Genealogical Gems

WELSH Michael J  1891-1968 & Daniel J 1875-1957 Michael and Daniel are buried at St. Patrick's RC Cemetery in Kennett Square, Chester County. They are my great grand uncles. They are brothers of my great grandfather Martin Joseph Welsh. Their parents were Michael and Anna Keating Welsh. Their birthdates may be off. The boys both filled out their WWI Draft Registration. Michael did not offer his middle name but did state his birthdate was 31 March 1893. Daniel stated his birthdate as 22 March 1877 and his middle name as James. Both brothers worked for the Phoenix Iron Co. in Phoenixville and both lived still with their mother Anna. Michael, in 1942, filled out his WWII Draft Registration stating his name is Michael Joseph Welsh. He lists his birthdate again as 31 March 1893. 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 ance...

Today is Amanuensis Monday! As many of you transcribe your family letters, take note of the zip-code. The US Postal Service introduced the use of two-digit zone numbers (zip-codes) on 1 May 1943. The use of the five-digit zip-codes began in July of 1963.

Anna Keating Walsh is my 2nd great grandmother. I know little of her though. She was born in 1855 in Ireland. My grandmother had said she was from County Mayo but I do not have that confirmed. She was the daughter of Martin Keating and Knapy Penelope. Her death certificate confirms their names. My Aunt Peg (cousin actually; Anna's granddaughter) told me that Anna had immigrated with her brothers and sisters when she was five. They all settled on a farm in Ringtown until the state claimed eminent domain and took the farm for a highway. Ringtown is a small town near Shenandoah in Schuylkill County. Anna's husband Michael Walsh had settled in Shenandoah. A trip to the public library in Ringtown found little hope that the eminent domain story was accurate. The women there (one was the librarian and the other was her sister who turned out to be the self appointed town historian) did not recognize the last name Keating nor could they recall any eminent domain issues. They did r...

Carrie B. Still passed away when she was just 15 years old. She was one of four children of William H. and Isabel McCorkel Still. They lived in Modena, Chester County. Her obituary reads: Miss Carrie B. Still died at her home in Modena on Monday evening after a brief illness. She was only 15 years of age. Her remains will be laid away to rest tomorrow at Hephzibah. Another funeral announcement reads: STILL - At Modena on Monday evening July 30th, 1894, Carrie B. Still in the 15th year of her age. Funeral on Thursday, August 2d. Meet at the house at 10 o'clock. Internment at Hephzibah. Services at the church . Another paper, dated 4 August 1894, announced her death briefly. It read: STILL - In Modena on July 30th, Carrie B., daughter of William and Isabel Still, in her 15th year. Her father William was the son of David and Agnes Armstrong Still. David was the son of Margaret Still, my 4th great grandmother. According to the Death Register of the Chester County Archives , Carri...

Saturday (27 September) is Ancestor Appreciation Day! Like I need a reason to talk about my ancestors, right! An ancestor, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is "one from whom a person is descended and who is usually more remote in the line of descent than a grandparent." So today, I would like to recognize ... my great grandparents: Panko Hruszczak Bessie Matys Hruszczak John Kurenda Francis Skrabalak Kurenda Keshuta Pierson George Still Mary Kilpatrick Still Martin Welsh Catherine O'Flaherty Welsh my 2nd great grandparents: Theodore Hruszczak Catherine Romanko Hruszczak Joseph Matys Olena Vaspelship Matys Petri Kurenda Anna (maiden name unknown) Kurenda John Skrabalak Franklin Still Sarah Jennie VanHorn Still James Kilpatrick Michael Walsh (children changed name to Welsh) Anna Keating Walsh Dennis O'Flaherty Martha Durkin O'Flaherty my 3rd great grandparents: Nicholas Romanko George David Still Sarah Bing Chrispin Pierson VanHo...

The Census follows the "72 Year Rule". This means that a census is available 72 years after it was taken. Hence the 1940 Census, the most recent to be made public, became available in 2012.

