Harry B. Kauffman Family

Benjamin Harrison Kauffman (who went most commonly by Harry B. Kauffman) was born on January 8, 1889 to David and Catherine (Zook) Kauffman. The Kauffman family was a farming family that lived in Lawrence County and belonged to the Amish Mennonite Church. Harry was the youngest of eight siblings born to David and Catherine. His brothers and sisters were Salome (1870), infant son (1871), Elizabeth (1873), Jacob Z. (1876), Daniel L. (1880), Abraham B. (1883), and Tillie May (1885). Note: Tillie May Kauffman was later married to Andrew Zook, and had a daughter named Katherine Zook. Katherine Zook married Norman Lehman. Their granddaughter is Marcia Kaufman. Marcia’s husband, Stan, is descended from Harry Kauffman, Tillie’s brother.)

Amanda Miller was the daughter of Samuel Sharp Miller and Sarah Zook from Fayette. The Miller family also belonged to the Amish Mennonite Church and attended services at Maple Grove Mennonite Church. Amanda was born on August 17, 1890. She was the third child of seven, with six surviving infancy. Her surviving siblings were Mary Ellen (1885), John (1888), Lorena (1892), Harvey R. (1895) and Alvie (1901).

Harry and Amanda were married on September 4, 1910. Their first child, a son named Ernest Eugene Kauffman, was born exactly four months later on January 4, 1911. Harry supported the family with the money he earned as a farmer and a carpenter. The family lived briefly on a farm on 956 close to New Wilmington, but settled into a house on McGary Road in Wilmington Township (Lawrence County, PA) a little later. (Their farm was part of what is now the Elliott property). Ernie Kauffman attended Phillips School for most of his eight years of schooling and dreamed of becoming a teacher one day, but took the more practical route and became a farmer. He married Florence Hartzler in 1933 and had seven children of his own- David, Kathleen, Harry, Melvin, Sally, Nina and Wes.

Merle Francis Kauffman was born on April 7, 1914. He also attended Phillips School. Merle worked for Campbell Company Building Materials in New Wilmington, but also ran a successful truck farm from his family home on Rt. 956 near Mayville. Merle married Opal Tindall in 1938. Merle had four sons, who all helped with raising the produce that was sold from their home. They raised tomatoes, corn, potatoes and other garden goods to be sold.

Merle and Opal’s first son was a stillborn infant in 1940. Their second son was healthy. Gaylord Ivan was born in 1942. Gaylord became an insurance agent and currently works for Aflac. He and his wife, Judy Snow, were married in 1961 and had three children, Laurie, Brian and Brad. All three children attended Wilmington Area Schools, and Gaylord served on the School Board for the district for a while. Laurie married Doug Ault and has three sons (Darin, Tyler and Dustin). Brian married Lori Ann Lutz and had three children (Briana, Bryce and Chelsea). Brad married Diana Carney and they have no children. Gaylord owned Grand Book and Bible, the only Bible Book Store in New Castle for many years.

Rayford Merle Kauffman was born in 1945. He married Linda Woods. Ray graduated from Malone College in Akron, OH. He preached for a few years

before returning to Lawrence County to manage Grand Book and Bible for Gaylord. When his kids were through school, he began to preach again. Ray was known for his singing ability and made a tape of gospel songs called The Lighthouse. He and Linda had seven children- Timothy (1973), Kristy (1974), Benjamin (1975), Susan (1977), Daniel (1978), Laura (1980) and Rachel (1982). His house on Rt. 168 and Rt. 956 sat on the line of three school districts, and his kids attended Wilmington Area Schools for a while and also Portersville Christian Schools. Timothy married Mary Carson and has three children (Colton, Hannah and Gracie). Kristy married Aaron Beemer and has two children (Breyana and Brooke). Laura married Daniel Troyer and has a son, Caleb. Ray became sick with cancer in 2002 and died on April 14, 2003. His church family at Portersville Bible Church (where he is buried), helped Linda endure her grief, and made a CD of his favorite gospel songs in memorial of Rayford.

Clarence Harold Kauffman was born in 1950 and went by the nickname “Dusty”. Like Rayford, Dusty also attended Malone College. He worked for Penn Power in an office for many years, and is now working in insurance like his brother Gaylord. He married Donna Kathleen (“Kathy”) Richardson in 1972. They had two sons, Jason and Ryan. They later divorced. Jason and Ryan both graduated from Shenango Schools. Jason married Heather Clark and currently has four children- Alyssa, Jordan, Justin, and Jacob.

Dennis Dean Kauffman was born in 1957. To this date, he is the biggest baby ever born at Jameson Hospital, weighing 14 pounds and 10 ounces at his birth. He had one arm that never completely developed because of lack of room in Opal’s womb. Dennis worked in sales, mainly selling truck parts and automobile supplies. He married Brenda Bowers in 1985. They had one son, Brandon, in 1988. They lived for many years in the house that Ira Hartzler owned in Fayette (at the corner of Old Mercer Road and Fayette-New Wilmington Road).

