Genealogical Gems

Tombstone tuesday ... My sister passed today in 2005. Her name is Wilma Lee Eckman LeMon. She was definitly the glue that held my husband's family together. She is missed greatly.

After a long holiday weekend i am looking fwd to getting back to a routine - ok starting one - and getting more regular w my posts here!

Panko and Bessie Matyz Hruszczak are buried together in the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery in Valley Township, Chester County, PA. The two young immigrants met here in Coatesville and married at Holy Ghost. It was then a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church. (By the time my father was born though the parish had changed to Ukrainian Orthodox). Over the years, the surname has changed to Ruczhak. One son changed it to Ruzchak.

Benjamin Franklin VanHorn was my great-great-great grandfather's brother (me, Mom, Pops, Pierson George STILL, Jennie S VAN HORN, Chrispin Pierson VAN HORN who was brother to Benjamin). Chrispin and Benjamin were two children of George and Jane DUDBRIDGE VAN HORN. Benjamin was born in Bucks County on 8 March 1843. Benjamin joined the army in Chester County in 1863. He served as a Private in Company H of the 90th PA Volunteers. He was captured at Weldon Railroad in Virginia and was a POW from 19 August 1864 to 15 June 1865. He served his time at Liberty Belle Island in Richmond, VA. After the Civil War, he married Margaret Hensel on 24 April 1867. Their first daughter Virginia was born in 1868 in Virginia. By 1870 the family had moved to California and continued to grow. Special thanks to fellow family researcher and genealogist Jerrie Finley for copies of the photos here.

Found John BING on the 1805 Chester County Tax List! Lived in east fallowwfield twp

April is a rough month. Most people relate April to spring and rebirth. April around here is a time to remember special people. It is a rough month where we all tend to get a little sentimental. Some are obvious and some not so much. I lost one of my best friends April 26, 2005. She is my sister in law Wilma Lee Eckman LeMon. I had my own business for a few years and worked out of a small office at her house. There were many afternoons that found me up in the house chatting away with her (if I didn't have appointments that day). She was wise beyond her years and yet stubborn as a toddler when it came to certain things. She coud be sitting at her computer in pain and let the right song come on and she would be up dancing in a heartbeat! She was a great folk art artist. One review compared her to a Grandma Moses of her day. I still have one of her paintings - it is of an Amish girl milking a cow! (I have a thing for cows). Her birthday was also this month -- April 6. Her brother...

I found a George Still in the Civil War from Pennsylvania. He enlisted as a Private on 16 March 1864 and was placed in Company C, 88th Infantry Regiment for Pennsylvania. He mustered out with his Company on 30 Jun 1865 at Washington, DC. According to the Regiment History (which I read on Ancestry.com), three companies were recruited in Berks county and the remainder in Philadelphia. The Regiment was known as the Cameron Light Guards and was mustered into service at Philadelphia for a three years' term in September of 1861. Source: Historical Data Systems, comp.. American Civil War Soldiers [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 1999.

Plan to work on a civil war lead tonight ...

Weekend goal ... Update / coordinate my paper files w FTM!