Jonah and Elizabeth are two of my ancestors who leave me with many more questions than answers. I do know that death and heartache were profound elements of Elizabeth's life.
Jonah had a twin brother named after their father, John. His mother, Rachel, was a Quaker. I don't know exactly how involved Jonah was with the local Quaker congregation, but his body was buried in the Quaker cemetery near Fishertown in Bedford County.
Elizabeth was the 4th oldest of 14 children. She was an active member of the Dunkard church. In her later years she enjoyed bringing her grandchildren to church with her.
Jonah and Elizabeth were married sometime before 1840. Their son, George, was born probably around 1841 or 1842. On 4 July 1843, Jonah died, making Elizabeth a very young widow and single mother. The first of many tragedies in her life.
To complicate things even more, their daughter (my 2nd great-grandmother), Elizabeth Ellen, was born exactly 2 months following Jonah's death. A little less than 2 years later, Elizabeth's mother died. Think about that - as a very young widow raising 2 small children on her own, Elizabeth lost her mother.
As I try to put myself within the culture of the day, I would think that extended family was just kind of a given and was, I guess, completely ubiquitous. Almost everyone, it seems, was within spitting distance of extended family members of some type or another. That's not to say that those closest to you are somehow diminished or less important by any means, but at least there was always some type of back-up plan should ultimate tragedy occur. This had to provide some kind of comfort and support. At least, I would like to think so.
If you remember from previous posts, Elizabeth's mother was a Reininger and had married a Callihan. The Callihan and Reininger farms were adjacent to each other.
As the families grew and the farms expanded, additional homes and dwellings would be built within close proximity to each other. US census records can help tell the story and put some of the pieces together. The 1840 census shows Jonah Harbaugh and his wife living among the Callihans and the Reiningers.
It was during the 1840s when Elizabeth lost her husband. By 1850 she and her children were living apart. Elizabeth was living with her Uncle George Reininger and Aunt Susan in a house on the Reininger farm. Aunt Susan was a Harbaugh, though I don't know if or how she was related to Elizabeth's deceased husband, Jonah. Also living in the house was Elizabeth's younger sister, Sarah, who was only 2 yrs. old when their mother died, as well as a young farm hand.
Elizabeth's 2 children, George and Ellen, were living with Jonah's parents, John and Rachel Harbaugh. I don't know why Elizabeth didn't have her children living with her, I don't know how far away her parents were (though it wouldn't have been more than a few miles), and I don't know how often she saw them. I just hope this was an arrangement that was, for whatever reason, good for everyone.
By 1860 Elizabeth was living next to her brother George and his family. Her daughter Ellen is living with her. (The census taker didn't get their last names quite right, but no doubt this is Elizabeth and her daughter.)
By 1860 son George would be in his very early 20s. There's a George W. Harbaugh listed in an 1860 census in Frederick, MD with some other Harbaughs from Pennsylvania. He's working as a farmer. I'm not convinced at all that this is Elizabeth's son, so I'm not exactly sure where he was in 1860.
I do know the 1860s were a very eventful and tumultuous time. The 12th of April 1861 brought the beginning of Civil War. We don't know the exact date, but at some point in the early 1860s Elizabeth's son, George, enlisted in the Union Army. In December of 1863, her daughter Ellen married Adam Ickes. She was probably already pregnant on her wedding day.
On the 11th of July 1864 Elizabeth's son George died from wounds he had received in battle at Petersburg, VA on 16th of June. He was buried at Hampton National Cemetery, Hampton, VA.
Just 7 days following her son's death (but probably prior to her being notified that her son had died), her first grandchild was born. John Elmer Ickes, son of Ellen and Adam, arrived in the world on 18 July 1864.
But as the war between the states continued it further affected the family. In October of 1864 son-in-law Adam enlists as a substitute in the Union Army. Thankfully, on 6 July 1865 Adam is honorably discharged from service and returns home sometime afterward.
At some point during the 1860s Elizabeth marries a man with the last name of Smith. The marriage is somewhat short-lived as either Mr. Smith dies (which is most likely) or something else happens to dissolve the marriage. We believe this to be the case because by 1870, as shown in the census, Elizabeth is living with her daughter Ellen and family in Pleasantville.
Elizabeth was living with Ellen's family when Ellen gave birth to a son, Sheldon Ross, in Jan of 1871, who died less than 3 months later. She was also there when Ellen gave birth to a son, Henry Beecher, in March of 1872, who died when he was just 2 days old.
The 1880 census shows Elizabeth still living with daughter Ellen and family in Pleasantville.
That's the last known record of Elizabeth Callihan Harbaugh Smith. There is simply no record of her to be found after 1880.
In 1884 Adam moved his family to Nebraska. I know from what Adam's daughter Allegra (Aunt Alle) recorded as well as documented evidence from Nebraska State census records that Elizabeth did not go to Nebraska with them.
Elizabeth and Ellen didn't have a mother-daughter relationship in which the daughter cut the apron strings and pursued a life of her own away from everything parental. These women's lives were closely intertwined through birth and death and war and uncertainty and heartache and loss. I can't imagine, after all that Ellen and Elizabeth had been through together, that Ellen would ever consider moving a lifetime away and not taking her mother with her if she were still alive. Elizabeth must have died after 1880 and prior to 1884. I just can't believe anything else. But I really wish I knew for sure.
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