Genealogical Gems

It was On This Day in 1880 in Lancaster City , that Judge Livingston granted a divorce to John L. Leaman, of Salisbury Township . The divorce was issued from his wife Mary E. Leaman on the grounds of desertion. Sources Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 31 December 1881. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress. On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

It was On This Day in 1880 that Mary Slaymaker, daughter of Henry E. Slaymaker, married Edward Cowell, of Philadelphia , at St. James Church in Lancaster City . The wedding was officiated by Rev. C. F. Knight, D.D. Marriage announcement appeared in the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer on 30 December 1880, the day Mary Slaymaker was wed. The bridesmaid was Miss Sue Slaymaker, Mary’s sister. The groomsman was a Mr. Quarles of New York . Ushers were Willis B. Musser and J. B. Rupley. Sources Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 30 December 1880. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress. On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

My daughter, Anna, and I visited several cemeteries on Sunday after Liturgy. One was the Jewish Cemetery – Beth Israel. She pointed out the stones laid reverently atop the tombstone and said this was done instead of leaving flowers. I had no clue. Stones left on a grave may at first seem odd to those of us not raised or schooled in the Jewish Tradition. However, no surprise, the tradition dates back to the Old Testament when altars were made … you guessed it … of stones! In the days of the Old Testament, before the tombstones we are familiar with today, people marked graves by a mound of stones. It also reminds us that it was upon a stone that Abraham offers his son Issac up to the Lord. (Genesis 22: 1-19).   Christ Himself was laid in a tomb in which a stone was rolled in front of the entryway. (Matthew 27:59-60). “Stones are fitting symbols of the lasting presence of the deceased’s life and memory,” according to Shiva.com. Another site, MyJewishLearning.com, offers se...

Nicholas Ruczhak – my paternal grandfather’s brother – and his wife Anna are buried at the S. Nicholas Russian Cemetery in Valley Township , Chester County . Their stone reads: Ruczhak Nicholas           Mar. 9, 1921     Mar. 4, 2008 Anna                Oct. 22, 1922   May 26, 2014 I was fortunate enough to know Uncle Nick and Aunt Ann. Uncle Nick was born 9 March 1921 in Coatesville to Panko & Bessie Matys Hruszczak. He fought in World War II, serving as a Corporal in the Army. He served in the South Pacific in the Philippine Liberation with one Bronze Star, according to his obituary. After the War, he came home and married Aunt Ann – then Anna Petro – in 1948. They had three children, all girls. Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

It was On This Day in 1890 that the US Army slaughtered over 100 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee in South Dakota . Tensions had been high for some time at the Pine Ridge Reservation. The US had been gathering up Native Americans throughout the Plains and relocating them to reservations, robbing them of their land. Colonel James Forsyth led the 7 th Calvary in the massacre. Forsyth’s men surrounded Sioux Chief Big Foot and his followers and were in the process of stripping them of their weapons. A fight broke out. A shot was fired. The Sioux had no weapons. They were soon gunned down and slaughtered. In the end, the 7 th Calvary had murdered 146 Native Americans and left another 51 wounded. Of the 146 dead, 44 were women and 18 were just children. The Army lost 25 and suffered 39 wounded. The following day the headline of The Topeka State Journal, in Topeka , Kansas , screamed “Bloodshed.” Subheadlines read “Redskins Treacherously Fire on Col. Forsythe’s C...

The Lancaster Daily Intelligencer reported On This Day in 1880 that Pennsylvania “has been stained” by its first lynching. The headline reads, “Murder and Lynch Law” while the sub headline provided more information. It was: “A Man and His Wife Murdered in Cold Blood by a Lustful Boarder Who is Strung Up Without a Judge or Jury.” Jacob Gogle, his wife Annie, and their three children lived in a little hamlet of Santee’s Mills, just north of Bethlehem . The children were ages nine, 12 and 16. They were a quiet little German family. The Gogle family took in a boarder, as many families did to help with expenses. That boarder was 24 year old Joseph Snyder, an ore miner from Easton . Snyder – you can guess where this is going given that sub heading, right? – made frequent improper advances towards Alice, the 16 year old daughter of the Gogles. She complained to her father who had several confrontations with Snyder on the issue. Gogle told Snyder to stop or leave. Then on Satur...

