Heyward August and Mary Alice (Tunney) Ritter

Mary Alice (Tunney) and Heyward August Ritter

My next two entries will be about the men who my youngest son is named after; Heyward August and Christian Ritter. Even though my sons name is Christian Heyward, I am going to start Heyward first.

Heyward August Ritter was born on March 6, 1879 to Christian and Louisa (Schucht-Sterling) Ritter in Martin’s Ferry, Belmont Co., Ohio. We have no information about Heyward's childhood other than what we can find on census records.

We know from the 1880 census that of course he’s a toddler living in Ohio with his parents. The 1890 census was destroyed in a fire in Washington DC, so we have no other record of Heyward until the 1900 census where Heyward is living with his parents and working in a mill.

Annie Ritter, Heyward and Mary (Tunney) Ritter

The following year Heyward married Mary Alice Tunney, daughter of John and Susan (Brown) Tunney on December 20, 1901 in Martin’s Ferry, Belmont Co., Ohio. By the time we see Heyward and Mary on the 1910 census they would have four of their 10 children. As an interesting side note and according information provided in The Family Tree of Heyward August Ritter and Mary Tunney Ritter: “When Grandpap Ritter saw his first child being delivered, he said, "no more".  He couldn't imagine putting anyone through that much pain again.  They had nine more."

 

They were: Elsie Viola, born Sept 22, 1902 and died Sept 29, 1985; Carl Christopher, born Aug 15, 1904 and died Feb 1, 1986; Heyward August Jr, born Aug 13, 1906 and died Nov 18, 1956; Tressa Louella, born Aug 27, 1908 and died Feb 9, 2009; Harry William, born Sept 12, 1910 and died May 24, 1992; Mary Ellen, born Jul 6, 1913 and died ; Edna Mae, born Mar 26, 1915 and died Apr 2, 1915; Susan Louise, born Jul 3, 1917 and died May 5, 1991; Idella Jean, born Mar 25, 1919 and died Mar 27, 1919; and John Andrew, born Dec 24, 1922 and died Jul 5, 1991.

Heyward and six of his children.

Left to  Right in back: Elsie, Carl, Heyward Sr., holding Mary Ellen, 

sitting is Tressa, Heyward Jr and Harry.

On the 1910 Census Heyward and Susan were living in Elrama, Union Twp., Washington Co., Pennsylvania near Susan’s family. Sometime prior to the birth of their daughter Edna they moved to Fombell, North Sewickley Twp., Beaver Co., Pennsylvania and that is where we show them living on every census record up to the 1940 census.

 

The young couple lost two baby girls, Edna Mae and Idella Jean. Edna died from injuries sustained from a fall she took with Mary down a flight of stairs. No one remembers what Idella died from only that it happened at the farm in Fombell.

 

While living in Elrama Heyward worked for the rail road as a flagman, then during the 1920’s he was working the family farm in Fombell. By the 1930 census he was working as a laborer Steel Car Forge in Ellwood City and by the 1940 census Steel Car Forge relocated to Butler, Pennsylvania and was renamed Pullman Standard Car Manufacturing Company at that time Heyward was working as machine operator.

 

On April 27, 1942 Heyward registered for the WWII draft as all men had to do; at the time he was 63-years old. It lists him working at Pullmans, living in Rustic Park and he’s physical description is a white, male, 5’ 5” tall, weighing 150 pounds with brown hair, brown eyes with a ruddy complexion and an appendectomy scar.

 

Heyward according to his daughter Mary Ellen was very demanding, particular and there was hell to pay if it wasn’t done the way he said it should be done. This even applied to his pancakes that he ate every morning. Louise said that she can remember her mother standing, shaking and making dollar sized pancakes over and over while Heyward sat and ate.

 

Louise said of her mother that she was hard working and endured a lot. She said that of all the children Mary loved Heyward Jr the most and she felt it was because he would often get between his mother and siblings when Heyward was on a rampage.

 

My mother, Mary Jane said that “Pap would pay us grandkids $0.50 a basket to go pick walnuts for him.” My Aunt Janice remembered him being a kind old man and remembers Mary as not willing to share her candy in her candy dish.

