Harry D. Coshey

HARRY D. COSHEY,.of the Henry S. Coshey undertaking and livery establishment, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania was born at Greensburg, June 3, 1861, one of the five sons of Mr. and Mrs. Henry S. Coshey. 

The Coshey family is French. Harry D. Coshey's paternal great-grand- father came from France to America at an early day and settled in Millersdale, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. He married Miss Seigfert, by whom one child was born, Samuel. She lived to the advanced age of ninety-three years. The ancestor, Coshey (I) was killed by the falling of a tree, while felling timber in Westmoreland county. 

(II) Samuel Coshey, grandfather of Harry D. Coshey, married Elizabeth Heasley of this county, who died when eighty-four years of age. He died, aged sixty-two years. They were the parents of ten children: Joseph, died in 1904, aged seventy-six years; Jacob, Cybilia and Louis, died young; Lebious, Lydia Ann, Henry S., Ellen, William and Robert, now living. 

(III) Henry S. Coshey, the father of. H. D. Coshey, was born February 18, 1836, four miles from Greensburg. In 1858 he married Elizabeth Everett, daughter of John Everett and wife. Anna (Everett) Coshey, died August 24,1903, aged seventy-two years. Henry S. Coshey and wife were the parents of five sons: Charles, Harry D., John, Edward and William, all of whom are married and all associated with their father in business. The father learned the cabinet making trade, and from 1853 to 1858 was employed by others at this trade and had much to do as an undertaker. He embarked in business for himself in 1858, and continued as a furniture dealer at Greensburg until 1879, when he sold the stock and engaged in undertaking and general livery business in the same city and is still in business, assisted by all five of his sons. In his experience as an undertaker, covering more than a quarter of a century, and located in the same block for nearly all this period, he has cared for the remains of about ten thousand people. In 1905, with an expansion of the undertaking and livery business, Henry S. Coshey required more room than that afforded by his own pioneer quarters, hence bought the ground at the corner of Pennsylvania avenue and Tunnell street, and erected thereon a spacious brick building. It is ninety by one hundred and twenty-five feet on the ground, and three stories high. A suite of rooms for undertaking offices and morgue are on the- first floor, convenient to the street. It is one of the finest business houses in the city. Mr. Coshey's livery business is large. He keeps twenty-five horses for hire, and boards from fifty to seventy-five more. He has ten closed carriages for funeral occasions, and three hearses. He counts his patrons by the thousand. Beginning in 1858, Mr. Coshey has been a reliable, trustworthy man, who has become widely known in Westmoreland county. Mr. Coshey received a common school education and learned the trade which was the foundation of his successful business career. The Coshey’s, as a rule, are members of the Reformed church, and in politics are Democrats. 

(IV) Harry D. Coshey obtained a fair common school training, and early engaged in business with his father, and is now in company with his brothers, relieving their venerable father of a lifelong responsibility in business affairs. He married Carrie Smith, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. 

Source: Page(s) 107, History of Westmoreland County, Volume 2, Pennsylvania by John N Boucher. New York, The Lewis Publishing Company, 1906. 
Transcribed June 2001 by Nathan Zipfel for the Westmoreland County History Project 
Contributed for use by the Westmoreland County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/)

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