Vital records for deaths are an important part of genealogical research, but before the 20th century finding these can be difficult, especially in a state like Pennsylvania. Combing a cemetery might provide some information, but like death notices of the time, the information is often minimal, and may not be entirely accurate. Fortunately, some states, including West Virginia, started recording deaths at the county level in the mid 19th century. Continue reading
Fowler
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
Anniversary of the Armistice
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. At that precise moment in 1918, the armistice to end the fighting of World War I went into effect, with the official peace treaty signed months later in Versailles. The war had raged in Europe for over 4 years, with most of the combat occurring in eastern France and western Russia. Regarded by many Americans as a European dispute, the United States maintained neutrality until the spring of 1917 when it entered the fray and declared war on Germany. Continue reading
Jessie Jobes and the Army Nurses Corps of WWI
One hundred years ago this month Jessie Fowler Miner Jobes, my grand aunt, was among the patriotic women who entered the Army Nurses Corps (ANC) during World War I. Jessie, born February 12, 1883 to Charles and Lydia Fowler, grew up in Fayette County, PA and married Clifford Minor in 1903. As reported in the 1910 census, Jessie had no occupation, and at some point in those 7 years of marriage she had a daughter. My grandmother, Marjorie Ludwick who was a sister to Jessie, related the following story: Marjorie, their sister Addie, and their mother “went to visit Jessie and to see the new baby who was about a week old. They stayed about 2 hours and before they left they looked in on the baby again, but in that short span she had died. Clifford didn’t live long after that; he had some health issues that caused him to be bedfast.” Perhaps taking care of her ill husband prepared –even inspired—Jessie to become a nurse. Continue reading
World War One Selective Service
2017 marks the 100th anniversary of the United States entering the Great War, more commonly known as World War I, which impacted many of our ancestors. It began on June 28, 1914 when a Serbian nationalist assassinated Austrian Archduke Ferdinand; a month later Austria Hungary declared war on Serbia. A few weeks later this regional conflict had escalated into a full scale war as most European countries had entered the fray, with the larger powers of Germany, Britain and France bearing much of the burden and casualties. Over the next three years as the war raged on with no end in sight, the possibility loomed that America might be pulled into it. Continue reading
Marriage Tributes
This June marks my 5th wedding anniversary and it makes me appreciate the ancestors throughout history who have engaged in the rite of marriage—some with a church wedding, some with a civil service, and some without a formal ceremony but living under “common law”. Occasionally, an ancestor might have been born out of wedlock and his/her parents separated, such as in my case with my great grandmother, but most of my known ancestors took the plunge and made a vow to be bound in marriage. Many were fortunate to celebrate numerous years together—hopefully, happy ones. While I have information about when the marriage took place and perhaps a few statistics surrounding the event, for the most part, information about how they met or their courtship is absent. Continue reading
Relatively Speaking Blog 