Friday, August 27, 2004

Marion Curtis Darst 1860-1957

Marion Curtis Darst, the granddaughter of Johann Jacob Darst (1787-1856); great-granddaughter of Henry Derst (1747-1802) and great-great granddaughter of our immigrant Johann Paul Derst (1713-1775) took up residence in her later life at Doylestown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania... not far from her great-great grandfather's homestead which was at Exeter TWP., Berks (Bucks) County, Pennsylvania - near Reading.
Bucks Artist
Miss Marion Darst
Marks 95th Birthday
Miss Marion Curtis Darst, one of Bucks county's oldest and best known artists, celebrated her 95th birthday anniversary yesterday at her ancestral home, 363 N. Main st,. Doylestown.
Miss Darst, who came to Doylestown in 1904, was guest of honor at a tea given by the women's auxiliary of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in the church school rooms. There were flowers, a birthday cake, gifts and congratulatory messages.
In 1949 Miss Darst broke her hip and was confined to her bed and a wheelchair until it mended.
Miss Darst, who is able to walk now with the aid of a cane, is still able to read, likes to talk to people and is interested in art, her friends and Doylestown.
She studied art in New York and in Greenwich Village long before in Greenwich Village and two of her paintings are hanging in Doylestown. One of General W. H. H. Davis is in the Bucks County Historical Society Museum and another of Judge Harman Yerkes is in the judges' gallery in Courtroom No. 1 in the Courthouse.
A native of Circleville, Ohio, Miss Darst's brother, C. Brower Darst and she formed an interesting brother-sister artists' team.
13 OCT 1955 - Daily Intelligencer, Doylestown, Pennsylvania