Nevertheless, the ranks of the Union swelled with the immigrants and their sons, their contribution becoming essential and necessary to the final victory. The victims of religious persecution and economic discrimination in Ireland and the refugees from political oppression in the German states recognized as much as any American the precious value of the life and country they had escaped to! Whether we speak of the Irish Brigade before the Sunken Road at Antietam on the "bloodiest day in American history" -- September 17, 1862 -- or the combined Irish and German masses facing Pickett's charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, the blood of the "new" Americans flowed heavily. /p>

With such sacrifice, these valiant soldiers helped insure that "government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth" (Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address).

Here is an interesting anecdote about another member of the MERKEL family. GEORGE MERKEL had a brother named CHRISTIAN MERKEL, born August 28, 1728, husband of JULIANA GERST. He served as a ranger for colonial forces in the French and Indian War between 1756 and 1763 and later was a Captain in the American forces in the Revolutionary War. During the Revolutionary War, the Indians in the frontier areas sided with the British. According to the Lycoming County Genealogical Society, in 1778, several families living on the north side of Muncy Creek, in what was then Lycoming county, took refuge in Fort Muncy. The fort was garrisoned by soldiers under Captain Christian Merkle. On August 23, 1778, Captain Merkle and a friend left the fort to check on the friend's corn crop. While walking, they were ambushed by Indians. The friend was killed and Captain Merkle received a nick on one ear. Captain Merkle escaped to the fort and returned with his soldiers. The Indians had taken his friend's scalp and left his mutilated body. The friend was buried in an unmarked grave on his land somewhere near Shoemaker's Mills. Not long afterwards, the settlers vacated the area during what came to be called the Great Runaway. Later Captain Merkel led other expeditions and reprisal raids against the Indians in Lycoming and what is now Sullivan County.

GEORGE W. SONES married (1) MARY JANE PAINTER and (2) ANN LOW(E). He married ANN, a woman of German ancestry like himself, about 1800 in what would later be Sullivan Co. She was the daughter of JOHN LOW and ELIZABETH DOTTERRER and was born in 1783 in Muncy Valley, now Sullivan County, PA. She died in 1846 in the same county. GEORGE was the founder of Sonestown in 1804. In 1843, George built a sawmill in Sonestown, in what is now Davidson Township. This activity occurred before Sullivan County was formed from part of Lycoming County on March 14, 1847. The local covered bridge was built in 1850, and, in the late 19th century Sonestown boomed as the lumber industry grew in Sullivan County. The village was then home to a plant that manufactured the staves for making barrels. It also had a clothespin factory from 1903 to 1929, but lost almost all industry by the 1930s. As of 1996, Sonestown had a population of about 200, most of whom commuted to work in Muncy, Montoursville, and Williamsport. In 1996 the village had a few stores, an inn with a restaurant, and attracted tourists and hunters. This was the hearth from which our story arises.

The children of George and Ann were:

Courtesy of Carmen Finley, you can read about the Descendants of Peter Frederick Sones (c. 1800-1834),

Note that this history does not list the last of the children of Peter and Savilla: Philip Wesley Sones. We know of him because his biograpical sketch is given in Battle's 1887 History of Columbia and Montour Counties:

PETER F. SONES, the brother of GEORGE W., married MARY "POLLY" GIBSON about 1808 in Lycoming Co., PA. She was born July 15, 1787 in Berks Co., PA, and died June 28, 1874 in Lenawee Co., MI. Their child was:

DANIEL SONES, another brother of GEORGE W., married MARY SARAH WARNER in 1810 in Lycoming Co., PA. After his death in 1824, most of the remaining family including his widow moved to Harris Township, Centre County, PA Their children were:

There was a dispute after the death of Daniel Sones that led in 1834 to a legal effort by Peter Sones to evict his mother, Mary Warner, from Daniel's land. The source of the dispute is unclear. Hosever, in the 1820 census, there was another couple besides Daniel Sones and his wife, Mary Warner, living on that land. This couple was not the parents of Daniel, namely Peter and Elizabeth (Merkel) Sones. Speculation is that the other couple was Mr. and Mrs. Adam Warner, the parents of Mary Warner, and that the land was given to Daniel and Mary in the first place by them. After Daniel's death in 1824, there had been a guardianship request for the younger Sones orphans and then the land itself was auctioned in 1828. Peterf F. Sones apparently acquired the rights to the land. About 1844, most of the family relocated to Center County, where Mary (Warner) Sones continued to live until some time between 1860 and 1870 with one or another of her children or grandchildren.
Note: The preceding information on the family and descendants of Daniel Sones comes from Denise Garcia.

