Maria Elizabeth Keck

There are  times in researching that I can be both excited and frustrated with search results. This morning I was doing some research on David Ritter, b. 1842 - d. 1863, served in the Civil War. My Ancestry search led me to a shared family tree. I browsed the tree, along the Ritter lines and came to Maria Elizabeth Keck, an ancestor I already have in my records. She is my 5th great grandmother through my paternal grandmother's lines.

Maria Elizabeth Keck was born 15 April 1747 in Pennsylvania & died 2 June 1813. She married Johannes Ritter, b. 1743 - d. 1816 in Pennsylvania. Maria and Johannes had 11 children. Her parents were Henry & Hannah Keck. I have no dates or other information for her parents.

The Ancestry tree showed dates for Henry & Hannah, other children for them and two more previous generations for the Keck family. It could put our family back to 1614 in Germany and add dozens of Keck family members to our tree. That is the exciting part. However, the only source given  for this information is a geocities website, which, of course, no longer exists. Keep your fingers crossed. I have sent off an email to the owner of the Ancestry tree in hopes of: 1. getting a reply, 2. getting reliable sources/documents to back up the posted facts. I will post any results I get.

Alberta Joy (Gardner) Brown

Alberta Joy Gardner

Alberta Joy (Gardner) Brown was born 26 March 1928 in the Bronx during the Great Depression.  Her parents, Nathaniel & Helen (Coyle) Gardner had waited several years for her arrival and were so happy they gave her the name Joy. She was also named in remembrance for her father’s brother, Albert Gartner, b. 11 December 1988 & d. c. 1920. He was a nurse.
Alberta Joy grew up in the Bronx. In 1934 they lived at to 2856 East 197th Street in the Bronx. She roller skated on the sidewalks, swam in the river with her father, took dance lessons and attended public school #71. She went to Mass at the neighborhood Catholic Church. On 23 May 1936, Joy received her First Holy Communion at the Church of Saint Theresa. She was a little red haired girl with lots of freckles and a tendency to get herself in mischief.
One day Joy’s friends thought tree climbing would be fun.  There was a tall tree next to the apartment building she lived in.  She climbed right up, higher and higher till she could see her mother in the second floor window.  Joy called to her and thought it was great fun when her mother looked out, surprised.  Helen immediately ran down the stairs and to the foot of the tree.  She spoke softly to her daughter, urging her to climb down.  Naturally, she was terrified that her only child would fall to the sidewalk.  So she spoke softly as to not startle her.  Slowly Joy came down.  Once she was safely on the ground, Helen started scolding her and warming her bottom!  Joy couldn’t understand why her mother was so upset.
On Election Day 1940 the Gardners moved to a small house in the country in Germantown, NY.  She had to adjust from living in one of the world’s largest cities to a town with no traffic lights, dirt roads and a small school for grades K – 12. She traded her much loved roller skates for a bicycle, met a girl who was to become her lifelong best friend and decided country life was not so bad after all. Alberta Joy lived in Germantown for the rest of her life. She met her husband at a square dance. She & Delbert K. Brown were married 8 August 1948. They had four children. I am the second of those four children, very fortunate to have had such a marvelous mother.

Rittersville, Pennsylvania

Rittersville

It is quite thrilling to think there is a town named after a branch of our family.  It was a village in Hanover Township.  About 1920 it became a section of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

The Rittersville website tells us:

Historically, two things were needed to make a village:  a crossroads, and a tavern/inn. The crossroads provided the traffic, while the tavern and inn provided a meeting place for local residents and a place for travelers to stay overnight during the arduous journey from one place to another.  Most often, the name of the village was based upon the name of the proprietor of the tavern.  Rittersville was no exception.

Although he was not the first resident in the Rittersville area the village "founder" is considered to be Michael Ritter.  In 1808, Ritter and his family moved from Northampton county to Rittersville. 

In 1812 Michael Ritter led the building of a school. German was taught there. In 1825 Michael opened a store. In 1828 the post office opened and Michael Ritter was the first post master. Go to the website to learn more and see photos of our ancestors’ home town.

http://www.rville.net/Rittersville_welcome.htm
(Photo used with permission from Robert Reinhold)

Another source backs up this claim. 

Roberts, Charles, John Stoudt, Thomas Krick, and William Dietrich. History of Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. III. Allentown, Pennsylvania: Lehigh Valley Publishing Company, 1914.

This history volume chronicles many Ritters. They are descendants of one of the four original Ritter brothers who came to the United States from Germany: Heinrich Ritter, Paul Ritter, Martin Ritter & Casper Ritter. They sailed on the ship ‘Pennsylvania Merchant’ from Rotterdam, landing in Philadelphia on 11 September 1732. 

One of these is Michael Ritter b. 18 April 1782 & d. 17 March 1854 m. Margaret Arner. His exact connection to the original four brothers is unclear but he is the man who gave the name to Rittersville.

