... David Dibert, eldest child of John and Rachel (Blaugh) Dibert, was born in Dibertsville, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, September 24, 1826. He was reared upon the paternal farm, and educated in the district schools. On attaining his majority he married and carried on the tanning business in Shade, Pennsylvania, where he lived about three years, and about 1851 removed to Johnstown. There his large abilities found a fruitful field, and he entered upon a career of honor and auspicious usefulness, to the community at large as well as to himself. For the first few years he conducted a tannery in the Fifth ward and later opened a general store at the corner of Franklin and Somerset streets, and still later a similar establishment at the corner of Franklin and Main streets, where Scott Dibert's shoe store is now located, and where the brick block was builty in 1889, the year of his death. He was one of the organizers and original trustees of the Johnstown Savings Bank of which his son Frank was the first cashier, and in various other business and financial enterprises. He was owner of three productive farms in the vicinity of Johnstown, and owned considerable property in Greenwood county, Kansas. He took a deep and intelligent interest in educational affairs, and served usefully upon the school board for several years. He was one of the charter members of the Grandview cemetery. With his family he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was a member of the board of trustees for many years, and of the committee having in charge the erection of the new church edifice. In politics he was a Republican, but never an aspirant to official station. He passed his later years in pleasant retirement but never ceased the activities which lay outside his business and which were ever near his heart efforts of splendid christian manhood and ideal citizenship. He gave liberally of his time, influence and means to church work, and was unstinting in his benefactions, which he bestowed with a silence and modesty which was one of the principal characteristics of his retiring nature. Many a poor widow held him in reverent regard for his tender sympathy and aid, and many a young man owed his beginning in business and home-making to his counsel and substantial assistance.
Mr. Dibert married Lydia Griffith, born at Jenner Cross Roads, July 24, 1830, daughter of Allen Connelly and Mary Rhoades (Shaffer) Griffith. She was of Welsh ancestry, and according to family tradition was descended from those Griffiths who sat on the throne of Wales. Member of the family resided in Liverpool and Chester, England, and one, William Eliot Griffith, loaned to the English government the money for building the first bridge across the river Thames. His nephew William, founder of the American branch of the Griffith family came with William Penn, and, although Friends in religion, some of their descendants took part in the Revolutionary war. His son Jesse, residing in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, married Lydia Connelly, and they were the parents of Allen Connelly Griffith, born in the same county.
David and Lydia (Griffith) Dibert were the parents of ten children :
1. Frank, connected with the Pennsylvania Developing Company, also treasurer of the above and the Santa Fe Central Railroad, resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico ; married Anna M. Ammon, of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; four children.
2. Scott, of whom further.
3. John Walter, deceased, buried in Johnstown ; married Clara C. Bolsinger ; two children.
4. Bertha, widow of Francis Huber Torrens ; resides in Johnstown ; no children.
5. Mary Rachel, married Francis J. Torrance ; resides in Allegheny, Pennsylvania ; one child.
6. Florence May, at home ; unmarried.
7-8. Grant and Sheridan, twins ; Grant married Nannie Eva Armstrong ; reside in Pittsburg ; three children. Sheridan died at the age of two and a half years.
9. Anna June, married William J. Bates ; reside in Pittsburg ; three children.
10. David, married Lucy Julia Wilson ; reside in Pittsburg ; one child.
The father of this family died in Ridgeview Park, Pennsylvania, August 29, 1889, and the mother died December 23, 1901 ; both are buried in Grandview cemetery, Johnstown. ...
