This portrait captures Glenn William Haushalter (1919–1944), a young man whose life would end tragically in the countryside of Brittany during the Second World War. A native of Water Valley, New York, and a trained educator, Glenn had begun a promising career as a school principal in Mahwah, New Jersey, before his life shifted from the classroom to the battlefield. Pictured here in his United States Army service uniform, Glenn’s bright expression belies the heavy responsibilities he would soon shoulder as a Staff Sergeant in the 23rd Infantry, 2nd Division. This image serves as a poignant testament to a generation of young Americans who transitioned from civilian professional life to the front lines of Normandy and Brittany.
This photo, documented by contemporary correspondence to have been taken December 7, 1941—the day the United States was thrust into World War II—captures a moment of staggering historical and personal synchronicity. Set against the backdrop of the Haushalter farm, it presents a quiet, domestic tableau at the instant the era of American isolationism ended. On the left, the family patriarch, George Haushalter (1852–1944), in the rugged workwear of a lifelong farmer; beside him, his grandson, Glenn William Haushalter (1919–1944), on furlough in his U.S. Army Corporal's uniform. The profound tragedy of the image lies in its timing: captured the day the world changed, both men would be gone within three years—George passing quietly at home on the farm in early 1944, and Glenn falling in combat in France later that same year.
Anna stands half-hidden behind a tree peeking out at her grandson, who grins up at her, Gowanda State Rd in background from Haushalter farmhouse yard, 1 Sep 1946
Posed amidst the sprawling vines of the family fields, Charles Haushalter and his grandson present a formidable collection of squash destined for the Erie County Fair. The variety of the gourds—from heavy, pale-ribbed specimens to bright, sun-ripened golden delicious squash—speaks to a season of careful cultivation and the competitive spirit inherent in Erie County’s farming traditions. This moment highlights the pride the Haushalters took in the fruits of their labor.
Bernard Geuting is identifiable in the back center of the group, with three old women sitting in front and two young girls to his sides in the early 1920s
One of the Haushalter children stands with hand on Snooper, another eating an ice cream and a third with his bike in the farmhouse yard with 50s cars behind c. 1959
Doris, Anna, June, Carl, George and Ada Haushalter joined by Minnie Stunick Thomas in Haushalter farmhouse living room for Christmas c. 1933; decorated tree on left
As Charlie Haushalter leans over the timber in the Water Valley woodlot, he is wielding more than just a tool; he is wielding a piece of his own history. The two-man logging saw he uses is the very same one that carried him through the rugged logging camps of Idaho at the turn of the century. Having returned to the family farm in 1907 to rescue the farm from the brink of ruin, Charlie brought the hard-won skills of the West back to the soil of New York, carrying with him the quiet regret of the life he had left behind in the Idaho woods. For his grandchildren, this moment of "observing" might serve as a silent lesson in resilience. Through the rhythmic, heavy pull of that old saw, the family's past sacrifices and their enduring commitment to the fifty-acre farm are made tangible, bridging a lifetime of labor and a landscape of shifting identities.
While the adults of the Haushalter adults approached the harvest with the focused intent of competitors, the children experienced it as a landscape of play and wonder. In this candid moment from circa 1960, twof of Charles Haushalter's grandchildren are nestled among the very same prize-winning squash destined for the Erie County Fair. The massive, pale gourds and sun-colored golden delicious squash seem almost larger than the children themselves, creating a scene where the bounty of the land serves as both a playground and a backdrop for a rising generation.
From left to right, Anna Stunick Haushalter, Lydia Pfitzinger Haushalter, William Haushalter, ?, Ada Gallman Haushalter, George Haushalter, Fred Haushalter, Jack Geuting and Louise Haushalter Geuting; seated, Louise Gallman and Mary Louise Heinrich Haushalter; family photo c. 1917; in farmyard by barn, spring or summer
Doris Haushalter and two other children sit on running board of Bill Haushalter's 1920 Dodge with Charles and Anna Haushalter and Minnie Stunick standing left, William and Walter Haushalter right c. early 1920s
This portrait, a reproduction of a late 19th-century studio photograph, captures Henry Casler (1811–1886) alongside a young woman identified in family records as Edith, a daughter of his second wife. Henry, appearing in his senior years, is dressed in formal period attire, including a dark jacket and waistcoat. Beside him, "Edith" wears a dark dress featuring a wide, decorative lace collar, a fashion highly characteristic of the mid-to-late 1870s. While the archival label identifies the female subject as 'Edith (daughter of 2nd wife),' genealogical research and census records indicate that Henry Casler's only daughter from his second marriage (to Elizabeth Ann Van Ever) was Lydia J. Casler (1851–1928). The name 'Edith' is likely a transcription error or misidentification by a later family member.
