Oral History

Ralph Emmett Tygard

Interviewed by Lisa Chase and Beth Wahlig
November 2022

“This is the day the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Ralph Emmett Tygard, a member of the Greatest Generation, was born at home to Arthur Frederick and Sarah E. (Williams) Tygard, on September 20, 1923, in Pittsburgh, where he lived and attended West End United Methodist with his parents, grandparents and four siblings, one brother and three sisters.

Ralph Tygard Video Interview

Don and Jean Basehore

The Don and Jean Basehore Oral History Story
Interviewed Friday, April 7, 2023
by Lisa Chase and Beth Wahlig

Coming down Creekview Road towards Lamp Gap Road, a person cannot miss the gray stone farmhouse and classic red barn on the righthand side of the road, where the ever-popular Basehore Farm Market stands. The recently expanded store features fresh produce and plants in the spring and summer, and crafts and Christmas trees and gifts during fall and the holidays.

Don Basehore, a retired dairy farmer, was born in the beautiful home in 1931, and grew up in the house with his brother Mark (1936-2022), who was also an active member of Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, and sisters Doris (deceased) and Marian. Don farmed the land, and he had more than 40 head of dairy cows, until 1998 when he retired, and son Tom took over.

The Basehore family story began when John and Sarah Basehore brought their family to the area in 1904 as tenant farmers for the McCormick family. In 1944, the McCormick family divested their estate, offering the farm for sale. Don’s parents, Mark Sr., and Esther bought the property, and worked hard to keep the farm thriving. Don and his wife Jean took over the work of the farm in 1968, milking dairy cows with their growing family.

Don grew up in Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, where his father Mark, was the Sunday School superintendent. Don said they were the first to arrive on Sunday mornings and last to leave. Jean was born in the Carlisle Hospital, lived on a farm in Dillsburg until she was seven, when her family moved to Mechanicsburg. She attended the First Church of the Brethren, which was at the corner of Frederick and Simpson.

Don and Jean Basehore Video Interview

Roy and Mary Lou McLain

The Roy and Mary Lou McLain Oral History Story
Interviewed 2023
by Lisa Chase and Beth Wahlig

Roy and Mary Lou McLain have explored a “life of faith” through service at Silver Spring Presbyterian Church. They both believe that “service to others” is how they practice being Christians every day. They have found the community at Silver Spring to be uplifting and they particularly like the church’s devotion to mission. Both are members of the ROAR group and have made many trips to Maine to help rebuild homes for those in need. It is especially important for them to share their talents with others.

Mary Lou grew up in Laurel Run, Pennsylvania near Wilkes Barre. She was the third child with an older brother and sister, and a younger brother who came after World War II. Her father served during the war and during that time, Mary Lou remembers going to church every Sunday and she has fond memories of participating in Sunday school and choir. She always wanted to be a nurse growing up and had a hand at bandaging her dogs for practice. After high school, Mary Lou attended nursing school at Wilkes Barre General Hospital and received her RN and later also earned a bachelor’s degree. Mary Lou worked in the Emergency Room at various hospitals for thirteen years and then moved to outpatient surgery. Her faith helped her tremendously in her job as working in the ER was not always easy.

Roy spent his childhood in Greentown, Pike County in Pennsylvania and had two brothers and two sisters who are all alive today. Both Mary Lou and Roy’s ancestry are from Scotland. Roy’s father was a schoolteacher. However, the family had a small farm of 12 acres where they planted crops, raised chickens, and sold eggs to restaurants and grocery stores on Lake Wallenpaupack. Roy joined the Navy after high school and served for six years in the Asia-Pacific region. Eventually, Roy became a dairy farmer in Berks County and as he tells the story, “He asked for a business loan to purchase a large farm of five-hundred acres. Roy put “the decision in the hands of the Lord” and his prayers were answered. He enjoyed farming with 500 cows and 1,000 pigs for over 20 years.

Roy and Mary Lou McLain Video Interview