Autobiography March, 1962
David Ray Hess, son of John Hess and Mary Winegardner Hess was born at Dublin Mills, Fulton County, Pa. December 13, 1891. His father was not a strong robust man characteristic to Hess's. This may have been the effects of a serious illness of dipheria when he was a boy about six years old. However this union produced five children, Ray, Ruth, Eliza, Olive and Luella, healthy physiques and sound minds which remain to this day though they are rapidly nearing the three score and ten.
His father, after digging a cellar drain in February. 1909, contracted a severe sore throat which caused his death on February. 28, 1909, in his 45th year. Mary, his wife and five children ranging in age from seven to seventeen years, remained on the farm doing the best they could until each was able to carry on for them selves.
Ray was quick to learn and did not find school work much of a task; early on he had the desire to become a good teacher, as his father before him. At that time there were many high schools and teachers were prepared in what was called Summer Normals. To this he went in McConnelsburg, Pa. in 1910. His teachers were Emory Thomas and Lewis Harris. He took examinations, passed and that fall was given a school of eight grades and enrollment of 44. For this he was paid a salary of $2.00 a day. As he had no means of transportation he had to walk sometimes from his home in Dublin Mills to McConnellsburg, a distance of 17 miles, Monday morning and at the end of the week would walk home after school dismissed on Friday evening. He followed the same plan when teaching at Wood. That was a distance of 10 miles. He didn't mind but he notices that not many people now practice walking that much to school.
Ray continued his learning at Rock Hill and other places and was given a Professional Certificate and then a State Standard Certificate. Starting in 1910 he taught consecutively for 44 years except one year and for 20 of these years his salary was at the rate of $5.00 per day.
He retired from full time teaching in 1954, but continued for seven winters to give home bound instructions four hours a week, thus making fifty years at that profession.
Whether he was a good teacher or not will be the judgement of hundreds of pupils who came under his surveillance.
While in his teens he chose the Christian way of life as did his wife when she was in her teens. She was a member of the Baptist Church in Three Springs.
On March 23, 1918 he married Ora Jane Park, oldest daughter of Clay and Alice Hudson Park of Three Springs, Pa. To this union were born five children; Elis died in a few days from injuries in birth, Ruth, Sheldon, Mary, and Helen, all who are well, healthy and have families and children of their own. Their children, when they came to the age of accountability too chose the Christian way of life. All received baptism and with their parents all joined the church at Dublin Mills close to where they lived and where they thought they could do the most good.
He has been a Leader in many projects in his community. He acted as school director and township auditor and persuaded directors to put electric lights in some schools that he taught for pupil's benefit on cloudy days.
He had the first electric lights in this community, fifteen or more years before power lines gave electric lines to all.
Nearly all his adult life he has been and still is a trustee of the church. For probably twenty five years he was Sunday school superintendent and teacher of any class that needed him. Even when the church was without a pastor they continued to gather for Sunday school each Sunday.
He was a leader in completely renovating the church which had nearly gone to ruin from lack of repair and for buildings for the grove and electrifying it.
He planted and nurtured many of the beautiful shade trees in different places in Dublin Mills and on church property. These will Likely stand for a long time as living memorial to him. He takes pride in raising choice Holstein cattle as a hobby.
He never belonged to any fraternal organizations except P.O.S. for a time but being so far away from them he discontinued membership. He never had any desire to have a political office.
He is not unmindful of God's goodness to him and his family all of whom are very close to each other; kind, considerate and helpful when they need each other.
He is now past his 70th birthday. He and his wife continue to live on and operate the farm he has lived on all his life, and his father before him and his grandfather before him who cleared most of this land and established his farm there.
David Ray Hess, son of John Hess and Mary Winegardner Hess was born at Dublin Mills, Fulton County, Pa. December 13, 1891. His father was not a strong robust man characteristic to Hess's. This may have been the effects of a serious illness of dipheria when he was a boy about six years old. However this union produced five children, Ray, Ruth, Eliza, Olive and Luella, healthy physiques and sound minds which remain to this day though they are rapidly nearing the three score and ten.
His father, after digging a cellar drain in February. 1909, contracted a severe sore throat which caused his death on February. 28, 1909, in his 45th year. Mary, his wife and five children ranging in age from seven to seventeen years, remained on the farm doing the best they could until each was able to carry on for them selves.
Ray was quick to learn and did not find school work much of a task; early on he had the desire to become a good teacher, as his father before him. At that time there were many high schools and teachers were prepared in what was called Summer Normals. To this he went in McConnelsburg, Pa. in 1910. His teachers were Emory Thomas and Lewis Harris. He took examinations, passed and that fall was given a school of eight grades and enrollment of 44. For this he was paid a salary of $2.00 a day. As he had no means of transportation he had to walk sometimes from his home in Dublin Mills to McConnellsburg, a distance of 17 miles, Monday morning and at the end of the week would walk home after school dismissed on Friday evening. He followed the same plan when teaching at Wood. That was a distance of 10 miles. He didn't mind but he notices that not many people now practice walking that much to school.
