Genealogical Gems

A contract to erect a bridge across the Beaver Creek at Refton was finally awarded On This Day in 1882. The bridge had been out for about four months and people have been driving through the creek. At night this would be a dangerous trip. The contract was awarded to B. F. Herr and S. M. Miller. While Herr and Miller were not the lowest bidders, they did agree to keep the bridge maintained for five years. Refton is located in Southern Lancaster County.   Source Lancaster Daily Intelligencer. ( Lancaster , PA ), 6 November 1882. Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Library of Congress.    On This Day is a prompt to further explore historical events.                  © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

David Hartman was a former sheriff in Lancaster County . He was also instrumental in establishing what is now known as Millersville University and owned a lumber business. He lived, for most of his young years, in Clinton County , returning to Lancaster when he was 18. It was in Lancaster that he married Miss Miller. He died on 10 October 1881 at his home on North Queen Street . He was 79 years old.   His obituary reads: David Hartman, ex-sheriff of Lancaster county, and one of our oldest and most highly respected citizens, died this forenoon at his residence No. 438 North Queen Street, in the 79 th year of his age, after an illness of about two weeks, brought on by overexertion during a long journey to the West, which he and E.M. Schaeffer made a few weeks ago in the interest of the estate of John S. Gable, deceased, of which they were executors.   Messrs. Hartman and Schaeffer left Lancaster during the latter part of August and proceeded direct to Iow...

S. Guy and Edna M. Miller are buried together at the Octorara Presbyterian Cemetery along Valley Road (Route 372) between Quarryville and Christiana, in Southern Lancaster County.    Samuel Guy was born in 24 April 1879 to Samuel P. and Eliza Ann Miller. He died in November 1970. Edna lived from 1882 to 1961.   They had several children: Laura D., Frank Robert, James T., E. Catherine, Adda P., and Margaret.     Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Samuel P. and Eliza Ann Miller are buried together at the Octorara Presbyterian Cemetery along Valley Road (Route 372) between Quarryville and Christiana, in Southern Lancaster County. Samuel lived from 1848 to 1906. Eliza lived from 1852 to 1935.     The 1900 US Federal Census notes the couple had four children: Clinton, S. Guy, Charles, and Daisey. They lived on a farm in Sadsbury Township , Lancaster County at that time. The stone in the background (in the photo above) is that of S. Guy and his wife.   Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Hiram B. Miller (1848-1927) is buried at the Clearfield United Methodist Cemetery in New Providence, Lancaster County . He is buried with his wife, Amanda Coble (1850-1922).   Hiriam was born on 27 May 1848 to Henry Miller and Hettie Broome in Lancaster County , according to his death certificate. He died at Lancaster General Hospital on 2 February 1927.      Amanda was born on 26 May 1851 to John Coble and Susan Templeton. She preceded Hiram in death on 5 April 1922.   Hiram and Amanda had several children: Benjamin F., John M., Margie M., Irene N., Walter B., and Edgar, according to the 1900 US Census.   Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Mary Miller (1836-1911) is buried at the Clearfield United Methodist Cemetery in New Providence, Lancaster County . She is buried near her husband, Peter Miller (1838-1913).   Mary was born 18 May 1836 to Jacob Gochnauer and Lydia Daily in Lancaster County . She died 9 May 1911 of apoplexy, according to her death certificate. She and Peter Miller married in 1859, according to the 1900 US Census. They had seven children.   Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Peter Miller (1838 - 1913) is buried at the Clearfield United Methodist Cemetery in New Providence, Lancaster County . He is buried near his wife, Mary (1836 – 1911).   Peter was born 22 February 1838 to Peter and Elizabeth Hoover Miller. He died 15 February 1913 of exhaustion, according to his death certificate.   Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.   © Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman, 2015

