Grant Smith Eby

Grant was married 3 times. His 1st wife was Flora Masterson who died 15 Oct 1889. Grant & Flora had two children (Henry who died in childhood and Charles who was married and lived for many years in Chicago, IL).

Grant S. Eby, 80, Notes his Birthday Today. Grant S. Eby, veteran cigar maker and cigar factory supervisor, is receiving felicitations from many relatives and friends today ... He spends much of his time at the Standard Cigar Store and Factory operated on North Eighth Street by William Behney. Eby was reared at Bachmansville (Dauphin Co., PA) where his father kept a country store. He was 18 years of age when he learned to make cigars -- and unlike the present day of pay for apprenticeship work, he had to pay someone to teach him. And $10 -- the preceptorship fee -- was no small change in those days. He never begrudged the money however, as he made it his career. He worked at Manheim and Richland in his early career, and worked for the Yocum Bros., at Reading for a quarter century. When that firm established a branch factory in Lebanon about 1912, he came here as foreman and made such a fine job of it that the proprietors gave up their rented quarters in the 700 block on Cumberland Street and built their own factory at Fifth and Willow Streets. In 1920 Eby suffered a nervous breakdown and then retired from the cigar making business. He worked for several years at the Lebanon Paper Box Company plant and then opened a restaurant at Tenth and Cumberland Streets, starting a business there that has been most prosperous in other hands since then. He was employed as a clerk at the Hotel Walton for several years. He possesses a genial disposition, and is popular with his associates. He has been retired from active pursuits for ten years but is strong enough to wield a wicked pinochle or hassenpeffer hand. [1943 newspaper.]

29 Jan 1951: A retired cigar maker, Grant S. Eby, 87, 221 Walnut Street, husband of Mrs. Ida (Gass) Eby, passed away yesterday at his residence. He worshipped in the Reformed faith. Aside from his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Harriet Ford, Oregon; a brother, Robert D.[L.] Eby, Reading, and three grandchildren. [Lebanon Daily News]