George D. Fahrenbach was born in 1846 in Hesse-Kassel, Germany, to Charles W.H. and Anna Christine (Dells) Fahrenbach. The family emigrated to the U.S. in 1851, when George was 5 years old.
In the 1860 census, George’s parents (Charles and Catherine) and his sister Caroline (age 7) were living in household #442 in Penn township, Berks Co., PA. George (age 13) was living nearby with the family of Eli and Ann Geiss in household #411.
When the Civil War broke out, George enlisted with the Union Army, although he was only 15 years old, and served throughout the war in the 151st regt Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and the 55th regt PVV, eventually achieving the rank of Corporal. He was engaged in several prominent battles of the war, including Gettysburg, where he was wounded three times (in the arm, the abdomen, and the head) but continued to fight, and Chancellorsville, where he was taken as prisoner of war (but escaped soon afterwards).
After the war, he returned home to the farm and, in 1866, he married a local girl, Mary E. Ziebach. She was born in 1845 in Berks County, Pennsylvania, to Jonathan and Sarah (Weber) Ziebach. Both parents and several of her grandparents were natives of Berks County. After a year on the farm, he went north to Luzerne County, where he operated a sawmill for three years before returning home to Penn Township in Berks County in 1869.
George and Mary became the parents of 7 children: Sarah Isabella (born 1868) Charles William (b. 1869. Died age 3 months) Franklin Adam (b. 1870) George Wesley (b. 1873) James Monroe (b. 1875. Died in 1882, age 8) Mary Rebecca (b. 1877) John Henry (b. 1888)
George was a successful farmer, eventually accumulating 630 acres, with “very valuable limestone quarries on his land.” By 1880, his aging parents had moved in with them. In 1893, he moved into Reading, but continued farming. Then, in 1905, he built a “fine brick residence” for his family in Penn Township, where he lived for the rest of his life.
The 1900 census confirms that he was still farming in Berks County and at that time they had 3 sons (one was a book keeper; another was a physician) and a new daughter-in-law living with them, along with 3 “servants.” In 1910, they were living in Bernville, Berks County, PA. By that time, his primary occupation was listed as “working in stone quarry.” At 64 years of age, he may have found this more suitable than farming. Son John H. (21) was still at home, “in school.”
George was very active in his community. Other accomplishments included: - 27 -
