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She married Levi Christner (1817-1882), son of Peter and Susanna (Burkholder) Christner. She was neither able to read or to write.

The Christners produced 11 children: Clara Clarissa Brooks, Susanna Cossell, Mary Jane Younkin, Elias Christner, Charles Christner, Lydia Ann Cossell, Rufus Christiner, Rachel Christner, Elijah Christner, Elvina Cramer and one unknown.

The 1850 federal census shows the Christners residing in Springfield Township, with Levi earning a living as a laborer. That year, the census-taker spelled the family name "Chrisner." 

The family remained in Springfield in the 1850s in Elm (today's Normalville). In 1860, Levi continued to work as a laborer. The family name was misspelled in the census as "Crisaner" that year.

Catherine may have passed away during the decade of the 1860s. Some evidence suggests that she died in or before 1862.

Levi relocated the family to Pennsville, Bullskin Township, Fayette County. He then married Mary Warrick (1822- ? ) in Bullskin Township.

In 1870, the census records list Levi and Mary and his children residing in Bullskin, with his occupation shown as farm laborer. 

Levi has not yet been located in the 1880 census. He is reputed to have died on Nov. 4, 1882, with his estate administered in Fayette County. This needs to be confirmed.

Mary's fate is not yet known.

~ Daughter Clara Clarissa (Christner) Kooser Brooks ~

Daughter Clara Clarissa Christner (1839-1918) was born on June 13, 1839 (or 1841). She lived at home with her parents in 1860.

Clara's first husband was John A. Kooser (1825-1885). They were 15 years apart in age. He is not to be confused with John R. Kooser, son of Samuel and Sarah (Kern) Kooser of Somerset County, who wed Clara's distant cousin Susanna Long.

Their six known children were Ella Nevada Kooser, William F. Kooser, Isaac Kooser, Catharine "Kate" Johnston and Margaret "Maggie" Herwick. 

When the federal census was enumerated in 1870, the Koosers lived in or near Mill Run but obtained their postal mail at Elm (today's Normalville). John's occupation was as a miller. Among their neighbors were the family of shoemaker Leonard and Elizabeth (Eicher) Harbaugh Jr. and their sons Allen Edward Harbaugh ("The Mountain Poet") and Ulysses Grant Harbaugh. 

In 1880, they resided in the village of Mill Run, Fayette County, where John continued to earn a living operating a grist mill. He also raised livestock, and the Mill Run column of the Connellsville Keystone Courier reported on Feb. 25, 1881 that "John A. Kooser butchered five nice porkers on Tuesday."

John passed away on Nov. 26, 1885, at the age of 60. The cause of his death is not known.

Clara remained a widow for nearly six years and lived in Mill Run. Then on Oct. 11, 1891, at the age of 52, she married her second husband, 55-year-old widower George W. Brooks (1835-1914). Rev. C.R. McCullough officiated at their wedding.

A farmer, George was the son of Joseph and Dorothy (Basinger) Brooks, and his former wife Hannah (King) Brooks had died on July 20, 1890. George brought a dozen adult children of his own to the marriage -- among them Alexander Brooks, Wilson Brooks, Mrs. L.T. Gilbert, Mrs. Norman Kennell, Mrs. H.L. Krepps, Mrs. David H. Klick, Charles K. Brooks, Mrs. Jacob Friend and Walter Brooks.

During the Civil War, George had served with the 16th Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company B, rising to the rank of captain. He is known to have seen action at Gettysburg, with his name inscribed on the Pennsylvania Monument. He was wounded twice, first at Harper's Ferry where he was struck in the right shoulder. The second wound was on Feb. 6, 1865 at the Battle of Hatcher's Run, VA. He received an honorable discharge on July 24, 1865 and returned home.

Immediately after the war ended, he began receiving a military pension as compensation for his debility. [Invalid App. #93.281 - Cert. #54823] His payments eventually totaled $204 per year.

They enjoyed 13 years of married life in Mill Run in a house along today's Route 381 later owned by a cousin of Clara's, Ralph and Leola (Skinner) Miner, located across from Colborn's Garage. George earned a living in Mill Run as a notary public and helped to operate his new wife's gristmill and feed and flour store. He also was an auctioneer who "called sales all over the country," said a lengthy profile in the 1975 softcover book Brooks Family History which chronicles the descendants of John and Mary Brooks.

George became senile as he aged and also endured chronic cystitis. He died at the age of 79 on Nov. 18, 1914. Burial was in Normalville Cemetery. The Connellsville Daily Courier published an obituary saying he had "enlisted at the outbreak of the Civil War and served until it closed." At his death, his longtime friend, the "Mountain Poet" Allen Edward Harbaugh of Mill Run, penned this eulogy, reading:

Victorious, O, my Captain, thou 
Unvanquished by the foe; 
While we are here, we shed the tear, 
Thou art crowned in Heaven, we know.

Clara lived for another three years. In October 1915, she began receiving her husband's military pension.

Having suffered for two years from a reduced flow of blood in the heart (mitral insufficiency), Clara died on New Year's Day 1918 in Springfield Township, at the age of 78. Her remains were laid to rest in Mill Run. Mrs. J.P. Johnson of Mill Run was the informant on her death certificate.

Some 56 after George's death, in 1970, he was profiled at length in the book A History of Mill Run, published by the Socialite Club of Mill Run. The book states that in working at the Kooser grist mill, George "eventually became acquainted with the boss's daughter, Clara Kooser, and married her," but this is somewhat erroneous as at the time he was employed there, she was the boss's "wife."

Chapter about George in the 1970 book A History of Mill Run

Daughter Ella Nevada "Ellen" Kooser (1859-1938) was born on Dec. 12, 1859 (or 1860 or 1861) in Mill Run. On Nov. 17, 1887, in a ceremony held at West Newton, Fayette County, the 28-year-old Ellen married 49-year-old Civil War veteran and widower Thomas Gordon Herwick (July 31, 1838-1915), the son of Robert S. and Eliza (Gove) Herwick and a native of Little Falls, Fayette County. Rev. James A. Miller performed the nuptials, held at the home of the groom's sister, Martha (Herwick) Hornbeck. The bride was 19 years younger than the groom, and at the time, he lived in Perryopolis, Fayette County. He stood 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighed 130 lbs., and had a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. Thomas' first wife, Malinda Sisley ( ? -1885), had died on March 20, 1885, and he thus brought five children to the marriage -- Robison A. Herwick, Lewis Sisley Herwick, Olive May Blakey, Cora P. Lynch and Thomas Walter Herwick. Ellen and Thomas established their own residence in Connellsville and remained there for decades, with an address of 1010 South Pittsburgh Street. The Herwicks went on to have these offspring of their own -- Orrel Rayburn "Rube" Herwick, Frank Y. Herwick, Elta Claire Sheeley, Mattie Herwick, Harold J. Herwick, Birdella Kepner and Kathryn Carney. Dr. Catherine Wakefield, M.D., was the family's physician and attended Ella in the birth of their youngest daughter in 1900.

