Aaron Fox 1842-1922

Born: October 31, 1842 in Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania
Died: October 17, 1922 in Pennsburg, Montgomery Co., Pennsylvania (Buried at United Church of Christ at Niantic)
Spouse: Rebecca Hess
- Born: April 1, 1854
- Died: Jan. 20, 1935 (Buried at United Church of Christ at Niantic)
Married: 1872
Children: Horace, Oscar, Rose, Mary, Andora, Laura, Clara, Elmer, Alice, Robert, Morris, Lottie, Adeline, Percival, an unnamed infant.

Aaron Fox was born on October 31, 1842. In 1872, at the age of thirty, he married Rebecca Hess, born on April 1, 1854.

According to the 1910 census, Aaron and his family lived at 70 Main Street in Pennsburg. This is directly across the street from St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, where many descendants are still members of the congregation. Russell Thomas, grandson of Aaron and Rebecca and son of Alice, recalls the house in Pennsburg that his grandparents lived in:

“When she (Alice) was young, she lived across the street from St. Mark’s… with her parents. That was the Fox’s home. Big ol’ porch in the front. That was a big house, almost like a double house. The youngest, Percy… he lived on one side and grandmum lived on this side. It wasn’t exactly a double home, it was big enough to be a double house!
“We lived on Seminary Street, and my mom used to walk up to visit her mother. And I was a little boy and I went with her and I sat on the porch. There where Bauman Paint Shop used to be, that was the livery stables, the blacksmith shop. At that time, there were a lot of horses and horse buggies yet and I’d sit on the porch, and I can still hear them – the blacksmiths’ ‘clunk, clunk,’ making horse shoes and shoeing the horses.
“That was an interesting corner there, that shitty little corner there. There was Bauman’s Paint Shop and there was the blacksmith shop, and on one side was a fish market, and B&H was there. Across the street was a drug store and grocery, and on the corner a butcher shop. Big fish laying outside the fish market.”

Aaron was a contractor, and he built the Pennsburg High School on Main Street in Pennsburg. The building is now a medical complex and is situated across the street from Dairy Queen. During renovations, a large stone engraved with Aaron’s name was removed and discarded. At the time, Aaron’s teenage grandson, Russell Thomas, attempted to retrieve the stone bearing his deceased grandfather’s name with the help of Rev. Henry Kistler (of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church), but the stone was lost.

Aaron died on October 17, 1922, and Rebecca died on January 20, 1935. Both are buried in the cemetery of the United Church of Christ at Niantic, the same cemetery as Aaron’s parents, younger brother, John, and several of their children. The family plot is marked with four square stones bearing the letter F.

The Children of Aaron and Rebecca

Aaron and Rebecca had fifteen children:

Horace was born in 1871 and died in 1904. He married Elmira Romich and is buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Oscar was born in 1873 and died in 1962. He married Telara and is buried at New Goshenhoppen UCC in East Greenville. He had one daughter (according to Russell Thomas), also named Telara.

Rose was born in 1875. She had a son named Clarence (last name Horn?), who was a counselor at Upper Perkiomen High School for many years (according to Russell Thomas).

Mary was born in 1877 and lived less than one year. She is buried at United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Andora was born in 1878 and died in 1935. She married Charles Thomas (cousin of her sister Alice’s husband, Philip Thomas) and is buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic. Her husband is not buried in this cemetery.

Twins Laura and Clara were born in 1880 and both lived less than a year. They are buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Elmer was born in 1882 and died in 1893. He is buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Alice is discussed here.

Robert was born in 1887 and died in 1903. He is buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Morris was born in 1889 and died in 1961. He married a woman by the name of Jennie and is buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Lottie was born in 1891 and had a son named James (according to Russell Thomas).

Adeline was born in 1894 and died the following year. She is buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Percival was born in 1896 and died in 1974. He married Erma Kriebel Urffer (a descendant of Schwenkfeld immigrant Anna Krauss) on April 15, 1916. They had twelve children who lived to adulthood: Mary, Ann, Esther, Margaret, Marlene, Linwood, Robert, Chad, Marion, Betty, Harold, and Donald. Percival and Erma are buried in the cemetery of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Pennsburg.

An unnamed infant child is also buried at the United Church of Christ at Niantic.

Photos of Aaron and Family