Ray continued his learning at Rock Hill and other places and was given a Professional Certificate and then a State Standard Certificate. Starting in 1910 he taught consecutively for 44 years except one year and for 20 of these years his salary was at the rate of $5.00 per day.
He retired from full time teaching in 1954, but continued for seven winters to give home bound instructions four hours a week, thus making fifty years at that profession.
Whether he was a good teacher or not will be the judgement of hundreds of pupils who came under his surveillance.
While in his teens he chose the Christian way of life as did his wife when she was in her teens. She was a member of the Baptist Church in Three Springs.
On March 23, 1918 he married Ora Jane Park, oldest daughter of Clay and Alice Hudson Park of Three Springs, Pa. To this union were born five children; Elis died in a few days from injuries in birth, Ruth, Sheldon, Mary, and Helen, all who are well, healthy and have families and children of their own. Their children, when they came to the age of accountability too chose the Christian way of life. All received baptism and with their parents all joined the church at Dublin Mills close to where they lived and where they thought they could do the most good.
He has been a Leader in many projects in his community. He acted as school director and township auditor and persuaded directors to put electric lights in some schools that he taught for pupil's benefit on cloudy days.
He had the first electric lights in this community, fifteen or more years before power lines gave electric lines to all.
Nearly all his adult life he has been and still is a trustee of the church. For probably twenty five years he was Sunday school superintendent and teacher of any class that needed him. Even when the church was without a pastor they continued to gather for Sunday school each Sunday.
He was a leader in completely renovating the church which had nearly gone to ruin from lack of repair and for buildings for the grove and electrifying it.
He planted and nurtured many of the beautiful shade trees in different places in Dublin Mills and on church property. These will Likely stand for a long time as living memorial to him. He takes pride in raising choice Holstein cattle as a hobby.
He never belonged to any fraternal organizations except P.O.S. for a time but being so far away from them he discontinued membership. He never had any desire to have a political office.
He is not unmindful of God's goodness to him and his family all of whom are very close to each other; kind, considerate and helpful when they need each other.
He is now past his 70th birthday. He and his wife continue to live on and operate the farm he has lived on all his life, and his father before him and his grandfather before him who cleared most of this land and established his farm there.
Autobiography March, 1962
David Ray Hess, son of John Hess and Mary Winegardner Hess was born at Dublin Mills, Fulton County, Pa. December 13, 1891. His father was not a strong robust man characteristic to Hess's. This may have been the effects of a serious illness of dipheria when he was a boy about six years old. However this union produced five children, Ray, Ruth, Eliza, Olive and Luella, healthy physiques and sound minds which remain to this day though they are rapidly nearing the three score and ten.
His father, after digging a cellar drain in February. 1909, contracted a severe sore throat which caused his death on February. 28, 1909, in his 45th year. Mary, his wife and five children ranging in age from seven to seventeen years, remained on the farm doing the best they could until each was able to carry on for them selves.
Ray was quick to learn and did not find school work much of a task; early on he had the desire to become a good teacher, as his father before him. At that time there were many high schools and teachers were prepared in what was called Summer Normals. To this he went in McConnelsburg, Pa. in 1910. His teachers were Emory Thomas and Lewis Harris. He took examinations, passed and that fall was given a school of eight grades and enrollment of 44. For this he was paid a salary of $2.00 a day. As he had no means of transportation he had to walk sometimes from his home in Dublin Mills to McConnellsburg, a distance of 17 miles, Monday morning and at the end of the week would walk home after school dismissed on Friday evening. He followed the same plan when teaching at Wood. That was a distance of 10 miles. He didn't mind but he notices that not many people now practice walking that much to school.
Ray continued his learning at Rock Hill and other places and was given a Professional Certificate and then a State Standard Certificate. Starting in 1910 he taught consecutively for 44 years except one year and for 20 of these years his salary was at the rate of $5.00 per day.
He retired from full time teaching in 1954, but continued for seven winters to give home bound instructions four hours a week, thus making fifty years at that profession.
Whether he was a good teacher or not will be the judgement of hundreds of pupils who came under his surveillance.
While in his teens he chose the Christian way of life as did his wife when she was in her teens. She was a member of the Baptist Church in Three Springs.
On March 23, 1918 he married Ora Jane Park, oldest daughter of Clay and Alice Hudson Park of Three Springs, Pa. To this union were born five children; Elis died in a few days from injuries in birth, Ruth, Sheldon, Mary, and Helen, all who are well, healthy and have families and children of their own. Their children, when they came to the age of accountability too chose the Christian way of life. All received baptism and with their parents all joined the church at Dublin Mills close to where they lived and where they thought they could do the most good.