During the war, Thomas was drafted into the Union Army and enrolled in Pittsburgh on Aug. 12, 1863. He served in Capt. Samuel Griffith's company of Pennsylvania Drafted Militia. He was discharged honorably on May 13, 1864. On March 31, 1865, Thomas re-enlisted in the army at Greensburg, Westmoreland County, PA. He was assigned to the 110th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company G. While on a march from Burksville Junction to Richmond, VA the first week of June 1865, he contracted what he called a "disease of head." With the Confederate surrender in April 1865, Thomas only served on active duty for a few weeks. He received an honorable discharge in Washington, DC on June 28, 1865.

On Aug. 31, 1889, he was awarded a military pension as compensation for his wartime ailments. He claimed he suffered from sensitive eyes, vertigo and a "roaring in head." [Invalid App. #726.003 - Cert. #562.819]  A number of the Herwicks' relatives and friends signed affidavits in support of his pension claim, among them his brother Joseph, her former Mill Run neighbors Willis D. Colborn and Grant Dull -- Connellsville neighbors Matilda Kooser and Maude Parkhill -- and Perryopolis neighbors Sarah J. Goe and William Patterson. Thomas earned a living as a carpenter, while Ellen was considered a "widely known resident of Connellsville," said the Connellsville Daily Courier. In about 1905, the Borough of Connellsville graded and paved South Pittsburgh Street in front of the Herwicks' home. In the process, a depression of soil was left directly in front of their property, causing rainwater to gather and in one instance washed away some of the walls of the dwelling. Other times, the accumulated water became stagnant and threw off a foul odor. Ellen filed a lawsuit against the Borough to recover what she claimed as $2,000 in damages, with her name appearing in a headline in the Connellsville Weekly Courier. Circa 1909, a tragedy occured at the Herwicks' home with Wilbur Atkins, age 71, a maintenance man at the Sligo Mills, was killed when he fell into a 10-foot-deep trench or embankment in their yard. An inquiry ruled out the possibility of foul play or robbery, and the county coroner said he felt the cause was "shock and exposure," said the Uniontown Morning Herald. Toward the end of his life, Thomas received monthly pension payments of $20. He never really knew the precise date of his first wife's death until very late in his life. Ella once wrote: "My husband was very poor scholar and I have seen him figure different times on these dates, but he would never take my advice and get some one to do the figuring, until just the month before he died, Mrs. Cora Lynch, his daughter to his first wife, was here on a visit, to her father, when they got talking about the dates, then his daughter and him got together and she figured out that the right year was March 20, 1885." Thomas was burdened with chronic kidney disease and hardening of the arteries, which led to a deadly uremia infection. He died at the age of 76 on April 2, 1915. His remains were interred in Mount Washington Cemetery near Perryopolis, Fayette County. After Thomas' passing, Ellen applied for and received his pension. [Widow App. #1.045.676 - Cert. 798.679] She continued to dwell in Connellsville and then, when her health began to fail, she moved to Scottdale, Westmoreland County, PA, to be closer to her married daughter Birdella Kepner. She suffered a stroke on March 22, 1938 and died a day later in the Kepners' home at the age of 76 on March 23, 1938. Burial was in Mount Washington Cemetery, following funeral services held at the Kepner residence. An obituary in the Daily Courier noted that her survivors included 16 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. In years to follow, Thomas' death was noted at anniversary intervals by the Daily Courier column "Out of the Past - Today in Local History from the Courier Files."

• Grandson Orrell Rayburn "Rube" Herwick (1881-1968) was born three days after Christmas 1881 in Connellsville. After high school, he attended Douglas Business College in Connellsville and learned the printing trade. He initially found work with the Kooser brothers and on Jan. 10, 1900 joined the International Typographical Union and later was elected president of Connellsville Local 321. He told friends that he learned to operate a linotype machine only after being trained to set newspaper type by hand. Circa 1900-1905 worked as a linotype operator for the Connellsville Daily News newspaper. On Feb. 22, 1905, he eloped to Cumberland, MD to marry Lena Floyd Port ( ? - ? ), daughter of Lewis W. Port of Tenth Street in Connellsville. Lutheran minister Rev. Mann officiated at the nuptials. Their wedding coincided with the national anniversary of George Washington's Birthday. They had two sons -- Dr. Robert P. Herwick and Donald F. Herwick in addition to a stillborn son in April 1919. Over the years, he also worked briefly with the Niles (OH) Times, Connellsville Weekly Courier, Pittsburgh Dispatch and Pittsburgh Post. Orrell in 1907 served as manager of a local baseball team known as the "Typos." In 1932, he was a member of the orchestra of the First Methodist Protestant Church. Their longtime address was 1012 South Pittsburgh Street in Connellsville. He helped manage the Daily Courier's job printing department and was a machinist as well with the business. The final dozen years of his career were spent as a printer with Connellsville Printing Company which was purchased by J. Richard Carpinelli.
  
  Perhaps Orrell's most notable accomplishment, which brought him fame, were his six decades as a football referee and track official, spanning 1900 to 1960. He also officiated Central League basketball games. Reported the Daily Courier, "In one [football] game he started as the referee and ended by playing halfback during the second half." He was a member of the Connellsville Fifth Ward election board for more than four decades, a member of the Connellsville Military Band and the 110th Infantry Band. He was an organizer of the Connellsville Tennis Association, where he served as president and enjoyed watching matches held at the corner of Washington Avenue and South Pittsburgh Street. Over the years, the Herwicks made a habit of going out of town to celebrate their wedding anniversary, once going to Madison, WI where their son Robert was a college student, but more often going somewhere for dinner in Western Pennsylvania. They are known to have attended the New York World's Fair in 1940. The Herwicks celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in February 1945, and the Daily Courier published an article about their annual tradition. Orrel died at the age of 86 on Feb. 16, 1968 as a patient in Connellsville State General Hospital. His death was front-page news in the Daily Courier.

Great-grandson Dr. Robert P. Herwick (1907-1973) was born in about 1907. He married Hazel Hendrickson ( ? - ? ) and had one son, Robert P. Herwick Jr. He received his medical degree from Rush Medical College, his LLB degree from Georgetown University and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. He also was a professor of pharmacology at George Washington University. Circa 1945, he served as chief of the Drug Division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Washington, DC. In the 1950s and '60s, he lived in Glenview and Basking Ridge, IL, near Chicago. He was medical director for pharmaceutical firms including Baxter Laboratories and the Whitehall Company. He retired in 1968 as medical director of Ethicon. Robert died on Aug. 8, 1973 in Basking Ridge. His remains were placed into repose in the Basking Ridge Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Circa 1973, son Robert Jr. was stationed in Omaha, NE with the U.S. Air Force.

Great-grandson Donald F. Herwick ws a a production manager for the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in East Pittsburgh. He dwelled in Austin, TX in 1961-1973.

