George H Clever
GEORGE H. CLEVER, a farmer residing in Wayne township, Armstrong Co., Pa., and a veteran of the great Civil war, was born Oct. 17, 1840, on the farm on which he lives, which is situated near the town of Belknap. He is a son of Joseph and a grandson of Henry Clever, or Cleaver, the spelling used by some branches of the family.
Henry Clever came from east of the Allegheny mountains and settled in Westmoreland county, Pa., where he remained for some time. Later in life he moved to Armstrong county, locating near Echo, where he resided until his death. His children bore the following names: Henry, Michael, Daniel, Jacob, Joseph and Christian, the last named marrying a member of the Houser family.
Joseph Clever, son of Henry Clever and father of George H., was born in Westmoreland county, in 1800, and on coming to Armstrong county settled in Wayne township, first living near Echo and soon after purchasing a farm of 300 acres near Belknap, which at that time was mainly timberland. The clearing of this land was a great undertaking, but he went at it bravely and spent the rest of his life here, his death occurring Sept. 22, 1865, when he was aged sixty-five years; he was buried in Concord Church cemetery. He had donated two and a quarter acres to this church for cemetery purposes and had served on the building committee that erected the first church edifice, in 1842. He was a strict Presbyterian and was one of the founders of the church in his section, donating the use of his log barn for the first church exercises. Joseph Clever married Margaret Gould, who was born in 1811 and died Oct. 7, 1884, a daughter of John and Mary Gould, the former of whom died Feb. 27, 1862, when aged seventy-three years, nine months; the latter died in 1887, when aged ninety-eight years. To Joseph Clever and his wife the following children were born: John; Mary Jane, who married David Zimmerman; Robert; Joseph; George H.; Margaret, who married Jacob Rupp; Catherine, who married John M. Fleming; Christiana, who married Michael Smith; David G.; and Elizabeth, who died young.
George H. clever obtained his education in the district schools and remained assisting his father until 1862, when he enlisted for service in the Civil war, entering Company K, 155th Pa. Vol. Inf., which was attached to the Army of the Potomac. His period of service covered the remaining years of the great struggle and during this time he participated in many of the most important land battles, including the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Appomattox Court House, and numerous others. On Oct. 1, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of corporal, for gallant conduct. When the war closed Mr. Clever returned home and continued to give his father assistance until the latter's death, since when he has operated a part of the farm for himself and on his portion has erected all the substantial buildings now in evidence. In addition to its agricultural possibilities his farm has valuable coal deposits and gas. On his property is the highest elevation in Armstrong county and during the Civil war it was made use of for flag signal work, as on a clear day it is possible to see into eight of the surrounding counties from this point.
Mr. Clever married Lavina Rupp, a daughter of Adam and Rosanna (Hartzel) Rupp, and eleven children were born to them, as follows: John, who lives in Clarion county, Pa.; Harvey and Jessie M., both of whom are deceased; Bertram, who lives at Apollo, Pa.; George, who is a resident of Wayne township: Rosie, who married Bert Cunningham; McCleod, who lives in Wayne township; Maude, who married Forest Stasey; Matilda, who married Wilson Reesman; Pearl, who died young; and Oscar, who lives at Templeton, Pa. Mr. Clever and his family are members of the Concord Presbyterian Church, which he has served both as treasurer and trustee. In his political views he is a Democrat and for twelve years he was a school director in the independent school district, and at present is overseer of the poor in Wayne township. He is not only a well-known but an important citizen.
DAVID G. CLEVER, son of Joseph and brother of George H. Clever, was born April 20, 1862, and is a farmer in Wayne township. He married Julia A. Thomas, a daughter of Jacob R. and Lucy A. (Rumbaugh) Thomas, and they have had the following children: Joseph (deceased), Miles E., Iona M., Margaret L., Clyde (deceased), Florence Irene, Kosciusko (deceased), Vesta, Noama Ruth, Henry I. and Laura C.
Source: Pages 828-829, Armstrong County, Pa., Her People, Past and Present, J.H. Beers & Co., 1914
Transcribed October 1998 by James R Hindman for the Armstrong County Beers Project
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