My grandfather Charles Brown had several half siblings including William Henry Allen. William was the eldest son from the marriage of my great grandmother Margaret McGarvey and her first husband Valentine Allen. Family stories about my grand uncle William are not known, perhaps due to the age gap between the brothers or that they lived in different parts of the state. Nevertheless, I have had to speculate about his life from records like the census. Continue reading
Surnames
Commemorating David B. Ludwick
Whereas Veteran’s Day in November honors all men and women who have served in the United States military, Memorial Day in May commemorates those whose lives were lost in the line of duty. With restrictions due to Covid19 in place, Memorial Day 2020 celebrations in many areas will be quieter than other years with no parades or ceremonial gatherings. Nevertheless, on May 25, I will be remembering veteran David B. Ludwick, my 2nd great granduncle, who was one of the more than 620,000 casualties of the Civil War. Continue reading
Chasing McGarveys
Tracing my great-grandmother’s parentage seems as elusive as finding a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Neither my father nor his siblings could tell me much about their paternal grandmother; before my dad was born, the family moved from Lycoming County where she lived. Most of his siblings were young when their grandmother died so they knew little about her. The older siblings never mentioned any memory of her. Some thought her maiden name was McGarvey, but they were not certain. It was not until I began researching my family tree, that I discovered any information about my great grandmother. I learned her name was Margaret McGarvey and she was most likely the daughter of James McGarvey and Rebecca Thomas. Continue reading
Census Through the Years: George Clinton Swank
My great grand uncle George Clinton Swank is thought to have been born this month in 1854, although no definitive proof exists. Someone born before the 20th century might not have known his own birth date, let alone his age, which could be possible for George. When birth certificates do not exist for a time period being researched, the U.S. Census records can provide an estimate of when a person was born, but it is not a perfect source, as sometimes a person’s age varies drastically from one census to another. But for George, the census enumerations offer some clues as when he was possibly born. Continue reading
Vital Records: WV Register of Births
Birth records provide an abundance of information for a family researcher. Besides verifying when and where an individual was born, these records contain details about the parents. In addition to the parent’s names, the father’s occupation, the parent’s residence and sometimes their ages are examples of data that might be included. Birth records though are not readily available and with valid reason. Continue reading
Census Through the Years: John Brown
In 1890 a special census for veterans that collected details about service of veterans accompanied the main enumeration for that year. This special enumeration contained my great grandfather, John Brown, who was listed as a private in Company F, 84 PA Infantry during the Civil War. He was mustered into service on Aug 18, 1862 and released on Sept 26, 1863, serving 1 year 1 month 8 days. Any ailments or injuries from serving in the war were also reported; John indicated he suffered from disease of lungs and kidneys, which from other accounts I learned was from scarlet fever he contracted while in the army. Additionally, postal address was collected, and John’s was North Mountain situated in Franklin Township, Lycoming County, PA. Continue reading
In Memoriam: Marjorie Fowler Ludwick
Today, September 17, marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of my grandmother, Marjorie Fowler Ludwick. When I was young my grandma came to live with us. I would visit her in her sitting room. Sometimes I just sat there as she read to keep her company. As I got older and more interested in genealogy I did my best to get her to tell stories about her family. Some I remember, while others are faint images. Continue reading
Census Through the Years: Charles Walter Fowler
When I first began researching my ancestors, the 1900 census was one of the first enumerations I examined. For that census I easily located my great grandfather, Charles Walter Fowler, in Fayette County, PA, where he spent much of his life and was employed as a carpenter. He was counted in Smithfield, a small town where other Fowler relatives also lived. Charles was listed with Eliza, his wife of 23 years and 6 of his 7 daughters. His oldest daughter Molly had married the previous year; his youngest was my grandmother Marjorie who told me some stories about Charles. Continue reading
Census Through the Years: Mary Ann Swank
Mary Ann Swank, the oldest sister to my 2nd great grandfather Henry Swank, was born to Jonas and Sarah Swank about 1827, presumably in the Lycoming County area. The will of their mother Sarah was one source that supported Mary Ann and Henry were siblings. Sarah’s will also identified Mary Ann was married to Christian Swank who could possibly be a cousin. Few online documents for Christian and Mary Ann have been located. Several census enumerations helped create a rough framework for their lives and indicated Mary Ann and Christian resided entirely in Davidson Township, Sullivan County, PA. Continue reading
Vital Records: PA Register of Births
Recently I decided to search Pennsylvania birth records for my maternal grandparents Marjorie and Bill Ludwick, who were born in 1894 and 1895, respectively. Finding documents related to births in Pennsylvania before the 20th century can be challenging. Between 1893 and 1905 reporting births was under the county jurisdiction, and compliance was inconsistent. These records, located in the Orphan’s Court Division of the county courthouse, are usually referred to as the county Register of Births. Continue reading
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