The Family of Rosa Anna Abbott and John Joseph LaValle

Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 1904

Excerpts from Memoirs of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Northwestern Historical Association, Madison, Wisconsin, 1904.

Edward Abbott

Vol. II, pg. 410.

EDWARD ABBOTT, a well-known farmer of Scott Township, Allegheny Co., Pa., was born in that county in 1856. He is a son of Christian and Magdalena (Schmeltz) Abbott. (See sketch of John Wise.) Christian Abbott came with his parents to America at a time when transportation facilities were very meager. Several families would band themselves together, get a six-horse team and cross the mountains into western Pennsylvania. It was in this way that he came to Allegheny county. He died June 22, 1897. Edward Abbott was educated in the common schools, and upon reaching his majority became a farmer, which occupation he has followed to the present time. He has a fine farm of eighty acres, well improved, with a good two-story frame residence and substantial out-buildings. In 1881 he was married to Miss Lizzie Jacobs, daughter of George and Catherine Jacobs, both natives of Germany. Mrs. Abbott was born in Allegheny county, Oct. 4, 1857, and like her husband, was educated in the common schools. Mr. and Mrs. Abbott are the parents of the following children, all of whom are living: Christian, Katie, Albert, Edward, Rosa, Howard, Helena, Emma, Clarence and Clara. Formerly Mr. Abbott was a democrat in politics, but of late years has been identified with the republican party. Although he takes a lively interest in all questions relating to public affairs, he does not take an active part in political work. Both he and his wife are members of the German Lutheran church, and both are highly respected by their neighbors.

August Abbott

Vol. I, pg. 325.

AUGUST ABBOTT, ice dealer of Carnegie, was born in Allegheny county, Pa., May 10 1853. His parents, Christian and Helena (Schmeltz) Abbott, were both born in Germany. Christian Abbott, born June 16, 1825, came to America when ten years old. He followed, for several years, the vocation of a glass-worker, then took up farming, and later bought in Scott township, Allegheny county, the farm which is now owned by his heirs. Later he purchased from the Rev. Mr. Clokey another farm, which is also owned by his heirs. The last years of his life he spent in retirement at Carnegie. He died June 22, 1897. During his life he was a prominent member of the Lutheran church, in which he held several offices. At different times he held several minor public offices among them being the position of assessor and school director. His wife died Aug. 12, 1896, at the age of sixty-six. Christian and his wife had nine children of whom the subject of this sketch was the second. The others are: Carolina, now Mrs. Charles Schmeltz, who lives in Scott township; Amelia, wife of John Wise, a resident of Baldwin township; Edward, a farmer at Mount Lebanon; Kate, who married Charles Gettle, of Homestead; Lizzie, now Mrs. George Kuhlman, of Coraopolis; Anna, now Mrs. Adolph Doer, of Homestead; Rosa, who is also a resident of Allegheny county, and William, who lives at Bellevue. August Abbott, the subject of this sketch, received a common-school education, and learned the trade of a butcher, working at his trade for four years in Pittsburg. He came to Carnegie, where he followed his vocation as a butcher for twenty years. In 1895 he embarked in the ice business, and has since been engaged in this line, meeting with marked success. He employs twelve men, and his plant has a capacity of twenty-five tons a day, producing ice for Bridgeville, Oakdale and the surrounding towns. In 1880 Mr. Abbott married Miss Helena Stauffer, a native of Germany, who came to America with two brothers and a sister, when she was eighteen years old. Mr. and Mrs. Abbott have seven children. Florence is a student at Pittsburg Academy, Silvia C. is a graduate of Carnegie high school, and the others, Hallie, Nellie, Jennie, Frederick and Christian are younger children at home. Mr. Abbott and wife are members of the Lutheran church, in which Mr. Abbott is president of the congregation, and several of the children are United Presbyterians. Mr. Abbott is a member of the American Mechanics. He has found his time too much occupied with business duties to take an active interest in politics.

