Genealogical Gems

I am ready to cross the pond on most family lines, on both my side and my husband's. However, my BING ancestors are stuck in Chester County, PA. Sarah Bing is my great-great-great grandmother (Sarah Bing - Franklin Still - Pierson Still - Lloyd P Still - mom - me). She was born 18 February 1811 to Robert Bing and Sarah McWilliams. On 30 December 1830 she married George David Still. They lived in East Fallowfield Township. Robert and Sarah had seven (7) children: Sarah, Jane, Mary, John, Samuel, James, and Robert. However I know nothing of Robert and Sarah themselves. There are no BINGs on the 1780 or the 1785 census in Chester County. However, I did find a John Bing in East Caln on the 1799 tax list, which I obtained from the Chester County Archives. In 1895 there were four Bings listed: James, John, Joseph and Robert. John was in East Fallowfield and the others were in East Caln. James was listed as a laborer. Robert was a blacksmith. The other two did not include an occupation...

Colleen Donohoe was born Ruth Colleen Welsh. Her father, Leo Welsh, is one of my maternal grandmother's brother. Colleen was born 19 February 1940. She married James Donohoe in 1958, with whom she is pictured above. They had five children. Colleen passed on 27 May 2004.   Colleen and her family lived just two doors down from my grandparents in Kennett Square, Chester County, PA when we were growing up. I recall many afternoons spent with her youngest two children who were closest to me in age.

  Zadorozny   1918 Joseph Zydinsky 1979   buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Twp., Chester County, PA Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

I am still trying to find information on my Uncle Theodore. Theodore's brother - and my grandfather Joseph - had told me that there was a horrible accident at home one day and Theodore died. According to him, young Theodore was just starting to crawl and burned himself fatally in the kitchen. He also said it happened around Pascha (Easter). My grandfather was born in 1917 and young Theodore the year prior. A cousin recalls being told that the child died as a result of a miscarriage. His death would have been 1918 most likely as my great grandmother Bessie had a third child in 1919 and they named him Theodore as well. I recently asked my Aunt Katie - his sister - about young Theodore. She is the only sibling still living. Being of that particular generation, I thought she might recall a mention on him even though he would have been passed for many years before she had even been born. Sure enough, she recalled that her mother would have her drive "up the Polish Cemetery t...

Ira S. "Bud" Eckman, 93, of Willow Street, passed away on Friday, June 26, 2009 at the Masonic Village in Elizabethtown. Born March 2, 1916 in Christiana, PA, he was the son of the late Ira W. and Ida Frances (Heiney) Eckman. He was married to the late Bernie (Schwenkle) Eckman. A Veteran of WWII, Mr. Eckman proudly served with the U.S. Army in the Philippines. Bud retired from Armstrong and also owned and operated "Bud's Coins" at Roots Market. He was also a lifetime member of the Chestnut Level Presbyterian Church in Quarryville and a member of the Lancaster Lodge #43, F & A.M. He is survived by two daughters, Sherrill, wife of Ralph Lausch, of Lancaster, Sandra Shaub, of Willow Street; 11 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 20 great great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by three brothers and one sister. A Private Memorial Service will be held at the convenience of the family. Arrangements Entrusted to the Andrew T...

Relive the Civil War a the Chester County Historical Society (CCHS). Professor Joseph Ryan of Villanova University and Professor Robert Kodosky, PhD of West Chester University will deliver  talks on battlefield medicine. The free session, titled "From the Civil War to the Vietnam War: Two Centuries of Battlefield Medicine" will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, 12 September. Professor Ryan's talk will focus on Civil War medicine while Professor Kodosky will focus on the Vietnam War. On Saturday, 21 September the CCHS will hold a symposium titled, " The Echoes of the Civil War ." The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. and last through the morning. Topics will include media at that time and today, human bondage, Southern politics and Frederick Douglas' recruiting of black soldiers. After lunch, attendees will have their choice of walking the Civil War sites of West Chester or a tour of "On the Edge of Battle: Chester County and the Civil War....

  John Francis Deyoe 8 April 1923 to 23 December 2003  

  Wife & Mother Mary Z. Romanosky 21 May 1921 - 29 September 1982 Summa Cum Laude buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Township, Chester County, PA   Lt. Mary Romanosky was a veteran, having served during the Korean War in the US Navy. She served 15 August 1947 to 16 February 1951.       Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

Mark E. Eckman, 51, of Pequea, PA passed away on Sunday, April 28, 2013, at Hospice of Lancaster. He was the husband of Melissa Smith Eckman. Born in Lancaster, he was the son of Lois Kemrer Eckman of Prescott, Arizona, and Robert Eckman of Dillsburg, PA. Surviving, at home, is his son, Wesley, and a brother, Norman of Prescott, Arizona. A brother, Steven , preceded him in death. Mark loved the Pittsburgh Steelers and was devoted to his son, Wesley, and his dogs, Max and Jake. A memorial celebration will be held at Conestoga Memorial Park, 95 Second Lock Rd., Lancaster, PA on Thursday, May 2, at noon. Close friends and family are welcome to attend. Note: This obit was clipped (and then transcribed) from the Lancaster Newspapers.

Did you know ... The original townships of Lancaster County (when formed in June of 1729) were: Caernarvon, Conestoga, Derry, Drumore, Earl, Hempfield, Lampeter, Lancaster, Leacock, Lebanon, Manheim, Martic, Paxton, Sadsbury, Salisbury, and Warwick?

