Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Wordless Wednesday ~ Hunter sisters circa 1911

Mary Lysle Hunter (Gerken) (1903 - 1971), (in back) Helen Lysle Hunter (Copeland) (1907 - 1990), (in front) Margaret Lysle Hunter (1905 - 1994), Marion Lysle Hunter (1899 - 1913), Caroline Lysle Hunter (Oliver) (1900 - 1974)

Monday, July 25, 2011

Amanuensis Monday ~ Happy 4th Birthday in 1911

An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. I look forward to transcribing many unique items in my collection. As I was working on Occupations of my Ancestors about Percy Earle Hunter, I came across the following letter that I wanted to share.

My grandmother, Helen Lysle Hunter, turned four years old on Wednesday, February 1, 1911. It looks like her father, Percy Earle Hunter was out of town (on business?) at the time of her birthday. In my collection, I have a letter and a photograph that he sent her.




I love that the envelope has been saved after all these years! You can even see the postmark of Feb. 6 1911 (7 - PM)

The address reads:
Miss Helen Lysle Hunter
3740 Perrysville
N.S. [North Side] Pitts[burgh]
Pa.

I transcribe the letter below:









 Monday Morning
My dear Helen sweet,
   I forgot entirely about
last Wednesday being your birthday
and I am very sorry I forgot it but
will try to remember the next one.
   My, what a big girl you
must be - F-o-u-r Y-e-a-r-s
O-l-d - soon be as old as
mother. Are you able to touch
the chandelier?
   I will be so glad to see
you again and it will not be
long now.
   I wonder if you know whose
picture this is, it is all for you.
   Give Mother one of those
bear hugs of yours for me and
tell her how I love her.
   Hoping you will see
many more birthdays. I am
with much love for you
                Your own
                        Old Daddy.

The postcard photo was included in the envelope. It's interesting to contrast the seriousness of the man in the photo with the obvious sense of humor and love for his family that comes through in the letter.

Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers, the genealogy community’s resource for blogging. It is used by many genealogy bloggers to help them tell stories of their ancestors.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Occupations of my ancestors - Percy Hunter: Engineer

My great great grandfather, Percy Earle Hunter, was born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 1873. He attended the Western University of Pennsylvania (which became the University of Pittsburgh in 1908), graduating in 1895. Percy is on the far right in the picture below.

Back of photo is written (in Percy's handwriting, I believe): "W. U. P. - 1895. Engineering School"



See Matrilineal Monday: Grandmother's family for images of Percy's family in the 1900 and 1910 U.S. Census. The detail from the 1900 Census shows that he was listed as a Civil Engineer.

Detail of Percy E. Hunter in 1900 U.S. Federal Census

I found some Pittsburgh City Directories online at Don's List and found Percy E. Hunter in both 1898 and 1900, where is listed as a civil engineer at City Hall, A[llegheny], with his home on Broadway.

From the 1900 Pittsburgh / Allegheny City Directory
From the 1900 Census, I knew that Percy lived on Broadway, and by 1910, he was living at 3623 Perrysville Avenue, where his parents had lived in 1900. (His parents both died in 1902.) These city directories indicate that where he lived on Broadway was probably near Perrysville Avenue. "A" indicates that the address is in Allegheny, which was a separate city until 1907, when it merged with Pittsburgh.

The 1910 Census shows that he was a Manufacturer at the Iron & Steel Works.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Wordless Wednesday ~ Copeland Family 1930 or 1931

Standing: Elizabeth Sewall Copeland (MacClintock) (1903 - 1965), Lowell Townsend Copeland (1900 - 1974), Ruth Lyman Copeland (Whitcomb) (1907 - 1999)
Seated: Their parents: Ethel May (Greeley) Copeland (1875 - 1931) and Lowell Copeland (1862 - 1935)

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun ~ Heritage Pie Chart

Thank you to Randy Seaver at Genea-Musings for the idea to write this blog post. See the details of the challenge at  Genea-Musings.

The basic details of my sixteen great-great-grandparents are as follows:

16.    James Pyle was born on 16 Aug 1823 in Manchester, Boylston, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was the son of Stephen Pyle and Elizabeth/Betsey Hull. He died on 20 Jan 1900 in New York, New York, New York, USA. He married Esther Abigail Whitman on 16 Aug 1853 in New York, New York, New York, USA.

17.    Esther Abigail Whitman was born 02 Feb 1828 in Manchester, Nova Scotia, Canada, died 08 Nov 1921 in New York, New York, USA. She was the daughter of Thomas Cutler Whitman and Diana Morgan.

18.    David Hunter McAlpin was born on 08 Nov 1816 in Pleasant Valley, Dutchess, New York, USA. He was the son of James McAlpin and Jane Hunter. He died on 08 Feb 1901 in New York, New York, New York, USA. He married Frances Adelaide Rose on 16 or 18 April 1845 in New York, New York, New York, USA.

