Charles Henry Decker (1851 - 1908)

Born 7 Jun 1851 in Pennsylvania, United States [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 7 Jun 1908 at age 57 in Williamsport, Lycoming, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Charles was born in 1851, probably in Pennsylvania, where he worked as a coal miner^[1] and later a farmer^[2]. In 1870, he worked as a farm laborer on D. R. Manning's Troy, Bradford County farm (his future wife was also a servant living in Troy according to the 1870 census; as she was from Tioga County, they may have met in Troy^[3]). About 1871, he married Ada L. Dibble, by whom he had two sons, William Andrew and Owen Charles, and five daughters, Mary Etta, Nellie May, Elizabeth, Della, and Rose Ann^[4][5]. He passed away in 1908^[6] and was buried in the Union Center aka "Swamp" Cemetery beside his daughter, Rose Ann, who had passed away at age 7 in 1900^[7].

Research Notes

One of his granddaughters, Elizabeth Louise (Cass) (McLaughlin) Barr, said her ancestors were Welsh-given that her paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother did not have Welsh roots, if she was correct, Charles would have been the source of her Welsh ancestry. Owen, a common Welsh name, was also frequently used in the family.

It is possible that Charles was born in New York-the censuses aren't uniform in their reporting; his death certificate, completed by his son, Owen, indicates he was born in Pennsylvania.

I have seen trees on Ancestry and RootsWeb that place him as the son of Henry Decker and Catherine Colon. I don't think they are his parents; in relevant state censuses (1855 and 1865 New York state censuses), Henry and Catherine are not enumerated with a son named Charles.

His wife Ada had a brother, Reese P. Dibble, whose wife was Luella Decker. This could be a connection and requires further investigation-Luella Decker was a descendant of Hiram Decker.

Sources

1. ↑ 1880 United States Federal Census District 155, Hamilton, Tioga, Pennsylvania.
2. ↑ Death Certificate-Charles Henry Decker. June 1908. "Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1944." Accessed via Ancestry.com.
3. ↑ 1870 United States Federal Census Troy, Bradford, Pennsylvania. Accessed via Ancestry.com
4. ↑ 1900 United States Federal Census District 139, Hamilton, Tioga, Pennsylvania.
5. ↑ The Wellsboro Agitator. "Obituary-Mrs. Dwight Cass." January 1906. Accessed via Ancestry.com.
6. ↑ Death Certificate-Charles Henry Decker. June 1908. "Pennsylvania Death Certificates, 1906-1944." Accessed via Ancestry.com.
7. ↑ "Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice"

• Tice, Joyce. "Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice." Union Center Cemetery, Union Township, Tioga County Pennsylvania. Record details: Read by Reese, Linda C., typed by Raymond, Pat Smith, formatted and published by Tice, Joyce M. November 6, 2008. [1]
• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 08 October 2018), memorial page for Charles Henry Decker (7 Jun 1851–7 Jun 1908), Find A Grave Memorial no. 114650590, citing Swamp Cemetery Union Center, Union Center, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by LDR (contributor 47171969). [2]