Laura Willy and Edward Glen Rager

"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Laura Willy was the second child of Ida Bell Lego and Frederick Willy. According to the 1900 US Census, she was born in April 1896. However the US Social Security Death Index says she was born 08 Apr 1893. The latter date agrees with her headstone and also makes better sense considering that she married in 1911 or 1912.

Laura's parents married in February 1894 in Hollidaysburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania. At the time, her father was resident in Columbia, Lancaster County, while her mother was resident in Philipsburg, Centre County. All of this makes it difficult to determine where Laura was born.

As of 1900 the family was living in Baldwin Township, 14 km south of Pittsburgh. By 1910, they'd moved to Pittsburgh, where they were living at 106 Frustum Street.

According to the 1930 US Census, Laura married Edward Glen Rager in 1911-1912. Edward was born 26 Jan 1891 in the Hillside district of Derry Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. His parents were Susan Palmer and George Nelson Rager. (The surname is German and most likely refers to herons rather than anger management issues.) Both Susan and George were natives of neighbouring Indiana County, where their oldest three children were born. The family was still living in Derry Township in 1900 but by 1910 had moved to Pittsburgh, to 210 Florien Street, only a few blocks away from 106 Frustum Street. George Rager worked for the railroad all his life and his sons tended to follow him. By 1910 Edward was working as a railroad foreman.

As of 1917, Laura, Edward and their oldest two children were living in South Heights, Beaver County, 22 km northwest along the Ohio River from Pittsburgh. Edward was working across the river in Ambridge as a foreman for the US Steel Corporation.

By 1920, the family had moved eastwards to Penn, Westmoreland County. Edward was now working as a labourer in a coal mine. The family seems to have settled into this area. As of 1930, they were living on Seventh Street in Hempfield, 9.5 km SSE of Penn. Edward and Fred, the oldest child, were working as labourers in a pipe foundry.

Paul Alvin died 18 Jun 1936 at six years old. He's buried in the Jeannette Memorial Cemetery in Jeannette, 3 km east of Penn.

The children began to marry and move out (or vice versa). Fred married Fannie Frances Donaldson on 27 Jun 1931. Ruth married Albert J Guy in or before 1936, and Lillian had married Wilbur Hawkey by 1940.

The rest of the family was living in Claridge, an unincorporated place near Penn. Specifically they were living on "Main Street in Claridge Route 113," which seems to suggest that Main Street was also known as Route 113 at the time. The whole family was said to have been living in Jeannette in 1935. Edward and 19-year-old Clarence were working as firemen in a glass factory.

At some point Laura's father Frederick Willy seems to have left Pittsburgh and moved in with her and Edward in Jeannette. He died in Jeannette 14 Mar 1951.

Edward died in February 1963. Laura died in Jeannette in August 1977. Both are buried in the Twin Valley Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Delmont, 12 km NNE of Jeannette.

Frederick Nelson Rager married Fannie Frances Donaldson in Westmoreland County on 27 Jun 1931. Fannie was the daughter of Mary A Lauffer and James E Donaldson born in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, 24 Jul 1912. As of 1930 she was working as a seamstress in a garment factory. She and Fred had two children, a daughter named Frances E born 21 Feb 1932 and a son, Edward, born in 1934 or 1935. Fannie and Fred were divorced in Westmoreland County 05 Mar 1938. Three weeks later, Fannie married Robert Affolter in Allegheny County. The 1940 US Census found Frances and Edward living with their mother and stepfather in Wilkinson, Allegheny County. Fannie and Robert had two more children, Jack (1942-1965) and Noreen (born apx 1947), and then divorced sometime between 1965 and 1976. (The dates are based on references to her in newspaper articles.) Fannie remarried, her new surname being Mower. She died 22 May 1997 in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, and is buried in the Pearce Cemetery in Rossiter, Indiana County.

Frances E Rager married Albert C "Chuck" Beliskey in or about 1954. She died 28 Feb 2015 in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, survived by her husband, four children, eight grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren, as well as her brother Edward Rager and his wife Marsha of McKeesport and her half-sister Noreen Affolter Painter of Punxsutawney.

