My dad was born, raised and still lives in Sch. Haven. His father, John Samuel Pauley only lived in town for a few years.

The story of John S. Pauley is a short, but sad one.

John S. Pauley born in 1909,the son of Sallie (nee Bierman) and Franklin Pauley, in Kutztown, PA.

Dad and John S. in the backyard of 331 Columbia St.

He was the third of four children. Sisters Eva b. 1906 and Verna b. 1907 were both blind. Sister Annie Louise b. 1910 passed in 1912 before the age of 2 at the Good Shepard Home in Allentown. (a trend)

Verna passed in 1922 from Tuberculosis at the age of 15. Also at the Good Shepard Home in Allentown.

Eva passed in 1937 at the Hamburg State Sanitorium, also of Tuberculosis. (another trend)

Meanwhile, John S. (my dad is John E.(I never knew either of my grandfathers, so wouldn’t know if it’s Pap, Grampa, or Gramps)) Spent his early years at The Luthern’s Orphan Home of Berks County.

John in the 1920 Census, age 10……. Inmate…..

So what happened to cause all of this?

First.
Sallie Bierman b. 1884, the daughter of Ellamanda (nee Trout) and Samuel Bierman, passed at the age of 26 in 1911.
Other Berks County names included in this line: Keim, Heiman, Kerchner, Herb, Pick, Weiler, LeVan, Fischer, Bechtel, Ludwig, Doer, Hauck, and Muller.

Then:
Frank Pauley b. 1878, the son of Emma (nee Haim) and (of course) John Pauley, could not read or write English and mostly spoke PA Dutch. Not sure he could take care of 4 young kids.

By the way, the latest John Pauley, was the son of Elizabeth (nee Eck) and (another) John Pauley.

To continue the sadness, Gram and John S. Pauley’s first son was stillborn in 1941.

John passed in 1948 at the age of 39, of tuberculosis. Dad was almost 6.

No other information is available.

Dad and John S.

Dad, Gram, and John S.

Earl Geary

My grandfather, Earl Geary (b 1922), was the son of Laura (nee Martz) and Edward Geary.
Born and raised in Sch. Haven, he married Ann in 1941.

The oldest photo I have of Earl(center)(others and year unknown)
He was a 1939 graduate of Sch. Haven High School.

Earl’s graduation photo
A veteran of World War 2, serving as an MP in Japan.

Earl and his brother Jean. Japan 1945
Earl was an employee of the Reider Shoe Company.

He designed, and with his father and brothers, built the white house at 330 Columbia St.

It was a great place to spend as a kid, with the curved stairway,

ab. 1967

and stone fireplace.
.
Late 1960s early 1970s

Earl passed in 1954.

Fortunately, he owned a recording console, and someone saved some of his recordings. Not the greatest sound, but it’s the only time that I have heard my grandfather’s voice.
I have three recordings of him.
Earl, mom then Tom
Earl reads the news, then mom and Tom

Earl plays the clarinet He came from a musical family as you will see.

Two other photos:

Earl and Mom (1942)

Earl and his sister Betty (ab 1930)

Laura May Martz

Laura (b. 1905) was the daughter of Gussie (nee Dress) and Alexander Martz.
Born in Shenandoah, she married Edward Geary(Pap from here) at the age of 16 in 1921.

Young Laura Martz
She was the mother of 7 children: Earl, Betty, Tuner, Red, Nancy, Net and Nipper.

Net, Mom, Nipper. Tom, Pap, Nancy, Earl and Laura.
Another Great grandmother who loved to cook….

and if Netter’s Christmas Eve Kielbasa is any indication, she was very good at it. (Yes, a boy cannot live on PA Dutch cooking alone!)
Laura passed in 1946

More on Gussie Dress

Alexander Martz (Martzinkowski) was born in 1877.
He came here from Poland. And that’s about all I know.

Edward Stanley (Pap) Geary

Pap (b 1902) was the son of Sarah (Sallie( nee Heim))(eventually Bast) and George Geary.

George, Pap, Sarah

Born in and raised in Sch. Haven, he lived mostly on Columbia St.
Like his eldest son, an employee of the Reider Shoe Company.
Some Christmas pictures

Clockwise from left: Mom, Ann, Nipper, Popo, Pap, Betty, Momo, Tom, Laura, Red.

Red, Nipper, Netter, Betty. Pap and Laura.

Pap passed in 1991.
More on Sarah Heim
More on George Geary

The Story of Beth and John

I guess I should have started with mom and dad before their parents. So I’ll give a quick story on them.

Mom and dad have more in common than they like to admit. Here’s the list:

Mom was born in Pottsville (whatever the Pottsville Hospital was called in 1942)

Mom at 6 months (1943)

Dad was born in the same hospital, one week to the day, later.

