Bertha
(Ream) Conn
(1897-1954)
Bertha
Blanche (Ream) Conn was born Dec. 12, 1897 in Lower Turkeyfoot Twp.,
Confluence, Somerset County, PA. She was the second
of 16 children born to Joseph and Sarah
Ellen (Harbaugh) Ream.
A lifelong farmer, she is seen at left with a prize bull.
Bertha and her sisters worked very hard as young girls growing up. She and her sisters performed many duties to run the household for themselves and the growing family of her parents. In those days much was required of the children in the family. Bertha’s brothers worked in the timber with their father and ran the farm. Bertha and her sisters and their mother worked very hard washing clothes on the board, scrubbing wood floors, tending the garden, canning, milking the cows, gathering eggs, baking bread everyday and preparing the meals for the family.
Bertha and her sister Ethel were the first two of of the children to marry. Bertha married Donald Wilbert Conn (1905-1991) son of Harvey and Ida Mae (Metzler) Conn. Bertha and Donald resided at the original family farm. Her parents had moved to another farm several miles away on the Jersey Hollow Road, outside of Confluence, PA.
Bertha and Donald had three children -- Richard Donald Conn, Ruby Geneva King, and Dorothy Jean Younkin-Butch.
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A common wintry sight -- men clearing a heavy snowfall on the road from Confluence to Somerset, circa 1936. |
In August 1924, Bertha and her parents were among a crowd of 82 who attended the annual Minerd-Miner Reunion held at Lincoln's grove, near the Western Maryland Railroad Station in Confluence, Somerset County. In an article about the reunion, the Meyersdale Republican reported: "A very successful and pleasant reunion of the Minard family was held ... A fine picnic dinner was partaken of at 12:30 p.m., after L.L. Mountain invoked a blessing." Bertha was mentioned by name in the article.
Bertha died of cancer and on Nov. 30, 1954. She was only 57 years of age.
Donald married again to a widow Sara Suder, and lived until Jan. 30, 1991. Bertha and Donald are buried at the Jersey Cemetery, Confluence.
Daughter Dorothy married Richard Younkin, son of Frank Younkin of Kingwood, on Feb. 23, 1948. The ceremony took place in Cumberland, Allegany County, MD, at the Methodist Church. Attendants were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kreger of Kingwood. At the time, Richard was employed by Royal Electric Company.
Copyright © 2001 Doris (Sands) Hawker and Mark A. Miner