Confer Biography
Jacob Cunfer

 

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JACOB CUNFER (son of George & Elizabeth Shellhammer Cunfer)

Jacob Cunfer and Caroline Rabenold were married by Rev. Bauer. The record book looked like June of 1850 or 51. He was listed as from Mahoning and she from West Penn. She is thought (but not proved) to be the daughter of Charles (Carl) and Catherine Weiss Rabenold.

The September 20, 1895 edition of the Coal Gazette had this obituary:

"Jacob Cunfer, an old resident of Mahoning died Wednesday morning at his home in the Valley, aged about 65 years. He was the father of 11 children, 6 daughters and 5 sons, 10 of whom survive him. His aged companion is also among the living. The funeral will take place next Monday morning at 10 o’clock. Internment will be made at the cemetery of St. John’s Church Mahoning."

The child who did not survive him was my great-grandfather, Josiah (Jesse) Cunfer.

The September 27, 1889 edition of the Coal Gazette had a little item:

"Jefferson Cunfer on Lehigh Street is lying low with Typhoid Fever."

Jesse died Sept. 25, 1889, but I feel this is the same person. Someone must have gotten the name wrong which was not at all unusual for newspaper folk. And the fact that Jesse died 2 days before the item appeared is also not unusual. One of the dates may be wrong.

In the census of 1850, Jacob Confar, aged 21, is a carpenter’s apprentice living in the home of Nathan Rex in West Penn Township.

West Penn Twp. 1850
Nathan Rex 32 Carpenter
G. Rex 27 wife
M. Rex 07 son
Nathan Rex 04 son
Daniel Rex 03 son
Eli Rex 06 months son
Jacob Confar 21 carpenter
Sam Henninger 21 carpenter
Joseph Henninger 21 carpenter
Moses Henninger 19 carpenter

After many years of trying to find out who Caroline’s parents were it suddenly dawned on me where to look. Since I knew they were married in or about 1850 and I knew he was living in West Penn in 1850, why not look there? Sure enough, a few houses away from Nathan Rex was a Charles Robinhold, who may be the father of Caroline.

West Penn Twp. 1850
Charles Robinhold 50 farmer
Rachel Robinhold 40
C. Robinhold 19 female
Michael Robinhold 15
Elizabeth Robinhold 05
William Robinhold 03
Dillman or Tilghman Robinhold 01
? Zimmerman 14 male
Jonathan Zimmerman 12
Catherine Zimmerman 08

The "C" probably stands for Caroline. The location is right and the age is off a little, but that’s common with census records. I have much more on the Rabenold family in another section, but I believe Rachel was the second wife, probably the widow Zimmerman. Eliza., William and Tilghman were probably the children of Charles and Rachel. I cannot find Charles in 1860, although his son Michael and his family appear in West Penn in 1860. In 1870, Charles is living with his son Jonas and in 1880, at the age of 80 he is boarding with a family and doesn’t die for a few more years.

Tilghman, aged 21, appears on the 1870 census living with Caroline & Jacob as an apprentice carpenter.

I believe I got thrown off the track on Caroline many years ago when an old lady of the Cunfer family told me she thought Caroline had two brothers who never married and was of a "blue blood" family. If Caroline is the daughter of Charles, she definitely had more than two brothers who married and had children.

From the Mauch Chunk Coal Gazette February 10, 1903:

"Mrs. Jacob Cunfer died last night at the residence of her daughter Mrs. Adam Faust at the Fairgrounds House, at the advanced age of 76 years. The surviving children are: Mrs. Faust, Mrs. Charles Fronheiser, Mrs. Charles Ebert, and George, Jacob, Jr., Lewis and William all of Mahoning."

Note: William is an incorrect name.

Last Will and Testament of Jacob Cunfer

To follow Jacob and Caroline further in the census records:

1860 Mahoning Twp., Carbon Cty., June 27, 1860
Cunfer, Jacob 31 carpenter
Caroline 29 can’t read or write
Sarah A. 08
Emmaline 06
Ellen 05
Josiah (Jesse) 03
Lewis 01

1870 Mahoning Twp. Carbon Cty. July 28, 1870
Cunfer, Jacob 42 carpenter
Caroline 39 housewife
Ellen 13
Josiah 12
Lewis 10
Matilda 08
John 06
George 05
Caroline 03 B. Oct. 26, 1866; bapt. by Rev. Bartholomew; sponsors were Jonas Rabenold & wife Caroline (Moyer)
Jacob 01
Tilghman Rabenold 21 apprentice to carpenter

Note: Tilghman Rabenold and Catherine Frederick were married by Rev. Bartholomew Feb. 27, 1870. They had a child, Sebilla, b. Feb. 14, 1873. Sponsors were Charles Remaley and Emma Rabenold Remaley. In 1874 they had a child b. Sept. Sponsors were Nathan Rabenold and wf. Mary. Then there is a record of Catherine, wife of Tilghman Rabenold, died April 21, 1875 at age 30 in Mahoning Twp.

1880 Mahoning Twp. Carbon Cty June or July 16, 1880
Cunfer, Jacob 53 farmer
Caroline 49 housewife (cannot read or write)
Josiah 23 works on Lehigh Valley Railroad
Lewis 21 works on Lehigh Valley RR
George 16 works on farm
Caroline 12
Jacob 11 b. Sept. 15, 1878; sp. were Dan. & Caroline Dietrich Marquess (?)
Michael 05 b. Sept. 29, 1874 (died 1929 in Allentown, burned in an incinerator)

The 1890 census was destroyed. The 1900 census lists Caroline living with her son Lewis and his family in Mahoning Twp. That census says she was born Aug. of 1830; that she was 69 years old; that she had 11 children, 10 still living.

Jacob and Caroline Rabenold Cunfer are buried at St. John’s Cemetery in Mahoning Valley. On the tombstone Jacob’s birth year was Jan. 24, 1827; death Sept. 18, 1895 aged 68 years, 8 mos., 14 das. Caroline’s death was Feb. 6, 1903 at 72 years, 5 mos., 11 das.

Their children were:

1. Sarah born about 1852 mar. Adam Faust
2. Emeline born about 1854 mar. Lewis Kemmerer
3. Ellen born about 1857 mar. Charles Fronheiser
4. Josiah born about 1858 mar. Fyetta Shoemaker
5. Lewis born about 1860 mar. Mena Amanda Koons
6. Mary Mathilda 1862 mar. Charles Eberts
7. John born about 1864 mar. Mary David
8. George born about 1865 mar. Minerva Eberts
9. Caroline born 1866 mar. Frank Gombert
10. Jacob born 1868 mar. Emma Freyman
11. Michael born 1874 mar. Lizzie Knepper

(This information was submitted by Patricia Shirock)