BIO: ROBERT F. NOBLE, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Joe Patterson OCRed by Judy Banja Copyright 2004. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/ _____________________________________________________________ >From Biographical Annals of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Chicago: The Genealogical Publishing Co., 1905, pages 276-278 _____________________________________________________________ NOTE: Use this web address to access other bios: http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/cumberland/zeamer/ ROBERT F. NOBLE (deceased) was only a young man at the time of his death, but he is still remembered by the older citizens of Carlisle as one of great promise. He was born Oct. 1, 1831, in the old Noble homestead on North Hanover street, in Carlisle, where his parents, John and Julia Ann (Lechler) Noble, lived for a time after their marriage. The father was an extensive meat dealer in Carlisle, and accumulated a fortune in that business. He furnished meat to the barracks. John Noble died in Carlisle. Robert F. Noble attended school in Carlisle, but he had a restless disposition, caring little for study, and early in life commenced to help his father in his large business, showing himself to be possessed of great ability in that line. Indeed, he was an important factor in the making of his father's fortune. He was a noted horseback rider, and was in the saddle almost continuously, riding around the country buying up cattle for his father, and when not thus engaged he was in, the slaughter-house, where he acted as foreman. On June 16, 1851, in Carlisle, Mr. Noble married Miss Elizabeth Mell, who was born in Carlisle, in the house on South Pitt street now occupied by Mr. Huston. She attended school until fifteen years old, when, her mother being an invalid, she was obliged to leave, to assist with the housekeeping duties at home. Her father was one of the first brick manufacturers of Carlisle, and gave employment to a number of hands, several of whom boarded at his home, so that the duties in the house were quite heavy. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Noble began housekeeping on South Pitt street, where Dr. Bentz now lives, but his father subsequently remodeled the old stone house on North Hanover street, and thither they removed, Mr. Noble living there until his death, which occurred in 1862. Upon that occasion the following tribute of respect was presented to the family by the Good Will Hose Company, of which Mr. Noble was a favorite member "At a meeting of the Good Will Hose Co., held in their Hall, on the evening of the 9th inst., the following Preamble and Resolutions were, on motion, unanimously adopted as expressive of the sentiments of the members in regard to the death of their late fellow member, Mr. Robert F. Noble: "Nature furnishes many a useful lesson CUMBERLAND COUNTY. 277 on the shortness of life and transitory character of every earthly pleasure and pursuit. The opening Spring and full blown Summer; Autumn with its song of plenty, and cold, stern Winter in its drapery of gloom, all teach the important truth that life, at best, is but a passing dream. Childhood, with its smiles and tears, youth, with its warm, impulsive spirit, manhood, with its stern realities, and old age, with its memories of the past, succeed each other in their rapid flight, bearing us on to the closing scene in the great drama of life. "The tender flower, that today unfolds its beauties to the sun, and tomorrow pales and dies, is a fitting emblem of man's hopes and aspirations. He toils in the race for worldly distinction, and labours zealously to amass the gold of earth, yet how often does it happen that when the prize seems almost won, Death interposes, strikes down the altars he has raised to his gods, turns into dust the idols that have claimed his worship and lays his body down in the cold bosom of the grave, there to rest until the dawn of that great day, at whose approach the mountains shall melt and the sea give up the whitened bones of its slumbering millions. Thus bath it been with him to whose memory we are about to pay this last, sad tribute of respect. Called away in the morning of life, when the arm was yet strong, and the eye shone bright, his death has left a void in the hearts of his sorrowing friends that time can never, never fill. The birds will sing and the flowers bloom; the seasons will roll on their accustomed rounds; seedtime and harvest will come, and the reapers' song will be heard in the fields as they gather in the golden sheaves, but he will not heed them. Henceforth the grave shall be his bed, and the places that knew him once will know him no more forever, and although we cannot fathom the mystery which shrouds his early doom, still we can rest assured that He who seeth the end from the beginning has a wise purpose of His own, and will cause the present sorrow to issue in a harvest of eternal joy to those who are weeping in the lone valley of affliction. But we cannot say farewell without bearing our testimony to the many noble qualities of our departed friend, therefore be it "Resolved, That, in the death of our late fellow member, Robt. F. Noble, the Good Will Hose Co. has lost an active and efficient member, one who was ever at his post of duty, fully sustaining the character of a brave and disinterested firemen. "Resolved, That, in his early death, we each and all recognize the hand of an allwise God, who doeth all things well, and although His arm has been raised in seeming wrath, yet we should remember that the same hand which has opened the tomb can also bind up the heart that mourns for the dust which sleeps in its quiet depths. "Resolved, That the sad fate of our friend and brother speaks to us in accents of solemn warning, bidding us to have our lamps trimmed and burning, so that when the night draws near we may be prepared to lay aside the pilgrim's staff and go down to the grave's deep slumber with the bright hope of a glorious immortality. "Resolved, That this Hall be draped in mourning and, that each member wear a badge of crape on the left breast for the space of thirty days as a testimonial of respect to the memory of our departed friend. "By Order of Committee, "JAMES MULLIN, Chairman." Mr. and Mrs. Noble had four children, viz.: Julia is the widow of Fred F. McComas, of Hagerstown, Md. Harry M. 278 CUMBERLAND COUNTY. died when fourteen months old. Robert Nebenger died when six months old. Harry Halbert, who died at the age of thirty-one years, in Carlisle, married Miss Minnie Pollinger, who is now the wife of Andrew Kerr, and resides in Atlantic City, N. J.; he left one child, Julia E., who is now the wife of Edward Parker, of Atlantic City. Mr. Noble was reared in the Episcopal faith. In political sentiment he was a Republican. Mrs. Noble is a woman of energetic disposition, and is remarkably well preserved for one of her years.