52 Ancestors – Josephine B. Horne (week 48 – 2015)

Amanda and Josephine Horne

Josephine B. Horne, daughter of Moses Horne and Elizabeth Larimer, was born December 14, 1864 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. She was one of eight children—Amanda Larimer Horne, Jennie Horne, Lydia E. Horne, Josephine B. Horne, Ollie Bertha Horne, George Richard Horne, and Keziah Chambers Horne. There was an eighth child, but I don’t know its sex or name. I found this child noted in 1900 census records when Elizabeth Horne was enumerated as having had eight children, five of which were living. Josephine went by Jo.

5/3/24 update: The unknown child was William Alexander Horne, born November 23, 1871, and likely died an infant. Also, Ollie Bertha Horne is incorrect. I believe her correct name to be Olean (or Olena) “Ollie” R. Horne. And Lydia's middle name is likely Etta. 

I haven’t been able to find the Horne family in 1870 census records. Jo’s brother George was born in Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania on December 1, 1869 so I expected to find them there. I ran an ancestry.com search but found nothing. Since that didn’t work I manually checked the 20 pages of Apollo census records and still found nothing. Disappointing to say the least since I need to identify the eighth child. In 1876, county land ownership maps for Apollo recorded the Horne family as living on Indiana Street in Apollo. The D. H. Williams and R. S. Cochran families were neighbors. I feel certain they were in Apollo in 1870. I just have to find them.

5/3/24 update: I finally found the Horne family in 1870 living in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The family was incorrectly transcribed as 'Worn' instead of 'Horne.' Moses Horne worked as a carpenter; his real estate was valued at $1200 and personal estate at $500. Elizabeth Horne was keeping house.

On June 26, 1880, Jo and her family lived in Apollo. Her father was a “dealer in groceries” and her mother a dressmaker. Three-year-old Jo was baptized by J. F. Murray at Apollo United Methodist Church on August 26, 1883.

On June 1, 1900, Jo was the only child still living at home in Apollo. Her father was a carpenter. Neither Jo nor her mother were working. As stated above, the census record shows that Jo’s mother had eight children, five or which were living so Jo has lost three siblings. Ollie and Jennie must have died between 1880 and 1900. Unfortunately, I can’t find a record to support that.

Jo’s father Moses died in Apollo on April 11, 1910. He was buried at Apollo Cemetery. Jo and her mother were still grieving when the census enumerator recorded both of them living alone in Apollo on April 15. Jo was a seamstress working out of her home on South Fourth Street. Jo’s mother died in Apollo on May 1, 1913. Elizabeth was buried with her husband at Apollo Cemetery. Jo’s brother George died on December 19, 1915 from a fractured skull and other injuries caused after being struck by a locomotive on the Conemaugh Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad at the West Apollo Crossing. He was buried at Vandergrift Cemetery in Vandergrift, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.

I believe this photo is of Josephine and her sister Amanda.
Would love to know if anyone agrees with me.

On January 2, 1920, Jo lived alone on South Fourth Street in a home she owned. She supported herself as a dressmaker out of her home. Jo’s sister Lydia died in Pittsburgh on October 2, 1923. She was buried at Vandergrift Cemetery.

I can’t find Jo in 1930 census records. I’ve looked through the almost 2,000 records in Pennsylvania but found nothing. Perhaps she lived in another state but I doubt that.

On April 15, 1940, Jo rented a home on North Fourth Street in Apollo, next door to George and Bertha (Smith) Athya. Bertha Athya, her niece, was the daughter of Amanda Horne Smith, Jo’s sister. The census enumerator didn’t record an occupation so she must have retired from her dressmaking business by then. After all, she was 75 years old.

Jo died of mitral stenosis at the age of 76 in Apollo on March 24, 1941. She was buried at Apollo Cemetery on March 26. She lived at 213 South Second Street in Apollo at the time of her death.

Jo was deaf and never married. She was the sister of my husband’s great-grandmother Amanda Larimer Horne Smith.

52 Ancestors – Willie Marion George (week 47 – 2015)

Willie Marion George

Willie Marion George, daughter of James England George and Gussie Annette McCarty, was born May 21, 1899 in Georgia, most likely Greene County. She was the oldest child of six—Willie Marion George, Raleigh M. George, Mary Lou George, James Otis George, Gussie O. George, and Guy Walton George. She went by Marion.

On June 12, 1900, Marion and her family lived in the Branch District of Greene County with her widowed grandfather William Harris McCarty. The census enumerator recorded her as William’s grandson, William M. George, although he put an “F” in the “Sex” column.

On April 15, 1910, the family lived on Main Street in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. Marion’s grandfather William and her uncle Hayden George lived in the home with them. Marion’s mother gave birth to a daughter, Gussie O. George, on May 12, 1910 in Greene County. Baby Gussie died on July 31, 1910 and was buried at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield. On September 19 that same year, Hayden married Lillie Della Lankford, sister to my great-grandmother Alice Beman Lankford.

Willie Marion George,
William Harris McCarthy,
and Mary Lou George
Penfield, Georgia
1910

On January 19, 1920, Marion and her family lived on Bowling Green Road in Stephens, Oglethorpe County, Georgia. She was enumerated as Willie M. George. Although Marion was 21 years old at the time, she was not working. Her father was an operator in an auto garage. Marion’s grandfather William McCarty, now 77 years old, was still living in the home with the family.

