The Faces and Families of Old Sullivan County

Over the last two years, I have received countless pictures from various contributors to the Sullivan County Genealogical Web Page. My colleagues and I are eternally grateful for this material and will endeavor to do our very best to preserve it and the associated history for posterity. Here are our initial efforts. These materials are presented in no particular order other than to provide you the reader with a visual and historical impression of life in our home county from 100 to 150 years ago. Comments and reflections are encouraged and invited.

INDEX of FAMILIES:

The Haus and Wilson Families
The Crawfords, Thrashers and Hunsingers
Patrick Sweeney and Waleberga Krieg
Peter and Bridget (Burns) Deegan Family
The Kisner Ancestry
Origins of George Lewis, Founder of Eagles Mere

THE HAUS AND WILSON FAMILIES

Recently, Janice Decker of Endicott, New York sent me the first item below, a group photo of several of her ancestors in Sullivan County. She also contributed supporting genealogical data that you, the reader, can use in relating your ancestors, if possible, to the subjects in the photo. By the way, Janice herself is descended from these families as follows:

Charles E. Haus m. Mariah Harrington
Jeremiah Haus m. Susan Rebekah Wilson
Frank Fletcher Haus m. Edna Gower
Clarence Justin Haus m. Helen Ann Hobal
Janice Haus m. Harold Decker II

According to Janice, who can be reached at Janice Decker: : Since the picture contains the four youngest great aunts and uncles of my Haus family, I am guessing that it was taken around 1912-1915. The oldest family member in the picture was born in December 1895 and the youngest was born in February 1905. With these dates in mind, I believe the location is Shrewsbury, Sullivan County, as the family shows up in the 1910 Shrewsbury Census. In 1920, the two youngest children show up in Williamsport, living with their father, as their mother died in Kettle Creek in 1914. She was Susan Rebekah (Wilson) Haus, and is buried in Sonestown Cemetery.

You can learn more about the Wilson family at The Descendants of Isaac Wilson and Sarah Snyder.

Janice describes the photo presented here as a school picture. The caption lists the individuals in the photograph. However, Janice also offers the following information about several of these "school children":

Children of Jeremiah and Susan (Wilson) Haus:
Charles Haus
Miles Haus
Mary Haus
Ruby Haus
Children of George and Carolyn (Fiester) Avery:
Florence Avery
Otho Avery
Virgil Avery
Violet Avery
Children of Milton and Frances McClintock:
Russel McClintock
Charles McClintock
Ruth McClintock
Other relationships, but individuals not shown here:
Archer Haus married Annie Avery.
Norman Haus married Jessie McClintock.
Archer and Norman Haus were also sons of Jeremiah and Susan Haus.
Annie Avery was a daughter of George and Carolyn Avery.
Jessie McClintock was a daughter of Milton and Frances McClintock.

The Haus Ancestors at School

A full review of the Haus family can be found at The Descendants of Charles E. Haus and Mariah Harrington

THE CRAWFORDS, THRASHERS AND HUNSINGERS

Levi B. Thrasher (1833-1907)
Husband of Anna Hunsinger and Father of Mary Caroline Thrasher
A Reed-Brotzman photo, enhanced by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury

In this section, we present several pictures of the Crawford family of Sullivan County. Unless marked otherwise, the pictures are contributed by Carol Hoose Brotzman. Four of these photos actually originally belonged to Ellen Sayman Reed, but now belong to Carol. I have indicated the "Reed" photos in each case. Wanda Orlopp has also provided several pictures which I have noted as hers. We are grateful to all these contributors for their efforts.

Anna Hunsinger (1833-1928)
Wife of Levi B. Thrasher
Photo Taken About 1925

Although this story begins with the Crawford family, you will discover that the history is inextricably bound up with the large Thrasher, Sayman and Hunsinger families common to Sullivan, Luzerne and other nearby counties. It would be impossible to record all of that information here, but we hope that enough is presented to give a good overview of how these families came together in time and place.

On October 18, 1882, Mary Caroline Thrasher (1864-1946), daughter of Levi Thrasher and Anna Hunsinger of Forks Township, PA, married Preston Lafayette Crawford (1862-1952), son of George Washington Crawford and Ellen Meyers of Wyoming County, PA. Preston had a brother named George Prescott Crawford as well. Preston came to Sullivan County, looking for work in a saw mill. His father, George Washington Crawford, had a sawmill with Preston's grandfather, Henry Crawford, on Lake Carey in Wyoming County. Preston could not afford the rent, so he left after 1880 to come to Sullivan County to find work. He and his wife Mary Caroline would reside at their farm in Colley Township for the next 64 years. Their union would also bring forth the following children:

Unnamed stillborn child, delivered dead on October 27, 1883
Maud Anna, b. February 23, 1885, m. Levi Sayman
Levi Andrew, b. June 4, 1887, m. Pearl Amelia Brown, daughter of John Oliver Brown and Estella Beaumont

Note: John Oliver Brown was, according to Pearl Amelia Brown's death book from his wake, born on March, 17, 1852 and died on July 17, 1897 of black diptheria along with a son. He is buried at Hatch Hill Cemetery, near New Albany, PA, in the back. There apparently is no marker. They buried him and his son in the same casket. He was married to Estella Beaumont, born Dec. 17, 1862 and died July 17, 1947. She remarried to a man named Holmes. We don't know where she is buried. They might have lived in Bradford County, but that is not for sure. This information is provided by Linda Karge McDonald, John Brown's great-granddaughter. You can learn more here about The Descendants of John Beaumont. William "Will" Prescott, b. May 1, 1891, d. June 28, 1959
Lloyd Benjamin, b. January 27, 1893, died in WW I of pneumonia on October 18, 1918
Ellen Lorena, b. January 13, 1896, d. October 28, 1980, m. George Burton Shefler; see her in a group picture below
Marvin Arthur, b. May 5, 1898, d. January 22, 1975, m. Cora Evelyn Hunsinger, daughter of Rush Franklin Hunsinger and Elizabeth B."Lizzie" Reese, in turn daughter of Gomer Reese and Annie Edwards.
Note: Rush was a great-grandson of Bernard and Eva Margaretha Reich Hunsinger (see below). Warren James, b. November 16, 1901, d. October 24, 1984, m. Leontina Fenton; see him in the group picture below

The following pictures show us many different members of these intermingled families at different times and ages. Only by reading and re-reading our story and studying the relationships is it possible to really keep track of the connections!

Levi Sayman and Maud Anna (Crawford) Sayman
In the 1940s
Contributed by Carol Brotzman
Source: Collection of Ellen (Crawford) Shefler

Young Crawford and Sayman Relatives
L to r: Marvin Sayman, son of Levi Sayman and Maud Crawford; Ellen (Crawford) Shefler; sister of Maud and Warren James Crawford, on the right
Taken About 1913
Contributed by Carol Brotzman
Source: Collection of Ellen (Crawford) Shefler

Ellen Sayman, a daughter of Maud Crawford and Levi Sayman, married Howard Reed and they lived in the original house built by Barney P. Hunsinger. As we will see further along, Barney was the brother of Anna Hunsinger, Ellen Reed's great-grandmother. Howard and Ellen died the same day and left no children. Neither did Ellen's only brother Marvin Sayman and his wife. In fact, the only surviving member of this lineage in 2002 was Clara Neuber Sayman, widow of Marvin Sayman. Here is a picture of Marvin and Clara (Neuber) Sayman taken in 1943.

Marvin and Clara (Neuber) Sayman
1943
Contributed by Carol Brotzman
Source: Collection of Ellen (Crawford) Shefler

And here is Marvin Sayman as a youngster in 1913:

Marvin Sayman at Age Two
Son of Levi Benjamin Sayman and Maud Anna Crawford
Photo contributed by Carol Brotzman
From the Ellen (Crawford) Shefler Collection

Anyway, aside from being the original owner of some of the pictures on this page, Ellen was also the source of a reference to a presumable Sayman or Hunsinger ancestor that to date remains a mystery. Ellen wrote in her diary on January 20, 1928 that: Grandma Crawford (i.e., Mary Caroline Thrasher Crawford) gave me a basket that was made by Great Great Great Grandpa Bralich (perhaps "Bralech") which is nearly 300 years old. Grandma Thrasher has had it to this date. Now just who was this spectral ancestor? Carol Hoose Brotzman thinks that she has the basket in her possession. Her grandmother Shefler gave it to me telling me it was her grandmother Anna Thrasher's cat basket (sewing - knitting box). Carol's best guess is that the Bralich surname might be that of George Hunsinger's wife Mary Ann, which is otherwise not known but which would fit with the "Great Great Great" designation in the story. George Hunsinger was in fact Ellen's great-great-great grandfather.

The Crawford Family
At the Rock on Crawford Knob About 1899
The old lady in the back row is Anna Hunsinger Thrasher. She is wearing a plaid dress. Her daughter, Mary Caroline Thrasher Crawford, is sitting on the rock holding Marvin. The young man with the black hat is Will, Levi has the light colored hat on and is behind his mother. Ellen Lorena with the beautiful hair is standing beside her mother. Maud is between her parents and Lloyd is sucking his thumb. The father is Preston Crawford.

The Crawford Family
At the Rock on Crawford Knob About 1918
The picture was taken just before Lloyd left for World War One in which he died. On the rock in front is Warren Crawford (with the tie); Preston Crawford is holding Geraldine Crawford. His wife is Mary Thrasher Crawford, with Marvin Sayman (son of Maud Crawford and Levi Sayman) on her knee. The man in the back with the black hat is Levi Sayman; Ellen Lorena Crawford (Shefler) is in front of him with the full dress showing. Pearl Brown Crawford (Mrs. Levi Crawford) is the lady in the back with the part in her hair and a white dress. Maud Crawford Sayman, wife of Levi, has the dark hair behind her father. The boys are as follows: William with the white shirt; Lloyd with the vest and tam right over Warren’s head; Marvin in back with the dark jacket, white shirt and dark tie; Levi Crawford is the man with the white shirt and dark tie.

Here is a wartime memento of Howard and Ellen (Sayman) Reed. The pin shows the young couple in 1943 just before Howard shipped out to Italy in World War Two. Also shown is a letter written by Howard from the war zone to his sweetheart in 1945.