JOHN SONES, the son of GEORGE W. SONES and ANN LOW, married JULIA BRIDGE BRIGGS in 1833 in Lycoming Co., PA. She was June 29, 1806, and died Feb. 17, 1863 in Sullivan Co., PA. Their children were:

ELIZABETH ANN SONES, daughter of GEORGE W. SONES and ANN LOW, married CHARLES BALL, born in 1807 in PA and who died sometime after 1819. Their children were:

HANNAH S. SONES married HENRY STEVENSON in Lycoming Co., Pennsylvania. He was born in 1806 in Ireland, and died September 1854 in Davidson Twp., Sullivan Co., PA. Hannah and her husband, Henry, had 11 children, five of whom fought in the civil war!! Two of her sons, Philip and Jacob, died there. Hannah is listed as living in Davidson Twp. with her husband in the 1850 census. Her husband Henry died in 1854 when her second youngest, SULLIVAN CROUSE STEVENSON (great-grandfather of Gloria Marashai, our correspondent) was only three years old and her youngest, FRANKLIN STEVENSON, was an infant. She moved to Laporte Twp. with her son George and his wife Rachael by the 1860 census. The last name is spelled "Stephenson" in this census. She is buried in the Old Sonestown Cemetery, Sullivan Co., PA. Henry Stevenson was listed as a shoemaker in the 1850 Davidson Twp, Sullivan Co. PA census. The last name then was spelled "Stephens". He married Hannah 1829. The children of HANNAH SONES and HENRY STEVENSON were:

John Robert Stevenson
In His Civil War Uniform
Photo Courtesy of Bob Robb, His Great-Great Grandson

John Robert and Rachel (Freeman) Stevenson
Grave Marker
Mt. Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery
Hughesville, PA
June 2013
Photo Courtesy of Bob Robb, His Great-Great Grandson

Biography of George N. Stevenson, from the Quimby, Iowa Centennial Book:

Here is the beautiful hand-carved desk of Phillip Stevenson:

Here is SULLIVAN CROUSE STEVENSON at the end of his days about 1928. He received the desk from his brother.

JANE SONES was born January 09, 1809 in Lycoming Co., PA, and died March 18, 1889 in Sullivan Co., PA. She married JACOB SIMMONS some time before 1830. He was born February 1805 in New York, and died August 09, 1884 in Sullivan Co., PA. The Jacob and Jane Simmons family of Sonestown sent five sons to the Civil War - two were to die from their wounds:

In a recent communication from the great-great-great grand-daughter of this couple, Shirley Simmons Jacobs of San Diego, CA, we learned that Jane (Sones) Simmons was a midwife. Shirley also forwarded pictures of the gravestones of her two ancestors, Jacob and Jane, taken in the Old Sonestown Cemetery, Sonestown, PA, by her cousin Mike Simmons. More recently, in March 2005, Shirley arranged for several pictures to be taken of the gravesite of Simpson Simmons, son of Jacob and Jane, who was killed in the Civil War. These photos are all shown below.

According to Shirley:

Entry in the August 24, 1884 edition of the Sullivan Review, Dushore, PA: Jacob SIMMONS, an old and respected resident of Davidson, died a short time ago. He was stricken with paralysis a few years ago, since which time he has been in ill health. **

The children of JANE SONES and JACOB SIMMONS were:

