Richard Sylvester Griffith (1854 - 1917)Rachel Corle (1857 - 1934)
 Above: Rachel is pictured with her son Sewell and granddaughter Lottie.
No known photograph of Richard exists.
Richard Sylvester Griffith was born on January 28, 1854 in St. Clair Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, the son of Daniel A. and Hannah (Blackburn) Griffith. Richard was his parents' first child, and his father was a blacksmith.
Rachel Corle was born on July 22, 1857 in Pavia, Union Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Frederick and Sophia (Shull) Corle. Rachel grew up on her father's farm, the seventh of ten children.
When Richard was two, his brother Fremont was born, and when he was four, his parents had his sister Margaret. During the summer of 1862 Daniel, Fremont, and Margaret all contracted diptheria. Tragically, Fremont died on July 30, Margaret on August 27th, and Daniel on September 8th. Eight-year old Richard and his mother moved to Centre County, but a year later they returned to St. Clair Township.
In 1866 Richard's mother remarried to a man much older than her named Hugh Kinton. Hugh was twiced widowed and the father of three adult children. In 1869 Hannah gave birth to Richard's half-sister Carrie Bell Kinton.
Sadly, on March 28, 1876 Hanah died at the age of 46, just two weeks before Richard’s marriage to Rachel. Hugh sent Carrie to live with a foster family, for he was in his late 60s could not care for her. Carrie lived with William Smith, a lawyer, and his wife Margaret (nee Corle), who was Rachel's first cousin. The Smith family later moved West, settling in Billings, Montana, and it is believed that Carrie joined them.
Rachel's father fought in the Civil War when she was a young girl. At age 42 Fred enlisted for the Pennsylvania Regiment of the Union Army. He returned home a year later. His cousins Francis, Anthony, Chauncy, Eli, and Abram Corle were not so lucky, for they all died during the War.
On April 13, 1876 Richard and Rachel were married in Bedford County. Rachel was two months pregnant with their first child.
Rachel and Richard had seven children: Emma S. (Griffith) Conrad, Savannah (Griffith) Adams, Carrie Georgian (Griffith) Beckley, Nettie Pearl (Griffith) Varner, Sewell Lincoln Griffith, Jesse R. Griffith, and Austie M. (Griffith) Walter.
Their daughter Jesse died on January 22, 1888 at just three months old.
They raised their children on a farm in West St. Clair Township, near the village of Ryot, which was also known as Six Roads as well as Oak Shade.
Richard was a blacksmith like his father, and he taught the trade to his only son, Sewell.
Their daughter Savannah was married in 1898 at the age of 19, and their daughter Emma married in 1904.
On March 6, 1907 their daughter Nettie gave birth to a daughter out of wedlock named Eva Viola. Viola's father may have been a Harbaugh. Richard and Rachel raised Viola, although Nettie later married Richard Varner.
On July 27, 1908 their daughter Austie gave birth to a daughter out of wedlock named Carrie L. Austie and Carrie lived with her parents until she married Harry Walter in 1910.
Around 1912 he daughter Carrie moved to Ohio with her husband and growing family. She eventually had ten children, nine of whom lived to adulthood.
On November 13, 1917 Richard died in Schellsburg, Bedford County of arteriosclerosis. He was 63.
Rachel remarried four years later to a widower named George McFarland, whose wife died in 1918. They were married in Ryot on February 13, 1921, but George became ill and died on March 1, 1922 after just one year of marriage. George was born on January 25, 1846 in Napier Township, Bedford County, the son of John H. and Maria (Blackburn) McFarland. His first wife was named Sarah Martha Mickle and they had two children who died in infancy.
In 1926 their daughter Emma died after a two year battle with breast cancer. She was 49. Their daughter Savannah died from the same terrible disease fifteen years later.
Above L to R: Savannah, Austie (with flowers), Carrie, and Nettie (in checkered coat) are surrounded by their young children and grandchildren. ca. 1924.
Rachel was not very close with her children. They were all very private, and each went their separate ways. Richard and Rachel had 36 granchildren, but most of them spent little time with their cousins and grandmother.
Above L to R: unknown man, granddaughter Violet (Adams) Hahn, unknown woman, granddaughter Lottie (Adams) Hull-Fallier, Sewell Griffith, mother Rachel, Frank Hahn, Nettie, granddaughter Goldie (Adams) Hahn. ca. 1928.
At age 71 Rachel married for a third time to John Wesley Callahan on March 23, 1929 in Ryot. John was six years her junior, and his first wife had died two years earlier. Their mariage did not last long, and they were quickly separated and divorced.
On June 16, 1934 Rachel died at her home. She was 76. Her obituary listed her name as "Rachel McFarland" and only mentioned her first two marriages.
Rachel and Richard are buried beside their infant daughter Jesse in Pleasantville Cemetery, Pleasantville, West St. Clair Township, Bedford County.
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