Individual Notes

Note for: Robert L. Myers, 1 JUL 1850 - BET 1890 AND 1941 Index

Individual Note:
Bob was a soldier in the rebellion having served through the entire war. He was a member of Co. L., 21st P C. His regiment joined the Gregg's Cavalry Div., October 17, 1864; served faithfully under him until the following spring when the division was commanded by General Crook & formed part of Sheridan's famous cavalry corps, during the memorable campaign which terminated so gloriously at Appomattox Court House, VA, April 9, 1865, by the surrenderof General Lee.

He is employed (1890) at the Taylor Manufacturing Co., Chambersburg, PA.

Individual Notes

Note for: Porter Brown, BET 1831 AND 1859 - BET 1837 AND 1938 Index

Individual Note:
Porter was killed by the Indians on his way to Montana. They had a train of 18 or 19 wagons. They stopped by the way to feed, when the Indians broke in on them & killed him. He was taken in one of the wagons, hauled nearly all day & was buried by the roadside.

Individual Notes

Note for: John Brown, BET 1831 AND 1859 - BET 1837 AND 1938 Index

Individual Note:
At this writing (1890), lived in Dashaw Co., AR.

Individual Notes

Note for: Emma Brown, BET 1831 AND 1859 - BET 1836 AND 1941 Index

Individual Note:
At this writing (1890), lived in Chambersburg, PA.

Individual Notes

Note for: Bruce King Brown, 4 JUL 1858 - 9 NOV 1885 Index

Individual Note:
Bruce learned the trade of painting in the CV RR Shops in Chambersburg. Afterwards, he went to Columbus, OH, from there to Westover, OH. There he was employed by the railroad company as brakeman. In coupling the cars, he met with an accident & was found in the yard dead.

Individual Notes

Note for: George Jacob Balsley, 17 APR 1823 - 12 APR 1887 Index

Individual Note:
George was a man of prominence. He was one of the leading merchants of Waynesboro. He located in Chambersburg for a short time. In 1861, he was elected County Treasurer & filled that office. He was Deputy Treasurer from 1866 to 1867; was Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue from 1869 to 1872 & held numerous other offices. He then, in 1869, moved with his family to his farm near Waynesboro. On November 2, 1886, he was elected to the PA legislature. About a month after the election, he was confined to the house with sickness, never to leave it alive. He was in consequence, unable to take his seat in the House of Representatives & after an illness of 4 months, he quietly passed away.

Individual Notes

Note for: Carrie Porter Balsley, 29 DEC 1866 - BET 1895 AND 1960 Index

Individual Note:
The Balsley family throughout are Methodists.

Individual Notes

Note for: Carl W. Needy, 3 MAR 1863 - BET 1895 AND 1954 Index

Individual Note:
He was admitted to the Franklin Co. bar, September 1890 & was practicing law in Waynesboro, PA.

Individual Notes

Note for: Wilson Thomas Arnold, 11 SEP 1915 - 11 AUG 1938 Index

Individual Note:
Wilson T. Arnold was known as Jack Arnold. He was a bright student in High School, and liked to hunt. He had a .22 Marlin pump rifle with which he once shot a bird on the opposite bank of the Wabash River. He studied taxidermy via a correspondence course from Northwestern School of Taxidermy.

Wilson T. Arnold, 6657912, Cpl., Co. "E", 11th U.S. Infantry, served in the U.S. Army at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, where he met Elizabeth. He was a good rifle shot. His Qualification Scorebook for April 1936 with the .30-06 Springfield rifle is in the possession of R.L. Arnold. It shows the following:

Range Fire Position Score Possible Rifle No. 1419706

200 yd Slow Standing 40 50 Practice
300 " Prone 21 25 "
300 " Sit/Kneel 42 50 "
500 " Prone 45 50 "

200 Slow Standing 46 50 Record Fire
300 " Sit/Kneel 45 50 "
500 " Prone 46 50 "

300 Rapid Prone 22 25 Practice
200 " Sitting 45 50 "

200 Rapid Sitting 48 50 Record Fire
300 " Prone 45 50 "

Jack Arnold worked as a painter for the Red Spot Paint co. in Evansville, IN. He was killed in a basement fire while on the job in August, 1938. The basement was filled with paint fumes and someone turned on an electric fan to clear the fumes. The resulting fire killed another painter and left Arnold badly burned. He died 2 days later in a hospital in Evansville. His son, Robert was 8 mos. old at the time, and Elizabeth was 2 months pregnant with Rita, who was born the following February. He is buried in a Cemetery in Stewartsville, IN.

Individual Notes

Note for: Robert Melvin Scherer, 25 AUG 1874 - 9 JUL 1962 Index

Individual Note:
Robert Scherer was 41 when his first child, Elizabeth, was born. His father was 75 when Robert was born. Thus, two generations spanned 116 years, compared to the usual 40-50 years.

Robert Scherer united with the Lutheran Church in his youth and transferred his membership to the Madison Avenue Methodist Church in 1913, and remained a faithful member until his death. He had been a Sunday school teacher, superintendent and held other offices for many years and was an honorary trustee.

He attended Wittenburg College in Ohio for two years, to meet the current requirement for a teaching certificate. He taught school for many years in one-room schoolhouses in Indiana, until the requirements for teaching were raised to four years, and he became ineligible. He tried several other occupations, such as storekeeper. A photo of the Scherer store and delivery truck is in the possession of R. L. Arnold. In his later years, during World War II and afterward, he worked as custodian in the Township schools. He was probably the only custodian who could teach Greek and Latin.

He was an avid gardener, and often had an acre of tomato plants, and an acre of sweet corn. He sold some of his produce to local markets, and remarked that he felt bad that he was taking advantage of the storekeeper by accepting ten cents a dozen for sweet corn. Every year he canned jelly, jam, and pickles for the family's use during the year.

