Bio-Farabee, JamesW

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James Warren Farabee
(1868-1915)

James Warren Farabee was born on Valentine’s Day 1868 in either Washington County, PA or in West Virginia, the son of Spencer and Nancy (Minor) Farabee. He is one of many Minerd-Miner-Minor cousins to have been killed in a railroad accident.

In 1892, James married Della Jane Shultz (1871-1946), a native of Whiteley Twp., Greene County, PA, and the daughter of Valentine and Alice (Dulaney) Shultz. They had no children.

James was a farm laborer.

When the federal census of 1910 was taken, James and Della were residing near Waynesburg, Greene County, on the road leading from Short Creek to Sweggan.

Tragedy struck on Jan. 12, 1915, while James was en route from Hackney, Washington County, PA to Pittsburgh. The Waynesburg Republican reported that he was struck and killed by a passenger train on the Chartiers Valley Railroad:

[He] had started to Pittsburgh, but got off the train at Woodville for some purpose. He started to cross the railroad track and stopped in front of a fast train, whose approach he had failed to notice. He was dead when picked up, both legs being broken and his skull was crushed, besides other injuries. He was unidentified, and his body was taken to the Pittsburgh morgue on the next train. It was not known that it was Farabee who had been killed until Saturday, when two of his brothers, Clinton and Oliver Farabee, of Morrisville, went to the city in search of him and visited the morgue, where they identified his body.

James’ funeral was held in his parents’ home, and his mangled remains were laid to rest at Oakmont Cemetery.

After the death of her husband, Jane resided at Hackney, PA. In 1946, she wrote a will, stating that she was to be buried at Greene County Memorial Park near her friend, Mrs. Harvey Hughes (connection unknown). She left funds for her sisters, nieces and nephews, presumably all on her side of the family.

Jane later in life moved into the home of her brother in law, John Maple, in Carmichaels, Greene County. A rare old photographic postcard of Carmichaels' famed "Sand Rocks" landmark is seen at left.

She died at the Maple home at age 75 on March 28, 1946. In her will, she named her sisters, nieces and nephews as heirs.