William Alexander Horne

It’s always exciting to stumble upon a child you knew existed yet remained nameless. William Alexander Horne was one of those nameless individuals until a recent accidental find in my research. Born on November 23, 1871, likely in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, William was the infant son of Moses Horne and Elizabeth Larimer He was one of eight children born to Moses and Elizabeth: Amanda Larimer Horne, Mary Jennie Horne, Lydia Etta (or Enna) Horne, Josephine “Jo” B. Horne, Olean (or Olena) “Ollie” R. Horne, George Richard Horne, William Alexander Horne, and Keziah Chambers Horne. William is my husband’s 2nd great-uncle, with their nearest common relatives being his parents, my husband’s 2nd great grandparents. His sister Amanda is my husband’s direct ancestor.

I stumbled upon William while searching for his sister, Ollie. Despite numerous attempts on Ancestry.com and familysearch.org, I found no new information for her beyond what I already knew. Determined, I combed through Apollo United Methodist Church records, page-by-page, hoping to uncover any trace of Ollie as I knew her parents were members of that church. It was during this search that I spotted a child whose parents were Moses and Elizabeth Horne. The 1900 census for Apollo revealed that Elizabeth had given birth to eight children, seven of whom I had already identified. As far as I can tell, William’s family was the sole Horne household residing in Apollo at the time, so I feel certain this is the correct family, and with the discovery of William, the family puzzle was finally complete.

Apollo United Methodist Church record (page 1)

William’s baptism, witnessed by the congregation, took place on June 27, 1872, at Apollo United Methodist Church, where sprinkles of holy water by the officiating minister, C. W. Miller, marked the sacred occasion. 

Apollo United Methodist Church record (page 2)

Other than the Apollo United Methodist Church baptism record, I find nothing else to document the life of William. I can only assume he died as an infant and was buried at Riverview Cemetery in Apollo, where his parents and at least one sibling (Josephine) rest. But that is only an assumption. 

References

• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192286127/elizabeth-horne: accessed May 2, 2024), memorial page for Elizabeth Larimer Horne (12 Nov 1831–1 May 1913), Find a Grave Memorial ID 192286127, citing Riverview Cemetery, Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, USA; maintained by Danica Jack (contributor 48068126).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192286191/moses-horne: accessed May 2, 2024), memorial page for Moses Horne (6 Apr 1833–11 Apr 1910), Find a Grave Memorial ID 192286191, citing Riverview Cemetery, Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, USA; maintained by Danica Jack (contributor 48068126).
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/192285915/josephine-horne: accessed May 2, 2024), memorial page for Josephine Horne (15 Dec 1864–24 Mar 1941), Find a Grave Memorial ID 192285915, citing Riverview Cemetery, Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, USA; maintained by Danica Jack (contributor 48068126).
• U.S. Federal Census, Apollo, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, 1900.
• U.S. Federal Census, Washington, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, 1870.
• William Alexander Horne, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, U.S., Church and Town Records, 1669-2013, PA – Armstrong, Apollo United Methodist Church.