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Sebewa Recollector
THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR
Historical Newsletter from Sebewa; Sebewa Township, Ionia County, MI;
December 2013, Volume 49, Number 3. Submitted with permission of Editor Grayden
D. Slowins:
FRONT PAGE PHOTOS: John F. Brake,
wheat harvest c. 1920.
COVER PHOTOS: Photos are of John
Fletcher Brake, past resident of Thompson Road, Campbell Township, Ionia County,
harvesting wheat in the early 1920s.
Top photo shows a three-horse hitch, driven by John, and pulling the
harvester of that period, called a Grain Binder, which was based largely on the
Reaper invented by Cyrus McCormick, and especially his patent for a knotter to
tie the bundles of grain with twine and which later was used in most hay balers.
Many of these principles have been essential to all subsequent
grain-cutting machines, including modern Combines, altho now without the
knotters. Photo also shows the
bundles stood up in shocks for the sun and wind to dry the grain and the straw,
so they can be separated by a threshing machine, also called a Grain Separator.
Second photo
shows John F. Brake on a wagon being loaded with the bundles to be hauled to a
threshing machine, usually near the barn, so the straw could be used for animal
bedding.
EDITOR GRAYDEN D. SLOWINS’ NOTES: John F. Brake was my maternal grandfather and
I am nearing completion of a book to be titled “BRAKE FAMILY HISTORY”:
It will begin with the arrival of the family in North America and
includes his mother’s family, the Cosens.
“VOICES FROM THE PAST” & “THOUGHTS WHILE STROLLING ON KENT STREET”
Gathered from
past issues of the PORTLAND REVIEW & OBSERVER
March 23, 1944: The following is
taken from a letter written by Harry P. Van Wagner, of Stone Mountain, GA, (his
parents and baby sister are in the Portland cemetery and apparently there is no
“o” in their name, like there is in name of former Governor of Michigan, Murray
D. Van Wagoner,) to his friend of many years and former Editor of the R & 0,
Frank E. Doremus, a resident of Fowlerville, MI, in 1944.
“I ask you to go
back with me almost 60 years, say about 1885, and take a look at the old town.
On the assumption that we have landed our water craft on Bogue’s Flats,
we will turn south and cross the railroad tracks to the depot.
We see their agent, Theodore Stevens, his son Will, and George Knox busy
about their several duties. We pass
around the station and cross the road to the sidewalk.
To the west beyond the freight shed we see a factory for the manufacture
of barrel staves, and operated by Peter Bergen.
In front of us is a lumber shed, bounded in front by the street and in
the back by a high bank. Up this
bank at about the center runs a flight of steps, mostly for the accommodation of
Theodore, who lives just beyond the top of the steps.
At the extreme left is a path leading to the top of the bank and ending
at the home of Luther Van Horn.
“Now we turn
left and follow the sidewalk past a large vacant lot until we reach the river,
where the road turns south leading to the business district.
No houses appear on the side nest to the river, but on our right we pass
a number of homes, including Bill Hall, Mack & Stella Richmond, Jenny Lydia, and
probably others, until we come to the cross street.
On our left is an old barn and a blacksmith shop, in which is Tony
Russman (Fred’s dad?), worker and later proprietor.
Now we turn to the right, leaving the business district for a moment
while we see who lives on the west side.
The first house on the left, (moved up the hill by Jacob Visser to make
way for the 1936 bridge approach, and later occupied by Albert Mulder and
family) was occupied by Grif Marcy and daughter Emma.
Ahead of us the road forks, one going straight ahead past the village
limits, and the other (Pleasant Street) curving to the right, both making a
sharp ascent.”
“On our left on
the high bank stands the home of Dr. Robert W. Alton; (Alton Park, lying just
beyond the Mulder house, was a pasture lot for his driving horses and family
cow). A little further along
(Pleasant Street) on the right, is the home of John Cotheran and his son Will,
better known as “Bit”. A little
further on is a short street (Washington St.) running to the left only one
block. In the middle of that block,
on the left side, is the home of Will Loomis & wife, son Harry and daughter
Carrie (later Ward family home).
Coming back to the corner, we see the home of John Van Horn and wife, with sons
George and Elmer. Next to the north
on the same side is the home of Dr. C. C. Dellenbaugh and wife, with son Robert
and daughters Jennie and Helen.
Next we come to the homes of George Hill, son Will and daughter Anna, and
Theodore Stevens and son Will for the depot), and Don Campbell; I am not sure
which of those houses comes first.”
