Author: Deb

Genealogical Research in Central Pennsylvania for 50+ years. BSN from Thomas Jefferson University, Certificate in Family History- Genealogy, accent on British research from Brigham Young University, Certificate in Genealogy Consultant/Volunteer and member National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Association of Professional Genealogists, Mid-Atlantic Association of Professional Genealogists, New England Historic Genealogical Society, Genealogical Society of PA, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, National Genealogical Society, Lycoming County Historical Society, Pennsylvania Heritage Society, Mennonite Life (formerly Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society), LancasterHistory.org, The Historical Society of Dauphin County , The Perry Historians, Guild of One-Name_Studies- Duart, Daughters of the Union Veterans of the Civil War 1861-1865. United States Daughters of 1812; The Welcome Society, Cumberland County Historical Society.
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George Eckert and Samuel Milliken/Milligan

On the hunt for more Revolutionary War ancestors after my visit to Yorktown, VA.  I have now submitted two more on the White side of the family.  They are George Eckert and Samuel Milliken/Milligan.  Now the wait is on for the year it will take before they are reviewed by NSDAR.  In the meantime,  I’m trying to find a woman in my ancestry that may have assisted in the Rev. War.  Always a feather in your cap if you have one of the ladies proven.

Yorktown is a wonderful place to visit.  They have an American Revolution of Yorktown Museum that is worth the trip.  They have an encampment that is very interesting.  This includes a kitchen, medical facility, supply hut and very knowledgeable staff.

Inside of the museum there are many artifacts and movies.  Both are helpful in following the war.  This is a State of Virginia museum.  Kudos to Virginia for such a wonderful asset.  The museum is designed with many areas that flow one into another and they seem to go on forever.  It is truly an amazing place to visit.

Yorktown Victory Monument

The battlefield at Yorktown is also very interesting.  Suggestion – don’t try to drive your motorhome around the battlefield.  We found a couple of areas we couldn’t access because of the bulk of this RV even though it is small by comparison to most.  We saw the redoubts taken by the Patriots, the digs that the soldiers did in the middle of the night to surprise the British, the National Cemetery,  the Yorktown Victory Monument, and lots of wildlife.

The Moore House is especially nice.  It is fully restored and historically is the home where the terms of agreement of surrender were worked out.  It is not the house where the British signed the agreement.  Still worth the visit if you like old homes.

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Frank and Lydia (Buckwalter) Hershey Family Reunion Aug. 26, 2018

The Frank and Lydia (Buckwalter) Hershey family reunion will be held at Paradise Community Park on August 26th, 2018, Pavilion #2, starting at 1:00 pm.  The park is located on Londonvale Road off Rt. 30 in Paradise, Lancaster Co., PA.   Bring a large dish to pass, table service, lawn chairs and drink.  Share your family updates and pictures.

There is a playground, baseball, basketball and tennis available, but bring your own equipment.

If you have any questions, reply to this website.  We look forward to continuing this long tradition of Hersheys gathering in Paradise.

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John Sanford & Harriett (McCarty) Brown Family Reunion Aug. 12, 2018

It’s that time of the year again when the Browns gather at Shirley Brown’s Oak Knoll cabin on Carnright Mountain Rd, Troy, PA.  The Brown reunion is the descendants of John Sanford and Harriett (McCarty) Brown.  This year it will be on Aug. 12th starting at Noon.  Bring a large dish to pass, drinks and/or a dessert.  I know the Browns are all good cooks, so I am looking forward to the wide variety of foods.

Bring your family updates and invite those who just never get around to coming to this annual event.  Bring a lawn chair and any lawn games your children like to play.  The kids have fun in the woods, just running around the mountain, but would also enjoy a game with their cousins.

The children of John and Harriett are as follows:  Effie, Delbert, Allen, Bertha Cook, Lucetta, Elizabeth Bown, Charles, Clarkson, and Francis.  If you are descended from any of these children, you are invited.

If you have questions about the reunion, you can leave a message on this blog.