In Memory of J. Norwood Rodgers Born May 27, 1908 Chatham, Pa Passed Away February 16,1965 Coatesville, Pa Final Resting Place Fairview Cemetery Coatesville, Pa Services Conducted from S. Paul Roberts Funeral Home Coatesville, Pa Friday, February 19, 1965 at 2 PM Officiating The Rev. Richard G Miller, Jr. The 1910 Census show James and Lillian Rodgers and their five children living in London Grove, which would have been the Chatam mentioned above. The Rodgers had been married 15 years, which would put their marriage year as 1895. Harry is their eldest at 24 years. William is 20. Frank is 14. Daughter May is 12. Daughter Ruth is 10. Ralph is eight. Norwood is just three. They also had two boarders - widower Walter Finnefrock and his three year old daughter Margaret - living with them. James and son William were butchers in James' own shop at home. J. Norwood Rodgers was the son on James and Lillian Rodgers. The 1920 Census lists 12 year old Norwood l...

While working on postcards recently, I came across "213. Dry Dock, League Island, Philadelphia, PA." The shipyard was established by an Act of Congress in 1799, making it the oldest in the US, according to the Library of Congress. The original site consisted of 11 acres at the foot of Federal Street from Front Street to the Delaware River in the Southwark neighborhood of Philadelphia. The shipyard was originally owned by Joshua Humphreys, a prominent naval architect. In fact, it was here that he supervised construction of the first ship of the U.S. Navy. It is no longer physically an island. Shown here is an 1891 map of League Island (found the image on Wikipedia). Those Places Thursday is a GeneaBloggers daily prompt which encourage us to focus on places our families may have lived or worked or spent time.

Dennis O'Flaherty and Martha Durkin were both born in Ireland and met here in America. The first I have found them here was married together living in Phoenixville, Chester County in 1870. In searching for their information, I am working on all the children hoping to find something, anything. The Chester County Archives has many resources online. One of which is the Marriage Records from 1885 to 1930. There are two O'Flaherty boys listed: Hugh and Michael. Both are my great grandmother (Catherine O'Flaherty Welsh)'s brothers. Hugh (b. 31 May 1869) married Kathryn Dee on 4 November 1903. Michael P. (b. 20 August 1871) married Margaret McQuade on 29 January 1902. There were also two O'Flaherty girls. One was my great grandmother Catherine (b. 2 October 1885) showing she married Martin Welsh on 27 April 1910. That same day, a Margaret O'Flaherty (b. 29 June 1870) married a Thomas Graham. While Catherine and the boys did have a sister Margaret, she lived only a...

  Zomolski   John ( 13 November 1914 - 31 December 1985) Mary (7 April 1920 - 5 February 2005)   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.

Samuel Meredith crossed my desk this past weekend in the form of a postcard. General Samuel Meredith, according to the Pleasant Mount Historical Society , was a Pennsylvania Officer of the Revolutionary War and the first Treasurer of the United States under the Federal Constitution. Born in Philadelphia in 1741 to Reese and Martha Carpenter Meredith, he was a merchant like his father before him. He  attended Doctor Allison’s Academy in Philadelphia. In 1772 he married Margaret Cadwalader at Christ Church in Philadelphia. Together, they had seven children. During the Revolutionary War, he served the Third Battalion of Associators in 1776. The Third Battalion was also known as the "Silk Stocking Company." He served, according to a file at the University of Delaware , in the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and Germantown. He was promoted to brigadier- general of the Pennsylvania militia on 5 April 1777. The following year, i...

This past week our Parish Family lost a dear woman, Ann Horblinski Leveille. I felt horrible about missing her funeral. I do not read the Daily Local often so I did not see her obituary until after the fact. No email went out like it normally does from our parish. I found out from a friend's Facebook status. ... Vichnaya Pamyat.   Her obituary, as it was printed in the Daily Local: Ann Horblinski Leveille, 91, of Coatesville passed peacefully Tuesday, September 16, 2014 with her family by her side at Neighborhood Hospice Inpatient Unit, West Chester. Born in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of the late Elias Alex and Catherine Hawrylyk Horblinski and the wife of the late William Joseph Leveille with whom she shared 45 years of marriage before his death in 1999. Ann was a devout member of The Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Church where she was a member of the Senior UOL Chapter and the Sisterhood. Ann loved her church and church family. Ann attended S. Horace Scott ...

