My Favorite Cemetery

Since I love cemeteries, I thought I’d try to narrow it down to my favorite cemetery.  I visit so many,so often, you’d think I have a favorite.  Well, I do!

Entrance to Donegal Presbyterian Church

I love the peacefulness and stillness I feel when I visit the cemetery at Donegal Presbyterian Church in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  It is in the country, surrounded by an old stonewall.  The old Church is right across the drive and down the hill are the Donegal Springs with a bench to sit and comptemplate whatever it is you wish to contemplate!

Donegal Springs, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

Is this my favorite cemetery?  No, but it is one of my favorites!

Lancaster City has many, many old cemeteries, all beautifully maintained, for the most part.  Two blocks away from my home is the old Shreiner Cemetery where the great Abolitionist, Thaddeaus Stevens is buried.  Today the cemetery is right on the edge of a major thoroughfare thru the city, and in the middle of a wonderful old neighborhood.  It is surrounded by an iron fence, and mowed and weeded regularly.

James Buchanan's gravesite, Woodward Hill Cemetery, Lancaster, PA

The final resting place for Jacob Auxer and his family is in horrible shape.  I have removed weeds, trash and dirt from this site.  I cannot sit the stones upright, but I have filled in gopher holes that have undermined headstones.  Perpetual care?  hmmm-m-m-m-m-m-m-m

Auxer site, bottom of the hill, Woodward Hill Cemetery

Is this my favorite cemetery?  Once again, no, but high on the list.  High on the list because it gives me something to maintain.  Someplace that makes me feel that I am indeed honoring my family ~ however distant it maybe ~ and somewhat of a cause.

Harrisburg Cemetery, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania

No, my favorite cemetery, without a doubt, is Harrisburg Cemetery! This awesome cemetery stands in the middle of the city, with a view of the State Capitol. It once was on the edge of the city with the entrance to the west. The entrance is now to the south, through a less than desirable neighborhood.

This is the cemetery in which my ancestors first spoke to me and encouraged me to continue in my search for their stories.  This is the cemetery where three generations all lie together for eternity.  This is the cemetery that keeps pulling me back, if only to place a few flowers, pull a few weeds and sit quietly for a minute or two.

Ephraim Niess, his wife, Catharine Auxer Niess and five of their young children have their lives all noted on the same headstone, Catharine’s brother, mother, father and grandmother share the plot with them.

Ephraim and Catharine Niess and 5 of their children, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

This picture was taken when spring had just arrived.  The grass is green and the leaves on the trees shade the cemetery’s occupants final resting places.  It is Mother’s Day and I’ve taken my annual pilgrimage to the various cemeteries through out the midstate region, leaving a small flower at grandmother’s grave. I have graves from Snyder County to Shippensburg and Harrisburg down to Lancaster to visit, but it is worth the effort.  I am sure some of these graves have not been visited for years and I love to show my respect and love for these wonderful women who paved the road I travel today.

Abraham Auxer

Maria Leader Auxer

Philip Kleiss Auxer, Catharine Niess' father

Susannah Bischoff Leader Kaylor, Catharine's grandmother

In reality they all could be my favorite cemetery, but Harrisburg Cemetery, is without a doubt my favorite cemetery, because of it’s history and meaning to my family and because my ancestors still speak to me when I visit them.

I guess you can say, I do play favorites . . . . . .

 

I’m confused! But then what’s new?

So what’s new? This is genealogy, after all ~ just like a jigsaw puzzle. Some pieces look like they should fit, but are just a “little” off! This week I found an obituary for Daniel Gemperling while looking for a completely different obituary.

DANIEL GEMPERLING DEAD.

He Was in the Tin Business in the East End for Half a Century.

Daniel Gemperling, a resident of Lancaster until a few months ago, died on Wednesday night at the residence of his son in Ephrata. He was confined to the house for only a few weeks, but was in failing health for some time. Deceased was 84 years old and was a native of this city. He learned the trade of tinsmith , and half a century ago he removed to Orange and Ann streets, where he engaged in that business. He carried it on until last spring when he removed from the city and went to Ephrata to live with his son. He was well known not only in this city but in all sections of the county, through his long business career. He was twice married. His first wife died many years ago. His second wife survives and one son, Harry C. Gemperling, one of the tipstaves at the court house. John and William, brothers, and Mrs. Auxer, a sister, are dead. His only surviving brother is Frederick, who lives at the corner of Walnut and Mulberry streets.

