Genealogical Gems

While going through my cousin’s papers, I came across the funeral card of his mother, Mary Ruzchak. Born Mary Chernecky, she is – to me - the wife of my uncle. My aunt’s funeral card is quite simple. The front is an image of Christ. The back reads:             Prayer for the deceased             Mary Ruzchak             Birth March 17, 1917  Death March 15, 1997 O God of spirits and of all flesh, You trampled death, and broke the power of Satan, and granted life to Your world. Now grant rest, O Lord to the soul of Your servant in a place of light, joy and peace, where there is no pain, sorrow nor mourning. As a kind and gracious God, forgive every sin committed by them in word, deed or thought, since there is no person who exists and does not sin. You alone are without sin, Your justice is everlasting...

Nellie Reed Still was barely a year old when she died. The poor child died Monday, 1 July 1901. The paper claimed she was only 11 months old. Her obituary, which ran in The Morning News , reads: Mr. and Mrs. Still Bereaved Nellie Reed Still, the eleven-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Judson Still died at Elysburg, Monday afternoon. When I did a search for her father, Judson Still, I was not really expecting anything. Wow. Adoniram Judson Still was already in my family tree, albeit distantly. He is, according to Ancestry, my 2 nd cousin 4x removed. That makes Little Nellie my 3 rd cousin 3x removed. Nellie and her brother Ralph were born in Danville in Montour County . Their mom was Dora Kneibles and of course Judson was their father. Little Nellie lived just long enough to be included with Ralph and their folks on the 1900 US Census. That year the Census also revealed the month and year of birth. Nellie had been born in February of that year. Now, that would m...

My Still line had had me at a blockage for years. I am able to get back to the late 1700s but I have not left Chester County . I do not where the family came from originally or even who is my immigrant. As such, I have taken to tracing random Stills from time to time to see if I can connect them. Most I have been able to remotely connect. On Sunday, I posted a Sunday’s Obituary piece of little Emma Still. She was just a year old when she died. The Allentown Leader announces death of Emma Still. Her obituary, which ran in The Allentown Leader , reads: Emma G., the young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Still, died at 7:30 last evening of pneumonia, aged 1 year and 4 months. The funeral will take place Friday at 9 a.m., from the parents’ residence, No. 532 North Court Street. Internment in Highland Cemetery . Rev. Dr. J. F. Pollock will officiate. Pennsylvania began keeping death certificates on a state level that year and I found her death certificate. That started me ...

My search for potential Still connections continues. On 18 August 1913, the Harrisburg Telegraph announced the wedding of Violet Still. from the 18 August 1913 Harrisburg Telegraph The announcement – as transcribed: Ranck – Still Wedding Special to the Telegraph Sunbury , Pa. , Aug. 18 – William F. Ranck, of Milton, and Miss Violet Still, of Sunbury, were wedded at the First United Brethren Church here. The Rev. C. A. Mutch, the pastor, tied the knot. Following a wedding trip they will live at Milton , Pa. The marriage announcement appeared on page two of the Harrisburg Telegraph . The wedding occurred in Sunbury, which is located in Northumberland County . Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

Any death is sad but especially that of a young child. Emma Still was just a year old when she died. from the Allentown Leader on 18 July 1906 Her obituary, which ran in The Allentown Leader , reads: Emma G., the young daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Still, died at 7:30 last evening of pneumonia, aged 1 year and 4 months. The funeral will take place Friday at 9 a.m., from the parents’ residence, No. 532 North Court Street. Internment in Highland Cemetery . Rev. Dr. J. F. Pollock will officiate. At only one year, I doubted I would find much information about little Emma. However since she died in 1906 – the year Pennsylvania began keeping death certificates on a state level – I found her death certificate. Little Emma G. Still died on 17 July 1906 at 532 Court Street, in the 9 th Ward of Allentown in Lehigh County . Her birth date was listed as 26 March 1906 although her age clearly states 1 year 4 months. She died of pneumonia. She was born in Pennsylvania but ...

I had no focus last night but I still wanted to work on my Still family. While exploring various hints on Ancestry.com, I came across one for Agnes Armstrong Still. She was the wife of my 4x great grandfather’s brother David. Her hints however took me to a Civil War soldier who fought in the Colored Troops. Her first hint took me to the Romansville United Methodist Church in Chester County (on Find A Grave) where I knew her to be buried. She died in 1860. Her husband – my 4x great uncle David Still – remarried and lived until 1907. That led me to a hint from the Gerberich Collection which confirmed her burial on 24 February 1860 at Romansville. The Gerberich Collection is a collection of old Pennsylvania church records. She was included under the Romansville Methodist Episcopal Church. I still need to confirm if these are two separate churches or if there was a name/denomination change at some point during the years. Her entry notes that Agnes Still was the wife of David. S...

