Martha Golder (1859 – 1944)

Martha Golder was born on January 4, 1859, in Stillwater, Pennsylvania. Her parents were Abraham Golder, a miller, and Mary Broski, both Pennsylvania natives.

Martha married Benjamin Franklin Edgar and had four children: Hurl, Alma, Madge, and Oliver. Following Benjamin’s death, she relocated multiple times, eventually marrying John Hess. Martha lived in various states, including Pennsylvania, Virginia, and North Carolina, often residing with her children or relatives.

Martha’s life was marked by perseverance through the deaths of two husbands and various relocations. She passed away on November 14, 1944, in Asheville, North Carolina. Martha was buried in Stillwater, Pennsylvania, close to both of her husbands.

1860 United States Census

In 1860, 2-year-old Martha lived with her parents, Abraham (listed as Abm), 29) and Mary A. Golder, 24, her brother Daniel,6, and her sister Flora A.,3. They resided in Fishing Creek, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, with Vancamp listed as the post office. Name listed: Martha S Golder¹

Fishing Creek, Columbia County, Pennsylvania

Civil War and Reconstruction (1861 – 1877)

Martha was born just two years before the Civil War began. This war, fought from 1861 to 1865, resulted in significant upheaval, especially in Pennsylvania, a Union state. The war’s aftermath, known as Reconstruction, was a period of rebuilding and integration of Southern states into the Union, affecting the entire nation’s economy and social fabric.

1870 United States Census

In 1870, 10-year-old Martha lived with her parents, Abraham, 35, and Mary A. Golder, 30, and her siblings, Daniel, 15, Flora A., 13, and J. Agnes, 8, in Fishing Creek, Pennsylvania. Abraham was a miller, and of the children attended school. Abraham’s real estate was valued at $400 and his personal estate at $300. The entire family was born in Pennsylvania. Martha’s grandparents, Peter and Martha Golder, lived next door, as indicated by their listing in the subsequent household in the census. Name listed: Martha Golder²

Education and Women’s Roles

Education became more accessible, and there was a growing movement for women’s rights. The fact that Martha and all of her siblings attended school indicates that her family valued education, which was becoming more common in the post-Civil War era.

1880 United States Census

In 1880, 22-year-old Martha was listed as the second wife of Frank Edgar, 40. They lived in Fishing Creek, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, with Frank’s children from his first marriage: Warren, 16, Dora, 14, Murhed , 11, Alfred, 9, and Hattie, 7, as well as their own son, Hurl, 1. Frank was a farmer, Martha kept house, and Warren was a farm laborer. All the children, except Hurl, attended school. The entire family was born in Pennsylvania, and so were their parents. Name listed: Martha G. Edgar³

1900 United States Census

In 1900, 41-year-old Martha, born in January 1859, now a widow, lived with her children Hurl, 21 (born June 1878), Madge, 16 (born April 1884), and Oliver, 9 (born May 1891) in a rented home at 512 West Main Street, Bloomsburg, PA, which is now a Sunoco gas station. She had four children, all living, but daughter Alma (born 1881) was married by 1898 and not listed in this census. Martha had no occupation, while Hurl was an undertaker, Madge worked in a drugstore, and Oliver attended school. The entire family, all literate, was born in Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania-born parents. Name listed: Martha Edgar⁴

512 West Main Street, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

1910 United States Census

In 1910, 51-year-old Martha lived with her children Oliver, 19, and Madge, 26, as well as Madge’s husband, William V. Morris, 31, and their son, John D., 7. They also had a boarder, OD McHenry, 48. The family rented a home in Buchanan, Virginia, where William operated a boarding house. Oliver was a laborer at a sawmill, OD was the president of a lumber company, and John attended school. All household members, born in Pennsylvania to Pennsylvania-born parents, could read, write, and speak English. Martha is noted as having four living children. Name listed: Martha Edgar⁵

Buchanan, Virginia

1920 United States Census

In 1920, 61-year-old Martha lived with her daughter Alma, 39, Alma’s husband Charles D. Stauffer, 42, and their children, Graydon F., 18, and Dorothy E., 2 and a half, in a rented home in Asheville, North Carolina. Charles was a self-employed lumberman, and Dorothy was in school. Everyone was native to Pennsylvania except Dorothy, who was born in Virginia. All household members could read, write, and speak English. Name listed: Martha Edgar⁶

Asheville, North Carolina

1921 Asheville, North Carolina City Directory

In 1921, Martha, the widow of Frank, lived at 116 Woodward Avenue in the Norwood Park neighborhood of Asheville.⁷

116 Woodward Avenue, Asheville, North Carolina

116 Woodward Avenue no longer exists as it has been absorbed into a much larger estate on an adjacent street.

Economic Changes

Martha experienced the economic turmoil of the Great Depression (1929-1939). The financial instability and high unemployment rates of this period affected many families, including those in Pennsylvania and other states where she lived. This context is crucial in understanding the financial difficulties and relocations Martha and her family might have faced.

Technological Advancements

Technological advancements during Martha’s lifetime were significant, including the widespread use of electricity, automobiles, and telephones. These innovations transformed daily life and communication, making the world more interconnected.