Dad about 3 (1945)

Except for about 4 years after her birth, Mom has always lived in Schuylkill Haven(specifically in the South Ward). She started in Mount Carbon.

Mom at 2 in Mt. Carbon.
Dad has also always lived in the South Ward, except for his time in The Marines.

Dad’s Marine portrait (ab. 1963)

Mom moved from Tennis Ave. to 330 Columbia St. sometime around 1948.
Dad moved from West Union St. to 331 Columbia St. after the passing of his father, around 1948.

Dad with his dog at 331 Columbia.

Mom graduated from Sch.Haven High in 1960.

1960
Dad in 1961 (darn ninth grade!)

1961

They married in 1962

Mom’s brother Tom, Aunt Netter, Mom and Dad. (1962)

And, they still live in Sch. Haven……

I was born and raised in Schuylkill Haven, Schuylkill County, PA. OK, I was actually born in Pottsville, but close enough.
I don’t live in Sch. Haven anymore, I live in South Manheim Twp., probably about 5 miles from my childhood home. Except for two years at PSU, I’ve lived only in Sch. Haven, Cressona(2 yrs.) and S. Manheim for the past 29 years.
Any link will take you to more of the story, and more pictures.
This post is the first in a series of 4, outlining my family history in Southern Schuylkill County, mostly Schuylkill Haven. I am going divide it by grandparents.

Anna Miller Geary

Brown and finally Moyer.

Ann Miller’s Pottsville High graduation photo(1941).

was the daughter of Anna(nee Luckenbill) and Clarence Miller(Momo and Popo for the rest of this story)

Momo and Popo (Late 1920s Early 1930s)

Born and raised in Mount Carbon, she moved to Sch. Haven around the age of 22, after her marriage to Earl Geary, and the birth of my mom and her brother.

Ann, Beth and Earl(1942-3)

Earl and family will be part 2.
The couple also had a son Tom and daughter Jane.
Ann also had a son Mark from her second marriage to Bud Brown.
Ann lived in Sch Haven, first on Tennis Ave, then on Columbia St., from around 1944 or 1945 until her death in 1992.

Anna Luckenbill Miller

Ann’s mother, Anna (nee Luckenbill) was born (1905) and raised in Schuylkill Haven. She was the daughter of Benjamin and Ella Luckenbill.

Anna, Ella, Benjamin and Ray Luckenbill(1908-9)

One of the great thing about Momo’s side of the family was their desire to take what I call generational photos. Most have 4 generations(as you will see), but I appreciate all that I have.

Mom, Ann and Momo (1955)

Momo was PA Dutch through and through. Always in a dress(as in the photo above), but usually with an apron. The woman loved to cook. Cakes, pies, candy, and alot of great food. She is probably the reason for my love of chocolate, sugar and butter(although I think she preferred lard).
She lived most of her adult life on top of the hill in Mt. Carbon, until her husbands passing. She then moved back to Sch. Haven, where she resided at the time of her passing in 1992.

Click here to read more on Ella Moyer
Click here to read more on Benjamin Luckenbill

Clarence Miller

Clarence Elijah Miller(Popo) was born (1900) and raised in North Manheim Twp (Hillside Area).

Popo and Mom.
He was the son of Mary (nee Kramer) and Joseph Miller.
To a seven year old, the man could do anything. He worked in Hamburg at a foundry, so, (according to my aunt or mom) made Momo’s candy pots an other cooking utensils. He could also shred the fresh coconut and shell and chop the peanuts for candy and cakes.
Popo mid 1960s
He lived in Mt. Carbon for all of his adult life, passing in 1976.

Click here to read more on Mary Rebecca Kramer.

Click here to read more on Joseph Miller.

I will end this section with 2 generational photos, the second being my absolute favorite.

My sister Cindy. Momo, Ann, Mom and an arrow pointing to me. 1965

Momo, my daughter Abigail, Me. Mom and Ann. 1990

Ella Isabella (nee Moyer) Luckenbill was born (1885) in Wayne Twp. She was the daughter of Carolina (nee Brown) and Augustus Moyer.
She grew up in Wayne Twp. before moving to Sch. Haven after marriage.

Ella year unknown

Ella passed in 1943, so I don’t know much about her.

Unknown, Ann, Momo. Ella, Ben, Popo, Ray, Katherine and Ray Jr. 1925

The next in my series of generational photos.

Momo, Ella, Mom and Ann 1942.

Odd coincidense. Unknowingly my son named his daugter Isabella. Of course, I call her Ella.

