Hi Perry, I never found a couple I could say definitively were Mary Catherine's parents, but did find some really good hints leading to a connection to John The Hatter of Loretto and his wife Jane Mariner. Please post to the list your further research. The granddaughter of Mary Catherine Riffle & Hugh McMullen married a fella in my Montgomery line, so I am interested in this Riffle family. Minnie McMullen (1873-1928), daughter of Charles Vincent McMullen married Michael P Montgomery in 1892. I would be interested in what you find. [[My response is in brackets for plain text message.]] I looked at just a few census records. Regards, Jane Tripp Perry wrote: 2) John Riffel and Jane Mariner/Marriner - There was a John Riffel (1783/4 - 1852 probably the son of George Riffel who was the son of Matthias Riffle). From the Souvenir of Loretto - John Riffle was said to be a hatter who lived in Loretto. His wife was Jane Mariner and they relocated from Northumberland PA near Milton to Cambria Pa around 1832. They had a daughter named Catherine but she was 17 on the 1850 census born 1833 so clearly not my Catherine. However John Sr. would have been 29 in 1812 at the time of Mary Catherine's approximate birth. It's not likely he would have had two daughters named Catherine, but I have not completely ruled out that John Riffel "the hatter" and Jane Marriner had an older daughter that was not listed on the 1850 census that moved with her parents to Loretto. I'd have to track down their marriage and baptismal records from Eastern PA. [[Jane here - Yes, Catherine Riffel is 17 [1833] in the 1850 census, but the wife of Hugh McMullen is named *Mary Catherine* born cir 1812. I did see the biographical sketch of John Riffel, son of John (1783-1852) & Jane (Mariner) Riffel (1792-1862). You may have to sort out all the Riffle folks to find connections. A long & tedious project for you. Here are a few of my notes. as Carol Vass says, something to chew on - - 1) 2 children of John & Jane (Mariner) Riffel baptized in the Ledoux records could be connected to Mary Catherine (Riffle) McMullen- 1836 Emelia with godparents David & Anna Litzinger 1838 Elizabeth Ann with godparents Wm. Lutzinger & Maria Ryan 2) 5 Riffle marriages could be connected to Mary Catherine (Riffle) McMullen 1845 John Humphrey married Margaret M Riffle; wi Petrus Daugherty & Winifred Adams *& others* 1848 Daniel Litzinger married Lydia Jane Riffle; wi not listed 1850 George Riffle married Susan Storm; wi Louam, Margaretta, Matilda Humphrey * others 1851 James (is he James M?) Riffle married Mary Jane Cook; wi Simon Cook & Joanna McElheny 1855 Sylvester Weakland married Catherine Riffle; wi not listed; 3) Margaret, married to John Humphreys died 1 Jan 1859 per Kittell Index. The 1860 census has a hotel in Summitville run by James M Riffle & wife Mary Jane (Cook). In that household is John W? Humphreys, b cir 1847. He matches the son of John & Margaret Riffle Humphreys born in 1847, no godparents listed. Next door is Jane Riffle; 64 [1796]; b PA Elizabeth Riffle; 18 [1842]; b PA Thomas A Humphries; 1 [1859]; b PA John Humphries; 37 [1823]; b PA Does Elizabeth match the daughter of John & Jane baptized 1838 of my item #1? Thomas A matches the son of John & Margaret M Riffle Humphreys baptized 1858 with godparents M. Elizabeth McConnell & Wm Humphreys John Humphreys matches the widower of Margaret M Riffle, d 1859 This is a *possible* that James M Riffle is connected to the family of John & Jane (Mariner) Riffel. 4) Lisa Baker is in the process of photographing St. Michael's Loretto cemetery older headstones and making available through the Cambria website. She has photos in this order so I assume they are buried together or in the same row - John Riffel d 1852 - Jane Riffel wife of John d 1864 - James Riffel d 1871 (in ground) - Margaret Humphreys consort of John d 1859 - Hanna Jane infant dau of J & M Humphreys d 1856. I think this gives a big *possible* for Margaret M (Riffle) Humphrey as the daughter of John & Jane (Mariner) Riffel. 