 

Heyward died on Nov 26, 1962 in Ellwood City Memorial Hospital of heart disease. On Heyward's death certificate it lists his father's name as Christopher, but I have found no record of his father using any name other than Christian. Heyward was laid to rest in the North Sewickley Cemetery, North Sewickley Twp., Beaver Co., Pennsylvania.

 

Mary followed Heyward just short of three years later on Sep 29, 1965 and she was laid to rest alongside her husband in the North Sewickley Cemetery, North Sewickley Twp., Beaver Co., Pennsylvania.

 

Although Heyward was not a perfect man, as no men are, I have come to the conclusion that my Grandmother Louise must have loved her father as she named her first born after him. It was because of this that I decided that I would honor my Grandmother by naming my son after her father.

Victor Perre Nye

As I stated in my last blog entry on Holiday Waters Nye, my daughter, Victoria-Holiday Waters, she is named after my mother’s father Holiday Waters and his father Victor Perre. They were both men who were greatly love by their family, friends and community. Today’s entry is on Victor Perre Nye.

Victor was born on August 3 1886, in Franklin Twp., Beaver Co., Pennsylvania to Michael Piersol and Harriet Hartzel Nye. He was the 11^th of their 12 child and was known to family, friends and the community as Perry Nye.

Although his father was a teacher, Perry didn't finish school. He had a couple of jobs over the years as noted on census records, but his longest was as an "engineer" in the local water company. In the 1900 Census it states that Perry was a day laborer and later in the 1910 and 1930 census he was listed as farming his own land and on the 1920 census he was listed as an Engineer.

Perry married his wife, Mary Louella Graff on Mary 6, 1908 in Ellwood City, Lawrence Co., Pennsylvania. They had 11 children: Dorothy Flossie (Daufen), born Jan 16, 1909; Holiday Waters, Feb 1, 1910; Thelma Neva (Moreland), Jan 6, 1912; King Robert April 1, 1914; George Adam, Sept 19, 1915, killed in a car accident, June 23, 1935; Alma Mildred (Ritter, White), April 29, 1917; Mary Louella (Bowers), May 10, 1919; Harriet Elizabeth (Waterfield), July 19, 1922; Grace Esther (Jessop), Dec 1,1923; William Howard, June 26, 1925; and Ilene Virginia (Young, Senerth, White), Oct 26, 1930.

Perry lost his job as engineer with the water company during the Depression and continued farming on his land. This didn’t provide much money, so he also dug coal. Despite the family's poverty, Perry would not to accept welfare.

Perry enjoyed hunting despite the fact that he accidentally shot off his little finger when he was 16. When he and the other men went hunting, the women would stay behind and prepare a feast. When the men returned, there would be a celebration with hard cider and plenty of food. Perry also enjoyed square dancing with his wife.

Perry chewed tobacco but wouldn't let his children smoke. He said he'd make them eat the tobacco if he ever caught them smoking it, however several of his children did pick up the habit despite this threat.

On Feb 27, 1935, Perry Nye died while working in a coal mine. He was pushing a coal car out of the mouth of the mine when he suffered a heart attack. At the time my Grandfather, Holiday was with his father digging coal, while his brother ran for help Holiday stayed with his father. My Pappy carried his father’s body back to the farm later to be laid to rest at the St. Mark's Lutheran Cemetery, Franklin Twp., Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

In correspondence with Brian Bowers he shared with me some poetry that his mother had written soon after the passing of Perry. It expressed the great love that she and her siblings had for their father. In doing my family history I have enjoyed meeting via email several cousins who were children and grandchildren of Perry’s siblings and they all spoke of him with great love and affection. One cousin spoke of how Perry had a great talent with animals. He said that Perry could through soft voice and a kind hand make any beast his friend. He also said that Perry played the fiddle and when they would come back from hunting he was always asked to play.

I, of course did not know my Great-Grandfather, but I knew my Pappy and all my Great-Aunts and Uncles and they were all good, funny, and loving people and so they must have had a good, funny, and loving father. So that is the first reason that I named my daughter after him; the second was because I loved my Pappy dearly. I know that he was happy that I named her after his father. I called my Pappy while still in the hospital to let him know and I remember him choking back tears and saying he thought it was the best name he’s ever heard. That was the last conversation I had with my Pappy.

