The River Running
"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Ida Bell Lego and Frederick Willy
Frederick Willy was born in June 1871 in - according to his marriage record - Columbia, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Mary Hess (or Helwig) and George Willy. His family lived in Marietta, West Hempfield and Chickies before finally returning to settle 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.
On 27 Feb 1894 Frederick married Ida Bell Lego in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. According to the marriage license, at the time Frederick was resident in Columbia and was working as a puddler, presumably an iron puddler. Ida was living in Philipsburg, Centre County, but she'd been born in Gallitzin, Cambria County, 18 km WNW of Hollidaysburg. She was born in November 1874, the daughter of Annie M and Charles W Lego.
Ida and Frederick had nine children. Two children born between 1900 and 1910 had died by 1910, and I don't know their names. Here are the other seven children:
As of 1900 Ida, Frederick, Anna, Laura and George were living in Baldwin Township, 14 km south of Pittsburgh. Frederick was working as a puddler. By 1910, the family had moved to Pittsburgh, where they were living at 106 Frustum Street.
The next decade brought three marriages. According to the 1930 US Census, Anna married Harry Joseph Hohl in or about 1912. Laura married Edward Glen Rager in 1911-1912, and George married Rose Marie Murphy in or shortly before 1920.
By 1920, Ida, Frederick and their four younger children were living at 127 Saginaw Road in Pittsburgh. Frederick was working as a labourer in a steel plant. Sadie was working as a saleslady in a department store, while Frank was working as a layer-out in a ship yard.
The family moved to McKees Rocks, 8 km WNW of Pittsburgh, by May 1924. When Ida died on 27 May 1924, the Pittsburgh Daily Post advised friends and family that services would be held at the family home at 518 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks.
By 1930 Sadie, Frank and Charles had moved out on their own. Sadie had married Frank Anthony Hess; their daughter was born 25 Feb 1927. Frank James may or may not be the James Frank Willy who married Mildred Holmes; their oldest child was born 27 Jul 1925. And Charles Peter, I have no idea what happened to him. He doesn't seem to resurface until his death in 1983.
I also suspect that Frederick Jr got married in or before 1924. Specifically, I think he married George's wife Rose Marie's younger sister, Helen Dorothy Murphy. Their youngest child was born 23 Jun 1929, but they seem to have separated by 1930. Helen filed for divorce in 1932, and the divorce was granted in 1935. I have to wonder how Frederick Jr got along with his sister-in-law Rose Marie afterwards.
The 1930 US Census found Frederick (widowed) and Frederick Jr ("single") living with Anna and Harry Joseph Hohl and their family at 518 Chartiers Avenue in McKees Rocks. The older Frederick was still working as a puddler in a steel mill. The younger Frederick was a labourer in a steel mill, as was his brother-in-law Clarence Hohl. His other brother-in-law, Harry Joseph, was a puncher in a steel mill.
Anna Willy Hohl died 22 May 1933, which seems to have led to the break-up of the household at 518 Chartiers. Also, sometime between 1930 and 1940, Frederick Jr got married. His wife's name was Harriet and she was born in Pennsylvania in or about 1910. They had an infant daughter who was born 19 Apr 1939 and died five days later. In the 1940 US Census, both Fredericks plus Harriet were enumerated at 26 Guthrie Street (renamed Catherine Baker Knoll Way in May 2013). (Anna's son George F Hohl was living in a boarding house at 1038 Chartiers three blocks away.) Frederick, now 69, was still working as a puddler in a steel mill. The younger Frederick was working as a labourer on a road project.
Frederick Willy died 14 Mar 1951 in Jeannette, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, where his daughter Laura Willy Rager was living. Besides Laura, he was survived by George, Sarah, "James," Fred and Charles. Both the Pittsburgh Press and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette referred to Frank as "James." (This is one of the two occasions on which I've found Frank being referred to this way, the other being Sarah's obituary.)
I don't know where either Ida Bell Lego Willy or Frederick Willy are buried.
I also don't know anything more about Harriet Willy, the younger Frederick's wife. About the younger Frederick himself, I know that he died 09 Sep 1978, that at the time he was living in Pittsburgh and that he's buried at the Mount Calvary Cemetery in McKees Rocks. He shares a headstone with his younger brother Charles Peter ("C Pete Willy") and Pete's wife Betty J.
The OCR version of Fred's 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, later Helen Dorothy Murphy Swoager.