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~Contents~
Koch m. Griffith
Researcher
Griffith research resources
Other Griffith Family Members
Griffith Evan abt. 1628
Hugh? Griffith abt.1660
John Griffithabt. 1683
John Griffith abt 1705
John Griffith abt. 1730
Evan Griffith abt.1768
Evan Griffith b.1790-bef. 1879
Issac Griffith b.1819
John Griffith
Joseph Griffith
Alta Maize Griffith
Other Griffith Family Members
Blanche S. Griffith
Blanche spent her early life working as a farm girl in the area of Voganville. She moved to Ephrata as a young woman and lived the rest of her life in the home of her sister Alta and husband Arthur Koch and family.
Blanche never married and she worked as a seamstress in Ephrata, for many years at the Cinderella Frocks factory on West Fulton Street in Ephrata until her retirement about 1967.
Blance was very devoted to her family, and was a second grandmother to many. She regularly attended church her entire life.
 Obituary
Blance S. Griffith
- History of Berks county, Pennsylvania, compiled by Morton L. Montgomery,1909
- Family folders, Lancaster County Historical Society
- U.S. census records
- Records, Alleghenyville Reformed Church, Alleghenyville, PA
- Cemetery, Alleghenyville Reformed Church, Alleghenyville, PA
TROSTEL
~Contents~
The Trostle Family
(note: The following piece was found in the family folder at the Lancaster County Historical Society and is a copy of information contained in the History of Berks county, Pennsylvania, compiled by Morton L. Montgomery,1909)
The Trostle family was founded in America by two brothers, Peter and Berhardt Trostell, natives of Switzerland, who sailed for the New World from Rotterdam on the ship "Samuel," Hugh Percy, master. They landed at Philadelphia Aug 17, 1733. In the records the name of Peter trostell is variously spelled. The clerk who kept a list of passengers aboard the ship spelled it Troksell, while elsewhere it appears Trosell(? sp.illegible). In 1733 his age was given as forty-two, and that of his wife Anna Maria, as thirty two. In the same year Hans Berhardt Trostel was thirty-eight and his wife, Catherine, thirty. Peter Trostell, aged nine years, and Daniel Trostell, aged seven years, possibly children of the former Peter, were also registered as passengers aboard the same ship.
Breknock(sp) township, Berks county, was largely settled by Swiss and the Welsh. On the same ship on which came the Trostells were many others whose names are still common(1908) in Brecknock. Apparently a whole colony left their native home and came to America, settling in one locality. Parts of Brecknock township were settled soon after 1733 and these emigrants evidently worked their way through the forests from Philadelphia. Whether the two brothers, Peter and Hans Berhardt settled in the same district is conjectural, but it is evident that the Trostles were a numerous family in Brecknock township in earlier years, the cemetery at the old Allegheny Church(Union) containing many tombs bearing the name. This church was the place of worship for the settlers for many miles around. Among the Tomb-stones in the cemetery there (?) yet readable are those of Heinrich and George Trostell. The former was born June 4, 1724 and died Oct 9, 1759, aged thirty-five, aged thirty-five years, four months, and five days. The latter, George, was born Feb. 17 (1740?) and died Sept. 11, 1804, aged seventy-four years, two months and (?-four) days. It is undetermined who the parents of Heinrich and George, but there is little doubt they were the children of one or the other of the emigrant ancestors. The Trostle homestead in Brecknock township is in the western part near "Knauers Hotel." (?on) says that it has been in the family name for more than one hundred and fifty years. There is a house upon this property, built by a Trostle long before the American Revolution. It is of stone, the (masonry?) of superior workmanship and good appearance, and the walls twenty-two inches thick. This property has never been out of the Trostle name
George Trostle was the ancestor of Henry F. Trostle of Spring township. he was born in Brecknock township, Feb 17, 1730 as above stated. There is still in existence an old deed for the Trostle homestead bearing the date 1749. He married Rosina Seidabenner, and they became the parents of the following children:Heinrich, John , George, Jacob, William, Abraham, Margaret(wife of Jacob Merkle) and Elezabeth(sp)(wife of David Miller). The signatures of the children are to be found on an old deed, dated june 29, 1805, when all turned over the homestead to Henirich. George Trostle(Trostell) died Sept. 11, 1804.
Heinrich Trostle, son of George, was a blacksmith by trade, and did a great deal of work for the Indians, with whom he was on the friendliest terms, many stories of his association with the red men being famil(iar?) to the older members of the family. He had two teams on the road hauling goods from Philadelpia to Pittsburg. His will was probated in 1(?). he married Elizabeth Sweikhart, and they had children:Heinrich; John who was survived by his wife Catherine(who was the (?) of his will made Jan. 18, 1857, and probated Feb. 23, 1857) and children, Levina, Sarah, Caroline and Wallace; Barbara, born Jan.6, 1786, (wed?) to Benjamin Remp, and died March 15, 1857; Peggy m. to George Fritz; and Elizabeth married to Issac Griffith.
