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Note: "Dora," as she was known, grew up in Quakake and Tamaqua with her family. I surmise that she met her husband Harry through her mother's family connections in Rush Township or at church. I presume she attended the same Christ "White" Church as Harry had near Quakake until she was about 12 years old, as it states that her mother had attended the church there despite living in Tamaqua for 43 year prior to her death, or since 1893. Apparently Dora's father had moved to Tamaqua from Quakake for his job on the railroad at this time. Her Uncle Frank Bankes also lived in Rush Twp and her grandparents Daniel and Phoebe Neifert, the latter I presume for whom she was named. They are all buried at Christ Church. Dora like most women of her time, was a housewife, likely occupied mainly with raising her children, cooking, cleaning, and helping to put food on the table in any way she could. She did not go by her first name Phoebe, possibly in the German tradition that your first name was your proper Christian name (Phoebe is a character in the Bible, see Romans 12:1) and your middle name was what folks called you. In a book "Grandmother's memories to her grandchild " for her grandaughter Cassandra Damon to chronicle her memoirs, Jean Evelyn Ritter (nee Brobst) writes of her father Howard Brobst's best story about growing up. The entry made in the book not only tells us about the family socio-economic status but also how Dora's daughter had died and how it changed their family: "My father [Howard] came from a poor family and he would tell us how his mother [Dora] coped with being poor. She used to make pretzel soup. Milk and pretzels were heated and served as soup. My father's best story was about his love for his mother. She always fascinated him with her mothering of her children thru sicknesses and trials and tribulations of life. She lost a baby girl on Christmas eve to Black Diphtheria and from that time on, all Christmas presents were given out long before Christmas eve. I think that this experience made my grandmother really appreciate her children." (4) I had heard from my mother, Pat Brobst (nee McCann), that my Pop-pop, Carl F. Brobst, was very fond of his mother Dora, and had sort of taken after her in his happy-go-lucky attitude. It was for this reason that I was inclined to name my daughter Phoebe Isabella, in her honor. Some post cards she sent to her older sister Jennie indicate that she had a good sense of humor. One in particular is a picture of Dora bending over with a pail of feed for approaching ducks that they raised with son Kenny (maybe 18months old on picture) sitting on the ground next ho her watching. On the back postcard, Dora teases the recipient (I presume to be her sister Jennie who she had contacted often), "Here is such a pretty card don't get stuck on it, the one where I am on now if you have any rats, just put them where they can see them." My mother told me I inherited "Dora's" tallness and loud laugh, as tallness was not characteristic of the Brobst side. I note on this commentary after viewing numerous pictures of Harry and Dora circa 1905-1912 obtained by Don Davis show that indeed Dora appears to be a tall woman in stature (5'6" or 5'7" maybe) but Harry was also fairly tall as well, certainly not short. In the photos, Dora appears to be very strong, appearing with her children at their rural home in Quakake. There are photos of her in her ordinary farm clothes for doing chores and also some photos in dress clothes, apparently for church or some formal function. Pictures that I believe are of Harry's father John, show a man of fair hair and blue eyes on horseback and in a portrait photo. My Great Aunt Eleanora told me she believed it was either my Pop at a young age or John Albert (I believe the latter is true). There is also a mystery photo (circa. 1870 or maybe Civil War era) of a man of average height, probably around 5'9" or thereabouts in some kind of uniform (either Railroad mechanic, canalsman, or Civil War volunteer). Not certain if this is Nathan John Brobst or Daniel Bankes or someone else. From conversation with my father Arthur H. Brobst (grandson of Dora): My father Arthur H. Brobst was a pall-bearer at her funeral. He was about 15 years old at the time. He remembers Dora had died after two successive strokes in a relatively short period of time. She and her husband Harry are buried next to each other with there daughter Mary Phoebe in "White" Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church cemetery in Barnesville. Sons Charles, Elmer, and Howard and their offspring are also buried there. -- TB Dora's obituary from the Hazleton Standard-Sentinel (3): Mrs. Harry S. Brobst Mrs. Harry S. Brobst, 64, of Quakake, died at her home Saturday afternoon at 5:08. She was taken ill last Wednesday. Mrs. Brobst was born in Quakake and spent her entire life there. Before marriage she was Phoebe Bachert, daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bachert. She was a member of the Lutheran denomination of Christ White Church and the Ladies' Aid Society. Surviving are her husband now tax collector of Rush Township and these children: Charles, Kenneth, and Howard of Tamaqua R. D. 2, Elmer, of Quakake and Carl of Lofty. Nine grandchildren, one of whom is John Brobst serving in Italy with the army, three brothers including Peter Bachert of Hazleton and one sister, Mrs. Joseph Reis, of Coaldale, also survive. The funeral will be held Wednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock from the late home. Rev. V. E. Snyder, pastor of the Christ Church, will officiate at the home and at continued services in the church. Interment wil be in the White Church cemetery. There were other Bacherts in the 1890 census of Rush Twp, Schuylkill Co, PA. FOOTNOTES: 1. Her great-granddaughter, Carla Thomas, states the spelling is "Bachert". 2. There were other Bacherts in the 1890 census of Rush Twp, Schuylkill Co, PA. 3. Have another obituary from The Evening Courier, Tamaqua, PA Aug 28, 1945 p. 3 "Died" section, "Mrs. Harry S. Brobst" that confirms her date of death as Saturday, August 25, 1945. SOURCES: 1. William A. Brobst's Online Database, "Brobst/Probst Historical Registry" http://worldconnect.rootsweb.com, database named "brobst", Record ID#I11659, now maintained by Art W. Holmes. 2. TB. Tom Brobst, author of this database. 3. "Deaths -- Mrs. Harry S. Brobst," obituary from Standard-Sentinel, Hazleton, PA, Tuesday morning ed., August 28, 1945 p. 11. 4. Ritter, Jean Evelyn (nee Brobst); Transcribed to electronic file by daughter Jeanne (Ritter) Damon, Grandmother�s memories to her grandchild, (Completed 2002 for Cassandra (Cassy) Emily Damon. Transcribed Aug. 20, 2007 to Word file <Grandmothers_memories_to_grandchild.doc>), pg. 2, sect. "My father's best story about growing up"
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