Helen Dorothy Murphy, Frederick Willy and Joseph Swoager

Is he or isn't he? Helen Dorothy Murphy, the younger sister of Rose Marie Murphy Willy, married a man named Frederick Willy, had four children with him and then divorced him. Rose Marie also had a brother-in-law named Frederick Willy, the third son of Ida Bell Lego and Frederick Willy born 16 Jan 1904 or 1905 in Allegheny County, probably in either Baldwin Township or Pittsburgh. Are these two Fredericks the same person?

Helen was the daughter Helen B Hufnagel and John F Murphy born in McKees Rocks on 06 Feb 1908. As of 1920 she was living with her parents and eight of her 14 surviving siblings at 175 McCoy Road in Stowe Township. Her sister Rose Marie and Rose Marie's husband George were also living in Stowe, per George's parents and younger siblings were living in Pittsburgh. His younger brother Frederick was working as a labourer in a steel plant. By May 1924 George's parents had also moved to McKees Rocks; his mother died there.

Sometime in or before 1924, Helen Murphy married a man named Frederick Willy. They had four children. The following information is based on their marriage license applications:

• Leonard Richard born 20 Feb 1924 in Pittsburgh;
• Dorothy M born 15 Jan 1927 in Pittsburgh;
• James Frederick born 06 Jun 1928 in McKees Rocks; and
• Charles W born 23 Jun 1929 in McKees Rocks.

In the 1930 US Census George's brother Frederick was enumerated as being single and as living with his widowed father and his older sister's family in McKees Rocks. Frederick was working as a labourer in a steel mill. I can't find Helen Murphy Willy and the four children at all, under any last names. However, it's notable that the house her parents rented at 175 McCoy Road, home to ten people in 1920, now housed only five: her parents and three of her brothers. There was room for five more in that house.

The Pittsburgh Press reported on 17 May 1932 that Helen D Willy had filed for divorce against Frederick Willy. The laws of that time required a plaintiff and a defendant. What's interesting is that Helen had already begun her relationship with Joseph F Swoager. Their oldest son was born in 1932. However, the basis for the divorce was not this relationship but something Frederick had done or failed to do. The divorce was granted 11 Dec 1935.

By 1939 George's brother Frederick had married again. As of 1940 he and his wife Harriet were living in McKees Rocks with his father. Frederick was working as a labourer on a road project.

Meanwhile Helen had married Joseph Swoager. Joseph was born 12 Sep 1905 in Allgheny County, the son of Ruth J Reed and John Casper Swoager. As of 1930 he was living in Findlay, Allegheny County, with his widowed father, divorced sister, a niece and a nephew. He and his father were working as general farm labourers. (Findlay is 23 km west of McKees Rocks.)

The family was living in McKees Rocks as of 1935, but by 1940 they had moved to Findlay, where Joseph worked caring for race horses.

Helen and Joseph had five children of their own:

• Joseph A born 08 Jan 1932 in Moon Township, 17 km WNW of McKees Rocks;
• Barbara Ruth born 06 Nov 1936;
• Francis born 06 Jan 1940;
• Herbert born 04 Jul 1942; and
• Thomas V born 03 Jan 1947.

Leonard Richard Willy served in the US Navy during WWII.

All four of Helen's children by Frederick Willy married in Allegheny County between 1946 and 1950:

