My Genealogy Hound

EDWIN K. SCHULTZ, a leading farmer and business man of Douglass township, was born upon the present homestead in Douglass township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania. August 1, 1848. He is the son of Amos and Elizabeth (Kriebel) Schultz, both his parents being members of the old Schwenkfelder families.

Amos Schultz (father) was born in Upper Hanover township, Pennsylvania. When he became of age he started out as a farmer in Douglass township, and remained there until 1857. He then removed to Washington township, Berks county, and farmed there until his death, May 10, 1895. He was born May 11, 1809, and on April 16, 1833, married Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel Kriebel. Both he and his wife are buried in the graveyard of the Schwenkfelder Meeting House, Washington, Berks county. He was a member of the Whig party until the organization of the Republican party, of which he was ever afterwards a prominent member. He was a recognized leader in his section and held the office of justice of the peace from 1840 to 1850. He was at one time the nominee of his party for assemblyman, but failed to be elected. He was afterwards nominated for state senator, but declined the honor. He was a school director and held other township offices. He built a large grist mill in Washington township, which he carried on in connection with his farm until his retirement from active life, ten years before his death. He was a man of intelligence and great business ability, and also a prominent worker in the Schwenkfelder church. He was president and treasurer of the charity fund in this church for thirty years. He was an original stockholder in the National Bank of Boyertown, and was elected to the office of director, but declined to accept it. He was very successful in all his undertakings, and enjoyed the respect and confidence of the whole community. The children of Amos and Elizabeth Schultz: Sarah, born August 25, 1836, married Joel Schultz, and had ten children, the family residing in Upper Hanover township, where he was a farmer; Susanna, born September 4, 1838, died December 1, 1883, married Allen T. D. Johnson, who survives with two children, they living in New Berlinville, Berks county, where he is a farmer; Joseph K., born November 20, 1840, married Susan Krauss, they living in Washington township, Berks county, where he is a miller; they have four children; Anna K., born April 5, 1843, died November 14, 1862; Lucina K., born November 10, 1845, unmarried and resides, in Washington township, Berks county; Edwin K., subject of this sketch; Owen K., born March 23, 1851, married Leanna Kriebel (first wife), and she dying some years ago, leaving two children, he married (second wife) Mary Schultz, they having no children; he was a farmer but is now retired from active labor; Elizabeth K., born May 4, 1853, married Josephus Gerhard, they residing at Clayton, Berks county, where he is a farmer; they have five children.

Isaac Schultz (grandfather) was born March 4, 1778, married, May 31, 1804, Susanna Schultz, daughter of David Schultz. He was a farmer by occupation and resided in Upper Hanover township all his life. He held several minor offices. He was a man of excellent business capacity, and a leader in the community in which he lived. His children: Amos (father), Isaac, born June 8, 1811, died January 2, 1874; Abraham, born September 16, 1813; Daniel S., born April 10, 1816; Christina, born February 15, 1818; Joel, born April 2, 1820; Philip, born March 11, 1822, died October 21, 1864; Joseph, born March 30, 1824, died September 1, 1827. Susanna, wife of Isaac Schultz, died September 18, 1834; Isaac died October 15, 1867.

Abraham Schultz (great-grandfather), son of George Schultz, was born March 23, 1747. He died December 25, 1822, aged seventy-six years. He married, October 24, 1771, Regina, daughter of Christopher Yeakle. Their children: Benjamin, born July 20, 1772, died March 20, 1802; Adam, born September 20, 1775, Isaac, born March 4, 1778; Abraham born February 18, 1781, died March 23, 1802; Frederick, born August 10, 1784, died December 17, 1794; Joseph, born January 22, 1787 ; Melchior, born June 23, 1789. Abraham Schultz, after some time spent at school, became an industrious reader, and a great lover of books and literature. Being gifted with an excellent memory, he acquired much knowledge, which he employed well during his life. He served the Schwenkfelders as trustee, school inspector, teacher and catechist, and was also a conveyancer and general business man for the community. In 1796 he was elected a member of the lower house of the state legislature. Among his papers after his death were many letters and other matters of interest.

