Ira Charles Noll

On April 25, 1943, Ira Charles Noll passed away at a hospital in Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania. At 61 years old, Ira suffered from otitus media, an inflammatory disease of the ear, for about a month before his death. Born in rural Pennsylvania during a time of statewide transition into an industrial economy, Ira successfully adapted to these new demands by becoming a railroad engineer and raising his family in a Philadelphia suburb.

Ira Charles Noll (From the photo
collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

Ira Charles Noll was born to David L. Noll and Kate (Owens) Noll on April 1, 1882, in the tiny farming village of Greble in Bethel Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Both of Ira's parents came from the Pennsylvania German community, though judging from her surname, Kate may have had some English ancestry too. David was a carpenter (and probably a farmer too) originally from Jackson Township in Lebanon County. Kate was raised on a farm east of the town of Pine Grove in Schuylkill County. Ira was their second child. David and Kate's other children were Harry Irwin (1879-1951), Clara R. (1884-1949), Pierce Elmer (1887-1918), Ida (1890- ), and Herman Aaron (1892-1968).

The first eleven years of Ira's life were probably representative of a typical stable and relatively uneventful childhood for a late 19th century country boy. In between school and summer work, he probably found time to hunt and fish. Later, as an adult living in Norristown (Montgomery County), Ira often found time for sports of field and stream with his brothers and brothers-in-law. However, the peacefulness and security of having his nuclear family close at hand disappeared upon the death of his father, David, when Ira was eleven years-old.

There is very little documentation regarding 40 year-old David Noll's death on June 14, 1893. The state of Pennsylvania did not begin issuing death certificates for another decade. I have found no mention in Lebanon county newspapers of his passing. There are, however, a few lines in the September 21, 1893 edition of the Lebanon Daily News that provide the first indication of what happened to David's family following his death. The paper stated, "A son of David Noll, now living with his uncle, Mr. Cyrus Noll, Jackson Township, while cutting wood with an axe, had the misfortune to nearly sever his toe." Unfortunately, we don't know which son the paper was referring to; but only Harry and Ira were old enough in 1893 to use an axe. Thus, either Harry or Ira moved in with his Uncle Cyrus following their father's death.

With the 1900 U.S. Census, a clearer picture emerges of David's broken and scattered family. His wife Kate moved back into her parents' house east of Pine Grove village. Twenty-one year-old Harry was a live-in worker on the Mt. Zion (Lebanon County) farm of John Phillippy. Sixteen year-old Clara lived as a servant in the house of Pine Grove farmer Henry C. Schneck; Clara eventually married Henry's nephew Samuel, who later often hunted and fished with Ira. In 1900, thirteen year-old Pierce and ten year-old Ida were both listed as servants in the household of Edward Ziebe, a farmer in Washington Township, Schuylkill County (Washington Township borders Pine Grove on the east). Eight year-old Herman lived with Wayne (Schuylkill County) farmer George Waldermuth. Of David's children, only Ira is difficult to account for in the 1900 U.S. Census--I have not been able to locate him.

Mary Catherine (Schroding) Noll
and Ira Charles Noll. (From the photo
collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

Ira married Mary Catherine Schroding on January 5, 1907 in St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Port Carbon (Schuylkill County). Although born in McKeansburg (Schuylkill County), Mary had lived with her family in Port Carbon since at least 1900. By 1910, but possibly much earlier, Ira worked on the Reading Railroad. One of the Reading Railroad's many activities was the transportation of anthracite coal from Schuylkill County mines, including those in the Port Carbon/Pottsville area, to Philadelphia and other cities. Ira's pursuit of railroad employment is probably what brought him to Port Carbon and an introduction to his future wife Mary.

In 1942 at the age of 60, Ira was 5' 4" and weighed 120 pounds. He was probably about the same height at age 35 at the time of his registration for the World War I draft. His 1917 WWI draft card says that he was of medium height and weight with brown hair and brown eyes. That 5' 4" was considered "medium" height in the early 20th century is surprising by today's standards, but it must have been undoubtedly true in 1917.

Shortly after they were married, Ira and Mary moved to Norristown. At first, they resided for short times at two addresses on Walnut Street, but by 1920 had moved to the Chain Street house they would occupy for the rest of their lives. Their first child, Aaron William, was born on November 17, 1912. Aaron always believed that he was born in the house at 537 Chain Street. However, his birth certificate indicates that he was born at 211 Walnut Street. Possibly Aaron's first memories of his childhood were from his father's Chain Street house. Two other children followed: Theda Edna on May 22, 1915, and Ira Charles Jr. on April 16, 1917. Mary also bore a stillborn child, Jarthiena R., in September 1925.

