Pepperney

Wordless Wednesday – Grandpa and Ma Pepperney

joelowry1982 Paternal, Pepperney, Wordless Wednesday

The back of this photo says ‘Grandpa and Ma Pepperney’. Assuming my great grandmother Margaret Pepperney Lowry wrote those words, and I believe she did based on the handwriting, then this is Frank and Margaret Buhl Pepperney, my 3rd great grandparents. Frank was born in 1847 in the Austrian Empire (although where specifically is unknown). His wife Margaret was born 1849 in Pennsylvania. They were married in 1870 in Pittsburgh. Frank died in 1927, Margaret in 1923. Both died and are buried in Pittsburgh.

Shopping Saturday: Free Milkshake!

joelowry1982 Lowry, Paternal, Pepperney
Lowry’s Frozen Custard owned and operated by my grandfather Charles James Lowry (1924 – 2007) and was a staple of Youngstown’ North Side for many years. After closing the Belmont Avenue location, Chuck relocated the business to 1427 Logan Avenue. It was closed in 1982 and the building torn down in the mid-2000’s after being vacant for many years. Over the years, Chuck also owned the Isaly Dairy store at the corner of Benita and Ohio Avenues, and in 1970, opened PizzaLane at the same location.

While grandma Lowry is offering, step right up for a buy-one, get-one milkshake or sundae! Mary Margaret Pepperney Lowry, Chuck’s mom, saying hello through the window of the original Lowry’s Frozen Custard on Belmont Avenue.

Treasure Chest Thursday: William Pepperney

joelowry1982 Paternal, Pepperney

A few months ago I wrote about my great uncle Fred Witt, a Skokie, Illinois firefighter. I was excited to learn that he isn’t the only firefighter in my family’s past. William Pepperney, my 2nd grand great uncle, served as a Pittsburgh fireman for at least 30 years. Thanks to the help of several distant relatives and members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire, in the last week I’ve been able to piece together much of William’s career. As a firefighter myself, having this information is a treasure.

William Pepperney was born 24 Dec 1875 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Frank Pepperney, Sr. and Margaret Buhl Pepperney. As a 24-year-old in 1900, he was a brass polisher living with Jacob Bahle and their family at 832 Perry Street. This Jacob Bahle is probably one in the same as my third great-grandfather and the father of William’s aunt Mary Bahle Pepperney.

On 17 September 1905 (or 28 January 1907, depending on the source), William joined the Allegheny Fire Department. William spent his entire career at the fire station in Troy Hill, on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Before being annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907, Allegheny was a separate city. He was assigned to the ladder truck with Engine 11.

After the 7 December 1907 annexation, the truck was known as Truck Company P then Truck 16. In 1910, William is living at 2011 Straub Lane with his wife Caroline. After 1924, it was Truck 51 before the city gave the truck companies the same number as the engine companies they were quartered with, now numbered Engine 39.

The 1930 City Directory lists him at 1954 Ley Street, just two blocks from his firehouse at Ley and Froman Street. His wife Caroline passed away on August 11, 1937. William married Mary Swanger on November 16, 1940, interestingly listed as his housekeeper in the 1940 census. He passed away on December 26, 1946, when he was struck by a car in front of the fire station.

William’s fire station, Station 39, served Troy Hill for 104 years until 21 March 2005 when it was closed during a round of budget cuts.

William Pepperney (right) with an unknown firefighter. The hat badges in the photo indicate it was taken before July 1916, when a new style of badge was introduced.
Relationship to me:
William Pepperney (1875 – 1946)
son of:
Margaret Buhl (1849 – 1923)
mother of:
George Peter Pepperney (1871 – 1962)
father of:
Mary Margaret Pepperney (1902 – 1980)
mother of:
Charles Edward Lowry (1924 – 2007)
father of:
Patrick Edward Lowry
father of:
Joseph Patrick Lowry
Sources:

Gary Stephens [(email address for private use)] to Joseph Lowry, email; 20 November 2012; “Re: William”; privately held by Joseph Lowry, [(Email Address) & Street Address for private use,] Sterling, VA.

“In Troy Hill, a community’s beacon to go dark tomorrow,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 20 March 2005, (http://www.post-gazette.com : accessed 22 November 2012),

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/in-troy-hill-a-communitys-beacon-to-go-dark-tomorrow-574674/

James Pepperney, [(email address for private use)] to Joseph Lowry, email; 21 November 2012; “William Pepperney”; privately held by Joseph Lowry, [(Email Address) & Street Address for private use,] Sterling, VA.

John Gombita, Pittsburgh, PA,  [(email address for private use)] to Joseph Lowry, email; 14 November 2012; “PBF History – William Pepperney”; privately held by Joseph Lowry, [(Email Address) & Street Address for private use,] Sterling, VA.

Tombstone Tuesday – Elmer Pepperney – Veteran’s Day Edition

joelowry1982 Paternal, Pepperney, Tombstone
Photo from FindAGrave.com by Des Philippet.
Elmer Pepperney was 21 years old and apprenticed to be a plumber when he enlisted in the Army on 18 November 1942. He was the son of Andrew Bernard and Lena Reiber Pepperney, and with his sisters Savilla and Norma, they lived in the Troy Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Elmer completed schooling through 7th grade before having to leave to learn a trade.
 
