| Home |
Elizabeth (Rowan) Hall was born on April 19, 1831, in Maple Summit, Springfield Township, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of James and Catherine (Harbaugh) Rowan. Her features included dark hair and blue eyes. Unmarried at the age of 19, in 1850, Elizabeth resided with her parents in Youghiogheny Township, Fayette County. Then again in 1860, still single at age 29, she remained in her parents' household in Stewart Township, Fayette County. Evidence suggests that during the Civil War years between 1862 and 1866, when she would have been in her early 30s, she was united in wedlock with widower Joseph Hall Jr. (1811- ? ), son of Joseph and Mary (Matthews) Hall Sr. He was two decades older than she, and could neither rear nor write. Joseph's nephew John K. Hall, a Civil War veteran and son of Garrett Hall, also married into the Harbaugh/Minerd family, entering into wedlock with Lucinda Minerd, daughter of Charles and Adaline (Harbaugh) Minerd. Joseph and his first wife, also named Elizabeth (1811- ? ), had borne 10 offspring -- among them Abigail Hall, David L. Hall, Samuel Hall, Hilah Jane "Hiley" Hull Baker, Henry Hall, William Hall, Winfield S. Hall, Mary Hall I, Susanna Morrison and Mark Hall. Evidence further suggests that our Elizabeth and Joseph went on to produce six additional children -- James R. Hall, Sabina Catherine Knopsnyder, Levi Hall, Josiah Hall, Mary Hall II and one unknown. Thus there were 16 children in the combined family, with a span of 45 years in between the ages of the eldest and youngest. Elizabeth herself was only three years older than her eldest stepdaughter. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1850, Joseph and his first family lived in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County, with him eking out a living as a farmer. By 1860, the Halls dwelled at Wharton Furnace in Fayette County, where Joseph worked with his sons David and Samuel as day laborers. Their next door neighbors at the Furnace that year included Andrew Jackson and Minerva (Minerd) Inks and James and Sarah (Walters) Minerd Sr.
Our Elizabeth came into the picture in the mid-1860s. During the Civil War, three of Joseph's sons enlisted in the Union Army. David was assigned to the David 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry, while Henry and William were placed within the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry. The family was plunged into grief when two of the sons did not return home. David was captured and died as a prisoner of war at the Confederacy's Belle Isle camp in Richmond, VA. William passed away in a field hospital at Brandy Station, VA. Neither son's burial site is known. By 1870, Joseph and our Elizabeth had relocated to a farm at Maple Summit, Stewart Township, Fayette County. The United States Census of 1870 shows the family as next-door neighbors to Elizabeth's parents, in whose home also lived Elizabeth's 81-year-old step-grandmother Martha (Minerd) Imel Harbaugh and cousin Lucinda Minerd. They apparently did not own their farm as the family is not shown in a detailed Stewart Township map in the 1876 Atlas of Fayette County.
Census records for 1880 list the Halls remaining on a farm near Maple Summit, and making their home near Elizabeth's parents and married brother Allen H. and Joanna "Annie" (Linderman) Rowan. Joseph's fate is not yet known, but will be included here once discovered. At the age of 75, Elizabeth suffered a stroke and died quickly in the Knopsnyder home near Markleton in Black Township, Somerset County on March 5, 1907. A physician later wrote that "the death of the above named Person was caused by paralysis the left side of the body being paralyzed. there was no Doctor in attendance. the above information given by Son in law the undersigned who was Present and at whose home she died." Son Levi of Victoria, Fayette County, was the informant on her death certificate. Burial was in the Maple Summit Cemetery. Her name and birth details were inscribed in pen and ink details in a manuscript genealogy notebook kept her first cousin, Allen Edward Harbaugh, the famed "Mountain Poet" of Mill Run, appearing on this page. ~ Step-daughter Abigail Hall ~ Step-daughter Abigail Hall (1834- ? ) was born in about 1834. At the age of 16, in September 1850, she lived at home with her parents in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County. Nothing more about her is known. If she married, her husband's name has not been identified..
~ Stepson Samuel Hall ~ Stepson Samuel Hall (1838- ? ) was born in about 1838. At the age of 22, in 1860, he resided with his parents at Wharton Furnace, Fayette County and earned a living as a day laborer at the Furnace, a hot blast charcoal facility producing ingots of iron. Did he join the Union Army during the Civil War? Research is underway to determine if he served in the 2nd Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery and drew a military pension after the war [Invalid App. No. 690.439 - Cert. No. 841.711]. He may -- or may not -- be the the same Samuel Hall who married Sara W. ( ? - ? ) and, as a widower, died of acute heart failure at the age of 86 on March 8, 1924, in Henry Clay Township, Fayette County, with burial in the M.N. Thomas Cemetery in Markleysburg. On the official Pennsylvania certificate of death for this man, the space for the names of his parents was left blank, and no obituary has yet been found in the local newspaper, the Connellsville Daily Courier. But this identity is conjecture and all of it needs to be confirmed precisely. [Find-a-Grave] ~ Stepson Henry Hall ~
He grew up in Wharton Township but never learned to read or write. As a young man, he stood 5 feet, 10 inches tall, and had a dark complexion, blue eyes and auburn hair. During the Civil War, he and his brother William served with the 116th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company K. They both joined the Union Army on March 23, 1864 and remained through the duration of the war. The 116th was one of six regiments comprising the famed "Irish Brigade." The men were issued obsolete smoothbore muskets, which fired buck-and-ball shot producing a shotgun effect in close-range combat. Among other soldiers in the regiment was Silas Younkin, a distant step-cousin by marriage. Just a month after enlistment, Henry contracted the measles and rubella and was treated in an army hospital. He thus was absent when his regiment took part in the excessively bloody Wilderness campaign from early May to early June 1864 -- battles including Todd’s Tavern, Spottsylvania, Totopotomy, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, William’s Farm, Strawberry Plains, Deep Bottom and Reams Station. Henry recovered from his medical problems and rejoined the regiment in about September 1864.
The 116th spent the winter of 1864-1865 in camp during the siege of Petersburg, occasionally performing reconnaissance and skirmishing. Fighting resumed at Gravelly Run (March 30, 1865), Five Forks (April 1) and Farmville (April 7, just two days before the enemy’s surrender).
Sadly, Henry's brother William did not survive the war, dying in a field hospital at Brandy Station, VA. Henry completed his term of military and received an honorable discharge on July 14, 1865, while in Washington, DC. He then returned home to the mountains. In 1865, at the age of 23, Henry married 24-year-old Mary Margaret Hull (April 1841-1916), daughter of John Hull. Magistrate Dougherty Elliott officiated at the nuptials ceremony, held in Wharton Township. Mary's middle name also has been given as "Catherine." She also lacked reading and writing skills. The couple produce these nine children -- David X. Hall, Mary "Margaret" Van Sickle, Winfield S. Hall II, John W. Hall, Levi Hall II, Archibald William "Archie" Hall, George Hall, Walter Hall and Washington (or "Washabaugh" or more simply "Wash") Hall.
On Dec. 16, 1891, Henry was awarded a military pension for his service during the Civil War. [Invalid App. #1077818 - Cert. #881402]. In his application, he claimed that the measles had caused weakness and disease in his lower back and kidneys and that he had "much indigestion" from a "diseased stomach." Brother-in-law Jonathan Baker and family friend George A. Anderson both signed an affidavit saying they had known Henry for many years "to be respectable, a good citizen and a quiet and peaceable man in the community where he has always lived, residing for a long time including as much as quite a number of years in the same neighbourhood and near neighbors...." They also noted that his back problems were not caused by "vicious habits." Friends Alexander Doyle and Wyley McKean testified in writing that Henry had been "very much disabled from the performance of manual labor." When examined circa 1893, an army surgeon wrote of Henry that "He is decidedly sensitive to pressure over the region of the kidneys. Tongue heavily coated and cracked, showing indigestion. There is a slight condition of hemorrhoids. In my opinion all the above may have been caused by exposure while in U.S. service."