Carolina Brown was also born (1847) and raised in Wayne Twp. She eventually moved to Coal St. in Sch. Haven where she passed in 1931.

Last of the generational photos in this line. Ann. Ella and Carolina. Momo

She was the mother of four : Lewis, Elizabeth, Ella and Theodore.

Carolina was the daughter of Salome (nee Schaefer) and Daniel Brown, both of Wayne Twp.

Salome (born 1816) was the daughter of Salome (nee Fischer) and Leonard Schafer. Both long time residents of Wayne Twp.
Daniel (born 1814) was the son of Elizabeth (nee Nunemacher) and Valentine Brown. Again longtime residents of Wayne Twp.

From here, the story moves south of the present Berks Co. line.

Ella’s father Augustus Moyer (born 1844) was the son of Catherine (nee Fide (possibly Tuke)) and Christian Meyer.
Not much is known about this group.

I did find an interesting story on Ancestory concerning both Valentine Brown and Christian Meyer…

Taken from “A Brief History of the Levi Brown Family of Summit Station, Pennsylvania” Prepared by Florence Brown Webber, August 1975.

Valentine Brown was born on February 8, 1783, and died on August 26, 1857. He was the owner of the Black Horse Hotel which is off Route 183 near the Reedsville Church about three miles north of Summit Station. He is credited with the founding of the “public school” system in Wayne and South Manheim Townships.

In 1829, Christian Meyer (Moyer), a teacher, from Strasburg, Germany, came to the hotel, and stated his vocation to the proprietor, Valentine Brown. There was no school in the area at that time. After hearing of Moyer’s vocation, Valentine said: “I will give you board and lodging free in my house if you stay here and open a school.” He accepted the offer.

Valentine went to see his neighbors and the result was a little log school-house on Summer Hill, four miles south of the hotel, and an equal distance west on the crest of the Summer Hill. It has been assumed to be on the farm currently owned by Harry Brown about 1 1/2miles east of Brown’s Church. Georqe Brown, brother of Valentine, donated the ground and also donated the material for the building. Moyer who opened the school as a private school taught for a period of forty-one years; most of it as a public school teacher after the system was developed by the township.

Valentine was married to Elizabeth Nunemacher on November 6, 1806. She was born on October 20,1787 and died on December 23,1871.

From my recollection of drafts and indentures, Valentine had considerable land holdings which extended around the Brown’s Church and which at one time was known as Brownsdale.

Valentine and Elizabeth had five sons and one daughter: Daniel, Joseph, John, Henry, George, and Elizabeth.

Benjamin Franklin Luckenbill was born (1883) in Wayne Twp. He was the son of Anna Maria (nee Shappell) and Franklin Luckenbill.

Ben and siblings. Ella, Maria, Annie. Jarious(Charles), Albanis, Alice, Jacob and Benjamin.
Sometime prior to 1910 Ben and Ella moved to Dock St. in Sch.Haven. There they raised their family.

Bennie, Isabell, Ella, George, Benjamin, Guy Jr., Anna Miller. Guy, Sue, Ray, Catherine, Popo, Momo, Ray Jr.
He eventually opened a hotel and bar on Dock St.
He was also a longtime member of the Rainbow Hose Co.
Ben passed in 1965.

Ben’s mother Anna Shappell (b 1854) was the daughter of Sallie (nee Oswald) and Samuel Shappell both of North Manheim Twp. No other information is know.

Anna passed in 1927, a resident of Pottsville.

Franklin Luckenbill (b 1855) was the son of Magdelena (nee Nonemacher) and Jacob Luckenbill, both long time residents of Wayne Twp.

Jacob was the son of Daniel Luckenbill, which is an important name to remember if you are going to read the other parts of this post.

Again, the story moves south of the Berks co. line from here.
There should be pictures of Luckenbill’s Bar on Richard Nagle’s website.

Joseph Erasmus Miller (b 1876) was the son of Elmira (nee Ziegler) and Frank Miller. He was born in Lebanon.

Joe and Mary Miller
He was a farmer in North Manheim Twp., where he lived his entire adult life.
Joseph passed in 1941.

His mother Elmira Zeigler (b 1853) passed in 1885, so very little is known about her.

Elmira Ziegler Miller
Her mother was Pricilla (nee Turner) Ziegler. I have no information about her.
Although little is known about Elmira, the same cannot be said of her father.
Elijah Weiser Ziegler (b 1829) was originally from the Fleetwood area of Berks Co. He moved first to West Penn Twp, followed by Pottsville, Friedensburg and Pine Grove.

