Funeral Card Friday - Clara Hirst Funeral Bill 1914

Clara (nee Eckard) Hirst was my maternal great-grandmother (my mother's father's mother). She died in her home at 1250 Taney Street in Philadelphia PA on May 30, 1914. Her cause of death was listed as "phthisis pulmonalis", an archaic term used to describe what is now known as tuberculosis and its accompanying wasting disease.Her age at death was 45 years/1 month/22days. She was buried June 2, 1914 at Mt. Peace Cemetery in Philadelphia.

This is a copy of the bill for funeral expenses presented to her widower, Mr. John G. Hirst by the undertaker, Albert Cummings.

June 1st - To furnishing polished oak casket, old silver bar handles, Eng. name plate, cream liberty satin lining, satin pillow & mattress. 85.00

To polished chestnut case copper bound & copper name plate 25.00

To Embalming Remains 10.00
To Paper Notices 5.00
To Blanket 3.00
To Opening Grave, 10 ft. deep 9.00
To Dress & Ladys Services 20.00
To Auto Hearse, Mt. Peace 10.00
To 6 carriages 4.50 (each) 27.00

Recd. Payment 194.00 (my note: paid in full)

Clara Eckard Hirst and the Gravestone she shares with other family members in Mt Peace Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

Wedding Wednesday - Philadelphia PA, 1866

John Eckard & Margaret J. Davis

 my maternal great-great-grandparents

 (Click photo to enlarge)

This is to Certify, That John Eckard of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania and Margaret J. Davis of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania Were Joined Together in Holy Matrimony, by me, on the Eighth day of April in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty Six

Andrew Manship
Minister of the Gospel
861 Broad St.
Philad.

Margaret J. (nee Davis) Eckard

My descendancy from John Eckard & Margaret J. Davis:

John ECKARD married Margaret J. DAVIS

Clara ECKARD married John Grubb HIRST

Raymond HIRST married Ethel DYER
Olie Lillian HIRST married first husband John Henry YOHN
Karen Marie YOHN (me)

Raymond Hirst of Philadelphia met and married Ethel Dyer of upstate New York while he was stationed at Madison Barracks, NY while serving in the Army.

Sunday's Obituary - Asa Shadrack Sherman

Asa Shadrack Sherman 

(28 Feb 1819 - 16 Sept 1904)

You can view Asa S. Sherman's gravestone at his Find A Grave Profile

"The Canastota (NY) Bee" Sat. Sept. 17, 1904 page 1, Column 3

Dropped Dead Of Heart Disease At His Home Yesterday Morning

Asa S. Sherman, for many years a prominent resident of this town, died suddenly at his home in Spencer Street, Friday morning Sept. 16th shortly after 10 o'clock. Mr. Sherman, who has been engaged in laying cement walks in the village, was at work at Daniel Morton's place, in North Peterboro street, when he complained of not feeling well. He walked up town and sat down for a time in front one of the stores. A little later he walked to his residence and shortly after arriving home, while sitting in a chair died. Death was caused by heart disease for which he has been doctoring for several months. 

 

Mr. Sherman was born in Cazenovia, Feb.28, 1819 and was therefore in his 86th year. He removed to Durham when quite a young man and some years later to a farm which he managed near Scholhammer Bridge. 

 

He was engaged in contracting and had many jobs on the Erie Canal at various times. Twenty-one years ago Mr.Sherman removed to Canastota. When the Canastota water works were put in about 20 years ago, he superintended the work. After the water works were established he was for many years superintendent. He also served the village as trustee and street commissioner. Mr. Sherman was in politics, a sincere and earnest democrat, and in 1863 he was elected by his party a member of the assembly and served one term. Mr. Sherman is survived by a widow, who was his second wife and five children, who are Mrs. George Dyer, of Redwood, Mrs. Edward Carpenter, of Oneida, Sykes Sherman, Mrs. Bert Austen and Mrs. Floyd Moore of this village. His is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Lydia Ann Rhodes, of Skaneateles. Funeral services will be held at his late home Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock, Rev. J.V. Benham will officiate and burial will be made in Mt. Pleasant cemetery. 

***Note that Asa S. Sherman's gravestone gives his year of birth as 1818. In the family Bible, which is inscribed as given to Asa Sherman (Asa S. Sherman's father) by his father Elihu Sherman in 1816, Asa Shadrack Sherman's year of birth is clearly recorded as 1819.

 

Sherman Family Bible Records

My lineage from Asa Shadrack Sherman:

Asa Shadrack SHERMAN and his first wife Cordelia Marie BURLEIGH

Clarissa Jannett SHERMAN and her first husband George Burton DYER

Harry Sherman DYER married Olie Lillian WARNER

Ethel DYER married Raymond HIRST

Olie Lillian HIRST and her first husband John Henry YOHN

Karen Marie YOHN

Surname Saturday: My Maternal Philadelphia PA Surnames

My maternal grandfather, Raymond Hirst, was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and raised there until the time he joined the military. He married my grandmother, a girl from Upstate New York, and settled in Watertown, Jefferson County, NY to live and raise his family. Raymond died there in 1965 and is buried in North Watertown Cemetery.

I don't know much of Raymond's family, but thanks to Lorraine Altimus, a second cousin who connected with me through Ancestry.com, I have some information to hopefully build upon. I have so much more to learn about this branch of my family.

Davis, Eckard, Esher, Esslinger, Hirst, Regan, Roulston, Steele

Hirst was my grandfather's surname. Eckard (sometimes spelled Eckart), Davis and Steele are in my direct line. The other names are from Raymond's sisters' lines.

If these Philadelphia PA names ring a bell with you, please contact me - we may be related and I'd love to hear from you!

Other comments are always welcome as well :o)

Wordless Wednesday - Whither Thou Goest...

OK, so it's Not-Quite-Wordless Wednesday

My Maternal Grandparents

Raymond & Ethel (Dyer) Hirst

North Watertown Cemetery

Watertown, Jefferson County, New York

 

Married on May 21, 1926, Raymond died of a heart attack on December 17, 1965. A heart broken Ethel followed him just four months later, dying of heart failure on April 26, 1966. 

Military Monday - Grandpa Raymond Hirst

My maternal grandfather, Raymond Hirst 

US Army Cavalry

stationed at Madison Barracks,

Sackets Harbor, Jefferson County, NY

This photo was taken while he had the rank of Corporal. He was later promoted to Sergeant F. A. (Field Artillery). He was in the cavalry at the time the Army was in the final stages of transitioning from using horses in the battlefield to going all motorized. My mother tells me that on occasion as a young girl, her mother would take her and her siblings to the barracks parade ground and they would get to watch their father perform maneuvers on horseback. 

As a corporal, Raymond married a local girl. Even though Raymond was originally from Philadelphia PA, when he left the Army, he and his family stayed in Jefferson County and raised their family near his wife's kin in Upstate New York. He became the patriarch of a family with a tradition of military service. Raymond and his wife had 2 daughters and 7 sons who survived to adulthood. Of those seven sons, six went on to serve in the military. Each of the two daughters married servicemen stationed at nearby Fort Drum. Raymond was born in 1902 and died in 1965.