Biographical & Portrait Cyclopedia of Cambria County
B. F. STULL, a self-made business man and successful merchant of Dale borough, is a son of Rev. William H. and Margaret (Varner) Stull, and was born forty-six years ago, on a farm, in Richland township, Cambria county, Pennsylvania. He is of German and Scotch descent, and his paternal grandfather, Jacob Stull, was a native of Berks county and settled in Cambria county, where he purchased a farm and reared a family of respectable sons and daughters. He was a democrat and a member of the Evangelical church, and married Elizabeth Paul, by whom he had eleven children -- Barbara, wife of John Paul; Mary married Rev. Louis Dunmire, and now is dead; Elizabeth Oster, now deceased; Catharine, wife of Henry Dunmire; John F., living at Salix; Jacob R., now deceased, who served for thirty-two years as justice of the peace in Richland township, and also one term as county commissioner; Susan; Rev. William H., father; Daniel, now dead; Lydia, wife of John S. Wissinger; and Leah, who wedded Lewis Shank. Rev. William H. Stull was born August, 1825, and his life labor closed in 1875, passing to rest on October 5 of that year. He was a man of ordinary education and self-made in the true sense of that term. He entered the ministry of the Evangelical church in 1856, and was on Bedford circuit two years; Jefferson, two years; Indiana, two years; Preston, West Virginia, two years; Fairview, one year; and Somerset, two years. He was a whig and afterwards a republican in politics, gave an ardent support to the Union during the Civil War, and always took a lively interest in the public schools. Reverend Stull married Margaret Varner, who is a daughter of George Varner, and has reached the seventy-first milestone along the pathway of life. Their union was blessed with six children -- Sarah Jane, who died in 1863; B. F., the subject of this sketch; Christiann married Alexander Story and is now deceased; Martha Elizabeth, wife of William G. McKee; Lorenzo Dow, of Adams township, and Amanda J., who wedded Herbert Benner, of Atlantic city. B. F. Stull was reared on the farm, attended the common schools and Dayton Union academy, and taught for eleven terms in the public schools while employing the summer seasons in farming and carpentering; resided at Conemaugh six years and then moved to Johnstown, Pennsylvania, where he lived four years and then went to Bethel, Somerset county, where he entered the mercantile business and remained there until 1887, when he was washed out by a flood. He then came to Dale and resumed the general mercantile business on a small scale. Each year since then he has added to this stock of goods and increased his patronage until he has a fine establishment and a large and desirable trade. He makes specialties of groceries, dry goods, boots and shoes, besides keeping in stock all other kinds of general merchandise. On September 8, 1874, Mr. Stull married Mary J. Maurer, a daughter of George J. Maurer, of Stoyestown, Somerset county. They have five children: Howard W., George B., Annie May, Ivella Pearl and Arthur Maurer. In politics Mr. Stull has always been a republican. He was one of the first council-men of Dale borough, served two years as auditor of the borough and one term as clerk of council, and is a member of the present school board. He is a member of the Protected Home Circle, No. 138, and Moxham Lodge, No. 1044, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and a member and the secretary of the Dale Building and Loan Association, of Dale, Pennsylvania. He is a member and trustee of the United Evangelical church. B. F. Stull is one of that class of substantial business men who give stability and reputation to any place or community in which they live. With but little means, and those the scant savings from meagre resources, he embarked in a business career which is now but fairly begun in a field where abundant success has already crowned his unaided efforts. He is energetic, perserving and honest in all matters and a thorough-going business man.