“He was the founder of Rittersville and built the first hotel there, in connection with which he kept a store, and farmed several hundred acres of land. He was a member of the Assembly and as justice of the peace of Hanover Township.”

Thomas Ritter, son of Michael Ritter

Another source talks about Michael Ritter.

Seventy Years History of Saint Peter's Lutheran and Reformed Congregations of Rittersville, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: 1912.

In January 1842 a group of people gathered at the home of Michael Ritter to discuss building a church. The land they eventually decided to build on was formerly the property of Michael, then owned by his son, Thomas.Michael was an Elder of the church. This volume of history includes a listing of tombstones in the church cemetery. Michael and other Ritters are listed.

Another source for Rittersville information:

Mathews, Alfred, and Austin N. Hungerford. History of the Counties of Lehigh and Carbon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: Everts & Richards, 1884.Available at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown, PA 18102. 

This volume of history tells us Rittersville included an old blacksmith shop, built about 1822. The cemetery was laid out and the church erected in 1842. In 1868 a race course was laid out.

The grounds were enlarged to sixteen acres, and fitted up at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. The grounds are open for trotting and pacing in May and August each year.

This history writes about Michael. He had four sons: Charles, Thomas, William and Franklin. Charles ran the hotel, was post master and died June 1883. Thomas and William lived and died in Rittersville. Franklin was a school teacher.

Ritter Tombstones in Rittersville Cemetery

It would be terrific to know the details of the connection between Michael and the four brothers. I'd like to hear from anyone who has more information on this.

Descendants of the original Ritter Brothers who came from Germany:
..... 1 Ritter
..... + Ritter

........... 2 Paul Ritter b: 1713 in Germany, d: 14 February 1799 in PA
........... + Maria Elizabeth Ritter b: 1710 in Germany, d: 23 July 1798 in PA
................. 3 Paul Ritter b: Abt. 1730 in Germany
................. 3 Anna Catherine Ritter b: 1738 in Milford, Bucks, PA
................. 3 Casper Ritter b: Abt. 1740 in Milford, Bucks, PA

................. 3 Mathias Ritter b: 1741 in Milford, Bucks, PA
................. 3 Johann Heinrich Ritter b: 1745 in Milford, Bucks, PA
................. 3 Anna Maria Ritter b: 1748 in Milford, Bucks, PA

Ritter Tombstones

................. 3 Maria Elizabeth Ritter b: 1750 in Milford, Bucks, PA
........... 2 Heinrich Ritter b: Abt. 1715 in Germany, d: Jan 1797 in PA
........... + Maria Elizabeth Tutt b: Abt. 1723, m: Abt. 1740, d: Abt. 1787 in PA
................. 3 Casper Ritter b: 1741 in Milford, Bucks, PA, d: 1822
................. + Hanna Ottilia Hertz m: 11 January 1774
................. 3 Johannes Ritter Sr. b: 17 February 1743 in PA, d: 18 April 1816 PA
................. + Maria E Keck b: 15 Apr 1747 PA, m: 29 Apr 1768, d: 2 June 1813  PA
................. 3 Philip Ritter b: Abt. 1745 in Milford, Bucks, PA
................. + Justina
................. 3 Martin Ritter b: 10 November 1749 in PA, d: 02 Nov 1827 PA
................. + Anna M Steininger b: 11 Jan 1752, m: 11 Jan 1774 PA d: 04 Aug 1838
................. 3 Heinrich Wilhelm Ritter b: 20 Feb 1751 in Salisbury Twp., Bucks, PA
................. 3 Johannes Theobald Ritter b: 11 June 1753 in PA
................. 3 Jacob Ritter b: Abt. 1755 in PA
................. + Elisabeth Klein
................. 3 Barbara Anna Ritter b: 1758 in Salisbury Twp., PA, d: Abt. 1785
................. + Hartman
................. 3 Anna Margaretha Ritter b: Jan 1761  PA
................. + Bernhard Klein
................. 3 Maria Magdelena Ritter b: 07 January 1767 in Salisbury Twp., PA
................. + Hartman
........... 2 Martin Ritter b: Abt. 1718 in Germany, d: 1789 in PA
........... + Anna Margaret Ritter m: Abt. 1746
................. 3 Caspar Ritter b: 20 June 1744 in PA
................. 3 Anna Barbara Ritter b: 10 November 1749 in PA
................. 3 John Henry Ritter b: 09 April 1751 in PA
................. 3 Valentine Ritter b: 1748 in PA
................. 3 George Adam Ritter b: 1756 in PA
................. 3 Johanne Martin Ritter b: 1760 in PA
................. 3 Maria Magaretha Ritter b: 1765 in PA
................. 3 Johannes Ritter b: 1767 in Pennsylvania
........... 2 Caspar Ritter b: Abt. 1720 in Germany, d: 04 Feb 1792 PA
........... + Anna Maria
................. 3 Casper Ritter b: 24 July 1747 in Hanover, PA, d: 02 May 1824 PA
................. + Anna M. Germanton b: 20 July 1746, d: 30 March 1791 in Lehigh, PA
................. 3 Michael Ritter d: Unknown
................. 3 Susanna Ritter d: Unknown
................. + Dietel
................. 3 Elizabeth Ritter b: 06 July 1753, d: Unknown
................. + Gilbert
................. 3 Anna Catherine Ritter b: 26 May 1757, d: Bef. 1792
................. + Kleckner
................. 3 Johann Daniel Ritter b: 4 Aug 1758  PA, d: 29 Aug 1836  PA
................. + Elisabeth Rohn b: 26 February 1763, d: 25 February 1841
................. 3 Barbara Ritter b: 04 May 1761 in Dryland, Pennsylvania
................. + Jacob Balliet m: 06 November 1781
................. 3 John Ritter b: 27 December 1764 in Northampton, PA, d: Unknown
........... 2 Barbara Ritter b: 26 April 1721 in Germany, d: 1809
........... + Hans Jacob Hertzel d: 1781
........... 2 Anna Ritter b: Abt. 1722 in Germany