1930 United States Census

In 1930, Martha, aged 71, lived at 50 Main Street, Orangeville, PA, with her second husband, John Hess, 76, and a 26-year-old boarder named Carrol Wenner. They rented their home for $7.00 a month. John was a mail carrier for the Star Route and Carrol was a cashier at a bank. John married for the first time at 22, Martha at 21, and Carrol had never been married. Everyone in the household was proficient in reading, writing, and speaking English. Both John and Carrol owned a radio. Although all members were Pennsylvania natives, Martha noted that her mother was born in Germany. Name listed: Martha A Hess⁸

50 Main Street, Orangeville, Pennsylvania

1940 United States Census

In 1940, Martha, now 81 and a widow once again, lived with her sister, Irene, 67, and Irene’s husband, John K. Henry, 65. They resided at 328 East 9th Street in Berwick, Pennsylvania, in a property valued at $4,000, located at the end of the block on the left in the image below. All three had been living there in 1935. John had completed education up to the 5th grade, while Irene and Martha had finished up to the 4th grade. None of them were currently employed. Martha and John were both unable to work, but Irene managed the household tasks. Although John had alternative sources of income, Irene and Martha did not. Name listed: Martha Hess⁹

328 East 9th Street, Berwick, Pennsylvania

World War II (1939-1945)

Before her death during World War II, Martha would have experienced the national mobilization for the war effort, including rationing and the entry of women into the workforce in unprecedented numbers. The war significantly influenced American society and economy, even before the United States formally entered the conflict in 1941.

Death of Martha Golder Edgar Hess – November 14, 1944

Martha passed away at home on November 14, 1944, at 5:20 pm, at 37 Colonial Place, Asheville, North Carolina at the age of 85 years, 10 months, and 9 days. She died of coronary heart disease with congestive heart failure, conditions she had been battling for several months. Chronic nephritis also contributed to her death. Although she was a widow, her husband was listed as J. F. Hess. Her parents, Abraham Golder and Mary Broski, were both natives of Pennsylvania. The informant was recorded as C. O. Shaffer, likely a transcription error for her son-in-law, Charles Oliver Stauffer, who was married to her daughter Alma. Martha’s funeral was conducted by Lewis Funeral Home, and she was buried at St. James Cemetery in Stillwater, Pennsylvania, alongside both of her husbands, who were buried with their first wives. Name listed: Mrs. Martha G. Hess¹⁰

37 Colonial Place, Asheville, North Carolina

Martha Golder’s life involved frequent moves and adapting to changing family dynamics, such as living with different children and relatives after being widowed. Her experience reflects broader trends of the time, including extended family support networks and the role of women as central figures in maintaining family cohesion. Her life journey encapsulates the essence of a woman navigating through times of war, economic shifts, and societal transformations. Her resilience and adaptability are emblematic of many individuals who lived through similar periods of American history.

Sources

1. 1860 U.S. Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Fishing Creek, p. 751, Martha S. Golder, image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 February 2018), citing National Archives microfilm publication M653, microfilm 805098. ↩︎
2. 1870 U.S. Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Fishing Creek Township, Fishing Creek Post Office, p. 188A (stamped), p. 13 (penned), dwelling 107, family 106, Martha Golder, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication M593, microfilm 552828. ↩︎
3. 1880 U.S. Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Fishing Creek Township, enumeration district (ED) 173, p. 188C (stamped), p. 19 (penned), dwelling 185, family 188, Martha E Golder, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021), citing NARA microfilm publication T9, roll 1118. ↩︎
4. 1900 U.S. Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Bloomsburg, enumeration district (ED) 4, p. 13B, dwelling 296, family 301, Martha Edger, image Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T623, roll 1241398. ↩︎
5. 1910 U.S. Census, Botetourt County, Virginia, population schedule, Buchanan Township, enumeration district (ED) 56, p. 22B, dwelling 431, family 437, Martha Edger; image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T624, microfilm 1375635, roll 1622.  ↩︎
6. 1920 U.S. Census, Buncombe County, North Carolina, population schedule, Asheville Township, enumeration district (ED) 4, p. 218A (stamped), 12A (penned), dwelling 236, family 245, Martha Edgar; image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T625, roll 1286. ↩︎
7. Ernest H. Miller, Asheville, North Carolina City Directory 1921, (Asheville, NC: Commercial Service Company, 1920), p. 210, image, DigitalNC (https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/24913?ln=en&v=pdf : accessed 4 January 2021). ↩︎
8. 1930 U.S. Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Orangeville Boro, enumeration district (ED) 19-38, p. 225 (stamped) p. 2B (penned), dwelling 50, family 53, Martha A Hess, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, microfilm 2341758. ↩︎
9. 1940 U.S. Census, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Berwick, enumeration district (ED) 19-6, p. 9B, household 207, Martha Hess, image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication T627, roll 03473. ↩︎
10. “North Carolina Death Certificates, 1906-1976” image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021); record for Mrs. Martha G. Hess, 17 November 1944; Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8411161/martha-hess: accessed 4 Jan 2021), memorial page for Martha Golder Hess (4 Jan 1859–13 Nov 1944), Find a Grave Memorial ID 8411161, citing Saint James United Church of Christ Cemetery, Bendertown, Columbia County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by Leonard Sapone (contributor 46598906). ↩︎