John Wrightstone Family Introduction
-- My maternal 3rd great uncle and his wife, John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Ann Wire.
-- John was the brother of my great-great grandfather Michael Wrightstone, and the uncle of my great grandfather Edwin Wrightstone.
-- The John Wrightstone family directory is where much more information can be found. We also have all our research papers that you can read.
-- This is the specific research paper on John Wrightstone (1830-1905).
-- The Wrightstone ~ Arnold photo collection, and Sollenberger ~ Diller ~ Bentz collection, are the largest in our library.
John Wrightstone (1830-1909) Family
John Wrightstone was born September 19th 1830 to John Wrightstone and Margaret Hart in Fairview Township, York County, Pennsylvania. On September 23rd 1850 John lived with Elizabeth Hart in Fairview Township York County Pennsylvania.
John married Elizabeth Ann Wire on October 2nd 1856 in York, York County, by Reverend Zeigler.
-- Elizabeth was born on September 18th 1834. She is the sister of John F. Wire, who is the husband of John's sister, Barbara Wrightstone.
John stood 5' 51/2 inches tall, and weighed about 148 pounds, and worked as farm laborer and carpenter in the northern York County townships, and Upper Allen Township Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
After his 21 year old brother, Samuel Wrightstone, enlisted September 10th 1862 into Company E of the 18th Regiment, Pennsylvania Cavalry (163rd Volunteers, John and his other brother Michael enlisted November 8th 1862 for a nine month duty into Company G of the 166th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment.
-- John and Michael both mustered out of the 166th on July 28th 1863 at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
John then reenlisted on August 25th 1864 in Company I, 200th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment, and on August 29th 1864 his brother Samuel died of dysentery while a prisoner at the Andersonville Prison.John was discharged from the 200th Regiment on May 30th 1865.
By 1876 John and Elizabeth were living in the Siddonsburg area of Monaghan Township, York County, where John was working for a lime kiln in Fairview Township.
-- John's brother, Michael, also lived east of Siddonsburg in Monaghan Township, where he was working for a nursery.
By 1880 John and Elizabeth were living with their grand-daughter, Mary J. Lehman, who is the daughter of Margaret Ellen and her 1st husband.
In 1900 Mary and her husband Samuel Neff lived next door to John and Elizabeth in Upper Allen Township Cumberland County Pennsylvania. Mary also made out an affidavit in John's Civil War pension file, as did a Charles Neff. John Wrightstone sold land in Monaghan Township to Peter Heiges, recorded May 5th 1881.
The 1900 census indicated that Elizabeth had 12 children and 3 were still living. This is verified by John's Civil War Pension record, dated September 25th 1897, where John listed 3 children living; Margaret Ellen, George Benson, and Jonathan K.
John died August 29th 1905; age 74, 11 months, 8 days, and Elizabeth died April 23rd 1909. They were both laid to rest at the Filey's Church and Cemetery located in Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania. John was laid to rest alongside of his wife, son, and his daughter at Filey's Church and Cemetery located in Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania.
John and Elizabeth Wrightstone had twelve children, and nine had died prior to 1897 when John identified his children still living in his Civil War pension affidavits.
i. Sarah Jane Wrightstone was born September 1857 to John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Wire in Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania. Her christening was January 31st 1859.
-- Sarah cannot be found in 1870, and she died prior to 1897.
-- She is buried next to her parents at Filey's Church and Cemetery located in Monaghan Township, York County.
ii. Margaret Ellen Wrightstone (1858-1927). She 1st married Mr. Lehman, and then Charles F. Shuff.
iii. Lydia Wrightstone was born February 1860 to John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Wire in Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania. Lydia cannot be found in 1870.
iv. George Benson Wrightstone> was born July 8th 1864 John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Ann Wire. George married Mary (Minnie) L. McQuate.
v. Jonathan Kline Wrightstone was born March 7th 1868 to John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Ann Wire in the Siddonsburg area of Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania.Jonathan married Sarah Ellen Fortney, age 18, on October 17th 1889 in Mechanicsburg by Reverend Stewart.
vi. Peter Wrightstone was born April 1870 died prior to 1897.
vii. Emmet Wrightstone was born in 1873 died prior to 1897.
Margaret Ellen Wrightstone (1858-1927)
-- Here's the specific research paper on Margaret Ellen.
