Dushore in the 1920s The EASTERN part of the town actually lies in the immediate forefront of the
photo, with Old Zion Lutheran Church to the right. St. Basil's is distantly visible in the left center of the photo. The photographer was
standing on a hill that runs north from where the McHenry Funeral Home sits on Carpenter Street. The hill was the location in 2010 of Rosie Miller's farm.
The body of water in the center of the photo is the Obert Mill Pond. Photo Contributed by Scott Tilden Original auctioned
on eBay in September 2010
FACES AND FAMILIES OF OLD SULLIVAN COUNTY GROUP TEN
This is the tenth
in our series of pictorial and material histories of
families originating from or having lived for extended periods of time in Sullivan County, PA. We
continuously receive stories and pictures from various contributors to the Sullivan County Genealogical
Web Page. My colleagues and I are grateful for this material and will endeavor to do our very best to
preserve it and the associated history for posterity. Once again, these histories are presented in no
particular order other than to provide you the reader with a visual and historical impression of
life in our home county from 100 to 200 years ago. Comments and reflections are encouraged and
invited.
INDEX of FAMILIES:
The Kaiers Come to Pennsylvania
The Lucke Brothers: Civil War and Westward Migration The Burks Come to Sonestown
THE KAIERS COME TO PENNSYLVANIA
Andreas and Cressentia (Wittmer) Kaier The Emigrant Parents of
the Pennsylvania Kaiers Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
We are indebted
to John Curtin Lieberman of Georgia for this
history of the Kaier and related families. He is the great great grandson of Andreas (1810-1894) and
Cressentia (Wittmer) Kaier (1810-1887), who came to America in 1854 with several of their children.
Andeas, a blacksmith by trade, and the family settled originally in St. Clair, Pennsylvania Here
in fact is the Kaier Lineage running from the grandfather of Andreas, Joannes Kaier
*
born in 1735, down to the granddaughter of John Lieberman, Courtney Galvin born in 1960.
There are nine generations in all. * Editor's Note: According to Alfons Kaier of Germany in August 2011, his gr-gr-gr granfather Joseph Kaier was a first cousin of
Andreas, and their common grandfather was named Franz Joseph Kaier born about 1736. Research continues. There were three Kaier lines in Binningen, Germany in 1800, many with the same or
similar birth names for the male members.
Reverend Xavier Kaier (1837-1921)
In 1863, Andreas and Cressentia moved to Dushore, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania There, his son, Reverend Xavier Kaier,
became the heart and soul of the local Catholic community, serving as the parish priest for 58
years (1863-1921). He died from the effects of prostate enlargement, as shown on his Death Certificate. Father Kaier's brother George lived there even longer, from 1863 until his death in 1926.
Father Kaier is buried directly in front of St. Basil's Church in Dushore, where he preached. You
can learn more about his mission and tenure at St. Basil's
at: St. Basils's, Dushore,
PA During 100 Years (1838-1938). Here are three photographs of the famous priest, two taken when
he was a young man serving in Dushore, the last taken later in his career when he was an established
community figure there. The stand alone picture of the young Father Kaier was taken in Mahanoy City, PA.
Why would Father Xavier Kaier have been in this community? It turns out that Charles Kaier, one of
the priest's brothers, moved there after his Civil War enrollment during 1861, and established
the long running Kaier Brewery in that community *. The other photo of the young
priest, which accompanies his older representation, was actually taken in Dushore. Both
the "young photos" were originally from the Kaier Family Photo Collection from the Kaier
mansion in Mahanoy City and recovered by John C. Lieberman, our contributor. The older image of the
priest has been reproduced several times, for example, in the Tourscher history referenced above.
Reverend Xavier Kaier Three Photos Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
* Side commentary: While the focus of this story is the Kaier family that settled in
Sullivan County, these folks were inextricably linked to the lives of the Kaier, Lieberman and
related families in Mahanoy City, where one branch of the Kaiers settled and where several Kaier children from
other branches sought work. As with many extened families, anecdotes, characterizations and legends are passed
down over the decades. Here is an amusing one told by John Lieberman, our contributor:
The most memorable Xmas for me and my older brother was in 1932 when my uncle Charlie made his annual
visit to our house dressed as Santa, when he would like to scare us kids about Santa watching us
so that we would be "good" kids. After leaving his illegal (prohibition) bar on N. Main street and
celebrating Xmas early, he came to the back of our house dressed in his Santa outfit. He knocked on the
kitchen window which was a good 10 feet from the ground. I didn't know what he used to get up to
the window. My brother and I ran to the kitchen to see who was knocking on the window - we opened the curtain
and saw Santa's face at the window, then he disappeared and our parents got excited and chased us from
the kitchen. My mother got on the telephone and, in a short time, there was a big commotion in the backyard and
Santa was hauled off to the Locust Mountain hospital. We kids were scared because Santa was laying
on the ground and more important to us, at that time, was how was he going to deliver all the Xmas toys.
A few years later, my mother told us that Uncle Charlie broke his leg when he fell from the ladder that he had
brought with him when he was impersonating Santa.
"Uncle Charlie" was Charles Lieberman, my father's brother. People from Mahanoy City would know Charlie. In 1932,
he had a bar/restaurant on Kaier property at the end of Main street in Mahanoy City. In 1936, the Kaiers expanded
their brewery and he took over the old Kaier Hotel, but only operated the bar and restaurant. In 1950, the brewery
had another expansion and he moved his bar to the 100 block on W. Center St, which operated until he died in 1955.
The Kaiers Come to America
Andreas and Cressentia were married early in 1827; both were 17 years old. We know the rough date of their
marriage because there is a copy of a telegram of congratulation sent to them in January 1887 from friends in Baltimore, honoring this occasion. This message confirms some sort of
family connection to Baltimore. Ironically, Cresentia would die in April of the same year in Dushore, at age 77.
Andreas and Cressentia (Wittmer) Kaier Congratulatory Telegram on 60 Years of
Marriage Sent from Baltimore, Maryland January 29, 1887 Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
The Kaier family emigrated to America in 1854.
The parents were Andreas, a blacksmith, and Cresentia (Wittmer) Kaier. The parents and their five children, at that
time, left Germany, traveled through France via the Rhine-Marne canal to Le Havre and boarded the ship
Valanden to sail to New York City, where they landed on July 24th, 1854. The entire trip took two months.
The couple settled in Norristown, PA. The children born in Germany were Anselm, anglicized to Charles, Xavier, George, Edward,
and their sister Josephine. As we will discover, Andreas and Cresentia also had at two natural children in America, William and
Andrew ("Onnie"), and adopted yet another, Ruth Rebecca Brandt. Xavier became a Catholic priest, as described above.
When Rev. Xavier was sent to Dushore in 1863 by the Bishop of Philadelphia, his parents, brothers George and
Edward, and his sister Josephine also went to Dushore, along with William and Ruth Rebecca, the former a natural
sibling who had been born in America while the latter was adopted. Their home and farm was, and still is, next to St. Basil's church.
