ABRAHAM CRUMRINE, a prominent farmer of West Bethlehem township, is a grandson of Abraham Crumrine, who was born of German parentage, in Baltimore county, Md., where he lived to a green old age. John Crumrine, father of subject, was born in 1785, in Baltimore county, Md., and there grew to manhood. He attended the German schools until grown, and then began his English education in the subscription school, which was held in the parsonage. When the weather was such that he could not work, he attended school but with all these obstacles in his path, he obtained a good education for that period. He married Barbara, daughter of John Ferman, and for a time lived in Baltimore county, Md., where Mary, Betsey (deceased), Susan, and Margaret (deceased), were born to them. In 1812 he removed to Washington county, Penn., and settled on Daniels run, in West Bethlehem township, part of which farm now belongs to Mrs. Julia Theakston, a sister of our subject. Here were born to him the following children: Sarah, Barbara (deceased), Julia Ann, Lucinda, Judia (deceased), Maria, George (deceased), John (deceased), William, David (deceased) and Abraham. All grew to an adult age, and the survivors all live in Washington county, with the exception of Maria, who married Demas Drake and resides in Iowa. The father of this family was one of the rare, self-made men. Beginning life with practically nothing, he not only cared for and educated his large family, but accumulated no little of this world's goods. At the time of his death, which occurred in 1857, he was the owner of about three hundred and forty acres of land, all in a good state of cultivation. Abraham Crumrine was born April 6, 1826, upon the old farm in West Bethlehem township, this county, a part of which he still owns. His education was gleaned from the meager teachings of the country schools. His boyhood, when he was not at school, was passed upon the farm, where he learned valuable lessons of thrift, to which much of his success in life is doubtless due. In 1857 he married Mahalia, daughter of George Zollar, for whom the hamlet of Zollarsville is named, he being one of the earliest settlers of that part of the county. After his marriage he built the elegant dwelling in which he now resides, and has made many other improvements. His children are Catherine, wife of Samuel Fulton, of West Bethlehem township; Sanford, a young man of superior intelligence, and a competent instructor in one of the schools of West Bethlehem township; and Ferman, his father's chief assistant on the farm. Mr. Crumrine is a leading Democrat, and one of the trusted counselors of his party; also a member of the Lutheran Church, with which he is prominently identified.

Text taken from page 1463 of: Beers, J. H. and Co., Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania (Chicago: J. H. Beers & Co., 1893). Transcribed February 1997 by Neil and Marilyn Morton of Oswego, IL as part of the Beers Project. Published February 1997 on the Washington County, PA USGenWeb pages at http://www.chartiers.com/.

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