Researching in person

When one lives 1300 miles from the areas where family lived, researching family history is pretty much limited to info one can obtain online or by mail.  But this weekend I was in Pennsylvania for a family wedding, so I took the opportunity to drive a just a few hours to Clarion.  Yesterday I spent the morning at the Clarion County courthouse, then drove down to Rimersburg to hike through cemeteries.

I'll post a more about what I learned from wills and cemeteries later.  Right now I wanted to share the info on the four marriage records I found.I printed off each Application for Marriage License image from microfische.  Will scan those and append this post when I get home.  The interest here for me personally is the location of Jacob Irven Greenawalt, Sr.

When Lettie Mae Greenawalt (age 26 and a housekeeper) marries 21-year-old farm laborer Charles Stroud Gray (on 27 Mar 1915 before a Justice of the Peace), she says that her father, Jacob I Greenawalt, lives in Hillthorpe, Canada. (Further research shows that this was near Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan, which is where he was in the 1911 Canadian census.)  He's a farmer there, and was born in Toby Twp, Clarion Co., Pa. Her mother, Margaret A Gallantine Greenawalt, lives in Lawsonham, Pa.  She's a housekeeper, and was born in Allegheny Co., Pa.

Five years later, when Minnie Ethel Greenawalt, who is 17, marries 21 year-old miner Herbert J. Shoemaker, (on 15 Jan 1920 before a Justice of the Peace), Minnie says she doesn't know the residence or occupation of her father, J. I. Greenawalt. By this time, Margaret's occupation is 'none', but she still lives in Lawsonham. Because Minnie is just 17, the document states that 'consent of mother filed.'

On 14 Dec 1929, Joseph Victor Greenawalt (age 20 and a miner) married 19-year-old housekeeper Dorothy Belle Gertrude Lucas (age 19). He says his father, J.I. Greenawalt, is a farmer who now lives in Marienville, Pa (Forest County), and was born in Catfish, Pa (that's a new one for me!). His mother, Margaret, is a housekeeper who still lives in Lawsonham.  He obtained his mother's consent before appearing before the county clerk. Dorothy got her father's consent.

Finally, on 28 July 1930, 38-year-old engineer Myron Earl Greenawalt marries 35-year-old housekeeper Hannah Jane McKinney (first marriage for both), father Jacob still lives in Marienville, still a farmer, mother Margaret still lives in Lawsonham, still a housekeeper.

That's it for now.  More research on the docket today!!