Columbia-Union County PA Archives Biographies.....REBER, William McClellan 1842 - living in 1899
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  Author: Biographical Publishing Co.
  
  
  DR. WILLIAM McCLELLAN REBER, who is closely identified with many of the business
  interests of Bloomsburg and is a physician by profession, is a gentleman whose
  trained abilities and skilled resources have brought him into public notice and
  have won for him the regard, esteem and respect justly due a man of his
  usefulness in the community. The work of a physician from its innate nature is
  of the kind which brings him into the closest relationship with the people. The
  way in which he carries his responsibilities is ever to the public a matter of
  the most vital importance. That Dr. Reber fully knows the ethics of his
  profession as well as the teachings, and every day of his life lives up to them,
  admits of no discussion. His high standing everywhere proves his fidelity to his
  patients and his success demonstrates his talents. He is a son of David and
  Margaret (Musser) Reber, and was born in Lewisburg, Pa., March 4, 1842.
  
    The family is of German origin and the parents of John Reber, the grandfather
  of our subject, came to this country prior to the Revolutionary War, locating in
  Berks County, Pa. John Reber was born in Berks County, but in 1803 moved to
  Union County, where he purchased a farm in Buffalo Valley and followed farming.
  Having acquired a competency, in 1831 he moved to Lewisburg Pa., where he died
  in June, 1852, at the age of eighty-two years. He was the progenitor of the
  following children: John, deceased; James, deceased; Thomas; Samuel, deceased;
  David, deceased; Susan (Kleckner); Elizabeth (Vorse); Leah (Heisler); Margaret,
  deceased; and Mary (Dunkle), deceased.
  
    David Reber, the father of our subject, was born in Buffalo Valley, near
  Lewisburg, June 19, 1817, and spent his entire life in that locality. He was
  reared on a farm and received his education in the public schools, but he was
  not fifteen years old when his parents moved to the village of Lewisburg. There,
  after clerking a few years, he engaged in the general merchandise business on
  his own account and continued it until 1854, when he entered the Lewisburg
  Savings Bank, which was subsequently merged into a state bank and finally into
  the Lewisburg National Bank. With such good faith did he discharge his duties he
  was promoted to cashier of the bank on May 4, 1859, continuing in that capacity
  until his death on September 11, 1894. He was also engaged in the manufacture of
  bricks for a period of forty years and attained the highest success. He was a
  Republican in poltics [sic] and took an active interest in all matters of local
  prominence, filling some of the town offices. Religiously he was a member and a
  regular attendant of the Presbyterian Church. He was joined in wedlock with
  Margaret Musser, who died June 14, 1897, at the age of eighty years, arid their
  union resulted in the birth of two children: William McClellan, the subject of
  this biographical record, and John Musser, who has been engaged in merchandising
  in Boston for more than twenty years.
  
    Dr. Reber obtained a good mental training, attending the Lewisburg Academy and
  Lewisburg University up to the Junior year, when he took up the study of
  medicine with Dr. William Hayes of Lewisburg. His second year of study was under
  the direction of Dr. William H. Pancoast of Philadelphia, and he applied himself
  with such diligence that he was enabled to graduate from the Jefferson Medical
  College in March, 1863. He then entered the United States Navy as
  assistant-surgeon, being stationed at the naval hospital at Norfolk, Va., and
  subsequently at the naval hospital in Brooklyn, N. Y. He next saw service on a
  gun-boat fleet for one and one-half years on the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee
  rivers, being division surgeon of the 10th District of the Mississippi Squadron,
  and then on the U. S. S. Lackawanna, which went on a cruise to the Sandwich
  Islands, stopping at Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, passing through the Strait of
  Magellan, and then stopping at Valparaiso. While at Valparaiso he with other
  officers visited the beautiful city of Santiago, capital of Chile. He left the
  service in December, 1868, and in the following February located at Bloomsburg,
  where he has since practiced; having acquired a large general clientage. He is a
  member of the National, State and County Medical associations, and has served as
  president, and also as secretary and treasurer of the last named-organization
  almost continuously for nearly thirty years. Besides the attention devoted to
  his practice and his profession he has identified himself with many business
  enterprises, among them: as director of the Bloomsburg School Furnishing
  Company; director of the Bloomsburg Water Company; director of the North Branch
  Furnishing Company of Bloomsburg, of which he is president; and is financially
  interested in the Bloomsburg Steam Heating Company; the Bloomsburg Elevator
  Works; the Bloomsburg Land Improvement Company; the Bloomsburg Silk Mill; and
  the Bloomsburg Carpet Mill. He is a trustee of the Bloomsburg State Normal School.
  
    On September 12, 1871, Dr. Reber was united in marriage with Elizabeth
  McKinney, a daughter of David L. and Martha H. McKinney, and they are the
  parents of two children: Edith McKinney and William McKelvy. He is a Republican,
  but only takes that interest in politics shown by all dutiful and intelligent
  citizens, having never sought office. He has been secretary of the board of
  health of Bloomsburg since its organization. Socially he is a member of
  Bloomsburg Council, No. 957, Royal Arcanum, being a charter member and its
  medical examiner since its incorporation. He served as U. S. Examining Surgeon
  from 1879 to 1889, when a board of examining surgeons was appointed and he was
  made president of this board and served until 1893, when he and the other
  Republican members were removed.
  
    The publishers of this volume take pleasure in announcing that Dr. Reber's
  portrait appears on a preceding page in connection with the above account of his
  life.
  
  
  Additional Comments:
  Extracted from:
  
  Book of Biographies of the Seventeenth Congressional District
  Published by 
  Biographical Publishing Company of Chicago, Ill. and Buffalo, NY (1899)
  
  
  
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