When I first delved into tracing my roots for my paternal grandfather, Charles Weldie Brown, neither my father nor his siblings could provide much information. They knew my grandfather’s parents both had been married a previous time. His father’s name was John and his mother’s name might have been Margaret. As for John’s previous wife, nothing was known about her. John and Margaret had some children together, and they each had children with their previous spouse. Some of the children’s names were known, but which child belonged to whom was not certain. Sorting this all out seemed like a daunting puzzle to solve.
As I began my search I was fortunate that I located John Brown’s Civil War pension file. Although John was inducted into the army, he was discharged after only 4 months due to illness. On the march to Fredericksburg he contracted scarlet fever and was in the army convalescent camp for two months. The scarlet fever greatly affected his health and quality of life. Though he never saw battle, he still qualified for a pension. After John died in 1902, Margaret was eligible to receive his pension, but she had to verify she was the rightful widow. The pension file provided the facts I needed about John’s previous wife.
Among the pages of the pension application Angeline Parr was named as his first wife. Details about her death were found in two affidavits from 1903. Mary M Brown, age 71, and Jacob Brown, age 46, both gave testimony. Mary stated:
“[I] was present at time Angeline Brown dide which was in the afternoon on February 11th A.D. 1874. Myself and Rebecca Rider was mid wifes at that time, and died very shortly after delivery of two boys, Was at the funeral of Angeline Brown, which place was at North Mountain Cemetery. [sic]”
Jacob too remembered her death:
“Also I Jacob Brown was present at time of Angeline Brown’s death, On the 12th of February I went to Culley Township Sullivan County, Pa to inform said Angeline Browns parents of ded. I will never forget that trip for the reason of s[n]ow & rain and bad roads. I was at funeral which was at North Mountain Cemetery. [sic]”
The North Mountain cemetery mentioned was surely Stoneheap Cemetery. No stone marks Angeline‘s grave, so if one had been erected it has deteriorated with time.
With the reference to Colley Township in Sullivan County PA, the Parr family was easily located in the 1870 census. Angeline, age 20, lived with her parents Peter and Catherine, and a brother Adam who was one year older than she was. They were all listed as being born in PA. A history on Sullivan County by George Streby includes a section of early settlers of Cherry Township and mentions “Catherine [Schaeffer] married Peter Parr of Lee Settlement.” It is possible that these are the same Peter and Catherine, as Colley Township was created out of Cherry Township. But when searching the census for earlier years, the Parrs were not found.
Reviewing the 1860 census, Peter Bear is found residing in Colley Township with Catherine, Edward, Adam, Angeline, and David. From the names and ages it is evident this is the Parr family. Going back to the 1850 census the family is found again with the alternate surname Beare, and Peter, Catherine and the eldest son Edward are listed as born in Germany. If accurate, then Peter and Catherine were married in Germany, not Pennsylvania, and they immigrated to America about 1847, between the birth of their sons Edward (b. 1845) and Adam (b. 1848).
Whether the Parr family was one of the early settlers in the Sullivan County area as mentioned by Streby or emigrated from Germany shortly before 1850 as indicated by the census is unclear. But once in the county, they stayed the remainder of their lives. By 1880 Catherine was a widow in Colley Township. In the affidavit Jacob Brown stated he delivered the news of Angeline’s death to her parents, which reveals Peter’s death occurred between 1874 and 1880. Catherine died in September of 1888 and left a will. She left almost all of her estate to her son Adam, suggesting that her other sons Edward and David had both predeceased her. She bequeathed items to two of Adam’s daughters, and $5 each to Edward Parr, presumed to be Adam’s son and her grandson Adam Brown, Angeline’s surviving heir.
Angeline and John married around 1872; she was about 14 years his junior. In May of 1873 a deed in Lycoming County granting property to Angeline Brown is found. Land from her late mother-in-law, Mary Brown, was being sold to her by the other heirs for $1 as well as the maintenance of Kaly Ann Brown, her sister-in-law who was mentally impaired. As a young bride Angeline had much promise ahead, especially as she soon became an expectant mother.
Adam Peter Brown—named after his grandfather and uncle—and his unnamed brother were born that fateful day on February 11, 1874. What became of his twin is unknown; it is presumed that he died early in his life, perhaps even shortly after birth along with his mother. One can only imagine the struggles John faced after losing his wife and one son, suddenly to be left alone to care for a newborn baby. John, who still suffered from the effects of scarlet fever, managed, most likely with the help of his family. A few years later he married Margaret and they had several more children, including my grandfather.
Although Angeline’s life was tragically cut short, her son Adam survived to marry and have ten children. Adam, however, faced other adversities during his life. Frances Schultz, his wife of 22 years died after a yearlong battle with stomach cancer. Her last 3 months were spent in a hospital; when she died, Adam was left with four minor children still at home. He outlived three of his children, one who died in the service during World War II. Adam died from gall bladder cancer at the age of 77 years, leaving seven children and a number of grandchildren. But despite these family misfortunes, Angeline’s descendants have added more generations to the Brown family tree helping her legacy to survive.
Relatively Speaking Blog 