Caroline Stone Betz Sinton

 

Caroline Stone Betz Sinton

26 Apr 1924 – 5 May 2002

 

 

   

       

 

Caroline was born the 10^th child of 13 to John Ellsworth Betz Jr & Charlotte Johns in Port Carbon, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania.

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Back - John, Emma,  Richard, Charlotte, William, John E Jr

Middle - Dorothy, Gertrude, Ellsworth, Jean, Charlotte Johns

Front - Caroline, Lois, Ruth, Robert

Port Carbon, PA in 1931

 

In 1930, the family lived at 129 Spruce St. Port Carbon, with 3 more children joining the family.   Caroline would have attended the newer Port Carbon Elementary school which had been built in 1915.  The school had a bell tower whose bell signaled the start of school and recess times.  At that time, her father worked on the trolleys. The Pottsville Electric Railway Co operated from 1891 until 1931 in Port Carbon.  But in 1930, her father is listed as a Brakeman on the Reading Railroad in the census taken that year.  At the time of his death, he was a lokie operator for the Bazely Stripping Company in St Clair.

I believe this to be 29 Spruce St, Port Carbon, from Google Earth

 

In 1933, when Caroline was just 9 years old, her father died of hypertension & vascular disease at the age of 47. By 1940, her mother had moved the family back to Tamaqua, in Schuylkill County.  They lived at 251 Clay St.  Her mother did not hold a job at age 53, but four older siblings of Caroline did work. Likely the income that supported the family that still had 8 children living at the home. 

                       251 Clay St. Tamaqua, Google Earth
        

              

 

Caroline and her family always attended the Methodist church. In 1939 & 1941, Caroline attended a Christian summer camp near Pottstown called Camp Innabah.  She was also always involved with the Methodist Youth group at her church. At some point, Caroline and her sister Ruth must have worked at the Atlas Powder Co. There is a photo showing them in the Atlas uniforms below.

  

 

There is also a photo of Caroline’s brother Ellsworth “Buddy” that he sent her while he was in the Army during World War II.  He inscribed it “To Carrots”, a name he must have called her due to her red hair.  I imagine Caroline as a little (4’11”) spitfire when she was young.

Caroline graduated from Tamaqua High School in 1942.  She was a member of the Commercial Club at school which was a group for those interested in working in an office once they graduated.  By 1943, at age 19, Caroline had found a clerical job in Middletown, PA.  She lived at 30 South Catherine St. in Middletown.  It was here that she met her future husband, Gary Sinton, who was from Pottsville.  Gary worked at the Air Depot in Middletown in the engine shop doing repairs and running engine tests before enlisting in the US Army Air Corps in 1944.

Tamaqua High School

    

 Much of their courtship was likely done through the mail, as Gary had been assigned to a squadron in the Pacific where he stayed until the end of World War II in 1945.  Gary & Caroline became engaged on July 4, 1946, at a Betz family picnic at the Atlas Grove near Tamaqua.  They were married at the Methodist church in Tamaqua on Oct 12, 1946.  Like many brides of that era, Caroline wore a gown that was made from Gary’s army parachute.  After a honeymoon to Niagara Falls, they set up housekeeping with Gary’s parents at 2058 West Market St in Pottsville. Gary was working for the J H Brokhoff Dairy.  Their first child Gary Jr was born in December 1947 in Pottsville.

 

                   First United Methodist Church, Tamaqua

 

The family soon moved to Chicago, Illinois so that Gary could attend the Aeronautical University there.  He worked part time at the Marshall Fields department store until finishing his degree in Aeronautical engineering.  In May of 1949, a daughter, Sharon, was born. One address that they lived at was 7833 South Evans Ave in Chicago. This house is still there today.  

 

In September of 1950, Gary graduated, and the family moved to Baltimore where Gary would work for the Martin Aircraft Co.  A third child, Janice, was born there in January 1952.  They lived at 1628 Rickenbacker Rd, Apt C Baltimore. This address no longer exists.

In 1953, Gary found a better position at the Jacobs Aircraft Co in Pottstown, Pa, closer to home this time. They did not live long on Main St Pottstown Landing Rd. This job ended in 1954 and the family left once again for a new job in St Louis with McDonnell Aircraft.  In November of 1954 a son was born, Thomas.  The family lived at 837 East Essex Ave in the Kirkwood neighborhood of the St Louis area.  Caroline would boast of being well off enough to employ a maid to help with her growing family. 

