Katherine (Kate) Beales Hagen ¹³⁶

   Cause of her death was Exhaustion associated with chronic myocarditis.

  General Notes:

The 1870 and 1880 Federal Census records indicate Catherine (Kate) Hagen, the daughter of Elijah, living with her uncle, Joshua Hagen. Kate continues to live in the area through the 1930 census [actually, until her death in 1940]. (See notes on Jane Maybury Hagen)

In 1900 Katherine Hagen is living as a house keeper in the home of her nephew, Maris Alexander. Maris is the son of Samuel Alexander who is married to the former Jennie Hagen, Katherine's sister. The 1900 Federal Census for Martic Township, Southern District, Lancaster Co., PA (ED#89, page 221B) records Catherine Hagen (Oct 1845) living as a house keeper in the home of Maris Alexander (Sept 1872) and his wife Jennie K. (June 1874). Maris is a farmer and has been married for 2 years with no children. Near by is Royal W. Neel (June 1875) with his wife Emma L. [Alexander, she is the brother of Maris] (January 1877) and their son Guy A. Neel (August 1894). Royal and Emma have been married for 4 years and have had 2 children of whom 1 is still living. Royal is a Laborer.

The 1910, 1920, and 1930 Federal Census records report Kate living by herself in Martic Township, Lancaster Co., PA on the Mt. Nebo (to Erb Mill) Road. She continues to live independently until her death Jan. 11, 1940 at the age of 94 years, 2 months and 21 days. (PA death certificate)

The 1930 Federal Census for Mt. Nebo Village, Martic Township, Lancaster Co., PA (ED#96, page 125A) dated April 16, 1930 records Kate Hagen (84) as single and living along the Mt. Nebo to Erb Mill Road.

Kate is the last Hagen surname, of the John Hagen line, to live in Mt. Nebo, Martic Township, PA.


From a Mt. Nebo anniversary booklet prepared ca 1960:
Kate Hagen's House
Do you remember the little house built for Kate Hagen? It was built especially for her and was no larger than a modern playhouse. It was two stories high and contained a kitchen and a bedroom, it stood at the edge of the meadow of Samuel Alexander, her brother-in-law. The house was probably built around 1894, an account of S. C. Stevenson shows she bought 1 bed stead, $5.00; 1 stand $5.00;1 rocker, $1.50; and 1 chair $1.00, she paid $5.00 September 10, 1894, the balance was paid April 4, 1895. She was very deaf and spoke in a slow doleful voice, the community called her "Aunt Kate".

Her house is the present home of Jorge and Fannie Karr Salamo, next to Carrie Murry. Over the years the house has been enlarged and remodeled several times, some of the people who lived there were Merle and Naomi Jones Girvin; Bill and Dorthy Karr Owen; Robert and Dorthy Lefever Haldeman and Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Rhoads.

Note about Kate Hagen from Wilma Fauth Jones to Bo Hagen in Oct 2008: Kate remained single her entire life. She lived with her uncle Joshua Hagen for many years. After Joshua's death she lived with Samuel and Jennie Alexander. The story is that life was very stressful with that living arrangement and Samuel had the "little house" built for Kate on his property.


The article below was written about Kate Hagen by the sister-in-law of Wilma Fauth Jones:
HERITAGE SUNDAY for Mt. Nebo Methodist Church

The Pastor has asked the historical committee of the church to prepare a program for Heritage Sunday. After a meeting with Rebecca Miller and Carol Huber it was decided that we would not have a Wesleyian type program since we had just viewed a film about John Wesley and Rebecca had several articles in our church paper "The Outlook". Several months ago Rebecca had asked all of you to take the time to write down "Who has lived in this house?" or any facts you know about the house you live in. With this in view we each elected to take a house and describe all we could about the house and its origin, and give to you as part of your heritage of Mt. Nebo.

Is there anyone here 30 years of age or younger who knows where the Kate Hagen House, or as we referred to it as Aunt Kate's house is located? If you go down past the church around Bart Newport's corner then bear left on Creamery Road it is the second house on the right, just before the Charles Murry home before Charles Walter's lane.

Kate Hagen was a spinster, an unmarried lady. She lived with her sister, Jane Hagen Alexander and her brother-in-law Samuel Alexander. Aunt Kate as everyone called her was quite deaf and spoke in a rather slow doleful voice. I'll let you use your imagination as to why her brother-in-law built her a house. He took a corner from his meadow right next to Carrie Murry's home for the site. The little house had two stories and contained a kitchen down stairs and a curved stairway led to the bedroom on the second floor. It was probably built about 1894. An account from S. C. Stevenson's furniture store shows that she bought one bed stead $5, one stand $5, one rocker $1.50 and one chair $1 on September 10, 1894. She paid $5 and the balance was paid on April 4, 1895 when she was about 50 years old.

