Allegheny-Westmoreland County PA Archives Family Records.....Emanuel NEFF Family Bible & History Copyright Date 1920 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Lynn Beatty klbeatty@npgcable.com February 2, 2007, 6:39 am Braddock Pa., Mrs Elizabeth Rossell in her 82d yr, who lives in next to the last house, a frame one on the right hand or upper side of Reeves Way with her bachelor son Charles Rossell, who is a laborer for the Borough in North Braddock Pa but Charles gave the address as No 212 Lobingier Ave the street above on which the upper end of the lot fronts, but the house they live in is on the back end of the lot on Reeves Way. Charles is a medium sized man & has a very small hand. His mother is a rather large woman with large strong face & wears glasses. Her hair is not white, but has partially turned gray. I arrived between 3 & 4 o'clock & was busy taking pencil record of what she & her son told me & which I will now transcribe putting such of it as I can in a genealogical table form. At residence of Elizabeth Rossell & Charles Rossell, No 212 Lobingier Ave (but approached from Reeves Way) North Braddock Pa Nov 19, 1920 4 PM Mrs Rossell said her father, Emanuel Neff came from Germany with his parents when he was a young man & worked for a few yrs at his trade (shoemaker) in Phila Pa & came out to West Newton Pa. His father also came to West Newton & was a butcher. Mrs Rossell says her brother, Marsh Neff lived in the town of West Union, Iowa where he was a shoemaker. She thinks his widow, Anna would be the party to write to for the family records. Upon asking Mrs Rossell for their own family record, Charles went into the front room toward Reeves Way & brought out a large family Bible being a "Comprehensive Dictionary of the Bible" with the front leaves gone, but the "Revisers Preface" to the New Testament is dated "Jerusalem Chamber, Westminster Abbey 11th Nov 1880" & from it I take the dates of their family record as given on Page 108 in which all births & record of his own marriage are written, Mrs Rossell said, by her husband James Rossell in a fine plain hand & excellent penmanship. The records of the Law family are written they say by Gertrude (Mrs Law). Mrs Rossell said her husband's mother was a Layton & his father's name was Charles Rossell & that he lived in Fayette Co between Perryopolis & Belle Vernon Pa. Her husband had brothers Job, Caleb, & she thought Henry also, who was a tall man who lived near Dawson Pa. After Emanuel Neff's death, his widow, Eliza Carnahan Neff married her first cousin Lindsey Carnahan, son of William Carnahan. Mrs Rossell says that after her father's death in 1850, she went to live with her sister Mrs Jeannetta Budd who was married that same year & it was some yrs after when her mother married Lindsey Carnahan, who she says was her first cousin, a son of William Carnahan, a brother of her grandfather James Carnahan, who both were of the family that lived at the Willow Tree viz John & Rebecca. Later, she says, she went to live with her other sister Mary. She said her mother Eliza had one child by Carnahan viz Zelionople Carnahan who married 1st William Potter, who came from Ireland. The last time he was here 12 yrs ago, he hailed from Seattle, Washington where he is a farmer having taken up a homestead there. They separated & she died later. They had one child, William Potter. He went out to his father's, but they have no recent word about him. Zelionople is buried in West Newton Cemetery. Has been dead 15 yrs or more. Mrs Rossell & Charles say her brother's widow Anna from Iowa visited here abt 20 yrs ago. Had relatives on her side in Pgh whom she visited & then visited us. Mrs Rossell says it was some time after her own marriage when her mother died. I s'd "5 or 6 yrs" & she said "it was longer than that". She died first & it was a "good while" afterwards when her husband Lindsey died. He was a farmer & roustabout. She remembers her grandfather James Carnahan & thinks he died during the Civil War. Says it was before her marriage. She attended his funeral. He died at her mother's over near Elizabeth, but in Rostraver Tp where she was then living & he is buried at the Baptist Church at Salem. Dont know his age & dont know whether tombstone was put up or not. He was a cripple. One leg was shorter than the other. He was medium size. Charlie says he knows Erastus McMichael, son of William McMichael, the blacksmith at Williamsburg Pa & Lucetta Finley daughter of Nehemiah Finley (see Page 65). Said they (Charlie etc) used to live out the Pike a couple of miles beyond Williamsburg toward or near the old John Robertson place. Mrs