Minerd.com Biography of George Andrew and Grace (Gaither) Reiber of Uniontown, PA

Grace (Gaither) Reiber
(1873-1946)

Sylvan Heights Cemetery

Grace's birth written in the family Bible

Grace (Gaither) Reiber was born on Dec. 7, 1873 near Chalk Hill, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of Hannah M. Minerdand William Alexander Gaither, who were not married.

Grace was baptized at age five on March 15, 1879 at the Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church. Her name is handwritten at the top of the "Births" section of the family Bible.

In her youth, Grace had many friends whom she enjoyed going to see. The Uniontown Genius of Liberty reported that she had visited Anna Hartman in Uniontown in March 1890 and Bina Johnson in Ohiopyle, PA in October 1890.

On April 9, 1903, at age 28, Grace married 30-year-old George Andrew Reiber (1873-1933), a native of Somerset County, PA. He was the son of Solomon and Elizabeth (Huff) Reiber, residing at the time in Hopwood, Fayette County.

They bore a family of six children -- Grace Reiber, Ida Reiber, Mabel Reiber, Carl Gaither Reiber and Annabelle Hall in addition to their eldest, a newborn daughter who died on Jan. 21, 1904, and was laid to rest in the Mount Washington Cemetery.

Right after marriage, the Reibers lived at the Oliver No. 3 coke plant, and then at the birth of their daughter Mabel in 1909 were at Oliver No. 1. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1920, they dwelled in North Union, with George earning a living as an assistant stable foreman at a coke works.

Unnamed daughter's grave,
1904, Mt. Washington Cem

Later, they found a residence at 18 Walnut Street and in April 1932 relocated to 2 Markle Street in Uniontown. They belonged to the First Methodist Church, also known as Christ's Methodist Church. George was a member of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics (JOUAM).

Sadly, George was afflicted with a host of physical ailments, among them chronic nephritis (kidney disease), hypertension, chronic myocarditis (heart disease), arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and acute pericarditis (swelling of heart tissues). He died at age 60 on June 3, 1933 in the family home.

Grace outlived her husband by 13 years. She grieved at the untimely death of their daughter Mabel in the summer of 1940.

Having endured hardening of the arteries for the previous five years, Grace suffered a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 72 and passed away in her Markle Street home on Sept. 14, 1946. An obituary was published in the Uniontown Morning Herald and a brief one in the Connellsville Daily Courier. Her son Carl was the informant for the official Pennsylvania certificate of death. She was survived by two grandchildren.

Rev. J.L. Carraway presided at her funeral service. She and her husband sleep for the ages in Sylvan Heights Cemetery.

She was a sales clerk for Fashion Hosiery Shops in Uniontown. She often traveled to Pittsburgh to attend fashion business meetings, including one held in the Fort Pitt Hotel in March 1953.

She never married and appears to have resided in her parents' former home on Markle Street, Uniontown.

Graves of the sisters at Uniontown's Sylvan Heights Cemetery

Daughter Ida Marie Reiber (1907-1963) was born on Jan. 16, 1907.

She never married.

Ida was a member of the Christ Methodist Church in Uniontown. She maintained a home at 6 Markle Street.

She passed away on May 9, 1963, at the age of 56. Following services at the Harold S. Gleason Funeral Home, led by Rev. O.G. Shindledecker, she was laid to rest in Sylvan Heights Cemetery. An obituary appeared in the Uniontown Evening Standardand the Connellsville Daily Courier.

Daughter Mabel B. Reiber (1909-1940) was born on Sept. 4, 1909 in company housing at Oliver No. 1 mine near Uniontown.

She never married and at the age of 30 had no occupation, living at home with her widowed mother at 2 Markle Street in Uniontown.

As with her late father, Mabel endured a host of physical problems. They ranged from chronic kidney disease to fatty spleen leading to a widespread infection of deadly peritonitis.

She died on Aug. 8, 1940, at the age of 30, in Uniontown Hospital. In a short obituary, the Uniontown Morning Herald said she had suffered "a lingering illness." She was laid to rest in Sylvan Heights Cemetery, following funeral services led by Rev. J.W. Schell of Christ Methodist Church. A brief obituary also appeared in the Connellsville Daily Courier.

Carl's World War II profile. Courtesy Diane LM

Son Carl Gaither Reiber (1912-1971) was born in 1912.

She was a 1932 graduate of Uniontown High School.

On June 27, 1943, he married Frances Louise Foster (July 27, 1914-2006), daughter of George W. and Ada (Burnham) Foster of Millview Street in Uniontown. The ceremony was held in the Asbury Methodist Church in Uniontown, officiated by Rev. Dr. Francis E. Kearns. In announcing the wedding, the Uniontown Morning Herald said that the bride "was becomingly attired in a street length gown of powder blue figured chiffon. She wore matching accessories and her flowers were red roses and baby breath." At the time, Carl was employed with the Merle J. Thomas Service Station in Uniontown, and Frances with the G.C. Murphy Store.

The couple bore two known children, Carl Gaither Reiber Jr. and Charlotte Thompson.

Carl was a 1931 alumnus of North Union High School. He served in World War II, training at Fort Custer, MI and attaining the rank of sergeant with the 505th Military Police Battalion. He was deployed to England on Sept. 1, 1944 and, with the 9th Army, took part in the Battle of the Bulge.

He and Frances received devastating news in 1945 when Frances' brother, Charles B. Foster, was killed in action during the war.

By 1952, Carl was in partnership with Joseph Zeppo in operating the former Thomas service station. They went by the name "Reiber & Zeppo Atlantic Service," with the business located at the corner of Pittsburgh and Penn Streets. Carl later purchased Zeppo's interest outright, and renamed the business "Reiber Atlantic Service."

