Category Archives: St. Joseph County

Fred Willard Taylor

Fred Willard Taylor
birth: 16 Dec 1886 in Young America, Cass, Indiana to John William Taylor and Mary Catherine Turner
death: 14 May 1968 in Hillsdale, Hillsdale, Michigan
burial: Toledo Memorial Park, Sylvania, Lucas, Ohio

marriage: before 1910
Ursula McCreary
birth: 07 January 1887 in Groomsville, Tipton, Indiana to Alfred Ross McCreary and Hannah Smith
death: 14 October 1982 in Sylvania, Lucas, Ohio
burial: Toledo Memorial Park, Sylvania, Lucas, Ohio

Children of Ursula McCreary and Fred Willard Taylor:

  • William Alfred Taylor Born 1910 Died 1995 Audrey Hilda Green
  • Marjorie Genee Taylor Born 1912 Died 1983 William James Thomsen
  • Mary Catherine Taylor Born 1917 Died 2002 Benjamin Adam Schultz
  • Winnifred Sue Taylor Born 1919 Died 1986 1. R. J. Garn 2. R. Stomatovich 3. R. Crabtree 4. P. Reitinger
  • Hannah Louise Taylor Born 1921 Died 1997 John A. McNeil
  • Richard Earl Taylor Born 1927 Died 2017 1. Shirley Anita Brewer
  • Living

Ancestor here lived in:

Fred Willard Taylor lived in Young America from birth in 1886
1900 to 1930 in Kokomo, Howard, Indiana
1938 South Bend, Indiana

Ancestor also lived in:

1930 Lucas County, Ohio
1940 Wheaton, Illinois
1955 Hillsdale, Hillsdale, Michigan

Other Information:

Fred worked in Brass companies his adult life. Working his way up from the line to being a supervisor. He worked for Bunting Brass, the Hale Chrome Co., and the Vacuum Can Co. He was an outdoorsman. At one time Fred left his family in Indiana, and went out to Soldier Summitt, Utah to try his hand at being a cowboy and possibly resettling his family there. That did not pan out well and he returned to his wife and 3 children. Fred and Ursula had 7 children and 30 grandchildren at the time of his death. The 30 grandchildren gave them 50 great-grandchildren, 56 great-great-grandchildren, and 21 great-great-great-grandchildren.

Submitted by:
Pamela Taylor-Bollinger
Email: pambo1945@hotmail.com

Benjamin Franklin Reed

Benjamin Franklin Reed
birth: 2 May 1888 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana to Francis Harvey “Frank” Reed and Florence Elizabeth McKee
death: 20 October 1917 in Detroit, Michigan
burial: Mount Hope Cemetery, Logansport, Cass County, Indiana

marriage: 25 November 1913 in South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana
Ruth Nave
birth: 24 November 1892 in South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana to Teter “Tete” Nave and Mary Elizabeth Taylor
death: 19 March 1951 in Logansport, Indiana
burial: Mount Hope Cemetery, Logansport, Cass County, Indiana

Children of Ruth Nave and Benjamin Franklin Reed:

  • Don (or Donald) Francis Reed (1913-1988) Virginia Amoss
  • Margaret Elizabeth Reed (1914-2006) Edward Nevarre “Eddie” Williams, Richard Eugene “Dick” Jackson
  • Martha Shideler Reed (1916-1980) Arden Packard

Ancestor here lived in:

Logansport, Cass County, Indiana

Other Information:

Switchman, Wabash Railroad

Submitted by:
Karen Packard Rhodes
Email: bitbucket001@comcast.net

Ruth Nave

Ruth Nave
birth: 24 November 1892 in South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana to Teter “Tete” Nave and Mary Elizabeth Taylor
death: 19 March 1951 in Logansport, Cass County, Indiana
burial: Mount Hope Cemetery, Logansport, Indiana

marriage: 25 November 1913 in South Bend, Indiana
Benjamin Franklin Reed
birth: 2 May 1888 in Logansport, Indiana to Francis Harvey “Frank” Reed and Florence Elizabeth McKee
death: 20 October 1917 in Detroit, Michigan
burial: Mount Hope Cemetery, Logansport, Indiana

Children of Ruth Nave and Benjamin Franklin Reed:

  • Don (or Donald) Francis Reed (1913-1988) Virginia Amos
  • Margaret Elizabeth Reed (1914-2006) Edward Nevarre “Eddie” Williams, Richard Eugene “Dick” Jackson
  • Martha Shideler Reed (1916-1980) Arden Packard

Ancestor here lived in:

  • South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana
  • Logansport, Cass County, Indiana

Other Information:

  • Second husband surname Pennington; given name not known
  • Third husband Harold White

