Kenneth Eugene SANTMYER

Notes:

Kenneth was married prior to his marriage to Florence. He had grown children from this first marriage at the time of his marriage to Florence. Florence and Kenneth had four children. Ref.: Debbie Santmyer


SANTMYER, KENNETH EUGENE SR
PVT US ARMY
WORLD WAR II
DATE OF BIRTH: 05/15/1915
DATE OF DEATH: 12/23/1993
BURIED AT: SECTION O SITE 2831
WILLAMETTE NATIONAL CEMETERY
11800 SE MT. SCOTT BOULEVARD PORTLAND, OR 97266
(503) 273-5250

Ref: http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/j2ee/servlet/NGL_v1

Kenneth married Florence ALLEN Abt 1938. Florence was born 5 May 1918; died 2 Jan 1994, St Petersburg, Pinellas Co., Florida. [Group Sheet]

Kenneth married Florence E. BARNHART Abt 1950. Florence was born 25 Sep 1933, Oklahoma; died 6 Feb 1997, Tulsa, Oklahoma. [Group Sheet]

Kenneth married Linda Fay MARTIN 1962, Idaho. Linda was born 14 Nov 1941, Archer, Madison Co., Idaho; died 12 Jan 1979, Portland, Multnomah Co., Oregon; was buried 16 Jan 1979, Willamette National Cemetery, Portland, Oregon - Section O Site 2831. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Both Alverda and John had children from previous marriages. The only child they had together was John. Roger was adopted by his grandmother, Alverda Sanner Santmyer. It is not clear whether Roger was the son of one of Alverda's children to her first marriage or the son of one of John's children to his first marriage. Ref.: Sandy Santmyer (former wife of Roger).

1920 Census Westmoreland Co., PA - East Huntingdon - Jan 5 - pg 5A - ed 96 - 80-85 - Meadow Mile Road
John Santmyer27 - PA - Laborer in Sheet Mill
Laura M24 - PA
Howard 5 - PA
Kenneth C3 8/12 - PA
Elizabeth M2 8/12 - PA
George E6/12 - PA
Elizabeth65 = PA (Mother)

John — Laura Marian MCCLELLAN. Laura was born 1895, Pennsylvania; died 16 Jul 1941, Owensdale, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania; was buried 19 Jul 1941, Scottdale Cemetery, Scottdale, Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Ref:
* Interviews with Fanny Ethel Santmyer Rowley
* Information contributed by Fred M. Chilcott, Glenn Santmyer, Gerilee Santmyers and Jan Jennier.

John — Elizabeth PATRICK. Elizabeth was born Aug 1853, Pennsylvania; died Aft 1920. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

1910 Census - PA - Westmoreland - East Huntingdon
Santmyer - Elizabeth 56 PA Wd 74
John 17 PA Coke Worker
Sherman 13 PA
Rosie 21 PA

Notes:

According to family lore, Harrison Santmyer, supported the South during the Civil War. I was told by my Grandmother (Fanny Ethel Santmyer Rowley), that her grandfathers, William Burns Shaw and Harrison Santmyer, fought against each other during the war. I have found no evidence that Harrison actually fought in the Civil War. He was, however, involved in copper and wagon building during the War. Thus far, I have not been able to pinpoint his location during the War years. In 1860, Harrison lived in Hardy Co., VA (now WV). Prior to that, in 1854, he was in Rockingham Co., VA. I have to wonder if perhaps he may have returned to Hardy Co. to support the Union. Or perhaps, did he bring his wife and children back to Lost River to stay with her family, while he went off to serve in the Confederate, or, possibly the Union Army. Their sixth child, Aaron, was born in 1861. All previous children were born two years apart, followed by a three year gap between George and Aaron. Then there was not another birth until 1867. Could the reason for the six year gap be that Harrison was engaged in the War? By 1870, Harrison, now in MD, had buried Leah and their two youngest children, married again and started a second family. The family was in VA in 1876 and by 1879, had settled in PA. This is where they finally put their roots down in Fayette Co., Mt. Pleasant area. All his children from his first marriage, except Emily, were on their own by 1880. He died from a gun shot would, inflicted by his own gun. One story is that he was cleaning his gun and it went off accidently - another is he held the gun to his head and pulled the trigger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ROCKINGHAM CO., VA - BIRTH RECORDS IN COURTHOUSE
Birth - James S. Santmyers - Born Sept. 14, 1858 at Capon Furnace
Father Harrison Santmyers - Occupation Blacksmith
Mother Lad Santmyer
Residence Portsmouth Furnace
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1860 TAX LIST: HARDY CO., VA (WV)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1860 CENSUS: DISTRICT 1, HARDY CO., VA
Name: HARRISON SANTIMIRE
State: WV
County: Hardy County
Township: Wardensville P.O.
Year: 1860
Record Type: Federal Population Schedule
Page: 558
Database: WV 1860 Federal Census Index
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1870 CENSUS: ALLEGANY CO., MD
1880 CENSUS: UPPER TYRONE, FAYETTE CO., PA
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*RECEIVED FROM GLENN SANTMYER - DATED 1 AUGUST 1985:
"Harrison's death was self-inflicted (of this I am positive) and he is buried in MT. Pleasant, PA cemetery. My father made the gravestone on his burial place." (Glenn's father J. Joseph is the son of Harrison and Catherine Howell Santmyer.) "Harrison was born in Shenandoah Co., VA in 1828. He died in 1905. My grandfather was a son of Barney Santmyer and Martha Elly Caine, both of Shenandoah Co., VA. Both were born and died there. They were of some substance and property. Barney's father was Jacob Santmyer and mother Jane Knapps. They were married in Frederick Co., VA in 1794. I have related Jacob back to Lancaster Co., PA where he was a member of the 2nd Lancaster Militia during the American Revolution in the 1770's (these records are in the PA archives). In the 1790's Jacob served in the VA Militia in Winchester, VA. Quite a number of Santmyers were in the Confederate army during that war including Harrison's brothers and nephews, - but not Harrison. He conducted a blacksmith and horse dealing business during the war period."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*NOTE ON THE CHILDREN OF HARRISON & CATHERINE HOWELL SANTMYER:

Izetta Barbour lists the children as: Isaac B., Jasaby, Frank, Joseph and Brouciu.
Colleen Zak's lists the children as: Jacob, Robert, Isaac B (and step-daughter Emma)

I have found in my research records of the following children:
Jacob H., Lily, Robert R., Isaac Benton, Joseph, Franklin D. and Brancin. Lily and Jacob were twins. I have not found a death record for Lily, but her death was before 1880.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REFERENCES:
*FAMILY RECORDS & PAPERS IN SANTMYER FAMILY BIBLE.
*INTERVIEWS WITH FANNY ETHEL SANTMYER ROWLEY
*INFORMATION CONTRIBUTED BY FRED M. CHILCOTT, GLENN SANTMYER, GERILEE SANTMYERS & JAN JENNIER
*US CENSUS RECORDS
*TOMBSTONES AND CEMETERY RECORDS
*OBITUARIES
*NEWS ARTICLES
*BIRTH RECORDS
*TAX RECORDS
*ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTRIBUTED BY IZETTA BARBOUR, COLLEEN ZAK, CHIP HIXON AND RON SANTMYERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DIRECTIONS TO MT PLEASANT CEMETERY:
Take Rte 31, which becomes Main St. in the town of Mt. Pleasant; just on the edge of town, turn left at the corner of 31/Main and Raddock or Braddock St. At the corner is the Mt Pleasant Church of God. The cemetery is just a short distance down the road on the right. Catherine is buried beside Harrison. There are several other Santmyers buried in same area and two more graves closer to the cemetery road.


This from Linda Casey, July 2010: "My aunt, Gertrude Santmyer Dettling, told me that Harrison had worked in the mines and was told he was no longer needed, probably because of his age. He was despondent for almost a year when he shot himself in the bedroom. My mother was Melva Santmyer Devorak."

William married Leah CHILCOTT 23 Dec 1849, Lost River, Hardy Co., Virginia (West Virginia). Leah was born 8 Nov 1823, Lost River, Hardy Co., West Virginia; died 1868, Westernport, Allegany Co., Maryland. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Leah at the time of her marriage was 26, five years older than her new husband. By the time her last child, Charlotte, was born Leah was 44 years old. Little Charlotte died soon after her birth. I believe, based on the age of Leah, the death of the infant and the fact that Harrison was remarried by 1869, that Leah died of complications of childbirth. I suspect she died following the birth in 1867 or at least early in 1868. As to the place of death, I think a search should be done in Hardy Co., WV or Allegany Co., MD. UPDATE: Recently located information indicates that another child was born to Leah & Harrison after Charlotte. Fanny was born in 1868 in Allegany Co., MD and died after 1870 but prior to 1880. With this new information, I strongly suspect Leah died and is buried in Allegheny Co, MD

Ref: Family records and papers located in the family Bible.
Interviews with Fanny Ethel Santmyer Rowley.
Information contributed by Fred M. Chilcott, Glenn Santmyer, Gerilee
Santmyers and Jan Jennier.
Rockingham Co., VA courthouse records (See Wm. Harrison Santmyer)


Note: Information contributed by Izetta Barbour (source Colleen Zak) gives Leah's year of birth as 1836 and Harrison's as 1829. Colleen obtained this information from the 1860 VA census for Wardensville, Hardy Co.