HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



385 



ataxia, and was almost helpless for about 

 three years. He died December 8, 1903. 

 Mr. Scheetz married, in 1859, Matilda 

 Laubach, born in Durham township, Bucks 

 county, Pennsylvania, January 31, 1833, 

 ninth and youngest child of Frederic and 

 Catharine (Jacoby) Laubach, of Durham, 

 and a descendant of Christian Laubach, who 

 with his father, Rhinehardt Laubach, came 

 to Bucks county from Germany and settled 

 in Lower Saucon, Northampton (then 

 Bucks) county, in 1738. (See Laubach in 

 this work). Christian Laubach was captain 

 of a ""Ranging Company" that saw active 

 service in the P'rench and Indian war. 



Frederick Laubach was a son of Urich 

 Laubach, and grandson of Captain Chris- 

 tian. He was reared in Lower Saucon and 

 removed to Durham in 1816, where he be- 

 come a large landowner and prominent man. 

 He died May 17, 1851, and his wife, Cath- 

 arine Jacoby, born November 11, 1791, died 

 January 8, 1862. She was a daughter of 

 Peter (1759-1815) and Catharine (Trauger) 

 Jacoby, of Durham, and a granddaughter 

 of Conrad Jacoby, born 1730, died 1795, 

 who was one of the early German settlers 

 in Lower Milford, Bucks county, removing 

 successively to Springfield, Durham and 

 Bedminster, where he died. (See Jacoby 

 in this work). 



Albert F. and Matilda (Laubach) Scheetz 

 were the parents of seven children : Leo, 

 who died in 1890; Morgan, died young; 

 Harry, died 1896; Harvey, and Erwin, the 

 members of the present firm ; Ellen, living 

 with her mother in Doylestown ; and Allen, 

 a twin to Erwin, who died in infancy. Al- 

 bert F. Scheetz and his family were and are 

 members of the German Reformed church. 

 Li politics he was a Democrat. Though 

 in no sense a politician, he took a deep 

 interest in local affairs. He was for sixteen 

 3-ears a member of the school board of 

 Doylestown borough and was treasurer of 

 the board when the handsome new school 

 building was erected. He was one of the 

 organizers of the Doylestown Electric Com- 

 pany in 1892, was superintendent and pur- 

 chasing agent from its inception to 1895, 

 and one of the*board of directors from its 

 organization to his death. He was also 

 one of the purchasers of the plant of the 

 Doylestown Gas Company, in 1894, and a 

 director therein until his death. As a busi- 

 ness man and public spirited Christian 

 gentleman Mr. Scheetz stood exceedingly 

 high in the estimation of those who knew 

 him best, and won and held the respect and 

 esteem of all who knew him. 



Harvey Scheetz, senior member of the 

 firm of A. F. Scheetz's Sons, was born at 

 Quakertown, February 22, i86r, and came 

 to Doylestown with his parents at the age 

 of five years, and was reared in that town, 

 acquiring his education at the Doylestown 

 schools. At the age of fifteen years he 

 entered his father's store as a clerk, and 

 continued to fill that position until he be- 

 came a member of the firm in 1889. with 

 his brother Leo. At about the same time 

 25-3 



he and Leo purchased the Novelty Hat 

 Store on State street, Doylestown, whith 

 Leo conducted until his death in 1890, after 

 which it was conducted by the youngest 

 brother, Erwin, until the latter became a 

 member of the firm, Harvey retaining the 

 management of the department store of 

 which he has been one of the proprietors 

 under the firm name of A. F. Scheetz's 

 Sons since 1889. He is one of the directors 

 of the Doylestown Electric Companj', and 

 is one of the active managers of the plant, 

 and was one of the promoters of the Doyles- 

 town Worsted Company, and has served as 

 a director from its organization. He was 

 also one of the active organizers of the 

 Doylestown Board of Trade, of which he 

 is a director. He is a member of Salem 

 Reformed church, and politically is a Demo- 

 crat. He is a member of Aquetong Lodge, 

 No. 193, L O. O. F., a charter mem- 

 ber of St. Tammany Castle, No. 173, K. 

 G. E. Mr. Scheetz married, April, 1892, 

 Clara M. Desh, daughter of Aaron and 

 Susan (Bunstine) Desh, of Coopersburg, 

 Pennsylvania, and they, are the parents of 

 one child, Albert Frederick. 



Erwin Scheetz, junior member of the firm 

 of A. F. Scheetz's Sons, was born in 

 Doylestown, May 26, 1873, and received his 

 intellectual training there. He entered the 

 store at an early age and grew up with the 

 business. At the death of his brother 

 Harry, he purchased the Novelty Hat Store, 

 which he conducted for one year, and then 

 purchased his brother Harry's interest in 

 the firm of A. F. Scheetz's Sons, and has 

 since been a member of that firm with his 

 brother Harvey. He married, February 14, 

 1903, Sarah Huber, of Philadelnhia! Mr. 

 Scheetz is a director in the Doylestown 

 Gas Company, and is interested in other 

 local enterprises. He is a member of Aque- 

 tong Lodge, No. 193, L O. O. F.. and re- 

 ligiously is affiliated with Salem Reformed, 

 church. 



HON. GEORGE LEAR. Among the 

 self-made men of his day and generation 

 who have achieved eminence and suc- 

 cess in the face of adverse circumstances, 

 was Hon. George Lear, of Doylestown, 

 deceased. He was born in Warwick 

 township, Bucks county, February 16, 

 1818, the son of Robert and Mary 

 (Meloy) Lear. He w^as reared on a farm, 

 and at the age of thirteen years was 

 thrown entirely upon his own resources. 

 Until the age of nineteen he sought such 

 employment as could be obtained in an 

 agricultural community, and devoted his 

 spare moments to the acquiring of an 

 education. He was for some years a 

 member of the family of the late Will- 

 iam Kitchin, Sr., of Solebury, whose 

 sympathy and encouragement to the as- 

 piring youth were freely acknowledged 

 and requited by Mr. Lear in later years. 



In 1837 he became a teacher in the 



