Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Pop-Pop! 

I love this picture of my grandfather, Art Cubbage, taken on New Year's Eve 1959. This was probably taken at a neighbor's house in New Providence, NJ. Art's mother-in-law, Elizabeth Linneman Speck Merz is on the far left and I believe the other two women lived on the same street. My grandfather was born on December 31, 1912 in Swissvale, PA. Since his birthday was on New Year's Eve, he always had a party!

Thankful Thursday - Thanksgiving Family Photo

In this Thanksgiving photo from my parents' slide collection, I am about 6 and half, my sister is almost 5 and my brother is about 10 months old. My father wore that red vest every Thanksgiving for about five years! My parents took pictures almost every Thanksgiving, some of my dad carving the turkey and others of the family seated at the table. After my brother arrived, there seems to be more of the posed family photos by the turkey. We still take a family photo every year before dinner, but since there are now 14 people in the picture we take the photo by the fireplace. Happy Thanksgiving!

Tombstone Tuesday - Charles G. Schwenk

This is the tombstone for my 2nd great grandfather, Charles G. Schwenk, at Braddock Cemetery in North Braddock, PA. It was also known as Old Braddock Cemetery and Russell Cemetery. He died on 12 November 1893 and is buried in the G.A.R. Plot.

Charles was born in or near Norristown, PA and enlisted in the Civil War in July of 1861. He served in the 82nd Pennsylvania Infantry in both Companies A and C and mustered out in July of 1865. But this tombstone doesn't seem to be him, right?

After looking at many records, I do believe that this is my ancestor Charles. First, the stone is newer, definitely not from 1893, as are many of the stones in the G.A.R. Plot. Below is Charles' Pennsylvania Veteran Burial Card, which was dated 1935.

The information found in this record confirms what I learned from Charles' Civil War muster rolls and pension records. He mustered out of Company C on 13 July 1865 as a First Sergeant and died on 12 November 1893.

I have been unable to find Charles' death in a Pittsburgh death register nor an obituary in the newspaper, but all of his military pension records as well as his wife's widow's pensions list the same death date. In the 1890 Pittsburgh City Directory, Charles is living in Swissvale, right next to Braddock. In the 1895 Pittsburgh City Directory, his wife Mary is listed as the widow of Charles G.

In addition, Charles' wife Mary was buried at Braddock Cemetery as well (according to her obituary as there is no tombstone). Many of Mary's family are also buried at Braddock, including her daughters, niece and nephew.

Lastly, I checked the roster of Company D of the PA 82nd Infantry, just in case there happened to be a "Schwek" veteran who died on the same date and was buried at Braddock. There is no Schwek on the roster.

So with the information that I have compiled from his military records, as well as census records and city directories, I do believe that this is the tombstone for my ancestor and that a mistake was made at a time long after his death.

There is much more to write about Charles's time in the Civil War and afterwards when he lived in the Braddock area, but those will have to wait for future posts.

Amaneusis Monday - A Letter to Charles A. Cubbage

Amanuesis Monday is a daily blogging prompt from geneabloggers.com which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvania Dutch.

Below is a letter to my great grandparents, Charles A Cubbage and Maine Swank Cubbage, from Charles' brother James L. Cubbage and his wife Annie.

 

May 17 1908

Valencia

Dear Brother & Sister
I got your letter the other day and was glad to heare that you all was well as it found us in fair shape.  wee had a letter from George W and he said he wood be out in 2 ore 3 weeks. dave sent me 3 of his girls faces and GW sent me his on a post card. how is mag & minnie. I was fishing yesterday but the rain sent me home be fore I got far. I only got 8. the farmers is not done sowing oats some is and planting corn it has been weet fore 3 days. my potatoes is coming up and the onions looks fine. the fruit is no good but I think the apples is all right yet the ground was white with snow the 1 day of may. that fixed the peach cherry plumbs & pairs. the times is no good a round here. dose your mother stay with Cas [Chas] and his wife. you ought to git the old man to write when you are busy. I have lots of time but to lazy. I will be looking fore the kids faces this week. the country is getting nice and green. annie has a [or 9?] little chicks out & a nother hen to be out on next Saturday. what is chas doing. he never has anything to say tell him to wake up and say something. hoping that this will find you all well and working from
                                                                           JLC
                                                                            &
                                                                          AEC
                                                                                   Good bye bye
                                                                                       write soon
Valencia Pa


