Friday, November 27, 2015

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 R. 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.

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.

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.

3 comments:

  1. Did you notice how the woman on the left in both photos is holding her hands/arms together in the same fashion, almost as if she is favoring or protecting the right one? If that is the case, I would think the woman on the left would not be Jo, the dressmaker. And, I agree. I think they are the same women.

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    1. I responded to your post but don't think I 'replied.' Wanted to make sure you saw my response.

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  2. I did notice the hands but actually, both Josephine and Amanda were dressmakers. I have a beautiful baby dress handmade by Amanda (http://denise-livinginthepast.blogspot.com/2015/06/52-ancestors-no-42-amanda-larimer-horne.html). So do you think the woman on the left in the 2nd picture is Amanda with Josephine on the right? About the first picture, I don't remember my mother-in-law telling me but she must have because I had marked the woman with the umbrella as Josephine. I wish I had someone to ask! Thanks for the comment!

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