My desks (yes I have added a second one) have piles to go through. I have piles on my printer, on my file cabinets, on the floor and even on my dresser. I am feeling a tad overwhelmed! Now, that said, most of my piles have already been sorted so that all the info in each pile goes together. Today's "Sorting Saturday" will no doubt stretch into Sunday maybe even next week. I am off from the nursery until Wednesday. Tomorrow I have a Sisterhood meeting after church (finally finished prepping for that last night!). The girls both work Saturday and Sunday so aside from time running them to work and back, I have four more things on my "to do" list for the weekend and Monday. To Do: 1. Postcards - research and data entry 2. Sisterhood minutes & agenda 3. New genealogy/organization project for someone 4. Organize and sort through my papers to prep for day w/cousins next month 5. Fit in some reading Every Sorting Saturday begins with me prioritizing ...

This funeral card was found in a pile of paperwork and mementos I got years ago from an auction at my Aunt Helen's (Helen Still Webster). It reads: In Memory of Lilley Blanche Jefferis Born January 14, 1881 Goosetown, PA Passed Away May 11, 1962 West Bradford Township Final Resting Place Romansville Friends Burial Grounds Services Conducted From S. Paul Roberts Funeral Home Coatesville, PA Tuesday, May 18, 1962 at 2 p.m. Officiating Dr. C, Hans Evans Rev. Richard L. Bunting Funeral Card Friday is a d aily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which the main focus of the prompt is a funeral card.

My great great grandfather was a teacher and a farmer. He worked in the rolling mill and ... an inventor! Frank Still filed patents for a Railway Tie and an improvement for the Railroad Shoe. The Railway Tie was patented on 12 December 1911. He was 58 years old at the time. The Application was filed 26 August 1911. Serial No. 646,150. The invention, according to the application , "relates to certain novel and useful improvements in railway ties, and has particular application to a metallic tie adapted to be employed in the construction of steam railroads, street and trolley railways or under other conditions where it is desired to employ a metallic tie." In 1913, he also filed a patent for a Railway Shoe improvement. The Application was filed on 15 January 1913. Serial No. 742,244. The Patent was issued on 28 October 1913. The patent, according to the application , provides "a railroad tie with a shoe that shall be attached to the corners thereof to strengthen...

I came across this photo as I am sorting through and organizing folders upon folders! From left to right, Aunt Margaret, my grandmother Mary, and Aunt Peg. Aunt Margaret was married to my grandmother's brother Raymond. Aunt Peg is my grandmother's first cousin. Her mother (also Margaret) and my great grandfather Martin Welsh were siblings.  The photo was taken at my grandmother's house in Kennett Square but I do not recall the occasion. Aunt Margaret and Uncle Reds (Raymond) were married in 1975 so obviously it was after that. I am not sure it was a special occasion.   Wordless Wednesday is a daily blogging prompt prompted by GeneaBloggers in which the main focus of the prompt is a photo. Information may also be included as to identification.

  Martin Welsh (1885 - 1933) and his wife Catherine O'Flaherty (1880 - 1949) are buried at St. Mary's RC Cemetery in Phoenixville, Chester County, PA.  Mary Kathleen Still - my Aunt Kitty, as she was called - is buried with them. She lived only five years from 25 December 1940 to 12 July 1945. She is my mother's sister. Aunt Kitty's Death Notice ran in the Daily Record on 13 July 1945. It read: Mary K Still five year old daughter of Mary (Welsh) and Lloyd Still died yesterday at her home in Unionville. Ill for the past 12 days due to complications. She was born December 25, 1940. James F Devlin Funeral Home. St Mary's Cemetery, Phoenixville. 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.

Normally a post for Amanuensis Monday would be more about a specific letter or card but this week, I would like to talk about postcards in general. I personally love postcards. They are a great way to say hello, stay connected with someone and yet because of the limited space not feel obligated to write a novel. From a historical point of view, postcards are a great way to preserve local history. For example, I have come across several postcards of dams, railroads, simple scenes of towns and businesses, and buildings no longer standing. Often a postcard will reveal a tidbit about a place as well. One card features the Schwartz Stein Collection, located (at that time) at 2177 Fruitville Pike, Lancaster, PA. The tidbit reveals this is the "largest collection of antique steins in the world. There are over 4,600 from the largest 48" to the smallest 1/32" high. Open to the public by appointment only." Postcards can reveal so much information if you know where to...

