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Note: N17 Harriet Clara Clark was adopted after Jane McPherson died shortly after the birth of Harriet. William “Papy” McColm According to research data the average life expectancy for a male born in America in 1828 was about 40 years. Incredibly William “Papy” McColm surpassed that average by well over 50 years. The fact that he spent just over two years as a private in Company E, 49 th Pennsylvania Regiment makes his longevity even more extraordinary. Papy was a long time resident of the West End, having spent the last forty years of life living in the villages of Pa rdee and Weikert. This beloved old gentleman was only days away from celebrating his 96 th birthday when he died on November 14, 1924 in Watson- town, PA. Papy was born in New Holland, Lancaster County, Pennsyl- vania on Christmas Day 1828, the son of John and Emma McColm. By 1859 he was living in the Winfield area, where he was employed at the iron or e furnace located in that sec- tion of Union County. On March 20, 1861, in New Berlin, he married the former Ma rtha Harriet McPherson. Martha, the daughter of William and Chri stiana (Moore) McPherson, was born December 14, 1839. Two years and three months after their marriage, 34-year old William McColm was drafted into military service. McColm was not exactly a young man when he was drafted on June 15, 1863, days before the epic Civil War battle at Gettysburg. When he answered his country’s call he was leaving be- hind a wife, and employment at the furnace in Winfield. He remained with his unit until his discharge at Halls Hill, Virginia on July 15, 1 865. Of the nearly one thousand men who served in the 49 th Pennsylvania Regiment nearly 380 men were killed or wounded. Although Papy
Page 2 was discharged without any serious inju ries, as with most people who serve during times of war he was affected by the experiences he encountered dur- ing the previous 25 months. Following his discharge he returned to his wife and home in the village of Winfield. He later found employment at a colliery near Shamokin, North- umberland County. He and his wife lived in the Shamokin area for a num- ber of years before returning to Unio n County. By 1885 they were living in Hartleton, while Papy worked at the sawmill operated by William Culber- son. By 1893 the McColm’s moved to Cohn (Pardee) where Papy was em- ployed by the Pardee Lumber Company. The infirmities associated with ag e were creeping up on Papy by this time in his life so he reached out to the U. S. Pension Agency for assistance due to his service to his country during th e Civil War. His military pension re- cords obtained from the Nation Archiv es reveal the difficu lties he had in obtaining, as well as maintaining, a military pension throughout the re- mainder of his life. Papy was forced to undergo numerous examinations by various doctors. He also had to present himself before a board of examiners at places such as Lewistown, Sunbury, Lewisburg, Lock Haven, and Bellefonte. In each in- stance three board members examined him before submitting their find- ings. At various times friends, neighbors, and former employers wrote let- ters to the pension agency on McColm’s behalf. He suffered from a number of health issues in his old age, wh ich precluded him from performing man- ual labor, including the loss of sight in one eye, rheumatism , kidney disease, and other ailments. Papy’s pension, which was $6 per month in 1893, had risen to $72 per month at the time of his death. William and Martha (McPherson) McColm ha d no biological children, although they raised a niece, Harriet C. Clark, as their daughter. Clark was a daughter of Sylvester S. and Jane (McPherson) Clark. Jane Clark died shortly after giving birth to Harriet. Harriet married Oscar R. G oodlander with whom she had seven children: Bertha, Bessie, John, Benjamin, Al- bert, Helen, and William McColm Goodla nder. With seven “grandchildren” it is little wonder that William and Martha McColm took on the nicknames “Papy” and “Mamy.” Papy is perhaps remembered most as the mail carrier at the Weikert Post Office. For many years he carried the incoming and out going mail sack from the Weiker Railroad Station to the nearby post office. He was also responsible for getting the mail sack attached to the trackside mail catcher. If there were no need to stop at the stat ion the approaching train would merely snatch the mail sack on the fly. A real photo postcard of Pa py hanging the mail sack on the mail catcher at the Weiker Station has been published numerous times by the Union County Historical Society. Mamy McColm died February 4, 1914. She and Papy had celebrate d 52 years of marriage by the time she passed away. Out of respect for her husband and to honor his service to his country dur ing the Civil War, six Sons of Veterans of Camp No. 11 at La u- relton served as pallbearers when Mamy was laid to rest in the Hironimus Church Cemetery. Very few people living today have any memories of Papy McCol m. One person who does is 97-year-old Leona (Sholter) Wirt of Riverview Manor, Lewisburg. Leona is the daughter of the late Asa and Verna (Erdley) Sholter. Some moths ago she shared with me her memories about Papy McColm. Leona, who was born in 1911, retains fond memories of the old man she knew as a child. She said that he was the dearest old man she ever knew. He was a gentle- man who loved and adored children. A prominent feature about this old veteran was his long gray beard, which was oftentimes stained with to- bacco juice. She recalled how thrilled Papy was that he lived long enough to see his two “grandsons”, Albert and Benjamin Goodlander, return home safely from their military service during WWI. Wirt also deserves credit for preserving Papy’s memory in an article she wrote for a 1972 publication for the Union County Historical Society. Papy McColm was blessed with a long life of nearly 96 years. During that time he had the opportunity to touch the lives of many of the folks with whom he came in contact. His obitua ry, which was written by the late Asa Sholter, provides some additional interesting facts about Papy. It is clear that Papy was loved and admired by the residents of Weikert, especially Asa Sholter. It was first published in the November 22, 1924 edition of the Lewisburg Saturday News. The obituary in its entirety can be found on page 4 of this iss
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