Pottstown Home

 

 

Unfortunately, just as success was within their grasp, this job ended too soon due to Gary’s health.  The family had moved back to Pottsville by Christmas 1955.  Gary spent most of 1956 in the VA hospital in Wilkes Barre.  Caroline and the four children lived at Gary’s parent’s home once again. After his release from the hospital, he was unable to work as an engineer any longer and he worked as a relief milkman for Lehigh Valley Dairy for about 10 years and later held other positions with the dairy until he retired on disability in 1973. 

 

2058 W Market St Pottsville

 

The family was able to buy their own home with the help of Gary's war bonds and purchased 822 Pottsville St in Mechanicsville in 1958.  During this time, the family added three more children, Laura in April 1958, Bill in July 1961 & Holly in September 1962.  And Caroline stayed active in her church in Pottsville, First United Methodist Church, by being a member of the Joy Circle.

 

822 Pottsville St, Pottsville

 

During these years, Caroline worked at various jobs to help ends meet, including clerical jobs and as a sewing machine operator in local garment factories.  She was known as a good seamstress and her work production was good.  At one place she would sew women’s blouses and knew how to operate a Merrow sewing machine.  She was also particular about which factories she would work at.  Some were true sweatshops or had bad bosses and likely not good places to work.  Some of the factories she worked in were in Mary D, New Philadelphia, Cumbola, Angela's in Port Carbon, Frackville and Pottsville.  Caroline was a proud member of the ILGWU (International Ladies Garment Workers Union) and always looked for the union label or made in America label when shopping.  She made a lot of her family’s clothing and most of hers over the years.  Her husband, Gary, would say “if you could make shoes, we wouldn’t have to buy anything”.  She also did clerical work at the Evans Delivery Co, Bel-Tone Hearing Aide Co and the Redco office in Pottsville where she learned to do data entry on a computer.  In 1990, she worked as a census taker.  Sometimes, Caroline would end up working at the same factory as a family member.  I am told she worked at the Danville leisure wear factory in Frackville with her daughter in law’s mother and aunt, with her daughter Janice in Pottsville and in New Philadelphia with her sister, Lois. 

 

           

                     Typical Garment factory floor

 

An old factory building in Pottsville that Caroline was supposed to have worked in, 

at 14^th & W.Market sts.  From Google Earth

In her leisure time, in addition to sewing, Caroline enjoyed knitting and a little cross stitch and crochet work.  She was known in the family as being able to grow any houseplant.  African Violets were a favorite. 

In1968, their children began getting married and adding grandchildren to the family.  So began a whole new chapter in their lives.  They enjoyed their growing family, as well as traveling to such places as Salt Lake City Utah, Quebec, Holland Michigan, Rhinebeck New York, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New England, Arizona, Virginia, Florida, and Hawaii.  They also enjoyed attending the many school and sporting events that their grandchildren participated in, with graduations being extra special occasions.  They never missed anyone’s birthday and always sent a card or gave a gift.  Holidays were always special times for Gary & Caroline, when all of their children and grandchildren would gather and catch up with each other.  There were picnics on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.   Thanksgiving became a major undertaking as the family grew larger and larger, with tables stretching into two rooms until there was no longer room for everyone at their house on Pottsville Street.  The dinner was then moved to Holly’s home, which was much larger and gave the family a few more years of being able to gather together.   Finally, a hall was needed to accommodate everyone.  As each child’s families grew, the tradition ended, but many memories were made. 

 

Christmas was the other major family gathering.  Almost everyone would gather at Gary & Carolines home to exchange gifts and have a light dinner.  Sometimes two gatherings were necessary as Thomas lived out of town and was not always able to come home on Christmas Day.  The family spread out all over the house with wrapping paper and gifts strewn about, children underfoot, and not an empty seat to be found anywhere.  Unfortunately, illness began to take its toll on Caroline and soon Gary found himself without his life’s companion.  Caroline passed away at St Joseph’s Hospital in Reading, Pa. in 2002. He survived with the help of his children, but finally joined Caroline in 2005 after almost 3 1/2 years of loneliness. Despite all the adversity and struggles in their lives, they had a true love for each other and their family. Final resting place is Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, PA. 

 

 

 

 

https://portcarbonborough.org/history

https://www.lykensvalley.org/schuylkill-county-garment-industry-1981/

 Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2024. All rights reserved.

Eclipse 2024

 Just a few thoughts from watching the April 8, 2024 eclipse today. 

I have always been interested in watching eclipses or looking for comets or hoping to see a bright meteor during a meteor shower.  I remember my father talking about them and naming stars to me. I do remember past eclipses, one when I was very young where it did get somewhat dark, one not so much dark and of course the more recent one in 2017. 

