Author: joelowry1982

Amanuensis Monday – Letter from Rachel Bahle to the Commissioner of Pensions

joelowry1982 Amanuensis Monday, Bahle, Paternal

Just what is “Amanuensis Monday?” An amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. I’m not employed but by you, my dear reader, and will use the occasional Monday to transcribe family documents. Transcribing forces me to make a very close reading of the text, thus perhaps showing some detail I may have otherwise missed. When printed on the blog, it makes information more findable for search engines and others interested in the same topic.

In November I wrote about the pension file of Jacob Bahle, my third great grandfather and a Civil War veteran of the 6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery. This letter was among several in the paperwork what his wife Rachel filed with the Pension Bureau after Jacob’s death in 1908. As other documents in the pension file indicate that Rachel could not write, and her mark “X” is written between her first and last names, I believe this letter may have been written by the witness, George Balzer.
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North Side, PITTSBURGH, PA., Oct 14th, 1916

Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:
        Per instructions from “News Paper Clipping”, I hereby make application for Widow’s Pension Increase per act approved by the President Sept 8th 1916. I am the Widow of Jacob Bahle, who was a Private, Co. H. 6″ Regiment Pennsylvania Vol Hy Art, my Pension Certificate number is 666039. Age 74 years. Born April 16th 1842 at Columbiana, Ohio. my address is #832 Peralta St. – formerly Perry St., N.S. Pittsburgh, Pa, if there is any other information required you will please let me know, and oblige. 

Yours Respectfully
Rachel Her Bahle
X
Mark

Witness George Balzer.
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Source:

Letter from Rachel Bahle to Commissioner of Pensions. Part of Soldier’s Certificate No. 931,333, Application No. 1,137,044, Jacob L. Bahle, Private, Company H, 6th Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery; Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Veterans Who Served in the Army and Navy Mainly in the Civil War and the War with Spain (“Civil War and Later Survivors’ Certificates”), 1861–1934; Civil War and Later Pension Files; Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Record Group 15; National Archives Building, Washington, DC.

Census Sunday – Michael and Margaret Lowry in 1910

joelowry1982 Census Sunday, Lowry, Paternal
Have you ever had a ‘oh wow’ moment with your genealogy? I’ve had more than a few in the last few years. If you do enough digging, you will find something interesting. Some have been detailed on this blog. Other’s would make some ‘clutch their pearls’ and aren’t suitable for the internet. I *think* I’m having another.
The 1910 United States Census finds 70-year-old Michael Lowry Sr. and his wife Margaret living in Leetonia, Ohio. Margaret and Michael have been married for 20 years according to the Census sheet and lived on a farm on Washington Street.
Now, here’s where the intrigue rests: Ten years prior, in the 1900 Census, Michael’s wife is listed not as Margaret but as Bridget. How can be married 20 years but just 10 years prior was living with someone else? Do I have the same Michael Lowry? I suppose it’s possible (but rather doubtful) that there are there two elderly Michael Lowrys living in a town of 2,600 people. That said, only one is easily found in a search of the 1900 and 1910 census records for Leetonia.
I know Bridget Conley Lowry died in 1904; her obituary is available here and here on the blog. You will notice her obituary makes no mention of Michael. I will accept that Michael remarried Margaret, but when did they marry? Does that mean Michael divorced Bridget? Or where Margaret and Michael not married 20 years, but only married after Bridget’s death?
All this family drama may help explain the court battle that Michael and his daughter Margaret Lowry Lanaghan were fighting. All I’m certain of is that Michael had two wives. When he was married to each remains to be discovered and means two things: first, there are going to be more blog posts in the near future. Second, I need to make a trip to the courthouse in Lisbon and get answers to all these questions I just asked.
Click to enlarge.