“I have a vague impression
that there were residences on the other side of the street between the Cotheran
place and Lute Van Horn’s, but am not sure and certainly have no idea who would
be living in them. Now we turn west
(on North Street) to Quarterline Street.
The last building on the north end of the street and on the west side is
a schoolhouse. It is the West Side
Primary School. Away to the
northwest is the district known as Culvertown.
I can’t tell you much about it, except that it contains the home of Cyrus
Ayres and his son Will and daughter Minnie; James Milne and son John; Rube and
Ed Watkins. Of course there are
others. Turning south on
Quarterline, observe on the left the home of Newt Eddy and next Dr. Wrist, then
a couple of houses owned by Uncle Tommie White, then the home of Bill Hunt on
the corner of the short street before mentioned (North Street).
Across the corner to the south is the home of A. S. Crane and his
daughter Clara, next south is the home of Peter Seible.
“Turning to the
west side of Quarterline, we find a woody tract between the schoolhouse and the
home of Byron Benson and his wife Metta. Next
to the Benson house is Dr. Snyder’s home, then Moses Scribner and daughter
Kittie, and lastly Peter Bergen’s house (from the stave factory).
On streets further to the west we find Professor Bemis, William Canfield
with sons Will, George, and Leon, a man named Lehman and son Allie, a Mr. St.
John and son Howard, and possibly Fred Hathaway, Bob Boylan, Sam Whitney, Frank
Irons, Frank Little, and others.
(The 1891 Ionia County Atlas (Plat Book) shows Mr. Van Wagner has some of these
homes out of order, but his memory for the names of the occupants is amazing!
It seems a very high percentage of the sons are named Will.
The only United States President named William in that era, William Henry
Harrison, was way back in 1841, so he may not be their namesake.)
“Now we find
ourselves at the top of the hill on West Bridge Street.
On the left, as we face east, is the home of R. B. Smith.
He has a son Dick. At the
foot of the hill on the left stands the birthplace of Clarence Buddington
Kelland, now occupied by Mrs. Cole, her son Howard and daughter Hattie.
On the south side stands the U. B. Church.
Moving on toward the river, we find the National Hotel facing east in the
middle of the block (on Water Street).
Who lived in the house on the river bank opposite the hotel, was it Hank
Mathews? We reach the river and
find the R. B. Smith flour mill on our left, now owned by J. H. Haskam.
On our right we see the planning mill, built over the mill race which
parallels the river from the dam to the Smith Mill.
On the street running south past the planning mill, (Canal Street) the
west side is pretty well built up.
Somewhere along there are the Hairs, Jacob and son Charley, the Gotts, Willis
and Gary, Grandma Perrin, and if you care to go that far, Mort Peck.
“Now we find
ourselves at the top of the hill on West Bridge Street.
On the left, as we face east, is the home of R. B. Smith.
He has a son Dick. At the
foot of the hill on the left stands the birthplace of Clarence Buddington
Kelland, now occupied by Mrs. Cole, her son Howard and daughter Hattie.
On the south side stands the U. B. Church.
Moving on toward the river, we find the National Hotel facing east in the
middle of the block (on Water Street).
Who lived in the house on the river bank opposite the hotel, was it Hank
Matthews? We reach the river and
find the R. B. Smith flour mill on our left, now owned by J. H. Haskam.
On our right we see the planning mill, built over the mill race which
parallels the river from the dam to the Smith Mill.
On the street running south past the planing mill, (Canal Street) the
west side is pretty well built up.
Somewhere along there are the Hairs, Jacob and son Charley, the Gotts, Willis
and Gary, Grandma Perrin, and if you care to go that far, Mort Peck.
“Now we will
cross the bridge, and still skipping the business district, will skip east one
block and go along the north side of the street and come back on the south.
First is the home of L. K. Showman (portrait photographer) and wife and
daughter Callie; then W. W. Bogue and son Bruce (later home of Dewey Hesse,
Keith Neller). Just north of the
Bogue place lives Theron Loomis; on east is a vacant lot, back of which stand
the Methodist buggy sheds.
“Then comes the
Millard place, with Charles “Goose” Bailey.
In the next block brings us to Wm. Disbrow, Wade Henderson and son Dick,
and Oscar Jenkins and daughter Virginia.
The next block begins with the J. D. Woodbury place, and then a house
occupied by a blind musician named Johnnie.
The next block begins with a little brown house, name of occupant
forgotten; beyond that are occasional homes that I will leave to you, except
that Thad Dillon lives in one of them.
