My Genealogy Hound

JOHN P. HERSHEY, farmer; P. O. Center, Montgomery Co., Ohio; born in Lancaster Co., Penn., in the year 1823; is a son of Isaac and Anna Hershey, who were born in the same place—he in the year 1801, she in 1804; they were reared in the above county, in which they were married; his mother died in 1849, aged 45, his father in the year 1856, aged 55 years; they were the parents of eleven children, all living, viz., Fanny, John P., Andrew, Ephraim, Christian, George, Reuben, Eliza, Anna, Sarah and Naomi. Our subject was reared on the farm in Pennsylvania, on which he labored for his father till he was 21 years of age; then began life for himself. In November, 1846, he was married to Elizabeth Kolp, by whom he has had nine children, eight of whom are living, viz., Mary E., Melinda, Emma, Ella, Charlotte, Sarah, Susan and Frances; Abraham deceased, aged 2 years and 10 months. In 1849, he came to Ohio and settled on the place on which he now resides; he owns 160 acres of land, all in a high state of cultivation and well improved; he is another of our self-made men, having begun life with only a small capital; he only had the advantage of a common-school education, but he is a great reader, and well posted on the current events of the day; he has never been a political aspirant, yet he has held some of the offices of the township; he and his wife are members of the Christian Church; she is a daughter of David and Fanny Kolp; Mr. Kolp was born in Pennsylvania in 1780, and died in 1844; Mrs. K. was born in the same place in 1792, and is still living; they are the parents of the following children, all living, viz., Elizabeth, Samuel, Catherine, Levi, Susan, Sarah, Abraham, Matilda, Martha and Lotta. Mrs. Kolp is a daughter of Christian and Mary (Buckholder) Lieb; they were born in Pennsylvania, in which they died at the age of 75 years; they were the parents of six children, viz., Fanny, Mary, Betsy, Kate, Nancy and Christian.