Savilla has come from an upper middle class family from York County, Pennsylvania.  George Washington Musselman (known as Washington) has also come from an upper middle class family, who originally came from York County and later had settled in Baltimore County, Maryland.  George, along with his siblings, had remained with his widow mother, Sarah to help her run the family farm in Maryland.  But George did go back to York County around age 27 years old to establish his own farm and to settle down by the mid-1850's.    The local girl from the area he selected to marry was SAVILLA SHERMAN, a girl of seventeen years old.  He was now 31 years old when they married on September 6, 1857 in York County (possibly at Sherman's Church - also known as St. David's Church in Manheim).  Savilla's father had two fine wooden (maple and cherry) bedroom sets of furniture made from the trees on the Sherman farm in West Manheim, given as a wedding gift to the couple.
            The first child born was a son, named Henry Sherman Musselman.    He was born in West Manheim on June 22, 1858.  The given name of "HENRY" represented each of the grandfathers (a Henry Sherman and Henry Musselman).  Before the arrival of the baby was the death of Washington's mother, Sarah.  She died in Woodensburg, MD on March 8, 1858.  Sarah was buried next to her husband, Henry, at the Mt. Gilead Church Cemetery.  She had just turned 68 years old.
            Before the US Federal Census of 1860 was done in September, another child was born into the household.  Washington and Savilla had a son that was born on April 29, 1860.  He was named George Washington Musselman, Jr.  For the 1860 census the household contained Washington as a farmer with two work hands (Nicholas Kerns and Jacob Riechart).  Savilla had a domestic servant to help her with the house and the two babies.  This was Lidia Sherman, age 19 years old, who possibly Savilla's niece.  Washington also had a personal estate value of $976.  That would be equal to $18,487 in the 21st century money value.
            But 1860 and into 1861 the flames of war within the country were spreading.  People were taking sides, in favor of the Union and those who wanted the Southern States to break away from the United States.  York County being in the southcentral area of Pennsylvania and very close to the border with Maryland had its share of conflict within its borders.  But Washington and Savilla took care of their farm and family during those darks days for the country.
            On November 18, 1862 a daughter was born to the couple.  She was named Lizzie Catherine Musselman.  But their joy at the new arrival soon turned to sorrow when she died less than two months later on January 2, 1863.  Later on in the year of 1863 would see the Confederate Army march through their homeland, first through nearby Hanover and then westward pass Manheim and onto the fields of Gettysburg the first of July.  They soon heard the reports of the great lost of life on both sides during those three days of fighting and were grateful it had not taken place in Manheim.
            But only a few days later word came that their nephew, Washington's sister, Annie Musselman Wagoner's son, Wesley Wagoner, had been captured during  an Union  battle in South Carolina.  Washington and Annie along with their families lived next door to each other in West Manheim.  Washington served as great comfort to Annie and husband, John, during those uncertain times.   Savilla and Washington were needed even more so when John and Annie were informed in late November 1863 that Wesley had died in a rebel prison called Belle Isle in Richmond, Virginia.  The lost was so great for John that he only lived about 17 months longer, dying in March 1865.  Washington again aided his sister in handling affairs of John's and seeing that Annie was cared for.
            During that great Battle of Gettysburg in July of 1863, Savilla was pregnant with their fourth child.   With everything that had happened in the last couple of years she was very frightened about the health of the new baby and the safety of the family.  A daughter was born on March 7, 1864.  She was named Mary Jane Musselman.  She was later given a nickname of "Molly". 
            Through the remainder of 1864 and into 1865 it finally appeared that the Southern Rebellion would soon be at an end.  It was around this time frame that Washington and Savilla moved their family to Manchester in Carroll County, Maryland.  The exact reason is unknown, whether it was the ability to get a larger spread of land to farm was available in Manchester or they just wanted to leave the York County area is unclear.  But the family did settle into their new life in Manchester.  Washington continued to do well as a farmer and he prospered.   It was in August 14, 1869 that another son was added to the family.  He was named Jacob Elwood Musselman.
            Into the new decade of the 1870's life was good for the Musselmans.  The children; Henry, George, Molly and Jacob were growing up and being educated in Manchester.  The family belonged to the Trinity Reformed Church in Manchester.   Reported in the 1870 US Census - Washington was a retired farmer, age 44 years old with a real estate land value of $23,000 ( $293,991 in 21st century money value)  and personal property value of $1,000 ( $12,782 in 21st century money value). The last child added to the family was a daughter.  She was Annie Rebecca Musselman, (named after Washington's sister) and born March 29, 1872.   Savilla was very happy mother of five children.  In June 1878, the oldest son, Henry celebrated his 20th birthday.  He worked the farm with his father and was an important member of the family.  His role would become even greater by October 17 of that year.  That is when G. Washington Musselman died at the age of 52 years old.  This left Savilla a widow at age 38 years old with the children to care for, the youngest being Annie at age 6 years old.  The one blessing was that Washington had well provided financially for his family.  He had made his will out in April 1877, providing for his wife and children.  He did make his sons, Henry S. and George his executors.  It would be the emotional support Savilla would now need.  But she was a strong, determined woman, even for the 1870's.  She continued to raise her children to be independent individuals.