Submitted by:
Karen Packard Rhodes
Email: bitbucket001@comcast.net

Myer “Mike” Krueger

Myer “Mike” Krueger
birth: 10 January 1887 in the town of Lachawitz, Minsk, Russia (now Lyakhavichy, Brest, Belarus) to Ellya Kriger and Zipe Soloman
death: 2 November 1934 in Michigan City, LaPorte, Indiana
burial: Greenwood Cemetery, Michigan City, LaPorte, Indiana

marriage: June 28, 1910 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana.
Antonia “Toni” Jeannette Engel
birth: 24 May 1889 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois to Samuel Hirsch Engel and Dora Flekman
death: 27 Jul 1944 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Hebrew Orthodox Cemetery, Mishawaka, St. Joseph County, Indiana

Children of Antonia “Toni” Jeannette Engel and Myer “Mike” Krueger:

  •  Fern Esther Krueger (7 Apr 1911-10 Aug 1974) m. David Tolchinsky
  • Marvin Alvin Krueger (23 Aug 1913-3 Nov 1981) m. Leah Greenfeld
  • Shirley Helen Krueger (11 Jul 1918-20 Apr 2008) m. Edward Herbert Morse

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Michigan City, LaPorte, Indiana

Other Information:

Visit my blog to read more about his life at https://jenalford.com/2014/02/04/52-ancestors-5-myer-krueger/

Submitted by:
Jennifer Alford
Email: jenalford@gmail.com

George Bryant Harbaugh

George Bryant Harbaugh
birth: 4 April 1894 in St. Joseph, Indiana to George Frederick and Margaret E. “Maggie” Long Harbaugh
death: 29 December 1954 in LaPorte, LaPorte, Indiana
burial: Ridgelawn Cemetery, Gary, Lake, Indiana

marriage: 16 October 1919 in Lake, Indiana
Elsie Wilhelmina Johnson
birth: 1 May 1896 in Miller, now Gary, Lake, Indiana to Anders Ludvig “Gust” and Lovisa “Louse” Carlson Johannesson/Johnson
death: 25 July 1968 in Gary, Lake, Indiana
burial: Ridgelawn Cemetery, Gary, Lake, Indiana

Children of Elsie Wilhelmina Johnson and George Bryant Harbaugh:

  • Betty Jean Harbaugh 1922-1988 William Lewis Samuelson
  • George Willard Harbaugh 1924-2004 Dorothy Louise Skogseth
  • Glenn Robert Harbaugh 1928-1995

Ancestor here lived in:

  • St. Joseph, Indiana
  • LaPorte, LaPorte, Indiana
  • Gary, Lake, Indiana

Other Information:

George Bryant Harbaugh was the eighth child and sixth son of George Frederick and Margaret E. “Maggie” Long Harbaugh. Born on 5 April 1894 in St. Joseph County, Indiana, his father was a teacher/principal and farmer while his mother was a homemaker. Unlike George Bryant’s father who had completed high school, he likely commenced his education in the 8th grade. His early years found him surrounded by a large family that included his great Aunt Mary Ann Eyster Johnson and Great Uncle William Johnson, maternal Grandmother Betsy, paternal Grandfather Pap,and numerous aunts, uncles, and older cousins. In childhood, George Bryant accompanied his father and siblings on fishing trips; the family owned a bicycle by 1897. George Bryant’s older brother, Grover, was an avid ornithologist and the family also had pet cats. Living on a farm, George Bryant was surrounded by cows, chickens, sheep, pigs, and horses. By 1910, George Bryant was employed as a farm laborer on his family’s farm. The family had made frequent trips to Chicago, Cook, Illinois so it is not surprising that George Bryant found work there beginning on 1 May 1917 as a watchman on the Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern Railroad. His monthly salary was $96.00 with additional income for dinner, supper, and rail car fares incurred on the job. His route took him as far west as Joliet, Illinois and as far east as Gary, Lake, Indiana. With the onset of WWI, George Bryant filed for a draft exemption in Miller, Lake, Indiana based on his occupation but it was not granted. In June 1917 he was listed as a single, tall, slender Caucasian with gray eyes and dark hair. George Bryant made the news on 28 July 1917 when, in the course of his duties, he was involved in a shootout with an employee at Gary’s American Sheet and Tin Plate Company who was brandishing a gun and threatening employees. George Bryant shot the man, Peter Pavelich, in the abdomen; he later died at Mercy Hospital in Gary. It is not known where George Bryant met his sweetheart, Elsie Wilhelmina Johnson, who lived in Miller, Lake, Indiana but the couple was discussing marriage when George Bryant enlisted on 30 March 1918 in Crown Point, Lake, Indiana. He arrived at Camp Taylor, Kentucky the following day. He was disappointed as he had hoped he would be sent to Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, closer to Elsie, instead. At the time, George Bryant believed the war would be won and he would return home by fall stating “If Kaiser Bill could see what resources the U.S. has back of her I think he would say enough.” Instead, he boarded a train on 28 April 1918 for Camp Upton, New York. During a stop in Columbus,Bartholomew, Indiana, he sent Elsie a postcard to update her on his travels. The train trip took him through the hills of Pennsylvania and only 67 miles from his father’s birthplace in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania. Arriving at Camp Upton he learned he was supposed to have been sent to Camp Mills so after being dropped off at Union Depot in New York CIty, marching 12 blocks through New York to a ferry, he crossed the Hudson River by ferry boat, and took the NYC & H River Ry to Camp Merritt. Why he did not go the Camp Mills is unknown. On 6 May he set sail for Europe with the D Company, 112th Infantry. Ironically, that regiment began in the Civil War and included the 13th, 15th and 17th Pennyslvania Regiments that had once served at Gettysburg, The current members were composed of Pennsylvanians from the area in which his ancestors had resided for generations. George Bryant arrived “somewhere in Europe” on 15 May 1918; he was in Calais, France the following day. He was first injured by gas in the battle to capture Vaux at Chateau-Thierry. The fighting had been fierce and he reported that less than 100 men out of the company of 250 survived. Next George Bryant battled the Dutch; he wrote to Elsie, “Well, Dear, I think we have learned them that the Yanks aren’t here merely to look on, but we are here to settle the fuss…” George Bryant was injured again in the Argonne Forest and was assigned to Base Hospital 56 by 1 October. He had survived the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. George Bryant experienced Armistice Day in a hospital bed; he reported that “At 4 P.M raise H-l…I was in bed yet then but we sure yelled…Bells all over France rang and everybody was happy, believe me.” He went on boast “it was a So. Bend boy who fired the first shot fired by U.S. troops over a year ago in Alsace Lorraine.” “This war is won ‘Thanks to the Yanks.'” George Bryant was released from the hospital on 15 December and sent to a convalescent camp in Allery, France. He was looking forward to returning home; he had been offered his old job back at E. J. & E. He was hopeful that Elsie and he would wed by June. Unfortunately, he developed acute bronchitis and bronco pneumonia so he was hospitalized at Camp Hospital 52. He lost 30 pounds and was so ill, the Red Cross brought his brother, Grover, to visit him. It was then that he learned that the 1918 Flu Epidemic had impacted his family at home in Indiana. George Bryant returned to the U.S. on 22 May 1919 via the US Transport Manchuria. He was assigned to Camp Merritt, New Jersey, then to Camp Sherman, Ohio. He was discharged on 14 June 1919. For his combat injuries, George Bryant was awarded a Purple Heart. George Bryant returned to Miller, Lake, Indiana and back to his old job at E. J. & E. Unfortunately, a labor strike occurred at U.S. Steel that halted work. It was during that turbulent time, on 16 October 1919, that George Bryant wed Elsie Wilhelmina Johnson in Lake County, Indiana, with Edward Stark officiating. After the strike, George Bryant was hired as a policeman at the steel mills. The couple purchased a home on Michigan Avenue in the Miller section of Gary, next door to Elsie’s widowed mother and her sister, Helen. Elsie’s sister, Ruth, lived five homes away with her husband, Bert Thompson. George Bryant and Elsie purchased a Sears & Roebuck model home, the Westly, via the dry goods catalogue for $2,614.00. It was delivered by railroad and the two story home was assembled by George Bryant. In 1925,the family moved in. Three children were born during the next six years, all were baptized at Augustana Lutheran Church. George Bryant decided to change occupations and became a fireman, perhaps the steel strike had made him seek more stable employment. During the Great Depression, George Bryant continued to be employed as a chauffeur with the Gary Fire Department. In his free time, George Bryant dabbled as an entrepreneur; he designed and marketed a crystal radio beginning in the Winter of 1925. He charged $6.00 for the radio that did not come in a cabinet or .25 for a blueprint. Purchasers reported that they could get a signal 360 miles from their home. Even though it was Prohibition, one satisfied customer promised to send a “nice quart of wine.” George Bryant again made the front page of the local newspaper in April 1937 when he was injured while fighting a fire on Miller Avenue and Howard Street in Gary. About this time he was promoted to Lieutenant. Luckily for the family, the firehouse was a half block from their home. George Bryant’s eldest son, George Willard, was drafted into WW2. After his own war time experience, it must have been difficult for him as a father to bear. Like his father, George Willard was injured, taken as a POW, and returned home earning a Purple Heart. After WW2, George Bryant transferred from fire fighter to being a fire protection agent. He also began working as a fireman at the Kingsbury Ordnance Plant in LaPorte, LaPorte, Indiana. On 13 December 1954, at 1:15 PM he accidentally fell from a ladder while at work. He was transported to Holy Family Hospital in LaPorte. He developed pneumonia and a pulmonary embolism. After 16 days of treatment, George Bryant died. It was the third time in his life that he had made the front page news. He is buried in Ridgelawn Cemetery in the Glen Park section of Gary, Lake, Indiana.

