This post was contributed to the Crawford County Chapter of OGS by Kristina Stearley as part of the Florence Siefert Scrapbook in 2010.
The scrapbook is compiled from undated, unidentified newspaper clippings involving events in the lives of Crawford County citizens living in or having connections to New Washington, Tiro, Shelby, Sulphur Springs, Chatfield, Bucyrus, Ashland, Mansfield, and other areas. Only minimal spelling or punctuation corrections were made. Unreadable areas are shown by underlines, dots &/or question marks. This collection has been scanned, “optical character recognized” (OCR’d), proofed, then coded for HTML by volunteers of the Crawford County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Since the copies are not of the best quality errors may have been made. Please contact us if you find corrections needing to be made or can verify any missing dates which could be added.
CATHERINE WHITCUM SIEFERT
Mrs. Catherine Siefert daughter of John Whitcum and his wife, Mary, nee Drorbaugh was born Jan. 1, 1835, at Carlisle, Monroe township, Cumberland county, Pa. Three years old she came with her parents to Ashland county, Ohio. She was baptized, as the certificate states, in the presence of the whole congregation, by Rev. Wm. Emerson and 16 years old was received into church membership in the English Lutheran church of the General Synod.
At Ashland she lived with a family by the name of Ilger people who treated her very kindly and to whom, in turn, Catherine became quite attached. She was married to Jacob Siefert, of New Washington. Mr. Siefert will be remembered by older citizens as having been the thrifty blacksmith of this place for many years. The shop, which was formerly his, is still a smithy and the building which he used for wagon making, has since been changed into a dwelling. From Ashland, where the young husband learned his trade, the Sieferts moved to Whetstone township and lived on the Bucyrus-Galion road, where the new blacksmith soon did a lively business. After about five years the Siefert family settled in our little city. Since Oct. 17, 1872 Mrs. Siefert has been a widow residing wherever she could be most helpful conducting the household affairs of her brother, Geo. Whitcum, and the last five years, those of her son, John Siefert.
She has been a consistent member of St. John’s Lutheran church, since April, 1891, also an active member of the Lutheran Ladies’ Society. Her zeal manifested in the missionary enterprises of this society, is all the more worthy of emulation, because on account of her indisposition, nearly all her work which was not little, had to be done at home instead of the social circle of the members. Her principle ailment, rheumatism, was of about eight years standing. From year to year she became more of an invalid, so that for a long time she has been wholly confined, to the house and its immediate premises. Of late a complication of diseases set in and last Friday, at 4 a.m., a stroke of apoplexy, it seems, ended her life. Though her death came sooner than expected the deceased expressed her belief that she would not recover from this illness.
She prepared to meet her God also by, the participation of the Body and blood of Christ in the holy sacrament, which she desired so much. May she now realize the blessedness of her Savior’s presence which here she apprehended by faith. Deceased leaves to mourn her death, one son and one daughter, four daughters having preceded her to eternity, four grand-children, and four brothers, three of whom reside here while one lives in Montana. She reached the age of 64 yrs. 2 mos. and 6 das.
The funeral service, conducted by Pastor Ebert, and interment in Union cemetery, took place on Sunday forenoon, a large concourse of people attended.
