Chasing the Elusive: Elizabeth Hager VanLuvanee Hause FOUND

I've been working on my Hager line lately and had come across another elusive: my maternal grandmother's aunt, Elizabeth.

*Note here: As of 13 January 2021, when I updated this, Elizabeth was no longer a Chasing the Elusive, as I FOUND her trail... so this has been edited to reflect that

Elizabeth Hager was born the third child to Christianna Huber and Jonas Hager (whom I already wrote a blog post on).  She was born sometime in August of 1888, in that not-so-sweet spot of time when Pennsylvania counties did not require birth registrations.  Pinning down a location for the family is also difficult, as Jonas tended to move his family between Bucks and Montgomery Counties as he found work.  She was likely born in either Bucks or Montgomery County.

What is known is Elizabeth was on the 1900 census with Jonas and Christianna and family in Hatfield Township, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, enumerated as eleven year old "Lizzie" and having had 7 months of schooling that year.

Sometime around the year 1905, Lizzie married Arthur VanLuvanee, the elder brother of Mary VanLuvanee (who married Elizabeth's brother George).  The couple had a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, who was born in Lansdale on 21 August 1905, per Montgomery County Birth registrations.  

Arthur was a moulder, and on the 1910 to 1940 census enumerations, the couple were found living in a series of homes in Lansdale, first on Third, then west Main, and finally settling at 30 Ridge Street, where they owned their own home.

Arthur died on 18 December 1945 at the home on 30 Ridge Street in Lansdale from heart problems, and great-great-aunt Elizabeth was the informant in his death record.

It was the last that I could find of her on ANY record. That has sincechanged

Daughter Mary married Kermit Detweiler and died 31 January 1965 in Norristown, and like her father, she was buried at Whitemarsh Memorial Park in Ambler, Pennsylvania.  Upon contacting the cemetery, however, I learned that Elizabeth was NOT buried with them.... so I continued to search.

Some interesting notes:  She is not listed on Arthur's draft cards for either World War One or World War Two as the next of kin.  Arthur's mother was his next of kin on the WWI card, whilst daughter Mary was listed as the person who would always know Arthur's address in WWII.  Why wasn't Elizabeth listed on either?

While those questions have not been answered, I have found out what happened to her. I had to thoroughly research her siblings to find out! (This is a great example on why using the FAN method for research does help!)

Sometime after Arthur died in December of 1945 but before brother Robert died in September of 1948, Elizabeth remarried a man by the name of Elmer Hause, as she's listed in Robert's obituary as “Mrs. Elmer Hause.” Elmer was born 29 March 1895 in Lansdale and had also been married before, although it appears his marriage had ended in divorce. He had a number of children with his first wife, though none with Elizabeth, as they were both in their fifties.

Just as though I have been unable to locate a record for Elizabeth's first marriage, I cannot find a marriage certificate for the couple, though I have searched through a number of Pennsylvania county indices that are available on FamilySearch.

What I do know is that the couple continued to reside in Lansdale on Ridge Street until Elmer's death on 9 November 1960 from cerebral thrombosis contributed by lung cancer. He died at the Eagleville Sanatorium in Lower providence Township, but his last known address, as well as the address of his wife, was 40 Ridge Street.

Elmer was buried at Whitemarsh as well, and in his obituary, which was found on Ancestry.com's Public Member trees, Elizabeth and daughter Mary (as Elmer's stepdaughter) were listed as survivors, along with Elmer's family from his first marriage.

It is currently unknown what happened to Elizabeth after Elmer's death. What is known is she passed away on 15 April 1970, though her death record has just been released to the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission and therefore has not been viewed yet. (I tend to wait until the death certificates are online on Ancestry.com, as the copies are better).

It is also known that she WAS indeed buried at Whitemarsh Memorial Park with her second husband under the name Elizabeth Hause.

Sometimes one gets that wonderful little piece of information in which a brick wall comes crashing down, and thanks to her name in her brother's obituary, Elizabeth Hager Vanluvanee Hause is no longer a Chasing the Elusive!

Sources

"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 January 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1900, Census Place: Hatfield Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1442, Page: 2B, Enumeration District: 0204, and FHL microfilm: 1241442.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluvanee and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Hatfield Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: T624_1377, Page: 17A, Enumeration District: 0082, and FHL microfilm: 1375390; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1920 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluvanes and family, Year: 1920, Census Place: Lansdale West Ward Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: T625_1605, Page: 11A, and Enumeration District: 103; Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1930 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluranee and family, Year: 1930, Census Place: Lansdale Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Page: 10B, Enumeration District: 0054, and FHL microfilm: 2341816; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.

"1940 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur and Elizabeth Van Luvannee, Year: 1940, Census Place: Lansdale Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: m-t0627-03579, Page: 14B, and Enumeration District: 46-74; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

Elmer Hause jr. Obituary, Koch Family2014 Public Member Tree; held by David Koch, 2013, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021). unknown newspaper clipping. Posted 9 March 2013 by David Koch, notations by Florence (Hause) Beckett, Elmer's sister.

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 December 2020), memorial page for Elizabeth Hager Hause, Find A Grave Memorial # 210030986, citing Whitemarsh Memorial Park (Ambler, Pennsylvania), memorial created by Lisa Phillips, photograph by Lisa Phillips.

Orphan's Court, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Register of births 1901-1908, V 324; Entry for Mary Elizabeth VanLuvanee, registered 10 Dec 1905; FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah; FHL microfilm 925502.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluvanee, died 18 Dec 1945, cn 107184; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, Entry for Elmer Hause, died 9 Nov 1960, cn 105997-60.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, Entry for Mary E. Detweiler, died 31 Jan 1965, cn 007169-65.

"Pennsylvania Death Indices," online index, Pennsylvania Historical Museum Research Commission (http://www.phmc.pa.gov/Archives/Research-Online/Pages/Death-Indices.aspx : accessed 4 January 2021), Entry for Hause, Eliza H, died 4-25-1970 in Lansdale, cn 040254.

"Robert F. Hager," obituary, Doylestown Daily Intelligencer (Doylestown, Pennsylvania), 28 September 1948, page 3; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 16 December 2020).

"U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 December 2020), Entry for Elizabeth Hause, SSN 180-10-7962, dob 8 Aug 1888, date of death Aug 1970; citing Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.

"U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 October 2020), Entry for Artur VanLuvanee, date of birth 20 Apr 1884; Registration State: Pennsylvania; Registration County: Montgomery; Roll: 1907293; Draft Board: 4; citing United States, Selective Service System. "World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918". Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

"U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 October 2020), Entry for Arthur VanLuvanee, born 20 Apr 1884; citing United States, Selective Service System. Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration. Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147. National Archives and Records Administration.

Men and Motorcycles: The Waldspurger Passion

My maternal grandfather (whom I affectionately called Granpop or Pop) Ernest Waldspurger had eight brothers, and he was the seventh of ten children in a staunch Catholic household.  His father, Edward C. Waldspurger, was the son of Florian Waldspurger and Marie Elizabeth Hans while his mother, Julia Ann Vautier, was the daughter of William John Vautier and Catherine Miller.

