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Member of First Moravian Church. Teacher in the York area school system for 40 years. Researched
and compiled family history for Pfliegers, Shanks, Trouts, etc. in the York area. Records
show several spellings for this family name (PHLEEGER, FLUGER, PFLEEGER, PFLEIGER, PFLEIGOR,
PHLEGAR, FLIEGER, PFLEUGER). This listing uses the same spelling Margaret and her sisters
Leah and Laura used (PFLIEGER) on surviving documents. Corresponded with Edward Pflieger of
Williamsport, PA, Oscar Sheffer, and Eula Willis. Various letters in file. Fifteen examples
of her poetry are in file FTPOEMS. Several photos in file, including interior of 320 E. Princess
St. High school autograph book in file. Her research is summarized in a manuscript, Historical Sketch of the Goodykoontz Families in Virginia and U.S., by Wells Goddykoontz. A copy of this book is held by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wells Woody of Roanoke, VA, and the original is reputedly in a library in Richmond, VA. The book contains a chapter written by Eula Willis Bell regarding the Phlegar family in Virginia and York, with an acknowledgement giving credit to Margaret E. Pflieger for her assistance in preparing the chapter. Obituary in paper, 2/21/51: WOMAN FOUND DEAD City Police Enter Miss Margaret E. Pflieger's Home at Request of Relative The body of Miss Margaret E. Pflieger, 80, of 320 East Princess street, was discovered in her second floor bedroom today by two city patrolmen who entered the dwelling at the request of a relative. Patrolmen L. W. Roberts and Kenneth Lauer, who said Miss Pflieger might have died sometime Tuesday night, reported that Deputy Coroner Ralph W. Keech found the death was the result of natural causes. Police were asked to enter the dwelling by Robert F. Bates, 121 West Cottage Place, a nephew, who said that repeated attempts to contact his aunt yesterday and this morning were unsuccessful. Patrolmen Roberts and Lauer gained entrance through a third story window and found the body in the second floor bedroom on the floor beside her bed. Miss Pflieger lived alone in the house, police said. She was a member of the First Moravian Church. The body was resumed to the Strack and Strine Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements are not complete Another obituary in the paper: Margaret E. Pflieger, daughter of the late Alexander and Mary Shunk Pflieger, died Wednesday at her residence, 320 East Princess street. She was a teacher for more than 40 years in the city schools. She leaves three nephews, Robert Bates, 121 West Cottage Place, and John and William Bates, 610 Wallace Street, and a great-niece. She was a life long member of First Moravian Church. Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon at the Strack and Stine Funeral Home, 1205 East Market street, with the Rev. Edward L. Fischer, her pastor, officiating. Interment will be in Prospect Hill Cemetery. The following information concerns research performed by the Henry Ford Museum regarding an antique cherry chest of drawers that came from Margaret's estate in 1951 and passed to Mary Bates Stephenson. The chest is currently held by David R. Stephenson III. The requesting letter dated Jan 26, 1994 is as follows (in part): During a recent conversation with a member of the Museum staff, it was brought to my attention that the Museum's Research Center would assist in identifying the background of an article of furniture. To that end, I would like to enlist your experience in determining the origins of a large chest of drawers that has been in my family for many years (probably for 150 years or more, if the legends are accurate). In the early 1960s, a director of the Henry Ford Museum, Dr. Donald Shelly, made several positive comments regarding the piece when he saw it at my parents' home during one of his visits to York, PA. It caught his attention from a historical standpoint, but I never knew exactly what the details were since I was not present at the time. To assist in this effort, I have enclosed several photos of the chest showing its overall appearance as well as some detailed elements of its construction. The basic dimensions of the chest are as follows: 36 1/2" high, 36" wide, 20" deep; the top is 38 1/2" wide and 21" deep. I believe I remember hearing that the current hardware may be a substitute, and that the original drawer pulls may have been plain china. The Museums response dated Feb 18, 1994 is as follows (in part): It was the opinion of the curators that the chest may have been a linen chest, ca. 1780 to 1820, that originally had an upper section. If this was the case, the top of your chest may have been replaced. The pull out shelf was used for folding linens before putting them back in the drawers. It looks to be original but has been heavily refinished, stripped and reinforced with nails, etc. To determine whether it had had a top section, one would have to compare the size to similar pieces of the period. Chests without a top section were usually smaller than linen chests with an upper unit. |