Howard Reed and Ellen Sayman
Wartime Brooch Made in 1943
Photo contributed by Carol Brotzman
Source: The Collection of Ellen (Crawford) Shefler

Letter from Howard Reed to Ellen Sayman
From War Zone in Italy
January 1945
Photo contributed by Carol Brotzman
Source: The Collection of Ellen (Crawford) Shefler

The letter, written by a soldier separated by an ocean and a war, reveals the monotony of life at the front when bullets were not flying:

V-MAIL
TO
MISS ELLEN SAYMAN
DUSHORE, PENNA
SULL. CO. R. D. #2
FROM
SGT. H.C. REED 33359685
772 Bomb. Sq. 463 Bomb, GRB
A.P.Q.520 c/o P.M, N.Y. N.Y.
Somewhere in Italy.

Jan. 4, 1945.

Dearest Darling:

Received your very welcome letter yesterday & honey I sure was very happy to hear from you. Well darling how are you tonight, I sure do hope just fine & not too lonesome or working too hard. I am just fine & loafing around not doing very much. How is Mom & Pop now? Sure do hope just fine, tell them both I said hello & send my best wishes & regards to them both. How are the kids now, sure do hope just fine tell them I ask about them. Have you heard from any of the family lately? I got a letter from Francis yesterday. How are all the folks out to Colley & also around there too, sure hope O.K., tell all of them I said hello & ask about them. Oh yes honey I sent you a money order the 2nd of Jan. Let me know when you get it. How is the weather there, sure do hope you aren't snowed in. It is pretty muddy around here at the present time, sort of chilly too. Will close for this time honey. All my love to you sweetheart.

Always yours
Howard

The Reed-Sayman Wedding Photo About 1946-7
L to r: Marvin Sayman, Howard Reed, Ellen Sayman Reed and Clara Neuber Sayman
These are the Grown Children of Levi Sayman and Maud Crawford and their Spouses
A Reed-Brotzman photo contributed by Carol Brotzman
The Reeds were married June 18, 1946; the Saymans were married November 22, 1946.

Ellen Sayman Reed and Howard Reed
August 1987
Photos contributed by Mary Sayman

Howard and Ellen Sayman Reed
Photo contributed by Carol Brotzman
Source: The Collection of Ellen (Crawford) Shefler

Preston L. Crawford About 1952
With great-granddaughter Donna Hoose

Levi Andrew Crawford later in life
Son of Preston L. Crawford and Mary Caroline Thrasher
In front of home of Levi and his wife Pearl in Colley Township
Picture contributed by Wanda Orlopp

It is probably worth mentioning here once again the inextricable relationships by marriage and descent among all these families with the descendants of Benjamin Sayman I. The Sayman family is one of the old German families of Sullivan County and intermarried with many of the other older families, including those we are discussing here. You can learn more about the history of the descendants of Benjamin Sayman I, the family patriarch, at Faces and Families of Old Sullivan County (Group Four).

Returning to our story, next we have a picture of two children of George Shefler and Ellen Lorena Crawford: Louise and Glen Shefler. Louise was born May 11, 1928 and married Charles Hoose. Glen was born May 14, 1923 and died of Hodgkins Disease on June 21, 1931. Louise is also the mother of our contributor Carol Hoose Brotzman and her sister Donna Hoose, Donna, the little girl shown in the previous picture with Preston Crawford, is now (2001) married to Michael Spencer.

Glen and Louise Shefler
About 1923-4

Carol Brotzman can be reached brotzmans@epix.net. She gets many queries in regards to her Crawford - Hunsinger - Thrasher ancestors. Says Carol, I do answer most all questions regarding Hunsingers and related families if I can. I have a huge database of Northeastern Pennsylvania families. I serve as the Historian for the Beaver United Methodist Church, Saint Mathews Episcopal Church, and Associate for the Wyoming Seminary and the Wyoming Methodist Conference. We are grateful to Carol for her contributions. Here are two pictures, one of Carol's parents, Charles "Charlie" Hoose and Mildred "Louise" Shefler, and the other of Carol and her sister Donna.

Frederick Charles and Mildred Louise (Shefler) Hoose
Wedding Picture February 17, 1947
Photo Contributed by Charlotte Jenney Tappan,
Carol Brotzman's cousin, whose parents Charles and Bertha (Bird) Jenney
"stood up" for the couple at their wedding.

Carol and Donna Hoose
Daughters of Charles and Louise (Shefler) Hoose
About 1955
Photo Contributed by Carol Brotzman

Linda Karge, wife of Ray McDonald of Dushore, is actually second cousin to Carol and her sister Donna. However, while the latter two are grandchildren of Ellen Lorena Crawford, Linda is a grandchild of Levi Andrew Crawford (1887-1971).

Linda tells a funny story about her grandfather Levi: He started working in the mines at the age of 12. When he was 14, a mule kicked him in the jaw. They didn't think , he would survive, but, after he was well, he went back to work. Guess what happened! The mule had an accident and was killed! Grampa unhitched the mule from the coal cart and whacked it on the butt, sending it down in the mines; he didn't open the doors and the mule hit them. After he whacked the mule, he then released the cart which in turn slammed into the mule. Bad outcome for the mule.

Levi also worked at a spool factory in Muncy Valley as well as being a farmer. He and his wife Pearl Amelia Brown lived on a farm just outside of Colley off Rt 87 towards Dushore. Their children were:

Geraldine Lorena, b. April 30, 1912 on Sugar Hill, Cherry Twp.
Gerald William, b. Jan. 2, 1923
Alta Maud, b. June 9, 1924, m. Martin Pekurney (Pokorni/y)

Geraldine, Linda's mother, worked over in Eagles Mere as a housekeeper and also for other people around Dushore. She married Ralph John Karge on Nov. 1, 1930. She died on Jan. 17, 1991 at home. They had 12 children, all born at home except two:

Rita Marguerita, b.Sept. 30, 1930, m. Joseph Laverne Gilbert
Alvin George, b. June 22, 1932, m. Ruth Anne Norton
Cleon Willard, b. March 10, 1935, m. Delores Ulmer
Melvin Kenneth, b. Dec. 11, 1936, d. Aug. 5, 1980, m. Minnie LaMonarco
Vera Erma, b. Aug. 18, 1938
Ronald Kelton, b. Aug. 11, 1940, m. married Shirley Shilkoski
Ivan Bernard, m. Nov. 9, 1942, m. Rebecca ________
Anita Winfred, b. Oct. 22, 1945, d. ct. 25, 1945
Linda Lou, b. June 28, 1947, m. Raymond John McDonald
Nina Leah, b. July 26, 1950
Leo Elwood, b. May 12, 1952
Lena Inez, b. Nov. 27, 1954

Here is a childhood picture of Geraldine Crawford Karge:

Geraldine Crawford
About 1913-14
A Reed-Brotzman photo, enhanced by Amanda Brotzman Kingsbury

As we know from the preamble to this story, the Crawfords are also intermarried with the Hunsinger family. The entire story of the Hunsinger odyssey from Alsace-Lorraine to Philadelphia to Berks County to Luzerne County and then to Sullivan County is beyond the scope of this brief introduction. Those interested in learning more about the Hunsingers might check with Jean Hunsinger Burr's 1996 treatise on the origins of this family. Jean can be reached at WBWebur@as.com . Another interesting source on their history in Luzerne County can be found in Henrietta Kester's "A History of Bellasylva". Nevertheless, Linda has produced a useful history of her own Hunsinger ancestors as well as those of her niece, Tina Pastusic, another contributor to this page. The partial genealogy is reproduced here. Linda can be reached for more information at r3500l@frontier.com. Tina is accessible at Tmpiglet1964@aol..com.

Partial Hunsinger Genealogy:

(Johann) Georg Hunsinger I was born in Germany about 1726. He arrived in Philadephia on the ship Jacob via Shields, England on Oct. 2, 1749. He moved up north soon after landing in Philadephia, by the Schuylkill River into Berks County, north of the Blue Mountains: which is now Schuykill County. He belonged to the Zion (Old Red) Evanfelical Lutheran Church at Orwigsburg, Pa. in West Brunswick Township. He was married around 1750. His wife's name is unknown. Johann Georg probably died before 1790 and is most likely buried in Zion Cemetery on a hill across the high way from Old Zion Church, near Orwigsburg. His grave is not marked.

We only know for sure of two children: George, born Feb. 7, 1751 and died Sept. 6,1802, married Anna Marie Deubert/Dilbert, and Bernhard. There are nine other potential children. Bernard Hunsinger was born in Berks County about 1753. He stayed in Berks Co. until about 1785, when he moved to Catawissa Twp., Northumberland County. Bernard died in Sugarloaf Twp., Luzerne Co., PA, at the age of 78 yrs. and 9 months. He left 87 grandchildren and 67 greatchildren. His date of death is also uncertain, but has been listed as Feb., 1832. He was married to Eva Margaretha Reich, about 1774, probably in Berks Co. She died in 1818 and is buried beside Bernard in Trinity Lutheran Church Cemetery, Mountain Grove, Black Creek Twp., Luzerne County.

The children of Bernard Hunsinger and Eva Margaretha Reich were all born in Pennsylvania:

Johan Jurg, "George", whom you can read more about at The Descendants of John Jurg Huntzinger and also below
Peter, born about 1777 and Married Elizabeth ________
Bernard (Barney), born Jan. 16, 1779 and married Barbara Feller; died October 30, 1847 and buried next to his parents.
Elizabeth, born Dec. 17,1780 and married Charles Nuse/Nusa/Naus
Jacob, born about 1785, d. 1850, and married Elizabeth ______ (see note on will of their son Martin at tend of this section)
Catherine, born about 1787 and married Michael Ritner
John, born about Oct. 8, 1789, died 1863, and married Elizabeth Ruppert
Note: John and Elizabeth had a son named Taper Hunsinger (1824-1909), who married Augusta Steele (1844-1881). Taper and Augusta were in turn the parents of Rush Franklin Hunsinger, whom we met above as the husband of Lizzie Reese and father of Cora Evelyn Hunsinger. Furthermore, Rush had a brother named Thomas Hunsinger whose daughter Lucy Hunsinger married Henry Brown, the son of James Brown and Isabelle A. Shields.
Solomon, born April 27, 1793 and married Susannah Catherine Weber
Mary, born about 1794 and married Christian Weaver
Paul, born about 1797 and married (1) Rebecca ______, then (2)Margaret Siewell (?)
Christina or perhaps Christian (named in the April, 1833, intestate probate of her father

Johan Jurg Huntzinger, anglicized to George Hunsinger, was born July 16, 1775, and died in Forks Twp., Sullivan County, PA about Jan. 25, 1855. He married Mary Ann _______ about 1796 (estimate from 1800 census). George lived on land next to his father, Bernard, in Mifflin Twp., Northhumberland Co., perhaps near Berwick, which is now in Columbia County. At this time, he had two girls and one boy; in the next census, 1810, there were three girls and four boys. George's family moved to Hector, New York, a town in Seneca County. Seneca County was formed in 1804, by many Pennsylvania Germans from the Susquehanna Valley region, The Germans probably followed the Genesee Rd. which opened in 1798, or the Berwick Turnpike into the Finger Lakes Region, then called "The Genesee Country". The town of Hector was part of a military tract, which was given by New York State to their Revolutionary War veterans. These men promptly sold their land cheaply to the Germans and others. George and his brother Peter, who also moved there, could easily be among the list of "transient German residents (whose names) have been omitted", that is, those who did not stay long enough to leave descendants.

