| We are indebted to Bob Sweeney for organizing this brief history. Comments, suggestions and proposed changes should be sent to our site's Dieffenbach historian,
Shirley Yarber. You can learn more about the origins of this
family at her Dieffenbach history: Descendants of Conrad Dieffenbacher.
:
Thomas Ingham's History of Sullivan County contains many biographical sketches of prominent figures in the early history of the community. One of these, John Dieffenbach, the father of our protagonist Elizabeth, was married twice, and is otherwise profiled as follows:
John Dieffenbach, father of our subject, was born in Columbia county, Pennsylvania, March 29, 1813. In 1829 he came with his parents to Sullivan county and at Dushore from 1840 to 1850 he operated a mill, having at the age of twenty years served an apprenticeship at that trade. He also engaged extensively at farming and became a prominent citizen of the county. In Lycoming county he served as constable and in Sullivan county he was a county commissioner. He married Miss Elizabeth Hoffa, who was born at Mahatonga, Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, April 10, 1819, daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Swallow) Hoffa, who moved from Schuylkill county to Dushore April 1, 1827, where he engaged in farming. Jacob Hoffa was a very prominent citizen. He was county commissioner and served as justice of peace for many years. To John and Elizabeth Dieffenbach these children were born: Hannah C., born January 4, 1836, married John Lawrence and is now deceased; Jacob, born November 26, 1837, died October 1, 1840; Daniel E., the subject of this sketch, born October 11, 1839; John S., born October 29, 1841, was lieutenant in Company D, One Hundred and Forty-First Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and died in the army, October 11, 1862; Henry S., born December 15, 1843, served in the United States Army during the Civil war and died February 6, 1871; Catherine A., born March 19, 1846, became wife of Julius Vogel, a merchant of Mildred, this state; Clinton A., born July 20, 1850, is a farmer and carpenter of Cherry township, who married Caroline Kingsley; George F., born June 6, 1857, married Gertrude Strong, of Wyalusing, Bradford county; Elizabeth, born October 29, 1864, became the wife of George Heverley, a traveling salesman of New Albany. Mrs. Elizabeth Dieffenbach died November 11, 1886, and was buried in Thrasher's cemetery.
For his second wife John Dieffenbach married Mrs. Caroline (Hoffa) Suber, a sister to his first wife. She was born in Cherry township, Sullivan county, April 18, 1827, and her first husband was Benjamin Suber. John Dieffenbach is a member of Christ church, and is a Democrat in politics. He now lives a retired life at Dushore, enjoying the comforts which he has won from the world by a life of industry and business prosperity.
So, we have ELIZABETH L. DIEFFENBACH who was born October 29, 1864 and died December 30, 1942. She is buried in Tioga Point Cemetery, Athens, PA. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of Jacob Hoffa. She married George William Heverly who was born February 20, 1863; and died November 11, 1922. He is also buried in Tioga Point Cemetery.
THe children of Elizabeth & George W. Heverly were:
- Fordie
Heverly 1889-1891
- Angie
Heverly 1892-1976
The Sullivan Review
January 7, 1943
Mrs. Elizabeth Heverly, widow, of
the late George W. Heverly of Sayre, died Wednesday afternoon at her home, 202
Miller Street, following an illness of some time.
Mrs. Heverly was a daughter of the
late Mr. and Mrs. John Dieffenbach of Cherry Township, where she spent her
early life. After her marriage she
lived at Dushore and at New Albany for a number of years before going to Sayre.
She is survived by a daughter,
Miss Angie Heverly at home.
Funeral services were held from
her late home Saturday afternoon.
Interment was in the Tioga Point cemetery.
The Sullivan Review
November 15, 1922
George W. Heverly of Sayre died
suddenly Saturday morning at his home of heart failure.
Mr. Heverly was widely known
throughout northern Pennsylvania having been a salesman for the D.B. Stewart
Grocery Company of Ithaca for many years.
He was born in Cherry Township in
February 1863, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Heverly.
About twenty years ago he moved to
Sayre where he has since resided.
He is survived by his wife and one
daughter, Miss Angie Heverly. Also
three sisters, Mrs. Clara Messersmith and Mrs. Grace Hilman of Dushore, Mrs.
Chas. Neilly of Towanda and one brother Boyd Heverly of Endicott, N.Y.
Funeral services were held from
the late home on Tuesday afternoon interment being made in the Tioga Point
cemetery.
ANGIE HEVERLY, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Dieffenbach) Heverly, was born
February 11, 1892 and died September 30, 1976. She never married.
The Sullivan Review
October 7, 1976
Angie Heverly, 84, of Sayre,
died September 30, 1976, at Robert Packer Hospital. She was born February 11,
1892, in New Albany, a daughter of George and Elizabeth Dieffenbach Heverly.
She was secretary to the
supervisor of the Sayre schools until her retirement in the mid 40’s. She was a
member of the Sayre Presbyterian Church and the Women’s Association of the
church. She was also a member of the D.A.R., Tioga Point; the Robert Packer
Hospital Auxiliary and the Sayre Retired Teachers Association.
Surviving are three first
cousins, Mrs. Blanche Kuhnle, Mrs. Helen Obert and Richard Hileman, all from
Dushore.
Funeral services were held Oct.
2 at Sayre with the Rev. Richard Ransdell of the Sayre Presbyterian Church
officiating. Burial was in the Tioga Point Cemetery, Athens.
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