What’s confusing? Well, in 1850 two Auxer children lived w/JOHN and Jane Gemperling. Henry, age 7 and Catharine age 13 lived with the Gemperlings, their aunt and uncle! Jane Spurrier Gemperling was the sister of Elizabeth Spurrier Auxer. Who is Daniel? . . . . . . and who is his sister, Mrs. Auxer???  Which Auxer married a Gemperling?  or does it really mean sister-in-law? I’d  love to know!  Anybody know?

Still on the Spurriers, I found an obituary for an infant.

1865 newspaper ~
Child: George Maclay Spurrier
Place: Lancaster, Pennsylvania

If you’d like the documentation and additional information, contact me for the details on both of these!

 

Do you think I’ve been stagnant in my Genealogy?

No posts this month equals no new discoveries?  Not The Case! The Opposite is True.  Too many discoveries to take time to post a blog!

Let’s start with my Kleiss family!  I’m so excited, I’m finally getting close to figuring out all the assorted John Ps, Georges and Philips!  Not there yet, but getting close!  Thanks to an Auditor’s report for one of Johan Philip’s daughters!  . . . . . .and I found Philippina’s entire family!  It was right there in front of my eyes.  Know why it had not been found before?  How about an entirely different spelling of her married surname???  Unbelievable!  I’ve spent a great deal of time organizing my information on this family, and you would not believe what a difference it has made in helping to tie people together!My volunteering has taken up a good portion of my time this month ~ and all related to Genealogy, of course!  I’ve also been busy indexing records for the Family Search website.  So far, I’ve indexed census records for Alabama, and Death records for Chicago and Seattle.  I think I’ve done census records for other states, too, but I can’t remember which ones!  It’s great knowing that I’m helping to get those records up there and running for others!  I’ve also had a slug of requests for obituaries from Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness (RAOGK.com) this month!  . . . . and not to be forgotten are my Fridays (and once a month Saturdays) at the Lancaster County Historical Society. I don’t get my research done, but I do whatever I can do to help in the Library!  It’s a win-win situation.  I get to help others and I get to learn what collections they have in the back.  It’s a wonderful day for Linda.

Last week I got to meet another “cousin” and his wife.  Bruce Carvell and his wife, Peggy, stopped by for a couple of hours on their way to her father’s in NJ from St. Louis, MO.  He went through my books of information on the Carvell clan and put stickies on the pages he wanted copies of and they were back on the road!  I’ve made most of the copies and hopefully, they’ll be there when they get home!  It’s nice putting a face with a name ~ and they were such a delightful couple!  What’s there not to like about Peggy?? . . . and they brought a lovely bouquet of flowers and shared some delicious plums with us!

I’ve also found the Carvell/Winkleman family.  I thought they died as soon as they got married!  Not so, they moved to Ohio!  Another family added to the database!

I’m still working on the John Axer mess!  The two MD soldiers?  I think we’re dealing with just one man with 3 different wifes!  The PA one and the NY one match, but there are two wifes alive at the same time with no divorce papers found for the PA one!  . . . . and the MD one?  He was the one getting the pension that belonged to the one in NY according to the pension file!  What gives here?

Now to get back at it!

 

Every so often you get a break and it happened last week

If you know what you are looking for, the information is there and readily available! My Kleiss line is finally yielding some information, and it doesn’t necessarily agree with the information that’s “out there!”

Maria, 6th child of Philip and Elizabeth Kleiss married and moved to Harrisburg where she died.  I’ve had that information for some time, thanks to a newspaper blurb announcing her marriage that I found about a year ago.  Recently, I found the notice of her estate settlement while scanning a Lancaster newspaper online, just looking for information of anybody in any line in my database!  It mentioned the fact that she had died in Harrisburg but the estate settlement was in Lancaster.  Two brother-in-laws were administrators of her estate.  Bingo! That was the right Anna Maria!

Last Friday, on my regular volunteer day, I got a copy of the Administrator’s account and VOILA! It mentioned her living sisters and their married names, her deceased brothers and sisters and their descendants!  It even listed married names for the female descendants!  It several cases, it listed the husband’s names!

This information has helped in sorting out the various Georges and Philips in a very confusing Kleiss line where George and Philip were very common names!  (and why couldn’t that Kleiss family be a little more original in their names, anyway??)

do have all the details on this, so if this is your line and information you are interested in, please contact me.  I am always willing to share and exchange information.  I do not put it all out there, however, since it often ends up on other’s web pages as other’s own work, and I’ve never had an opportunity to meet other family members!

