The Mohney Family - by Oran E. Mohney

Oran Emmett Mohney, of Brookville, Pennsylvania, has a substantial claim to honorable mention among the successful men of his day. Mr. Mohney first saw the light of day in Pinecreek Township, Jefferson County Pennsylvania on January 12, 1904.  He attended Baum School of Pinecreek Township and graduated from Reynoldsville High School in 1925.

He attended Clarion State Normal College and taught two terms of school in the elementary schools of Pinecreek Township.  He then attended DuBois Business College and entered employment with the Jefferson County National Bank.  Four years later he entered the employment of The National Bank of Brookville and spent twelve years with said bank.

Mr. Mohney terminated his employment with The National Bank of Brookville and ran a successful campaign for Treasurer of Jefferson County.  At this time the Treasurer of Jefferson County and The Sheriff of Jefferson County were limited to one term tenure in their respective offices.  During Mr. Mohney’s term as County Treasurer the office of Prothonatary and Clerk of Courts was left vacant because of the death of David M. Holt.  Mr. Mohney was asked to run for the office of Prothonatary and Clerk of Courts and being successful was elected to four succeeding terms in said office.

He was one of five children born to Albert Franklin Mohney and Nora Alice Cable Mohney follows: Robert Mohney who died in infancy during the terrible diphtheria epidemic of the late eighteen hundreds.  Walter Maine Mohney, now of Reynoldsville, Penna.  Aldean Ruth Mohney Smith of Bradford, Penna.  Oran Emmett Mohney of Brookville, Penna and Chester Maxwell Mohney, late of Pinecreek Township, Pennsylvania.

Mr. Mohney is married to June Emery Mohney, daughter of Albert J. Emery and Kathryn Milliron Emery.  To this marriage were born two children, John Wilbur Mohney of Brookville, Pennsylvania, and Kathryn Mohney Hetrick of same address.

Mr. Mohney says of his ancestors: My paternal grandfather, Adam Mohney, was one of the clan of Mohney, who trace their ancestry to the now defunct stone house at Hawthorne, Pennsylvania.  My paternal grandmother, Emma Schuckers Mohney, who came with her parents; Henry Schuckers, his wife and the following brothers and sisters, from “East of the Mountains”, as she described it: Sara, Levi, Felix, Franklin, Emanuel, Joseph, Emma, my Grandmother, Amenda, Elizabeth and Valentia.

On the maternal side of the family, my Grandfather, John Cable, sometimes called Covel, was married to Mary Plyler Cable and to this union were born the following children: Emanuel, Emma, Ella, Nora, my Mother, Henry, Lloyd, Glenn, Walter, Nettie, and Oma.  My Grandfather, John Cable, has lost the proper use of his left arm in a hunting accident, who, nevertheless provided a livelihood for these ten children without benefit of any help from “The Great White Father”.

I can well remember when there were a few teams of oxen being used as beasts of burden and have seen them at work in the fields plowing and harrowing.  My grandfather, John Cable, told me on many occasions, that a good team of oxen could outperform a good team of horses in mud of which there was plenty of at this period of time.

The nineteenth century has brought many labor saving devices.  I myself sold the first chain saw ever sold in Jefferson County.  It weighed some eighty pounds and took two men to operate it, however, those two men could fell more trees and cut them into saw log lengths, then eight or ten men crosscut saws and axes.  Aero planes traveling at the speed of sound have affected our travel in the same manner.  Privation today was vastly exceeded even in so-called wealthy homes in my Grandparents’ time.

My Grandfather, John Cable, told the following story, which I think many of my readers will enjoy.

Grandfather’s Father, Daniel Cable, had a large family and depended on the forest and streams to supply the family’s need for meat.  At the end of each week he accompanied by a large white dog, would take to the hills, to provide for the family larder. On the particular occasion, after having worked in the blacksmith shop until noon and wherein recreation was not half as much important as the need of meat was out just performing part of his duties.

The large dog being trained to heel stood staunchly behind great grandfather as he leveled his trusty muzzleloader at a large buck deer some distance away.  At the crack of the rifle the dog, as he had been trained, bounded out in the direction of the shot to retrieve the game.  Great grandfather hurried toward the spot and found the deer down and motionless the dog having hold on the deer’s throat.  Great grandfather now on his knees, the dog released his hold, whereupon the deer bounded to its feet, struck my great grandfather over the head with his forefeet and bounded away.  The bullet had hit on the deer’s antler and had only stunned the deer. The dog undoubtedly saved great grandfather’s life only to lose it by a falling tree crushing him to the ground.

John Cable, my maternal grandfather lived with my father and mother during the later years of his life for several years. We had a picture taken from a calendar hanging on the wall of the kitchen and grandfather would look at the picture and in Pennsylvania Dutch say, probably more to himself than to us.  Many and many a buck has been shot.

I would have written his words in Pennsylvania Dutch however I cannot spell them.

- Submitted by Oran E. Mohney

from “Jefferson County Pa History 1982”, published by the Jefferson County Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc. page 245 - 246.

Transcribed by Steven A. Stahlman