Genealogical Gems

My second great grandmother was born a Durkin. She was born in 1839 in Ireland but I know little else of her before she came to America in 1870. Every so often I do a broad search for Durkins. Here I came across a Margaret Durkin. The announcement – as transcribed: In Hyde Park , on the 8 th inst., by Rev. J.B. Laughlin, Miss Margaret Durkin, to Mr. Patrick Lenehan, all of Pittston. May the happy couple long enjoy The conjugal life with pleasure, And each new year new pleasure bring, As this year brought them together. The marriage announcement appeared on page two of the Pittston Gazette on 16 January 1852. Pittston is located in Luzerne County. Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

My eldest got married back in September. Her husband is stationed in Italy . She has had a hard time getting all the spousal military paperwork in order but yesterday … finally … she boarded a plane in Philadelphia . Today she should be landing soon in Italy ! Her flight was not a direct one, which of course made her nervous. I probably would be too. The first leg of her flight was a layover in Boston . Fortunately a girl she went to school with was also on the flight. Her friend attends college up Boston and was a great help getting Mary where she needed to be in time for her outgoing flight. Shortly before midnight my time,   she called to say she was in Dublin . Unfortunately her layover there was only about an hour so she did not get to go exploring in one of our ancestral homelands. Today she should be landing sometime – soon I would think – in Venice . Her husband will meet her there and take her “home” to some city I cannot pronounce yet. Safe travels, Mary, o...

A dear friend at church who knew my cousin Tillie provided me last Sunday with her obituary. Tillie was the daughter of my paternal grandmother’s brother. Hence she was my first cousin once removed. Sadly, I must admit, I did not know Tillie personally. His obituary reads: Tillie K. Manley, formerly of Coatesville Tillie K. (Kurenda) Manley, 83, a homemaker, of Lancaster , formerly of Plant City , FL and Coatesville, died on Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at Hamilton Arms, Lancaster. She was the wife of the late Harry I. Manley, who died October 17, 2006. Born June 17, 1932 in Coatesville, she was the daughter of the late Peter and Anna (Letnauchyn) Kurenda. A Catholic, Tillie was a member of St. Clement Catholic Church, Plant City , FL and St. Cecelia’s Catholic Church, Coatesville. She was a volunteer at South Florida Baptist Hospital, Plant City, FL. Surviving are two daughters; Tina Marie, wife of Michael P. Cabry, of Atglen and Teresa Ann Manley, of Lancaster; two grandchildr...

My second great grandmother was born a Durkin but I know little of her before she came to America . Every so often I do a broad search for Durkins. Here I can across a Phebe Matilda Durkin. The announcement – as transcribed: At Newark , NJ , on the 11 th inst. By the Rev. J. Ayars, Mr. Wm Douglas, formerly of Philadelphia , to Miss Phebe Matilda Durkin. The marriage announcement appeared on page two of the Public Ledger, a Philadelphia paper, on 17 April 1839. Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

The small town of Scranton – it was small in 1867 – was shocked by the murder of Dr. John D. Durkin. Durkin was a Lung and Throat Doctor and was killed 5 June 1867. The article, as it appeared in the Pittston Gazette, read: Our city was startled yesterday forenoon by the announcement of the murder of Dr. John D. Durkin, a Lung and Throat Doctor, having his office in John Zeidler’s new building. The Doctor, was found about 10 0’clock, a.m. in his room by G. H. Walters, who has an office on the same floor. When discovered he was lying on his bedroom floor stiff and cold, with a little pool of blood near his head. He was in his night clothes and seemed to have fallen from the floor, or been placed there. Alderman Jay action Coroner, summoned the following persons to act as a Jury of Inquest, viz: Lorenzo Zeidler, Patrick Scanlon, Patrick McGovern, Phillip Frier, A. Sweeney, G.H. Walters. The post mortem examination was concluded by Drs. Squires, Boyde and Masser. The examin...

