Author: parmersancestors

A Patriotic Family and Blue Eyes

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Happy Independence Day!

Having a family connection to an event always makes it more meaningful.  Finding a connection to 1776 can be a bit tricky.  How patriotic were the Parmers?  Tracing back that far is a bit difficult for the Parmer family.  But many Parmer descendants have served in the military and defended freedom.  Samuel M. Parmer’s son, Robert E. Parmer, had six sons serve in World War I.

Robert E at war memorial

Standing from left, Robert Parmer Sr., wife Esther, son Harry, daughters Myrtle and Mary.  Sitting from left, daughter Betty, granddaughter Shirley, daughter Nancy, son Earl, and daughter Gail.  Children not pictured are Elwood, Robert Jr., Charles, Kenneth, Richard, Samuel, and Jerry.  Taken August 20, 1944 at the dedication of the original World War II memorial in Lancaster, PA.

The photo above was published in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal on May 23, 2004 with an article about Lancaster’s World War II memorial.  According to the article, “The memorial was erected to honor those from the Cabbage Hill neighborhood of Lancaster who served during the second world war.  The names of 160 men are inscribed, including nine who were killed.”  Six of Robert Parmer Sr.’s nine sons served in World War II.

In 1863, the Union instituted a draft for men ages 20-45.  John Parmer, the probable father of Samuel M. Parmer, was 46 years old at the time.

Samuel M. Parmer was 24.  He would have been required to register.  Below is what likely is his record of registration, along with his brother, Daniel.

civil war draft registration excerpt

I could not find any record of Samuel serving in the military, nor could I find any record of his children serving in the military.  However, I did find records of several of his sons’ draft registrations.  All Samuel’s sons who registered for the World War I draft did so in the third draft on September 12, 1918.  Those who registered for the World War II draft did so in the fourth registration, also known as the “Old Man’s Draft,” which was not to enlist soldiers but to determine the skills and abilities of men who could support the war effort at home.

Draft registrations are fun to look at because they have valuable family history information that is not usually found elsewhere, like physical characteristics.  Here’s what we learn from Samuel’s sons’ draft registration cards:

John Jacob and William E. were born after the Civil War ended and were past the age of the draft for the World War I.

Samuel E., World War I registration on 9/12/18, blue eyes & black hair 45 years old, lived at 542 Dauphin Street, worked as a watchman at Donovan Co., a garment manufacturer.

Harry, World War I registration on 9/12/1918, blue eyes & dark hair, 39 years old, lived at 439 E Mifflin Street, worked as boiler foreman at Lancaster Iron Works.

Aldus, World War I registration on 9/12/1918, grey eyes & black hair, 37 years old, lived at 507 Green Street, worked as an auto machinist at Queen Motor Co.

World War II registration on April 27, 1942, 5’5″ tall and 61 years old, grey eyes and grey hair, physically identifying characteristic was  a scar on the end of his index finger on his left hand.  He still lived at 507 Green street and was working at Lancaster City Water Works.

Luther, World War I registration on 9/12/1918, blue eyes & dark hair, 33 years old, lived in Coatesville, worked as a boiler maker at Midvale Steel and Ordinance Company.

World War II registration on April 27, 1942,  5’6″ tall and 56 years old, blue eyes and grey hair. Self employed and living on his farm in Londonderry  Township.

It’s interesting that many of the brothers had blue eyes and dark hair.  And they were not very tall.  I love that this information is preserved!  What do you remember that can be shared and preserved?

 

Marriages, the Minister, and the Church

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Young couples–they fall in love and get married.   Some of Samuel and Hettie’s children were married in Lancaster by Rev. D.W. Gerhard.  He served several congregations in the Lancaster area.  Excerpts of the marriage licenses shown below record the marriage taking place at 131 South Duke Street in Lancaster.  This might was likely the home of Rev. Gerhard.

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I thought it might be fun to go and walk along South Duke Street where so many of my relatives walked many years ago and where some houses that were standing way back then are still standing.  As I walked, I video taped.  Here’s the video:

https://youtu.be/UaJdBpwRtA8

 

Rev. D.W. Gerhard’s brief biography is available in the  “Biographical Annals of Lancaster County” published in 1903 and can be read by clicking here.  He was a minister for the German Reformed Church.

