U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Beerbower, Zar (1848-1933) --------------------------------------------------------------------- A History of Preston County West Virginia Biographical Department, Supplied by J. R. Cole Kingwood, W. Va., The Journal Publishing Company, 1914 by H. S. Whetsell Pages 642-644 The subject of this sketch is a successful farmer living near Glade Farms. He is a descendant of Philip Beerbower, who came with his parents to this country from Germany, landing in the city of New York. Philip Beerbower went to York county, Pennsylvania, and in 1808, moved with his family to the Glade Farms settlement, where he raised a family of five children. Of these children, Philip, Jr., remained at home to care for his parents, the others all going to Ohio, where many of their descendants still live. After the death of his father, Philip moved to Pennsylvania, but only staid there a short time. He returned to Preston county and took up his final abode where Zar Beerbower now lives. Only one of the brothers who went to Ohio had found a wife in Preston county. This was Jacob, who took away Elizabeth, daughter of Jesse Spurgeon, Sr. His son, Dr. Jesse Beerbower, born in Ohio, September 18, 1829, was a graduate of Jefferson College and also of the Keokuk Medical College. There being an opening at Bruceton for a physician, he located there in 1856. During the Civil War he was assistant surgeon of the Third Maryland Infantry, and died at Mobile, Alabama, whither he had gone for his health in 1865. Philip, Jr., was born in 1799, and died in 1873. His wife, Lydia Kelly, was one year younger than himself, and survived him ten years. Their children were fourteen. George S., the oldest of the family, was twice married, first to Catherine, daughter of Archibald DeBerry. They had three children: Allen, William and Delia. He was next married to Sarah Laub. They had seven children, three died in infancy, those living are: Martha, Emma, Lloyd and Charles. Harry married Ann Mitchell. They had four children. John died in infancy, the three living are Silas, William and Zadie. Henry C. married Jane Mitchell. Their children are: Ella, Gertrude, Clara and Orval. Hannah became the wife of Henry Beatty. They had one daughter, Ella. Phoebe married Henry Sliger. Their only son is now dead. Martha married Thomas Beatty. Elizabeth married Adam Sliger, and had three children: Laura, Philip and Thomas. Nancy married James DeBerry. They had two children, Allen and Camden. Zar married, of whom mention will again be made. James, the remaining brother, married Mary Fearer. Their children were: Frank, dead; Robert, Fred, Ross, dead; Jacob B., died in 1907. He married Elizabeth Barnard and they are the parents of William, who lives at Rockville, Pennsylvania, and Forest, who lives in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The other of Philip's children died while young. The surviving children of Philip are Zar, Harry, Henry and Hannah. Zar Beerbower, son of Philip and Lydia (Kelly) Beerbower, was born November 10, 1848. His wife Alice, daughter of Jesse and Minerva (Robinson) Spurgeon, whom he married January 16, 1883, was born June 20, 1856. She is a granddaughter of Jesse and Catherine (Spahr) Spurgeon, who took up their residence at Glade Farms, in the earlier history of Preston county. Their son, Jesse, was born there on April 1, 1827, and died there February 28, 1908. His wife was born November 14, 1832. They had three children, one dying in infancy. Lucian Spurgeon married a Miss Kimble, and is now living in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Mae lives at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, still single. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Zar Beerbower: Jesse, born January 16, 1884; Ernest, March 9, 1885; Augusta, August 16, 1887; Isa, February 16, 1898. After marriage, Mr. Beerbower moved to the farm he now owns and lives on, and built his present commodious residence in 1908. The farm consists of three hundred acres of land, all tillable, and of the best quality. Mr. Beerbower also deals in fertilizers and live stock. The family are in possession of comfortable incomes to live on, are quiet unostentatious people, are Lutherans, but not in any other way affiliated with clubs or societies, political or otherwise. Their daughter, Augusta, married William Mitchell, July 2, 1910. They have one child named Barrel. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From Death Certificate, Preston County, WV #6490 FULL-NAME: Zar Beerbower BIRTH-DATE: November 10, 1848 BIRTH-PLACE: W.Va. DEATH-DATE: May 17, 1933 DEATH-PLACE: Grant District, Preston County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Married OCCUPATION: Farmer FATHER: Philip Beerbower (born in W.Va.) MOTHER: Lydia Kelly CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Valvular insufficiency / Nephritis INFORMANT: Earnest Beerbower (of Glade Farmes, W.Va.) BURIAL: Willett Cemetery NOTE: There are tombstones in Shady Grove Cemetery, Bruceton Mills, Preston County, WV. (Beerbower) ZAR ALICE 1848-1933 1856-1936 --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Preston County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/preston/bios.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------