As one can imagine, with ten kids, there were a great deal of cousins for my mom to grow up with..... Lucky for me, I have communicated with a number of these cousins and have been gleaning stories throughout the years from them that I have been trying to write down for future generations.

A number of the stories involving my pop and his elder brothers involve motorcycles.... They were crazy for them.

Because my mom has SO many first cousins (and second cousins, etc. etc.), I have also been lucky that many of them are willing to share photos that back the stories.  And because the youngest of the brothers is still alive at one hundred years young, I have been able to ask him what it was like in this motorcycle crazy family.

I thought today I'd share some of these photos and stories:

My great uncles seemed to prefer Indian motocycles (since according to the History of the Indian Mortorcycle, there was no R in the word!), although a few of them did own early Harley Davidson bikes as well. 

Pop's six older brothers were William (Bill), Florian (Wally), Edward (Ed), Lawrence (Larry), Cornelius (Bud) and Francis (Frank).  I was told by my mom, a number of her cousins, and my still alive great uncle, that all of the older brothers did ride bikes (although I don't have a photo of Bud and a bike, nor my own pop).  So it was neat to find these photos of them on their bikes.....

Bill

Wally

Ed

Larry

Larry and Frank with friends and what I am told is a late 1920s Indian Inline, 1932

The "boys" used to drive my great-grandmother nuts, as they would clean their motorcycle parts in the kitchen and she'd have to be dodging them and the mess just to get dinner on the table.  As each of the boys got older and married and started to move into their own homes, they kept their motorcycle-riding traditions, and even played polo on their bikes!  Some of them were also founding members of the Lansdale (Pennsylvania) Motorcycle Club

The Motorcycle Club of Lansdale,Pennsylvania

1930 - Bill Moore, who later married my pop's cousin, Helen Guretse

I asked my great-uncle, who was the youngest of the brothers, if he got to ride bikes like his elder brothers did.  He replied back with a "no, never got the chance to."  When asked why.... he told me it was because of my pop.  In 1933, at the age of 19, my pop was on his motorcycle when he was involved in a VERY serious wreck that almost cost him his leg.  He was hospitalized for a great deal of time, and for the rest of his life he walked with a limp as a result.  Because of this accident, he did not get to serve his country during World War II like his two younger brothers (which I am told wounded him greatly) because no branch of the armed forces would have him.  He instead worked in the silk factories during the war, and then as a tool-and-die maker, serving that way.

One of my mom's cousins had this photo, which really hit home to me the severity of my pop's injuries.

My pop in the hospital in 1933

Anyways, after Pop was injured, my great-grandfather was scared that he would lose one of his boys.  He told ALL of his sons to get rid of their motorcycles, and they honored my great-grandfather's wishes.  The youngest son was only thirteen at the time, so there went his chances to ride the Indians and Harleys like his brothers.

Others in the family continued the tradition later in the years, but the early photos are my favorites.

Chasing the Elusive: Lewis Sheets

I am really working on another one of my illustrious ancestors, Jacob Sheets (which is taking awhile, hence lack of blog posts lately - I am also working on another project as well research wise, so my time is divided).  But in doing research on him, I have been thoroughly researching each of his children as best as I can, and came across a dead end in a few of his children, most noticeably Lewis F. Sheets.

Let's start at the beginning:

Lewis F. Sheets was born 9 Sept 1833 in Philadelphia, according to an affidavit his elder brother swore to.  He was the youngest child of Jacob Sheets (also Sheats), a Philadelphia boat builder, and his second wife Mary (likely with the surname Kelty).  Lewis was just fourteen years old when his father died in 1847, and his guardianship was awarded to one Samuel Kelty, who may have been a brother to Lewis' mother.

Note here: There are many variations in spellings for his names. Most notably on his first name it appeared throughout his life that he used Lewis and Louis interchangeably.  His last name was spelled a variety of phonetically correct ways.  Since spelling of names was not standardized in the time he lived, it can arguably be stated that any of the spellings is the correct one.

There is a great deal of family lore surround Lewis' father, which I will eventually get to when I finally write Jacob Sheat' blog post, but there is one major tale of lore that affects Lewis that I can share now.  it is said that Jacob Sheats was a gambling man and went so deep into debt that the youngest four children were farmed out to others for care since he could not afford to take care of them.  While I have not been able to find documents to support this family story entirely, I do know that one Catherine Field did raise Lewis' older sister Helen for a bit, which lends some credence to the story.

I have not been able to find him on the 1850 census.  His elder brothers (Joseph B. and Jacob S.) were enumerated in Upper Alloways Creek, Salem County, New Jersey and Northern Liberties, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania respectively.  His two surviving sisters (Deborah C. Sheets Whiteside and Helen M.D. Sheets) were both in Philadelphia County on the census, in Northern Liberties and Passyunk respectively.  It is not known who Lewis lived with though, and if he was enumerated with his own name or the name of the family he lived with.  It is something I keep searching for.

Around 1858, he married Evalene Hocker, who was born about 1837 to Charles and Mary Hocker.  The couple made their home in Philadelphia's 11th Ward near Pier 31, living at 155 Dana Street for much of

their married lives.  It was in this area that the couple had ten children; George, Mary H., Abraham Lincoln (who died young), a stillborn daughter, Charles Barnecoat, Edward M. (who also died young), Richard E., Jacob M., Francis and Emma H.

As a young man, Lewis worked briefly as a policeman, but spent more of his adult life as a stove moulder and then as an inspector at 20 South Seventh.  Newspaper articles form the time indicate the address was the Philadelphia City Gas Works,and an article regarding the company in April 1884 referred to one"Inspector Sheetz" giving a meter reading that was in excess.  The company for which he worked is still in existence today, and is still city run.

In 1886, he purchased a grave loot deed number 9160 at Odd Fellow Cemetery in Philadelphia.  His son Edward was removed to this plot, as he had died 21 October 1870.  Also noted as being removed to the plot were children Jacob and Lewis Miller, who were Lewis' young nephews via his sister Helen.

In September 1896, son Charles was involved in a fight just outside the Eleventh Ward Republican Club which resulted in a man's death.  He, along with two others, were charged with the death of Francis X. "Frank" Hollweck, but at the Court of Oyer and Terminer on 19 January 1897 the three men were found not guilty.

1901 was the last city directory in which Lewis Sheets was listed in Philadelphia, still living at 155 Dana (which was 155 Nectarine at this point, having had a street name change around 1897/1898), but working as a "collector."  The neighborhood in which the Sheets lived in was left to the wreckers sometime before 1923, and is now part of Interstate 95.

It appears that sometime after this point, Lewis and Evalene made the move to Cape May County, New Jersey, where they lived with daughter Mary and her husband Francis Hoffman.  On 8 August 1904, Evalene died in Rio Grande, a census designated area in Cape May County.  Her body was brought back to Philadelphia, where it was interred in the family plot at Odd Fellow Cemetery after a funeral at son Jacob's home at 143 Nectarine. (Daughter Emma was buried in the same plot just three years prior, having died from pyaemia following mastitis at the age of 20).

Lewis continued to live with his daughter and son-in-law after Evalene's death, having been enumerated with them in both the 1905 New Jersey State Census and the 1910 Federal Census.  

