Stewart Watson Deardorff (1898 - 1987)

Born 6 Dec 1898 in Adams, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Gertrude Ellie (Forry) Deardorff — married 4 Mar 1917 in Abbottstown, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States

Died Oct 1987 at age 88 in Adams, Pennsylvania, United States

Biography

Stewart Deardorff has German Roots.

Stewart Deardorff was a Pennsylvanian.

Stewart, son of Charles Edward Deardorff and Elsie M. Cline,^[1] was born 6 December 1898 in Adams County, Pennsylvania,^[2][3] probably in Reading Township, where his parents rented a farm in 1900.^[4] The household then consisted only of Stewart (age 3) and his parents Charles E. (23, tenant farmer) and Elsie (22, mother of one).^[4]

By 1910, Charles E. (age 32, general farmer) and Elsie Deardorff (31, mother of three, all living) owned a farm on the road to New Oxford in Straban Township, Adams County, where they resided with their children Stewart (12), Marie (4) and Grace Deardorff (four months).^[5]

On 4 March 1917 in Abbottstown, Adams County, the 19-year-old farmer and carpenter married Gertrude Ellie Forry (age 23),^[1] daughter of John Benjamin Forry and Lucinda Roland.^[1]

When he registered for the draft in September 1918, 20-year-old Stewart was living in Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania, and employed there as a brakeman for the Western Maryland Railroad.^[2] At that time he was described as short, with a medium build, brown eyes and light hair.^[2]

In 1920, childless Stewart W. (age 22, broom maker) and Gertrude E. (25) rented a home on Pine Street in Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania^[6]

By 1930, during the Great Depression, Stewart W. (30, tenant farmer) and Gertrude E. Deardorff (33) rented a farm in Oxford Township, Adams County, which they shared with their son Burnell (age 8) and two boarders: Grace L. Stoner (21, shoe factory packer) and David E. Martin (45, farmer).^[7]

Before 1935 the family had relocated to 308 Center Square in New Oxford, Adams County, where Stewart W. (age 41, truck driver for an oil company), Gertie E. (45) and Burnell K. Deardorff (18, brass cleaner at a sanitarium) resided in 1940.^[8] The record indicates that Stewart had completed seven years of formal education; Gertrude, eight; and Burnell had progressed until the end of his sophomore year in high school.^[8]

Gertrude died in 1976.^[9] Stewart survived her another decade until he died in October 1987 in Adams County^[3] and was buried beside her at New Oxford Cemetery in New Oxford.^[10]

^{[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [2] [10] [3] [1] [9]}

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3} Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950, database with images, FamilySearch (7 January 2020), Stewart W. Deardorff and Gertrude E. Forry, 4 Mar 1917; citing Marriage, Abbottstown, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States, multiple County Clerks, Pennsylvania.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, database with images, FamilySearch (26 August 2019), Stewart Watson Deardorff, 1917-1918.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} United States Social Security Death Index, database, FamilySearch (19 May 2014), Stewart Deardorff, Oct 1987; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} United States Census, 1900, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 17 June 2020), Stuart W Deardorff in household of Charles E Deardorff, Reading Township, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 26, sheet 2B, family 37, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,354. Note that the record shows his birth in December 1897, rather than 1898.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} United States Census, 1910, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 17 June 2020), Stewart Deardorff in household of Charles E Deardorff, Straban, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 31, sheet 4A, family 78, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1292; FHL microfilm 1,375,305.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} United States Census, 1920, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 17 June 2020), Stewart W Deardorff, Hanover Ward 3, York, Pennsylvania, United States; citing ED 60, sheet 12A, line 16, family 276, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 1668; FHL microfilm 1,821,668.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} United States Census, 1930, database with images, FamilySearch (accessed 17 June 2020), Stewart W Deardorff, Oxford, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 29, sheet 1B, line 51, family 13, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1959; FHL microfilm 2,341,693.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2} United States Census, 1940, database with images, FamilySearch (4 December 2020), Stewart W Deardorff, New Oxford Borough, Adams, Pennsylvania, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1-38, sheet 15A, line 7, family 308, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 3396.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} United States Social Security Death Index, database, FamilySearch (20 May 2014), Gertrude Deardorff, Nov 1976; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1} Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 17 June 2020), memorial page for Stewart W Deardorff (1898–1987), Find A Grave: Memorial #110850020, citing New Oxford Cemetery, Oxford Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by Angela Whitaker-Becker (contributor 47493377).

• FamilySearch entry for Watson Deardorff.

Acknowledgements

This profile was created, researched and initially written by Kathy Rabenstein (11th cousin, once removed).