George and family returned to Pennsylvania, after the death of his mother, Eva Margaretha in 1818. They settled on Ringer Hill, in 1819, in Cherry Twp., Sullivan County., which was then part of Lycoming Co. In the 1850 census, he is listed at age 79 without his wife, Mary Ann. He is listed as the head of a Jordan Family, all born in Ireland. No relationship has been determined. George also appears in Luzerne Co. Orphans Court records, when his father Bernard died in 1832. He is listed as the oldest son and had his choice of three tracts of land in Sugarloaf Twp, now Black Creek Twp. He choose 140 acres and his stepmother was to receive so much money annually. In April, 1834, he sold the land and both George and his wife signed the deed with an "X" and their last name is listed as "Honsinger". On May 13, 1837, George purchased 49 acres in Cherry Twp, then in Lycoming Co. The burial place of George and Mary Hunsinger, Sr., had not been found as of 1994. Their children were born in both Pennsylvania and New York:

Christian, b. about 1798, m. Susannah Sherman
Catherine, b. about 1799, m. Henry Sherman
Unnamed Daughter, b. before 1800, and probably married a Thrasher/Drescher
George, b. about Feb. 27,1802, m. Mary ________
Samuel, of which we say more below
Jacob, b. between 1800-1810, m. ___________
Bernard
Solomon, b. between 1810 and 1820, m. _________
Unnamed daughter, b. between 1800-1810
Charles, b. Oct. 1, 1814, m. Mary Epler

Samuel was born about 1809 in Seneca Co., NY, in the town of Hector He died some time after making his will dated Oct. 7, 1876. He was married Nov. 18, 1827 to Sarah Brobst. She was born on Dec. 28, 1808 in Schuykill Co. PA. She died on May 21,1900 at the age of 91 yrs, 6 months and 6 days. Her funeral card shows the date listed for her marriage and that she was survived by 44 grandchildren and 60 great-grandchildren. Samuel was listed as head of the house in the 1840 census of Cherry Twp. He moved to Forks Twp. and lived there through the 1870 census as a farmer. All of their children were either born in Cherry Twp. or Forks Twp. The order of birth is uncertain:

Rebecca, b. about 1829 and married John Saam
Anna, b. May 18, 1833 at Loyalsock, Cherry, PA; d. January 22, 1928 at home of her grandson, Sevelle Corson, buried at Old ........Zion ("Thrashers") Cemetery in Cherry, PA.
Barney P., b. May 18,1833, m. Emma Rowe
Charles, b. Sept. 18, 1838, m. Sarah A. Reinbold
William, b. June. 1844, m. married Mary Jane Mulkins
Sarah or "Sally" , b. about 1845, m. Joseph Kester
Lydia, b. about 1847, m. Milton H. Sayman
Susannah, b. about 1849, m. Tillman Reinbold
Catherine, b. about 1851, m. Oliver Bird
Levi Richard, b. June 1855, m. Maria A. Sayman ("Mary Ann")

A rich and detailed source tracing the ancestors of Barney P. Hunsinger back to his German and Swiss roots in the sixteenth century has been contributed to this Page by Richard "Dick" Hunsinger, one of the living experts on Hunsinger family history. Barney was the son of Ralston Hunsinger and therefore this history is entitled The Ancestors of Ralston Hunsinger.

Anna Hunsinger married Levi Thrasher about 1854. Levi was born February 27, 1833, died in January 1907, and is also buried at Old Zion Cemetery. They lived in Forks Twp. Their children were:

Sylvester, b. December 12, 1855, d. March 5, 1946, m. Amelia Heinemeyer, of Cherry, PA, on February 9, 1883 at the parsonage in Dushore (rev. R. S. Wagner presiding); he is buried in Thrasher's Cemetery. His wife, Mrs. Amelia E. Thrasher, was born in Germany and died Nov. 8, 1905 at 41 yrs. 8 mos. and 11 days and was buried on Nov. 10, 1905 at Thrasher's cemetery.
Diana Thrasher, b. in 1862; died in Sullivan County, PA, on December 3, 1864, at 2 years, 7 months and 20 days, probably from diptheria; buried at Thrasher's cemetery as "Fianah" on headstone.
Irene, b. about 1859, m. Maynard Corson, died young
Benjamin Harvey, b. about 1862, died most likely before 1900
Mary Caroline, b. June 3, 1864, d. March 20, 1946 in Colley, PA, m. Preston Lafayette Crawford.

Here is a picture of Sylvester Thrasher, brother of Mary Caroline Thrasher Crawford and great-uncle to Linda Karge McDonald:

Sylvester Thrasher
A Reed-Brotzman photo.
Taken originally by Shirley Caroline Thrasher, daughter of Oscar Thrasher, in Modesto, Stanislaus County, CA about 1936-7.
Sylvester had come to visit. Sylvester is sitting on the stump for chopping wood.

The children of Sylvester Thrasher and Amelia Heinemeyer were:

-Emma E. Thrasher, born November 15, 1884, died October 10, 1964. She and her husband, George Able, lived in Eureka, Humboldt County, CA.
-Viola Thrasher, born February 1887, m. Desmond "Des" Calley and lived in New Jersey
-Clara L. Thrasher, born April 1889, married _______ Stewart
-Lena Thrasher; she was called "Helen" by family members and is listed in the 1900 federal census for Cherry, PA as "Mary H." She married George Hughes and they lived on Long Island, NY.
-Oscar Franklin Thrasher, born 11/17/1894, died 09/01/1962, emigrated to Modesto, CA, married (1 )to Ida Marie Elizabeth Benson; with Ida, he was the father of Shirley Caroline (Thrasher) Andrews, grandfather of Paula Lundstrom, transcriber of the 1880 census for this site; he later married Meryle D____, no children.
-Henry Edward Thrasher, born April 1897, died June 4, 1918 while serving in the US Navy in World War I. He was lost at sea and went down with the SS Cyclops in the Bermuda Triangle.
-Sylvester, died in infancy in 1897 or 1898; date of record Jan. 24, 1898
Note: Many times if a baby died, the parents later gave a different child the same name. Also, they probably couldn't get to the Court House due to snow and bad roads and filed later.
Note: The preceding information on these children was provided by Paula Lundstrom who can be reached at PLundstrom@aol.com.

Here is an excerpt from Paula talking about Sylvester and his family:

I'm not sure when the family left Sullivan County, but it would have been some time after Sylvester's wife Amelia died while having surgery for an appendectomy (accidental ether overdose). She died in 1905. Sylvester and his children moved to New York at some point - Oscar attended 6th grade at a boys school there. In November 1917, Sylvester lived in Millville, NJ. This was the address given when his son Henry Edward entered the Navy. I don't know where he lived after that, but apparently he died in "Lester" (not sure which Lester or where yet).

His other son Oscar (my grandfather) moved to California sometime after 1923, after he graduated from a 3-year course at Palmer's Chiropractic School in Davenport, Iowa (which he never practiced, it turns out). He married Ida Marie Elizabeth Benson in 1922. Her family came from Minnesota. Oscar and Ida ended up in Modesto, CA, probably because Ida's parents bought farmland there (they had previously farmed in Gibbon, Sibley Co., MN). Ida was given some land by her parents, probably about 10 acres. After Ida died, Oscar remarried to Meryle D_____, but they had no children.

The only thing I know about Viola Calley is that she lived in New Jersey and that her husband's name was Desmond "Des" Calley. There is a picture of Viola with Sylvester Thrasher, his niece Maud Crawford Sayman, and her daughter Ellen Geraldine Sayman in the passage on The Descendants of George Thrasher and Catherine Fox on this site. I also don't know much about Clara except that her husband's last name was Stewart and she had two daughters, Betty Joan and Dorothy. Unlike Emma, Helen and Viola, Clara isn't mentioned in Oscar's obituary, so she may have died before he died in 1962.

Lena or "Helen", as she was called, and her husband George Hughes lived in Long Island, NY. George was the manager of Shelby Shoe store on 5th Ave in NYC and commuted daily to work. They came to California to visit when I was 7 or 8. Helen seemed very dressed up to me (she wore a suit), talked funny ("New Yawk") and secretly gave me $5 and told me not to tell my mom. (That was quite a dilemma for me.) She and my mom spoke over the phone occasionally over the years.

I haven't found out yet when Sylvester's daughter Emma moved to Eureka, Humboldt Co., CA. When she was 20, she still lived in New York. We visited Emma and her husband George Able in Eureka once in a while over the years (not often enough). Emma was a very nice woman who loved gardening and her pets. She had a huge garden, half vegetables, half flowers. She had a parrot she bought in NY when she was 20 and the parrot was with her for more than 50 years. (Of course, his name was "Polly".) My mom said Emma was a very strong woman, strong willed, caring.

Regarding Thrasher Cemetery in Sullivan County, my grandfather Oscar had a stone marker placed there when he was in his 50's, so it was probably sometime in the mid 1940's or early 1950's. Mom remembered it and that her father was probably in his 50's when he did it. He was a good one for monuments - he was the supervisor at the Masonic cemetery in Modesto - he loved taking long drives and we would always stop at historical markers to read them. When my mom was little, Oscar told her quite a bit about his childhood in Sullivan County - she remembers him telling her about the 800 acres George and Catharine had. Unfortunately, he didn't have pictures. I don't know why he never went back for a visit since he seemed fond of his memories there (my Mom says he never went back for a visit). It would have been a great boon for us researchers had he kept a diary because he was quite a historian in his own right. He was very intelligent and quite opinionated.--Paula Lundstrom, March 2001

Levi B. Thrasher and his wife Anna (Hunsinger) raised the following children besides their own:

(1) Levi Kester, son of Sarah (Sally) Hunsinger, Anna's sister and Joseph Kester; Levi Kester married Jennie Hobbs. He was the father of Clyde Kester, born about 1906. who died at age 68 on September 28, 1974. Clyde married Henrietta Kofink, but they had no children.

