Thursday, August 21, 2025

New Discovery!

 I have been researching my family's genealogy for about 40 years. I have visited cemeteries, city halls and libraries. I have filled many spiral notebooks with my discoveries.

It is surprising to find something new. It is a small thing but has given me a big smile. 

I recently discovered that my great, great grandfather,

William Mark,

had a middle name!



William Flemming Mark

26 May 1844 OH - 21 Nov 1904 OH

Son of Abraham Mark & Mary Isabella Heffelfinger

Thanks to ancestry, I saw the record for his Baptism which includes his middle name. 



Baptism: 3 Nov. 1845









Saturday, August 16, 2025

August Birthdays, August 16 - 31

 Is your birthday coming soon? Happy Birthday!

Maybe you share your special day with someone in our family who came before. Look below and see. I posted this series back in 2011. This version has been updated with more information. I hope you find it as much fun as I do.

Even if it is not your birthday, look at the highlighted SURNAMES. Maybe you will see a name from your family & learn a little more about them.

Click on the links to learn more about the people & places.



16 August    
1735    Johan Friedrich WOLF was born in Germany, son of  Johan Jacob Wolf & Anna Barbara Orth. He married Maria Elizabeth. They had eight children.  They lived in Pennsylvania
1852    Jacob Herman WOLF, son of Henry H Wolf
1880    Emma May MILLER

17 August    
1917    George Wheeler MORRIS was the son of George A Morris & Mary Louise Fortenberry. 

18 August    
1887    Lucy THORNHILL
1888    Fleet Eugene SMITH, son of Walter Lorraine Smith & Emma Julia Warren
1893    Emma E. FORTENBERRY, daughter of Thomas Benton Fortenberry
1897    Mavis Marie BROWN, born in Mississippi, daughter of Jasper Pascal Brown & Rose Ella Brumfield. She married Denny Herbert Smith. Children: Nathalee, Fay & Wilma.
1915    Alvin Henry BRAUN

19 August    
1920    Roseanne S VOZELLA , daughter of Charles & Lucia Vozella. She married Thomas J. Coyle. They had five children. 

21 August    
1769    John Jacob WOLF
1883    Thomas Arthur COYLE was born in County Cavan, Ireland, son of Patrick Coyle & Margaret Brady. Thomas was a carpenter who became a Merchant Marine during World War II.   He did not marry. 
1923    Oliver Wendell BRUMFIELD
1928    David Walter FOSS

22 August    
1778    Joanna DILLON was born in North Carolina, daughter of Richard Dillon & Anne Lawrence. She married Jeremiah Smith in 1798 in South Carolina. They had thirteen children.  She is my double 4th great grandmother. Joanna & Jeremiah appear twice in my forest of family trees.
1829    Jeremiah WOLF, son of Andrew Wolf & Catherine Dick
1892    Ruth Straley WOLF, daughter of Frederick Jacob Wolf

23 August    
1805    Anna Maria RITTER
1854    Vilete Permelia FORTENBERRY, born in Mississippi, daughter of Willis James & Louisa B. Fortenberry. She died in 1910. 
1863    Montana RITTER, son of Daniel Ritter
1872    William John WOLF, son of William Henry Harrison Wolf & Sarah E. Forst
1882    Ella MARK, daughter of David Mark & Mary Ann Clason
1921    Helen M Lanning WOLF

24 August    
1850    Justina WOLF
1871    Charles H. MILLER was born in Ohio, son of Henry C Miller & Mary Catherine Ritter. Children: Ethel & Elmer. Charles died in 1949.

25 August    
1891    Rosa Jane OTT was the daughter of William W. Ott & Sarah Euseba Ellzey. She was my second cousin twice removed. 

26 August    
1697    Anna Barbara ORTH
1884    William Wellington HAWK was born in Ohio, son of William Hawk & Elizabeth Ritter. 
1885    Wiley E MCDANIEL
1897    Jessie Ola HALL

27 August    
1937    Robert RODGERS was the son of Tom Rodgers & Caroline V. Brophy. He married Lynette. Children: Robin & Kitty. 

28 August    
1800    John Adam WOLF, son of John Frederick Wolf & Esther Barbara Shaffer
1913    Fannie Chelottie BRUMFIELD
1915    Harold Edward GOOD was born in Ohio, son of Albert E Good & Elizabeth Lodema Moore. He married Velma Ellen Hale in 1936. Children: Carol & Lawrence.

