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| History of Cambria County, V.3 |
| 136 | HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY. | |
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amination every four years, yet Mr. Evans has had no difficulty in complying with the requirements of the law, having held it ever since first appointed, under Governor Hoyt. When he first took the position, the Sixth Mining District (bituminous) included all of Cambria, Bedford, Huntingdon, Fulton and Blair counties, and parts of Clearfield, Indiana and Westmoreland counties. At the present time, so vast has become the increased mining industry, his territory includes a portion of Cambria and Somerset counties, while the annual tonnage is approximately three times as great as formerly, when the territory named was included. His duties involve a thorough inspection of every mine in his district, as to ventilation, safety, drainage and sanitary conditions generally. Mr. Evans is a Republican, and on two occasions has been his party's candidate for nominee for the office of county treasurer. In his church relations he is a lifelong Baptist, and soon after his father's death, he was elected to the trusteeship thus made vacant. He is also corresponding clerk of the Main Street Baptist Church at Johnstown. Mr. Evans is a member of Cambria Lodge, F. and A. M., Johnstown Chapter, and the Commandery of Knights Templar. In 1873 Mr. Evans was married to Mary Ann Morgan, daughter of William Morgan, of Johnstown. Of this union six children were born, four of whom, with the wife and mother, perished in the awful flood of May 31, 1889. The children who survived this calamity were: Harry, unmarried, who was killed in San Jose, California, in November, 1901. William, who married Grace Haws, and is now a machinist in the employ of the Cambria Steel Company. April 29, 1891, Mr. Evans married Margaret Lewis, daughter of David and Ann (Davis) Lewis, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Both of her parents were of Welsh birth. David Lewis died November 25, 1891. His widow died May 17, 1906. Margaret (Lewis) Evans was one of eight children: Sarah Ann, wife of T. E. Morgan, a merchant, of Johnstown. Elizabeth, died unmarried. William K., now with the Lorain Steel Company, at Lorain, Ohio. Jennie, wife of John M. Hews, with the Pennsylvania Traffic Company at Johnstown. John, unmarried, with I. Marks & Sons, Johnstown. Carrie, unmarried. Catherine, wife of Thomas Berriman, of Johnstown. By Mr. Evans' second marriage there are two children: Lewis Josiah, born June 15, 1892; and Margaret, born June 9, 1895. THE FRANKE FAMILY. Johann Christopher Franke was a descendant of an old Prussian family, and was born in the province of Saxe in 1791. He was well on in years when he emigrated to this country, and lived less than ten years after he settled in Somerset county in this state in 1857. He was a locksmith by trade, a good practical mechanic, and could turn his hand to almost any kind of mechanical work. While living in the old country he was married twice. The family name of his first wife is not now known, but she bore him three children, none of whom are now living. His second wife was Martha Bleiding, by whom he had three children. In the year 1857 Johann C. Franke and his wife and children came to America and took up their home in Somerset county, about a mile and a half from Forwardstown. Later on he moved to the town just mentioned and worked there at his trade and also at tinsmithing and other mechanical employments until his death in March, 1864. He is remembered as having been an honest and industrious man, and a devoted member of the German Lutheran church. After the death of her husband Mrs. Franke married Caspar Wehn, of Johnstown, a shoemaker |
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