• Grandson Frank Y. Herwick (1888- ? ) was born on Dec. 9, 1888 in Perryopolis, Fayette County. He obtained work as a fireman (railroad?) as a young man. At the age of 24, on Nov. 4, 1913, he was united in holy wedlock with Mayme Stillwagon ( ? - ? ), daughter of coal miner A.P. and Elizabeth (Zimmerman) Stillwagon of Bullskin Township north of Connellsville. Rev. R.C. Wolf performed the ceremony. They resided in the late 1930s in Connellsville and remained there circa 1971 at the address of 1018 Aetna Street. They had one son, Ralph Herwick, who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II.

• Granddaughter Elta Claire Herwick (1890- ? ) was born on Nov. 5, 1890. She married Ralph E. Sheeley ( ? - ? ). In 1938, they dwelled in the Mount Oliver section of Pittsburgh. Elta was still living in 1917 when mentioned in the Orlando (FL) Sentinel obituary of her sister Birdella Kepner.

• Granddaughter Mattie Herwick (1893- ? ) was born on New Year's Day 1893.

• Granddaughter Birdella Herwick (1896?-1971) was born on Aug. 13, 1896 in Connellsville. She was joined in wedlock with Charles Raymond Kepner (1917-1968), son of Jacob and Ida (Sweitzer) Kepner of Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, PA. They had a daughter and son -- Lois Rintz and James E. Kepner. Their home in 1938 was at 510 Eleanor Avenue in Scottdale, Westmoreland County, PA. Birdella was a member of the Order of Eastern Star of Scottdale. An Army veteran of World War I, Ray was the longtime owner and operator of Kepner Motor Company. He was active in the community as a member of the American Legion, Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, Scottdale Rotary Club. After retirement, the Kepners relocated in about 1950 to Florida, making their home in DeLand. Their address was 275 East Stetson Avenue. There, Ray belonged to the American Legion post and they jioned the Deland Methodist Church. On Jan. 21, 1966, they endured the heartache of the death of their son James. Ray passed away in Deland's Fish Memorial Hospital at the age of 71 on July 1, 1968, with an obituary appearing in the Connellsville Daily Courier. Birdella survived her husband by three years. She succumbed in Deland at the age of 75 on Dec. 6, 1971. An obituary in the Orlando Sentinel noted that she had "been a resident of DeLand for 21 years" and that she was survived by five grandchildren.

• Anchor Hocking, Connellsville

  Grandson Harold J. Herwick (1898- ? ) was born on June 30, 1898. On July 12, 1919, in a ceremony held in Pittsburgh, Harold wedded Leila Rooney ( ? - ? ). Rev. Leon Stuart led the nuptials. The couple's children were Martha Jane McCormick, Thomas Herwick, Donald Herwick, David Herwork and Betty Lou Herwick. They made their home in 1931-1971 in Connellsville, with an address in later years of 1010 South Pittsburgh Street. Harold was employed for 21 years as production supervisor of the Anchor Hocking Corporation plant 15 in South Connellsville, retiring on New Year's Eve 1964. The family were members of the Wesley United Methodist Church, with Leila serving on its board. She also was active with the Order of Eastern Star, Woman's Auxiliary of World War I Veterans and was president of the Woman's Culture Club of Connellsville. On July 12, 1969, the Herwicks celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a garden party and were pictured in the Connellsville Daily Courier. Those helping at the party were Mrs. Earl Lawson of Pompano Beach, FL; granddaughter Mrs. Vane McCormick Jr. of Home, PA; and Mrs. Harry Forrest, Mrs. Chris C. DeLisio, Mrs. Royden Loucks, Mrs. William Cross, Mrs. James Pyle, Betty Pyle, Mrs. Quay P. Herwick, Mrs. Robert McClure, Mrs. Filceer Soisson and Mrs. Charles Umbel.

Great-granddaughter Martha Jane Herwick wedded Vane McCormick Sr. Their home in 1969 was in Columbus, GA.

Great-grandson Thomas Herwick resided in Miami, FL.

Great-grandson Donald Herwick dwelled in Miami, FL.

Great-grandson David Herwick lived in El Paso, TX.

Great-granddaughter Betty Lou Herwick made her residence in Pittsburgh in 1969.

• Granddaughter Kathryn Herwick (1900- ? ) was born on Dec. 2, 1900. She was wedded to W.C. Carney ( ? - ? ). She lived in Connellsville in the late 1930s with an address of 126½ North Pittsburgh Street.

• Step-grandson Robison A. Herwick (1862- ? ) was born on Dec. 5, 1862.

• Step-grandson Lewis Sisley Herwick (1866-1939) was born on May 16, 1866 in Perryopolis, Fayette County. He was a hardware merchant and operated his own store in Hazelwood near Pittsburgh. Lewis married Anna Birdie Goe ( ? - ? ). The couple produced two daughters, Grace Burt and Mrs. L.S. Kelso. Their address in 1939 was 4159 Windsor Street in Squirrel Hill. Stricken with heart disease, hypertension and hardening of the arteries, as well as senility, Lewis died at the age of 73 on Oct. 17, 1939. Burial was in Pittsburgh's Homewood Cemetery. An obituary was printed in the Connellsville Daily Courier and also in the Uniontown Morning Herald. Their daughter Grace married Lorin D. Burt and died of brain cancer at the age of 55 on Feb. 26, 1944.

• Step-granddaughter Olive May Herwick (1869- ? ) was born on Nov. 4, 1869. She married George Blakey ( ? - ? ). Their residence in 1915 was Hazelwood near Pittsburgh and in 1938 was Pittsburgh.

• Step-granddaughter Cora P. Herwick (1873?- ? ) was born on Oct. 8, 1873. She was age 11 when her mother died, was present at the death and attended the funeral. At the age of 19, on Jan. 18, 1893, she was joined in matrimony with 21-year-old laborer Albert C. Lynch (1871?- ? ), a resident of Perryopolis, Fayette County and the son of Howard and Sarah Lynch. The ceremony was led by Rev. Thomas N. Boyle in Uniontown, Fayette County. Circa 1913, the family made their home in Mahoningtown Station near New Castle, Lawrence County, PA. The Lynches later relocated to Erie, Erie County, PA and lived there in 1938.

• Step-grandson Thomas "Walter" Herwick (1877-1917) was born on June 24, 1877. He married Jean McKee ( ? - ? ), and they had one daughter. Their home was at 4127 Winterburn Avenue in the Greenfield neighborhood of Pittsburgh. There, Walter earned a living as a clerk with the National Tube Company of McKeesport, a division of United States Teel. He also served as treasurer of the Greenfield Presbyterian Church, was secretary of the Hazel Glen Lodge of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics and belonged to the Joppo Lodge Masons. Sadness enveloped the family in the late summer of 1917 when Walter, age 40, contracted an incurable case of pneumonia. He died on Sept. 16, 1917. His remains were lowered into repose in Homewood Cemetery. Obituaries were printed in the Pittsburgh Daily Post and Pittsburgh Gazette Times.