For further information on George Bryant and the Harbaugh family:
Lori Samuelson. Perseverence Amidst Adversity: The Ancestry of Three George Harbaughs. Amazon ebook, 2016.
Contact the submitter for a transcription of The Diary of Mary Ann Eyster Johnson. Submitter is currently working on an ebook about George Bryant’s military service during WW1.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Margaret E. “Maggie” Long

Margaret E. “Maggie” Long
birth: 4 April 1860 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana to John Anderson and Elizabeth “Betsy” Troxell Long
death: 15 November 1944 North Liberty, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Fair Cemetery, La Paz, St. Joseph, Indiana

marriage: 26 September 1880 South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana
George Frederick Harbaugh
birth: 1 April 1856 in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania to George Henry and Sara Ann Eyster Harbaugh
death: 17 November 1931 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Fair Cemetery, La Paz, St. Joseph, Indiana

Children of Margaret E. “Maggie” Long and George Frederick Harbaugh:

  • Oliver Delbert Harbaugh 1881-1949 1st m. Laura Bell Frye 2nd m. Estella May Lawrence
  • Bertha May Harbaugh 1883-1953 Wesley Irvin Berry
  • Don Nelson Harbaugh 1885-1973 Blanche Myrtle Foote
  • Dwight Thomas Harbaugh 1887-1973 Mayme Schroll
  • Infant Son Harbaugh 1889-1889
  • Rose Estella Harbaugh 1890-1980 Emmett Kelly
  • Grover Cleveland Harbaugh 1892-1962 Alma Ida McClelland
  • George Bryant Harbaugh 1894-1954 Elsie Wilhelmina Johnson
  • Mary Ellen Harbaugh 1896-1992 Harold Russell Deavel
  • Grace Alta Harbaugh 1900-1964 1st m. Charles E. Lynch 2nd m. Harold L. Higgins
  • Ralph Henry Harbaugh 1907-1992 1st m. Thelma Belle Shade 2nd m. Marvel Lyons

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Liberty Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana

Other Information:

Margaret E. “Maggie” Long was the tenth of eleven children and the fifth girl born on 4 April 1860 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana to John Anderson and Elizabeth “Betsy” Troxell Long. Her father was a staunch abolitionist and at age 49, joined the U.S. Army as a Private in Company I, Indiana 9th Regiment. Between February 1862 and September 1865, Maggie resided with her single mother and siblings on the family homestead while her father served as a teamster in the Army. He returned after the war ended and resumed farming; he died when Maggie was 14. Maggie’s family attended the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren. On 26 September 1880 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana, Maggie wed George Frederick Harbaugh, a neighbor, classmate, and fellow parishioner. The wedding was held at the home of the officiant, Reverend Daniel Whitmer, a member of the German Baptist Church. The couple had eleven children, ten growing to adulthood. Maggie was a homemaker and active in her community by visiting the sick, making wine and bread for church services, and hosting gatherings of family and friends. She was fortunate to have a Missouri “steam washing machine” in 1886 and a sewing machine, which her husband won in a writing contest. With the quilting, setting the hens, making candles and soap, churning butter, assisting with crops and butchering, rendering lard, canning, baking, keeping house, and caring for the children, Maggie did not have much leisure time. During WWI, with two of her five sons serving overseas, Maggie became an active member of the Pine Creek Ladies Aid Society. Although Maggie was a traditionalist, she was found on the voting rolls with several of her daughter-in-laws in Liberty Township in 1921, less than a year after women were finally awarded the privilege. In May 1931, Maggie’s husband was diagnosed with sarcoma of the spleen and died intestate on 16 November. Although the mortgage had been paid off, the personal estate was only valued at $250.00 with real estate valued at $5000.00. Claims against the estate were $2824.99 so the decision was made to sell the property. During that time of the Great Depression, there were no takers and the land value decreased considerably to a selling price of $1600.00. In 1934, son Dwight purchased the property and Maggie’s children all contributed to meet the remaining balance owed to close the estate. Maggie, at age 80, moved in with her daughter Mary Ellen and her family. She later moved in with son Dwight. It was there she died at his home located on RR2, Pine Road, St. Joseph, Indiana on 15 November 1944 of flu leading to myocarditis. Like her husband, Maggie died intestate. She was 84 years 7 month and 11 days old. A funeral service was held on 18 November at 2:00 P.M. at the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren where she had been on member for over 60 years. She was buried next to her husband in Fair Cemetery.

For further information on George Frederick and the Harbaugh family:
Lori Samuelson. Perseverence Amidst Adversity: The Ancestry of Three George Harbaughs. Amazon ebook, 2016.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

George Frederick Harbaugh

George Frederick Harbaugh
birth: 1 April 1856 in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania to George Henry and Sara Ann Eyster Harbaugh
death: 17 November 1931 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Fair Cemetery, La Paz, St. Joseph, Indiana

marriage: 26 September 1880 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana
Margaret E. “Maggie” Long
birth: 4 April 1860 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana to John Anderson and Elizabeth “Betsy” Troxell Long
death: 15 November 1944 in North Liberty, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Fair Cemetery, La Paz, St. Joseph, Indiana

Children of Margaret E. “Maggie” Long and George Frederick Harbaugh:

  • Oliver Delbert Harbaugh 1881-1949 1st m. Laura Bell Frye 2nd m. Estella May Lawrence
  • Bertha May Harbaugh 1883-1953 Wesley Irvin Berry
  • Don Nelson Harbaugh 1885-1973 Blanche Myrtle Foote
  • Dwight Thomas Harbaugh 1887-1973 Mayme Schroll
  • Infant Son Harbaugh 1889-1889
  • Rose Estella Harbaugh 1890-1980 Emmett Kelly
  • Grover Cleveland Harbaugh 1892-1962 Alma Ida McClelland
  • George Bryant Harbaugh 1894-1954 Elsie Wilhelmina Johnson
  • Mary Ellen Harbaugh 1896-1992 Harold Russell Deavel
  • Grace Alta Harbaugh 1900-1964 1st m. Charles E. Lynch 2nd m. Harold L. Higgins
  • Ralph Henry Harbaugh 1907-1992 1st m. Thelma Belle Shade 2nd m. Marvel Lyons

Ancestor here lived in: 

  • South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana
  • Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana

Other Information: George Frederick Harbaugh was the sixth child and fourth son of George Henry and Sara Ann Eyster Harbaugh. Born 1 Apri 1856 in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania, he was baptized along with his siblings Samuel Walter and Laura Catherine on 16 February 1858 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waynesboro. George Frederick is recorded in the 1860 US Federal census as living with a neighbor, George Washington and Elizabeth Holbruner McGinly. It is not known why he was enumerated in their household. Perhaps it was a mistake and he was only visiting that day. Maybe his sibling Ella had died and the McGinly’s were helping the Harbaughs out by providing childcare; Ella’s tombstone is unreadable and no records remain of her birth and death. More unlikely due to his age though not unheard of, George Frederick had taken an interest in blacksmithing and was apprenticed out. Due to the Civil War and the family’s residence near the Mason-Dixon line, George Frederick may have been educated at home. There were nine schools throughout Franklin County, however, a violent incidence had occurred in a neighboring town and the Battle of Washington Township, the only Civil War battle that was fought simultaneously on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line did impact his family. At 1:00 AM on 15 March 1869, George Frederick, his parents and siblings, relocated to Liberty Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana. The Harbaughs were reuniting with George Frederick’s maternal aunt, Mary Ann Eyster Johnson, who had, along with her husband, William, gone out west from Pennsylvania with several parishioners to form a new community. George Frederick attended the newly opened high school in St. Joseph County and was likely in the first class to benefit from the newly instituted curriculum. One of his classmates was Margaret “Maggie” Long who he would marry on 26 September 1880 in South Bend, St. Joseph, Indiana. The couple was wed by Reverend Daniel Whitmer at his residence. The denomination of the minister was German Baptist. George Frederick had obtained certification and training and was employed as a teacher. The couple wasted no time in beginning a family; they would go on to have eleven children, ten who survived to adulthood. The family sold their first home to Sarah Shanaman/Sheneman for $2600.00 and purchased a 48 acre farm with house on heavily timbered land on 6 September 1882. It was located in Section 12 in Township 35. On 6 April 1883, fourteen days after George Frederick’s mother died, his father sold him 10 acres in Section 18 Township 35 for $1000.00. In Summer 1886 George Frederick had a new home built; he had his old home moved to acreage his brother John Elias owned. George Frederick farmed and worked as a teacher and principal for his remaining years in Indiana. He first taught at the high school, then the one room Lakeville School in Union Township, the Longaker/Brick School on the south side of Stanton Road, and the Nichelson School in Lakeville. By September 1887 he became a German teacher in LaPaz. By August 1889 he was the teacher/principal of the Yellow Bank School, a private school run by the Church of the Brethren. Later, he worked at a school at The Dices, and returned to teach high school at La Paz High. As a farmer, George Frederick grew potatoes, wheat, corn, oats, onions, sweet potatoes, grapes, beans, cucumbers, watermelon, lettuce, cabbage, rye, hops, and clover for animal feed. The family had an orchard of apples, peaches, and cherries. They raised cows, pigs, sheep and chickens. George Frederick was also active in his community; he built a fence at his church, Pine Creek Church of the Brethren, and dug a new channel under a bridge on the Yellow banks. He served on the Grand Jury in January 1886 and there are records that he voted. With teacher salaries low, George Frederick entered writing contests; he won a sewing machine for his wife in 1893 for the topic what a model home looked like. He tried to make extra money by canvassing old family silver, re-plating it and selling it. He also added a job as a Postmaster in 1897 and is known as the first, last, and only Postmaster of Harbaugh, Indiana because the train schedule changed the following year. In his leisure he enjoyed socializing with family and friends, fishing, bobsled riding and singing. In 1897 the family joined the bicycling craze. Like his father, he loved to travel to Chicago, Missouri to visit a brother and once, attempted to take a train to Florida during a school break but only made it as far as Georgia due to travel mishaps. World War I must have been a difficult time for George Frederick and Maggie as they had five sons of age to serve in the military; two of their sons were drafted and fought overseas. By 1920, George Frederick had retired from teaching and was farming full time. At the beginning of the Great Depression, George Frederick had paid off the mortgage and continued to work as a farmer, at age 74. In May 1931 he was diagnosed with sarcoma of the spleen. The illness proved fatal; George Frederick died intestate at his home in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana at 6:00 PM on 17 November 1931. He was age 75 years, 7 months and 16 days old. His obituary noted he taught school for 42 years in Elkhart, Marshall and St. Joseph counties. George Frederick was buried in Section B, Row 12 of Fair Cemetery on Friday, 20 November at 1:30 PM after a service held at the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren.

