Susanna [Row] Keiper, who was born 1 February 1852 in Washington Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was interviewed by the Millersburg Sentinel, in early January 1933, for an article that appeared on 27 January 1933 in that newspaper. The interviewer and author was F. Park Campbell, associate editor. Later that year, on 23 October 1933, she died in Lykens, Dauphin County.
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Life Sketches of Aged People of Millersburg and Surrounding Area
Mrs. Susanna Keiper, 81, of Lykens
One of Four Aged Sisters, Oldest of Whom is 90 – Does Much Domestic Work – Enjoyed Visit to Airport, but Has No Desire to Go Aloft – down With the “Flu” in 1918, Her Only Illness – Enjoys All Kinds of Food
By F. Park Campbell, Associate Editor [Millersburg Sentinel, Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania]
Mrs. Susan Keiper, widow of William Keiper, who resides with two fine daughters at 317 Market Street, Lykens, is one of four sisters whose ages total 327 years, the oldest being 90 and the youngest 77. Mrs. Angeline Zerby, of Elizabethville, whose life sketch appeared in the Sentinel, May 13, 1932, is the oldest. Mrs. Keiper, 81, is next, followed by Mrs. Amelia Chubb of Halifax, who is 79 and the baby of the quartette is Mrs. Leah Michael, of Williamstown, who is only 77.
The sisters are daughters of the late Daniel Row and Susanna [Frantz] Row , of Lykens Valley, who passed away rather early in life. Mrs. Row was only 42 when she died, of hernia, but was the mother of twelve children. Father Row died at the age of 58, of Bright’s disease. His father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. William Row, of Lancaster county, each lived to be 92 years of age.
Susanna Keiper was born on a farm west of Matterstown in Washington Township, February 1, 1852. Her parents were poor, hard working farmers, and she says she does not remember ever seeing a cook stove in her mother’s home. There was a fireplace in the Row home where all food was prepared. The frying pans had long legs and long handles so they could be placed in position over the blazing wood in the fireplace. For cooking, pots were suspended from chains in the fireplace. Tallow candles were used for illumination in the home at night. The Rows grew flax and raised sheep on their farm. Flax and wool were made into clothing for the Row children by Mother Row.
Mrs. Row could not speak English but carried on all her conversations in the Pennsylvania Dutch dialect. The children speak English and the Dutch dialect very fluently.
When Susanna was old enough she became a pupil at Holtzman School. She recalls that at one time she had a teacher by the name of Tarbox. Andrew Pontius was another teacher at Holtzman School.
Every minute Susanna was not in school she was working at home or on the farm, when she became old enough to be useful. Was Susanna was 9 years of age her mother died, leaving six children and their father. Susanna was sent to the home of William Lenker, near Reigle’s church, to reside and help with the work. At the same time she attended Neagley School where William Lenker was teacher.
When the Civil War broke out, one of Susanna’s brothers, Adam Row, enlisted and served eleven months. After the war was over he enlisted in the regular army and served three years. Adam Row died four years ago, at Halifax, aged 80 years. Susanna says she recalls the Civil War days and the many boys going away to serve their country. She remembers the shooting of President Lincoln and the panic following the war. She says “hard” times then did not impress her very much because she was young and was provided for; did not need to worry about making ends meet. She says, however, that the panic then was mild compared to the present depression.
Susanna resided at the Lenker home four years but when Mr. Lenker purchased the Buck store at Killinger and moved his family to that place, she went to the farm of Alfred Hoover, east of Berrysburg. Susanna was 14 then and a strong, healthy youngster but when she found she was supposed to do the work of two men she rebelled and her stay there was brief. Next she became attached to the home of the John Holtzman family, on a farm near Riegle’s church, where she remained until she was 17. She then became a maid in the home of the Hiram Bueck family at Lykens, and later was employed in the homes of Joseph Dunlap, Daniel Woodside, and Guerney Miller, all at Lykens, all now deceased.