In November 2009, we received from Shirley Simmons Jacobs some additional exciting historical information on the Davis and Mary (Speary) Simmons family. After the Civil War, the family moved to Quimby, Cherokee County, Iowa. Shirley got her information from a newly found cousin, Mary Ruth ("MR") Olson of Vancouver, British Columbia, and passed it on to our site. The contribution includes photographs of both Davis and Mary, reproduced below, and notes handwritten on the back of each photo. Also included is a brief biograhical sketch of Donzella Rosetta "Donnie" (Simmons) Riseling, one of their children, and her life in frontier Iowa. We are immensely grateful to Shirley and MR for these historical treasures. Shirley is a descendants of George W. Simmons, a brother to Davis Simmons. George was her great-great-grandfather. Her complete line goes: My line goes George W. Simmons, John Smith Simmons, Harry Simmons, Kenneth L. Simmons, and Shirley Simmons Jacobs. MR on the other hand comes down directly from Davis, her great-great grandfather, as follows: Davis S. Simmons, Harry Paxton Simmons, Howard Lester Simmons, Blanche Lucille Simmons, and Mary Ruth Olson [daughter of Blanche and Alfred Engemann Olson].

Davis S. Simmons (1843-1906)
Son of Jacob and Jane (Sones) Simmons
Husband of Mary Speary

Mary (Speary) Simmons (1845-1893)
Daughter of Samuel and Mary (Pennington) Speary
Wife of Davis S. Simmons

Here is a biographical sketch of Donzella Simmons Riseling, annotated by Mary Ruth Olson.

Let us return to the Sones family history back in Sonestown, PA. In the fourth instalment of History of Sonestown Area, printed in the Sullivan Review of January 26, 1956, Myrtle Magargel wrote about the Simmons family:

Editor's Note: The following pictures were taken for Shirley Simmons Jacobs of San Diego by Bob Robb of Richmond, VA. He is related to Shirley through Jane Sones' sister Hannah Sones. Hannah married Harry Stevenson;Bob's great-great grandfather John Robert was the son of Harry and Hannah. In other words, the gr-gr-gr grandmothers of Shirley and Bob were sisters, which makes them fifth cousins.

Alexandria National Cemetery
Main Entrance
Alexandria, VA

Alexandria National Cemetery
Closeup of Main Entrance Plaque
Alexandria, VA

Row A Containing Grave Marker for
Simpson S. Simmons
Just left of center in the row leading toward the tree. Ninth stone this side of the tree.
Alexandria National Cemetery
Alexandria, VA

Grave Marker for Simpson S. Simmons
Son of Jacob and Jane (Sones) Simmons
Section A
Alexandria National Cemetery

SARAH SONES married EDMUND BENNETT some time before 1865; he was the son of JOEL BENNETT and SARAH BIRD. He was born February 04, 1813 in Elkland Twp., Lycoming Co., PA, and died February 16, 1892 in Liberty Center, Warren Co., Iowa. Edmund and his wife Sarah lived in Sonestown, Lycoming Co., until migrating to Iowa in 1869. They had 11 children, but two babies died in infancy. The 1850 census lists him and his wife as being 33 years, old which would put their year of birth as 1817, which is different in her case from other sources. The children of SARAH SONES and EDMUND BENNETT were:

MARY SONES married BENJAMIN FIESTER November 07, 1833 in Muncy Creek, Lycoming Co., PA. He was born 1811 in Muncy Creek, Lycoming Co., PA, and died before 1908 in Sullivan Co. The marriage was reported in the Muncy Telegraph for 12 Nov. 1833: Benjamin FIESTER, Jr., to Miss Mary SONES, both of Muncy Creek Twp., on Thursday last by Samuel Shoemaker, Esq. The children of MARY SONES and BENJAMIN FIESTER were:

SUSANNAH S. SONES married JOHN PHILLIPS before 1865. He was born in 1812, and died October 09, 1892 in Sonestown, Sullivan Co., PA. The children of SUSANNAH SONES and JOHN PHILLIPS were:

ISAAC T. SONES married (1) LUCY MATILDA UNGER March 09, 1842 in Sonestown, Sullivan Co., PA. She was born July 1823 in Pennsylvania, and died January 19, 1864 in Sonestown, Sullivan Co., PA. He married (2) SARAH E. BIXBY October 10, 1864. She was born April 02, 1832 in New York, and died October 13, 1906 in Lucas Co., Iowa; buried Fletcher Cemetery, Otter Creek, IA. The children of ISAAC SONES and MATILDA UNGER were:

You can learn morea about the just mentioned Sones family at The Descendants of Isaac T. Sones in Faces and Families of Old Sullivan County, Group Four.

