BIOGRAPHY:
James
K. Merkel was born in Albany township Oct. 7, 1847. He
has followed the blacksmith's trade almost from the time he began work, having commenced
to learn it when he was o nly eighteen years old, under his brother Abraham, who at that
time had a smithy in the villa ge of Jacksonville, Lehigh Co., Pa. In 1867 Mr. Merkel came
to Berne, in Upper Bern township , now Tilden township, Berks county, where he was engaged
at his trade in the employ of another brother, Aaron, who had a blacksmith shop in the
village of Berne. In 1870, after several years' work in Mahanoy City and other places, he
erected a shop of his own in the "Bockmohl " (a valley in the southern end of
what is now Tilden township, to which he had come about 18 67) and there continued to work
at his trade until the year 1900. At that time he moved wit h his family to Conshohocken,
at which place he remained for three years in the responsible position of boss blacksmith
in the Alan Wood Iron Works, an indisputable evidence of his skil l as a mechanic. In the
spring of 1903 Mr. Merkel removed with his family to the city of Read ing, settling in his
own home at No. 757 North Eighth street. Mr. Merkel also owns a small tract of good land,
comprising twenty-four acres, near Berne station upon which he lived for tw enty-five
years. He is a man of industrious habits and is a good citizen. His character is above
reproach. Mr. Merkel has been twice married. In 1869 he was united to Sarah Schuman, who
was born Oct. 6, 1847, daughter of Solomon and Sarah (Zweitzig) Schuman, and died Nov. 14
, 1877, in her thirty-first year, the mother of four children, namely: (1) J. Franklin
taugh t school for fifteen years, but has been engaged as a railway mail clerk since 1904
and is st ationed at Pittsburg. (2) Anthony O. m. Ada Chamberlain, of Norristown. (3) Ella
V. m. Reube n Blatt, and has had three children, Reuben, Rachel and Ruth (who died in
childhood). (4) Sal lie M. m. William J. Dietrich, of Reading, and they have three
children, Naomi, Ruth, and Wil liam J., Jr. Mr. Merkel's second marriage, in 1879, was to
Emma L. Keim, who was born June 28, 1858, daughter of Percival and Susanna (Strasser)
Keim, and by whom he has had ten children, namely: John, who died in infancy; Cora L.;
Clara A., who is the wife of Samuel Mengel and has two children, Mabel and James;
James D.; Lizzie A.; Mame F.; Howard J., born Dec. 16, 1 888, who died Feb. 19, 1890;
Abbie A.; Lillie L.; and George R., born Jan. 25, 1897, who die d Aug. 23, 1897. Mr.
Merkel is a consistent member of the St. Paul United Evangelical Churc h of Reading, in
the work of which congregation he has been quite active, having held variou s offices.
Record in
montgomery county
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