Elizabeth Anastasia Willy and William J Pfeffer

Elizabeth Anastasia Willy was born in April 1876 in - according to her marriage record - Donegal Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. There's no longer a township by this name, but there's a Donegal Heights 9.2 km north of Columbia and a Donegal Springs 10.5 km NNE of Columbia. Elizabeth's parents were Mary Hess (or Helwig) and George Willy. Her family lived in West Hempfield and Chickies before finally settling down 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.

As of 1900, Elizabeth was living with her parents and younger brother Christian at 34 South Eighth Street and working as a weaver in a silk mill, possibly the Ashley & Bailey Silk Mill. On 31 Oct 1905, she married William J Pfeffer, a widowed merchant 17 years her senior.

William was the son of Prussian immigrants John and Catherine Pfeffer, born in Columbia 26 May 1859. John Pfeffer was a wheelwright by trade. The 1880 US Census describes both him and William as wagon makers. On 14 May 1889, William married Mary M Flick, born 15 May 1863. Six years later, on 02 Dec 1895, William purchased the house and store at 232 Poplar Street from the heirs of John C Moore.

Like the lot purchased by George Willy, the lot at 232 Poplar was part of the land involvded in the legal dispute between Samuel Bethel Heise and his brother Henry Heise. In particular, the lot lies on land that was accepted by Samuel in the 1852 settlement. On 19 Jul 1875 Samuel, his four daughters and their husbands sold the lot - 17'2" by 236' - to John C Moore for $375. John Moore died intestate 31 Oct 1895. 32 days later, his daughters Clara M Moore and Julia Moore Cassel sold the lot to William Pfeffer for $2,250. The higher price is understandable when one considers the improvements to the lot: "a two and one half story brick store and dwelling with [a] two story brick back building." William put the store to good use. By 1900 he was in business as a grocer. Besides him and Mary, 232 Poplar was home to Mary's father John and a servant, Augusta J Bormann.

Mary Flick Pfeffer died 01 Jan 1904 and was buried in the Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery. I don't know what happened to her father. William applied for a US passport on 24 Apr 1905 with the intention of going abroad and returning to the States in late July, but I don't know why. A few months after he returned from his trip, William married Elizabeth Willy.

Elizabeth and William had two sons, Anthony W born 16 Apr 1909 and Charles Christopher born 12 Nov 1911. They continued to live at 232 Poplar Street. On 28 Feb 1928 William sold the property for a dollar to his nephew John Godfrey, the son of his widowed sister Catherine Pfeffer Godfrey. John sold it back to William for a the same price on the same day. By this time, the "two story brick back building" noted in 1895 had turned into a "two story frame dwelling." The two and one half brick store and dwelling remained.

By 1930 Anthony was working as a weaver at the silk mill like his mother before him. The 1940 US Census describes Anthony as a quiller at a silk mill and Charles as a shipping clerk in garment manufacturing. William was apparently no longer running the grocery store by then.

William died 28 Sep 1943. Elizabeth died 03 Jul 1959. Anthony died 14 Dec 1986 and Charles, on 10 Apr 1991. All four are buried in the Holy Trinity Catholic Cemetery. Charles' executor, Terry Eugene Gable, sold the property at 232 Poplar on 01 Jun 1994 for $47,000.