U.S. Steel's sprawling National Tube mill, where Walter Herwick was employed

Son William F. Kooser (1862-1938) was born in about 1862. At the age of 17, living in Mill Run, he served as the local federal postmaster. William married Matilda Jane McCoy ( ? - ? ), a native of Normalville, Fayette County and the daughter of A.H. and Susan (Barnes) McCoy. They produced three children -- Eleanor "Maude" Parkhill, Blanche Fowler and a son. Upon marriage, William accepted a position as bookkeeper for the H.C. Frick Coke Company at the Leisenring No. 1 coal mine. He held this "for a short time," said the Connellsville Daily Courier, and circa late 1880s or early 1890s relocated to Connellsville, where he became a job printer in partnership with his younger brother Isaac. They remained in the city for 48 years. Circa 1901, he founded Fayette Publishing Company in partnership with W.H. Begley, with their offices in the Odd Fellows Building on East Crawford Avenue in Connellsville. He bought a new printing press and there produced the Fayette Republican newspaper. Circulation grew, especially in the outlying townships. The company was sold in about 1906 to The People's Tribune, a prohibitionist newspaper, and the operation was moved to Uniontown. The Kooser printing business continued in some way to the 1920s. William and Matilda relocated to New Brighton, Beaver County, PA, where William continued his trade as a printer. Their address in the 1930s was 1324 Fifth Avenue. In about 1936, William began suffering from an enlarge prostate. He was admitted to the Beaver Valley General Hospital, where he passed away on Jan. 21, 1938, at the age of 75. His remains were returned to Mill Run for burial. In an obituary, the Courier noted that "An old newspaper man passed on Friday...." Matilda survived her husband by about two years. Afflicted with heart asthma for years, her heart failed and she died at age 74 on June 20, 1940.

• Granddaughter Eleanor "Maude" Kooser (1887-1956) was born on Jan. 11, 1887. She married John M. Parkhill (1881-1960) of Connellsville, the son of David M. and Sarah (Patterson) Parkhill. They had two children -- Mrs. Vernard Bosworth and Donald Parkhill. In 1938, they lived in New Brighton, Beaver County, PA, where John was employed as a clerk by the Townsend nail mill of Fallston, a firm producing rivets, wire and fastener equipment. Circa 1956, their residence was in the Patterson Heights section of Beaver Falls, Beaver County. Having endured hardening of the arteries for about a decade, Maude was stricken with a heart attack and succumbed at home on May 8, 1956. Rev. T.M. Scott officiated at the funeral and burial in New Brighton's Grove Cemetery. John suffered from Parkinson's Disease and died of a heart attack two days after Christmas 1960. Interment was in Grove Cemetery.

Townsend nail mill in Fallston, Beaver County

• Granddaughter Blanche Kooser (1888-1977) was born on Dec. 5, 1888 at Leisenring No. 1. On Nov. 12, 1919, at the age of 31, she was wedded to George T. Fowler ( ? - ? ), son of Charles and Alice (Bowles) Fowler. They produced two daughters -- Wilma Keffer and Ruth Tindell. They made their home in Scottdale, PA from 1920 to 1974. She worked for Bell Telephone Company and was a member of the Trinity United Methodist Church of Scottdale and the Order of Eastern Star of Scottdale. George is believed to have been a stamp collector and in 1962 was elected president of the Fay-West Philatelic Society. The Fowlers later moved to Texas so they could be closer to their married daughter Ruth Tindell, and in 1975 dwelled in Abilene. On Nov. 12, 1976, the couple celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. Blanche died in Golden Age Home in Brownsville, Fayette County at the age of 88 on May 19, 1977.

Son Isaac N. Kooser (1869-1950) was born on March 13, 1869 in Mill Run. He moved to Connellsville and learned the printing trade, opening a job printing business with his brother Will, known as Kooser Bros. They maintained the business for several decades until about 1901, when Isaac relocated to Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH, where he found employment with the Ben Franklin Printing Company of Akron. He focused his work on job printing and spent the remaining 20 years of his life. Isaac married Alice Francis ( ? - ? ). The couple produced one son, Charles Kooser. In August 1918, Isaac returned to Connellsville after an absence of 17 years, "spending the week with relatives," said the Connellsville Daily Courier, " and renewing old acquaintances." Circa 1950, he made his home at 4815 Franklin Avenue in Cleveland. Suffering from hypertension and heart disease, he was admitted to Cleveland City Hospital. he died there at the age of 81 on June 7, 1950. His remains were shipped to Mill Run for interment in the Indian Creek Baptist Cemetery.

• Grandson Charles Kooser resided in Kittanning, Armstrong County, PA in 1950.

Daughter Catharine "Kate" Kooser (1872- ? ) was born in 1872. She was united in wedlock with (?) Johnston. Circa 1950, Kate lived in Mill Run.

Daughter Margaret "Maggie" Kooser (1875- ? ) was born in April 1875 in Mill Run. She lost her father when she was 10 years old, and Isaac Prinkey was assigned as her legal guardian. When she was 19 years of age, on Nov. 1, 1894, she was joined in holy matrimony with 23-year-old Walker F. Herwick (1870-1937), son of Joseph and Catharine (McClay) Herwick. Rev. E.A. Zeek performed the nuptials at Mill Run. At the time, Maggie dwelled in Mill Run and Walker in nearby Stewarton, where he earned a living as a railroad laborer. They had five children, Mildred Whaley, Ella Broda, Margaret Mickey, Clara Herwick, Walker Herwick and Robert A. Herwick. Shortly after marriage, in about 1895, Walker obtained employment with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in Connellsville. He rose over time to the position of conductor in the yards. He was a 40-year member of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, and in 1937 received a gift of a jeweled button from the union at a dinner at the First Presbyterian Church. Walker served on the board, and Maggie volunteered on a committee of the Royal Circle Class of the First United Brethren Church of Connellsville -- among the other Circle members was Clara (Jeffrey) Younkin, wife of Connellsville mayor Ira David Younkin. Their address in the 1930s was 797 Franklin Avenue, Connellsville. On or about Nov. 29, 1937, Walker was hurt at work when he sustained an injury to a finger on his right hand, and it became infected. He fell into a diabetic coma. Lingering there for about two weeks, he succumbed in Connellsville State Hospital on Dec. 1, 1937, just one day after his 67th birthday. Burial was in the Indian Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Mill Run, with Rev. Elmer A. Schultz officiating at the funeral and burial. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier noted that six grandchildren survived him. Margaret lived for many years as a widow. She observed her 7th birthday in April 1950 with a family dinner at the home of her married son Walker W. Herwick. Said the Daily Courier, "Covers were laid for twenty at a large table centered with a low bowl containing red and yellow roses. On the table also was a three-tier birthday cake, frosted in pink and green and inscribed 'Happy Birthday.' The delicacy was baked by a daughter of the honoree, Mrs. T.H. Mickey."

• Granddaughter Mildred Herwick ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). She married J. Howard Whaley ( ? -1961), son of Freeman and Olive (Miller) Whaley of Everson, Fayette County. In about 1931, the Whaleys relocated to Akron, OH, where he was employed by the Goodyear Rubber Company. The couple had two chilren -- Robert Whaley and Ina Rubb. At the age of 60, on Oct. 25, 1961, Howard died unexpectedly at home. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier reported that burial was in Akron. At the time, their son resided in Cleveland and their daughter in California.

