FRANK M. BARBUSH, The Grandfather I Never Knew

Frank M. Barbush

FRANK M. BARBUSH, The Grandfather I Never Knew

I never met my father's father, my grandfather, Frank M. Barbush.  Suddenly, out of the blue, seeing his picture, I had the thought that, "If I could speak to my Grandfather, Frank M. Barbush, whom I never knew, what would I say?"  Well, let me say this . . .

Hello Pop

I never met you and never got to know you, because you left this life before I was born. I did know your wife, Elizabeth Walmer Barbush. The entire family called her Mom Barbush or just Mom - whether sons, daughters, grandchildren, or other. Mom Barbush was the king pin of our family, the pivotal point, the focus point in our family.

Penn Harris Taxi Cabs in Harrisburg, PA

I never heard much about you, only that you started Penn Harris Taxi, which lasted for many years (decades) and supported many family members for decades. The taxi business became part of the entire Barbush Family . . . . to the extent that Mom Barbush worked the business till in her 70s and 80s. Your sons also drove taxi.  And some grandsons, like your grandson, Raymond, drove taxi. It seems that the taxi business is the blood, because, in the late 50s, your sons started their own taxi company and called it Barbush Brothers Suburban Taxi. The brothers donated cars and drove them. It lasted a while and was later sold to Fawbers Taxi.

Frank M. Barbush, His Staff and Taxi Drivers
Frank - Top row, 1st on right

I never heard of your accomplishments, other than you created Penn Harris Taxi and were prosperous at it. Other than that, I did not hear your sons and daughters speak of you much, but when they did sometimes, they did not speak well of you. There was an overtone of something not being right. They did leave me with the impression that you were rich because of your taxi business. Is that true?

There were some old movies in the family with you in them.  They must go back to the 1940s.  I never got to see them. They are probably lost or stashed away in some box somewhere, and may never be viewed again.  If I had seen them, I could have gained a little more perspective into who you were.

I am told that you died in your 40s of some sickness. I don't remember what that sickness was. Your early passing left Mom Barbush to raise 9 children, 5 sons and 4 daughters.  I recently learned that there was also a stillborn daughter. Thus, 5 boys and 5 girls in all.

Mom Barbush raised the children at 38 North 12th Street, a duplex, 38/40, in Harrisburg. That must have been a busy house, because, in addition to the 9 children, and their spouses when they married, Mom took in her mother and father, Israel and Johanna Walmer, and also some other relatives from Hazleton.  Mom was a strong person and did well in spite of being the lone caretaker. Thus, Mom became a pivotal point in our family, handing down the heritage of which I am a part. I am thankful to Mom for that. Many things great transpired because of Mom's strength.

I never considered it before, but you must have also played a major role in developing our heritage and passing it down.  I don't know exactly what that would be, other than, you created a means for Mom to raise her family through Penn Harris Taxi.

Well, Grandpa, Pop Barbush, Pop, husband of Mom Barbush, I know little about you, but at least, I know what I have written here and maybe a few more details I need to lookup.  Thank you for what you did for your family that ultimately affected me and all my family - my parents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my children, and my grandchildren, and on.

Thank you, Pop

Your Grandson from your son, Albert

James Eugene Barbush

Sons of Frank M. Barbush

Charles, Frank, Kenny, Albert, Billy

(left to right)

Wife & Daughters of Frank M. Barbush

Vi, Toots, Deloras, Mom, Betty

(left to right)

Barbush Brothers Suburban Taxi

Billy Barbush, Youngest Son of Frank M. Barbush