Stephen John ROWLEY

Notes:

"Baddad", as he was fondly called by his grandchildren, was a kind, quiet man. He seemed to rule the house with an iron fist, though, it seemed to be done without ever saying a word. For as long as I can remember, he always had his garden. Sometimes he had to rent a plot of ground blocks from his home. It was always a special treat to be allowed to tag along to spend a morning or afternoon with him working in the garden. If I was lucky, he would dig up a kohlrabi, peel it with the penknife he always carried and slice it into bite size pieces for me to eat. This was a very special treat to me. In the late 1940's, when they lived on Schley Avenue, I remember him sitting at the table on the chair in the corner by the window listening to the Pirates baseball game on the radio. There was a big floor model radio in the living room, but I don't remember him ever listening to the ball games on it. In the early evening, he would sit in his easy chair reading the Pittsburgh Press newspaper. More often than not, he would actually be napping behind the paper. In the evenings he would usually walk to Duffy's Tavern in Crafton to drink beer and exchange stories with his cronies. Some evenings he would get together with his neighbor, Tom Creely, and they would harmonize old songs way into the night. Occasionally one or both would play the bazooka. As the years passed and he became older, much older, he only wanted to stay at home - it was even a chore to get him to go to the home of one of his children. He continued to garden up until just a few years prior to his death at age 91.

Stephen worked the coal mines of Carnegie at age 10 - his job was that of a "trapper".

Stephen & Ethel were married at the Garfield House in Homestead, PA by Rev. H. F. Williamson. The Garfield House, located at the corner of Eighth Avenue and McClure, was owned and operated by the McBroom family. They lived here in the family hotel briefly until they found more permanent lodging. Ethel's father had forbidden her to see (socialize/date) Stephen because of the vast gap in their ages. When the couple eloped, he disowned her for a few years.

1914 - 1921 Lived in Star Junction (Page house 2 months / Katey's house / Church St. in old schoolhouse).
Lived in Homestead (Vondra Plan / 20th Ave. 6 months / 20th Ave. on corner / 228 19th Street (about 1919) / 16th Ave. & Maple at the back of the store)
1921 - 1922 Lived Willock, PA (farm in Hayes Boro)
1922 - 1923 Lived Library, PA
1923 - 1931 Lived Crafton, PA (Lorraine St.) (16 Morange Rd.)
1931 - 1944 Lived Oakdale, PA (North Fayette Twp., Pinkle Hill)
1944 - 1945 Lived Ingram, PA (90 Evans Ave.)
1945 - 1955 Lived Ingram, PA (98 Schley Ave.)
1955 - 1968 Lived Ingram, PA (96 N. Duane Ave.)
1968 - death Lived Coraopolis, PA (Moon Twp., Amherst Acres Plan, 310 Smallwood Drive)

His name appears as Steven on his marriage certificate and the 1880 and 1930 census.

1912 Tax List (LaFayette Vol. 5, no 1)...Rowley, Steve: Star Junction P.O., Located at Star Junction: laborer - assessed value $100.00, Perry Twp., Fayette Co., Pa.

1930 Census - PA - Allegheny Co. - Pittsburgh - 28 Precinct - district 353 - 16 Morange Road
Rowley - Steven J - 50 - 31 (age @ marriage) - PA - ENG - SCT - Assembler @ Heater factory
Ethel F - 37 - 18 (age @ marriage) - PA - VA - VA
James R - 15 - PA
Helen A - 8 - PA
Billie S - 7 - PA

1920 Census - PA - Allegheny Co - Mifflin Twp - 208 Twentieth Ave\
Rowley - Stephen - 39 - PA - ENG - SCT - Craneman for Steel Mill
Ethel - 27 - PA - VA - VA
James - 5 1/12 - PA

1910 Census - PA - Fayette Co - Perry Twp
Rowley - Margaret A - 67 - Wd - SCT - SCT - SCT - Imm 1866
Sarah J - 32 - PA
Stephen J - 30 - PA - Electrican in the mines
Emily E - 22 - PA - Stenographer

1900 Census - PA - Allegheny Co - Homestead - Ward 1 - 149 Third Avenue
Rowley - Margaret - Nov 1833 - 66 - Wd
Archibald - Dec 1873 - 26 - day laborer
Sarah - Dec 1877 - 22
Stephen J - Mar 1880 - 20 - crane man
Isabell W - Apr 1882 - 18
Richard - Jan 1885 - 15 - messenger boy
Emily - Jul 1887 - 12

Died in Sewickley Valley Hosp., Sewickley, Pa. at 6:00 P.M. - attending doctor was Dr. W. T. Medic. Funeral arrangements were handled by Hershberger Funeral Home in Crafton, Pa.

Ref: Family records and papers located in the family Bible.
Marriage cert. 21137-H
Death cert. 23360-71
Newspaper obit
U.S. Federal Census
Tax Records
Interviews with Fanny Ethel Santmyer Rowley, Billie Rowley MacArthur, Helen Rowley Robert and James Richard Rowley

Stephen married Fanny Ethel SANTMYER 30 Dec 1911, Homestead, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania. Fanny (daughter of James Jacob SANTMYER and Helen Marr SHAW) was born 8 May 1890, Scottdale, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania; died 8 Jun 1980, Coraopolis, Moon Twp, Allegheny Co., Pennsylvania; was buried 11 Jun 1980, Perryopolis, Fayette Co., Pennsylvania at Mt Washington Cemetery. [Group Sheet]

1. James Richard ROWLEY