The Irish Connection to my Father's Family

 My mother’s Irish connection stands out very proudly and clearly. Not as clear to my family is our Irish connection on my father’s family tree. There are many links to Germany & Switzerland. Although our Irish ancestors have not as yet been closely researched, they do exist. One Irish connection is through the Dillon family that moved from Virginia to the Carolinas and into Mississippi came from Ireland. Richard Dillon, son of James Theopilous Dillon and my 5^th great grandfather, served in the Revolutionary War. 

Luke Ward Conerly, SOURCE RECORDS FROM PIKE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI 1798-1910; South Carolina, Southern Historical Press, 1989.

Richard Dillon enlisted in the patriot militia near Edenton, N.C., under Captain Faulk. In 1781 Richard "again saw service as an enlistee on the vessel 'Greyhound,' a privateers man commanded by Samuel Butler.  With the capture of that vessel, he was made a prisoner on the English frigate 'Baloosa' which carried 36 guns and was commanded by a Captain Kennedy, a Scotsman.  After a nine-month imprisonment, he again returned to Bertie County." After the war he and “his wife came to Mississippi and settled on Bogue Chitto, at what is known as Dillon's Bridge, or Dillontown.” 

I recently searched family trees on ancestry.com to look for connections to this family, hoping to learn more about the Irish roots. I found trees that claimed the father of James Theopilous Dillon was James Dillon, b. 1697 in Cork, Ireland and d. 1798 in Virginia, married to Martha Parsons. However, there are no sources connected with these trees.  I would love to claim James & Martha as my own but I’d like to find some documentation to support their link to our family. There are many times when this happens with the family trees on ancestry.com. I usually email the people who post the trees to discover more. The response is often that they have no sources; they just saw it on someone else’s tree and copied it onto theirs. I do not want to follow their lead. Hopefully further research will bring James & Martha firmly into our family.

Descendants of James Theopilous Dillon

..... 1 James Theopilous Dillon b: Abt. 1719 in Ireland

..... + Mary Dillon

........... 2 Richard Dillon b: 07 Oct 1745 in Norfolk, Virginia, d: 07 Oct 1833 in MS

........... + Anne Lawrence b: c. 1762 in Bertie, NC, m: Abt. 1776, d: c. 1830 in MS

................. 3 Lawrence Dillon b: Unknown in NC, d: Unknown

................. 3 Joanna Dillon b: 1778 in Bertie, NC, d: Aft. 1821 in Pike, MS

................. + Jeremiah Smith b: 23 Dec 1773 in SC, m: 1798 in SC, d: 1843 MS

....................... 4 Hollander Smith b: 08 July 1800 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown

....................... + Benjamin Morris Jr. b: Abt. 1792 in SC, d: Aft. 1870

............................. 5 James Morris b: 26 Nov 1824 in Pike,MS, d: Abt. 1888, LA

............................. + Valinda b: 10 June 1819 in Pike, MS, d: 28 Aug 1883

............................. + Theodosia Easley b: 09 May 1865, d: 19 Jan 1942

............................. 5 Hollander Elizabeth Morris b: 1829 in MS, d: 1868 in LA

............................. + Benjamin Blades b: LA, d: Aft. 1900

............................. 5 Salina Theresa Morris b: Abt. 1838 in MS, d: 29 July 1899

............................. + Henry  Lewis b: 24 Oct 1824 in Pike, MS, m:1849, d:1888

