BIO:  GEORGE M. HOFFER, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
   
  Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson
  OCRed by Judy Banja

  Copyright 2004.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm
  http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/cumberland/
  _____________________________________________________________

  >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,
  Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 530-531
  _____________________________________________________________

  NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
  http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/cumberland/zeamer/


    GEORGE M. HOFFER, The Hoffers are among the old and honored families of
  Cumberland county and supposed to be of Swiss origin. The first of the family
  of whom we have authentic record is George Melchior Hoffer, who died at
  Carlisle, Pa., about 1842, aged eighty-one years. He had spent many years of
  his life here, had wedded his second wife here, and for a long period had an
  extensive coopering trade. He was active in the M. E. Church, in which he was
  a distinctive figure, and so thoroughly did his views permeate his family that
  they belong still to that religious body. By his first marriage he had one
  son, William, who in young manhood left Carlisle and was ever after lost to
  the ken of his family. The second marriage brought Mr. Hoffer a family of
  seven children, as follows: Melchior, father of our subject, and a resident
  of Carlisle; John, engaged in a coopering business at Pittsburg; Joseph,
  engaged in the hat business at Pittsburg; Jacob, who remained at Carlisle
  until his family was almost grown and then removed to Bucyrus, Ohio, where he
  died (he also carried on a cooper business); James, who passed all his life
  at Carlisle, dying aged fifty years (he was a butcher by trade and was
  elected for one term as sheriff, on the Whig ticket); Catherine, Mrs. Bell,
  who died at Carlisle; and Ann, Mrs. Reed, whose husband is a cabinet-maker at
  Newville, this county.
  
    Melchior Hoffer, the eldest son in the above family, was born in 1797 at
  Carlisle and died in 1849. He followed the cooper trade through life. He was
  a good and pious member of the M. E. Church. He married Catherine Zellinger,
  who was born at Lebanon, Pa., and died at Carlisle, aged eighty-six years,
  and the twelve children of this marriage were as follows: (1) John when a boy
  started to learn the hatter's trade at Pittsburg, ran away on account of
  accidentally breaking a piece of crockery, and later had an adventurous life,
  boating on the Mississippi river and becoming a member of the
    
  CUMBERLAND COUNTY  531
  
  famous Texas Rangers, under Capt. Bell. In a fight at Mere Mux the whole
  command was captured and taken to the City of Mexico, and later escaped to
  the swamp, where, after starvation for a week, they were recaptured. In
  barbarous fashion, each tenth man was ordered shot, John Hoffer escaping and
  being sent again to Mexico City, where he was released through the
  intercession of Gen. Andrew Jackson. The courageous youth immediately
  rejoined the Rangers, participated in the Mexican war under Gen. Taylor, and
  finally died on the march through Texas, of yellow fever, an enemy all his
  courage and daring could not conquer. (2) James, the second son, learned the
  carpenter's trade and followed same for years, becoming an extensive
  contractor and builder in Carlisle. Later, during the Civil war, he engaged
  in a coal, lumber and feed business. At his death, at the age of forty-one
  years, he left a widow and two daughters. (3) Jacob became a dentist and
  resided at Columbia, Lancaster county, where he died in the spring of 1901,
  leaving a widow and five children. He also served through the Mexican war,
  under Gen. Winfield Scott. (4) Catherine, wife of Frederick Swartz, of
  Harrisburg, died leaving four children. (5) George M. is a retired resident
  of Carlisle. (6) William learned the business of stonecutting and after some
  years that of butchering, which latter he followed until his death, in 1896,
  leaving four children. (7) Elizabeth (deceased) was the wife of John N.
  Armstrong, a late extensive lumber dealer at Carlisle. (8) Charles followed
  the trade of painter through life, and died leaving a widow and two children.
  (9) Miss Charlotte lives in Carlisle. The other three members of this family
  died in infancy.
  
      George M. Hoffer was born Oct. 29, 1829, in Carlisle, in which city his
  life has been passed. After his school days were over he learned the
  carpenter's trade and worked some years at the same, and then engaged in a
  butchering business which he continued until 1898, when he retired from
  active business life. In 1896 he erected his handsome private residence, one
  of the fine homes of the city, situated at No. 150 West South street,
  Carlisle, a very pleasant portion of the city.
  
      In 1857 Mr. Hoffer married Sarah E. Weaver, a daughter of James Weaver, a
  well-known cabinet-maker of Carlisle. She died in August, 1896, at the age of
  sixty-two years. Three sons were born to this marriage, viz.: James, of
  Steelton, foreman in the signal shop of the steel company, married Emma
  Taber, and they have children - George, Bessie, Frank and Margerie; Frank,
  who succeeded his father in the butchering business is unmarried and resides
  at Carlisle; Charles, who is also in the butchering business at Carlisle,
  married Lela Lease.
  
      Another member of this family, J. Edgar Hoffer, is a son of Dr. Jacob
  Hoffer, deceased, of Columbia, Pa. He is a graduate of West Point and is now
  stationed at Frankfort Arsenal, Philadelphia, as a captain of artillery. The
  family all through is noted for sterling worth and high character.