Henry and Mary lived in Uniontown in their older years. Sadly, Mary was burdened with heart disease ("myocardial degeneration") and chronic bronchitis and passed away at the age of 71 on Aug. 4, 1916. Interment was in the Christ's Church Lutheran Church Cemetery in Chalk Hill, with son John W. Hall of Uniontown signing the certificate of death. At the age of 78, for three months, Henry suffered a deadly case of dropsy (congestive heart failure), and on Aug. 7, 1921, Henry died at home from the effects of a mitral heart lesion. Burial was in Chalk Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery. Son Winfield signed the death certificate, but while knowing the name of Henry's father, was unable to provide the maiden name of Henry's mother. In an obituary, the Uniontown Morning Herald reported that he "was well known in the county having spent the greater part of his life here." As well, a one-paragraph obituary was printed in the Connellsville Daily Courier. Several members of his old army company attended the funeral held at the Hall home, and other veterans participated in the burial service, which was officiated by Rev. Jasper Barnthouse. Son David X. Hall (1862-1936) was born on March 13, 1862 or 1863 or 1864. He lived in Jumonville in the mountains above Uniontown, Fayette County, and earned income as a laborer. On Oct. 4, 1891, when he was 28 years of age, David was united in marriage with 18-year-old Alice Margaret Cassidy (March 1874-1944), of Wharton Township, daughter of George and Margaret (Hoar) Cassidy. Justice of the peace George W. Hansel officiated. At the time of marriage, David earned a living as a laborer. They produced these 11 known children -- George Hall, Mary Miller, Ida Crum, Bertha Lee Hull, Lulu Hall, Theodore Hall, John Hall, Dorothy Hawk, Earl Hall, Winfield A. Hall and Lucy Kehn. Two other offspring were deceased by 1910. The family dwelled in Wharton Township, Fayette County in 1900, with David working as a timber cutter. In 1910, the federal census enumeration shows the Halls residing in Jumonville, North Union Township, with David and his son George working as laborers performing odd jobs. Remaining in Jumonville during the decade of the 1910s, David was listed as a farmer in the 1920 census. Their dwelling in 1920 was along the National Turnpike on the stretch from Coolspring to Jumonville Road to Summit Hotel. The Uniontown Morning Herald once called David "beloved" and also "one of the most highly respected residents of the mountain." Burdened with an ulcer of his foot, and added to heart problems which were common in the family, David began to fail in health from aortic regurgitation and died in Jumonville at age 74 on Oct. 13, 1936. Burial was in the Fulton Cemetery near Jumonville, with Rev. William King of the Percy Methodist Protestant Church officiating. Daughter Mary Miller of Edenborn, PA was the informant for the Pennsylvania certificate of death. An obituary in the Morning Herald noted that his survivors included 19 grandchildren and five brothers. Alice outlived her husband by eight years. Suffering from acute heart disease and diabetes, in addition to a carbuncle on her neck, she was admitted to Uniontown Hospital and died there on Sept. 3, 1944.
Daughter Mary "Margaret" Hall (1864-1926) was born on June 8, 1864 or 1866. She appears to have married a step-cousin Otha "William" Baker (1866- ? ), son of Jonathan and Cascinda "Catharine" (Ogle) Baker of Wharton Township, with the license issued on Nov. 27, 1889, when he was 23 and she 25. There is no record that an actual wedding took place. The couple produced three known children, Bessie Lee Cooley, Earl W. Baker and Chauncey Baker. Later, Margaret married (?) Van Sickle. She lived in Hopwood, Fayette County in 1921. Sadly, at the age of 62, Margaret suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died on Dec. 15, 1926. Her remains were laid to rest in the Chalk Hill Lutheran Cemetery, with the Edward E. Minerd Funeral Home handling the arrangements. Son Chauncey Baker of Hopwood signed the death certificate. A stone marks the grave today, inscribed "Mother" and "In Loving Memory."
Son Winfield S. Hall II (1867-1952) was born on April 14 or 17, 1867 or 1868. He married a cousin, Hilda Jane "Hallie" (Hull) Van Sickle (1896-1971), who was 29 years younger, and daughter of John Henry and Melverta "Melverdie" (Rishel) Hull. They produced two known children, Winfield "Ray" Hall and Hazel Mae Hull. Winfield earned a living as a laborer, dwelling in Chalk Hill, Fayette County. In the 1920s, afflicted with stomach and kidney problems, Winfield tried Konjola, a medicine said to cure a variety of ailments and which was available at Central Drug Store in Uniontown. Pleased with the results, he consented to allow his photograph and words to be published in a Konjola testimonial in the Jan. 5, 1929 edition of the Uniontown Morning Herald. "Happy beyond expression of the wonders Konjola wrought for him," the testimonial continued:
I shall never stop rejoicing that I decided, after weeks of hesitation, to give Konjola a chance to relieve me of rheumatism and stomach trouble. For two years or more I was a fictim of a complication of diseases that caused all kinds of misery. I developed rheumatism in my lower limbs shortly after my stomach and kidneys became disordered. Every time I put my weight on my feet, sharp, shooting pains shot through my limbs. I was unable to sleep at night, work efficiently during the day. Loss of appetite resulted in a weak and rundown condition of my system. Glas bloating followed every meal. At night I had to rise several times because of my kidneys, and every morning found me weak and tired. I had heard Konjola recommended for such troubles as mine and many friends sincerely indorsed it. So I decided to see what it would do for me. What a surprise and pleasure was in store for me. I have taken but a brief treatment, and yet the results obtained were almost beyond imagination. I can eat any kind of food and in any quantity without trouble with my stomach. I am stronger in every way and have begun to pick up in weight. My kidneys no longer bother me and I enjoy sound, refreshing sleep at night. The rheumatism has been so relieved that I can get around and do my work without suffering and only a dim memory remains to tell me of the many years of suffering I formerly endured. (An interesting twist is that one of Winfield's neighbors and distant step-cousins, Bartholomew "Beth" Minerd, also of Chalk Hill, also used the Konjola and also was profiled in a Morning Herald testimonial around that time.) In July 1935, Winfield and a number of local men assisted in cleaning and weeding historic sites including Jumonville's Grave and Washington's Rocks. The team included John K. Hall, Joe Fitzsimmons, Dan Varndell, Daniel Varndell, Ludwig Wedel, John Varndell, Wesley Johnson, Russell Varndell, David Hall and Earl Hall. Under the supervision of road construction foreman John Bradley, the men tore out undergrowth allowing the sites to be "more attractive and easier to locate," reported the Morning Herald. "For the past year nothing has been done at either site and weeds and underbrush had taken firm root to grow up over tablets and other markers, making them difficult to find.... Refreshments were furnished gratis throughout the day by Harry Whyel, proprietor of Jumonville Inn. The workers visited the spots again yesterday for a last minute's survey befor letting the general public in on the back-breaking labor contribution which has resulted in two of the county's historic spots again becoming places that apparently have been given special care to perpetuate Fayette's historic sites and make them drawing cards for the large number of tourists who frequent this section and Fort Necessity." Circa 1940, census records show the Halls living in Wharton Township, with son Ray earning income as a construction laborer. At the age of 84, suffering from hardening of the arteries, hypertension and cardiovascular disease, Winfield died on Leap Day 1952. Interment was in the Chalk Hill Lutheran Cemetery. Later, Hilda wedded Orville Van Sickle ( ? - ? ). They lived along Wharton Furnace Road. The couple grieved at the untimely death of daughter Hazel in 1958. At the age of 74, suffering from stomach cancer and congestive heart failure, Hallie died at home on Sept. 22, 1971. Her funeral service was held at the Chalk Hill Lutheran Church, with Dr. Earl P. Confer officiating, and followed by interment in the church cemetery. The Uniontown Morning Herald printed an obituary.
Son John W. Hall (1870-1944) was born on Jan. 29, 1870 or 1871 in Wharton Township. At the age of 21, on Nov. 26, 1891, John was united in wedlock with 21-year-old Alice Klink (July 4, 1870-1938), daughter of William and Hannah Klink of Wharton Township. Justice of the peace George W. Hansel led the nuptials. The Halls and Klinks were close, and John's brother Levi married Alice's sister Emma. John and Alice resided in Jumonville, Fayette County. The couple had these offspring -- William H. Hall, John W. Hall Jr., Clyde Hall, Bessie Craig, Viola Shipley, Nina Greenwalt, Lida Basinger and Delphia Hall. At the age of 67, having endured a lingering illness of rheumatic endocarditis, Alice succumbed at the age of 67 on April 1, 1938 in their home. The Uniontown Morning Herald published an obituary. Her remains were lowered into the earth for eternal rest in Chalk Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery. John lived for another six years as a widower, and made his home with his daughter Bessie at 58 West Winona Street in Uniontown. He contracted stomach cancer and could not keep food down, with his weight plummeting. The malnutrition and malignancy led to his death at the age of 74 on June 1, 1944. Viola Hall served as the official informant for the Pennsylvania certificate of death. An obituary in the Morning Herald said he was survived by 16 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Dr. Levi Stoner of Connellsville presided over the funeral and burial.
