Daily Republican
July 26, 1952
Five sisters were having a gay time and enjoying a visit last night at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Pufko, 200 Buchanan street.
It was the first time the five, whose ages aggregate almost 400 years, had been together for 30 years. For although four of them live in the vicinity, the fifth has been living in California for the past 50 years and her last visit here was made in 1922.
The California visitor is Mrs. Lida Keir, 79, of Santa Clara. She has been here since April and has been visiting in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Harrisburg and other eastern cities as well as in Phoenixville.
The sisters, whose ages run from 74 to 85, are all spry and active with the exception of Mrs. Amos Fulmer, who has been ill and making her home temporarily with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Pufko. Her home is in Parkerford.
The five are daughters of the late Levi and Priscilla Brownback who had a farm near Birchrunville. That farm, one of them explained proudly, was deeded to their grandfather, William Brownback, by William Penn.
They added that there had been eight children in their family, two other sisters and a brother, now deceased, and that members of their family are traditionally long-lived.
The other sisters present at the reunion last night were Mrs. Margaret Hughes, 83, of West Chester; Mrs. Galena Leininger, 85 of Spring City, and Mrs. Hannah L. Fry, 75, of Royersford.
All are widows except Mrs. Fulmer. Their families include, in Mrs. Fulmer's case six children, 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
COUNT UP FAMILIES
Mrs. Leininger, who had to stop and count them up, figured she had three children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Fry said she had no children and Mrs. Keir was ready with the exact count of her descendants. She said she had four children, seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mrs. Hughes added to the total with her family, three children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Younger members of the family present at the reunion last night helped to fill in details about the lives of the five sisters and displayed a quiet and justifiable pride in the remarkable quintet.
Article found at the Chester County Historical Society Library, West Chester, Pennsylvania.
