William Hofius (1806-1890)

HOFIUS, DUGAN, BENTLEY, DAMON, DAMOND, THOMPSON, VAUGHN, HIMROD, VINCENT, WOOD, WARNER, MAXWELL, SIBES, FAIR, MCGOWAN, ELDRIDGE, MCKEEFREY, LAUX

Posted By: LuAnn (Wentworth) Goeke (email)
Date: 8/23/2010 at 20:54:50

William Hofius, the third son of George Hofius, was born May 12, 1806, in Hickory Township, [Mercer Co., Pennsylvania] where he spent the early years of his life on the homestead farm, and was engaged in farming. About 1847-48 he removed to Jackson County, Iowa, where he now resides. He married Martha, daughter of Thomas Dugan, of Trumbull County, Ohio, who died in 1841, leaving seven children: Seth, Azariah, Jonathon, Hulda, Mrs. Bently of Iowa; Marilda, wife of John Damond, of Iowa; Mary A., Martha, Mrs. Melvin J. Thompson. His second wife was Mrs. Vaughn and by this marriage they have one child, George.
Seth, the eldest son of William, was born May, 1829, in Hickory Township, where he was reared and educated. In 1846 he entered the employ of Himrod & Vincent, subsequently working at the different furnaces located in Clarion and Venango Counties, Penn., Youngstown, Ohio, and West Middlesex, Penn. In 1858 he removed to Mineral Ridge and took charge of the works at that place for James Wood & Warner. He subsequently was engaged as superintendent for James Wood, Sons & Co. of Wheatland. He also had charge of the Mount Hickory Iron Co., works at Sharpsville. He then removed to Buffalo, N.Y., and took charge of the Buffalo Iron & Nail Co.’s works. In 1882 he located in Ohio, and engaged in farming, where his family now resides. In 1886 he was placed in charge of the Spearman Iron Furnace at Sharpsville, which position he now fills. Our subject was married in 1850 to Miss Elizabeth Maxwell, of West Middlesex, Penn., and by this union they have five children: William D., Lewis W., Frank, Annie J., wife of Henry Sibes, of Buffalo, N.Y., and Harriet, wife of William Fair, of the same city. Mrs. Hofius died in 1862 and our subject was again married in 1867 to Miss Margaret McGowan, of Campfield, Ohio, and by this marriage they have five children: Walter, Charley, Blanch, Seth and James.
William D. Hofius, the eldest son of Seth, was born September 25, 1852, at West Middlesex. He was reared and educated at Mineral Ridge, Ohio, Wheatland and Sharpsville. At the age of twenty, he was engaged in the iron business as furnaceman, and followed that business as an occupation until 1883, when he engaged in the foundry and machine business with Charles F. Eldridge, under the firm name of Hofius & Eldridge, located at Sharpsville. He is also operating the Grafton Furnace at Leetonia, Ohio, under the name of McKeefrey & Hofius. Mr. Hofius was married in 1882 to Miss Emma K., daughter of Louis Laux, of Baltimore, Md. Our subject is a member of the F. & A.M., Lodge No. 250, Norman Chapter 244 and Commandery No. 50, of Sharon.
History of Mercer County, Pennsylvania: Chicago, Ill.: Brown, Runk & Co., 1888. Pgs. 841-842