537 Chain Street, Norristown. (From the
photo collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

Ira's journey from the rural village of Greble to bustling Norristown was paralleled by his transition from the largely agricultural pursuits of his childhood neighbors and family to working in the most ubiquitous of all industrial age industries--the railroad. Ira was not alone. Young men and women across the nation were making the same transitions out of economic necessity. The fact that this migration was so widespread should not blind the family historian to the abruptness of the change on an individual level. As a child, Ira had his bread and milk produced at or near his Greble home. In Norristown, there must have been multiple choices of bakeries from which to buy bread. The close proximity of neighbors must have required an adjustment of mindset. In fact, 537 Chain Street was only one half of a house. Ira's neighbors lived in the same house--you can't get much closer than that! In addition to all of these adjustments, Norristown, like other Pennsylvania urban area, received many of the newest immigrants to America. In the first two decades of the 20th century, immigrants were arriving in New York and Philadelphia who were primarily from eastern and southern Europe. Norristown was the destination of many new Italian-Americans. This diversity in the city's population also extended to Ira's co-workers on the Reading Railroad. Ira was born into something close to a mono-ethnic setting, then as an adult lived in an increasingly ethnically diverse community.

Front: Aaron William, Theda Edna, Ira Charles Jr.
Back: Mary Catherine (Schroding) Noll, Ira Charles Noll
(From the photo collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

Ira was a locomotive engineer for his entire career on the Reading Railroad. He worked for one employer, in one occupation, from shortly after his 1907 marriage until his death in 1943. Ira clearly had an incredible degree of dedication, loyalty, and patience in order to do his job well day in and day out--as he must have done, given his longevity with the same company.

Although Ira lived in an era that saw the introduction of diesel locomotives, he probably never drove one on a regular basis, if at all. Diesel locomotives were not widely adopted by railroads until the decade following World War II. Ira, therefore, probably remained a steam locomotive engineer for his 30 plus years on the railroad. In Rails Across America, historian John H. Armstrong discusses the job of engineer: as the train's movement was guided by the tracks, the engineer's main job was to control the motion of the train. This may seem like a fairly simple task, but because of the time and distance required to start and stop the train, the need to keep the train at a safe speed on curves, and the effort to keep the train on schedule, the job was more complex than it may at first seem. An additional difficulty was the efficient and timely use of coal and managing the water level in the engine. The engineer and fireman needed to work and communicate well with each other as well as know their particular locomotive intimately. Armstrong writes, "the engineer did need some real skills, for throughout its 120 years of dominance the steam locomotive remained a somewhat individualistic beast. The best crews could make better time, run farther before taking water or do the job using significantly less coal." The engineer was also responsible for supervising all mechanical adjustments and maintenance during stops. Generally, the fireman was responsible for all maintenance above the locomotive's running board, while the engineer ensured that machinery below the boiler was lubricated and adjusted. Because of the individuality of steam locomotives, railroad management tried to keep crews working with the same locomotives because of the knowledge and experience they built with that particular engine. Thus, Ira probably worked on a relatively small number of locomotives during his career.*

Ira Charles Noll with his crew. Ira is the
second man on the right.
(From the photo collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

Aside from his railroad career, Ira lived a rich and fulfilling life of travel, social activities, and multiple hobbies. Ira traveled on vacation several times during the mid and late 1930s. In a September 1934 trip, Ira, Mary, and their three grown children drove to Canada. Their vacation road trip is somewhat surprising given the depressed state of the American economy at the time. In an era when some men were looking for jobs, Ira took a vacation from his job. This fact provides us with a strong sense of the security that the Reading Railroad provided the Noll family with. It's also important to recall that the idea of a vacation for ordinary people was a new concept that was only made possible by the concessions to humane working conditions effected by unions during the Progressive Era. As the American economy quickened in the late 1930s and brought more widespread prosperity, Ira took several more vacations. In the fall of 1938, Ira and Mary were joined by another older couple, possibly a Schroding brother and his wife, in exploring the Hudson Valley (N.Y.) and Connecticut. Ira and Mary took two trips in 1939 with their three adult children; also with them were Beatrice Bard (later Aaron's wife) and Mary (Ira Jr.'s future wife). In July, they visited Washington D.C., seeing the White House, Lincoln Memorial and other points of interest; after that they drove to Mount Vernon, Monticello, the new Shenandoah National Park, and Natural Bridge--all in Virginia. In September, they traveled to New England and toured, probably among many other things, Plymouth Rock and the U.S.S. Constitution in Boston. Finally, in August 1940, Ira, Mary, and their friends visited Niagara Falls. The leisure and intellectual stimulation brought by Ira and Mary's travels must have held special value due to the fact that they represented the first generation in the Noll and Schroding families for which these experiences were possible; a traveling vacation for either of their parents would have been unthinkable.

