Born to Dixon and Rebecca (Smith) Bartley in Butler County, Pennsylvania (family Bible)
17 June 1860
Lives at home with parents, Dixon and Rebecca, is 7, attends school (1860 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Butler County, Parker Township, M[illegible] Post Office, Dwelling 316, Family #320, Lines 22-31, June 17, 1860)
22 July 1870
Lives at home with parents, Dixon and Rebecca, is 15, attends school (1870 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Butler County, Parker Township, Post Office Bruin, Written Page 6B, Lines 13-19, Dwelling #41, House #41, July 22, 1870)
24 Jul 1872
Marries Frederick K. Gerner, Sugar Creek, Butler, Pennsylvania (family Bible; Bible marriage record)
17 May 1873
Ida Adelia born Butler County, PA (family Bible)
between May 1873 and July 1874
Moves to Putnam County, West Virginia. Elvira’s brother and his wife also moved to WV, though possibly before or after Elvira & family moved there. Travel on today’s roads require 287 miles of travel in 4 hours 48 minutes from Butler, PA to Winfield, Putnam Co, WV. (1880 U.S. Census record (citation below) and children’s county birth records)
25 Jul 1874
Twins Alonzo J. and Alfonzo F. born Putnam County, WV (County birth record; family Bible)
16 Nov 1875
Lana Ellen born Putnam County, WV (County birth record; other records give birth years between 1874-76)
16 Jul 1877
Edward G. born Putnam County, WV (County birth record; family Bible)
15 Feb 1879
Della Virginia born in Putnam County, WV (County birth record; family Bible gives birth date of Feb 17)
9 Jun 1880
Lives in Scott District, Putnam County, WV, with husband Fred (farmer), children Ida A (7 years), Alonzo (5 years), Alfonzo (5 years), Lana (3 years), Edward (2 years), and Della (1 year). (1880 U.S. Census, West Virginia, Putnam County, Scott District, S.D. 1, E.D. 112, Printed Page 75, Written Page 19, lines 35-42, Dwelling #13, Family #13, 9 June 1880)
20 Jan 1881
Mary Alma born Scott District, Putnam County, WV (County birth record; family Bible give birth date of Jan. 29)
29 Nov 1882
John N. born Winfield (county seat), Putnam County, WV (County birth record; obituary in “The Youngstown Vindicator,” Wednesday, December 9, 1970, p. 27, column 6. The family Bible gives birth year as 1883; obituary gives year as 1882.)
between Nov 1882 and June 1884
Elvira and her family move back to Butler County, PA (specifically to Bruin, according to her daughter, Brendice) (letters of Brendice Gerner Davis; 1900 U.S. census)
17 Jun 1884
Bessie Leota born Butler County, PA (family Bible)
17 May 1886
Mabel Lodenia born Butler County, PA (family Bible; California Death Index, 1940-1997)
13 Sep 1888
Beulah Mae born Butler County, PA (family Bible)
10 Jul 1890
Warren Franklin born Butler County, PA (family Bible)
15 May 1892
Ethel Clair born Butler County, PA (family Bible; transcribed birth record)
23 Jun 1894
Netta or Meta Mildred born Butler County, PA (family Bible; transcribed birth record)
9 Sep 1894
Netta/Meta Mildred dies Bruin, Butler County, PA (family Bible; transcribed death record)
9 Oct 1895
Brendice Kathryn born Butler County, PA (family Bible; transcribed birth record)
16 Apr 1897
Ethel Clair dies Butler County, PA. Cause of death: poisoned (transcribed death record; family Bible)
30 Apr 1898
Paul Victor born Butler County, PA (family Bible; transcribed birth record)
9 Jun 1900
Lives in Parker Township, Butler County, PA, with husband, Frederick and children, Alfonzo (25 years), Edward (22 years), Della (21 years), Alma (19 years), John (16 years), Bessie (15 years), Mabel (14 years), Beulah (11 years), Warren (9 years), Brendice (4 years), and Paul (2 years) (1900 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Butler, Parker Township, S.D. 19, E.D. 86, Printed Page 214A, Written Page 6, 9 June 1900)
