 |
| One of the oldest women in Schuylkill County, Mrs. Margaret Anna Edwards, of Frackville, clipped the ribbon at the formal opening of a new highway at Frackville. Mrs. Edwards, who will be 98 in February, was born in Bellefonte and went to Schuylkill County as a youngster. She lives with her oldest daughter, Mrs. Richard Moll, 73. |
Mrs. Edwards was the youngest of twelve children. She took her long life for granted, pointing out to friends that several members of her family lived to advanced ages. Her mother died at 86 and her father at 73. A brother died at 91 and a sister at 89. Her last surviving sister died at Kansas at the age of 84. Her grandfather died at the age of 108 at New Castle, and her grandmother at Mahanoy City at the age of 80, when she was fatally burned. After he passed the century mark, her grandfather continued to walk to Pottsville from Mahanoy Plane and home again.
On her 96th birthday, Mrs. Edwards gave the following recipe for long life: "The Lord. He has always taken care of me; and I have always tried to take care of myself." Despite her advanced age she was remarkable, well preserved and possessed a rugged constitution.
The poem, "The Battlefields of France" is listed with permission of Mrs. Rae Korson. It is quoted from the book, "Minstrels of the Mine Patch" compiled by her husband, George Korson.
She was a devout member of the Trinity Church and attended services regularly until several weeks before she passed away. She had three children, Mrs. R. W. Moll, Mrs. Wesley G. Berger, and Lawrence Edwards.
Her husband, Issac Edwards, of Delaware County died 45 years prior to her death. He is credited with laying the first piece of track on the famous horseshoe curve of the P.R.R. near Pittsburgh. She was believed to be the oldest living resident of her time in Schuylkill County and lived to see Frackville grow from one house in an uncharted forest of trees to a community of several thousand residents before she passed away at the age of 99.
On October 7, 1937, Schuylkill County's finest underpass, the Frackville arch and highway, at a cost of $341,000, was dedicated. People from Frackville, Mahanoy City and Shenandoah assembled for the impressive ceremony. At 2:30 p.m. a huge motorcade of cars from Shenandoah, Gilberton, Girardville, and Mahanoy City converged on Frackville and were joined by State Secretary of Highways, Warren Van Dyke. Led by the Frackville High School Band, the large caravan moved toward town with a double row of cars on either side of Frackville's wide thoroughfare. This motorcade drove to Maizeville, Mahanoy City, Shenandoah and Mahanoy Plane and back to the arch for the speaking program. In Shenandoah the parade was met by the Shenandoah High School Band which played several selections. They then led the motorcade to Main and Oak Streets where the automobiles drove on. All along the route, streets were gaily decorated. Upon arrival of the cars at the arch, the ceremony of cutting the ribbon was performed by Mrs. Margaret Anna Edwards. Chairman of the program was A. Hower Glick. Invocation was given by Rev. W. H. Egge; address of welcome by Atty 0. A. Wisansky; remarks by Congressman James Gildea; State Senator Joseph P. Dando; Roy E. Brownmiller, a Representative of Bates and Rogers Company; John J. Downey, Rep. of Reading Company; Atty. G. H. Watkins; and Judge Roy P. Hicks. Benediction was given by Rev. S. J. Garstka. A banquet and dance followed at Dengler's Cafe.
Go to the George Burchill biography which was originally printed with this tale (now located in the Old Timers section).