David S. Horst
Biography from Biographical Annals of Lancaster County, PA, page 517
Submitted by Suzanne NobleDAVID S. HORST, a watchmaker and formerly a farmer of Rapho township, was born in Mt. Joy township, Jan. 1, 1824, son of Peter and Christina (Shelley) Horst, of Lancaster county.
Peter Horst was a miller, as early as 1816 building a mill in Mt. Joy, on the Little Chiques creek which he ran for forty years. The property still remains in the family. Mr. Horst died in 1876, at the advanced age of eighty-nine years; his wife died in 1870, at the age of seventy-four years. They are both buried in private burying grounds in Rapho township. They were members of the Mennonite Church. This couple had children as follows: Abraham S. who died at the age of seventy years, married to Mary Musser; Henry S. who died at the age of seven years; Catherine S., deceased wife of Peter Risser; Fanny S., late wife of Samuel Meckley; David S.; Elizabeth S., who lives at Mt. Joy, Pa.; and Anna S., who is also unmarried, and lives with her sister Elizabeth. The grandparents of Mr. Horst were Michael and Veronica (Shelly) Horst, of Lancaster. In the year 1780 Michael Horst built a stone house which adjoins the residence property of his grandson, David S. Horst. The grandfather, who was a farmer, died in 1829, at the age of seventy-seven years, and his wife died fifteen years later.
There were three brothers of the family who came from Switzerland, one settling in Groffs Dale, Lancaster county, who was the great-great-grandfather of David S. Horst; one near Lebanon, Pa., and the other in York county, Pa. The maternal grandparents of Mr. Horst were Christian and Anna (Engle) Shelley.
In 1850 in Lancaster, David S. Horst married miss Mary Hershey, the ceremony being performed by Rev. Mr. Strine. There have been no children born to Mr. and Mrs. Horst. Mrs. Horst was born in Rapho township in November, 1825, daughter of Jacob and Catherine (Witmer) Hershey, of Lancaster county. Her father, who was a farmer, died in 1841, at the age of fifty years. His wife died in 1863, at the age of seventy-two years, and they are buried in Cross Roads Meeting House cemetery, East Donegal township. They were members of the River Brethren Church. There were born to this couple the following children: Joseph, deceased; Catherine, deceased wife of John Heisey; Barbara, deceased wife of David Martin; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Benjamin Ritter; Mary, wife of David S. Horst; Veronica, late wife of Joseph Gish, of Rapho township; Susan, wife of Abraham Young, of Mt. Joy; and Jacob, deceased. Mrs. Horst�s grandfather was Christian Hershey, of Lancaster county.
David S. Horst remained with his parents until his marriage, when he came to is present home. He worked in the mill part of the time, and part of the time on the farm. He had when a boy of nine acquired a knowledge of the watch making trade, and followed it from that time on whenever he had the time and occasion; as a child he made wooden clocks for his own amusement. Mr. And Mrs. Horst are members of the River Brethren (Dunkard) Church. In politics, Mr. Horst votes the Republican ticket, but he has never been a seeker after office. He is in affluent circumstances, and prominent in the community in which he resides. Although well along in years his health is excellent, and he is able to attend to business as well as a much younger man.
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