Joseph Orris and his family arrived in Johnson County Iowa 1849-1850 and settled on land outside of North Liberty. He was born in Pennsylvania. But where?
The Clues:
1. Other settlers in the area were also from Pennsylvania. It appears that most of those whose Pennsylvania origins are known were from Cumberland County. That includes some of the men named as guardians of Joseph's minor children after his early death in 1855. Did he settle among friends he moved to Iowa to live near? Did he move to Iowa with them? Did he entrust these friends from home with the care of his children?
2. A newspaper funeral notice mentions that his son Union was born in Mifflin Pennsylvania. At first I assumed that must mean Mifflin County, but I have since discovered there is also a portion of Cumberland County known as Upper and Lower Mifflin.
3. It appears that his wife was born in York County. It makes sense that he was from a county somewhere near York.
4. The 1840 Census shows a Joseph Orris living in Cumberland County in Allen Township. He is the right age and has a wife who is also the right age to be Susan Densel. The problem there is the first known child of the couple was born in 1844. Did they not have children for the first 4-5 years of marriage, did they lose a child or two early on or is this perhaps a first wife and not Susan Densel?
The available records for Pennsylvania before 1900 are spotty to say the least. There are a lot of church records available through the local FHC, but I imagine there are many more churches out there. It may require a visit to the area in person to really discover any leads.
Joseph's wife, Susan was a sister to my Matilda. I'm trying to figure out the Densel line. Matilda married Samuel Hughes in Lewistown, Mifflin Co., Pa in or about 1828. Somehow or another this Densel line is connected to the Johan Peter Densel family in York Co., Pa. Just haven't figured it out yet. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteSusan definitely had a brother named Peter who moved west to Iowa with his family at the same time that Susan and Joseph moved there. one of Peter's sons kept a diary that referred to the Orris' as his cousins.
ReplyDeleteAnother Orris descendant also found records for a Susan born in York County to John and Elizabeth Schneider Densel. Clues connect the Orris' to both Cumberland County near York and to Mifflin...wither County or town in Cumberland.
Densel and Orris are such unique names I assume that anyone withe them is related to others of the same last name.
I need to add more info to my site. I will let you know if I come across anything on Matilda and the Densels.
Matilda had a son named Peter who died in childhood and is buried in Lewistown, Pa.
ReplyDeleteI have a pretty good genealogy of the Orris/ Densel line.Union G.Orris was my great grandfather and Joseph my great great grandfather.I have some family photos also...you can email me at monkeysocks@rocketmail.com
ReplyDeleteHave either of you done your DNA?
ReplyDeleteI have. I am on Ancestry as Ricklarsonct
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