George Schultz (great-great-grandfather), son of Melchior Schultz, born in 1711, married, January 31, 1744, Maria, daughter of Abraham Yeakel. Their children: Abraham (great-grandfather); Melchior, born March 25, 1756. George Schultz died October 30, 1776, aged sixty-five years. Maria, his widow, died December 13, 1797, aged seventy-nine years. George Schultz emigrated to America with his two brothers, the Rev. Christopher and Melchior, from Silesia, of which country they were natives. Previous to coming to this country they had wandered considerably in Europe, because of religious persecution. They spent some time in Saxony, where they enjoyed comparative liberty and quiet under the protection of Count Zinzendorf. The three orphan boys, joining some forty Schwenkfelder families, turned their backs upon their native land and embarked for Philadelphia, where they arrived September 22, 1734, after a tedious voyage of five months. They settled in a dense wood forty-two miles north of Philadelphia, two miles west of what is now the borough of East Greenville. In 1736, with the assistance of Melchior Neuman, a carpenter, they felled the oaks and sawed them by hand into three inch planks whereof the outside walls of their two story house was constructed. The three brothers lived together in this house for ten years, when Melchior and Christopher sold out to George. Melchior went about three miles north and bought a farm, and Christopher removed into Berks county. The brothers raised flax and spun their own linen, and at one time when linen was scarce sold some of their product to the Governor of Pennsylvania for eight shillings a yard.

Samuel Kriebel (maternal grandfather) was born June 13, 1776. He was the son of Andrew and Susanna (Yeakle) Kriebel. He married, January 3, 1802, Christina, daughter of Melchior and Salome (Wagner) Schultz. Their children: Sarah, born February 24, 1803; Susanna, born September 13, 1804; Lydia, born May 10, 1809; Elizabeth (mother), born December 23, 1812; William, born October 8, 1815. Christina Kriebel died April 21, 1819. Samuel married (second wife) Catharine, daughter of Henry Letherach, in 1824, and they had one daughter, Sophia. Samuel Kriebel died February 1, 1841, aged sixty-four years. Samuel. Kriebel resided in Worcester township. He was a miller and farmer. The mill is still standing, being over one hundred years old.

Edwin K. Schultz attended the district schools until he was fifteen years of age, and then worked for his father on the farm for one year, and the next ten years worked in the mill. He then took the present farm on March 30, 1875, and has managed it ever since He married, October 19, 1872, Amanda, daughter of Andrew K. and Magdalena (High) Schultz. Andrew Schultz resided in Clayton, Berks county, where he was a prosperous farmer. They had ten children, as follows: Henry H., born July 17, 1844; Mary Ann, October 13, 1846; Andrew H., August 7, 1848; Amanda, September 14, 1850; Edwin H., April 8, 1852; Magdalena, September 30, 1853; John H., May 10, 1855; Diana, April 1, 1857, died at the age of five months; Samuel H., September 9, 1859, died at the age of twelve days; Emma, December 24, 1861. Both Andrew Schultz and his wife are deceased. She died May 6, 1897, and he May 19, 1903, at the age of eighty-five years. Both were buried in Washington graveyard, Berks county. Edwin K. Schultz and wife have six children, namely: Alice, born June 1, 1875; Ida, born August 21, 1879, was married August 11, 1904, to James Monroe Shelley, principal of the Doylestown high school, and son of the Rev. A. S. Shelley, of Bally, Pennsylvania; Minnie, born October 22, 1880; Stella, born September 19, 1882; Magdalene, born January 30, 1884; Andrew, born December 28, 1886.

Edwin K. Schultz is a Republican in politics and has never aspired to any public office. He is a stockholder in many institutions. He gives his attention to general farming and dairying, being a prominent member of the Niantic Dairymen’s Association, and president and manager of the creamery at the same place for ten years, when he resigned. He is a trustee of the Perkiomen Seminary, and treasurer of that institution. He is also interested in the National Bank of Boyertown, being a member of its board of directors and vice-president of the same. He is prominent in Schwenkfelder church work.

Edwin K. Schultz is a man who leads in every progressive movement in his vicinity, and enjoys the unlimited confidence of his neighbors, being respected wherever he is known. He is a striking illustration of the inheritance of the best qualities from the old Schwenkfelder stock to which he belongs. Although engrossed in farming operations, he is frequently called aside to attend to public, including service on juries, on road juries and in other situations where good sense and sound business judgment are required. He is in every respect a model man and citizen, performing every duty with conscientious care and fidelity.