For me, one of the most rewarding aspects of genealogy is the people I meet exploring similar family lines. The type of involvement varies. Sometimes it is limited to an exchange of one or two letters with a cousin who shares a few items about the family. With a few, it has been a flurry of emails over a short period of time as we intensely investigate a particular family together. Then there are those occasional contacts that move beyond genealogy into a friendship, like my correspondence with Carmen Hill. Continue reading
Remembering Uncle Jack
My maternal Uncle Jack was a large man in size and presence with a booming voice; he was a Marine after all. But what I remember most about him was his big persona; you knew when he came into a room. Yet he was good natured with a jovial disposition. He moved out of Pennsylvania before I was born, but he visited every couple of years, which gave me a chance to become familiar with him while growing up. My first memory of him was when I was very young and Jack and his family stopped by to visit us. I don’t recall the details except excitement around his arrival and departure, most likely because we knew it would be some time before his next visit. Continue reading
Brown Family Reunion
For some September invokes thoughts of colorful fall leaves, crisp autumn air, and the aroma of pumpkin spice. For me September makes me think of my family as this month has become when the descendants of Charles and Lucy Swank Brown gather for a family reunion. It has been held in Indiana County PA for over twenty years, usually on the second Sunday of the month, although some years it had been changed to a different Sunday due to scheduling conflicts. The reunion is a perfect time to reconnect with cousins I might not see throughout the year. This year, unfortunately, it has been cancelled due to Covid19. Continue reading
Census Through the Years: Peter M. Reese
The Reese family has been in Lycoming County and its bordering counties for over 200 years as evidenced by the U.S. census. My great grand uncle Peter Milton Reese, Milton as he was often called, was among this family’s descendants who lived his entire life in these counties. Except for information in a few vital records, most of what I know of my great grand uncle is from the U.S. census. Continue reading
Misc. Tax Rolls — Jefferson County PA
Some years ago when visiting the Jefferson County courthouse I copied several property tax lists for my ancestor Abraham Ludwick and some of his sons. 1837 was the first tax year I copied for Abraham in Young Township; he had moved his family to Jefferson County sometime in the mid-1830s. By the early 1840s Abraham’s sons John and George, now adults, were also listed on the tax rolls for the county in Gaskill Township. By the 1850s more of Abraham’s sons who had reached adulthood and owned land appeared on the tax rolls, now in Winslow Township. It’s possible that the Ludwick families never moved, but the townships around them changed as new ones were formed. In 1855, which is about the time Abraham and Mary moved back to Allegheny County, Abraham’s name was scratched out with a note that property should be assessed to Samuel Ludwick. Continue reading
Census Through the Years: William H. Allen
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
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
2020–The 24th US Census
The 24th decennial U.S. Census in 2020 is now underway. In March letters were sent to all residences to collect information of who lived there on the designated date of April 1, sometimes referred to as census day. The first of April has been census day for many recent enumerations, although this date has varied. A new initiative this year is to have responses returned electronically via online forms; answers can also be submitted by phone or by mail, which was introduced in 1960. If no completed form is received, an enumerator will visit to collect the information, although Covid19 might disrupt these attempts. 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
Relatively Speaking Blog 