George Achenbach has lived through a century of Perry County life, from farm chores at dawn to milk deliveries in town, but this August he celebrated a milestone that few reach. On Aug. 14, Achenbach turned 100 years old. To mark the occasion, his family arranged for him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Harrisburg Senators’ game on Aug. 8.
Born in 1925 on his family’s farm along Faculty Road outside Duncannon, Achenbach grew up working on local dairy farms. Later, he became a milkman for Irwin’s Dairy, which eventually became part of Lenkerbrook Farms. He also helped at his mother and grandmother’s greenhouse business in Duncannon, and for a time, worked in homebuilding before returning to the farm. Farming remained at the center of his life, and he carried on the family tradition that began with his great-grandfather’s arrival from Germany.
Achenbach also devoted decades to community life. He is an 85-year member of Shermanata Grange, a longtime Mason with Perry Lodge 458, and also belonged to the Odd Fellows, the Duncannon Sportsmen’s Association and several other organizations. He remains a member of Christ Reformed Church in Duncannon, where his great-grandparents helped establish the congregation in the early 1900s.
His daughter, Mary Jane Strayer, recalled that while work on the farm and milk route kept her father busy, family reunions and fishing trips along the Little Juniata Creek created lasting memories. “He wasn’t around a whole lot between the farm and milk runs, but family reunions were our best fun times together.”…