• Born: November 12, 1846
• Died: February 25, 1927 (buried at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Red Hill)
• Parents: Jonathan Wolf and Margaret Brey
• Spouse: Elizabeth Fox
  • Born: October 24, 1850
  • Died: November 24, 1933 (buried at St. Paul’s Lutheran in Red Hill)
  • Parents: John Fox & Laura Erb
• Married: May 29, 1869
• Children: Franklin, Monroe, Harrison, Jonathan, William F, Wayne, Jane, Dallas, Amandus, Elizabeth, Katie, Lillian, and two others

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William W Wolf, son of Jonathan Wolf and Margaret, seems to have lived a simple life in the town of Milford in Bucks County, where he was born on November 12, 1846. In his earlier years he worked as a carpenter (according to census records), and by 1900 he operated his own family farm. In 1920, this farm was located on Kline School Road in Milford.

William married Elizabeth Fox at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on May 29, 1869.  She was born on October 24, 1850 to John Fox & Laura Erb. According to the 1900 census, she did not know how to read or write.

We also know from the 1900 census that the couple had a total of fourteen children, but that only five survived to the turn of the century.  Sadly, several of their children died of diphtheria and other illnesses.  Two children are unaccounted for, meaning they may have been stillborn and never named, or at the very least never lived long enough to appear in any census records.

The 1900 census also states that both William and Elizabeth’s native tongue was German. Most likely they spoke “Pennsylvania Dutch,” a dialect of German that formed in Pennsylvania as a result of the many German immigrants who settled the region.

William died on February 25, 1927. Elizabeth died on November 24, 1933 due to  arteriosclerosis/cerebral thrombosis, according to her death certificate. Both are buried at St. Paul’s in Red Hill. Though church records list their burial location as section A, row 22 of the new cemetery, either their tombstones are gone or never existed in the first place.  Elizabeth’s parents are also buried at St. Paul’s, in new section B, row 23.

Children of William and Elizabeth

According to the 1900 census, William and Elizabeth had fourteen children.  Twelve of them are accounted for here:

Franklin was born on February 1, 1870. At this time, no further information is known about him.

Monroe was born on March 6, 1871. He married Matilda Litzenberger (1881-1920) at St. Paul’s on July 27, 1901. Their children were named Gertrude (1902-), Elizabeth “Lizzie” (1905-1974), John (1907-1922 of diphtheria), Mary (1909-), Elma (1912-1929), Margaret (1914-), Harold (1916-), and Elsie (1920-1920). Sadly, Matilda died in childbirth with Elsie. Monroe died in 1957. He and Matilda are buried at St. Paul’s in Red Hill.

Harrison was born on September 20, 1873 and died on December 3, 1883 of diphtheria.

Jonathan was born on December 16, 1875 and died on November 17, 1883 of diphtheria.

William is discussed here.

Wayne was born on October 31, 1881 and died on November 22, 1883 of diphtheria.

Jane was born on November 9, 1883, in the middle of the diphtheria outbreak which claimed several of her siblings.  She lived only 4 weeks, passing on December 8, 1883 of the disease.

Dallas was born on December 20, 1884 and died at the age of 10 months on April 10, 1885. His cause of death is listed as convulsions.

Amandus was born on April 20, 1886. He married Carrie Mumbauer (1888-1992) at St. Paul’s on January 2, 1909, with Rev O.F. Waage officiating. Their children were named Elsie (1920-2001) and Margaret. Amandus served on the church council for 24 years until about1957, and was a school director for Marlborough Township Schools for 22 years until about 1960. He died on October 22, 1973. Amandus and Carrie are buried at St. Paul’s in Red Hill alongside their daughter Elsie and her husband, Harvey Stevens.

Elizabeth was born on February 11, 1888.  She married Edwin Reinhart (1885-1963).  Elizabeth was a member of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Spinnerstown, where she and her husband are buried. She worked in a cigar factory early in life, was a grocer alongside her huband in Trumbauersville for 25 years, and retired as a sewing machine operator at a shirt factory in Quakerstown in 1953. She had one daughter named Margaret (1906-1988).  Elizabeth died at the age of 109 on March 25, 1997.

Katie was born on January 31, 1891 and died at the age of six on April 10, 1897. No cause of death is known.

Lillian was born on November 11, 1891. She married Howard Renninger (1887-1944). Howard was St. Paul’s sexton, janitor, and farm operator. He committed suicide by hanging in the church’s barn.  Their children were named Elma (1908-1974), Claude (1911-1987), Clifford, who served in France in WW2 (1913-1997), Arthur (1916-1997), Helen (1918-1994), Elsie (1920-2008), Eva (1921-2014), Lester (1923-2000), Amy (1924-2007), Herbert (1925-1997), and Franklin (1926-2013).  Lillian died on January 19, 1976. She and Howard are buried at St. Paul’s in Red Hill.

Two other children were born to William & Elizabeth as well.  One of these may have been born around 1873 or 1874 and named William. The 1880 census lists a son, “Willie,” aged 6 and born in December.  That would make Willie’s birthdate December of 1873, which doesn’t fit with Harrison’s birthdate of September, 1873.

Sadly, the burial location of the children who died young is not known at this time.