He was born on the old John Fretz homestead in Bedminster. At the age of six years his mother died of a lingering illness. He remained at home with his father until the spring of 1855, when he was hired out on the farm of the late Jonas Myers, of Bedminster, where he remained nearly two years. The following year he was with the late Reuben Stover, and the succeeding year with Aaron Tyson, working on the farm in the summer months, and attending school at Bedminster, during the winter terms. His father having resumed farming he returned home in the spring of 1859, and assisted on the farm, attending school during the winter months at Fretz Valley.

In the spring of 1862 he attended a term at "The North Wales Institute," under the principalship of A. S. Overholt. He also attended the spring term of 1863, at the same institution. In the summer of 1864 he took a course at Eastman Business College at Poughkeepsie, New York, graduating July 12. In the autumn of 1869 he secured a certificate of County Superintendent S. S. Overholt, and taught his first term of school in the "Old Octagon" school-house, near Fountainville. He continued teaching for the next three years --- teaching at the Monroe School, Durham, and the Fretz Valley school, Bedminster, closing his career as teacher at Crout's school, Rockhill. During this last term he commenced reading medicine under his preceptor, Dr. I. S. Moyer, then at Plumsteadville, Bucks County.

After the close of the school term be devoted all his time to medicine, entered the office of his preceptor as a regular student, and in the autumn of 1866 he matriculated at the Medical Department of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. During the succeeding two years he applied himself closely to study, attended the lectures and graduated March 13, 1868. Ten days thereafter, on March 23, he located at Sellersville, Pennsylvania, and entered into partnership with Dr. Nelson Applebach, for the practice of his profession. He met with success, and in a few years succeeded in acquiring a lucrative practice, establishing himself in the confidence and esteem of the community. In the autumn of 1871, he dissolved the business partnership with Dr. Applebach to marry.

The study of Botany and the collection of specimens of plants and flowers was one of his favorite pursuits. He added many new and rare plants to the known flora of Bucks County, besides having discovered one new to the State flora and also a variety not before known to Science. His herbarium not only contained a complete set of all the plants in Bucks County, but a very large majority of the plants growing east of the Mississippi, including not less than ten thousand specimens and about four thousand different species and varieties.

Dr. Fretz was a member of the Bucks County Medical Society, the Lehigh Valley Medical Association, the Bucks County Historical Society, and the Bucks County branch of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association.


from Meyer book of 1896 (page 489-490)...

At the age of 6 years his mother died of a lingering illness. He remained at home with his father until the Spring of 1855, when he was hired on the farm of the late Jonas Meyers, of Bedminster, where he remained nearly two years. The following year he was employed with the late Reuben Stover, and the year previous with Aaron Tyson, working on the farm during the Summer and attending school at Bedminster during the Winter terms. His father, having resumed farming, he returned home in the Spring of 1859 and assisted on the farm, attending school during the Winter months at Fretz Valley.

In the Spring of 1862 he attended a term at the North Wales Institute, under the principalship of A. S. Overholt. He also attended the Spring term of 1863 at the same institution. In the Summer of 1864 he took a course at Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, N. Y., graduating July 12. In the Autumn of 1862 he secured a certificate of County Superintendent S. S. Overholt, and taught his first term of school in the "Old Octagon" schoolhouse, near Fountainville. He continued teaching for the next three years, teaching at the Monroe school, Durham, and the Fretz Valley school at Bedminster, and closed his career as teacher at Crout's school, Rockhill.

During the last term he commenced reading medicine under his preceptor, Dr. I. S. Moyer, then of Plumsteadville, Bucks county. After the close of the school he devoted all his time to medicine, and entered the office of his preceptor as a regular student, and in the Autumn of 1866 matriculated at the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania. During the succeeding two years he applied himself closely to study, attended the lectures, and graduated March 13, 1868. Ten days thereafter, on March 23, he located at Sellersville, Pa., and entered into partnership with Dr. Nelson Applebach for the practice of his profession. He met with success, and in a few years succeeded in acquiring a lucrative practice and establishing himself in the confidence and esteem of the community. In the Autumn of 1871 he dissolved the business partnership with Dr. Applebach to enter into a life partnership with Kate B., daughter of Dr. Charles W. Everhart, of Sellersville.

The study of botany and the collection of specimens of plants and flowers has been one of his favorite pursuits. He has added many new and rare plants to the known flora of Bucks county, besides having discovered one new to the State flora and a variety not before known to science. His herbarium not only contains a complete set of all the plants in Bucks county but a very large majority of the plants growing east of the Mississippi, including not less than 10,000 specimens and about 4000 different species and varieties.


from Jane Curci, via email (November 2002)...