Fred's second wife was Lourene Viola Watt, the daughter of Anna S Loughner and Bevington John Watt born 19 Feb 1922 in Mamont, Westmoreland County. As of 1940, Lourene was still living with her parents in New Alexandria, Westmoreland County. She was working doing housework in a private house. She and Fred married sometime between 1940 and 1943. They had two daughters: Idabelle (Dolly) born in 1943 and Margaret Ann (Peggy) born in 1947. Lourene died 15 Jun 1960. She was buried in the Twin Valley Memorial Park and Mausoleum. Her headstone was designed to show two names, presumably in expectation that Fred would be buried there too, but the other space is blank.

Dolly married Richard E Sansonetti, born in 1943, the son of Mary Ann Ruskoff and James H Sansonetti. After Richard died 07 May 1990, she married Joe T Carroll. Her sister Peggy or Peg married Burton Smith.

Fred's third marriage was to Vivian M Stephens Utzman, the daughter of Catherine Barrett and William Stephens born 21 Dec 1916, probably in Dunbar, Fayette County, Pennsylvania. She married Fred J Utzman 07 May 1937. They raised their family - a daughter Nancy born in 1938 and a son William F, 1944-2009 - in Jeannette. Fred Utzman died 31 May 1960, two weeks before Fred Rager's wife Lourene. Vivian married Fred Rager not quite a year later, on 21 Apr 1961.

Vivian M Stephens Utzman Rager died in Jeannette in May 1984. Frederick Nelson Rager died in McKeesport on 03 May 1999. They're buried together in the Jeannette Memoral Cemetery.

Ruth Marie Rager married Albert J "Beans" Guy sometime in or before 1936. Albert was born in Jeannette 06 Aug 1916, the son of Barbara Mary Zewe and Albert Luther Guy. As of 1940 he and Ruth were living with their two oldest sons on Frank Avenue in Jeannette. Albert was working as a truck driver for a grocery store.

The entire family seems to have been involved in the Grandview Volunteer Fire Department. Ruth was a trustee in the auxilary. Albert J, Albert E, Albert E's son Albert, Paul, and Edward were life members.

Ruth died 28 May 1979. She's buried in the Jeannette Memorial Cemetery, along with her husband and most of her children.

Edward G died 08 Apr 2007. He was survived by his wife, Roberta Means Graft, four children, five grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Albert E ("Sonny") died 20 Apr 2008. He was survived by his wife, Sally Hoak, five children, nine grandchildren and two great-grandsons. His son Albert "Beany" Guy II, born 10 Apr 1964, died 18 months later on 31 Oct 2009.

Paul died 01 Jul 2012. He was survived by his wife Heidi, a son, a stepdaughter, four grand- and step-grandchildren and a step-great-grandson.

Thomas died 22 Mar 2015. He was survived by his wife Nancy Barkefelt, eight children, a stepson, 31 grandchildren and a great-grandson. Thomas was also survived by his brother James William and James' wife Ivy Jane and by his sister Laura and her husband Robert McGuiggan.

According to Ruth's obituary published in 1979, she was survived by four sisters: "Mrs. Wilbur (Toots) Hawkey of Jeannette RD 1, Mrs. John (Idabelle) Altier of Jeannette, Mrs. Mickey (Betty Mabel) Nakich of McCullough, and Mrs. Joe (Edna) Earle of Streetsboro, Ohio." By the process of elimination, "Toots" has to be Lillian.

Lillian had married Wilbur Hawkey by 1940. He was the son of John E and Jane Hawkey born 12 Oct 1919 in Hempfield, Westmoreland County. As of 1940, he and Lillian were living on Brown Avenue in Hempfield. He was working as a molder for a pipe-fitting manufacturing company. Their daughter Lillian Laura was born 02 May 1942 in the community of Radebaugh in Hempfield. They also had a son named Wilbur.

Lillian E Rager Hawkey died 24 Jul 1989. Her husband Wilbur died 18 Jan 2001 in New Alexandria. Both are buried at the Jeannette Memorial Cemetery.

