Elizabeth was born at home where they lived on the farm that belonged to her mother's parents, Jacob and Hannah Elizabeth Roberts Davidson. She was named after her grandmother for the Elizabeth and Harriet for a friend of her mother, Harriet Stringer. She was the fourth of four children. There were two boys and two girls. Her oldest brother and pal called her Liz, while everyone else called her Elizabeth. She attended Zion Lutheran Church in Wooster, Ohio. At mid-life she was of medium build, 135 pounds, 5' 6" tall, brown hair and hazel eyes with a brown ring. When she was 3 or 4 years old she was in church with her parents and became bored, so she gave her father a very loud, juicy kiss which reverberated throughout the church. To occupy her restlessness, her father folded his handkerchief so it was like a baby in the cradle for her to play with. She started school at the age of 6 in the public school of Wayne Twp., Wayne Co. school No. 7, from the first through the eighth grade. Three of her friends in elementary school were Virginia Philips, Hazel Carmony, and Margery McFadden. Her favorite teacher was Mr. Burrington. She attended Wooster High School in the 9th grade and Smithville High School, Smithville, Ohio, in the 10th through the 12th, where she graduated in 1935. After high school she wanted to attend a music school in Warren, Ohio, but her family couldn't afford to send her there. Elizabeth had a natural musical ability and was a very accomplished piano player. She eventually attended Bethesda School of Nursing in Zanesville, Ohio. Also attending this school was Marie Hollett Gerberich, the wife of Elizabeth's oldest brother, Herman Gerberich. One of her best friends in nursing school was Sarah Bayley. Sarah introduced her to her first cousin, Dalton McLaughlin, who would come to be Elizabeth's husband. Elizabeth was a good mother with homespun ideas. She always saw that her children were given what they needed to keep their bellies full and clean neat clothes on their backs. She spent many hours, days and weeks sewing every conceivable type of garment for her children. If they wanted something that was the fad at that time, she did the very best to make it. Although times might be hard, there were always three meals a day. Maybe not exactly what was wanted but something that was filling and nourishing. She was an excellent cook and her cookies, candies, pies and cakes always were looked forward to. Raising five sometimes ungrateful children, plus taking care of the house, doing laundry and canning what seemed like an endless supply of mason jars full of home grown produce, sometimes took its toll on her, but she always seemed to bounce back and be there when she was needed by both her husband and her children, as well as many of her neighbors. As her children became grown and left home she began to begin doing for herself. She became interested almost anything that took a creative talent. For this type of hobby she would apply herself as she had applied herself in taking care of her family and that is to the fullest. The wonderful about it was that everything she participated in, she excelled. She could sew and make almost any kind of stuffed animal and adorn them with beautiful clothes. She tried several types or styles of painting and produced some very nice pieces. As matter of fact, she painted practically everything she could get her hands on. There seemed to be no craft that escaped Elizabeth's attention. She became interested in ceramics and began taking lessons. The next thing, she was teaching the class and then had her own shop in her basement. Since some greenware was hard to get or it took too long to get, she began buying her own molds and pouring her own greenware. She also fired, painted and finished it. Her basement is lined with shelves full of prize winning pieces of finished ceramics with many blue ribbons, as well as red, white, green and yellow. Her flowers are always a sight to behold and line her yard. There is always some type of flower blooming. Inside there are always beautiful African violets and many other varieties of flowers and greenery to be seen. In later life she became to slow a bit but still plays on her organ, sews, takes care of plants and is a loving parent, grandparent and great grandparent. Although arthritis has slowed down some of her enthusiasm for some things, she still has a great interest for country music and can tell you just about who everybody is, what songs they sing and some little story about them. [tribute written by her son Garry Lee McLaughlin]