Mary Ann Crawn (1843-1920)

In the matter of Claim of Mary A. Huff as widow of John O. Huff Co E 9 Regt. N.J. Vol Wid No. 356,728.

ON THIS 2 day of June 1902, personally appeared before me a prothonotary in and for aforesaid County duly authorized to administer oaths, Sterling Dixon aged 68 years, a resident of Wysox Twp in the County of Bradford and State of Pennsylvania whose Post-office address is Wysox, Bradford Co, PA. well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being duly sworn, declared in relation to aforesaid case as follows:

Affiant has been a neighbor and well acquainted with said soldier since 1865. Affiant knew said John O. Huff when he was discharged and came home from the Army in 1865 and knows that when he first came home affiant was a neighbor to said soldier and he then suffered with diarrhea, disease of the bowels and continued to suffer with the same disability until the date of his death as shown while we were together by his often complaining of bowel trouble which continued from his arrival home from the Army and to his death. He lived with the said wife Mary A. Huff till the date of his death, said Mary A. Huff has not remarried since the death of said soldier John O. Huff except to Daniel Campbell which has been annulled. Affiant has been intimately acquainted with the family of John O. Huff and Mary A. Huff ever since the war and was much in company with said soldier John O. Huff until he die and know that he was a great sufferer from disease of the bowels from 1865 to the date of his death by his complaining and appearance. Affiant has ever reason to believe his suffering was real. -- Sterling Dixon --

Mrs. Huff had left home a few minutes before the accident and was slowly walking along the tracks in the direction of Wysox, picking up stray lumps of coal along the way. A freight train, going in the direction of Towanda, was approaching. Mrs. Huff stepped off the west bound track in order to avoid the oncoming train. The work train, en route from Towanda to Tunkhannock, was coming along the eat bound track at a moderate rate of speed, but Mrs. Huff did not see or hear it.

She stepped from in front of the west bound train directly in front of the east bound train. The locomotive struck and hurled her half way down the bank. Her head was crushed and she was dead when the trainmen reached her.

The body was removed to the Maryott undertaking parlors.

Mrs. Huff is survived by three children, Mrs. G. A. Campbell of Wysox, Mrs. G. B. Parks of Ulster, and Mahlon Huff of Wysox; one sister, Mrs. C. M. Mingle of Ulster; and three brothers, Abraham, William and Nichols [sic] Crawn of Towanda.

The funeral will be held at the home Monday afternoon at 1 o'clock. Further services will be held at the Keene Summit church at 1:30. The Rev. W. K. Frisbie, pastor of the Wysox Presbyterian church will officiate. Internment in the Keene Summit cemetery.