Anselm (Charles D. Kaier) became a baker's apprentice. At the start of the Civil War, age 22, he enrolled in the
9th Regiment, Company H on 4/24/1861 as a private for a 3 month enlistment. This company was named the "Wetherill
Rifles". He was mustered out of the army on 7/29/1861. This type of 90 day enrollment was quite common at the
beginning of the war because the military leaders of the Union thought that they would subdue the Confederacy in
a short period of time. After his honorable discharge from the GAR, Charles returned to civilian life and
a few months later, in 1862, he started the Chas. D. Kaier Co. in Mahanoy City, PA. He was an agent (distributor)
for the Bergner and Engle brewery of Philadelphia, PA, before going into the liquor retail business on his own.
Eventually, he became a liquor rectifier and brewed his own beer. Here are two views of the brewery, one taken in 1906 and one in
1912. They give a good idea of the scale of this indsutry. Also, you can click on the following link to read from a 1912
Fiftieth Anniversary Booklet honoring the founding of the Kaier Brewery in 1862.
Kaier Brewery, Mahanoy City, PA Two Views--1906 and 1912
Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
By 1912, 150 workers were producing over 100, 000 barrels of beer annually through
the facilities shown above. John C. Lieberman elaborates on the complexity of this industrial enterprise:
Starting with the boiler smoke stack in the center of the photos, the three story building to the left of the
smoke stack in 1906 was used as the bottling shop for Kaier's beer and also used as the packaging operation for
the barrels of whiskey that Kaier's bought for their liquor store at 113 E. Center St. The same building was
used to package the Kaier's brand whiskey that came from Kaier's rectifying plant which was at the far end of
the last building on the right hand side. The other end of that building was the Kaier ice manufacturing plant
and ice storage area. Above the ice house/rectifying plant, and second floor office, we can see the two coal
culm banks and the Mahanoy City colliery which sits below and between the two banks.
The lower building on the left side of the three story packaging building was the stables for Kaier's horses. The
building below the boiler smoke stack was the boiler house with the three coal bins.
The railroad track on the left side of the photo runs to the left to the main branch of the Reading Railroad. The
fork on the railroad track leads to a Kaier siding and connects to the Lehigh Valley railroad. I believe that
the siding would have been on the track closest to us.
The four story building in the background and to the left of the smoke stack is the Kaier brewery, which includes
the brewhouse, grain storage and the fermenting cellars and the aging or "ruh" cellars. On the left side of the
brewhouse/cellars building are the ammonia condensers. The "engine house" where the ammonia compressors were located
is directly behind the boiler house. The engine house and condensers were built in 1892.
Laurel Street is directly behind the boiler smoke stack.
On Jan. 8, 1863, Charles married Margaret Curry,
a schoolteacher, whose Irish immigrant parents, Patrick and Eleanora (Salmon) Curry, owned a hotel and restaurant
in Pottsville, PA. Charles D. and Margaret Kaier raised six daughters and one son: Ella, the oldest, Mrs. John
B. Lieberman, Josephine, Mrs. Michael Haughney, Margaret, also Mrs. John B. Lieberman, Mary ("Mamie"), Mrs. Lloyd
W. Fahler, Cresentia, Mrs. Richard Kirby, Charles F., married to Ester McGinty and Amelia, the youngest, Mrs.
Henry Schreyer. Three of Charles. D. Kaier's sons-in-law worked in the brewery at one time or another: Michael
Haughney, John B. Lieberman and Lloyd Fahler.
Charles D. Kaier passed away on May 21, 1899 at his home in Mahanoy City, PA. On June 6 of that year, his funeral
was held in the local Catholic church, St. Fidelis, after his body had lain in state and been viewed by thousands
from across Pennsylvania. The Daily American, the local newspaper in Mahanoy City, published a long article
on the funeral on June 7, a transcription of which is available by e-mail from our contributor on request.
At the time of the death of is father, Charles F. Kaier, subsequently and perhaps
notoriously to be known as "Champagne Charlie" Kaier, was twenty years old. Here we show you a photo taken about this time at the Kaier family mansion in Mahanoy City:
Kaier Family Engagement Kaier Mansion Dining Room Mahanoy City, PA Circa 1900
Margaret (Murry)
Kaier Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
Ruth Rebecca Brandt, subsequently adopted by the Kaiers and known as
Rebecca Kaier, was born on Novemer 28, 1859 in Sullivan County. We don't know exactly when or why the adoption took place. However, Cresentia Kaier passed away in 1887, with Rebecca at her bedside.
On January 10, 1889, Rebecca married Henry Jordan, son of James and Bridget Jordan. Rebecca's adoption took place, however, before the birth of Andrew or "Onnie", the youngest of the children of the emigrant Kaier parents. In fact, Onnie
came to stay with the Lieberman family in Mahanoy City after John B. Lieberman died in 1907. He served as a "grandfather" for the Lieberman boys, because their real
grandfather, John B. Lieberman, had died. Later, he returned to Dushore. Onnie was considered "slow" but could
help around the house. Meanwhile, Henry and Rebecca (Kaier) Jordan moved to Youngstown, OH in the 1890s [they
were still in Dushore in July 1892 because they are identified as so on the guest list for the
wedding of Michael Haughney and Josephine Kaier, daughter of Charles D. Kaier, on July 23, 1892 in Mahanoy City]. In Youngstown, they raised four children:
James, Charles, Harry and Martin Jordan. These children are named in the will of Edward Kaier, brother to Rebecca via her adoption.
The Charles D. Kaier family had three other
children, Bridget [born in 1864, but died young], Anna [1871-1874] and
Troian Anselm [born and died one day apart in 1874]. You can learn more about the Kaier family in Mahanoy
City at the Kaier Brewery History Page.
In 1905, Mrs. Charles D. Kaier, ie., the
former Margaret Curry, toured Italy with her son Charles and daughters Cresentia and Amelia. Shown below is a photo of the foursome in a
gondola in Venice. We know among other things that they visited the Kaier home town of Binningen, Germany and had an audience with the Pope while touring Italy. They returned by ship, arriving in
New York on October 12, 1905. While in Binningen, they visited St. Blazius Church, where the Kaier family had prayed before their emigration to
America. As it turns out, Margaret ordered some new windows for the Church, one of which is shown below, but later on, her brother-in-law,
Father Xavier Kaier, somehow got drawn into the selection of the windows. This involvement led to a serious breach
as reflected in a surviving letter to Margaret from the Binninger priest, Father Trenkle, written in 1907 to solicit her assistance in resolving the dispute.