29 August    
1817    Margaret C BROWN,  born in Mississippi, daughter of Moses Brown & Nancy Perkins. 
1914    Irma Ruby BLADES

30 August    
1856    Julia Ann ALFORD, born in Mississippi, daughter of Edwin Barksdale Alford & Martha P Smith.  She was my second great grand aunt. 
1912    Evelyn Devoyx ELLZEY

31 August    
1809    Wyatt SMITH, son of Jeremiah George Smith & Joanna Dillon, husband of Euseba Fortenberry. He was my 3x great grandfather. 
1833    Saryntha A SMITH, daughter of Wyatt SmithEuseba Fortenberry
1848    Violette Eliza FORTENBERRY, born in Mississippi, daughter of Gasua C Fortenberry & Sarah Brown. She married James Miles Thornhill. They had five children.  She died in 1917 in Mississippi.
1917    Ralph Lawrence SPICE





Sunday, August 10, 2025

Vintage Photograph: Dewitt Alford

 

Vintage photographs are like little windows looking back in time.

A Window into the Past



Dewitt William Alford
29 Oct 1874 LA - 24 May 1942 LA
Son of Seaborn S. Alford MD & Anice Ball
Husband of Ina Lucille Brown
Father of 7 children

My 1st cousin, 3x removed








Friday, August 1, 2025

August Birthdays, August 1 - 15

 Is your birthday coming soon? Happy Birthday!

Maybe you share your special day with someone in our family who came before. Look below and see. I posted this series back in 2011. This version has been updated with more information. I hope you find it as much fun as I do.

Even if it is not your birthday, look at the highlighted SURNAMES. Maybe you will see a name from your family & learn a little more about them.

Click on the links to learn more about the people & places.



1 August    
1920     Roy Elmer MAURER was born in Ohio, son of Elmer Maurer & Pauline Morrison. He married Betty Mae Stimson. Roy died in Ohio in 1997.

2 August    
1830    Jeptha Josephus ALFORD, MD was born in MS, son of Edwin Barksdale Alford & Martha P. Smith. He married Fanny Roberts. He is buried in  the Silver Springs Baptist Church Cemetery.
1832    Saloma Anna RITTER, daughter of Daniel Ritter & Lydia Knauss
1878    Henry Chesterfield ARNOLD

3 August    
1823    William Henry Harrison ALFORD, son of Edwin Barksdale AlfordMartha P. Smith, husband of Mary Martha McDaniels
1919    Thomas James COYLE was born in Connecticut, son of James Joseph Coyle & Madeline Herbst. In 1944 he married Roseanne S. Vozella. They had five children. 
1935    James RODGERS

4 August    
1758    Johan Daniel RITTER, son of Caspar Ritter
1859    Luke T. FORTENBERRY, son of Burrell Taylor Fortenberry & Eliza Jane Ellzey
1867    Mary Josephine MULLANE was born in Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland, daughter of Daniel Mullane & Brigid English. She was my great grandmother. She married Michael Coyle in NYC in 1895. She had seven children. Mary Jo died in 1927. 

5 August    
1868    Alvira E. BROWN, daughter of Allen Moses BrownEmmaline Melica Smith
1892    Bertha FORTENBERRY was the daughter of Howell Fortenberry & Mary Ann Alford. She married Grady Henry Ellzey. Children: Wesley, Odean, Carell & Ellen. 

6 August    
1836    Jonas WOLFson of Andrew Wolf & Catherine Dick

7 August    
1855    Charlotte Angelina BRUMFIELD, daughter of Elijah Brumfield & Charlotte Temple Ott, wife of Eli W. Brock
1921    Olgee Sheline BRUMFIELD was the daughter of John Edward Brumfield & Ada Beatrice Fortenberry.

8 August    
1846    Martha Elizabeth ALFORD was born in MS, daughter of Edwin Barksdale Alford & Martha P. Smith. She married Jessie A. Brumfield. They had eight children. She was my 2nd great grandmother.
1865    Rosa HAHN
1875    Charles A. WOLF, son of Peter Alfred Wolf & Mary Elizabeth Adams
1875    Sarah Emma WOLF, daughter of John W. S. Wolf & Elizabeth Jane Anderson
1881    Mona D. MORRISON, daughter of Seth Benner Morrison & Margaret Jane Gruissy, wife of Roy Hurd
1888    Thomas Clarence WILSON

9 August    
1906    Boyce Boo MORRIS was the son of George A. Morris & Mary Louise Fortenberry. He married Carrie Lee. They had four children. Boyce died in 1995.

