;
Tower City, Porter, and Rush Township Veterans Memorial
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on December 30, 2010
The Tower City Borough, Porter Township and Rush Township Veterans Memorial is located at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery which is located along Route 209 in Tower City, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.
The memorial consists of a wall of names of those who served in all of America’s wars, a patio of commemorative bricks provided by family and friends, and flag-holder markers, including one for Civil War with the G.A.R. designation. In this post, the individual bricks or name plates will not be shown. Hopefully, at some point in the future, it will be possible to do so for those who served in the Civil War.
G.A.R. Marker & Flag
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery, Tower City, Schuylkill County
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery lies behind the memorial. About two dozen graves have Civil War – G.A.R. flag markers. Some of the Civil War veteran’s graves are pictured below:
Charles Maurer (1837-1907)
Charles Maurer was born 16 Nov 1837 in Pennsylvania and died 5 Jan 1907. He married Hannah and had at least one child, Aquilla, who was born about 1860, and living at home in Pine Grove Township. Schuylkill County, at the time of the 1880 Census. In 1880, Charles was working as a laborer. In 1890, he was living in Tower City. In 1900, he was a widower, living in Tower City and working as a coal miner. During the Civil War, he served in the 6th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G, as a Private, entering the service on 22 April 1861. He was mustered out on 26 Jul 1861 at Harrisburg. After 1896, Charles applied for and received an invalid pension for his Civil War service. Not much else is known about him and his family.
Isaac Frantz (1843-1885)
Isaac Frantz was born in Feb 1843 in Pennsylvania and died in 1885 in Pennsylvania. He was the son of Daniel and Salama Frantz of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. He married Catherine (“Kate”) and had at least three children: Charles, who was born about 1865; Lucy, who was born about 1867; and Christiana, who was born about 1873. At the time of the 1880 Census, Charles was working as a coal miner and living in Porter Township. His 15 year old son Charles was living at home and working at the mines picking slate. In 1890, Kate was a widow living in Porter Township, Schuylkill County. Charles was a member of the 208th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company H, serving as a Private. He was mustered in on 16 Aug 1864 and mustered out on 1 Jun 1865. As a result of his service in the war, his widow Catherine was able to receive a widow’s pension after 1890. Not much else is known about him and his family.
George K. Stroud (1839-1920)
George K. Stroud was born on 11 August 1839 in Pennsylvania and died on 12 Jun 1920 in Pennsylvania. He is also found in the records as “George Stoud.” George was mustered into service in the 93rd Pennsylvania Infantry , Company C, as a Private, on 22 Oct 1861. During the was wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness, 5 May 1864. At the time of the 1890 Veterans Census, he reported hearing difficulties as a result of his Civil War service. He was then living in Tower City. His war injuries enabled him to apply for and receive a pension as early as 1879. George is mentioned in the history of his regimen which was also known as the “Lebanon Infantry.” Not much else is known about George or his family.
Jacob Gamber (1834-1890)
Jacob Gamber (or Gamper) was born on 3 January 1833 in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania and died 15 May 1890 in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. In 1855, he married Anna Mary Schaumber who was born in 1837 in Pennsylvania and died in 1916. They had children: John, born about 1857; William Henry or “Hy,” born about 1862; Elizabeth, born 1866; Aaron, born about 1875; George, born about 1878; Joseph, born about 1880; and Edwin, born about 1883. One military record indicates Jacob was drafted into the 51st Pennsylvania Infantry, Company B, as a Private, on 16 September 1861 and another record indicates he was mustered in 27 September 1864. He was discharged by General Order with no date recorded in the records. His widow reported in the 1890 Census that Jacob was “ruptured” during the war. A record of a pension application or pension has not yet been located. Government records indicate that his grave marker was provided as a result of his service and his regiment and company are noted on the stone. Nothing else is known about Jacob or his family.
Anyone with additional information about these veterans or any other veterans buried in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery is urged to provide it.
Comments