Jacob Deyoe died in Kalamazoo , Michigan , at the home of his daughter. His short obituary ran in the Detroit Free Press out of Detroit , Michigan on Monday, 10 January 1898. His obituary reads: Kalamazoo , Mich. , January 9 – (Special) – Jacob Deyoe died to-day at the home of his daughter, Mrs. James Mills, from a stroke of paralysis, aged 80 years. If Jacob died at 80 in 1898, then he would have been born in 1818 – give or take a year. Find A Grave puts his birth date as 11 July 1820. However, I found a 59 year old Jacob Deyoe living in Kalamazoo in 1880. He was a farmer living with his 59 year old wife Cynthia, his 38 year old daughter Elizabeth Mills, a 38 year old “boarder” James Mills and seven year old grandson Harry Mills. Jacob and Cynthia were both born in New York . Elizabeth ’s death certificate notes that her parents – Jacob Deyoe and Cynthia Conklin – were both born in New York . Elizabeth and Jacob had both been born in Waterloo . Elizabeth was bor...

I came across the funeral card of Paul Ruczhak while going through my recently deceased cousin’s papers. Paul is my uncle. He is my grandfather’s brother. His funeral card is quite simple. The front is an image of Mary with her Son’s Crown of Thorns in front of her. The back reads:             In Loving Memory of             Paul Ruczhak             Born             September 18, 1922             Coatesville , PA Passed Away January 8, 1995 Coatesville , PA Resurrection Prayer Most merciful Father, we commend our departed into your hands. We are filled with the sure hope that our departed will rise again on the Last Day with all who have died in Christ. We thank you for all the good thin...

My search for potential Durkin relatives continues. On 31 January 1871, the Evening Telegraph, based out of Philadelphia , announced the wedding of Ellen Durkin. The announcement – as transcribed: Duffy – Durkin. – At Pottstville, January 28 th , 1871, by the Rev. J. Walsh, Mr. John Duffy, of Ashland , to Miss Ellen Durkin, of Pottsville . The marriage announcement appeared on page five of the Evening Telegraph, a Philadelphia paper. A John and Ellen Duffy appear in the 1880 Census as living in Butler , Schuylkill County . John, a miner, was 35; Ellen was 30. They had five children: Bernard, Thomas, John, Mary and Sarah. The 1900 Census confirms their marriage year as 1871. By then the couple had nine children, all living.   Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

We all have various books on our reference shelf. They probably include books like “Genealogy Standards” and books on immigration or researching a specific ethnic background. My tip of the day – include a medical dictionary on your shelf. I have a couple medical dictionaries. One is “Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.” It was printed in Philadelphia by the F.A. Davis Company in 1958. The original copyright was 1940. Why is that important? Some medical terms have evolved over the years. Others are no longer used. A great aunt of mine died when she was just 15. She suffered epilepsy all her short life. Her death certificate lists the cause of death as “status epilepticus.’ Taber notes “status epilepticus” is the “rapid succession of epileptic attacks without regaining consciousness during the intervals.” The other is more recent. It is “The Bantam Medical Dictionary” and is copyrighted 1981. It provides a little more information on “status epilepticus.” It defines it as: ...

Ernest Eugene Deyoe died in Waterloo , Seneca County , NY , at the young age of 20. His obituary ran in the Democrat and Chronicle out of Rochester , New York on Tuesday, 19 March 1907. His obituary reads: Ernest Eugene DeYoe died last night at his home in this village, aged 20 years. He was born in Waterloo and had always resided here, being highly esteemed by a wide circle of friends. He had been spending the winter in Detroit , Mich. , returning home about a week ago. He is survived by his father, Frank DeYoe, five brothers, Blaine DeYoe, of Montana ; George DeYoe, of Waterloo ; Charles DeYoe, of Geneva ; Edward and Arthur DeYoe, of Waterloo ; and two sisters, Misses Emma and Satie DeYoe, of Detroit , Mich. I have not determined why Ernest died yet. Nor have I placed him in the family tree. Source: Democrat and Chronicle. ( Rochester , NY ), 19 March 1907. Sunday’s Obituary is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

While going through my recently deceased cousin’s papers, I came across the funeral card of Wasyl Chernecky. Wasyl was my cousin’s maternal grandfather. To me, he is the father-in-law of my uncle. His funeral card is quite simple. The front is an image of Christ. The back reads:             My Jesus have mercy on the Soul of             Wasyl Chernecky             Born March 15, 1889               Passed Away April 24, 1977 O my most gracious Saviour! Merciful God! Have mercy upon Thine heritage, hear the wailing and suspirations of the repenting, mercifully forgive their transgressions, and liberate them from the deserved punishment, and grant upon them, there, the blessed peace, that unceasingly they may glorify, praise and magnify Thee., the...