He was active in the Temperance movement, and in the Prohibition Party. He beame a strong Republican supporter, especially after the repeal of Prohibition. He believed Franklin Roosevelt to be the devil incarnate because he repealed Prohibition.

Robert Scherer was a poet and author of essays and short stories. Many of these are being assembled into a booklet by R. L. Arnold, who has the originals.

He is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Johnson County, Indiana, as are his wife Vonnie and infant son.

Individual Notes

Note for: Vonnie Ethel Nelson, 20 NOV 1888 - 19 MAR 1919 Index

Individual Note:
Vonnie Nelson Scherer died in 1919 as a result of complications in childbirth (Mary Ellen).

The following obituary was written by her husband, Robert M. Scherer. The handwritten original is in the possession of R. L. Arnold:

"Vonnie Ethel Nelson was born at Indianapolis November 20, 1888 and departed this life March 19, 1919, aged 30 years, 3 months and 29 days. She attended the public schools of Indianapolis and Shortridge High School for a time. Early in her teens she united with the Hillside Christian Church and remained a faithful member of that church until changing her residence to University Heights where she united with the Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church in 1912. She has been an active member of this church since that time, taking pafrt in all the departments of the church work.

October 24, 1914, she was united in marriage with Robert M. Scherer. Three children were born of this marriage - - Elizabeth Nell, 3 1/2 years of age; Edward Everett who died in oinfancy, and Mary Ellen, the week-old baby.

Vonnie has been a faithful wife and a tender, loving mother. Her greatest desire in life appeared to be to care for her home and loved ones, not forgetting all of her friends and neighbors.

Besides her husband and daughters, she leaves her father, three sisters, four brothers and sixteen nieces and nephews.

Although her life has been so short it has been one of loving service and she will be sadly missed by her many friends. She was never given to building air castles but was satisfied to be busy with the daily, practical cares of life, never given to complaining but always cheerful.

She seemed to feel that she would never survive her last illness but in spite of such feeling she put forth a heroic effort to conquer. She repeatedly talked with her husband during her last few days, about dying, and made the expression that she was not afraid to die, but was praying that she might live to care for her children and home."

Individual Notes

Note for: William Arnold Stroud, 30 JUL 1923 - 7 JUL 1994 Index

Individual Note:
Met Elizabeth while both worked at E. J. Baker Co. in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bill served in US Army in Europe, 2-20-43 to 10-25-45. Legend is that he was at Battle of the Bulge.

He had been in same nursing home as Elizabeth when he became ill and was moved to Medina(OH) Hospital, then to the VA Hospital at Brecksville, OH. He was moved from there to the VA Hospital on Wade Park in Cleveland, where he died on July 7, 1994. Cause of death was broncho-pneumonia due to hypertensive heart disease.

Individual Notes

Note for: Leslie Keene Borror, 23 DEC 1909 - 28 DEC 1974 Index

Individual Note:
Les Borror was a very good student in high school. He was interested in chemistry especially, and was offered a scholarship to college, but was unable to accept because of the need to help at home. His Prediction in the High School Yearbook was that he was "going to straighten the Leaning Tower of Pisa." (Lena Borror)

He worked in construction all his life, starting as a carpenter and ending his career as construction superintendent. In later years he supervised construction or remodeling of a variety of commercial buildings, including those on the campus of Indiana State College in Terre Haute, IN.

He was a devoted bass fisherman. In the 1950's, he entered contests and caught enough big bass to win a boat and motor which he used until he retired in the 1970's. He would often spend a week in Crystal Falls, MI, with his brother Layton and his sister, Ruby Jenkins. His idea of a good day was to be on the lake at sunrise and cast topwater plugs for bass until about 11:00. Then he would switch to a cane pole and fish with worms for bluegills until late afternoon. He would then change back to topwater plugs for bass until dark. His favorite plug was a 5/8 oz. Arbogast Hula Popper, black with red throat. He used a Pfleuger Supreme bait casting reel and 15 lb. test nylon monofilament line.

He loved to fish topwater baits and would rarely fish anything else. One evening on a lake near Crystal Falls in about 1960, the sun was just setting and we were fishing surface plugs. Suddenly, large fish began to hit our baits. They sounded like logs splashing the surface of the water. They also cut our lines and took our plugs. It was a spooky scene in the half-dark. I believe they were northern pike which were hitting surface plugs. This was not a common occurrence. This went on for about 15 minutes and we didn't boat a single fish.
On another occasion, I went fishing with him and another fellow to a strip mine in southwestern Indiana. We got the boat in the water and two of us were loading the gear into the boat. While we were busy, Les walked over to the edge of the water, cast one time, and caught a 6 lb. 7 oz. largemouth bass
We didn't catch any more bass that day. we took the bass in and got it weighed, and I took a picture of it beside my son Curtis, who was about 1 yr. old. The bass was as long as he was tall.

Les Borror had an uncanny ability to know what people were thinking. On many occasions he would verbally finish the thought of the person he was with. One instance was in Crystal Falls, MI, in 1960, when I was with him and we were getting ready to go fishing. We were all set to go and were driving to the lake when we made a quick stop at a little bait store. He went inside and I was thinking to myself, "What in the world are stopping here for?" He walked out of the store and walked up to the car and said, "Because they have the best redworms for bluegills." He got in and drove off without another word. There were many other instances of his knowing what people were thinking. I think this was why he was sometimes unhappy. (R. L. Arnold)

Individual Notes

Note for: John Scherer, 27 JUL 1799 - 26 DEC 1891 Index

Individual Note:
John Scherer was born while George Washington was still alive. John was 78 when his last child, Laura, was born. There were a total of 19 children by John plus the three brought by his second wife, Susan, when they married.