For 14 years, Frances was employed by G.C. Murphy Comopany as an assistant manager. Circa 1963, she was active with the Parent-Teacher Association at Gallatin School in Uniontown, and participated in meetings as devotional leader.

Tragedy struck the family on Oct. 12, 1971. While working with a power saw in his basement, Carl slipped, and the spinning sawblade cut open his throat. Bleeding profusely, he was rushed to Uniontown Hospital, where he was dead on arrival. He was laid to rest in Oak Grove Cemetery. Traveling from Maryland to attend the funeral were nephew Dale Hall and his wife and children.

Frances outlived her spouse by 35 years. The angel of death whisked her away two days after Christmas 2006. Rev. Thomas E. Brown presided at the funeral.

Son Carl Gaither Reiber Jr. (1947-2023) was born on Oct. 9, 1947 in Uniontown. He was a 1965 graduate of Uniontown Senior High School. He joined the Army Reserves during the Vietnam War. He spent his career with Sensus Technologies, from which he retired. Carl appears not to have married or reproduced. He held a membership in the Asbury United Methodist Church and finally supporoted several animal welfare organizations. Sadly, at the age of 75, he died on Sept. 20, 2023. Pastor Michael Lyons led the funeral rites, with burial following in Oak Grove Cemetery. An obituary was published in the Uniontown Herald Standard.

Daughter Charlotte Reiber ( ? - ? ) was a student at Gallatin School. She wed Douglas Thompson ( ? - ? ), son of George A. and Joanne (Griffith) Thompson of Uniontown. They are not known to have reproduced. They were alive in 2023 when named in the obituary of Charlotte's brother.

Daughter Annabelle Reiber (1912-2004) was born on Dec. 1, 1912 in Oliver, Fayette County.

On May 23 1935, she entered into marriage with Francis Hall (May 4, ? - ? ), son of Wade H. and Mollie M. Hall of Evans Street, Uniontown.

They produced a brood of three children -- Beverly Faye Duffy, Dale Ray Hall and Tammy Lynn Freeman.

Circa 1936, the Halls' address was 173 Oakland Avenue -- in 1937 on Searight Avenue -- and in 1939 on Carlisle Street, Uniontown. Then in 1952-1973, they lived at 90 Dawson Avenue in Uniontown. Francis was employed in 1936 by Quality Cleaners. He then worked for 31 years with Sears, Roebuck & Company in Uniontown. He began his career there in 1942 and retired in February 1973.

Annabelle made news in January 1952 when she hosted the birthday dinners for her sisters Grace and Ida.

When principal Mary K. Johnson retired from the Gallatin School in Uniontown, in May 1960, Annabelle helped the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) plan a farewell testimonial as reception chairman. She was pictured with the committee in the Uniontown Evening Standard. She also was a member of Christ United Methodist Church. At their 34th wedding anniversary in 1969, the pair were cited in the Uniontown Morning Herald.

Annabelle spent her final years in a nursing home in Markleysburg, Fayette County. She died in Uniontown Hospital at the age of 91 on April 1, 2004. At her death, reported the Uniontown Herald-Standard, she was survived by six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Daughter Beverly Faye Hall (1936-2016) was born on May 3, 1936 in Uniontown Hospital, weighing 8 lbs. At her birthdays in childhood, the local newspapers printed her photograph or covered parties thrown in her honor. She is known to have spent summer vacations in her teens with her uncle Hampton Hall of Aliquippa, PA. Beverly was a 1954 graduate of South Union High School and then worked for Louis Gallet Knitting Mills Inc.. On Dec. 20, 1958, at the age of 22, she was joined in the bonds of wedlock with Korean War Army veteran William Duffy (Sept. 18, 1933-2013), son of William B. and Catherine Duffy of Masontown. The ceremony was conducted in Christ Methodist Church, by the hand of Rev. J.V. Mullins. The Uniontown Evening Standard announced the marriage, saying the bride "wore a ballerina-length gown of white Chantilly lace over satin, fashioned with fitted bodice, Sabrina neckline, long sleeves tapered at the wrist and full skirt. Her fingertip veil of illusion was attached to a Chantilly lace Juliet crown with seed pearl trim and she carried a cascade bouquet of stepanotis and ivy." William at the time of marriage was an alumnus of Masontown High School and a two-year veteran of the U.S. Army and working at Rendina Manufacturing Company of Masontown. Their home in 1973 was in Masontown. They lived in Uniontown in 2004. William is believed to have died in Uniontown Hospital on March 10, 2013, and Beverly on Jan. 4, 2016, with both interred in the soil of Saint Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Leckrone.

Son Dale Ray Hall (1939- ? ) was born in 1939. He was a graduate of South Union Township High School and California (PA) State College. Dale moved to Parmer Park, MD in the early 1960s and taught at Kent Junior High School. On March 16, 1963, he married Jane "Janie" Roscheck ( ? - ? ) of Uniontown, daughterr of Matt Roscheck. The marriage announcement was delayed, and the Uniontown Evening Standard published her wedding portrait and called her "One of the lovely brides of the summer season..." A short notice of the marriage was printed in the Pittsburgh Press. Jane was an alumnus of South Union High School and the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, and at the time was employed by the National Institute of Medicine in Hyattsville, MD. The newlyeds' first home was in Hyattsville. Together, they bore three children, Beth Hall, Douglas "Dougie" Hall and Kimberly Ann Hall. They resided in Bowie, MD in 1971-1977 and in Frederick, MD in 2004.

Daughter Tammy Lynn Hall (1957- ? ) was born in 1957. She was a student at South Laurel Highlands. She married (?) Freeman ( ? - ? ). She resided in 2004 in Harrisonburg, VA.