Holiday Waters Nye

Those of you who know me well know that my children are named after family members so I thought I would start with those people. Since my oldest son Anthony James is named after my oldest brother, Mark Anthony and my ex-husband James Arthur and they are still alive I will not share anything more than that on them.

So that brings me to my daughter, Victoria-Holiday Waters, she is named after my mother’s father Holiday Waters and his father Victor Perre. They were both men who were greatly love by their family, friends and community.

My grandfather, Holiday Waters Nye was born February 1, 1910 in Fombell, North Sewickley Twp., Beaver Co., Pennsylvania to Victor Perre and Mary Louella (Graff) Nye. He was the second child to the couple and the first born son. Holiday grew up on the family farm in Fombell with his parents and his ten siblings. His family grew apples, raised pigs and cows and he learned to ride horses and shoot a gun. One time while talking about growing up he said he always enjoyed when the men would come back from hunting because there would be music, food and they stayed up late into the night. He also said that he had to take turns with his father standing guard over the chicken coop at night, shooting foxes and wolves that would come to claim a price. When he became school age he attended a one room school house on Soap Run Road in Fombell.

As a young adult Holiday continued to live at home and help care for the farm. His sister Alma said that he was a shy young man and had difficulty talking to the girls. However, in 1935 many changes came to the Nye family’s life and to my Pappy’s life as well. In February soon after Holiday’s 25^th birthday Victor passed suddenly leaving the family with no income, then before the family was getting past their overwhelming grief one of Holiday’s brothers, George was killed in June in an auto accident. Things for the family were really hard that year, but for Holiday he would meet and marry the love of his life.

Pappy met my Grandmother, Susan Louise (Ritter) Nye at a Halloween dance and then on November 9, 1935 they eloped and were married. Pappy told my cousin that he met Louise at a dance and that he knew as soon as he saw her that he would make her his wife. As the story goes Holiday approached Louise and asked her for a dance, she told him that he could have one if he took his mask off, however he didn’t have one on. That was the kind of humor my Grandma had. After posting this story originally I received an email from my Aunt Janice and this is what she wrote to me: The story of how they met is not true, that is just something they always said as a joke. Mom was dating Roy Gordon & took him home for Sunday dinner,. Grandpap Ritter didn't like him as he didn't eat the crust of the pie Grandma had made. He told Mom to move on. Shortly after that Aunt Pete introduces her to Pap at a church function. I want to think he went to it with Dorothy & Alma. 

As I said Holiday and Louise eloped and were married on November 9, 1935. My Pappy sold his hunting dog to pay for gas money and they headed out on a snowy winter night with Louise’s sister Mary Ellen and her husband, Clarence Horner. Grandma told me that they were heading to Ohio where they knew they could get married, but they ended up on Wellsburg, Brooke Co., West Virginia instead. When I asked why they eloped Grandma said that her father didn’t care for Pappy. She said that Heyward felt that any man Pappy’s age that was not married must have something wrong with him. They were married just short of 56 years when Grandma passed.

My Grandparents had five children: Heyward Charles Nye born November 23, 1936; died 5 Dec 1936 and Daniel, Janice, Mary Jane and Roger, all still living. In a conversation with my Aunt Janice in 2001 when asked what Pappy was like when they were young she said, “He was never around much. I asked Mum one time why he spent more time with the grandchildren than he ever did with us. She said he was always working to provide for all of us." When asked if all she remembered of him was that he was never around and he worked hard she said, “Well, he was a likable man. He was funny, Mum never found any humor in him though. He liked to fight. He used to go to the bar with Uncle Bill & they always got into a fight with someone. He always rode horses. I can remember him having them for us. He rode like a real cowboy. He could rope and ride too." "Pap always saw we had what we wanted. I always tell my kids the story of the time we had no money at Christmas. I got a hat & gloves and your Mum got a big doll. I was supposed to understand because I was older, but I cried and cried. Pap called up Jane Marvin (she owned the grocery store) and asked her if she would open up so he could get a doll for me on the grocery bill, and she did. To this day I will not wear hats and gloves. I was scared. ha ha" When I asked my mother, Mary Jane for thought s of Pappy she said the same thing as Aunt Janice, he was a hardworking man, not home much because he was always working,  she said she always felt safe when Pappy was home.