For further information on George Frederick and the Harbaugh family:
Lori Samuelson. Perseverence Amidst Adversity: The Ancestry of Three George Harbaughs. Amazon ebook, 2016.

Contact the submitter for a transcription of The Diary of Mary Ann Eyster Johnson.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Sara Ann Eyster Harbaugh

Sara Ann Eyster Harbaugh
birth: 22 Jun 1822 in Union Bridge, Carroll, Maryland to John and Mary Garver Eyster
death: 21 March 1883 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Lutheran Cemetery, Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana

marriage: 13 Jun 1843 in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania
George Henry Harbaugh
birth: 1 March 1823 in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania to Elias and Mary Magdeline Weaver Harbaugh
death: 2 January 1909 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Lutheran Cemetery, Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana

Children of Sara Ann Eyster Harbaugh and George Henry Harbaugh:

  • John Elias Harbaugh 1844-1899 Jemima Fair
  • Lincoln Mordecai Harbaugh 1846-1847
  • Mary Alice Harbaugh 1848-1931 Rev. Andrew Melling Rupel
  • Samuel Walter Harbaugh 1851-1916 Lozetta Rose
  • Laura Catherine Harbaugh 1853-1885 Daniel Steele
  • George Frederick Harbaugh 1856-1931Margaret E. “Maggie” Long
  • Ella Harbaugh Circa 1858-died as a child tombstone unreadable
  • Charles Victor Leo Harbaugh, M.D. 1861-1933 1st m. Elizabeth Swartley 2nd m. Frances Elizabeth Athey

Ancestor here lived in:

  • St. Joseph County, Indiana

Other Information: Sara Ann Eyster was the first of two daughters born to John and Mary Garver Eyster in Union Bridge, Carroll, Maryland on 22 June 1822. Sara’s father was a blacksmith who relocated with his small family to Waynesboro, Frederick, Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1850. It was there that Sara likely met her husband, George Henry Harbaugh; they wed there on 13 June 1843 only a few weeks after her mother’s death. Sara’s father is found living with Sara and her growing family in the 1850 US Federal census. Although John Eyster’s tombstone is unreadable, it is thought that he died before 5 April 1852 when Sara sold a lot to one of her brother-in-laws on Main Street in Waynesboro for $375.00. Of her eight children, two died young. Both had been buried at the Old Union Cemetery in Waynesboro but when the adjoining church wanted to expand, the graves were re-interred in a mass grave at Green Hill Cemetery with the stones purportedly in the same order placed close by. Unfortunately, both stones are in poor condition and Ella’s is unreadable. The children’s baptisms were held at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Waynesboro, except for the oldest and probable two youngest children. The oldest child may have been baptized at a German-speaking church at the foot of South Mountain near Pen Mar where Sara’s husband’s family attended. No records for that church remain. It is unknown why Ella and the youngest child, Charles, were not baptized at the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Perhaps, it was due to the looming threat of Civil War. The family did experience the Battle of Washington Township, the only Civil War battle that occurred on both sides of the line. The family incurred a loss of $81.00 in goods stolen by the Confederates but were reimbursed by the Federal government on 5 August 1868. The following year, the family relocated to St. Joseph County, Indiana close to Sara’s only sibling, Mary Ann Eyster who had married William Johnson. Mary Ann and William joined fellow parishioners from the Meadow Branch Church of the Brethren of Westminster, Carroll, Maryland in going west. Family records show that Sara readily adapted to the move to Indiana, visiting the community’s sick, helping out with church functions, and with her many grandchildren. She joined the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren and became an active member. At “6 oclock” on Wednesday, 21 March 1883, a day that had dawned “clear, cold, ground coverd with snow” in Liberty Township, Sarah Ann Eyster Harbaugh died of “a stroke of palsy.” Sarah was buried in St. John’s Lutheran Church Cemetery on 23 March 1883, following a funeral service performed by J. Hildebrand at the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren. The sermon was noted to be from “Luke, chap forty, fifth verse,” however, since Luke ends with chapter 23, the reading was most likely from chapter 4, “Then he took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a single instant. The female relatives gathered at George Henry and Sarah’s residence the day after the burial and “washd for their loved mother for the last time.” On 29 March 1883, Mary Ann “Went up to Saras to look over her things for the last time before the sale.” George Henry hired a sale caller and clerk who held the estate sale on 31 March 1883. Sarah’s family erected a tombstone on her plot on 11 September 1883. A white rose bush and flowers were added and the grave was tended to by family for years after her death.

