Genealogical Gems

One way to track a person or family through their years is through the US Census records. In this particular example, Chrispin Pierson Van Horn will be tracked.    First begin with what you know. For example, Chrispin was born 21 September 1839 and passed on 09 February 1902. He is buried at the Old Doe Run Presbyterian Cemetery in East Fallowfield Township with his wife Maria Rice.   1850 (at right) Chrispin lived with his parents, George and Jane Van Horn, as well as his seven year old brother Franklin, five year old Martha E., and two year old Joanna. A 30 year old team driver named Samuel Tyler also lived with the family. They lived in Kensington in Philadelphia . George was a lawyer. The family was all born in Pennsylvania . 1860 George and Jane Van Horn, Chrispin and his two sisters and two brothers now show up in Valley Township , Chester County . He was 20 years old then. Chrispin, his 45 year old father and 17 year old brother Benjam...

Taken years ago when the girls swam summer swim for the SECA Sharks in Quarryville. Left to right: Zorina, Anna and their friend Alexis. My girls only swam a few years there so this was elementary school years but not sure which year.

  Branson   Lewis H. Branson, Sr. 23 December 1907 - 30 May 1995   Anna Keshuta Branson  22 August 1911 - 24 October 1985   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.

Amanuensis Monday is a blogging theme for GeneaBloggers which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. The letter transcribed here today is another letter from my Aunt - Helen Still Webster. This one she wrote me while I was at Lock Haven University. It is dated Wednesday, 11 January 1990. My dear Jeanne, I wish to thank you for the lovely xmas card. I know you had a wonderful holiday with all your loved ones. I had a nice holiday, too much to eat and too many gifts. I talk with Lloyd each day. When Mary was sick I used to call each day so I just continued to do that. He makes out very well. I am so happy you are the News Editor on the University Newspaper. Congratulations. Long ago I used to write a column each week for the Coatesville Record Mortonville News. I got paid 5 cents each inch and if I had 1 column from top to bottom I made $1. That was big money then. Congratulations. Keep up the ...

Julia Coursault is my husband's maternal grandmother. She lived 1885 to 1945. Her parents were Charles and Apolina (several spellings found) Coursault. In 1900, the 14 year old Julia is shown living in Philadelphia on Green Street with her parents and six of her seven siblings. The Census reveals her birth as June 1885. She is the oldest of the children still at home. The others are: Kate, 12; Leon, 10; Prosper, 8; Marie, 5; and Anna, 1. Her father Charles, then 40, is a fruit huckster. His father was born in Pennsylvania and his mother was born in Ireland. Her mother immigrated in 1880 from England. Apolina, then age 37, also reports that all seven of her children are still living. The two have been married now 17 years. Julia was the only of the six children still at home to be working already and she worked as a packer at a bulk factory. I also tracked Julia on later census records. In 1910 she was still at home with her mom and siblings. Her father, Charles, was murdered...

  In Memory of JOSEPH M. WELSH   Husband of the late Virginia J. Orwig Welsh   Date of Birth 28 August 1912   Date of Death 6 December 1993   Place of Service Cattermole-Klotzbach Funeral Home 600 Washington Street, Royersford, PA     Thursday, 9 December 1993 10 a.m.   Officiating Rev. Dennis H. Warner Church of the Epiphany   Internment Fernwood Cemetery Royersford, PA

First grade at St. Cecilia's in the Coatesville Area Catholic Elementary School. The school has moved outside of Coatesville now.

  KESHUTA Family buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Township, Chester County   Buried here are:   Michael 1909 - 1980   Frank 1884 - 1960 (Frank married my great grandmother Frances Skrabalek Kurenda after my great grandfather John Kurenda passed away. Baba said once most of the kids were against the marriage but Baba said it was more a marriage of companionship.) and John Sr. 1881 - 1950 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.

Sarah Jennie Van Horn is my great-great grandmother. She was born 16 December 1864 in Coatesville to Chrispin Pierson and Maria Rice Van Horn. The family moved to Philadelphia. She was, in her early years, a practical nurse. On 6 November 1884 she married Franklin Still, the son of George David and Sarah Bing Still. They were married in Philadelphia at the Nineteenth Street Methodist Episcopal Church. They lived in Mortonville on the Still farm. Sarah and Frank had six children: 1. Pierson George 2. Jeannette Sarah 3. Washington Logan 4. Mary Ethel 5. Alice Viola 6. Helen Mae She passed on 20 November 1946 as the result of a stroke. She is buried at the Doe Run Presbyterian Cemetery in East Fallowfield.  

