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Ephemera Friday – St. Benedict

Ephemera is defined as objects, often printed, that were not intended to last but are sometimes kept by collectors. When ancestors pass away, oftentimes the ephemera (objects, papers, and souvenirs) they’ve collected have no real sentimental value to the person receiving them after that ancestor’s passing. The items I’ll be sharing with you on these posts fit into that category. My grandmother Beatrice Irene (Repsher) Strait was a devout Catholic and these are all religious in nature. They date from the 1920s to the early 1930s with one 1982 item thrown in just to be odd man out.

Size: 1 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches

Date: None

Saint: St. Benedict – patron saint: Europe

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12 Pension Documents in 12 Months #4 – 2024 – Jacob Repsher’s Widow and Dependents Listing

Civil War pension files are a great source of genealogical information. I am fortunate to have pension files for two of my direct ancestors: Jacob H. Repsher, my 3rd great-grandfather, and William Henry Hunt, my 2nd great-grandfather. I also have a pension file for William’s half-brother Lyman Wood. Those files are the basis for the upcoming blogposts for each month. The files may contain documents unique to each Civil War veteran but many of the same forms are found in Jacob, William and Lyman’s files. The National Archives has a great resource on the anatomy of a Civil War pension file that can be found here.

Over time, the original Civil War pension acts were amended. One such change was in 1890 when a legislative act provided a limited-service pension for veterans and widows and children of deceased veterans of the Civil War, in which payments were provided without requiring service connection of the cause of the disability or death. Since widows and dependents could now claim a deceased soldier’s pension, the need to collect information on marriages and dependents became necessary. Form 3-402, with no official title, was created and sent to the local pension agents to complete and return. Jacob’s was completed in 1898 in Bartonsville, Pennsylvania.[1]

The document shows Jacob’s original certificate no. was 540,062 and has no information about his service in the military.

However, there are five wonderfully genealogy-related questions on the form.

    1. Are you married? If so, please state your wife’s full name and her maiden name. Jacob responded: I am, to Susan Repsher, maiden name Susan Williams.
    2. When, where, and by whom were you married? Jacob responded: 11 December 1851 by John T. Fraley, justice of the peace
    3. What record of marriage exists? Jacob responded: Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pennsylvania
    4. Were you previously married? If so, please state the name of your former wife and the date and place of her death or divorce. Jacob responded: with nothing
    5. Have you any children living? If so, state their names and the dates of their birth. Jacob responded by naming ten children still living in 1898: Emmanuel J. Repsher, 08 September 1852; John J. Repsher, 03 July 1854; Aaron J. Repsher, 03 November 1857; Samuel P. Repsher, 04 September 1859; Mary E. Repsher, 24 August 1872; George A. Repsher, 12 March 1875; Pherman J. Repsher, 21 July 1865; Jessiah K. Repsher, 08 July 1867; Armon S. Repsher, 27 July 1869; William H. Repsher, 02 October 1877.

Genealogy Nuggets

This document is a genealogical goldmine within a military service pension file. It provides lots of good direct evidence for Jacob’s marriage and the birth of his children. We find that Jacob was married to Susan Williams on 11 December 1851 by John Fraley, a justice of the peace. Their marriage record may be found (if extent) at the courthouse in Stroudsburg, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Jacob had not been previously married so there are no other wives to search for before his 1851 marriage to Susan. Sorting the children into birth order, there were ten living children, nine sons and one daughter, listed in 1898:

  1. Emmanuel J. Repsher, 08 September 1852
  2. John J. Repsher, 03 July 1854
  3. Aaron J. Repsher, 03 November 1857
  4. Samuel P. Repsher, 04 September 1859
  5. Pherman J. Repsher, 21 July 1865
  6. Jessiah K. Repsher, 08 July 1867
  7. Armon S. Repsher, 27 July 1869
  8. Mary E. Repsher, 24 August 1872
  9. George A. Repsher, 12 March 1875
  10. William H. Repsher, 02 October 1877

Given that Susan seems to have given birth every two years, not uncommon back then, there may be some other children to look for that passed away before 1898. Based solely on this listing, I would suspect there’s another child between John and Aaron, possibly two between Samuel and Pherman, another between Armon and Mary and then maybe another between Mary and George.