The German Reformed Church was formed during the Protestant Reformation when people broke away from the Roman Catholic Church.  Their teachings were influenced by Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin. The Church has gone through many changes over the years, including name changes, mergers with other churches, etc.

Were the Parmers members of the German Reformed Church?  They may have attended the German Reformed Church, or Rev. Gerhard may have been a popular minister for performing marriages.  That is yet to be discovered.

 

 

 

Of Pigs and Farms…

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One valuable resource for learning about ancestors in Lancaster is the city directories.  They were published periodically and included the address of residents as well as their occupation and, occassionally, where they worked.  They were sort of precursor to telephone books.  I don’t know if the directories were all-inclusive, meaning all households were included; so it’s possible there were families living in the area that were not included in the directories.  Nevertheless, with “Parmer” being a sort of unique surname,  the whole list of parmers is on a page or two.  I like to look at the list and see who lives with who and how their residence changes from year to year.

A 1903 city directory shows Luther, now about 18 years old, boarding at 522 Dauphin St, the home of John J. Parmer, his brother.  According to Zillow.com, the home there was built in 1900 so it would be the same home that they lived in.  You can see a picture of the home by clicking here.  It’s the home to the left of the tree, with the green chair in front.

In 1907, Luther is shown at the same address of his brother, Aldus.  In 1911, he is at the same location, but Aldus has moved.  It’s interesting to note that in the 1910 census, Luther lives with his father, Samuel M., who the census notes owns the home.  Yet Samuel is not listed in the city directory for either 1907 or 1911.

Over the years, Luther worked at several jobs, including those listed below from the city directories:

1903   Cork maker

1907   Works at cork factory

1910   Salesman at a feed store (from census record)

1911   Driver

1913   Warp hanger

1916  Warp hanger

1917   Boiler maker

Sometime after 1917, he may have gotten tired of city life because he moved to the country and worked on a farm.  A photo of the home where he lived is shown below.  When he lived there, it likely did not have the addition at the right end.

Farm home first rented

Finally, in 1926 Luther came upon an opportunity that would hold his interest for the remainder of his working career.

The story goes that he went to the market to buy a pig and he came home having bought a farm!

What a surprise that must have been for his family!

 

 

 

Work and Family…

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Luther is the youngest son of Samuel M. and Hetty.  He had just turned 12 years old about a month before his mother passed away.  She was fairly young–56 years old.  That was 1897.

Three years later, at 15 years old, Luther is learning at school.  He very likely had summer jobs before then.  Children were commonly, at one time in our nation, expected to work and earn money to contribute to the family income.  As mentioned in another post, being hired out at a young age was common at the time.  In fact, the 1900 census asks for the “occupation, trade, or profession of each person 10 years of age and over.”  For Luther, who would have been almost 15 when the 1900 census was taken, his occupation was “At School” and, according to the census, he had been out of work for 8 months, which would be about the period of school.

Another three years later–Luther is 18 years old.  He’s no longer “at school”, but working as a cork maker.  Quite possibly, he worked for Armstrong Cork Company, which was in operation at the time.  The link below has a brief history and some photos of the cork factory in Lancaster.  The building is still there today, but it’s now a mixed use property, with apartments, commercial space, a hotel, restaurant, etc.  In 1907, Luther still works at a cork factory, according to the city directory.

1895: Armstrong Cork Company begins production at Place with the purchase of Lancaster Cork Company and other local cork companies.

via About – Cork Factory Hotel – History and Honor

also via Urban Place – About

Wedding bells ring in 1909.  Luther and Mary Edna Jury get married on February 24.  Maybe Cupid’s arrows got them on Valentine’s Day!

Luther and Mary Edna

Photo taken February 6, 1953.  Luther, age 67.  Mary Edna, age 61.  Photo compliments of Ronald P. Scott.

Luther’s Girls

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Luther Parmer daughters

Photo courtesy of James Watkins.  Photo taken May 1940.