Son Levi Hall II (1873-1939) was born on Sept. 11, 1872 or 1873 or 1874. He married Emma Klink (May 27, 1879-1939), daughter of William and Hannah Klink. The Halls and Klinks were close, and Levi's brother John married Emma's sister Alice. The Halls produced two children, David Hall and Blanche Hall. They kept their residence in the coal mining patch town of York Run, Fayette County, where Levi labored for the H.C. Frick Coke Company, and eventually retired and obtained a pension. Their address was House 162 York Run. Levi stopped working in 1927 and apparently never held steady work for the remaining dozen years of his life. He suffered gangrene of a foot and combined with diabetes, the illness was deadly. He succumbed at the age of 65 on Jan. 25, 1939. Son David Hall of Chalk Hill signed the death certificate. His remains were lowered into eternal rest in Chalk Hill Lutheran Cemetery. An obituary was published in the Uniontown Morning Herald. Emma only survived her husband by a little more than five months and lived with her son David at House 121 York Run. "Suffering from a sudden illness of heart disease," reported the Morning Herald, she died at age 60 on July 5, 1939. She "was a highly respected resident of Georges township." The funeral and interment were held at the Chalk Hill Lutheran Church. She was survived by five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Son Archibald William "Archie" Hall (1879-1952) was born on Oct. 3, 1876 or Oct. 5, 1979 in Wharton Township, Fayette County. He was wedded to (?). They dwelled for many years in Washington, Washington County, PA, where he was a farm laborer on the McClane farm. Stricken with heart failure, an acidosis coma and diabetes, Archie died four days after Christmas 1952 as a patient in Washington Hospital. Gilbert Hall, of Elm Street Extension in Canonsburg, was the death certificate informant. Interment was in Oak Spring Cemetery in Canonsburg. Son George Hall (1880-1959) was born on June 17, 1878 or 1880 in Wharton Township, Fayette County. He grew up as a farm laborer. As an adult, he never married and made his home in Chalk Hill, Fayette County. George supported himself by working as a laborer. Circa 1944, his home was in Wharton Furnace. Later in life, he relocated into the city of Uniontown. As his health declined, due to chronic rheumatoid heart valve disease, he was admitted to the Fayette County Home, where he spent the remaining 13½ months of his life. George entered eternity at the age of 76 on April 2, 1959. He joined his parents and siblings in repose at the Chalk Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery. Uniontown's Easl Savage gave details for the Pennsylvania death certificate.
Son Walter Hall (1883-1918) was born on May 3, 1883 in Wharton Township, Fayette County. He grew up as a farm laborer. He married Mary Jane (?) (1888- ? ). The couple lived near Uniontown. Tragedy befell Walter in the week leading up to Christmas 1918. He contracted a deadly case of bronchial pneumonia and influenza, and he could not overcome their effects. Just three days after Christmas in 1918, at the age of 35, Walter passed away. Burial was in Chalk Hill Lutheran Church Cemetery. His younger brother Washington signed the death certificate. Mary Jane's fate is not yet known. Son Washington "Wash" Hall (1884- ? ) -- who also has been known as "Washabaugh" -- was born on Feb. 23, 1884 or 1885 or 1888 in Wharton Township, Fayette County. He resided in Uniontown in 1918 and later moved to Lemont Furnace, Fayette County. He enjoyed hunting near Lemont and in 1920 placed an ad in the Uniontown Morning Herald, stating he had lost a black and tan coon hound while on an outing in the mountains. His home in 1944 was in Cokeburg, PA. ~ Stepson William Hall ~ Stepson William Hall (1847- ? ) was born in about 1847 in Fayette County, PA. When he was age 13, in 1850, records of that year's federal census enumeration show him dwelling with his parents in Wharton Township, Fayette County.
Among other soldiers in the regiment was Silas Younkin, a distant step-cousin by marriage. In his 1903 book The Story of the 116th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers, in which William is named, author St. Clair A. Mulholland writes:
More about William's wartime service is being researched. Tragically, whether due to wound or illness, William was admitted to a field hospital at Brandy Station, VA. There he died at a date unknown but either in 1864 or 1865. There is no record of his burial site. A record of his service and death was noted in Mulholland's book. More than two decades later, on Nov. 8, 1886, his father Joseph applied for a military pension as compensation for the loss of his son. [Father App. No. 346.670] The pension was denied for reasons not yet known.
~ Step-daughter Mary Hall I ~ Step-daughter Mary Hall I (1850- ? ) was born in about 1850 and grew up in Maple Summit. ~ Step-daughter Susanna (Hall) Morrison ~ Step-daughter Susanna Hall (1853-1908) was born in about 1853 and grew up in Maple Summit, Stewart Township, Fayette County. When the 1870 federal census enumeration was made, she lived under her parents' roof in Stewart Township. Evidence suggests that circa 1874, when she was about 21 years of age, Susanna wed Lorenzo Ohler Morrison (1858- ? ), also spelled "Lurenza" and "Lourenza" over the years. There were four children in this family, among them Hessey Morrison, Laura Shipley and Ralph James Morrison. The United States Census of 1880 lists this family in nearby Confluence, Somerset County, with Lorenzo earning a living as a laborer. Lorenzo's fate is not yet known. Susan's last home was in the Confluence vicinity. Burdened with heart valve disease over several years' duration, she died on Nov. 11, 1908, at the age of about 55. J.P. Humbert of Harnedsville was the informant for her death certificate and named her father as "Mr. Hall" and mother as "Rowend." Burial was in Silbaugh Cemetery in Fort Hill. Son Hessey Morrison (1874- ? ) was born in about 1874. He spent his boyhood in the Confluence area as of 1880. His paper trail has ended there for now.
Son Ralph James Morrison (1883-1918) was born on Aug. 24, 1883. He moved into the city of Connellsville as a young man, where he found work as a fireman. He was of short and stout build and bore black hair and grey eyes. As he neared his 29th birthday, on Aug. 20, 1912, Ralph and 28-year-old Nancy Margaret (Seese) Ganoe ( ? - ? ) united themselves in marriage in the Fayette County seat of Uniontown. They previously had shared a home together for a few years. She was the daughter of Jacob and Mary Seese and divorced from her first husband on grounds of desertion. The couple settled in South Connellsville, at the corner of Vine and Pine Streets, and where Ralph continued to be employed as a fireman by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The couple was childless, and in February 1916 they were granted court permission to adopt an 18-month-old motherless baby, Louise Anna Leuzatu, as chronicled in the Connellsville Daily Courier. In the fall of 1918, with the nation in the grip of a national epidemic of influenza and pneumonia, Ralph was stricken by both. He was admitted to the emergency hospital in Connellsville and died at the age of 35 on Nov. 2, 1918. An obituary ran in the Daily Courier. The remains were lowered into eternal repose in Hill Grove Cemetery in town, with Rev. J.L. Proudfit leading the services. The widowed Nancy went on to marry again to A.E. Roby and circa 1931 resided at 344 North Pittsburgh Street, Connellsville.
~ Stepson Mark Hall ~ Stepson Mark Hall (1855-1927) was born in 1855 and grew up in Maple Summit. At about age 24, in 1880, he resided by himself next door to his parents' home in Maple Summit and made a living as a laborer. Mark married Eleanor Hall (1860-1943), born on Leap Day 1860, the daughter of Samuel and Mary (Linderman) Hall. They had these known children -- James A. "Garfield" Hall, William J. Hall, Myrtle Larue and Harrison Hall. When the federal census was taken in 1900, the Halls dwelled in Stewart Township, where Mark was a farm laborer. Later, he obtained employment as a streetcar repairman, and the family moved to South Connellsville, where they resided circa 1908. He retired in about 1926, and continued to make their home on East Gibson Avenue. Burdened with lobar pneumonia, added to cancer which had formed at the head of the femur, he died on Feb. 27, 1927. Burial was in Hill Grove Cemetery, and son William Hall of Connellsville was the informant for the official Pennsylvania certificate of death. Eleanor survived her husband by 16 years and made her home at 406 Highland Avenue in Connellsville. Sadly, stricken with bladder cander, she died just three days before Christmas 1943. She joined her husband in eternal repose in Hill Grove Cemetery.