Rossell thinks Erastus lives at Boston, or used to, which is 2 or 3 miles above McKeesport, across the Youghiogheny River. He taught school & was a delicate man. They say Jacob Mason & his wife Josephine Finley (Page 65) had two girls & two boys, viz Henry, Florence, Mott & another girl. Henry is married & lives at East Pittsburgh Pa. Is a bridge worker "Flo" is married to a man named Wonders & live in WVA where they think he bought a farm. Mott got killed on the RR a couple years ago up at McKeesport, either on the B&O or P&LE. Was unmarried. They think Jacob Mason & the other daughter who is unmarried are living together or probably live with Henry. They say Lucetta & Wm Michael Page 65 had two boys & a girl, Erastus the oldest is married & is a school teacher. Earl died unmarried, aged 12 to 15 yrs. Josephine lives with Erastus. Emanuel Neff Born in Germany Feby 28, 1790. Died in West Newton Pa Apr 18, 1850 aged 60 yrs 1 mo & 21 days & is buried at Sewickly Church. See Pages 27 Lines 13 & 14. He married 1st at West Newton Julia Funk & by her had one child, Mrs. Rossell says his first wife was buried at a church along Sewickly Creek (Sewickly Church, no doubt, where he is buried.) He married 2nd Eliza Carnahan, daughter of James & Eleanor Finley Carnahan & granddaughter of Col John & Rebecca Carothers Carnahan of the Willow Tree & of Squire Andrew & "Ginsey" Jack Finley all of South Huntingdon Tp Westnd Co Pa & by her she recounts nine children which she says was all & which I am listing as she gave them. Says her mother was 72 yrs old when she died in South Huntingdon Tp where she was living at the time & is buried in the West Newton Cemetery. [Children] 1. Julia Neff, by 1st wife, She is married & is she thinks still living. She married in West Newton & then went to Ohio. Could not recall her husband's name, but says he is dead some time ago. They had a "pretty large family" Aug 15/21 Kate says her husband's name was Goehring who her mother & Aunt Katy said was from Germany & he didn't treat her good. His brother married "Peggy" Weimer & went further west. 2. Jeannetta Neff, She called her "Jane" born Feby 16, 1830 See Aug 6, 1920 record in Book 3. She married Benjamin Budd in 1850 3. "Marsh" Neff. He moved to Iowa before the war, but after his father's death & took with him the family record of births etc., but which was not in a Bible. His address was West Union, Fayette Co, Iowa. He was killed in the War at Pea Ridge, Arkansas in a Mch. Married Anna Hubson of near Pennsville, Fay Co, Pa. She was still living last they heard. He was a shoemaker. 3.1. Davitt Neff, oldest, "named for John C. Davitt of Pgh Pa, a relative" He is now dead, was married & left a family. 3.2. Elizabeth Neff, married her cousin, Samuel Marsh, son of Mrs. Rís sister, Mary. 3.3. Homer Neff 3.4. Joseph Neff 3.5. One or two more Neff children 4. Mary Neff, She is dead & is buried at Wilkinsburg in the Woodlawn cemetery. Married 1st Cooper Marsh of the Quaker settlement Sewickly Tp. He was raised on a farm, but was a sawyer. He is dead & is buried at Quaker graveyard. Married 2nd Joseph Budd, a farmer, a first cousin of her sister Ginsey's husband, a son of Benj & Nellie Finley Budd & brother of John F. Budd. He is buried at Baptist Church at Salem, four miles from West Newton. See Page 62. Married 3rd Samuel Paden of about Wilkinsburgh Pa. He was a coal digger. He is dead & is buried at Beulah graveyard. Mary had four children by her 1st husband, three by her 2nd & one by her 3rd. She lived with her daughter Nora when she died. 4.1. Samuel Marsh, He was a Methodist preacher. Is now dead. He went to Iowa where he married his first cousin Elizabeth Neff. Dont know whether they had any children. 4.2. Logan Marsh, married Annie Henderson. Both living at Irwin Pa where he attends Grazer Sta Penn? RR at Braddock. 4.2.1. Margaret Marsh, who is married. 4.3. Rebecca Marsh, died Feby 1920 unmarried & is buried in Woodlawn Cem near Wilkinsburgh. She was aged 63 Born say in 1857. 4.4. Alice Marsh, married _______ Kelly. She is dead & is buried at Wilands Cem out in Sewickly Tp. Kelly married a Fleming for his 2nd wife, had a considerable family by her & left their home in Sewickly Tp & was never heard of afterwards. 4.4.1. Charles Kelly. Head is dead, married, but thinks he left no children. 4.4.2. Annie Kelly, dead 4.4.3. Logan Kelly 4.4.4. Robert Kelly 4.4.5. Alice Kelly All five of these children went to NY where the surviving ones now are. 4.5. William Budd. He is married & lives at Leechburgh, Pa. 4.6. William Budd. He is married & lives at Leechburgh, Pa. 4.7. Nancy Budd married Thomas College from England. He farmed. Both are living at Atwater, O. abt 8 miles from Alliance Ohio. He is Supt of County Roads. 