Howard Shambaugh Clippings
See his family record.
(Originally on this lonk: Bluejay Fiddles (The Shambaughs).)
The Shambaughs
 Howard Shambaugh was a man who personified Ohio through the Twentieth Century. He lived to be almost 100 years old. He was a farmer and a keen observer of the people and landscape of Ohio. He wrote volumes of letters and observations through his life that tell the history of everyday Ohio people. Great Uncle Howard was my wife's grandmother's brother.
One day Howard found out that the house that was his boyhood home in Clinton County, Ohio was going to be taken down. The house was also my wife's grandmother's home. It had fallen into an unlivable state and it was time. I asked Howard if he would take me to the old place so that I could get some wood. The place was built right after the Civil War and I figured there had to be some well seasoned local oak, walnut and pine. I explained that I wanted the wood to make a fiddle. Howard needed no further explanation.
It was a beautiful day in mid August and about about six of us from the family went out to take Howard's tour of the old farmhouse. We talked with the current owners. They are part of Howard's extended family and they told me I could take any wood I wanted. The place was on its last legs and I was a little afraid it might fall in on us right then and there.
 As we went slowly from room to room Howard began telling us stories. Thirty two children had been born and grew up in this house. Over the years those children were part of four different families that put together their lives in these rooms. Some of the boys left for World War l. Some left for World War ll. The entire history of the 20th century played out here. This is where they left from and the home they came back to. It was amazing to hear that so much life had taken place here. I took softwood from the porch out front and from the fire place mantle. The hard wood came from the bedroom floorboards and the kitchen cabinets.
I took enough wood to build two fiddles that following winter. As I cut and glued the wood I thought of the life and experiences of all those people who lived in that house. I'm glad to say Howard lived to hear the fiddles and he smiled.
As an after thought I had just enough wood left to built my son a cello. At this time he was in high school and he was getting better all the time. He played in the school's orchestra and he earned a spot with the Dayton, Ohio Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. All through high school he played on an instrument that came from the house where his great grandmother was born and lived as a little girl.
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(Published by The Western Star from Jan. 19 to Jan. 26, 2006.)
Howard Shambaugh
Family-Placed Obituary
SHAMBAUGH, Howard Age 99, pioneer turkey farmer and hatcher in Warren and Clinton Counties, died 11:00 p.m. Sunday, January 15, 2006 at the home of his daughter and sister-in-law.
Son of Joseph and Bertha Hurley Shaumbaugh, he was born near New Burlington on July 9, 1906. his wife of 58 years, Irene Jones Shaumbaugh, died November 15, 1997.
He graduated from Kingman High School and Miami Jacobs Business College. Also, he attended Ohio State University studying agriculture. He was an organist, composer, poet and published author. Mr. Shaumbaugh was a member for 80 years of the Middlerun Primitive Baptist Church of near Waynesville, where he served as deacon and trustee.
He is survived by a daughter, Camilla (Larry) Bennett, of Maineville and a sister, Rachel (George) Parker of Texas. Also surviving are grandchildren, Starla (Jeff) Minner of Cincinnati, Kip Bennett of Cincinnati, Jeremy Bennett of Maineville, and Glory (Michael) Clark, of Blanchester. Also surviving are five great-grandchildren, Joshua, Brandon, Alexandra, Brooke, and Nicholas. He was preceded in death by his brother, Walter, who died in infancy, and sisters Agnes (Willis) Thompson of California; Ella (Samuel) Gardner of Florida; grace (don) Henderson of Dayton; Ernestine (James) Moore of Harveysburg; Dorothy (Heber) Ellis of New Vienna; and Josephine (Fred) Bogan of Waynesville.
Services are 2:00 p.m. Thursday, January 19, 2006 at the Fisher-Edgington Funeral Home with Pastor Keith Dimbath officiating. burial will follow in the New Antioch Cemetery. Visitation will begin 12:30 p.m. before the services Thursday at the funeral home.
For more information and to access the online register book, visit www.edgingtonfuneralhomes.com.
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