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Seventh Generation

1860. Alfred W ACKLEY was born on 8 Aug 1820 in Wyalusing, Bradford, Pennsylvania.^{5,94,411,841,842,864} He was living in 1850 in Spring Hill, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁴¹¹ On 30 Oct 1850 he was Farmer at Spring Hill, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁴¹¹ Between 1860 and 1880 he was Farmer at Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.^841,842,864 He was living between 1860 and 1880 in Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.^841,842,864 He died on 2 Dec 1884 in Pennsylvania.^94,427,856 He was buried in Ackley or Spring Hill Cemetery Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁵⁶ He appeared in the census 1850, 1860, 1870 & 1880 in Pennsylvania.

Alfred W ACKLEY and Margaret LACEY were married on 23 Jan 1844 in Wyalusing, Bradford, Pennsylvania.^{5,94,411,841,842,864,1662,1663} Margaret LACEY (daughter of Living) was born on 21 Aug 1816 in Braintrim Township, Wyoming , Pennsylvania.^{411,841,842,864,1664} She died on 30 Jan 1890 in Tunkhannock, Wyoming , Pennsylvania.^856,1664 She was buried in Ackley or Spring Hill Cemetery Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁵⁶ She appeared in the census 1850, 1860, 1870 & 1880 in Pennsylvania. Alfred W ACKLEY and Margaret LACEY had the following children:

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Marion Gertrude ACKLEY was born on 21 Jun 1845 in Wyalusing, Bradford, Pennsylvania.^{5,411,841,842,864,920} Between 1870 and 1880 she was School Teacher at Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.^841,864 She died on 26 Feb 1916 in Lanesboro, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.^{920,1665,1666} She was buried in Lanesboro Cemetery, Lanesboro, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania.⁹²⁰ She appeared in the census 1850, 1860, 1870 & 1880 in Pennsylvania.
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Milton Lewis ACKLEY was born on 10 Jan 1848 in Wyalusing, Bradford, Pennsylvania.^{5,411,574,841,842,856,1667} On 4 Jun 1870 he was Farm Laborer at Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁴¹ He appeared in the census in 1900 in Virginia. He was living in 1900 in Bermuda, Chesterfield , Virginia.¹⁶⁶⁷ On 23 Apr 1910 he was a superintendant of a street rail road. at Brooklyn, Kings , New York.⁵⁷⁴ He appeared in the census in 1910 in New York. He was living in 1910 in Brooklyn, Kings , New York.⁵⁷⁴ He died about 1921.⁸⁵⁶ He was buried in Ackley or Spring Hill Cemetery Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁵⁶ He appeared in the census 1850, 1860 & 1870 in Pennsylvania.
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Stanley Frank ACKLEY Rev¹⁶⁶⁸ was born on 1 Apr 1852 in Wyalusing, Bradford, Pennsylvania.^5,26,856,867 LDS also lists as birth ca 1844, Susquehanna, PA On 4 Jun 1870 he was a farm laborer at Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁴¹ On 1 Jun 1880 he was Voice Music Teacher at Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁶⁴ He was living in 1880 in Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁶⁴ He was living in 1900 in Lackawanna , Pennsylvania.⁸⁶⁷ He died before 1930 in Pennsylvania.^856,878 He was buried in Ackley or Spring Hill Cemetery Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁵⁶ He appeared in the census 1860, 1870, 1880 & 1900 in Pennsylvania.^841,842,864 He was living in Moscow, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania. The Ackley Brothers of Gospel Music
The Stanley Frank Ackley family of Spring Hill, Bradford Co, PA

Stanley was born on Apr 1, 1852, the son of Alfred and Margaret Lacey Ackley, and died in 1924. He was a musician who taught singing in schools and had a 14- piece band with which he traveled. Stanley was a Presbyterian minister whose last charge was the Elmhurst Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA. He and his wife, Ophelia are buried in the Ackley Cemetery on Spring Hill, not far from their home.
Stanley married Ophelia Cogswell, a daughter of Charles Wesley and Amy Bennett Cogswell on Nov 1, 1871. Ophelia was born Apr 26, 1851 in Auburn Four Corners, Susquehanna Co, PA. Stanley and Ophelia had three sons. She died on Apr 9, 1931 after a decline in health following a compound fracture of the hip. She resided at the home of their son, Rev Alfred H Ackley, then a Pastor at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Of their three children, the eldest was Bentley DeForest, "BD", who was born on Sept 3, 1872 on the farm on Spring Hill. As a boy he learned to play the melodeon, piano, coronet, clarinet, and piccolo. He accompanied his father on his singing trips and played in his father's band. In 1888 he went to New York to study stenography and served as organist in churches in New York City and Brooklyn. In 1907 he joined the Billy Sunday-Homer Rodeheaver Evangelistic Team as secretary-pianist and traveled with them for eight years, supplying new songs for congregation, solo, and choir. As a composer he wrote more than 3,000 hymn tunes and was editor for the Rodeheaver Company. It was noted that Bentley, composed more tunes than any other man except Charles H Gabriel. Bentley received an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music degree from Bob Jones University.
On Dec 20,1893, BD married Bessie Hill Morey, of Spring Hill. She was born Oct 1873. They had two children.
On Sept 22, 1947, BD, at the age of 75, and Homer Rodeheaver, came to the Methodist Church on Spring Hill for a dedication of the new Hammond organ. The afternoon session was in the form of a songfest with Mr. Rodeheaver leading the many gospel songs, and occasionally rendering tunes on his trombone, accompanied by Mr. Ackley. Students of the Spring Hill School were present and added to the spirit of the songs. (See photo below from Towanda Daily Review)

