Not One, Not Two, but Three Brothers
The year was 1885. The place was Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The local newspaper called it “a strange coincidence.”
The Harrisburg Daily Independent stated that the Coble brothers were “well-known and were personally popular.”
Tragedy struck those brothers, though, in March 1885. The first brother to be affected was John H. Coble (Gary’s 2nd great-grandfather). The Lebanon Daily News said that John died after “an illness of three days from congestion of the brain.” The Harrisburg Daily Independent gave a more detailed account, saying that he died after “an illness of a very few days, during which time he was perfectly devoid of reason. Prior to this attack, he had always been considered rational and sound in every way.”
Just a day or two after John’s funeral, as family and friends grieved, John’s brother, Samuel, began exhibiting many of the same symptoms as John. Samuel “was noticed to be acting rather peculiarly, and it was evinced from his incoherent talk and moody demeanor that he was becoming insane. He remained in that condition for several days when he died (Strange).”
Shockingly at the time of Samuel’s death, a third brother, in what was labeled as a strange coincidence, began “showing signs of insanity, and it was feared that he will too go the way of the other two members of the family (Strange).” Ultimately, he did not succumb to whatever caused these horrendous symptoms and lived many more years.
The name of the third brother was not given, but it was either Isaac who died in 1903 of asthma and a complication of diseases or Christian who died in 1896 of typhoid fever. (Jacob had died in 1862.)
John H. Coble was considered to be “a man of note.” He and his family were Mennonites. In addition to being a farmer, John was also a teacher and school director. “His fellow-citizens showed their appreciation of his intelligence and good judgment by electing him to various township offices (Commemorative).” Even though he died too young, John H. Coble left a lasting legacy.
Sources
“Commemorative Biographical Encyclopedia of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.” Ancestry®, 2005, www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/14060/images/dvm_LocHist000975-00388-1?ssrc=pt&treeid=184221014&personid=142412825447&usePUB=true&pId=628.
“Death of John H Coble.” Lebanon Daily News, 13 Mar. 1885, www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news/107348332/.
“Death of John H. Coble – Mount Joy Herald.” The Lancaster Weekly Examiner and Express, Lancaster Examiner, 13 Mar. 1885, www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-news/107348332/. “Strange Coincidence.” Harrisburg Daily Independent, 25 Mar. 1885, www.newspapers.com/article/harrisburg-daily-independent/107348183/.