A cemetery outing Sunday led one of my girls to finally get me on Instagram. You can follow me at: https://www.instagram.com/genealogicalgems/ . While MY posts will general be of graveyards, tombstones, historical interests, I should note here that it is entirely feasible that my girls acquire my phone from time to time. So, for example, a food photo or a photo of two extremely cute girls who look alike may appear from time to time! © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Like every year, I list a few things I want to focus on and confirm or deny. This year I decided to focus on my immigrant lines and my ancestral homelands. On Glenn’s (hubby) side, I want to focus more on documentation. My great grandfather Panko Hruszczak arrived in New York on the Volturno My known immigrants are: Panko Hruszczak – my great grandfather from Prusy, Sambor , Galicia Bessie Matys - my great grandmother from Fraga, Rohatya , Galicia John Kurenda - my great grandfather from Tatary, Sambor , Galicia , Poland Frances Skrabalak - my great grandmother from Temeszow , Poland Mary Kilpatrick - my great grandmother from Ireland Michael Walsh - my 2x great grandfather from Ireland Anna Keating - my 2x great grandmother from Ireland Dennis O'Flaherty - my 2x great grandfather from Ireland Martha Durkin - my 2x great grandmother from Ireland My Still line continues to be an obsession. I am determine...

Christmas 2015 Daddy and my girls. Genealogy is truly my obsession. It is often the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing in the evening. I often joke around telling my family "I'm off to play with dead people." At this time of year though it is important to not just look at our past, but also our present and even our future. Above is my father, my oldest daughter and my twins. My oldest just got married in September and they are already expecting! Our grandchild is due in June 2016. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

While many notable incidents happened On This Day in history, today I simply opted to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

I am working on genealogy goals for the New Year for the hubby’s side. While mine will mostly focus on my immigrants and ancestral homelands, I think for his I may concentrate on confirming documentation across the board and researching one or two lines in more detail. I have his Eckman line dated back to the mid 1600’s to the birth of his 7 th great grandfather, Ulrich Eckman. The Eckmans are from Roamnshorn, Canton of Thurgan in Switzerland . This is definitely one branch on which I would like to confirm documentation. The Deyoe line is another I would like to work on documenting more. This past summer we took a few days and went up New York . We gained a lot of information that I am still in the processing of transcribing all the data. The shortest line I have is that of his maternal grandfather’s mother, Louise Sharp. She has been a bit of a mystery. She was, according to several census records, born in 1838 in Delaware County , New York . I believe her mother’s first...

Panko and Bessie Hruszczak, my great grandparents, are buried at the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Cemetery in Valley Township , Chester County . Their stone reads: Hruszczak Panko    1893 - 1968 Bessie    1895 - 1972 Both my great grandparents came over as teenagers, settling in Coatesville. Panko’s Uncle Onifer Romanko – his mother’s brother – was already in Coatesville, also attended Holy Ghost and is buried up our cemetery too. Bessie followed her brother Frank here. After Bessie and Panko married, Frank and his wife and children moved to New Jersey . One of my goals for 2016 is to concentrate on my immigrants and my ancestral homelands. Panko, on his naturalization paperwork, stated he was from Prusy, Sambor , Galicia . Bessie’s (maiden name was Matys) homeland was Fraga, Rohatya , Galicia . Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

When you grow up in a small town, there are some names that just stand out throughout the generations. On This Day in 1882 the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer published a short piece on the installation of officers at Masonic Lodge, No. 417, in Christiana. Many are names that still are associated with the town. D.D.G. M. Breneman installed the new officers. Those installed were: Worshipful Master Thomas J. Marsh; Senior Warden Thomas R. Hirst; Junior Warden H.H. Hamilton; Treasurer Samuel Slokom; and Secretary Edwin Carret. Members and visitors were treated afterward to a banquet by J. Hershberger, of the Christiana Hotel. The Christiana Lodge, No 417 continues to meet and serve the community today. The Lodge is located at Slokom Avenue and Green Street in the Borough. Christiana is located in Lancaster County, bordering Chester County. Sources Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 22 December 1882. Chronicling America : Historic Amer...

It was On This Day in 1913 that the Sunday edition of the New York World published the first crossword puzzle. The puzzle was created by Arthur Wynne, a journalist from Liverpool . The crossword was in a diamond shape. Clues included “What this puzzle is” and “Part of a ship.” In all, there were 31 clues in this first crossword puzzle. Today many sites allow you to make your own puzzle and I have to admit it is harder than it looks! I used Puzzlemaker on Discovery Education’s site. It includes just 20 clues. The point of it was two fold. First, I wanted to give my girls a copy since it was of the family. Second, it was appropriate to this post. If you attempt it, please leave a comment below and let me know how you did! Sources “Brief History of Crossword Puzzles,” American Crossword Puzzle Tournament www.crosswordtournament.com On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.       ...