Today, even  tho Pittsburgh was not in the path of totality, it was still an amazing experience. To watch the moon pass in front of the sun for about 2 1/2 hours put a lot in perspective. We are so small in comparison. But how to comprehend. 

I commented to my husband comparing a solar eclipse to a lunar eclipse. I feel connected to both but in different ways. A solar eclipse feels a little less natural with the glasses we need to wear while looking at it, while a lunar eclipse there is nothing but the moon and your eyes taking in the sight. But the solar eclipse has tangible physical characteristics in the dimming of the light in midday and the cooling of temperatures more noticeable than just walking into the shade or a cloud passing in front of the sun. Both types are very interesting and powerful. 

Some of my photos from our backyard today. I used my cell phone and covered the lens with a pair of eclipse glasses.  Worked pretty well. 

2:04 PM EST

                                                                         2:53 PM EST

                                                     Dimness at totality, 3:19 PM EST

Pittsburgh 97.1 % totality at 3:16 PM EST

3:27 PM EST

4:07 PM EST

Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2024. All rights reserved.

Week 16 - Steps (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks)

I lived in the town of Pottsville, PA from the time I was 5 years old until the year or so after I was married.  This was in the 1960's and early 70's when kids walked just about everywhere they went.  We lived on the east side of town in the Greenwood Hill neighborhood and my elementary school was, according to my Dad,  a mile and a quarter from our home.  But my kindergarten school was just down two hills, about 3 blocks from home.  My mom tells the story of how one day walking to kindergarten, I wanted to go by myself, I was big enough I told her.  She let me, but I'm sure she followed without me knowing to make sure I was ok. From there on, I walked to kindergarten myself.  My street, Edwards Ave., was only two blocks long. My house sat on the top flat block.  To get to school, I walked to the end of the flat and continued down the steep hill block which ended at the top of a flight of steps. At the bottom of the steps was an alleyway that led to Jackson St which was one of the steeper hills in Pottsville. Then you turned down the hill to get to the Jackson St school on that corner.  I needed to cross the street at the bottom of the hill, where there was a crossing guard. Safely at school.  Can you imagine a kindergartner using these by herself daily! In those days the steps were made from wood and painted white. At some point after I moved away they were replaced by concrete steps. The steps have been closed off at the top for years now and not used, but still there.

The Edwards Ave steps in Pottsville, PA - photo credits to Kelly Webber (posted in the Facebook group "Snapshots of Pottsville")

But I used these steps hundreds of times. To and from school, that mile and a quarter once I was old enough to walk across town, and the library and downtown to shop. Mom used to send us down to Mickey's corner store catty cornered across from the school to get her a loaf of bread once in awhile. And I made many trips to the library, especially in the summer, and would come home with an arm load of books to read. Back up the steps. Every summer the stores downtown would have a sidewalk sale. They put all of what we would call "Clearance" out on racks on the sidewalk in front of their store. It would get so crowded for all the stores there at the time. But many bargains could be found. Using the steps again. As I got older, the steps were still usually my chosen route to home even tho there were three other ways to get there. They were longer walks but not easier because all had steep hills but every now and then I would take them just because I could. An independent streak I guess! These steps saw me grow up, witnessing that little independent 5 year old all the way thru dating in high school. All of my "steps" in my growing up.

What made me remember these long ago steps was sitting in a waiting room at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh on the Hemlock St. side recently and looking out the window watching people still using steps. I did not know that there were three sets of steps on the very steep hill back there. Much longer than my steps by far. One starts at the end of James St and goes up to the higher street behind AGH then another set barely visible thru the trees continuing up to yet another higher street and the third set starts at the end of Hemlock St off of James St. As very hilly places, both Pottsville & Pittsburgh have many flights of these steps. I'm not sure how many sets of steps Pottsville has, 5 or 6 maybe, but I read that Pittsburgh has 712 sets of steps! All needed to get someone somewhere.

Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2024. All rights reserved.

A First for a Woman

With March being Women's History Month, I thought I'd try to find a new to me woman to write about.  Dr. Mary Edwards Walker crossed my path yesterday, so I looked her up and found that I could actually add her to my family tree. So here goes.