Elijah Weiser Ziegler
Most of what I know about him was found in Biographies from Historical and Biographical Annals by Morton Montgomery:

Capt. Elijah Ziegler was born near Fleetwood, Berks Co., Pa., and when a young man went to Schuylkill county, locating at Tamaqua, where he learned the carpenters trade. He was here married to Pricilla Turner, daughter of Abraham Turner, and after their union purchased a farm in Schuylkill county, living thereon for a few years. He was elected county commissioner, and soon thereafter removed to Pottsville, where he was later engaged in the hotel business, carrying on farming operations as a sideline for seven years. Removing to Pine Grove, he became engaged in the lumber business for seven years and then purchased a farm at Friedensburg, Schuylkill county, but six years later returned to Pottsville and served the county as prison warden for three years when to his death he was engaged in bridge contracting and in the cattle business. He died in 1902, at the age of sixty-two years. During his entire life he was a stanch Democrat, and he was one of his communitys most active and influential men. His children were as follows: Emma, Elmira, Loretta, Florenda, Clara, Jarius W. and Erasmus.

Not mentioned in this biography is a connection to Conrad Weiser. I have nothing but a hunch and a photo of a moneybox found in Popo’s photos.

Conrad Weiser’s Moneybox
I have found the box at The Berks Co Historical Society, but no further proof.

Joseph’s father was Frank Miller (b 1855) son of Elizabeth (nee Scherer) and Isreal Miller. All were originally from the Shamokin area, eventually settling in Tamaqua. Beyond Elizabeth and Isreal, we move back to Berks Co.

Frank Miller

Frank passed in 1930.

Mary Kramer (b 1876) was the daughter of Rebecca (nee Fenstamacher) and Wm. Monroe Kramer. Again, born in Wayne Twp. in or near Friedensburg.

Mildred. Ella, Joseph, Mary and Popo.

She was the mother of eight children.

Mildred, Joseph, Mary, Joseph Jr. Wm Franklin, Flora, Popo, Ella, Allen and Blanche.

Flora, Frank and Popo 1902

Mary passed in 1952 at her residence on Long Run, Wayne Twp.

Rebecca (b 1852) was the daughter of Elizabeth (nee Luckenbill) and William Fenstamacher.

Rebecca, Annie, Wm. Monroe. Frank, Mary and George.

Rebecca passed in 1923.

Elizabeth Luckenbill (b 1819) was the daughter of M. Elizabeth (nee Appel) and Daniel Luckenbill.

Elizabeth Luckenbill Fenstamacher

You’ll note (if you’ve read the whole story so far), that Elizabeth is the sister of Jacob Luckenbill. That would be Momo’s great grandfather.

William Fenstamacher (b 1819) was the son of Peter Fenstamacher and an unkown mother.
Both William and Elizabeth were lifelong residents of Wayne Twp.

William Fenstamacher

Mary’s father Wm. Monroe Kramer (b 1850) was the son of Anna (nee Stine)and Willam K. Kramer. He was born and raised in Washington Twp, and lived most of his life in the Friedensburg, Wayne Twp. area.

Wm. Monroe Kramer
Monroe passed in 1931.

1927

I’ve spent many months trying to connect my daughter, Abbie, to an ancestor who served during the Revolutionary War. It seems that there was always one roadblock, one missing link.
For example, I have found numerous DAR listings for Heinrich Mueller. According to my research, he would be the Great grandfather of Sarah Reber Heim. His Granddaughter was Elizabeth Miller, married to George Reber. Search after search provided no definitive proof. Even Sarah Heim’s Death Certificate turned into a dead end.
For example:

So I decided to try another line. If Elizabeth Reber’s Grandfather was in the Revolution, why wouldn’t George Reber’s? Bingo, the answer is Johannes Reber. George’s father.
A couple dollars to the DAR for records and proof, and I think I’m set. Let me run through the line:

Abbie: per her birth certificate
child of Christopher Pauley and Lorraine Oram

Chris: per my birth certificate
child of John Pauley and Beth Geary

Beth: per her birth certificate (I hope, haven’t asked for a copy yet(edit: I now have a copy.))
child of Earl Geary and Anna Miller

Earl: per his death certificate
child of Edward Geary and Laura Martz

Edward: per his Marriage Application
child of George Geary and Sarah Heim

Sarah Heim per her Death Certificate and Two Marriage Applications
child of William Heim and Mary Brown

William per his death certificate
Child of Daniel Heim and Sarah Reber

Sarah per Death Certificate (above)
child of George Reber and not known (actually Elizabeth Miller

George per DAR Application Documents
(which I can’t publish here, by can email copies)
child of Johannes Reber and Catharina Schmidt

Johannes Reber : DAR Ancestor number: A20378, National number 858750
He was a private under Capt George May and Col. Haller

Here is an update pedigree chart for Grace A. Bitzer