I came across the obituary for a Colonel Van Horn last week while researching my uncle Benjamin Van Horn. On 3 January 1916, the Oakland Trubune printed his obituary in form of an article on page nine. I skimmed over it, not really expecting a connection until I read one line. One little line that said, “Colonel Van Horn was the son of a Pennsylvania farmer of Dutch and Scotch-Irish ancestry.” Who was his father? His obituary reads: Kansas City , Mo. , Jan. 3. – Colonel Robert Thompson Van Horn, founder of the Kansas City Journal and pioneer journalist and statesman of the Middle west , died at his home here today. He was ninety-one years old. Death was due to the infirmities of age. Colonel Van Horn founded the Journal and was for forty-one years editor of that paper, becoming a widely known figure in American Journalism. Kansas City was a village whose inhabitants numbered only 478 when the young Van Horn wnt there and bought the Weekly Enterprise for $500, in 1855, a...

May your blessings outnumber The shamrocks that grow, And may trouble avoid you Wherever you go.

Most of my relatives came to America and settled down and stayed put. Most. My 4 th great uncle Benjamin Franklin VanHorn is one of a few who migrated West. Born in 1843 in Pennsylvania , he fought in the Civil War. After the War, he married Margaret Hensel. They moved to Virginia then out to California where he settled down ad finally died in 1909. Oakland Tribune, 22 January 1909 His short obituary reads: Van Horn – In Carmel-by-the-Sea, January 13, 1909, B. F. Van Horn Sr., loving father of Virginia M. Truesdale, Minnie J. Gruwell, Theresa E. Longnecker, William A. and Lemuel W. Van Horn, all of Oakland, George F. Van Horn of Paso Robies, Benjamin F. Van Horn of Santa Clara and Hensel D Van Horn of Carmel, a native of Pennsylvania, aged 66 years, 11 months and 8 days. His obituary ran in the Oakland Tribune. Sources: Oakland Tribune. ( Oakland , CA ), 22 January 1909. Sunday’s Obituary is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-E...

Did you know that Ancestry.com offers instructional videos for free? These videos are accessible via YouTube. The videos offer a variety of information. Below is the one uploaded this week by genealogist Crista Cowan. Wisdom Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

Charter Day at Ephrata Cloister, 2011 Pennsylvania will celebrate Charter Day across the Commonwealth next Sunday, 13 March. In March 1681, the original charter for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was signed by King Charles II, conveying the tract of land that is now Pennsylvania to William Penn. The land was a repayment of a large debt that the King owed Penn’s father. Here in Lancaster County , there are three state museums: Ephrata Cloister, Landis Valley Museum , and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. The Ephrata Cloister is located at 632 West Main Street , Ephrata. Landis Valley Museum is a living history Civil War era village. It is located at 2451 Kissel Hill Road , Lancaster . The Railroad Museum explores the affect trains and the train industry has had on America . It is located at 300 Gap Road , Strasburg, across from the Strasburg Railroad. Many sites throughout the Commonwealth will participate in Charter Day. Those sites are: •  Pennsylva...

Today is Soul Saturday. It is a day when Orthodox Christians pray for the peaceful repose of those who have Fallen Asleep in the Lord. It is a day that calls us to pray that God forgives your loved ones any sins they may have committed and that He grant them rest among His saints. As I sat here this morning and considered how to apologize and explain my recent absence from pretty much the entire social world for the past month, I noticed a Church friend had posted about Soul Saturday on her Facebook page and I remembered that today was in fact a Soul Saturday. So, how does this tie in with my disappearance? To be honest, my energy has been drained. February is always a difficult month for me. It’s my birthday month and I hate that. Three years ago, it was also the month my mother passed away. She died on the 5 th at just 69 years. Her cousin – “Aunt” Nonie (Naomi O’Flaherty Catanese) died a few days later. This year, on the 11 th , we were just sitting down to dinner when I ...

Last week – Friday to be specific – David Allen Lambert tweeted a “new genealogy idea” called a Longevity Pedigree. It was one of those Ah Ha moments for me. I’ve been doing something similar but this visual put things in a different perspective for me. Lambert, who tweets as @DLGenealogist, tweeted the following image: I have always recorded birth and death year, as we all do, and since I use Family Tree Maker (FTM), the person’s age has always been calculated for me. Using his visual as a guide, I created a longevity pedigree for my family. I also included the cause of death where known. In some cases, this visual also reminded me who I needed death certificates for yet. In my example, Daddy and I are still living so the only information is just that. Daddy’s mother lived 83 years. She was (still is) a huge part of my life and of course I was there often near her death but I cannot recall the exact cause of death. This visual reminded me that I need to acquire a death...