Children of Johann Philip and Elizabeth Auxer Kleiss

(Birth order according to Auditor’s Report with the exception of Philip, Jr. who is not mentioned, of course)

• George
• Philippina
• John
• Elizabeth
• Catharine
• Anna Maria
• Susanna
• Philip, Jr.


Thank goodness for boredom and the inability to sleep and most of all thank goodness for all those societies and agencies who put those wonderful newspapers online for all of us Family History junkies!

It just goes to show you that it is persistence that brings the luck that befalls a researcher!




 

It’s been awhile, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stagnated!

I’ve taken 2 trips to California, and still managed to increase knowledge of my family! While the rest of the household sleeps, I research! My husband, son and grandson are sawing logs and my daughter-in-law has left for work. Only Linda is up and hard at it! All because of a new website FULL of information!!!


Thanks to the discovery of several websites. . . two of them still in the Pilot stage, I’ve added a whole lot of information to my database! Actual death certificates and obituaries online! From Pennsylvania! Wow!

When I was a “newbie” on the internet, well over 10 years ago, who would have thunk it? Actual documents from Pennsylvania online? Much less newspapers from the early 1800′s?

Remember Christopher’s kids? That Axer family? Daughter Sarah who married Michael Allgeyer? I found both Mary and her husband and Margaret and her family (9 kids!) . . . . and then right in my own line, I found Amelia Auxer and her husband!! That one was the biggest find for me. I’d love to have my own line complete (siblings and their spouses) but we all know what a dream that one is! Especially the females!!

. . . . and then finding one of John Auxer’s daughters (He was the JP in Marietta) in Montana of all places!! Unbelieveable! Any volunteers out there to look in Montana records for a death date for me??? Her husband died in Marietta and she high tailed it to Montana to live with her daughter, 2nd husband and kids.

. . . . . and then there’s a death certificate for a six month old Auxer baby who died from “Hereditary Syphillis.” First child from the first marriage. . . . . and the couple went on to have seven more children before she died. Wow! Whomever the transmitter was must have been cured before the conception of those other seven. . . . .

Back to the webpages. . . . there’s too much out there right now and I’m on a roll! I’ll post more results as time permits and if I get bored researching.

. . . . .like that will happen!!

 

Christopher? Christian? Same Guy? YUP!!

This is the 2nd time I’ve run into Christian and Christopher being used interchangeably, and both in this particular family line! Are they the same guy?? Facts say undeniably, YES!

My latest find is in the Doebler line. Anna Maria Axer, daughter of Christopher (Christian?) Axer and Catharine Danner, married to John George Doebler. Anna Maria and John George had at least five children, probably more because they keep turning up the more I dig! One of the children is the Christian/Christopher I am referring to.

According to Church Records found for a Lutheran Church, George Doebler and his wife, Anna Maria, baptized a son, Christoph on 4 October 1820. The child was born in 1816. First name for this son.

On the 1850 census, in the same area, Christopher is now married to Elisabeth. She is 26, he is 32 and they have three children, John, age 7, George, age 5 and Catharine, age 3.

On the 1860 census, same area again, Christian Dobler is 45, (he’s aged 13 years, not unusual) Elisabeth is 36, John is 17, George is 15, Catharine is 13 and two more children have been born, Anna age 5 and Mary age 2.

According to those same church records, in 1856, Christian Daveler is buried, leaving Elisabeth a widow.

In 1870, the census shows Elisabeth Daveler as 46 and a housekeeper for the Good family in the same area. Mary is with her and is 13.

On the 1880 census, Elizabeth Daveler is 53 and widowed, Anna is 25 and single. They are still in the same area. They are still in West Lampeter, which they were 10 years previous.

As Christian and Christopher are interchangeable, so seems to be Doebler/Dobler and Daveler. I have conferred with several people on this, and everybody concurs that this is indeed, the same family.

. . . . . . . . . .Just love it when more information pops out at me!!

 

Just when you think you’ve got it sorted out. . .

Church records from just one denomination try to prove you wrong!

I try to look at a different Church register every chance I get.  Today I looked at Lutheran Church records from Conestoga and Columbia.  Doing so has provided an “opportunity” for me to do just a little more research into the George Doebler/Anna Maria Auxer family . . . . . . .
as though I needed an excuse!

Parents: Doebler, George, wf Anna Maria
Child: Christoph, b. Aug 3 1816, Anna b. Sept 9 1819
bapt: Oct 14 1820
Sponsors: parents
Is this this same George and Anna Maria that is in our database? This would put them in their 30′s/40′s when these children were born and it is conceivable that they be their parents.