19.    Frances Adelaide Rose was born 23 Aug 1829 in New York, New York, New York, USA, died 28 Nov 1870 in New York, New York, New York, USA. She was the daughter of Joseph Rose and Frances Stanton Willet.

20.    James Monroe Adsit was born on 05 Feb 1809 in Spencertown, Columbia, New York, USA. He was the son of Leonard Adsit and Frances Davenport. He died on 04 Sep 1894 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA. He married Susan Arville Chapin on 21 Jan 1841 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA.

21.    Susan Arville Chapin was born 09 Jun 1820 in Ludlow City, Hampden, Massachusetts, USA, died 06 May 1906 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA. She was the daughter of Orramel Chapin and Susan Rood [brick wall here].

22.    Daniel Morgan Ashby was born in Jan 1828 in Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, USA. He was the son of Stephen Ashby and Pamela Christian. He died on 13 Jul 1907 in Winnetka, Cook, Illinois, USA. He married Mary Elizabeth Gorin on 11 Feb 1857 in Glasgow, Barren, Kentucky, USA.

23.    Mary Elizabeth Gorin was born 28 Jun 1833 in Glasgow, Barren, Kentucky, USA, died 07 Jul 1891 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA. She was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Gorin and Mary Ann Bowman.

24.    Henry Clay Copeland was born on 07 Jan 1832 in Norridgewock, Somerset, Maine, USA. He was the son of Thomas Jefferson Copeland and Julia Elvira Townsend. He died on 07 Nov 1912 in Calais, Washington, Maine, USA. He married Sarah Lowell on 15 Dec 1858 in Calais, Washington, Maine, USA.

25.    Sarah Lowell was born 30 Dec 1833 in Calais, Washington, Maine, USA, died Jan 1916 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA. She was the daughter of Reuben Lowell and Sarah Smith.

26.    Samuel Sewall Greeley was born on 11 Oct 1824 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, USA. He was the son of Samuel Greeley and Louisa May. He died on 08 Mar 1916 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, USA. He married Elizabeth (or Eliza) May Wells on 05 Sep 1866 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA.

27.    Elizabeth (or Eliza) May Wells was born 20 Aug 1839 in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts, USA, died 18 Sep 1880 in London, London, England. She was the daughter of Thomas Goodwin Wells and Elizabeth Sewall Willis.

28.    James Hunter was born on 20 Jun 1844 in Pennsylvania, USA. He was the son of Samuel K. Hunter and Catherine Carr. He died on 17 Oct 1902 in Allegheny City, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA. He married Mary Freeland on 13 Apr 1871 (probably in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA).

29.    Mary Freeland was born 11 Feb 1850 in (probably Allegheny County), Pennsylvania, USA, died 14 Mar 1902 in (probably Allegheny County), Pennsylvania, USA. She was the daughter of James Freeland and Nancy Rainey.

30.    George Lysle, Jr. was born in 1843 in Pennsylvania, USA. He was the son of George Lysle and Margaret McIlwaine. He died on 21 May 1900 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA. He married Marion Helen Alston on 13 Oct 1875 in Allegheny City, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA.

31.    Marion Helen Alston was born May or June 1850 in Allegheny City, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA, died 2 May 1885 in Allegheny City, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, USA. She was the daughter of John Alston and Lilleas Johnston.

Here is my "Heritage Pie" chart:

Friday, July 15, 2011

Follow Friday ~ FamilySearch

I was doing some exploring of Tennessee records at FamilySearch.org for my sister-in-law's family tree. I had to share what I found at the bottom of the death certificate of my sister-in-law's great grandmother, Alta May Bickel Smoot, (born 29 Aug 1881, died 27 July 1945).


And again, at the bottom of the death certificate of Alta May's mother, Margaret (Schwitzer or Sweitzer) Bickel, who outlived her daughter (born 4 Sept 1853, died 15 November 1947).



The undertaker is Fred Deadman at the Manchester (Tennessee) Funeral Home. Who else would appreciate this but other genealogists?

Monday, July 4, 2011

Occupations of my ancestors - James Pyle & Sons

My great great grandfather, James Pyle, was born in Nova Scotia on August 16, 1823, to a father who fled to Nova Scotia as a Loyalist in the Revolutionary War.

He immigrated to New York City in the 1840's, but I haven't found a record of that immigration. I also haven't found James Pyle in the 1850 U.S. Census, but he is in New York City in the 1860 U.S. Census. He is married (to Esther Abigail Whitman) and has three young sons: James, William and Charles.
Ancestry.com, database online. Year: 1860; Census Place: New York Ward 5 District 1, New York, New York; Roll: M653_790; Page: 385. Record for James Pyle.
His occupation is Salaeratus Mfr. (This is not a typo - keep reading...)

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Sunday's Obituary ~ James Pyle

James Pyle (1823-1900) was my great great grandfather. The January 21, 1900, New York Times obituary follows.










Sunday's Obituary is a daily blogging prompt from GeneaBloggers, the genealogy community’s resource for blogging. It is used by many genealogy bloggers to help them tell stories of their ancestors.