Moses Koppenhaver [also spelled Koppenheffer], farmer, was born in Mifflin Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 25 July 1831. He is a son of Jonathan Koppenhaver and Catherine [Hepner] Koppenhaver.
Michael Koppenhaver, his grandfather, married Catherine Garrett, and they had a family of sons and daughters.
Jonathan Koppenhaver, father of Moses Koppenhaver,died July 1890, aged eighty-eight years and six months. His wife, Catherine [Hepner] Koppenahaver, died in April 1885, aged about seventy-two. They had eleven children:
Emanuel Koppenhaver;
Angeline Koppenhaver;
Moses Koppenhaver;
Sarah Koppenhaver;
George Koppenhaver;
John Koppenhaver;
Elizabeth Koppenhaver;
Catherine Koppenhaver;
Mary Jane Koppenhaver;
Emeline Koppenhaver; and
Rebecca Koppenhaver.
Moses Koppenhaver received his first school instruction in the subscription schools of his native township. Later he attended the public schools for a part of each year until he was twenty-one, being throughout those years of much assistance to his father in the work of the farm. After reaching his majority, he served a two years’ apprenticeship at stone mason work with Solomon Schaeffer, Northumberland County, after which he worked at his trade as a journeyman for about five years. At twenty-nine years of age, Mr. Moses Koppenhaver went back to the homestead under an agreement with his father to cultivate the farm on shares for three years. in 1860 he removed to his father-in-law’s farm in Upper Paxton Township, under an agreement similar to that which he had made with his father, which was the usual share and share arrangement between owner and renter. In this case it proved so satisfactory that it was continued for twenty-two years, and at the death of his father-in-law, Mr. Koppenhaver made a similar engagement for two more years with his mother-in-law. In 1874 he bought the farm at the administrator’s sale and has had his residence there since that time.
Moses Koppenhaver was married 15 February 1855 by Rev. Frederick Woltz, to Elizabeth Ritzman, daughter of Adam Ritzman and Mary [Hawk] Ritzman. Mr. and Mrs. Moses Koppenhaver have thirteen children, two of whom are deceased:
Ann Tourney Koppenhaver, died aged three weeks;
Hiram Koppenhaver, born 23 June 1856, was accidentally killed at Sunbury, Pennsylvania, while coupling cars, 27 October 1890 while employed by the Pennsylvania Railroad Company.
Adeline Koppenhaver, wife of John Row, had six children;
Agnes Koppenhaver, wife of Edwin Eby;
Sarah Elizabeth Koppenhaver, born 1 December 1860, wife of Charles Holtzman;
Ann Eliza Koppenhaver, born 5 July 1862, wife of Henry Rumberger;
Charles Milton Koppenhaver, born 10 July 1863, married Agnes Stratzer, had two children;
Ebbie Jane Koppenhaver, born 28 May 1866, wife of Clayton Lenker, has seven children;
Mary Ellen Koppenhaver, born 17 February 1868;
Augustus Edwin Koppenhaver, born 17 March 1870, married Lettie Stepler, has two children;
Angelina Koppenhaver, born 5 October 1871, married Harry Wise, has one child;
Anna Verdilla Koppenhaver, born 10 October 1873; and
Carrie Malinda Koppenhaver, born 17 April 1877.
Mr. Moses Koppenhaver is a Republican. He is at present supervisor, having been elected for one year. He and his family attend the Lutheran church.
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The above information was modified/edited from Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, published in 1896 by J. M. Runk and Company of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. A free download is available from the Internet Archive.
Moses Koppenhaver died in Upper Paxton Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on 25 January 1904. He is buried at Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Rife, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
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