............................. 5 Ben Morris Jr. b: Abt. 1842, d: Abt. 1863

............................. 5 William Morris b: Abt. 1843, d: Abt. 1963

............................. 5 Eli Morris b: Abt. 1844, d: Abt. 1863

....................... 4 Martha P. Smith b: 25 March 1802 in SC, d: 08 August 1861 MS

....................... + Edwin B. Alford b:Nov 1792 in NC, m: 1818 MS, d: 1878, MS

............................. 5 Rev. Warren J. Alford b: 12 Sept 1819 MS, d: 1899 in MS

............................. + Celia A. Lewis m: 08 June 1841 MS, d: 30 Jan 1900

............................. 5 Cynthia Ann Alford b: 11 December 1820 in Progress, MS

............................. + Jesse Ball b: 15 November 1808

............................. 5 Ira P. Alford b: 22 Jan 1822 in MS d: 15 Sept 1901 in LA

............................. + Elizabeth Hope b: 1826, m: 1843, d: 25 Dec 1871 in LA

............................. + Mary Hughes Parker

............................. 5 William Harmon Alford b: 03 August 1823 in MS

............................. 5 Harriet Jane Alford b: 22 March 1825 in MS

............................. + Tyra Jennings Tynes m: 05 October 1847 in Pike, MS

............................. 5 Lacey Alford b: 24 September 1828 in MS

............................. + James Michael Ball

............................. 5 Jeptha J. Alford MD b: 1830 in MS, d: 21 Nov 1914 MS

............................. + Fanny Roberts

............................. + Corinne Edwards

............................. 5 Julia Ann Alford b: 21 March 1832 in MS

............................. + John Ratliff McEleveen

............................. 5 Seaborn S. Alford MD b: 15 Aug 1834 in MS, d: 22 Feb 1906

............................. + Anice Ball

............................. 5 Elijah Hayden Alford b: 1836

............................. 5 Juluis Newton Alford b: 14 Nov 1838 in MS, d: 26 May 1916

............................. + Mary Marguerete Brumfield b: June 1846 in LA

............................. 5 Martha Elizabeth Alford b: 08 Aug 1846 in MS, d: Aft. 1910

............................. + Jessie Alexander Brumfield b:1838 LA, d: Aft. 1910

............................. 5 Julia Ann Alford b: 30 August 1856 in MS

....................... 4 Eli Smith b: 21 Jan 1804 SC, d: 2 Aug 1838 in Pike,MS

....................... + Orpha Roberts

....................... 4 Jane Smith b: 09 Oct 1805, d: 1846

....................... + Thomas Coulter Warner m: 25 Dec 1825

....................... 4 Edwin Smith b: 03 June 1807 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown

....................... 4 Wyatt Smith b: 31 Aug 1809 in LA, d: 16 Feb 1894 MS

....................... + Euseba Fortenberry b: 03 Dec 1809 in SC, d: 13 Oct1878 MS

............................. 5 Emmaline Smith b: 13 Sept 1831 Pike, MS, d:1920 MS

............................. + Allen Moses Brown b: 1836 MS, m: 1858, d: Aft. 1870

............................. 5 Saryntha A. Smith b: 31 Aug 1833 in MS, d:1905 MS

............................. + John Shaffer Ellzey Jr. b:1829 in MS, m:1851, d:1874

............................. 5 William J. M. Smith b: 14 June 1835, d: 04 June 1862

............................. + Rachel Ellzey Smith Schilling b:1840, m:1859, d:1896

............................. 5 Jasper R. Smith b: Abt. 1841

............................. 5 Newton Oscar Smith b: Abt. 1842, d: 04 May 1862

............................. 5 Rankin Smith b: Abt. 1844

............................. 5 Eliza Jane Smith b: 21 Jan 1846, d: 31 August 1919

............................. + David Jackson McClendon b: 10 March 1838, d: Texas

............................. + John Narvel Fortenberry b: 05 Oct 1851 MS, d: 1920 in MS

............................. 5 Adolphus Scott Smith b: 22 June 1848, d: 18 Oct 1921

............................. + Julia Jane Simmons b: 03 Sept 1853, d: 25 Nov 1916

............................. 5 Walter Lorraine Smith b: 13 Sept 1853 MS, d: 21 April 1930

............................. + Emma Julia Warren b: 27 Nov 1858 LA, d: 09 Oct 1932

....................... 4 Eliza Smith b: 14 Feb 1811 in Pike, MS, d: 06 April 1837

....................... 4 Calvin Smith b: 22 Sep 1812 in Pike, MS, d: 22 Jan 1843 in MS

....................... + Sarah Brumfield

............................. 5 Wyatt Rankin Smith b: Abt. 1845

............................. + Irene Bankston b: Abt. 1845

....................... + Sarah Brumfield b: 09 April 1824  LA, m: 1843

....................... 4 Lidda Smith b: 06 April 1816 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown

....................... + Harris Harvey

....................... 4 Mehala Smith b: 15 July 1816 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown

....................... 4 Milevey Smith b: 13 April 1818 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown

....................... + Don Harvey

....................... 4 Joanna Smith b: 05 October 1819 in Pike, MS, d: Unknown

....................... 4 Jeremiah Smith b: 30 April 1821 in Pike, MS, d: 13 May 1894

....................... + Pernecia Smith b: 26 Sep t1820, m:1841, d: 04 April 1887

............................. 5 Jarratt Cylmon Smith d: Unknown

............................. + Eliza Jane Brock m: 03 October 1878

............................. 5 William George Smith b: 04 Dec 1842, d: 10 June 1862

............................. 5 Ancil Green Smith b: 14 March 1845, d: 18 June 1862

................. 3 Nancy Ann Dillon b: 26 October 1779 in NC, d: 28 May 1869

................. + John Stallings d: 23 September 1851

................. 3 Clarkston Dillon b: Abt. 1785 in NC, d: Unknown

................. + Sarah Dillon b: SC

................. 3 Willis D. Dillon b: 31 December 1787 in NC, d: Unknown

................. + Mary Dillon b: 1783 in South Carolina, USA

................. 3 Mary Dillon Morris b: 1793 in NC, d: 04 July 1876

................. + Salathial Morris

................. 3 Theophilous Dillon b: 26 May 1796 in NC, d: Unknown

................. + Peggy Pearson b: 1808, d: 05 September 1857

................. 3 Clara Dillon b: 1799 in NC, d: Unknown

................. + George Smith d: 1833

....................... 4 William Dorten Smith b: 1818 in Pike, MS, d: 1906

....................... + Lucretta Dykes

............................. 5 Cinderilla Smith b: 1856 in MS

............................. + Thomas Dolphus Bickham

....................... 4 Nancy Smith b: 1829 in Pike, MS

....................... + Densmore Winston Smith

............................. 5 Mardenie Smith

............................. + James Wince Simmons

March Family Brithdays, March 16 - 31

Alberta Joy Gardner  Cheerleader

17 March    1869    Patrick MULLANE was born in Tipperary, Ireland, son of Daniel MULLANE & Brigid English. He died 29 August 1881 at the age of 12.

18 March    1787    Andrew WOLF was born in Pennsylvania, son of Johann Jonas WOLF & Appollonia DICK. He married Catherine DICK. They had 11 children. He was my 4th great grand uncle. He lived to be 80 years old.
        1835    Joel H. GOOD
        1873    James Elmer MESSMORE
        1882    Daniel Joseph MULLANE Jr.
        1938    Milo D. MESSMORE

19 March    1804    Elizabeth WOLF
        1856    John NEE
        1861    William Henry MESSMORE
        1900    Marion COYLE was born in New York City, daughter of Michael COYLE & Mary Josephine MULLANE. She married James Joseph McCALL.  She died 9 January 1991, at the age of 91. She was my grand aunt. Visiting her in NY City was always a treat.

20 March    1909    Milton Wallace RITTER
1921    Jessie Miles HALL in Mississippi. He married Sylvia Rayleen BROWN in 1942. She was the daughter of Roy Jesse BROWN & Mary Thelma ELLZEY.
        1937    Jackie JOHNSON

21 March    1832    Julia Ann ALFORD
                    1903    Glenn Aaron SPICE born in Ohio, son of Arther SPICE & Emaline Floy MOORE. He married Genevieve Quinlin WILSON. Their children: Philip, Joanne & Gary.

22 March    1825    Harriet Jane ALFORD
        1853    Jessie Crawford FORTENBERRY
        1902    James Alton BALL was born in Louisiana, son of James J. BALL & Mattie Dennison. He married Mildred Olga BROWN. They had 10 children.
        1931    Lola Mae BALL

23 March    1938    Alice FORTENBERRY was the daughter of Roy Luther FORTENBERRY & Zelda Marie ALFORD.

24 March    1861    Seth Benner MORRISON was born in Pennsylvania, son of William Hiram MORRISON & Emily Benner. He married Margaret Jane GRUISSY in 1890. He was a farmer.
        1866    Matilda Jane RITTER

25 March    1802    Martha P. SMITH was born in South Carolina, daughter of Jeremiah SMITH & Joanna DILLON. She married Edwin Barksdale ALFORD. They had 13 children, all born in Mississippi. She was my 3rd great grandmother.
        1842    Martha Jane ALFORD

26 March    1784    John RITTER
        1815    Reuben B. RITTER
        1922    Julius Robert FORNEA
        1928    Alberta Joy GARDNER born in New York City, daughter of Nathaniel GARDNER & Helen Francis COYLE. On 8 August 1948 She married Delbert Keith BROWN, son of Roy BROWN & Ivy MARK. This is my mother who inspired my longing to learn more about my Irish roots and who is never far from my heart.
        1929    Eva Grace JOLLIFF

27 March    1823    Charles Dawson BRUMFIELD
1935    Edith Rose BALL was born in Louisiana, daughter of James Alton BALL & Mildred Olga BROWN. She married Charles Kay HUTCHINSON. Their children: Kimmel, Charles & Thomas.
       
