Of all the children that Elizabeth and John Peter Thorn had within the Evergreen Cemetery walls, the one that was last survivor and the longest to live was that of Harry Peter Thorn. He was born three years after his father returned from the Civil War in 1868, and he was one of the sons that enjoyed church often. When they family grew up in Gettysburg, he would always have a good voice, so he joined the choir at the Lutheran Church. Later, within the same church, Ms. Mary Livers would join the choir because of her organist skills. Their friendship grew into a romantic relationship and they married on April 26, 1892.
They would welcome six children into the world, but heartache would come with each of their sons at a price. Their first son, Edgar, would pass away at the age of twenty years old after gallbladder surgery complications. Their second son would pass away due to an accident, and their third son, would be born and died in 1907.
John Peter Thorn, their third child overall, would grow up and marry Gladys Viola Dunn. They would have a daughter named Mary Charlotte Thorn. Tragedy would strike John when they were on a vacation at Apalachicola, Florida, when there was a speedboat accident and he drowned. Their daughter Mary, saw the whole incident since she was waiting on shore for her father’s return. His body was never found. His wife, Gail, would remarry but not have any more children. Their daughter, Mary, would marry Gail Ward Updike, and they would have son named John Thorn Updike (1944-2013). This is where the descendants originate from. When John Thorn died in 2013, he left behind a wife of thirty-eight years, three children, and four grandchildren.
Mary Elizabeth Thorn was born in August 1896, and she would be the first to survive over the century mark! She died in April 1998, making her 101 at her passing. She would marry her husband, Dr Lynn Hamilton Brumback in 1916. He would suddenly pass away in May 1958. His death was sudden since he was considered one of Maryland’s most distinguished surgeons. He complained of chest pains, got admitted, and an hour later, he expired. They would have one son together, Dr. Frank Edgar “Bud & Doc” Brumback in 1921. This is where the story gets very interesting within this family tree for the Thorn-Brumback Family.
Dr. Frank Edgar Brumback would have two wives, but the first one was the one he had children with. When he married Mary Agnes Yeager, they would have three daughters and one son. One of the daughters is Lynne Boppe. She is one of the authors and narrators that adds pictures in for the Thorn Family on the website “Find A Grave”. She is very much into the history of her family and has great black and white pictures to showcase their family history.
The other two daughters of Harry Peter Thorn and Mary Livers Thorn are Anna Lillian Thorn (Rice) and Nell Adeline Thorn Baynham. They would both marry and have one child each, but there are sadly no descendants living within these two families.
Harry Peter Thorn and Mary Livers Thorn would grow their careers and the family in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He would have a lumber company called H.P. Thorn Lumber Company (how original) and would make frequent visits back to Gettysburg, especially on Memorial Day.