            The first of the children to marry was Henry Sherman Musselman.  His bride was Mary Elizabeth Tracy.   Her nickname was "Lizzie".   She was born November 30, 1864 in Maryland.  Her parents were (given name unknown) Tracy and Susan Tracy.  Lizzie also had a sister named Ella.  The wedding took place November 25, 1887 in Manchester.  In the years to come Henry (Harry) served his community as the Supervisor of Elections from the end of 1890's until 1912.  He and his family (including his mother-in-law, Susan Tracy) lived at South Main Street in Manchester for many years.  He was a Deacon at the Manchester Trinity Reform Church. On July 16, 1928 Henry died in Manchester.  Mary Elizabeth on the 1930 census still lived in the family home on South Main Street.  She died in 1944.  Their son, William Tracy Musselman, worked for the Coke-Cola Company from the mid-1920's and into the 1930's.  He was the company's representive for establishing the Coke-Cola products in foreign countries.  He married Myrthe about 1934 and they had two children.  William and his family were in Hawaii in 1949, working for the Coke-Cola Company when he died at age 46 years old.  He was brought back to Maryland and buried in Manchester.
        The next to marry was Mary Jane (Molly) Musselman.  She married Charles Henry Bixler .  Charles was from the Bixler family of Carroll County, who had been in the county since the late 1700's.  His father was George A. Bixler and his mother was Mary M. Gettier, both of whom had died in 1883. Charles was born March 19, 1856, one of ten children.  He also had the opportunity to attend college to receive some advanced education.  The marriage of Charles and Mary Jane took place in Baltimore, Maryland on December 27, 1887.  Mary Jane was 23 years old and Charles was 31 years old.  They made their home in Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania whereas Henry and Lizzie remained in Manchester.
            The first grandchild for Savilla was Maryanne (Margaret) Ella Musselman, born on December 9, 1888 to Henry and Lizzie in Manchester.  But she must have been very fragile or weakly because she died a few days later on December 15, 1888.  The following year brought another lost to the family.  Savilla's second son, George W. Musselman died at the age of 29 years old on July 18, 1889 in Manchester.  He had not married but had lived with his mother.
            The second grandchild was born to Mary Jane and Charles in Hanover on June 11, 1891.  She was named Eva Savilla Bixler, (photo - right -- the author's grandmother). She was bapitized at St. David's Church (Sherman's Church) in West Manheim, PA.  The young girl just after reaching the age of two years old witnessed her mother become very ill with an unknown disease.
Newspaper Article:  "American Sentinel"  Saturday - July 29, 1893 --
Mrs. Charles H. Bixler, whom we mentioned as being quite ill several weeks ago, died at her home in Hanover, PA., Monday last, rather unexpectedly.  Although her condtion was critical, death came quite suddenly.  While, as all thought, convalescing and looking forward to being able to be brought to her home here, a sudden change came and in a few days she passed away.  Her age was 29 years and 4 months.  Her remains were brought here for interment, Rev. S. M. Roeder offlicating.   Mary Jane suffered, trying to regain her strength and even at point appeared to be recovering when she took a turn for the worst and died on July 24, 1893 in Hanover. She had wished to travel back to Manchester to see her mother,  Savilla,  to complete her recovery but never made it.  The death of Mary Jane was very hard on Savilla and especially to see her only grandchild motherless.
            For the next number of years Eva (young lady - photo left) stayed with her father in Hanover and sometimes stayed with her grandmother in Manchester.  Charles (Eva's father) did remarry in 1905 to Mary Ella Sellers Mackley, a widow with four sons.  In October 1905, was born a daughter to Charles and Ella, named Mildred Catherine Bixler.  In the 1920 census, Charles is in York, York County, PA at #119 East South Street with Ella, age 51 years old, Mildred, age 15 years old and two of his stepsons, Earl, age 33 years old and Harry, age 35 years old.  Charles was a cigar maker in a factory.  By the 1930 census, Charles was a widower, living at #348 Prospect Street in York, PA.  He was 74 years old and retired.  His daughter, Mildred, was living next door, but Mildred's own daughter, Jean Martin, born about 1926, was living with Charles in his rented house.
