My Genealogy Hound

JACOB KITCH, a farmer of Middlesex township, was born in what was then North Middleton, Cumberland county, Dec. 31, 1843. The name is an old one in Pennsylvania, where his great-grandfather, Martin, his grandfather, John, and his father, John (2), have all lived before him.

John Kitch (2) was born and reared in Cumberland county, passing his days on a farm in North Middleton township. He married Miss Eliza C. Mickey, now deceased, daughter of Lewis Mickey, who was at one time a hotelkeeper in Shermans Dale, Perry county.

Jacob Kitch grew up on the John Noble farm in Middlesex township, dividing his time between farm work and attendance at the country schools, until he was nineteen. Two years later, Aug. 20, 1864, he enlisted at Mechanicsburg in Company E, 200th P. V. I., under Capt. Levi M. Coover and Col. C. W. Diven, served till the close of the war, being at Fort Steadman and in the fight before Petersburg, and then returned home, which was practically at the close of the war. In 1866 he married, and for a year thereafter did work by the day among the farmers until he had earned enough to start for himself, beginning on a rented farm. By 1882 he was able to buy a farm of 106 acres, on which he lived ten years before moving to his farm of 212 acres, upon which he resided until April, 1904, when he moved upon a tract of twenty-two acres one mile south. He still owns the other place and has been uniformly successful in all his operations upon both farms.

On Aug. 23, 1866, Mr. Kitch was married to Miss Hattie Kell, the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth (Shughart) Kell, both now deceased. The father was one of the prominent farmers of the county. A large family has been born to Mr. Kitch and his wife, as follows: Lizzie, now Mrs. David Baker, of Carlisle; Mary Ann, now Mrs. David Keller, of Carlisle; George, at home; Jennie E., wife of J. E. Strickler, of Monroe township; William, a farmer, who married Miss Lizzie Wilson; Edward, who married Anna Wolf, and lives on the home farm; Alta, Agnes and Ida, all at home.

Politically, Mr. Kitch has always supported the Democratic party, and has been an active worker in its ranks from the day when he cast his first vote for George B. McClellan. He has served as judge of elections, was twice elected township auditor, and has filled the offices of both annual and triennial assessor, discharging the various duties most efficiently. He belongs to the G. A. R., Colwell Post, No. 201; his church affiliations are with the Lutherans. Mr. Kitch is a prominent and influential citizen, and is widely known through the county.