Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....Bechtel, Samuel B. August 7, 1854 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joe Patterson jpatter@epix.net February 23, 2026, 11:51 am

Source: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, T. S. Benham & Company and the Lewis Publishing Company, 1904
Author: Ellwood Roberts, Editor

SAMUEL B. BECHTEL, merchant and postmaster at Congo 
postoffice, Douglass township, Montgomery county, was born 
August 7, 1854, in the township where he now lives. He is 
the son of David H. and Mary (Bechtel) Bechtel.

John Bechtel (grandfather) lived upon the farm in Douglass 
township now owned by the family. He was a very popular 
citizen. He married Elizabeth High, and they both lived to 
an advanced age. They were members of the Mennonite church, 
and are buried at Bally, Berks county, as were his parents 
also. They had four children: Rebecca, unmarried, and 
resides in Bally; Elizabeth (deceased); David H. (father); 
and Anna (deceased), was unmarried. The maternal 
grandparents of Samuel B. Bechtel lived at Bally, Berks 
county.

David H. Bechtel (father) was a farmer in Douglass township 
all his life, dying at the age of forty-five years. He was 
also a school teacher for many years. He married Mary 
Bechtel, who survived him for some years. They were members 
of the Mennonite church, and are buried in Bally, Berks 
county. In politics David Bechtel was a Republican. Their 
children: J. Elhanon, married Miss Johnson, and is a farmer 
near Congo, Douglass township, they having one child, Mary; 
Samuel B.; Clement B., married Miss Landis, and also lives 
in Congo, being a farmer, they having four children, Emma, 
Archie, Lloyd, and Helen; Holmes (deceased); Aaron, living 
in Philadelphia where he is a bookkeeper, married Miss 
Weiss, they having one child living, Mabel, and one 
deceased; Joseph, residing in Philadelphia where he is 
engaged in the jewelry supply business, wholesale and 
retail, 725 Sansom street; he married Miss Schultz, and they 
have two children.

Samuel B. Bechtel attended the township schools until he was 
about twenty years of age. He then worked on his parents' 
farm for two years, when he secured a position as clerk in 
the store of A. H. Keely, at Sassamansville, where he 
remained one year. He next engaged in farming for a short 
time, and then returned to the store, remaining there until 
he went into business for himself at his present location in 
1886. He bought out John Frederick, who had conducted the 
business at that place many years previously.

Mr. Bechtel married Katie, daughter of Jacob B. and 
Catharine (Bliem) Bahr. They resided at Gabelsville, where 
he was a farmer by occupation The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. 
Bechtel took place December 25, 1880, Rev. L. Groh, of 
Boyertown, performing the ceremony. The couple have one 
child, Mary Elsie, born December 17, 1883. Mrs. Bechtel died 
October 28, 1885, aged thirty-one years and fourteen days, 
and was buried at. Bally, Berks county. Mr. Bechtel married 
(second wife) Elmira, daughter of Jacob and Hannah 
(Solladay) Rohrback.
 
The parents resided in Berks county, where he followed the 
occupation of a shoemaker, dying many years ago. His widow 
resides in Berks county, at Huff's church, at an advanced 
age. Mr. and Mrs. Rohrbach had four children. Mr. and Mrs. 
Samuel B. Bechtel have had two children: Norman Samuel, born 
October 22, 1900; and Florence May, born August 4, 1898, 
died at the age of two years and eleven months.

Mr. Bechtel conducts a very prosperous business at Congo. In 
politics he is a Republican. He was appointed postmaster in 
1886, and has since served as such. He is a Mennonite, and 
his wife a Lutheran, of Huff's church, Berks county.

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