The local priest apparently used up the invested funds without satisfying Father Kaier's expectations or directions, and now feared the wrath of the other priest. We have provided links to the original of the letter, written in
German, and a translation provided by Wolfram Kaier, a cousin of John Lieberman, our contributor, at:
Kaier Family in Venice 1905 L to r: Charles F., Amelia, Cresentia and Margaret (Curry)
Kaier Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
St. Blazius Church Binningen, Germany Interior Photo of Window Commissioned by Margaret (Murry)
Kaier Photo Taken in 2001 Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
George Kaier (1842-1926), as we previously
mentioned, raised a large family and lived in Dushore for more than sixty years. He died of heart disease in 1926, as per his Death Certificate.
He married Margaret Murphy (1843-1923) there and they had nine children, eight of whom survived infancy. The
pictures below show Margaret alone, and then Margaret with six of these eight children.
Margaret Murphy Kaier Wife of George Kaier Undated Elmira, NY Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
Wife and Chldren of George Kaier Taken in Elmira, NY About 1880 Top row:
Mary, Annie, Edward and Cressentia ["Cressie"] Middle: Julia, Margaret [mother] and George Note: Kathryn, Lucy and Xavier Not Yet Born Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
Edward Kaier, son of George and Margaret (Murphy) Kaier, pictured above, joined the family beer business when he grew up. Edward was raised in Dushore. When he was in his teens , Edward came to Mahanoy City to work in his Uncle Charles D. Kaier's liquor store at 113 E. Center Street. He lived with the Kaier family in their home above the liquor store until they moved to to the Kaier mansion. Edward married Katherine Gorman, whose family lived on West Pine street, one block from the St. Canicius Catholic Church. Edward and his family
attended that church with the Gorman family.
Edward Kaier worked for the CD Kaier family until 1945 when he retired. They had two sons, Joseph, who never married and is buried in the St. Canicius cemetery, and Edward Jr, who was a boyhood friend of Arthur H. Lewis, author of Lament for the Molly Maguires and other books. Edward Jr became a lawyer and represented the Reading Railroad and its coal company for many years. Edward was the commencement speaker at the 1952 Mahanoy City High School graduation. Edward Jr. and his wife had two children, twins Edward, also a lawyer, and Anne a poetess.
Here is a list of the descendants of George Kaier, Sr. and Margaret Murphy
provided by our contributor in November 2009. We have underscored the nine immediate children of George and Margaret:
George Kaier, Sr. (1842-1926) m. Margaret Murphy (1843-1923)
...Edward J. Kaier (1867-1949) m. Catherine Gorman (?-1948) on October 16, 1900
......Edward A. Kaier (1908-May 31, 1981) m. Mary Crimmins (b. 1913)
.........Anna Kaier (b. 1945)
.........Edward Kaier (b. 1945) m. Annette Brinton
............Elizabeth A. Kaier
............Edward D. Kaier (1985-1985)
............Charles C. Kaier
............Thomas E. Kaier
......Joseph Kaier
...Mary K. Kaier (b. about 1870)
...Cresentia K. Kaier (b. 1871/2)
...Anna J. Kaier (b. about 1874)
...George Kaier (b. about 1875) m. Mary Hogan (December 18, 1886-March, 1968) in June 1909 *
......Mary P. Kaier (b. 1910/11)
......Aloysia Kaier (May 4, 1915-January 30, 2006) * m. Thomas Grady, Jr. (October 22, 1912-July 1976)
.........Thomas Grady III (August 11, 1937-March 5, 2006) m. Elaine Charlotte Verzicco (January 5, 1939-October 7, 1980)
..............Diane Marie Grady-Rickards m. John Rickards, children: Michael, Matthew and Elaina
..............Elaine Grady-Swieter m. Robert "Keith" Swieter, children; Jessica and Rachel
..............Susan Ann Grady-Bessler m. Timothy Joseph Bessler, children: Julie Ann and Kelly Jean
..............Nancy Jean Grady-Henderson m. Darryl Henderson, children: Ryan and Connie
.........Mark Grady m. Catherine Theresa Spadaro on April 27, 1968
............Mark Grady, Jr. m. Jeanne _____
...............Mark Grady
............Meghan Catherine Grady m. James Andrew Walker on September 4, 1999
...............Grace Catherine Walker
...............Daniel Patrick Walker (b. March 17, 2006)
.........Barbara Grady m. Joseph Mullen
............Joseph Mullen
............Tracy Mullen
............Jamie Mullen
............Katie Mullen
...Julia M. Kaier (b. about 1877)
...Lucy Kaier
...Mary Kaier
...Xavier Kaier (1883-1944) m. Elizabeth Maloney (1887-1938)
......Genevieve Kaier m. Francis Mucha
......George Kaier (1919-1999) m. Regina Uritz
.........Timothy Kaier
.........Shirley Kaier
......Margaret Kaier
......Gerard Kaier m. Alice Mucha
.........Suzie Kaier
.........Allan Kaier (March 7, 1950-May 23, 1992)
.........Michael Kaier (October 3, 1957-August 3, 1976)
* Editor's Note: In May 2005, John C. Lieberman spoke with Aloysia Kaier
Grady, who then lived in Chadds Ford, PA. She passed away about one year later. Here is a brief
summary of their conversation as recorded by John:
Aloysia's father George Kaier and his cousin Edward Kaier came to Mahanoy City, attended McCanns Business
School there and went to work for Charles D. Kaier, their uncle, in his local alcoholic beer business.
Her father married in June 1909, lived in Pottsville, and raised two children with his wife, whom he
divorced in 1929. George stayed in Pottsville for a while, but later got ill and returned to Dushore,
where he was nursed by his unmarried sisters Anna and "Kate" [presumably Mary Katherine by birth name]. Aloysia
was born at home; when the doctor asked for the baby's name, her mother said "Alicia". However, the doctor
either heard or spelled it "Aloysia", which has nothing to do with "Aloysius", and so it remained. Aloysia
had two living children in 2005, Barbara, who lived with Aloysia, and Mark. Mark had a daughter named Meghan.
Aloysia remembered the Mahanoy City Lieberman family, Aunt Josie Haughney, Mamie Kaier and "Champagne
Charlie" Kaier. She had no recollection of Cresentia ["Cressie"] or Amelia Kaier, daughters of CD Kaier.
Aloysia related that, when she was young, her family was closer to the Edward and Catherine (Gorman)
Kaier family, and their sons--Edward [the railroad worker] and Joseph, both mentioned earlier in
this history--than they were to the Charles D. Kaier family.
Aloysia spent a lot of time in Dushore when she was young because there were many Kaier
families there. Her grandfather, George Kaier, brother of CD Kaier, had nine children and they
all lived in row houses next to each other in Dushore. According to Aloysia, all of the children
of Andreas Kaier went to live in Dushore because of the priest, Father Xavier Kaier. She could
not account for Andreas and his wife being buried in Elmira despite having died in Dushore. Anna
and Kate, her unmarried aunts, lived in the main Kaier home in Dushore, which was still occupied
by Kaier family members in 2005.
