new book

new bookfeel free to share https://www.amazon.com/1840-Marriage-Extracts-Monroe-County-ebook/dp/B07MYB8PFS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548799671&sr=8-1&keywords=michelle+harrison+kintner

David John M VanWhy

While Northeast Pennsylvania braces for its first measurable snow this weekend, I wanted to get a quick look at Frutuchey Methodist Cemetery, located right off 209,. With nowhere to park, I took advantaged and had breakfast at Mullers Diner and walked over from there.

I immediately took photos of John M. VanWhy stone. It lists his wife Sarah and his son Oscar. It has no birth date or death date for any listed on the large stone. I've never run into that before. Usually, there is a birth date but not a death date.

VanWhy is a very local name, the surname can be traced back to Holland and Henry VanWhy a revolutionary war veteran The first name John… I can only imagine that is the family name so when I started to search I was happy I had his middle initial “M”. In searching, I found his real first name was David John born 15 Oct 1834 a farm labor was the son of Timothy (1796-1871) and Margaret Heisler ( 1808-1899)he married Sarah Strunk on 13 Oct 1855. Sarah born 29 April 1836 was the daughter of John C. Strunk (1806-1902) and Eleanor Hanna (1806-1866) A side note is Sarah is Don Kintners, 3rd great aunt.

They live in Middle Smithfield Township, and have children; Mahala, Rebecca, Mary, Peter, Margaret, Oscar (born 1864), Elizabeth, Lewis, William, and Hattie. Sarah dies 6 Oct. 1883 and David John follows her 07 Dec 1884.

Instagram

Find us now on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/tomb_stone_tuesday/

Elsely Cool Middaugh

Elsely (Elsa) Margaret Cool Middaugh, I have to laugh out loud to myself, some of the journeys I’m taken on with a Tomb Stone Tuesday. Elsely that’s the variant I’m going to use because that’s what’s on her gravestone. She was born 9 Jan 1807 in Luzerne Co., Pa. Her parents John C. (1783-1850) and Margaret Decker (1786-?)Cool. Her Parents were natives of New Jersey and moved to Rohrsburg, Pa. A carpenter, farmer and vendue crier (auctioneer). John and Margaret have 10 children. Elsely, William, Elizabeth, Catharine, Abram, Jacob, Andrew, Eleanor, Sarah & John.

Elsely marries David Middaugh in Luzerne Co., Pa. in 1826. They have children; Albert Brodhead, Margaret Jane, John C., Eliza Ann, and Mary Elsely, David makes a living at farming and as a shoemaker. David died on 14 Jan 1839. Elsely is 5 months pregnant with their son David. Elsely moves back to Pike County Pa, either before or after David Jr. is born in April 1839. David dies in July and is buried in the Broadhead Cemetery, Lehman Township, Pike County, Pa. Elsely dies 14 March 1842 and is buried next to her daughter Mary Elsely who dies a few days after her mother 17 March 1842. I have no information as to what happened to her or her daughter, the cause of death. The number of diseases in rural Pa in 1842 are numerous. It could have been a simple cold.

This was about Elsely but this is an interesting note on her husband David Middaugh. He has a long family line in the U.S. the spelling variations of this family name include: Middle, Middel, Midel, Mittel, Mittle, Middleho, Midelho, Mideleho, Middlehough, Midler, Middler, Midlar . In the Dutch Reformed church record, I see it as Meddag. David is the son of Levi (1776-1816) and Elsie Vangorden (1775-1855). They marry in 1794 and have 5 children; David, Maria, Jane, Eleanor, and William. Levi received land for payment for his army service in Illinois. I don’t know what becomes of the land they never live on it.. David and Elsely son John lives in Nebraska on a big farm, I haven’t done research to see if he went to Illinois first. Or maybe one of the other brothers or sisters. Elsie divorces Levi 31 March 1812 for cruel and inhumane treatment. This was obtained in Philadelphia, Pa. From the papers I read, Levi was physically assaulting her and would not leave her alone and keeps coming back to do it again. You never really think of stalkers in the 1800s but they existed even then.

Levi dies Long island NY and Elsie marries again to Moses VanGorden (1752-1838).

So she is Elsie Vangorden Middaugh Vangorden. They are both buried at the Broadhead cemetery. I would have loved to met Elsie Vangorden.

Does anyone know the Broadhead family connection? I also wanted to point out, I took these photos in 2017, just randomly took them of a cemetery that is unmaintained. So happy i could tell you their story

Moses Vangorden

Mary Alice d/o David and Elsely

David s/o David and Elsie

Death cert. Margaret Jane d/o David and Elsely

President Chester Alan Arthur

This week's Tomb Stone Tuesday is about another president.No eye rolling…. I know he is not local but when I was in NY visiting cousin Sandra and Ed, we got to see where he was buried and I wanted to share it with you.

Chester Alan Arthur was both 20th vice president and 21st president. He was born 5 October 1829. Fairfield, Vermont. The 5th of 9 children born to Malvina Strone Arthur (1802-1869) and Reverand William Arthur (1796-1875). His family emigrated to the U.S. from Northen Ireland. Chester graduated Schenectady Union College and became a teacher. In 1853 he studied the law at State and National Law School, N.Y. and read law at the office of Erastus D. Culver, he was admitted to the New York bar in 1854 and joined Culvers law firm. I was fascinated to read In a civil rights case in 1854, Arthur was the lead attorney representing Elizabeth Jennings Graham she was denied a seat on a streetcar because she was black. Chester won the case, and the verdict led to the desegregation of the New York City streetcar lines.

He married in 1859 Ellen Herndon (1836-1880)known as Nell she was born in Culpeper Court House, Virginia. The daughter of a Naval officer William Lewis Herndon and her mother Frances Hansborough. The Arthurs had 3 children; William Lewis, Chester ll and Ellen. Nell was only 42 when she died from Pneumonia. The Arthus had a strong marriage but it became strained when Nell sympathized with the Confederacy during the Civil War.

In 1861 Arthur was commissioned as a brigadier general and assigned to the state militia quartermaster department. When the war ended Arthur went back to the law and politics. The 1880 presidential election had Arthur a Republican on the ballot as vice president with James A. Garfield. After the election Arthur tried to persuade Garfield to fill a number of cabinet positions with friends, which left the president and vice president estranged. Assassin Charles Guiteau shot President Garifled 2 July, Garfield died 9 September. Arthur took the oath at his New York home on 20 September retaking it in Washington on 22 September, His sister Mary served as white house hostess. Shortly after becoming president, Arthur was diagnosed with Bright's disease, what is that you ask its a kidney disease now referred to as nephritis. He was a president that never got to win his own election.

In 1885 Arthur left office and returned to his New York City home. And returned to the law. In 1886 he became seriously ill and died 16 November. He is buried with his family at Albany Rural Cemetery, N.Y.

The monument of a female angel done in bronze is holding palm leaf. adorns his sarcophagus done by sculptor Ephramin Keyes

More Reading

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_A._Arthur

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1880_United_States_presidential_election

https://www.biography.com/people/ellen-arthur-39586

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright%27s_disease

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/chester-a-arthur

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g57241-d117000-Reviews-President_Chester_A_Arthur_s_Home-East_Fairfield_Vermont.html

https://www.history.com/news/the-assassination-of-president-james-a-garfield