Clara Estella Romberger was a daughter of Gilbert Romberger and Mary Sophia Kiehl Romberger. She was christened February 15, 1874 at Union Salem Church, Berrysburg, Pennsylvania. On this same day, a number of her parents' children were baptized there; having buried at least 5 children by that year in the church cemetery, they were probably not new members of the church. Perhaps having lost so many kids the parents tended to wait, or perhaps the family just got the later kids "done".

In March of 2012, I obtained a rare copy of a 1916 booklet, "The History of Berrysburg Seminary" which confirmed that Clara was a student there - a testament to her parents' progressive natures in ensuring their daughters were well educated in a time that the education of females often was considered not essential.

Clara became the wife of Edward Harner, son of Frederick D. Harner and Rebecca Hoffman, according to the records of Evelyn Shadle Hartman.

Genealogical researcher Roger Cramer says "The marriage record for Edward and Clara appears in the publication "The Parish Record of the Lykens Valley Parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania" compiled by Rev. O. E. Pfleuger, Elizabethville, PA. It includes congregations in St. John's, Simeon Church in Gratz, Salem Church in Elizabethville, Zion Church in Rife and St. Jacob's in Jackson Twp." Clara married Edward E. Harner, September 8, 1894, and was widowed when he died November 14, 1906. In their twelve years together, Clara and Edward had no children.

Clara was well-remembered by her niece Marjorie, bringing a smile to Marjorie's elderly face. Marjorie had grown up a few hours away having had little opportunity to see her, so Aunt Clara's being fondly recalled says something about her spirit. She might have had a strong spirit, being widowed young by the death of a man who was almost certainly an alcoholic. His death by delirium tremens could not have been pretty, and there's no telling how life with him had been either.

After his death, she and her widowed sister Rebecca Winters were often mentioned in the Harrisburg papers as having spent visits and holidays with Mr. and Mrs. Harvey D. Romberger - and while his surname is the same as their maiden name, they were not immediate relatives but apparently good friends. She and her sister Lillie also visited Grant Hartman whose wife may have been related to Clara's husband's Lubold clan. She was friends with Laura, Mrs. John Thurston of Hickory Corners who was her niece, her sister Mary's daughter. One newspaper account mentions that she entertained some of her nieces from Harrisburg. She was a widow who had many years to live solo, and it's good to see she did not merely sit home.

Clara later had her mother and widowed sister Rebecca "Beckie" in her home in Elizabethville, Pennsylvania. When her mother Mary died in 1920 (in Clara's home), Clara served as executrix of the estate. Not to be sexist, but in 1920, if a woman had surviving sons, as her mother Mary did (Ralph and Daniel) it would be more common for one of them to handle such matters. Perhaps it speaks well of Clara's mind and organizational abilities that she was nonetheless chosen.

Clara's birth date is a question in my mind; there is a record of her birthdate I had found that listed it as April 11 but her death certificate and obituary place it as April 4. Right now, I cannot lay my hands on the record I had found, which I believe was that of her baptism, listing her birthdate and place of birth. (I did check the Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County and her and her siblings birthdates are not there given.) For purposes of this memorial, I will use what those death records have until I can show otherwise.

A simple obit for Clara was found in the Lykens Register of March 17, 1950. Like her death certificate, it states she was born in Berrysburg, which is still a question in my mind, as her parents moved a bit for a farming and saddlery family, though for purposes of this memorial I have accepted this data. That Biographical Encyclopedia does give some of the dates for her parents' moves, but it would appear they indeed lived in Berrysburg at the time she was born. Her obituary and death certificate was likely composed by her nephew Gilbert B. Romberger, whose home she died at. He probably had some family knowledge though it may have been inexact from that far back. Nonetheless, her obit read:

Clara E. Harner, 85, a former resident of Elizabethville died Monday, March 13, 7 pm, at the home of her nephew, Gilbert B. Romberger, Middletown, RD 1. Mrs, Harner was born in Berrysburg April 4, 1864 and was the daughter of the late Gilbert and Mary Kiehl Romberger. Her husband Edward Harner predeceased her in death. One sister, Mrs. Wilson Romberger, Middletown RR 1 and several nieces and nephews survive. She ws a member of Salem Lutheran Church, Elizabethville.