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My mind exploded after visiting Chicago’s Columbian Exposition (1893). My thoughts, day and night, were filled with the sights, the sounds and the mystery of the Fair exhibits. This diversion kept me from dwelling on the lost of Alta and two sons in 1891. My son Max and I kept the house running – but not very well. Sister Olive, other relatives and neighbors were such a big help. Winters were difficult. However, living with God’s creations - the animals, fruit trees, soil, and other crops made me feel closer to him.
My 60-acres plus Dad and Henrietta’s 40 acres were manageable thanks to our hired men and young neighbor boys. In the mid to late 1890s I had some 15 acres of peaches, 10 acres cherries plus apples, pears and plums. Also carried on general farming and maintained well-cultivated fields. My financial resources increased each year. I was able to improve buildings and purchased the latest in modern machinery and accessories. Money was also available for loaning to relatives such as Alta’s siblings who were starting up farms. Alta’s father James had passed in 1889 while her mother Mahala lived until 1900.
Thanks to the match making skills of Olive I was married a second time to Daisy Galbreath on February 26, 1896. The wedding was at Daisy’s parents home near Pierceton IN east of Warsaw. I was old enough, at 39, to be Daisy’s father as she was 22. Alta was also 22 when we were married in 1886. Daisy was a good looker, stylish dresser and full of energy. And yes, Daisy was a little princess. This could have been because she was the youngest of 14 children. Her father Samuel had 7 with his first wife and 7 with Daisy’s mother - Margaret Black Hibbets. My brother-in-law Sam Galbreath’s father Joseph (wife Eliza Bricker) was a brother to Daisy’s father Sam. This was a bit confusing at times. Connecting to the Galbreath clan doubled my relatives’ list. The Galbreath Reunion photo was taken in the summer of 1896 when Daisy was caring our son Bill. That same summer we attended the Overhiser Cousin’s Reunion, which was started in 1893.
Our son William McKinley was born on Christmas day 1896 and joined 9-year-old Max. Big brother Max was great with his stepbrother and both boys loved the farm pets and animals. Death came calling again. Max started having problems with his sugar levels and died from diabetes complications on December 21, 1899.
Note – above written by Martin Overhiser based on mostly facts and some conjecture.
At the Farm March 1, 2010
Trimming continues and the family is consumed with school activities. The Federal and State tax returns have been filed. Now to pay the property taxes. Our father, Albert Wayne Overhiser, passed away on December 2, 2008 just before his 92nd birthday. Allan misses stopping at Dad’s house every evening to help him get settled for the night. Now that we are living through the second great depression/recession we are reminded of what Dad would tell us about living in the 1930s. “Things were not that bad, we always seemed to have ice cream.” May your dessert be ice cream with frozen peaches or blueberries?
Question: What do you call a truckload of apples spilled down the mountain?
An applanche