State: Ohio
County: Columbiana
Township: Salem Township

Name of Incorporated Place: Leetonia
Ward of the City: North Precinct
Enumerated by me on the 16th day of June
Thomas P. Sammon, Enumerator
Supervisor’s District: 17
Enumeration District: 50
Sheet No. 3A
Dwelling No. 68
House No. 68

Address: 68 Washington Street (map)

Lowry, Michael, head, male, white, 70 years old, 2nd marriage, married 20 years. Born in Ireland. Father born in Ireland. Mother born in Ireland. Immigrated in 1860. Naturalized citizen. Speaks English. Employed as a health officer. Is not out of work. Can read: Yes. Can write: Yes. Owned a farm without a mortgage. Farm schedule: 3#1
” Margaret, wife (ref)#2, female, white, 60 years old, 2nd marriage, married 20 years. No child born. Number of children living is zero. Born in Ireland. Father born in Ireland. Mother born in Ireland. Immigrated in 1880. Speaks English. Not employed. Can read: Yes. Can write: Yes.
Notes:
(#1) The 1910 Farm Schedule was a separate census schedule that would have provided additional information about all farms, but was destroyed before 1922 as either part of a fire or a ‘slimming’ of Executive Branch documents; it’s unclear.
(#2) (ref) was written on the census sheet to indicate who answered the enumerator’s questions.
Source:
1910 U.S. Federal Census, Columbiana County, Leetonia, population schedule, Enumeration District 50, Sheet 3A, Dwelling 68,. Michael Lowry; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 17 February 2014): FHL microfilm: 1375175. National Archives microfilm publication Roll T624_1162.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday – Children of God

joelowry1982 Maternal, Paternal, Wordless Wednesday
Somehow this group ended up on the altar of St. Edward Church in Youngstown. This photo was taken around 1988 or 1989. Left to right are me (Joe Lowry), my cousin Laura Lowry, her brother Michael, my sister Caroline, my cousin Chrissy Sofranko and cousin Michelle Dockry Churchman. While I look ready for a military review, the rest of the group are doing their best to stand still. What I wonder was the occasion?
Click to enlarge.

Update 2/17/14: In talking to my Aunt Chris, we believe this event was either my sister Colleen’s baptism or a Mass in memory of grandma Lowry. The timeframe is nearly December 1988.

Military Monday – Coming Home on Leave

joelowry1982 Lowry, Paternal
In June 1945, the war in Europe that Private Charles J. Lowry fought had been over for a month. From his hospital bed at Fort Benjamin Harrison outside Indianapolis, Indiana, my grandfather no doubt read the news article about the battle around Berlin, the death of Hitler and the surrender of the German Army. It was that Army that put him in the hospital in the first place. While fighting around Brest, France, he was injured by a German grenade, perhaps a potato masher.
This letter was sent to my great grandmother by the Army Service Forces at Billings General Hospital indicating that her son was coming home on a 35 day leave starting 4 June 1945. Due to the efficiencies of the Army, that was the date the form letter was drafted.

Click to enlarge

Source:
“Letter from Captain Henry J. Wears to Mrs. Margaret Lowry.” 1945 June 4. From the collection of Joseph P. Lowry. Scan of the original.

Military Monday – A Letter from the War Department

joelowry1982 Lowry, Paternal
Click to enlarge
Transcribed:
24 November 1944
Mrs. Margaret Lowry
1343 Bryson Street
Youngstown, Ohio.

Dear Mrs. Lowry:

I am pleased to inform you that the latest report from the theater of operations states that on 9 November your son, Private Charles J. Lowry Jr., was convalescing.

You have my assurance that when additional information is received concerning his condition, you will be notified immediately.

Sincerely yours,

J.A. Ulio
Major General,
The Adjutant general.

1 inc.
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No doubt written in response to a letter from my worried great grandmother, the Adjutant General of the War Department wrote to Margaret Lowry on 24 November 1944 to inform her that my grandfather Charles was convalescing in the theater of operations. This is of course due to the injury he sustained on 28 August during the Battle of Brest, France. By this time, if still in the theater of operations, he was in a hospital in England where more advanced care could be provided.
The letter is quite brief and I do have to wonder who actually signed it. As Adjutant General of the Army, Major General James A. Ulio’s name appeared on every letter providing the status of a soldier. My guess is there were dozens of auto-pens turning out signatures.
The enclosure was included, detailing how to send the soldier a letter, but it was not filled out.

