Genealogical Gems

Glenn and I were married on 22 August 1992. Here he is pictured with his parents - Dorothy Deyoe and Frank Eckman. Both passed away a few years ago - Dad in 1994 and his mom in 1996. The photo just felt fitting today. We were married by Father George Schneider at Our Lady of Consolation (I was Catholic at the time) in Parkesburg, Chester County. Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt from GeneaBloggers. (c) Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2016

On this Memorial Day we remember those who served and died in that service to out great Nation. Today, as President Barak Obama and many before him announced in his Memorial Day Proclamation, “ we pay solemn tribute to those brave Americans who laid down their lives to defend our freedom. ” In our families – mine and my husband’s – we have many who have served. Between us, we cover all five branches too. Our son-in-law is currently serving. However today is Memorial Day. Today we honor those who made that ultimate sacrifice. Today I honor my great Uncle Paulie (Paul Kurenda) and my husband’s 6 th great uncle, Jacob Eckman. Paulie with my grandmother, Anna Paulie, as his sister (my grandmother) always called him, was the baby of the family. Born 16 July 1922, Paul grew up on a farm in Sadsburyville,   Chester   County . He was the youngest child of John Kurenda and Frances Skrabalak. Like many Coatesville area boys of that era, he went to work in the steel mill af...

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...

Sue Eckman and Clay Acheson, both of Southern Lancaster County, were married on 19 January 1915 at the Faith Reformed Church in Lancaster . Rev. D. G. Glass, the pastor of the church, performed the unattended ceremony. Susan Mabel Eckman is the daughter of Christopher Columbus Eckman, Sr. and Mary Ann Knight. Susan’s great grandmother, Elizabeth Winter Eckman Miller, is my husband’s 2x great grandmother! Sources Harrisburg Daily Independent. ( Harrisburg , PA ), 20 January 1915. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress. Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Mabel Florence Eckman, my husband’s grandmother, passed away On This Day in 1975. She is buried at the Greenmount Cemetery in Philadelphia . She is buried with her husband, John Charles Eckman. Their stone reads: Eckman John C. 1885 – 1950 Mabel F. 1888 - 1975 Mabel was born 23 July 1888 in New Providence, Lancaster County to Aldus and Emma Miller Eckman. Before meeting John Eckman (very distant cousins), she was married to John Anderson. She married him in 1909. I am told – though I have no documentation to prove or disprove – that it was an abusive relationship. That first marriage ended in divorce on 23 June 1923. She married John Charles Eckman, a Lancaster City native, on 7 January 1924. He preceded her in death. Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers. © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

On This Day in 1880, it was recorded that John W. Eckman sold the Gochenaur farm in Providence Township to Silas Winters. Eckman was the manager of Montgomery iron company of Port Kennedy. The farm, which at one time was mined for iron ore, contains approximately 50 acres. It sold for $4,000.   Silas’ mother was a Gochenaur by birth – Esther Gochenaur (1792 – 1823). She is the daughter of Joseph and Esther Herr Gochenaur. Esther is a direct lineal descendent of the Rev. Hans Herr.   Silas was born about 1822 to Esther (nee Gochenaur) and Christopher Winters. He and his wife, the former Catherine Marks, farmed in Providence Township . They had at least four children of their own: Ella M. (1844-1907), Mary A. (b. 1846), Sophia (b. 1848), Augustus (1847-1924), John (b. 1854), Laura (b. 1857) and Walter H. (b. 1861). They also adopted two children: Ida and Charles LeFevre.    The Eckman family is related to the Winters, the Gochenaurs, and the Herrs. ...

