The River Running
"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Anna H Greulich and George C Willy
George C Willy was born 04 Jun 1868 in Egg Harbor, Atlantic County New Jersey, the oldest child of Mary Hess (or Helwig) and George Willy. Sometime between October 1869 and June 1871, his family moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, trading the Atlantic Ocean for the Susquehanna River. His younger siblings' birth places and the family's census records suggest that they moved around a bit in this area: Columbia (1871), Marietta (1873), Donegal (1876), West Hempfield (1880-1884) and Chickies (1890). They finally settled in Columbia. On 03 Mar 1891, "George Willy of West Hempfield Township" purchased a lot with a two-storey brick house on the west side of South Eighth Street, between Locust Street and Ridge Avenue. This was later to become known as 34 South Eighth Street.
In or about 1894, George C married Anna H Greulich. Anna had been born in September 1870 or 1871, the daughter of German immigrants Elizabeth and William Greulich. Elizabeth was from Bavaria. William (Johann Wilhelm) had been born 10 Jun 1844 in Dilsberg (near Heidelberg), Baden. His parents, Anna Maria Stalz and Maurus Alois Greulich, also immigrated to Pennsylvania. Several members of the family are buried in the Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery in Columbia.
Anna and George C had nine children, althugh two died as infants and one as a child:
Pauline and James both died as infants, Pauline on 05 Sep 1909 and James on 24 Sep 1909.
As of 1900, George C, Anna, William, Paul, Mary and George James were renting living quarters at 333 Perry Street. George C has no occupation listed, but the family was doing well enough that they also had a servant, Veronica Rossman, whose young daughter Marie was also part of the household.
Although the family was renting, George C had already bought a house, the first of four he was to buy:
George C resold the Mill Street houses to Harvey D Abel 15 days after purchase, on 10 May 1906, for $2,185. He still held the other three properties as as 1910, when he was renting them out. Meanwhile his own family was renting at an address that the 1910 US Census lists as 400 South Second Street. The thing is, there isn't and as far as I can tell never has been a 400 South Second Street. South Second Street gets up to 324 or 326 on its southwest side before it comes to its end at the intersection of Lawrence and Mill. On the northeast side, however, 401 South Second Street stands at the intersection in lonely splendor. It's currently the home of Brucekies Pub. (Bruce-kies/Brew-skis?) On the 1910 census, George C's occupation was listed as hotel keeper, and from its appearance, this building could indeed been run as a small hotel. That's my best guess, anyway.
15-year-old William Willy was also working as of 1910, painting brushes in a brush factory. Veronica and Marie Rossman were still with the household.
The next decade brought several changes. Anna died 27 Feb 1913; she would have been 10 or 11 years old. WWI arrived. Both William and Paul registered for the draft 05 Jun 1917. By then they (and presumably the rest of the family) were living at 313 Locust Street. William was an iron worker for Janson Steel & Iron Co. Paul was a labourer for A. M. Byers Co. And sometime in or before 1918, Mary married Ephraim Gerst Buyer.
The largest change in the family's fortunes came when George C died on 12 Mar 1918. (Note that this is too early for him to have died of the Spanish Influenza, which didn't arrive in Pennsylvania until September 1918.) Anna Greulich Willy was apparently disinclined to be a landlady. By the time 18-year-old George James registered for the draft on 18 Sep 1918, the family was living at 536 North Third Street, the property that George C had purchased in 1905 and had been renting out in 1910. George James was working as a machinist at Barry & Zecher Co.
A month later, on 18 Oct 1918, Anna sold 328 North Third Street to Samuel Steckler for $1,800. The sale of 536 North Third followed on 23 Apr 1919. Anna took a loss on this one; she sold it to Christine Lynch for $1,050. Either she felt sorry for Christine and could afford the loss or she needed the ready cash more than she needed an extra house.
By 1920, the family was living in the remaining and most valuable property, the one at 241 South Eighth Street. William was an iron worker in a rolling mill. Paul was a trackman for a railroad company. George James was a machinist at a machine tool shop, and Elizabeth was a lace cutter in a lace mill. 12-year-old Joseph was still in school.
George James moved out sometime between 1920 and 1930. I couldn't find him in the 1930 US Census, but by 1940 he'd married Helen Gaskill and was living with her parents in Chester, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Back at 241 South Eighth, as of 1930 William was working as a piler in an iron mill. Paul was still a trackmack for a railbroad, and Joseph was now a foreman in a print shop. Elizabeth was no longer working outside the home. It might be that her mother's health was declining. Anna Greulich Willy died 23 Apr 1932. She and her husband George C are buried in Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery.
Joseph married Helen Thomas Minnich sometime between 1930 and 1940. By 1940, only three Willys were left in the family home: Elizabeth, William and Paul. William and Paul were working at the same jobs as in 1940. According to their WWII draft registrations in 1942, William was still working for the Janson Steel & Iron Co, as he had been during WWI. Paul was working for the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Between 1940 and 1942, however, Elizabeth did something different: she got married. Her husband was Harry J Horner, born 25 Jan 1904 in Pennsylvania. I know very little about him except that he seems to have had at least two children from a previous marriage, H James and Margaret.
The property at 241 South Eighth was officially deeded over to Elizabeth by her siblings in exchange for a dollar on 05 Jul 1952.
Paul Willy died in 1971. William survived him by four years and died in August 1975. Both brothers are buried in Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery.
On 15 Dec 1977, Elizabeth deeded the property over to herself and Harry, jointly. I assume that she and Harry were still living there when he died 15 Jun 1994. Five months later, on 02 Nov 1994, Elizabeth sold the property for $55,000. She lived another six years and died 16 May 2000, being survived by her stepchildren H James Horner and Margaret Horner. Both Harry and Elizabeth are buried in Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery.