She was the daughter of Alfred C. Pfeiffer (1849-1928) and Josephine VanNest Pfeiffer (1854-1942). She grew up on what became the Pfeiffer Centennial Farm on 76^th west of Wilson Avenue. (In 1986, this property held the distinction of being the oldest designated centennial farm in the township according to records kept by the Michigan Bureau of History. The original purchase was made from the Federal government in 1832, four years before the Boyntons settled in Byron. The first house/cabin on this property dates from 1848.)

Her mother, Josephine, was born at the old Van Nest farm at 68^th and Homerich. She started teaching at the age of 14. She taught at Van Nest, McKenney, and Ross Schools.

Edith Myrtle Pfeiffer was also born at the old Van Nest farm. At the age of 16, she started teaching in Northern Michigan schools. She later returned to the McKenney, Van Nest and Byron Center elementary schools in Byron Township. She also taught in North Dakota for a brief period.

Shortly before 1900, she began training at Butterworth Hospital as a nurse. She entered Valparaiso University in Indiana, graduating in 1914. She then entered Loyola University in Chicago receiving her medical degree in 1918.

She married Dr. Guy Haralson of Vicksburg, Mississi[[I in 1917. He died in 1918. She practiced at Batavia Hospital and Cook County Hospital in Elgin, Illinois.

(Taken from an unsigned story in the files of the Byron Center Historical Society)

She married in 1918 when she was 40 years old. He was a doctor, too. He was drafted in the war. They sent him somewhere down south and he died in a week of influenza. They were only married a year and a half.

She came back here right after he died. She never set up a practice. She had all the qualifications to work. But she never did. She just stayed here on the farm. She like to raise herbs. She stayed and took care of her parents a number of year until they died.

Dr. Haralson was always telling us how to eat. She was telling us all the things you read today about diet. You wonder why they didn’t push it more years ago. She knew all about it back then.

(Taken from an interview with Adele Montle Pfeiffer done by Thelma Schutte.)

Transcriber: Evelyn Sawyer
Created: 26 December 2002
URL: http://kent.migenweb.net/townships/byron/pioneers/haralsone.html