Eugene Gass Painter, descendant of a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, turns 100
In a photograph, Eugene Painter, 100, left, poses with kin around the statue of his great-grandfather, Patrick Gass, at Elk Point, S.D.
Eugene Gass Painter, 100, holds a prairie dog he bought while in South Dakota, where his great-grandfather, Patrick Gass, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, camped.
A replica of a razor box given to Eugene Gass Painter’s great-grandfather while with the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Eugene Painter, 100, sits in his home in South Strabane Township Tuesday with a book about his great-grandfather, Patrick Gass, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
“The secret to a long life,” Eugene Gass Painter said jovially, “is hard work and fresh air.”
Painter, of Washington, should know.
He celebrates his 100th birthday today.
Painter is the great-grandson of Patrick Gass, a sergeant in the Lewis and Clark Expedition whose journal of the trip was published in 1807.
The pair share a June 12 birthday, 144 years apart.
The centenarian also shares his great-grandfather’s hardiness (during the Civil War at the age of 91, Gass was turned away from a recruiting station where he wanted to enlist to fight) and quick wit.
Painter walks every day and still drives on Sundays to Lower Buffalo Presbyterian Church, where he serves as a church elder.
He is a member of Sons of the American Revolution, where he attends meetings regularly, and Buffalo Grange.
Painter grew up in Independence, the fifth of eight children. When he turned 8, Painter started working on his uncle’s dairy farm during the summer, and he graduated from Avella High School.
He attended University of Cincinnati and studied engineering for two years, but dropped out because he and his family had no money to pay for his education during the Great Depression.
Instead, he took a factory job.
“I worked all the way up from factory to management, then I got a job in production control at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh,” said Painter. “So, I guess I didn’t do too badly.”
In 1962, at the age of 47, Painter took over his uncle’s farm.
He and his sons, Eugene Jr. and the late Stanley Painter, operated the farm for 40 years, milking 45 cows “twice a day, seven days a week, come rain or shine,” Painter said.
“I always liked being a farmer. When I started farming, we did everything with horse and horse power,” said Painter. “When we took over the farm, we had a tractor.”
What Painter most enjoyed talking about, though, was Patrick Gass.
“I’ve always known I was a descendant of Patrick Gass. My mother was proud of the fact that he was her grandfather, and she talked about him frequently,” said Painter.
In 1999, Painter traveled to Elk Point, S.D., to participate in a re-enactment of Gass’ promotion to sergeant in Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. From 2003 to 2006, ceremonies were held on the Lewis and Clark Trail in Elk Point to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the expedition, and Painter attended.
He also traveled to other points along the trail over the years.
Gass, a master carpenter, led construction of forts the men wintered in at Camp Dubois in Illinois, Fort Mandan in North Dakota and Fort Clatsop in Oregon. He also hewed dugout canoes and built wagons to carry the canoes 18 miles over land around a series waterfalls in Montana.
In 2002, Painter and 28 other direct descendants of Gass attended the unveiling of a bust of Gass, which stands near the Sixth Street Wharf in Wellsburg, W.Va., where the explorer is buried. He died three months short of his 99th birthday.
A seamstress from Meadowcroft Village made Painter replicas of the uniforms Gass, who was serving in the Army when Lewis got dispensation from Thomas Jefferson to bring him on the journey, wore during the expedition.
Painter wore the uniforms when he spoke at various schools, historical societies and other organizations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York that invited him to talk about Gass and the expedition.
Painter was married to his first wife, Shirley, for 60 years. She died in March 1999.
They had four children, Eugene Jr., Stanley, Sue Strunk of McKees Rocks and Nancy Painter. Painter has passed along his family history to his children. He also has 11 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
“Do I have a choice?” said Sue Strunk, laughing. “Dad’s passed along everything he knows to us, and we’ll pass it on, too.”
In November 1999, Painter married Rita Miller, who also attended Buffalo Church. She died in 2014.
In 2010, Painter obtained a descendants’ certificate, certifying Gass was his ancestor. In 2005, there were 157 known direct descendants of Gass, Painter said.
“You could say Patrick Gass is my hobby,” said Painter. “He led an interesting life, and I’ve enjoyed learning about him and sharing what I know.”
Painter will celebrate his birthday Saturday among family and friends at a local restaurant.
After his party, he will attend his great-grandson’s graduation party, which will be held at the same restaurant.
“I’m looking forward to my birthday. It’s going to be a fun day, a dual party,” said Painter. “His party goes until 10 o’clock, so I don’t think I’m going to be able to stay the whole time. I’ll leave when it gets dark. I’ll have cake, though.”