COMMEMORATIVE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD

J. H. Beers, 1898

JUDGE ADAM HOY (deceased), late a distinguished citizen of Bellefonte,

and member of the Centre County Bar, was a native of the county,

 born in Spring Township, September 6, 1827.
 

  George Hoy, the grandfather of the Judge,

came into what is now Centre county,
near the close of the eighteenth century, and in connection

with a brother,  Charles, purchased (jointly) 400 acres of land,

dividing it equally. His birth occurred September 10, 1773,

and his death on April 16, 1863.

Of his twelve children, Albert, who married Magdalena Weckerly,

was the father of our subject.

When but four years of age, the latter was sent to school,

his first teacher being George Padget, a noted teacher of sixty years' experience

 in Buffalo and Penn's Valleys,

and who then held school in Swartz' school house, on the
Eckenrode place, in Spring township.

In 1851-52 he attended the Mifflinburg
Academy, and from there went to Airy View, near Perryville,

to the academy kept by David Wilson.

In the fall of 1854 he entered the sophomore class in
Pennsylvania College, Gettysburg, and was graduated in 1856.

He read law with the late Hon. H. N. McAllister,

and was admitted to the Bar April 27, 1858.

Upon the invitation of the late Judge J. T. Hale,

Mr. Hoy occupied a room in his law office, and became more or less

associated with the Judge in his extensive business up to the death

of the latter. He was appointed president judge of the
district in 1883, by Gov. Pattison, which position he held with great credit
until January, 1885, when he was succeeded by Judge Furst.

  During the Civil war Judge Hoy acted with the Republican party,

 but shortly after its termination he joined the Democratic party,

and up to the time of his death he was an active and influential member

of that party. In 1873, and again in 1876,

he was a candidate for the Senate, but failed to procure the
nomination. In 1884 he was the Democratic nominee for president judge,

 but was defeated in consequence of local dissensions and political

complications in the Congressional District.

He bore his defeat manfully, and the faithful and earnest manner

 in which he fulfilled the duties of chairman of the Democratic
County Committee, to which he was elected the year following his defeat,

proved how devoted he was to the principles he espoused,

and how true to the cause he advocated.

His death occurred August 23, 1887.

 "As a lawyer, Judge Hoy had few, if any, superiors at the Bar;

as a judge, he was cool, fair, and fearless, and won the respect

of all by the conscientious, able and impartial manner in which
he discharged the duties of the position; as a citizen,

he was large-hearted, liberal and progressive,

and as a neighbor, he was kind and obliging to a fault.

He was a consistent and active member of the Presbyterian Church,

and a trusty, good man; one whose work and actions in life

would make a worthy example for others to follow. "

  On December 26th, 1865, Judge Hoy was married to

Miss Louisa M., daughter of the late James D. Harris.

He left, surviving him, his widow and seven children,
namely: Anna H., Mary, Albert, Louise, J. Harris,

Edward L. and Randolph Hale.

Anna Harris Hoy

Anna Harris Hoy died at her home on North Spring Street

at 4:00 o'clock, Monday afternoon after an illness of

three weeks. She was a daughter of Judge Adam Hoy

and Louisa Harris Hoy and was born in the former Hoy Home

on West High Street on September 6, 1866.

She was educated at the Bellefonte Academy and in 1885

entered Bryn Mawr College, but after a year and a half

owing to the death of her father she gave up here college work.

She spent the winter and spring of 1892-1893 in Japan,

 traveling with her cousin Mrs. Wistar Morris of Philadelphia,

 who was much interested in Japanese missions and education.

This gave Miss Hoy a wide interest in Japanese affairs.

 As a member of the Bellefonte Presbyterian church

she was actively interested in all forms of its work

and at the time of her death was president of the

 Nancy Orbison Missionary society, an organization named

 in honor of her aunt, Mrs. N.D. Orbison,

who was for many years a missionary in India.

A descendant of the founders of the town, she was interested in its history and development and had written some historical sketches. During the last year Miss Hoy organized

and was the chairman of a committee formed

from members of the various churches

 for the purpose of getting funds to assist the A.M.E. church

Miss Hoy is survived by two brothers, J. Harris Hoy of

 Stamford, Connecticut, and Randolph H. Hoy of Pittsburgh.

Funeral services were held this afternoon at the home.

Rev. William C. Thompson, pastor of the

Presbyterian church officiating.

Interment was made in the Hoy plot in the Union cemetery.

Altoona Tribune

Altoona, Pennsylvania

 Wednesday

November 21, 1934