Opal Kauffman died in 1980 and was buried at Castle View Cemetery in New Castle. Merle lived another 16 years after Opal passed away. He was an active member of First United Brethren Church in New Castle. He lived in New Wilmington after Opal died, and his final home was at the College Manor Apartments on the edge of New Wilmington. On the day before he died, Leanne Kaufman drove past the apartments and saw Merle sitting in the yard alone. She stopped to see him on the way home, thinking that he might be confused. He was simply tired of sitting inside and wanted to be outdoors and watch the traffic going by. They talked for a few minutes and then she went home. The following morning when the family returned home from church they received a call from Merle’s neighbor in the apartment building. She had not heard any movements from his apartment since the previous evening and was concerned about his health (he had suffered from breathing problems and asthma). She called Marcia because she knew that she had a key to his apartment because she occasionally cleaned for him. Marcia took her son, Andy, and went to check on Merle. They found him dead in his kitchen chair. It appeared as if he had taken his pills and was giving himself a breathing treatment when he passed away. He died on May 19, 1996. His funeral services were held at First United Brethren Church, and he was laid to rest beside Opal at Castle View Cemetery.

Victor Harrison Kauffman was born January 3, 1919. He was a farmer like his father and his brothers. He married Dorothy Detrow in 1941 and moved to the Columbiana, OH area. Vic and Dorothy had four children- Robert (1942), Louise (1944), Jean (1947) and Kenneth (1951). Robert married Cynthia Grizer and had two children, Jennifer and Jonathon. Louise was married two times, but had no children. Her first husband was Denny Hallas, and her second was John Moss. Jean married Robert Owens in 1970 and they had one son, Michael. Kenneth, like Louise, has been married twice. His first marriage to Becky Parks ended in dissolution. His second marriage, to Esther Gardner in 1983, resulted in four children- Karla, Matthew, Nathan and Katea. Vic died in 1955 from kidney problems. His oldest son was just shy of 13 years old, and his youngest had just turned four. Dorothy raised all four children, with the help of her family. They visited their relatives in Pennsylvania when they were able. Dorothy died in 1994, at 74 years of age. She is buried with Vic in the Midway Cemetery in Leetonia, OH.

Ivan Duane Kauffman was born on May 21, 1928. As a young teenager, he was working in the fields when he had a bad accident. As he was cleaning the back of the tractor with a rag, the rag got caught in the Power Take-off and his arm was badly injured. His prosthesis for the rest of his life

was a hook. Ivan married Joan (pronounced Jo-Ann) Runk in 1950. They were farmers for many years, and farmed the property on McGary Road where Harry and Amanda now lived. They raised four of their own children- Bruce (1951), Judith (1954), Jacqueline (1957), Dale (1958) and also raised Joan’s nephew, Jeffrey Bass (1959).

Ivan and Joan’s oldest son Bruce married Barbara Penwell in 1974. They had two children, Jonathon and Samantha. Jonathon married and divorced Caroline Logan. They have one daughter, Sierra. Samantha graduated from Neshannock High School in 2006. Bruce works as a truck driver, and Barb works at Wendy’s in Neshannock Township. Bruce’s sister Judy married Dale Ziegler in 1973. They had two children, Terri and Daniel. Terri married Russell Smith, and Daniel married Kimberly Ayrton. They are both divorced and have no children. Jacqueline (Jackie) Kauffman married David Stonfer in 1980. They have one son, David Jr. Her brother Dale married Janet Rhodes the same year that Jackie got married. They had two daughters, Sonya and Nicole. Sonya has a son of her own, Dylan Wingenroth. Dale and Janet divorced and he remarried in 1999. Ivan and Joan’s youngest son, Jeff, married Robin Funk in 1987. They have two children, Susan and Jeff Jr.

After their children were grown, Ivan and Joan moved to Lancaster County, PA. Ivan worked at Hoffman’s seed supply company and worked his way up to become Vice President. They traveled back and forth to PA frequently to keep up with the rest of the family. Joan developed Parkinson’s disease later in life and had trouble with her knees. She continued having trouble walking even after knee surgery, so she and Ivan moved into an assisted living facility to help lighten the load.

Harry and Amanda lived for many years on McGary Road. All of their sons except Victor stayed nearby- Ernie bought the farm across the road, Ivan farmed Harry’s farm, and Merle was only a few miles away. They continued to attend Maple Grove Mennonite Church after their family grew up, although their sons all left to attend other churches. Harry helped to take care of his parents when they were elderly. David Kauffman was living with Harry and Amanda when he died in 1908. He died of nephritis (kidney problems), and the family remembers that he was delirious from the disease and that Harry had to keep him in the bedroom and block to door to keep him safe. After David died, his wife Katie lived with several of her children, but went mostly between Harry’s house and her daughter Tillie Kauffman Zook.

Harry died on May 10, 1974. He was buried in the cemetery at Maple Grove Church. Amanda continued living in the old house for another 8 years. The family remembers that she was agitated before her death and was ready to go. She would ask them “Why did I have to live so long?” She was placed in the Overlook in New Wilmington in April of 1982, and died only three weeks later, on May 3. She was buried with Harry at Maple Grove.