Enoch S. McCarty missed his fellow servicemen. He placed an ad in the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer on 24 October 1881.   The article read: Enoch S. McCarty, of Kimble, Luzerne Co., PA, desires to know the post office and whereabouts of any or all of the following: John R. Martin, Henry W. Shultz, Samuel McIntyre, Mahlon P. Eckman, who, during or after the war, lived at or near this city. They belonged to the same company with McCarty.   Mahlon Eckman happened to be my husband’s “1 st cousin 4x removed” according to Family Tree Maker. So, of course this one caught my attention!   He was born in 1831 to Henry and Susan Longnecker Eckman. Henry's parents were John Martin Eckman and Elizabeth Sides. Henry's sister, Elizabeth, is my husband's 3rd great grandmother!       Mahlon had a brother, Hiram, who was three years younger. In 1860, he married Margaret Jane Armstrong. They would have five children together: Cyrus, Henry, Jo...

Several people in my family were born in October. My cousin Janet Webster  Sammons will celebrate her 84 th birthday this year and God love her she is still going strong! Another cousin, Lorraine Welsh Webb, will celebrate her birthday too. There are many a few others but, in my humble and of course unbiased opinion, none that stand out as much as my babies!   My twins – Anna and Zorina – will be 17 on Wednesday, the 7 th .   They were a month early, which is not unusual for twins. They were born on a Wednesday.    That week I went into work – drove myself – for our advertising staff meeting. At the time I was selling ads and writing for the (now defunct) Ledger Newspapers in Quarryville. I announced I would be working from home thereafter and made arrangements with the one of the other salespersons (her name was Dee, a real sweetheart but for the life of me, I cannot recall her last name) for her to stop by and pick up my ad copy. Tuesday morning, ...

My oldest daughter - Mary Eckman - got married this morning to Ashton Soanes! They were married by District Justice Issac Stoltzfus in Intercourse, Lancaster County. They were supposed to get married last Friday but the paperwork never arrived from overseas (Ash is currently serving in the Army in Italy). It was witnessed by Glenn & I, and Ash's brother Arthur.   Many Years, Mary & Ash! © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

John Eckman was a well known citizen of Strasburg Township, Lancaster County . He died on 8 December 1889 at his home across from the Reformed Church in New Providence . He was born in that neighborhood, lived his life there, was a painter there, married and raised a family there, and died there.   He had been a justice of peace, an elected position, for some years. He held the office until his death.   He had been sick from a bilious attack. He left a wife and 10 children, according to his death notice in the Lancaster Daily Intelligencer.   Note: John Eckman is my husband’s 2x great grandfather. He is the son of Henry Eckman and Elizabeth Eckman. He married Catherine Kezia Cresswell on 7 January 1858. I have documented 11 children. Three passed before their father.   Source: The Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 9 December 1889. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Lib. of Congress.     Sunday’s Obitua...

Sue Eckman and Clay Acheson were married on 19 January 1915. They were married by the Rev. D. G. Glass, pastor of the Faith Reformed Church in Lancaster .   Source: The Star-independent. ( Harrisburg , Pa. ), 20 Jan. 1915. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Lib. of Congress.     Wedding Wednesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

The US presidential election in 1880 was a much talked about race between Republican James A. Garfield and Democrat Winfield Scott Hancock. It was a close race and everyone, it seems from reading the newspapers of that day, had an opinion … including Eckman’s hen. Ephraim Eckman, Jr., of West Lampeter Lancaster County , had a hen of blooded stock (that is, a purebred) that was hatched on Easter Monday. She had laid a dozen eggs in her four months already. The Lancaster Daily Intelligencer reported On This (obviously slow news) Day in 1880 that her brother “crows for Hancock.”   Source: Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 7 August 1880. 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, 117 years ago, in 1898 that Catherine Kezia Cresswell Eckman passed away in Strasburg Township , Lancaster County . Born 13 October 1840, she was the daughter of James Cresswell and Elizabeth Herr. Elizabeth , being the daughter of David Herr and Catherine Bumberger, was the 3x great granddaughter of the Reverend Hans Herr.   Catherine married John Henry Eckman, son of Henry and Elizabeth Eckman, on 7 January 1858. They had 11 children and lived across the street from the Zion UCC Church in Providence .   She is buried at Zion with her husband, John, and several of their children.  She is my husband's 2x great grandmother.   On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