Charles F. "Champagne Charlie" Kaier Son of Charles D. and Margaret (Curry) Kaier About the time that
his father died in 1899. Young Charlie, 20 years old when his father died, is the
fourth person seated on the left hand side - his mother Margaret is on his right. His
mother's two sisters, "Auntie Burke" and "Auntie Duffy", who lived at the Kaier Mansion after Charles D. died, are across from Margaret.
All the young men could have been his school classmates or his Mahanoy City friends.
The photo was taken in the Kaier mansion dining room in Mahanoy City. Contributed
by John Curtin Lieberman
We also know that the Mahanoy City Kaiers
acquired a summer home near the ocean in Ventnor, Atlantic County, NJ. The local
tax records show that Charles F. Kaier ["Champagne Charlie"] bought a house at 9 South Cambridge Street in
Ventnor on April 9, 1920. His name alone was on the deed. Later that year, the house was used to try to help
his ailing brother-in-law, Michael J. Haughney, Josephine Kaier's husband, recover from a chronic illness
The Obituary
for Haughney indicates that he died at the home on October 8, 1920. According to John C. Lieberman,
Mamie Kaier, Josephine's sister and another daughter of Charles D. Kaier, acquired ownership of the property in
the Schuylkill County Courts in 1922, when she and Esther Kaier ("Champagne Charlie"'s widow) went to court.
Mamie's mother and the direct heir, Margaret (Curry) Kaier, died in New York City on December 14, 1913. Eventually, Mamie
acquired all of Charles F. Kaier's estate, properties, stock, cash etc. and Esther got nothing. Mamie convinced
the courts that all of Champagne Charlie's estate had to go back to the children of Chas. D. Kaier, per Chas. D.
Kaier's will. Mamie subsequently controlled all of the Kaier money until she died and then left it all to her husband,
Lloyd W. Fahler. Nearly ninety years later, John C. Lieberman helped to locate many Kaier and related family records that were still
located in this old house in New Jersey.
The Kaiers in Elmira
The photographs of the two Kaier parents were taken in Elmira, NY, where they were eventually buried [see photo below], although they both died in Dushore. Many of the Kaiers moved from Dushore to Elmira for employment purposes and later to join the rest of their family there. There were some family disputes in Dushore among the Kaiers, which could have been over the Prohibition movement. Ironically, Charles Kaier, who never
actually lived in Dushore, had relocated to Mahanoy City, PA after his time in the Civil War. He made a very good living there selling beer, whiskey, and other alcoholic drinks before and after he opened his own brewery. In addition, Andreas, the father, worked for the Wittmers (Mrs. Kaier's family) in the beer distributing business in the Dushore area, where there were also locally headquartered beer companies. Records show
that the Erb & Billion Company was selling beer in Dushore in 1875. In 1885, there were two purveyors--C. Specht and Benjamin Hilbert. From 1896 to 1900, the Sullivan Brewing Company was opearated from Dushore by Leonard Hilbert [Source: American Breweries, by Donald Bull, Bullworks Publishing: 1984, page 256].
Grave Marker Andreas and Cressentia (Wittmer) Kaier Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery, Elmira, NY Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
The Sts. Peter & Paul Cemetery in Elmira holds the mortal remains of several Kaier family members and their relatives:
Andreas ["Andrew'] Kaier, the patriarch
Cresentia (Witmer) Kaier, his wife
Edward Kaier, their son, born October 29, 1841 at Binningen, Baden, Germany, died July 18, 1913; he
owned a grocery store on East Second Street in Elmira, NY [See photo below]
Amelia (Gantert *) Kaier, wife of Edward, born July 12, 1847, died Ocober 18, 1933
* Editor's Note: Her maiden name is established in her will of September 18, 1913. A copy of this document, courtesy of
John C. Lieberman, has been contributed to the Sullivan County Historical Society and Museum in Laporte, PA.
William Allgeier, husband of Josephine, born May 13, 1845 at Schwarzach, Baden, Germany, died July 30, 1916
Josephine (Kaier) Allgeier, daughter of Andreas and Cresentia, born December 25, 1844 at Binningen, died
November 8, 1918
[See family photo below]
Mary C. Allgeier, their daughter, 1883-1960
Amelia W. (Allgeier) Rhodes, their daughter, 1886-1968, wife of Timothy B. Rhodes *
Bernard Rhodes, their son, born 19-- * Editor's Note: Timothy B. Rhodes was born March 10, 1888 in Big Flats, NY, son of Jerry and Hannah Rhodes, and died February 7, 1951 in
Elmira, NY. He was interred in the Rural Cemetery in Big Flats. Timothy ran a grocery store in Elmira; he and Amelia Allgeier were married about 1915.
Here are two undated
photographs, one of Edward Kaier and the other of the Allgeier family:
Edward Kaier 1841-1913 Son of Andreas and Cresentia Kaier In front of his
Groceries and Provisions Store East Second and High Streets Elmira, NY Likely Taken in 1890s Children Unknown
But Perhaps Include His Allgeier Nieces Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
William Allgeier Family William and Josephine (Kaier) Allgeier With Daughters:
Mary and Amelia Elmira, NY Taken About 1900 Based on Birth Dates of Daughters Contributed by John Curtin Lieberman
THE LUCKE BROTHERS: CIVIL WAR AND WESTWARD MIGRATION
Civil War Service Pin Awarded to William Morris Lucke Contributed by Larry Pardoe Source: Susan Hajek
We are indebted to many contributors for the following historical summary of the three Lucke brothers who served
in the Civil War: William M., George H. and Frederick W. Lucke. The service pin shown
above was awarded to William Morris Lucke, who served in the 106th Pennsylvania Volunteers and saw action
at both Antietam, where he was wounded in the arm, and Gettysburg. These were two of the most titanic battles of the Civil War. In fact,
all three brothers were on duty when, on the last day at Gettysburg, Pickett's division marched out of the
woods to assault Cemetery Ridge. All three survived, even although Frederick ended up later in the infamous
Andersonville Prison. Frederick suffered a head wound at Gettysburg, but obviously survived, and George was wounded in the thumb by shrapnel there as well.
After the war, the brothers all eventually moved to Chicago, where they were tailors. Fred and George lived next to
each other in Chicago, on North Clark St. They were partners in "Lucke Brothers Merchant Tailors" located at
84 Washington St, Chicago. Don Andrew figures they went to Chicago to help rebuild after the Great Chicago Fire of
1871. No one knows for sure.
George and Jane (Molyneux) Lucke actually
first went to Baltimore, before moving to Chicago, and then later continued west,
ending up in Portland, Oregon. George (1833-1909) passed away in Portland on September 4, 1909; Jane (1833-1907)
died there on February 15, 1907. You can learn more about their service and their close relationship with
other Sullivan County soldiers at:
You may also find it interesting to examine the intricate relationships among the Luckes and other old
families of Sullivan County with whom they intermarried. A good source is:
Aunt Eliza's Scrapbook.
