Paternal

Wordless Wednesday – On the Front Stoop

joelowry1982 Lowry, Paternal, Wordless Wednesday

From a family collection. Click to enlarge.
Standing in front of his newly built house on 607 Mansell Drive are my grandfather Chuck Lowry (left) and godfather/uncle Chuck Lowry (center, about age 3). Based on my uncle’s apparent age and other photos in the series, I imagine this photo dates to around spring of 1952. You’ll notice there is no grass in the yard. As the house was finished in the autumn of 1951, they probably waited until 1952 to plant grass.
I’m not sure who the other two people are in the photo, including the adult behind grandpa and the young girl. Perhaps a cousin? Does anyone know the name of the dog?

Surname Saturday – Mary Anna Bahle

joelowry1982 Bahle, Paternal

Mary Anna Bahle Pepperney is my great great grandmother on my father’s side. Born in 1877 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Jacob Bahle and (Rachel Snauffer?)*.

On August 5, 1896, in Saint Mary Catholic Church in Pittsburgh, she married George Peter Pepperney with Rev. Enders presiding.

Click to enlarge.

Together Mary Anna and George would have at least six children, with four surviving into adulthood.

  • George Lawrence Pepperney (1899 – 1900)
  • Mary Margaret Pepperney (1902 – 1980)
  • James Albert Pepperney (1906 – 1999)
  • Katherine Emma Pepperney (1910 – 1978)
  • Baby Pepperney (1910)
  • Eleanor Julia Pepperney (1912 – 1951)
After their marriage, Mary Anna and George lived in Charleroi, Pennsylvania before relocating to Beaver Township, Mahoning County, Ohio. By 1930, they had settled in Leetonia, Ohio where George was a painter of rooms and houses, not canvas. (Interestingly, the 1940 Federal Census lists George as an ‘interior decorator’, which I suppose he was.)

On Sunday, March 31, 1935, Mary Anna was stricken with a sudden stroke at age 58. She was nursed for two weeks before dying on April 11 at 12:30 p.m.

Mary was buried in Calvary Cemetery, Leetonia, Ohio.Her husband George would survive another 27 years before dying in 1962.
Joe Lowry photo.


*Mary Pepperney’s death certificate provides this name, but so far I’ve found no other records of a Rachel Snauffer married to a Jacob Bahle. There is a contemporary Jacob Bahle in Pittsburgh married to Henrietta, but I haven’t explored that further..

Sources:
“Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X6W7-2RF : accessed 10 Feb 2013), Mary Pepperney, 11 Apr 1935; citing Leetonia, Columbiana, Ohio, reference fn 21925; FHL microfilm 2022486.

“Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885 – 1950,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/VFMT-KY5 : accessed 09 Feb 2013), George P. Pepperney and Mary Bahle, 1896.

Wordless Wednesday: No longer on the demo list…

joelowry1982 Lowry, Maternal, Paternal, Wordless Wednesday

It’s all well and good to say that Youngstown needs to demolish more houses, and it does. Its good policy in a shrinking city. It’s hard to recognize that these were once homes. In this case, 233 West Dennick Avenue, my childhood home, met it’s fate on Tuesday courtesy of a backhoe and a Federal grant.

A few fond memories…

(click on a photo to view slideshow with larger photos)

(Cross-posted to the Y-town is My Town Blog.)

Why You Shouldn’t Trust the Ancestry.com Indexer

joelowry1982 Census Sunday, Paternal, Rogan

When the 1940 U.S. census records were released, Ancestry.com paid some folks a lot of money to transcribe and index them, which would allow average Joe’s like to me to go in and find people with a simple keyword search. I appreciate that these indexers were faced with records for millions of people to index and handwriting that could be atrocious, but these indexers sucked at their job.

I introduce for the prosecution Exhibit A: the 1940 Census of Mercedes Rogan Clark and her husband John.

In 1940, one of the questions asked by the enumerator is where the person lived in 1935. The objective of the question was to capture additional changes to information from the 1930 census. And how did the indexer transcribe the answer to that question asked of Mercedes: Pen Argyl, Molesmer, Ohio.

I’m not a geography whiz, but I know a few things. Pen Argyl is in Pennsylvania, not Ohio, and Molesmer is a fictitious place. What is clear to me is that the line reads, ‘Youngstown, Mahoning, Ohio.’

Source:
1940 U.S. Federal Census, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Enumeration District 37-19, Sheet 16B. Clark, Charles; digital image, Ancestry.com (link), accessed 29 January 2013), citing National Archives microfilm publication Roll T627 3537.

