Photographic Christmas cards became popular in the 1950s. The above card that pictured the large stately home at 12 W. Main Street, Elizabethville, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was sent by Dr. Robert E. Barto and Mrs. Emily [Moore] Barto, to family and friends. The caption reads “Seasons Greetings from our house to your house.”
A close-up of the house as it appeared on the holiday card.
And, a view of the house as it appears today, well-maintained and showing very few changes in appearance.
Dr. Robert E. Barto died on 20 August 1960. His obituary appeared in the Elizabethville Echo of 25 August 1960:
Dr. Barto Passed Away Saturday
Dr. Robert E. Barto Sr., age 69 years, who had engaged in the practice of medicine in this community for forty-three years, died in a Harrisburg hospital on Saturday. He had been in ill health for some time.
Dr. Barto was a son of the late J. Wilson Barto and Rebecca [Hubley] Barto, and was born in Pine Grove, 14 October 1890.
A graduate of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, he was a member of the Dauphin County Medical Society. He was the President of the First National Bank of town at the time of his death.
Dr. Barto was a member of Ashlar Lodge No. 570 of Masons, Lykens; Scottish Rites Consistory, and Zembo Temple, Harrisburg and Royal Arcanum Lodge of town. He was a veteran of World War I, and a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars Posts, Elizabethville.
Survivors are his wife, Mrs. Emily [Moore] Barto; a son, Dr. Robert E. Barto Jr., of Camp Hill; one daughter, Mrs. Horace G. Moore, of Wilmington, North Carolina; one brother, John Barto, of Pine Grove; two sisters, Mrs. Paul Ross, Tamaqua; and Mrs. Hilda Gensemer, of Pine Grove;and six grandchildren.
Funeral services were held from the Buffington Funeral Home, West Main Street, at 2:00 o’clock Monday afternoon, Rev. Wayne Z. Artz, pastor of Salem Lutheran Church, town, officiated, and interment was made in St. John’s Cemetery, Pine Grove.
Memorial services were conducted by members of Ashlar Lodge Sunday evening, in the funeral home.
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Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
Christmas card courtesy of Elizabethville Area Historical Society. Current photo of home from Google. Obituary from Newspapers.com.