Amanuensis Monday - Elizabeth (Rudy) Greenawalt's Will

The Last Will of Elizabeth Greenawalt, deceased,

In the name of God amen.

I Elizabeth Greenawalt of Barree township Huntingdon county, Pa being in good health of body and of sound and disposing mind praise be to God for the same.  And being desirous to settle my worldly affairs while I have strength and capacity so to do, do make and publish this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former wills made by me heretofore and first principally I commit my soul into the hands of my creator who gave it and my body to the Earth to be intered in the bury ground of st stevens beside by Last Husband and as to such worldly affairs where with it hath pleased God to intrust me to dispose of the same as followeth Infirmeries I will that all such Just debts as shall be by me owing at my death together with funeral expenses and all charges touching the proving of or otherwise concerning this my will shall in the first place paid out of the real estate and from and after payment thereof and subject there unto then.  My will is that all the residue of my chattels merchandise and household furniture shall be independently appraised and after such appraisement that the same shall be divided into four equal parts to my daughter Barbara Wilson one forth also the Bea----. To my son John Evertts one fourth (if he is not living when I come to dye his share is to be divided between his sisters & Brother)[within parentheses was crossed out] to my son George Everetts one forth to my Daughter Margaret Wilson one fourth to my grand child Seibert Johnston I give & bequeath to him the contents left in the spare room upstairs Also the cookstove this property will not be praised that is left to Seibert Johnston. I also give & bequeath my last husbands children Kate Myton Hetty Frye Graffius Greenawalt Elizabeth Pen & John Everts son & daughter of Nicholas Evetts descd on Dollar each after the expenses of my funeral and debts is all paid out of what I claim in the farm which is about three hundred dollars.  I want equally divided among my first children share & share alike I do here by nominate constitute and appoint C C Kocher of Barree township Huntigdon co Executor of this my will hereby revoking and making void all former wills by me at any time made and declare this only to be my last will and testament in witness where of I have this day set my hand seal this 3^rd day of July 1894

                                                                                Elizabeth Greenawalt, her seal

[Source:  Family History Library microfilm #854237]

Elizabeth's will mentions her last husband, John Greenawalt; burial in St. Stephen's Church Cemetery; children with first husband, Philip Everts:  Barbara Wilson, John Evertts, George Everts and her deceased son's, Nicholas Everts, children - John Everts and Elizabeth Penn; child from relationship: Margaret Wilson; and children with John Greenawalt:  Kate Myton, Hetty Frye, Graffius Greenawalt, and deceased daughter's, Arminta Johnston, son - Seibert Johnston.

1880 Federal Census - John Greenawalt Household

John and Elizabeth (Rudy) Greenawalt's 1880 Federal Census enumeration.

1880 Federal Census of Barree Twp, Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania
[Source: Ancestry.com]

Detail from the above form of the John Greenawalt household.

John Greenawalt, age 58, with his wife Elizabeth, 64, were enumerated in the 1880 census.  Also living in their household were their granddaughter Ida Wilson, age 17, and their grandson Elwood Johnson, age 2.  All four were born in Pennsylvania as were all their parents.  John is a farmer.

Elwood Johnson is Seibert Ellwood Johnston, the son of Henry Howard and Arminta (Greenawalt) Johnston.  Arminta died the day Seibert Ellwood was born:  16 July 1877.  Arminta was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Rudy) Greenawalt.

Ida Wilson was the daughter of was the daughter of Margaret Croyle Greenawalt and Henry Wilson.  Margaret Croyle Greenawalt was Elizabeth (Rudy) Everts' daughter from a relationship with Samuel Croyle following the death of her first husband Philip Everts and prior to her marriage to John Greenawalt.

Tombstone Tuesday - Howard Johnston Family

Henry Howard Johnston, son of Irvin and Christina (Nelson) Johnston is buried at the Riverview Cemetery, Streator, LaSalle Co, Illinois.  Buried next to him is his 2nd wife, Lizzie.  Then, daughter Coda Ray Johnston who died as an infant, daughter Nellie (Johnston) Thomas and her husband, James Thomas.