Son James A. "Garfield" Hall (1881-1908) was born on May 15, 1881 in Springfield Township, Fayette County. He was named for the recently slain president of the United States, James A. Garfield. At the age of 22, living in Ohiopyle, Garfield married 18-year-old Bertha J. Taylor (Sept. 20, 1884-1962), daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Boyd) Taylor of Ohiopyle and Dunbar Township. Justice of the peace I.F. Woodmancy officiated at the wedding, which was held on July 3, 1904. The couple produced two sons -- Donald "Wallace" Hall and William "Frank" Hall. They made their home in Ohio Pyle, where Garfield earned a living as a laborer. He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge and joined the newly created Junior Order of American Mechanics. Sadly, his life was not destined to be long. In November 1908, at the age of 27, he contracted typhoid fever. Reported the Connellsville Weekly Courier, "It was thought for a time that he would stand chances of recovery but the Grim Reaper called him.... He was between 25 and 30 years of age." Garfield succumbed on Sept. 15, 1908. Burial was in the Whig Corner Baptist Church Cemetery, also known as Hickman Chapel, following funeral services held at the Baptist church in Ohio Pyle. His obituary in the Weekly Courier ended by saying "Mr. Hall leaves a host of relatives and friends who will regret his loss." Bertha outlived her spouse by a remarkable 54 years. She married again to Ephraim VanSickle (March 4, 1872-1943), also spelled "Ephriam" and "Efram" and the son of Isaac and Mary (Fike) VanSickle. The second marriage bore three additional offspring -- Daniel C. VanSickle, Ethel Van Sickle and Ralph Elton VanSickle. With the family remaining in Ohiopyle, Ephraim earned a living over the years as a coal miner. Grief blanketed the family on Jan. 2, 1943 when Ephraim was stricken with a heart attack and died at the age of 70. The Connellsville Daily Courier reported that he "was taken ill after eating his evening meal." After funeral services were held in the Ohiopyle Baptist Church, interment of the remains was in Sugar Grove Cemetery. The twice-widowed Bertha survived her second husband by nearly two decades. She succumbed to the Angel of Death just three days before Christmas 1962, at the age of 78, as a patient in Connellsville State General Hospital. Her remains were interred next to her first husband's, with Rev. G. Marion Smith preaching the funeral sermon. Bertha's son Daniel of Indian Head was the informant for her Pennsylvania certificate of death. An obituary in the Daily Courier noted that at the time of her passing, sons Wallace lived in Connellsville, Frank in Melcroft, Daniel in Indian Head and Ralph in Normalville, with an additional count of survivors as 23 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. The Hickman Chapel Baptist Church at Whig Corner had been constructed in 1901 on land formerly owned by Peter Tissue and M.C. Skinner and was named in memory of Rev. William H. Hickman, who had led the nearby Indian Creek Baptist Church for five years, from 1846 to 1851. Due to dwindling attendance and membership, worship services were discontinued at the chapel in the early 1980s. In 2017, the property was deeded to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy "to ensure its long-term preservation as part of the region's rural landscape, and pastoral and agrarian heritage."
Great-granddaughter Edna Ruth Hall (1939-2006) was born on Dec. 23, 1939 in Connellsville. She married Alfred R. Hazlett (1942- ? ). Their marriage endured for 44 years. The couple dwelled in Ligonier, Westmoreland County, PA. They were the parents of Karen DaSilva, Tammy Kasterko, Timothy L. Hazlett and Richard M. Hazlett. From 1991 to 1997, Edna and Alfred owned and operated the "Real McCoy's" restaurant in Fairfield Township. In retirement, the couple relocated to Florida, establishing a home in North Port, Sarasota County, FL. As her health failed, Edna was admitted to the Quality Health Care Nursing Center. There, she died on April 16, 2006. The remains were transported back to Fayette County to sleep for all time in Mt. Nebo Cemetery. Rev. Larry C. McDonnell officiated at the funeral service, with an obituary appearing in the Greensburg Tribune-Review. Great-granddaughter Anna Jane Hall wedded (?) Jennings and lived in Findlay, OH. Great-granddaughter Helen Hall was united in wedlock with (?) Stevenson. They have dwelled in Stahlstown, Westmoreland County. Great-granddaughter Donna Jean Hall married (?) Swope. She was deceased by 2015. Great-grandson Roy E. Hall moved to Auburn, IN and was there circa 2006-2015. Great-grandson Wilbert S. "Web" Hall resided in Laughlintown, Ligonier Township, PA. Great-grandson Donald Richard "Buck" Hall Sr. (1944-2015) was born on July 13, 1944 in Latrobe, Westmoreland County, PA. He was twice married. His first spouse was Barbara Raye Beatty ( ? - ? ). His second bride was Frances Ann (Collins) Sumner ( ? - ? ). All told, he was the father of three -- Frances "Rose" Phillips, Donald Richard Hall Jr. and Jason A. Hall. During his working career, Donald was employed as a housekeeper for the Harmon House Convalescent Center of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County. In this facility, many of our extended cousins have spent their final years. He liked to fish, golf and hunt in his free time. Circa 2006, his home was in Mount Pleasant. He was swept away by the Grim Reaper of Death at the age of 70 on Jan. 26, 2015. Interment of the remains was in Mt. Nebo Cemetery. Their daughter Rose dwelled in LaFayette, TN in 2023 and their son Jason in Auburn, IN. Their other son Donald Jr. was an alumnus of Mount Pleasant High School, resided in Acme, PA and earned a living as a carpenter. In his free time, Donald Jr. liked to ride his motorcycle. Sadly, Donald Jr. died at the age of 51, on April 14, 2023, in Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. He was survived by three children -- Travis Hall, Nicole Toth and Ethan Hall. Great-granddaughter Ethel Mae Hall (1937-2004) was born on April 7, 1937 in Ohiopyle, Fayette County. She was joined in the bonds of matrimony with (?) Hissem ( ? - ? ). The couple bore five children -- John O. Hissem, Susan Hixson, Frances Will, Kevin M. Hissem and David A. Hissem. She held a membership in the Mt. Nebo Church of God but more regularly attended the Melcroft Assembly of God Church. Her final years were spent in Donegal, Westmoreland County. Ethel Mae succumbed to death at the age of 66 on March 6, 2004 while a patient in Latrobe Area Hospital. Her survivors included 16 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Pastor Timothy D. Bunney led the funeral service, with the Greensburg Tribune-Review printing an obituary. Great-grandson Calvin James Hall Sr. (1927-2003) was born on Dec. 30, 1927 in Melcroft, Fayette County. He wedded Alverta Sleasman ( ? - ? ). Six children were born to this marriage -- James Calvin Hall Jr., Helen Fetterman, Patty Jellison, Roger W. Hall, John W. Hall Sr. and Michael L. Hall. For many years, Calvin was a truck driver employed by Latrobe Construction. He belonged to the Derry Rod and Gun Club. Calvin passed into eternity at the age of 75 on Dec. 10, 2003, while a patient in Latrobe Area Hospital. Burial was in Snowball Cemetery, with Rev. Larry C. McDonnell preaching. An obituary in the Greensburg Tribune-Review reported that he was survived by 14 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.
Great-grandson James H. Hall lived in Alexandria, VA in 1972. Great-grandson Frank Hall made his home in Indian Head, Fayette County. Great-grandson Charles Hall dwelled in 1972 in Melcroft, Fayette County. Great-grandson William E. Hall established a residence in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County. Great-grandson David Hall Great-grandson Donald Hall relocated to Universal, IN. Great-granddaughter Rozella Hall married John Cox and lived in Melcroft. Great-granddaughter Helen Hall wedded Clifford Cole and resided in Melcroft. Great-granddaughter Jane Hall was joined in wedlock with Frank Showman. They made a home in Melcroft. Great-granddaughter Betty Hall was united in matrimony with Homer Emerick and put down roots in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County. Son William J. Hall Sr. (1884-1953) was born on Oct. 28 1884 in Springfield Township. As a young man, he relocated to South Connellsville, where he eagned wages as a laborer. When he was 28 years of age, on May 18, 1912, he was wedded to 21-year-old Ora Richey (April 14, 1891-1975), daughter of James and Mary L. (Spiker) Richey of South Connellsville, with the couple uniting themselves in marriage. They went on to bear seven children -- Adelbert P. Hall, William J. Hall Jr., James I. Hall, Charles D. Hall, Raymond L. Hall, Dorothea Cutter and Loretta Hall. The family grieved when daughter Loretta died in infancy. The Halls lived in the 1950s on Isabella Avenue in Connellsville, with William employed as a laborer by Anchor Hocking Corporation. They were members of the Albright Evangelical United Brethren Church, and William belonged to the South Connellsville Volunteer Fire Company. Sadness blanked the Halls when, suffering from heart failure, William died at the age of 68, on March 6, 1953, in Connellsville State Hospital. Rev. R.A. Nelson presided at the funeral service, with burial in Chestnut Hill Cemetery. Ora spent her widowed years in the home of her son Adelbert on 435 Baldwin Avenue in Connellsville. She was admitted to Connellsville State General Hospital and died there at the age of 83 on Jan. 22, 1975. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier gave the count of her survivors as 21 grandchildren and 44 great-grandchildren.