Mr. Rodeheaver spoke of the importance of rearing physically and mentally healthy children as in the future they as individuals would be privileged to carry on the affairs of the community, state and nation. And that their standards would have a great bearing on the welfare of our country.
The afternoon ended with a short organ recital by Mrs. T Lewis Sturdevant of Wyalusing and a prayer by Mrs. Warren Hoopes, state secretary of the Christian Endeavor Society. Then a supper was served to more than 200 guests at the Community Hall served by the Spring Hill WSCS.
The evening service was so largely attended that an amplifying system was set up to allow those of an estimated 500 citizens in attendance, many of whom were unable to squeeze into the church, to hear the program at the Community Hall nearby. Mrs. Sturdevant presented a half hour of organ music after which Rev Reeves C Havens, Pastor of the church, presented Mr. Rodeheaver & Mr. Ackley. Another songfest was enjoyed, interspersed with prayer, special messages, and musical selections from the men's choir. The choir group sang," Were you there when they crucified my Lord?" A quartet sang, " There's a Beautiful Land", and "Now the Day is Over". An offertory was taken and the contributions were enough to pay in full the payments on the organ.
The organ was then formally dedicated in honor of Bentley D Ackley. In thanks for the honor, Mr. Ackley played several of his own tunes on the new organ. It was noted that the first time BD played in public was at this church.
Bentley passed away on Sept 3,1958 at the age of 86, in Winona Lake, Indiana and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Warsaw, Indiana. His close friend, Homer Rodeheaver, lies near by.
Bentley was one of those great music writers who could write on the spur of the moment. It wasn't uncommon for Mr. Rodeheaver to ask BD to write something for an upcoming event the next day. Bentley would accompany other great tune writers of the time. Familiar tunes of Bentley's are: "By and By"; "I Would Be Like Jesus"; "Somebody Knows": "This Is My Plea"; "There Will I Follow Thee"; "He Rose Triumphantly".

The second son, Kilmer G was born in Mar 1878 on Spring Hill. Little is known of Kilmer. He married Ella Bryers, born Dec 1879 of NY, in Brooklyn, NY and had two children.

The third son of Stanley and Ophelia was Alfred Henry Ackley. Alfred was
born Jan 21,1887 on the farm on Spring Hill, Bradford Co, PA. Alfred received early musical training from his father also. He then moved to New York City, received more training there and at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He became an accomplished cello player. After graduating from Westminster Theological Seminary in Maryland, he was ordained a Presbyterian minister in 1914. He was a pastor in Wilkes-Barre and Elmhurst, PA and in Escondido, California. For a few years he worked with evangelist Billy Sunday and also served as assistant pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA.
He had stated that his hymns, gospel songs, children's songs, and college glee club songs number approximately 1,500, and he was associated with the Rodeheaver music company. John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, awarded him an honorary Doctor of Sacred Music degree.
Alfred married Helen Virginia Armacost, born Nov 19, 1886 of Finksburg, MD. on Jul 7, 1909 in Westminster, Carroll, MD. They had 2 children.
Alfred passed away on July 3, 1960 in Whittier, California and is buried in that cemetery.
Alfred wrote both the words and the music. The greatest song that we sing of Alfred's is "He Lives", which we sing at Easter. He wrote this after a lecture at which a young person asked, "Why should we honor a dead person?" Alfred's response was He's alive and lives within my heart! Both men wrote the song "I Am Coming Home", and "Somebody Knows", and "Somebody Knows" was BD's first song. Other tunes by Alfred are: " I Shall Not Be Moved"; "In the Service of the King"; and "Child So Holy, King So Lowly".

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Maria Abigail ACKLEY was born on 15 Jul 1856 in Wyalusing, Bradford, Pennsylvania.^{5,841,842,864,1669} In 1880 she was School Teacher at Tuscarora, Bradford , Pennsylvania.⁸⁶⁴ She died on 5 Mar 1908 in Tunkhannock, Wyoming , Pennsylvania.¹⁶⁶³ She was buried in Sunnyside Cemetery, Tunkhannock, Wyoming , Pennsylvania.¹⁶⁶⁹ She appeared in the census 1860, 1870 & 1880 in Pennsylvania.