The Minor Family of Somerset

Information about Nancy (Forcey) Maines was found in New Castle
, Pa, From census and articles from Cemmemorative Bigraphical Re
cord.
Thomas H. Forcey, ofClearfield, president of the Clearfield Cou
nty National Bank, has been for years a leading business man o
f his county, his operations covering varied fields of effort, a
nd demonstrating by their uniform success the practical sagacit
y of the mind which direct them. The happy blending of common s
ense andsteady, patient industry of the german race, inherite
d from his father's ancestry, together with the shrewd insight o
f the Scotch, which came through hismother's North-of-Ireland s
tock, produced a character which would have madeit's mark in a
ny line of effort.
The first ancestor in the paternal side, ofwhom we have recor
d is Thomas Forcey, our subjects grandfather, who was boron in D
elaware in 1766, and as a young man of twenty-four came to wha
t is now Clearfiel County, to locate as a pioneer farmer. Despit
e the privations and hardship incident to frontier life he attai
ned the advanced age of ninety nineand six months. He and hi
s wife, Wilizabeth (Arnola) Forcey, reared a family of five chil
dren; Jane (wife of Moses Owens); Catherin (Mrs George Conway)
; Tamar (married Samuel Tate); Nancy, who married Seth Maines; M
athew, our subject's father, who was born in the latter part o
f the year 1806. He (Mathew) passed his life in Clearfield Co.
, following teaching as an occupation inearly life, but late
r engaging in business as a farmer and lumber dealer. He wa
s a successful financier, and at the time of his death in 1865 o
wned several tracts of land in this section. He married Miss Ma
rgaret Murray, a nativbe of Clearfiel County, born in 1812, and ha
d twelve children, six of whom arestill living. Mary is the de
ceased wife of William Askey; Thomas H., is mentioned more full
y later on. Martha and Elizabeth died in childHood; Alexander (
deceased); William resides upon the old homestead in Bradford to
wnship,Clearfield County, John lives near Harrisburg Pa: Moses die
d at the age of thirty: Jane is the widow of H.H. Morrow, Henrie
tta is the wife of J.L. Ward, of Graham township, Clearfield Cou
nty, James resides in the same county,: gideonis a farmer in Br
adford twp.
Thomas H. Forgey, our subvject, had the advantage of wholesome c
ountry life in his youth, being reared at the old home farm.I
n 1858 he engaged in the lumber business at Grahamton, Clearfiel
d County, dealing in square timber at first. He conducted a sawmil
l, and built up an extensive trade in both lumber and timber, se
nding from forty to fifty rafts down the Susquehanna each year
. He also became ibnterested in the mercantile business, and st
ill has one store, while he owns about five thousand acres ofva
luable alnd, including timber, agricultural and coal properties
. In financial circles his judgement is held in high esteeem
. Shortly after the organization of the Clearfield Co Nationa
l Bank, in February 1865, he was its elected vice-president, whi
ch position he held until 1882, when he was elected President af
ter the death of President J.T. Leonard. Since 1881 he has mad
ehis home at Clearfield in order to give closer attention to th
e management ofthis institution. He is a Democrat politcally
, but his influence is exertedin a quiet way. In religious vie
ws he is a Presbyterian, and for many yearshe has held the offi
ce of trestee in the Church.
On July 10, 1849, Mr. Forcey, married Miss Anna Leonard, who wa
s born in Clearfield Co, March 2 1829.Six children blessed the
ir union, as follows 1 Alfred, a farmer in Graham township, Clea
rfield Co, married Dora Wise and has two children--Merton and Ol
ive. 2 Mary (deceased) married Zachariah Fleton, and has seve
n living children --Cora, Effie, Harry, Mamie, Lola, Raymond an
d Estella. 3 Margaret (deceased) married Reuben Holt, and had th
irteen child