Please see the following sources for much more information on Sarah Eyster and the Harbaugh family:
Lori Samuelson. Perseverance Amidst Adversity: The Ancestry of Three George Harbaughs. Amazon eBook, 2016.
Contact the submitter for a transcription of The Diary of Mary Ann Eyster Johnson.
Note: Church historians erroneously thought Sara and Mary Ann’s maiden name was Orndorff so the diary name is sometimes written as The Diary of Mary Ann Orndorf.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

George Henry Harbaugh

George Henry Harbaugh
birth: 1 March 1823 in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania to Elias and Mary Magdalene Weaver Harbaugh
death: 22 January 1909 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana

marriage: 13 June 1849 Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania
Sara Ann Eyster
birth: 22 June 1822 in Union Bridge, Carroll, Maryland to John and Mary Garver Eyster
death: 21 March 1883 in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: St. John’s Lutheran Cemetery, Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana

Children of Sara Ann Eyster and George Henry Harbaugh:

  • John Elias Harbaugh 1844-1899 Jemima Fair
  • Lincoln Mordecai Harbaugh 1846-1847
  • Mary Alice Harbaugh 1848-1931 Rev. Andrew Melling Rupel
  • Samuel Walter Harbaugh 1851-1916 Lozetta Rose
  • Laura Catherine Harbaugh 1853-1885 Daniel Steele
  • George Frederick Harbaugh 1856-1931Margaret E. “Maggie” Long
  • Ella Harbaugh Circa 1858-died as a child tombstone unreadable
  • Charles Victor Leo Harbaugh, M.D. 1861-1933 1st m. Elizabeth Swartley 2nd m. Frances Elizabeth Athey

Ancestor here lived in:

  • St. Joseph County, Indiana

Other Information:

George Henry Harbaugh was born on 1 March 1823 in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania, the second son and child of what would become six children. By 1828, the family had relocated to Washington, Franklin, Pennsylvania. They are found in 1840 in Frederick, Maryland which was the ancestral home of the Harbaughs in the U.S. It is possible the family returned to Maryland as George Henry’s grandfather, Christian Thomas, was in declining health and died in 1836. They likely remained there due to the Panic of 1837. By 1842, the family had returned to Washington, Franklin, Pennsylvania. The following year, George Henry married Sara Ann Esyter in Waynesboro, Franklin, Pennsylvania. The family joined a German-speaking church established at the foot of South Mountain near Pen Mar led by the Reverend Appel. George Henry followed his father’s trade as a wagon maker. By 1850, the young family had relocated back to Frederick, Maryland but they did not stay long; the following year they returned to Franklin, Pennsylvania. Upon their return the family joined the Evangelical Lutheran Church. In 1856, George Henry had expanded his business to include cabinetry; the family was living in Welsh Run, Franklin, Pennsylvania. Based on the 1860 US Federal census, the family had once again relocated to Waynesboro. Deed records show he owed one lot in and one lot out of town. Waynesboro is located just a few miles north of the Mason-Dixon line and the family did find themselves in the midst of the Battle of Washington Township, the only Civil War battle that occurred on both sides of the line. George Henry filed a claim for damages on 26 July 1863 for losses occurring on 24 July. The claim stated that Rebels took 40 pounds of corn, 2 pounds of flour, 20 bushels of oats, 50 pounds of bacon, a set of carriage harnesses, two riding bundles, and a saddle. George Henry was awarded $81.00 on 5 August 1868 after he had character witnesses testify that he did suffer a loss. In 1867, George Henry purchased an additional half lot to house a horse and stable. The following year, the family relocated to St. Joseph County, Indiana close to George Henry’s wife’s sister, Mary Ann. The family readily adapted to their new home; the youngest children were enrolled in school, one of which was a brand new public high school. The family joined the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren which had originated in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. George Henry continued working as a wagon maker, though by 1873 he faced fierce competition when the North Liberty Manufacturing Company opened a large wagon making plant. By 1880, all of George Henry’s living children were married and residing in Liberty Township, however, he was not found in the US Federal census. It is likely, upon close examination of the document, that the enumerator erred and confused George Henry with his son, George Frederick. Fourteen days after George Henry’s wife died in 1883, he sold his land to his son, George Frederick, and began traveling throughout the country, visiting his siblings and returning back to St. Joseph where he rotated living with his adult children. Once he became a grandfather he was called Pap, and was known to be a hard worker when he stayed with family. They recalled him assisting with gardening, making fences, cutting wood, and helping with other chores that needed to be performed. When his sister-in-law, Mary Ann, became a widow, George Henry purchased a cow for $25.00 from one of his son-in-laws and gifted her because her own cow had died. Records show he voted in St. Joseph County and in his spare time, enjoyed reading the Bible. He was baptized into the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren on 12 September 1889. The Panic of 1893 and age contributed to George Henry becoming an arm chair traveler; he shared with family books such as Girdling of the Globe: From the Land of the Midnight Sun to the Golden Gate and A Record of a Tour Around the World. George Henry died at his son, George Frederick’s home, near Teegarden, on 22 January 1909. His funeral was held at the Dunkard Church on 24 January with the Reverend J. Hildebrand officiating. He was buried next to his wife in St. Johns Lutheran Cemetery in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana.

