My Genealogy Hound

FRANCIS H. SPANGLER, who carries on farming on a small scale in East Pennsboro township, Cumberland county, is a native of that township, born Oct. 3, 1857, on what is known as the Harry Musser farm.

Jacob Spangler, his father, was born in Dauphin county, Pa., and was the eighth of a family of nine children, viz.: George, who died in Dauphin county, Pa.; Jacob, Peter and William, who died in York county, Pa.; John, David, Susan, Nancy and Betsy, all deceased. Jacob Spangler passed his early life in the neighborhood of his birthplace, and when a young man married Miss Troups. He settled in Dover, York Co., Pa., for one year, then going west to the State of Illinois, where he remained eight years. There his wife died leaving him and three small children, John, Samuel and Josephine. Returning east to York county, he lived there a short time, then marrying Mary Crone and moving to Cumberland county, near West Fairview, following his trade, that of fencemaker, in York and Cumberland counties. Moving back to York county about 1858, he later bought a small farm in Newberry township, that county, where he remained until 1889. Having become incapacitated for work by rheumatism, he was obliged to retire, and he died in June, 1891, in Goldsboro, York county, aged sixty-nine years. The three children of Mr. Spangler’s first union, John, Samuel and Josephine, Mrs. Jacob Berger, all live in Illinois. For his second wife Jacob Spangler married, in York county, Mary Crone, who still resides at Goldsboro, now (1904) aged seventy-two years. To this marriage came eight children: Alfred, who married Miss Ida Mansberger of York county, and lives in the old home place in York county; Francis H.; Zacharias, who died when young; George, who died when seventeen years old; Edward, a farmer of York county, who married Lydia Gensler, of Wellsville, York county; Harry, a farmer of York county, who married Annie Zinn; Charles, who remains with his mother, and Dora, Mrs. Luis Groos, of Goldsboro, both of York county. The parents were members of the United Brethren Church. Mr. Spangler was a Republican in political sentiment.

Francis H. Spangler attended school in York county, and at West Fairview, Cumberland county, his parents moving into York county during his infancy. He returned to East Pennsboro township when he was about nine years old. He was reared to farming and was only ten years old when he hired out as a farm boy, working at first for his board and clothes. Later he received ten dollars a month and board through the summer months, in the winter working for his board. After his marriage he located in West Fairview, where he was employed in the iron works, in the plate mill, at the same time also carrying on farming on a small scale, continuing thus for nine years. He then rented a farm in Fairview township, York county, where he remained three years, thence removing to Lower Allen township, Cumberland county, where he conducted one of the McComick farms for eight years. He then removed to his present home, which comprises eleven acres, which he cultivated to the utmost extent of its possibilities, deriving much benefit therefrom. He is an industrious man, and is greatly respected by all who know him.

Mr. Spangler was married in Harrisburg, Nov. 2, 1879, to Miss Barbara Mann, who was born near West Fairview, East Pennsboro township, daughter of George and Mary (Eslinger) Mann, she being the youngest of a family of nine children, two sons and seven daughters. Mr. Mann was a native of East Pennsboro and a lifelong agriculturist of that township. He was born on his farm, and died there, and it is a noteworthy fact that until about five years ago the place was always in the Mann name from the days of the first settlers. George Mann never left the place and his children all remained there till after their marriage. Mrs. Mann is also deceased.

Mr. and Mrs. Spangler have had one child. Mary Emma, who is now the wife of Charles Lichtenberger, of East Pennsboro, who resides in Lemoyne. Our subject and his wife are members of the Evangelical Church of Lemoyne. In politics he follows in the footsteps of his father, being a Republican.