10 August    
1840    Thomas Jefferson MARK died in the Civil War. He was born in Ohio, the oldest son of Abraham Mark & Mary Isabella Heffelfinger. Thomas was in the 118th Regiment, Company E of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He died 16 January 1863 in Kentucky. 
1871    Martha Ann NEE
1911    Onice Odwell CUTRER

11 August     
1860    Webster FORTENBERRY, son of William John Fortenberry & Elizabeth Martha Ann Cutrer, husband of Nannie Ellzey
1917    Odean ELLZEY was the daughter of Grady Henry Ellzey & Bertha Fortenberry. She married James Lemar Simmons.

12 August    
1848    Marion MARK served in the Civil War. He was born in Ohio, son of Abraham Mark & Mary Isabella Heffelfinger. He married Jennie.
1857    Canolia A. SIMMONS
1875    Barney Pipkin ALFORD, son of Needham Edwin Alford & Mary L. Stafford

13 August    
1861    Mary E. BROWN, daughter of Allen Moses BrownEmmaline Melica Smith
1876    Lulu BLADES
1918    Hanzel Eileen MESSMORE was the daughter of William Henry Messmore & Susan Isabel Ritter.

14 August    
1738    Appollonia DICK was born at sea, from Germany to America, daughter of Johan Adam Dick & Anna Ottilla Knack. She married Johann Jonas Dick. They had ten children all born in Pennsylvania. She was my 5th great grandmother.
1802    Louisa WOLF
1823    George WOLF, son of Andrew Wolf
1834    John KRICK

15 August   
1761    Jacob ALFORD, son of Julius Alford & Lucy Newton; my 4x great grandfather
1834    Seaborn S. ALFORD MD was born in MS, son of Edwin Barksdale Alford & Martha P. Smith. He married Anice Ball. Seaborn died in 1906.
1868    Julius Wesley ALFORD








Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Wedding: Ritter & Eberwine, 1895 PA

 


Irene M. Ritter

Daughter of Samuel Ritter & Hannah E. Koch

My 4th Cousin, 3x removed

&

Charles William Eberwine


A Minister Weds 

A pretty wedding took place near Iron Bridge on Tuesday afternoon, when Miss Irene M., daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Ritter, was married to Rev. Charles William Eberwine, a Lutheran pastor of Port Carbon, Schuylkill county. The ceremony was performed by Rev. J. D. Schindel, of this city. The wedding march was played by Miss Emma Bower, of Catasauqua. The bridal couple was preceded by Miss Minia Titter, sister of the bride, as flower girl. After the wedding dinner Rev. and Mrs. Everwine left for Port Carbon.

The following guests were present: 

F.W. Koch and wife and daughter Anna,

H. B. Koch and wife,

O. H. Laub and wife,

George Leh and wife,

Mrs. Emma Williams,

B. F. Kuhns and wife,

J. J. Hausser and wife,

John Ritter and wife, [probably the bride's brother]

Mrs. Daniel Kershner,

The Misses Mohr,

Mrs. Martin Ritter, Allentown;

Ferdinand Eberhard and wife,

William J. Evans and wife,

Irwin Bieber and wife,

William Evans, Jr.,

Miss Emma Rower,

The Misses Troxell, of Catasauqua;

Alexander Guth, wife and daughter, of Guth’s Station;

William Eberwine and wife, of Mechanicsville;

Robert Eberwine and wife, of Mickey’s;

Willoughby Guth and wife, of Litzenberg;

Milton Hoffman and wife, of Siegersville;

Robert Ritter and wife, of South Whitehall;

Jacob Geiss, wife and daughters of Iron Bridge.


Do you know this family or any of the guests?

 

Source:

Newspapers.com

The Morning Call, Allentown, PA

28 November 1895, page 1




 

 

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Vintage Photograph: John Wolf, PA

 This photographs shared with several years ago. I do not know the date but it must have been taken before 1891. 

Vintage photographs are like little windows looking back in time.

A Window into the Past



John Jonas Wolf
29 Jun 1811, Adams PA - 16 Feb 1895 York Springs, Adams, PA
Son of John Frederick Wolf & Esther Barbara Shaffer

He was my 4x great uncle. 

His wife

Sarah Ann Chronister
14 Apr 1824 - 1891


A few other Vintage Photographs:









Wednesday, July 16, 2025

July Family Birthdays, July 16 - 31

 Is your birthday coming soon? Happy Birthday!

Maybe you share your special day with someone in our family who came before. Look below and see. I posted this series back in 2011. This version has been updated with more information. I hope you find it as much fun as I do.

