Bio-Younkin, ElizWable

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Elizabeth (Younkin) Wable
(1883-1917)

Georgia "Elizabeth" (Younkin) Wable was born on May 2, 1883 near Rockwood, Somerset County, PA, the daughter of William "Shedrick" and Caroline (Cupp) Younkin. Both Elizabeth and her husband died young, leaving two daughters as orphans.

In about 1902, when Lizzie was age 19, she married 24-year-old Charles T. Wable (1878-1918), son of Hiram Wable of Rockwood. They had two daughters, Fern Vough and Ruby Barron.

The Wables resided on West Broadway in Rockwood. Charles was employed as a carpenter, while a local newspaper once said that Lizzie was "a devoted member" of the United Evangelical Church in Rockwood.

In the year 1910, when the federal census was taken, Lizzie and Charles and their daughters were enumerated in Rockwood, and were next door neighbors to Lizzie's sister and brother in law, Edith and George A. Miller.

Rockwood's Main Street, early 1900s

Tragically, Lizzie suffered from “liver trouble” and in 1917 became exceedingly ill. After three months of suffering, she died on Feb. 1, 1917, just shy of her 34th birthday. Her funeral was conducted at her church by Rev. G.W. Hetrick. She was buried at Rockwood IOOF Cemetery.

A year later, at the age of 40, Charles caught the flu, which developed into a fatal case of pneumonia. He died shortly afterward, in mid-October 1918. His funeral was conducted by Rev. W.A. McClellan of the Rockwood Reformed Church. He also was buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery, and an obituary was published in the Somerset County Leader.

After the untimely deaths of Lizzie and Charles, their daughters went to reside with aunts and uncles, where they were raised to adulthood. One of their guardians was said to have been their uncle, William "Billy" Wable. In about 1923, at the death of their grandfather William "Shedrick" Younkin, Fern and Ruby each inherited $48.74 in the division of the estate's assets.

~ Daughter Fern V. (Wable) Vough ~

Daughter Fern V. Wable (1903 - ? ) was born on April 1, 1903. After her parents' deaths, she made her home in Rockwood in 1920 with her uncle and aunt, Z. Edward and Nora Miller, when she was age 16. Thus she would have grown up with her cousins George, Florence and Oren Miller.

Sometime in the 1920s, Fern relocated to Akron, Summit County, OH, where obtained a job as a bookkeeper with one of the city's famed rubber companies. She may have been drawn to Akron by another uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. John P. Wilt, who resided there.

Later, she married (?) Vough and worked for the American Greetings Card Company in Cleveland. She made her home in Barberton, Summit County, OH, where she was a member of the First Lutheran Church of Barberton.

Fern passed away on Oct. 29, 1987, at the age of 84. Her remains were returned to Rockwood for burial in the Wable plot at the Odd Fellows Cemetery.

~ Daughter Ruby E. (Wable) Barron ~

Daughter Ruby Evelyn Wable (1909- ? ) was just age nine when she was orphaned. She was taken into the Rockwood dwelling of her aunt and uncle, Edith and George A. Miller, as shown in the 1920 census, when she was age 11.

In early 1930, at the age of 21, Ruby was employed as a servant in the home of George Knee and his unmarried sister Annie Knee.

Later in 1930, on Oct. 18, Ruby married Sheldon Maurice Barron (1901- ? ), the son of Norman H. and Margaret (Barclay) Shultz Barron. She was age 22, and he 29, at the time of marriage. Their nuptial ceremony was performed by Rev. H.M. Petrea.

Sheldon was a coal miner, likely in or around Schellsburg, Somerset County, where their wedding took place. Later, they made their home on a farm near Somerset, possibly near the landmark Oak Hurst Tea Room.

The Barrons had three known sons -- Donald Barron, Dale Barron and George Barron -- all living as of 1987.

Ruby is pictured in the book, Down the Road of Our Past, Book II, seen here, published by the Rockwood Area Historical and Genealogical Society.

Their fates are unknown.