reformed church, Pottstown, and the oldest continuous pastor in Pottstown, was born near Spring Mills, Gregg township, Centre county; Pennsylvania, December 20, 1839. He is the son of James G. and Rebecca (Kryder) Evans, natives of Centre county. They had three children: Rev. L. Kryder Evans; J. Wells Evans, of Spring Mills; and Rev. John M. Evans, of Oak Ridge, Armstrong county, Pennsylvania.

James G. Evans (father) was reared on his father’s farm. He learned the trade of a plasterer, which he followed until the year 1852, when he bought his father’s farm. He died in 1899, at the age of eighty-seven years. His wife still survives. Both were members of the Reformed church. He was township assessor and school director for several years.

Lott Evans (grandfather) was born August 2, 1782, near Joanna Station in Berks county, Pennsylvania. He removed to Centre county when a young man. For a period he was a clerk in the store of John Irvin. Later he engaged in farming, finally purchasing and settling on a farm near Spring Mills, where he spent the remainder of his days. For a number of years he was a justice of the peace. His wife was Jane Usher. He died at the age of sixty-eight years and seven months. He had twelve children. His father was John Evans, a Revolutionary soldier. The family are of Welsh descent.

Mary Evans (sister of paternal great-grandfather) was married to James Watson. They had four children, one of whom, Ann, was married to John Irvin, Sr. These were the parents of General James Irvin. From their descendants, through intermarriage, came some of the most distinguished citizens of Centre county, soldiers, jurists and statesmen: The Watsons, the Penningtons, the Irvins, the Greggs and the Curtins; names that not only adorn the history of their native county, but shed a lustre on the history of our republic.

HON. JACOB KRYDER (maternal grandfather) was born near Mifflinburg, Union county, Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Elizabeth Neidig and spent his life in farming. He died at the age of seventy-eight years. The couple had thirteen children. He resided near Milheim, Centre county, on a farm, and reared a family of ten children.

Jacob Kryder was a member of the second constitutional convention of Pennsylvania. He also represented Centre county in the legislature and served ten years as associate judge of courts at Bellefonte. He was a Democrat of the “Jackson” type, a most worthy, influential and highly esteemed citizen.

MARGARET ELIZABETH NEIDIG, wife of Jacob Kryder (maternal grandfather) was a daughter of Solomon Neidig and Catharine (Clay) Neidig. Solomon came from the Palatinate, Germany. He first settled in Exeter township, Berks county, but later removed to the lower end of Penns Valley, Centre county, near Woodward, where he purchased a large tract of land, which he cleared and settled there.

JOHN KRYDER(maternal great-grandfather) was born in 1739, and died March 10, 1813. His wife was Angelia Fox, who was a redemptioner and came from Germany. She was born in 1743 and died January 18, 1821. John Kryder came from Germany and served in the French and Indian war.

Rev. L. Kryder Evans, D. D., spent his boyhood days on the farm at Spring Mills, attended the district schools and later the Aaronsburg Academy, under Professor J. I. Burrell. He taught in the public school in Brush Valley one winter and in Zion two winters. The latter village is about five miles east of Bellefonte. He taught school during the winter and was employed on the farm during the summer.

During the summer of 1860 he attended Fairview Seminary, Nittany Valley, and in the fall of that year entered the freshman class of Franklin and Marshall College, at Lancaster, graduating in 1864, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He was the valedictorian of the class. In the summer of 1863 he taught one session at the Boalsburg Academy, Centre county. In the fall of 1864 he entered the Theological Seminary of the Reformed church then located at Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, remaining there until the end of the session of 1865. He taught the Oley Academy at Friedensburg, Berks county, during the spring and summer of 1865. In September he went to Germany and spent two years at the universities there: six months in the University of Berlin, six months at the University ‘at Bonn and one year at the University of Tuebingen. He returned home in September, 1867, was examined by West Susquehanna Classis at Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, October 29, 1867, and licensed to preach. He accepted a call to the Reformed church of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, in December, 1867, and served a pastorate of four years. During his pastorate at Williamsport he also supplied at stated times three other congregations, one in Nippenose valley, one in White Deer valley, and the third in Black Hole valley, all in Lycoming county. In the spring of 1871 he received and accepted a call from Trinity Reformed church, Pottstown, and entered upon his pastorate there December 10, 1871, where he still continues in that position. The membership of his church is about nine hundred. His degree of Doctor of Divinity was given him by Franklin and Marshall College, in June, 1899. Dr. Evans served three years as school director, has contributed some articles for the press, and for a year was associated with the faculty of the Hill school at Pottstown, teaching a class in German. He also prepared a number of young persons for college.

On October 28, 1875, he married Miss Ella V. Longaker, daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth (Boyer) Longaker, at Norristown. They have two children: Anna R. and Daniel Longaker Evans.

Daniel L. Evans is a graduate of Franklin and Marshall College, and at present a student in the law department of the University of Pennsylvania. Miss Anna R. Evans is a graduate of Pottstown high school, and also completed a course at Wilson College, Chambersburg. She was organist at Trinity Reformed church, Pottstown, for a number of years. On the 18th day of June, 1903, she was married to Dr. Frederick W. VanBuskirk, a young physician of Pottstown, where she now resides.