So happy to announce a few items in our Tombstone Tuesday store at Zazzle. 

Elizabeth and Philip Smith, Lower Walpack, NJ

A few weeks ago I was over on Old Mine Road in Warren and Sussex Co., NJ. It was the first time I got a  chance to look at the Lower Walpack Cemetery. The Cemetery is very very old, I was so very happy to see that the Walpack Historical Association is taking very good care of it. It needs to be preserved, the oldest stone dates to about 267 years ago, yes readable and standing.

I spotted these 2 stones that was at least 4 feet high, I was thrilled that they were not push over or marred in any way.

Elizabeth Transue Smith born 6 Nov 1808 Smithfield Township, Pa., she was  the daughter of Peter and Maria Elizabeth Grube Transue. I found a record of her being baptized in Easton, Pa. 17 April 1809 or she could also be Elizabeth Smith Smith d/o Jacob and Susannah Frutchey Smith Elizabeth died on 10  Oct. 1848.

There seems to be many Elizabeth and Philip Smith in the time period.

Elizabeth married on 29 March 1727, Sussex Co., Nj. To Philip J. (John ) Smith born 28 Oct 1798 in Sussex co., Nj., he was the son of Jonas and Anna Maria LaBarre Smith.  Philip dies on 6 Oct 1848.

An update 1/14/2020 Elizabeth Smith is the d/o Christian and Mary Keithline Smith.  they were married 29 march 1826 Sussex co., NJ. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of George Smtih.
Philip was one of the wealthiest farmers in Walpack, NJ and he and Elizabeth had 10 children.There oldest child Mary Anna took over the family estate and married Benjamin Rosenkrans.They lived in the Rosenkrans homestead built by Jonas Smith. The home is now owned by the National Park Service.

https://walpackhistory.org/

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60525&h=93084393&tid=&pid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=slM10&_phstart=successSource

Mary Jane Everett Hardy, Oakland Cemetery, Mountainhome, pa

Mary Jane Everett Hardy

My cousin Michele Wescott Morris was visiting this week and our lunch conversation turned to our ancestors. I had sent her a number of photos from my grandmother’s photo album of her grandfather Kenneth (keck) Hardy (1917-1971) in the 1940’s. I was trying to give her a rundown of the family line but failed miserably without the tree in front of me. Forgetting about the conversation I stopped at the Oakland Cemetery in Mountainhome, Pa. and was tending to my great great grandparents grave as promised to my cousin Beverly. My friend Jackie Mcgann, of the Barrett Research Center let me take a look at the map recently.

Most researcher think our connection is the Harrison/ Hardy Line and it is….. BUT, YES there is a BUT, we also have a connection threw the female line and it starts with my great great grandmother she was Barbara Everett Strunk (1854-1900). Her sister was Mary Jane Everett Hardy. this can get very confusing very fast so i am going to try to stay with Mary Jane.

Mary Jane Everett was born 17 October 1852/1854 in Middle Smithfield Township. She was the first of seven daughter born to John and Rachel Howey Everett. Her father a farmer and lumberman, her mother a midwife and healer. Their other children Barbara ( my great great grandmother), Delia, Emma, Sarah, Matilda, Malvinia, Claressa. A side note is I have never found any information regarding Emma, Sarah and Matilda. The Everetts stuck with German family naming traditions, Rachels mother was probably Mary and Johns mother was Barbara.

The family moved to Porter Township, Pike co., Pa in 1870. Since they lived in Middle Smithfield the boarder could have just changed. Porter Township was not former until 1851. Mary marries John Hardy in about 1873 and they move to Barrett Township in 1880, were they live the rest of her life. Her children: George, Charlie, Carrie May, Catherine (Kate) (who marries Wesley Harrison), Joseph ( 1884-1957 my cousin Michele ancestor), Cleveland, Lawrence, Frank, Lulu, Lillian.

Mary Jane dies of old age 20 Nov 1940 and is buried next to her husband in Oakland Cemetery, Mountianhome, pa.

Mrs Mary Jane hardy 88 years old widow of John Hardy died yesterday at the home of her daughter, Mrs William Englert at Cresco. she was a native of Smithfield Township, Monroe County, and spent all her life in the vicinity of Cresco. She was a member of the Mountainhome Methodist Church.

Mrs Hardy is survived by four sons, Joseph, Cleveland and Clifford all of Cresco, and Frank of Analomink; four daughters, Mrs Englert with who she resided; Mrs Charles Reisenwitz and the misses Catherine and Lillian of East Stroudsburg;22 grandchildren eight great grandchildren and two sisters Mrs George Kindrew of Bossardsville and Mrs Elmer Heller of Buck Hill.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 2 P.M. at the Mountainhome Methodist Church in charge of the pastor the Rev. Milliard R. Meredith, assisted by the Rev. T.M. VanVleck of Cresco and interment will be in Mountainhome Cemetery

To simplify the hardy /Harrison question; Mary Jane and Barbara Everett daughters; Kate and Daisy marry Harrison brothers, making them cousins and sister in laws. That’s enough to make your head spin.

I also want to add this these families spent a lot of time together, as evident even today, the family is still getting togather. It has been a very large genealogy mystery for me in many lines but these are the ones I am currently working. Im always looking for help, as in concrete proof. The parents Rachel Howey??? The Howey line has been extensively gone over and no luck on this John Howey. I have looked for the parents of Elijah Strunk???? He used the surname of Ace for 30 years even my own grandfather was not sure of their sur name along with the federal government. And William Harrison who where his parents. There is large holes in the parents of John Hardy also.

https://www.poconorecord.com/obituaries/20181207/margaret-e-hardy

http://portertownship.net/history.htm