John Addison Biles
(1858 - 1929)
WORKING DRAFT
Last Change: 7 April 2017
Prior generations in America
are speculative.
John Biles - Gen 5
Henry
Biles - Gen 6
Alexander Patterson Biles - Gen 7
Jacob Place Biles - Gen 8
Mary
(Bunnell) Biles - Gen 8
|
1. John’s parents: Jacob Place
and Mary (Bunnell) Biles
2. John’s
birth: 16 February 1858 at home on the
family farm near Homets Ferry, Wyalusing Township, Bradford County,
Pennsylvania.
John’s
death: 13 September 1929 at home near Homets Ferry, Wyalusing Township,
Bradford County, Pennsylvania; interred Biles Cemetery (original Biles
homestead property, donated for the Cemetery).
3. John’s formal education:
From |
To |
School Name, Location,
Diploma/Degree |
|
|
Wyalusing Township Public
schools |
|
|
Factoryville Academy,
Factoryville, Pennsylvania (NW of Scranton, PA) |
|
|
Keystone Academy,
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. |
1887 |
1889 |
Susquehanna Collegiate Institute,
Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania; majored in higher mathematics and
surveying. |
4. John’s marriage:
a. To whom: Sarah Ellen Kerrick (photos)
(1. Sarah’s
parents: Wilson and Eliza (Emery)
Kerrick of Asylum Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania.
(2. Sarah’s birth:
20 June 1858 at home on Kerrick Hill, Asylum Township, Bradford County,
Pennsylvania.
Sarah’s death: 18 February 1932 at home on the family farm
at Homets Ferry, Wyalusing Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania; interred
Biles Cemetery on the hill above Homets Ferry.
(3. Sarah’s formal
education:
From |
To |
School Name, Location, Diploma/Degree |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(4. Sarah’s
employment history:
From |
To |
Employer, location, job
title |
|
|
Taught in the District
School at Homets Ferry, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. |
|
|
|
(5. Sarah’s addresses
before marriage:
From |
To |
Address |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(6. Other
biographical notes on Sarah:
(a. About one year before Sarah died, she experienced a
stroke which caused her to be wheelchair bound and unable to speak. She was cared for by her son, Frank until her
death.
b. Marriage date
& location: 21 October 1884 at the Kerrick residence on Kerrick Hill
(also seen: Laceyville, PA), across the Susquehanna River from Homets Ferry at
7 P.M. with Reverend G. M. Chamberlain officiating.
c. Children:
(1) Elmore
Howard Biles: Born 15 June 1885.
(2) Frank
VanLoon Biles: Born 1 August 1887.
(3) Clarence
Emery Biles: Born 9 December 1889.
(4) Wilson
Alexander Biles: Born 16 November 1892.
(5) Ruth Elizabeth Biles:
Born 9 November 1896.
(6) John
Robert Biles: Born 19 July 1900.
5. John’s employment history:
Was a civil engineer, surveyor,
farmer, teacher, and historian. Ran for
Bradford County Surveyor in 1892.
6. John’s addresses:
From |
To |
Address |
1858 |
|
Resided with his parents on
the Jacob Place Biles homestead near Homets Ferry. |
|
|
Factoryville, Pennsylvania
(Factoryville Academy) |
|
1884 |
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
(Keystone Academy) |
1884 |
1890 |
3rd Street in
Towanda, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. |
1890 |
1929 |
Jacob Place Biles homestead
farm near Homets Ferry. |
7. John’s organizational affiliations:
From |
To |
Organization, offices held |
|
|
Baptist Church of Camptown,
Bradford County, Pennsylvania. |
|
|
Patrons of Industry |
|
|
Republican Party. |
8. Other biographical notes on John:
a. John loved to tell stories to his grandchildren about
the Indians of the area and of family adventures as they moved to the Bradford
County area.
b. A great story teller.
As a historian, he knew many of the local families and used to
incorporate them into his stories. His
granddaughter, Margaret (Biles) Bryant remembered being “spell bound” by his
stories while sitting on his knee.
c. Margaret also remembered being amazed when her
grandfather Biles would reach into the sugar bowl, take a spoonful and put it
directly into his mouth. “And he got away with it!” Marian Biles similarly recollected: “Grandpa
often took a spoon of sugar fro the sugar bowl (quite often!!!). Mother told me firmly that I must
never do that – at home or away!!! – unless I had need of some with my
meal!!!, and don’t question what Grandpa does!!!”
d. Per Marian Biles: “After marriage Grandpa may have resided
in “the old sheep house” (before it became a sheep house). A number of young couples stayed there. A long time ago an old German cabinet maker
had lived there. He made a cherry
dresser, which some of the Strunk family now have. He also mad another just like it for Mary
Bunnell Biles, which we have of pine.
Grandpa went to school at Factoryville, I don’t know when or how
long. He was going to school at Towanda
when Dad was born in 1989. They lived on
3rd Street (up the hill from the main route though town. Jacob P. Biles died in March 1890, and then
they moved back to the farm. Uncle
Elmore said that he was born at Kerrick Hill (I suppose for Sarah to be with
her mother.)”
e. Marian Biles on disposition of John’s genealogical
records: “I really didn’t begin to get “all” his material. I think Grandma or (more likely) her cousin,
Jennie Arnout, who cared for Grandma when she was older for a time, allowed the
stamps to be sold for most of the old letters.
I did not get them back because I didn’t know what became of them until
a few years ago. Also, Uncle Bob took
things (I got most of them). Uncle
Elmore took things and Aunt Ruth cleaned the house. I suspect the letters that were returned to
her (without stamps), judging from an old letter I found and something Raymond
said, were in four grocery bags. All I
got were in the trunk, which was all that were mentioned to me. I went to get them, but many were gone. All the ones [letters] I have had stamps on
them yet. Jennie Arnout took some about
Irvine family, and a notebook fixed for my mother. I got the letters (or at least some letters)
from her, but she wouldn’t part with the book - so much for that. I did see the book. It was well put together, but I didn’t have
time to copy or even read all of it.”
f. John A. Biles was a Justice of the Peace in Bradford
County, Pennsylvania from at least 1920 to 1924.
g. John A. Biles initiated the 1st Biles Reunion in 1900, a tradition that
continued, with few exceptions, thereafter.
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