Margaret was born on July 13th 1858 to John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Wire in Monaghan Township, York County. She was named after her father's sister, Margaret Ellen Wrightstone. She also was referred to as Maggie, Ella, and Ellen.
When Margaret was 12 years old, she lived about five miles west of her family with Jacob and Ann Grissinger as a domestic servant, where she also attended school. The Grissinger family lived in the Shiremanstown area of Upper Township Cumberland County.
Margaret 1st married a Mr. Lehman, and they had one daughter, Mary Jane Lehman, who was born in 1876. We aren't certain what happened to Ellen or her husband. Ellen then married Charles F. Shuff in 1879.
-- Charles was born in 1857 to Josiah and Sara E. Shuff.
In 1880 Charles was living with his parents, and he indicated he was married working on a farm in Upper Allen Township Cumberland County Pennsylvania. Ellen cannot be found in 1880.
In 1900 Charles and Margaret Shuff lived in Lower Allen Township Cumberland County Pennsylvania, where he worked as a stationary lineman. Soon after, the family would move to 188 Bosler Avenue in the Lemoyne area of Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
Margaret Ellen Wrightstone-Shuff had eight children.
i. Mary Jane Lehman was born August 11th 1874 to Margaret Wrightstone and Mr. Lehman. In 1880 Mary lived with her grandparents, John and Margaret Wrightstone, in Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania.
-- Here's the specific research paper on Mary Jane Lehman (1874-1918).
ii. Clara May Shuff was born 1880 to Margaret Wrightstone and Charles F. Shuff. At 17 years old she married 20 year old John Wesley Kimmel n May 24th 1897 in New Cumberland, Cumberland County Pennsylvania. John was born 1877 to Rebecca Kimmel. In 1900 Clara was living with her parents, Ellen and Charles. She indicated she had two children, and one was still living; Claudious Kimmel who was born about 1899.
iii. Annie E. Shuff was born June 1885 to Margaret Wrightstone and Charles F. Shuff. Annie died April 18th 1901. She was laid to rest in the Slate Hill Cemetery in Camp Hill Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
iv. Nora Shuff was born October 1886 to Margaret Wrightstone and Charles F. Shuff.
v. Charles W. Shuff was born July 1889 to Margaret Wrightstone and Charles F. Shuff. He never married, and he died in 1938. Charles W. was laid to rest in the Slate Hill Cemetery in Camp Hill Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
vi. Gracie E. Shuff was born April 15th 1894 to Margaret Wrightstone and Charles F. Shuff. She died November 20th 1897. She was laid to rest in the Slate Hill Cemetery in Camp Hill Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
vii. Linwood George Shuff was born April 1896 to Margaret Wrightstone and Charles F. Shuff. At 34 years old, Linwood married 30 year old Sara M. Ellmaker on April 6th 1931 in Hanover York County Pennsylvania. Sara was born in 1901 to Nathaniel L. Ellmaker and Kathryn Mumma. Linwood died in 1967, and his wife died in 1986. They were both laid to rest in the Slate Hill Cemetery in Camp Hill Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
viii. Claudius Bowman Shuff was born July 17th 1898 to Margaret Wrightstone and Charles F. Shuff in Lemoyne Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
George Benson Wrightstone (1864-1953)
-- Here's the specific research paper on George Benson.
George Benson Wrightstone was born July 8th 1864 1868 to John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Ann Wire in the Siddonsburg area of Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania.
George was named after George Brinton McClellan, who was a Major General in the Union Forces during the Civil War.
In 1880 George was 15 years old and lived and worked as a farm laborer for William Spong in Upper Allen Township Cumberland County Pennsylvania. The same farm my great grandparents, Edwin and Hattie Wrightstone farmed in 1921.
George married Mary (Minnie) L. McQuate in 1889 Minnie was born September 14th 1866 to Jacob and Mary McQuate. In the 1900 census Minnie indicated she had three children born and three were still living.
In 1900 Minnie's sister, Sarah McQuate, lived with them. Sarah was born in October 1874. The family lived in Upper Allen Township Cumberland County Pennsylvania. In 1904 the family lived in Lisburn.
-- In 1920, Minnie's father, 80 year old Jacob McQuate, lived with George and Mary in the Shiremanstown area of Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County.
-- Jacob would have been born circa 1840 West Cocalico Township Lancaster County Pennsylvania. He married Mary Lenker who was born 1841 in Shippensburg, Cumberland County.
