Cogansparger Births
Family Bible
Courtesy of Russell Earl Cogansparger
Editor's Note: In March 2005, DG, a native of Switzerland, contributed the following materials from the Cogansparger Family Bible to the Sullivan County Genealogical Web Page. We are most grateful for this contribution. He wishes to remain anonymous. The family surname is spelled in a variety of ways: Kochersperger, Cogansparger, Guggisberg, Kohensparger, Kohersperger, and so forth. You can learn more about the family at The Kohensparger Clan.
DG obtained scanned copies of the bible from Russell Earl Cogansparger of Elmira, NY, Russell is the son of Llewellyn Walter and Lena O. (Wetherbee) Congansparger, the grandson of Charles Frank and Alice Estella (Crofutt) Cogansparger, the great-grandson of Georg and Catharine E. (Cranmer) Kochersperger [note the surname change], and the great-great-grandson of the emigrant couple Georg Jakob Kochersperger IV and Catherine (Eyer) Kochersperger. We have reproduced five separate scans here: Birth Records, Marriage Records, Death Records, Testimonial to Josiah Kocerhsperger, and a General Military Registry for the 93rd Regiment of the PA Volunteers. The last two items can be accessed only by clicking on the links, due to the file size. Comments are provided where appropriate.
DG comments as follows on these materials:
Russell Cogansparger of Elmira, NY has made good on his promise to scan me
the pages of his old Cogansparger (Kokensparger) family bible which dates
back to about 1842, when George Kokensparger (born as Kochersperger)
married Catherine E. Cranmer. Remember, George Kokensparger was the elder son of
George Jakob of Sullivan County and must have moved early on to Bradford
County, PA.
As an extra bonus he also included some type of Civil War memorial
document pertaining to Josiah M. Kokensparger who died at the battle of
Gettysburg on July 3rd, 1863. Because Josiah's military record spelled the name
"Cogansparger" the surviving mother, in order to qualify for a pension,
decided to change the surname of the family in order to match the
record. At least, that's the family lore.
The other Civil War document shown here is some regimental roster that lists
Josiah's brother William. No one knows what happened to him; his death is
not recorded in the bible.
Cogansparger Births
Family Bible
Courtesy of Russell Earl Cogansparger
Here is a list of the names found in the preceding birth record:
Left column
George Kokensparger
Ellen Kokensparger
Eliza E. Kokensparger
Mary L. Kokensparger
Anna E. Kokensparger
Charles F. Cogansparger
Robert F. Cogansparger
Llewellyn W. Cogansparger
Julia M. Cogansparger
Catherine M. Cogansparger
Russell E. Cogansparger--Elmira, NY
Lee Alan Cogansparger--Elmira, NY
Right column
Catherine E. Cranmer
Josiah M. Kokensparger
William W. Kokensparger
Sarah C. Kokensparger
George J. Kokensparger
Carol Sue Cogansparger--Elmira, NY
Elisa Mae Cogansparger--Rochester, NY
Evan Russell Cogansparger--Rochester, NY
Cogansparger Marriages
Family Bible
Courtesy of Russell Earl Cogansparger
Here is a list of the names found in the preceding marriage record:
Left column
George Kokensparger and Catherine E. Cranmer
W [ashington] Miller and Eliza E. Kokensparger
James Linehan and Sarah C. Kokensparger
Joseph Martin and Anne [Anna] E. Kokensparger
George Cogansparger and Margaret E. Dewitt
Charles F. Cogansparger and Allie E [Alice Estella] Crofutt
Llewellyn W. Cogansparger and Lena O. Wetherbee--Canton, PA
Russell E. Cogansparger and Virginia B. Clarendon--Elmira, NY
Lee Alan Cogansparger and Marilyn Kamp--Elmira, NY
Right column
Franklin Moy Din and Carol Sue Cogansparger--Elmira, NY
Cogansparger Deaths
Family Bible
Courtesy of Russell Earl Cogansparger
Here is a list of the names found in the preceding death record:
Left column
George Kokensparger
Catherine E. [Cranmer] Cogansparger**
Josiah M. Kokensparger
Ellen Kokensparger
Eliza E. [Kokensparger] Miller
Mary L. [Kokensparger] Fleming
Sarah C. [Kokensparger] Linehan
Charles F. Cogansparger--Leroy, PA
George J. Cogansparger
Robert F. Cogansparger--Shreveport, LA
Llewellyn W. Cogansparger--Elmira, NY
Julia Cogansparger Kolanda--Endicott, NY
**Editor's Note: Notice that Catherine changed her married name from Kokensparger at the time of marriage to Cogansparger at some point thereafter. The story goes that she did so in order to qualify for the pension earned by her son Josiah's service and death in the Civil War.
Right column
Lena Wetherbee Cogansparger--Elmira, NY
Mildred Cogansparger Ludy
Memorial to Josiah M. Kohensparger
141st Pennsylvania Volunteers
Killed at the Battle of Gettysburg
July 3, 1863
Currier and Ives Print 1865
Courtesy of Russell Earl Cogansparger
Memorial to 93rd Regiment
Pennsylvania Volunteers
Civil War Service
Note the listing of William Kohensparger in the left column.
Courtesy of Russell Earl Cogansparger
Please direct any comments to Bob Sweeney, PhD, Sullivan County Historian.
Copyright © 2005 Robert E. Sweeney and individual Contributors. All Rights Reserved. Prior written permission is required from Robert E. Sweeney and individual Contributors before this material can be printed or otherwise copied, displayed or distributed in any form. This is a FREE genealogy site sponsored through PAGenWeb and can be reached directly at ~Sullivan County Genealogy Project (http://www.rootsweb.com/~pasulliv)
