BIO: Emily W. Myers, Cumberland County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Bookwalter Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ ______________________________________________________________________ History of Cumberland and Adams Counties, Pennsylvania. Containing History of the Counties, Their Townships, Towns, Villages, Schools, Churches, Industries, Etc.; Portraits of Early Settlers and Prominent Men; Biographies; History of Pennsylvania; Statistical and Miscellaneous Matter, Etc., Etc. Illustrated. Chicago: Warner, Beers & Co., 1886. http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/beers/beers.htm ______________________________________________________________________ PART II. HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. CHAPTER LX. WEST PENNSBOROUGH TOWNSHIP. 584 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: MRS. EMILY W. MYERS, P. O. Newville, was born near Big Spring, Cumberland County, Penn., July 12, 1849, youngest daughter of Joseph and Mary S. (Woodburn) McKee, and was married, July 31, 1872, to John B. Myers, son of John B. and Eve (Bower) Myers, and born October 21, 1834. The original John B. Myers was of German descent; came to this county from Lancaster County, Penn., more than a century ago. He was the father of the following named children: John B., William A., Samuel, Catharine, Anna, Elizabeth, Maria, Sarah and Agnes. He purchased a farm (a part of the original Schuyler tract), and was one of the few who were able to withstand the terrible financial depression following the Revolutionary war, when the Continental money became worthless, and men holding thousands of dollars were reduced to poverty by the depreciation of this currency. Full of enterprise Mr. Myers pushed bravely on, and instilled in his son the same enthusiasm characteristic of his race and name, and succeeded in holding the property and becoming quite wealthy. After the marriage of John B. Myers, Jr., and wife, they commenced their domestic life on the pleasant homestead where the widow still resides. Up to the age of forty-five years he had long resisted the match-making mammas, but the many charms of Miss McKee won him from the ranks of bachelordom, and to the time of his death occasion never arose for regret that he had formed this alliance with a daughter of one of the oldest and most noted families in Cumberland Valley. Mr. Myers was a successful farmer. He and his wife, devout members of the United Presbyterian denomination, were prominent in church work. Retiring in manner Mr. Myers had great love for home, his wife and his children - Mary E., Harriet J., Joseph Mc, John B., Sarah J. and Maggie Y., all living but John B. and Maggie. March 21, 1884, the death of the kind husband and father occurred, since which time Mrs. Myers has man- 585 WEST PENNSBOROUGH TOWNSHIP. aged the farm, her husband having such confidence in her ability that she was left sole executor, and well does she perform her trust. Her home is neat, cheery and attractive, and the bright children evince a careful training. In connection with this sketch Mrs. Myers says: "I consider it very important in writing the biography of the lives of different persons to know for what purpose they have lived, whether the life of each has been a success or a failure, a blessing or a curse. In writing my own history, I would, in the spirit of meekness and deep humility, say that my object in life has not been to accumulate riches, neither have I coveted the honors and emoluments of this world, nor was it any good in me but through the free grace and loving kindness of our Heavenly Father. I was led in very early life to accept the Savior, and ever since my heart's desire and prayer have been that I might be instrumental in leading precious souls to Christ, independent of rank or station, color or nation. Much of my time and means has been employed in devising ways by which the cause of missions might be more rapidly advanced, thereby bringing glory to God and so rescue the perishing. And last, not least does my soul go out to the glorious temperance cause, and oh! how I long to be helpful in emancipating the millions of precious souls who are held captive under the terrible curse of the rum traffic, and which is sweeping over our beloved land like a mighty flood; the sin, if not being repented, will bring down the vengeance of an offended Deity, and cause this great Nation to be obliterated from the face of the earth. I would add, in conclusion, when we were married my husband was not a Christian. I officiated as priest at the family altar and at the family board, and, having grace administered to discharge my duty faithfully, I soon had the sweet consciousness of being the feeble instrument in my husband's conversion, and had his dying testimony as I saw his spirit leave the clay tabernacle to that 'house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' These few facts I have hastily penned, in the hope they may be productive of good as a stimulus and encouragement to some devoted wife who has an unregenerate husband, and as a legacy to my children to follow in my footsteps only in as far as I have followed Christ, and my earnest desire has been that each of their lives may be one constant sacrifice to labor for the Savior who has bought them at such an immense cost, even the shedding of His own precious blood."