Samuel H Miller stood trial On This Day in 1882 on the charge of murder! Miller has been charged with the murder of William Gensemer, who was killed on 15 October 1881. Miller pled not guilty. S. H. Reynolds, David McMullen and J. hay Brown, esqs. Represented the defense. District Attorney Davis M. Brosius and J. L. Steinmets, esqs. Represented the Commonwealth.   The murder trial began with the testimony of Dr. Peter O Bleiler, of Denver . He was called out on the evening of 15 October 1881 to attend to Gensemer, who had been shot. Gensemer was found on the pavement in front of Miller’s hotel. The official cause of death was internal hemorrhage from a bullet having entered Gensemer’s throat. Two other physicians were also called to testify.   Clayton H Regar, a friend of Gensemer’s, then testified as to the events leading up to the actual shooting. He claimed they left Eberly’s hotel and heart music at Miller’s. They were deciding if they should go in when Mille...

A man was found hanging to a beam in his barn On This Day in 1880. Andrew Miller was found in his Jersey Shore , Lycoming County barn. It is believed to have been murder. George Smith and Miller’s wife, Catharine, have both been arrested in this case.   According to an entry for Andrew Miller on Find A Grave, his murder was the “crime of the century.” He had been born in 1822 in York County . Catharine Miller and George Smith, again according to Find A Grave, were lovers and had three girls together. Catharine died the following year.   Andrew is buried in Pine Creek Cemetery , in Jersey Shore . Catharine was buried there as well.   Sources: “Andrew Miller,” Find A Grave   Lancaster daily intelligencer. ( Lancaster , Pa. ), 18 March 1880 . Chronicling America : Historic American Newspapers . Lib. of Congress.     On This Day is a prompt I started this month to further explore historical events.     ...

Still working on my Genealogy Do Over Week 3. I have to admit I feel pressured since I missed my self-imposed deadline of Sunday posting. I had hoped to finish it up today but life got in the way! My girls and I went to the eye doctor for a schedule annual exam. I took the first appointment at 8:30 a.m. then the two of them went then he finished up with me. Mine takes a little longer since I have to get drops and get tested for glaucoma. On the good side, I do not have glaucoma and my blood vessels and my eyes in general look healthy. As a diabetic who has worn glasses since the second grade, my eye health is incredibly important to me. Anyway, my eyes were still huge at 2 p.m. They were so huge that I could have tried out for and got a role in Big Eyes, just on the basis on my eyes! So for now, goodnight. Tomorrow I expect will be a busy day. A catch up day for me since the girls will be back in school finally. I love spending the long weekends with them but I have so much to d...

The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County recently released the 2015 Watch List of the most threatened historic properties in Lancaster County. One place on the list is the Eagle Tavern. Built in 1815, this two and one-half story, federal style stone building was one of the best taverns built in a small town in Lancaster County . Originally, it was built first as a house for Samuel Miller and his wife, Anna, in 1815. There is an 1815 date stone centered on the western gable end.    Back in November, the Lancaster County Historical Society opened its doors as part of National Archives Month. I took one of the tours … and it was so worth it! One of the items on display for use that day was the record book of the Eagle Hotel in Lampeter. The book showed a page from 1914.   It is located at 901 Village Road , Lampeter.   Sources: PHMC Cultural Resources Databases http://www.philadelphiabuildings.org/pab/app/phmc_display.cfm?KeyNo=028572 ...

  Daughter Anna Mae Miller Mar. 9, 1910 Oct. 3, 1920 Gone but not forgotten.     Anna Mae Miller is buried in the Clearfield United Methodist Cemetery in Providence Township, Lancaster County. She is the daughter of Charles L. and Emma L. Henry Miller. She died of Acute Endocarditis Septic, according to her death certificate. The informant on which was a Mrs. Emma Rogers ... perhaps her mother remarried after Charles' death?     Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.  

  Father Charles L. Miller Born Oct. 27, 1884 Died Dec. 8, 1911   A little flower of love That blossom about to die Transplanted now above At home (?) with God above.   Buried at Clearfield United Methodist Cemetery in New Providence, Lancaster County.     Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.    