Pappy worked at the steel mill in Ellwood City as long as I could remember as well as kept chickens and a large garden at home. I don’t remember anyone ever calling Pappy Holiday, but I do remember Grandma called him Hawd and everyone else called him Husky. This was the nickname he was given at the steel mill because he was such a small man. He loved to go fishing and his favorite fishing buddy was his cousin and close friend Walter Moyer.

He loved my Grandmother dearly and always put her needs before his own. I don’t remember his smoking, but my mother said he did until he has a severe asthma attack and thought he was going to die. Pappy was not a big drinker, but he did like his four roses whiskey and I can remember him pouring himself a shot. He was so funny tossing it back and then he’s kick his right leg while hopping up and down and then he’s say, “good stuff.” He didn’t like cursing and when hearing Grandma or one of his children curse he would say, “harrr” and that the queue to watch your mouth.

I don’t remember Pappy being a religious man, but he grew up in a family that attended church and he had a strong sense of what was right and wrong. He loved his mother, Mary dearly and did for her anytime she called. He enjoyed football, but wasn’t a huge fan. He loved wrestling and roller derby races.

I always thought of my Pappy as being a strong man and when he got cancer for the first time that is when I think I realized that he was not a super hero. At that time the only thing I knew about cancer was that it killed you. I remember being so afraid that he would die and I wanted to do anything I could help to make him better. I was so excited when he asked me one day if I would take the electric raiser and shave his face for him. I didn’t know how to do it, but I knew that my Pappy needed me and I was going to do it.

Pappy beat the cancer the first time and things went back to normal. He gardened and fished, make up his silly little songs that made us laugh and life was perfect again. I cannot remember how long it was between the cancer episodes, but I know it was years because I had finally felt that nothing would touch him again. Then after my Grandmother passed Pappy was diagnosed again with cancer again. By the time the cancer was diagnosed it was beyond the point of survival. Pappy passed away on October 19, 1991 and he was laid to rest next to his beloved wife at the St. Mark’s Lutheran Cemetery in Franklin Twp., Beaver Co., Pennsylvania.

I am proud to be the Granddaughter of Holiday Waters Nye and I hope that my daughter will always be proud to know that she carries his name.

Dianna

Why Is It So Important?

I can remember in high school listening to my history teacher talk about how history was important because if you don’t learn from your past you are doomed to repeat it. I have often thought of those words and thought how would that apply to family history? I don’t know that it really does, but I have often thought that if we do not learn from whom we came from how do we know who we will be in the future?

Then today I was scrolling on Facebook and saw this, “It is important that we learn humility, which says there was someone else before me who paid for me. My responsibility is to prepare myself so that I can pay for someone else who is yet to come.” - Maya Angelou I think these words are so powerful and very relevant to family history.

Through doing family history we learn who came before us, or in Maya’s words “who paid for me” and I promise you that once you learn about your family members who came before you it will humble you. Learning of their trials and struggles, their pains, their joys, and the triumphs, you will be prepared to for your children and grandchildren or in Maya’s words, “pay for someone else who is yet to come.”

This quote is why I am titling my family history blog, “IT IS IMPORTANT.” I promise you that you are as important to your Heavenly Father as your future family members are just as your past family members were, so why wouldn't Heavenly Father want you to learn about your ancestors? He wants you to know from whom you came from so that you know who you can be in the future.

From learning about my Grandfather, Holiday Waters Nye and my Grandmother, Susan Louise Ritter Nye I know that I am strong, resilient, kind, thoughtful, tough, stubborn, open hearted and many other things. It was and is so important to me to know that I am all those things because they were who they were.

I want to thank those family members, and there are too many to name, who have helped me to gather my family history. Without you I wouldn't have half of what I have now. I will to the best of my recollections give credit for information where credit is due, but if I forget please forgive me.

To those who I hope will read this blog, I hope that through what you read you will see how family history is important, it is worth your time and worth the energy; happy reading. J

Dianna