| Notes |
Notes
Note Benjamin was Sherrif of Clinton Co, PA. He was appointed Postmas
ter on April 10, 1886.
Notes from "History of The Nittany Area Centre Co, PA by JoyceAdgate ?
(1985-1986)?:
The following sketch was taken from "My Life-Story For Young andOld" b
y Thomas Franklin Dornblaser:
The third son, Benjamin F. Shaffer, a six-footer, reared a fine famil
y on the old Shaffer farm near Nittany Hall. He had acquired thefarm f
om his father March 29, 1867. Ben served as Sheriff of Centre Count
y from 1872-1875, being elected by the Democratic Party of which he wa
s a member. In fact his term in office is frequently recalled by men o
fthat time as a model worthy of others to pattern after. He served a
s school director prior to his election as Sheriff and held other topo
ffices. He was a pillar in the Snydertown Lutheran Church, holdingoffi
ces of deacon, elder, and trustee. He was one of the organizers ofth
e "Ex-Sheriff's Association" of Centre County and also of theShaffer-H
azel Reunion. After Ben Shaffer retired from the sheriff's office he o
pened a general store in Nittany and served as postmaster fromabout 28
90 to 1897. "As a husband, father, neighbor, and citizen BenShaffer wa
s all that could be desired. He was a man who loved thecompanionship o
f his fellowmen and was always prone to condone theirfaults and enlarg
e upon their good qualities". ?(Quoted from Ben Shaffer'sobituary)?. A
ound 1870 Ben Shaffer added another farm to the original homestead. T
his was the farm that he lived on in later years known by most peopl
e as the Bobb farm. He rented the homestead farm. Ben married Sophia B
arner on Jan. 13, 1853.
From The Clinton County Times dated 1/16/`903:
Golden Wedding
At their home at Nittany, Jan. 13, 1903, Mr. and mrs. B. F. Shaffercel
ebrated the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding day.
The thermometer was playing around zero, but a golden wedding is suc
h a rare occasion that every body invited wished to be there. About 5
0 guests were present including all the children. There were Mrs. Wil
l Knecht, Parvin; L. A. Shaffer, Bellefonte; W. E. Shaffer, Mifflinbur
g;Mrs. H. Kate Allison, Nittany, and Mrs. L. E. Swartz, Hublersburg. T
wosons, John and Frank, died when quite young. The members of the imme
diatefamilies, including one great-grandchild, Falph Robb, of Altoona
, were all present, except Mrs. L. A. Shaffer and Charlie and Eleano
Shaffer. Charlie and Eleanor furnished the bride cake.
Mr. Shaffer has one sister living, Mrs. William Harter, or Aunt Elvin
a as all know her best. She was there in her usual happy mood. One bro
ther, Captain I. B. Shaffer, lives in Kansas. Mrs. Shaffer has three s
isters, Mrs. Annie Rauch, Ill., Mrs. Margaret Wagner and Mrs. Mary A.M
eixell, of this state, who could not be present.
Rev. Stoner expressed the gratitude of parents and children for the th
ee score and ten years of their lives and the blessed privilege of 5
0 golden years wedded in peace, love and happiness. Refreshments wer
e then served and a social time followed. They received very useful pr
esents,and not withstanding the fact that Mr. Shaffer has never been a
d never will be a speculator, his nephew, Henry Best, sent both Mr. a
d Mrs.Shaffer a little taste of mining stock in Arizona gold.
Obituary notice from The Centre Democrat Thursday, 11,11,1915 Bellefon
te,PA.:
Benj. F. Schaeffer Dead
Was Sheriff of Centre County from 1872-1875.
Benjamin Franklin Shaffer, Centre County's oldest ex-sheriff, a life-l
ong resident of Nittany, and one of the land-marks, as it were, of tha
t community, died at his residence in that village at six o'clock Tues
day morning. He had been in failing health very noticeably for the pas
t two years, his decline and death being due to general debility a
s a result of old age. Thus the cold hand of death has removed from Ce
tre County one of its most highly respected and widely known citizens
.
Benjamin F. Shaffer was a son of the late Michael and Margaret Shaffe
and was born at Madisonburg, August 30, 1830. His age at time of dea
th being 85 years, 2 months, and 10 days. His parents were among the e
arly settlers in Penns Valley. When Benjamin was only 6 months old, th
e parents moved to Nittany and engaged in farming. Here Benjamin was r
eared as a farmer boy. He attended the public schools in that communit
y and by applying himself diligently acquired a pretty thorough educat
ion. Upon the death of his parents he bought the old family homestea
d and engaged in agriculture. He possessed great mechanical skill, an
d could turn his hand to various trades without special instruction. H
e soon proved to be a very progressive farmer.
From the time his parents moved to Nittany until his death he spent hi
s entire life on the farm with the exception of three years which wa
s spent in Bellefone. This was from 1872-1875 when he served as Sherif
f of Centre County being elected by the Democratic party of which he w
as a leading member. He also held several Twp offices. At the expirati
on of his term of office as Sheriff, he returned to his farm in Nittan
y Valley where he resumed his agriculture pursuits. For the past fifte
en or twenty years he has been living retired.
On January 13, 1853, he was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Barner
, who died six years ago to the very day upon which Mr. Shaffer died
. Surviving are the following children: Lewis A. of Bellefonte; Willia
m of Mifflinburg, Mrs. W. T.Knecht of Lock Haven; Mrs. Catharine Allis
on who lived with her father;and Mrs. l. E. Swartz of Hublersburg. On
e sister, Mrs. William Harter of Tylersville also survives. There ar
e fourteen grandchildren and nine great-grand children surviving. Fune
al services will be held Friday morning at 1:30 o'clock in the Luther
an Church at Snydertown. Rev. W. K.Shultz will officiate. Interment wi
ll be made at Snydertown.
Mr. Shaffer has been for more than sixty years a "pillar" in the Snyde
town Lutheran church, and has held the offices of deacon, elder,and t
ustee, being the latter at the time of his death. He was one of the o
ganizers of the "Ex-Sheriff's Association of Centre County." and als
o of the "Shaffer-Hazel Family Reunion." He acted as president of thei
union for nine years. Up until his death he was the oldest ex-sherif
f living in the county. Mr. Shaffer was a man of remarkable judgment i
business matters, his keen, shrewd foresight having much to do wit
h the success of every interest with which he was connected. Sociall
y he was a friendly, genial, companionable gentleman whom it was a ple
asure to know and meet. His death will be sincerely regretted by a lar
ger circle of friends than is allotted to most men. He made no pretens
e at desiring to shine in the limelight of publicity, but rather prefe
ed the associations of his intimate friends and his own home in part
icular,where he was loved most and known best. It is here that the han
d of death will leave its deepest scar and where the familiar presenc
e of a love done will be mostly missed.
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1830 - 1915 (85 years) Has no ancestors but 49 descendants in this family tree.