Overall, this document provides great direct genealogy information by answering the question “who did Jacob marry and when?” and answering the question “who were his children and when were they born?” It also gives us clues on where to look for a marriage record and indicates possible leads on when to look for other children.

[1] Civil War and Later Pension Files. Department of Veterans Affairs. Jacob Repsher (Pvt., Co. I, 147th Pa. Inf., Civil War), pension no. WC 632,252. Widow and Dependents, Form 3-402, dated 1898.

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Ephemera Friday – St. Clare

Ephemera is defined as objects, often printed, that were not intended to last but are sometimes kept by collectors. When ancestors pass away, oftentimes the ephemera (objects, papers, and souvenirs) they’ve collected have no real sentimental value to the person receiving them after that ancestor’s passing. The items I’ll be sharing with you on these posts fit into that category. My grandmother Beatrice Irene (Repsher) Strait was a devout Catholic and these are all religious in nature. They date from the 1920s to the early 1930s with one 1982 item thrown in just to be odd man out.

Size: 1 3/4 x 3 1/2 inches

Date: None

Saint: Saint Clare – patron saint: televisions and computer screens

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12 Pension Documents in 12 Months #3 – 2024 – Jacob Repsher’s Surgeon’s Certificate

Civil War pension files are a great source of genealogical information. I am fortunate to have pension files for two of my direct ancestors: Jacob H. Repsher, my 3rd great-grandfather, and William Henry Hunt, my 2nd great-grandfather. I also have a pension file for William’s half-brother Lyman Wood. Those files are the basis for the upcoming blogposts for each month. The files may contain documents unique to each Civil War veteran but many of the same forms are found in Jacob, William and Lyman’s files. The National Archives has a great resource on the anatomy of a Civil War pension file that can be found here.

Given that Jacob had applied for an invalid pension, at some point he would need to be examined by a doctor to validate his claims. A Surgeon’s Certificate, Form 3-111, provided the results to the Pension Bureau of Jacob’s examination by a board of doctors on 17 December 1890.[1]

The document shows Jacob’s original pension claim no. was 523721 and states he was a private in Company I, 147th regiment of the Pennsylvania volunteers. The post office of the examining board was given as Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and Jacob’s post office was given as Bartonsville, Pennsylvania.  Jacob was examined on 17 December 1890 by J. P. Mutchler, President, J. S. Huell, Secretary, and W. E. Miller, Treasurer, of the examination board in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Jacob stated that he was suffering from “rheumatism – nervousness + disease of the heart” and that he was currently not receiving any pension. Jacob stated that he has rheumatism in all his joints but particularly in his right shoulder joint that causes constant pain and stiffness so badly that he wasn’t able to work the last four weeks. He had palpitations of the heart and attacks about every second day lasting about a half hour and followed by marked nervousness.

Upon examination, the board found that Jacob’s pulse was 108; respiration was 16; temperature was 98.5*; height was 5 feet 9 inches; weight was 190 pounds, and age was 60 years. They further found his tongue coated; skin moist; lungs normal; liver enlarged; heart overacting, weak, sounds not distinct, percussion dullness increased. They found crepitation [crackling sound] in his right shoulder joint; motion painful and 1/2 voluntary motion lost and 1/2 inch of atrophy over his right bicep. They found no evidence of nervousness and Jacob was not suffering from palpitations as the present. His general condition was good.

No additional notations were made on the skeletal figures provided on the form.

The board of examiners declared that Jacob was, in their opinion, entitled to 6/18 rating for the disability caused by rheumatism and accompanying heart disease. They all signed the form at the bottom.

Genealogy Nuggets

While we don’t get a birth date, relationships, or relatives for Jacob within this document, there is information that puts Jacob (particular person) at a particular place at a particular time; one of the goals of genealogy. Specifically, Jacob Repsher was in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, on 18 December 1890 and, generally, living near the Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, post office. We also get a good look at the health issues that Jacob struggled with later in life. Given that Jacob was a shoemaker by trade, the rheumatism must have been painful while he was working, thus his invalid pension claim.