Even if it is not your birthday, look at the highlighted SURNAMES. Maybe you will see a name from your family & learn a little more about them.

Click on the links to learn more about the people & places.


16 July        
1805    Gasua Chapman FORTENBERRY was born in South Carolina, son of William Jasper Fortenberry & Violette Kennington. He married Sarah Brown. He was a farmer.  They had nine children. Gasua died in 1884 in MS.

17 July        
1893    Frederick Isaac RITTER was born in Ohio, the son of Anthony Casper Ritter & Emma Alice Mowrer. He married Ella Mae Sprankle. Their children: Kathryn & Dean Ritter.  Frederick Isaac Ritter served in World War I.

18 July        
1867    Rose Ella BRUMFIELD lived in MS, daughter of Jessie Alexander Brumfield & Martha Elizabeth Alford. She married Jasper Pascal Brown in 1887. They had nine children. Rose was my great grandmother.
1925    John SNYDER

19 July        
1879    Thomas Kenneth MARK lived his life in Ohio. He was the son of William Mark & Elidia Rebecca Ritter. He was a farmer & a carpenter. He married N. Regina Gruissy in 1903. They had seven children, all born in Ohio. He lived to be 95 years of age. He was my great grandfather. 
1916    Gladys May MOORE

20 July        
1746    Anna M. GERMANTOWN
1852    William Franklin ELLZEY was born in MS, son of John Shaffer Ellzey & Saryntha Smith. He married Mary Elizabeth Gatlin. They had eight children. He was a farmer on a general farm.

21 July         
1815    Martin B. RITTER
1845    Frederick Jacob WOLF, son of John Jonas Wolf & Sarah Ann Chronister
 1882    Nathaniel GARDNER was my maternal grandfather. He was born in New York City, son of Leopold & Florence Gartner. He worked for the Western Union Telegraph Company for over 50 years, beginning as a messenger boy and becoming a branch manager. On 9 May 1921 he married Helen Francis Coyle. They had one daughter, Alberta Joy (Gardner) Brown.

22 July        
1914    Marian Louise MOORE

24 July        
1747    Casper RITTER
1866    Martha A. ALFORD married William J. Smith, son of William J. M. Smith & Rachel Ellzey. She had seven children. She died in 1926.
1914    Marian Louise MOORE

25 July        
1929    Everett Leroy WILSON was the son of Thomas Clarence Wilson & Euna Clarabelle Fortenberry. He was my 4th cousin, 1x removed.

26 July        
1806    Edward S BROWN, son of Moses Brown & Sarah Robertson, husband of Mary Polly Spurlock. He was my 3x great grandfather.
1808    Theobald RITTER
1867    Samuel J ELLZEY
 1878    Dixie Irene SMITH was the daughter of Adolphus Scott Smith & Julia Jane Simmons. Adolphus Smith was a dentist. She married Hugh Algernon Brown. 
1928    Mavis Addie DYKES

27 July        
1766    Nathaniel RITTER
1780    Johann Philip RITTER
1851    John H. WOLF
1855    Robert R. RITTER
1928    Delbert Keith BROWN was my father. He was born in Ohio, the oldest child of Roy Jessie Brown & Ivy Mark. On 8 August 1948 he married Alberta Joy Gardner. They lived in Germantown, NY. Delbert was a mechanic & trucker.

28 July        
1915    Clarence William WILSON was the son of Thomas Clarence Wilson & Euna Clarabelle Fortenberry.

29 July        
1842    John D. BRUMFIELD , born in Louisiana, son of Nathaniel Brumfield & Charlotte Temple Ott. He married Zadie Martin. Children: John D. T. & James H. John was a farmer in Washington Parish, Louisiana.  He died in 1903.
1912    Marshal HEIGLE
1922    Eugene C. PIGOTT

30 July        
1854    Elidia Rebecca RITTER, daughter of Isaac RitterIsabell Fisher, wife of William Mark. She was my 2x great grandmother. 
1872    Cora Bell MARK was born in Ohio, daughter of William Mark & Emma Abeline Flory. She married Edward Newell. Children: Edna and Maude. She died in 1905.
1889    James Ray MILLER

31 July        
1915    Ruth Geneva JOLLIFF was born in Ohio, daughter of Samuel Martin Jolliff & Margaret Maude Mark. She married Herbert Phillip Mullen, Sr. in 1936. Their son is Herbert Phillip Mullen, Jr. She was my 1st cousin, 2x removed. We corresponded at one time and she shared some genealogy information. She died in 1997.