Paternal

The Death of William Pepperney

joelowry1982 Paternal, Pepperney
My 2nd great grand uncle William Pepperney spent a career as a Pittsburgh fireman before retiring around 1940. He no doubt spent countless hours at the Troy Hill fire station from which he retired, located just two blocks from his home at 1954 Ley Street. As a firefighter myself, I know that most retirees enjoy catching up on the latest fire department gossip, chatting with the men you once served with, and drinking the free coffee. It is only fitting that it is just outside the firehouse doors that William died, albeit so tragically. While just feet from both the firehouse and his home, William was struck by a car making a right turn at Lowrie and Ley Streets. The report in the Coroner’s Case Files indicate that William died of a skull fracture. He was 71 years old.
This case file was provided by the University of Pittsburgh Archives, which maintains the Allegheny County Coroner’s Case Files through 1971. It includes multiple documents that tell how William died, including:
  • Proof of Identity – This form provides a statement by William’s wife Mary. It provides a positive identification of William’s body and includes such details as her home address, his birthday (just the day prior), and information on the incident.
  • Statement of Doctor Robert R. Clark, M.D. – Doctor Clark operated a medical practice just 50 feet from the accident scene and was summoned by the firefighters. This report documents what he found and actually replaces the autopsy record.
  • Coroner’s Jury Verdict – This legal record would indicate if the Coroner’s Jury was in agreement with the medical findings and if there was any criminal intent. In this case, the death was ruled accidental.
  • Press Report – The Press Report provides details on the coroner’s jury, the deceased, who handled the mortuary affairs, and related details.
  • Disposition of Case – Interestingly, this document provides the full name and address of the driver who struck William and the name of the investigating officer. It has a place on the paper for a sketch of the accident, but that area remains blank.
  • Memorandum to Col. Geo. E. A. Fairley from Captain Joseph David, Captain, Engine Company 51. Captain David was the first on the scene of the accident and provided information on what he saw and did. He also corroborates basic information about William’s job as a retired Hoseman for the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire.

    • Source:
    “Autopsy of William Pepperney,” Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coroner’s Office Records, collection AIS.1982.07, box 506, record #194701-246, University of Pittsburgh Archives Service Center, Pittsburgh.

Sunday’s Obituary – Michael Lowry

joelowry1982 Lowry, Obituary, Paternal

I have a ton of photos of the Lowry family in the 1920s through 1940s and have been struck that only two of them feature my great great grandfather Michael Lowry. Since he died in 1949, I figured he would appear in more than that. I finally got my hands on his obituary and it appears to solve this mystery, at least in part. It states that he had been sick for 12 years. If that illness was severe enough to incapacitate him, it may explain why he was not seen in photos, especially those from the 1940’s.

Click to enlarge

     Michael Lowry, 81, of 355 W Eight st., died at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the Mayhew nursing home, Benton rd. He had been in failing health for 12 years.
     A son of Mrs. and Mrs. Michael Lowry, he was born Aug. 21, 1858, at Holiday, Pa. He had lived in this vicinity for 26 years. He was a member of St. Paul’s Catholic Church.
     Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Carl Heim of Detroit and Mrs. Lawrence Murphy of Salem; three sons, Edward of Warren, Charles of Youngstown and Raymond of Salem, and 10 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. His wife died several years ago.
     Funeral service at 9:30 a. m. Thursday will be in St. Paul’s Catholic Church in charge of Rev. Fr. J. Richard Gaffney. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Leetonia.
     Friends may call this evening and Wednesday evening at the Stark Memorial.

Source:
Michael Lowry obituary. Salem, Ohio. Salem News. 20 Dec 1949. (index at: http://www.salem.lib.oh.us/index.php?q=node/79&ID=65572)

Sunday’s Obituary – Edward M. Lowry (1896 – 1978)

joelowry1982 Lowry, Obituary, Paternal
My great grand uncle Edward M. Lowry, the brother of my great grandfather Charles, died in Canton, Ohio on May 17, 1978. This obituary appeared the next day in the Salem News from Columbiana County.
Edward M. Lowry
CANTON – Edward M. Lowry, 81, formerly of 200 High Street SW, died at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Windsor Nursing Home.

He was born Dec. 8, 1898, in Leetonia, a son of the late Michael and Anna Lottman Lowry.
He was a former employee of Van Huffel Tube Co. in Warren. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Warren and the Knights of Columbus in Leetonia.
His wife, Helen E. Lowry, preceded him in death in 1973.
He is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Bernie A. (Dona) McConnell of Canton; two sons, Edward M. Lowry Jr. of North Canton and Dr. Francis J. Lowry of Cincinnati; two sisters, Mrs. Helen Murphy of Salem and Mrs. Margaret Heim of Detroit, Mich., and three grandchildren.
Two brothers, Charles Lowry and Raymond Lowry, both of Salem, preceded him in death.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Arnold Funeral Home in Canton.
Buriel will be in Grandview Cemetery in Salem.
There will be no calling hours.
Source:

Edward M. Lowry obituary. Salem, Ohio. Salem News. 18 May 1978. (index at: http://www.salem.lib.oh.us/index.php?q=node/79&ID=30828)

Travel Tuesday – Calvary Cemetery, Leetonia, Ohio

joelowry1982 Cemetery, Lottman, Lowry, McSweeney, Paternal, Pepperney, Travel Tuesday
May 25, 2012 was a beautiful spring day. I was in Ohio to attend the wedding of my cousin Michelle and decided to spent a few hours on the road in Columbiana County, Ohio. Thanks to my iPhone, doubling as my camera and GPS, I was quick to locate Calvary Cemetery in Leetonia. Calvary is the final resting place of any number of paternal ancestors, namely Lottmans, Lowrys, and Pepperneys. I was able to locate these graves after 20 minutes of wandering, followed by several questions of a groundskeeper, and then just one minute of walking. This old grizzled cemetery veteran knew the location of their graves down to the row number.
An unknown Lowry family stone. There are no flat markers around it and no other names on the stone. Because of this, it’s hard to confirm who is buried here. There is no records office for this cemetery. I believe either or perhaps both Michael Lowry (1868 – 1949) and his father Michael (1830? – 1928) and their wives are buried here.
This is the grave of Anastasia Lowry McSweeney. She was a daughter of Michael Lowry Jr. and Anna Lottman Lowry. At the age of 24, she died of sarcoma of the hip. She left behind a 1-year-old son Joseph and an estranged husband.

Martin and Margaret Lottman are my 3rd great grandparents. They are buried just feet from the Lowry marker and their granddaughter Anastasia McSweeney. 

The only markers for individuals known to those still living (in this case, a few aunts and uncles) are the next three. My great great grandfather George Peter Pepperney died on Christmas day 1962.

Eleanor J. Pepperney and her sister Katherine E. are buried next to each and next to their parents. Neither married. My aunts and uncles have many memories of aunt Katherine.

All of these graves are in a single area very close to one another just inside the cemetery entrance. The yellow dot is the approximate location as I can best remember two years after visiting the cemetery.

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.
——————————
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.
——————————
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.
————————————————
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.