28 March    1931    William BRADY was the son of Thomas Joseph BRADY & Eileen G. BANKS. He died in January 1975.

29 March    1860    Thomas BRADY
1915    Kenneth Edward KNOX was born in Ohio. He married Helen Pearl RITTER, daughter of William Isaac Ritter & Louise Sophia SCHULTZ. Their son, Larry Dean KNOX has written a detailed history and genealogy of the RITTER family.

30 March    1834    Louisa WOLF was the daughter of Frederick WOLF & Louisa GOETZ.
        1896    Mary Isabell RITTER
        1906    Myrle D. SIMMONS

31 March    1834    Willis Nathaniel BRUMFIELD
        1867    Richard Silman BRUMFIELD
        1891    Peter BRADY
        1938    Geraldine POWELL was the daughter of Ross POWELL & Edna Margaret WILSON. She married Quinton FLOYD. She’s my 5th cousin.

Ohio Civil War Geneaolgy Journal

Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal

I am very happy to report that I have had an article published in the Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal, 2011, Volume XV, Issue 1! I'll tell you a little about the Ohio Genealogical Society & then I'll tell you how my article came about.

I joined the Ohio Genealogical Society some time ago. It is the largest society of its kind in all the states and very helpful to researchers. The website has useful links that I have visited many times. http://www.ogs.org/ They hold annual conventions that are helpful to the beginner or advanced genealogist (I am somewhere in between). The sessions, of course, focus on Ohio research but are also good for general research. The Society also publishes four journals: Ohio Genealogy News, OGS Quarterly, Ohio Records & Pioneer Families & Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal.

Page 3

Last winter I was visiting the website and noticed the Annual Writing Competition. I read over the details and decided to enter the contest for the OCWGJ that  "features anything relating to Ohioans who served the Civil War including post-war related activities such as reconstruction and the GAR." Prizes included membership, subscriptions & publications. I was primarily interested in publication.  This is a topic I have been learning about, on and off, for some time. I decided to get my notes together and enter the contest. 

Page 4

First I took my copies of the journal off my bookshelf and looked over past issues to get a clearer idea of the type of articles they publish. I put together what I hoped was a coherent & accurate account of four ancestors, William Mark, my 2nd Great Grandfather, and three of his brothers, John Mark, Thomas Jefferson Mark & Marion Mark, all soldiers of the Civil War. I had been fortunate enough to uncover service records for all four men. I wrote & rewrote, read & reread my information. Then off it went by email to Ohio, home state of my father, Delbert K. Brown, and his mother, Ivy (Mark) Brown.

Page 5

I moved on with my research, putting the idea of being published aside. I registered for the Annual Convention, my very first genealogy convention. Winners of the Writing Contest would be announced at the conference. I decided to make it into a research trip. I made of list of unanswered questions about my Ohio roots and decided the places I was most likely to uncover the answers to those questions. Our family was centered in Medina, Wayne & Stark Counties. I divided my questions into three lists, one for each county of residence. On the internet I discovered the holdings, locations and hours for each counties' library, Department of Health and Court House. I talked to my cousin, Aileen, who lives in Pataskala, Ohio and arranged to visit her after the conference. I also contacted Edd Massie, a distant cousin who shares a link to the Gruissy family. We have been in touch by email for ages but had never met. He lives near Aileen and we arranged to meet.

Page 6

Page 7

By April the snow had melted in NY and I was ready to go to Ohio. I loved driving over the rolling hills in north east Ohio. Each library was a wealth of information. The ladies at the Stark County Library, Genealogy Section were very helpful and took on my questions as their own. Many of the ancestors I was researching had been gone long before I was born but I felt a connection to them as I discovered their names in faded documents, on rolls of microfilm and chiseled in their tombstones. 

In Toledo I had no trouble finding the hotel for the conference and settling in. I had my list of sessions , my favorite pen and a notebook just waiting to be filled. As I settled into my first session I realized I was surrounded by people like me, people who loved to find just one more piece of their past; who exalted in yellowed bits of paper with faded handwriting; who secretly dreamed of finding the treasured family Bible with a complete listing of family births, marriages & deaths. I had never met so many genealogists before and they were all friendly & ready to share or point the way to answers for my questions. Despite all my fun at the Convention there was one disappointment. When they announced the winners of the Writing Contest, my name was not read. I swallowed my discouragement and enjoyed the rest of the trip, spending time with Aileen and her family and meeting Edd and his wife at long last.

