Military Monday: Daniel Ashbaugh

Daniel Ashbaugh

Private Co E. 11th Pa Infantry

Daniel Ashbaugh

Feb. 14, 1832

Aug 30, 1862

Daniel was mustered in at Westmoreland County Pa. on Oct. 4, 1861 and was killed on Aug. 30, 1862 at the 2nd battle of Bull Run.

Photo from Blairsville Cemetery, Blairsville, Pa.

The Pa 11th was nicknamed the "Bloody Eleventh" at the battle of Falling Water, July 21st 1861

A total of 1,890 men served in the regiment during the war, and only 340 men were discharged at wars end.

Sundays Obituary; Albert H. Boyd

Obituary of Albert H. Boyd

Albert H. Boyd, 63, Kelly Station carpenter, died at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday in the Citizens General  hospital, New Kensington.

Death resulted from a complication of diseases. He had been in the hospital one week.

Mr. Boyd lived all his life in Kelly Station, Within a half-mile of where he was born.

Surviving are his wife, five children: Mrs. Floyd Conner, Warren, Ohio; Harry, Kittanning: Mrs. Audrey Bennett, Kittanning: Mrs. Geo. Nicholson, New Florence: Ernest, at home: four brothers: Eli, Ford City: Samuel, John and Frank, Kelly Station: three sisters, Mrs Jane Hawk, New Castle: Mrs. John Thompson, Kelly Station and Mrs. Sarah Hartman, Logansport, and 10 grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Bethel Lutheran church in charge of Rev. Walter Kennedy, pastor of the Tidal and Templeton Presbyterian churches, with burial in the adjoining cemetery.

Simpsons' Daily Leader-Times, Saturday, October 17, 1931, Page 5, Col. 5

Albert was my great-grandfather and his daughter, listed here as Mrs. Geo. Nicholson, my grandmother.

Sadly Alberts wife Catherine died just 6 weeks later on Dec.3, 1931

Albert's tombstone has his name as Alvin H. Boyd and on his obit it is Albert. Possibly he was known by different names by different family members.

Albert and Catherine are both buried in the Bethel Lutheran Church Cemetery in Ford City, Pa.

How often do you see a Presby minister doing services at another denominations church? Everyone working together back in the early-mid 1900's? Don't you love history?

Never know what youll find in a cemetery

Last years encounters

Wedding Wednesday: Simica and Jovan Dokmanovic

My maternal grandparents where married in 1905 in Pittsburgh Pa. Jovan immigrated to the U.S. from Yugoslavia in 1899 and became a miner in the Pa coal mines like so many other immigrants did.
Simica followed,  in 1904 to marry her sweetheart.(against her families wishes). The family story was that she was marrying beneath herself and he was , well nobody but a poor miner. It must have been true love.

They were married on 6th day of May 1905 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Jovan and Simica raised 8 children including my mother

Jovan Dokmanovic

Born 25 April 1880

Died 13 Aug. 1942

Simica Mervos Dokmanovic

Born 14 April 1884

Died 11 Sept. 1967

They now are resting in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant, Pa.

Tombstone Tuesday:

Very Unique, I believe it to be made of copper

Possibly hand made by a sheet metal worker

Military Monday: Samuel J. Dokmonish (The Big Red One) WW II

My Uncle Sam

Educated in the East Huntingdon Twp. Grade and High Schools. Entered the Army January 30, 1942 at New Cumberland, Pa.
Left U.S. August 2, 1942. Arrived in England August 7, 1942. Served 3 years and 4 days overseas. Was a rifleman in the U.S.Infantry.
Served in 6 major battles; Algeria, French Morocco, Tunisia, Sicily, Normandy, Northern France and the Rhineland.
Was Wounded in France July 28, 1944 and received the Purple Heart Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge with 2 Oak Leaf clusters, European African Middle Eastern Service Medal with 6 Bronze Stars.
At the time of discharge August 12, 1945 at Indiantown Gap, Pa. He was with Co. A. 16Th Infantry Regiment.(The Big Red One)
Sam was a butcher by trade before the war.

1910 FEDERAL CENSUS

Have you heard stories about your grandmother having had babies that passed away but can't find any records of them?  When piecing together members of a family a great way to find children that may have been forgotten or overlooked is to  to use the 1910 Federal Census and tombstones. On the 1910 Federal Census line number 10 asks the female/wife how many children she gave birth to and line 11 asks how many are still alive. If in between census years the deceased children could get lost.

By using the 1910 federal census for location you can search local cemeteries. When finding the correct cemetery you may find a stone like this one. This could be a great clue to unknown aunts, uncles, or cousins. Many times these children are buried close to their parents. These children would not have been enumerated on any Federal Census.

 If your lucky you might hit the mother load and a lot more information, as on this headstone:

One thing to remember is that in some cemeteries small children are buried in their  own section. The reason for this, I suspect,  is the lots would probably cost less.

Train tragedy

Sometimes when i am out photographing a cemetery i come across something that i just have to find out more about. Such is the case of the Bergs, Birdella M. and J.Lee.

After poking around in Local newspaper archives i found that the Bergs were tragically killed when there Auto was struck by a Passenger Train at Water Street in West Newton Pa.

J. LEE BERG, WIFE KILLED BY TRAIN AT WEST NEWTON

Joseph Lee Berg, 50 of Mount pleasant died of injuries and his wife, Birdella was killed instantly Sunday afternoon when the automobile in which they were riding was struck by Baltimore & Ohio passenger train No 16 at Water street, West Newton.

the full story can be found in the (Connellsville, Pa. Newspaper The Daily Courier, June 3, 1929, Page 1, Column 3)

The Bergs are buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant Pa.

This is a tragedy far to common in Small towns with railroads.