He has been a Leader in many projects in his community. He acted as school director and township auditor and persuaded directors to put electric lights in some schools that he taught for pupil's benefit on cloudy days.
He had the first electric lights in this community, fifteen or more years before power lines gave electric lines to all.
Nearly all his adult life he has been and still is a trustee of the church. For probably twenty five years he was Sunday school superintendent and teacher of any class that needed him. Even when the church was without a pastor they continued to gather for Sunday school each Sunday.
He was a leader in completely renovating the church which had nearly gone to ruin from lack of repair and for buildings for the grove and electrifying it.
He planted and nurtured many of the beautiful shade trees in different places in Dublin Mills and on church property. These will Likely stand for a long time as living memorial to him. He takes pride in raising choice Holstein cattle as a hobby.
He never belonged to any fraternal organizations except P.O.S. for a time but being so far away from them he discontinued membership. He never had any desire to have a political office.
He is not unmindful of God's goodness to him and his family all of whom are very close to each other; kind, considerate and helpful when they need each other.
He is now past his 70th birthday. He and his wife continue to live on and operate the farm he has lived on all his life, and his father before him and his grandfather before him who cleared most of this land and established his farm there.
David Ray Hess, son of John Hess and Mary Winegardner Hess was born at Dublin Mills, Fulton County, Pa. December 13, 1891. His father was not a strong robust man characteristic to Hess's. This may have been the effects of a serious illness of dipheria when he was a boy about six years old. However this union produced five children, Ray, Ruth, Eliza, Olive and Luella, healthy physiques and sound minds which remain to this day though they are rapidly nearing the three score and ten.
His father, after digging a cellar drain in February. 1909, contracted a severe sore throat which caused his death on February. 28, 1909, in his 45th year. Mary, his wife and five children ranging in age from seven to seventeen years, remained on the farm doing the best they could until each was able to carry on for them selves.
Ray was quick to learn and did not find school work much of a task; early on he had the desire to become a good teacher, as his father before him. At that time there were many high schools and teachers were prepared in what was called Summer Normals. To this he went in McConnelsburg, Pa. in 1910. His teachers were Emory Thomas and Lewis Harris. He took examinations, passed and that fall was given a school of eight grades and enrollment of 44. For this he was paid a salary of $2.00 a day. As he had no means of transportation he had to walk sometimes from his home in Dublin Mills to McConnellsburg, a distance of 17 miles, Monday morning and at the end of the week would walk home after school dismissed on Friday evening. He followed the same plan when teaching at Wood. That was a distance of 10 miles. He didn't mind but he notices that not many people now practice walking that much to school.
Ray continued his learning at Rock Hill and other places and was given a Professional Certificate and then a State Standard Certificate. Starting in 1910 he taught consecutively for 44 years except one year and for 20 of these years his salary was at the rate of $5.00 per day.
He retired from full time teaching in 1954, but continued for seven winters to give home bound instructions four hours a week, thus making fifty years at that profession.
Whether he was a good teacher or not will be the judgement of hundreds of pupils who came under his surveillance.
While in his teens he chose the Christian way of life as did his wife when she was in her teens. She was a member of the Baptist Church in Three Springs.
On March 23, 1918 he married Ora Jane Park, oldest daughter of Clay and Alice Hudson Park of Three Springs, Pa. To this union were born five children; Elis died in a few days from injuries in birth, Ruth, Sheldon, Mary, and Helen, all who are well, healthy and have families and children of their own. Their children, when they came to the age of accountability too chose the Christian way of life. All received baptism and with their parents all joined the church at Dublin Mills close to where they lived and where they thought they could do the most good.
He has been a Leader in many projects in his community. He acted as school director and township auditor and persuaded directors to put electric lights in some schools that he taught for pupil's benefit on cloudy days.
He had the first electric lights in this community, fifteen or more years before power lines gave electric lines to all.
Nearly all his adult life he has been and still is a trustee of the church. For probably twenty five years he was Sunday school superintendent and teacher of any class that needed him. Even when the church was without a pastor they continued to gather for Sunday school each Sunday.
He was a leader in completely renovating the church which had nearly gone to ruin from lack of repair and for buildings for the grove and electrifying it.
He planted and nurtured many of the beautiful shade trees in different places in Dublin Mills and on church property. These will Likely stand for a long time as living memorial to him. He takes pride in raising choice Holstein cattle as a hobby.
He never belonged to any fraternal organizations except P.O.S. for a time but being so far away from them he discontinued membership. He never had any desire to have a political office.
He is not unmindful of God's goodness to him and his family all of whom are very close to each other; kind, considerate and helpful when they need each other.
He is now past his 70th birthday. He and his wife continue to live on and operate the farm he has lived on all his life, and his father before him and his grandfather before him who cleared most of this land and established his farm there.
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