Page 8

Back at home I entered my new found scraps of information into my records and looked for new questions to answer. Each time I find an answer to a question, it inspires new questions. Months later, I received an email from the editor of the Ohio Civil War Genealogy Journal. He wanted to publish my article! I was thrilled. I felt like I had won after all! Emails went back and forth between us. I asked if he was interested in photos to go with the article. My Uncle Leo kindly brought the Civil War rifle along to our annual Independence Day BBQ where the family admired it & my daughter, Alyssa, took photos. (I can't forget to thank Jeff, whose hands photograph well holding the rifle.) My cousin, Tom, kindly dug out the photo of Thomas Jefferson Mark and shared it with me. The kind people at the OCWGJ added their research to the article. They investigated the burials of John and Thomas Mark. They also added information about the rifle. At first it was thought the article would be published in November but because of space limitations, it was held till February 2011.

At long last, here is the article for you to read. Click on an image to see a larger version. You may also contact the Ohio Genealogical Society for a copy of the full journal or to subscribe. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing & sharing it with you. 

 Descendants of William Mark
..... 1 William Mark b: 26 May 1844, d: 21 November 1904
.... + Emma Abeline Flory b: 24 October 1852, d: 23 July 1877
........... 2 Cora Bell Mark b: 30 July 1872, d: 10 June 1905
........... + Edward Newell b: April 1873, d: Unknown
........... 2 Marian Francis Mark b: 14 November 1874, d: 06 April 1947 Pa
..... + Elidia Rebecca Ritter b: 30 July 1854, d: 28 August 1912
........... 2 William M. Mark b: 12 February 1877, d: Aft. 1920
........... + Alice Leota Heacock b: 03 October 1880, d: Unknown
........... 2 George Washington Mark b: 01 April 1878, d: 16 October 1938
........... + Elizabeth Shifferly b: 10 October 1881, d: 03 September 1949
........... 2 Thomas Kenneth Mark b: 19 July 1879, d: 12 February 1975
........... + Nancy Regina Victoria Gruissy b: 31 January 1879, d: 24 May 1959
........... 2 Margaret Maude Mark b: 06 January 1881, d: 10 January 1964
........... + Ralph Clayton Kauffman b: 08 November 1877, d: 12 November 1968
........... + Samuel Martin Jolliff b: 08 December 1871, d: 28 January 1927
........... 2 Emma Jane Mark b: 27 April 1882, d: 09 December 1961
........... + Alfred C. Pfeifer b: 23 February 1880, d: 08 April 1968
........... + Elmer Howard Wilson b: 10 October 1879, d: 12 July 1959
........... 2 William Hercules Mark b: 30 April 1884, d: 12 August 1929
........... 2 Mary Jeanette Mark b: 28 February 1886, d: 06 May 1940
........... + John Rickert Shaw b: 13 January 1886, d: Abt. 1984
........... 2 Amos Martin Mark b: 21 June 1888, d: 16 June 1969
........... + Lillian Myrtle Hoverstock b: 25 April 1896, d: 10 October 1975
........... 2 Eslie Guy Mark b: 02 December 1890, d: 10 May 1972
........... + Golda Mae Warner b: 22 September 1902, d: 25 March 1982
........... 2 Charles Forest Mark b: 02 May 1892, d: 30 April 1967
........... + Bertha Flickinger b: 02 March 1904, d: 01 July 2000
........... 2 Elva Gale Mark b: 28 June 1894, d: 12 January 1959
........... + Myron A. Boreman b: Abt. 1893, d: Unknown
........... 2 James Everett Mark b: 28 October 1896, d: 28 October 1968
........... + Effie Margaret Carter b: 15 February 1904, d: 05 April 1966

Our Irish Roots

My maternal grandmother, Helen (Coyle) Gardner was the first of her family to be born in the United States rather than Ireland. She was the daughter of Michael & Mary Josephine (Mullane) Coyle. In time for Saint Patrick's Day, the story of their journeys from Ireland to the USA follow:

Servia.  Michael Coyle sailed on this ship in May 1885.

The Coyle branch of our family was living in County Cavan in the late 1700s/early 1800s. We have scattered in-formation about the family at that time. Patrick & Margaret (Brady) Coyle were married there in 1870. They had eleven children, seven born in Ireland. Their oldest child, Michael Coyle, b. 1870 came to America  alone and arrived in New York City on 11 May 1885 on the boat Servia. At that time, from the years 1855 until 1890, immigrants arrived in the United States through Castle Garden located on the southern tip of Manhattan.  This was our country’s first immigration station. In the years when Ellis Island was used by the Army and Navy as a recruiting depot and a place for storing gunpowder, over 8 million people arrived in the United States through Castle Garden.