CLAYTON D. FRETZ, M.


CLAYTON D. FRETZ, M.D., a son of Abraham and Sarah (Detweiler) Fretz, was born in Bedminster, Bucks county, November 16, 1844. His paternal ancestor, who with his brother Christian established the family in America, emigrated from near Manheim, in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, in 1720. He spent his boyhood on the "old homestead" in Bedminster, attending the public schools, and later taught in the county four years. He chose medicine as a profession, and graduated from the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, March 13, 1868. He commenced practice at Sellersville immediately thereafter, and in 1872 also opened a drug store. On November 16, 1871, he was married to Kate B. Everhart, a daughter of Charles W. Everhart, who was a graduate of Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia. Four children were born to them, of whom a son and a daughter died in infancy. Alfred E. Fretz, M.D., a graduate of the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania, of the class of 1896, was born August 30, 1874. He served the appointment as resident physician at Mercy Hospital, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and returned to his native town to begin the practice of his profession. S. Edward Fretz, M.D., a graduate of the same institution in the class of 1900, was born August 30, 1878. He served as resident physician in Cooper Hospital, Camden, New Jersey, and two years as assistant physician to the Relief Association of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He is now in practice at Denver, Pennsylvania.
On September 1, 1898, Dr. Clayton D. Fretz’s wife died, aged fifty-two years. He was married to his second wife, Annie M. Fackenthall, a daughter of Aaron Meredith, late of Doylestown, and the widow of Alfred Fackenthall, Esq., of the same town, on August 14, 1900.
The study of botany and the collection of plants and flowers has afforded Dr. Fretz much pleasure during his long career as a country practitioner. He has added many new and rare plants to the known flora of Bucks county, and about forty to the state flora. His herbarium contains a complete set of nearly all the plants in the county, and a large majority of the plants east of the Mississippi, including about 10,000 specimens, and 4,000 species and varieties. He has just completed a revision of Dr. I. S. Moyer’s catalogue of the plants of Bucks county.
Politically Dr. Fretz is a Republican, and was a delegate to the state convention of 1895. He served as a school director for a period of fifteen years; is a member of St. Paul’s congregation of the Reformed church, and has been president of the Sellersville National Bank since 1893. He is a member of the Bucks County Historical Association, the Bucks County Branch of the Pennsylvania Forestry Association, the Philadelphia Botanical Club, the General Alumni Association of the University of Pennsylvania, MacCalla Lodge No. 596, F. and A. M.; Doylestown Chapter, R. A. M.; Pennsylvania Commandery, Knights Templar, of Philadelphia; and Sellersville Lodge No. 658, I. O. O. F.
Text taken from page 307
Davis, William W. H., A. M. History of Bucks County, Pennsylvania [New York-Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1905] Volume III
Transcribed January 2002 by Barrie Olsen of as part of the Bucks Co., Pa., Early Family Project, www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/bucksindex.html
Published January 2002 on the Bucks County, Pa., USGenWeb pages at www.rootsweb.com/~pabucks/

• Married: 16 NOV 1871 ³
• Note: German Reformed.

1. Charles Raymond Fretz b: 19 JUL 1873
2. Alfred Everhart Fretz b: 30 AUG 1874
3. Samuel Edward Fretz b: 30 AUG 1878
4. Eva Catharine Fretz b: 17 FEB 1885

• Married: 14 AUG 1900

1. Title: A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Christian and Hans MEYER and Other Pioneers
   Author: Fretz, A. J.
   Publication: Harleysville, Pennsylvania: News Printing House. 1896.
   Note: full title: A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Christian and Hans MEYER and Other Pioneers Together with Historical and Biographical Sketches, Illustrated with Eighty-seven Portraits and Other Illustrations
   Repository:
   Media: Book
   Page: page 489
2. Title: A Brief History of John Valentine KRATZ and a Complete Genealogical Family Register with Biographies of his Descendants
   Author: Fretz, A. J.
   Publication: Elkhart, Indiana: Mennonite Publishing Co., 1892.
   Note: full title: A Brief History of John Valentine Kratz, and a complete genealogical register with biographies of his descendants from the earliest available record to the present time. With portraits and other illustrations.
   Repository:
   Media: Book
3. Title: A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Christian and Hans MEYER and Other Pioneers
   Author: Fretz, A. J.
   Publication: Harleysville, Pennsylvania: News Printing House. 1896.
   Note: full title: A Genealogical Record of the Descendants of Christian and Hans MEYER and Other Pioneers Together with Historical and Biographical Sketches, Illustrated with Eighty-seven Portraits and Other Illustrations
   Repository:
   Media: Book
   Page: page 490