Husband of Sarah nee Reber and Rebecca S. Meyerly and Alice M. nee Boyer. Son of Henry & Esther (Focht) Bast.

History of Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania In Two Volumes, including a genealogical and biographical record of many families and persons in the county; edited by Adolf W. Schalck and D. C. Henning, State Historical Association, 1907, Volume II, Pages 42, 43 and 44:

"Bast. Jeremiah F., proprietor of the Royal knitting mills of Schuylkill Haven, was born in Rockland. Berks county. Pa., Oct. 13, 1841. He is a son of Henry and Esther (Focht) Bast."

"The subject of this article was educated in the subscription schools in vogue during his boyhood days, and when quite young became an apprentice to the carpenter's trade, a business which he followed until twenty-eight years old. He was employed during part of this time as a foreman for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company. In 1888, he opened his present business in Schuylkill Haven, and was a pioneer in the knitting mill business in Schuylkill county. He began on a small scale, adding to his building and machinery from the profits of his business until he now owns and operates one of the largest industries of its kind in the county, giving steady and remunerative employment to no employes in the various lines of the work. Mr. Bast has been especially unfortunate in the matrimonial field, having been four times married, two of his wives, the first and third, having died within a comparatively short time after marriage, though the second in order of marriage, survived for thirty-one years, and was the mother of his six sons who are now living. His first marriage was solemnized on Jan. 1, 1863, when Miss Susanna Kramis became his wife. She was a daughter of David and Lovina Kramis. One daughter was born to this union, and mother and daughter died in 1864. On June 6, 1865, Mr. Bast was married to Sarah, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth (Reed) Reber. This union was blessed with the birth of the following named sons, all of whom are living, except one, and engaged in life's struggles on their own account. They are profitably employed, or engaged in business, and all are residents of Schuylkill Haven: Walter Milton, was born Oct. 22, 1866; Henry Edward, March 29, 1869; Samuel Irwin, Feb. 21, 1871; Oscar Oliver, Oct. 12, 1873; George Albert, Sept. 6, 1877, deceased ; Thomas Franklin, Feb. 14, 1879; and Homer Jeremiah, April 5, 1885. The sons are all married and have homes of their own. The mother of this family died on Aug. 10, 1896. and in March, 1897, Mr. Bast was married to Mrs. Rebecca Boyer, of Schuylkill Haven. She died April 14, 1903, and on Nov. 4, 1903, Mr. Bast was united in marriage with his present companion, who was in maidenhood, Miss Alice May Boyer, of Philadelphia. She is a daughter of Lewis and Catherine (Krouse) Boyer, and a granddaughter of Philip Boyer, an early settler of Schuylkill Haven."

"Mr. Bast has always taken an active interest in the growth and material progress of Schuylkill Haven and has given prompt response to reasonable demands upon his means. time and influence as tending to that end. He was one of the organizers of the First National bank and is a director and stockholder in that institution at present. He has assisted in the building of churches, and has always been a firm supporter of the public schools. In political views he is an ardent Republican, but is tolerant of the political and religious opinions of others. He has served the borough as a member of the school board, and has been a member of the borough council."