Burial Records 1841, Lutheran Church, Conestoga, Pa.
Sept. 21, George, son of Jacob Doebler, age 2-1-3
This is conceivably their grandson. Son Jacob was born in 1813.

Burial Records 1842, Lutheran Church, Conestoga, Pa.
Aug. 9, Benjamin, son of George Dabler, age 19-3-15
Another son for George and Anna Maria? The only problem with this being the same George and Anna Maria Auxer in our database is the fact that we have assumed that our George and Anna Maria are the same couple found enumerated in the Borough of Lancaster. If indeed that is “our” George and Anna Maria, why would they travel to Conestoga or Columbia for baptisms? or burials of children when Trinity Lutheran is close to their residence? Two Georges and Anna Marias? hmmmm-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m.

Births and Baptisms, Lutheran Church, Columbia, Lanc. Co., Pennsylvania
Name: Leader, William Henry
Parents: George W., Fannie
Born-Bapt: June 21 1852 – Oct 5, 1852
Sponsors: Parents
We now have a middle name for William along with a baptism date and place.

It seems that the more we find, the more questions we have on what we’ve already found!! I guess that’s what keeps us in the books. . . . . and on the internet!

 

Final resting spots. . . . . .

I guess final resting spots could be new discoveries, couldn’t they? . . . . . well, to me they are, not to those interred therein!

First discovery? The Trost family. Who??? George (bad boy) Auxer’s only daughter and her family. Why had I never found them before this? Well, I’ve assumed (wrongly) that if you were an Auxer descendant and lived in Lancaster, you must either be of the Reformed faith or a Lutheran! A Catholic? Never! Boy was I wrong!

. . . . and being Catholic, where do you think they are buried? Well, the Catholic Cemetery, of course, right in the heart of Lancaster, right next to the huge Lancaster Cemetery where I thought they should be buried!!! And isn’t it a magnificent monument??

The odd thing about this is, I was looking for her mother’s headstone and found her’s! Her mother, according to records, is supposed to be buried in Woodward Hill Cemetery. I found her obituary (Catharine Auxer’s) and it said she was buried there. Well! After searching the records, I found an entry where “Susan Frost and George Auxer” were purchasers of a particular site. In the pouring rain, with winds high enough to turn my umbrella inside out, I went searching for the headstones in the referenced site. I found people who were supposed to be buried in adjacent sites, but no Auxer, no Frost, no Trost. . . . . . and why would George purchase a site for Catharine, when he died in California in 1880 and Catharine died in 1909???? He didn’t even care about her enough to come and see her in Lancaster after he left town years before! Another mystery in the Auxer legacy. . . .

Now on to the Leader clan! I’m still trying to trace my 6th great grandfather’s brothers and sisters! Oh! and step-brothers and sisters! Samuel had 8 brothers and sisters and 6 step-brothers and sisters. He had at the very least, 40 nephews and nieces. . . . . and those are just the ones I have found. I would venture to say there are at least 25 more! Tracing the Leader line has been fun! Try putting “Leader” into a search engine ~ guess what you’ll get!! Thousands upon thousands of hits, and maybe, just maybe 1%of them might apply to the surname “Leader!”

Anyway, enough of the ranting, after all, we’re talking about headstones, today, and I finally took the time to drive out to Mt. Joy and photograph Samuel’s step-brother, Joshua’s headstone. His headstone includes his wife, Agnes and his daughter Isabella (Bella.) Since it is relatively new, I’m assuming it was erected upon Bella’s death in 1933.

The headstone below does NOT belong in our family line. I just found it fascinating and had to photograph it. It is in the Catholic Cemetery in Lancaster, at the opposite end of the row that the Trost family can be found in. It must have been awesome when it was new. I think it is beautiful in an eerie sort of way ~

 

Finishing off the week with a few new tidbits. .

This has been a full week for Linda as far as my genealogy research goes.

Since I’m getting ready for a trip to Washington DC, I want to make sure I’m fully prepared and I’m therefore devoting a lot of time to my research. It would be awesome if I could discover new tidbits each day, but that is not realistic. . . . desirable, but not realistic!
On Thursday I found one new person, a birthdate and full name on another and a death date on a third person, as follows:

Born 6 May 1872, Baptised 27 Dec 1872
Mary Catharine McGinnis, dau. of George W. McGinnis and his wife Sophia born Chambers, was baptized at the parents dwelling. Sponsor – the grandmother, Mrs. Catherine McGinnis. By D. Bigler.
Continuing in those same Church records I’ve added a new member of the family. I did not have her in my database.

