From the Alliance Review, August 31, 1878, p. 1, "One hundred and forty friends and relatives, with baskets on their arms, visited Aunt Rachel McGowan Hartzell at the residence of Tobias Mowen, Tuesday last, to celebrate the 86 anniversary of her birth. The friends have been in the habit of doing such things for some years back and the habit seems to have become chronic. Aunt Rachel was born in Delaware County, Maryland [no such county in Maryland], in the year 1792, August 22. At the age of 2 years she and her parents started for the west, then a vast expanse bounded by lines they knew not of. They came on pack horse across the mountains to Petersburg, Ohio, where the family stayed until the father should find a permanent home for the family. The required home was found in Smith Township, Mahoning County on the farm now owned by Adam McGowan [one of her nephews], where 10 more children added to his responsibilities. From these 11 children have sprung three or four preachers, five lawyers and one M. C., Hon. Jonas McGowan of Coldwater, Michigan. Aunt Rachel and two sisters, one in Kansas and one in Indiana, are all that is left of that large family. She was married in 1818 [sic - 1820] to Peter Hartzell and moved to where she now lives. Her husband lived to enjoy her company and the esteem of the community until his 70th birthday, when he was taken from her; since then she has waited alone for the end. She is in good health and 'as happy as a bird, and as busy as a bee.' Since she was 80 years old she has pieced 34 quilts, besides sewing carpet rags and knitting 50 or more pairs of stockings, done her own washing and ironing, mending and making. She will get up in the morning and walk a mile or more and back in the evening. Her hearing is somewhat affected, but her eyesight is remarkable, reads without glasses and can thread a very fine needle without them also. We must say, she has been blest beyond her expectations. Another tally for cheerfulness and temperate living. She never laced her form, consequently she is as round as an apple. She never drank rum poison, consequently she has her senses. She never made a glutton of herself, consequently she has good digestion. She lived frugally and has enough to keep her until she dies. Take a lesson young folks and follow her example. But to return to the picnic. The Hartzells are good cooks, everybody knows. Those who don't had better come to the next anniversary. Ike Hartzell knows that their chicken was fine, he ate as never anyone but a preacher or an editor could do. The strain on his jacket was tremendous. Major Miller and Jason, H. H. Hubbard and George Duckfoot and three preachers went home in a fearful condition. We wish the editor of the Review had been there--we think there would have been a good market for gizzards, and the above named gentlemen would have taken a reef or two in their jacket backs from necessity."
From the Alliance Review, August 31, 1878, p. 1, "One hundred and forty friends and relatives, with baskets on their arms, visited Aunt Rachel McGowan Hartzell at the residence of Tobias Mowen, Tuesday last, to celebrate the 86 anniversary of her birth. The friends have been in the habit of doing such things for some years back and the habit seems to have become chronic. Aunt Rachel was born in Delaware County, Maryland [no such county in Maryland], in the year 1792, August 22. At the age of 2 years she and her parents started for the west, then a vast expanse bounded by lines they knew not of. They came on pack horse across the mountains to Petersburg, Ohio, where the family stayed until the father should find a permanent home for the family. The required home was found in Smith Township, Mahoning County on the farm now owned by Adam McGowan [one of her nephews], where 10 more children added to his responsibilities. From these 11 children have sprung three or four preachers, five lawyers and one M. C., Hon. Jonas McGowan of Coldwater, Michigan. Aunt Rachel and two sisters, one in Kansas and one in Indiana, are all that is left of that large family. She was married in 1818 [sic - 1820] to Peter Hartzell and moved to where she now lives. Her husband lived to enjoy her company and the esteem of the community until his 70th birthday, when he was taken from her; since then she has waited alone for the end. She is in good health and 'as happy as a bird, and as busy as a bee.' Since she was 80 years old she has pieced 34 quilts, besides sewing carpet rags and knitting 50 or more pairs of stockings, done her own washing and ironing, mending and making. She will get up in the morning and walk a mile or more and back in the evening. Her hearing is somewhat affected, but her eyesight is remarkable, reads without glasses and can thread a very fine needle without them also. We must say, she has been blest beyond her expectations. Another tally for cheerfulness and temperate living. She never laced her form, consequently she is as round as an apple. She never drank rum poison, consequently she has her senses. She never made a glutton of herself, consequently she has good digestion. She lived frugally and has enough to keep her until she dies. Take a lesson young folks and follow her example. But to return to the picnic. The Hartzells are good cooks, everybody knows. Those who don't had better come to the next anniversary. Ike Hartzell knows that their chicken was fine, he ate as never anyone but a preacher or an editor could do. The strain on his jacket was tremendous. Major Miller and Jason, H. H. Hubbard and George Duckfoot and three preachers went home in a fearful condition. We wish the editor of the Review had been there--we think there would have been a good market for gizzards, and the above named gentlemen would have taken a reef or two in their jacket backs from necessity."
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