OBIT: Mahulda (GILKERSON) BOLYAR, 1955, Altoona, Blair County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Lee Cook Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/ _________________________________________ OLDEST MEMBER OF BETHEL CHURCH, MRS. BOLYAR, DIES One of the oldest residents of Altoona, Mrs. Mahulda (Gilkerson) Bolyar, 93, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Barbara Pendleton, 1917 Twelfth avenue, early this morning. Mrs. Bolyar was the widow of William T. Bolyar, who died in 1931. She was born in Northside, Pittsburgh, Sept 27, 1861, and had lived in Altoona for more than 60 years. Surviving are five children, Mrs. Sara Gainey and Mrs. Alice Gaines of Philadelphia, James B. of Buffalo, NY, and John T. and Mrs. Pendelton of Altoona; one sister, Mrs. Olive Hill of Pittsburgh; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Six children are deceased. Mrs. Bolyar was the oldest member of the Bethel A.M.E. Church. Friends may call at the Lafferty funeral home after 7 o'clock tomorrow evening. The Altoona Mirror, March 7, 1955 Additional Comments: Note: This is my 2nd great aunt. Family oral history and the 1870, 1880, 1900 and 1920 census report that she was born Virginia. The 1910 and 1930 census list her birthplace as Pennsylvania. Her father, John Gilkerson, who is listed in the census as being born in Virginia, then later West Virginia, first appears in the Allegheny City, Pennsylvania Directories in 1866-1867 when Aunt Mahulda was 5 years old. Based on the oral history and the census, I am currently assuming that she was born in that part of Virginia that became West Virginia after the Civil War. This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/