BIO: HENRY MOSER BOYER, D. D. S., Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson
OCRed by Judy Banja
Copyright 2004. All rights reserved.
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>From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania,
Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 608-610
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NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios:
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HENRY MOSER BOYER, D. D. S.
On Dec. 14, 1754, there was born in the vicinity of Boyertown, Berks county,
one Philip Boyer. History and tradition are silent as to who his parents were,
but he was probably one of the numerous descendants of a Jacob Boyer who in 1728
came from
CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 609
Alsace, France, and settled in that part of Pennsylvania.
Philip Boyer and his wife Christina had among other children a son Michael,
born Jan. 15, 1787, who married Helena D. Luther, a daughter of Peter Charles
and Wilmina (Mayberg) Luther. Michael and Helena (Luther) Boyer had a son
named Israel Luther Boyer, born July 15, 1817, who married Margaret Moser,
daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Gresh) Moser, who bore him one child. His
first wife dying he married, second, Elizabeth Moser, her sister, by whom he
had eight children, among whom was Philip Moser Boyer, the father of our
subject.
About the year 1840 Israel L. Boyer moved from Berks county to the Yellow
Breeches creek, a short distance below the town of Lisburn, in Cumberland
county. Here he assisted his brother-in-law, Henry G. Moser, in the
management of Liberty Forge for a number of years. In 1852 he bought a half
interest in the forge and after that he and Mr. Moser jointly operated it
very successfully for many years. They prospered and made money, and both
subsequently moved to Mechanicsburg, where they spent their declining years.
Israel L. Boyer died Jan. 4, 1891; his wife, Elizabeth Moser, died on Dec.
30, 1902, and both are buried in the cemetery of St. John's Church near
Shiremanstown.
Philip Moser Boyer, the third child of Israel Luther and Elizabeth (Moser)
Boyer, was born in Fairview township, York county, on Oct. 23, 1846. He was
raised on the farm and educated in the country district school. When yet a
mere lad he enlisted as a recruit in Company H, 9th Pennsylvania Cavalry, in
which regiment he put in one year of hard service, the regiment being a part
of Gen. Kilpatrick's Division in Sherman's famous march to the sea. On
returning home from the war he turned his attention to farming, at which he
has continued almost constantly ever since. For some time he farmed in Silver
Spring and Monroe townships, then for about seven years in the vicinity of
Lisburn. He was then elected steward of the county alms house, which position
he held for seven years, from 1888 to 1896. In 1891 he bought a farm on the
north side of the Conedoguinet creek, directly opposite Meeting House
Springs, in, North Middleton township, upon which he is now living. In 1865
he married Sarah Jane Hart, daughter of Daniel, and Catherine (Laird) Hart,
of near Andersontown, a member of a large representative York county family.
To Philip M. and Sarah Jane (Hart) Boyer the following children were born:
Charles Sherman, Israel Luther, Henry Moser, Jennie Elizabeth and William
Herbert and Elsie Vernon.
Henry Moser Boyer, the third child, and the subject of this sketch, was
born Oct. 9, 1869, in Silver Spring township. He remained at home with his
parents during his childhood and youth, working on the farm and attending the
district school. When in his seventeenth year he went to Carlisle and entered
upon an apprenticeship at printing in the office of the American Volunteer.
Upon completing his trade he continued in the same office for several years
and attended Dickinson College Preparatory School. He then went to
Philadelphia, where he worked as a compositor on the Philadelphia Press.
After one year he returned to Carlisle to again work on the American
Volunteer, upon which for about two years he held the position of local
editor and foreman. He then took up the study of dentistry, and in September,
1894, went to Philadelphia and entered the Pennsylvania Col-
610 CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
lege of Dental Surgery, graduating from that institution in the class of
1897. After graduating he opened an office in Carlisle and began the practice
of his profession, at which he has assiduously continued ever since with
gratifying success.
Dr. Boyer is a busy man, but finds some time to give to civic duties and
social affairs. Like his family for generations before him he is a Democrat
and acts in harmony with his party. Without seeking it he was elected a
member of the Carlisle town council and is now president of that body. He is
a member of the Carlisle Lodge of Elks, is greatly interested in the order,
and active and prominent in all its fraternal and social functions.
On June 12, 1902, Dr. Boyer married Bessie Irene Stephens, daughter of the
late John C. Stephens, of Carlisle, who bore him a son on Sept. 5, 1904, and
died twelve hours afterward. The child is named Henry Stephens Boyer. Dr.
Boyer is a member of the First Lutheran Church of Carlisle, to which his wife
also belonged. Mrs. Boyer was buried in Ashland cemetery, at Carlisle.