  Deyoe Bevier House I bought this (reprint) photograph a while back on eBay  

My mom - Barbara L. Still Ruczhak - passed back in February. Her stone was finally erected last week so Sunday after Liturgy we visited with Daddy and my sister and together we headed over to their cemetery to see it. Mom is buried at St. Malachi over near Doe Run in Chester County, PA. Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.  

Elizabeth Sides is my husband's 4th great grandmother. She recently came up in a conversation with new found relation so I thought she would be perfect to focus on today. I know little of her to be quite honest. I know simply that she was born 1757 in Providence Township, Lancaster County, PA. In 1778 she married John Martin Eckman, son of John Hieronymus and Anna Barbara Slaymaker Eckman. They had nine children together. On 7 February 1841, Elizabeth passed. Her husband John Martin - who often simply went by Martin - passed on 4 October 1809. His will mentions his wife Elizabeth as well as children: Henry, Martin, Daniel, Mary, Susannna, Elizabeth and Sarah. Two of their children has predeceased him. The executers for his will were Elizabeth and Henry Eckman of Bart Township.

Yesterday I received an email from a relative of my husband's. While I did not immediately place the person (last name is Burton), I have actually connected the two lines! So today I decided to tackle my Eckman file. In organizing my information, I started a long time ago to put "extra" family members in a Surname Folder. By extra I simply mean family members who I have simply not confirmed their placement in the family yet. Needless to say, the Eckman Folder is quite large! Mr. Burton is also descended from Jerome Hieronimus Eckman & Anna Barbara Slaymaker. The two had 12 children. One of those children was John Martin Eckman who married Elizabeth Sides. They had nine children. My husband is descended from their daughter Elizabeth. Mr. Burton is descended from Elizabeth's brother Henry! As I was sorting through the information in the folder, I focused on that particular line. I found a letter/package I received back in 2000 from a gentleman in Arizona. In it...

  In Loving Memory Cathy Lyn Euler 17 December 1957 17 May 2008 buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Township, Chester County, PA Tombstone Tuesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which an image of a gravestone is featured. It may also include a brief description of the image or the ancestor.

Robert Emil Eckman, 48, of Colora, MD, passed away 19 February 2009 at his home after a lengthy illness. Mr. Eckman was born in Lancaster, PA on 12 December 1960, the son of the late Leo Allen and Esther Fry Eckman . He was employed at Excelon Corp. in the Peach Bottom Facility. Prior to his illness, Bob played softball and was a NASCAR fan and also enjoyed Texas Hold 'Em. He is survived by a brother, Leo Allen Eckman, Jr. and his wife Joan of Rising Sun, a sister, Alice Faye Eckman of Conowingo, MD, a nephew Michael Eckman and a great nephew Jake Eckman. He was preceded in death by his wife Shirley who died in 1998. Graveside services will be private. Charitable contributions in Bob's memory may be made to the MS foundation c/o R.T. Foard Funeral Home, P.A., 111 S. Queen St., Rising Sun, MD 21911. To send condolences visit www.rtfoard.com . NOTE: The obit appeared in the Lancaster Newspapers. NOTE: Robert is buried at the West Nottingham Presbyterian Church in...

Esther Fry Eckman, age 87, of 39 Eckman Lane, Conowingo, Md., died Thursday evening at Clavert Manor Nursing Home, Rising Sun, Md. She was the widow of Leo A. Eckman who died February 18, 2001. Born in Fulton Township, Lancaster County, she was the daughter of the late George Harvey and Attie Steele Fry. A homemaker, she was a member of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, Peach Bottom. Surviving are two sons, Leo Allan, married to Joan Eckman Jr. and Robert Eckman, both of Rising Sun, Md.; a daughter, Faye Eckman, with whom she resided; a grandson, Michael, married to Jennifer Eckman of Rising Sun; and one great-grandson, Jake Eckman; a brother, George, married to Dorothy Fry of Conowingo. Esther was preceded in death by a brother, James Fry and a sister, Helen Benjamin. Funeral services will be from Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church, Pilottown Road, Peach Bottom, Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Cheryl J. Zegers officiating. Interment will follow in Little...

The latest exhibit at the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum is "I Thee Wed: Rural Pennsylvania Wedding Attire: 1830-1930." This exhibit displays wedding clothing, traditions and family stories from that time frame. The exhibit runs through 16 February 2014. Admission Rates are  $12/Adult; $10/Senior; $8/Youth; Free for ages 5 & under. Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum is a living history museum, dedicated to preserving German heritage. It is administered by the PA Historical & Museum Commission.

The Chester County Historical Society (CCHS) will be closed 26 - 31 August. Currently on exhibit: On the Edge of Battle: Chester County and the Civil War Exhibition The exhibit closes 28 September. Dewitt Clinton Lewis entered the conflict as first lieutenant, Company E, 9th Pennsylvania Infantry. This was only a three month enlistment, so after mustering out in July 1861, he rejoined the effort in October as captain of Company F, 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. In addition to many other assignments in the southeast, his regiment served at the Battle of Green Plains, during which Lewis was injured ...want to  learn more about Dewitt Clinton Lewis? Come experience On the Edge of Battle: Chester County and the Civil War .       Coming up: 15 August - Chester County Town & Village Walk An inside glimpse of the Lukens National Historic District. The story of American steel parallels the growth of the Lukens National Historic Distric...