Ira Charles Noll stands at an overlook along Skyline Drive in the new Shenandoah National Park in July 1939.
(From the photo collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

Ira often used his free time for outdoor activities. He was a fisherman and small-game hunter. Ira remained remarkably athletic as he grew older. We have pictures of him riding a bike and rowing a boat. And then there is an amazing and somewhat humorous picture of him playing jump rope at a family gathering in his early 50s. A small garden was maintained in the backyard of Ira's house. I have not been able to determine whether Ira or Mary had the green thumb. However, it's certain that my grandfather Aaron W. Noll, who was a devoted gardener, learned his skills and was inspired by at least one of his parents.

Ira Charles Noll plays jump rope at a
family gathering.
(From the photo collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

It has been noted above how David Noll's untimely death in 1893 scattered the Noll siblings into various households across Lebanon and Schuylkill counties. Despite this barrier to cultivating familial ties, Ira very clearly maintained close relationships with all of his siblings throughout his life. When Ira's brother Herman was severely burned by gas in a coal mine in May 1916, his siblings all visited Pine Grove to console him. Ira came to the aid of his sister Ida following her separation from her husband, John H. Zimmerman, in 1921; Ida moved into his Chain Street house for several years. After his sister Clara's husband Samuel Schneck died in 1933, she moved with her daughter Roxie from Pine Grove to Norristown, choosing a residence on Chain Street just two blocks from Ira's house. Several hundred photos taken by Ira and his family have been passed on to me as caretaker. Numerous photos show Ira's siblings, nephews, and nieces both visiting his Norristown house, and Ira visiting them in Lebanon and Schuylkill counties. Although their relationships were terribly disrupted during their childhood, the Noll siblings cared for one another and enjoyed spending time together.

It has been difficult for me to find any details on Ira and Mary's relationship with the church in Norristown. They were married in a Lutheran church in Port Carbon. My grandfather Aaron faithfully attended Grace Lutheran church in Norristown for much of his adult life. A possible conjecture is that Ira and Mary were also Lutherans. This is an area of Ira's biography for which I expect to discover more information in the future as I find more records. In addition to Ira's probable church attendance, he also connected with his Norristown community through his membership in the Freemasons. He thought highly enough of the Masons that he had their square and compass symbol appear prominently on his gravestone.

Aaron William Noll and his father, Ira Charles Noll.
(From the photo collection of Aaron G. Noll.)

Ira's wife Mary died in October 1941 at the age of 55. This was the first in a series of events that must have raised his anxiety and shaken his outlook on life. Ira's son Ira Jr. enlisted in the U.S. Army in February 1942; he remained in the Army for nearly three years, or the duration of World War II. I am still uncertain of where he served. (Does anyone reading this know the answer to this question?) Later in the same year, Ira's other son Aaron enlisted in the U.S. Navy. Aaron began his service in October 1942 and left for the Pacific arena of the war. The recent death of Ira's wife and the anxious uncertainty over his sons' wartime safety must have weighed heavily on his mind and heart. Perhaps it was stress that weakened his body and made it more receptive to infection. Since Ira had been in the hospital for about a month, his death must not have come as a surprise to his family. His daughter Theda, being the only immediate family member remaining in Norristown, must have been at Ira's side during this difficult time. Ira died at 7:40 AM on April 25, 1943.

As I was born 24 years after Ira's death, I never knew him. However, his son Aaron was my grandfather. I loved and admired my grandfather for his consistent faithfulness over the years to his family, his mechanical and scientific curiosity, and the gentleness and care that he always demonstrated towards me. These are all traits that we can reasonably infer were cultivated in him by his own father. I am grateful for Ira's influence on my life by way of my grandfather and father.


*All of the information in this paragraph comes from William L. Withuhn, ed., Rails Across America: A History of Railroads in North America, New York, NY: Smithmark, 1993. For the railroad industry's transition from steam to diesel locomotives, see the "Years of Revolution" chapter. For a description of the engineer's job (and others), see the chapter "Working on the Railroad."

**I have not cited most of my sources of information in this article for the reason that it would be cumbersome in a blog format. However, if you're curious how I know certain information or why I arrived at particular conclusions, please let me know! I'd be happy to share resources with you, including the Ancestry.com family tree that I maintain for the Nolls and families who branch off from them.