This letter was found in the Cubbage Family Bible. James and Charles were two of the six boys born to James and Barbara (Black) Cubbage in Butler County, PA. They had three sisters, all of whom died before 1908.

I love this letter because it tells much about their lives as farmers. In 1908 James was living in Valencia. I believe he had the family farm that belonged to his parents, who had died in 1906 and 1907. Charles was living in Swissvale, PA with his wife and children and working as an iron worker at the blast furnace. The other four brothers had moved to Ohio, Texas, Montana and Washington. The letter mentions a letter from "dave" which would be brother Jacob David Cubbage, and his "girls faces." I would love to see those pictures! The letter also mentions "George W" which would be their brother George who was living in Montana at that time. I wonder if he ever came back to Pennsylvania to visit.

The letter also mentions "mag & minnie" which could be either Maine's sister Margaret, and Charles and Maine's four month old daughter Minnie. It could also be Maine's brother's wife Minnie and daughter Margaret, who lived next door. They all repeated the same names generation after generation!

My favorite part of the letter is when James says "what is chas doing. he never has anything to say tell him to wake up and say something." I am guessing that he really addressing the letter to Maine. I am so thankful to have a family record like this, as it adds so much more color to the pictures I've pieced together of these ancestors.

Happy Halloween!

Here are a few Halloween snapshots from my childhood. My sister and I went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood every year and my mom always made homemade costumes (she made many dresses for us over the years too!).

Here we are at ages 3 and a half and almost 2. My sister is clearly a witch, but I'm not sure what I am dressed as ... will need to check with Mom on that one!

This is the next Halloween and I love this picture of the bride and groom!

Another year later and we are now hobos! Mom sewed patches on our clothes and we had a stick with a little sack tied to the end. The final touch was some ash from the fireplace rubbed on our faces! We revived the hobo costume many times over the years!

Which Halloween costume do you remember the most??

Sunday's Obituary - Mary Swank

This article was on the front page of The Monessen Daily Independent on September 20, 1927.[1]  Mary Swank was my second great grandmother and had died three days earlier while visiting her daughter in Cape May, NJ. She was born Marian Burd, but also went by "Mary" and "Mary Ann". She married Charles Schwenk in 1871 and they had four children before he died in 1893. The surname Schwenk evolved over time to Schwank and finally to Swank. Mary has been a difficult person to research at times due to the variations of both her first and last names! As of now, I still cannot find a death record for her in either New Jersey or Pennsylvania.

Mary was visiting her daughter Margaret Speedy, who was living in Cape May at the time. Margaret's husband, William Arthur Speedy, had died at sea just over a year earlier (you can read about him here). I can't imagine how difficult it was for Margaret to be alone after losing both her husband and her mother in Cape May, while the rest of her family was in Pittsburgh and Monessen. Margaret eventually moved back to Monessen and lived with her sister Maine Cubbage and her family.

___________________________________________________________________________ 

SOURCE:

[1] "Mother Dead," The Monessen Daily Independent (Monessen, PA), 20 September 1927, p. 1, col. 1; digital images Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 August 2013).  

 

Amaneusis Monday - The Will of John Black

Amanuesis Monday is a daily blogging prompt from geneabloggers.com which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts. Amanuensis Monday is a popular ongoing series created by John Newmark at Transylvania Dutch.

           

Click on images for a larger view.

