Cutshall Family: John, Alec & Grace

Grace Cutshall Curfman was born on August 29, 1908, in Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania. Her father was Lemuel Alexander (Alec) Cutshall, and her mother was Laura Everhart.

Grace married Walter Leo Curfman and they had six children together, including one who died in infancy. Grace died on June 6, 1994, in Todd, Pennsylvania, at the age of 85, and was buried in Saltillo, Pennsylvania next to her husband, parents, sister Alice, and infant child. This blog explores her immediate family and that of her grandfather, who died in 1916 when his legs were crushed by a train.

Grace was the 4th child Alec and Laura. Pictured above are Alec and Laura with six of their children. From left Mary, Grace, Alec, Alice, Cloyd, Roy, Laura and baby Ralph.

From left front: Margaret Jenny Hollabaugh Everhart and Laura Emma Everhart Cutshall From left in back: Emory Elliot Everhart with Alec Cutshall

Alec was born on August 28, 1877, in Selea, Springfield Township, Pennsylvania. His father was John Cutshall and his mother was Jane Ramsey (see below).

Image of John Cutshall shortly before his death. Image came from Ancestry (dot) com

Alec's father, John Cutshall was born on 03 Aug 1838 in Springfield, Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania, as the eighth child of John Cutshall Sr. and Susannah Catherine Lane. He had nine siblings. He was 18 when he married Jane Ramsey (pictured above) in 1857, and he died on 21 Jan 1916 at the Altoona Hospital after having both legs crushed. Below is a picture of John in his younger years. Image was shared on Ancestry (dot) com.

Below are two articles detailing 78 year old John Cutshall's death following a train accident at Williamsburg only one week after the death of his wife, Jane. Alec would have been 38 when his father and mother died and Grace would have been 8. It is unclear what impact this event had on Alec or Grace. This rather shocking death was not discussed with later generations and was only discovered through genealogy research.

Alec married Laura on May 21, 1903, in Huntingdon Co., Pennsylvania, and they had seven children in 13 years. Alec died on February 8, 1950, in his hometown at the age of 72, and was buried at Saltillo cemetery. Alec was a miner for 43 years and lived his entire life in Saltillo, Pa. Below is a picture of the family home in Saltillo, which still stands today.

From left: Alice, Mary, Grace, mother Laura, baby Ralph, Roy, and Cloyd. Emory would be born after this photo was taken.

Mining was a big part of life in Huntingdon, Co. Image shows Alec in his miner's outfit holding a puppy with daughter Grace. Alec was a charter member of the United Mine Workers Union. He was also a member of the local Moose Lodge, which focused on family activities and community service projects.

Alec was an avid hunter and was also a member of the Lacota Tribe #221 in Saltilo. There was a secret lodge formed in the early 1900's called the Imp'd Order of Redmen. They were known as the Lacaota tribe No. 221 and met in the rooms above the post office. It was impossible to achieve all the names of members, but some are listed in the family descriptions in the book listed below. They had an annual summer picnic in a grove near the now Jenkins farm. (This information came from the book, "Out of the Wilderness Saltillo" and was printed by Huntingdon Co. Historical society in 2003.

Alec is pictured in the back right of the image. While the book does not confirm this, his grandson, Walter Lee Curfman identified him.

Grace far left, Alice, and Mary far right. Man in miner outfit is possibly Alec's brother Nay.

Grace and her sisters remained close their entire lives and visited each other on many occasions. (From left, Grace, Mary and Alice.

Grace, Alice and Mary

Grace standing by the family's rose bush.

Mary and Grace striking a 1920's era pose.

From left, little girl unknown, Alice, Mary, mother Laura, and Grace.

Grace was also close to her younger brothers, Cloyd (right) and Ralph (left).

Grace and Walter Leo were frequent visitors to the Cutshall home. Below from front left is Walter Leo, Emory, Charles and Clair with Alec sitting on the porch.

Above, during another visit to the Cutshall home, from left back is Charles, Freda, Alice, Grace and Clair. Front left is Harold Cutshall (Emory's children), Dorthy Cutshall and Fred Curfman.

Freda (Curfman) Runk, Laura, Freda's baby Duane, and Grace.

The Cutshalls were also frequent visitors at Walter Leo's home in Todd, PA. Above from back left is Cloyd, Elsworth Cutshall, and Walter Leo. Alec is seated. The dog in the photo is Walter's dog Carlo.

Alec loved spending time with his grandchildren. Pictured is Alec and Walter Leo with grandson Charles taking a horse ride.

Ralph Cutshall on horse with nephew Charles Cutshall.

The Cutshalls in later years. From back left, Ralph, Roy, Grace and Alice. Parents Laura and Alec in front.

Alice with father Alec much later in life.