S. S. Circassia. Patrick Coyle sailed on this ship in October 1885 to NYC.

Michael Coyle was only 14 and a half years old when he arrived in his new country.  Why he came alone and at such a young age is unknown. His mother was very domineering and he may have wanted to escape her control.  He may have been escaping from troubles with the British. Whether he welcomed the adventure of traveling alone or feared it, we can only guess.  Soon after Michael arrived in New York City, his father, Patrick Coyle, back in County Cavan, received word from friends in New York City that Michael was in trouble.  They suggested that Patrick get to America right away and keep an eye on his son. Patrick was the next to leave Ireland, arriving in New York City on 19 October 1885.  He came aboard the ship S. S. Circassia. The ship’s passenger list shows Patrick to be a 45 year old farmer.  Patrick was to remain in the United States for the rest of his life.

City of Berlin. Margaret (Brady) Coyle & family traveled on this ship in 1886.

The rest of Patrick’s family left Ireland.  Margaret (Brady) Coyle came to the United States with a party of seven other family members, including five children and her brother Bartholomew Brady. The boat they traveled on was called the City of Berlin. The group arrived at the Port of New York on 21 May 1886.  The Patrick Coyle family settled in Waterbury, Connecticut.  Bartholomew Brady went on to live in East Orange, New Jersey. Michael Coyle stayed in New York City where he met Mary Josephine Mullane.

Mary Josephine Mullane was born in 1867 in Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland, daughter of Daniel & Brigid (Eng-lish) Mullane. Mary Josephine Mullane came to the United States with her cousin, Mary Pollack. Mary Jo Mullane and Mary Pollack were cousins because their mothers were sisters.  Mary was the daughter of David & Mary (English) Pollack.  They sailed from Queenstown on the S. S. Britannic. About that time the price for the tickets for passage from Queenstown to New York City on the White Star Line ship Britannic were: Saloon Rates, $50.00 and upward; Second cabin, $35.00 and upward; according to steamer and location of berths; Steerage $20.00. On the ship’s passenger list Mary Jo was 18 and listed as a ‘spinster.’ The cousins arrived in New York City on 25 May 1885.

S. S. Britannic. Mary Josephine Mullane traveled on this in 1867.

Michael Coyle met Mary Josephine Mullane in a boarding house in New York City. Family stories say he saw her coming down a flight of stairs in a boarding house and fell in love with her. They married in 1895 and had seven children, all born in New York City. Helen Francis (Coyle) Gardner, my Nana, was the oldest of those children.


 Descendants of Michael Coyle
..... 1 Michael Coyle b: 24 November 1870 Moate, Ireland, d: Unknown
..... + Mary Josephine Mullane b: 04 August 1867 Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland, m: 09 November 1895 in St. Bridgid's, N.Y., d: 17 December 1927 in Bronx, Bronx, NY

........... 2 Helen Frances Coyle b: 9 Jan 1897 NY, d: 13 Oct 1965 Hudson, Columbia, NY
........... + Nathaniel J. Gardner b: 21 July 1882 in New York, New York, m: 09 May 1921 in Manhattan, Kings, NY, d: 07 December 1944 in Germantown, Columbia, NY
................. 3 Alberta Joy Gardner b: 26 March 1928 NY, d: 10 August 1992 Albany,NY
................. + Delbert Keith Brown b: 27 July 1928 Rittman, Wayne, OH, m: 8 August 1948 in Germantown, Columbia, NY, d: 24 October 2000 in Hudson, Columbia, NY
........... 2 Frank Coyle b: July 1898 NY, d: 7 December 1899 in New York, NY
........... 2 Marion Coyle b: 19 March 1900 NY d: 09 Jan 1991 Sun City, Maricopa, Arizona
........... + James Joseph McCall b: 28 Jan 1898 in NYC, N.Y., m: 5 April 1931 Bronx, NY, d: 25 March 1944 Manhattan, N.Y.
........... + William Francis Kunemund b: 22 September 1895 USA, m: 21 Dec 1967 Bronx, Bronx, NY, d: 20 February 1987 in Lake Wales, Polk, Florida
........... 2 Marguerite C Coyle b: 24 Dec 1901 NY, d: 13 March 1980 Sun City,  AZ
........... + Wilfred Stewart Marshall b: Abt. 1901 in England, m: 29 Dec 1933 Bronx, NY
........... 2 Thomas Coyle b: Abt. 1904 in New York, New York, d: Aft. 1930
........... 2 Lillian Agnes Coyle b: 18 Sept1911 in Manhattan, Kings, NY, d: 03 June 1987 in Sun City, Maricopa, Arizona,
........... 2 Kathleen Gloria Coyle b: 31 Oct1916 Manhattan, Kings, NY, d: 21 Nov 2007  Sun City West, Arizona