Daughter Myrtle Hall (1888- ? ) was born in January 1888. She may have been wedded twice. Her first husband is thought to have been (?) Kailing. The couple produced two children, James W. Kailing and Lucy Marietta. Her second spouse was George B. Larue (Oct. 12, 1885-1946), the son of George and Susan (Tressler) Larue of Somerset County. During World War I, George served in the U.S. Armed Expeditionary Force (AEF) and received a lung injury which plagued him for the remainder of his life. In the mid-1920s, their home was in South Connellsville, where George was employed for 27 years as a conductor with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and a member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. Myrtle was very active in the community, and her name appeared scores of times in the Connellsville Daily Courier for her volunteer work. One of her groups was the Daughters of America, Magic Sister Council, where in 1935 she was on the Orphans Committee and in 1938 served as associate councilor. Another was the Lee Etta Lodge, No. 515 of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, which she joined in 1925 and where she achieved perfect attendance for more than a quarter of a century starting in 1932. In January 1946, she was admitted into membership of the R.W.B. Club of the Daughters of America, and circa 1951 she was active with the Salvation Army Ladies Home League. With the ability to easily travel via rail, in September 1934, she and Mrs. R.C. Smith of Connellsville traveled to Chicago to attend the popular Century of Progress Exposition. Then in 1954, she and friends Della Barkley, Lena Barkley, Lilly Fullem and Magdaline Morrison traveled to Chicago for a week of vacation, with stops in Lima and Athens, OH. George was a member of the local Elks, Eagles and American Legion posts and was actively involved in sporting affairs and in 1932 managed the N.W.A.C. team in a local mushball league. He also was named in news stories for his hunting and fishing. Circa 1933, their address was 215 Ogden Street and in 1946 was 615 West Crawford Avenue in Connellsville. Sadly, after what the Courier called "a lengthy illness," George died at home at the age of 61 the day after Christmas 1946. Rev. Meade M. Snyder, of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, officiated at the funeral and burial in Sylvan Heights Cemetery. The cause of death was hemorrhaging caused by pulmonary tuberculosis which in turn, wrote a physician, had been "activated + exaggerated by injury of World War I." Myrtle outlived her husband by many years and made her residence at 514 East Crawford Avenue.
Son Harrison Hall (1891-1926) was born on Oct. 19, 1891 (or Nov. 1890) in South Connellsville, Fayette County. He married Emma M. ( ? - ? ). They made a home on Gibson Avenue and bore two children. At the age of 35, Harrison was employed at the Connellsville Blue Stone Quarry at Connellsville, near Casparis, reporting to Fred Opperman. His marriage was troubled, however, and Harrison sued for divorce. Papers were prepared, and the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas was prepared to issue a decree in his favor. But cruel fate intervened. On April 19, 1926, while trying to connect a pipe high up in the quarry, Harrison slipped and fell from a 40-foot cliff, fracturing his skull and neck, and dying instantly. Funeral services were held in the home of his parents, led by Rev. J.A. Buffenmyer of the Church of the Brethren. His broken remains were placed into rest in Hill Grove Cemetery, in a plot where his parents would someday join him in eternal sleep. A related story in the Connellsville Daily Courier was headlined "Death Steps in to Prevent Divorce for Harrison Hall." The article went on to say that "He died a married man, however, and the widow will receive her share from any estate he may have had. Had he lived seven days more, he would have been a single man." ~ Son Levi Hall ~
Son Levi Hall (1866-1955) was born on Oct. 5, 1866 in or near Ohio Pyle, Fayette County. He learned the carpentry trade and spent a long career in that occupation. On June 18, 1889, when he was 22 years of age, Levi married 16-year-old Elizabeth Daniels (March 11, 1873-1962), a native of Ohiopyle and of unknown parents. The ceremony took place in Ohiopyle. Their nine children were Raleigh Emerson Hall, Daisy "Mae" Hall, Etta Hepler, Charlotte Hoose (sometimes misspelled "Hose"), Elizabeth Long, Idella Meyers Pritchard, Winona Bowers and a son and daughter who both died in infancy. The family relocated to South Connellsville, Fayette County in 1909. Near tragedy befell Levi in June 1915 when, while working on repairs to his roof, he was overcome by illness and fainted. Local Boy Scouts in South Connellsville, led by Dr. P.G. Dick, came to the rescue and likely saved his life. Circa 1920, the census shows the family in the Mill Run vicinity of Springfield Township, with Levi earning income as a railroad laborer.
They lived on Atlas Avenue in Connellsville in 1930-1936, with Levi working as a box factory laborer. In November 1937, the 71-year-old Levi was injured in an automobile accident on the Connellsville-Uniontown Road, while a passenger in the vehicle of Edward Grimm. Said the Connellsville Daily Courier: "He received two deep lacerations above the left eye, a chest and possible internal injuries. X-ray pictures were taken this morning.... While returning from Dunbar the machine skidded on the slippery highway during the snowstorm, Grimm said. After skidding the machine upset and rolled over onto its top, then overturned again and crashed against the bank, 90 feet from the roadway." The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1939, although with Elizabeth in poor health, only 17 immediate family members attended the celebration. "The menu consisted of the many good things accompanying a real chicken repast," reported the Daily Courier. "The honored couple and their children were placed at one large table, which was centered with a large three-tier cake, baked by Miss Winona Hall and decorated with fifty pink candles... After the dinner, enertainment was enjoyed. A short program of favorite selections of Mr. Hall and his bride of fity years ago was presented. It was: Piano solo, 'Blue Danube,' Miss Elaine Hepler, granddaughter of the honored guests; reading, 'Grandparents,' Miss Delores Long, another granddaughter; vocal duet, 'The Old Rugged Cross,' Mrs. Meyers and Miss Winona Hall, with Miss Hepler playing the accompaniment." In 1949, on their 60th anniversary, Levi and Elizabeth were pictured in the Daily Courier.
In 1949, upon their 60th anniversary, Levi and Elizabeth were pictured in the Daily Courier and said to be "one of the oldest couples of South Connellsville."Again in 1954, when they reached their 65th anniversary, the Daily Courier published a photo. Toward the end of his life, he resided with his married daughter Winona Bowers at 111 Atlas Avenue in South Connellsville. Burdened with senile dementia, hypertension and hardening of the arteries, he suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died at the age of 89 just two days after Christmas 1955. His remains were brought up to the mountains for interment in Maple Summit Cemetery in a funeral ceremony led by Rev. R.A. Nelson of the Albright Evangelical United Brethren Church. An obituary in the Daily Courier noted that Levi's survivors included five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth survived her husband and remained in their daughter's home in South Connellsville. She often visited her adult children in South Bend, IN. Suffering from an infection of hepatitis, she was admitted to Connellsville State Hospital, where she succumbed at the age of 88 on Jan. 30, 1962. Her funeral service was led by Rev. R.A. Nelson. She rests in the Hall family plot of graves in Maple Summit. Daughter Daisy "Mae" Hall (1890-1947) was born on May 1, 1890 at Ohiopyle, Fayette County, PA. She never married but lived as an adult with her parents and married sister Winona Bowers at 111 Atlas Avenue in South Connellsville. Evidence suggests that she may have been mentally disabled, as United States Census-taker recorded over the years that she was an invalid and had never attended school. All of the federal census enumerations show that she had no occupation. Mae began to be burdened with heart and kidney failure in her late 50s. Unable to regain her health, she succumbed at the age of 57 on July 27, 1947. Burial was in the Maple Summit Cemetery following a funeral service at the Hall residence, led by Rev. K.M. Bishop of the Albright Evangelical United Brethren Church. An obituary was printed in the Connellsville Daily Courier.
Son Raleigh Emerson "Rolla" Hall (1894-1918) was born on Nov. 14, 1894 at Ohiopyle, Fayette County. He grew up in Indian Creek, Fayette County and as a young man moved to Pittsburgh where he had obtained work as a brakeman for the Pennsylvania Railroad. His address in the city was at 2111 Sidney Street circa 1917 and reported to work at 30th Street on Pittsburgh's South Side. He was of medium height and build, with blue eyes and dark brown hair. The name of his Pennsy supervisor in 1917 was A.J. Schauer. Raleigh is believed to have been married, but his wife's name is not yet known. During World War I, as reported on the pages of the Pittsburgh Press, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. After basic training, he served with the army'sAmerican Expeditionary Force as a member of the 320th Infantry, Company M. Tragically, during the bloody extended battle of the Meuse-Argonne offensive in 1918, Raleigh was killed in action. The details are not yet known. His name was printed in a list of wartime casualties in the Nov. 25, 1918 edition of his hometown newspaper, the Connellsville Daily Courier, and in other newspapers in Pennsylvania such as the Harrisburg Telegraph, Allentown Morning Call and Altoona Tribune. In 1919, workmen erected a memorial tablet naming Raleigh and other local service casualties on the grounds of Connellsville High School in the south section of the city. Raleigh's remains were not returned to the United States for three years, until September 1921. At the time his body was repatriated, a funeral service was held in his parents' home, followed by interment in Hill Grove Cemetery in Connellsville. Co-officiating at the service were Rev. J.O. Bishop, formerly of the Evangelical Church at South Connellsville, and Rev. J.S. Showers of the United Brethren Church. Reported the Daily Courier, "Members of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars attended the services and furnished a firing squad at the grave in Hill Grove cemetery." The name and fate of his wife will be added to this biography once discovered.