The three Lucke brothers were children of
Conrad and Hannah (Barnas) Lucke. There were two other adult children of this immigrant couple--Henry
and Dorothea Lucke. Henry apparently went to Baltimore and founded the
Lucke Badge and Button Company. Dorothea married Henry Brackman; she died December 7, 1862 and is buried
in the Millview Cemetery in
Sullivan County. Listed right above her in the cemetery transcription is her mother, who died in 1855. We have not to date located her father's resting place, but it
would not surprise us if he were also interred there. We know that they arrived in New York from Bremen, Germany on November 28, 1853 on the Beethoven. Conrad, age 68 is listed as a "gardener", and
is accompanied by his wife "Johannah", age 49, and son William, age 9. The other sons apparently came on a separate ship. We have no idea why they went to Sullivan County, but it may be that their daughter Dorothea was
already there and married to Henry Brackman.
The Sullivan County Luckes were farmers
before the war. In the 1870 Federal Census for Forks Township, one can find "F. Luke" there, with a wife and child. His nephews,
Herman and George Lucke, sons of Henry Lucke, are also there. Herman Lucke had a farm just north of Millview, since
"H.Luke" is printed at that location on the well known 1872 map of the county. William appears in both 1860 and then in 1870 in the Forks Township Federal census, on the first occasion as a
17-year old farm laborer but as a married father of two children in 1870, still engaged in farming.
George Lucke is actually listed as a farm laborer living with Henry and
Dorothea (Lucke) Brackman in Albany Township, PA in 1860.
After the war, the brothers all seem to have been
in the tailoring profession. We find both Frederick William and George, married with children, in Lake View, near Chicago, IL, in the Federal
Census for that year. Both are listed as tailors. How that came about is unknown. Perhaps their father was a tailor. Here is a "five generation"
descent chart prepared by Larry Pardoe in which we find this Lucke family and the descendants whom we will meet further along in this story.
Henry Lucke, who had moved to Baltimore,
married Louis A. _____, and they appear in the 1880 Federal Census with a daughter named Amelia. They are there again
in 1887 Baltimore city directory. By 1913, R. L. Polk and Company's
Baltimore city directory shows many of their children and grandchildren involved in local trades and businesses.
This is a picture of William Morris Lucke
in later life:
William Morris Lucke 1842-1916 Contributed by Don Andrew
William was born September 8, 1842 and died
June 7, 1916. He married twice, first to Grace Ann Chambers, born April 2, 1843 and died November 5, 1870.
They raised three adult children, as shown on the link above, including Jennie Grace Lucke (1868-1900), whom you
will meet below. Jennie married Herbert P. Consor on December 6, 1888. They had two children,
Myrene B. and Jesse [sic] Helen Consor. After his first wife died, William remarried to Margaret E. Vance, born
March 1, 1843 and died May 4, 1916. William seems to have remained in Forks Township, Sullivan County, for the rest of his life. He is listed there in 1910 in the Federal Census as a farmer, living with his second
wife, Margaret, who was born in Ohio, we are told. Back in 1870, when his first wife died, their daughter Jennie
from that marriage went to live with his brother George H. Lucke (1833-1909) and wife Jane M. Molyneux (1865-1907).
Jennie would marry Herbert P. Consor in 1888, son of Jesse and Harriet E. (Wickham) Consor. Jesse and Harriet lived in Monroe, MI at the time of their
marriage, but, after Jesse died December 6, 1879, Harriet moved to Engelwood, IL, near Chicago, with her son Herbert.
As discussed in detail below, Jennie (Lucke) Consor would end up in Portland, Oregon, living with George H. and Jane (Molyneux) Lucke at the end of the
nineteenth century. Meanwhile, William and Margaret (Vance) Lucke had six children of their own: Grace Ann, George R., Freddie J., Benjamin C., Frank D.,
and Charlie M. Lucke.
Frederick William Lucke, the third brother, married a local Sullivan County girl, Lucy Jane Warren, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Glidewell) Warren. As we noted above,
they too moved to Chicago after the Civil War. In 1904, that may be him joining the Western Society of Engineers,
as noted in their Minutes
for that year. The name is not spelled exactly correctly, so we don't know for sure, but perhaps Frederick was looking for opportunities for social or professional advancement. We will contintue to investigatge the matter.
The following photographs introduce us to several of these Lucke family members and to
the George Lucke family's home and life in Portland. We are grateful to Jeremy Ferguson of Los Angeles, the gr-gr-gr-grandson of
George H. Lucke, for this historical collection.
Jennie Grace (Lucke) Consor (1868-1900) About Time of Wedding in
1888 Chicago, IL Contributed by Don Andrew
Wedding Announcement Herbert P. Consor and Jennie Grace Lucke December 6, 1888
Home Address Included Contributed by Don Andrew
Jennie (Lucke) Consor and Daughters Myrene Harriet and Jesse Helen 1897 Portland,
Oregon Contributed by Don Andrew
Both Myrene Harriet (1890-1899) and Jesse (1892-1965) were born in Chicago.
Ronne and Lucke Tailor Shop Stationery Portland, Oregon Probably Written in
1899 The note appears to refer to the reading ability of Jesse Consor and, according to Jeremy Ferguson, was
written by George Lucke to Herbert Consor. Contributed by Don Andrew
George H. Lucke and his partner apparently
had two locations providing fine fashions and tailoring in
Portland around 1900: one in the still standing Marquam Building on First Avenue and the other at
625 Morrison Street. At some point, George gave up, left or retired from the tailoring business. When he died on September 4, 1909, he was intestate, meaning that
he left no will. The local authorities appointed John Andrew as the administrator. At some point, Herbert Consor approached the administrator with a claim on the house in which the Luckes
had lived. In essence, his claim was that he had contributed monthly payments to support his wife and children in the Lucke home and that he had an understanding with the
Luckes that his "reward" would be inheriting the house at 1125 East Taylor Street in Portland. The administrator contested this claim and the issue actually went to trial. By 1912, the case had actually been heard, awarded, reversed twice, and
landed in the Oregon Supreme Court, which ordered a new trial. The Pacific Reporter for 1912 is preserved online and has a record of this decision, which contains a great deal of
information about the Luckes and Consors brought out at the preceding hearing in the appeals court. You can read it all at:
Lucke's Estate: Consor vs. Andrew.
Here are some intriguing facts we can garner from this eidence:
(1) Jennie (Lucke) Consor lived with George and his wife for the eighteen years before she married Herbert Consor.
That would be the date range from 1870-1888.