HIRAM M. STEVENSON married MARY JANE RICHART March 18, 1865 in Lycoming Co., PA. She was born August, 1843 in Davidson Twp., Sullivan Co., PA. Hiram was listed as a Lawyer in the 1860 census. The children of HIRAM STEVENSON and MARY RICHART were:

SULLIVAN CROUSE STEVENSON married MARY ELIZABETH HUGHES March 17, 1870 in Lycoming Co., PA, daughter of JAMES HUGHES and BIDDY ______. Mary was born October 1849 in Maryland, and died June 30, 1932 in Willow Twp., Cherokee Co., Iowa. Sullivan's father, Henry, was an Irish immigrant who arrived in America before 1829, and his mother was German. Her ancestors arrived in America before 1755. Sullivan, the second youngest of 11 children, later became Mayor of Quimby, Iowa for 3 terms. He was too young to be a Union soldier, but had 5 brothers who were, and 2 brothers (Jacob & Phillip) who never returned. He came to Cherokee County, Iowa from Hughesville, Pennsylvania in 1887, and settled with his family in Quimby. While no information is given as to why the Stevensons moved from Pennsylvania to Iowa at this time, we can speculate that the West offered opportunity and a sense of adventure. The family histories and the pages of the local newspapers for the 1880's in Sullivan County are filled with stories of families and individuals emigrating to the West and Mid-West. For whatever particular reason or motivation, the Stevensons joined this torrent of westward migration. In 1900, the Willow Twp, Cherokee County, Iowa census report finds them as Family #180:

They were all shown as born in Pennsylvania. Sullivan Crouse is listed as having 4 living children.

Mary was born in Maryland according, but was living in Lycoming Co., PA by the 1860 census. Mary had four children according to the 1900 census. She moved to Cherokee Co., Iowa with her husband, Crouse Stevenson, in 1887. Her parents were both Irish immigrants. The children of SULLIVAN STEVENSON and MARY HUGHES were:

Mary Hughes came from a large family. She was born in Maryland in 1849 and lived in Armstrong Twp., Lycoming Co., PA according to the 1860 census. Her parents were both Irish immigrants named James and Biddy Hughes, and had 6 children, 5 girls and 1 boy at the time of that census .She is pictured second from the right in the family portrait below taken later in time.

Newspaper article about Sullivan Crouse in The Quimby Journal, June 13, 1929, Quimby, Iowa:

Obituaries for Sullivan Crouse Stevenson and Mary Hughes Stevenson, Death Book 1880-1937, Cherokee County, Iowa.

FRANKLIN STEVENSON married SUSANNA STEPP about 1878 in Lycoming Co., PA. She was born in October, 1862 in Pennsylvania, and died in Willow Twp., Cherokee Co., IA. For the 1900 Cherokee County, Willow Twp. Iowa census, Family # 173, Franklin and wife Susanna, were living very close to brother Sullivan and his wife Mary. At this time, they had four children living with them. The two oldest were listed as being born in Pennsylvania, the two youngest as born in Iowa. Franklin and Susanna were listed as being married 22 years, with the total number of children as seven, but only six living. Franklin's occupation is listed as a Day-laborer. The known children of FRANKLIN STEVENSON and SUSANNA STEPP were:

THOMAS ALVIN STEVENSON had the following children:

GEORGE MONROE STEVENSON married (1) ROSA MAHONEY in 1900 or 1901 in Cherokee Co., Iowa;she was the daughter of JOSEPH MAHONEY and IDA BAIRD. She was born in April, 1883 in Willow Twp., Iowa and died before 1913. He married (2) VERA LUCINDA WYKOFFon August 30, 1913 in Quimby, Iowa, daughter of WILLIAM WYKOFF and ELIZABETH SPIELMAN. She was born December 15, 1895 in Pomroy, Calhoun Co., Iowa, and died November 11, 1981 in Royal Oak, Oakland Co., Michigan. The family moved to Quimby, Iowa in 1887 when George was 6. George married and had two daughters, Ruth and Beulah, with his first wife, Roseanna Mahoney, who thereafter presumably died. George served in the Navy in the Far East Squadron. He enlisted February 24, 1904 and was discharged February 24, 1908. He married his second wife, Vera Wyckoff, who was 17, in August, 1913 at the age of 32. The officiating preacher was the Reverend Plummer. He had seven children in this marriage - six boys and one girl. They lived in Lanesboro, Iowa, later moving to Lohrville.Iowa. In 1941, they moved to Des Moines, Iowa. George and Vera celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1963. He lived in Des Moines at the time of his death in 1965 at the age of 84. He had been ill for about 20 years with heart disease. George worked at J J Powers, and his occupation was listed as Interior Decorator. He was a member of the International Organization of Odd Fellows. He is buried in Glendale Cemetery, Section 927, Block 39, in Des Moines. Shown here are two pictures of George-- one in his naval uniform in 1904 and the other in 1913 at the time of his second marriage.