This coming Saturday will be the 47 th anniversary of my great grandfather passing away. Panko Hruszczak left his parents and his homeland when he was just a teen. He came to America , traveling in steerage, hoping for a better life. He settled in Coatesville, Chester County where he met and married Bessie Matys. He worked in the steel mill for most of his life. He and Bessie raised a large family here. Their second son, Joseph, is my grandfather. His obituary reads: Panko Hruszczak (Ruczhak), 75, of 274 New St. , Coatesville, died at his home Thursday afternoon. He had been in failing health for four years. Hruszczak, who was the husband of Bessie Matys Hruszczak, was born in Galicia , Austria , and had resided in Coatesville for 35 years after coming to this country as a young man. He had retired from Luken’s Steel Co. approximately 11 years ago where he was employed in the die shop of central maintenance for 15 years. He was formerly employed by B...

The neighbors of Israel Kieffer, On This Day in 1880, supplied the family with food after learning their cupboards were bare. The North Christian Street neighbors learned of Kieffer’s destitute situation after one of the children died of diphtheria. The father was out of work and had been so for some time. Three other children were also ill. Sources Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 20 December 1880. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress. On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

American Hungarian Federation It was On This Day in 1907 that the Darr Mine exploded in Jacobs Creek, Pennsylvania. The explosion killed 239 coal miners, most of whom were Hungarian immigrants. The mine was part of the Pittsburgh Coal Company near the Youghiogheny River in Westmoreland County . The explosion occurred around 11:30 a.m. as women were preparing for their husbands and sons to return home for lunch. Instead the earth rocked and they heard a loud noise. Dust and smoke poured out of the mouth of the mine. A list of the victims can be accessed at: http://www.americanhungarianfederation.org/news_darrmine_victims.htm . Sources “1907-2007: The Darr Mine Disaster Commemoration” The American Hungarian Federation. http://www.americanhungarianfederation.org/news_darrmine.htm “ Pennsylvania miners perish in coal mine explosion” This Day in History, 1907. History.com. On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events. ...

It was On This Day in 1878 that Pennsylvania executed John Kehoe. Kehoe was dubbed the “last of the Molly Maquires.” The Molly Maquires were an Irish society responsible for bringing to light the exploitation of the Irish-American workers. Kehoe had been arrested and hanged for the murder of mine foreman Frank W.S. Langdon in 1862 in Schuylkill County . It was, according to History.com, widely believed that Kehoe was actually innocent. Even the governor of Pennsylvania – John F. Hartranft - is said to have thought Kehoe to be innocent but he signed the death warrant anyway in hopes to put an end to the Molly Maquires. John Kehoe was born on 3 July 1837 in County Wicklow , Ireland . He came to live in Schuylkill County in the 1840s. In September 1866, he married Mary Ann O’Donnell in Mahanoy City . They had four children. He is buried in Saint Jeromes Catholic Cemetery in Tamaqua, Schuylkill County . One hundred years after his execution, he was posthumous...

Scarlet Fever is an “acute, contagious febrile disease marked by sore throat, and a scarlet rash,” according to a medical dictionary. Margie Glover Jenkins, the 18 month old granddaughter of Lancaster ’s Thomas Baumgardner, died this week, reported the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer On This Day in 1880. Sources Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 17 December 1880. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress. Taber, Clarence Wilbur. Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary . Philadelphia : F.A. Davis Company, 1958. Page S-15. On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Working on genealogy goals for the New Year. Thinking of concentrating efforts on my immigrants and ancestral homelands. There are a few (on Mom's side) that I am still not certain of yet. Daddy's side was actually easier, probably since I am only third generation American on his side so I only have four direct immigrants (my great grandparents). Mom's however ... Frances & John Kurenda My known immigrants are: Daddy's side: Panko Hruszczak - from Prusy, Sambor, Galicia Bessie Matys - from Fraga, Rohatya, Galicia John Kurenda - from Tatary, Sambor, Galicia, Poland Frances Skrabalak - from Temeszow, Poland Mom's Irish lines: Mary Kilpatrick - my great grandmother Michael Walsh - my 2x great grandfather Anna Keating - my 2x great grandmother Dennis O'Flaherty - my 2x great grandfather Martha Durkin - my 2x great grandmother I got my AncestryDNA results back earlier and would also like to confirm which of my lines is my European Jewi...

It was On This Day in 1811 that an 8.6 earthquake rattled the earth near New Madrid, Missouri. The quake was so strong that the valley rose and fell and the river – the great Mississippi River – actually changed the direction. Imagine being woken up from a sound sleep at 2 a.m. to sounds of your house crackling. Your chimney crashes to the floor and the roof collapses in. You run outside and are literally thrown to the ground as the earth shook violently. The trees in the nearby forest fall to the earth and the Earth opens wide in many places. Gases – horribly smelling sulphurous gases – escape from the depths of the Earth. The River – that is the great Mississippi River – rises and falls repeatedly. Amateur scientist Jared Brooks estimated that between this day in 188 and 15 March 1812, there had been 1874 shocks. Eight of those were considered violent with another ten being considered very severe. The quake, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), was 10...