Here is where he gets elusive.......  He completely disappears off the radar after the 1910 Federal Census.  Mary and Francis Hoffman are enumerated without any mention of him in the 1915 New Jersey State Census, and since death record indices for New Jersey from that time period have been "lost", finding any record of his death remains elusive.  He was NOT buried in the Odd Fellow Cemetery plot with his wife per the cemetery records available, nor have searches of available online newspapers at my disposal (on Newspapers.com or Genealogy Bank) revealed a death notice.

So the search continues, and until then, he will remain an "elusive" to chase.....

Sources Used

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Louis Sheetz and family, Year: 1870, Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 10 District 32 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: M593_1395, Page: 563B, and Family History Library Film: 552894; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Louis Sheet and household, Year: 1900, Census Place: Philadelphia Ward 11 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Page: 2, Enumeration District: 0196, and FHL microfilm: 1241456; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Francis Hoffman and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Middle Cape May, New Jersey, Roll: T624_870, Page: 2A, Enumeration District: 0092, and FHL microfilm: 1374883; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Affidavit of Joseph B. Sheets regarding descendants of Jacob Sheets, sworn 6 Feb 1852 in front of Robert Guestner, Justice of the Peace for Salem County, New Jersey, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas' Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis; citing War of 1812 Pension and Bounty land Warrant Applications, Record Group 15, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.

Affidavit of Samuel Kelty, guardian for Lewis F. Sheets (minor) affirmed 6 Feb 1852 in front of Robert Guestner, Justice of the Peace for Salem County, New Jersey, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas' Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Lewis Scheetz and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Philadelphia Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1172, Page: 453B, and Enumeration District: 190; citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C

"City Directories for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania," online database with images, Fold3 (www.fold3.com : accessed 18 May 2020), various years and entries recorded; contact blogger for more details.

"Death Follows a Blow," The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 25 September 1896, page 1; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 September 2020).

"Died," death notice, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 4 April 1901, page 14; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 May 2020). entry for Emma Sheets Brady.

"Died," death notice, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 10 August 1904, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 May 2020). entry for Evalene Sheets.

"Died," death notice, The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 8 February 1907, page 7; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 18 May 2020). Entry for Jacob M. Sheets.

"Gas Trust Committees," The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 24 April 1884, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 June 2020).

"Held for Trial," The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 27 September 1896, page 17; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 June 2020).

"New Jersey State Census, 1905," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 20 May 2020), Entry for Louis F Sheets in household of Frances Hoffman, , Cape May, New Jersey, United States; p. 14, line 17; FHL microfilm 1,688,593; citing Department of State, Trenton.

"Notes of the Court," The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 20 January 1897, page 12; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 June 2020).

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 May 2020), PA-Philadelphia> Philadelphia> Not Stated> Odd Fellows Cemetery, 22nd and Diamond Streets > Image 1100 of 1345, entry for Lewis Sheets, deed 9160, dated 1 June 1886; citing Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Abrm. Lincoln Scheets, 18 July 1862; bk 4 p 144; FHL microfilm number 1289307; citing Board of Health. Department of Records.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Chas. Barnecoat Sheets, 16 Oct 1865; bk 1865 p 275; FHL microfilm number 1289310.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch, Entry for Edward Sheitz, 12 Nov 1868; bk 1868 p 303; FHL microfilm number 1289312.

"Pennsylvania Births and Christenings, 1709-1950," database online, FamilySearch, Entry for Francis Sheets, born 19 Jan 1877; FHL microfilm number 2195605.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Births, 1860-1906," online database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 May 2020), Entry for Richard E. Sheetz, 21 Mar 1871;bk 1871 p 41; FHL microfilm number 1289313.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 February 2020), Entry for Edward M. Sheets, 19 Feb 1870; FHL microfilm 1,994,724; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 18 February 2020), Entry for Jacob M. Sheets, 06 Feb 1907, FHL microfilm 1,319,490.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch, Entry for Sheets, 01 Mar 1864; FHL microfilm 1,986,424.

Petition to the Honorable L. Piraldo, Commissioner of the Pension Office for issue of bounty warrant to guardian of Lewis F.Sheets by W. L, Allans, dated 27 August 1853, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas'Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis.

Petition to the Pension Office regarding eligibility of claim of Helen F. Sheets as a minor child of Jacob Sheets, deceased filed by W. L. Weaver, esq. of Salem, New Jersey 5 June 1852, in Bounty Land Warrant Application number 91618-40-50, Service of Jacob Sheats (Capt. Henry Freas'Co., NJ Militia, War of 1812); Photocopy of affidavit provided by Robert Young in 2004 to Kelley Wood-Davis.

Philadelphia Area Consortium of Special Collections Libraries, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia GeoHistory Network Interactive Maps Viewer (http://www.philageohistory.org/tiles/viewer/ : accessed 5 June 2020), viewed the area around 155 Dana on several maps, including present time map.

Taylor, Frank H. "In Nectarine Street," digital image, Library Company of Philadelphia (https://digital.librarycompany.org/islandora/object/digitool%3A67899: accessed 22 May 2020), Information on Dana Street, where Lewis Sheets lived; citing Frank H. Taylor Collection.

Chasing the Elusive: Mathilda Radtke

Every so often I revisit branches of my tree I may not have covered well in the past, and my Radtke branch is one of them.  As it stands right now, it consists of just one person; my paternal grandmother's paternal grandmother Mathilda Pauline Radtke.

What I know about her consists of just a few facts, gleaned mostly from sources created after her death. What is elusive about her is her origin.

Mathilda was likely born with the German spelling Mathilde, in some part of Prussia.  Because I know I have some Polish ancestry thanks to DNA testing, my assumption has been that she likely is my Polish ancestress, as she could have been born in Danzig, in what is now Poland but was part of Prussia for awhile.  However, I really have no proof of where in Prussia she was born.

I do know that she went by the nickname of "Tillie" most of her life.

Mathilda immigrated to the United States via Bremen and New York City aboard the S. S. Donau, which arrived at New York City on 8 May 1876 and was listed on the ship's manifest as Mathilda Rathke.  She came with an 18 year old Katherine Rathke, who was likely related to her in some way.  Because they were two young women traveling, it is possible that someone else on the manifest was also related to her, though at present it is difficult to determine who.

Tillie has been lost on documents until the 1880 census enumeration, so it is not known when or how she arrived in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.  She does appear on the 1880 census working as a servant in the household of Daniel and Sophie Gehlbach, who lived 292 Franklin Street in the Sixth Ward of Allegheny City.  Sophie was the slightly elder sister of Christian Adam Pfeiffer Jr., who Mathilda married just a few years later.  At present, it is presumed the couple met because of the Gehlbachs.

Tillie and Adam, as he was known, were wed likely in late 1884, but it is possible they were married in 1885 as well.  Adam was the eldest son and third child born to Christian Adam Pfeiffer Sr. and Wilhemine Karoline Wild.  He was born 28 May 1853 in Kleinsachsenheim, Neckarkreis, Baden-Württemberg but had immigrated at the age of seven to the United States with his family.

