Robert McElhinny and Mary Slagle Shaffer

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Husband Robert McElhinny ¹

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           Born: 6 Feb 1805 - Pittsburgh, Allegheny Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 22 Apr 1878 - Fairfield, Jefferson Co, IA 1
         Buried:  - Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, Jefferson Co, IA

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         Father: David McElhinny (      -      ) 1
         Mother: 

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       Marriage: 29 Jun 1831 - Washington, Washington Co, PA 1

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Wife Mary Slagle Shaffer ¹

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           Born: 24 Jun 1812 - Washington, Washington Co, PA 1
     Christened: 
           Died: 27 Oct 1893 - Fairfield, Jefferson Co, IA 1
         Buried: 

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         Father: John Shaffer (1776-1863) 1
         Mother: Charlotte Slagle (1792-1846) 1

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Children

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• Descendant information.
To read a brief listing of their descendants, click here.

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General Notes: Husband - Robert McElhinny

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He served an apprenticeship at the saddlery trade with Jacob Slagle in Washington, Pennsylvania, and later was a clerk in the store of Alexander Sweeny. In 1831 he opened a general store in the village of Hickory, Washington County, Pennsylvania, in a room about ten by fifteen feet, on a capital of about eight hundred dollars. He prospered during his six years' residence in Hickory and on April 1st, 1837, removed to Washington, Pennsylvania, where he went into business and remained until 1844, when he went west, via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, to Keokuk and thence by wagon to Fairfield, Iowa. In 1849 he moved his family to Iowa. In 1857 or 1858 his wife and children returned temporarily to Washington for the purpose of giving the children better educational advantages. They went back to Fairfield in 1862 and lived there the rest of his life. During his residence in Washington, he and his wife joined the Presbyterian Church, of which he continued a consistent member throughout his life.

1 Ella Campbell Slagle Nichols, Family Record (Pittsburgh, PA: Privately published, 1914).