5) Children of Margaret M Riffle & John Humphreys include 1849 Jacob Riffle Humphreys baptized with godparents Hugo McMullen & Maria McMullen [Mary Catherine Riffle] 1851 Edwin Robert Humphreys baptized with godparents Daniel & Lydia Jane [Riffle] Litzinger 1855 Hanna Jane Humphreys baptized with godparents Jacob Riffel & Amalia Riffel Does Amelia match the daughter of John & Jane baptized 1836 in my item #1? This is a *possible* that Mary Catherine (Riffle) McMullen and Lydia Jane (Riffle) Litzinger are connected to the John & Jane (Mariner) Riffel family. 6) Children of Daniel Litzinger & Lydia Jane Riffle include 1849 Jacob Montgomery Litzinger baptized with godparents Jacob M. Riffle & Maria Dodson 1856 George Leonard Litzinger with godparents Sylvester Weakland & Catherine Riffle Daniel & Lydia Jane are godparents in my item #5. Sylvester Weakland's 1905 obit lists his wife Catherine as the daughter of John Riffle who died recently at the Summit. John Riffle's obit (transcribed by Patty Millich for the Cambria website) says he never married. Perhaps the obit meant to read she is the daughter of John Riffle and her brother John recently died. 7) George & Susan (Storm) Riffle have Edwin Humphreys, b cir 1851 in their household 1860 & on. He is probably son of Margaret M Riffle & John Humphreys in my item #5. This is a *possible* that George Riffle is connected to the family of John & Jane (Mariner) Riffle. In case these folks connect, Mary Catherine b cir 1812 George b cir 1820 James M b 1822 Lydia Jane b 1823 Margaret M b 1826 John mentioned in Sylvester Weaklands obit & with John & Jane (Mariner) Riffle household in 1850 - b May 1827 Catherine (marr to Sylvester) b 1832 same gal as in 1860 census with parents? Catherine (in 1860 census) b cir 1833 Last bits - - You mentioned wills. The Family Search website has many Pennsylvania wills on line (original images). Some will books have an index on the first few pages, but the records cannot be searched at this time, but interesting to browse. Kelly Kendig helped me with an obit, no lead on that one, and wanted to remind that the Library of Congress has many newspapers on line in a searchable format. Years 1826-1922. She gave the URL as http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/ John Riffle b May 1827, with John & Jane and Sylvester Weakland both have military records. Those records many times have great info. Whew!]] ----- Original Message ----- From: Baker, Perry L To: 'PACAMBRI@rootsweb.com' ; 'michael.mertle@comcast.net' ; 'pjohn685@comcast.net' ; 'jctripp@charter.net' Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 11:29 AM Subject: Riffle research help! Hello, I'm researching a Riffle relative and came across a posting from this group from 2012 so I thought I would give you all a shot. I am searching for the parents of Mary Catherine Riffle/Riffel. I'll try to be as concise as possible but also need to give a few details. She is listed in the 1850 census as Catherine McMullen (born abt 1812 in PA) - wife of Hugh McMullen. From researcher Terry Kruise who chronicled the St. Augustine cemetery her date of death is given as 6/15/1883 at 71 years old. Facts: 1) 1850 census Cambria co Cleafield twp PA #3/3 Hugh McMullin 45 farmer Catherine 38 Rosana 20 Martha I. 18 James 16 Lucy 14 Margaret 10 Matthew I. 8 Francis L. 7 Charles V. 5 Mary C. 2 2) Baptismal listings from the Souvenir of Loretto centenary: McMullen Hugh and Mary Catherine Riffel; James, Lucy, Susan, Jane 1835-1839. Here are some potential leads I am following: 1) Riffle (daughter) of Bernard and Margareta Riffle, 5.20.1811, baptism date 10.4.1812, sponsor Jacob Reuter & Barbara Little from "Conewago Chapel" Edge Grove, Adams County, Pennsylvania Baptism Records, 1790-1890 - - I'm not sure if this is Bernard and Margaret Riffle (first cousin) or Baranabas and Margaret Diffendahl - and I'm not sure of the first name of the daughter either so this is a long shot. 2) John Riffel and Jane Mariner/Marriner - There was a John Riffel (1783/4 - 1852 probably the son