Genealogical Gems

By dumb luck, while searching for something interesting for the On This Day post, I found the death notice for a Mrs. Catharine Eckman. So who was she? I know she is not a direct lineal relation, that she is instead a collateral relative. But what Eckman did she marry and how do I find her?   Her death notice reads: Eckman – In Strasburg, on March 15, 1880, Mrs. Catharine Eckman, aged 91 years, 7 months and 15 days. Her relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend the funeral from her late residence, No. 91 East Main street , on Thursday morning, at 10 o’clock. Funeral services at Longenecker’s meeting house, at 11 o’clock.   From that, I know that she was born about 1789. I know her exact death date (15 March 1880) and her residence.   I searched the newspaper for the 15th and found her actual obituary! It notes that she was the widow of Jacob Eckman, late of Lancaster City. She lived in the Borough of Strasburg. It also notes that she has 10 c...

Josephine Eckman Pelikoski passed away peacefully two years ago today. So, today Matrilineal Monday just seems a perfect fit to remember her.    Born 25 July 1926 in Philadelphia , she is the daughter of John Charles Eckman and Mabel Eckman. She was the middle child. Her older brother is John Charles Eckman and he younger is Frank Raymond Eckman (Dad). They three kids grew up in Philadelphia , attended school there and worked there after high school.    During World War II, Aunt Jo worked in the payroll dept. of the John B. Stetson Co. when they were working on military contracts. The Stetson Hat Company was located on the corner of intersection where 5th Street , Germantown and Montgomery come together in the Kensington area. When the War ended, she worked for the So. Philadelphia National Bank in the bookkeeping department.   Then in 1948, after serving six years in the US Navy, she married Anthony Pelikoski. Their first son, named Anthony Jr., wa...

Apolina Morrill is one of my husband’s immigrant ancestors. Until recently she was a dead end. I had only known her as Apolina. It was not until Pennsylvania made the death certificates easily available, that I knew who her parents were. My goal this year, concerning her, is to confirm her parents and learn more of Apolina, the wife of Charles Coursault.    Her – and Charles Coursault’s – children are: Julia b. June 1885 ß hubby’s grandmother! Catherine (Katie) b. June 1887 marr George Bonner; daughter Lillian Leon (Leopold) b. January 1890 Francis Prosper b. April 1892 marr Esther b. 1892; son Elmer b 1915. Marie b. August 1894 Anna b March 1899 Helen b 1902 All I knew to start with was what I learned from the Census records.    Reviewing Census Records   1920 Census Apolina is now 57, widowed and living in a rented home on Frankford Avenue with three children, a daughter in law, and a step grands...

Mary Anna Kirchner was my husband’s great grandmother’s sister. She was born 29 June 1851 in Lancaster to John and Barbara Kuhn Kirchner. I chose her to write about for today’s Matrilineal Monday because it was today – 22 December – in 1913 when she passed away. I know so very little about Mary. Being a daughter of John and Barbara Kuhn Kirchner, I could easily assume she had been baptized at St. Joseph RC Church in Lancaster. The rest of the family was so this would make sense. She married Charles William Janson in 1886. I do not know how the two met or where they married.   He was a collector. The Janson Family shows up on both the 1900 and the 1910 Census as living in Baltimore , Maryland . They had 10 children: Cecilia, Rolendis, Henry, Margaret, Anna, Roman Philip, Jerome A., Gertrude C., Dorothy May, Charles M., and one who passed before 1900. The first five (Cecilia, Rolendis, Henry, Margaret, and Anna) were from Charles’ first marriage. She died on 22 Dec...

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...

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...

Bessie Matys, my great grandmother, was born 5 June 1895. She came to America in 1912, leaving her father and three older sisters in Fraga, to join her brother in Coatesville, Chester County, PA. It was there she met and married Panko Hruszczak in 1915. Together they had 10 children. One passed in infancy but the others lived full lives. But today, I'd like to focus on Bessie herself. Little is known of her life before she immigrated. She was born in Fraga, Rohatya, Galicia to, according to church records here, Joseph Matys and Olena Vaspleship. I know of her four sisters only because of a letter from her brother's oldest daughter, Catherine. Catherine Matys Rothermel immigrated with her parents. We wrote and visited several times. She wrote once that there was four girls and her father and that Bessie was the youngest of all. She was 18 when she boarded the ship Cincinnati in Hamburg, Germany to join her brother, Frank, here in America. She arrived, according ...

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.  

Anna Keating was born in 1855 in County Mayo, Ireland. Today being St. Patrick's Day, I thought it the perfect day to select one of my Irish ancestors to focus upon! Anna is one of several children of Martin and Knapy Penelope Keating. My Aug Peg had told me years ago that Anna immigrated when she was five. She came over with her siblings - not sure how many but Aunt Peg did say "brothers and sisters". No one ever mentioned her parents coming over so I have always worked on the assumption that they remained behind in Ireland. Her and her siblings settled in Ringtown, PA. Aunt Peg had said that the state came in and claimed eminent domain and took the family farm for a highway. A couple years ago however I visited the Ringtown Public Library and the Shenandoah Historical Society and no one recalled any eminent domain cases around then for a highway. She married Michael Walsh, an Irish immigrant as well, who was living nearby in Shenandoah. They had six children. Eve...

Rosa Kirchner is my husband's great grandmother (John, Frank, Glenn). She was the daughter of John (Johannes) Kirchner and Barbara Kuhn and was born 4 September 1859 in Lancaster, PA. She was the youngest of four known children. Her siblings are: Mary Anna (b 1851), Philip (b 1852), and John (b. 1857). I know little of her childhood. The family lived in the Cabbage Hill section of the City with many other German immigrants. The family was Roman Catholic and attended St. Joseph, which at the time was primarily made up of German families. On 24 August 1881 she married Charles Henry Eckman, the son of John Henry Eckman and Catherine Kezia Creswell. Their son John was my husband (Glenn)'s grandfather. Charles preceded her in death, passing in 1886. She married Peter Weber some time after. They had one son - Charles - who was born in October 1897. She passed sometime after 1924.

