A Special Message to Bill and Gladys Winslow's Immediate Family

Bill and Gladys Winslow were both born and raised in Elk County, Pennsylvania- Bill Winslow growing up on Winslow Hill, and Gladys Burke a few miles away in the Spring Run/ Weedville area.

Bill Winslow (Grandpa to some of us) grew up on the Winslow Farm with four brothers and two sisters ( two other children died at very young ages). His parents both died within a year when Bill was about 26 years old. Bill and his brothers started and worked the Winslow Brothers Deep Mines for many years. Bill was a hard working young man and a family man. He seemed to be constantly working either in the coal mines, on his small farm, or tinkering around his house. As a young man he had the misfortune of having an accident while working on his farm. While filling up a farm silo with corn insulage, he had his eye punctured by a piece of corn stalk. Doctors in Philadelphia could not save his eye, but an innovative mechanism was implanted which allowed a glass eye to move somewhat in synch with his normal eye.

Gladys Burke (Grandma Winslow to me) seemed to be ahead of her times. She gave the commencement speech at her high school graduation; she was active in her community serving many as a nurse and midwife; and she was a good business woman running the family store. She probably would have been active in womens' rights issues in the 1980s and 1990s.

Bill and Gladys Winslow together seemed to have been a very hard working and innovative couple. In addition to their regular work and raising a family, they had a town convenience store in Benezette, the first telephone used by the town, the gas filling station, the town's first running water in a house ( the water was piped in from Winslow Hill). Eventually the depression, World War II, and decline of Penna. coal took its toll and in the 1940s Bill and Gladys moved to New Castle, Pa to continue on with their lives.

And, thankfully for some of us, Bill and Gladys raised five successful children. From whom 10 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and now the great-great grandchildren are coming to carry on a portion of the Winslow- Burke DNA.

Their's has been a positive story of an American family that spanned and successfully lived through (some will say survived) such key historical events as World War I , the Depression, and World War II. A good history lesson and message for their grandchildren and descendents.

And not to forget, the family of Bill and Gladys goes beyond their most immediate children and their children. It also includes their parents, brothers, sisters, nephews, and nieces. For each of us it is more than just our parents and first cousins. Its also grandparents, uncles, aunts, and second and third cousins at least. The following genealogy reports give us this broader perspective of our family. Many names will be familiar to us and others are unkown distant relatives. It's been my pleasure to renew old friendships and meet new relatives during this research. I hope you have the same opportunities soon. Welcome to Bill and Gladys' immediate family.