Biography:
Mr. Columbus O. Shean is buried in an unmarked grave in Ellsworth Cemetery in Westminster, Maryland.
Mr. Shean was born free in the summer of 1856, part of a growing community of free Black people in Maryland. His parents were Mr. Dennis and Mrs. Abbie Amanda Shean.
As a young boy and man, he worked as a laborer on local farms. Schools had not yet been established for African Americans and educational opportunities would have been extremely limited.
In the winter of 1885, he married Mary Jackson. They had at least 13 children, five of whom died in childhood. For many years, he worked for Mr. George W. Albaugh, assisting in his various businesses. Following his wife’s death in 1921, Mr. Shean lived with his son, Clarence Shean.
Mr. Columbus Shean died at the age of 92 in 1948. He is buried in historic Ellsworth Cemetery.
Carroll County Times, Sep 30, 1948