My Mom and Dad bought the Alexander farm in 1936 with the knowledge that Aunt Kate had a life time right to her house and then it would become a part of the farm once more.

Aunt Kate wore long dresses and a long waist style apron. I believe she was in her early 90's when we moved to the farm. She brought my brothers and I treats usually caught up in her apron and held in one hand as she climbed the hill to visit us. She particularly liked to hold my baby brother, Neil stating that she loved the way he smelled - he never smelled like sour milk.

I remember her little black stove and her rocking chair, a drop-leaf table with the drop leaf only on one side. An iron teakettle a small iron pot which she brought over to our house and gave to Neil, a shiny red apple inside. [The iron teakettle is now as of Dec 2008 in possession of Wilma Fauth Jones who currently lives in California]

After she passed away January 11, 1940 and her nieces divided her possessions it was discovered that her bureau had my name on it and I inherited this lovely old piece of furniture. [This bureau is now in the possesion of one of nieces of the husband of Wilma Fauth Jones.]

My sister-in-law Wilma Fauth Jones has a coverlet dated 1846 that was made for Mary Hagen by Yordy of Lancaster. Wilma's mother was Verna Good Fauth, her Grandmother was Minnie Alexander Good and her Great Grandmother was Jennie (Jane) Hagen Alexander, a sister of Aunt Kate Hagen.

I talked to Wayne Winters and Marie Reese, Grand nephew and niece of Aunt Kate. They remembered the spring which was her water supply and also the outhouse. It seemed no one was quite sure when Aunt Kate died. I went down to the cemetery at the Presbetyrian church and walked up and down the rows of headstones but could only find two Hagen markers neither [of which] bore the name of Kate Hagen. I went to the Mt. Nebo cemetery and there was a very simple headstone marked Kate B. Hagen Oct. 20, 1845 - January11, 1940.

.~_..

After her death the home returned to the farm property, my Mom and Dad had uncle Bill Owen build two more rooms onto the house. Now there were four rooms, two down, two up. Uncle Bill and Aunt Dot lived there a short time (William T. and Dorothy Karr Owen). Their youngest daughter, Carolyn, particularly liked to play in the creek nearby.

Robert and Dorothy Haldeman were the next renters (1944). Their daughter, Annie Hess, now lives over on Red Hill.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Rhoades lived in the house next. The only thing I remember about Mrs. Rhoades was that she was a very kind person. She would open the door and shoo the flies or bees outside instead of swatting them, and Mr. Rhoades would warn Merle about driving too fast when the cops were around so he wouldn't get a ticket. Wayne and Elsie Karr, Mr. and Mrs. Bowder lived there briefly.

Then in 1948 Mere and I moved into Aunt Kate's house. The outhouse was still in the meadow but the plumbing had been up-dated, we now had a pump in the yard. Diane and Mary Lynn knew this house as their first home. We built our house on the top of the hill in 1955. One other family of the little house, an un-invited resident, was a family of skunks which moved in under the front porch, and we moved out for a few days. Jorge and Fanny Karr Salamo bought the little house after we moved to our new home. Jorge was in the Army and when they left for a tour of duty in Germany, their daughter Gail Bottger and her husband resided there until Jorge and Fannie returned. They are the present owners and residents.

I wish I had a picture of Aunt Kate's little doll house when it was only two rooms with a front porch, but all I have is happy memories to share.

When I stated that Aunt Kate was too old to come to church and I wondered if she ever attended, the lady I was talking to said she wasn't sure about her church attendance but that wherever there was a need that's where Aunt Kate was. If any member of her family had sickness or new babies arrived Aunt Kate would go and run the household until the lady of the house could resume her duties.

Where ever there was a need she was there. What a nice heritage to leave.



From Cemetery Records of Martic Township compiled by Jenne Renkin in Dec 1978
Mt. Nebo Methodist Church Cemetery
Row 13
Kate B. Hagen, 10/20/1845 - 1/11/1940

  Medical Notes:

Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1944
Name: Kate Hagen (single)
Residence: Pequea, Lancaster Co., PA
Occupation: none
Gender: Female
Race: White
Age: 94
Birth Date: 20 Oct 1845
Birth Place: MT Nebo, Lanc County, Pennsylvania
Death Date: 11 Jan 1940
Death Place: Lancaster County Hospital, Lancaster, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania
Burial: Jan 13, 1940 at Mt. Nebo
Father Name: Elijah Hagen
Father Birth Place: Pennsylvania
Mother Name: Sarah Mayberry
Mother Birth Place: Pennsylvania
Certificate Number: 7264
Informant: Lancaster County Hospital