Mary Welsh Still is my maternal grandmother. Her obituary reads: Mary R. {middle name Rose} Still, 77, of Magnolia Street, Kennett Square, died Saturday {20 May 1989} at Chester County Hospital, West Chester after a lengthy illness. She was the wife of Lloyd. P. Still. Born in Phoenixville, she was the daughter of the late Martin and Catherine O'Flaherty Welch {should read Welsh}. She lived in Kennett Square since 1957 and was a member of St. Patrick's Church, Kennett Square. Surviving in addition to her husband is a son Thomas G. of Unionville; a daughter, Barbara Ruczhak {my mom}of Christiana; three brothers Raymond Welch {should read Welsh} of Collegeville, Joseph Welch {should read Welsh} of Royersford and Gerald Welch {should read Welsh} of Washington, DC; a sister Loretta Patterson of Phoenixville; and six grandchildren. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Patrick's Church, 218 Meredith Street, Kennett Square. Internm...

I am doing some side work researching postcards and writing up descriptions for a friend and, like most things in life, there are pros and cons. The major pro of course is that it is work so there is some financial benefits. I am also learning quite a bit about various places and dating postcards in general, which in turn has helped with some of my own research. The con is that I tend to get lost in research! I was working on a postcard depicting the grave of Benjamin Franklin and his wife. The card itself did not reveal much of interest to me. Dated 1907, it is an undivided back therefore the message had to be written very tiny on the white space at the bottom of the picture on the front. It's addressed to an Ernest McConnell of Narvon, whose family I have not heard of before. But ... hubby's family (on his mom's side) actually attended Christ Church in Philadelphia. His maternal grandmother is Julia Coursault. Her parents were Charles Edwin and Appelina Coursault....

Today, in Maryland, is Defenders Day. It is a legal holiday in which Maryland residents recall the day in which their ancestors defended the City of Baltimore on 12 September 1814 from the Brits in the War of 1812. The events gave birth to our national anthem as well. This weekend commemorates the 200th anniversary of "The Star Spangled Banner." On 24 August 2014, the Maryland Historical Society and Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine unfurled the Star-Spangled Banner Replica at President's Park on the White House Ellipse, located near 15th and E Streets, in Washington, DC.  It was two hundred years to the day that the British burned the White House. During the War of 1812, British troops captured Washington, DC and burned the White House. This caused President James Madison to flee. Just three weeks later, the British attacked the Baltimore. The British fired more than a thousand rockets and "bombs" on Fort McHenry but Balti...

A piece of history is slated to be demolished in West Lampeter Township. Township supervisors sadly approved the demolition at their Monday, 8 September, of a house built by Christian Herr II in 1734. Christian Herr II is the son of Christian Herr I who built the adjoining 1719 Hans Herr House (seen at left), which is the oldest original Mennonite meeting house. According to an article in the Lancaster Newspapers , current owners of the 421 Penn Grant Road historic home, Randy and Christine Andrews, want to tear down their historic home to make space for a new one. Step back in time for a moment. In 1710, the Reverend Hans Herr was among the Mennonites who received land grants near the Conestoga and along what was known as the Great Conestoga Road leading to the west. At that time, the area was part of Chester County, one of the original counties in the Commonwealth. Lancaster County was parceled out in 1729. The Great Conestoga Road was repla...

Sometimes the people we seek are not in the births, marriage announcements or obituaries. While checking out the webpage for the Southern Lancaster County Historical Society , I came across a news article about a missing young child. This child is of no known relation to me or to my husband but I thought it interesting enough to share. A brief note ran in the 10 February 1743 of the Pennsylvania Gazette concerning the missing Margaret Dickson. WHEREAS Margaret, the Daughter of James Dickson, of the Township of Little Britain, in Lancaster County, a Child about three Years of Age, has been missing from her FatherHouse ever since the 26th of December past; diligent Search and Enquiry having been made after her, and not being yet heard of, suspected she is stolen and carried away: She is a Child of fair Complexion, with long pale Hair, round fat Face, grey Eyes, a black Mole on the right Side of her Neck, a Place above her Forehead without Hair, her right Hand and Foot bigger ...

  Katherina Nicholas ... 19 December 1888 - 18 August 1986 Tillie Pellech ... 7 October 1897 - 3 April 1977   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.    