(2) Sevelle Corson, son of Irene Thrasher and Maynard Corson and a grandson to Levi and Anna; Sevelle married Almeda Fissell, daughter of Albert Fissell and Alice Huffmaster. Their children were:

Adrien Corson
Laura Corson
Clyde Corson
Mildred Corson

You can learn more about the Huffmaster family at The Descendants of Frederick Huffmaster by Carol Brotzman, and at The Descendants of Frederick Huffmater and Sally Ann Thrasher by Tina Pastusic.

(3) Lorena Ortlieb, a daughter of Benedict Ortlieb and Susan Thrasher, married Lloyd Palmer and lived in New York. They had one child named Lena, Lloyd was confirmed on May 8, 1852 per Carol Brotzman.

Anna Hunsinger Thrasher died at the home of her grandson Sevelle Corson in Cherry Township. Carol Brotzman has her funeral card and baptism certificate. She was confirmed May 18, 1850. Carol has the certificate written in German. Her godparents were on her orignal Baptism certificate---Johannes Herzog and Stena Elizabeth Koster. Neither godparent ever married. One story is that Anna walked to the Hunsinger reunion five miles away when she was about 90 because no one would take her. She died of cancer in her eyes, as Grandma Ellen Shefler recorded. Both she and her husband are buried at Thrasher's Cemetery in Dushore.

You can read more about the descendants of Preston Lafayette Crawford and his wife Mary Caroline Thrasher Crawford at The Crawford Descendants.

Partial Thrasher Genealogy

The Thrasher lineage is also a quite complicated tangle, one that Carol Brotzman and several of her relatives have been trying to figure out for years. One of the complications is that, unlike the Hunsingers, the Thrashers in Sullivan County appear to descend from two families with the same or close surnames from the same area of Germany. However, the exact connection has not yet been made. The more commonly known Thrasher line descends from George Thrasher and Catherine Fox. George was born December 2, 1774 in Reading, PA, came to Cherry Township in Sullivan County in 1828, and died there on July 12, 1846. Catherine was born July 18, 1773 in Bucks County, PA and died May 8, 1845 in Sullivan County. Both are buried at Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery (Thrashers Cemetery) in Dushore, PA. In fact, this couple donated the land for the church and cemetery where they are buried. One of their children, Benjamin Thrasher, married Anna Hunsinger, daughter of Barney ("Bernard"/"Barnard"/"Barnhart") and Barbara Feller ("Fuller") Hunsinger. This marriage is the link that descends to the more commonly known Sullivan County Thrashers today. You can look at the most current information on this Thrasher family at The Descendants of George Thrasher and Catherine Fox. This sidebar also contains the history of the Schmeckenbecher ("Schmeckenbecker") family of Sullivan and Bradford counties.

However, the story does not end here. There is another Thrasher line (also spelled "Drescher" at various times) descended from Johan "Phillip" and Charlotte Drescher ("Dresher/Thrasher"). You can learn more about this line at The Descendants of Hans Wendell Drescher and Margaret Feus. You will also find a link to the family and descendants of Conrad Hoffman in their story. Hans and Margaret were the parents of Phillip and Charlotte, the actual family that emigrated in 1743 to Long Swamp in Berks County, PA from Germany. In turn, the great-grandson of Phillip and Charlotte, George Drescher (1785-1845), married Lidea ________, and among their children were David (1826-1847) and Lydia (about 1823-1880) Drecher/Thrasher. (Note: We will refer to this family as Thrasher from this point forward. These siblings married two Hunsinger siblings, also children of Barney and Barbara Feller Hunsinger. Remember from the discussion of the other Thrasher family that a sister of David and Lydia named Anna Hunsinger married into that Thrasher line. So this is where the two Thrasher lineages link up by marriage to the same Hunsinger family. David married Caroline Hunsinger (born 01/13/1826) and Lydia married Paul Hunsinger (1823-1873). This Thrasher lineage also resided in Sullivan County and elsewhere in eastern PA, at the same time as the more well-known first Thrasher lineage.

A comprehensive historical source for the Drescher/Thrasher line is also accessible at The Drasher Family Database.

Linda Karge McDonald is descended in several ways from these Hunsingers and Thrashers:

The first set of her mother's side of the family goes:

1..Johann George and ____ Hunsinger
2. Bernard and Eva Margaretha Reich Hunsinger
3. George and Mary Ann __________ Hunsinger
4. Samuel and Sarah Brobst Hunsinger
5. Anna Hunsinger and Levi Thrasher
6. Mary Caroline Thrasher and Preston LaFayette Crawford
7. Levi Andrew Crawford and Pearl Amelia Brown Crawford
8. Geraldine Lorena Crawford and Ralph John Karge
9. Linda Lou Karge married Raymond John McDonald

The second set of her mother's side goes:

1. Johann George and ____ Hunsinger
2. Bernard and Eva Magaretha Reich Hunsinger
3. Bernard and Barbara Fuller/Feller Hunsinger
4. Anna Hunsinger and Benjamin Thrasher/Drescher
5. Levi Andrew Thrasher and Anna Hunsinger
6. Mary Caroline Thasher married Preston LaFayette Crawford

Her father's side goes:

1. Johann George and _____ Hunsinger
2. Bernard and Eva Margaretha _________ Hunsinger
3. George and Mary Ann _____ Hunsinger
4. Samuel and Sarah Brobst Hunsinger
5. Levi Richard and Maria ("Mary Ann") Sayman Hunsinger**
6. Sarah Ann Hunsinger and Charles William Karge
7. Ralph John Karge and Geraldine Lorena Crawford
8. Linda Lou Karge married Raymond John McDonald

Here are separate pictures of Charles William Karge and Sarah Ann Hunsinger:

Charles William Karge at Karge homestead outside Dushore, PA
Husband of Sarah Ann Hunsinger and father of Ralph John Karge
Picture contributed by Wanda Orlopp

Sarah Ann Hunsinger
Wife of Charles William Karge and mother of Ralph John Karge
Taken on back porch of Ralph Karge next door to Karge homestead
Picture contributed by Wanda Orlopp

**For the record:
1. Benjamin and Kate Epler Sayman (Seeman/Seaman), I
2. Benjamin and Sarah Hartzig Sayman, II
3. Mary Ann (Maria A.) Sayman and Levi Richard Hunsinger

Also, a brother of Mary Ann Sayman, Samuel Benjamin (1871-1954), married Estella R. "Stella" Hunsinger (1879-1919) and one of their children, Clara May Sayman, became the wife of Willard Irvin Hunsinger, a grandson of Barney Hunsinger, the brother of Anna Hunsinger, who married Levi Thrasher. It gets incredibly complicated!

As mentioned, Tina Pastusic is also a descendant of this family. However, unlike Carol, Donna and Linda, she is not descended from Levi Thrasher and Anna Hunsinger. Instead, she comes down through Anna's brother William, nicknamed "Old Bill", who married Mary Jane Mulkins. Their children were:

James Henry, born March 22, 1866, married Clara Miller
William Everett, born May 8, 1868, married Mary E. _________
Levi Franklin ("Frank"), born May 6, 1873, married Mary Suber
Barney, born April 5, 1875, married Anne Bently

Here is a picture of " Old Bill" from a Sullivan Review reprint, date unknown:

William "Old Bill" Hunsinger
Husband of Mary Jane Mulkins, Likely His Pasenger
Gr-gr-grandfather of Tina Pastusic
The caption read: A horse and buggy that tooled around Cherry township and Dushore many years ago. Teamster is Bill Hunsinger, Harold Hunsinger's great-grandfather and Mrs. Cora Pedro's grandfather. Photo loaned by Mr. Hunsinger dates to the early 1900's.

Frank, also nicknamed "Skinny", Hunsinger married Mary Suber June 2, 1911. Their children were:

Mary Ellen, born March 28, 1912, married Robert Heath, Sr.
Cora Elizabeth, born September 3, 1914, married Gilbert Pedro
Louise, married Reuben Beaver
Irvin Lafayette, born May 11, 1919, died November 15, 1996, never married
Wesley Richard
Katherine Isabel, born September 3, 1924, never married

Gilbert and Cora Elizabeth Hunsinger Pedro had the following children:

Margaret Emma Pedro Sysock Pastusic, born October 16, 1931
Angelo Frank, born April 26, 1934
Thomas John, born: March 30, 1938
Jerome Gilbert, born January 29, 1940
Alberta Mary, born December 2, 1941
Eleanor Louise, born October 7, 1943
Richard Wesley, born August 26, 1945
Wayne Joseph, born February 8, 1947
Dawn Marie, born March 22, 1950
Deborah Jean, born January 29, 1952
Eddy Eugene, born May 16, 1954
John, born December 1956, died same day
Michael Jay, born December 30, 1958

Alberta Mary Pedro married Francis Pastusic on June 29, 1963. Their children are:

Tina Marie Pastusic, born April 25, 1964 (our contributor)
Patricia Jo Pastusic, born November 26, 1965, married David Kisner

Here are some other items of interest that Bob Sweeney found during his survey of the Orphans Court records in the Sullivan County Courthouse at Laporte, PA. Dick Hunsinger, the Treasurer of the Huntzinger/Hunsinger Family Association, reviewed and explained some of these records as indicated below. Dick maintains a database of 14, 000 names on the Hunsingers and related families. He lives east of Reading, PA in Berks County, but has another home in Bradford County between Bentley Creek and Wellsburg, so he travels through and is familiar with Sullivan County on a regular basis. Here are several of these additional pieces of information:

(1) The will of Samuel Hunsinger of Forks Township on February 10, 1877: (actual date of death was in 1876) He left estate to: wife Sarah and children-Levi Richard, Rebecca (wife of John Saan?), May (wife of Henry Bedford), Ann (wife of Levi B. Thrasher), Barry, Charles P., Sarah (wife of Joseph Kester), William, Susannah (wife of Henry Rinebolt), Lydia (wife of Manassah Seamon), and Catherine (wife of O. Bird).
(2) The will of Martin Luther Hunsinger of Cherry, dated October 18, 1881: Martin was the son of Jacob and Elizabeth ______ Hunsinger, and therefore the grandson of Bernard and Eva Margaretha Reich Hunsinger. Martin died August 27, 1881 and left his estate to his wife Sarah (nee Santee) and son Amandus ("Manda"). It was not clear where this man fit into the Hunsinger lineage, but Dick Hunsinger cleared it up for us.
(3) The will of L.B. (for for Levi Benjamin) Hunsinger of Cherry, PA dated November 11, 1888: He left estate to son Porter Wilson Hunsinger (July 1, 1854-January 9, 1937). Dick Hunsinger also confirmed this record.
(4) Emigration to New York: June 1853: Nicholas Karge, born in province of Hesse, Germany in 1831 and filed for naturalization papers September 3, 1861.
(5) Really old stuff: (a) June 7, 1849: a petition to the Orphans court by a Levi Hunsinger. (b) 1855: court allows petition of son to sell land of Peter and George Hunsinger (150 acres) presumably because they have died intestate and estates must be settled.

