Oh, Ursulla Oxer, You Sprightly Woman, You!

Why can’t all of my ancestors have marriage announcements in the newspapers? and why couldn’t Ursula Oxer been my ancestor? Yes, I do research Auxer, Axers and Oxers, however, she married into the clan and I’m trying to find out what happened to her previous husband!

Look at all of this information in six short lines:

• They got married the previous Sunday (30 June 1812),
• A German Reformed Pastor married them (Mr. Hoffmeyer, probably J.H. Hoffmeier)
• Groom’s name, Peter Holl (spelled Hohl in other records),
• This is not the bride’s first marriage since the “Mrs.” gives that away,
• Both bride and groom lived in Strasburg and they were each 70 years of age!
• . . . and don’t forget, she was sprightly!

Next task? Go through previous editions of this particular newspaper and look for her husband’s death! Think I’ll find it?

I’ll let you know!

 

Don’t You Love It When Things Start Clicking?

Compiling each family on what I call “Family Cover Sheets” has paid off in more ways than one!

Each family in my database has one of these “Family Cover Sheets.” It Lists the Patriarch, who he married, their vital statistics, census data, any pertinent newspaper articles and their children and who they married. Some of them are 5 pages long, some are less than one page. Just a little background on what I go through to organize my books and records ~ and keep all the “Georges, Jacobs and Michaels” straightened out!

As I was doing a cover sheet on a new name I found, I discovered it was not a new name after all! Earlier I mentioned finding the marriage of Susan Axer and John Hanson. The marriage record stated that Susan was the daughter of Georg Axer and Mary, born Dolan, all of “Millerstown”. Millerstown is most probably Millersville, since the wedding took place in Lancaster County.

Now, if you go to the “Poor Children’s Records” in Manor Township (where Millersville is located!) you will find Susan daughter of George Oxer, on the list in 1822 and again in 1825. She was 11 years old in 1825.

Let’s assume Susan who married John Hanson is the daughter of George Oxer of Manor Twp, and label it fact #1.

Now, George Axer of Strasburg married a Polly Daein of Strasburg on 13 Aug 1801. Let’s label this fact #2.

If “Daein” is in fact “Dalin,” (think a very short script “L”) could it in fact be the same “Mary Doland” who was married to George and was the mother of Susan??? Let’s assume so, and call it fact #3.

It’s getting better.

George Oxer of Erie County was from Lancaster County and was born 11 Jan 1805. When he was baptized in Erie County (St. John’s Lutheran Church, 25 May 1844) he stated his parents were “Georg and Maria Oxer.” Son of George and Mary/Polly Daein/Dalin/Dolan? Again, let’s assume so. Fact #4.

In 1850, Hannah Oxer, age 32, is enumerated with the Stoner family in Manor Township, Millersville. This could be the same Hannah, who was on the “Poor Childlren’s List,” daughter of George Oxer in 1825, 26 and 27. Let’s call it Fact #5

Buried in Millersville Mennonite Cemetery:
Mary Oxer Copeland
Born Oct 26, 1807
Died May 30, 1878.

Old German Midwife’s Records, Family History Library Film #383294:
Born 25 Oct 1807, father Giorg Agser.
Another Child for George and Mary/Polly Daein/Dalin/Dolan. Fact #6

What these assumptions give us:
George Axer/Oxer married Mary Doland (aka Polly) on 13 Aug 1801
They were the parents of:

1. Mary, married to Copeland, born 26 Oct 1807
2. George of Erie County, born 11 Jan 1805 .
3. Susan who married John Hanson, born about 1810, according to Poor Children’s List
4. Hannah, who lived w/the Stoners, born about 1816

Any thoughts on this?

 

Another Week ~ more discoveries!

These weren’t right at my finger tips!  I had to drive over to York County to find these!

First and foremost, George Axer/Oxer of York County, literally lost the farm to a Sheriff’s Sale in 1828. According to the Sheriff’s deed, “the estate of George Oxer” was sold, yada, yada, yada. This had me very confused, since he appeared on the tax list in the same township up until 1849 so how could he be dead? However, after talking to a friend, we discovered that prior to 1828, he was taxed on land and a house; after 1828 he was taxed as an occupant! His “estate” was literally what he owned, and I was interpreting it as his estate as in what he left when he died! One matter cleared up, but I still don’t know when or where he died! He is not buried with the rest of his family.

Secondly, I established the fact that my Ludwig/Lewis Leader of Marietta, is indeed the same Ludwig Leader that was in Chanceford Twp. in York County. I did find a deed in which Ludwig Leader and his wife “Saley” of New Haven, Lancaster County sold his property in Chanceford Twp. Marietta was created from New Haven and Saley was his wife, Sarah. This deed was dated 1810.

Just a couple of discoveries, but if I can find a couple of things a week, the week isn’t wasted, is it?

. . . . and what do you think next week will bring? If only I knew!

 

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?