The first section of the Gutenberg Bible was published today in 1452. That got me thinking of this most unusual family record I have from an old family bible. The Longanecker Family listed their births with some information that I have never seen elsewhere. Elizabeth Longanecker, as is seen above, was born  on 11 March 1826 "in the sign of the orphan(?) between the hours of 1 and 2 o'clock in the morning." What on earth is the sign of the orphan? At first I thought it had to do with the zodiac. If it does though, it is not the traditional zodiac. For example, Susannah Longanecker was born 15 November 1828 "in the sign of the fish". The sign of the fish in the traditional zodiac however I would think it would be Pisces, which is late February/early March. By traditional zodiac dates, Susannah would be right on the cusp of a Libra or a Scorpio, with the 15th being the last day of the Libra. Elizabeth however would be a Pisces - the fish! Another entry sh...

Sarah Bing Still is my great-great-great grandmother (Sarah Bing - Franklin Still - Pierson G Still - Lloyd P Still - mom - me). Sadly, I do not know much of her. She was born 18 February 1811 in Pennsylvania (I believe East Caln* but still confirming) to Robert and Sarah McWilliams Bing. On 30 December 1830 she married George David Still, of East Fallowfield. They had six children together. I had found mentioned of George being a trustee at the Methodist Episcopal Church in East Fallowfield in 1841. While it is normally safe to assume at that time that spouses attended the same church, Sarah's obituary notes her as a member of the Washington ME Church in East Fallowfield.  Sarah passed 13 April 1891 in East Fallowfield of pneumonia. She and George - who preceded her in death - are buried in the Doe Run Cemetery with many other Still family members. Her obituary was published in the Local on 14 April 1891. It reads: Mrs. Sarah B. Still, widow of the late Geo. D. ...

Elizabeth Sides is my husband's 4th great grandmother. She recently came up in a conversation with new found relation so I thought she would be perfect to focus on today. I know little of her to be quite honest. I know simply that she was born 1757 in Providence Township, Lancaster County, PA. In 1778 she married John Martin Eckman, son of John Hieronymus and Anna Barbara Slaymaker Eckman. They had nine children together. On 7 February 1841, Elizabeth passed. Her husband John Martin - who often simply went by Martin - passed on 4 October 1809. His will mentions his wife Elizabeth as well as children: Henry, Martin, Daniel, Mary, Susannna, Elizabeth and Sarah. Two of their children has predeceased him. The executers for his will were Elizabeth and Henry Eckman of Bart Township.

Emma Miller was born in August of 1858 to Coradis and Elizabeth Winters Eckman. The Millers lived in Smithville, Lancaster County, PA. Sadly, her parents have me stumped ... for the moment! She married Aldus John Eckman in 1875 and bore him 10 children. One of whom - Mabel Florence - is the grandmother of my husband. The Eckmans lived in Providence Township, Lancaster County, PA. Their children are: Charles Miller (1875-1876) Jenny Elizabeth (1877-) Anna Mae (1879-) Laura Daisy (1881-) Jesse Hall (1882-1974) Joseph Winters (1887-1960) Mabel Florence (1888-1975) <-- hubby's grandmother Russell Conklin (1890-) Pearl Louisa (1895-1988) Olive Viola (1902-1986) Aldus passed on 16 April 1934. Emma did not join him in death until 24 September 1942. They are buried together at the Clearfield United Methodist Church in Smithville. Emma's obituary was published in the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer Journal. It simply reads: Emma Eckman, eighty three of Providence T...

Mary Schermerhorn was born in New York in 1794. She was the daughter of Jacob T (1764 - 1845) and Sarah (1775 - 1846) Shutts Schermerhorn. On 2 April 1820 she married John W Deyoe. To him she has nine children: James, Lucinda, John Walker, Sarah, Christopher E., Hannah, Polly L., and Daniel G. The 1850 Census lists her name as Sarah born 1796. John is head of house in 1850. Living with them at home is Hannah aged 18, Polly aged 15, Daniel ages 12, and Christopher age 10. At the time they were living in Middletown, Delaware County, New York. The 1860 Census has her and John living with their daughter Hannah and her husband Walter George. They were in Lexington, Greene County, New York. She went by Sarah then too. The 1870 and 1880 census though list her as Mary. Both of those census also still have her living with daughter Hannah. The 1880 census however does list her as a widow. She passed on 15 June 1881. She is buried in the Deyoe Family Cemetery. Sadly, all I known of M...

Frances Skrabalek Kurenda is my great grandmother. She was born in Poland on 25 December 1892, immigrated to the United States, married, outlived her husband and one son, remarried and lived until 30 May 1962. During the course of her 70 years, this strong Polish woman most likely danced The Cake Walk as a young girl. During her life, the Brits launched the first sub; the Trans Siberian Railroad expanded into Port Arthur; the Russo-Japanese War claimed many lives as Port Arthur fell to the Japanese and Russia saw a general strike; and Rasputin wormed his way into Czar Nicholas II's court. She was one of the nealry 10.5 million immigrants from southern and eastern Europe during 1905 to 1914. Once here, she would have no doubt read of World War I in the papers recognizing I'm sure many affected towns and villages. She settled into life in Berks County, Pennsylvania where she married John KURENDA in 1908. At some point after their marriage, the couple moved to Coatesville in ...