• 27 Jul 1946: Dorothy married Charles Harry Roessler. Dorothy and Helen (and presumably the rest of the family) were living in Imperial. Dorothy described her father as having been born in Pittsburgh but currently living in McKees Rocks and working as a labourer. Charles Harry Roessler was the son of Dorothy Job and John Roessler born 25 Nov 1926 in Green Tree, Allegheny County. He was living in Coraopolis and working as a mechanic.
• 27 Feb 1948: Charles W Willy married Marilyn Walker. Charles and Helen were living in Crafton, where Charles was working as a truck helper. Charles described his father as having been born in Pittsburgh but currently living in McKees Rocks and working as a labourer. Marilyn Walker was the daughter of Ruth Wells and Earl Walker born 06 Jan 1929 in "Midland Mine #1," Pennsylvania. She was living in Pittsburgh.
• 25 Sep 1950: Leonard Richard Willy married Natalie Frances Zaradzki. Leonard and Helen were living in Coraopolis, where Leonard was working as a carpenter's helper. Leonard described his father as having been born in Pittsburgh but currently living in McKees Rocks and working as a labourer. Natalie France Zaradzki was the daughter of Eleonora Niedzwski and Joseph Zaradzki born 09 Mar 1930 in McKeesport. She was living in Pittsburgh and in Crafton (where her parents lived).
• 04 Oct 1950: James Frederick Willy married Victoria Dorothy Kurto. James and Helen were living in Coraopolis, where James was working as a labourer. Unlike his three siblings, James described his father as having been born in McKees Rocks. He agreed with them that their father was currently living in McKees Rocks and working as a labourer. Victoria Dorothy Kurto was the daughter of Sophie Bialowas and John Kurto born 28 Sep 1934 in Groveton. She and her mother were living in Coraopolis.

All four of the siblings' descriptions of their father are consistent with that father being the son of Ida Bell Lego and Frederick Willy. However, the descriptions aren't particularly distinctive either.

After 1950

Joseph A Swoager - the younger Joseph Swoager - died suddenly in Sewickley on 29 Nov 1951. He's buried in Section G of the Holy Souls Cemetery in Pittsburgh.

Helen Murphy Swoager died in Imperial in October 1970. She too is buried in Section G of Holy Souls, where she shares a headstone with her daughter Barbara Ruth Swoager and her grandson William Alfred Annesi II, 23 May 1971 to 24 May 1971.

Frederick Willy, the son of Ida Bell Lego and Frederick Willy, died 09 Sep 1978. The OCR version of his obituary from the Pittsburgh Press published 11 Sep 1978 is in rather poor shape. Here's what I've been able to decipher: "WILLY... On Sat., Sept. 9, 1978 Fred... of McKees Rocks: fa-... Dorothy Paessler, Charles and... James Willy; 10 grandchildren; brother of Pete, George, Frank, Sadie Hess. Friends... received at McDCRMOTT... FUNERAL HOME, 12225 Chainers Ave.. McKees Rocks. Services Wed., Sept. 13."

If "Dorothy Paessler" can be assumed to be a reference to Dorothy Willy Roessler and her brothers Charles and James Frederick Willy, then this is fairly good evidence that Fred and Ida's son Fred was the Frederick Willy who married Helen Dorothy Murphy. Note that Leonard Richard, who had died the previous year, is not mentioned among the surviving children.

After Helen's death, Joseph F Swoager remarried, this time to Mary Piper. He died 09 May 1992 and is buried in Section G of Holy Souls.

Leonard Richard Willy died 04 Nov 1977 in Coraopolis and is buried in Holy Souls (no section mentioned). He and his wife Natalie Frances Zaradzki had six children: Joseph, Leonard, Timothy, Amy, Shawn and Diane. Shawn died while young - he was born 18 Jan 1957 in North Fayette Township and died there on 14 Sep 1959. Diane F Willy Dimun, born 22 Sep 1958, died 02 Sep 2005 and is buried in Section G of Holy Souls. Natalie died 01 Sep 2006 in Crafton. She was survived by Joseph, Leonard, Timothy and Amy as well as ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Dorothy M Willy Roessler died 10 Jan 2008 in North Fayette Township, Imperial. She was survived by her husband, Charles Harry Roessler, and five children: Rebecca, Charles Harry Jr, Herbert, Barbara and Betty Jo. She's buried in the Hopewell-Hebron Cemtery in Clinton, Beaver County, along with her husband, who died 10 Jun 2015. He was followed soon after by two of their sons. Herbert F Roessler of Clinton died 27 Jun 2015. He was survived by three children and four grandchildren. Charles Harry Roessler Jr of Mount Pleasant Township, born 01 May 1948, died 21 Sep 2015. As a Vietnam veteran, he was buried in the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies. He was survived by three children and ten grandchildren.

