Читать книгу History of Westchester County, New York, Volume 3 - Группа авторов - Страница 13

The present well known and popular supervisor of Yorktown township, Westchester county, was born March 24, 1866, and is a representative of an old and highly respected family of this county. His paternal great-grandfather, Jonathan Kear, who was of Welsh descent, settled near the present village of Yorktown some time prior to the Revolutionary war. His son, Peter Kear, the grandfather of our subject, was here reared to manhood and married Miss Susan Anderson, who was born at Croton-on-Hudson and was of German descent. To them was born a family of nine children, and of those who reached maturity we offer the following brief record: Peter is a resident of Geneva, New York; Amos died in 1891, his being the first death in the family for forty years; Henry C. is the father of our subject; William and George are both residents of Seneca Falls, New York; Cyrus resides at Almont, Michigan; Sarah Dean has her home at Rochester, New York; and Daniel also resides at Almont, Michigan. The mother of these children died at the age of eighty-two years, and the father two or three years later. By occupation he was a farmer, and in politics was a Republican.

Henry C. Kear, the father of our subject, is a native of Westchester county, born December 18, 1836, and was reared on the homestead at Yorktown, receiving his education in the public schools of the neighborhood. At the age of twenty-seven years he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Farmer, a native of Ireland, and to them were born two children: William C. , of Yorktown; and Edward B., of this sketch. The Kear homestead consists of two hundred and fifty-six acres of choice farming land, which has been placed under a high 'state of cultivation and improved with good and substantial buildings. In fact it is one of the most valuable and attractive farms in the vicinity. To its further improvement and cultivation father and sons still devote their energies with most gratifying results, and Mr. Kear also owns a valuable farm of one hundred and forty acres in the town of Somers.

Edward B. Kear obtained his early education in the public schools near his boyhood home, and later attended the Hackettstown Institute, where he was graduated in the class of 1884. Since attaining his majority he has been a stanch supporter of the Republican party, and has taken an active and prominent part in local politics. His fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, elected him township clerk in 1889, and he has also been called upon to fill the offices of justice of the peace and township supervisor, in which he has served with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents. Mr. Kear was again re-elected to the office of supervisor of the township in the spring of 1899, by an increased majority over his former opponent. In 1894 Mr. Kear was elected a justice of sessions of Westchester county, and filled that office till its abolishment by the constitutional amendment.

On the 3rd of June, 1896, Mr. Kear was carried to Miss Josephine Reynolds, of Croton Lake, a daughter of Lockwood Reynolds, of that place, and in the social circles of the community they occupy an enviable position