Isaac R. Herr
Biography from Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, PA, page 1045
Submitted by Suzanne NobleISAAC R. HERR. Among those citizens of Lancaster county who have become justly prominent in professional life, is Isaac R. Herr, formerly a resident of Elizabethtown, now residing in the city of Lancaster, and one of the most prosperous young lawyers of the county. Thoroughly educated, full of energy, mental vigor and business acumen, Mr. Herr is very correctly regarded as one of the rising young men of this part of the State.
Mr. Herr was born on the old homestead in Mt. Joy township, March 7, 1862, son of Abraham and grandson of Rudolph and Anna (Hostetter) Herr, of Manor township. The latter moved to Mr. Joy township in 1826 where he engaged in farming although for a number of years, having accumulated a competency, he lived a retired life. His death was in 1890, at the age of eighty-three years. His wife did in 1888, at the age of seventy-eight years. They were members of the Mennonite Church and were buried in the cemetery adjoining the River Brethren Church at Florin, Pa. Their children were: Mattie, deceased, married Abraham Zook; Mary is the widow of John Shaffner of Mt. Joy township; Anna married Samuel Shearer, a retired farmer of Mt. Joy township; Rudolph, a retired resident of Dauphin county; John, a retired farmer, lives in Rapho township; Catharine died unmarried in 1900; Miss Susan lives in West Hempfield township; Eliza is a widow, Mrs. Beatty, of Maytown; while the oldest of the family was Abraham, the father of our subject.
Abraham Herr was born Jan. 1, 1824, in Manor township. Until he was twenty years old he was his father�s main support in carrying on the home farm and then, beginning for himself, rented a part of his present farm which he operated until 1887, when he retired from activity and took up his residence in his present home. For six years Mr. Herr was a member of the township school board and served most efficiently as supervisor for one year. In politics he is identified with the Republican party. He has long been a consistent and valued member of the Mennonite Church.
In November, 1843, Abraham Herr was united in wedlock with Miss Anna Rider, and the children born to this marriage were as follows: Catharine, who is the widow of Henry Risser, of Lebanon county, Pa.; Rev. John R., a minister in the River Brethren Church, located in Dickinson county, Kansas, married Mary Heisey; Anna married Cyrus Shank, a farmer of Dauphin county, Pa.; Abraham, deceased, married Lizzie Shank; George R., married Martha Engle and is a farmer in Dickinson county, Kansas; Miss Lydia, died in January, 1900; Fannie married John E. Gish, a farmer in Dickinson county, Kansas; Jacob married Amanda Risser and is a farmer and drover in West Donegal township; Isaac R. is the subject of this sketch; Sarah married Peter S. Risser, a farmer in Mt. Joy township; Amos R. married Kate Gish, a farmer in Mt. Joy township; and Rev. David R., died in 1899, a preacher in the Church of God.
Anna (Rider) Herr, the mother of our subject, was born May 15, 1822, in West Donegal township, daughter of George and Catherine (Reagen) Rider, natives of Lancaster county. George Rider was long a retired farmer and died in 1850, in Elizabethtown, aged seventy-four years. His wife died in 1834 and both were buried in private ground on the old farm in Mt. Joy township; this farm was bought by Abraham Herr and is now farmed by Amos R. Herr. Their children were: Rev. Benjamin; Elizabeth, the wife of Frederick Oldweiler; Mary, the wife of Rev. David Gingrich; Sally, the wife of Dr. Sebastian Keller; Catherine; John; Rev. George died in 1901; and Anna, wife of Abraham Herr, all the other members of the family having passed away.
Isaac R. Herr grew up on the farm and assisted with the agricultural work until he attained his majority. His early education was acquired in the district schools where a firm foundation was laid and was later built upon through the energy and determination of one who was resolved to become a thoroughly educated man. When released from farm duty and environment, Mr. Herr began teaching school, in the meantime being a more assiduous and faithful student than any of his pupils. For seven terms he continued in this profession, during which time he was considered proficient enough to take charge as principal of the Cornwall schools, in Lebanon county, where he remained two years. He took a course of study in the Shippensburg Normal School, where he graduated in 1887 with high honors, and subsequently became a student of the scientific course at Millersville Normal School.
With this thorough preparation, with mind trained and judgment strengthened, Mr. Herr then took up the study of the law. His reading was done under the wise direction of Hon. J. Hay Brown, Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, and Hon. W. U. Hensel, of Lancaster, resulting in his admission to the Bar in 1895, with prospects of the most flattering description . Since that time Mr. Herr has become favorably regarded by a large clientage and he is justly regarded as one of the leading young attorneys of the county. He is talented, shrewd, well educated and level-headed, possessing also those excellent attributes bestowed upon him by an estimable parentage. In politics he is a staunch Republican. Mr. Herr practices through the State, but his residence is in Lancaster, where he is prominent in professional and social circles as he well deserves to be.
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