Greetings, all... I have been banging my head on a few brick walls for years now, and decided to try once again to find out what kind of help I can get from the group that has helped so much in the past! First is George W. Simpson, born in 1826, in Westmoreland County. His wife was Mary Ann Algeier, that information I obtained from a web site that listed the weddings performed by Jonas Mechling. His father-in-law is another roadblock, but I don't have enough information about him yet to ask for help. George and Mary Ann had the following children: Eliza (1849), George W. (1855), Aaron (1856), Francis M. (1859-1937), Melissa (1865), John (1868), Samuel (1870), and Benjamin F. (1850). (All these dates are approximate, with the exception of my great-great-grandfather Francis Murian Simpson.) The next roadblock is one that may be occurring also to the webmaster at www.bakerblews.com. George Baker, born 1807, in Westmoreland County, and his wife, Esther Barbara Lemmon, born 1810. I am descended from their daughter, Martha Baker Black Gross, via the Black line. The last is a point of confusion, since there seems to have been two people with this name born about the same time: Cyrus Kuhns (born around 1852, I think). His son, Gust Elmer Kuhns, was my great-grandfather and grandfather (he and his wife adopted my mother and uncle when they were young). Gust's wife was Laura Mabel Baker. (I would die if I found out that Laura was related to Martha above! Gust and Laura were my mother's grandparents/parents. Martha is my father's great-great-grandmother.) Any help would be appreciated. Richard M. Simpson, III

I see that George and family are in Mt. Pleasant in 1850. There are Baker neighbors around them too. There is an EJ Simpson, age 2, who must be Eliza and Benjamin on that census with George and Mary A. Simpson. In 1870 they moved to East Huntingdon Twp. and in 1880 they lived in Sewickley Twp. There is a Anna M. Beaver, age 12, a granddaughter living with them. There is an obituary in The Daily Courier, June 07, 1938 for a Michael J. Rosensteel which says he is survived by a sister, Mrs. Francis Simpson of Greensburg. Any connection? I found this Francis Simpson in 1900 in Hempfield Twp. Is this family yours? They are all born in PA as were their parents Francis Simpson, head, June, 1858,41, married 21 years Sarah, wife, July 1958, 41, married 21 years, 11 children, 8 living Roy, son, Jan 1883, 17 Carrie, daughter, Oct 1887, 12 Clark, son, Aug 1890, 9 Oscar, son, Feb 1898, 7 Lloyd, son, July 1895, 4 Mary, daughter, Aug 1898, 1 I also saw on an old post that you were looking for Thomas Ballew, I will take a look for him in Somerset, but in the meantime here is Lucetta Ballew. I don't know if you have her obituary. Here it is- The Daily Courier, Friday, April 29, 1949 Mount Pleasnant, Apr 28- Mrs. Loretta H. Ballew, 85, of Armsbrust, died Thursday at her home. The widow of Thomas Ballew, she leaves nine children, William of Norvelt, Harry, Thomas C., Martha and Lucy Armbrust; George, Mt. Pleasant; Mrs. Elizabeth Carnes, New Stanton RD; James, Detroit, and John C., at home. There are 13 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, one brother, Edward Gross of Greensburg, and one sister, Alice Stoner of Trafford. The funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Armbrust Pilgrim Holiness Church. Rev H. H. McClure will officiate. Burial will be made in Feightner's Cemetery. Then there is this- The Daily Courier, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1958 Gust Elmer Kuhns, 67, of Jeannette RD2, died in the Oakland Veterans Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was a native of Greenburg, a son of the late Cyrus and Mary J. Duncan Kuhns, and served with Company I of the National Guard during the Mexican Border dispute. He was also a veteran of World War I, American Legion Post 318 of Greensburg, Society of the 28th Division, Crystal Council 300, Jr. O. U. A. M., and wa a retired machinist of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Survivng are his widow, Mrs. Laura Mabel Baker Kuhns; seven children, T. Sgt. Elmer W. of Fort Jackson, S. C.; Mrs. Emma Jane Grundler of Swissvale; Mrs. Norma Irene Altman of Greensburg; Dany Duane of Hostetter and Franklin H., Laura Jane and Gust E. Jr. at home; four grandchildren; two brothers, William of South Greensburg, and two sisters, Mrs. Pearl McDonald of Vandergrift and Mrs. Nannie Smith of Radebaugh. I apologize fo repeating information you already have, just think "out loud" to try to see what is known and what is not. I did want to say that I found a Joshua and a James Simpson in records of the 1700's but nothing about their families. Dawne

