|
a.
|
Note: Excerpt from e-mail I sent to Art Holmes on 9/18/2003, curator of the Brobst Historical Registry: "Great Grandfather Harry's father John Albert Brobst had a horse farm in Still Creek out Ben Titus Rd (formerly Quakake Rd on the east side of 309) adjacent to the Still Creek reservior but on the opposite side of the road on the left going east. In May 2003, Cousin Margaret showed it to me and told me who currently owns it. Brother Jim told me he remembered going out their as a child and remembered the chicken coupe they had. I have two photos of a man I believe to be John Albert, one on horseback and a portrait. Great Aunt Eleanora told me that the man was "definitely a Brobst" when I showed it to her, either John Albert or my Pop-pop. The photos are much too old to be my Pop and they only resemble him. I believe I have a photo of his father Nathan John, a farmer, which may indicate he may have moonlighted as a railroader or canalsman, not certain of this, and have not positively ID'd the photo but Harry resembles this man (not so much his father). " Buried at White Church in Rush Twp, and appears in Konsavage's burial listings in "Church: Some Burial Records of Christ Lutheran Church in Rush Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania": BROBST Mr John Sept 1928 Family lived in Rush Twp, Schuylkill Co, PA, in 1880 and 1900 (1). He was a farmer (1). Buried Christ Lutheran Church in Rush Township, Schuylkill County, PA (1). SOURCE: 1. Brobst Family Historical Registry. William A. Brobst's Rootsweb database, RIN# I09819, Nov. 2001. Accessed 6/5/03. Now maintained by Art Holmes. Census: 1890 Federal Census Directory, Rush Township,Schuylkill County, PA : Brobst John 34, farmer. Mary, Harvey 13, Oliver S., Franklin 4. * "Harvey" is most likely a not trascribed correctly. Should be "Harry." 1900 US Federal Census, Rush Twp, Schuylkill Co, PA ***** Brobst, John age 43 Mary age 48 Oliver age 17 Franklin age 13 Nathan age 78, widower, John's father Lindenmuth, Rebecca age 10, boarder ***** SOURCE: Vondran, Lynn <lynnvondran@@hotmail.com>, E-mail "Rush Twp ?(s), (Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2003 00:45:24 -0400 To: "Tom Brobst" <tom.brobst@@latticesemi.com>), "Electronic." Household Record 1880 United States Census Household: Name|Relation|Marital Status|Gender|Race|Age|Birthplace|Occupation|Father's Birthplace|Mother's Birthplace John BROBST Self M Male W 24 PA Farmer PA PA Maryann BROBST Wife M Female W 26 PA Keeping House PA PA Harry BROBST Son S Male W 2 PA PA PA Source Information: Census Place: Rush, Schuylkill, Pennsylvania Family History Library Film: 1255193 NA Film Number: T9-1193 Page Number: 45C Jean Ritter told me in a phone interview that John Albert Brobst had a horse farm and that she was told he raised and trained horses there. She told me it was in the Valley (Quakake) up Ben Titus Road (1). The next day I was driven out to John Albert's farm site, called the "old homestead" by Margaret Fegley, my first cousin once removed, after speaking to her and my Great Aunt Eleanora for over three hours. The old homestead was only a little over a mile down Ben Titus Rd. (formerly called Still Creek Rd) off 309 at Still Creek on the left side of the road (road is called Ben Titus Rd is on east side of 309 and Fairview St. on the west). She also told me a family named the Rogusky's bought John Albert's home and lot and when the father died it was parcelled out to the children (brothers I believe). There are now several, at least three, maybe four, homes on that property where it was mostly all land devoted to farming. The land is bordered in the back by a ridge apparently and is in viewing distance of the dam at Still Creek to the south across the road that serves as the water supply for Tamaqua. Norman Bachart also told me that a family named Rogusky owns the land that John Albert once owned (3). The address of the homestead (original home) is 377 Ben Titus Road and another house on that same property is 363 Ben Titus Road. Pictures obtained by Don Davis that I believe are of Harry's father John, show a man of fair hair and blue eyes on horseback and in a portrait photo. My Great Aunt Eleanora told me she believed it was either my Pop at a young age or John Albert (I believe the latter is true). There is also a mystery photo (circa. 1870 or maybe Civil War era) of a man of average height, probably around 5'9" or thereabouts in some kind of uniform (either Railroad mechanic, canalsman, or Civil War volunteer). Not certain if this is Nathan John Brobst or Daniel Bankes or someone else. (2) SOURCES: 1. Brobst, Thomas N. Phone interview with Jean Evelyn Ritter (nee Brobst), great granddaughter of John Albert, 5/29/2003. 2. Brobst, Thomas N. Interview with Eleanora DJ Brobst (nee Bachert), granddaughter in-law of John Albert, and Margaret Elizabeth Fegley (nee Brobst) great granddaughter of John Albert, 5/30/2003. Interview conducted at home of Eleanora at 711 Fairview off Rt. 309 at Still Creek. 3. Brobst, Thomas N. Interview with Norman Bachart at his home at 5247 Quakake Rd, Weathery on 1/2/2004. A "John Brobst" is listed as a petitioner in the "PETITION FOR INCORPORATION OF DELANO TOWNSHIP" which occured on November 14th, A. D., 1881, which I believe comes from H.O. Moser's "History of Delano Township, 1861-1931" and was republished in the source below. SOURCE: Koch, John (compiler/scanner) Moser, H.O. History of Delano Township, 1861-1931, Chapter 8 Delano: The Child Comes of Age http://course.wilkes.edu/Delano/history/ch8 MY NOTES: Not sure what John this refers to-- I do believe though that it could be my John Albert, but he was in Rush Twp at Still Creek, not in Rush near Delano on the western part of the township-- at least not to my knowledge. This guy probably would have been 20 to 75 years old in 1881 and presumably born in PA and obviously living in Rush Twp, Schuylkill County in 1881-- 1880 census says, Only John Brobst in Rush Twp was John Albert Brobst b. 1856 -- my g' g' grandfather. He was about 25 at the time. His father, Nathan John, sometimes called John, was living in East Brunswick Twp in 1880. It could be that John Albert had not yet "bought the farm" at Still Creek at this point and by all indications, his first two sons, Harry (my g' grandather) and Howard were born in Quakake Valley and Rush Twp, respectively. The birthplaces do not specifically indicate Still Creek, but a broad region. Could they have first lived on the other side of the Quakake Valley in Delano? There is also a Jacob Leibig listed as a petitioner for Delano and it could be that he lived here. I have not found John Albert's wife's ancestry, Mary Leibig, but believe it may sprout from this Jacob Leibig. Not a common name as I believe this was the original spelling of the corrupted version "Leiby," as suggested in Rupp's book "A Collection of Upwards of Thirty Thousand Names of German, Swiss, Dutch, French and Other Immigrants in Pennsylvania from 1727 to 1776." In John Albert's last will and testament, he first directs that all his debts and funeral expense be paid, second that "a suitable tombstone be erected on my lot...," third that he "bequeath unto Rebecca Krantz the sum of one thousand dollars, absolutely, fourth that all of the remainder of his estate go to his children Harry Brobst, Oliver J. Brobst, and Frank Brobst to "share and share alike, absolutely." Items 5 and 6 deal first with the power of the exectors and finally names Harry and Frank to be the executors.
|