By April 25, 1930, Marion and her family had moved back to Penfield. Marion was 27 years old and not working. Three siblings were still in the home—Mary Lou, James, and Guy. Her father supported the family as a farmer with the help of James, a laborer on a farm.

Still at home at the age of 40, Marion and her family lived at Penfield and Woodville Roads in Penfield on April 13, 1940. The enumerator didn’t list an occupation for Marion. Her brother James and his wife Thelma lived in the home as well.

Marion’s father died in Greene County on August 18, 1960. Her mother died in Penfield on January 20, 1967. Both were buried at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield.


About 1972, Marion married John Wesley Herrington from Greshamville, Greene County, Georgia. She was 73 years old and this was her first marriage. I’ve been told John had been married several times before Marion but I only find a record for one wife—Willie Bea Strickland, who died in 1963. Willie must have been a common name for a woman in the late 1890’s as I see that both women had that as their first name. John died in Greene County on February 19, 1981 and was buried at Greshamville Cemetery in Greshamville with his previous wife Willie.

Marion died in Penfield on February 16, 1982. She was buried at Penfield Cemetery along with other family members. Her tombstone reads Willie Marion George and does not list her married name.

The group photo was taken on the steps of Penfield Baptist (old Mercer) Church. The third woman in the second row (center) is Marion George. Her mother Gussie is in the back row just above the left side of Marion's hat brim.

52 Ancestors – Walter Thomas McEver (week 46 – 2015)

Walter Thomas McEver

The photo of the sailor to the right is another find from my father’s house last week so I thought it appropriate to blog about him this week.

Walter Thomas McEver, son of Brice McEver and Eleanor Estelle Burnette, was born November 26, 1928 in Greensboro, Greene County, Georgia. He was the first born child of nine—Walter Thomas McEver, Lena Mae McEver, Nancy Elizabeth McEver, Mildred McEver, Roy Lee McEver, Raymond Arthur McEver, Dillard Oscar McEver, Sara Anne McEver, and Jean McEver.

On May 10, 1930, one year old Walter and his family lived in Oakland, Greene County, Georgia. His mother was 19 years old so that meant she was 18 when she had Walter. His father, age 32, was a laborer in a mill. Walter’s uncle Frank McEver and aunt Lula McEver (sister to Frank and Brice) lived next door.

On April 30, 1940, Walter and his family lived in Penfield, Greene County, Georgia. His father was a laborer in a school building. On October 20, 1948 just before his 20th birthday, Walter enlisted in the U.S. Navy.

Walter’s brother Dillard died in Henry County, Georgia on September 24, 1951. He was buried at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in McDonough, Henry County, Georgia.

After eight years of service, Walter was released from the U.S. Navy on November 16, 1956.

Walter’s mother Eleanor died in Fulton County, Georgia on April 25, 1963. His father died in McDonough on May 8, 1976. Both were buried at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in McDonough.

Walter died on January 4, 1988 of emphysema at the age of 59 in Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia. He lived in Henry County at the time of his death. Walter was buried in the family plot at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery. He never married.

52 Ancestors – Hidden Family Treasure – (week 45 – 2015)

I’m visiting family in my home state of Georgia this week and early in the week spent a day helping clear out my 89 year old Daddy’s house. He’s been living in an assisted living facility for the past two years, leaving his house sitting empty. After a recent heart-to-heart talk with my sister and his doctor, Daddy finally agreed that it was time to sell his house. I’m sure he doesn’t want to sell it but he agreed it’s time. Houses don’t like to sit empty.

Over the past 15 or so years, Daddy has been sharing family treasures with his five children so I didn’t expect to find anything special in the house. But, my sister and I came across a paper bag that had a few items of interest. Inside the bag, which was in a closet floor along with sewing items, were several letters that once belonged to his Uncle Prince Albert Burnette. One of the letters was actually written by Daddy to Uncle Prince in 1944 while he was in the Navy. While that was a treasure, the most exciting find was a tin-type photo of an elderly man and woman. Of course there was nothing on the photo to identify the couple. Why would I expect to be lucky enough to find that! But after I thought about it for a while, I remembered two pictures from a Jones family reunion that might hold a clue. In the middle of both photos sits Henry Jones and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Tuck Jones. Could the couple in the tin type be Henry and Sarah Jones—my second great-grandparents?

Tin-type photo -- could this be Sarah Elizabeth Tuck Jones and Henry Jones?

Take a close look and see what you think. Note the size of the couple. In all photos the woman is small, the man much taller. The man is wearing the same style suit with a V-neck and white shirt. The woman is wearing the same style dark blousy dress. While the woman in the tin type photo looks to have dark hair, it actually appears to be a tight fitting hat of some sort. You can see a flower on the side of her head. The man has the same white hair (although a little longer in one picture) and beard.

Uncle Prince was the son of Elizabeth Jones, daughter of Henry and Sarah Jones, so it makes sense that he would have a photo of them. Did we stumble on a hidden family treasure? Does anyone out there agree with me? I’d love to hear what others think.



Henry Jones (no. 1) and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Tuck Jones (no. 2)