Luther James Parmer and Mary Edna Jury Parmer’s girls. (rear) Ruth Annabeth Parmer Scott. (front) L/R Mae Elizabeth Parmer, Jean Edna Parmer.   Luther and Mary Edna also had a son Ellwood James (Buddy) Parmer born Oct 22, 1911.  He died Apr 17, 1917 at 5 1/2 years old.

Bits about John Jacob

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I used to have a really good memory.  I couldn’t understand how someone could not remember the details of what happened in certain situations.  Now I wonder how I can forget a password that I created just the day before.  What has happened to me?!

One lesson I’ve learned in researching family history is this–Unless it’s written down, it gets lost.  And the longer we wait to write family history, the more that gets forgotten, or not passed on.

Another lesson I’ve learned–people don’t talk much about their childhood or their past.  Even fewer people write it down.  This was especially the case with the Parmer family history.  Many times in interviewing people, they have said, “People just didn’t talk about that back then.”  I’ve even seen death certificates where the child of the deceased individual was the informant and did not know the name of his grandmother.

Fortunately, I was able to get a short biography of John Jacob from his granddaughter Joy.  It provides a little bit of information about his childhood, stating,

“As a small boy he loved engines and things affiliated with engines….John Jacob was ambitious and thrifty.”

Just a couple short statements that may have seemed meaningless when spoken are so valuable to those of us who want to know him.  That’s all I have found so far of his childhood.

In the 1880 census record shown below, we find John, at 13  years old, living as a boarder with the Isaac Landis family.  John is listed as a Laborer.  The census record, which was taken in June, states that John had attended school during the year.   It is possible that he was working on Isaac’s farm for the summer.

1880censusJohnJcropped

via Ancestry.com – 1880 United States Federal Census

Today that might seem a young age to be hired out and living away from home.  But back then, that was common.  In fact, his father may have been hired out at 10 years old.  I wonder how my almost 10 and almost 13 year old would feel if I sent them off to live with and work for someone?  What a difference in childhood over the last 150 years!

Also of note on the census record is John Parmer and his wife Martha, who may likely be John Jacob’s grandparents.  Also, two pages over on the census record is the rest of John Jacob’s family.  So they were close by.

Do you know any tidbits about John Jacob’s childhood?  If so, please share them in the comments section.

 

 

 

Questions Instead of Answers…

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Usually, you may think that vital records are accurate.  They do, after all, record important events.  But sometimes they can create more questions than answers.  Samuel’s death certificate falls under the “more questions than answers” category for me.

Of course some answers are given.  The doctor, Lewis M. Johnson, certified Samuel’s death on June 20, 1931 at what looks like 4:40pm.  Samuel had turned 92 years old a week prior.  He must have been fairly healthy up to that time since the only cause of death is “Senility.”

Some of the information on a death certificate is usually given by an informant.  From Samuel’s death certificate shown below, we know that the informant was W.E. Parmer who lived on S. Shippen St.  That was Samuel’s son, William, who was 61 years old at the time.

When researching family history, a death certificate can provide valuable information, particularly the names of the deceased’s mother and father.  William declared Samuel’s father to be “John Parmer.”  But look who is listed as Samuel’s mother.  Does that name sound familiar?  That is actually Samuel’s wife!  William gave his own mother’s name instead of Samuel’s mother’s name.  So that leaves open the question–Who is Samuel’s mother?  If only William hadn’t made that error, we could be confident of Samuel’s parents.  Instead, the other information provided poses yet more questions.

Samuel M Parmer death cert

via Ancestry.com – Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963

Where does the record show Samuel’s father was born?  Germany.  And where was Samuel born?   Witmer, PA.  So John Parmer was an immigrant.  Why should that pose more questions?  By itself, it doesn’t.  But when combined with census records, the birth place of Samuel’s father is uncertain.

The 1880 census asks for the birth place of each individual’s mother and father.  Again, an informant gave the information, so it is possible that the wrong information is recorded. For Samuel, the informant stated his mother and father were both born in Pennsylvania. The same is true of the 1910 census.  However, the 1900 census states that both Samuel’s mother and father were born in Germany.  So which was it–Germany or Pennsylvania?

That is a question for another day!