• Granddaughter Ella Herwick (1901-1940) was born on Jan. 6, 1901 in Connellsville. At an early age she joined the First United Brethren Church. She was wedded to Henry A. Broda ( ? - ? ). They did not reproduce. She and Henry may have separated by 1940, with him making his home at 3390 Webster Avenue and she on Pittsburgh's North Side at the address of 503 Arch Street. Sadly, Ella contracted hepatitis in about 1937 and endured it for three years. As the illness became acutely toxic, she was admitted to Pittsburgh's Allegheny General Hospital and died there on June 26, 1940, at the age of 39. Her remains were driven back to her mother's home in Connellsville where funeral services were led by Rev. Elmer A. Schultz of the First United Brethren Church. Burial was in the Indian Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Mill Run, and an obituary was printed in the Connellsville Daily Courier, saying that she "was well known here."

• Granddaughter Margaret Herwick ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). On Sept. 30, 1930, she was joined in matrimony with  Theodore H. "Ted" Mickey ( ? - ? ), son of Mack Mickey of Connellsville. Officiating at the ceremony was Rev. Dr. Elmer A.R. Schultz, held at the United Brethren Church on Lincoln Avenue. They produced these four known children: Alice "Jean" Mickey, Donald Mickey, Robert Mickey and Joanne Bittner. In 1937, their home was in Connellsville, and their address circa 1970 was 135 West Crawford Avenue. Theodore was employed for years as chief clerk of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Connellsville. He belonged to the Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie 493 in Connellsville. Margaret was a member of the Otterbein Guild of the First United Brethren Church which later became the Otterbein United Methodist Church. She also belonged to the Lee Etta Lodge of the Ladies Auxiliary of the United Transportation Union, the Ladies Auxiliary to the Eagles and the Eagles bowling league. They enjoyed spending vacations in Akron, OH at the home of Margaret's sister Mildred Whaley. The couple celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in October 1970 with an open house reception at the home of their married daughter Joanne Bittner in  Connellsville. In reporting on the event, the Connellsville Daily Courier said that 150 guests "attended the reception and showered the honored couple with many gifts, including money. A buffet luncheon was served, including a four-tier anniversary cake. The decorations were carried out in ruby and white. Wedding bells from the ceiling were the central theme." One of the guests was the clergyman who had performed their nuptials four decades earlier. The Mickeys' endured heartache when their daughter Joanne, age 39, died at Frick Community Hospital in Mount Pleasant on May 1, 1974, leaving behind her husband Donald Bruce Bittner and six children -- Donald T. Bittner, Thomas R. Bittner, Jeffrey A. Bittner, Vanessa D. Bittnere, Peggy Ann Bittner and Linda Jo Bittner.

• Granddaughter Clara C. Herwick was (1896-1973) was born in about 1896 in Connellsville. Interested in a future as an educator, she took her certification examination in July 1917 at the South Side School in Connellsville. One of the other prospective teachers also taking the test that same day was a distant cousin, Kathryn Miner of Mill Run. Clara did not marry and was employed as a school teacher and principal at Owensdale, Fayette County in 1936-1950. While attending a picnic at Point Marion, PA in August 15, Clara broke her left foot in three places during an accidental fall. "As she went down," said the Connellsville Daily Courier, "her foot slipped to the rear and the force of her weight caused a triple fracture." For decades, she dwelled in her parents' home at 797 Franklin Avenue in Connellsville. She obtained additional education at California (PA) State Teachers College in the summer of 1938. Circa 1950, she served on the Connellsville Recreation Board with responsibility for arts and crafts instruction at the Franklin Avenue playground, and her name was included in a "Playground Trails" brochure distributed by the city. She retired from teaching in 1961 following nearly 50 years of work in Connellsville and surrounding schools. She died at the age of 77 the day after Christmas 1977. Burial was in Indian Creek Baptist Cemetery in Mill Run, with Rev. Dr. Elmer A.R. Schultz officiated with help from Rev. George Shultzabarger.

• Grandson Walker W. Herwick made his residence at home in 1937. He married (?) and in 1950 lived at 910 Aetna Street in Connellsville. Their known children were Carl Herwick and Bertha Kay Herwick.

• Grandson Robert A. Herwick ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). He lived in Connellsville and worked at a.g. Hoover's Store. On Nov. 9, 1939, in a Thursday evening wedding held at the First Brethren Church in Connellsville, he was united in holy wedlock with Genevieve Goodwin ( ? - ? ), daughter of O.N. Goodwin, formerly of Connellsville who had moved to Venezuela, South America. "The wedding marked by quiet simplicity," said the Connellsville Daily Courier, it "was attended only by immediate members of the two families. Rev. Elmer A.R. Schultz performed the ceremony. The couple produced one known son, Gary Herwick. They relocated to Ohio, where Robert in the early 1940s was employed as a bonus clerk by American Magnesium Corporation. He joined the U.S. Army during World War II as a member of the headquarters technical service command in late 1944. Reported the Connellsville Daily Courier, "Rushed across the channel by plan and convoy, Pfc. Robert A. Herwick ... is now working at headquarters of air Technical Service Command in France, helping to keep America's bombers and fighters flying. Part of the vast organization which broke records before D-Day supplying the Eighth and Ninth Air Forces in their pre-invasion operations, Pfc. Herwick is diong his share to prepare the Air Forces for the final blow against Germany." The Herwicks dwelled in Berea, OH in 1950.

~ Daughter Susanna (Christner) Cossell (?) ~

Daughter Susanna Christner (1841-1894?) was born in 1841. At the age of nine, she lived under her parents' roof in Springfield Township, Fayette County.

• Granddaughter (?) Cossel ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). She married W.E. O'Donnell ( ? - ? ). In 1919, they made their home in Hazelwood near Pittsburgh.

• Granddaughter (?) Cossel ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). She married L.B. Fritz ( ? - ? ). They moved to Newton Falls, OH.

• Granddaughter Rene Cossel ( ? - ? )

• Granddaughter Anna Cossel ( ? - ? )

• Granddaughter Madalyn Cossel ( ? - ? )

• Grandson I.J. Cossel ( ? - ? ) was a member of the American Expeditionary Force during World War I and was sent overseas to France.

 

Daughter Etta Cossel (1867-1957) was born on Oct. 3, 1867 in or near Owensdale. She was wedded to John W. Cole ( ? - ? ). They lived in Connellsville. In final years, Etta's address was 69 Gibson Terrace in Connellsville. She contracted pneumonia and died in Monessen, Westmoreland County at age 89 on Jan. 10, 1957. Her remains were brought back to Connellsville to rest in Hill Grove Cemetery. Signing the Pennsylvania death certificate was Henry R. Cole of R.D. #2 Connellsville.

Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad yards, Dickerson Run

Daughter Emma Cossel (1869-1960) was born on Feb. 15, 1869 in Owensdale. On the Fourth of July 1885, Emma was joined in wedlock with Samuel Tilden Ervin (May 22, 1862-1948), the son of Thomas and Ellen  (Sheetz) Ervin of Virginia. The nuptials were held in Scottdale, led by Rev. A.J. Ashe of the Scottdale Methodist Episcopal Church. The couple produced six children -- Mrs. Lawrence Galley, Mrs. George Yothers, Mrs. Clara Rudolph, James W. Ervin, Ronald J. Irwin and one unknown. The Ervins lived in a number of southwestern Pennsylvania communities over the years as Samuel worked for the railroads. The first was at Morgan near Broad Ford, thence after a year to Owensdale, and then to Dickerson Run and McKees Rocks near Pittsburgh.They came back to Dickerson Run and then in 1903 moved to Connellsville, where they were members of the Methodist Church and their address was 321 East Crawford Avenue. Samuel at age 20 had joined the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad as a brakeman in 1882, but left a year later to work for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad, where he spent the next 11 years. He was a longtime member and one-time president of the local chapter of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen and served for four decades as treasurer of the Junior Order of American Mechanics. He returned to the B&O in 1902, which prompted the relocation to Connellsville, and ended his career as a conductor in the Connellsville railyards, retiring in March 1934 and receiving a pension. Emma and Samuel celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on July 4, 1935. A story about the event in the Connellsville Daily Courier noted that they were "one of the most widely known couples of Connellsville." The anniversary was "quietly celebrated... A prettily appointed family dinner was served at noon. All of the children but one, J.W. Ervin, who resides in Tampa, Fla., were present." Samuel died suddenly on Thanksgiving Day 1948 after returning home following dinner with his married son Ronald. Dr. LeRoy S. Cass officiated at the funeral, with burial in Dickerson Run Union Cemetery. In an obituary, the Connellsville Daily Courier said he was survived by five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Having suffered from hardening of the arteries for three decades, and hypertension for two, she fell and fractured her left hip in mid-October 1960. She was admitted to Emereson Nursing Home in Dunbar Township and died a day later, at the age of 91, on Oct. 28, 1960. Following funeral services officiated by Rev. H. Carl Buterbaugh, her remains were interred in Dickerson Run Union Cemetery.

 

• Granddaughter (?) Ervin married Lawrence Galley. They lived in the Hillcrest section of Connellsville.

• Granddaughter (?) Ervin was wedded to George H. Yothers. In 1948, their address was 615 Crawford Avenue in Connellsville.

• Granddaughter Clara Ervin was joined in matrimony with (?) Rudolph. She lived at home with her parents in 1948.

• Grandson Ronald J. Ervin dwelled on Cummings Avenue in Connellsville.

• Grandson James W. Ervin moved to Tampa, FL where he made his residence in 1948.

• Granddaughter Nellie Cossel ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). She married (?) Bertelman ( ? - ? ). In 1952, they lived in Clairton, PA.

• Granddaughter Willa Cossel ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). She married (?) French ( ? - ? ). Their residence in 1952 was in Monongahela, PA.

• Granddaughter Rhoda Cossel ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). She married (?) Shaul ( ? - ? ). Circa 1952, their home was in Jeannette, Westmoreland County, PA.

• Grandson William C. Cossel ( ? - ? ) was born in (?). He dwelled in California in the early 1950s.

Son Samuel James Cossel (1879-1939) was born on March 20, 1879 in or near Broad Ford. He married Mary Flanigan ( ? - ? ). They had one daughter. In about 1921, they relocated from Broad Ford to Homer City, Indiana County, PA, where he served as a police officer. Samuel contracted phlebitis of the right thigh and abdomen, he stopped working. Just three months later, after being stricken with an embolism, he died in Center Township, Indiana County on Sept. 14, 1939 at the age of 60. Burial was in Greenwood Cemetery near Indiana, Indiana County, and an obituary appeared in the Connellsville Daily Courier.

She married her first husband, a cousin, Jacob M. Younkin, son of John M. and Laura (Minerd) Younkin. They had one son, J. Harvey Younkin. When their son was quite young, Jacob was killed while away serving in the Civil War. Learn more about their unusual story in "The Soldier Who Had Two Widows."

Mill Run, Fayette County. Courtesy Donna Murray.

~ Son Elias Christner ~

Son Elias Christner (1843-1923) was born on Nov. 15, 1843 in Bullskin Township near Connellsville.

He married Phoebe Nicholson ( ? - ? ) of Somerset County. They had one son, Braden Hurst Christner. 

The Christners were farmers and resided near Moyer in the vicinity of Connellsville. 

Elias suffered from arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and died of a stroke at the age of 80 on July 29, 1923. Burial was in Mt. Olive Cemetery in Bullskin Township. Son Braden provided details for the death certificate. 

Son Braden Hurst Christner (1873-1935) was born on New Year's Day 1873 near Moyer in Bullskin Township. He married Ella Mefford Smith (1871-1939), daughter of Charles and Sarah (Sommers) Smith of Kittanning, PA. The couple is believed to have produced two daughters, Phoebe Strickler and Ora Louise Christner. They made their home in Connellsville, at 554 East Crawford Street. Braden began his working career as a teacher in Bullskin schools. He then obtained higher education at the Mount Pleasant Classical and Scientific Institute. Following graduation, he taught for a time and at one point was named principal of the Gibson School in South Connellsville. He then enrolled in law school at West Virginia University. Finding that law was not his passion, he became an accountant and practiced in that profession for a quarter of a century. Active in the community, Braden was a member of the Masons, King Solomon Lodge of Connellsville and Uniontown Lodge. He also belonged to the Knights Templar and was a Sunday School teacher in the First Baptist Church. Suffering from an infection of the kidneys, complicated by influenza, Braden died at the age of 62 on Feb. 1, 1935. Burial was in Hill Grove Cemetery. A lengthy obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier said he was a "well-known citizen of the community" and was "the last of the family of Elias and Phoebe Christner." Ella, burdened with heart disease, lived another four years. She died on May 4, 1939.

• Granddaughter Phoebe Christner wed (?) Strickler.

• Granddaughter Ora Louise Christner was unmarried and lived at home in 1935.

~ Son Charles Christner ~

~ Daughter Lydia Ann (Christner) Cossell ~

Daughter Lydia Ann Christner (1847-1931) was born in 1847 in Springfield Township, Fayette County or in 1851 in Bullskin Township, Fayette County. 

She wed Frederick "Fred" Cossell (1841-1913), son of Henry "Harry" and Susanna (Miller) Cossell. Said the Connellsville Weekly Courier, he "was engaged in farming nearly all his life... [He] spent about all his life in Fayette county.... [He] was a strong supporter of the Democratic party [and] was widely and favorably known in Connellsville and vicinity."

The couple had nine children. Among them were Anna Kate McGill, Ella LaRue, Josephine Newmyer, Mary Benson, Margaret Cossell, David Cossell, Harry Cossell, Charles Cossell and William Cossell. 

They were farmers and resided in Connellsville, Fayette County. The family were members of the first Baptist Church of Connellsville, where Lydia was active in volunteer church matters. 