of George Riffel who was the son of Matthias Riffle). From the Souvenir of Loretto - John Riffle was said to be a hatter who lived in Loretto. His wife was Jane Mariner and they relocated from Northumberland PA near Milton to Cambria Pa around 1832. They had a daughter named Catherine but she was 17 on the 1850 census born 1833 so clearly not my Catherine. However John Sr. would have been 29 in 1812 at the time of Mary Catherine's approximate birth. It's not likely he would have had two daughters named Catherine, but I have not completely ruled out that John Riffel "the hatter" and Jane Marriner had an older daughter that was not listed on the 1850 census that moved with her parents to Loretto. I'd have to track down their marriage and baptismal records from Eastern PA. I'm looking for my best options to determine Mary Catherine's parents. Possibly the marriage records for Hugh and Mary Catherine McMullen and baptismal their children? I have not been able to locate John Riffel seniors "the hatter" will yet. I do have a copy of Margarta Diffendahl's will being sent to me but that's another long shot in the hopes that she might mention a daughter Catherine McMullen. None of the Riffle family trees I have seen list a Catherine Riffle born around 1812. Any help in terms of sources, research approaches of knowledge of the Riffle family would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Perry Baker

I found the one connection to the John the Hatter Riffel were that these two children had Jacob Riffle as a baptismal sponsor: CVR Volume II, Baptisms of St. Augustine, St. Augustine, Pa., p. 259: 6230 LITZINGER, Jacobum Montgomery (Daniele / Lydia Joanna Riffle) b. 09-08 bp. 09-23-1849 gp: Jacobo M. Riffle / Maria Dodson JAG CVR Volume I, Baptisms of St. Michael, Loretto, Pa. p. 141: 02995 MC MULLAN, Susanna Joanna (Hugonis / Mariae) b. 08-10 bp. 08-20-1839 gp: Jacobus Riffle / Maria Riffle DAG I'm assuming this Jacob Riffle to be the owner of the Mansion House Hotel in Summitville in this obituary: Cambria Freeman, Ebensburg, Pa., October 14, 1871, p. 3. Obituary. RIFFLE - Died, at Summitville, on Saturday last, after a short illness, Mr. JAMES M. RIFFLE; aged about 52 years. Mr. Riffle came from Maryland to this county with his parents when he was quite young, and for the last thirty-five years he was a resident of Summitville. In his early life he was engaged for a long time in the mercantile business, but eventually purchased the old and well known "Mansion House" hotel, of which he was proprietor for many years prior to his death. He was well and favorably known throughout the county, and indeed throughout the State, and by his kind and genial nature and social disposition won hosts of true friends, who will learn with exceeding regret of his decease in the vigor and fullness of life. May he rest in peace eternal. As Jane mentioned, he can be found on the 1860 Census in Summitville with his wife and a child of John and Margaret (Riffle) Humphries, John W. Humphries. His mother Jane is a widow, living next door, with his brother-in-law John Humphries and another nephew. Here is the clincher and the big question mark. Assuming Hugh McMullen and Mary Catherine Riffel was this child's baptismal sponsors: CVR Volume II, Baptisms of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Summit, Pa., p. 194: 4781 HUMPHREYS, Jacobum Riffle (Joanne / Margarita Riffle) b. 04-08 bp. 04-21-1849 gp: Hugo McMullen / Maria McMullen PD Why is John Humphries living with another Hugh and Maria McMullen on the 1860 Census in Loretto, while Hugh McMullen and Catherine are living in Clearfield township? Two Hugh McMullens married Riffles? 1860 Census Clearfield Twp., Cambria Hugh McMullin 57 Laborer 250 Pa Catharine (Riffel) McMullin 49 Pa Charles McMullin 14 Pa Catharine McMullin 12 Pa 1860 Census Loretto Borough, Cambria Hugh McMullen 55 Laborer 300 Pa Mary McMullen 45 Pa James Humphries 10 Pa Anyone know who Maria or Mary McMullen wife of the second Hugh is? or who the second Hugh is? Donna Noel Julian