 

Samuel E. or Samuel M.?

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You may be surprised at the answer.

Almost all of the records available for Samuel (1839-1931) do not list a middle initial or name.  Even his death certificate and obituary omit his middle name.  Fortunately, we can find a few instances where his middle name is listed.  One is the 1910 census.

Census records are fun!  You can learn a lot about people from a census record.  The far left of the census record below shows the street that was being surveyed.  Here we learn that Samuel lived on Rockland Street Pike in Lancaster Township on April 22, 1910, the date the census survey was taken.  We also learn that some Parmer families lived close by each other, at house 84 and 89.  Our Samuel was born in 1839, which would make him about 71 years old.  Do you see him listed on the bottom line?

1910 Census Samuel M Parmer

via Ancestry.com – 1910 United States Federal Census

Notice his middle initial, “M.”  But are we sure this is the right guy?  Well, he’s listed as the “Father” of the head of household, who is Luther J. Parmer.  Luther is Samuel and Hetty’s youngest son; so, yes, this is the right guy.

So here’s our Samuel M., widowed, 71 years old, and living in 1910 with his youngest son, Luther, who had been married one year.  Down the street lives another of Samuel’s sons, Samuel E. Parmer, and his family.  The similarities of the names might be one reason that Samuel M. has been known as Samuel E. for so long.

Notice that at 71 years old, Samuel M. was working as a fireman at a stone quarry.  He was working on April 15th, but had been out of work 10 weeks.  The two “No” marks at the end of the line signify that he cannot read or write, which is interesting because all his other census records do not indicate such.

Is it possible that the “M.” is a mistake on the census record?  Of course it is!  Luckily we can find a few other instances where his name is recorded as Samuel M.  One is the marriage license of his daughter, Margie, who was 18 years old when she married.   Consent to the marriage was given by “Samuel M. Parmer the father of the said Margie Parmer…”

Finally, one additional record that records Samuel’s middle name is in the Genealogical Card File at the Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The record is for Martha S. Parmer, who was born October 21, 1873 and died January 26, 1877 at 3 years old.  According to the record, Martha is the daughter of Samuel M. Parmer and Hetty A. Parmer.

So how did Samuel M. become Samuel E.?

Way back in high school, I started collecting family history.  Of course the first source was family records.  Information collected from family has always listed my Samuel Parmer ancestor as Samuel E. Parmer.  Likewise, if you search the public member trees on Ancestry.com for Samuel Parmer born in 1839 in Lancaster, PA, you will see a lot of Samuel E. Parmer results.

Family history is collected in a variety of ways.  Often an informant provides information that they believe is correct.  However, informants can, unintentional, provide incorrect information that gets perpetuated.  Perhaps that’s what happened with Samuel.

Samuel and Hetty’s children

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It’s fitting for my first post to be about Samuel and Hetty.  As I began my quest to find living Parmer relatives in Lancaster, PA, my starting point was Samuel Parmer  and Hetty Eckman.  Nine children were born to them in Lancaster.  Surely some descendants would still be living there.

The 1870 census excerpt below, from Ancestry.com, is the first census record showing Samuel and Hetty together.  Their sons, John and William are also shown.

1870 Census Samuel and Hetty cropped

By 1880, John was living as a boarder down the street from the rest of the family.  William still lived at home, along with Margie, Annie, Samuel and Harry, shown in the 1880 Census excerpt below, from Ancestry.com.  Missing is Martha S., born in 1873, after the 1870 census.  She died in 1877, before the 1880 census.

1880 Census Samuel and Hetty cropped

Samuel and Hetty had two more children, Aldus and Luther.  Aldus was born in 1880 after the census was taken.  Luther was born in 1885.  They would have shown up on the 1890 census, but much of that census record was destroyed in a fire.  Aldus married in 1899, before the 1900 census, so he again is not shown living with Samuel.  But the 1900 census does show Luther living with Samuel, as seen in the excerpt below, taken from Ancestry.com.

1900 Census Samuel Parmer

With Samuel and Hetty’s children identified, I began my quest.  Little did I know that finding living relatives is a bit more difficult than finding those who have already passed on.