Tombstone Tuesday – Lowry, but which one?

joelowry1982 Lowry, Paternal

A Lowry family headstone from Calvary Cemetery in Leetonia, Ohio, with no dates or other markers associated with it. The back is blank, but I’d like to place bets on this being either Michael Lowry (1868 – 1949) and Anna Lottman (1869 – 1945) or Michael’s parents, Michael Lowry (1829 – 1928) and Bridget Conley (1825 – 1904). Nearby stones, including those for Anna Lottman Lowry’s parents, are dated starting around 1920 but do extend into the 1950’s. The groundskeeper told me that the cemetery records are reported to be in someone’s basement. Somewhere I have a cell phone number for the guy. I’ll need to dig that out eventually.

Treasure Chest Thursday: 1920 Census of James McSweeney

joelowry1982 Census Sunday, Document, Four Generations, Lowry, McSweeney, Paternal

Among my Christmas presents was a gift subscription to Ancestry.com, which I had survived without for the last year. Most of my online research had been done with Familysearch.org or GenealogyBank.com. Having an Ancestry.com subscription has greatly expanded my base of searchable records.

One of the first collections I searched was the 1920 census. It was picked mostly because I previously had limited access to it. I quickly discovered the census record for my great grand uncle Joseph C. McSweeney. On 26 January 1920, when visited by census enumerator Harry Burke, Joseph was living in Delaware County, Pennsylvania with his brother. This came as a bit of a shock as Joseph was born, raised, and had married just a few years prior in Leetonia, Ohio. He wasn’t living with his wife or son, Joseph Jr., but rather with his brother John and sister-in-law Mary. His listing as a widower quickly had me searching for more records.

Joseph was married to Anastasia Lowry and they had a son, Joseph, Jr. There marriage was short, as Anastasia died in 1919 at age 24 of a sarcoma of the hip, a very aggressive and poorly treatable condition for the time. After suffering for nine months, she succumbed to the disease on 13 February 1919 at Salem Hospital. She’s buried at Calvary Cemetery in Leetonia, Ohio.

Photo by Joe Lowry, May 2012.
Ana’s death explains the widower designation; when the census enumerator visited a year later, Joseph was a 25 year old widower with a son. In fact, the family of father and son had split up. Joseph moved to the industrial town of Chester, Pennsylvania to live with his brother and sister-in-law while Joseph, Jr. stayed in Leetonia to live with his grandparents and Ana’s brothers. 
Relationship to me:
Joseph McSweeney (1893 – 1963)
husband of:
Anastasia Lowry (1894 – 1919)
daughter of:
Michael Lowry (1868 – 1949)
father of:
Charles E. Lowry (1899 – 1975)
father of:
Charles J. Lowry (1924 – 2007)
father of:
Patrick E. Lowry
father of:
Joseph P. Lowry
State: Pennsylvania
County: Delaware
Enumeration District: 149
Sheet No.: 31
City/Township: Chester City
Ward: 11
Address: 1123 Keystone Road (map)
McSweeney, John D., head, home is Rented, male, white, 24 years old, married, is able to read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio, is able to speak English, blower at a furnace as a wage worker (hourly, instead of salaried).
”, Mary, wife, female, white, 24 years old, married, is able to read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio, is able to speak English, not employed.
”, Joseph C., brother, male, white, 27 years old, widower, is able to read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Ohio, mother born in Ohio, is able to speak English, chemist at a blast furnace as a wage worker (hourly, instead of salaried).
Joseph and Anastasia’s son Joseph Jr. was sent to live with his grandparent’s in Leetonia, Columbiana County, Ohio. Whether this was a short-term or long-term arrangement hasn’t revealed itself. What is known is that four generations of Lowry’s were now living in one household,  including three of my ancestors (in bold, below). Joseph Jr. is listed last on the census record.