(2) Jennie, and her surviving daughter, Jessie Helen Consor, moved from Chicago to Portland to live with the
Luckes on March 8, 1899 "in consequence of illness". She lived there until her death on
September 25, 1900. We also know that the second daughter, Myrene, must have been part of that move, since she
died in Portland on May 29 of that year, according to local death records. Editor's Note: While purely speculative, since the death records and surviving genealogical information do not list a cause of death for either Jennie or her daughter, Myrene, one is driven to
speculate. What sort of illness could be sufficiently chronic that it would be known to the sufferer before her terminal illness, would precipitate a sudden move to the West Coast, and might have affected both a mother and
child? My guess is tuberculosis! The scenario described here was common enough, and TB was considered to be a "lower class" illness, which could have led the family to conceal it from the
public.
(3) Jessie left Portland on October 1, 1907 to return to live with her father in Chicago. She is listed as a
stenographer in the Hartford Building, Chicago, in the 1919 Alumni Directory for the University of
Chicago. She graduated with an "S.B." degree in 1916.
(4) At and just before his death, the Luckes' income was a combination of a small veteran's pension and income from sale of fruit on a lot in Portland owned by Mrs. Lucke. No mention is made of the former
tailoring business. Of course, Herbert Consor was sending monthly payments to support his daughter who had remained there after the death of her mother in 1900.
(5) The sisters of Herbert Consor paid for the music lessons and clothing needs of Jessie H. Consor, their niece.
(6) The Luckes owned some mining rights in Baker County, Oregon, in conjunction with Herbert Consor, which they hoped might solve their financial woes, but apparently never paid off.
Here is the death notice for Jane (Molyneux) Lucke, courtesy of Carol Brotzman:
The Sullivan Review
Dushore, PA
February 28, 1907
Mrs. George H. Lucke died at the family home in Portland Oregon, February 15, after an illness of two years. She was
73 years of age. Her maiden name was Jane M. Molyneaux, and she was born at Millview, in this county. The family lived
in Baltimore many years and went to the Pacific coast eight or nine years ago. Mrs. Lucke has many relatives and
friends in Sullivan county who will learn of her death with sorrow.
So, George and Jane lived in Baltimore for
several years after they had lived in Chicago, presumably after 1886, since we have a picture of George in his finery taken in Chicago that year.
One has to presume that they lived near and/or worked with the Henry Lucke family members who had previously settled in Baltimore. We don't
know why George and Jane went to Portland.
George H. Lucke Chicago, Illinois Robinson and Roo Studio 1886
"Truly your papa. Go H. Lucke". Contributed by Don Andrew
The next pictures show the "Corson" home on East Taylor Street, which was
actually the home lived in by George H. and Jane (Molyneux) Lucke at the time of each of their deaths, in 1909 and
1907, respectively. It is also where Jennie (Lucke) Corson passed away in 1900.
The house stood in what was then the exclusive Mt. Tabor area, as noted on the photos themselves. The first picture is a "street-view" of the house itself, while the others
show us the back yard of the house. Jeremy Ferguson added some further comments
about George Lucke and his house in an e-mail sent on July 8, 2008:
I know that he is mentioned in Portland in the 1895 census. I plan on taking some photos of the site
where his house once stood, though it is sadly no longer there, but is now an apartment complex. And the corner where
his tailor shop was is now a parking garage with pawn and jewelry shops on the main floor.
George H. Lucke Home 1125 East Taylor Street Portland, Oregon
Contributed by Don Andrew
Back Yard of George H. Lucke Home Jennie on the Left Wearing a Hat Myrene and Jesse in the
Hammock Portland, Oregon Spring 1899 Contributed by Don Andrew
George H. Lucke In His Backyard in Portland In Uniform Holding a Rifle Myrene is at His Knee. Spring 1899 The s
ame shed is visible in the preceding photo. Contributed by Don Andrew
The Portland "Lucke" Family is buried in
Section 17 of the Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery at the corner of Southeast 20th Avenue and Morrison
Street in Portland. Here are photos taken by Jeremy Ferguson of each grave along with the grave and lot numbers:
The legacy of the Lucke family lives on, an example of the turmoil, adventure,
sorrow and opportunity that was the United States in the two generations after the Civil War.
THE BURKS COME TO SONESTOWN
William L. Burk (1801-1874) Grave Marker and Inscription Old Sonestown Cemetery Sonestown, PA
Photos Contributed by "Becca" Pollick Mullins
In the Old Sonestown
Cemetery stands the leaning and weathered tombstone of our GG Grandfather William
L. Burk. That precious stone, guarded by a hardy old pine, has come to
symbolize more than we ever could have imagined. It has become the cornerstone
of a family planted deep into Pennsylvania’s past. It represents a family
that has flourished and branched out all across America and even into Canada.
The Burks/Burkes were soldiers, boatmen, miners, railroaders and farmers. They
were deeply rooted in the land, the waterways, "King" coal, the rails and the
wars. We had no idea how far and wide our family adventure would be or the
sheer number of ancestors and descendants we were to discover.
The ‘old’ Burks/Burkes
dating back to Pennsylvania in the 1700s have been elusive and very difficult to piece
together properly. They have stretched our research skills to the breaking
point and have forced us to think out of the box. My own journey into who I am
has taken over 20 years and I could not have accomplished so much without the
enormous help and talent of two very special ladies that I met along the way. I
am eternally grateful to cousins Eileen Burke and husband Bob (descendant of
Jacob W. Burke) and Tina Mallory, a descendant of Samuel H. Burke.
William L. Burk’s story
began on July 3, 1801 in Northumberland Co, Pa. as the youngest of eight
children (4 males and 4 females) born to James and Catharine (unknown) Burk.
William L.’s father was present in Northumberland Co as early as 1776 when, at
age 21, he became a Revolutionary War soldier. William’s mother may have been
Catharine Lee but that is yet to be determined. This is another exciting
mystery based on a published interview with William’s daughter Sarah Burke
Pugh. Sarah loved to tell stories about her Great Uncle, Capt. Lee from the
Revolutionary War! While William would pass away on October 28, 1874, his descendants carry on to this day.
William first married Catharine
Gearhart( b. 02/25/1805 in Northumberland Co)
about 1824-1825. However, Catharine also went by the name Sarah (more on
Catharine later). William and Catharine migrated north with five of their
children to Salem Twp. by 1840 and then onward to Plymouth, Luzerne Co, Pennsylvania by
1850. William L. Burk was the Plymouth Canal Boss in 1850. Catharine passed
away 2/18/1854 in Plymouth. Her death is recorded as Sarah Burke (father
William Gearhart). William then moved to Sullivan Co.
The following children
were born to William and Catharine:
1. Catharine
Elizabeth Burke- (b. 07/29/1825- d. 10/8/1852). Catharine was the first
wife of Attorney Aaron Jared Dietrick (1822-1884). They
met at the Briar Creek Schoolhouse and made their home in LaPorte.
They had the following
children:
Willard M- b. 9/18/1848
in LaPorte
Charles Burke-b. 10/2/1849 in LaPorte
Ezra P.-b.1851 in LaPorte
Franklin Pierce -b.