Vera Wyckoff was born in Pomroy Iowa, and grew up in Fonda, Iowa. She married George Stevenson in August 1913. Her picture below was taken about this time. They first lived in Fonda, Iowa, then moved to Lanesboro, Iowa about 1915, where they lived for several years. The family moved to Lohrville, Iowa in 1926. Vera had seven children, three of whom died at young ages-16, 22, and 36 yrs old. In 1941, with only the two youngest, Gale and Robert, still at home, the family moved to Des Moines, Iowa. Three of her children, Lynn, Lowell, and Winifred, served in the Armed Forces in World War II. Vera worked as a cafeteria helper in Des Moines schools after all but her youngest were grown. She continued to live in Des Moines for several years after the death of her husband George in 1965. Later, she lived with her elderly sisters, Phoebe and Ella, in Rockford, Illinois. When she was in her early eighties, she moved in with her son Lowell and his wife, in Royal Oak, Michigan, where she died in 1981 at the age of 86.

The children of GEORGE STEVENSON and ROSA MAHONEY were:

They are pictured here in 1911.

The children of GEORGE STEVENSON and VERA WYKOFF were:

RUTH BAIRD STEVENSON married LINTON ROLLISON December 24, 1919. He was born July 15, 1893 in Iowa, and died October, 1983 in Cherokee, Iowa. Ruth was Gloria Marashai's father's half-sister. She has a picture of her as a young girl, maybe 10 years old, and another of her as a young woman with her husband Linton and her father, George Stevenson (Gloria's grandfather). We don't know what happened to Ruth's mother-just that she died some time before her father George married Gloria's grandmother Vera (Wyckoff) in August 1913. There are also two older pictures of Ruth and her husband. One is a photo of them on their golden wedding anniversary, December 24, 1969. The most recent picture is dated 1972. The children of RUTH STEVENSON and LINTON ROLLISON were:

WINIFRED ELIZABETH STEVENSON married LOREN ALBERT MARTIN November 23, 1946 in Des Moines, Iowa. He was born February 24, 1924 in Hocking, Monroe Co., Iowa. Winifred, sometimes called "Sis" by her family members, was born in Lanesboro, Iowa, and moved with the family to Lohrville, Iowa about 1927. She graduated from Lohrville High School in May 1939. Winifred joined the WAVEs in World War II. She married Loren Martin, and had one daughter, Cindy. She and Loren live in Des Moines, Iowa. The daughter of WINIFRED STEVENSON and LOREN MARTIN is: i. LUCINDA KAYE MARTIN, b. January 24, 1957, Des Moines, Polk Co., IA; m. (1) EDWARD PERRY BERNERO, June 1978; b. Iowa; m. (2) KENNETH JOYCE, June 16, 1984. Cindy is Gloria's cousin. They were born in the same year and have visited several times.