Henirich Trostle(2), born Jan. 15, 1794, died August 15, 1875, and is buried in the Allegheny Church cemetery, of which he was a stanch member. He married Elizabeth Griffith, and their children were:Benjamin, Issac, Henry(3), John Eliza, Katie, Cassia and Susan m. Lewis Echenroth, and had four sons and five daughters) of whom Benjamin, Issac, Eliza and Katie died unmarried. IN about 1800, when henirich Trostle was six years of age, he witnessed the parting of the Indians and his father, the Indians informing the latter that they were going on the warpath, and proving their words by beginning to murder when only a short distance away. At the age of thirteen young Heinrich(2) made his first trip to Pittsburg with his father's team. It had been intended that the lad should make the entire trip, but to drive only until he could find someone to do it. This was not to the young man's liking, however, and he made the long drive without looking for anyone to do the work. This was the beginning of this work for him, and he drove his father's teams until he was twenty-one years of age. He then started out for himself and made many long and oft-times dangerous trips. Later he was engaged in hauling charcoal to Mt. Penn Furnace for a number of years. When not engaged with his teams he devoted himself to farming-doing the work the other boys did while he was absent. His wife died in 1842 and from that time until 1848 his household was looked after by his daughter Cassie. In the later year she wedded Reuben Kachel, who rented the fram until 1852, when he died. Then agani Cassia became her father's housekeeper, continuing until 1875, when he died. Cassia by her marriage to Mr. Kachel, had two sons, Henry T. and Reuben Samuel.
John Trostle, youngest son of Heinrich(2), was a stone mason by trade, but in 1859 he rented his father's farm, and carried it on as a tenant until his father's death in 1875, when he purchased it, continuing to attend to its' cultivation until his death. It is now owned by his widow. John trostle married Julia Hoffert, and they became the parents of two children:Henry m. Mary Huber, and had two children, john(m. to May Neinzehhelzer) and sally(died in infancy); and Amanda m. Samuel Kissinger, and had sixteen children, six sons and ten daughters, of whom two daughters are deceased.
Henry Trostle(3), son of Heinrich(2), was born in 1824, on the old homestead in Brecknock township. from 1852 to 1859 he was a tenant on the old farm. He married Sophia Geigley, daughter of Samuel Geigley, of Lancaster County, Pa. Their children were:John died in boyhood, Susanna m. John Kessler, and has no children, and Henry F.
Henry F. Trostle, son of Henry(3), was a substantial citizen of West Reading, he was born in Brecknock township, Sept. 4, 1859, and was but five weeks old when his father died. he obtained his education in the township schools near his birthplace, and in the Good school in Lancaster county. he was brought up to farming and for a number of years lived with Christian and Benjamin Good in lancaster County. After his marriage in 1887 he engaged in the emrchandise business in Bowmansville. At first he was in partnership with C.M. Beam, under the firm name of Trostle & Beam, and this continued for six years, when he went into business with J.M. Kessler under the name of Trostle & Kessler. this firm existed two years, and was then dissolved by mutual consent. moving to Ephrata, Pa, Mr. trostle lived there a year, and then for sometime was employed as a salesman also doing various other kinds of work. IN 1896 he was to West Reading, and worked for a wholesale produce company, doing huckstering in Reading. That same year he bought building lots in West Reading, and erected two residences, Nos. 701 and 703 Penn Ave, which he sold. He then erected ten more in the same borough. He lived in a fine three-story brick house at No. 700 Penn Ave.
In february, 1887, Mr. trostle married Emma Eberly, who was born in 1864, daughter of Israel eberly and wife(whose maiden name was Oberlin), the former a farmer in Clay township, Lancaster county and a descendant of Jacob Eberly, a Swiss mennonite who settled in Lancaster before 1750. Mrs. Trostle's great-grandfather, Samuel Eberly(born Feb.8, 1793, died Jan. 26, 1876) lived in Elizabeth, (now Clay) township, and there in 1832 built a house, he was the first county treasurer under the constitution of 1837. To Mr. and Mrs. Trostle were born children as follows:Harry died in infancy; Ida Susan; Edwin E,; mary Edith; Alvin M.; and Edna Grace. They are all members of the St. James Reformed Church of West Reading, and since 1901 Mr. Trostle has been a member of the Consistory. He was a Democrat in politics, and for eight years under President Cleveland's two administrations, 1885-89 and 1893-97, was in the postoffice at Bowmansville, being assistant postmaster during the first time, and postmaster the second term. He was a member of the Modern Woodman of America.
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