Genealogy

December 28^th 1908 (105 years ago)
 
I am remembering my father, Richard on this day.  I am often asked who his real father was and there is no concrete answer.  His mother, Carie Mioma March, died on the 19^th of March, 1909.  That was approximately three months after he was born.  I have written a March history that I have in my computer file.  It is not something for publication, just information for our family.  Since Carie was not married, and because it was uncertain who the father of Richard was, he took the family name of his mother. 
Richard went to live with his Uncle, Joseph Curtis March upon the death of his mother.  His natural father, believed to be Benjamin Harbolt, was never acknowledged by Benjamin.  Richard confronted his alleged father when he was 21 years of age but Benjamin denied that he was his father and asked him to leave.  Either he was not the father or it could possibly have been that he didn’t want to acknowledge it for reason of his current family and possibly due to inheritance problems.
Richard told me about working with his adopted father, Joseph March, when he was a kid, driving cattle barefooted from farm to farm. 
Richard later worked as a painter and then as a truck driver.  He worked at the Naval Supply Depot in Mechanicsburg, PA and later for the Highway Dept., in West York PA.
 
Richard is buried at the "Reformed and St John's Lutheran Union Cemetery" near Rossville, Pa.  This cemetery was presented by Adam U. March and family A .D. 1929.
 
When I think of my father and Dad, if I were to describe him with one word, I would say he was “dependable”.   Dad was never late for an appointment or for work.  He was always early.  Wherever he worked, he was the first to show up and would have coffee made for the others when they arrived.  
 
We inherit traits and characteristics from our parents.  I think I inherited his punctuality to a point where I am always early and it drives my wife mad at times.  My mother also complained about Dad waiting in the car for her and she felt rushed.
 
Dad liked to eat.  He also liked to prepare his own breakfast, usually bacon and eggs with the eggs swimming in the bacon fat.  He also liked Scrapple “Pun Haus” (usually obtained from someone who had recently butchered a pig).  He would fry Pun Haus in the morning.  He either put Horse Radish on top or Syrup.  When I joined him for breakfast, I ate it with him, but never acquired a taste for the Scrapple, meaning that I would not go out of my way to find it and make it. 
 
When my mother tried to prepare a more healthy diet for Dad, he would sneak off and eat what he wanted without Mom knowing, however Mom knew everything and he couldn’t fool her.  Dad also liked Oysters and often made them.  I can still see him dipping the raw oyster in egg batter and then in bread crumbs to make his oyster paddies that he would deep fry. 
 
Dad went regularly to the barber for a haircut, even when it wasn’t needed (in my opinion).  He made sure the grass was mowed and trimmed.  He worked the garden and made sure the soil was right for planting.  Dad loved being around cattle.  I suspect it had something to do with his youth where he was around cattle.  He loved going to cattle auctions.  He had special instincts/insights about the quality of the animal.  He knew which one would be good for beef or for breeding.
 
Dad was a good driver.  He spent most of his life driving truck.  Perhaps that’s where my brother Richard got his instincts for driving. 
 
Anyway, these are just some of my thought/memories of my Dad.  I never knew my grandmother and it is believed that she died of a broken heart.  During those days, having a child out of wedlock was a bad thing.  I’m told that her father refused to see her feeling that she had shamed the family. 
 
Some cultures, especially in ancient history, followed the blood lines of the mother and others of the father, i.e., one is considered a Jew if the mother is Jewish.  If I follow the blood line of my grandmother, then I am a March.  If I am to follow the blood line of my grandfather, then I don’t know who I am.  Does it matter?


We have celebrated the birth of Christ on December 25^th.  It is not confirmed that this is the exact date of his birth, but rather a date set aside to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
The mother of Jesus we are told was Mary.  We don’t know anything about her parents except that it is said that her parents were an elderly couple, Saint Joachim and Saint Anne.   The father of Jesus is alleged to be Joseph, although Immaculate Conception is a dogma of the Catholic Church.  If Immaculate Conception is correct, then the genealogy of Jesus comes into question as it follows the genealogy of Joseph.  


Perhaps Domenic, with his religious studies, could lend some light on the Religious aspect of geneaology

My ideas on genealogy are thus:  No one chooses their relatives so no one need feel shamed, blamed or exalted because of their doings or lack of them.
In Biblical times entire families were destroyed because of the actions of one person, but I feel that was a kindness, because folks were so judgmental then, an innocent person
would have had  a very miserable existence.