William Levi Hollabaugh, Great-Grandfather

Geneva Evelyn Hollabaugh Pflaumer was my husband's grandmother.
William Levi Hollabaugh was Geneva's father, my husband's great-grandfather.

Born in Adams County, Pennsylvania in or very near Gettysburg on September 22, 1842, William Levi Hollabaugh was the fourth child and first born son to his parents, George and Elizabeth.  According to some sources, he and his family had a first hand view of the terrible battle of Gettysburg.
Although some sources have William as a soldier during the War Between the States, he reported in the 1930 census that he was not a veteran.



Sometime after the war, he moved to Concord Township, Dekalb County, Indiana where he married Mary Lucetta Case on April 21, 1870.  On July 25th of that year, the census taker found the young couple living with Mary's brother, Emillus, 32, and Mary's mother, Sophia, 62, and sisters, Lydia and Martha.  William, 25, was listed as a farmer laborer, probably helping Emillus on his land, and Mary, at 21, was helping to keep house.

By the June 18, 1880 census, the couple had their own home and four children of the eventual eight they would have together.  The children listed in 1880 were: Hattie (Harriet), 8; Bertha, 6; Ernest (Ernie), 4; and Eva (Geneva), 1.  In 1881, they would have another son, Clarence, who would die in an accident in 1887.

By 1900, Hattie had married and moved away. Still at home with William, 57, and Mary, 51, were Bertha, 26; Ernest, 24; Eva, 21; Esther, 14; Sylvia, 11; and Stanley, 9.  Bertha was working as a teacher and Ernest as a brakeman for the railroad.  William was a farmer on land south of St. Joe, Indiana.

William Levi Hollabaugh , Ernest - son, Esther and Geneva - daughters

On September 6, 1914, Mary died, leaving William to raise two teenagers, Sylvia and Stanley, and Esther, 28, who was still at home.

Ernest Hollabaugh - son, William Levi Hollabaugh, Esther Hollabaugh - daughter, Will and Hattie Fairfield - daughter

   At some point, William moved further into St. Joe, Indiana, living at the southwest corner of town.  In the 1930 census, he valued his land at $1200.  All of his children had married and moved away and Esther was placed in a hospital because of mental illness.  He lived alone until his death on March 2, 1939 at the age of 96.

 His obituary appeared in the St. Joe News on March 9, 1939:
"HALLABAUGH
William Levi, son of George W. and Elizabeth Bittinger Hallabaugh, was born on September 22, 1842, in Adams County, Pennsylvania.  He was one of a family of ten children and departed this life on March 2, 1939, after a prolonged illness of 17 weeks, at the advanced age of 96 years, 5 months and 10 days.  

His early schooling he had in Pennsylvania.  Some years later he came to Indiana and married Mary L. Case on April 21, 1870. To this union were born five daughters and three sons, all of whom except one son survive their father.  The wife preceded her husband in death on September 6, 1914.

Mr. Hallabaugh has been a resident of this community for the past sixty-nine years, living for many years on the farm now occupied by the son, Stanley, later moving to the home in St. Joe.  He has been a faithful follower of the Christian faith all his life and of later years, he has been a member of the Lutheran Church at St. Joe.  The deceased has been a worthy father, a good neighbor, and a most desirable citizen of this community.  His passing leaves regrets in many hearts.  Yet his long life of service should remind us all to fill our years with service to our fellowman.

The surviving near of kin are his children: Hattie Fairfield of Spencerville, Bertha Bridges of Mishawaka, Ernest Hallabaugh of Logansport, Eva Pflaumer of Spencerville, Esther Hallabaugh of Richmond, Sylvia Ginther and Stanley Hollabaugh both of Spencerville; a sister, Mary Hanning of Carlysle, Pennsylvania who is now 98 years of age and still enjoys the best of health; a sister, Georgiana Pencil of California; a brother, Jacob Hallabaugh, of Biglersville, Pennsylvania; twelve grandchildren, four great grandchildren and many other relatives and friends.

The funeral was held from the Kinsey Funeral Home Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Frank Stevenson, with interment in Riverside Cemetery."