My Genealogy Hound

JOSEPH KIBBLEHOUSE, one of the most energetic and successful of the younger farmers of the township of Upper Gwynedd, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, is the son of George B. Kibblehouse, one of the best and most successful farmers in the county. He was born April 1, 1867, in Whitpain township where his father at that time resided on a rented farm. Soon after his birth his parents removed to Gwynedd, now Lower Gwynedd township, and settled in the locality overlooking the Wissahickon, in which their farming operations were conducted for more than a quarter of a century.

Joseph Kibblehouse attended school in Gwynedd, engaging in agricultural pursuits when not employed in the acquisition of learning. He attended the Gwynedd school, not far distant from the Friends’ Meeting-house, until he had entered his sixteenth year, and on relinquishing school work, remained on the homestead farm until his twentieth year, when he went to learn the trade of carpentering with Albert Beck, a widely known contractor and builder of Ambler. He remained with Mr. Beck three years, and acquired a very complete knowledge of the trade, working also for others in this line.

Mr. Kibblehouse married, April 3, 1890, Mary Emma, born September 2, 1867, daughter of Isaac and Catharine (Booz) Custer, well known farmers of Upper Gwynedd, near North Wales. After his marriage, Mr. Kibblehouse located on the farm of Henry G. Keasbey, on the Swedesford road, in Lower Gwynedd, now occupied by Clarence Greger, which he operated as a dairy, and had a herd of fifteen cows on the average. He prospered in farming, and a few years ago purchased a farm on what is known as the extension of Walnut street, North Wales, containing fifty acres of land. The buildings are modern and eligibly located, and the farm is admirably suited for dairy purposes to which it is devoted. In politics Joseph Kibblehouse adheres to the family traditions, and is an earnest Republican, working effectively in behalf of the party principles and candidates. He is not, however, so much of a politician as his brothers Ralph and John Raymond, preferring to devote himself entirely to the management of his farm and dairy in which he has been very successful. Mr. and Mrs. Kibblehouse are both members of the Reformed church (St. Luke’s) at North Wales. Mrs. Kibblehouse obtained her education at the public schools at North Wales and at Franklinville, in Whitpain township. She is an active, earnest woman who is well informed on all that is going on in the world, and at the same time looks carefully after her household. The couple have one child, R. Earl, born September 21, 1895, and is attending school at North Wales.

Isaac Custer, father of Mrs. Kibblehouse, was born on a farm in Worcester township, near Belfry, in 1825. He was reared on the farm and attended public schools. He married Margaret, daughter of Nathaniel and Christiana Booz, their children being: Christiana, married J. Henry Rader, of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, and Mary Emma, wife of Joseph Kibblehouse. (The Kibblehouse family and that of Shrawder, to which the mother of Joseph Kibblehouse belongs, have been very fully dwelt upon in the sketch of George B. Kibblehouse, father of subject, elsewhere in this work.)