Herbert
Matthias Ream
(1910-1991)
Herbert
Matthias Ream
was born Sept. 10, 1910 in Lower Turkeyfoot Twp., Confluence, PA.
He was the 10th of 16 children born to Joseph
and Sarah Ellen (Harbaugh) Ream. He
liked to joke to his children that the year he was born was the year when
"the women ran after the men."
On Dec. 4, 1933, Herb married Florence Maria Rugg (1917-1999), daughter of Thornton and Susie (Ohler) Rugg. They resided in Mill Run, Fayette County, PA.
They had 7 children -- Delores 'Jean' Stull, Helen June Harbaugh, Kenneth Dale Ream, Shirley Mae Hensel, Lois Marie Henry, Robert Gerald Ream and Linda Faye Henry.
During his lifetime, Herb was known for being "an honest hardworking man but he never had a lot of patience (remember he had seven children)," said a daughter. "He was generous although he never had much money. He would work for people and then forget half the hours he put in when it was time to get paid. He was always giving the grandkids a quarter or later a dollar when a dollar seemed like a lot."
Herb worked as a coal miner for Saxon Coal Co., and the family resided in Acosta, Somerset County, PA, a company town. He was a member of the United Mine Workers Local 1742. Recalled a daughter:I remember seeing the carbine light forming a moving line (miners wore headgear with lights attached as they entered the mine) as the men started a shift at work. He had very little formal education but was sought after for all sorts of building projects, laying brick or concrete block, erecting houses as well as additions and repairs. I was amazed at the way he could calculate in his head when he could not do math on paper, how many concrete blocks or 2x4 lumber a project would need.
After retirement, Herb was employed by the Mastowski and Fullem Lumber Co. of Normalville, PA. He loved to hunt for raccoons and would take some of his children along, often bribing them with a small sum of money. He gained a reputation as a 'waterwitch' who, said a daughter, "could take a branch in the shape of a Y from a tree, walk over the ground and when the branch would turn in his hands, find an underground stream of water. He could even tell how deep it was. This was valuable information for anyone needing to drill a well."
Herb
and Florence enjoyed the annual Harbaugh
Reunions. They are recorded to have been present in 1949, when their
11-day-old daughter Linda received the "Youngest in Attendance
Award." Florence and baby Linda are seen here. They also attended in
1985-86-88 (when Florence opened the meetings with prayer);
1989-90 (when they received the "Longest Married Award"); and 1992 and
1995 (after Herb's death, when Florence attended and won the "Oldest Woman
Award").
The Reams were members of the Melcroft Assembly of God Church. In 1968, they celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary with an open house reception at the Indian Creek Valley Community Center. The party was arranged by their 7 children and 12 grandchildren.
Said a granddaughter:
He always liked to tease although we really felt he was tormenting us like hiding one of our shoes when we were getting ready to go someplace. He loved teasing us, stealing food off our plates or our eating utensils. We always figured out it was him because of the smile on his face.
Herb died April 7, 1991. Florence outlived him by more than 8 years. She passed away on New Year's Eve 1999, the last day of the 20th century. They are buried in the Normalville Cemetery, Normalville, PA.
For more information, contact daughter Jean Stull.
Copyright © 2001-2002 Doris (Sands) Hawker and Mark A. Miner