The 1870 Census for Strasburg Township, Lancaster County, shows four Eckman families. The four family heads are: Daniel Eckman, Eliza Eckman, John Eckman and Benjamin Eckman.     Daniel, age 39, was a carpenter. He was married to 35 year old Mary. They had three children at home then: Letitia, Simon and Serenus R. (sp?).   Eliza, presumably widowed at 65, lived with a daughter Martha, 39. A farm hand by name of Daniel Cramer.   John Eckman, 39, is my husband's great great grandfather (John, Charles, John, Frank, my Glenn). He was a painter. With him lived his 29 year old wife Kate and their children: Clara, Charles H., Dora H. Stella, Martha, and John.   Benjamin, 55, and his wife Eliza, 40, are the fourth Eckman family on this particular page of the census. He was a farmer.

  Kindergarten 1974-75 Craig Ridgway School (used to be located at 356 Charles Street, Coatesville, PA)   First row: Cindy Mickel, Tim Glauner, John Long, Robert Cummings, Patricia Anderson, Antoinette Carter, Jeffrey Crisswell, Ross Bickering. Middle row: Wendy Russell,  Brenda O'Neill, Romont Jones, Eric Myers, Carol Prekup, Jonathan Barnes. Back row: Eric Taylor, John MacDougal, Marquette Trice, ME, Stacey Osborne, Joseph Bowman and Mrs. Hadley.    

Uncle Nick and Aunt Ann were married in 26 June 1948 in Coatesville. Their wedding announcement was published in the Coatesville Record on 7 July 1948 and it read: Miss Ann Petro, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Metrofan Gromotovesh of Coatesville RD3, and Mr. Nicholas Ruczhak, son of Mr. and Mrs. Panko Ruczhak, of this city, were married during a ceremony performed at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Saturday afternoon, June 26, at 4 o'clock. Rev. John Morozoff officiated during the double ring ceremony.

  Anthony Peppernick b. 16 October 1918 d. 9 November 1993   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.

I recently came across the 1850 Census record for John and Sarah Deyo, of Middletown, Delaware County, New York. At that time, John was 57 and Sarah 54. This makes John's birth year 1793 and Sarah's 1796. In 1850, they had four children at home: Hannah (18), Polly (15), Daniel (12), and Christopher (10). John was a farmer. His real estate was valued at $3600 at that time. Everyone was born in New York State. Several of their neighbors were born in Ireland. Others were born in New York. Their neighbors included the Robison family, the McMullen family, the Craft family, the Raedmond family, the Sweet family, the Norton family, and the Murray family. According to the Middletown Historical Society, the town of Middletown is comprised of "eight villages and hamlets: Margaretville, Fleischmanns, Arkville, Dunraven, Halcottsville, Kelly Corners, New Kingston and Redkill/Bedell, as well as a community that is no more – Arena, lost more than half a century ago to the Pepac...

    PAPERNIAK   Father Andrew 1884-1962 Mother Katherina 1896-1988   buried at Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery Valley Township Chester County 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.

My Aunt Ann passed on Monday. Her obituary as it was published in the Daily Local:   Ann Ruczhak of Coatesville Ann Ruczhak, 91, passed away on Monday, May 26, 2014, at Hickory House Nursing Home surrounded by her loving family. Ann was predeceased by her loving husband, Nicholas Ruczhak in 2008 after 60 years of marriage. Born on Oct. 22, 1922 in Coatesville, she was the daughter of the late Metrofan and Matrona Gromotovesh. Ann was an avid gardener. She loved to crochet and her handiwork is cherished by her daughters. Her greatest love was her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Ann was a member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church.   Ann is survived by daughters, Sandra (Val) Dzwonczyk of Baltimore, Md., Karen Campbell of Coatesville and Maria (Michael) Toth of Coatesville; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; and nieces, Nina Petro and Valerie Fox. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a brother, John Petro, and sister, ...