Allegheny-Washington County PA Archives History .....Obituary Of Sarah Gallaher March 1862
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
mary ann bumgarner maneal13@earthlink.net December 25, 2007, 11:28 pm


Obituary:  March 1862  Warren Co., Ohio
Sarah Holcroft Gallaher

Obituary of Mrs. Sarah Gallaher

     In the Star of the 13th inst., the death of Mrs. Gallaher, caused by her 
dress taking fire, was mentioned, but the long residence of the deceased in 
this neighborhood ___ ___ to demand a more particular notice.

     Mrs. Gallaher moved to this neighborhood in the winter of 1796, and with 
her husband, the late Samuel Gallaher, and two children then born, formed the 
fourth family of settlers in this neighborhood. Ichabod Corwin, John Shaw and 
Henry Taylor had preceded Mr. Gallaher some months. The latter being a 
millwright, in 1797 built a mill for Henry Taylor on Turtlecreek about a 
quarter of a mile below the fork of the creek, west of Lebanon, which for some 
twelve years did a considerable business, and being the first mill in the 
neighborhood, was a valuable improvement. In 1803, Mr. Taylor sold this mill 
and the farm connected to it to Martin Earheart, Sen., who kept it running 
until the water gradually lessening in the summer, made the mill seat 
valueless, and it was abandoned.

     Mrs. Gallaher was at her death almost 89 years full, her birthday being in 
June, and until about a year before her death, had enjoyed not only good 
health, but retained her physical powers with uncommon vigor, and to the time 
of her first paralytic attack, in February, 1861, was strong and active. Born 
and reared to womanhood some thirty miles south of Pittsburg, then a new 
country, she was accustomed from childhood to a plain, hardy, backwoods life 
and exercises, and to these agencies she owed much of her strong constitution 
and vigorous health. Mrs. Gallaher was hardly ever sick, I think, though, 
frequently exposed to hardships which even men of hardy constitutions can 
seldom endure. In her younger days, in Western Pennsylvania where she lived, it 
was customary for women to enter the harvest field, and make their hand with 
the sickle. I have often understood from those who knew the facts, that Mrs. 
Gallaher wielded the sickle with such skill and endurance the few men were 
willing to take their land beside hers, and not unfrequently she led the field. 
Though women did not enter the harvest fields in this neighborhood, even in 
early times, yet they sometimes engaged in those sports which are now 
considered as only belonging to the sterner sex. Mrs. Gallaher used the rifle 
with as much certainty and skill as nay man, and often after settling on the 
farm where she and her husband died; she used to shoot turkeys, squirrels, and 
even larger game when they made their appearance near her residence.

Mr. and Mrs. Gallaher reared nine children, all but two born in this 
neighborhood, some of whom survive.

Source: The Western Star, Thursday, 27 Mar 1862

Additional Comments:
Grave online at :  
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ohwarren/Cemetery/Pioneer/f.htm#SarahGallaher

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/

File size: 3.4 Kb