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

Military Monday - WWI Draft Reg, Earl L. Yohn

1917 WWI Draft Registration

Earl L. Yohn (my paternal grandfather)

Draft Registration Cards can be a terrific source of information, even if like my grandfather, your ancestor was never called to actually serve in the military 

Questions Asked – 1st WW I Draft Registration (card with 12 Questions)

Side 1

Name in full - given name, family name - Earl Leroy Yohn
Age in years [This information is asked but it is not a numbered question] 25

Home address - #, street, city, state 1044 Moss Reading Penna

Date of birth - month, day, year April 9 1892

Are you (1) a natural-born citizen, (2) a naturalized citizen, (3) an alien, (4) or have you declared your intention (specify which) Natural-Born

Where were you born? town, state, nation Greshville Penna

If not a citizen, of what country are you a citizen or subject?

What is your present trade, occupation, or office? Trucking

By whom employed? Where employed? Bethlehem Steel Co. Reading PA

Have you a father, mother, wife, child under 12, or a sister or brother under 12, solely dependent on you for support (specify which)? Wife

Married or single (which)? Race (specify which)? Married - Caucasian

What military service have you had? Rank - branch - years - nation or state None

Do you claim exemption from draft (specify grounds)?

signature or mark of registrant (signed Earl Leroy Yohn)

[The following is printed across the lower left-hand triangular corner or the card:]
If person is of African descent, cut off this corner.

___________________________
1st Registration – Side 2, Additional Information (card with 12 Questions)

ར Tall, medium or short (specify which)? Slender, medium or stout (which)? Medium/Medium

ར Color of eyes, color of hair Gray / Light

ར Has person lost arm, leg, hand, foot, or both eyes, or is he otherwise disabled (specify)?

Signature of Registrar (signed James E. Shalter)
Precinct, city or county, state (?precinct) Reading Penna
Date of registration June 5-1917

 

Sentimental Sunday - 5 Generations, Same Church

St. John's Church

Mt. Aetna, Berks County, PA

 View of St. John's from the far end of the cemetery

(photo taken 25 September 2010 by Karen Fox)

St. John's Church is a small intimate country church. It was originated as a Protestant Reformed Congregation, and for many years was associated with the United Church of Christ. In 2003,  it elected to become an independent, non-denominational Christian Church. This was the church of my paternal family for five generations.

Buried in the adjoining church cemetery are

• my gr-gr-grandparents, Nathan and Elizabeth (Achenbach) Gruber
• my gr-grandparents, T.(Thomas) Henry and Mary E. (Gruber) DeHart
• my grandparents, Earl L. and Ada M. (DeHart) Yohn
• my father, John Henry Yohn
• I  [Karen M. (Yohn) Fox] was baptized as an infant in St. John's Church in 1958.

In addition, many extended family members were baptized, confirmed, married and/or buried at St. John's.

Interior view of St. John's sanctuary taken from rear right corner

(Photo taken 25 September 2010 by Karen Fox)

As a child I have many memories of visiting the cemetery to place flowers on my grandparents' grave (they both passed before I was born). When I'd see a familiar last name or an interesting looking tombstone, I'd always pester my father with questions -  "Who is that? Tell me about them!". He'd do his best, even if it belonged to a stranger. As I grew older, I saw the empty spaces in the cemetery slowly start to fill with relatives I knew and loved - my many gr-aunts and gr-uncles, my own aunts and uncles, my father's cousins, and then my father joined them. Visiting that cemetery is visiting my childhood.

*

Sports Center Saturday - Run Floyd Run!

A Champion In The Family

Tales of a 1930s Long Distance Runner

Previously in this blog, I posted the tombstone of my paternal Uncle, Floyd Yohn. Uncle Floyd was 13 years old when my father was born and forty years old by the time I was born. When I was younger, I used to be told of his glory days as a high school miler and distance runner. I always thought these stories were embellished and exaggerated by the family through retelling over the years. Then came the day as a young adult when I was shown the spare room in his home where all his trophies, ribbons, awards and news clippings were on display. Wow! Well, life went on and those stories were shuffled to the back of my memories.

About a year ago, I was researching someone else in my family tree online and I stumbled across archived newspaper articles about Uncle Floyd and his high school running team. There were meet results and opinion articles by the local sports reporting staff. In one article, the writer compared Uncle Floyd to Gene Venzke, another local runner who had competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics! Another articles referred to him as the ace speedster captain of the high school cross country ream. Yet another news article reports that his coach claimed that as a freshman in practice, Floyd had posted the fastest first showing the coach had seen in over a decade, close to a five minute mile in 1937.

 

Floyd E. Yohn. Earl L. Yohn, John H. Yohn

(undated photo from the collection of Karen Fox)

The family  stories were true as told! Uncle Floyd had been a shining star.

One of my Dad's favorite stories was that when they were boys, my Dad would take the trolley or bus from the city where they lived to the amusement park out in the eastern suburbs. Meanwhile, Uncle Floyd would leave at the same time, but run there instead and be waiting at the entrance gate for my Dad when he arrived. Not only did Floyd het there more quickly, but since he had saved his fare money, he could spend more at the park. Another was about when the family made a rare trip (remember, this was during the Great Depression) to watch my Uncle compete in the Penn Relays.  That was a real thill for them.

Life and practicality overtook Uncle Floyd's talent and love of the sport; he never had the opportunity to aim for the Olympics - out of high school, there were bills to pay and he had to help support the family and his aging parents. But he never gave up his trophies, memories and stories. Tales of his high school exploits always made him smile.

One of the earliest articles about Uncle Floyd and his long distance talent

The  Athlete Gene skipped Me,

~ Karen the AncesTree Sprite

Sunday's Obituary - Henry F. Yohn

Henry F. Yohn (1814-1883) was the brother of one of my paternal gr-gr-gr-grandfathers, George F. Yohn (1802-1880). George predeceased Henry by 3 years, so was not mentioned in this obit. Henry was an interesting and accomplished fellow and you'll enjoy reading about him. 

~ Karen the AncesTree Sprite