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Connecting with Family

This was a special week of White family connecting.  Cousin Tim White, from California, called and we had a lovely discussion about our family.  Probably the last time I saw him was in the 1960’s when we were visiting Great Uncle Tom White, my grandfather’s brother, in Harrisburg.  I’m hoping to catch up with him next time he is in PA and show him where our family grew up, married, had children and are buried, starting with the Gailey-White cemetery in Marysville.

I also got a note from Cousin Lesley Padgett Austin that James Hooker III  passed away November 5th and also that his mother, Ann passed away in April of this year.  We were in Colorado Springs a couple of years ago and had a lovely lunch with James and Deborah.  So glad we take advantage of these opportunities while we are traveling to catch up with relatives.

Mom and I met the Spencer’s in Malvern for lunch this week.  What a wonderful visit with Bob, Phil and Mary (Betts), and Sid Baglini.  Bob is the oldest of the Alex and Mary Ella (Hess) White grandchildren at 97 years.  Still very active as are his siblings.    We had a wonderful time reminiscing about visiting “The Farm”, meaning a trip for the Spencer’s to Snedekerville, PA.  Growing up in Sned, we always were excited for the Philadelphia cousins to visit and spent much of our time exploring the hills and bringing in the cows.

My nephew, Jeffrey Carroll, also came for a visit and to spend some time with Grandma White.  Now living in Lockport, NY it is quite a trip, but we are thankful for the time he makes to visit with Mom.  She is a good hostess and so proud of her new digs in Elizabethtown at the Masonic Village.

At this time of the year with, Christmas closing in on us, family is THE most important things in our lives.  Here’s hoping this new year will bring us more family visits.

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Frank and Lydia (Buckwalter) Hershey 2017 Reunion

It is that time again to let you know that the Frank and Lydia (Buckwalter) Hershey Family Reunion will be held at Paradise Park in Gordonville, PA August, 27, 2017 at 1:00 pm.  Please share this information with your family.  Postcards will be going out to those who have not given me an email address.  You can leave a message through this blog if you have changed your email/address, way of notifying you about the reunion.  We hope you will attend this year and bring your children.

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300th Anniversary of Hershey Family Planned

The 300th anniversary gathering of Christian and Oade Hershey’s arrival west of Lancaster in 1717 is planned for September 16, 2017.  Please mark this date on your calendar and watch this site for further updates.  Chairman of this event is Carl E. Hershey (dhersh48@gmail.com) if you would like to contact him directly.  They are working on a website for announcements.

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Bertha Dean White Wolfe

Another death in the family to report – Aunt Bertha Dean White Wolfe has passed away at the age of 94.  She was the wife of Hugh Alexander White, my Dad’s brother, who died in 1962.  Bertha remarried Robert Wolfe, who died in 2013.  She was born in Snedekerville, PA, one of the few of this generation who could say she was born and lived almost her entire life there.

Bertha and Bob Wolfe lived on a farm on Snederville Road, but with the address of Columbia Cross Roads.  When Grandma Effie White died in 1963, the post office she ran in Snedekerville was moved to a Columbia Cross Roads address, thus ending zip code 16944.

The Snedekerville Post Office served this rural area for many years and covered a large area that went into Tioga County, PA.  Effie’s husband, Walter was the Postmaster before her, but she took over and continued the position of Postmistress of Snedekerville, from 1953-1963.

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First Families of Pennsylvania

I finally have time for my own research and have decided to work on First Families of Pennsylvania through the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania (GSP).  My initial family was Sarah Shoemaker who arrived in Philadelphia in 1686 and purchased 200 acres.  Her husband, George had died on the way over from Germany or before she had left so it was that she landed in Philadelphia with seven children.

From further research, we know that Sarah’s son, George married Sarah Wall, whose family was already here in 1682.  I will work on the Wall/Waln family for my supplement to First Families of PA.  There is an abundance written about the Wall’s, but I haven’t found EVERYTHING, so if you are researching the Shoemaker/Wall connection and have some records not available on line, I would love to have a copy.

The next families will be the Richardson and Levering families.  It is a challenge to get them listed in the oldest division of First Families –  Colony and Commonwealth: 1638–1790, but how fun to see how much information is available from that time period at GSP and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, both in Philadelphia.

Happy hunting to those who try.