Bio: Elijah Ellenberger 1822- : Fayette Co File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Betty Louise McIntire Goodwin jnelson@paonline.com USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages cannot be reproduced in any format for profit or other presentation. The following article 14 February 1912, is taken from a scrapbook in possession of the Pennsylvania Room at Uniontown Pennsylvania Library, Uniontown Faith Co. Penna. Dunbar Man Has Over 100 Living Descendants Ninety years of healthy, industrious life, 63 years of wedded happiness, and more than 100 descendants form the rare combination of blessings vouchsafed to ELIJAH ELLENBERGER, of this town, who is celebrating his birthday today and receiving the congratulations of many relatives and friends. His wife, who will be 81 years old next July, is sharing in the honors. "I was always a boy and I'm a boy yet," said Elijah in referring to his anniversary. "I was ways light and jolly and never worried. I'm a colt yet and I ain't fell once this winter. During this cold weather I had a severe sick spell and was housed up four weeks, but Thank God, I'm not dead yet. God is leaving me here for some purpose. There's a part God wants me to fulfill. I'm ready to go whenever he calls me and I'm not making any calculations on how long I'll live. "I never run across the man yet who could pick up a cradle or scythe and go away from me. We worked from sun to sun, and if necessary, a good while after the sun went down. We didn't care for the eight or nine hour system. I always worked for other people and never had any trouble getting work. In the early days the wages were very small and I've worked for 20 cents a day and board after I was full grown man. "When I was 10 years old I began working on my own for a living and I've been making it ever since. I did nothing else but farm work and I'd like to be there yet, if I was able to work. I'd like to travel with you two weeks and show you the farm where I worked for the STRICKLER'S, COCHRANS and HUSTON'S. I was raised where the town of Dawson now is. It was all farm land then and the best land too. "Somerset County was my birthplace 24 February 1822, but my parents brought me to Fayette when I was about 2 1/2 years old. Grandfather ELLENBERGER lived in Upper Tyrone Township at the upper end of the Stewart STRICKLER coke ovens. The first coke I can remember was made in these ovens. They shipped coke to Louisville and Cincinnati and all down the river on flat boats, and I went on two or three trips, once to New Orleans. "The first coke oven STRICKLER built he just ricked it up and covered it just like a big lime kiln, and I claim his coke was better than that made now. They didn't make such large ovens in those days and their coke came round quicker. I've known all the old families around Dawson. I know M.M. COCHRAN of Uniontown, and I knew his great-grandfather too. What do you think of that? His father was as nice a man as ever I seen. "After my marriage I worked eight years for the late Joseph STRICKLER of Upper Tyrone, whose widow. Mrs. Barbara STRICKLER now lives in McKeesport, and she was 90 years old last November. I worked on a farm until we moved to Dunbar 7 years ago. "On 1st February 1849, at 8 o'clock in the morning, I was married to Miss Jane M. Bales, as fine a woman as there is in God's world. I never regretted my bargain and I like her better now than when I married her over 63 years ago, when I was 27 years old and she was not yet 18. "It was a trip of 25 or 30 miles on horseback that I took to get my bride. I was working for John W. STAUFFER on Jacobs Creek near Scottdale, and they let me take grand-mother STAUFFER'S riding horse to go after the girl. I got her at Youngstown at the foot of the ridge east of Greensburg. The day after the wedding she and I rode horseback to the place where I was working, and we started housekeeping in a log house. "For three years, during the Civil War, I was away from my family. My wife had seven children to take care of when I was in the Army, but she was as stout as a horse and could bind sheaves after the cradle, cut corn, and wash, or do anything. "When I was in Harrisburg I was two years too old to get in the army, but I told a lie and got accepted and fought through the war. I get a pension of $20 a month now and ought to have more at my age in life. I was in Co. B, 16th Cavalry, enlisting in Connellsville. My brother John was also in the army. Brother Henry was born a cripple and went as far as Camp Howe, Pittsburg and was sent home. "We've had a round dozen of children, and nine are living now. We lost three girls, two of them died of diphtheria the same night in 1878. "I've been a member of the M.P. Church since 1872, and my wife is a member too. Every Sunday I'm able I go to Church and Sunday School and I tie up some of your smart, educated people on the scripture sometimes. I didn't go to school hardly any, but studied the Bible. When I was a boy we had to go four or five miles to school and the snow was very deep in the winter and we had to work in the summer. "I was raised a republican, but the last few years I've voted for the man and not the party, unless the man was a Socialist." Mr. and Mrs. ELLENBERGER and their living descendants number 105, counting the wives and husbands of the married ones. There is one descendant of the 5th generation, this great-great-grandchild being the 18 month old son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy SHERAW of Hunker. The nine children of this old couple are Mrs. Mary MCNALLY of Ruffsdale, James D. of Dunbar, Joseph formerly of Ruffsdale, Stewart of Iron Bridge, Mrs. John REED of Westmoreland County, Mrs. Buell TARR of Dunbar, Mrs. Ezekiel WILSON of New Castle, Mrs. John SHIREY of Layton, and Mrs. John INGOLD of Ruffsdale. One of the granddaughters, Miss Sadie LOUCKS of Ruffsdale, who is here for the celebration, observes the same birthday as her grandfather, having also been born on February 24th. Mrs. ELLENBERGER is in excellent health and works and reads without glasses During the past six years she has quilted 48 quilts.