My Genealogy Hound

REUBEN F. HOFFECKER was born in North Coventry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania, near Pottstown, on October 20, 1833. His earlier education was acquired in the common schools of his native township. Afterwards he attended Oakdale Seminary at Pughtown, Chester county, and also Washington Hall Collegiate Institute at Trappe, Montgomery county, His career as a teacher was begun in the very house which he had attended as a child near his home in Chester county, on December 5, 1851, when he was just past eighteen years of age. He continued to teach in his native county until 1861, when he came into Montgomery county and took charge of the public school at Port Kennedy, where he remained until 1864. In this year he was elected to the principalship of the Conshohocken schools, and it was at about this time that the picture was taken from which the accompanying engraving was made. He was then in robust health, strong, energetic and a tireless worker. His work in Conshohocken was interesting to him and enlisted his most energetic efforts. Many of his pupils of those days became honorable men and women, achieving distinction in the skilled and learned professions.

He continued as principal at Conshohocken until May, 1878, when he was elected superintendent of the schools of Montgomery county by a vote of 177 to 18. This office he held continuously until overtaken by death on December 18, 1903, being re-elected the eighth time. He was in the middle of his ninth term, and in the midst of an earnest effort to get township high schools in many more districts, when, after an illness of but nine days, he passed quietly to rest. With an unabated vigor, an unflagging determination, and a spirit that acknowledged no defeat, he strove to promote school interests during all the twenty-six years of his superintendency. The best estimate of his life and labors is probably that of Superintendent Charles A. Wagner, of Cheltenham township, who for a number of years was closely and intimately associated with Superintendent Hoffecker in the administration of the school interests of the county. Writing for the public prints Superintendent Charles A. Wagner, of Cheltenham, said: “For nearly twenty-six years Rueben F. Hoffecker discharged the duties of the office of county superintendent of schools of Montgomery county. He spared himself no time, avoided no exposure, shunned no labor in the performance of his official duties. He was always prompt and punctual. He kept every engagement. He was fearlessly honest and always tried to be fair and just. Many school improvements had at first only his force and influence to push them on. Longer terms, better salaries, graded courses, graduation of pupils, school libraries, free text-books and supplies, these and other advances are universal at his death, though not one was in existence at the commencement of his service. Others helped to accomplish these results, but through wise and inspiring leadership he blazed and led the way.

“He was a clear and logical thinker and a very forceful speaker. He was not eloquent. He had rather a convincing and convicting earnestness. His standard of scholarship for teachers and pupils aimed at absolute accuracy. A wrong date was an irritation to him, and he seldom allowed inaccuracies to pass uncorrected.

“Reuben F. Hoffecker led an immeasurably useful life. Many men and women are today what they would not have been had not his life touched theirs. Many of the younger school men in the county today who are doing notably successful work have caught his earnestness, his dauntlessness, and, led by his example, are showing a like indefatigable energy. Thus the good that this man has done is living after him. The world is better because he lived.”

In politics Mr. Hoffecker was a Democrat, but not a strong partisan. He was married August 28, 1879, to Miss Lemontine L. Stewart, daughter of Enoch H. and Lydia E. Stewart. Miss Stewart was born April 10, 1836, in Norriton township, and had been a teacher in the public schools of the county for nearly twenty- seven years. Immediately after marriage they settled down to plain, simple and unostentatious home life in Norristown.

Reuben Hoffecker was the oldest child of George and Rachel (Smale) Hoffecker, who were married October 28, 1832, by Rev. John C. Guldin. They had five children, Reuben F., who died December 18, 1903; John S., now a farmer in Chester county; Mary A., who died December 9, 1877; Annie E., of Norristown; and Cyrus H., of Chester county. George Hoffecker was a blacksmith in his younger days and later a farmer in Chester county. He died September 20, 1877, in his seventy-third year. His wife died July 5, 1879, in her sixty-eighth year. She was a member of the Lutheran church. He was a member of the Reformed church. He was a Democrat in politics. He held several official local positions, but was not an office-seeker, Reuben Hoffecker’s grandfather, Philip Hoffecker, was a native and citizen of Chester county. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was married to Elizabeth Hoffecker. They had eight children: John, born August 1, 1803; George (Reuben’s father), born March 4, 1805; Maria, January 20, 1807; Magdalena, January 28, 1809; Elizabeth, August 30, 1811; Joshua, August 30, 1813; Philip, February 4, 1816; and Susanna, February 1, 1820, who died in infancy. Reuben Hoffecker’s paternal great-grandfather, Philip Hoffecker, was born in Germany. He came to America when about eighteen years of age in Captain Francis Stanfield’s ship Sarah, that sailed from Rotterdam, September 20, 1764. He settled in Coventry township, Chester county, Pennsylvania. On April 19, 1774, he married Elizabeth Benner, daughter of Henry Benner, a farmer in Chester county. They had nine children-John born February 10, 1775; Philip, January 10, 1777; Henry, September 8, 1779; Mary and Elizabeth (twins), April 23, 1782; Jacob, June 6, 1785; Barbara, May 4, 1788 ;Mary, February 5, 1791; and Susanna, March 16, 1794. Philip’s marriage has already been mentioned. Henry located in East Nantmeal township, Chester county, and has left a large number of descendants. Elizabeth married Mr. Miller, who died soon after marriage, and then she married John Mauger. She left children by both marriages. Jacob settled in Luzerne county and died leaving one son and three daughters. The son died leaving no children and the name in that family became extinct. Barbara married Daniel Beary. They had three daughters, Elizabeth, Anna and Maria. Mary died unmarried. Susanna married John Benner and they had one son and six daughters.