James Frederick Willy died in December 1985 and is buried in "Section Purp. B" of Holy Souls. I know he and Victoria Dorothy Kurto had at least one child, a son named James Frederick Willy Jr who was born in 1951 and who married Lisabeth Ann Schnatterly in 1973. By then James Frederick Sr was living in Imperial. He and Victoria had divorced, and she had remarried Melvin W Bush. Melvin died 04 Apr 1991. His obituary in the Pittsburgh Press mentions five children: his stepson James; Deborah Cromer, who may be either a daughter or stepdaughter; and three children, Michael, David and Marci Bush. Victoria Dorothy Kurto Bush died in Imperial on 27 Jun 1997.

Charles W Willy's marriage to Marilyn Walker had ended by 1973, whether in divorce or death. Two newspapers in Hancock County, Ohio, reported on 24 Feb 1973 that a marriage license had been issued to "Charles W. Willy of Imperial, Pa., and Beverly A. Anderson of Clinton, Pa." Beverly, who was born 31 Jul 1942, died 20 Aug 2002. Her obituary mentions eight children, some of whom may be stepchildren: Charles, Linda, John, Kathy, Patrick, Robert, Andrew and Alfred (deceased). Charles followed her less than four years later on 30 Mar 2006. Besides the seven children, he was survived by 14 grandchildren. He and Beverly are buried together in the Resurrection Cemetery in Corapolis. The plot number in Charles' record is 8-1-49-14.

One point of interest is that Charles' daughter Kathy (Kathleen) married William A Bugay Jr, the son of Charles' half-sister Barbara Ruth Swoager Bugay (later Barbara Ruth Swoager Annesi). The marriage took place in or around 1978, which means that Kathy was born well before Charles and Beverly married.

Barbara Ruth Swoager married William A Buguay in or before 1954. William was born on 13 Mar 1935. They had four children that I know of: Susanne, William A Jr, Ralph A and Barbara F. Barbara and William divorced sometime between 1959 and 1964. She then married Louis Frank Annesi born 06 Mar 1938. Barbara and Louis had five childen that I know of, although one died as an infant: Lynn, Denise, William Alfred II (23 May 1971 to 24 May 1971) and twins, Robert Frederick and Vincent Louis.

The Annesis lived in Imperial until 1971, when they moved to Florida, where Barbara managed a restaurant in South Daytona Beach. She died of a stroke 25 Apr 1988 in Port Orange, Volusia County, Florida. She's buried in Section G of the Holy Souls Cemetery in Pittsburgh, where she shares a headston with her mother Helen Murphy Swoager and her son William Alfred Annesi II.

Louis Frank Annesi married again, this time to Marie Ann Richardson born 02 Feb 1944. He died on 10 Jan 2008 and she, on 06 Jun 2014. They're buried together in the Deland Memorial Gardens in Deland, Volusia County, Florida.

Barbara's son William A Bugay Jr married, as I mentioned, Kathleen Willy, the daughter of Barbara's half-brother Charles Willy. William A Jr, born 20 Jul 1955, died 31 Aug 2003. He was survived by his wife and by their son, William A III. William A Jr is buried in the Resurrection Cemetery in Coraopolis in plot 8-1-49-7, near his wife's father in plot 8-1-49-14.

Francis Swoager married three times. His children from his first marriage were Joseph, Albert and Francis Jr. His second wife was Francine Paulette Sladick Raisley (12 Feb 1950 - 28 Jul 2002); their children were Francine and Louis. His third wife was Donna J Morgan; their children were Herbert and Morgan. Francis died in Imperial on 12 Mar 2018. Besides Donna and his children, he was survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sadly his grandson Albert, born 29 Mar 1983, died in a motorcycle crash 07 Sep 2025.

Herbert Swoager married Helen AKA Sandy Patterson, the daughter of Helen Lobb and William Patterson born 23 Oct 1942.

Thomas V Swoager married Colleen Reynolds, the daughter of Helen and John Reynolds born 02 Jul 1950. They had three children: Dana, Thomas and Vince. Thomas died 23 Jul 2011. He's buried in the Hopewell-Hebron Cemtery in Clinton. Colleen died 28 May 2014. I would assume that she's buried with him.