In memory of Eve, wife of Jacob Miller born October 11th 1826 died January 8th 1849 aged 23 years 2 months & 27 days also Philip (I cannot read the rest) Eve, and Philip, Miller are buried at Clearfield UM Cemetery in New Providence, Lancaster County, PA. Philip is the son of Eve and Jacob. The stone implies that perhaps she died in childbirth or from complications as a result of child birth. Philip died 10 days after his mother, on 18 January 1849, according to the Gerberich Collection available on Ancestry.com. Sources: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records ; Reel: 1000 Photo: Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman. Taken 12 August 2011. Tombstone Tuesday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers

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...

Sorting Saturday may have turned into an all day event here! I got up early (3:30 a.m.) with a rather large To Do list and I really have made some good progress already. (It's 8 a.m. btw) This photo at right is just my card table. My desk is organized but covered in several projects. My bookshelf itself is organized however the bottom shelf (the oversized one where I can shove  bunch of stuff out of the way!) is screaming for attention. My file cabinets/boxes had piles on them that need sorted. My printer is covered in paperwork for church (check off Sisterhood minutes and agenda off that To Do list!). My trash is overflowing. I went to a book sale yesterday with the girls and of course now I need to devour the books. One I already put up on eBay - Law book: 1952 Handcover Manual for Police and Constables in Pennsylvania . I found it on Amazon for $65. Needless to say, I do not have it listed at that price. The copy I have has an name/address stamped into the book. The name...

All these years I have been going crazy looking for a CORADIS MILLER. According to Emma Miller's obituary her late parents were Coradis and Elizabeth Winter Miller. Turns out ... his name was Socrates; the obit was wrong! Emma's obituary reads: Emma Eckman, eighty-three of Providence Township, widow of Aldus J. Eckman, died at 4:45 p.m. Thursday at her home. The daughter of the late Coradis and Elizabeth Winter Miller and she is survived by the following children: William, of Buffalo, New York; Mrs. Charles Martin, of Conestoga Center; Mae Eckman, of Reading; Mrs. B.C. Hill, of Philadelphia; Jessie Eckman and Joseph Eckman, of Christiana; Mrs. John C. Eckman, of Philadelphia; Roscoe, of Harrisburg; Mrs. Pearl Silverthorne, of Reading; and Mrs. Walter Lawrence, of New Providence. Twenty grandchildren and ten great grandchildren also survive. Emma - who is my husband's great grandmother - was born in 1858 in Providence Township. So, I started with the 1860 Census and ...

Today (2 November) is Plan Your Epitaph Day. An epitaph is "an inscription on or at a tomb or a grave in memory of the one buried there," according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It can be something simple like "beloved wife and mother" to something almost comical "I told you I had a cold." An epitaph can be informative - that is name, birth info, death info - or it can be more personal and revealing. This example (on right) shows the stone of a Charles L Miller, buried in the Clearfield UM Church Cemetery in Providence Township, Lancaster County, PA. Charles is clearly a father who passed in 1911.  Beneath his death info reads: A little flower of love That blossomed but to die Transplanted now above (?) with God on high - The short verse tells a few things about Charles Miller. First we see by the dates that Charles was young. He was just 27 when he passed. Second, we know he is a father so we can surmise he had a wife and at least one chil...

Father Aldus B. Miller Oct. 10, 1861 - Jan. 4, 1914 Mother Annie E. Miller Sept. 6, 1863 - Sept. 16, 1916 Aldus and Annie Miller are buried at the Clearfield United Methodist Church Cemetery in Smithville, Lancaster County, PA. They do not yet fit into our Millers but how could I resist taking a photo while I was there, right? Noticing the flag next to the grave, I hopped on Ancestry.com and went in search for Aldus Miller. I did not find anything military related but I did find the Millers a few places. The 1900 US Census shows 38 year old Aldus and 36 year old Annie with their children: 15 year old Charles L. (b. Oct. 1884), seven year old Lydia E. (b. Dec. 1892), four year old Clarence P. (b. July 1895), and two year old Benjamin D. (b. May 1898) Miller. The Millers had been married for 17 years and were living in Martic Township, Lancaster County, PA. Aldus listed his occupation as farm laborer. Annie is shown to have had seven children with only five survivin...

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...