4.7.1. Charles College, married & living in Ohio near Atwater 4.7.2. Mildred College, married & living in Ohio near Atwater 4.8. Charles Budd died when a child. 4.9. Nora Paden married Claude Porter, a bricklayer. Both are living close to Wilkinsburgh, Pa. Chas Rossell thought she might have the family Bible of her grandfather Emanuel Neff as her mother lived with her when she died, but his mother dont think so. 5. Andrew Neff. He was a shoemaker in West Newton Pa. He was in the Civil War & was wounded & years afterwards died from the effects of the wound. Married Sarah Eicher who lived on a farm near Pennsville, Fayette Co Pa. They are both dead & are buried in West Newton Cemetery. Kate thinks he had a big lot of children. 6. Nancy Neff, Born say May 4, 1837 Died Dec 4th, 1838 aged 1 yr & 7 mos. Buried at Sewickly Church graveyard. Kate said she died of whooping cough. 7. Elizabeth Neff, my informant Born Jany 26, 1839 in West Newton Pa. Married Feby 14, 1867 to James Rossell at West Newton Pa by Rev McKee of West Newton Pa. James Rossell was born March 30, 1836 & he died Sept 8, 1908 in the house I am writing these notes in & is buried in Monongahela Cemetery up over the hill here in Braddock, Pa. He had asthma & dropsy. He was a carpenter. 7.1. Frank Rossell, born Oct 16, 1868, married Celia Whittich. Both are living in St Louis MO. He is a carpenter. Have four children living All young & at home. 7.1.1. Otto Rossell 7.1.2. Emerson Rossell 7.1.3. Carl Rossell, dead 7.1.4. Frank Rossell 7.1.5. Elizabeth Rossell 7.2. Charles Rossell, Born Dec 26, 1869. A laborer, works for the borough. Also my informant [sic] along with his mother. An "old bachelor" he says. 7.3. Lewis Layton Rossell, Born July 15, 1872 married Mame Toland of North Braddock where they both live. He is a carpenter. Two children living & three dead. 7.3.1. Robert Rossell, unmarried 7.3.2. Gail Rossell, unmarried 7.4. Sarah Gertrude Rossell, Born Mch 23, 1874 married on June 30th, 1896 to Willis B. Law of Braddock Pa. He is a machinist & works for the Westinghouse Company 7.4.1. Mary Elizabeth Law, Born July 6, 1897 married Oscar Ross of Braddock Pa, a plasterer by trade. 7.4.1.1. A boy Ross one week old unnamed yet. 7.4.2. Lawrence Leslie Law, born Mch 15, 1906, unmarried. 7.4.3. Alda Gertrude Law, Born Sept 2, 1908 Died in February, 1919. 7.5. Benjamin Rossell, born Nov 24, 1875 married Margaret Quigley of Braddock Pa. Both living on adjoining lot above this house fronting on Lobingier St. He too is a carpenter & is now making $10 for a day of 8 hours. Have two children living & 3 dead. 7.5.1. Helen Rossell, married William Hunter, a bricklayer & live in Braddock, Pa. 7.5.1.1. Helen Hunter 7.5.2. Lawrence Rossell, unmarried 7.5.3. 3 dead Rossell children 7.6. James Edward Rossell, born Sept 13, 1879, Died Oct 17, 1881. 8. John Neff. He is abt 2 1/2 yrs younger than Mrs Rossell, born say in 1841. He now lives in the town of Elizabeth Pa on the Monongahela River & is a coal digger. He married Mary Sadler of Elizabeth Tp. She is dead. Mrs Rossell said "he had a generation of children" "must be 8 or 9 of them, cant give their names" they mostly all live about Elizabeth where he settled when he married & lives now among his children. He was in the Civil War but was not wounded. 9. Emanuel Neff Jr, He is a coal digger & cobbler & is living in Sewickly Tp along Sewickly Creek at Cowansburgh, Mrs Rossell thinks. He was in the Civil War & escaped being wounded. He married Mary Peoples of Sewickly Tp. Both are living. "Have a good bunch of children 8 or 9" among them Sherman, the only one they were able to name. Mch 1, 1925. He died Feby 18, 1925 aged 80 yrs in his home at Cowansburg Pa & was buried in West Newton Cem. He was a life long member of the Baptist Ch, West Newton Pa. He enlisted in the Civil War in Apr 1861 & served throughout the war & was a member of J.C. Markle Post 623 G.A.R. He was a shoemaker & is survived by his widow who was Miss Mary Peoples of Scottdale Pa who I should see soon & 4 daughters & 2 sons viz Mrs Edward Taylor, Irwin, Mrs John Young, Penn, Mrs John Zigfrits, New Stanton, & Mrs Chas Achtzahn, Gratztown. Sherman of Homestead & William of Cowansburg. Also 32 grandchildren & 48 (or 28) great grandchildren & one sister Mrs Jane Budd aged 95 yrs of Rostraver Tp. 10. Maria Neff, She was the youngest of the Neff children & died young. Additional Comments: Extracted from Josiah V. Thompson Journals, Vol. 4, pg 105-111 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 14.4 Kb