Adam worked in the iron and steel mills that made Pittsburgh famous, working mostly as a mill laborer and a puddler.  Tillie kept the house.  The couple lived in what is now the Shadeland neighborhood on the North Side of Pittsburgh, but was then the Eleventh Ward of Allegheny City.  They first lived on Cliff Avenue, and then Shady Avenue before finally moving to Courtland Street, all in Allegheny City.

The couple had six children, but their two eldest children met with sad endings early on.  Their eldest, Mary, was born sometime in April 1885 and died 25 November 1885 from tabes mesenterica (tuberculosis caused by drinking tainted cow's milk).  Their second eldest was Christian Adam (the third) who was born August 1887 and died 28 January 1888 from convulsions.  Both children were buried at Union Dale Cemetery near Adam's parents.

The last four children fared better, and lived into their adult years. Adolph Reinhart (who went by his middle name his entire life) was born on 15 June 1888. Mathilda was born 4 January 1890.  John Frederick was born 4 June 1891.  The youngest son, Joseph, was born 22 September 1893.

Tillie's last known entry in a public record before her death was the 1910 Federal Census enumeration, where she was listed as the mother of six children, four of whom were living.  She had been married for 26 years, and had immigrated in 1876.  Her native tongue was German, as she is listed as having been from Germany (which technically was correct, given that Prussia had become part of a united Germany in 1871).

In November of that year, Tillie was stricken with cancer in her toe.  While treatable today, it was not as treatable in 1910, and by Christmas she had also come down with toxemia (blood poisoning) and on Christmas Day, 1910, she finally succumbed to her condition.

Her funeral was three days later, and was held at St. Thomas German Lutheran Church on Brighton Road.  A Rev. Dietrich presided as minister over her services.  She was then buried in Highwood Cemetery.

Not much is known about Mathilda aside from records, as the only link to her I had was my grandmother, who was born 11 years after Mathilda died.  She only had a few memories passed down from her family to give me.

Adam outlived his wife for 16 years, continuing to work as he was able and continuing to reside in their owned home on Courtland Street (the street was named Courtright Street in the aftermath of the annexation of Allegheny City to Pittsburgh in 1909 because apparently Pittsburgh already had a Courtland Street).  He died on 24 November 1926 from bronchial pneumonia, which was brought on by myocarditis and chronic bronchitis.  He was buried two days later after a funeral service held at his home, in which members of the Northside Lodge no. 75, Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers of America were invited along with family and friends.

Sources Used
"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 August 2016), Entry for Adam Peiffer and family, Year: 1900, Census Place: Allegheny Ward 11 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1357, Page: 22B, Enumeration District: 0089, and FHL microfilm: 1241357; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 August 2016), Entry for Christian A. Pfeifer and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Pittsburgh Ward 27 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: T624_1308, Page: 13A, Enumeration District: 0657, and FHL microfilm: 1375321; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Christian Adam Peiffer entry, Registration of deaths in the city of Allegheny, 1876-1907, v. 3: Page 188, Allegheny County City County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"Death Notices," death notice, The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 26 November 1926, Page 44. Death notice for C. Adam Pfeiffer; online images, Google News (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 6 August 2016).

"Death Notices," death notice, The Pittsburgh Press (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 27 December 1910, page 14. Death Notice for Mathilda Pfeiffer; online images, Google News (https://news.google.com/newspapers : accessed 13 August 2016). 

"Deutschland Geburten und Taufen, 1558-1898," database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 6 August 2016), Entry for Christian Adam , 05 Jun 1853; FHL microfilm 1,184,623. (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NLMJ-FZ6).

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 9 August 2016), memorial page for C Adam Pfeiffer, Find A Grave Memorial # 62605678, citing Highwood Cemetery (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), memorial created by Sharon Deanne Kieffer, photograph by Rob and Debi Felten and Richard Boyer.

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 13 August 2016), memorial page for Mathilda P Ratdke Pfeiffer, Find A Grave Memorial # 62605777, citing Highwood Cemetery (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), memorial created by Sharon Deanne Kieffer, photograph by Rob and Debi Felten, also Richard Boyer.

John F. Pfeiffer and Elizabeth M. Bupp, (22 June 1921), Allegheny County Marriage Licenses: cn 6781; Department of Court Records, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. Groom's parents listed as Christian and Mathilda Radke Pfeiffer. Father born in Germany and residing in Pittsburgh. Mother deceased.

Mary Pfeifer entry, Registration of deaths in the city of Allegheny, 1876-1907, V. 2: Page 181, Allegheny County City County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

"New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 August), Entry for Adam Pfeifer and family; Year: 1861; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 210; Line: 30; List Number: 376; Place of Origin: Württemberg. Port of Departure: Le Havre, France. Destination: United States of America.Port of Arrival: New York, New York. Ship Name: Zurich. The family is numbers 71-77.

"New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 August 2016), Entry for Mathilde Rathke; Year: 1876; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 403; Line: 13; List Number: 374.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 August 2016), Entry for Adam Pfeiffer; died 24 Nov 1926; Certificate Number: 109152; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 August 2016), Entry for Mathilda Pfeiffer, died 25 Dec 1910, Certificate number 126335; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania Death Indices," online index, Pennsylvania Historical Museum Research Commission (http://www.phmc.pa.gov/Archives/Research-Online/Pages/Death-Indices.aspx : accessed 6 August 2016), "Pfeiffer, Christian A; ---- 101952; Pgh; Nov. 24."

"Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 August 2016), Entry for Adam Pfeiffer; Probate date: 24 Nov 1926; Estate and Proceedings Indexes, 1788-1971; Author: Allegheny County (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Allegheny, Pennsylvania; citing Pennsylvania County District and Probate Courts.

"Pennsylvania, WWI Veterans Service and Compensation Files, 1917-1919, 1934-1948," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 August 2016), Entry for John F Pfeiffer, application number 112525 filed 13 Feb 1934, North Side, Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; citing World War I Veterans Service and Compensation File, 1934–1948. RG 19, Series 19.91. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg Pennsylvania; Parents listed as father Adam C. Pfeiffer (deceased) and mother Mathilda Pauline Radtke (deceased), on son John's application.

Pfeiffer, Richard. Christian Adam Pfeiffer 1853-1926, Typed Family Tree of Adam Pfeiffer Sr.; supplied by Pfeiffer, Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, 2002. Sent via mail to Kelley Wood-Davis in 2002.

"United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897," database online, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 13 August 2016), Entry for Adam Pfeifer, 04 May 1861; citing Germans to America Passenger Data file, 1850-1897, Ship Zurich, departed from Havre, arrived in New York, New York, New York, United States (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD78-DHG); Citing NARA NAID 566634. National Archives at College Park, Maryland.

"United States Germans to America Index, 1850-1897," database online, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 13 August 2016), Entry for Mathilde Rathke, 08 May 1876; citing Germans to America Passenger Data file, 1850-1897, Ship Donau, departed from Bremen & Southampton, arrived in New York, New York, New York, United States (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KD72-94C).

Various Pittsburgh area directories found on Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org).  Contact blogger for entries 

Wood, Elizabeth Pfeiffer. North Carolina, to Kelley Wood-Davis, email, 31 December 2011, "Re: Hi!,"; privately held by Wood-Davis, 2018. emails from grandmother to granddaughter regarding questions.  References to Mathilda Pfeiffer being long gone before Gram's birth.

"Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1985," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 August 2016), Entry for Christian Adam Pfeiffer, Taufe (Baptism) 5 Jun 1853; Page 71; Custodian: Evangelische Kirche Kleinsachsenheim (OA. Vaihingen); citing Lutherische Kirchenbücher, 1500-1985. Various sources.

Notable Women: Elizabeth Sunliter Young

From time to time, I write about the more notable women in my family tree, and recently I stumbled (quite literally) upon Elizabeth Sunliter.  She is one of my earliest known American ancestress, and she lived a neat life.  So I wanted to tell her story.

Elizabeth Sunliter was born 12 September 1782 to Peter Sunliter and his wife Elizabeth (also spelled Elisabeth).  She most likely was born in Passyunk, but could have also been born in Northern Liberties.  What is certain is she was born in Philadelphia County, and was the second born daughter of the couple.  Their first was also named Elisabeth, and while a death or burial record has not yet been located, it is very likely the first daughter named Elizabeth died in the year preceding this second one's birth.  Elizabeth was one of only two of the five children of Peter and Elizabeth Sunliter to survive childhood.  Her younger brother, Peter, also lived, but besides the first Elisabeth, son Georg and daughter Catharina also passed away in their youth.

I should note that the name Sunliter is spelled a number of different ways, all phonetically correct.  I have seen Sunlider, Sonliter, Sonleider, Sunlighter, Sohnleiter and any other combination..... All of which would be "correct" as there seems to be no standardized version of this name.

On 2 October 1804, Elizabeth married Johann "John" Young junior at St. Michael's and Zion Lutheran Church in Philadelphia, one of the oldest German Lutheran Churches in the area (it is still in existence!).  He was born about 1784 and the two met because it appears they were neighbors.

In twenty years, the couple had eleven children; Eliza, Mary, Philip, Sarah, John S., Peter Sunliter, Ann, Margaret, Catherine, Adam S. and Henry S. All eleven were likely born in East Southwark or Passyunk, as those were the areas John Young was enumerated on the 1810 and 1820 , and were all definitely born in Philadelphia County.  While it appears that the couple spoke German natively, as they were part of the huge German population in Philadelphia in the early part of the 19th century, they also spoke English.  They seemed to be founding members of the new English-Speaking Saint John's Evangelical Lutheran Church (their second daughter was one of the first to be baptized there) that was founded by some members of St. Michael and Zion churches and built on Race Street in Philadelphia.  It was here at St. John's that most of their children were baptized (and also where daughter Sarah later married Peter Vautier.... they were the parents of William John Vautier).

Like the Vautiers, the Youngs were truck farmers that operated a farm on the Neck, and their last name is mentioned in the same The Times article from 1891 in Philadelphia as the Vautiers that labels them "the Neck Barons."  John took over ownership of land Elizabeth's father left her when he died intestate in 1806.  The property was a parcel of land that was split with Elizabeth's brother Peter that had been bought by their father from Christian and Rachel Young (who may be related to John,  but I don't know for sure).  Deed records from Philadelphia are being attempted to be located to see if there was any other property.

John was a supporter of politics, and in particular was a member of the Democratic Republican Party, but he also appeared to have a drinking problem.  On 27 March 1828, he died at the age of forty four from "mania a potu", what would today be considered heavy habitual alcohol use.  He was buried at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery the day after he died, next to son Philip, who had died from bilious fever in 1823.

Elizabeth was named administratrix of the estate, and took over her husband's properties and her own, while raising her family in antebellum Philadelphia.  After all, her youngest children were only four and six when their father died.  She never remarried, but amassed a small fortune in the decades after her husband died.  She sold off some property as well per newspaper advertisements, though it is not known if it was property she acquired after John's death or not.

Some of the pitfalls into finding information on Elizabeth (especially now during the COVID-19 shutdown) is that while the Philadelphia Deed indices are online for the time period, not all of the deeds themselves were microfilmed and then digitally uploaded, so some of the deeds for an Elizabeth Young cannot be ascertained to be hers without examination.  There is also the fact that Passyunk, where the Youngs lived, did not become a part of the City of Philadelphia until 1854, so many of them were simply not listed in the Philadelphia area directories available online because they were not residing in the city (though for some years some of Passyunk was listed... just not everyone...)

Elizabeth Young died from a disease of the lungs on 24 April 1846 at the age of 63 on Girard's farm in Passyunk, Philadelphia.  She had outlived her husband by nearly twenty years.  She was buried two days later at Philanthropic Cemetery (another now defunct cemetery).

In her will, she left farm implements and the crop that had been planted to son John, instructed her executors to purchase furniture for not-yet-married Catherine, and then split the remainder of her estate between her ten children, with the caveat that those  heirs who owed her money would have it taken from their share of the inheritance.

Sources Used:
"140th Regiment Militia: Philadelphia County - Moyamensing Township," Aurora General Advertiser (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 2 June 1807, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 14 April 2020).

"1790 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 April 2020), Entry for Peter Sunlighter, Year: 1790, Census Place: Mojamensing and Passyunk Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Series: M637, Roll: 9, Page: 255, Image: 547, and Family History Library Film: 0568149; citing First Census of the United States, 1790 (NARA microfilm publication M637, 12 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1810 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2019), Entry for Jno Young, Year: 1810, Census Place: East Southwark Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: 56, Page: 135, Image: 00194, and Family History Library Film: 0193682; citing Third Census of the United States, 1810. (NARA microfilm publication M252, 71 rolls). Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1820 United States Federal Census," online database, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 13 April 2020), Entry for John Young and household, 1820 U S Census, Census Place: Passyunk Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Page: 142, NARA Roll: M33_110, and Image: 407; citing Fourth Census of the United States, 1820. (NARA microfilm publication M33, 142 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1830 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 April 2020), Entry for Elizabeth Young and faily, 1830, Census Place: Passyunk Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Series: M19, Roll: 157, Page: 314, and Family History Library Film: 0020631; citing Fifth Census of the United States, 1830. (NARA microfilm publication M19, 201 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1840 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 April 2020), Entry for Elizabeth Young and family, Year: 1840, Census Place: Passyunk Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Roll: 491, Page: 179, and Family History Library Film: 0020556; citing Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"At Private Sale," advertisement, Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 22 July 1841, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 April 2020).

"Democratic Republican Meeting," legislative acts or legal proceedings, Franklin Gazette (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 19 September 1820, page 2; online images, Genealogy Bank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 20 February 2020).

"Died," death notice, Public Ledger (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 25 April 1846, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 12 April 2020).

Ellet Jr., Charles. A Map of the County of Philadelphia from Actual Survey (Philadelphia: Charles Ellet, 1843); digital image, Greater Philadelphia Digital History Network (https://www.philageohistory.org/tiles/viewer/ : accessed 20 April 2020), viewed Passyunk township.

"Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Births & Baptisms," database online with images, FindMyPast (www.findmypast.com : accessed 17 April 2020), Entry for Elisab Sohnleitner, baptized 26 Sep 1782 at St. Michael and Zion Lutheran Church, Philadelphia, Baptisms 1771-1784, page 182, line 122; citing Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Births & Baptisms," database online with images, FindMyPast (www.findmypast.com : accessed 12 February 2019), Entry for Ann Young, baptized 21 Jan 1816 at St. John's Lutheran Church 5th & Race Streets.

Ibid.  Entry for Margaret Young, baptized 27 Sept 1818 at St. John's Lutheran Church 5th & Race Streets.

Ibid.  Entry for Mary Young, baptized 10 May 1807 at St. John's Lutheran Church 5th & Race Streets

Ibid.  Entry for Peter Young, baptized 31 Jan 1813 at St. John's Lutheran Church 5th & Race Streets.

Ibid. Entry for Philip Young, baptized 17 June 1808 at St. John's Lutheran Church 5th & Race Streets.

Ibid. Entry for Sarah Young, baptized 11 Feb 1810 at St. John's Lutheran Church 5th & Race Streets.

"Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, Marriages," database online with images, FindMyPast (www.findmypast.com : accessed 12 February 2019), Entry for Johann Jung or Young and Elisabeth Sonleiter, married 02 Oct 1804, St. Micheal's & Zion Lutheran Church; citing Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"The Neck Barons," The Times (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 25 April 1891, page 8; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 23 January 2019).

"Notice," legal notice, Sun (Philadelphia, Pennsyvania), 1 May 1846, page 2; online images, Genealogy Bank (www.genealogybank.com : accessed 20 April 2020).

Osborn, Matthew Warner. "A Detestable Shrine: Alcohol Abuse in Antebellum Philadelphia," Journal of the Early Republic, Volume 29, no. 1 (Spring 2009), online archive, JSTOR (https://www.jstor.org/stable/40208240 : accessed 20 April 2020), pages 101-132.

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2019), Entry for the marriage of Johann Jung and Elisabeth Sonleiter (indexed as Sanleitam), 2 Oct 1804 at Saint Michael’s and Zion Church; citing Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2019), Entry for John Young Jr. burial date 28 March 1828, referencing St John's Church Evangelical Lutheran (Philadlephia) burial records for 1828.

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2019), Entry for John Young Jr. burial date 28 March 1828, referencing St John's Church Evangelical Lutheran burial record, Removals to Laurel Hill (son Philip too).

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1669-1999," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2019), Entry for Philip Young. burial date 26 Sep 1823, referencing St John's Church Evangelical Lutheran burial records for 1823.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 13 April 2020), digital folder number 004009791 >image number 454 of 582 > Entry for John Young; referencing Registration of deaths, 1803-1903; arranged by year and cemetery, year 1828: Mar-July, July-Sept, Sept-Oct, Oct-Dec, page 70, entry for Evangelical Lutheran Burial Ground of St. John's Church burials 22-29 March 1828; citing Philadelphia City Archives and Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

"Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 12 April 2020), Entry for Elizabeth Young, died 24 Apr 1846; referencing Philantrophic Burial Ground records 1846:11 April-27 June; FHL microfilm 1,906,484.

"Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 April 2020), Entry for Elizabeth Young, probate date 23 April 1846, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; will number 82, 1846; citing Pennsylvania County District and Probate Courts.

"Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2019), Entry for John Young, probate date 1828, Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, administration files; Author: Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). Register of Wills; Probate Place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Administration Files, No 21-86, 1828; Book N, Page 188, number 4.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Deed Book TH 40: 371-373, John and Elizabeth Young to Peter Sunliter, recorded 9 March 1813; FHL microfilm 21971.

Chasing the Elusive: John Fielding Sr.

Occasionally I write about some of my more elusive family members, in hopes that one day I can break.  I call them "Chasing the Elusive" and John Fielding is one such member, being a maternal great-grandfather of my grandpap.  He was the grandfather to another Chasing the Elusive subject, Mark Fielding.

John Fielding was born sometime in 1801, and was likely baptized 16 August 1801 in Anglican church in the parish of St Mary, St Denys and St George in Manchester, England as the son of one Mathew Fielding.  His mother's name may have been Mary, although records don't give a name for his mother.  Later children's baptisms in the same parish (for Cooper, William and Martha) link Mathew to a Mary, surname unknown.

It is not known when John immigrated to the United States, but it had to have been sometime before 1833 when his eldest son was born in Pennsylvania.  Sometime before that point, he married Martha Gibson (some sources state her surname was Cooper), who was born in Pennsylvania, though her age fluctuates on census records, putting her birth sometimes between 1809 and 1814.

The couple had nine children.  Cooper was their eldest, born March 1833.  Son Joseph was born in 1835, and son James was born 14 September 1837 in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania.  At some point as well came a daughter who remains nameless at this point, who was born sometime between 1835 and 1840 (she likely died very young).  The 1840 census enumeration lists four children in the household of John Fielding of Allegheny City, as well as John and wife Martha.  The remaining five children were born after that enumeration. Martha was born 16 September 1841. Amos was born 9 February 1844. John was born 10 December 1846.  William was born 28 July 1850.  The youngest, Mathew, was born sometime in 1853 or 1854.

John was a shoemaker by trade, at least from 1850, when he was listed as such in the federal census enumeration.  He was listed as a shoemaker in several Pittsburgh area directories, living on Ohio Street in the Fourth Ward of Allegheny City.

In 1863, son John was injured in an accident involving a steam fire engine, eventually losing a leg from the accident.  John Fielding Sr. sued the company (Oakland Railway Company) that was tasked with maintaining the street on which the accident occurred for medical bills and his son's lost wages.  He won his suit on 22 December 1863, and recouped $1800.  The suit was brought by the company to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who in October of the following year ruled there was no error in the original judgement.

It is not clear however if John Fielding Sr. was able to enjoy his winnings, however.  On 23 July 1864, a petition of guardianship was filed four his four youngest sons in the Allegheny County Orphan's Court, listing them as the minor children of John Fielding, deceased.  The petition was granted and lawyer J. D. Hancock was awarded guardianship of Amos, John, William and Mathew.  Another lawyer, Thomas J. Keenan was awarded letters of administration in the probate of John's estate, as he died intestate. Both of these lawyers handled his suit against the railway company, so it is not altogether surprising that they were involved in handling his affairs after his death.

This is where I am chasing the elusive: I have not found either the date he died or how he died.  Since death records were not a thing in Allegheny City (nor where they a county or state thing either yet), I have not been able to find any mention of a death for either him or his wife in the 1860s.  I have checked available cemetery records available online, online newspapers (though I may not be searching with the correct parameters, as the searches are all OCR readers, so it's likely a death notice does exist somewhere), probate records, even land records available for that time period.  I know he was alive in December of 1863 when he won his suit, and had passed before July of 1864 when his sons became the wards of J. D. Hancock, but the date remains elusive. Given that the four boys show up living with elder brother Cooper on the 1870 census, it is likely that Martha also died in this time period.  Again, no record can be located for her as well.

I may never find the record, or I may crack the case.  Who knows.  One thing is for certain, though.  I will have fun doing the research either way.