10/8/1852 ( possibly in Bradford Co,Pa)
Sadly, Catharine Burke Dietrick passed away a few hours after childbirth. She was
27 years old and her burial location is still unknown. Her obituary
appeared here:
Aaron Jacob went on to
remarry Mary Kellogg, have three more children, and become a very prominent attorney in Williamsport, before spending the last four
years of his life in Wilkes-Barre. His and Catharine’s two
year old son Charles Burke Dietrick diedeight months prior to his mother, from scarlet fever, on 2/8/1852. His
death announcement appeared here:
William George Burke (1828-1879) Son of William and Catherine (Gearhart) Burk In His Civil War Uniform Photo Contributed by "Becca" Pollick Mullins
2. William George
Burke- ( b. 1828- d. 4/23/1879 in Shickshinny, Luzerne Co. Pennsylvania).
William G. married Susannah Hendershot in Luzerne Co in October 1867. She was born June 9, 1835 and
died Aug. 22, 1919. These are my Great Grandparents. I am descended from their son Frank Burke (Nov. 22,
1870-Jan. 31, 1955) and his wife,
Sarah Jane Huffman (May 31, 1876-Mar. 2, 1955). Frank was born and died in Shickshinny; his wife came from New Jersey
and died in Elizabeth, PA. They married April 30, 1891. One of their chldren was my mother. My
parents are Joseph Frank Pollick (Aug. 9, 1920-July 26, 1999) and Dorothy Lorraine Burke (Oct. 22, 1922-Sept. 3, 1986). Both were born in Pennsylvania; they married on Jan. 31, 1942. Here is a photo of my mother:
Dorothy Lorraine (Burke) Pollick (1922-1986) Wife of Joseph Frank Pollick Great Granddaughter of William L. Burk
Taken in 1943 Photo Contributed by "Becca" Pollick Mullins
3. Sarah Burke- (b.
1830- d. 1922 in Ashley, Pa.) She married Peter B Pugh in 1853. Her early life and subsequent events are summarized in a newspaper
article from The Wilkes-Barre Record, dated
March 10, 1922, describing her 92nd Birthday. There seems to be no
other affiliation with Sullivan,Co,
except being mentioned in her mother’s land deed. Here is her Death Certificate.
4. Mariah ("Maria") F. Burke-
( b .2/27/1832- d.6/1/1924 in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. Her first marriage was
to Andrew Halstead in 1852. After Andrew died, Mariah’s second husband was Henry Weed ( b. abt 1830-
d. aft 1880). Henry was the son of Sellick Weed and Hepsibah
Jane Arnold Weed Rollison. ‘Hepsy’
J. Rollison is also buried in the Old Sonestown Cemetery,
not far from William L.Burk. Here is Maria's Death Certificate.
.
Sellick and Hepsy’s daughter Rowena Weed
married Daniel Darling. Hepsy has a very interesting
history.
Maria(h) and Henry Weed are recorded in the 1880
Davidson Twp, Sullivan Co Census. Living
with them are Henry’s daughter Jenny Weed (by a previous marriage to
Frances Barker) and Hepsibah. Jenny Weed( b. 1872 in Pittston, Pennsylvania- d. 2/12/1948 in Dushore). She married Monroe Painton.
They raised a family and lived their life out in Sullivan Co. Here is a family photo taken between 1907 and 1910 in Sullivan County, PA.
Family of Monroe and Jennie (Weed) Painton Likely Dushore, Sullivan County 1907-1910
Children: Harry in back; Berton on left; Frank in middle; George on right; Jennie Ellen is baby on Monroe's lap. Jennie, the mother, is
stepdaughter of Mariah Burke Weed. Photo Contributed by Rick Swartz Click on
image for larger photo.
5. Anne W. Burke-
(b. 1836- d. 1934 in Madison Twp, LackawannaCo, Pennsylvania. Here is her Death Certificate. Anne married Ziba Mott.
There seems to be no other affiliation with Sullivan Co. Anne is mistakenly
listed as Ann Turner in her mother’s land deed. We have a newspaper article and black and white photo of Ziba and Anna from their
sixtieth wedding anniversary on April 13, 1916, at their home in Madisonville, PA.
Ziba and Anna (Burk) Mott Sixtieth Wedding Anniversray Photo April 13, 1916
Photo Contributed by "Becca" Pollick Mullins Originally published in The Scranton Republican, April 17, 1916 Click on
image for larger photo.
6. James Burke-(
b. 1837- d. 4/25/1875 in Liverpool, Pa. James is listed as a painter living
with A J Dietrick and his sister Catharine in the
Cherry Twp 1850 Census. On Sept 11,1860
he married Adeline Shriner from Northumberland Co. No other affiliation known
in Sullivan Co., except being in Sullivan Co to volunteer for the Civil War
with his brothers.
7. Ellen Burke- (b. abt 1839- d. after 1887) Ellen is mistakenly listed as
Ellen Mott in a Land Record filed by heer mother in 1887.. Her correct married name
was Ellen Turner. Her sister Anna is misidentifed by
the last name Turner in the same document, whereas Anna is actually Mott by marriage. They have been switched. No
known affiliation with Sullivan Co, other than her name on her mother’s land
deed. (More later)
Jacob W. Burke (1841-1886) Son of William and Catherine (Gearhart)
Burk In Civil War Uniform Photo Contributed by "Becca" Pollick Mullins
8. Jacob W Burke- (b.
1841- d. 01/22/1886 in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. No affiliation
with Sullivan Co, other than his name on the above mentioned land record. In 1862 he enlisted in the 143rd Pa Vol. Infantry. He was put in
company D. Jacob entered the service as a private, survived the Civil War, and was dischared from the army in 1865 as a Sergenat Major.
He fought at major battles such as Gettysburg and the Wilderness. At Gettysburg he was wounded in the left leg, but went on to fight the rest
of the war. After the war, he married Margaret Orr and was a bookeeper in Plymouth, Pa. He raised six children. He died in 1886, likely of the
bullet wound he had recieved at the Battle of Gettysburg 23 years earlier.
Samuel H. Burke (1843-1917) Son of William and Catherine (Gearhart) Burk Photo Contributed by "Becca" Pollick Mullins
9. Samuel H Burke-
(b.5/13/1843 in Luzerne Co-d.11/9/1917 in Quimby,
Cherokee Co, Iowa). In the Civil War, he was a sergeant in the 58th Regt. Co B, PA Vols. Samuel was at Cold Harbor with General Grant,
and& also played a conspicuous part in the campaign which resulted in the capture of Lee's army. He had been recommended for Lieutenant when
his company mustered out Jan. 24, 1866. Samuel was married to Emma Bennett on Oct. 9, 1867 in
Sonestown, Pa by Robert Taylor. Two years later, they moved to Iowa, where
they raised a family os six children, as detailed in Samuel's
Obituary
Emma Bennett was born
June 26, 1848 in Lycoming Co, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Edmond and Sarah
S. Sones. Emma passed away onAug. 28,1934 in Quimby, Cherokee Co,
Iowa. Here is her Obituary.
