Hannah was born and raised in Skippack along with her two sisters and one brother. A quote from Hannah: ‘I am the last leaf to fall from the family tree.’ She took piano lessons until she was sixteen. At this age it made it possible for her to drive herself to church for organ lessons.
She graduated from Collegeville High School and attended Pierce Business School in Philadelphia for 2 years.
Her first job was at Taylor-Fiber in Betzwood (near King of Prussia) as an assistant to one of the head managers of the company for a total of eight years. Hannah belonged to many organizations but the one she can remember most vividly is a woman’s club. They went to a fun weekend at a cabin along the Perkiomen. She arrived early and went to the spring for water and met a gentleman named Melvin. She secured a job for Melvin at Taylor-Fiber, and eventually the two were married in 1939 at the Lower Providence Baptist Church. Melvin served in the Navy for three years, and Hannah lived with a girlfriend for the years he was away. However, the two enjoyed traveling through the United States. They were happily married for seventy-one years.
Hannah then left her first job and became a claims manager for an insurance company. Finally, she decided to leave the business world and do volunteer work. She substituted at other church services but did not want to be a fulltime organist. Her husband continued to work for Taylor-Fiber.
Two beagles were their children and they spoiled them as much as possible.
Hannah and Melvin came to Frederick twenty-eight years ago (1986) and she played the organ here for twenty-five years. They lived in Dogwood cottage for many years. Melvin died in 2000. Hannah eventually moved to an Oaktree apartment, then Magnolia House, and now resides in Cedarwood.
They belonged to an Organ Club which consisted of eight couples. They met frequently to play organ music and have refreshments. Hannah belong to the ‘Shut IN Society.’ They produced a publication listing names of shut-ins and she would send approximately 300 letters each month. The letters would be typed and a space left open for some drawings of stick figures. Along with the typed letter, she would write a personal note with jokes and items of interest. She started making note cards, including them with the letters and then began selling her homemade notecards.
Hannah played the organ at Montgomery County Geriatrics for special programs. She was instrumental in starting the volunteer group called the ‘Gray Ladies.’ For thirty-seven she did volunteer work, not only at the Geriatrics Center, she volunteers to write an eight to ten page newsletter each month, and she was editor of Frederick’s resident newsletter Connections for many years.
Hannah’s hobbies are needlepoint, petit point, and reading. Her eyes are good and she reads at least eight hours a day. She enjoys every day and has had a good and wonderful life. Asked how did she plan to spend her big birthday, she said, ‘Oh, it will be just another day in my life to do my usual things.’ Story written by Mildred Rapp.
From Frederick Living