At the extreme end of the street, on a triangular lot to the left, is a
house at present unoccupied (Martin Pline Sr.).
Opposite the end of Bridge Street is the fine home of William White and
son Emmet (Oliver (Bristie) Smith’s 12-acre sheep farm, later Minkley Real
Estate). Turning back on the south
side, we find the home of George Stevens (later G. E. Waring from Sebewa, now
VFW Post). Past the cross street
Wm. Satterlee and daughter Addie have a farm with cemetery out of it.
“Jim McDonald
and his parents have the house on the corner (East Street), and on the opposite
side Mr. & Mrs. John Holloway and sons Ross and Herbert.
Then comes a vacant lot; on the corner of Grant Street is the home of
Pierce G. Cook (from Sebewa) and son Leslie.
The next block brings the Dr. (Chester) Smith home, with sons Glenn,
Dale, Clarence and daughter Clara; next Deak Crane and daughter Reva.
Crossing (Lincoln Street), we come to the I. Perrigo home (owner of the
Wagon Works along with S. S. Hinman living across Bridge Street) with sons
Glenn, Charles – known as Pazzy, and John.
Then comes the Charles Maynard place, housing the Maynards, daughter
Helen, and son-in-law E. D. Woodbury, (plus servant girl, Barbara Keilen, who
outlived them all to inherit Stock & put nephew Walter on Bank Board).
Then the Baptist Church, the Harvey Knox place, with son Fred Sr., the
Methodist Church, the Frank Powers home, with daughter Nettie; and lastly the W.
R. Churchill place, with daughter May.
“Now we jump
over to Academy Street, passing the Hinman & Perrigo plant on the way, and going
east on the north side, the first home we come to is Uncle Tommie White’s; then
we jump clear to Smith Street and find a house on the corner whose occupant I
will leave to you. Across Smith
Street we come to Wm. Brooks, Jimmie Churchill, Grant Morse, Isaac Ross and Cap
Williams; crossing Lincoln Street we come to a brick house belonging to John
Bennett; then the Cutcheon place, with F. F. and wife, son Lew and daughters
Norah, Hattie, and Josie. Crossing
Grant Street and skipping the Orvis place for the time being, we find the Dave
Boyce home the last on the street.
Coming back on the south side the first house belongs to Ed Williams (on
the west corner of Kearney); then Mrs. Anderson’s home, with sons Jimmie,
Earnest and Robert. Then comes the
home of Mrs. L. L. Gilbert, with sons Harry and Glenn, then Allen Griffin and
wife and his young sister at Lincoln Street.
The next block is entirely vacant, Lorenzo Webber has not yet built his
home on Danby, in fact is not yet married.
The next block finds the homes of Newell Griffin and Dr. Allen, with
daughters Hilah, Mary and Fannie.
Across Smith Street we come to the home of George Talmadge, his father, and son
Claude; and finally the Elba Stevenson place (Russell Curtis), possibly occupied
at present by Dr. Massey. (Between
Maple and Kent Streets is the home of Franklin Roe.
This letter is said to be continued but we have not found it.)
“VOICES FROM THE PAST” & “THOUGHTS WHILE STROLLING ON KENT STREET”
Gathered from
past issues of the PORTLAND REVIEW & OBSERVER
September 23, 1948:
(We have long been confused over the names of hotels which once operated
in Portland, since several started with the letter “W”.
The Divine Hotel, long owned by Chester M. Divine, was the Welch House
when Chet’s parents, Mr. & Mrs. Monroe Divine, came from Lakeview and purchased
it in 1897. Chet was age 12 at that
time, grew up clerking the front desk, playing catcher position on Portland High
School baseball team, then on the community team, before he left town for a
while in 1909, when his parents died and the hotel was sold to Jacob Kruger of
Pittsburg, PA, for $15,000, to settle the estate).
(A second hotel
stood at the west end of the “lower” bridge over Grand River at Grand River
Avenue. Mrs. Ann Watson operated it
for many years as the Watson House, and was said to be a very good business
person, known to travelers from far and near.
After she sold it, it became the Worden House.
Jacob Visser Sr. tore it down in 1935-1936 to make way for the widened
bridge approach and stored the lumber in Ab Way’s barn, which became the
Slowins’ barn, in Portland. On our
2011 farm auction, 75 years later, we sold the HOTEL sign from that building.
That ground is now the William Toan Memorial Park.)
(A third hotel
stood about a half-block south of the Watson/Worden hotel on the west side of
Water Street, at the edge of what is now Powers Park.