Daughter Etta Lorena Hall (1900-1972) was born in 1900 in Fayette County. She married Gloster "Dale" Hepler ( ? -1967). They produced one daughter, N. Elaine Schenck. They dwelled for decades in South Bend, IN, where Dale earned a living operating a steam roller for an asphalt paving company. Later, she moved to Syracuse, IN. Etta underwent heart surgery in January 1959. Dale passed away on Aug. 12, 1967. Sadly while visiting her daughter Elaine in South Bend in 1972, she suffered a stroke and was admitted to Memorial Hospital. She died there on Dec. 18, 1972, with an obituary appearing in her old hometown newspaper, the Connellsville Daily Courier. The funeral and burial were held in South Bend.
Great-granddaughter Lynn Schenck made a home in 2015 in Bloomington, IN. Great-grandson Kenneth Schenck wedded Merlin ( ? - ? ). They have a son, Skyler Schenck, and reside in Conroe, TX.
Daughter Charlotte Catherine Hall (1903-1993) was born on April 1, 1903 in Ohiopyle. In nuptials held in Mishawaka, IN on July 3, 1926, she was wedded to Francis W. Hoose (1900-1983). They had one known son, James Hoose. Circa 1920, Charlotte was a charter member of the Ever Faithful Sunday School Class of the Albright United Methodist Church. The Hooses relocated to South Bend, IN, where they lived for some 50 years until 1978. For decades, both Charlotte and Francis earned a living through their employment with Studebaker Corporation. He was a machinist working with farm equipment and she as a stenographer in the automotive parts department. Francis also was a charter member of St. Anthony's Church in South Bend. Charlotte was socially active in the community and, in September 1947, was named general chairman for a new charity ball, organized by Studebaker employees' "Mary Ann Club." Proceeds from the event were donated to the Damon Runyon Memorial Fund to support cancer research. She also was nivolved with the Mishawaka Republican Women's Club. She was pictured in the South Bend Tribune in May 1975 when admiring a needlepointed seal of the Fiji Islands crafted by Beth Bowen, wife of Indiana Governor Otis Bowen. Wanting to keep family ties, Frances and son James spent a 10-day vacation with her parents in South Connellsville in July 1936. In October 1970, Charlotte returned to Connellsville for the 50th anniversary of her Sunday School class and received a corsage at a turkey banquet and program held at Otterbein United Methodist Church. Then again in 1975, at the class's 55th anniversary, Charlotte and Francis received an honor for traveling the furthest to attend the banquet held at the Wesley United Methodist Church. In about 1978, they moved to Houston, TX. There, Francis was a member of the Prince of Peace Church, Keenagers Friendship Group and Baptist Senior Citizens Club. Sadly, Francis died on Aug. 13, 1983, at the age of 83, ending their marriage which had endured for 57 years. Charlotte died in Houston on Dec. 1, 1993, with interment in Memorial Oaks Mausoleum in Houston. An obituary was printed in the South Bend Tribune.
Great-granddaughter Catherine E. Hoose made her home in 2021 in Tomball, TX. Great-grandson John W. Hoose wedded Kathleen Elaine Abdoo (March 10, 1954-2010), a native of Detroit and the daughter of David and Ann Abdoo. Their marriage lasted for 34 years until the separation of death. The Hooses put down roots in Spring, TX. The two daughters they bore together were Kristen Holland and Kerry Rose. Kathleen spent 25 years as a pre-school teacher at Kinsmen Lutheran Church. She also played in women's tennis leagues. Sadly, Kathleen passed away at home at the age of 56 on March 23, 2010. An obituary in the Houston Chronicle said she was survived by a grandson. Funeral services were held at Kinsmen Lutheran Church. The widowed John has made his dwelling in recent years in Denton, TX.. Great-grandson James W. Hoose, Jr. was joined in wedlock with Mary. Their residence in 2021 was in Raleigh NC. Great-grandson Jerome W. Hoose was united in matrimony with Jill. They relocated to Perth, Australia. Great-granddaughter Dana Hoose entered into marriage with Richard Meyer. They have dwelled in Houston TX. Great-granddaughter Diana Hoose married (?) Frazier. Circa 2021, she was in Santa Fe, TX. Daughter Winona E. "Winnie" Hall (1905-1983) was born on Oct. 25, 1905. As a young woman of 24, in 1930, she was a public school teacher in South Connellsville. She married Rexford "Rex" Bowers (April 17, 1912-1976), son of William and Susan (Klink) Bowers of Champion and Mill Run, Fayette County. They did not reproduce. While not yet married in May 1937, the couple motored to South Bend with Winona's mother and niece to visit with Winona's sisters. He served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. Their address in the 1950s-1970s was 111 Atlas Avenue in South Connellsville. Rexford was a carpenter who was employed by Atlantic Freight Lines and a member of Carpenters Local 1010. Circa October 1970, Winona served as treasurer of the Ever Faithful Sunday School class of Albright United Methodist Church and was pictured in the Connellsville Daily Courier as part of the class's 50th anniversary celebration and turkey banquet. Than again in 1975, when the class celebrated its 55th anniversary with a banquet at Wesley United Methodist Church, Winona presented a memoriam for the 26 deceased members. Rexford was stricken at home at the age of 64 on June 26, 1976 and was rushed to Frick Community Hospital in Mount Pleasant, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Interment was in Normalville Cemetery following funeral services led by Rev. David Eversdyke. His obituary ran in the Daily Courier. Winona lived for another seven years. She was gathered in by the Angel of Death in July 1983. Daughter Elizabeth Hall (1909- ? ) was born in about 1909. In 1927, while in South Bend, IN, the vehicle in which she was riding was involved in an accident, and her body was catapulted forward, with her head smashing through the windshield. She was rushed to the hospital where her facial wounds were repaired with 50 stitches. Elizabeth recovered and eventually was joined in matrimony with (?) Long. Their only known daughter was Dolores Long. The marriage ended by 1949, with Elizabeth residing that year in Mishawaka, St. Joseph County, IN. She made her home in 1955 in South Bend and in 1972 in Mishawaka.
Daughter Idella "Della" Hall (1911-1984) was born in 1911. She was united in wedlock twice. Her first husband was Kenneth Meyers (July 10, 1907-1946), son of Charles and Susan (Bittner) Meyers of Rockwood, Somerset County, PA. The couple produced two known daughters, Juanita Meyers and Bonnie Louise Meyers. Kenneth was a longtime fireman, employed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Circa 1936, they lived at 112 Atlas Avenue in South Connellsville, and spent Christmas with her sisters in South Bend, IN. Sadness enveloped the family when the 39-year-old Kenneth suffered a heart attack at work and was rushed to Hazel McGilvery Hospital in Meyersdale, Somerset County, where he expired seven hours later, on Oct. 5, 1946. Interment was in Hill Grove Cemetery in Connellsville. The death left Idella a widow at the age of 35. The following year, in 1947, Idella and Mrs. K.M. Bishop and Mrs. Raymond Johnson presented a play, For Such a Day as This, at the fall institute of the Greensburg District of the Women's Society of World Service, held at the Fourth Street Evangelical United Brethren Church in Greensburg. On the fourth anniversary of Kenneth's death, in 1950, Idella published an "In Memoriam" poem in the Connellsville Daily Courier: "Gone from this earth, But from our hearts -- no never! Love and remembrance -- even death, cannot sever."
Then, on Jan. 31, 1954, she married her second spouse, Clifford Pritchard ( ? - ? ), son of Mrs. Jessie M. Pritchard of South Connellsville. The Pritchards' wedding was held in the parsonage of the Albright Evangelical United Brethren Church, officiated by Rev. R.A. Nelson. At the time, Clifford was employed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. They resided on Hyndman Street in South Connellsville. The marriage lasted for 15 years, but the couple divorced in January 1969 with "indignities" as the cause. By 1970, Idella had relocated to Mishawaka, IN where her sister Elizabeth Long made her home. In October 1970, Idella sent a message to members of her old Ever Faithful Sunday School class of Albright United Methodist Church to help them mark their 50th anniversary. When her daughter Bonnie Louise became a stewardess with Eastern Airlines, she and Idella flew to Hawaii for a Waikiki vacation in August 1965. Della passed away at the age of about 74 in 1984. Her remains were lowered into eternal repose beside her first husband in the Hall plot in Hill Grove Cemetery. Today a small metallic plaque marks her final resting place, next to Kenneth Meyers' stone.