Mary Walker was born on Nov 26, 1832 in Oswego, New York. She also died there on Feb 21, 1919. But those dates in between hold a notable life lived.  Mary was raised on the family farm by parents who encouraged their children to free think beyond the traditional gender roles of the time.  Her parents were abolitionists, a cause that Mary also took up.  She was also a prohibitionist, women's rights advocate, a Civil War POW and an Army Surgeon.  Her father was a self trained doctor and Mary followed his calling and graduated from the Syracuse Medical College in 1855. She also married a fellow doctor, Albert Miller, in 1855 and they set up practice together. Later, after the Civil War began, Mary wanted to serve as an Army surgeon.  Her requests were repeatedly turned down because she was a woman, but finally, in 1863, with support from some other Army surgeons, she was approved. Before her approval, she volunteered to care for wounded soldiers in Virginia.  Before and during her service in the war, Mary was known for wearing unconventional clothing for a woman.  She felt that her dresses limited her mobility so she took to wearing  "bloomer type" apparel, a skirt over pants,  thru the war.  Eventually, she switched over to wearing men's clothing for which she was actually arrested several times.  But don't be fooled, Mary didn't care and continued her own style.  Her marriage ended in 1869 with a divorce.  After the war, Mary became a writer and lecturer.  She supported a woman's right to vote but died before she was able to vote herself.  

In 1865 after the war was over, Pres. Andrew Johnson awarded Mary with the Congressional Medal of Honor for her service as a medical surgeon during the war.  She was the only woman to ever have been awarded that honor.  Sadly, in 1917, the award was rescinded because she was a civilian and had not been commissioned during the war.  Due to her family's diligence in requesting the the medal be restored to her, it was in 1977.  Mary is still the only woman to ever receive the award.

Her MOH citation:

Attribution and citation

Rank and organization: Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon (civilian), U.S. Army. Places and dates: Battle of Bull Run, July 21, 1861; Patent Office Hospital, Washington, D.C., October 1861; Chattanooga, Tennessee, following Battle of Chickamauga, September 1863; Prisoner of War, April 10, 1864 – August 12, 1864, Richmond, Virginia; Battle of Atlanta, September 1864. Entered service at: Louisville, Kentucky. Born: 26 November 1832, Oswego County, New York.

Citation:

The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Assistant Surgeon - Civilian Mary Edwards Walker, United States Civilian, for extraordinary heroism as a Contract Surgeon to the Union Forces. Whereas it appears from official reports that Dr. Mary E. Walker, a graduate of medicine, "has rendered valuable service to the Government, and her efforts have been earnest and untiring in a variety of ways," and that she was assigned to duty and served as an assistant surgeon in charge of female prisoners at Louisville, Kentucky, upon the recommendation of Major Generals Sherman and Thomas, and faithfully served as contract surgeon in the service of the United States, and has devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers, both in the field and hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war four months in a Southern prison while acting as contract surgeon; and Whereas by reason of her not being a commissioned officer in the military service, a brevet or honorary rank cannot, under existing laws, be conferred upon her; and Whereas in the opinion of the President an honorable recognition of her services and sufferings should be made: It is ordered, That a testimonial thereof shall be hereby made and given to the said Dr. Mary E. Walker, and that the usual medal of honor for meritorious services be given her. Given under my hand in the city of Washington, D.C., this 11th day of November, A.D. 1865. /s/ Andrew Johnson, President.

Mary wearing her Medal of Honor

"I don't wear men's clothes, I wear my own clothes." - Dr. Mary Edwards Walker

Mary is my paternal 8th cousin 4 times removed thru Sir John Hawkins (1532-1595). 

Some places to learn more about Dr. Mary Edwards Walker:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDfb1SS4gEc

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Edwards_Walker

https://www.army.mil/article/183800/meet_dr_mary_walker_the_only_female_medal_of_honor_recipient

Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2024. All rights reserved.

Thomas McNeil - Civil War soldier

 I wanted to get his story into my blog.  I wrote it a few years ago for Veteran's day.

I didn't think that I was going to have a Veteran's Day story to tell this year, but email came to the rescue today. I received the Military Service Record for Thomas McNeil today. So here is a brief story of his life and service, hoping for more details to come yet.

Thomas McNeill was born about 1825 in Ireland. He probably came to America about 1848 or 1852, possibly thru Castle Garden, the predecessor of Ellis Island.

The 1860 census shows him as a farmer living in Exeter, Luzerne Co, PA with his wife Mary Ann Morris and 4 children, John 8, Fallie 7, Thomas 4 and Elizabeth 1. A 5th child, Mary Ann was born about 1862 after Thomas enlisted in the Union Army.

His enlistment date is given as Nov 20, 1861 in Luzerne County. He became a Private in the 56th Penna Infantry Company I. The Regiment stayed at Camp Curtin in Harrisburg until March 8, 1862 when it left for Washington DC. Near the end of April 1862, the regiment left the Washington area and was engaged in repairing damage done to the Fredricksburg-Norfolk Railroad. Most of the summer of 1862 was spent doing guard duty until August 16, 1862 when the regiment heard it’s first sounds of enemy shells passing overhead near Gainesville, Virginia.