PATRICK SWEENEY AND WALEBERGA KRIEG

Patrick Sweeney (1846-1928) was the youngest son of the emigrants Michael and Catherine (Sweeney) Sweeney that we learn about in The Sweeneys of Ringer Hill in the Settlers section of this site. At some point in the 1860s, Patrick left Sullivan County to make his own way. He went to Elks County where he met and married Waleberga Krieg (1853-1910), daughter of George "Joseph" and Elizabeth Krieg, an emigrant Prussian family, about 1874, and began a family in Benzinger Township there. Thanks to the generous contribution of John Klaiber, we have additional information on the Krieg lineage. You can find it at Descendants of George Joseph Krieg. The St. Mary's Historical Society in St. Mary's, Elk County, PA is an additional source on the early settlers of that area, including the Kriegs.

Patrick was a sawyer and, according to his grandson Thomas Sweeney of Salamanca, NY, he ran at least two saw mills in northern Pennsylvania in the late 1800s. Before that, he had lived for some time in Oyster, Jefferson County, PA because the Sullivan Review reported in 1885 that he was living there when he came back to see his local family for the first time since 1878. According to the Elk County Directory for 1904, "Pat Sweeney" ran the lathe mill at the Croyland mill on Toby Creek between Ridgway and Portland Mills, Elk County, PA. They lived in nearby Croyland, PA. At some point, he moved to Bradford, McKean County, PA, where he and Waleberga ran a boarding house for railway men and laborers. Waleberga died in 1910 and Patrick subsequently moved to Salamanca to live with his son Michael G. Sweeney. In 1925, Michael built a new house at 45 Cleveland Avenue for his family and it was there that Patrick died in November of 1928. Here we present several pictures of Patrick and his children taken at various times in the early twentieth century. They are provided courtesy of Thomas and Mary (Ferrara) Sweeney of Salamanca who live in the same house on Cleveland Avenue today (2000) that Grandfather Patrick lived and died in. Note that these are the ONLY pictures of Patrick and his brother Michael Sweeney (1843-1925) known to exist. You may enjoy comparing them to the pictures of their brothers Martin and Owen Sweeney shown in The Sweeneys of Ringer Hill.

Patrick and Michael Sweeney (Brothers)
Before 1920 Probably in Salamanca, NY

Charles, Michael and Eugene Sweeney
Sons of Patrick Sweeney
Salamanca, NY, 1920

William and Clarence Sweeney
Sons of Patrick Sweeney
Unknown Location Pre-1932

Edward Sweeney
Son of Patrick Sweeney
In World War One Uniform

Mayme Sweeney (Sister Mary Devota) of Villa Maria Convent, Erie, Pa
with Her Father, Patrick Sweeney,
Before 1928

Historical Update: In December 2004, Bob Sweeney contacted the Sisters of Saint Joseph to find out more about Mayme Sweeney, known by her religious name as Sister Mary Devota. This order, founded by six women in Le Puy-en-Velay, France in the mid-1600s, now includes over 15, 000 sisters and associates in 50 countries. The order came to the US in 1835 when three nuns arrived at Carondelet, near St. Louis, MO. The order then spread east and opened in the Erie, PA area in 1860. It turns out that Sister Devota was born in the lumber town of Sinnamahoning, Cameron County, PA in 1883. At that time, the parish church was in Driftwood, PA. She enterd the Sisters of Saint Joseph on March 25, 1903 from St. Leo Parish in Elk County, where her parents had first met, married and lived. She professed her vows on August 23, 1910. Sister Devota died on May 24, 1933 at St. Vincent's Hospital in Erie, PA after a week's illness with pneumonia. This daughter of a lumberjack was one of the most beloved teachers in the parochial school system in Erie at the time of her death. She was first assigned to the St. Ann's school in Erie, where she served for 20 years. In 1924, when the Holy Rosary School was formed, Sister Devota was transferred there as the principal. It became one of the finest elementary schools in the city. Her funeral was held at Our Lady's Chapel, Villa Maria convent, and she is buried in the Sisters' plot at Trinity Cemetery, Erie, PA. The following picture was provided by the Sisters of Saint Joseph, to whom we express our gratitude. It appears to show Sister Devota at the time of her reception or perhaps a bit later at her profession. In either case, she would still be in her twenties.

Sister Mary Devota
Formerly Mayme Sweeney
Taken Between 1904 and 1910
Contributed by Bob Sweeney
Source: Sisters of Saint Joseph

Patrick Sweeney with Son Michael George Sweeney
and Grandson Thomas M. Sweeney
Salamanca, NY, 1920

The Family Home at 45 Cleveland Avenue
Salamanca, NY
January 10, 1999

PETER AND BRIDGET (BURNS) DEEGAN FAMILY

Peter Deegan (1844-1886) and Bridget Burns (1847-1910) were the great-grandparents of our contributor, Sharon D'Andrea of Kernersville, NC. Here they are in seperate pictures:

Peter Deegan

Bridget Burns Deegan with Children
Margaret Deegan (1878-1953) and Joseph Deegan (born before 1886)
Dushore, PA

When Peter died of pneumonia in 1886, the local obituary described him as a "..kind father and a loving husband.." and noted the family he left in mourning. The mother, Bridget, eventually moved to Towanda, PA, in Bradford County and died there in 1910. Here is her obituary:

The Sullivan Review
October 27, 1910

Mrs. Bridget Deegan died at her home in Towanda at 5:15 o’clock Tuesday afternoon, after a long illness with pneumonia. Funeral services and interment will be held at St. Basil’s church in Dushore, on Friday morning, Oct. 28.

Deceased was born in Dushore 68 years ago, and lived here until about a year ago when she moved to Towanda. Her husband, Peter Deegan died a number of years ago.

She is survived by the following children: Misses Kate and Mary Deegan of Towanda, Mrs. George Gerard and Mrs. Charles Gerard of Elmira, also one sister in Scranton, and one brother, Matthew Burns, of Dushore.

There were actually five children of this marriage:

Mary, never married
Helen "Nellie" Gerard, had a son and daughter
Catherine "Kate" Fabinski, no children
Margaret Gerard, had one daughter
Joseph, two sons

We have a picture of Margaret, Joseph and Nellie taken at the Ott and Hay Studio in Towanda, PA around the turn of the century.

Margaret, Joseph and Nellie Deegan
Towanda, PA

Margaret and Nellie both married brothers, Charles and George Gerard, respectively. Margaret is the grandmother of Sharon D'Andrea. Margaret also became a school teacher. We know that she taught at the Sugar Hill School in Cherry, PA because we have a souvenir from 1902 with her name on it and a list of pupils:

Souvenir from Sugar Hill School
Cherry Township, 1902
Presented by Margaret Deegan, Teacher

Sugar Hill School Pupil List
Cherry, PA, 1902

Margaret married Charles Gerard and moved to Elmira, NY. They had one child, Mary "Gladys". In 1934, Gladys married Frank Moffe and they had three children: Sharon, our contributor (b. 1937), Charles (b. 1939) and Janice (b. 1941).

THE KISNER ANCESTRY

I came to know about Patricia Jo (Patty) Kisner about a year before this section on the ancestors of her husband, David Kisner, was written. She and daughter Danielle decided to help her sister Tina Pastusic to record and transcribe several cemeteries around Sullivan County. Their diligence and effort was most impressive, so for some time I was interested in knowing more about these folks. I am related to Tina and to Patty by marriage through Linda Karge McDonald, wife of my cousin Ray McDonald of Cherry Mills, PA. Tina gave me her Suber, Pedro and Pastusic lineage about a year ago and, just recently, we were fortunate to receive this report on the Kisners from Patty. The specific family information is enhanced by several striking family pictures as you will see below.

Johann Jacob Kisner

Born: July 03, 1612 in Gruenberg, Germany

Died: July 25, 1678

Married:

Child: Martin Kisner

Martin Kisner

Born: In Alsace, France

Died: 1768, Berks County, PA

Married: Rosina Breyfogel

Children:

John Philip Kisner

Johann Leonard Kisner

George Kisner

Johann Leonard Kisner

Born: about 1710 in Alsace, Germany

Died: Bef. 1790 in Windsor Twp., Berks County, PA

Married: Margaret Seynor 1733, in Strassburg, Alsace, France.

Children:

Samuel Kisner

John Kisner 1744-1804

George Kisner

Leonard Kisner

John Kisner

Born: 1744 in Alsace, France

Died: November 14, 1804 in Briar Creek Twp., Columbia Co., PA

Married: Eva Catherine Kleimer about 1767

Children:

Leonard Kisner

Michael Kisner

John Kisner 1770-1848

Jacob Kisner, Sr.

Sebastian Kisner

Anna Maria Kisner

George Kisner

Peter Kisner

John Kisner

Born: In 1770 in Northampton County, PA

Died: 1848 in Madison Twp., Columbia Co., PA

Married: Catherine Buck

Children:

Samuel Kisner

William Kisner 1805-1883

Lydia Kisner

Rebecca Kisner

James Kisner

Myancy Kisner

Judah Kisner

Christina Kisner

William Kisner

Born: August 02, 1805

Died: October 20, 1883 and buried in Thrashers Cemetery, Dushore, PA

Married: Sarah G. Dieffenbach

Born: June 12, 1809

Died: August 17, 1890

Children:

Hiram Kisner 1830-1925

Amos Kisner 1831-1893

Vialina Kisner 1834-1881, m. Reuben Musselman. See picture and history at The Descendants of Reuben Mussleman and Vialina Kisner.

