Lancaster County Family Ties

Grandma and Pappy GARNER spoke openly about how hard the Great Depression was and their own survival skills to make it through. I grew up on their stories and memories.  Many of those same skills I learned and practice routinely. I choose to live frugally and in the current economic situation here in the US, I am sure glad this has been a way of life for many years. Source: my personal collection I was reminded of this recently while watching a grandma talk to her adult gr-daughter about ways to make money go further. These tips included food, household tips, gardening, and even car repairs. Some background: Nationally here in the US, the Great Depression was from 1929 to 1941. Unemployment, depending on place and year, ranged from 8% to 24%. Inflation rose, banks failed, children were put in orphanages because parents could no longer feed then, and people migrated around the country looking for work.  At the same time, the Dust Bowl was going on in Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas,

  My sister recently finished going through the last of mom's possessions. Among the items she sent to me was a cookbook that mom used, but many of grandma's recipes were in.  It has been fun to look through the cookbook page by page and see familiar names, or at least familiar last names. I thought that my readers would find the recipes interesting. But mostly I am pointing out that our ancestors had real lives. In this case, both sides of my family attend this church. Going to church at Covenant, even now, means seeing cousins, aunts, uncles, and other assorted relatives. Source: my personal collection I was hoping to share some history of the church here as well, but a five-minute search only turned up a book about the history of this church at the Lancaster History site. I do remember various relatives on both sides of the family saying that Covenant and Bethel merged in the 1960's which allowed Covenant to tear down that building to make a parking lot for Covenant. Up

After writing the last post , I dug out my interview notes from Grandma (Reba GARNER) that happened in Oct. 1986.  She rarely discussed her maternal grandparents, and on this day she was telling me about one of her maternal uncles. We grabbed lemonade to drink, and sat down so she could think and I could write. So these are my actual notes from that discussion: Children of Andrew Edwin and Mary C. (REESE) FINDLEY in no order -- Martin Anna Bertha "Bert" who married Frank Y. RESSLER b. 1885 d. 1953 Elmer - a coal dealer Edward, single, served in WW1, died when he fell down an elevator shaft David, single, served in WW1, committed suicide Clayton died of lung trouble Esther, married name was REINHART and died of hard work Joseph, farmer Myrtle, "not right in head", died of old age maybe this year. Had an illegitimate child by one of the Wiggins boys. Married twice after that. She did not want me to take notes on the story she was telling, so I listened only. I did not

Mary C. REESE is a gr-gr-grandmother that I know next to nothing about. I have no photos, and few records.  My grandmother did not say much about her which makes me wonder why. Grandma would have been 20 when Mary died so there should have been memories. Maybe I didn't ask the right questions?  A big part of my research issue is simply that she has a very common name. I have found many Mary Reese/Reise/Reece/Rese in various records in Lancaster County.  If her obit was correct, Mary was the daughter of John and Louise (EFFELMANN) Reese.  The year I have found for Mary's marriage to Andrew FINDLEY is 1881.  I need to really dig into my notebooks of interview notes to see what grandma remembered about her mom's (Anna Bertha) siblings.  The above  gravestone photo is from Find A Grave.  At some point a few years ago, I tracked down many family obits in the Lancaster papers. The one below is for Mary (REESE) FINDLEY. Source: my personal records In the 1910 census, Andrew

Just a quick reminder to those of us interested in family history and genealogy - the 1950 US Census is now open and ready for viewing. Check out Family Search or Ancestry. I remember finding both my parents in the 1940 census and how exciting that was. Ten years later I am still excited about finding them in the census. How many of your relatives can you find in the 1950 census?? It is like a treasure hunt and such an adventure waiting to be taken. Have fun and best wishes in your search.

Handy Book for Lancaster, PA area For those of us who have ancestors in Lancaster County and the surrounding area in the 1700's, I would like to suggest finding or making a copy of this booklet for yourself. It is the "Records of Rev. John Casper Stoever - Baptismal and Marriage 1730-1779" . It was originally published by Harrisburg Publishing Co. in Harrisburg, PA in 1896. There is nothing promising about the way this booklet looks, but as a circuit riding preacher during those years, Rev. Stoever kept a record of all the people he baptised and married. He spent much of his circuit in southeastern Pennsylvania, however, some locations are in northern Virginia and possibly a small corner of Maryland. I found a copy of it in a genealogy library years ago, and promptly photo copied the less than 100 pages. The copy I have has a more recent typed alphabetical index. I put my copies in a three ring binder with my other genealogy books and reference materials. It is a