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biography
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Burkley, George, an able and efficient member of the fire, police and
detective force of Pittsbnrg for over twenty years and now a resident of Derry
township, is a son of Jacob and Agatha Berkley and was born in the city of
Pittsburg, Pa., November 20, 1829. His paternal grandparents, Jacob and Mary
Berkley, were natives of and life-long residents of Baden, Germany. They had two
sons: Bernard and Jacob. His maternal grandparents, George and Catharine Akers,
came from France, settled in Allegheny county, Pa., and their descendants are
widely scattered. George Akers was a drover and was drowned above Freeport in
the Allegheny river. His father, Jacob Burkley, was born in Baden, Germany, came
to the United States when quite a mere boy and located in Pittsburg, where he
engaged in the grocery business and dealt in watches and clocks, lie was a
strong democrat, took a great interest in the affairs of his party and served
for several years as a councilman in the Third Ward of the Smoky City. In 1811
he purchased and removed to a farm in Derry township, near Blairsville, Indiana
county, Pa. On this farm was a flouring-mill and in addition to operating it he
built and ran a distillery. He died July 24, 1851, aged forty-seven years. His
wife was Agatha Akers by whom he had fifteen children, of whom five are living:
Catherine, John and Gust are in Pittsburg and Allegheny City and George and
Joseph are residents of Derry township. Mrs. Agatha Burkley died June 28, 1888,
aged 84 years.
George Burkley was reared till fifteen years of age in Pittsburg and attended
the public schools of that city. From 1844 to 1863 he passed on his father's
farm in Derry township. In the latter year he returned to Pittsburg where he was
in the employ of the P. R. R. company for several years; next served as night
foreman of a fire company and then went on the police force besides serving as a
private detective. In April, 1889, he resigned and removed to the homestead farm
in Derry township which he had purchased in 1887. This farm contains one hundred
and sixty acres of land, is well watered and is partly underlaid with
first-class coking coal. Mr. Burkley is making many substantial improvements on
his land and buildings. He has always been a democrat in political opinion, is a
genial and hospitable man and a good citizen.
On September 22, 1851, he united in marriage with Isabel Bonner, who is a
daughter of Mannes Bonner, of Bairdstown, Pa., and was born November 10, 1829.
To Mr. and Mrs. Burkley have been born seven children: John A., born August 2,
1852, died November 1, 1869; Joseph A., born May 22, 1854, married to Ida
McSteen, has two childrenIsabella and Mary F., and lives in Pittsburg; Mary L.,
born September 16, 1856, married to Charles Byers, has four childrenGeorge F.,
John A., Elizabeth and Joseph B., and is a resident of Pittsburg; Elizabeth J.,
born May 10, 1858, and died August 22, 1865; Catherine F., born June 17, 1863,
married to James Welsh amd has two children Mert and Francis G.; Francis G.,
born June 15, 1868, and Maggie K., born August 30, 1872.
Biographical and Historical Cyclopedia of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
Compiled and Published by John M. Gresham & Co.
Samuel T. Wiley, Chief Assistant
1890
Contributed by Joy Fisher.
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