Samuel and Emma Bennett
Burke had the following children:
Edmond E.- ( b. 1869 in Pa). Lived in Leavenworth,Kansas at one point.
Barbara Ellen- (b. 1871
in Iowa) Married Martin Barnet Smith
Sarah A-( b 1873 in Iowa) Married Truman Pelton
George F- ( b. 1876 in Iowa) Married Unknown
William J-(b. 1878 in
Iowa; d 1970 Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. He married Nettie Mc Cammant
Charles Arthur-(b. 1882
in Iowa). Married Alice Lovina Holly
William must have moved to Sullivan Co.
sometime after his wife’s death. On Feb. 22, 1855, William L Burk married a
second time to Mary Hester Reed (b. 9/19/1824 in Shamokin-d. 01/19/1911
in Davidson Twp, Sullivan Co. Their marriage
announcement can be found here:
1. Franklin Simpson
Burk- (b. 9/21/1860 in Sonestown-d.07/7/1920) in Sinnamahoning,
Cameron Co, Pennsylvania He married Mary E. Gore
about 1893. Here is his Death Certificate.
2. Andrew L. Burk-
b. 1863 .Nothing else is known about Andrew. Seems he has vanished.
3. Edward Cyril Burk-b
6/4/1865 in Sonestown- d. 01/08/1961 in Hughesville, Lycoming, Lysock View, Pa.
In 1883 Edward married Ella Grant Dent- b. 4/2/1868
in Sonestown,Pa- d 11/7/1946
in Davidson.Ella was the daughter of Thomas
Dent and Rebecca Glidewell. Edward and Ella had five chilren. One son, Cyril Leonidas Burk (1891-1957)
married Claire A. Keeler, daughter of
Frederick and Emmaretta (Lampson) Keeler. She was born in 1875 in Nordmont, PA and died in 1950
in Sonestown, PA. Edward, Ella, Cyril and Claire are all buried at Cherry Grove Cemetery in Nordmont, PA. The Keeleer were prominent in the
history of Laporte, Davidson and Nordmont, all in Sullivan County, PA.
Here is Edward's Death Certificate.
We also have a photo of Edward and Ella, taken in later
life:
Ella (Dent) and Edward Cyril Burk In Later Life Photo Contributed by "Becca" Pollick Mullins
.
As mentioned, above Edward Cyril and Ella (Dent) Burk had five children:
i. William Joseph Burk, born December 06, 1885 in Sonestown, PA; died August 1968 in Montoursville PA.
illiam J. Burk and Jennie Minnier Whitlock (1886-1966) [widowed from prior marriage in 1906], were married on March 06,
1907. She was the daughter of John Minnier and Ida Reed. They had fifteen children over the following years.
ii. Albert Franklin Burk, born May 04, 1887 in PA; died April 1976 in Muncy Valley PA. He married Sarah
Beulah Jane "Sadie" Boatman, daughter of James Boatman and Rose Bedford. She was born January 26, 1888 in PA, and died September 19, 1960 in
Muncy Valley PA. THey had three children.
iii. Sylvia Violet Burk, born January 31, 1889; died November 1947. She married Harry Elvey Jones, son of Andrew Jones. He was born 1887, and died 1978.
iv. Cyril Leonidas Burk, born 1891; died 1957. He married Linda Viola Boatman. She was born February
1896, and died April 23, 1930 in Eclapsia, PA. They had eight children.
v. Alonzo Converse 'Lonnie' Burk, born 1895; died 1960.
We have been able to gather some additional information on descendants of Edward and Ella.
For example, in 2004 Joanna Dickson Deloach sent us this messagte:
From reading e-mails found on the Sullivan County, PA Board site, I believe that we are all related through William Burk,
if he is the father of Edward C. Burk, my g.grandfather. My grandmother, Sylvia Violet Burk Jones, was the daughter of Edward and Ella Grant
Dent Burk. Sylvia married Harry E. Jones, whom she met when Harry went to bury his father, Andrew J. Jones, in the Cherry Grove Cemetery, Nordmont, PA. Andrew J. Jones was in Sonestown courting Rebecca A. Glidewell Dent, my g.g.grandmother. Had Andrew Jones lived long enough, he could have become Rebecca's 3rd. husband to serve in the Civil War.
After marrying, Harry and Sylvia Burk Jones lived in Altoona, PA. They had 8 children, Genevieve Jones, Edna Alberta Jones (Diehl), Harry E. Jones,
Jr., Dorthea Jones (Cutshall), Ruth Josephine Jones (Dickson/Daugherty/DuBose), Margaret Jones, Millicent Eileen Jones (Gilmore), and Betty
Jones (Resig). My grandmother, Sylvia, died one year after her mother, Ella Grant Dent Burk, in November, 1947. Two of the above referenced
issue are living today in 2004: Edna A. Diehl in Hollidaysburg, PA, and Ruth DuBose, my mother, in Hialeah, Florida.
Some of my fondest memories are of taking the train from Altoona to visit Great-Grandpa Burk's farm. We also got to visit "Uncle Dutch's" farm.
Every two years the Jones - Burk families have a reunion in Pennsylvania. This year it was at a park in Canoe Creek, PA. on June 19, 2004.
There were over 100 in attendance. The reunion has been held in Sonestown, but not recently.
We have a copy of a Court Petition to appoint Peter Gavitt
as admiistrator of the estate of
William L. Burk after he died in 1874. This action was taken at the request of his widow. Mary Hester Reed Burke
went on to marry JeremiahHaus between 1910 and her death on Jan 19, 1911 at age
86. Her Death Certificate states that her father was George Reed and her mother
was Susannah Banschlagin. (Other research shows Susannah’s
name as Rosina) Mary Reed’s brother was ChristianReed whois buried directly behind
William L. Burk. Christian can also be found living next door to William L. and
Mary in the 1860 Census.
Here are a few mysteries associated with our
family in Sullivan Co:
Mystery # 1: Catharine
Gearhart Burke had a land inheritance in Sullivan Co. Her land was part of
Warrant 73. We have yet to discover who willed her and her children that land.
Mystery # 2: George
Foust. In the 1860 La Porte Sullivan Co Census, there is a George Faust age 9
listed as adopted. Adopted by who? And why?William L and Catharine or
William L and Mary? William’s name is spelled ‘Bush’ instead of Burk in
this census.
Mystery # 3: What
happened to Andrew L. Burke?
Mystery # 4- Where are
Catharine Elizabeth and her son Charles Burke Dietrick
buried?
This is actually a very small
snapshot of the William L Burk family. I tried to keep it relevant to Sullivan
County, adding just a few associated names to perhaps assist others in their
research. Feel free to contact me if you connect to any of these people or if I
can help you in any way. There is so much to share.