William Kisner 1836-1899, m. Catherine Thrasher, b.1830, daughter of Benjamin Thrasher and Anna Hunsinger
You can learn more about the Thrasher family at The Thrasher Heritage.

Charles Kisner 1837-1924

Christiana Kisner 1839-1887, m. Gotlieb Bartch. See picture and history at The Descendants of Gotlieb Bartch and Christiana Kisner.

Mary Katharina ("Mary Catherine") Kisner 1842-1934, m. Andrew Horlocher. See picture and history at The Descendants of Andrew Horlocher and Mary Catherine Kisner.

Sarah Ann Kisner 1843-1917, m. Henry Bentley. See picture and history at The Descendants of Henry Bentley and Sarah Ann Kisner.

Amanda E. Kisner 1846-1883

Jefferson Kisner 1849-1937. See history at The Descendants of Jefferson Kisner and Emma Caroline Suber.

Silas Dean Kisner 1854-1933, m. Emma C. Messersmith. See the history of this branch of the Kisner family at The Descendants of Silas Dean and Emma Caroline (Messersmith) Kisner.Their daughter Anna Kisner (November 20, 1878-January 25, 1885) was the second wife of George Huffmaster. George was previously married to Theresa Brown; you can learn more about the Browns elsewhere on this page.

The Sullivan Review
October 25, 1883

William Kisner, of Cherry, whose illness was mentioned last week, died Saturday night, aged 78 years, Mr. Kisner was one of the pioneers of this vicinity, was well known and highly esteemed, as an honorable upright man. His family and friends have the sympathy of the community in their affliction.

The Sullivan Review
July 24, 1890

Mrs. Sarah G. Kisner, mother of our townsman Chas. Kisner, died at her home in Cherry Township July 17, aged 81 years, one month and six days.
The funeral at Zion's church Sunday was very largely attended.
The deceased was born in Madison Township, Columbia County, May 7, 1809, but for years past had resided in this section. She was a very estimable lady.

Here is a picture of Catherine (Thrasher) Kisner, wife of William Kisner, in older age:

Catherine Thrasher and William Kisner
Husband and Wife
Taken Before 1896

Hiram Kisner

Born: July 3, 1830 in Jerseytown, Columbia Co. PA

Died: May 12, 1925 and buried in Thrashers Cemetery, Dushore, Pa

Married: Elizabeth Kokensparger December 21, 1856

Children:

Mary Elizabeth Kisner 1858-1891

Matilda Jane Kisner 1861-1900, m. Joseph Eberly ("Eberlin"). See history at The Descendants of Joseph Eberly and Matilda Jane Kisner.

Levi Frank Kisner 1862-1960

George W. Kisner born in 1867

Divorced: January 1873

Remarried: Loretta Persun Arey, January 1873

Born: 1836

Died: June 25, 1919

Their children were:

Harriet L. Kisner 1874-1965

Adeline H. Kisner 1876-1952

Here are two pictures of Hiram Kisner at different times in his life:

The Sullivan Review
May 13, 1925

Hiram Kisner died Tuesday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. George Hieber of Albany Township, following an illness of several months. Mr. Kisner was born in Columbia County, July 3, 1830, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Kisner, who came to Sullivan County about 1840.

Mr. Kisner was twice married. His first wife was Miss Elizabeth Kokensparger of Laporte; to this union, four children were born, two of whom survive, Levi Kisner of Laddsburg and George W. Kisner of Alberta, Canada. His second wife was Mrs. Loretta Persun Arey, a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Persun. To this union, two children were born, Harriet, now Mrs. George Hieber of Albany Township, at whose home he died, and Adeline, now Mrs. Brink of EaglesMere. Two stepsons, James L. Arey of Wilmot and George L. Arey of Cherry Township, and thirteen grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren and one brother, Silas D. Kisner of Cherry Township, also survive.

In 1862 Mr. Kisner enlisted in Company "K", 141 regiment, Penn. Volunteers and served for nearly three years. He was a member of the G.A.R. Post at Dushore, until it disbanded a few years ago.

Funeral service will be held at the home of George Hieber of Albany Township, Thursday morning at 11 o'clock. Interment will be made in the family plot in Thrasher cemetery.

The Sullivan Review
July 2, 1919

Mrs. Loretta Kisner died at the home of her son, George Arey, in Cherry township, Thursday morning, June 26, at the age of 82 years. Mrs. Kisner was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Persun of Cherry. She is survived by her husband, two daughters, Mrs. Geo. Hieber of Albany township, and Mrs. Harry Brink of Eaglesmere, two sons, James L. Arey of Wilmot, and George Arey of Cherry, two sisters, Mrs. John S. Hoffa of Dushore, and Mrs. David Abrams of Wilmot, and one brother, Nathan Persun of Dushore.

Funeral services were held at her late home Saturday with interment in Thrasher's cemetery.

Levi Kisner

Born: January 18, 1862 in Sullivan County, PA

Died: December 18, 1960 in Laddsburg, Bradford Co., PA

Married: Mary Emma Koller September 25, 1882, Cherry Twp. PA

Born: 1868

Died: August 22, 1944

Children:

Frank Edward Kisner 1888-1965

Alice Kisner 1884-1970

Maysel Pauline Kisner 1891-1991

The Towanda Daily Review
Dec. 19, 1960

Levi Kisner passed away Sunday at the home of his niece, Mrs. Arthur Pardoe, in Laddsburg, where he had resided for 14 years. His age was 98 and he was ill but a short time.

Mr. Kisner was born Jan. 18, 1862, in Sullivan County, the son of Hiram and Elizabeth Kisner. He lived in the Laddsburg community for 72 years, moving there from Dushore, and was highly regarded in that area. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Alice Vargason of Salamanca, N.Y., and Mrs. Mary Chapman of Horseheads, N.Y.; a son Frank E. of Laddsburg; a sister, Mrs. Herbert Steele of New Albany; eight grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, also several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held at the Cranmer Funeral Home, New Albany, Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock. Rev. Mr. Peterson, pastor of the New Albany Methodist Church, will officiate and interment will be in Laddsburg cemetery.

The Sullivan Review
August 24, 1944

Mrs. Levi Kisner, of Laddsburg, died at her home Tuesday, August 22nd at the age of 81 years. She is survived by her husband, a son Frank Kisner of Laddsburg, two daughters, Mrs. Walter Vargason of New Albany and Mrs. George Chapman of Elmira.

Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the home of her daughter, Mrs. Walter Vargason at New Albany.

Family of Levi Kisner
Maysel, Levi, Alice, Mary Emma and Frank Kisner

Frank Edward Kisner

Born: July 26, 1888 in Laddsburg, PA

Died: April 1, 1965 in New Albany, PA

Married: Pearl Miller June 8, 1910 in Bridgeburg, Ontario, Canada

Born: August 21, 1889

Died: November 23, 1965

Children:

Amy Kisner born in 1911

Leona Kisner 1912-2002

George Kisner 1914-1988

Lloyd Kisner 1918-1999

Robert Kisner 1924-

Pauline Kisner 1926-

The Towanda Daily Review
April 3, 1965

Frank Edward Kisner, 76, of New Albany RD 1, died at his home at 11:56 p.m. Thursday, April 1, after an illness of seven years.

Mrs. Kisner was born July 26, 1888 in Laddsburg (New Albany RD 1), the son of Levi and Emma Koller Kisner. He served as a clerk for the Albany Township Election Board until his health forced him to retire. He worked in the Laddsburg creamery until it consolidated with the New Albany creamery, and continued to work there until he retired in 1953, as a receiving clerk and milk inspector, for the Dairymen's League.

He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Pearl Miller Kisner at home; three sons, George F. of New Albany RD 1, Lloyd V. of New Albany RD 1, Robert E. of Ulster RD 2; three daughters, Mrs. Arthur Pardoe of New Albany RD 1, Mrs. William H. Kimball of Columbia Cross Roads, Mrs. Robert Teel of Wyalusing, two sisters, Mrs. Alice Vargarson of Salamanca, N.Y. and Mrs. Mae Chapman of Horseheads, N.Y.; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

The funeral will be held Monday, Aril 5, at 2 p.m. from the Russell P. McHenry Funeral Home, 119 Carpenter Street, Dushore, with the Rev. Paul J. H. Zelinka officiating. Interment will be in the Laddsburg cemetery.

The Towanda Daily Review
November 24, 1965

Mrs. Pearl Leota Kisner of New Albany RD 1, 76, died Nov. 23. She was the widow of Frank E. Kisner.
Funeral services will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at 1 p.m. at the Russell P. McHenry Funeral Home in Dushore. Interment will be in the Laddsburg cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home Thursday afternoon form 2 o'clock until 4 and Thursday evening after 7.

Frank Kisner

Pearl Miller Kisner

George Frank Kisner

Born: August 20, 1914, Albany Twp. Bradford Co. PA

Died: November 22, 1988, Methodist Home, Laporte, PA

Married: Catherine E. Burgit May 23, 1935, Milton, PA

Born: May 03, 1917, Northumberland, PA

Died: February 02, 1983

Father: Franz Burgit

Children:

George Duane Kisner

Lavern Addison Kisner

Alice Marie Kisner

The Towanda Daily Review
November 23, 1988

George F. Kisner, 74 of Laddsburg, New Albany RD 1 died Tuesday morning at the United Methodist Home, Laporte, following a long illness.

Born Aug. 20, 1914 in Albany Township, he was the son of Frank E. and Pearl Miller Kisner. His wife died Feb. 2, 1983. A construction lineman for several contractors including the Sardoni Construction Co, during WWII. He retired in 1976 after 30 years of service with Penelec as main lineman for Sullivan County.

He is survived by two sons, George D. Kisner, RD 1 Dushore, and Laverne A. Kisner, RD 1 New Albany; one daughter, Mrs. Michael (Alice) Bundle, RD 1 New Albany; two brothers, Lloyd V. RD 1 New Albany, and Robert E. RD 2 Ulster; three sisters, Mrs. Amy Pardoe, RD 1 New Albany, Mrs. William (Leona) Kimball, E. Smithfield, and Mrs. Robert (Pauline) Teel, Wyalusing RD; five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Funeral services will be held Saturday 10 am in the Russell P. McHenry Funeral Home, 119 Carpenter St. Dushore. Interment will be in the Bradford County Memorial Park, Luthers Mills. Friends may call at the McHenry Funeral Home. Dushore, on Friday evening 7-9 p.m.

