From the
Historical and Biographical Annals of BERKS COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA
Compiled by Morton L. Montgomery J. H. Beers & Co. 1909 Evan P. CHRIST
Evan P. CHRIST a well known and successful educator residing in Reading, now in the
railway mail service, is a representative of one of Berks County's old and honored
families. John Christ, Sr., great-grandfather to Evan P., was a farmer in Tulpehocken
township, this county. He was the father of the following children: John; Daniel had
children - Mrs. William BURKEY, Mrs. William RISHEL, and Mrs. RITTER; Jacob had children -
William, Adam, Charles, Frank, Mrs. Joel STUMP, Mrs. Henry POTTEIGER, Mrs. Frank MENGEL,
Mrs. William HIMMELREICH, Mrs. George WANN and Mrs. Henry HAAG; Benjamin had - Mrs. Lizzie
HIMMELBERGER~GERHART, Mrs. Catherine BURKEY~FEICH~WHITE and Mrs. Sarah FEICH; David had -
John, Wellington, Thomas, Mrs. Lizzie SCHAEFFER, Mrs. Kate BECKER, and Mary; Elizabeth m.
Jacob S. HAAG and had three children - Israel, Garean, and Kate (m. Aaron KLINE); Mary
(Polly) m. John STOUDT and had a son, John, now living in Reading; Margaret m John SEAMAN,
whose children were - John (of near Hamburg), Mrs. Mary SCHOCK and Mrs. John DUNKEL. John
CHRIST, son of John, Sr., was born March 9,1809, and died Jan. 19, 1887, on the old Christ
Homestead, a tract of land That had been in the Christ name for more than a hundred years.
He was a farmer all his life. By his wife whose maiden name was DUNDORE, he had ten
children: Louisa m. Levi STALEY; Levi died age five years; Jonathan D. had - Thomas, Mrs.
Joseph LEINBACH, and Clara; Harrison D. had Children - Mary, Alice and Howard; Kate; Aaron
D. Had - Monroe, Minerva and Oscar; Sarah; Henry D. has - Helen and Rosa; James D.; and
Levi D. had - Verna, Willard and Norma. James D. CHRIST, son of John and father of Evan
P., was born in Penn township Nov.18, 1848, and was reared upon the farm, following that
vocation until 1896, when he moved to Reading, now residing at No.200 West Greenwich
street, that city. He is a builder and contractor and has a high reputation for doing
thorough and substantial work. In politics he is a Democrat and for some years he was
assessor of Penn Township. With his family he belongs to St. Mark's Reformed Church,
Reading. Mr. Christ has been twice married. His first wife, Mary A.E.OBOLD was born April
26, 1847, in Penn Township, daughter of Joseph and Caroline (BILLMAN) OBOLD. She died
March 1, 1897, the mother of Evan P. and Samuel J. (born Oct. 30, 1886). Mr. CHRIST
married (second) Ellen ALBERT, of Bern Township, and they have one daughter, Anna. Evan P.
CHRIST, the subject of this sketch, was born in Penn Township Jan. 27, 1873. His early
education was obtained in the public schools of his district, and later he attended a
subscription school taught by Prof. Michael A. GRUBER, at Bernville. In the spring of 1890
he was licensed to teach by Prof. W.M. ZECHMAN, superintendent of public schools. He
taught his first term at Snyder's school in Penn Township. In the spring of 1891 he
attended the Schuylkill Seminary, at Fredericksburg, Lebanon county. In the fall of that
same year he entered the Keystone State Normal School at Kutztown, and continued there
until his graduation in the class of 1893. He then taught in Muhlenberg and Penn Townships
at an advanced salary for three years. In 1896 he came to Reading, and this city has since
been his home. For four terms he taught the same school at Oakbrook, in Cumru Township,
and from 1904 to 1908 was one of the teachers in the Reading night school. In politics he
is a democrat, and he has always been an active worker for his party's welfare. He served
a clerkship in the Engineering Department at the city hall. His fraternal connections are
with Wyomissing Council, Royal Arcanum, and Railway Mail Association. On April 7, 1908, he
was appointed a railway postal clerk by the Post Office Department of the U.S. Government.
In February 1897, Mr. CHRIST was married to Mary C. BICKEL, daughter of the late Isaac and
Angeline F. (WERNER) BICKEL, and granddaughter of Jonathan and Magdalene (WENRICH) BICKEL,
of North Heidelberg. Four sons have blessed this union: Harold J., E. Isaac, George B. and
Richard U. Mr. and Mrs. CHRIST are members of the Second Reformed Church of Reading. NOTE:
The underlined name above is an error and should read Franklin K. STALEY (Franklin and
Louisa had eight children, one whose name was Levi STALEY.
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