THE GARMAN-GILL FAMILIES, Elizabeth Garman Gill, January 1971.
My Parents and Their Family.
When Father was courting Mother he sometimes took her for a ride with him on horseback. She sat behind him with her arms locked tight around him. He loved to ride fast while she hung on for dear life. He was an expert horseman on horseback or driving in a buggy or carriage or handling a team of workhorses. His hands were so strong, he had a powerful grip.
Father and Mother were married March 15, 1877. Aunt Mallis, a half sister and James Garman, a cousin were their attendants. Father owned a farm just outside the present town of Barnesboro and there he took his bride. Two years later in 1879 their first baby was born, Ruhama Therona, soon nicknamed Ruie. In 1881 James Ross was born, followed two years later by Eva Lucretia in 1886 Ernest Eau Claire and Harry Franklin in 1888.
In the spring and summer of 1890 Father had built a lovely white frame farm house. I was the first child born in the new house and when I arrived on August 13, 1890, Mother named me Elizabeth Henrietta, the first name for my Grandmother Bracken and the second name for Henrietta Long, a good friend of the family. Two years later Carl Roy was added to our family and then Lisle Warden who died of cholera infantum at four months. Out beautiful little boy baby was gone and we were heartbroken.
Our grandmother, Lucinda Dunkel had lived on a farm close to what we call Number 9 before her marriage to Peter Garman. The Dunkels had given a part of their farm for the building of a church and a cemetery, called the Salem Cemetery. There our Grandmother and infant daughter had been buried when Father was only a young boy. Now, our baby, Lisle Warden, was buried not far from his grandmother.
In 1896 Nell Marian was born and we thought our family was complete but-Lo and Behold! In 1903 on March 14th, we awoke in the morning to find that we had a beautiful curly-haired brown-eyed baby sister. Such excitement! And we all wanted to give her our own selection of a name. Mother always had an affinity for fancy names, and from the latest book she had read she chose the name "Nathalie." One of us insisted on "Esther", another held out for "Irene" so Ross who was always a big clown declared he would settle it for all of us. He took down the Family Bible where all the marriages, births and deaths were inscribed and added as a last recorded births in the family: Esther Nathalie Irene William Bill Garman, born March 14, 1903. So there we were, a complete family of ten children, five boys and five girls.
Mother was determined that each of her children would have the best education that it would be possible for her and Father to provide. We had a pedal organ and when Ruhama showed an interest in music she was sent to Freeburg Musical College in Selinsgrove. By this time Father had bought us a piano of which we were very proud. Ruhama gave music lessons and had quite a class. She married Dr. M.M. Palmer and lived in Homer City.
Ross had a fine mind and loved his books. He was especially fond of poetry and had a splendid tenor voice. He taught school thus went to Dental College in Pittsburgh where he graduated in 1904. In the fall of 1904 he set up his office in Pittsburgh. We were all so proud of him and loved him so. In March of 1906 he was brought home with typhoid fever and died at the age of twenty-four. What a crushing blow! My poor dear Mother! Father buried his oldest son beside Baby Lisle in Salem Cemetery close to his Mother, Lucinda Dunkel Garman. How I had loved Ross! I'll never forget the cold lump in my chest that was supposed to be my heart. I was fifteen years old.
Image: Daniel Aaron Garman and...what was her name. Mrs. Gill does not name her mother in this family history. I should know this. DAMN. I have the original wedding documents somewhere. This is Daniel Aaron Garman and Mrs. Garman on their wedding day, March 15, 1877. DAMN. (Anne Bracken-February 10, 2013.)
.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