Elizabeth Winter has been a hard one to find. She married Socrates (or Coradis - I've seen it both ways) Miller down Smithville, Southern Lancaster County. Their daughter, Emma Miller, married Aldus J. Eckman and I have lots of paperwork on her. Her parents - not so much. Emma was born on 25 August 1859, as confirmed by census records and her death certificate. Her parents were identified by my late sister-in-law, Wilma Lee, who provided me with many "start" places but no documentation. I have since documented everything and gained additional info! Her death certificate documents her parents as Coradis Miller and Elizabeth Winter. Coradis is identified as Socrates everywhere else. According to the 1900 Census, Emma married Aldus Eckman in 1875. Now IF those dates are correct, then Emma would have only been 16 when she got married. The only two census records she would have been at home with her parents for would be the 1860 and 1870 census records. I found a Socr...

Loretta T. Skrabalak, 89, of Binghamton, died peacefully at her home, Tuesday, 24 August 2004. She was predeceased by her husband, John S. Skrabalak. She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Robert and Danielle Skrabalak, Binghamton, James and Irene Skrabalak, Panama City Beach, Fla.; two daughters and a son-in-law, Patricia Markle, Johnson City, Donna and Melvin Burr, Binghamton; seven grandchildren and spouses, Tony and Mary Kay Skrabalak, Albany, N.Y., Dina Skrabalak, California, Jill Skrabalak, Portland, Maine, Kimberly Burr, Kensington, Md., Michael Burr, Binghamton, and Jacqueline and Nathan Markle, Johnson City; three great grandchildren, Ryan, Morgan, and Marina Skrabalak, all of Albany, N.Y. Loretta was a member of St. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Binghamton. Lottie was a loving, kind and giving woman. One of her greatest gifts was a kidney donation to her sister, Jennie Crane. A private memorial Mass of Christian Burial was held on Saturday, August 28, 2004. I...

We all feel the need to freshen up once in awhile. We get our hair done up or our nails done. The Chester County Historical Society is no different! In January 2015 the Society's library will be temporarily closed for a face lift. They are calling it the "January Big Dig". During January, the backlog of valuable library materials requiring the cataloging, rehousing, and processing of material, will be addressed.  The Library will be closed naturally during that month. Each year, the Society receives over 4,000 research requests. The museum and gift shop will remain open. During January, the CCHS will offer FREE regular museum admission. The temporary exhibitions will be unavailable. The '60s! Winds of Change , will open on 26 February 2015.   CCHS is located at 225 North High Street, West Chester.

  This photo is in a hodgepodge of photos in an album from my grandmother (Baba - Anna Kurenda Ruczhak - is the lady on the far right). It is one of those postcard photo cards, which in this case does not help me date the photo. My grandfather ( Joseph Ruczhak) is the one standing.   Years ago, before my grandparents both passed, we had gone through and tried to identify people in the album. A note I wrote identifies the man at the far right is Uncle Paul. The man second in from the left is my Uncle Nick - no note but he looks the same in all his photos. I have one of him in his 70s maybe and he still is just as handsome! Uncle Nick and Uncle Paul are both my grandfather's brothers.   I am not sure who the woman on the far left is. The other woman - the one in the middle - looks a lot like other photos of Baba's sister Helen. I cannot confirm this yet though and I have no clue who the man is between her and Baba.   One problem with her alb...

Little Ulysses S Eckman is buried at the Zion Reformed Church in New Providence, Lancaster County. He was the infant son of Aldus John Eckman and his first wife Amelia C. Kunkle. He was born 13 February 1875 and passed less than a month later, on the fifth of March. He is buried next to his mother near Aldus' parents and siblings. Amelia died, assumably from complications of childbirth, on 15 February 1873. Photo: Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman

  Zadorozny Harry b 22 May 1911 d 6 January 1992 Helen 1 February 1917 d 8 February 2002 Married 13 October 1935   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.

Maria Rice VanHorn is my great great great grandmother. She wrote often to her husband, Chrispin Pierson VanHorn and I am fortunate to have several of those letters. Many are hard to read as she wrote in run on sentences and her handwriting is small. Below are images from one such letter from 1892. The letter was dated "Phila June 5th 1892." She address Chrispin as "Dear Husband." Her letters reveal day to day things, like it rained a lot and she made a dress, and John and Lizzie moved to a new house. Their new house is a four room house and bath at 816 Como and backs up against the Quaker Burying Ground. She mentions working and that may be why she is living apart from him at the moment. She also mentions a visit from Jim Van Horn and his son Joseph. She signs it simply "from your wife Maria Van Horn" The envelope is addressed to: Mr C P Van Horn Elview PO Chester County Pa Elkview is a small hamlet of a town near Oxford in Chester Cou...