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350	HISTORY OF CAMBRIA COUNTY.
county. The mother of these children, after the death of her husband, ended her days among her children in Cambria county.     Ephraim Burkhart, son of Joseph and Margaret (Hart) Burkhart, was born in 1796, in Lancaster county, and followed the millwright's trade. He came to Cambria county, where he was employed by Judge Abram Hildebrand to build a grist mill, in which he afterward remained as miller. About 1829 he purchased a tract of woodland in Jackson township, about one mile from where is now the village of Vinco, erected a house, in which he took up his abode, and a stable, and began to improve the land. There were then but two houses on the Ebensburg road between the old turnpike and the farm of the late Rev. Levi Roberts, now belonging to the heirs of the late Jacob Angus, Samuel Singer and John Benshoff. There Mr. Burkhart lived to the end of his days, enduring in the earlier years very great difficulties and hardships, which, in the course of time, his energy, skill and perseverance triumphantly surmounted.     Mr. Burkhart married Catharine Hildebrand, whose family history is appended to this sketch, and their children were: Abram; Joseph, of Adams township, minister in German Baptist (Dunkard) church; John, in lumber business, Zearing, Iowa, whither he moved prior to Civil war; Samuel, of whom later; Margaret, wife of James Sensebaugh, of Mineral Point; Keziah, who died at Mineral Point, widow of George Ford, accidentally killed on railroad at that place; Mary, went to Iowa many years ago, later married George James, of Rock Falls, Illinois, and died there; Jane, wife of Abram Byers, of Mineral Point, perished in Johnstown flood, May 31, 1889; Lovina, wife of Edward Muller, now deceased; and Charlotte, died in infancy. Mr. Burkhart, the father of this family, died July 16, 1872, aged seventy-six years. After her husband's death Mrs. Burkhart moved with her son Joseph to Adams township, taking with her sufficient furniture to furnish two rooms in her son's house, which he had placed at her disposal. She remained there until 1879, when she gave up housekeeping and went to live with her daughter Jane in Jackson township. In the winter following she fell on the ice and sustained a fracture of the arm which partially disabled the limb for the remainder of her life. About 1880 Mr. Byers, her son-in-law, purchased the old homestead and moved thereon, Mrs. Burkhardt being thus again installed on the farm where she had spent forty-three of her happiest years. In the spring of 1887 Mr. Byers sold the homestead, and after living in several places in Jackson township moved to Mineral Point in the autumn of 1888. There Mrs. Burkhart, with her daughter Jane, perished on that memorable day, May 31, 1889, aged eighty-five years, one month and twenty-two days.     Abram Burkhart, eldest son of Ephraim and Catharine (Hildebrand) Burkhart, had not yet attained his majority when the Mexican war broke out, and desired to enlist in company with some of his associates, but was opposed by his father. One day when on the way to the mountain for his axe, he met his friends on their way to Mexico, and decided to join them despite his father's opposition. When on his way he wrote to his parents informing them of what he had done. After serving about a year and a half in the army he was stricken with the measles and taken to the hospital. When the army started to take the City of Mexico he was in a fair way for recovery and wished to go with his company, but was ordered by his captain to remain in the hospital. Notwithstanding this he followed his company, and participated in the

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