We’ve lived in Ferguson Township on the west side of Happy Valley for over a decade, which means that I’ve driven West College Avenue to get home many times over the years. It also means that I’m very excited about the construction of the new Rutter’s at the corner of Blue Course Drive and West College Avenue. It’s a location that, soon after we moved into our house, I sent Sheetz an email suggesting they open a store there. They responded they were not looking to expand in State College at that time!
So sure, it was nice when the Sheetz opened up a few years ago a little further out of town at West College Avenue and Whitehall Road, but that’s past our neighborhood on the way home, and in my overly-efficient mind the new Rutter’s will save me several minutes a stop – for both gas and food/sundry items.
Plus, it helps that I’ve come to appreciate Rutter’s offerings for both fast food and ready-to-eat prepared foods – especially the pre-made wraps. So, I’ve dutifully installed the Rutter’s app on my phone and look forward to the day later in 2026 when I can start being just a bit more efficient in my life.
But, another side-effect of driving West College Avenue to get home over the years is that I pass the Pine Hall Cemetery. According to the cemetery’s website, burials have been made on those grounds since the 1850’s. For the first 40 years or so the two churches nearby – what are now St. Peter’s United Church of Christ and Pine Hall Lutheran Church – had responsibility for the land.
Then, in 1892 the Pine Hall Cemetery Association was organized, and the land became a public cemetery separate from the two churches, but governed by a board of members of the two churches. Which is how it operates today – as a nonprofit public cemetery.
However, over the years as Happy Valley has grown, West College Avenue has gone from a small horse-and-buggy path to a busy two-lane road that uses all of the available right-of-way next to the cemetery. Which means that some of the headstones are very close to the road.
One memorial especially stands out and I notice it almost every time as I’m driving west. The very large letters at the top of the gravestone read “GHANER”, and then below it in smaller letters are the words “JACOB 1855 – 1925.”
For those with an interest, the grave is in Section C, Lot 218, but its most important feature is that it is one of seven lots closest to West College Avenue, and the first, and often the only, one you see as you are heading west.
I started noticing it soon after we moved to our home, and have seen it many, many times over the years. When I first started noticing it, Jacob Ghaner had been buried less than 90 years, but in the ensuing time I realized that this year was the 100th year since he had been laid to rest. One hundred years.
So, the internet being the treasure trove of information that it is, I decided to do a little research into who has been lying beneath that headstone for an entire century. Enough research to satisfy my curiosity after being reminded almost daily about this man named Jacob Ghaner.
Jacob Ghaner was born on June 25, 1855 in Pennsylvania. Most likely in Scotia – also known by the name of its post office, Benore – as that is where his father John Gehner, had his home. His mother was most likely Rosina Magdalena Gehner, John’s first wife, but is listed in the historical/cemetery records as both her son as well as that of Susan Snyder Gehner, John’s second wife.
The historical records seem to indicate that Jacob had four brothers and sisters – Wilson, Mary Lyon, Dora May and Susie – all of whom were born between 1865 and 1875 and are buried in Pine Hall Cemetery. Those four were all the children of John and Susan.
The records also show that Jacob had two half-siblings, David (born 1859) and John (born 1860), who were the children of his father and Rosina. Now, John and Rosina were married from 1853 until her death in 1863. John then married Susan in 1864. How it is that the historical records list Jacob, who was born in 1855, as Susan’s child, I’ll leave up to the history buffs!
There are a number of both “Ghaners” and “Gehners” in the Pine Hall cemetery, and again, I’ll leave it to those so inclined to identify how and when the name spelling changed. What we do know is that Jacob Ghaner died on December 31, 1925 in Patton Township at the age of 70. Which outs his death anniversary a week and one day from the publishing date of this column.
Since Jacob’s death 100 years ago, a number of things have changed in our country – from technological advances, lifespans getting longer, cultural and workforce improvements, and social progression. And the introduction of Rutter’s to West College Avenue! It’s easy to go on the internet and find all the ways we’ve advanced in the last 100 years.
But, as the saying goes, as much as things change, some things stay the same. A look at the local newspaper, The Times, from Friday, December 11, 1925, shows that many of the things we deal with today are the same from 1925. Police picking up lawbreakers. Congress dealing with conflicts. The Chamber of Commerce running a membership drive. Deer hunters having a good season. A Christmas musical at the local church.
So, as the holiday season rolls on, please spend time with your families and friends, and also remember the Jacob Ghaners of your world, those who came before you and what they mean to you and those around you.
