Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
Hi, Lee:
I've found a couple of clues in the following items that farther qualify the connection with Leechburg. I've been looking at my grandmother's family photographs. There is a cabinet-card type photograph of Alfred Higgins. On the bottom border of it is printed "Kline, Leechburg, Pa." and an artist's palette. And, there is one of a young woman (no name on the back, but possibly Mary Agnes Hannihan) on black card with an embossed frame around the oval photograph. It has "Kline Leechburg, PA." stamped into its lower left corner. Both subjects appear to be in their early to mid-twenties.
Another photograph, this one older has "[?] Sheets Wellsville, Ohio" in gold printing on the back which is green. The subject is a woman who is wearing an 1860s or 1870s style bodice with a high white lace collar and pin, pierced earrings, and a rather large cross pendant. The same woman, a bit younger, is the subject in a tin type. I believe she is my grandmother's maternal grandmother. She is certainly not her paternal grandmother Rebecca (SR) Higgins as I have identified photographs of her. Nonetheless, this indicates there is also a connection to Ohio. (Wellsville is close to the PA-OH border, about half-way between Youngstown, OH, and Wheeling, WV.)
In the Index to the 1871 Ontario, Canada Census; C-10023, pg. 1, (Parry Sound District), James Duffey, age 20, is listed as being Irish [born abt. 1851 in Ireland], Roman Catholic, and residing in Aumick Lake. It's noted that his surname differs from head of household. I read somewhere that it was much cheaper during that time period to emigrate to Canada than to the U. S. And so, a lot of Irish families spent some time living in Canada before moving on to the U.S. Erie had an Irish community. Immigrants were drawn there because of all the industries which offered employment.
I've looked at the earlier censuses of Madison Borough and Hempfield Twp., Westmoreland Co., and there are Keefers (Keiffers) listed pretty far back. It seems that John K. and Margaret Keefer were in residence in Madison Borough before the Higgins moved there. There was a John and Mary A. Keefer in residence during the censuses of 1860, 1870, and 1880. In 1880 there is a Catharine Keefer, age 57, widow, with two children living in Madison. I'm not sure if the 1900 census is listing Catharine Hannihan correctly under John K. and Maggie Keefer. It looks like she is his step-mother. So, wouldn't her surname be Keefer, not Hannihan? Or was Hannihan her surname before marrying his father and since she is a widow ... ? Or you could be right and Maggie is her granddaughter. I'm confused.
Alfred's sister Rebecca Higgins married John Morris. John Morris owned a general store on the main street of Madison where they lived. Alfred's brother Benjamin Higgins also lived in Madison. His brothers John and James lived in North Huntingdon Twp. James later moved to Cambria County, PA.
My grandmother's oldest sister was named Rebecca Catherine Higgins. She married Clarence Bussard, 16 years her senior, a veteran of the Spanish American War. They lived in Arona Borough.
Yes, let's continue sifting through the information that we already have.
As to the documents: I am willing to pay for copies, postage, and such expensed incurred in getting the documents.
In review of my last posting: I see that I had the names reversed in regard to the "respectively." The correct information is Alfred Higgins (1861 - 1939) and Mary Agnes (Hannihan) Higgins (1857 - 1915)
Again, thank you. I really appreciate your help.
Mary Ellen
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:No followups yet |
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/pa/armstrong/messages/1113.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|