HARRISON PITCHER
and
ANNA ELIZABETH BARR
Second Wife of Harrison Pitcher
Their wedding day, 1905
Submitter:
| I have recently been given a photo by the Newark Valley Historical
Society. It was sent to Gerry Curkendall by Elizabeth Howland Patch, who
now lives in Shillington, PA. She grew up in Newark Valley 1917-1941, and
taught school in Newark Valley for 6 years. When she married, they moved
to Berkshire.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anna Barr was Harrison's second wife and Elizabeth Patch's great aunt. Anna lived in Pine Grove Mills, PA. Her friend was Nancy Niefer, who lived on the next farm to Harrison Pitcher in Newark Valley. Aunt Anna came to visit Nancy Niefer, wife of George Niefer. She met Harrison, a widower, and married him in 1905. It was a first marriage for her. Anna Elizabeth Barr was born June 15, 1861 and died July 1937. She was a seamstress and a sister of Barbara Alice Barr, Mrs. Patch's grandmother. Elizabeth Howland Patch's mother, a niece of Anna Barr Pitcher, came to Newark Valley to visit Aunt Anna and Uncle Harrison. Her father, Fred Howland, was a young single mail carrier. Uncle Harrison hired Fred to drive a horse and buggy to Owego, where Bella Piper, Elizabeth's mother, and sister Anna came by train to bring them to the farm, probably 15 miles. In 1915, her parents married and settled in Newark Valley. Elizabeth was born in 1917. Her mother told her that they went to Uncle Harrison's for Christmas. He died in 1919, so she doesn't remember him. She says, "They were good people." Her father carried the mail for 40 years in Newark Valley and "knew everyone." The Harrison Pitcher Farm was sold to Peter Zahnen's wife and her brother and sister Niederprim. They were German immigrants. Their daughter, Margaret, married Don Zimmer. Their son Don Zimmer has the flower shop in Newark Valley today. Don Zimmer has told Betsy Greenway that the property he lives on today was the old homestead of Peter B. Zimmer, his great-great grandfather. He was also Betsy's great-great grandfather Anna Barr is buried in Hope Cemetery, Newark Valley, Tioga County, NY, with Harrison Pitcher and Eva A. Zimmer, his first wife. Anna and Harrison had no children. Anna was married again, after Harrison died, to Al Pitcher. He and his first wife are also buried in Hope Cemetery. Anna outlived both husbands. Her name is on both stones,
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Ernie Miles
Photos Copyright © 2000 Betsy Greenway. All Rights Reserved.