My Genealogy Hound

ISAAC Z. REINER, a prominent farmer of Eagleville, was born at the homestead where he now lives, May 25, 1845, and was reared on the farm and received a common school education. He is the son of Martin and Elizabeth (Zinlmerman) Reiner, both of Montgomery county. Martin Reiner (father) lived on his father’s farm until he married. He then removed to the farm where Isaac. Z. Reiner now resides, called the Birdseye View farm. He did general farming, raised horses and attended market. He was a Whig in politics, and a Mennonite in religious faith. He married (first wife) Ann Miller, born in Montgomery county, and they had no children. Three years after her death he married Elizabeth Zimmerman (second wife), also of Montgomery county, and the daughter of Arnold and Catharine (Johnson) Zimmerman. Their children: Isaac Zimmerman Reiner, and Sarah, married M. Grater. Mrs. Grater died in the autumn of 1895, and left two daughters, both graduates of the West Chester Normal School, and teachers. After the marriage of his son Isaac, Martin Reiner left him in charge of the old home and removed to another farm. His wife died in March, 1888, and he returned to make his home with his son, but died in October, 1888.

Philip Keiner (grandfather) was born and reared in Lower Providence township, Montgomery county. The ancestor of the Reiner family came from Holland, and settled in Pennsylvania during the colonial days. The father of Philip Reiner bought land from William Penn’s agent and improved it, making the home which Philip Reiner inherited by will, and where he reared his family. One of Philip Reiner’s grandsons still owns it. He was a Whig, but never aspired to notoriety. He belonged to the Mennonite church, and was a highly respected man. He died in 1865, and his wife in 1871. She was Sarah (Rittenhouse) Reiner, daughter of Mr. Rittenhouse. He was a descendant of William Rittenhouse, who settled at Germantown in 1680. The children of Philip and Sarah (Rittenhouse) Reiner: Abraham; Martin (father); Rebecca (Mrs. Rambo); Hannah (Mrs. S. Buckwalter); Philip, a farmer; Levi, a farmer; David, a farmer; Emaline (Mrs. M. Rittenhouse), of Germantown; Sarah (Mrs. L. Rhoades). Arnold Zimmerman (maternal grandfather) was a farmer, and operated a grist mill in Montgomery county. In religious faith he was a Mennonite. He married Catharine Johnson, and they had the following children: John, a teacher, who died in the west; Isaac, a farmer; and Elizabeth (mother).

Isaac Z. Reiner lived with his father’s family until his marriage in 1869. At that time, as has been said, his father removed to another farm and left Isaac in charge of the old home. After the father’s death, Isaac and his sister settled the estate, and Isaac bought out her share in the home farm. He has lived there ever since and given his attention to general farming, in which he has been very successful. He is a Republican, and is affiliated with Montgomery Lodge No. 57, I. O. O. F., of Norristown. He has been a member of the school board of his township for fifteen years, and is its secretary. He has been secretary of the board of trustees of the Providence Presbyterian church since 1884, and elder in the church for ten years. He is president of the Lower Providence Live Stock Insurance Company, has been secretary of the Union Beneficial Society at Eagleville for fourteen years, and is a newspaper correspondent. Mr. Reiner has a knowledge of general things far above the average. He has visited the World’s Fair at Chicago and the Exposition at Buffalo, and in 1904 he and his daughter Mary visited the St. Louis exposition, besides visiting interesting places in the United States.

Isaac Z. Reiner married Miss Jane Gotwals, born in Montgomery county, January 23, 1843. She is the daughter of Joseph and Anna (Culp) Gotwals, of Montgomery county. The children of Isaac Z and Jane (Gotwals) Reiner: Elizabeth, married Amos H. Schultz, a farmer and school director of Worcester township, and secretary of the Farmers’ Union of that township: Joseph, born December 4, 1874, died May 6, 1882; Anna M., unmarried; Clara M., also unmarried. The family are Presbyterians.

The Gotwals family are of German descent, and the name was originally spelled Gotwalds, but was changed by Henry Gotwals (grandfather). Henry Gotwals was a farmer in Upper Providence township, and was a Mennonite. He married Elizabeth Funk, and they had the following children: Adam, Henry, Joseph, Christian, John, Elizabeth and Catharine. Joseph Gotwals (father) was born in Upper Providence township, April 10, 1789. He followed the occupation of farming all his life. He was a strong Democrat, and filled several township offices, school director and supervisor. Late in life he retired from the farm and removed to Eagleville, where he died three years later, April 14, 1871. He was a Mennonite. His wife died in 1881. She was Anna Culp, the daughter of Henry Culp, a prominent farmer. The children of Henry Culp: Daniel, Henry, Martin, Jacob, John, David, Anna (Mrs. Gotwals); Hettie (Mrs. Barlow); Wilhelmina (Mrs. Boze); Mary (Mrs. S. Jones). The Culp family were all Mennonites.

The children of Joseph and Anna (Culp) Gotwals: Henry, died in infancy; Martin, a farmer, died in Michigan; Margaret (deceased), married Louis Rhodes, of Phoenixville; Esther, died unmarried in 1894; Sarah (deceased), married Jonah L. Fudge; Anna, died unmarried; Elizabeth (deceased), married John E. Horn; Joseph K., for many years superintendent of the Norristown public schools; Isaac, a business man of Bridgeport; Charlotte (deceased), married John Shearer; Roger D., a market man of Eagleville; Jane, married Isaac Z. Reiner.