Rueben Kretchman, the oldest son of Henry and Elizabeth (Synder) Kretchman, was born January 1, 1821, in White Hall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
His father, Henry Kretchman was born in Lehigh County in 1790, and moved to Somerset County in 1822, bringing with him his wife and children and all his possessions in a wagon drawn by two horses. They crossed the Susquehanna at Harrisburg, and come through Carlisle on their was to Somerset County, where they settled on the farm now owned by J. M. Kretchman, which was taken up by a Government patent. The farm has never left the Kretchman name. Mr. Kretchman’s early trade was “Weaver”. After settling in Somerset County, he and his wife bravely went to work to hew a farm from the forest about them. His life was cut short by sustaining a rupture while rolling logs, which resulted in his death in 1833. Mrs. Kretchman died about 1854. Mr. Kretchman was Lutheran and Mrs. Kretchman was Reformed.
Rueben Kretchman was twelve years old when his father died. He received his early education through “Subscription School”. From 1839 to 1844, Mr. Kretchman taugh subscription schools both German and English. In 1845, he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Hostetler, Michael Hay, Justice of the Peace, performing the ceremony. In 1853, he purchased from Daniel Hostetler a large farm in Elk Lick, now Summit Township where he followed farming and lumbering, having one of the finest saw-mills in the county. In all, he owned about 1,000 acres of land. Rueben Kretchman served many years as school director, one year as assessor, and was in his day, in ability above the average man. Early in life he united with the Reformed Church at Elk Lick, and in 1860, assisted in the organization of St. Paul’s, of which he became the first Elder. While Mrs. Kretchman was a Lutheran, she was a regular attendant of the Reformed Church.
Mr. Kretchman died October 23, 1882 and was interred in the Family Lot at St. Paul, Rev. C. U. Heilman, Officiating. Mrs Kretchman died July 29, 1906 at the age of 76 years, one month and 24 days, and was laid to rest beside her husband, Rev. S. C. Stover, officiating at the funeral.
The following are the children: Mrs. Matilda Ringer, Lewis A., Mrs. Eliza. Christner, Mrs. Caroline Nicholson, Josiah, Mrs. Lydia Hay, Mrs. Mary Welfley, Nathaniel J., Samuel A., Mrs. Ida Bittner. One son, Simon Peter, died in 1861 at the age of four, and was one of the first buried in the Wilhelm Cemetery.