Riverview Cemetery, Streator, Illinois
Name:  H.H. Johnston; Date 5/6/91; Lot 110, Block 12
1. Howard H Johnston, 2. Elizabeth Johnston, 3. Coda Ray Johnston
4. and 5. (handwritten) - for M & M James Thomas



The note from June 2009 states that "the graves were purchased May 6, 1891 by H.H. Johnston.  Coda Ray Johnston was a daughter of Howard & Elizabeth." There is a discrepancy between the dates on the cemetery's form and Coda Ray's grave marker.  The grave marker has a birth date of Oct 16, 1891 and a death date of May 6, 1892.

Also buried at Riverview Cemetery is daughter Edna (Johnston) Roberts, her husband Thomas Roberts, and their son, Stan Roberts with his wife Maxine.

Howard's son Seibert Ellwood Johnston, and his wife Marie Catherine (Doumont) Johnston, is buried at the McKeesport-Versailles Cemetery, McKeesport, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania. Marie is not listed on the grave marker.

I have not found a burial location for Howard's first wife, Arminta (Greenawalt) Johnston, who died in 1877 in Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania.

Sunday's Obituary - Elizabeth (Rudy) Everts Greenawalt

Elizabeth Rudy, the second of three children born to Jacob and Esther "Hettie" (Graffius) Rudy, was born 1 March 1814 in Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania.  Her father, Jacob, had died before March 1830, the date that his father's will was written and named his "deceased son, Jacob".  Her mother, Hettie, then married James Harrison.

Elizabeth married Philip Everts about 1830.  They had four children:  Barbara, John, Nicholas, and George.  Philip died in 1837.  About 1841, Elizabeth had a relationship with Samuel Croyle and a daughter, Margaret, was born on 1 March 1842 in Barree Twp, Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania.  In the April Session 1843 of the Criminal Court, Samuel Croyle was charged with "Fornication and Bastardy" and the charge was "Accomodated".

About 1845, Elizabeth married John Greenawalt.  They had seven children:  Catherine, Reuben, Hetty, Graffius Miller, Mary E, Arminta Agnes, and Eleanor C Greenawalt.

Elizabeth died 8 November 1894 in Barree Twp, Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania.  Her obituary was published in the Huntingdon Journal on 16 November 1894.

[Courtesy of Barbara Kelly]

Transcription of obituary:
     Elizabeth Greenawalt, who had attained the ripe age of 81 years, died at her residence in Barree township, on the 8th inst.  For more than forty years this old mother in Israel had been a consistent member of the M.E. church, and when the summons came she was ready.  She was highly respected by all who knew her, and there were but few in that neighborhood who did not know "Grandmother Greenawalt."  Eight children, three sons and five daughters survive her.

As Elizabeth wished, in her will "to be intered in the bury ground of st stevens beside my Last Husband", she was buried in St. Stephen's Lutheran Church Cemetery, McAlveys Fort, Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania.  Also buried in this cemetery are her "Last Husband" John Greenawalt, children Nicholas Everts, Reuben, Mary E, and Eleanor C Greenawalt, and her mother, Esther (Graffius) Rudy Harrison.

Wednesday Child - Mary E and Eleanor C Greenawalt

Mary E & Elner C
Children of J & E Greenawalt

St. Stephen's Lutheran Church Cemetery
McAlevys Fort, Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania

Mary E. Died Sep. 7, 1862 Aged 8yr 9m 26d.

Elner C. Died Sep. 6, 1862 Aged 4 yrs 4m 19 d.

Children of J. & E. Greenawalt

Mary E Greenawalt, the 5th child, was born 11 October 1853 and Eleanor C Greenawalt, the 7th and youngest, was born 17 April 1858 to John and Elizabeth (Rudy) Greenawalt,  in Barree Twp, Huntingdon Co, Pennsylvania.  The birth dates are copied from a "General Affidavit of Elizabeth Greenawalt in Claim for Mother's Pension" dated 15 June 1887.

A story for another day . . . John and Elizabeth (Rudy) Greenawalt's son, Rueben Greenawalt, ran away from home and enlisted in Co. C, 110th Pennsylvania Regiment of the U.S. Vols. under the alias John Banks.