State: Ohio
County: Columbiana
Enumeration District: 137
Sheet No.: 4B
City/Township: Salem Township, Leetonia Village
Address: 184
Lowry Jr., Michael, head, house Owned, Free without Mortgage, male, white, 49 years old, married, able to read and write, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Ireland (native tongue Irish), mother born in Ireland (native tongue Irish), is able to speak English. Trade or occupation listed as ‘none’.
”, Annie, wife, female, white, 50 years old, married, immigrated in 1873, Naturalized in 1877, able to read and write, born in Bavaria (Ger) (native tongue German), father born in Bavaria (native tongue German), mother born in German (native tongue German), is able to speak English. Trade or occupation listed as ‘none’.
”, Edward, son, male, white, 23 years old, single, able to read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Bavaria (Ger) (native tongue German), able to speak English, machinist in a machine shop.
”, Charles, son, male, white, 20 years old, single, has not attended school since Sept. 1, 1919, able to read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Bavaria (Ger) (native tongue German), able to speak English, chemist in a steel plant.
”, Raymond, son, male, white, 17 years old, single, has not attended school since Sept. 1, 1919, able to read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Bavaria (Ger) (native tongue German), able to speak English, apprentice in a machine shop.
”, Helen, daughter, female, white, 13 years old, single, has attended school since Sept. 1, 1919, able to read and write, born in Ohio, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Bavaria (Ger) (native tongue German), able to speak English, not employed.
”, Michael Sr., father, male, white, 89 years old, widowed, immigrated in 1849, Naturalized in 186*,  born in Ireland (native tongue Irish), father born in Ireland (native tongue Irish), mother born in Ireland (native tongue Irish), is able to speak English. Trade or occupation listed as ‘none’.
McSweeney, Jr., Joseph, grandson, male, white, 1 8/12 years old, single, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Ohio, mother born in Pennsylvania. Trade or occupation listed as ‘none’.
I don’t know what relationship father and son had after this or if they were yet to be reunited. A search of the 1930 and 1940 U.S. Census records is my next step. Stay tuned. There’s more to come!


Sources:
“Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/X8K4-8LN : accessed 27 Dec 2012), Anastasia Mcsweeney, 13 Feb 1919; citing Salem, Columbiana, Ohio, reference fn 8812; FHL microfilm 1984637.

“United States Census, 1920,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MFR5-3RF : accessed 27 Dec 2012), Joseph F Mcsweeney in household of John D Mcsweeney, , Delaware, Pennsylvania; citing enumeration district (ED) , sheet 31A, family 649, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1821561.

“United States Census, 1920,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MDLY-931 : accessed 26 Dec 2012), Joseph Mcsweeney in household of Michael Lowry, , Columbiana, Ohio; citing enumeration district (ED) , sheet 4B, family 83, NARA microfilm publication T625, FHL microfilm 1821356.

Document of the Day: Jean Groucutt’s Birth Certificate

joelowry1982 Document, Groucutt, Paternal

Happy birthday, grandma! My grandma Mary Jean Groucutt Lowry was born on December 23, 1924 in Brookfield Township, Ohio. The sixth of eight children, she was the last one born at home, with younger siblings Barbara and James born in the hospital. Her birth certificate, not on good shape at all and taped ten ways to Sunday, was signed by J. Plummer, Chief, Division of Vital Statistics, Ohio Department of Health on 27 September 1930, nearly six years after her birth.

jean_groucutt_1924_birthcertificate_familycollection

Wordless Wednesday: Sitting Around the Table

joelowry1982 Groucutt, Paternal, Wordless Wednesday

Left to right, sitting: Kathleen Rogan Groucutt (Mother Groke), Virginia Groucutt Naples, Barbara Groucutt Roberts (Babs), Kathleen Groucutt Sullivan (Booney), Jean Groucutt Lowry (my grandmother), Bob Sullivan
Left to right, standing: Noah Groucutt (Daddy Groke), Bob Schell, John Naples, Dorothy Groucutt Schell, Dave Roberts

This photo has been making the rounds with the family on Facebook. It’s my great grandparents, grandmother, her siblings and in-laws all sitting around the table in the late 1940’s. I believe the original is held by my cousin Gigi Naples.

About:
Wordless Wednesday is usually just a quick post with a photo and a caption. Nothing special, just something fun to look at and look back on…

Census Sunday: 1880 Michael Lowry and Family

joelowry1982 Census Sunday, Lowry, Paternal

The early 1880’s were a rather prosperous time for the United States and for Ohio. The mining industry was booming, thanks to large deposits of iron ore and coal in Ohio. It was an era of Ohio supremacy, with Ohians Rutherford B. Hayes succeeded by James Garfield to the Presidency. It would make sense than that the Irish-born Michael Lowry and his family would settle where they could work, and Leetonia, Ohio was such a place.

Michael and his wife Bridget (Conley) had at least six children including daughters Bridget (b. 1847), Mary Lee (b. 1854), Anna (b. 1858) and Margaret (b. 1861) and two sons, Edward (b. 1855) and Michael (b. 1868). In 1880, just Michael was living at home with his parents.