LOWELL FRANK STEVENSON was born April 04, 1923 in Lanesboro, Iowa. He married RUTH FRANCIS JORDAN April 14, 1956 in Highland Park, Michigan, daughter of ALFRED JORDAN and ANNA CULVIER. She was born March 26, 1928 in Coldwater, Michigan. Lowell was born in Lanesboro, Iowa. The family moved to Lohrville, Iowa before he attended school. Lowell graduated from Lohrville High school in May 1940. After graduation, he went to live with his aunt and uncle, Joe and Ella Grigsby, in Rockford, Illinois, where he worked for the Barber-Coleman Co. in Rockford. Lowell joined the Army Air Corps on December 15, 1942. He went to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he attended Dickinson College in April 1943 and was classified as a pilot Aug. 23, 1943. He changed from Pilot to Navigator Dec. 20, 1943. He was shipped to Ft. Meyers, FL, and went to the University of Miami where he changed from Navigator to Aircraft Gunner, June 11, 1944. He shipped from New York Harbor Oct 31, 1944, landing in England Nov. 9, 1944. His plane went down on its 18th mission over Mannehein, Germany on Jan. 13, 1945. He was liberated from a German POW camp at Mooseberg, Germany by the Third Army, Gen. George Patton commanding, on April 29, 1945. He was awarded three battle stars, a good conduct medal, an Air Medal-two oak leaf clusters, and a Purple Heart. He was discharged from the Army, Oct 29, 1945. After the war, he attended the University of Illinois, where he graduated in June, 1950 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He worked from 1952-1982 (30 years) at the Army Tank Automotive Command in Warren, Michigan as a Mechanical Engineer. He also attended the University of Detroit in 1956-57. Lowell married Ruth Jordan on April 14, 1956 at the Presbyterian Church in Highland Park, Michigan. They had 3 children, Gloria, Roseanne, and David. Ruth and Lowell have resided at the same address in Royal Oak, Michigan since 1960. Lowell is pictured below as a young man.

Ruth is a Registered Nurse and works part time in nursing homes and health care agencies. She also works as a professional clown. The children of LOWELL STEVENSON and RUTH JORDAN are:

i. GLORIA DIANE STEVENSON, b. October 06, 1957, Royal Oak, MI.
ii. ROSEANNE LOUISE STEVENSON, b. June 11, 1959, Royal Oak, MI. Roseanne graduated from Wayne State University with a Bachelors Degree in English and a minor in German. She loves animals and works for the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak, Michigan. She is single with no children, and lives in Detroit.
iii.DAVID GEORGE STEVENSON, b. August 25, 1960, Royal Oak, MI. David lives in Southfield, Michigan with longtime partner, Christine. He likes to garden and fish. He has no children.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON married MARILYN RUTH FOSTER November 05, 1955 in Des Moines, Iowa, daughter of ROBERT FOSTER and WILMA WENTZEL. She was born August 06, 1937 in Des Moines, and died there October 19, 1974. Robert grew up in Lohrville, Iowa, and later, Des Moines. He graduated from North High School in Des Moines in January 1949. He entered the U.S. Army on May 20, 1951 and went to Japan and Korea. He was honorably discharged on May 16, 1953. He is pictured below in uniform in 1951. Bob was married and divorced from Marilyn Foster, and had three children, Robert Monroe, Dianna Lynn, and Kally Marie Stevenson. Bob died in 1966 at the age of 36 of a cerebral hemorrhage at Mercy Hospital, Des Moines. He is buried at Glendale Cemetery, Section K, 108, Block 35.

Marilyn Foster had three children with her first husband, Robert Louis Stevenson. She had two children with her second husband, Louie Temple. They were Mary Lou Temple and Luann Temple. These two children lived with their father after the divorce. She had one child with her third husband, James Arthur Smith. The child was named James Orville Smith. Marilyn committed suicide in 1974. Her third husband, James Smith, raised the three children from her first marriage, and the two oldest retained his surname of Smith. The children of ROBERT STEVENSON and MARILYN FOSTER are:

RHODA ROLLISON had two children:

GLORIA DIANE STEVENSON married (1) DAVID HAROLD MORDEN on December 18, 1976 in Southfield, Michigan, son of DAVID MORDEN and BLANCHE ALBRIGHT. He was born July 19, 1944 in Southfield, Michigan. She met (2) EDWARD CARL WOOD February 03, 1983, son of JAMES WOOD and AUDREY WARWINSKY. He was born December 28, 1955. She married (3) DIMITRIO MILLAN MARASHAI December 03, 1988 in Royal Oak, Michigan, son of MILLAN MARASHAI and CAROL HAYLOCK. He was born December 19, 1961 in Sonoma, California. Gloria grew up in Royal Oak and later, Redford, Michigan, graduating from Redford Union High School in June, 1976. She attended Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan and obtained her Bachelors Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics in 1986. She works for South Redford School District in the Data Processing Department. Gloria has two children, Shelley and Diana. Hobbies include genealogy, boating, and gardening. She and her husband currently live in Pinckney, Michigan. David Morden, her ex-husband, is a millwright and works for Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn, Michigan. He lives in Livonia. Her current husband, "Dino" was born in Sonoma, California, but moved to Southfield, Michigan before age 2, where he grew up, and where his family was originally from. He attended Schoolcraft College in Livonia, and is a Certified Mechanic. This is his first marriage, and there are no natural children. He adopted his wife's daughter Shelley, and is a stepfather to Diana. He enjoys motorcycle riding, building and flying remote control aircraft, computer repair, dirt-bike riding, and jet skiing. The daughter of GLORIA STEVENSON and DAVID MORDEN is:

The child of GLORIA STEVENSON and EDWARD WOOD is:

ROBERT MONROE STEVENSON SMITH married SUZANNE FAITH EISENBECK January 16, 1981 in Portland, Oregon, daughter of OLEN EISENBECK and DOROTHY WHITNEY. She was born March 08, 1962 in Portland. Robert grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. His parents divorced when he was about 6. Shortly after (1966), his father died at the age of 36. Bob and his siblings were raised by their stepfather, James Smith, and Bob legally changed his name to Smith. After graduating from high school, he joined the Navy. Bob has been married for 16 years to wife Sue, and has two daughters, Victoria and Sarah. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa, and is currently employed in a machine shop in Iowa. The children of ROBERT SMITH and SUZANNE EISENBECK are:

KALLY MARIE STEVENSON married __________ HUCKABY. The children of KALLY STEVENSON and Mr. HUCKABY are:

 T

Charles Wesley Sones and the Story of Sonesville

Historical Context: You say you never heard of the lumber town on Kettle Creek in Sullivan County called Sonesville? And you've lived in Sullivan County all your life? Well don't be too surprised! For twenty years the settlement existed, but it never merited inclusion on maps of Pennsylvania. And so before it is completely forgotten, let us locate it. Today the site is marked by a single house now nearing its seventieth birthday. Sonesville was at the end of a two mile dirt road following Kettle Creek from near the bridge crossing of the Muncy Valley-Forksville road southward.
--Thomas Tabor, Ghost Lumber Towns of Central Pennsylvania, page 324, 1970.

The architect of Sonesville was another Sones descendant: CHARLES WESLEY SONES, born in 1859 near Picture Rocks, Lycoming County, PA. From Rachel Powell (rpowell@falcon.lhup.edu), I was able to learn the following information about C.W. Sones:

Some other tidbits I picked up were that Charles was trained as a teacher, but found himself unsuited for that career. So he became a bookkeeper; in fact, his occupation in the 1880 census for Wolf Township in Lycoming County, where he lived, was listed as such. Later, after he became a Senator in the Pennsylvania Senate, he lived in Hughesville, PA. In 1915, he made a special donation to the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church at 122 South Main Street in Hughesville:

Sones addressed the problem of better transportation links by builidng a logging railroad to meet an extension of the Eagles Mere Railroad. Initially, he used wooden tracks, but swtiched to steel when he needed to build the line into the timber stands. Sones invested in a new band saw for the mill and in the construction of homes onsite for the workers and their families. There were 13 homes, a boarding house, school, mill and an engine house. Thre was also another boarding house for the Italian track gang! There was no community store, running water or electricity...ever! Each week a butcher and a vegetable man came to town to sell those food items. Nearby farmers offered fruit and vegetables for sale as well. The Sonesville mill actually ran until 1908, after which the Masten community was constructed as the timber cuts moved elsewhere. Until 1922, Sonesville continued to serve the lumber industry in some capacity. After 1908, the mill was torn down and the former town was called "Camp 4". About 300 men worked in the woods for the various Sones enterprises. In 1970, one house nearly seventy years old remained in Sonesville.

Charles Sones was also one of the principal investors in the transient lumber town of Masten. In fact, Sones paid for the uniforms and instruments for the town band at Masten! Sones eventually sold out his interests to the Central Pennsylvania Lumber Company and turned to the Senate and eventual retirement in Hughesville. His life is a classic example of the successful self-made transition from laborer to successful entrepreneur in the "Gilded Age" of Sullivan County 100 years ago.

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