[1] Civil War and Later Pension Files. Department of Veterans Affairs. Jacob Repsher (Pvt., Co. I, 147th Pa. Inf., Civil War), pension no. WC 632,252. Surgeon’s Certificate, Form 3-111, dated 09 January 1891.

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Ephemera Friday – St. Aloysius

Ephemera is defined as objects, often printed, that were not intended to last but are sometimes kept by collectors. When ancestors pass away, oftentimes the ephemera (objects, papers, and souvenirs) they’ve collected have no real sentimental value to the person receiving them after that ancestor’s passing. The items I’ll be sharing with you on these posts fit into that category. My grandmother Beatrice Irene (Repsher) Strait was a devout Catholic and these are all religious in nature. They date from the 1920s to the early 1930s with one 1982 item thrown in just to be odd man out.

Size: 1 7/8 x 3/14 inches

Date: None

Saint: St. Aloysius

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12 Pension Documents in 12 Months #2 – 2024 – Jacob Repsher’s War Department Service Response

Civil War pension files are a great source of genealogical information. I am fortunate to have pension files for two of my direct ancestors: Jacob H. Repsher, my 3rd great-grandfather, and William Henry Hunt, my 2nd great-grandfather. I also have a pension file for William’s half-brother Lyman Wood. Those files are the basis for the upcoming blogposts for each month. The files may contain documents unique to each Civil War veteran but many of the same forms are found in Jacob, William and Lyman’s files. The National Archives has a great resource on the anatomy of a Civil War pension file that can be found here.

Once a veteran had applied for an invalid pension, the Commissioner of Pensions asked the War Department to provide details of the soldier’s service. For Jacob, the War Department responded with a two-page document on 11 June 1885.[1] It’s quite a messy document with various handwriting and initials.

The document reveals that he was on the rolls of the regiment and present December 1863. He was assigned 18 December 1863. He deserted from the regiment. He was mustered out. Assigned per special order number 151 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to serve 8 months and 20 days. He was present up to 31 August 1864. Muster out roll date 15 July 1865 reported him discharged 09 September 1864 at expiration of his term of service. Assigned by military commission special order number 151 dated 14 December 1863 in Philadelphia to serve 9 months of period lost by desertion. Also stated, no individual on detachment muster out rolls on file of this man.

The desertion charge that is mentioned in this document was later removed from Jacob’s record on 11 November 1886.[2] The desertion charge was substituted with “absent without proper authority” from 27 November 1862 to on or about 14 December 1862.

His name was not found at the Regimental Hospital records covering December 1863 to 31 January 1864, only of his time in regiment.

Additionally, the records of the War Department could furnish no evidence of Jacob’s alleged disability. The company’s morning reports covering from December 1863 to September 1864 showed him on furlough 21 January, 1864, on furlough February 5, 1864 and returned to duty from furlough on February 16, 1864, present of August 2, 1864, sick on August 10, 1864. The cause for which Jacob was furloughed and the nature of his sickness was not stated. The department had no medical certificate on file.

Jacob was mustered out at Atlanta, Georgia, on 09 September 1864.

Genealogy Nuggets

While we don’t get a birth date, relationships, or relatives for Jacob within this document, there is information that puts Jacob (particular person) at a particular place at a particular time; one of the goals of genealogy. Jacob Repsher near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on 18 December 1863, was assigned to his Civil War regiment. Given that he enlisted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1863 and was discharged in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1864 he must have traveled far and wide with his regiment during the fighting. The National Parks Service has a great listing of all the battles that the 147th regiment of the Pennsylvania Infantry saw during the Civil War.

[1] Civil War and Later Pension Files. Department of Veterans Affairs. Jacob Repsher (Pvt., Co. I, 147th Pa. Inf., Civil War), pension no. WC 632,252. Response from War Department to Commissioner of Pensions, dated 11 June 1885.
[2] Civil War and Later Pension Files. Department of Veterans Affairs. Jacob Repsher (Pvt., Co. I, 147th Pa. Inf., Civil War), pension no. WC 632,252. War Department to Mr. D. J. Lee, dated 11 November 1886.