Susanna was a member of the United Brethren church at Lykens, and a regular attendant. So was William Keiper, of Lykens, and before long the two became good friends. William was a son of John Keiper and Lucy Ann Keiper, of Lykens, and was a miner at the Short Mountain Colliery.
When Susanna was twenty years of age she and William Keiper were united in marriage at the parsonage of the Lutheran Church, at Lykens, by Rev. Mr. Glosse, and the happy young couple moved into the Keiper home on Main street.
Susanna and William Keiper had nine children, five of whom are living today. They are Harry Keiper, El Paso, Texas; Mrs. Lottie Blanning, New Castle, Pa.; Mrs. Edward Dietrich, Gratz, and misses Lina Keiper and Sally Keiper, at home. Mrs. Keiper has eighteen grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren. Her oldest great grandchild is Miss Kathryn Dietrich, 18, of Lykens Township, who graduated from the Lykens High school last spring, and her youngest great grandchild is Joanna Schoffstall, daughter of Charles Schoffstall and Susan Schoffstall, of Gratz, who was born last August. Clyde Blackway, of Millersburg is a grandson and Mrs. F. C. Campbell, of town, a niece.
William Keiper, the husband of Susanna, passed away 19 years ago and since that time this grand old lady has been living happily with her two daughters at Lykens.
Mrs. Keiper helps with the work around their big, comfortable home and she says she is capable of doing most of it but the girls will not permit it. She goes visiting among her children and grandchildren at times and has a fine time because she loves them all. Last week she was planning to visit her sister, Mrs. Angeline Zerby, at Elizabethville, but says she did not have time.
At home she is usually busy, sewing, knitting, crocheting, mending or making her own clothing. she spends much of her leisure time reading but does not care for the radio. Her hearing is somewhat impaired and when the radio is played so that it is of the proper volume for the average person, Susanna can scarcely hear it. She secured an ear trumpet, thinking it would help, but she found that unless the radio was tuned so low the rest of the persons in the room could not enjoy it, the tone was too loud for her and she decided to give up listening in.
Last summer she visited the home of a grandson, Harold Blackway, in Philadelphia, and while there traveled around quite a lot. One of the places she visited was Central Airport, Camden. She was delighted with the big airport and with seeing the ships of all sizes but could not be induced to go for a ride in the air. She has not changed her mind about flying and still insists that she is comfortable on the land and will not go up in the air.
While on visits to the homes of relatives in Philadelphia, New York and Ohio, Mrs. Keiper has attended motion picture shows but she does not care much for the movies. She says she would rather stay home now. She does not go out at all at night, but she seldom goes to bed early.
There are many visitors at the Keiper home and they are given such a cordial reception that their stay is usually prolonged. When visitors call in the evening, Mrs. Keiper helps entertain them and she says that occasionally she goes to bed early, but as a general rule is up early next morning. Mrs. Keiper and her daughters, Lina Keiper and Sally Keiper, are splendid entertainers. They are seldom alone but are always glad for visitors.
Susanna Keiper is a coffee drinker and has been since she was a little girl at home. she says that when she was at home their coffee was usually made from wheat or rye but now she drinks real coffee with each meal and frequently more than one cup at a meal. Susanna, who is full of wit and humor which keeps her smiling most of the time, says that she eats all kinds of food without exception and that she has her coffee the first thing in the morning.
She has never been ill, excepting an attack of influenza during the ‘flu” epidemic of 1918, and her health is good at the present time. She says she would like to live long if she keeps well but she would not want to be any trouble to anyone.
Mrs. Keiper is proud of her two daughters who have remained home with her and says she has a fine bunch of grandchildren who would not let her “stick,” one of them being Clyde “Blackie” Blackway of Millersburg.
Mrs. Keiper is a member of the Baptist church of Lykens, but does not attend services very often. She is a fine old lady and is known and loved by a great host of relatives and friends.
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