Growing up in Hawley, everyone knew Agnes and Eddie Pabst and their little grocery store, 40 years ago, on Church Street. Agnes' house still stands---next to the laundramat.
Although not related to Agnes, to me she was always "Aunt Agnes" because her sister, Kitty was married to Gottlieb Matter, who was my father's (George Haas) uncle. (Everyone in town knew "Haasie" from Matter's Garage.) Since I had an "Aunt Kitty" it seemed natural to have an "Aunt Agnes", too.
Aunt Agnes and Aunt Kitty were the closest two sisters could possibably be. They were really inseparable!
Aunt Agnes worked at the telephone company--on Church Street, next to Teeters and Aunt Kitty worked at the Hawley Bank.
The Schaeffler family homestead was up on Rt. 6--on the right before the "Silk Mill"---Castle Antiques today. The house is no longer there, but right across the lawn is the Matter house. Agnes and Kitty knew my father from his earliest years because his mother Rose and he lived in the family homestead. (His father had died when he was 3 mo. old.)
In the summer, both the Pabst's and Matter's would be at Fairview Lake. Of course, Aunt Agnes' cottage was next to Aunt Kitty's! They really included each other in everything they did!
It was very sad for Agnes when Aunt Kitty became ill. I still remember everyone going back to Aunt Agnes' house after the funeral.
Even today, both of them are buried near each other in Green Gates Cemetary.
Both Kitty and Agnes were such ladies, and for me, it is almost impossible to think of one without the other. Ironic, that Agnes would move back to Church Street years later. Two terrific Hawleyites, and the stories they could tell! Our lives are certainly richer for having known them!</b></font><br><br>
