BIOS: William D. BERKEY, Davidsville, Somerset County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Candace Roth Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/ ________________________________________________ History of Bedford and Somerset Counties, Pennsylvania and Bedford County by E. Howard Blackburn; Somerset County by William H. Welfley; v.3, Pub. The Lewis Publishing Company, New York/Chicago 1906, ppg. 493/4 William D. BERKEY. William D. Berkey, of Davidsville, traces his descent from Jacob Berkey, who emigrated from Germany about 1775 and settled at Berlin, Somerset county. He and his wife were Seventh-Day Baptists. Jacob Berkey died about 1820. Peter Berkey, one of the nineteen children of Jacob Berkey, was born in September, 1782, in Brothers Valley township, and on May 7, 1817, married Mrs. Elizabeth Fylock, born September, 1782. Their family consisted of the following children: Mary, born September 22, 1802; Jonathan, born November 22, 1804; Rachel, born August 15, 1805; Catharine, born November 5, 1806; Elizabeth, born March 1, 1808; Daniel, mentioned at length herinafter; Susan, born December 15, 1811; Anna, born April 14, 1815; Peter, born May 7, 1817; Catharine (2), born September 19, 1820; Joseph, born December 10, 1822; and Sarah, born June 8, 1826. Mr. and Mrs. Berkey were Seventh-Day Baptists. Daniel Berkey, son of Peter and Elizabeth (Fylock) Berkey, was born January 15, 1810, and during the greater portion of his life was engaged in farming. About 1867 he moved to Indiana, where he passed the remainder of his life. For many years he was an old-line Whig, but later became a Republican. He was a member of the German Baptist church until his removal to Indiana, when he joined the old order of Brethren. His death occurred in 1896. Daniel Berkey, son of Daniel Berkey mentioned above, was born in 1833 in Paint township and settled on a farm near old Astala, on which he passed the remainder of his life. He served as school director and also as treasurer of the board. He was a Republican and a member of the German Baptist church. Mr. Berkey married Caroline, daughter of Jacob Bicker, and they were the parents of the following children: 1. Ephraim, married ______ Hostetler. 2. Levi, married Harriet Sears, has one child. 3. Jacob, married Levina Baumgardner, by whom he had four children, and after whose death he married the widow of Christian Rice. 4. William D., mentioned at length hereinafter. 5. Mary, wife of Samuel Weaver, has nine children. 6. Lavina, wife of Jacob Knadle. 7. Sarah, wife of E. Miller, has three children. 8. Fannie. 9. Daivd. 10. Lucy. 11. Daniel, died at the age of seven years. The death of Mr. Berkey, which occurred when he was sixty-three years old, was caused by his being tortured by robbers, a full account of the tragedy being given on another page. His daughter Lucy died from the effects of an injury received at the same time. William D. Berkey, son of Daniel and Caroline (Bicker) Berkey, was born April 17, 1859, in Paint township, and began his career as an agriculturist on the Kifer farm, two miles from Northwest Elon, Cambria county, Pennsylvania. He subsequently sold the estate and purchased property in Paint township, where he remained three years. At the end of that time he disposed of the property to the B. & W. Coal Company. In 1898 he moved to Davidsville and there purchased a portion of the John Kaufman farm, on which he has since made his home. He is a Republican and a member of the German Baptist church. Mr. Berkey married, October 29, 1882, Fannie, daughter of Gillers Seese, of Paint township, and the following are their children: Harry W., born March 31, 1885; Morris E., born March 2, 1887; Nettie M., born May 11, 1889; Frank N., born July 29, 1891; Elberta, born January 20, 1894; Irvin W., born May 26, 1897; Annie, born February 19, 1901; and Mary, born March 11, 1903.