            Eva Savilla Bixler married Dr. David Groff Everhart (a dentist) of Manchester in November 1911.  They lived in Manchester for a few years and then moved to Frederick, MD.  They had two children, David Groff Everhart, Jr. born in September 1912 and Nannie Musselman Everhart, born August 9, 1915.  Eva died at an young age, 49 years old, of kidney problems in 1940.
            In the 1890's was also the marriage of Annie R. Musselman to Dr. Robert F. Wells about 1894.  Robert was born March 1866 in Hampstead, Maryland and his father had also been a doctor.  They had a son named Harry Edward Wells born on November 18, 1895 in Carroll County.  A second son followed on August 23, 1897, named A. Earl Wells.  Then at three and half years old, young Harry died on June 13, 1899.  For many years Dr. Wells had his practice in Taneytown, Carroll Co., MD.  In the May 14, 1930 census, the family continued to live in Taneytown and Robert Wells continued as a doctor, age 64 years old, owning his own home, valued at $5,000.  They had their son, A. Earl Wells, age 32 years old with them and his new bride of two years, Kathan R. Wells.  A. Earl was a saleman of medicine.
            The last of Savilla's children to marry was Jacob Elwood Musselman.  On March 11, 1897 in Manchester, he married Mary Hester Albaugh .  She was a cousin to Charles Henry Bixler, (widower) husband to Mary Jane.  Mary Hester was born March 4, 1875 in Carroll County and had a sister named Lelah Albaugh. Jacob and Mary Musselman had two children right away.  First a daughter, named Mae Louise Musselman, born July 10, 1898 in Manchester and then a son, named Henry (Harry) Elwood Musselman, born October 18, 1899 in Manchester. The family lived with Savilla S. Musselman in her home on Main Street in Manchester for many years.  Mary Hester Musselman was a dressmaker.  But she died at an early age in November 22, 1921 of cancer.  Mae Musselman, a teacher,  married very shortly thereafter in February 1922 to Richard Jefferson Walters, a captain in the US Army.  Henry E. Musselman also married (twice) and lived in Missouri and later Texas.  Jacob Musselman, a widower, went to live with his daughter, Mae and her family in Miami, Dade County, Florida.  Jacob was a grandfather to Mae's daughters, Alice Louise Walters, born December 14, 1922 and Lelah Musselman Walters, born August 7, 1925.  Jacob died in 1931 in Miami and was buried back in Manchester, MD.  Mae, her husband, Richard Walters and their daughters continued to live in Dade County through the 1930's - 1940's and 1950's.  Mae died suddenly of a heart attack in February 1955.  She had served many years as a teacher and later principal of an elementary school in Dade County.  Months later a school was named in her honor.
            

            So with the dawn of the new 20th century, Savilla had lost  her husband, three children and two grandchildren.  But she did have four grandchildren to spread her affection on.  In the US Census of 1900 Savilla lived at 80 Main Street in Manchester.  She owned her home, had no mortgage and had her son, Jacob and his family living with her.  She was also very active in her church, Trinity Reformed.
            Savilla Sherman Musselman in the 1920 census continued to live on North Main Street in Manchester.  She did have a housekeeper, Mary E. Myerly.  She died on March 29, 1927 in Manchester and buried at the Trinity Reformed Church Cemetery.  She was almost 87 years old and loved by all her children and grandchildren.
            She also exhibited the spirit of independence, especially for her great granddaughters, that  they could handle any situation, take on any challenge.  Both Nannie Everhart and Alice L. Walters demonstrated their independence by trying and achieving goals that woman were not allowed to do or try back in the 30's and 40's.

OBIT:  Same printing in Democratic Advocate Newspaper (Westminster, MD) and The Times Newspaper
Printed April 1, 1927
 "MUSSELMAN" Mrs. Savilla (Sherman) Musselman, widow of Washington Musselman, died at her home in Manchester, Tuesday evening.  She was aged 87 years.  Death was due to infirmities of age.  Surviving are two sons and a daughter as follows:  Harry S. and Jacob E. Musselman, Manchester; and Mrs. Robert F. Wells, wife of Dr. Wells, Taneytown, MD.
The deceased was a member of Trinity Reformed Church, Manchester.  Rev. John S. Hollenbach and the Rev. L. H. Rehmeyer officiated.  Burial in the Reformed Church Cemetery.
Jacob Wink's & Sons Funeral Directors."

From her grandmother SAVILLA SHERMAN MUSSELMAN (who helped raise her)--Eva received from her grandmother's will (1927) the following:  Piano, music cabinet, set of china dishes, sewing machine, two rocking chairs, one oil painting, one gas lamp, and one old chest.  Also money from the sale of property.