The Sullivan Review
February 10, 1983

Catherine E. Kisner, 65, of Laddsburg, New Albany RD 1, died Feb. 2, 1983 at her home. She was born May 3, 1917 in Northumberland, PA, a daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Franz Burgit. She had spent most of her lifetime in the Bradford-Sullivan Co8nty area until illness forced her retirement. She was employed as a trimmer by Sull-Craft Industries of Dushore.

Surviving are her husband, George G. Kisner, at home; two sons, George D. Kisner of Mildred, Pa. and Laverne Kisner of New Albany RD 1; a daughter, Alice Kisner of New Albany RD; three brothers, Charles Shannon Burgit of Canton, Claude Burgit of Sunbury, Gerald Burgit of Jersey Shore; one sister, Mrs. Sara Noles of Tullahoma, TN; and five grandchildren. Funeral services were held Saturday at the Russell P. McHenry Funeral Home, Dushore, with the Rev. Sam Jordan, pastor of Laddsburg Community Church, officiating.

Interment was in the Bradford County Memorial Park, Luthers Mills, PA.

Catherine & George Kisner

George Duane Kisner

Born: May 19, 1937, Bradford Co., PA

Married: Mary Madeline Smith, July 22, 1961

Born: December 28, 1938 Colley, PA

Parents: Michael & Mary Smith

Child:

David Joseph Kisner

Wedding Party for George Duane Kisner and Mary Madeline Smith
George Edward, Catherine, George Duane, Mary Smith Kisner, Mary and Michael Smith
July 22, 1961

David Joseph Kisner

Born: October 2, 1962 in Sayre, PA

Married: Patricia Jo Pastusic July 9, 1988

Born: November 26, 1965 Towanda, PA

Parents: Francis Pastusic and Alberta Mary Pedro

Child:

Danielle Nicole Kisner, born July 18, 1991

David & Patricia Kisner

Danielle Nicole Kisner

ORIGINS OF GEORGE LEWIS
FOUNDER OF EAGLES MERE

George Lewis (1756-1830) was the key individual in the founding of Eagles Mere, even though it failed to make him the rich entrepreneur and landowner he must have looked forward to. Recently, Michele Colavito retained a private researcher in England, Gillian Rickard, to look into the Lewis ancestry. That information is reported below with a Lewis timeline that Michele put together. There are also several pictures from Eagles Mere and the Sullivan Highlands by J. Horace McFarland, LHD and Robert B. McFarland (The J.Horace McFarland Company, 1944). The one at the beginning shows the famous Lewis Glass factory as it stood in ruins about 1880. The picture at the end shows the stone barn on the Lewis homestead that was torn down to build a chapel in 1886. There is also a picture of Ticklish Rock and the Haystack Rocks in the Loyalsock Creek. We are grateful to these contributors for their interest and their materials.

Michele can be reached at Michele Colavito. The address for the English researcher is:

Gillian Rickard, BA, Dip. Loc. Hist.
Professional Genealogist and Local History Researcher
99 Strangers Lane
Canterbury, Kent CT1 3XN
United Kingdom
Web site: www.kentgen.com

Source: EAGLES MERE AND THE SULLIVAN HIGHLANDS
by J Horace McFarland, L.H.D. and Robert B McFarland, 1944

When George Lewis came to what would be called Eagles Mere in the future, but was then called Lewis Lake, the area was virtually a primeval wilderness. Let us quote from the McFarland text mentioned above:

A more picturesque story of the origins of Eagles Mere comes from a direct descendant of Theophilus Little of Philadelphia, who came to this region in 1799 with George Lewis and, like Lewis, purchased a large acreage in the vicinity. A great-uncle, Joseph Warn, roamed through the Eagles Mere region when it was still inhabited by the Indians, and his story was that the site of the lake was then a deep valley (which Warn claimed to have seen) with many deep springs on the floor. The east side of the valley consisted of ledges of rock, and under the present Lover's Rock was a vast cavern. By enticing a beautiful Indian maiden into his cavern, an Indian chief, Stormy Torrent, angered the Great Spirit, who casued a great storm to come, with torrents of rain which blocked the former outlet of the lake flowing from the springs and thus filled the valley to the present lake level.

To those who would judge age in terms of a man's life, trees of the primeval forest surrounding the Lake of the Eagles have, at maturity, shown growth rings of five hundred years or more, and there is ample evidence that they subsisted like the present forest , on even more ancient growth that matured, died and returned to earth. Even more ancient than the tress are the rhododendron and laurel masses which in places border the lake, and probably had been blooming here for a long time when Columbus first landed in the West Indies.

Ticklish Rock
Eaglesmere, PA
From McFarland and McFarland: "...a large sandstone rock shaped somewhat like a goose egg and ..estimated to weigh in the neighborhood of fifty to sixty tons. It stands on the very edge of a precipice supported by a slim natural column probably ten feet high. ... it has frequently stood the test of twenty stout fellows pulling at one time." Dale Stewart has described in the same publication (page 128) a trip taken by car to visit the peculiar and massive feature called Ticklish Rock.
Photo contributed by Carol Brotzman from
Farm and Home News, May 21, 1987

Here is a timeline of the life of George Lewis that Michele has constructed from many sources:

DATE

DATE	FACT	SOURCE
1756	George Lewis born
November 16, 1756	George Lewis baptized	Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone
1783	Priscilla Forwood born	Undocumented source
c. 1790	Lewis importing house established in NYC	Egle’s Notes and Queries
1790	Listed in NYC census	Census records – probably him
c. 1794	Worked with brother James at importing house in NYC, a branch of a London house conducted by two other brothers	Egle’s Notes and Queries
1794	Purchased land for $1 per acre	Muncy Luminary, 8/27/1964, p. 14
September 16, 1794	Purchased 10,217 acres (Mount Lewis) from Charles Walstoncraft	Egle’s Notes and Queries
1798	Glass factory erected	The Journal of the Lycoming County Historical Society, Fall 1874, p. 32
1800	Listed in NYC census	Census records – probably him
1803	Visited Mount Lewis site for the first time; stayed for six weeks	Muncy Luminary, 8/27/1964, p. 14, Egle’s Notes and Queries
1803	Returned to NY; learned that many friends died from yellow fever	Muncy Luminary, 8/27/1964, p. 14, Egle’s Notes and Queries
1804	Returned to Mount Lewis to establish glass manufacturing business	Undocumented source
After 1804	Married Drucilla Howlett	Egle’s Notes and Queries
c. 1806	George was executor of General Horatio Gates’ will	Egle’s Notes and Queries
June 5, 1808	Son William Lewis born at Mount Lewis	Undocumented source
1808	Built warehouse in Muncy, corner of Main and Water Streets	Muncy Luminary, 8/27/1964, p. 14
c. 1808	George Edkins purchased Lewis land improved by John Henderson; moved there 5/10/1808	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 18
1809	Glass factory, Lewis residence, houses, school, boarding house and sawmill erected	Undocumented source
c. 1809	Sawmill, grist mill, potash manufactory established	Egle’s Notes and Queries
c. 1809	Drucilla and daughter moved to Mount Lewis from NY	Undocumented source
1810	Listed in NYC census	Census records – probably him
1810	22 Glass Manufactories in existence in US	Egle’s Notes and Queries
1812	Purchased farm from John Burrows in Pennsborough (Pennsdale) for $4000	Undocumented source
1812	First output of glass	Egle’s Notes and Queries
Before 1813	Building houses and sawmill	Bancroft letter dated 8/14, Now and Then, October 1979
Before 1813	Visited Boston and hired four men to manage glass-blowing business	Bancroft letter dated 8/14, Now and Then, October 1979
Before 1813	Farm 22 miles from Pennsborough not fertile	Bancroft letter dated 8/14, Now and Then, October 1979
After 1812	Business began to fail	Muncy Luminary, 8/27/1964, p. 14
c. 1815	Thomas Bennett came to Mount Lewis; worked for George Lewis; then moved to outlet of Hunter’s Lake and tended gristmill	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 19
1816	Mount Lewis population: 250 inhabitants	Undocumented source
c. 1817	Glassworks ceased operations	Egle’s Notes and Queries
August 1819	George Lewis v. Arthur McKisson, et al	Issue List, August 1819, Lycoming Gazette, 8/4/1819, p. 3
1820	Lycoming County census – Shrewsbury Township	Census Records
c. 1820	Joel Bennett and wife Sarah Bird Bennett moved to Lewis Lake; he worked for George Lewis about six years	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 18
1820-1822	Attempted to organize Lewis County out of Elkland, Shrewsbury and Moreland Townships	Egle’s Notes and Queries
1822	Health began to fail; many workers left; suffered severe financial losses; wild lands taxed; no income	Muncy Luminary, 8/27/1964, p. 14
1822	Living at lake with family, but tenant houses empty and most of the laborers gone	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 19
December 1822	Lewis v. Wood	Issue List, December Term, 1822, Lycoming Gazette, 11/23/1822, p. 3
December 1822	Lewis v. Wood	Issue List, December Term, 1822, Lycoming Gazette, 11/30/1822, p. 3
May 1823	George Lewis v. Thomas Wood	Issue List, May Term, 1823, Lycoming Gazette, 4/5/1823, p. 3
May 1823	George Lewis v. Thomas Wood	Issue List, May Term, 1823, Lycoming Gazette, 4/19/1823, p. 3
July 4, 1824	Spectacular fireworks display	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 19
After 1824	Health began to fail; met with severe financial losses (glass works, investments and wild lands)	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 19
c. 1826	Joel Bennett purchased land from George Lewis	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 18
After 1826	Thomas Bennett purchased land from George Lewis	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 19
1829	Owned 12,200 acres in PA and 7,000 acres in Franklin County, NY	Undocumented source
1829	Placed property in hands of William Elliot to sell. Proceeds to be used to pay creditors.	Muncy Luminary, 8/27/1964, p. 14, Egle’s Notes and Queries
1829	Placed 12,200 acres in PA and 7,500 acres in Franklin County, NY, in hands of William Elliot and Ithiel Town to sell. Proceeds to be used to pay creditors.	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, pp. 19-20
1829	Returned to England on business and/or to regain health	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 20, Egle’s Notes and Queries
1830	Lycoming County census – Shrewsbury Township	Census Records
May 28, 1830	Record of will at Maidstone, Kent	Egle’s Notes and Queries (currently searching for this document)
Summer 1830	Died in Maidstone, Kent, England	History of Sullivan County by Ingham, p. 20 (only refers to England)
August 1830	Buried in New York	Undocumented source
June 1831	Glass works + 2,000 acres sold to John J. Adams of Washington, DC	Undocumented source
August 6, 1834	William Elliot, executor for George Lewis, settled and filed in the Register’s Office, Lycoming County	Lycoming Gazette, 8/20/1834, p. 1
c. 1834	William Elliot removed as executor; replaced by Israel Lewis	Undocumented source
November 7, 1839	William Lewis married Mary Jane Casterline	Undocumented source
1840	Drucilla Lewis in NYC census records	Census Records, probably her
After 1840	Drucilla Lewis died	Undocumented source
c. 1843	William Lewis purchased home from Edwin Woolever	Undocumented source
Before 1845	Susan Mayer of Reading, PA owned land	Eagles Mere and the Sullivan Highlands by McFarland and McFarland, 1944
1845	Judge John R. Jones of Philadelphia purchased 6,000 acres including lake	Undocumented source
c. 1865	Original Lewis residence burned down.	Undocumented source
May 19, 1872	Priscilla Forwood died	Undocumented source
Before 1880	Glass Works in ruins	Eagles Mere and the Sullivan Highlands by McFarland and McFarland, 1944
1885	Excerpt from the diary of Lewis’ bookkeeper, William Herndon, published in Gazette and Bulletin	Eagles Mere and the Sullivan Highlands by McFarland and McFarland, 1944
1886	Lewis Stone Barn (situated on current Eagles Mere Avenue) torn down; stone used to build Presbyterian Chapel	Eagles Mere and the Sullivan Highlands by McFarland and McFarland, 1944
March 17, 1891	William Lewis died	Undocumented source