The National Hotel was as tall as the Divine Hotel, three stories, but
much narrower, perhaps just a central hall on each floor with guest rooms on
each side.)
Chester M.
Divine, 63, born at Belding May 5, 1885, died of a heart attack in Portland,
September 19, 1948, was buried on family lot in Portland Cemetery.
He had come back a few years after the death of his parents and bought
the hotel back, keeping up a steady program of modernization.
His wife, the former Lula Probart, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. J. C. Probart
of rural Portland, assisted him in operating the hotel and died in 1940.
In 1944 Chet retired, sold the hotel, traveled extensively, and was
associated with an investment service.
Mr. Divine had served on the Portland Village Commission for nearly 20
years and had been its president for many years.
He was also Chairman of the Ionia County Road Commission and a director
of Maynard-Allen State Bank.
Cleared in 1975, that ground was added to lot of Keusch Service Station, with
which Chet had replaced hotel livery stable.
Ernest Divine, a
brother of Chester, lived in Chicago many years and his death occurred there
before Chester’s. Another brother
was drowned at Lakeview before the family came to Portland.
Surviving relatives included Ernest C. Divine Jr., son of Ernest Sr.,
living in the Galapagos Islands, working for the U. S. Government.
Fred Vogt and Mrs. Justin Balderson of Portland, Mrs. Fred Meade of
Vermontville, and Don Graham of Grand Rapids were nephews and nieces.
Cousins included Vern C. Divine of Chicago, IL, Mrs. Wm. Currie of
Montclair, NJ, Mrs. Malvina Angell of Detroit, MI, Herbert Angell and LeRoy
Angell of Schoolcraft, MI, Glenn & Harry Divine of N. Dakota.
September 23,
1928: Miss Clara Beard of Portland
is a member of the graduating class of nurses at St. Lawrence Hospital, Lansing,
this year. Miss Beard will continue
to work at St. Lawrence at least until October 15, when she takes the
examination by the State Board.
(Clara became the mother of Frank, John and Betsey Stewart.
Her husband was a typesetter and Linotype operator at the Review &
Observer.)
Cards have been
received by Portland friends announcing the marriage of Fred J. Williams, former
Coach and Science Teacher in Portland High, to Miss Cara Spietesel, of Port
Austin, MI. Mr. Williams gave up
his work in Portland last June and is now teaching in Pontiac.
(Fred J. Williams later came back with his wife and two sons (the oldest
was James,) to serve as Superintendent of Portland Public Schools for a number
of years. He left in 1945 and was
replaced by Ray H. Hamilton. At one
of the last All-School Reunions, which ended in 2000 with the Class of 1950 as
the featured class, Fred came back to visit his former students, well into his
90s and aged physically but alert mentally.)
A reception,
attended by relatives, was given for Mr. & Mrs. Austin Babbit at the home of Mr.
& Mrs. Charles Rader Thursday evening.
Mrs. Babbit was formerly Grace Rader, the couple having been married a
few days ago.
Breaking a
silence that has lasted nearly 30 years, the whistle on the Valley City Mills is
now heard each weekday. The whistle
quit blowing because it frightened horses whose rigs were parked near the mill.
The custom is now resumed because there are few horses.
September 23,
1908: Mrs. George Huey died on the
way back to Maple Corners from Mountain View, AK, where she had lived for
several years. The trip was being
made by covered wagon with her son Ira.
October 7, 1948:
Fred Vogt’s hydraulic digging equipment began excavating for foundations
for the new theatre being erected for John Kortes and his sons.
The new movie house will be on lots where E. L. Goodwin’s marble shop
stood, and years earlier the old Hinman & Perrigo wagon shop.
William DeVries is the general contractor.
Neville Davarn,
head of Pewamo Hardware Co. (later renamed Davarn Equipment Co.) and well-known
thruout the Pewamo-Portland area, died of a heart attack.
Funeral at St. Joseph Church and burial in parish cemetery.
He was born in Pewamo in 1892, son of the late James Davarn.
(We believe his mother was a Kavanagh, because he was a cousin to at
least one of the Kavanaghs who served on the Michigan Supreme Court, Thomas M.
Kavanagh of Carson City, and the family resemblance was remarkable.
After serving in World War I he purchased the hardware business in town
and later added the Allis-Chalmers Dealership.
Later the New Holland Dealership was added, perhaps after his death.
A new sales and service building had just been built.
He left a widow Frieda and sons Jack and Bill to run the business, plus a
daughter, Mrs. James Cook; brothers William & Roger, sisters Marjorie Davarn,
Mrs. Joseph Long and Mrs. H. B. Ludwig, and one grandson.