Amelia Abbott Wise

Vol. II, pg. 527.

JOHN WISE, a prominent fruit grower and market gardener of Scott township, Allegheny Co., Pa., was born in Germany Sept. 6, 1845. His father was John Wise, a native of Weurtemburg, Germany, where he was born, Sept. 26, 1815. His mothers maiden name was Margaret Schmidt. She was born in Weurtemburg, April 12, 1820. When John Wise, Sr., was about thirty-five years old he came to America. He walked all the way from Philadelphia to Pittsburg, where he found employment at his trade, that of a blacksmith. Three years later his family joined him in Pittsburg. In 1858 he gave up blacksmithing, bought a farm in Scott township, and passed the remainder of his life as a gardener and fruit grower. This business he carried on successfully until his death, which occurred on Feb. 25, 1889. His wife died on May 4, 1892, both having long and useful lives. John Wise, Jr., the subject of this sketch, attended school in his native land for about two and a half years, and after coming to America finished his education in the Pittsburg public schools. Ever since arriving at the years of manhood, he has followed the business of growing small fruits and vegetables for the Pittsburg market. Scott township is noted for its fruit and garden farms, but few of them are better kept or more productive than that of John Wise, who devotes his entire time to his work and to the study of how to secure better results. Politically, he is a republican, but he never takes an active part in political contests. In 1874 he was married to Miss Amelia Abbott, the daughter of Christian and Magdelena (Schmeltz) Abbott. Her father was born in Saxony, and her mother in Hesse Darmstadt, the former coming to this country when he was nine years old, the latter when she was nineteen. They were married in Allegheny County and Mrs. Wise was born there, Sept. 22, 1854. John Wise and his wife have had seven children, as follows: Catherine L., born Aug. 14, 1875; Carrie M., born Aug. 11, 1877; Elmer E., born Aug. 4, 1879; Anna C., born June 16, 1882; Emma J., born Oct. 25, 1885; John C., born March 5, 1887 and Nellie A., born Feb. 27, 1890. Of these children, all are living except Elmer and John. Mr. Wise and family belong to the United Presbyterian church at Carnegie.

Katherine Elizabeth Abbott Goeddel

Vol. II, pg. 123.

CHARLES GOEDDEL, a prominent plumber and gas-fitter of Homestead, was born in Birmingham, now South Side, Pittsburg, Pa., Jan. 22, 1856, son of Philip and Elizabeth (Drum) Goeddel, both natives of Germany. Philip Goeddel came to America in 1844, and after a short residence in Pittsburg and Tennessee, returned to Germany and was married. In 1844 he brought his wife to America, and settled in Birmingham, where he was engaged for a short time in the saloon business, then became a gardener, following this vocation until 1874, when he retired and located at Castle Shannon, Baldwin township, Allegheny county, where he now resides, at the age of eighty. His family consisted of six children, four of whom grew to maturity. Of these, Caroline, afterwards Mrs. Fred Sanders, is dead, and three are living: Charles, Matilda (now Mrs. Gottlieb Kinley) and Henry. Charles Goeddel, the subject of this sketch, was reared and educated in Allegheny county, and has always resided in that county. He was married, March 6, 1879, to Kate E., daughter of Christian and Helena (Schmeltz) Abbott, natives of Germany, who settled in Allegheny county. Mr. and Mrs. Goeddel have had four children, of whom three--Gustave, Christian and Matilda--are living. In early life Mr. Goeddel served an apprenticeship as a plumber, but followed farming as a livelihood for three years after marriage. He located in Homestead in 1884, and spent the next eight years of his life in the employ of the Carnegie steel company. In 1892 he embarked in the plumbing and gas-fitting business, in which his ability and honest methods have won him a large and lucrative patronage. Mr. and Mrs. Goeddel are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Homestead. Mr. Goeddel has served his city as a member of the board of education, and was for three years secretary of that body. In 1902 he was appointed councilman from his ward to fill a vacancy. Politically, he is republican.