Crestmont Inn
This is an old unused postcard that
was published by K. Kehrer and Son of Eaglesmere. It is from
a collection of old unused postcards auctioned on eBay in February 2003.
Early 1900s
Photo Contributed by Carol Brotzman

Also, we have the initial history of the Descendants of Israel Lewis, the father of George Lewis, prepared by Gillian Rickard:

Descendants of Israel Lewis

Generation No. 1

1. REVEREND ISRAEL LEWIS was born about 1717, and died March 05, 1770. He was the son of DAVID LEWIS, a preacher from Wales. ISRAEL LEWIS married JANE DREW May 13, 1745 in St. Luke, Old Street, Finsbury, London. She was born 1725, and died April 19, 1804.

More About REVEREND ISRAEL LEWIS:

Burial: March 10, 1770, All Saints, Maidstone
Freedom: 1748, Maidstone Freemen Index 1734-1787, Purchase Index

More About JANE DREW:

Burial: April 27, 1804, All Saints, Maidstone

Children of ISRAEL LEWIS and JANE DREW are:

i. ISRAEL LEWIS, b. 1748; d. December 28, 1820; m. SARAH SMITH; d. 1785.

More About ISRAEL LEWIS:

Burial: Anabaptist Burial Ground at Tovil, Kent
Christening: August 07, 1748, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone
Codicil: March 20, 1807
Freedom: 1773, Maidstone Freemen Index 1734-1787, Patrimony Index
Probate: May 09, 1821
Will: December 13, 1805

More About SARAH SMITH:

Burial: February 15, 1785, All Saints, Maidstone

ii. DAVID LEWIS, b. 1750; d. after 1830.

More About DAVID LEWIS:

Christening: April 22, 1750, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone
Freedom: 1780, Maidstone Freemen Index 1734-1787, Patrimony Index
Residence: 1835, London, Maidstone Freeman's Roll 1835

iii. JANE LEWIS, b. 1751; d. 1841.

iv. LEYSON LEWIS, b. 1755; d. after 1821.

v. GEORGE LEWIS, b. 1756; d. 1830.

vi. ROBERT LEWIS, b. 1760; d. September 13, 1827.

More About ROBERT LEWIS:

Burial: Anabaptist Burial Ground at Tovil, Kent
Christening: May 13, 1760, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone
Codicil: August 28, 1827
Freedom: 1793, Maidstone Freemen Index 1788-1842, Patrimony Index
Will: August 28, 1827

vii. JAMES LEWIS, b. 1762.

More About JAMES LEWIS:

Christening: October 15, 1762, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone

viii. MARY LEWIS, b. 1765; m. WILLIAM ELLIOTT.

More About MARY LEWIS:

Christening: March 03, 1765, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone

Generation No. 2

2. JANE LEWIS was born 1751, and died 1841. She married THOMAS COOPER, April 26, 1774 in All Saints, Maidstone. He died after 1805.

More About JANE LEWIS:

Burial: February 08, 1841, All Saints, Maidstone
Christening: December 25, 1751, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone

More About THOMAS COOPER:

Parish: 1774, Allhallows

The children of JANE LEWIS and THOMAS COOPER are:

i.LEWIS COOPER, b. 1776; d. October 28, 1842.

ii. JAMES COOPER, b. 1792; d. May 24, 1820.

More About JAMES COOPER:

Burial: Anabaptist Burial Ground at Tovil, Kent

Christening: June 24, 1792, Earl St., Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone

iii.GEORGE COOPER, b. 1795; d. after 1827.

More About GEORGE COOPER:

Christening: July 31, 1795, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone

iv. ANN COOPER, d. after 1827; m. WILLIAM GREEN; d. after 1827.

v.DAVID COOPER, d. between 1821 - 1827.

vi.ELIZABETH COOPER, d. after 1827.

vii.LEYSON COOPER, d. after 1805; m. ELIZABETH NEWSON, October 01, 1810, St. Saviour, Norwich, Norfolk (per LDS); b. about 1779; d. 1851.

More About ELIZABETH NEWSON:

Burial: May 25, 1851, All Saints, Maidstone

viii.ROBERT COOPER, d. after 1827.

ix.SARAH COOPER, d. after 1827; m. BENJAMIN SEATON; d. after 1827.

LEYSON LEWIS was born in 1755, and died after 1821. He married ELIZABETH "ELVY" HARRIS, June 23, 1784 in All Saints, Maidstone. She was born about 1761, and died 1827.

More About LEYSON LEWIS:

Christening: March 23, 1755, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone
Freedom: 1781, Maidstone Freemen Index 1734-1787, Patrimony Index
Parish: 1784, St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich, Norfolk

More About ELIZABETH "ELVY" HARRIS:

Burial: January 25, 1827, All Saints, Maidstone

The children of LEYSON LEWIS and ELIZABETH HARRIS were:

i. JANE LEWIS, b. about 1787; d. 1816.

ii. LEYSON> LEWIS, b. 1788; d. 1825.

More About LEYSON LEWIS:

Burial: March 24, 1825, All Saints, Maidstone

Christening: August 22, 1788, Octagon - Presbyterian, Norwich, Norfolk, per LDS

iii.ISRAEL HARRIS LEWIS, b. about 1792; d. 1878.

iv.ELIZABETH LEWIS, d. after 1840; m. JOSHUA WILLIAM ALDER, August 26, 1819, St. Bartholomew Exchange, London, England (per LDS); b. about 1789, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England; d. September 11, 1837, Muncy Creek Township, Pennsylvania.

More About JOSHUA WILLIAM ALDER:

Graduation: Princeton, at age of 16

v.PHOEBE LEWIS, d. after 1827; m. JOHN HODGES, July 24, 1820, East Farleigh, Kent, England (per LDS); d. after 1827.

GEORGE LEWIS was born 1756, and died 1830. He married DRUCILLA HOWLETT after 1804. She died after 1840.

More About GEORGE LEWIS:

Burial: New York
Christening: November 16, 1756, Earl St. Presbyterian Chapel, Maidstone

The child of GEORGE LEWIS and DRUCILLA HOWLETT was an unknown female Lewis.

Generation No. 3
LEWIS COOPER was born 1776, and died October 28, 1842. He married MATILDA HAYWARD, January 15, 1799 in All Saints, Derby, England (per LDS). She was born 1783, and died June 17, 1854.

More About LEWIS COOPER:

Burial: Anabaptist Burial Ground at Tovil, Kent

More About MATILDA HAYWARD:

Burial: Anabaptist Burial Ground at Tovil, Kent

The child of LEWIS COOPER and MATILDA HAYWARD was EMILY COOPER, b. 1802; d. September 10, 1877.

More About EMILY COOPER:

Burial: Anabaptist Burial Ground at Tovil, Kent

DAVID COOPER died between 1821 - 1827. He married LOUISA ________.

The children of DAVID COOPER and LOUISA __________ were:

i.ELIZA COOPER, b. about 1814; d. 1838.

More About ELIZA COOPER:

Burial: July 06, 1838, All Saints, Maidstone

ii. FEMALE1 COOPER, d. after 1827.

iii.FEMALE2 COOPER, d. after 1827.

iv. FEMALE3 COOPER, d. after 1827.

v. FEMALE4 COOPER, d. after 1827.

vi. FEMALE5 COOPER, d. after 1827.

vii.FEMALE6 COOPER, d. after 1827.

JANE LEWIS was born about 1787, and died 1816. She married ______ ALDER.

More About JANE LEWIS:

Burial: April 01, 1816, East Farleigh Parish, England

The child of JANE LEWIS and ________ ALDER was:

JANE ALDER, b. about 1814; d. 1816.

More About JANE ALDER:

Burial: June 07, 1816, East Farleigh Parish, England

ISRAEL HARRIS LEWIS was born about 1792, and died 1878. He married after 1821 in England.

More About ISRAEL HARRIS LEWIS:

Christening: April 15, 1792, Octagon - Presbyterian, Norwich, Norfolk, per LDS

The child of ISRAEL HARRIS LEWIS and his unknown wife was:

LEYSON LEWIS, b. 1828, Gallants, East Farleigh, Kent; d. 1896; m. ISABELLA MARTINEAU, October 05, 1853, Norwich, Norfolk; b. March 19, 1832; d. 1900.

Source: EAGLES MERE AND THE SULLIVAN HIGHLANDS
by J Horace McFarland, L.H.D. and Robert B McFarland, 1944

In January 2005, a set of old postcards was auctioned on eBay. You can click on several of them here:

Drive Around Lake Eagles Mere
Lake Eagles Mere
Narrow Gauge Railroad
Eagles Mere Golf Course
Aerial View
Beach and Lake
The Forest Inn