Sorry, I left out one of Gust Elmer Kuhn's brothers, John W. of Greensburg. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dawne Temple" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:11 PM Subject: Re: [PAWESTMO] Trying to unblock some road blocks... >I see that George and family are in Mt. Pleasant in 1850. There are Baker > neighbors around them too. There is an EJ Simpson, age 2, who must be > Eliza > and Benjamin on that census with George and Mary A. Simpson. In 1870 they > moved to East Huntingdon Twp. and in 1880 they lived in Sewickley Twp. > There > is a Anna M. Beaver, age 12, a granddaughter living with them. > > There is an obituary in The Daily Courier, June 07, 1938 for a Michael J. > Rosensteel which says he is survived by a sister, Mrs. Francis Simpson of > Greensburg. Any connection? > > I found this Francis Simpson in 1900 in Hempfield Twp. Is this family > yours? > They are all born in PA as were their parents > > Francis Simpson, head, June, 1858,41, married 21 years > Sarah, wife, July 1958, 41, married 21 years, 11 children, 8 living > Roy, son, Jan 1883, 17 > Carrie, daughter, Oct 1887, 12 > Clark, son, Aug 1890, 9 > Oscar, son, Feb 1898, 7 > Lloyd, son, July 1895, 4 > Mary, daughter, Aug 1898, 1 > > I also saw on an old post that you were looking for Thomas Ballew, I will > take a look for him in Somerset, but in the meantime here is Lucetta > Ballew. I don't know if you have her obituary. Here it is- > > The Daily Courier, Friday, April 29, 1949 > > Mount Pleasnant, Apr 28- > Mrs. Loretta H. Ballew, 85, of Armsbrust, died Thursday at her home. The > widow of Thomas Ballew, she leaves nine children, William of Norvelt, > Harry, > Thomas C., Martha and Lucy Armbrust; George, Mt. Pleasant; Mrs. Elizabeth > Carnes, New Stanton RD; James, Detroit, and John C., at home. There are 13 > grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, one brother, Edward Gross of > Greensburg, and one sister, Alice Stoner of Trafford. > The funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Armbrust > Pilgrim Holiness Church. Rev H. H. McClure will officiate. Burial will be > made in Feightner's Cemetery. > > Then there is this- > The Daily Courier, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1958 > > Gust Elmer Kuhns, 67, of Jeannette RD2, died in the Oakland Veterans > Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was a native of Greenburg, a son of the late > Cyrus and Mary J. Duncan Kuhns, and served with Company I of the National > Guard during the Mexican Border dispute. He was also a veteran of World > War > I, American Legion Post 318 of Greensburg, Society of the 28th Division, > Crystal Council 300, Jr. O. U. A. M., and wa a retired machinist of the > Pennsylvania Railroad. > Survivng are his widow, Mrs. Laura Mabel Baker Kuhns; seven children, T. > Sgt. Elmer W. of Fort Jackson, S. C.; Mrs. Emma Jane Grundler of > Swissvale; > Mrs. Norma Irene Altman of Greensburg; Dany Duane of Hostetter and > Franklin > H., Laura Jane and Gust E. Jr. at home; four grandchildren; two brothers, > William of South Greensburg, and two sisters, Mrs. Pearl McDonald of > Vandergrift and Mrs. Nannie Smith of Radebaugh. > > I apologize fo repeating information you already have, just think "out > loud" > to try to see what is known and what is not. > > I did want to say that I found a Joshua and a James Simpson in records of > the 1700's but nothing about their families. > > Dawne > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Dawne, I KNEW the first response would be from you, for some reason. And I am REALLY glad you did! I had all of the census information. Repeating it was no big deal...I notice that you had no more luck finding 1860 than I did. :D As far as I can tell, and this is logical speculation, the Anna Beaver is the daughter of Eliza. The obituary that you found, which I have yet to find (hint hint please :D), for Michael Rosensteel is, in fact, a connection. Some early genealogical information has Sarah J. Rosensteel married to a John Mensch. She was, if fact, married to Francis M. Simpson. The 1900 Francis Simpson is, in fact, mine. The son, Lloyd, aged 4, is my grandpap's pap. I didn't have Loretta's obituary. Although, I think it is funny that her name was Lucetta, not Loretta. Might explain why I didn't find it. And that last obituary would be of my (great)grandfather. Aunt (Norma) Irene's brother-in-law, Pat Altman, just died this week in Greensburg, although Uncle Clarence died in 1973, and Aunt Irene in 2000. Thank you, Dawne. Richard

