HISTORY OF BUCKS COUNTY. 



539 



in Montgomery county, where they have 

 left numerous descendants. 



Johnas Leister, youngest son of John and 

 Mary Leister, was born in RockhiU town- 

 ship, Bucks county, February ii, 1805. Like 

 his father and grandfather and several of 

 his uncles he was a mason by trade, and 

 followed that occupation in Hilltown and 

 RockhiU during the active years of his 

 life. He married February 8, 1829, Catha- 

 rine Harr, widow of John Harr, whose 

 maiden name was Ruth, and lived for 

 some years in Hilltown township, returning 

 in 1845, to RockhiU, near Schlictersville, 

 where he died May 26, 1897. Jonas and 

 Catharine Leister were the parents of hve 

 children, viz. : Elias, born November 16, 

 183 1, married Lavinia Treichler, and has 

 five children; Thomas R., born May 23, 

 1834; Henry, born August 19, 1841, mar- 

 ried Susan Snovel, and had two children ; 

 Mary Ann, died young ; Catharine, born 

 July 3, 1837, married Josiah Hoover; died 

 February 12, 1874. 



Thomas R. Leister was reared in Hill- 

 town and RockhiU, and was educated at the 

 Ridge Road School. Early in life he learned 

 the cigar making and cigar packing busi- 

 ness, which he followed for many years, but 

 for the last thirty years has been employeri 

 as a cigar packer. In 1889 he purchased a 

 residence in Perkasie borough, and three 

 years later greatly improved it and now 

 lives a retired life. In religion he belongs 

 to the sect known as the River Brethren, 

 and in politics is a Republican. 



He has been three times married ; in 1861 

 to Susanna, daughter of Elias Althouse, 

 who died in 1862; second, on June 17, 1870, 

 to Elizabeth, daughter of Joseph Freed; 

 and third, on May 22, 1886, to Salome K. 

 Bergy, daughter of Abraham Bergy. He has 

 no children. He and his wife reside in 

 their pleasant home in Perkasie borough, 

 enjoying the fruits of a life of industry and 

 frugality. 



JOSEPH S. RUTH, of Line Lexington, 

 New Britain township, was born in that 

 township April 24, 1848, and is a son of 

 Henry and ]\Iagdalena (Swartley) Ruth. 

 Rev. David Ruth, the great-grandfather ot 

 Joseph S., was a minster of the Mennonite 

 faith, and resided for many years in Hat- 

 field township, \JiIontgomery county, re- 

 moving in 1801 to New Britain township 

 with wife Catharine and their eight chil- 

 dren — four sons : Michael, David, Jacob, 

 and Joseph ; and four daughters : Mary, 

 who married Isaac Derstein, of RockhiU 

 township; Sophia, born August 23, 1787, 

 married Christian Swartz, and removed to 

 Upper Canada about 1808; Catharine, who 

 married Jacob Ruth of Hilltown: and Mag- 

 dalene, who married Andrew Ruth, of New 

 Britain. David Ruth died in 1820. Michael, 

 the eldest son, settled in Buckingham, Bucks 

 county ; David and Joseph remained in 



New Britain; Jacob, the third son, settled 

 in Tinicum. Ihe land purchased by David 

 Sr., was located on the banks of the Ne- 

 shaminy, and remained in the family for 

 several generations. Joseph Ruth, young- 

 est son of Rev. David and Catharine Ruth, 

 was born in Hatlield, Montgomery county, 

 and came to New Britain township with his 

 parents when a child. On arriving at man- 

 hood he married Ann Price, and, f)urchas- 

 ing the greater part of the old homestead, 

 made his home thereon during life, devoting 

 his energies to the tilling of the soil. 



Henry P. Ruth, son of Joseph and Ann 

 (Price) Ruth, was born in New Britain 

 township. In 1853 he purchased of his fa- 

 ther a portion of the old homestead and 

 settled thereon. Like his ancestors, he \vas 

 a consistent member of the Mennonite 

 church. In politics he was a Republican, 

 and was active in local politics and filled 

 several positions of trust. He died April 7, 

 1903, and is interred at the old Mennonite 

 burying ground at Line Lexington. His 

 wife, Magdalena Swartley, was born in New 

 Britain township, September 28, 1824, ana 

 died April 7, 1893. They were married 

 in 1844. Magdalena was a daughter of 

 John and Mary (Moyer) Swartley of New 

 Britain, the former of whom was born in 

 New Britain, June 8, 1792, and died there 

 March 14, 1856; and the latter was born 

 in Springfield township, Bucks county, Oc- 

 tober 9, 1795, and died in New Britain, 

 April 10, 1872. Philip Scwardley, the fa- 

 ther of John, and the great-grandfather of 

 the subject of this sketch, was born in 

 Eppingen, Germany, October 28, 1764, and 

 died in New Britain township Septemt)er 

 23, 1840. His wife, Sarah Rosenberger, 

 was born in Franconia tow'nship, ]\Iont- 

 gomery county, Pennsylvania, and died in 

 New Britain, April 6, 1849. The children of 

 Henry and Magdalena (Swartley) Ruth, 

 were, John S. residing at Lansdale ; Jo- 

 seph S., and one who died in infancy. 



JOSEPH S. RUTH was born and reared 

 on the old homestead, and was educated at 

 the public schools of New Britain town- 

 ship, supplemented by one year at CoUege- 

 ville. He was reared to the life of a farmer, 

 and on his marriage to Sarah Leidy took 

 charge of the Jonas Leidy farm, which he 

 operated for four years. He then removed 

 to the old Swartley homestead in New Brit- 

 ain, which he managed for over twenty 

 years. In 1904 he removed to the village of 

 Line Lexington, where he has since 

 resided. His wife is a native of 

 Hilltown, where her ancestors have been 

 prominent farmers and business men for 

 several generations. They are the parents 

 of seven children; i. Elmer, married, De- 

 cember, 1900, Anna Mary Bergey, daughter 

 of Jones Bergey, of Hilltown, and they 

 have three children — Grace, Joseph, Ear- 

 nest. 2. Leidy. 3. Flora, married June, 

 IC02. Harvard D. Sampey, and they have 

 one child, Ruth C. 4. Stella. 5. Dora. 6. 