James A. Eckman, of Drumore Centre , the hotel that burned on the 21 st , was arrested for forgery On This Day in 1880. Eckman allegedly had given a note to L. Strauss & Co. of Philadelphia but he had signed it G.W. Harbeson. Harbeson naturally denied any knowledge of the note. Eckman was given bail for $500 and would go before Squire Groff in Willow Street on the 27 th of July. Eckman claimed Harbeson had given him permission to sign his name.   The Drumore Centre Hotel had burned completely on the 21 st July 1880. The hotel, according to the article , had just been advertised at sheriff’s sale before the fire. James is the son of the late Henry Eckman.    Source: Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 23 July 1880. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.      On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.          ...

The Southern End hotel, known as Drumore Centre, has burned. The origin of the fire, which occurred approximately 6 p.m. on the 21 st July 1880, was unknown. Neighbors were able to save the contents of the house and protect the surrounding buildings.   The license for the hotel was still in court pending. The title of the property is held by the son of the late Henry Eckman. The son (unnamed in the article ) and his mother, Henry’s widow, lived there for years. A Mr. Sanders McCullough from nearby Oxford held a lien on the property. The lien is assumed (by the article ) to be greater than the insurance. The hotel was insured by the Southern Mutual of Lancaster County for $2,000.   The hotel is described as a two story frame structure. It was located at the Lancaster and Port Deposit Road crossroads. It was located near the Washington Lodge A.Y.M.   Source: Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 22 July 1880. Chronicling America : Histor...

William and Elizabeth Kunkle are buried together in the old German Reformed Church Cemetery on Sawmill Road in Strasburg Township . The cemetery which is full of Eckmans and of course these Kunkles, is situated on what is now private property. However it is along the roadside and the family there maintains it for the most part. My girls and I stopped by recently and took this photo then.   Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Elliot H. Eckman died suddenly in Atlantic City. A resident of Trevorton, he was just 40 years old. His wife survives him. While his obituary does not mention any other family, he was also survived by a brother, Frank .   His obituary reads: Elliot H. Eckman, of Treverton, a former resident of this city, died at Atlantic City on Thursday morning last, where he had gone to try and regain his health.   When Mr. Eckman left for Atlantic City , he was not aware of the malady, which was pronounced “hasty consumption,” that had taken hold of him, nor of the seriousness of his illness. He had hardly reached the city until he became worse instead of better. The air was too heavy for him and he seemed to fail at once, even before he could realize his condition, he was past recovery.   He leaves a wife to mourn his sudden taking away. He was 40 years of age.   Mr. Eckman resided in this city twelve years ago, and for sometime kept a grocery store at the stand...

Elliot Eckman , a justice of peace at Treverton, was being laid to rest On This Day in 1900 when his brother was arrested. Frank Eckman had come back east for Elliot’s funeral at Klinesgrove. Detective Paul F. Fendrick arrested Frank. The charge was deserting his wife several years prior. Source: Montour American. ( Danville , PA ), 19 July 1900. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.      On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

The 1880 census was done back on 1 June and the enumerator was Peter Hiller. He reported, On This Day in 1880, that the oldest person in Lancaster County was Mrs. Nancy Sterrit. She lived in Conestoga Township . She was, on the first of June when the census was taken, only four days shy of being 100.   The article continued on listing the oldest person in each municipality. The oldest person in the southern part of Warwick was 89 year old Martin Eckman.       Source: Lancaster daily intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 7 July 1800. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.      On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Today would have been Dad's (Frank Raymond Eckman) birthday. He was born On This Day in 1929 to John Charles Eckman and Mabel Florence Eckman. He lived in Philadelphia until he, his wife and son (Glenn - the other three were already out on their own) moved to Kirkwood, Lancaster County in 1975. This photo was taken at our (mine and Glenn obviously) wedding in 1992. Dad passed on 16 January 1994, at the age of 64.