October 7, 1948:
A real estate transfer affecting a choice 100-foot frontage on Kent
Street in Portland was completed a few days ago, when Standard Realty Co., of
Lansing, purchased Mr. & Mrs. J. P. Ball’s residence property for a Detroit
client listed as Phyllis Boyd. The
property embraces lots on the east side of Kent Street, running south from the
former Ben Franklin Roe line to the Beatrice Delaney property, years ago owned
by Lou Smith. There are two lots in
the Ball plat, each 50 feet wide.
The north lot is 140 feet long, running back to Maple Street.
The south lot is 120 feet long, a plat owned by George Whitney taking up
the remainder at the back part.
The representatives
of the purchaser have given no statement as to what purpose the new owner will
put the property, but it is most probable the home will be moved off for
building a modern business block in its place.
The entire property was formerly owned by Mr. & Mrs. Miles Whitney, but
Mr. & Mrs. Ball owned it for the past several years, moving there from their
farm near Sebewa Corners. They are
completing a deal for property in Ionia and will move there soon, Mr. Ball being
employed in that City. (Within a
few weeks it was revealed that Michigan Bell Telephone Company would build their
new building for automatic dialing equipment on that plat.
We have not been able to locate the J. P. Ball farm in the Sebewa Corners
area in old plat books, although James & Elsie Boyd did own a 120 acre farm on
the Danby & Sebewa Township line (Keefer Highway) now owned by Iva Galer Pung
and sons. But that may just be a
coincidence of names.)
October 7, 1928:
Bearers at the funeral of Mrs. Charles Estep (they ran a lumberyard in
Portland, formerly farmed on Musgrove Highway, Sebewa Township, on the west half
of the Theo Bulling farm, owned in recent times by Charles Leik,) were four
nephews---Roy W. Dawdy, Charles G. Gilden, Glenn Olry, and Hugh Showerman.
A survivor of many
hard fought battles during the Civil War, David Hillis (of Cutler Road, Portland
Township) answered the final summons early last week in the hospital connected
with the Soldiers’ Home at Sandusky, OH.
Driving on US-16
with a threshing machine early Thursday, George Disler, past age 70, of Eaton
Rapids, was fatally injured when struck by an automobile.
October 7, 1908:
Mrs. Ernest Barnard died at her home in Orange Township of typhoid fever.
October 14,
1948: Cornelius VanBenschoten went
to California 25 years ago, has been working for Bell Telephone Co. for the
entire quarter century, and is back for a visit.
He grew up in the Portland area and graduated from Portland High School,
the son of Mr. & Mrs. Harvey VanBenschoten Sr., who lived on Lincoln Street,
where Mrs. & Mrs. Clarence Carpenter live in 1948.
Mrs. VanBenschoten is the former Reva Schultz, daughter of Mrs. Wm.
Schultz of the same street. (The
family dates back to one of the earliest residents in East Sebewa Cemetery,
Diana, widow of Cornelius VanBenschoten, Sr., 1796-1885.)
October 14,
1948: Dr. Harriet M. Carbaugh (87)
died at her cottage at Park Lake, near Bath.
She had practiced in Lansing and her husband, W. J. Carbaugh, whom she
married in 1892, was an attorney there.
When first married, they had offices in Portland, on the second floor of
the building later occupied by Ben Franklin Store and also owned by the Franklin
Roe family. Her maiden name was H.
Mary Swathel, an 1888 graduate of U. of M.
(William & Elizabeth Carbaugh, W. J. Carbaugh’s parents, settled on 160
acres at the north corners of Portland Rd and Sunfield Hwy, Orange Township.
Later 40 acres on the southwest and 20 acres on the southeast corners
were added and 160 acres to the west, making 380 acres in all.
The place had absentee landlords for a long time after the Carbaughs
died; and tenants were Adrian & Bessie Alberta, Gordon & Jane Walkington, LaVern
& Ken Carr, and others in between.
Now David & Jody Cassel have purchased the farm and have done a lot of cleaning
ditches and updating tile drainage.
The farm once had a huge, white, two-family house and a big timber framed, gable
roofed barn with two double drive floors.
The milk truck could part on the shoulder of the road and load cans right
out of the milk-room. During a
period after Adrian Alberta died, and maybe son John too, when the buildings
were empty, the barn and then the house was torched by vandals.
The toolshed and smaller buildings are gone too; the homesite has been
sold off and built upon. George D.
