Lost Picture Found: Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Hagenbuch

In February of 2018, I found on eBay a hand-colored photograph of a man and woman with their dog. The back was labeled “Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Hagenbuch.” I wrote to my father, Mark, and asked if he knew who Boyd Hagenbuch might be. He replied:

Yep… Runaway John’s son Isaac had a son William born in 1838. William had son Boyd who was married to Lula?? They are buried in Orangeville.

Dad didn’t know much else about Boyd, but he suggested we purchase the photo so he could write an article about him. I bought it and had it mailed to dad. Somewhere along the way the image was lost and forgotten. As a result, the article was never written. Imagine my surprise when I happened to find the photograph mixed in with other family ephemera from the Hagenbuch Archives!

Boyd and Lula (Ruckle) Hagenbuch, c. 1940

Boyd Hutchison Hagenbuch was born on April 16, 1867 in Fishing Creek Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania. His parents were William Hagenbuch (b. 1838) and Mary Elizabeth (Hutchison) Hagenbuch (b. 1836). Boyd’s family line is: Andreas (b. 1715) > Michael (b. 1746) > Henry (b. 1772) > Issac (b. 1801) > William (b. 1838) > Boyd Hutchison (b. 1867). It should be noted that Boyd is descended from Andreas’ son Michael (b. 1746), not John (b. 1763), as my father originally noted in his email response.

William Hagenbuch, Boyd’s father, was a farmer and owned land in Fishing Creek Township. The family later moved to another farm in nearby Orange Township. Here, Boyd spent much of his childhood with his siblings: Clara Lavena (b. 1862, d. 1940, m. James “Jim” Reichard), Mary Alice (b. 1864, d. 1912), Eva Jane (b. 1873, d. 1959, m. Coriel Hess), and Hiram C. (b. 1876, d. 1885). In 1880, at the age of 13, Boyd was attending school, although he probably helped on the farm too. After finishing school, he continued to work on his father’s farm and remained a bachelor for many years, according to the 1900 census.

Clara (Hagenbuch) Reichard by her husband, James’ grave, 1910. Credit: Shaun Creighton

Of his four siblings, Boyd connected the most with his older sister, Clara. Historian Shaun Creighton wrote the following in a previous article:

Clara was closest to her younger brother, Boyd Hagenbuch (b. 1867, d. 1949). They are buried close to each other at Laurel Hill.

In 1905, Boyd married Lula B. Ruckle (b. 1875) of Liberty Township, Montour County, PA. This wasn’t the first time a Ruckle (or Ruckel) married a Hagenbuch. Mary Ruckel (b. 1790), Lula’s 2nd great aunt, married Conrad Hagenbuch (b. 1790). By 1910, Boyd and Lula were renting a farm in Scott Township, Columbia County, PA.

The next year they welcomed a daughter, Florence M. Hagenbuch, who was born on January 19, 1911. Records show that the family lived at the farm in Scott Township and eventually purchased it or moved to another one that they owned. It is probable that the picture which inspired this article was taken in front of the Hagenbuch’s farmhouse.

Boyd continued to work as a farmer into his 70s, while Lula managed the home. As her parents aged, Florence increasingly helped to care for the house and the farm. According to the 1940 census, she was living at home and working as a housemaid. She also found work as a music teacher and church organist. After her parents died, she married George H. Kisner (b. 1905) and lived in Bloomsburg, PA.

Gravestone of Boyd and Lula (Ruckle) Hagenbuch. Credit: Shaun Creighton

On November 15, 1949, Boyd H. Hagenbuch died at the age of 74. He was buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Orange Township, Columbia County, PA. Lulu died on January 28, 1956 and was buried beside her husband. Florence died on September 13, 1989 and is buried with her husband, George Kisner, in Laurel Hill Cemetery.

While writing this piece, it occurred to me that this may be the only remaining photograph of Boyd and Lula (Ruckle) Hagenbuch. The image was purchased from a collector in Florida who likely acquired it at an estate sale. Without any children, Florence’s mementos were probably sold out of the family and dispersed far and wide. For this reason, it is essential that we preserve this picture as part of the Hagenbuch Archives.