Fred endured hardening of the arteries for a number of years. When stricken with pneumonia in the spring of 1913, his health declined and he was confined to his bed. Fred died at age 72 on April 28, 1913. Burial was in Connellsville's Chestnut Hill Cemetery. Rev. Wilbur Nelson of the First Baptist Church presided over the interment. The death was headline news in the Weekly Courier, stating "Old Resident of Town Was Born Near Bellview, Connellsville Township, 72 Years Ago." Three brothers survived and were named in the Courier obituary: Abraham of Illinois, Jacob and Kansas and Henry of Indiana.

Connellsville's Chestnut Hill Cemetery, early 1900s

 

 

In her final years, Lydia made her home with her daughter Mrs. John LaRue on Johnston Avenue in Connellsville. While on a visit to her daughter Mrs. H.C. McGill in German Township, Fayette County, and suffering from a buildup of fluids in the lungs, she died on Jan. 21, 1931. Funeral services were held in the LaRue home in Connellsville followed by burial in Chestnut Hill Cemetery. Rev. E.H. Stevens of the Baptist church officiated. Son in law H.C. McGill of Civitan Works, PA providing information for the death certificate. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier noted that she "had a host of friends."

 

Daughter Josephine Cossell (1874-1961) was born on March 13, 1874 in Broad Ford near Connellsville. At the age of 20, on Oct. 9, 1894, she married 24-year-old laborer James Henry Newmyer (1870-1954). He was the son of Henry and Margaret (Gott) Newmyer and resided at Dawson, Fayette County. Rev. George W. Sherrick officiated. In the 1930s through the 1950s, they lived in Pittsburgh, with an address in 1954 of 4837 Second Avenue. They had one known son, Fred H. Newmyer. James was employed for many years as a stationery engineer with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Sadly, James died at age 83 on St. Patrick's Day 1954 from the effects of hardening of the arteries. His remains were brought back to Connellsville for interment in Chestnut Hill Cemetery. As a widow, Josephine returned to Uniontown, making her home at 47 South Gallatin Avenue. There, she was a member of the Uniontown Baptist Church. In 1960, she endured the death of her only son Fred. Lydia suffered for many years with heart and artery ailments and in late 1961 was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her health declined quickly and she died two months later on Dec. 18, 1961. Interment was in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, with Rev. O.K. Mellquist preaching the funeral sermon.

• Grandson Fred H. Newmyer (1895-1960) was born on Aug. 5, 1895 in Dawson. He married Florence Ford ( ? - ? ) but may not have reproduced. They lived in Uniontown at 214 Main Street. Fred earned a living as a machinist for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. They were members of the Great Bethel Baptist Church in Uniontown. Heartache shook the family in 1957 when Fred, age 61, suffered an aneurysm of the aorta. He was admitted to Uniontown Hospital where he apparently spent three years without recovering. He died at the age of 64 on April 30, 1960. Burial was in Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Connellsville.

Son Charles Cossell (1887-1919) was born on May 13, 1887. He married Goldie Swink ( ? - ? ) and lived in Uniontown, Fayette County. The couple produced three children. At age 32, he was felled by pulmonary tuberculosis and died on Aug. 4, 1919. In an obituary, the Connellsville Weekly Courier said that funeral services were held at the home of his married sister Ella LaRue on Johnson Avenue in Connellsville. Interment was in Chestnut Hill Cemetery. His sister Mrs. J.H. Newcomer of Pittsburgh was the informant for his official Pennsylvania certificate of death.

Daughter Anna Catherine "Kate" Cossell (1873-1949) was born on Sept. 15, 1873 near Connellsville. On June 24, 1895, when she was 22 years of age, Anna Kate married Harry C. McGill ( ? - ? ). The ceremony was held in Connellsville, officiated by Rev. J.A. Maxwell of the Presbyterian Church. Harry apparently was employed at the Civitan (?) Works circa 1931. They had six children -- Winona Hodgson, George McGill, Emma Lou McGowan Dixon, Philip McGill, John McGill and Alma Miller. Their home in the late 1940s was in McClellandtown, German Township, Fayette County, where Anna Kate was considered a "well known resident." They belonged to the McClellandtown Presbyterian Church. In June 1945, the couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary and were pictured in the June 22, 1945 edition of the Uniontown Morning Herald. Afflicted with failure of her heart and lung systems, she died at age 76 on Nov. 19, 1949. Following funeral services led by Rev. David Hunter, she was laid to eternal rest in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery. An obituary in the Morning Herald noted that she was survived by 11 grandchildren and one great-grandson.

• Granddaughter Winona McGill married Hubert Hodgson and lived in Charleroi.

• Grandson George McGill dwelled in 1949 in Belle Vernon.

• Granddaughter Emma Lou McGill was wedded twice, first to McGowan ( ? - ? ). The couple lived in McKeesport. Later, she was united in matrimony with (?) Dixon and made their home in Greenock, PA.

• Grandson Philip McGill lived in McClellandtown.

• Grandson John McGill served with the U.S. Navy as a seaman first class during World War II with activity in the Pacific Theatre. Later, he welled in McClellandtown.

• Granddaughter Alma Rose McGill worked as a young woman at the G.C. Murphy store in or near Uniontown. She married World War II veteran Charles Otis Miller ( ? - ? ). To be married, they traveled to Cumberland, Allegany County, MD and tied the knot on June 26, 1945. At the time, he was employed in the office of H.C. Frick Coke Company at the Robena Mine. In 1949, they resided in Carmichaels, Greene County.

Daughter Ella Cossell (1876-1957) was born on Aug. 4, 1876 in the coke oven community of Broad Ford near Connellsville. She married John A. LaRue and in 1913-1931 dwelled in Connellsville at 501 Johnston Avenue. Later, in the 1950s, they lived at 408 East Washington Avenue. They had two children -- Donald LaRue and Beatrice Hyatt. Ella was a longtime and active member of the Athena Temple and the First Evangelical United Brethren Church. She lived with hardening of the arteries for 10 years, and in June 1957 suffered congestive heart failure. She died at age 80 on June 5, 1957. Rev. E.I. Mankamyer officiated at her funeral followed by burial at Green Ridge Memorial Park north of Connellsville. An obituary was published in the Connellsville Daily Courier.

• Grandson Donald LaRue lived in Connellsville.

• Granddaughter Beatrice Larue married (?) Hyatt and dwelled in Connellsville.

Daughter Mary Cossell ( ? - ? ) wed J.E. Benson ( ? - ? ) and resided in Uniontown in 1913, Pittsburgh in 1931 and in Uniontown in 1961.

Daughter Margaret Cossell (1876-1938) was born on April 7, 1876. She never married and made her home for decades in Connellsville, with her final address as 204 East Crawford. She died from arteriosclerosis at the age of 62 on June 23, 1938. Burial was in Chestnut Hill Cemetery.

Son David Cossell lived in the early 1930s in Morgantown, Monongalia County, WV.