Please see the following sources for much more information on George Henry and the Harbaugh family:
Lori Samuelson. Perseverance Amidst Adversity: The Ancestry of Three George Harbaughs. Amazon eBook, 2016.
Contact the submitter for a transcription of The Diary of Mary Ann Eyster Orndorf.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com

Elizabeth “Betsy” Troxell

Elizabeth “Betsy” Troxell
birth: 6 November 1820 in Montgomery, Ohio to Jacob and Mary Catherine Rauk Troxell
death: 16 December 1901 in Center Township, Delaware, Indiana
burial: Porter Rea Cemetery, St. Joseph, Indiana

marriage: 3 January 1839 in Connersville, Fayette, Indiana
John Anderson Long
birth: 14 November 1813 in Morristown, Jefferson, Tennessee to George Mitchell and Sarah Ford Long
death: 28 June 1874 in St. Joseph, Indiana
burial: Porter Rea Cemetery, St. Joseph County, Indiana

Children of Elizabeth “Betsy” Troxell and John Anderson Long:

  • Jacob John Long 1839-1914 Catharine Mangus
  • Sarah Catherine Long 1842-1925 Jacob Jamison
  • Lucinda Long 1843-1921 Adam Longaker
  • Jonathan Long 1845-1871 Sara Kane
  • George Mitchell Long 1849-1921 1st m. Mary Nancy Chappel 2nd m. Lucinda Waner
  • Thomas G. Long 1851-1852
  • William Long 1853-1916 Margaret Jane Nichols
  • Francis Marion Long 1856-1934 Priscilla Ann Livengood
  • Mary A. Long 1858-1950 1st m. Milton Elisha White 2nd m. Daniel O. Cramer
  • Margaret E. “Maggie” Long 1860-1944 George Frederick Harbaugh
  • Bemjamin A. Long 1868-1954 Effie Allen

Ancestor here lived in:

  • Waterloo, Fayette, Indiana
  • Connersville, Fayette, Indiana
  • Barrens, St. Joseph County, Indiana
  • Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana

Other Information:

Elizabeth “Betsy” Troxell was the oldest of eight children born to Jacob and Mary Catherine Rauk Troxell. Her mother died when she was 14 years old; her father remarried and she gained one step sister when she was 23 years old. Betsy spent her early childhood in Montgomery, Ohio. It is likely she arrived in Indiana with her family about 1829. The family relocated as her father was building a mill race on the west fork of the White River near Waterloo, Fayette, Indiana. It was there she met her husband, George Anderson Long. The couple was married by Elisha Vance on 3 January 1839 in Connersville, Fayette, Indiana. By 1842 the couple and their youngest child had relocated to land that was west and north west of the Barrens, St. Joseph County, Indiana. The family’s deed for the densely forested land was purportedly written on sheepskin. The family became affiliated with the German Baptist Church in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana in 1859. On 20 February 1862, Betsy found herself as a single mother when her husband, an abolitionist, joined the Union Army at age 48. At the time, nine of her children were still in the household; the youngest was age 2 and the eldest was age 20. Oldest son, Jacob, had married and was residing in his own household. Youngest child, Benjamin, was not born until after the Civil War ended. It is likely that her strong faith helped her through this difficult period. Family members recalled her favorite song was I’m Going Home, a hymn, that she sang as she worked. Betsy’s husband returned from the war but died when their youngest child was only 5 years old. Betsy was very close to her youngest daughter, Margaret “Maggie” Long Harbaugh and resided nearby, though she did travel often to visit her other adult children who were scattered across the state. On 16 March 1885, with her father ailing, Betsy relocated to assist him in Fayette County, Indiana. After his death on 6 April 1885 she returned to reside in Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana with her son William and his family. Sometime after 14 July 1901, Betsy went to visit her son, Francis, in Center Township, Delaware, Indiana. On 16 November 1901, Francis sent his siblings a telegram that Betsy was “at the point of death.” The family gathered around her but returned to their homes by 21 November as Betsy seemed to be recovering. On 23 November, Betsy took a turn for the worse and could only answer yes or no. She died on 15 December 1901 at 4 o’clock in the evening at her son, Francis’ home near Muncie. She had been paralyzed for 4 weeks less a day. Her body was returned to her old home in North Liberty Township, St. Joseph, Indiana on 17 December 1901 at 4 PM. Her daughter, Maggie, brought Maggie’s Aunt-in-law, Mary Ann Orndorf Johnson, to a private viewing as Mary Ann and Betsy had been close friends. A funeral service was held at the Meeting House, preaching by Br. J. Hildebrand and A. M Rupel. Betsy was buried next to her husband; she was 81 years, 1 month and 8 days old.

There is much information about Betsy in a diary written by her friend, Mary Ann Orndorf Johnson. The volumes are held by the Pine Creek Church of the Brethren. Contact the submitter for a transcription.

Submitted by:
Lori Samuelson
Email: genealogyatheart@gmail.com