BIRTHDAY: We missed it by a few days, but we wanted to mark the 126th anniversary of the birth of Harry Crooks.
We’ll take you back to 2011 to explain. A single grave was found inside the Allegheny National Forest, a few hundred yards from Big Shanty Road. The grave was for Harry Crooks, an infant both March 25, 1896, and died a day later. After RTS featured the mystery of the infant’s grave, the public stepped up, found relatives of the family, spruced up the tombstone and celebrated his birthday.
A family member had written to RTS after a series of columns ran about the infant. She said Harry’s parents were her great-grandparents. Harry’s sister, Adah Crooks Ripple, was the only child who lived to marry and have children. Their parents, Agnes and Owel Crooks, had five children, Adah, Lionel Claude who died at 19, Harry Hurchable who died at one day, Louella Coletta who died at age 5 and Joseph Franklin who died at 18 after a lifelong struggle with epilepsy.
The family never knew the location of young Harry’s grave, and the relative thanked the local folks, not only for finding it, but also for restoring the site.
Molly Lindahl from Bradford Landmark Society did some research, too, and found that Harry’s parents and brother, Joseph, are buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Clayt Vecellio, who led a group of neighborhood children to clean up and restore the infant’s burial site, sent us the reminder of Harry’s birthday.
He may not have lived long, but little Harry made his mark. We’re still talking about him 126 years later.