In the name of God I John. Black of Buffalo Township in the County of Butler + State of Pennsylvania being sick + weak in body but of sound mind memory + understanding (Praised be God for it) Considering the certainty of Death + the uncertanty time therof and to the end I may be the better prepared to leave this world whenever it pleases God to take me hence do therefore make + declare this my last will and Testament in manner following (That is to say)

First and princapaly I Commend my Soul into the hands of almighty God my Creator.
I Will + Bequeth unto my beloved Wife Margaret Black her living off of my farm during her natural life (I, E) My Son Daniel Black has according to my will ^to provide a comfortable living for her. I will and bequeth unto my Son Daniel Black Eighty two Acers of Land, that part of my farm surveyed by [?] Walker for him. And all my personal property, if he shall provid a comfortable living for my Beloved Wife and Truly pay all my [?] Debts. And pay my sons + Daughters the sum herein after mentioned, to each of them as follows
Namely to my Daughter Catharin Ann married to Daniel Hughy twenty Dollars _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
unto my Daughter Jane, married to Jacob Cubage twenty Dollars _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
unto my daughter Margaret Married to Thos Peters Twenty Dollars, to be paid within five years to each of them from my death,
I will and bequeth unto my son John Black Thirteen Acers of Land to be taken off of the Corner next to [W or Mr?] Ritchy. and that part sold by me to Thos Harbison, if he [be?] my son John move on it if not my will is that my daughter Barbary is to get it my meaning is that he

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is to have it his life time if he lives on it of not Barbary is to get it.
I will and bequeth unto my daughter Elizabeth Twenty (20) Dollars, to be paid by my son Daniel within five years,
I will and bequeth unto my Daughter Barbary one Hundred Dollars to be pay by my Son Daniel, within five years

My will is that if my son Daniel shall fail to mention my beloved Wife as above And pay my Debts, And pay as herein willd by me to my Children, Then my Executors (who and hereby appoint to see that my will is fully Complyed with) is to Rent out my farm for to make up any deficiency on his part untill all is paid, always providing sufficient of the nesessaries of life for my Beloved Wife

And I do hereby nominate Constitute + appoint Robert Harbison and G C Sedwick each of Butler County Pa Executors of this my will declareing this to be my last will + testament   In witnes [?] whereof I the said testator John Black have to this my last will + testament set my hand + Seal the Evening of the 18th day of Sept AD 1851, 

John Black

[his mark and seal]

Signed Sealed published + delivered by the said testator John.Black as and for his last will and testament in the presence of us who in his presents and at his request + in the presents of each other have subscribed our names as Witenss [?]

 

                                                                              Thomas Harbison [signature]      { of Buffalo Township
                                                                              William Fleming [signature]        { Butler County

                                                                                                                                 { Pennsylvania

This is the Last Will and Testament of my third great grandfather, John Black. I haven't done too much research on the Black family yet (my brother had done some work on this line many years ago). I was very happy to find this will on the FamilySearch website, since I am at least six hours from Butler County. 
 
It appears that John Black knew that he was near death ... "being sick + weak in body but of sound mind memory + understanding (Praised be God for it)." This will was dated 18 September 1851 and his executors filed his papers on 27 September 1851, so he died sometime during those nine days.
 
My second great grandmother, Barbara, is mentioned in the will (she is referred to as Barbary), as well as her siblings. The will also lists the names of Barbara's sisters' spouses. John left $20 each to Catherine Ann, Jane, Margaret and Elizabeth, but he left $100 to Barbara. I wonder why she was left so much more (especially at that time) than her sisters. I originally thought that it was because she was unmarried, but Elizabeth was unmarried too. Barbara did marry the next year in 1852, so maybe this was part of her dowry.
 
John left property to his sons Daniel and John, but if John was not going to use his land, we willed that Barbara was to have it. Again, I wonder why she was the only daughter that could have received land. My next step is to research the deeds to see what happened to John's land.
 
 ______________________________________________________________________________
 

SOURCE:

 

"Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1971-28949-12132-94?cc=1999196&wc=M99F-44N:n166376229 : accessed 18 Sep 2013), Butler > Probate files 1850-1883 no B106-B250 > images 904-924 of 2881, estate of John Black.