Click to enlarge

Source:
“Letter from Adjutant-General J.A. Ulio to Mrs. Margaret Lowry.” 1944 November 24. From the collection of Joseph P. Lowry. Scan of the original.

Friday’s Faces from the Past – 50% Ain’t Bad

joelowry1982 Paternal, Pepperney, Photo Friday
Click to enlarge. Family photo.
The headline refers to the number of people I can identify in this mid-1940’s era photo. On the left is my great grand uncle James Pepperney (1906 – 1999). On the right is his sister, my great grandmother Margaret Pepperney Lowry (1902 – 1980). But who are the two people on the middle? Regardless, they all look dapper! Perhaps they are heading off to church or for some celebration.
If you can help fill in the details, and I’m certain someone can, please leave a comment!
Update (4/6/14): Jim and Jeanne Pepperney emailed me to say that the middle individuals are Mary (Ada) Swagner Pepperney and Bill Pepperney. These are James and Margaret’s aunt and uncle. Bill was my great great grandfather George’s brother.

Treasure Chest Thursday – Naturalization Index for Carl Porubsky

joelowry1982 Devlin, Maternal, Porubsky, Treasure Chest Thursday
My great great grandfather Carl Porubsky arrived in the United States from Russia in 1900. He signed an intent to naturalize in 1918 but it was not until 1938 that he became an American citizen. By then, he was a 53 year old grandfather. These index cards indicate that he was naturalized in the United States District Court in Topeka, Kansas on April 18, 1938. Witnesses to the naturalization include William W. Werner, a neighbor and his brother-in-law Harry Devlin, likewise a neighbor on Madison Street. Harry was married to Carl’s sister Elizabeth.

Front. Click to enlarge.

Back. Click to enlarge.

Source:
United States. U.S. Department of Labor. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Naturalization Index for the Western District of Missouri, Compiled 1930 – 1950, Documenting the Period Ca. 1848 – Ca. 1950. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Record Group 21. Ancestry.com. Web. 21 Jan 2014. <Link>.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday – My Great Grandparents Francis and Helen Witt

joelowry1982 Bixler, Maternal, Witt, Wordless Wednesday
Photo provided by Marie Witt Dockry.
My maternal great grandparents Francis and Helen (Bixler) Witt all dressed up with hopefully somewhere to go! Great Grandpa sure looks dapper with that navy blue pocket square. The corsages lead me to believe this was for an anniversary party or perhaps a wedding. I’m certain someone knows; it’s just that I don’t. This photo was taken around 1980.

Tombstone Tuesday – Sarah Lowry, Part 2

joelowry1982 Lowry, Paternal
I previously wrote about the tombstone of my 2nd great grand aunt Sarah Lowry in April 2013. Since then I’ve received a few more photos courtesy of my new friend Linda in Washington State. Sarah is buried in Republic Cemetery, Ferry County, Washington. Take a look at the first photo for a breathtaking view of Eastern Washington. I wouldn’t mind that eternal view!
How’s that for a view?
The back of her stone.

The front of her stone

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday – St. Vincent DePaul Society Donations

joelowry1982 Lowry, Paternal, Wordless Wednesday
My grandfather Chuck Lowry (below the arrow) and his friend Ed Conricote accept food and cash donations on behalf of the Saint Vincent DePaul Society at Saint Edward Church, in which both were active. Also pictured is Kathleen Manning, the grandmother of a good friend of mine and a representative of the Confraternity of Christian Mothers. This picture appeared in a newspaper 30 years ago next week, January 13, 1984, but unfortunately I don’t know which. It is not The Vindicator, but could be the Catholic Exponent