Lillian Laura Hawkey married Harry Meanor Smail in Westmoreland County on 15 Jan 1963. They had three children, Rick, Dennis and Arlene. She then married Lynn Edwin Marks in Westmoreland County on 17 Aug 2009. She died ten weeks later in Amarillo, Texas, where she and Lynn had gone to live. She was buried in the Memory Gardens Cemetery in Amarillo. She was survived by her husband, by her son Rick in Greesburg, by her son Dennis and his wife Holly in Charlestown, RI, by her daughter Arlene and her husband Damon Frey in Manor (Westmoreland County) and by her brother Wilbur and his wife Jean of New Alexandria. She was also survived by ten grandchildren.

Clarence enlisted in the Army on 24 Aug 1942 in Greensburg. He was single at the time.

As far as I can tell, he's the same Clarence E Rager who married Marie E Schmuck in Westmoreland County on 22 Dec 1945. However, the marriage lasted less than a year. The couple divorced 15 Nov 1946. Four years later, Marie married Joseph Martin Costellic.

After 1946, I lose track of Clarence until 1979. His sister Ruth's obituary referred to him as "Clarence (Moose) of Twinsburg, Ohio." (Twinsburg is in Summit County. It's southeast of Cleveland and NNE of Akron.)

At some point, Clarence married Ruth Elizabeth Gross, the daughter of Bessie E Siegfried and Carl L Gross born 31 Dec 1922. She was born in Westmoreland County, probably either in Manor (where her two-years-older brother was born) or 6 km east in Jeannette (where her two-years-younger brother was born).

Clarence was still living in Twinsburg and was working as a bartender at the time he died in Cleveland on 16 Sep 1986. He's buried in the Locust Grove Cemetery in Twinsburg.

Ruth died 16 Jul 2002 in Kent, Portage County, Ohio. (Kent is 10 miles SSW of Streetsboro, where her sister-in-law Edna Rager Earle was living.) Ruth is buried with Clarence.

Idabelle married John "Slim" Altier, the son of Italian immigrants Anna and Frank Altier born in Jeannette 18 Jun 1914. Idabelle and John apparently spent their entire lives in Jeannette. John died 05 Jun 1991 and Idabelle, 06 Apr 1998. They're buried in the New Sacred Heart Cemetery in Jeannette.

Laura Willy and Edward Rager's sixth child was referred to as Mabel E in the 1930 US Census, as Betty Jane in the 1940 US Census, as Betty Mabel in her sister Ruth's obituary and as Betty J on her husband's gravestone.

Betty Jane and Michael "Mickey" Nakich married in or before 1947. Mickey was born in Penn Township 11 Dec 1924, the son of Clementine Schmuck and Michael Nakich, from Yugoslavia. He and Betty Jane had a daughter named Linda Ann born in 1947. By 1979 they were living in McCullough, a populated place in Penn Township.

Mickey died 01 Jul 1984. He's buried in the Twin Valley Memorial Park and Mausoleum. His headstone has a space open for Betty J, 1925-.

I'm fairly certain that Betty Jane Rager Nakich was the Betty Jane Nakich who was living in Streetsboro, Portage County, Ohio, with her daughter Linda Ann Nakich Ank. Betty Jane died 17 May 2018.

Edna Cora married Joseph Neil Earle in Westmoreland County on 12 Feb 1949. Joseph was the son of Carrie E Wanzer and William J Earle born 14 May 1927 (per the US SSDI) or 14 May 1928 (per the Ohio Death Index). His parents were both born and raised in Connecticut, but Joseph himself was born in Ohio, probably in Cleveland. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in Cleveland on 30 Oct 1946.

Edna and Joseph had at least two children, Joseph Neil Jr born in 1950 and Robert Alan born in 1961. As of 1979 they were living in Streetsboro, Portage County, Ohio.

Joseph Neil Sr died in Streetsboro 15 Nov 1995. He's buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Streetsboro. As far as I know, Edna still lives there.

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In memory of Janet A Werner, 1931-2015