Janet Knorr

She and Con were farmers for six decades and ran an antiques business in Gettysburg for almost that long. During those days, they worked antiques shows and sales in New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, New Jersey, Maryland and Illinois.

Their antiques were featured in large newspapers and magazines throughout the U.S.

On her own, Janet was an active member of the Gettysburg Civic Chorus from 1963 to 1974.

She was active with the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit 202, and held many offices in the unit as well as many offices in the Adams, Franklin, Fulton and York County Council of the American Legion Department of Pennsylvania.

She was also a member of the VFW Auxiliary, Post 15 of Gettysburg, and the Fairfield AmVets Auxiliary.

She retired, mostly, from farming in 1991, and went to work for Adams County and as an assistant assessor and school census taker until she retired fully in 2003.

Janet Jacobs Knorr was 84 when she died on July 22 of last year at the York Hospital.

“She was one of a kind, in the best meaning of that phrase,” Con said.

“We met at Fuller Lake where the iron furnaces were. (Now part of Pine Grove Furnace State Park along the Appalachian Trail in Gardners.) There was a quarry, the whole thing is a beautiful place, even now. I took her up there swimming. She was a good swimmer,” he said. “That’s when we first met. She was five years younger than I was, and I’m 90 now.”

Janet was 16 when they met, and still in high school. Con was 21, and a sophomore in college.

Con Knorr lived and still lives on the farm his family moved into when they moved to the area from Canada in 1937.

“We farmed when I was still in college,” he said “We raised veal calves out of about 12 cows. The only bad thing was she had one as a pet before she knew what veal was. Then we got into sheep and had 500 of those and had chickens all the time.”

Janet was born in Gettysburg on Sept. 16, 1933, the daughter of the late Donald G. Jacobs and Ruth E. Pittenturf Jacobs. She lived in Adams County her entire life.

In her obituary, written by her family, she said “her fondest memories were of growing up in Gettysburg and all of her dearest friends from ‘York Street’ and all her school classmates.

She was most proud of her heritage of 13 generations of family in Adams County, and six and eight generations of families who lived in the town of Gettysburg.”

The obit went on to say she often imagined what it would have been like for her ancestors during and after the horrific Battle of Gettysburg, and of the hardships they must have faced.

The family indicated what meant the most to her was “her first and only love, her husband Con, and of her two wonderful children, and then to be blessed with grand- and great- grandchildren.”

In addition to Con, she is survived by a daughter Janet Knorr Repucci, and her son Cornelius C. Knorr II, three grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

The family has requested any memorials should go to the charity of the donor’s choice.

“Absent Friends” is published in the Gettysburg Times on Thursdays. It tells the stories of people who go through their lives working and playing and affecting the lives of others with only a few ever knowing their names. Subjects are chosen mostly at random but suggestions may be emailed to ahayes@gettysburgtimes.com.