~ Daughter Sabina Catherine (Hall) Knopsnyder ~ Daughter Sabina Catherine Hall (1867-1921) was born on May 4, 1867 (or 1866). Unmarried at about age 25, in about 1892, she gave birth to a daughter, whom she named Reba E. Hall. Sabina was married at least twice. Her first husband, name unknown, died in about 1900. She remained a widow for about five years. Then at the age of 38, on Feb. 28, 1905, she married 33-year-old farmer Jacob "Wilson" Knopsnyder (April 2, 1872-1925). He was the son of Cyrus and Phoebe (Phillippi) Knopsnyder of neighboring Black Township, Somerset County. Their nuptials were held at Rockwood and were performed by Rev. W.H. Blackburn. At the time of their marriage, he earned a living as a log maker. The couple's marriage is recorded in Harvey Hostetler's book, Descendants of Jacob Hochstetler, the Immigrant of 1736. The couple resided for many years on a farm near Markleton in Black Township, and Sabina's mother died under their roof in March 1907. During the early part of the decade of the 1910s, the Knopsnyders made a major move away from southwestern Pennsylvania. Circa 1912, when the Jacob Hochstetler book was published, the Knopsnyders were residing in Ponoka, Alberta, Canada. Later they moved to Washington State, settling on a farm at Blue Slide Precinct in Pend Oreille County. In November 1912, the county commissioners of Pend Oreille County approved a payment to him for road work in the amount of $31.25, with his name published on a list in the Newport (WA) Miner. They and 28-year-old daughter Reba are shown in Pend Oreille on the 1920 federal census. At some point Sabina suffered a stroke but she survived, and this may have prompted a return to Somerset County. On Dec. 5, 1921, while in Black Township, she suffered another stroke overnight and succumbed at the age of 55. Burial was at Mt. Zion Cemetery. On the death certificate, which Wilson signed, he spelled the maiden name of Sabina's mother as "Round." Wilson only lived for another three-plus years. He worked during that time as a laborer for Owen Klink. At age 52, he suffered from gangrene of his left foot. Then, on Feb. 2, 1925, he was stricken with paralysis ("hemiplegia") and, after lingering for a month and 21 days, died on March 23, 1925, just 10 days shy of his 53rd birthday. His remains were placed into repose at Mt. Zion Cemetery. James B. Knopsnyder signed the certificate of death. Daughter Reba E. Hall (1892- ? ) was born in about 1892 in Somerset County. The identity of her father is not yet known, and she was given her mother's maiden name. At the age of 28, she lived with her mother and step-father in Blue Slide Precinct, Pend Oreille County, WA. Whether or not she returned to Pennsylvania with her parents in the early 1920s is not yet known. More will be added here when learned ~ Son Josiah H. Hall ~ Son Josiah H. Hall (1873-1958) was born on May 3, 1873 in Maple Summit, Fayette County, PA. In September 1894, when he was 21 years of age, Josiah was united in wedlock with 21-year-old Eleanor "Ellen" Lytle (Sept. 3, 1873-1942), daughter of Levi and Sophia (Augustine) Lytle of Somerset County, PA. At the time of marriage, Josiah earned a living as a laborer. Their dozen children were Lloyd Jackson Hall Sr., Lena Nicholson, James "Wesley" Hall, Howard L. Hall, Charles E. Hall, Anna "Ruth" Liston, Cecelia Alexander, Sadie Kimmel, "Raymond" Hall, Emma P. Hall, Bruce A. Hall and Charlotte E. Hall. Sadly, three of the children died young, before 1910 -- Emma, Bruce and Charlotte. Josiah was a longtime farmer in Maple Summit. They were members of the Maple Summit Church of God.
The federal census of 1930 shows the family in North Union Township, Fayette County, with Josiah earning a living in a lumber camp. They retired in about 1938, moving to a new home on First Street in South Connellsville. Sadly, Eleanor was burdened with fluid buildup in the lungs ("edema") and hardening of the arteries. She succumbed at the age of 68 on Jan. 13, 1942. Following funeral services in the Maple Summit Church, led by Rev. Bert Breakiron, burial was in Linderman Cemetery. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier reported that she was survived by 21 grandchildren in addition to her siblings Edward Lytle of Confluence, PA, Walter Lytle of Fort Hill, PA, Daniel Lytle of Little Summit, PA, Mrs. George W. Miller of Morgantown, WV, Grant Pyle of Confluence and Roy Lytle of South Connellsville. Josiah in 1951 came to live in Vanderbilt, Dunbar Township, Fayette County, likely in his daughter's home. At the age of 85, Josiah was felled by a cerebral hemorrhage and died suddenly on May 23, 1958 at home in Vanderbilt. Charles Hall of South Connellsville signed the death certificate. Burial was in Linderman Cemetery in Stewart Township, Fayette County, officiated by Rev. R.A. Nelson, following services at the Maple Summit Church. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier noted that "He was the last member of a family of 16." Son Lloyd Jackson Hall Sr. (1896-1982) was born in 1896. He married a cousin, Ollie Harbaugh (1900-1995), daughter of Robert Bacom and Elizabeth (Long) Harbaugh Sr. See their biographies for more detail. Daughter Lena Elizabeth Hall (1900-1966) was born on Jan. 25, 1900. In about 1920, when she was age 20, she was joined in wedlock with Francis Pierce "Frank" Nicholson (March 13, 1886-1967), son of Benjamin and Sarah (Linderman) Nicholson of Somerset County. The couple went to Greensburg in neighboring Westmoreland County to obtain their marriage license. Francis was short and of stout build, with brown eyes and dark hair. He had been married once before, to Alice Ohler (1886- ? ), daughter of William Ohler, and brought three offspring to the second marriage, Russell Elsworth Nicholson, William Frank Nicholson and Mildred Thorpe. Francis had worked as a coke machine operator at the Leisenring mine of H.C. Frick Coke Company circa 1917. He later focused on farming, and their address over the years was Maple Summit, Mill Run and Ohiopyle. The couple produced two offspring of their own -- Melvin Nicholson and Oma Collins. The family was cleaved apart with Lena's passing in Lemont Furnace near Uniontown, from the effects of bleeding on the brain, on March 26, 1966. Francis only lived for another year as a widower. He died at the age of 81 on Dec. 29, 1967. Rev. Harvey Rugg preached the funeral sermon, with burial in the Maple Summit Church Cemetery. The Connellsville Daily Courier ran an obituary which said he was survived by 14 grandchildren.
Great-grandson William F. Nicholson Jr. lived in Markleysburg in 1985-2020. Great-grandson Carl E. Nicholson resided in Confluence in 1985 and in Maple Summit in 1999. Great-granddaughter Faye Elaine Nicholson married (?) Ritchey. Their residence in 1985 was in Chalk Hill and in 1999 in Hopwood. Bt 2020, they had migrated to Fairfax, VA. Great-granddaughter Eva June Burnsworth lived in Ohiopyle. She married (?) Chuska. Her home in 1999-2020 was in Lemont Furnace. Great-grandson Gregory P. Nicholson made a home in 1985-2020 in Confluence. Great-grandson Clyde James Nicholson wedded Linda. They dwelled in Mill Run in 1985 and in Uniontown in 1999-2020. Great-granddaughter Cynthia R. "Cindy" Nicholson (1957-2020) was born on March 12, 1957 in Connellsville. She does not appear to have been married. She relocated to northern Virginia, where she was employed as a paralegal for 31 years by the federal government. Her home was in Fairfax, VA in 1985 and in Leesburg, VA in 1999. In later years she moved back to her native Fayette County and maintained a residence in Chalk Hill. Sadly, at the age of 63, she surrendered to the angel of death at home on Dec. 21, 2020. Her obituary was published in the Uniontown Herald-Standard.
Great-grandson John Ray Nicholson was a welding graduate of Franklin County Area Vocational-Technical School. He married Diane. They live in Fort Loudon. Great-grandson Roy F. Nicholson has resided in Chambersburg, PA.
Son James "Wesley" Hall (1901-1946) was born on Oct. 11, 1901 in Maple Summit. At the age of 22, in about 1923, he was united in matrimony with 19-year-old Mabel "Marie" Shearer (June 6, 1905-2001), daughter of John B. and Anna A. (Fullem) Shearer. The two children born to this marriage were John Wesley Hall and Anna Marline Hall. When the federal census was taken in 1930, the Halls made a home in Star Junction, Perry Township, Fayette County, where Wesley labored as a coal miner. As the mines closed during the Great Depression, Wesley and Marie returned to Mill Run in the early 1930s, where they remained for more than a decade. When the United States Census enumeration again was made in 1940, Wesley earned a living as a hired hand assisting local farmers. Then in late 1944, they relocated to a new home along the Springfield Pike near Connellsville.
