Arnold
A. Overholt
(1893-1943)
Arnold
A. Overholt was born on March 12, 1893 in Greensburg, Westmoreland County,
PA, the son of James W. and Almira
(Minerd) Overholt.
On Oct. 20, 1915, Arnold married Violet Grace Erwin (1893-1976), the daughter of George B.M. and Charlotte (Parsons) Erwin. (The two families were close, and Violet’s sister Edith married Arnold’s half-brother, Ernest E. Minerd.)
The Overholts had seven children – Clayton Ralph Overholt, Hazel Wolfe, Ethel Trout, Brinton W. Overholt, Dorothy Long-Wagner, Harry Arnold Overholt and Grace Watson.
Circa 1915, the Overholts resided in Midway, near Greensburg, PA. In 1927, they lived at 108 North Sixth Street in Youngwood, and their telephone number was “29-W.”
In
August 1930, when the 16th Minerd Reunion was held at Shady Grove Park near
Uniontown, Fayette County, PA, Arnold served as President. He oversaw a
committee including his brother Ernest (Secretary), Frank
Zearfoss, Bess (Minerd) Lemon, Dr.
Paul Luckey, Andrew Luckey, Frank Woodmancy and Dr.
H. Daniel Minerd.
The Overholts were longtime members of the First Church of the United Brethren in Christ, located on North Third Street in Youngwood. Arnold served as president of the Knights of Honor Sunday School Class, which circa 1915 comprised 46 men. His brother Ernest was on the Sunday School executive committee, and president of the equally large Friends' Bible Class.
Arnold was a fireman for the Pennsylvania Railroad for nearly three decades, serving from 1914 to 1943. Violet was a fourth grade teacher in 1914-1917 and 1944-1955, primarily at Youngwood Elementary School.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Yards at Youngwood, ca. 1914,
when Arnold began working there.
Tragically, Arnold suffered from post lateral sclerosis, "a disease very similar to Lou Gehrig's disease," said a granddaughter. "The only difference is that Gehrig's began in his arms, and Arnold's began in his legs."
Arnold passed away
at home on Jan. 30, 1943, at the age of 50. His final
words were, "I want you all to meet me in Heaven." He is buried at
Hillview Cemetery in Greensburg.
Tragically, son Harry died the same year as his father -- in August -- when his car skidded on a wet road and plunged over an embankment.
Violet survived her husband by more than
three decades. She passed away on July 8, 1976, just four days after our nation’s
Bicentennial. She and her family are honored with a memorial plaque at the Youngwood Community
Center, erected by their adult children. Violet is mentioned in the book, Our
Town in Picture and Story: Youngwood, Pennsylvania, 1899-1974. She and
Arnold also are mentioned in the book, Youngwood: The Railroad Town.
Daughter Dorothy (seen
at right) was Tax
Collector of Youngwood Borough, PA, and
served for 22 years, until her death in 2000. Her first husband, Paul E. Long, was
an Air Force veteran of World War II. Her second husband, William C. Wagner, was a
member of the 490th Bomb Group in World War II, and the owner of Wagner Randel
Produce for nearly a half-century.
Seen at left, grandson in law Dick Reynolds is Director of Athletics at Otterbein College in Westerville, OH. He has served for three decades as head coach of men's basketball at Otterbein, and is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Ohio Athletic Conference. In the process, he has racked up more than 500 victories. He is in the top 10 nationally for wins among active coaches, and 12th all-time in NCAA Division III. Dick poses with the game ball following his 500th career win in February 2001.
Copyright © 2002-2003, 2006 Mark A. Miner