Sources Used:
"1840 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 July 2016), Entry for Jno Fealding and household, Year: 1840, Census Place: Allegheny Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: 440, Page: 290, Image: 592, and Family History Library Film: 0020536; citing Sixth Census of the United States, 1840. (NARA microfilm publication M704, 580 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1850 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 28 July 2016), Entry for John Feilding and household, Year: 1850, Census Place: Allegheny Ward 4 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M432_744, Page: 217B, and Image: 440; citing Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1860 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 July 2016), Entry for J. Fielden and family, Year: 1860, Census Place: Allegheny Ward 4 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M653_1068, Page: 676, Image: 63, and Family History Library Film: 805068 (enumerated as J. Fielden and family); citing 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 March 2020), Entry for Cooper Fielding and family, Year: 1870, Census Place: Allegheny Ward 4 Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Roll: M593_1291, Page: 367B, and Family History Library Film: 552790; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"Coroner's Inquest," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 13 April 1863, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 March 2020).

"The Death of Young Reams," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 13 April 1863, page 4; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 March 2020).

Directory of Pittsburgh & vicinity for, 1857-1858 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: George H. Thurston, 1857), 62, "Fielding John, shoe maker, h Ohio n West"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://digital.library.pitt.edu : accessed 30 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh & vicinity for, 1858/1859 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: George H. Thurston, 1858), 78, "Fielding John, shoemaker, h Ohio n Middle, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 30 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1861-1862 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1861), 93, "Fielding John, shoemaker, 140 Ohio, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 30 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1862-1863 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G.H. Thurston, 1862), 90, "Fielding John, shoemaker, 140 Ohio, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 30 July 2016).

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1863-1864 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1863), 100, "Fielding John, shoemaker, 40 Ohio, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 30 July 2016), I believe the 40 should be 140, that it was a typo.

Directory of Pittsburgh and Allegheny cities, 1864-1865 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: G. H. Thurston, 1864), 95, "Fielding John, shoemaker, 140 Ohio, A(llegheny)"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digitial Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (www.historicpittsburgh.org : accessed 7 April 2020).

"Distressing Accident: A Man Killed and a Boy Maimed by Steam Fire Engine," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 11 April 1863, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 March 2020).

Fahnestock's Pittsburgh directory for 1850: containing the names of the inhabitants of Pittsburgh, Allegheny, & vicinity : their occupation, places of business and dwelling houses : also, a list of the public offices, banks, &c, 1850 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Geo. Parkin & Co, 1850), 30, "Fielding John, shoemr, Ohio, Al"; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://digital.library.pitt.edu : accessed 30 July 2016).

"Heavy Verdict," The Pittsburgh Daily Commercial (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 8 April 1864, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 March 2020).

"Heavy Verdicts," The Daily Evening Express (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), 15 December 1864, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 25 March 2020).

"Important Trial in the District Court," Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 24 December 1863, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 March 2020).

"Lease for Sale," advertisement, Pittsburgh Daily Post (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 6 July 1866, page 2; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 March 2020).

"Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 24 March 2020), Allegheny County Orphans' Court docket 19, June term 1864, page 199, no. 109, entry for petition of Amos, John, Matthew and William Fielding for guardianship, filed 23 July 1864, image 127 of 650; FHL microfilm number 866215; citing county courthouses in Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 24 March 2020), Allegheny County Orphans' court docket, v. 21, page 226, No. 75, petition of Martha Caskey in estate of John Fielding, deceased, filed 9 June 1866; image 141 of 679; FHL microfilm number 872591; citing county courthouses in Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania Probate Records, 1683-1994," database online with images, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 24 March 2020), Allegheny County Orphans' court docket, v. 21, page 456, no. 18, Account of Thomas J. Keenan administrator of John Fielding Sr., deceased, filed 3 Dec 1866, image 262 of 679; FHL microfilm number 872591; citing county courthouses in Pennsylvania.

"Sad Accident - Man Killed and Boy Seriously Injured," The Pittsburgh Gazette (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 11 April 1863, page 3; online images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 March 2020).

Woodward & Rowlands' Pittsburgh directory for 1852: containing the names of the inhabitants of Pittsburgh and Allegheny, 1852 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: W.S. Haven, 1852), 107 (page 7 of Allegheny Directory), "Fielding John, shoemr, 7 Ohio st."; digital image, University of Pittsburgh, Digital Research Library, Historic Pittsburgh (http://digital.library.pitt.edu : accessed 30 July 2016).

Wright, Robert E. State Reporter, Pennsylvania State Report, Volume 48 (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Kay and Brother, 1865), 320-328; online images, Google Books (https://books.google.com/books : accessed 24 March 2020).

The Tragic Story of Jonas Hager

I once joked to my mother that her great grandfathers didn't fare so well.  After all, Florian Waldspurger was decapitated in the Hatfield Train Wreck in 1900.  William James Cox died as the result of a hunting accident years after leaving his first wife, Anna Sperry Cox.  William John Vautier lost the use of one arm after taking a bullet in the Civil War.  And then, there is Jonas Hager, who died tragically.  But let's start at the beginning.

Jonas Hager was born 20 January 1866 in Finland Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania as the eldest son of Jonas Hager and Elizabeth Heffentrager.  His parents had both been married before they wed in September of 1865, just four months before Jonas' birth, and both had been left as widowers with children.  The marriage could have been one of convenience, with a pastor's blessing later (as pastors were hard to come by in the then rural area in which they lived).  Whatever the case, there is a great deal of history on both of his parents, but since they are not the focus of this piece, I will save it for some other time.

When Jonas was just fifteen years of age, his father died.  There is some evidence that Jonas Hager Senior was also maimed or crippled, so one can imagine the kind of strain that put on the young lad, as he likely had to work from an early age to help support the family.

At the age of eighteen, Jonas married Christianna Huber, who was three months his senior, in Bucks County.  The couple was wed 8 March 1884 at the Ridge Valley Reformed Church in West Rockhill Township by the Reverend Simon Gross.  Christianna was the sixth child born to German immigrants Johann Georg "George" Huber and Christina Barbara Esser.  Christianna also had to work from a young age, as she worked as a servant for more prominent families in Bucks County.

The couple's first child, Bertha, was born 1June 1884 in Finland Township.  Jonas worked as a blue collar laborer and a moulder, and the family seemed to move around a bit, living in a series of rented homes.  By 1893 when they were living on Green Street in Lansdale, they had three more children, George Alfred (born 7 September 1886), Elizabeth (born sometime in August 1888) and Robert Franklin Hager (born 14 April 1891).  Son Elmer H. was born in the home on Green Street on 26 August 1893.

On the 1900 census, the family was living in a rented home in Hatfield Township, where daughter Jennie Elnora was born just three days before the family was enumerated on the 1900 Census.  An interesting clue from this census enumeration indicates that the couple had a child born between Elmer's birth in 1893 and Jennie's birth in 1900, but that the child had passed away.  Research done so far has not uncovered this unknown child, but I continue to look.

The couple went on to have two more sons.  Webster Linwood was born 5 October 1902 in Lansdale, as was the couple's last son, Jonas Leon Hager, who was born on 12 May 1905, just one year before the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania made birth certificates a mandatory state level registration.

Jonas was an avid outdoorsman, and loved to fish.  He likely supplemented the family's meals with his smaller catches, though he probably kept some trophies as well.  1908 seemed to be no different a year.

