Harshbarger Saga #3 – Mary Harshbarger Nofsinger

An almost Christmas present (same with our daughter – day after Valentine’s but she’s still our sweetie) came to be the day after the holiday in 1790 in Virginia, likely Botetourt County when Mary Harshbarger daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Gish Harshbarger was born. This would make her three years older than her husband (Joseph Nofsinger) but she is younger than him in census records. She’d have been 16 when she married Joe (14 September 1812 in Botetourt). Another interesting item is that their oldest (I have Salome born 13 July 1812 but three years before next child so I could easily see it could be 1813 instead – speculation). Joe and Mary came to the Ladoga area and she passed 9 April 1850. Oddly, she is not in the 1850 mortality schedule and she should be. Yet, she does have a stone (FAGrave photo taken by K&M) at the Ladoga Cemetery. Have wondered if she was born in 1796 vs. 1790 to go along with the census records. The stone has kind of a picked off part right on that 0/6 but without seeing the stone new it is hard to say.

Several trees have Joseph passing later in 1850 but he is definitely with their son, William Rowland, who was an Indianapolis banker in 1860. Most of WR’s children were born in Indy. Joseph Lewis went to Kansas City, Missouri and was assistant post master there along with other jobs. His brother, Rowland went there too and was also a postal worker. Their half brother, Francis Bacon Nofsinger (born in Ladoga) was also in Kansas City and Independence and was a well-loved physician.

Regressing as WR was not the oldest child, Salome mentioned above was indeed and married Joel Britts (son of John and Susannah Eckles). Joel lived to 11 October 1876, and Salome died in January 1880 (also found 7 May) of cancer of the face; both buried Greenwood Cemetery, Brownsdale, Minnesota. This family spread, believe you me! Although they are only linked to seven children on FAGrave, I have them with 11. Samuel Harshbarger Britts was born in Ladoga (27 Jan 1838) was in the 2nd Minn Cavalry in the CW and is buried in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Ed Montgomery Britts went to St. Louis County, Minnesota and was an important banker there. He fathered eight children (I think triplets?) but only one was living in the 1900 census. Joseph Addison Britts served in the 2nd Minnesota Volunteers but then went to Missoula, Montana where he is buried. Others stayed in Minnesota where their parents are buried but most went forward to other states.

Elizabeth Nofsinger was born in Botetourt County, Virginia and died 9 June 1889 buried in the Baker Cemetery in Lane, Kansas (very neat stone) with her husband, Joshua Baker. They are only connected to two children on FAGrave but I have them with: Salome; William H; John Wesley; George; Eliza and Frank. Their son William H. died at the end of the Civil War (30 May 1865) and is buried in Little Rock, Arkansas in the Baker Cemetery – he was born in Putnam County, Indiana and when he volunteered on the 19th of August 1862, he was 21 and a farmer. His sister, Eliza married Amos Lingard and they were parents of four daughters (Elinore; Elizabeth; Genevieve and Anna) and two boys (James and Amos). George Washington Baker was born 25 Oct 1848 in Ladoga, and Frank was after my heart with his occupation of book agent!

Mary Nofsinger, daughter of Joseph and Mary Harshbarger married Dan Hale in Putnam County in late 1842 – they lived here in Montgomery County where Dan was a tanner, farmer and courier, passing away 14 Nov 1878 at just 58 years old. He was buried in Shiloh cemetery where their daughter, Emma is, dying just a couple of months prior to her father. Mary is in MoCo with three of her children in 1880, but some time after went to Lane, Kansas where she passed 2 Feb 1890 and is buried. Son, Tilghman Howard Hale, in the Civil War, married and lived here, but others of the Hale children (eight I count) went to Kansas where other members of the Nofsinger family went to live. Daughter Mary married John C. Morris and lived most of the time in the Mace area.

Next up is Peter W. who married Phebe LaFollette in Putnam County on October 14th in 1847 and his sister, Susannah married her brother George Washington LaFollette just a few months before. Oddly, one couple went west and the other stayed here. It was the Nofsingers who in 1869 settled in Franklin County, Kansas near the town of Lane. Sadly, he died January 7 in 1871, she opting to remain in the new country. Their children (Nancy, Thomas, Susan, Mary and George W) aided her and became leading citizens. She has quite an obituary that makes her wreak of spunkiness, telling a young man about four hours before her death (while sweeping the porch) at age 88 that she was a bit older than him but felt just fine.

Lastly, we have Susan(nah) and George LaFollette, Susan born in Botetourt County, Virginia 11 Nov 1827 and passed away in Shannondale (15 July 1902) where they are both buried. They began housekeeping and farming in Russell Township, Putnam County but spent most of their years in Franklin. The GenWeb page has three wonderful LaFollette histories thanks to a couple of wonderful Suz’s – find that here http://ingenweb.org/inmontgomery/bios%20l/index.html. In the nice but short obituary for “Uncle” George LaFollette it noted that “he was such a man as the world can ill afford to lose, just, upright, honorable to the last degree.” He and Susan had Joseph, Frank, Mary, Nancy, Clara, Oliver, Wallace with Hubert and Nancy passing young.

So, hope you have enjoyed learning about Mary Harshbarger Nofsinger and her versatile family who stayed here and wandered there. Harshbarger Saga #4 coming up next week!

Karen Zach is the editor of Montgomery Memories, our monthly magazine all about Montgomery County. Her column, Around the County, appears each Thursday in The Paper of Montgomery County. You can reach her at [email protected].