Skeeter's Family: 16 January

Not all that important a day for you, but it is for me. Two rather momentous events occurred on that day, 99 years apart.

The first:

My paternal great grandparents, Samuel W. Campbell and Eleanor Adaline Taylor were married on 16 January 1883, in Milesburg, Centre County, Pennsylvania.

CENTRE DEMOCRAT - Thursday, January 25, 1883

Milesburg Items:

...... The day following (Jan. 16, 1883), Mr. Samuel Campbell and Miss Ada Taylor, both of this place were made one by Rev. Woodcock ......

Excerpt from the church register for Samuel and Ada E.'s marriage

Samuel was born 26 March 1861 in Centre County to James Campbell and Anna Elizabeth Campbell née McCauley. I have Samuel’s death certificate and two obituaries for him from local papers. His death certificate has James Campbell as his father, and Ann Colley as his mother. Both obituaries say he had one brother living, Hiram Campbell. Hiram’s death certificate has James Campbell and Anna McCauley as parents.

Samuel's death certificate

One of Samuel’s obits says his wife, who was the informant on his death certificate, had suffered a “stroke of paralysis several years ago”, so this may have left her with slurred speech so the name didn’t come out as she wished, or the recorder may have misheard, or even she didn’t remember exactly. I have many certificates in my collection with incorrect names, or even none at all.

DEMOCRATIC WATCHMAN - February 15, 1924

CAMPBELL - Samuel W. Campbell, a watchman at the High Street crossing, died very suddenly and unexpectedly in the office of Dr. David Dale, about ten o'clock last Friday morning, as the result of an attack of angina pectoris. He lived in Milesburg and came to Bellefonte that morning with John Scholl, in the latter's car. He complained of not feeling well and the latter advised him to go see a physician. He walked up to the office of Dr. Dale but the physician being out he returned to his post of duty and worked until the morning trains had come in and gone out, when he again went to the doctor's office. The doctor was at the hospital and remarking that he felt very bad Mr. Campbell sat down in a chair and expired before the physician could reach his office.

Mr. Campbell was sixty-two years old and most of his life was spent in Boggs township. In his early life he was an iron worker and was employed in the rolling mills at Curtin and McCoy & Linns, but later worked for the Pennsylvania railroad company and during the past two or three years had been a crossing watchman in Bellefonte. He is survived by his wife and two children, H. Lester Campbell, of Tyrone, and Mrs. Josephine Campbell, of Pittsburgh. He also leaves one brother, Hiram Campbell, of Tyrone.

He was a member of the Methodist church and Rev. J. Fred Andreas had charge of the funeral services which were held at two o'clock on Monday afternoon, burial being made in the Milesburg cemetery.

KEYSTONE GAZETTE - February 15, 1924

SAMUEL CAMPBELL

Samuel Campbell of Milesburg, employed for a number of years as crossing watchman at the High Street crossing, Bellefonte, died suddenly in Dr. David Dale's office, Friday morning of a stroke following an illness of several days. Although, he reported for work during the week he was not enjoying the best of health and was a frequent visitor at Dr. Dale's office, receiving treatment for some form of heart trouble. After going to work Friday morning he became ill and upon approaching the physician's office discovered that there were several patients there ahead of him and he returned to his work but became worse and again returned to the office where he passed away before receiving relief from the physician.

He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Campbell and was born near Milesburg over fifty years ago-- He was united in marriage to Miss Ada Taylor who survives with two children: Lester, of Altoona, and Mrs. Florence Campbell of Columbus, Ohio. His wife suffered a stroke of paralysis several years ago and has since been confined to her bed. Deceased was well-known in Milesburg and Bellefonte and leaves a host of friends who mourn his demise. He was a member of the Methodist church and of the I. O. O. F. lodge of Milesburg. Funeral services were held from the home Monday afternoon, the Rev. Andreas officiating with the assistance of the Rev. M. C. Piper and the members of the I.O.O.F. lodge. Internment was made in the Trczlyulny cemetery.

Eleanor was the daughter of Jacob Taylor and, I believe, Mary “Polly” Hancock. She was born on 4 October 1858 in Ridgeway, Elk County, Pennsylvania. Her death certificate lists Jaccob Taylor (odd spelling, typo or was that how he spelled it?) and Unknown (Hancock). The informant for her certificate was her daughter, Florence using her married name of Mrs. Oscar Campbell. Yes, she married a 3^rd cousin.

Eleanor Adaline Taylor Campbell's death certificate

Eleanor's death certificate

It would appear that Eleanor didn’t use her given name most times. Most everything I find for her has her as Ada E. (1890 census), Addie (1910 census), or Adda (1920 census), with one odd Elner A, (1900 census) thrown for good measure.

I can put Samuel using census records only for now, in the home of James and Anna Campbell in 1870. They were in Snyder Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania, and in 1880 in Boggs, Centre County, Pennsylvania. By the 1890 census, Samuel and Ada were married and living in Boggs, Centre, along with their son Herbert (my paternal grandfather), and daughter Florence.

Census records have the family still in Boggs in 1900, then in Milesburg for the 1910 and 1920 census. So, unlike his father, Samuel didn’t move around following the iron mills. He is listed in various iron working occupations from 1880 through 1900, then he went to work for the railroad.

(Note to self: Get back to looking for any railroad pension records!)