Reuben Hoffecker’s maternal grandfather, John Smale, was a native of Berks county, Pennsylvania. He started life as a stonemason. Later he turned his attention to farming in Chester county opposite Pottstown, where he owned one of the finest farms in that section. He married Mary Yocum. They had two sons, George and Jonas, and one daughter, Rachel, who became the wife of George Hoffecker.

Mrs. Hoffecker’s father, Enoch H. Stewart, was born in Doylestown, April 30, 1800. His father, Charles Stewart, died February, 7, 1804. His widowed mother with her children removed to Montgomery Square, Montgomery county. Mr. Stewart was taught a trade but, disliking it, studied for a teacher. He began teaching in Lehigh county in 1827. About 1830 he came to Montgomery county and taught in the school-house near the Old Swedes church in Upper Merion. He afterwards taught in the townships of Plymouth, Norriton, Gwynedd, Montgomery, Upper Dublin, and the borough of Norristown. He closed his labors as a teacher in June, 1869, after having taught about forty years. Mr. Stewart was married in October, 1831, to Lydia E., widow of Lemuel Stebbins, to whom she had been married December 2, 1819. Her maiden mame was Lydia E. Speakman. Mr. Stebbins died in April, 1824, and left two children, MatiIda, born February 8, 1822, and Lemuel, born January 28, 1824. Lemuel died unmarried. Matilda married John Donat of Jarrettown, Montgomery county, in October, 1850, and they had six children; Bertha, who married George Evans, of Norristown; Charles, Winfield, Harry, Alonza and Alva. Mr. Donat died March 10, 1888, and his wife died October 17, 1893. Winfield, Harry and Alonza survived their parents.

Enoch H. Stewart and wife had two daughters, Martha, born July 17, 1832, and Lemontine, whose birth and marriage have been already mentioned. Martha was also a teacher. She died September 6, 1856. Mr. Stewart died June 8, 1876. His wife died June 3, 1892, aged nearly ninety-three years.

Mrs. Hoffecker’s grandfather, Charles Stewart, was a native of Pennsylvania, but of Scotch-Irish descent. The Stewarts were among the earliest settlers of Bucks county. Charles Stewart’s second wife was Martha Poland, daughter of George and Elizabeth Poland. They had five children, Elizabeth, born November, 17, 1789; Deborah, born May 8, 1792; Charles, February 8, 1795; Joseph, June 17, 1797; and Enoch H., April 30, 1800. Elizabeth married Charles Green, of Quakertown; Deborah died unmarried. The only male descendant of this branch of the Stewarts is Crary G. Stewart, son of Charles Stewart.

Mrs. Hoffecker’s paternal great-grandfather, George Poland (Boland), was married to Elizabeth Evans, of Gwynedd, a Quakeress of Welsh descent. They had three daughters, Elizabeth; Martha, born January 6, 1763, and Tacy. George Poland was noted for his sterling integrity. He owned a farm near Montgomery Square (known for the last century as the Selsor farm), and when he became involved in debt and the law allowed him to pay in Continental money, which he could have done, he refused to do so, choosing to suffer loss rather than have his creditors lose. As he left no male descendants the name of Poland became extinct in Montgomery county when his widow died in 1817.

Mrs. Hoffecker’s maternal grandfather, Thomas Speakman, was a native and citizen of Chester county, a descendant of an old English Quaker family He married Lydia Evans, oldest daughter of Elisha and Sarah Neide Evans. She died August 23, 1799, and left an infant daughter, Lydia E. Speakman, who at twelve years of age was brought to Bridgeport, Pennsylvania, to reside with her grandfather, Elisha Evans.

Mrs. Hoffecker’s maternal great-grandfather, Elisha Evans, a Quaker in religion, was a man of more than ordinary enterprise and forethought. He was the owner of a large tract of land which now covers the chief part of the present borough of Bridgeport. He was married four times. He had children by his first wife, Sarah Neide, and also by his second wife, Rebecca Jolly, but not any by Sarah Hays or Bathsheba Cottel. He died in 1830. He was survived by his widow Bathsheba Evans and also by twelve of his children-John, William, Mrs. Elizabeth Patton, Sarah Evans, Mrs. Amelia Worthington, Jolly, Mrs. Catharine Elliott, Charles, Mrs. Sophia Levering, Cadwallader, George, and Jared Evans.