Son Harry Cossell lived in Searight, Fayette County in 1913. Later, he dwelled in Morgantown, Monongalia County, WV. In 1961, his home was in Washington, DC.

Son William Cossell made his residence in 1931 in Connellsville. At the age of 30, he lived in Brookvale, PA.

 

~ Daughter Rachel Christner ~

Daughter Rachel Christner (1850- ? ) was born in 1850.

 

~ Son Rufus Christner ~

Son Rufus Christner (1851-1925) was born in 1851. At the age of 18, he lived with his father in Pennsville, Fayette County, and earned a living as a domestic servant.

He married Lutetia Seese ( ? - ? ) and had seven children -- William Christner, Edgar H. Christner, Jessie Christner, Hattie Christner, Mrs. S.B. Howard, Edith Brown and Solomon Christner. 

They resided in Davistown in the Indian Creek Valley. 

Lutetia died first, but her details are not yet known. 

In poor health, Rufus lived with a daughter and worried about his demise. On Sept. 17, 1925, "while his daughter was outside in the garden," reported the Connellsville Daily Courier, "he secured a flobert rifle and going to the bathroom, placed it against his right temple and pulled the trigger." Death was instantaneous. Burial was in Mount Olive Church Cemetery near Connellsville.

Son William S. Christner (1873-1970) was born on Nov. 1, 1872 in Pennsville, Bullskin Township. He served in the U.S. military during the Spanish American War. Circa 1901, he worked as a bricklayer and lived in Mount Pleasant. On Christmas Eve 1901, when he was age 28, William was united in wedlock with 18-year-old Elsie M. Freeman (1883-1967). Rev. S.G. Yahn officiated. Elsie was a native of Alice Mines, Westmoreland County and at the time of marriage lived at the coal mining community of Stauffer near Mount Pleasant. They had three children, Donald R. Christner and Mrs. Thomas Shinkos. The reasons why are not yet clear, but in about 1910 the family lived in Oklahoma when their son was born. In 1920, when the federal census count was made, the Christners were back in Mount Pleasant, making their home on Washington Street, with William working as a day laborer with a local bottle works. Later, he was elected justice of the peace in Indian Head in the 1930s and '40s. He also was in charge of operations for the Laurel Hill Telephone Company which was based in the Indian Creek Valley. William was a longtime member and officer with the Colonel Crawford Camp 105 of United Spanish War Veterans in Connellsville. In 1950, they relocated to San Diego, making their home at 802 South 45th Street. Elsie passed away in San Diego on April 29, 1967. William died at the age of 97 in Edgemoor Geriatric Hospital in Santee, CA in August 1970.

• Grandson Donald R. Christner (1910- ? ) was born in 1910 in Oklahoma. He attended Somerville High School in Somerville, NJ. He married Mary E. Graham of Cleveland. Donald served as a naval warrant officer with the U.S. Navy during the Korean War circa 1951. By 1955, now a lieutenant commander, he was assigned as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea. In 1970, he lived in Spring Valley, CA.

• Granddaughter Gladys L. Christner (1902-2000) was born n Oct. 27, 1902. She is believed to have married Thomas B. Shinkos (1898-1992) and lived in National City, CA in 1970. Later, she resided in Chula Vista, San Diego County, CA. She passed away on Feb. 25, 2000 at the age of 98.

• Granddaughter Irma Christner (1904- ? ) was born in about 1904. Nothing more is known.

Son Edgar H. Christner (1876-1938) was born on Nov. 2, 1876. As an adult he made his home in Indian Head, Fayette County. He became afflicted with epilepsy in 1921 when he was 45 years of age. He was admitted to the Selingsgrove State Colony for Epileptics and remained there for the rest of his life. He died there at age 61 on Sept. 13, 1938. His remains were returned to Fayette County to rest in Mount Olive Cemetery. An obituary in the Connellsville Daily Courier reported only that he had died "of complications."

Daughter Jessie Christner (1883-1906) was born on April 5, 1883. She never married and resided in Saltlick Township, Fayette County, where she earned income with her labor. Tragically, she died mysteriously at the age of 23 on April 7, 1906. No doctor was in attendance, and no cause of death was provided. She was interred in Mount Olive Cemetery in Indian Head.

Daughter Hattie Christner (1884-1930) was born on July 26, 1884. She apparently never married, and spent her adult years doing housework in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County. Having suffered for 15 months from cancer of her bladder, she suffered a stroke on the last day of February 1930. She lingered for five days but succumbed on March 4, 1930, at the age of 46. She was placed into eternal rest in Mount Olive Cemetery.

Daughter Lucy Anna Christner (1875-1949) was born on March 7, 1875. She married Samuel D. Howard (1870-1944), son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Overly) Howard of near the Acme post office in Westmoreland County. The couple produced five children -- Burton Howard, Harold Howard, Lois Pritts, Grace Weimer and Edith Ulery. They lived for many years as farmers in Kregar, Westmoreland County and owned between 70 and 80 acres. Samuel contracted stomach cancer and died in his married daughter Edith Ulery's home on July 3, 1944 at age 74. Lucy outlived him by five years. She was treated for  hypertension for the last 10 years of her life. She suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died 12 days later on April 3, 1949, at the age of 74. She joined her husband, parents and siblings at rest in Mount Olive Cemetery. 

Ruffsdale, PA, Burton Howard's dwelling-place in the 1940s

• Son Burton Howard lived in Ruffsdale, Westmoreland County in 1944.

• Son Harold Howard in 1941 resided in Indian Head.

• Daughter Lois Howard married (?) Pritts and dwelled in Kregar.

• Daughter Grace Howard wed (?) Weimer and in the early 1940s lived in Morgantown, Monongalia County, WV.

• Daughter Edith Howard married (?) Ulery and resided in 1941 at 927 Sycamore Street in Connellsville.

Daughter Edith Mabel Christner (1878-1939) was born on April 7, 1878 in Bullskin Township. She wed John H. Brown ( ? - ? ), who brought four children to the marriage -- Arthur Brown, Mrs. Roy Wilson, Grace Newhouse and Ned Brown. Edith and John produced one son of their own, Ward Brown. In about 1899, they relocated to Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County, PA, remaining there for the next 40 years. Their address in the late 1930s was North Church Street. Felled by cardio-renal failure, Edith died at age 60 on Jan. 13, 1939. Burial was in the family plot in Brown Cemetery in Acme.

• Grandson Ward Brown lived in Mount Pleasant.

• Step-grandson Arthur Brown resided in Connellsville in 1939.

• Step-granddaughter (?) Brown married Roy Wilson and made their home in Edgewood near Pittsburgh.

• Step-granddaughter Grace Brown was wedded to (?) Newhouse and in 1939 dwelled in Massachusetts.

• Step-grandson Ned Brown in the late 1930s lived in Pittsburgh.

Son Solomon Christner ( ? - ? ) lived near Pittsburgh in 1938 and in Brownsville, Fayette County in 1939. Nothing more is known.

 

~ Son Elijah H. Christner ~

~ Daughter Elvina (Christner) Cramer ~