On the 15th of June, Jonas Hager skipped work at the plant of Norristown Plumbing Supply Company to go fishing with his three buddies, Paul Henning, Alfred Bateman, and John Jerschen.  It was a slow day, and they wanted to catch some fish, as bass season had just opened up.  After some time of the fish not biting, Jonas got bored.

While his friends made for the shore, Jonas apparently decided to go for a swim, despite his friends' protest that the water was too cold.  He rowed the boat he was using to Barbados Island, just south of Norristown on the Schuylkill River.  He disrobed and jumped into the river for a swim.  However, he only swam for a bit before struggling in the water and going under, drowning in the process.

His three friends panicked when he went under, and instead of helping their friend (one account says they looked for him and could not find him), they fled the scene, reporting his drowning to the police at Norristown City Hall.  The three were arrested, but were later released when it was discovered that the drowning was accidental and not intentional.

Jonas' body was recovered several hours after the incident, and the death certificate was signed by the coroner, Joseph King.  Several newspapers reported on his death, though his age and even his name vary in the accounts.

The Lansdale Reporter summed up best the family's shock:

"The drowned man was 42 years of age and leaves a widow and eight children, three of who are married. The wife and five younger children are heart-broken over the loss of their main support at their humble St. Elmo Street home. The family were preparing to move to Norristown next week, where Mr. Hager had recently secured steady work." (18 June 1908, Page 3)

Jonas was buried five days after his death in Division A, Section D, Lot 16, Grave 1 of Lansdale Cemetery in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  The undertaker in charge of the services was D. Y. Monday of Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Jonas Hager's headstone at Lansdale Cemetery.  Photograph taken August 2017 by the blogger.

Christianna, devastated by the loss of her husband, had to work a series of jobs to make ends meet.  She worked as a housekeeper, a laundress , and cleaned houses to support her children, as Jonas Leon was only three when his father died.  The family moved around, renting rooms and houses as they were able.  By 1930, Christianna did own a home in Lansdale at 623 Cannon Street, which had a radio set according to the 1930 census enumeration.  It was at this home that she died on 2 November 1936 at the age of seventy-one from complications of diabetes.  She was buried five days later next to her husband at Lansdale Cemetery.

Christianna Huber Hager's hedstone at Lansdale Cemetery.  Photograph taken August 2017 by the blogger.

Sources Used:

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1870, Census Place: Marlborough Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: M593_1377, Page: 597B, Image: 422119, and Family History Library Film: 552876; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 January 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1900, Census Place: Hatfield Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1442, Page: 2B, Enumeration District: 0204, and FHL microfilm: 1241442; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2017), Entry for Christiana Hager and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Hatfield Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: T624_1377, Page: 17A, Enumeration District: 0082, and FHL microfilm: 1375390; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1920 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 April 2017), Entry for Christiana Hager and household, Year: 1920, Census Place: Lansdale East Ward Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: T625_1605, Page: 14A, Enumeration District: 102, and Image: 236; citing Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1930 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 24 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1930, Census Place: Lansdale Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: 2082, Page: 30B, Enumeration District: 0053, Image: 87.0, and FHL microfilm: 2341816; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Marlborough Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1158, Family History Film: 1255158, Pages: 316 C and 316D, Enumeration District: 016, and Image:s 0258 and 0259; citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Bass Fisherman Drowns," The Allentown Democrat (Allentown, Pennsylvania), 18 June 1908, Page 3; online archives, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 April 2017).

"Directory of Montgomery County, Penna. 1900-1902," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 May 2017), page 313. "Hager Jonas, Lab, Lansdale"; citing Directory of Montgomery County, Penna. 1900-1902 : containing residence and business directories of all the boroughs, also a list of residents with post office addresses in each township, as shown by the latest assessors' returns. Philadelphia: Journal of Commerce Pub. Co., 1900.

"Drowned While In Swimming," Harrisburg Daily Independent (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 16 June 1908, page 4; online archives, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 April 2017).

Elmer H Hager and Lillie B Grebe, (29 August 1914), Application for Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage: page 269, cn 25117; Montgomery County Archival Records Department, Norristown, Pennsylvania. listed as father, deceased, occupation moulder, born in Finland Township.

Find A Grave, online database (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 April 2017), memorial page for Christianna Huber Hager, Find A Grave Memorial # 38455107, citing Lansdale Cemetery (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), memorial created by LWD, maintained by Marti Drumheller, photograph by Anonymous.

Find A Grave, online database (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 April 2017), memorial page for Jonas Hager, Find A Grave Memorial # 38455113, citing Lansdale Cemetery (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), memorial created by LWD, maintained by Marti Drumheller, photograph by Anonymous.

Jesse Meyer Cox and Jennie Elnora Hager, (23 March 1918), Application for Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage: file number 30133; Montgomery County Archival Records Department, Norristown, Pennsylvania.

"Lansdale Man Drowned," The Lansdale Reporter (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), 18 June 1908, page 3. 

"Lansdale Woman Dies," death notice, The Lansdale Reporter (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), 3 November 1936, page number not recorded. Transcription found on the Find A Grave memorial for Christianna Huber Hager (memorial number 38455107).

"Lansdaler Drowned," The Ambler Gazette (Ambler, Pennsylvania), 18 June 1908, page 4; online images, POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents (http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/ : accessed 20 April 2017), Wissahickon Valley Public Library's Ambler Gazette Collection. incorrectly listed as James rather than Jonas.

"Oral interview with Dorothy (Cox) Ritter," 1999-2000 by great-niece Kelley Wood (Fullerton, California), owned by Kelley Wood-Davis, Norwalk, Iowa, no notes taken; oral information on family history.

Orphan's Court, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Register of Births 1893-1900, Book 1893-1997, page 198; Entry for Elmer Hager; FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TN-K96Z-Q?mode=g&i=115&cat=321969: accessed 4 January 2017); image 116; FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah; FHL microfilm 925501.

Orphan's Court, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Register of Births 1893-1900, Book 1897-1900, page 120; Entry for Jennie Elnora Hager; FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TN-K9D4-D?mode=g: accessed 26 Dec 2016); image 446; FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah; FHL microfilm 925501.

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985," online database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and Christianna Heuber, marriage 8 Mar 1884, Ridge Valley Reformed Church, West Rockhill, Bucks, Pennsylvania; referencing the Private Records of Simon K. Gross, Christ Reformed Church at Indian Creek, Ridge Valley, Bucks County. Rearranged and typed by Raymond Hollenbach of Royersford, June 1972. Page 38; Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Collection Name: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 797; citing Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985," online database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and Christianna Huber, marriage 8 Mar 1884, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, The Reverend Simon K Gross Pastoral Records; Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Collection Name: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 797; citing Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2017), Entry for Christiana Huber Hager, died 2 Nov 1936, cn 104909; Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number Range: 102501-105500; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager, died 15 June 1908, cn 54955, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number Range: 052001-055800; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Roy Krupp and Bertha A Hager, (10 August 1901), Application for Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage: Page 360, ln 11419; Montgomery County Archival Records Department, Norristown, Pennsylvania. listed as father (also had to give consent, as Bertha was only 17)