The 56th participated in many of the more well known battles, such as South Mountain, Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and Petersburg, and was known a s one of the better Regiments by reputation. At Gettysburg, the 56th is credited with firing the very first shot of the battle.

In April 1863, just 3 months before the Battle at Gettysburg, Thomas is shown on his Muster Roll records as being detached to duty with the Division Commissary. He would be shown in this capacity until Feb 1864. On March 7, 1864, he was discharged by reason of re-enlisting back into his same company and regiment at Culpepper, Virginia. Those who reenlisted received a furlough to Philadelphia.

After his re-enlistment, he is simply shown as present. So it is assumed that the Commissary duty had ended. Commissary duty would have involved feeding the armies. So whether he was a cook or worked in a warehouse or some other position is not known. This does not necessarily mean that he did not see battle in the months he served the commissary. He could have been supplying food to troops in the field as well. He mustered out of the army on July 1, 1865 near Washington.

Right now, this is all that is known of his military service. After the war, Thomas and Mary Ann had two more children, James in 1867 and Jennie in 1870. The 1870 census has the family living in West Pittston, Luzerne County and Thomas is working as a laborer. In 1880, Thomas and family are back living in Exeter. 4 of their children still live with them.

Thomas is supposed to have died on Jan 9, 1882 in Wyoming or Exeter, Luzerne county. But his estate was apparently still being settled around Feb of 1887 according to a newspaper notice. Also an Army supplied headstone was not provided until July of 1887. Thomas’s widow, Mary Ann, also applied for a widow’s pension in 1890, based upon Thomas’s service, but no proof of that as yet. In 1900 and 1910, Mary Ann was living with her son James’s family in Exeter. Mary Ann would live until Christmas day of 1910, one day after her 87th birthday. They are buried in Wyoming Cemetery in Luzerne county.

Thomas McNeil is Tom’s great great grandfather and grandfather of Ruth Gray Sinton.

56th Regiment monument at Gettysburg

56th's Regimental Colors

Muster Roll Card

Pension Card

Grave

Estate notice

Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2024. All rights reserved.

The Good Old Days

 I ran across a post about this item last week.  It's called a Bucket-a-Day.  This item played a daily part of my husband's life as he was growing up in the anthracite coal region of Pennsylvania.  Coal was the most used heating fuel for homes in this part of the state.  These little burners were used to heat water in the home.  Even as recently as the 1970's, when I first met my husband, he would have to put coal into the Bucket a day to heat water so he could take a bath for our weekly date nights.  And imagine how much hot water a family with 7 children would use!  The Bucket a day's chores did not end there because after the coal that was burned was used up, the Bucket a day had to be emptied of the coal ash which remained.  The ashes would be picked up by your garbage hauler each week which you had to take to the curb in ash cans.  The ashes did have others uses, most commonly as a non skid material to sprinkle on your sidewalks after shoveling snow.  Some people kept an ash can full in the trunk of their car in case they became stuck on a snowy or icy road.  Just put some ashes around the tires for traction and, hopefully, away you went.  

And don't think the work involved with coal in your home ended there.  In order to heat your home, there would be a coal furnace, usually in the basement.  Also homes needed a place to store all of the coal that was delivered periodically, usually by the ton.  That would be the coal bin that was located where there would be easy access to a small window into which the coal was then able to be transferred from the coal man's dump truck.  This was done by running a metal chute from the truck into the small window of the coal bin.  The coal would then be easily accessed inside the home. Just like the Bucket a day, the furnace needed to be filled with coal to provide the heat for the home, one shovel full at a time. And emptied of ashes as well.  Lots of ash cans to haul to the curb in the winter on trash day.  

  

Examples of Bucket-A-Days

coal ash cans

Filling the furnace with coal

Octopus Furnace

 

Coal Ad

Coal Trucks delivering coal

Notice the small window in the foundation of the house on the right. Some homes had a cast iron hinged door to cover the opening.

Here is a link to You Tube of coal being delivered. The sound of the coal slipping down the chute brings back alot of childhood memories. It was always an event when the coal was delivered.  And anthracite coal makes your house a nice kind of warm. Our house had radiators and it was a favorite place to sit after coming in from the cold.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xf5egTshpI

And here is a great description of having coal in your home.

https://robertmead.blogspot.com/2019/01/when-we-heated-our-homes-with-coal.html

https://www.wvia.org/news/local/2023-11-06/the-remnants-of-coal-use-in-nepa

Sources:

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/bucket-day-coal-stove-430169501

Please give credit and post a link to my blog if you intend to use any of the information written here. My blog posts are © Ann M Sinton 2024. All rights reserved.