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Marshall Harbaugh |
Marshall Harbaugh was born on Feb. 23, 1867 in or near Nicolay, on the mountainous border of Fayette and Somerset Counties, PA, the son of Joseph and Jane (Williams) Harbaugh.
As
a young man, Marshall married Annie Shroyer (1880-1910), the daughter of Adam Shroyer of Mill Run.
The Harbaughs resided at Maple Summit, near Ohiopyle, Fayette County, and had eight children -- Nora Pearl Ream, William Elliot Harbaugh, Marshall Joseph Harbaugh, Elmer Roosevelt Harbaugh, James Franklin Harbaugh, and triplets Lawson Frederick Harbaugh, Lutitia Jane Harbaugh and Bertha Ruth Harbaugh. The triplets apparently were named, in part, for Marshall's cousin and wife, Lawson and Lutitia (Steyer) Minerd of Mill Run.
In 1908, running on the Republican ticket, Marshall was elected Road Supervisor of Stewart Township, beating John Sailor, 74 votes to 44.
Tragically, in January 1910, Annie died at the age of 30 after giving birth to the triplets, who in turn all died within a few days. The Connellsville Daily Courier said she "was a woman of estimable character. Her death has cast a gloom over the community." She was laid to rest in the quiet country churchyard of the Maple Summit Church of God.
After 20 months as a widower, Marshall married Mary Jane "Elizabeth" Sands (1885-1956) on Sept. 18, 1911. She was the daughter of John and Catherine (Linderman) Sands. The couple had three more children -- Homer Lewis Harbaugh, Bert Raymond Harbaugh and Joseph Harbaugh.
In August 1932, he served as president of the annual Harbaugh Reunion. Marshall kept family records that were published in the 1947 book, Harbaugh History (Evansville, IN), authored by Cora Bell and J.L. Cooprider.
Marshall and Mary sold 72 acres of their Stewart Township farm to son Elmer for a token one dollar in September 1937.
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Marshall and Annie's grave at Maple Summit Church |
Two of Marshall and Annie's adult children, Nora Pearl and William Eliot, married Harbaugh-Minerd cousins -- Nora to Cyril "Edgar" Ream and William to Ethel Irene Ream.
Marshall passed away on June 18, 1941, at the age of 74. He is buried beside his first wife at Maple Summit.
As a widow, Mary went to live with her son Bert in Lorain, Cuyahoga County, OH. She died at his home at the age of 70 on July 15, 1956. Her remains were returned to Confluence for the funeral, followed by burial at Maple Summit Cemetery. At the time of her death, she was survived by 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Son Elmer Roosevelt Harbaugh (1904-1963) married
Pearl Irene Sands (1918- ? ) on July 3, 1936. They had three children, Elizabeth
Pearl Waltes, Barbara Diane Harbaugh and Hugh Marshall Harbaugh. Circa 1942, the Harbaughs
moved to Fredericktown, Washington County, where Elmer obtained employment. Said
the Daily Courier, Elmer "was a member, deacon and Sunday school
teacher of East Bethlehem Baptist Church and a member of Vestaburg Local No.
762, UMWA, and was employed at Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp's Vesta No. 5
Mine." An old blue-tinted postcard view of Vesta's tipple at California,
Washington County is seen here -- with a daily capacity of 7,000 tons, it
was the largest bituminous coal mine in the world. Elmer died unexpectedly at home on March 19, 1963, at the age of 59.
Burial was in Mill Run.
Son Bert Raymond Harbaugh (1915-1971) lived as an adult in Lorain, Cuyahoga County, OH (1950s and '60s) and in Long Beach, CA (1970s). He died in Long Beach at the age of 56 on March 25, 1971. He was laid to rest in Long Beach. His brief obituary was published in the Connellsville Daily Courier.
Copyright © 2007, 2009 Mark A. Miner