Relationship to me:
Michael Lowry (1830 – 1928)
father of:
Michael Lowry (1864-1949)
father of:
Charles Edward Lowry (1899 – 1975)
father of:
Charles James Lowry (1924 – 2007)
father of:
Patrick Edward Lowry
father of:
Joseph Patrick Lowry
State: Ohio
County: Columbiana
Town: Leetonia, Salem Township
Page No.: 32

Supervisor’s District: 8

Enumeration District: 68
Dwelling: 285
Family No.: 294
Address: Unknown, not listed (map)
Michael Lowry, White, Male, Age 56 at last birthday before June 1, 1880. Head of household. Married. Occupation: coal miner. Cannot read or write. Born in Ireland, Father born in Ireland, Mother born in Ireland.
Bridget Lowry, White, Female, Age 55 at last birthday before June 1, 1880. Wife. Married. Occupation: keeping house. Cannot read or write. Born in Ireland, Father born in Ireland, Mother born in Ireland.
Michael Lowry, White, Male, Age 16 at last birthday before June 1, 1880. Son. Single. Occupation: coal miner. Can read and write. Born in Pennsylvania. Father born in Ireland, Mother born in Ireland.

Commentary:
Unlike later census’s, this doesn’t indicate who provided the information to the enumerator. It’s difficult to assess because while father and son are listed as coal miners, there are check marks near their names indicating that they were unemployed in the last year. That field is supposed to indicate how many months they’ve been unemployed, but the enumerator only put a check mark. So, they may not have been working and could have been home to answer the questions.

The census indicates an 1825 birth date for Bridget, which is consistent with my records. The 1824 year of birth indicated from this census record for Michael is different from the 1830 I obtained from his death certificate. This record indicates son Michael’s year of birth as being 1864, while his death certificate lists it as being 1868, which is what I put in my Ancestry.com Family Tree. I doubt a coal miner would be 12 years old, so 1864 is probably closer to his actual birth date.

Sources:
1880 U.S. census, Leetonia, Ohio, population schedule, Salem, enumeration district (ED) 58, sheet 32 (penned), dwelling 285, family 294, Micheal Lowry; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 6 Dec 2012); NARA microfilm Roll 1002

12/12/12 – 12 Genealogy Mysteries I’d Like to Solve

joelowry1982 Maternal, Paternal

Since 12/12/12 is the internet craze of the day, I figured I would jump on it and name the twelve genealogical mysteries I’d love to have answers to.

  1. Who murdered John Witt in Pittsburgh in 1942? My aunt Mary Catherine told me the murder was never solved. A request for information to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police received no response (as expected). Perhaps a request to the city’s Open Records Officer will help.

  2. Who is Michael Lowry’s (1830 – 1928) father? His death certificate lists the father as Thomas Lowry, born in Ireland. He would be one of my 4th great grandfathers. I’ve not found any additional information on Thomas.

  3. While I’m at it, did Thomas Lowry ever emigrate to the U.S.?

  4. Who is the wife of Thomas Lowry? Their son Michael’s death certificate lists his mother as ‘Mary Giggore’ with a birthplace of Ireland. That name doesn’t sound remotely Irish and searches have turned up no information.

  5. Was Michael Lowry (1830 – 1928) one of the Molly Maguire’s as someone postulated in an email to me? Michael was a coal miner in central Pennsylvania in the 1860’s when the Molly’s were active and a ‘Michael Lowery’ was reported as a Molly in several secondary sources. I’m just not sure it’s the same guy.

  6. Did John Foy (1841 – ) ever emigrate to the United States? He is one of my 3rd great grandfathers and was born in Ireland. His daughter Bridget arrived in 1892, but I have no record that he ever made the leap across the pond.

  7. What is the maiden name and who are the parents of Sarah Price? She is my 4th great grandmother (a grandmother to Helen Bixler Witt). I believe she is buried in Four Mile Run Cemetery in Austintown, Ohio, which coincidentally is administered by her great, great, great granddaughter’s husband.

  8. Before he came to the New World, who was George Soule? George is *probably* my 9th great grandfather (twice actually, thanks to some cousin’s who married) and arrived here in 1620 aboard the Mayflower. I haven’t taken much time researching my line to him. That said, his life in England is relatively unknown. It has taken many professional researchers and genealogists years to figure this man out and questions abound. I won’t be cracking any brick walls with him, but I’m curious to know more about him.

  9. Did any of my ancestors fight in the American Revolution? The chance isn’t great; of my eight great grandparents, only one has descendants in America in the 1770’s and 1780’s. The rest were immigrants themselves or their families arrived after the Revolution. As someone with an interest in this period and many German ancestors from the Hesse region, I’d like to know if any of them fought for either side.

  10. Who were the wife and parents of Jacob Bahle (about 1850 – ?)?

  11. Why did any of my ancestors emigrate? I would love to find some primary sources detailing why they chose to leave Ireland, England, Germany, Austria, Wales, or Russia. I’m new at this so maybe some day 50 years from now I’ll find something.

  12. Who were Mathias Porubsky’s (1856 – 1929) parents? I have some names but they aren’t confirmed and requires information on both dates of birth and death.