Confer Biography
Josiah Cunfer

 

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Josiah (Jesse) Confer (son of Jacob; grandson of George)

Josiah was my great-grandfather. He and Fyetta Jane Shoemaker were married at the Parsonage in Lehighton on July 1, 1882 by Rev. Abraham Bartholomew. Josiah was confirmed by Rev. Bartholomew on April 10, 1873 at St. John’s Reformed Church, Mahoning Valley. He was about 15. On July 17, 1885 he bought half of lot 67 from Mrs. Louisa Stocker in Lehighton. He died when he was about 31 on September 15, 1889. He died intestate and his property had to be sold to pay his debts. His inventory was filed in 1890. In 1898 William E. Ash was appointed guardian of minor children: Robert J. & Sadie E. (my grandmother). Josiah is supposed to be buried in Lehighton Cemetery, but I still haven’t found his grave. His wife is buried there next to her second husband, Sam Smith (who I believe she met when she took in boarders after her husband died). The infant, Edgar Oliver, is buried there as well.

The children of Josiah & Fyetta were:

1. Rev. Bartholomew’s records indicate that Josiah & Fyetta Cunfer had Robert Josiah Confer, b.April 20, 1883. On April 19, 1908, Robert Josiah Confer of Lehighton married Ida Helen Miller of Allentown at Heidelberg Church.
2. Sadie Eva b. Oct. 27, 1886; died May 23, 1963 at 77. She died of cerebral vascular accident (at least 3 strokes) due to arteriosclerosis. She also had diabetes mellitus. Sadie Eva was bapt. Dec. 7, 1886 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lehighton & her parents were the sponsors.
3. Edgar Oliver b. Sept. 22, 1889 and bapt. at Trinity Lutheran by Rev. Kuder in Lehighton on Oct. 23, 1889. He died of convulsions as an infant. I understand he was born just about when his father died and Fyetta was not able to go to her husband’s funeral.

The children of Fyetta and Sam Smith were:

1. Mabel married a Missimer (Sam, I think)
2. Lottie b. May 12, 1892; mar. a Beltz, I think, but did get divorced - no children
3. Caroline married a Metzger

Sadie Eva married Dennis McHugh on January 30, 1907 in Lehighton by Rev. Francis Regnery. Sadie later converted to Catholicism and took the name of Catherine at her baptism. Her step-father was very upset when she first married a Catholic, but later relented when my father (the first grandchild) was born. Dennis died in 1952. He and Sadie are buried in Holy Savior Cemetery in Bethlehem. Their children were:

1. William Franklin (my father) b. March 31, 1908; d. Sept. 25, 1977
2. Robert
3. Dennis b. about 1911; died Nov. 15, 1973 at 69-9-13
4. Richard
5. John Donald

The 1900 census of Lehighton lists Sadie E. Confer aged 13, employed 3 mos. As a hired girl in the home of her aunt Mary Hontz (28) and Harry (30). He was a merchant and they had two children Esther R. (5) and Raymond J. (3).

(This information was submitted by Patricia Shirock)