-- Jacob McQuate had a brother named Joseph, and their parents were Jacob McQuate (born 1810) and Elizabeth McQuate (born 1812).
-- Jacob and Mary McQuate lived in Silver Springs Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
In 1910 George was still farming, and his entire family lived at 261 Etters Mill Road Lower Allen Township Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
By 1913, when his daughter Mary married, the family lived at Eberly's Mill., and in 1920 Mary E. was not with the family, and Minnie's father, Jacob McQuate was living with George and his family in Lower Allen Township.
In 1930 George, Minnie, and Sarah where still living in Lower Allen Township.
In 1940 George was working as a fireman living at 78 Gettysburg Road in the Spring Lake area of Lower Allen Township. Minnie had died, and Sarah and her husband Carl R Smith are living with him.
Mary L. died May 6th 1936, and George Benson Wrightstone died March 8th 1953.
George and Mary Wrightstone had three children. Mary indicated in 1900 she had 3 children, and they were all still Living.
i. Mary E. Wrightstone was born May 1890. She married G. Lester Greenfield.
ii. Jacob Paul Wrightstone was born July 20th 1897.
Here's the specific research paper on J. Paul.
iii. Sarah McQuate Wrightstone, born May 1899, married Carl Rodger Smith.
Jonathan Kline Wrightstone (1868-1943)
-- Here's the specific research paper on Johnathan.
Jonathan Kline Wrightstone was born March 7th 1868 to John Wrightstone and Elizabeth Ann Wire in the Siddonsburg area of Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania.
Jonathan married 18 year old Sarah Ellen Fortney on October 17th 1889 in Mechanicsburg by Reverend Stewart. Sarah was born August 1871 in Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania to Mary Ann Fortney.
In 1898 Jonathan worked for R. L. Polk and Co. as a laborer in Siddonsburg Pennsylvania.In the 1900 census he was working as a butcher. Jonathan was living in Monaghan Township in 1900 working as a Huckster.
In 1905 John was indicted and charge for false pretenses in the case of the; Commonwealth vs. J. K. Wrightstone. The Commonwealth witnesses were H. W. Parr and H. L. Brinkley. There were no particulars to the case; but costs were paid.
The 1908 alphabetical list of residents of Camp Hill: Washington Heights, Belvoir Park, and Earlington Wrightstone, John (Carpenter) State Road; Wrightstone, Mrs. John State Road; Wrightstone, Elmer (Laborer) State Road; Wrightstone, Russell (Harrisburg Boot and Shoe Mfg Co.) on State Road.
By 1910 the family moved to 11 South Main Street Chambersburg Franklin County Pennsylvania where Jonathan was a house carpenter. He moved his family in 1915 to East Pennsboro Cumberland County, living next door to his son Elmer at 55 State Road. This would be present day Route 11. Jonathan remained there and worked as a house carpenter.
Jonathan died circa 1943. He is buried with his wife at Filey's Cemetery in Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania, next to his parents. Sarah died November 18th 1944, age 73, at the home of her daughter; Mrs. Thomas Comella. She is buried with her husband at Filey's Church Cemetery, Monaghan Township York County Pennsylvania. Sarah belonged to the United Brethren Church of Lemoyne Pennsylvania.
-- These are research papers on most all of the following children.
Jonathan Wrightstone and Sarah Fortney had the following children.
i. Elmer Jay Wrightstone was born June 1st 1890. Elmer 1st married Berta Stoner, and 2nd to Mary Evelyn Booser. Elmer died May 1966, while living at 21061 Glen Burnie, Anna Arundel Maryland.
ii. Russell Guy Wrightstone was born March 8th 1893 in Bowmansdale, Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
iii. Zedna Wrightstone was born March 26th 1896. She married Thomas Comella (Comalla) on December 25th 1912 in Lemoyne Cumberland County Pennsylvania.
iv. Laura Mae Wrightstone was born June 30th 1904. She was sixteen years old when she married Luther F. Critchley in 1920.
v. Ruth M. Wrightstone September 3rd 1906. She had a child with Samuel Cooper; Dorothy Jane Cooper was born 1925. Ruth married Charles Shaffer in 1929, and in 1930 they lived with Ruth's parents in Lemoyne. Dorothy would continue to live with her grandparents in 1940.