Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 788
REUBEN OLINGER

Reuben OLINGER, a farmer living on section 2, of Cincinnati Township, came to Harrison County in the autumn of 1868, and settled in St. John's Township, where he rented land for about four years, then moved into Cincinnati Township, and rented there until 1883, when he bought his present farm, which then consisted of one hundred and sixty acres of improved land, upon which he has lived ever since. All was new and wild when he came to the county, and while he was only three miles and a half from the Valley, on account of there being no bridges, he was compelled to go twelve miles to get there. Fish Lake is about forty yards wide and he lived on the north side of the lake, and sometimes he would swim his horse across the lake to get to and from town.

Our subject was born in Armstrong County, Pa., January 15, 1839, and he remained with his father until he was twenty-one years of age, then went for himself, following farming and boating for four years. He ran Oil City to Pittsburg, and remained there in that county until 1868, when he came West and located in St. John's Township, Harrison County.

Among the important events of his life, may be mentioned that of his marriage to Miss Margaret ZUVER, in December 1860. They are the parents of twelve children--William, Anna, George, Joseph, Sarah, Andrew J., Julia E., Margaret, Josie M., Guy, Reuben, Elizabeth, all living. Mrs. OLINGER is a daughter of Jacob and Catherine ZUVER, who were born in Armstrong County, Pa., in 1821. George OLINGER, father of our subject, was born in Somerset County, Pa., in 1798, and remained there until he grew to manhood, and then went to Armstrong County, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying when he was sixty-six years of age, in 1859. His wife, Annie (STUYVESANT) OLINGER, was also born in Somerset County, where she remained until the date of her marriage and died in Armstrong County, in 1887, aged about eighty-two years. They were the parents of fourteen children, our subject being the ninth. They were members of the Lutheran Church, as is our subject.

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