9 Oct 1904
Daughter Ida Adelia Heppler dies. Ida’s infant daughter, Lucille, lives with Elvira & Fred. (family Bible; obituary in “The Butler Eagle,” Tuesday, October 11, 1904, p. 4)
~1908
Fred sells the large farm and buys a small farm (Letters of Brendice Gerner Davis, February 27, 1988 to January 2, 1990)
6 May 1910
Lives on Old Meadville Pike, Fairview Township, Mercer County, PA, with husband, Fred, and children Leota (25 years), Beulah (21 years), Warren (19 years), Brendice (14 years), and Paul (12 years) and granddaughter, Lucille (6 years). She is the mother of 15 children. (1910 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Mercer County, Fairview Township, Old Meadville Pike, E.D. 145, Sheet No. 114B, lines 77-84, 6 May 1910)
2 Feb 1912
Granddaughter, Lucille Heppler, dies of typhoid fever (obituary; cemetery inventory)
2 Apr 1913
Daughter Beulah Mae Doyle dies, Stoneboro, Mercer, PA. (family Bible; Pennsylvania death certificate)
1916
Lives in Fairview Township, Butler County (near Petrolia) (1916 Butler County Farm Directory)
13 Nov 1917
Son Edward Gerner dies in Mercer County, PA (family Bible)
19 Jan 1920
Lives in Bruin, Butler County, PA with husband, Fred K. (1920 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Butler, Bruin Borough, S.D. 19, E.D. 4, Sheet 3B, line 68-69, Dwelling 61, Family 61, 19 January 1920)
26 Mar 1926
Husband, Frederick K. Gerner, dies, Butler County, PA (family Bible; newspaper notice, “Bruin Man’s Will Filed For Probate,” in “The Butler Eagle,” Friday, April 2, 1926, page 17, column 1)
4 April 1930
Lives alone on Washington Street, Bruin, Butler, PA; rents house/apartment for $19.00/month (1930 U.S. Census, Pennsylvania, Butler, Bruin Borough, Washington Street, S.D. 7th, E.D. 10-4, Sheet No. 2A, Printed Page 243, Line 27, Dwelling 37, Family 40, 4 April 1930)
21 Oct 1940
Son Alonzo dies (family Bible; obituary in “Butler Eagle,” Tuesday, October 22, 1940, p. 11)
3 Feb 1943
Dies at the home of her daughter, Leota (Mrs. Fred) Holland, 561 Fourth Street, Struthers, Mahoning County, Ohio (family Bible; Ohio death certificate; obituary in “The Youngstown Vindicator,” Thursday, February 4, 1942, p. 11, col. 5; and obituary in “The Butler Eagle,” Friday, February 5, 1943, p. 2)
6 Feb 1943
Buried, Bear Creek Cemetery, Petrolia, Butler, PA (cemetery inventory, obituaries named above)
This timeline was created in conjunction with the post A Kind and Generous Woman which will be submitted to the 91st Carnival of Genealogy: "A Tribute to Women!"--Nancy.
Copyright © 2010 by Nancy Messier.
Nancy, I am always amazed at the fact that I so enjoy the stories of folks not my own. Your tribute to your great-grandmother Elvira was touchingly lovely and it was a story well told.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joan. I appreciate your kind comment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story. I am in awe of what she accomplished in raising such a large family long before washing machines, etc..
ReplyDeleteAnd they keep saying women are the weaker sex...
Very nice bio and timeline Nancy! I especially like how you pointed out how many of today's conveniences were lacking in Elvira's life. A very interesting read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sherry and Jasia, for coming to read, for leaving a comment, and for your kinds words about my post about Elvira. I appreciate it.
ReplyDelete