Thelma 4

In the first paragraph of page 3, I mentioned that Grandad Charles Moser attended church faithfully as did his father, Peter before him. Those who were faithful to the Lord have shown to me that God looks out for his children and that they prosper in whatever they do.

Great Grandfather Peter Moser was a God-fearing man and he worked hard all his life. When I lived in Carrol County, Md., I used to go to the Mountain Gate Restaurant (buffet style) at Thurmont, Md. Further down this little country road is what is left of the Catoctin Furnace; the county turned it into a museum.

This is where Peter Moser, with his sons helping him, brought the iron ore that he strip-mined from the hill right in back of the furnace. You have to cross over Route 15 to get to it. All the strip-mining ore fields belonged to Peter Moser at that time. He died in 1893 just two weeks before my mother was born. His sons carried on his business for five years after his death.

Harriet, his wife lived for 18 more years and most of that time lived with her son, Charles, our grandfather.

Peter was also in the trucking business using wagons pulled by oxen.

Most likely Peter died of cancer - I remember it being told that he had a hole in the back of his head that kept eating into the back of his skull.

I remember after our Grandfather died; about the year of 1934, grandma received a letter from Frederick County saying that back taxes must be paid on the iron-ore fields or the County would sell it for taxes. No one in the family paid the taxes due. My one and only trip up that hill across Route 15 showed me that someone bought the land and houses were built on it. I dont know why strip-mining was ever stopped but I read once that it was also done back Soldiers Delight.

Moser Hill is beginning to take shape: Bessie building her house on Gwynbrook Ave., has two more children, Lewis and Grace. Of the year that Roy built his house beside of Nellie, I am not sure of the date. However a second daughter, Evelyn was born to them while they lived on the State Game Farm. At some point in time, Roy changed his job from working the State Game Farm to working the farm of Mr. Fisher on Park Heights Ave.

I believe their son Roy was also born while they still lived at the State Game Farm. Roy, Jr. was born in 1918. 1 believe it was 1921 when Uncle Roy built beside of my mother, that would make Catherine 10 yrs. old; Evelyn 6 yrs. old and Roy, Jr. 3 yrs. old.

Moving from the State Game Farm and building his house at the same time possibly brought about a new job as well. He went from working the State Game Farm to working the Fisher Farm where he met Aquilla McComas. Time is marching on and Bessie has another child - Hellen Gertrude Schmidt born February 17, 1924. This is their last child but they took their daughters first born and raised him as their own - giving him the name of John Alvin Schmidt - born October - 1927.

In the meantime Bill and Nellie had another child - a son born March 26, 1925. For a whole year, it looked like they were going to lose this son also. When the baby was a year old, it weighed 10 lbs. However, the baby named James Frank Alban lived and on March 21, 1926 was baptized by Cyrus N. Robinson, Pastor of Gills Methodist Church; being witnessed and the certificate of baptism signed by Ethel Fritz. On this very same day, Roy and Nellie had their last baby, a girl named Dorothy Genevie Moser.

About the summer of 1925 or 1926, Grandad Moser auctioned off his house, the barn and 17 acres. He also sold off lots this same day. The auction brought people from miles around and a man named George Coleman, taking a Saturday afternoon drive from the city, saw the auction sign and made the highest bid on the farm. I was told that after the sale-day, Grandad had $40,000. - that would be equal to $400,000. in todays economy.

At the sale, a Model T Ford was raffled off, and my father won it, having bought the raffle ticket in Bettys name. I have a picture of Betty with her new automobile in my office, but the car did not remain in our family very long. My Dad had just bought a new 1925 Chevrolet, so he sold the Model T to Uncle Hugo.

(Note: Average selling price of a 1925 Chevrolet at that time was about $515)

Of the original 365 acres bought from Mr. Trout, Grandad Moser still has over half of the land left - the land running from Academy Ave. on the East side to the sharp curve, bordering Mr. Trouts farm on the West side and from the Fritz farm on the North side to about a thousand feet on the South side of Gwynbrook Ave. where it bordered the (Scott) May Frank property. Two houses, identical to each other were built at the sharp curve, bordering the Trout farm - one was for Aunt Carrie who married Glen Moser and Uncle Guy who married Florence (nee Meryman).

As much as I like Aunt Carrie she was always accusing Glen of running with other women so her marriage ended in divorce in 1929 and Grandad reclaimed the house... Aunt Carrie took an apartment in Pimlico, right across from the race track and she worked in a dress making factory in the city.

Uncle Guy always turned his pay check over to Florence, but she would always forget to make the house payment and the bank foreclosed on the loan. Florence had been married twice before to a Shaeffer and then to an Allen, having a son with each man. Guy and Florence had a son - Guy David Moser, Jr., on February 15, 1925. The bank fore- closed on the house and it was sold out of the family.

After they lost their house, they moved to Garrison Forest Road. They took in a border and his name was Dewey Baublitz. One day Uncle Guy come home from work and found Florence and Dewey laying on the couch together. Shortly after that Florence moved out As she got tired of Shaefer and Allen, she also got tired of Guy. David and I were both six years old when we started the first grade at Owings Mills school but he had his orders to stay away from me.

 

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