Spooky Farabaugh Mystery No. 10: The Wirtners

With Halloween approaching, I thought I’d come up with ten spooky unsolved Farabaugh mysteries. Solve them if you dare! I’ll post more in the upcoming weeks. . .

John and Catherine Wirtner Family 2

No. 10. Are there any Wirtners? They thrived 100 years ago, with huge farming families in Carrolltown and Patton. Catherine (Farabaugh) Wirtner was one of the matriarchs, with 15 children. But the men from the next generation did not procreate much, entered the priesthood or died under tragic circumstances. Cyril was a butcher who died suddenly of “apoplexy.” Vincent died in a railroad accident. T.H. was shot dead when he refused to give his car keys to a home intruder. Their father John (a tinsmith who made the original cross on the spire of St. Benedict’s Church in Carrolltown) evidently lost his sight in a fence wire accident.  Uncle John died when thrown from a horse near Loretto in 1848. Another uncle, Benjamin, also had a large family but 3 children died in the span of five days in 1865.  I think another one died from some incident involving lightning, a barn and a horse, but I can’t seem to find the exact anecdote. The Wirtners certainly had their fair share of tragedy. Is there one descendant left to carry the name today? Let me know if you find one!

3 thoughts on “Spooky Farabaugh Mystery No. 10: The Wirtners

  1. Bob Farabaugh

    Thanks for sending this. I’m enjoying these very much. I married Connie Campbell on August 26, 1978. You may remember her, she is Bernie’s daughter.

    Reply
  2. Hazel Wirtner

    My father was John Wirtner. He was the son of Sylvester Urban wirtner and wife Lucy Sunderland. John Wirtner married Georgia Wirtner and they had 4children Donna Wirtner Ahlgren, Roberta Wirtner Gardner! Hazel Wirtner! And Rita Wirtner Carson

    Reply
  3. Hazel Wirtner

    My father was John Wirtner. He was the son of Sylvester Urban wirtner and wife Lucy Sunderland. John Wirtner married Georgia Wirtner and they had 4children Donna Wirtner Ahlgren, Roberta Wirtner Gardner! Hazel Wirtner And Rita Wirtner Carson

    Reply

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