After going through boot camp, Elmer was assigned to Easy Company, 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. The 99th Infantry Division was involved in some of the heaviest yet least reported fighting of the Battle of the Bulge. While officially the nickname of the 99th was the ‘Checkboard Division,’ they were called the ‘Battle Babies’ because of their inexperience in combat.
 
On 18 December 1944, Easy Company found itself at the center of an attack in the area of Elsenborn, Belgium. Elsenborn was on the northern flank of the German offensive, a last-ditch effort to stop the Allied advance and push them back into France.  The lines were incredibly thin against the 277th Volksgrenadier Division and 12th SS Panzer Division, with only one fighting man for every 300 feet of ground.
 
Pvt. Jerome Nelson was in Elmer’s company and tells the story of his final engagement:
“There are, no doubt, many stories about various units that participated in the Bulge that no historian has ever written, only the surviving veterans will remember them. I am sure the story of Company E is not much different or unique than others.
Company E was part of the lost battalion that held the line for 60 hours. Companies on each flank were heavily hit, especially B Company.
Enemy small arms fire kept us well occupied. It knocked out our BAR, another round ricocheting off BAR Sgt. Sandridge’s helmet, leaving him speechless. Pfc. Stanley Krol was feeding his mortar non-stop. Platoon T/Sgt. Wallace called for artillery fire on our own positions, both received citations.
To make matters worse, we had to physically constrain our battalion commander, who was determined to surrender. He later was relieved of command.
In the meantime, our planes (three) began a strafing run on the enemy and one crashed 75 yards to our front. Enemy patrols did get through our thinly held line and captured about six men.
Later we fought our way into Murringen but were ineffective because of fog and disorganized German units with their continuous shoutings. All this time we had no idea what was going on elsewhere and thought it was only a local fight.
After nearly three days defending our position, hungry, sleepless and totally exhausted, we began a withdrawal. Capt. McGee, S-2, would lead the column, including stragglers, to Rocherath, Elsenborn. What happened next was pure hell!
Friendly fire from our 155s was called to cover our exit from any German pursuit. The rounds fell short, decimating many troops on that dark December night.
There are no words to describe the carnage, chaos and mass confusion. There was no escape. Moans from the dying filled the night. John Smith (Smitty) and I were rear guard and we stumbled over the men. Because of our injuries we remained with these casualties. The next morning we were hurt by more fire before we miraculously limped cross country to Rocherath. We had no idea where we were. How we made the one-and-one-half-mile walk alive, I will never know.
In 12 days we sustained 87 casualties. Those KIA that night were Austin Burdick, Victor Carpenter, Rupert Harper, Peter Hubiak, Paul Kelly, John Klein, Forest Liston, Robert McNeil, Thomas Olds, Elmer Pepperney, Everet Pierce, Peter Raguckas and John Ryan. Herman Beck, Ewing Fidler and Raymond Sutton had been KIA earlier.
I have the official morning reports.The video, “Return to the Ardennes,” by Dick Byers narrates this action.
I would like to give a proud salute to these courageous men for their sacrifice – only remembered best by those who were there. Except for a Purple Heart, these men never received any awards. Many historians fabricate reports of the snow and cold. There was no snow in our area. I have friends who were at St. Vith, Bastogne and other areas and they tell me there was no snow. It came about a week later.”
 
Elmer is buried at Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial in Henri-Chapelle, Belgium, alongside 153 other members of the 394th Infantry Regiment and 7,991 other service members killed during World War II.
His grave is located at Plot B, Row 2, Grave 38.
 
Sources:
“The Untold Story of E/394.” Checkerboard. 99th Infantry Division Association. Web. 7 Nov 2012. <http://99div.com/direct/the_untold_story_of_e_394+3cbun+54686520756e746f6c642073746f7279206f6620452f333934>
 

1940 U.S. Federal Census, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Pittsburgh, Enumeration District 69-692, Sheet 3B, Household 56, Andrew B. Pepperney; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 12 November 2012), citing National Archives microfilm publication T627, Roll 3673.

“Elsenborn Ridge,” Wikipedia. Web. 12 Nov 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsenborn_Ridge>

“99th Infantry Division (United States),” Wikipedia. Web 12 Nov 2012 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99th_Infantry_Division_(United_States)>

Obit of the Day: Margaret Pepperney Lowry (1902 – 1980)

joelowry1982 Lowry, Obituary, Paternal, Pepperney
Mary Margaret Pepperney is my great grandmother. She was born in Charleroi, Pennsylvania on 21 Dec 1902 before marrying Charles Edward Lowry on 22 Aug 1922 in Leetonia, Ohio. The 1940 Census has Margaret, Charles and their son Charles J. living at 207 Thornton Avenue in Youngstown. She died on 5 Apr 1980 in Youngstown. This obituary appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Great grandma Lowry at the family custard stand on Belmont Avenue.
Sources:
Mary Margaret Lowry obituary. Cleveland, Ohio. Cleveland Plain Dealer. 7 Apr 1980. (Available at: http://phw02.newsbank.com/cache/arhb/fullsize/pl_011022012_1951_12744_356.pdf ($))