In late winter of 1946, Wesley suffered a heart attack. His health declined for two months until death at the age of 44 on April 24, 1945. Funeral services were held in his home and then in the Indian Creek Baptist Church, with Rev. M.T. Hulihan officiating. The Connellsville Daily Courier printed an obituary. Marie survived her husband by an astonishing 55 years. On the anniversary of his passing in 1947, Marie placed a classified "In Memoriam" notice in the Daily Courier, stating "This day brings back sad memories, No one knows how much we miss you. And our heart aches for you. but we will understand some day, And meet our loved ones in a better world." Marie became a practical nurse and supported herself for a quarter of a century until retirement. Circa 1950-1954, she was in Beaver, Beaver County, PA. Then she moved back to Mill Run and dwelled in her father's home after his death. In October 1972, she announced in the Daily Courier that she had relocated to her daughter's home in Cortland, OH. Her final years were spent in Warren, OH. At her death on Aug. 28, 2001 she rejoined her spouse in eternity. They rest together in Indian Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
Son Howard Lincoln Hall (1905-1985) was born on Feb. 3, 1905 in Stewart Township, Fayette County. By 1929, he relocated to eastern Pennsylvania, where he put down roots in Bucks County, PA. Howard was united in matrimony with Madeline Elizabeth Eichner (Oct. 29, 1910-1941), a native of Philadelphia and the daughter of Carl and Ida M. (Strang) Eichner. They produced six children together -- Mildred Pearl Morgan, Carl Leonard Hall Sr., Elizabeth "Betty" Diehl, Albert Lewis Hall, Marilyn Elaine Huey and Robert Leon Hall. When first married, the Halls dwelled in the farm household of Madeline's parents along Hatboro Road in Warminster Township, Bucks County. Their address in the early 1940s was 256 South Main Street in Doylestown. There, Howard owned and operated a motor garage. Grief blanketed the family when Madeline was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 1940. She endured the illnesss for a year as it spread throughout her body. Sadly, she died as she neared her 31st birthday on Aug. 14, 1941 in Doylestown. Her remains were placed into eternal repose in Doylestown Cemetery. Howard never remarried and survived his wife by more than four decades. He relocated by 1958 to Jamison, Bucks County. He passed away on Dec. 7, 1985, at the age of 80, while in South Mountain, PA.
Great-granddaughter Karen Elaine Hall (1954-1987) was born on June 17, 1954 in Doylestown. On Oct. 12, 1974, when she was 20 years of age, she was joined in marital union with Edwin Watson Howe ( ? - ? ). They bore two children. Sadly, Karen died in 1987. Great-granddaughter Beth Ann Hall (1957-living) was born in 1957 in Doylestown. She dwelled in The Villages in Florida in 2022. Great-grandson Carl Leonard "Chuck" Hall Jr. (1961-living) was born in 1961 in Doylestown. At the age of 28, on May 6, 1989, he married Amy Suzanne Perry ( ? -living). They are the parents of three chidlren -- Sarah Elizabeth Hall, Jillian Marie Hall and Carl James Hall. The Halls have dwelled in Conyeres, GA. Chuck graciously has provided important content -- including text and images -- for this biography. Great-granddaughter Barbara Lee Hall (1964-living) was born in 1964 in Doylestown. She has been thrice married. One of her spouses circa 1993 was (?) Brexa. Today she is married to Ray and resides in Blakeslee, PA.
Son Charles Edward Hall (1907-1979) was born on April 19, 1907 in Maple Summit. In 1930, at the age of 21, he earned income as a coal miner near Uniontown. He married Lena Mae Lytle (Feb/ 17, 1907-1931), a native of West Virginia and the daughter of Norman Garrett and Sarah "Etta" (Burd) Lytle. They bore an only son, Raleigh Francis Hall, born in October 1931. The Halls made a home in South Connellsville. Heartbreak blanketed the family just at the birth of their son in 1931 when Lena Mae contracted typhoid fever. She was treated in Connellsville State Hospital but could not recover. After a dozen days of suffering, she died at the age of 24 on Oct. 22, 1931. Her remains were placed into repose in Johnson Chapel Cemetery near Confluence, with her funeral said to have been co-officiated by Rev. I.R. Pletcher and Rev. R.E. Shober. Charles outlived his bride by an astonishing 68 years and remained in South Connellsville. As his health declined, he was admitted to Edgewood Nursing Center near Latrobe, Westmoreland County, PA. He passed away at the center at the age of 72 on June 4, 1979. Burial was in Johnson Chapel Cemetery near Confluence.
Great-grandson Raleigh David Hall Sr. resided in Connellsville. Great-granddaughter Terri Ann Hall wedded Robert L. Trump. They dwelled in Connellsville. Great-granddaughter Linda Hall married Frank K. Swink. Their home in 1984 was in Holiday Mobile Park in Uniontown. DaughterAnna "Ruth" Hall (1909- ? ) was born in about 1909 in Maple Summit. At the age of 17, in about 1926, she married 21-year-old Edward B. Liston (1905-1994). They were the parents of three children, James "Lee" Liston, Loretta Pyle and Joseph Liston. The couple relocated to eastern Pennsylvania and were in Valley Forge circa 1926 when their James son was born. The 1930 U.S. Census shows them in Newtown, Delaware County, PA, with Edward earning a living as a school bus driver. He appears to have maintained employment with the local school during the Great Depression and in 1940 was a school janitor in Newtown. They remained in Newtown into the 1940s but by 1946 returned to Connellsville. In 1958 they were in Mill Run.Anna Ruth died in 1988. Edward outlived her by six years. He joined her in death in 1994. They are in eternal rest in Maple Summit Cemetery.
Great-granddaughter Carol Liston married (?) Coddington and lived in Somerset. Great-granddaughter Donna Liston resided in Ford City, PA. Great-granddaughter Cheryl Liston wedded (?) Bowser and made a home in Worthington. Great-granddaughter Stephanie Liston was joined in wedlock with (?) Charney. They dwelled in Slate Lick in 1998. Great-grandson James Liston lived in Worthington. Great-grandson Ronald Liston resided in Ford City. Great-grandson Steven Liston made a home in Ford City.
Great-grandson Joseph E. Liston married Jenna and moved to North Carolina. Great-grandson Jay E. Liston wedded Kim. They dwell in West Mifflin, near Pittsburgh. Great-granddaughter Jeanie Liston was united in marriage with Tony Alviar. They reside in Ohiopyle.
Daughter Cecelia E. Hall (1911-2009) was born on Sept. 26, 1911 in Maple Summit. She was united in matrimony with Roy F. Alexander (Sept. 26, 1909-1987), the son of Thomas and Mamie (Mooney) Alexander of Greene County, PA. The couple bore an only daughter, Theresa Lee Nicholson. They dwelled in Fayetteville, PA in 1942 and in Shippensburg, Franklin/Cumberland Counties, PA in the late 1950s. Roy was employed by Franklin Feed and Supply Company of Chambersburg and retired from the position. They enjoyed camping and were members of the Mount Vernon Gospel Chapel Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. Roy was a volunteer fireman with the Fayette Fire Department, and Cecelia "loved all types of flowers," said the Chambersburg (PA) Public Opinion. Their address in 1987 was 5344 White Church Road. Roy was admitted to Chambersburg Hospital where he died at age 77 on April 16, 1987. Cecelia survived her husband by more than two decades and also outlived her daughter and son-in-law. Her final years were spent in Fort Loudon, Franklin County. She died at home at the age of 97 on June 23, 2009. Funeral services were led by Rev. Reuben Coldsmith, as he had done for Roy, followed by burial in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Chambersburg. An obituary was printed in the Public Opinion.
Daughter Sadie K. Hall (1915-1999) was born in 1915. She entered into marriage with Edward B. Kimmell (1906-1973), son of Edward B. and Minnie Kimmell. Six children produced by this union were Elsie Lois Kimmell, Janet Kimmell, Dolores Jean Fisher, Judy Ann Fisher, Ronald E. Kimmell, Kenneth E. Kimmell and James Douglas Kimmell. Their residence in 1935 was in Uniontown, in 1940 at Searights in Menallen Township and in 1942-1958 was in Vanderbilt, with a stay to Buena Vista, PA as of 1956. Grief blanketed the family when two-month-old son James, who had been injured somehow in an accident at an office building in Uniontown, developed non-epidemic meningitis and pneumonia, and died on March 15, 1956. Circa 1940, when the federal census enumeration was made, Edward earned a living as a loader in the coal mine at Searights owned by Republic Iron and Steel Company. As of 1950, he worked as a coal mine trackman. He eventually retired from mining. Their final home together was in the Riverview Apartments in Connellsville. Sadly, Edward passed away in Connellsville State General Hospital at the age of 67 on Christmas Eve 1973. Burial was in Bowman-Flatwoods Cemetery in Vanderbilt, with Rev. Samuel N. Harper presiding and an obituary appearing in the Connellsville Daily Courier. Sadie lived for another 26 years as a widow. She surrendered to the angel of death in 1999.
Son Lewis "Raymond" Hall (1918-1985?) was born in about 1918. He lived in South Connellsville in 1942-1946 and in Dunbar in 1958. Evidence suggests that he died in August 1985. ~ Daughter Mary Hall II ~ Daughter Mary Hall II (1879- ? ) was born in about 1879 in Maple Summit, Fayette County, PA. She was 29 years younger than an older sister also named "Mary Hall." She is shown in the family in the 1880 federal census, when she was one year old. Nothing more about her life has been found.
|