& Ester A. Carbaugh, older brother of Wm., had the next farm east on the north
side of Portland Road. Their son
was apparently also on the north side of Portland Road.
Their son was apparently also George Carbaugh; his daughter was Charles
Thomas Sr’s first wife, and their children still own that land, divided into a
couple parcels.)
BIOGRAPHY OF MARIA THERESA SINDLINGER WILLIAMS SNYDER of SEBEWA ~ As written for
Ionia County Genealogical Society Newsletter ~ By her great-granddaughter, Lori
L. Piercefield Fox:
My
great-grandmother was Maria Theresa Sindlinger Williams Snyder, called “Tracy”,
probably because of the accent of her German immigrant parents in the
pronunciation of “Theresa”. (In the
Schnabel-Slowinski neighborhood of Berlin Township, also made up of German
immigrants, this name came out “Tressie”)
She was the younger of two daughters of Jacob Frederick and Barbara
(Schaupp) Sindlinger, born December 6, 1874, on their 50-acre farm on Musgrove
Highway, near the Village of Sebewa, in Sebewa Township, Ionia County.
When Tracy was seven, her father was killed when his team of horses
spooked and threw him under the wheels.
Barbara never remarried. On
August 24, 1897, in Sunfield, Tracy married Lewis Williams in a double ceremony
with their friends Lucy Halladay and Ralph Friend.
They lived with Barbara on the farm.
As they prepared
for the birth of their first child, Lewis became ill with consumption
(tuberculosis). They welcomed Mamie
Lucille Williams on February 22, 1900.
As Lewis’s health deteriorated, he went west to Utah with the hope that
the dry air would improve his breathing.
Severe homesickness for his wife and daughter lead him to return to
Michigan for a visit. Upon his
return to Utah, he succumbed to the disease on February 6, 1901, in Brigham
City, Utah. His body was returned
to Michigan by train for burial.
She continued to live in her childhood home with her mother while she worked at
the local stores in Sebewa as well as doing sewing for hire to support her baby.
She became acquainted with a local widower, George Washington Snyder,
Jr., who had two young sons. They
were married March 4, 1908, in Sunfield.
Their new blended family soon grew with the arrival of Donald in 1909,
Dale in 1911, Dorothy in 1913, and Leon in 1915, who joined her daughter Mamie
and George’s sons, Clifton and Max.
But Tracy was again deprived of her helpmate, when George died of illness
February 14, 1929, after not quite 21 years of marriage.
After her
youngest child Leon left home, Tracy gave up her home and took a migratory
journey, spending a month or so at a time with each child.
In 1949 she took up permanent residence with her oldest daughter, Mamie,
and her husband, Homer Downing, who had become empty nesters with the marriage
of their daughter Cleo. She
remained until mid-1960, when she moved to a home in Portland which kept three
ambulatory ladies. In her later
years she had what was called “hardening of the arteries”.
She would not always recognize me, but would visit with me as if I was
the one she had been thinking about, usually my mother, Cleo, grandmother Mamie,
or my half first cousin once removed, Joy.
We all resembled each other, with dark hair.
Her goal was to live to be 100 years old.
At 97 she began telling everyone she was 100.
She was still spry with no serious health issues.
One day she ate her usual mea, went to bed, and peacefully slept away at
the age of 97 ½. (She died June 15,
1972, and these editors buried her beside her husband George in East Sebewa
Cemetery, Block 6, Lot 4; George’s parents are next on Block 5, Lot 17; Tracy’s
parents and Lewis Williams are nearby on Block 7, Lot 11.)
“She had many
deprivations in life, yet Tracy Snyder had a lighthearted spirit and stuck to
her Seventh Day Adventist faith; and best of all for me, she left a drawer full
of diaries to tell me about her life.
She had 5 children, 2 stepsons, 12 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren.
She is buried only 2 miles from where she was born.”
By Lori Fox
The distance is
even less, going across the fields.
George grew up just over two miles in the opposite direction from her
birthplace, again even less across the fields.
It’s likely they both attended Halladay School.
Editorial comments by Grayden Slowins
“SCHNABEL FAMILY HISTORY”:
Genealogy, history, her-story, lots of early photos of the Schnabel, Slovinski,
Slowinski, Slowins, Steinberg, Sarlouis, O’Mara, Majinska, Lehman, Kubish,
Farrell, Eldridge, Biehler and Banhagel families; hard cover, $35 including
postage.
From:
Grayden D. Slowins, Editor
Last update October 20, 2021 |
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