2002

1792 1793	Per Dr. E. C. Saylor: According to the records a very sad occurrence took place in the family of John Seiler as regards the records of the deaths of one son and six grandchildren from June 1, 1792 to July 30, 1792. The results of some epidemic the nature of which has not been revealed to the present generation. I have not identified the epidemic (although smallpox was reported in Boston and Philadelphia); and, I can only identify the following: Children of John and Catherine (Berkey) Seiler Anna Seiler b: 16 DEC 1764 d: 2 JUL 1792, age 27 Christian Seiler b: 24 APR 1783 d: 24 JUL 1792, age 9 Grandchildren of John and Catherine (Berkey) Seiler: Maria Seiler b: 18 JAN 1788 d: 27 JUL 1792, age 4 Barbara Saylor b: 27 DEC 1789 d: 20 JUL 1792, age 2 John Saylor b: 25 JAN 1791 d: 2 MAY 1792, age 1 While Dr. Saylor states the relationships to John Seiler, we can only guess the impact of the deaths upon his immigrant father, Jacob. John's father, Jacob, died 15 APR 1793, at age 78.
William Henry Saylor	Last September Dottie and I attended a Saylor Reunion in Tennessee hosted by cousin Richard Saylor and his wife Hedy. We met their families and pondered over many pictures and newspaper clippings. One of those clippings noted the achievements of William H. Saylor. He was born 7 MAY 1870 and lived on Saylor Hill, near Meyersdale. He attended Pennsylvania State College, now Penn State, and graduated in agricultural chemistry in 1892. He moved to California where he became chemist for the California State Dairy Bureau and founded The Pacific Dairy Review in 1907. He promoted better sanitation controls, pioneered the dairy inspection system and with his brother, Homer, developed a butter parchment-paper and printing business. William never married and died 10 MAY 1942.
William Peter Saylor	A letter in the files of Dr. E. C. Saylor took me to the troubled life of another William Saylor. This William was born 23 APR 1881, to Andrew and Julia (Keefer) Saylor. Andrew Saylor was a son of Peter and Susannah (Brown) Saylor. Andrew died forcing William and a sister, Sara Ellen, to an orphan's home in Butler, PA. While Sara remained there, William was adopted by Ezra Keefer, possibly an uncle, and William returned to Somerset Co. Later William met Susan (Beal) Hoggenmeyer, a daughter of Simon Beal. Susan was divorced from her husband and lived with William in Meyersdale. Upon learning that Susan intended to return to her husband, William shot her and himself 5 APR 1904. Per newspaper articles, Susan was 21 years old and had three children, a girl 4, a boy 3 and a baby girl 6 months old.
Our Ancestor Samuel S. Saylor	Another son of Peter and Susannah (Brown) Saylor was our ancestor Samuel S. Saylor. We have a birth date of 09 APR 1854. His tombstone provides only 1904 for his death. A trip to the Somerset Court House found the date to be 22 DEC 1904. The Berlin Area Historical Society provided a copy of the BERLIN RECORD announcement of his death. "Samuel S. Saylor died last night at 11 o'clock, from what is supposed to have been a rupture of one of the blood vessels in the head. From Monday, when he was brought home from the Grace mine where he was digging coal, to the hour of his death, his eyes were fixed and immovable, his left side was numb and useless, and he was in a state of partial or total unconsciousness. …He was an industrious man and the mainstay and support of a wife and four children at home. These children are Virgie, Cleveland, Clarence and Wilson. An elder daughter, Malia, is married to William Martin."
Another Samuel S. Saylor	Peter and Susannah (Brown) Saylor also had a daughter, Sarah N. Saylor, who was an ancestor of Cathy (Brown) Simunic. Cathy found me by responding to an internet "roll call" posting. We share Saylor, Folk, Burkhart, Livengood, Brown and Schmucker ancestors. Cathy lives near Johnstown. I'm still working to add the large amount of data she loaned to me of our Cambria County cousins. This data includes the descendants of Samuel S. Saylor, son of Jacob and Mary (Livengood) Saylor. Samuel S. Saylor was born 15 AUG 1806 and was married twice. First to Lydia Blough and later to Elizabeth Yoder. I'm about half way through the 200 pages, or about 100 of the 200 families. This Samuel S. Saylor died 14 JUL 1904.
Michele Catherine (Blough) Cochrane	Michele also found me through an internet posting. She sent me an email with the inquiry: "My mother was a Saylor and my father was a Blough. Might we be related?" I can't count the number of ways! Michele grew up in northern Somerset County and now lives in California. We share Saylor, Berkey, Livengood, Thomas, Blough and Yoder ancestors.
Velma Jean (Saylor) DeShong	Velma found me the old fashion way - by asking questions at the Berlin Area Historical Society. Velma's grandmother was Lydia M. Burkhart, a sister to the wife of Mahlon Saylor. I researched Mahlon's family prior to last years reunion. Velma's father, Harvey Gilbert Lehman, lived with the Mahlon Saylor family and eventually took the Saylor name as his own. While we share Burkhart ancestors, we do not appear to share Saylor ancestors. Her search for her ancestors is difficult. Velma and her family live near Cumberland, MD.