Goodness, where is my brain? It IS Lucetta H. Ballew, not Loretta. And by the way Richard, I remember the Ballew family of Norvelt. They lived in "D" section just a few houses from us. Dawne ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dawne Temple" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2008 10:11 PM Subject: Re: [PAWESTMO] Trying to unblock some road blocks... >I see that George and family are in Mt. Pleasant in 1850. There are Baker > neighbors around them too. There is an EJ Simpson, age 2, who must be > Eliza > and Benjamin on that census with George and Mary A. Simpson. In 1870 they > moved to East Huntingdon Twp. and in 1880 they lived in Sewickley Twp. > There > is a Anna M. Beaver, age 12, a granddaughter living with them. > > There is an obituary in The Daily Courier, June 07, 1938 for a Michael J. > Rosensteel which says he is survived by a sister, Mrs. Francis Simpson of > Greensburg. Any connection? > > I found this Francis Simpson in 1900 in Hempfield Twp. Is this family > yours? > They are all born in PA as were their parents > > Francis Simpson, head, June, 1858,41, married 21 years > Sarah, wife, July 1958, 41, married 21 years, 11 children, 8 living > Roy, son, Jan 1883, 17 > Carrie, daughter, Oct 1887, 12 > Clark, son, Aug 1890, 9 > Oscar, son, Feb 1898, 7 > Lloyd, son, July 1895, 4 > Mary, daughter, Aug 1898, 1 > > I also saw on an old post that you were looking for Thomas Ballew, I will > take a look for him in Somerset, but in the meantime here is Lucetta > Ballew. I don't know if you have her obituary. Here it is- > > The Daily Courier, Friday, April 29, 1949 > > Mount Pleasnant, Apr 28- > Mrs. Loretta H. Ballew, 85, of Armsbrust, died Thursday at her home. The > widow of Thomas Ballew, she leaves nine children, William of Norvelt, > Harry, > Thomas C., Martha and Lucy Armbrust; George, Mt. Pleasant; Mrs. Elizabeth > Carnes, New Stanton RD; James, Detroit, and John C., at home. There are 13 > grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, one brother, Edward Gross of > Greensburg, and one sister, Alice Stoner of Trafford. > The funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Armbrust > Pilgrim Holiness Church. Rev H. H. McClure will officiate. Burial will be > made in Feightner's Cemetery. > > Then there is this- > The Daily Courier, Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1958 > > Gust Elmer Kuhns, 67, of Jeannette RD2, died in the Oakland Veterans > Hospital in Pittsburgh. He was a native of Greenburg, a son of the late > Cyrus and Mary J. Duncan Kuhns, and served with Company I of the National > Guard during the Mexican Border dispute. He was also a veteran of World > War > I, American Legion Post 318 of Greensburg, Society of the 28th Division, > Crystal Council 300, Jr. O. U. A. M., and wa a retired machinist of the > Pennsylvania Railroad. > Survivng are his widow, Mrs. Laura Mabel Baker Kuhns; seven children, T. > Sgt. Elmer W. of Fort Jackson, S. C.; Mrs. Emma Jane Grundler of > Swissvale; > Mrs. Norma Irene Altman of Greensburg; Dany Duane of Hostetter and > Franklin > H., Laura Jane and Gust E. Jr. at home; four grandchildren; two brothers, > William of South Greensburg, and two sisters, Mrs. Pearl McDonald of > Vandergrift and Mrs. Nannie Smith of Radebaugh. > > I apologize fo repeating information you already have, just think "out > loud" > to try to see what is known and what is not. > > I did want to say that I found a Joshua and a James Simpson in records of > the 1700's but nothing about their families. > > Dawne > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Dawne, After all of the responses I have typed, you would think that I would have remembered to tell you this much. I have little basis in knowing that Thomas Ballew was born in Somerset County. There was one record somewhere that I saw on ancestry.com of one of his sons that asked where his father was born. That record (a scan of a written record of some sort) stated that his father was born in Somerset County, PA. Since the only census images I can find have him living in Westmoreland County, you can see the root of my confusion about it. Richard