Born 18 Oct 1827, Baptised 1 June 1828
Sarah Elisabeth Milchsack, daughter of Matthaeus Milchsack, machine worker, and wife Charlotte born Biegi. (They were from Paradise). The parents were the sponsors. Baptised by John G. Herman, P.L.
We now have a full name and birthdate for her (wife of Jacob Axer)

7 Jan 1918
Mrs. Frank A. Auxer
Mrs. Irene S. Auxer, wife of Frank A. Auxer, died at 6:30 o’clock this morning at her home, No. 240 East Lemon street, after an illness of many weeks, following rheumatism. She was in her 41st year and was born in Middletown. Her parents were Israel B. and Annie E. Miller Bair. She has been married 22 years and for 14 years resided in Millersville before coming to this city last November. She was a member of Advent Lutheran church. She is survived by her husband and the following children, Charles E., at Royersford, Pa.; Margarita V., Franklin A., Arthur J., Anna E., and William L., all at home, her parents at Springfield, N.J., one brother in New Jersey, and two sisters in New York.
The funeral will be held from her late home on Saturday afternoon at 2 o’clock,with private interment at Lancaster cemetery.
We did not have a death date for her. We did have a year, but not the full date.

Now for the really, really big discovery this week. George Auxer , son of Jacob Axer, husband of Catharine Buckius, run-away to California died there. I just didn’t know exactly when. Now I do! On 8 November 1880, the following article appeared in the Lancaster New Era:

A Wanderer’s Death.

On October 16, 1857, George Auxer, a resident of this city, bid his family farewell and left for the West. After wandering through several of the Western States he turned up in California. An occasional letter was received from him but he never again visited his family in this city. Some few years ago, his sister died and he was entitled to a share in her estate. After it was settled up his share was forwarded to him. A day or two after he received it word was sent to this city that he died in California on October 16, 1880, just 23 years to the day from the time he left this city.

Thus closes another week. A week full of discoveries, some of them big, some of them small. All adding a little more to my family tree.

I wonder what next week holds? . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

The Vanderbilt Connection

Yup! We’ve got a Vanderbilt connection, folks! . . . . . . . . .
But first a little about my trip to find this connection!

I picked Tuesday to travel to Dickinson College Archives to find check out some information I had found on the internet. Tuesday, as anyone who lives in midstate Pennsylvania remembers, was a horrible weather day! The rain and wind had turned to ice in different areas, and before I had reached the Harrisburg Airport area, I had seen 3 different traffic incidents with emergency vehicles attending each one of them. When I got to Harrisburg Airport the traffic was at a dead stop all the way to the Harrisburg area, miles away. A flashing sign noted that the turnpike was closed going west, the direction I was heading. I opted to leave the 283 and travel up a 2 lane road to Harrisburg and then cross the river in that area and take another route to Carlisle where Dickinson is located. Well, it seems this was not an original idea, as the traffic was not as bad as the 283, but was going slower than normal. By the time I got on I-81 heading west the traffic was horrendous! Every vehicle that had been diverted from the turnpike was now on the I-81! It took me 2 ver-r-y long hours to get to Carlisle! That was the bad part of the day.

The good part of the day was find the information that Cornelius L. Vanderbilt was the guardian of George Auxer of Newton Township, Cumberland “during his minority.” He reached his majority and filed the release on 18th December 1847. According to my calculations, this would make this particular George, the George H. Auxer who was a Daguerrian in Chambersburg and Marietta, Pennsylvania. My reasons for this theory are :

• George Oxer and Elizabeth Harlan, were married on March 29, 1825 in Big Springs Presbyterian Church in Newville, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. George H. Auxer was born about 1825 according to the 1825 census.
• George Auxer filed his release in December of 1847 when he reached his majority, making his birthdate just about 9 months after above referenced couples marriage.
• I believe the middle initial of “H” in George’s name stands for his mother’s maiden name of Harlan.

The release does have George Auxer’s signature on it. Now if we can find a document that George H. Auxer has signed, perhaps we can match them!

Now for a bit of history on Cornelius L. Vanderbilt. He was the Tax Collector in Newton Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. When Elizabeth Harlan Auxer died, Vanderbilt was the Administrator her estate. According to documents found, Vanderbilt had his fingers in a lot of estates, real estate, etc., in that area. He saved copies of each receipt, and tax list. The surnames of Cope and Harlan are found in quite a few records in this file.

Any thoughts on this?