Generation 12: My namesake

Edwin Argetsinger
Source: Private Collection

Edwin grew up in that farm house on Rumsey Hill Rd and then June 5, 1918 he was drafted into the US Army to serve for World War 1. This was the second draft of the war, Edwin had missed the first one in 1917 because he was not yet 21 years of age. He reported to Camp Jackson, SC in September of 1918 and was honorably discharged December 31, 1918, as the war was over.

Edwin Argetsinger Draft Registration Card
Source: Ancestry.com

Edwin Argetsinger Muster Roll Abstract
Source: Ancestry.com

A year later, on December 24, 1919, he married a lady by the name of Laura Elizabeth Snyder. He was 22 and she was 19 years old. I would later be named after her.

Laura Elizabeth Argetsinger
Source: Private Collection

Interestingly the couple pops up in Ithaca City Directories. The earliest I found was 1921.

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1921

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1925

 It appears Edwin's youngest brother Merton lives with the couple in 1927.

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1927

Ithaca City Directory 1932

Source: Ithaca City Directory 1942

It is interested to note that the "CU" abbreviation in the last directory entry stands for Cornell University. I know Edwin worked with the horses at Cornell. In the 1942 directory, he is listed as an engineer there, my grandfather remembers him working in the heating plant.

Edwin Argetsinger at Cornell University
Source: Private Collection

Laura's family lived in a farmhouse outside of Ithaca, it remains in the family to this day. I have many fond memories of going up there, exploring the woods and playing in the creek. There are actually two houses: the small farmhouse and the large one. Below is a picture of the small farmhouse. Edwin and Laura had two children: a daughter Barbara Lucille born November 14, 1920 and then a son Robert Leigh on August 5, 1923. My grandfather, Robert, was actually born in the front room.

Small Farmhouse, Ithaca, NY Today
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

A cousin (in hat), Barbara, and Robert

Laura, Barbara, Robert and a cousin (child in hat)

Robert and Barbara 

Laura and Edwin separated after the birth of Robert, because of this Laura and the children spent a lot of time at her family's farmhouse. Sadly, Barbara was hit by a car while playing in front of the house and she died on August 25, 1927.

Barbara Gravestone
Source: ancestry.com

The death would temporarily reunite Edwin and Laura, however they would eventually divorce around 1933. After the separation, Laura went to work for IBM on the assembly line. There she met George Allen who was an accountant for IBM. They married around 1945-46.

Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

George had relatives (his father) from Rochester, NY (about 3 hour car ride away today) who had always wanted to try their hand at farming, because of this George Allen bought the big farmhouse which sits across the street from the original farmhouse.

Barn at the Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

Unfortunately, George's relatives never made the move down to Ithaca, so Laura and George lived on the property and farmed it themselves. They raised cows, pigs and chickens. Although today the pig pen and chicken coop have since been torn down, the house and barn still remain.






Beside the house is a pasture that backs up to a hill with a creek running down it. Still to this day I love hiking up that hill.

Creek behind Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

Old Logging Road Beside Big Farmhouse
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

Generation 11 cont: The turn of the century

 Once back in the Elmira area, Henry lived on Rumsey-Getman Road off Shoemaker Hill near Rutland Township, Pennsylvania. Henry marries his first wife, Annette E. Joslin, together they had 5 children (Mary J, Archie Melvin, Florence, Louisa).

1870 US Census
Source: ancestry.com

They are recorded in the 1870 census. It is interesting to note along with the family members a William Hill is written. He is described on the census as a farmhand. However William Melvin Hill is the son of Shoemaker Hill and Catherine Argetsinger (Henry's sister). Shoemaker Hill served with 141st NY Volunteer Infantry but died in battle from an accidental gunshot from 121st Kentucky Regiment.

Source: Muster Roll Abstract
Ancestry.com

Some sources say that Henry became William's legal guardian but I have not found proof of this, and find it doubtful as Catherine had another son with Shoemaker and went on to remarry Guy Maxwell Shappee around 1870.

Back to Henry, his first wife, Annette, dies prior to 1896, for that year Henry marries his second wife Francis C Goldsmith. Together they have 6 children:

• Edwin (b. 1/20/1897; d. 1/10/1972)
• Aura (b. 4/10/1898; d. 5/30/1992)
• Phillip (b. 5/24/1900; d. 10/27/1989)
• Mildred (b. 2/24/1903; d. July 1986)
• Henry (b. 1/3/1908; d. October 1982)
• Merton (b. 9/8/1907; d. 5/23/1973)

Francis holding Merton
Source: Private Collection

Edwin and Aura
Source: John F. Calkins

Edwin and Aura
Source: John F. Calkins

They are seen on the 1900 Census:

Source: Ancestry.com

Henry is thought to have died in 1912, however the story will continue with Edwin. 

A couple weekends ago I ventured up north to attend my Grandfather's 90th birthday party. While I was up in that neck of the woods, my dad and I drove out to Hicks cemetery to take pictures of the Argetsinger tombstones. 

Hicks Cemetery, Chemung County, New York
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

Argetsinger Family Stone. Hard to read but it states "ARGETSINGER" at the top
and "In God We Trust" engraved below
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

Henry Argetsinger Gravestone
Photo by: Laura Argetsinger

There are other Argetsingers buried in this cemetery but we have not gotten to them yet. Their stories are coming. 

Also interesting to note, not to far from this cemetery Henry lived in a farm house. I remember driving past when I was younger and the kid who lived there told my father he knew where another cemetery (Jenkins Cemetery off Rumsey Hill Road) was down and overgrown by the woods. My father believed Francis was buried there. Unfortunately at that time we were not in hiking clothes and I have never been back to check it out. Here is the farm house off Rumsey Hill Road in Chemung Co. New York. 

Henry's Farmhouse Today
Source: Google Maps

Henry Argetsinger Land Plot
Source: US Indexed County Land Ownership Map, Chemung, 1904

Intermission

Sorry for the lack of posting. I did not mean to leave you all in a dramatic cliff-hanger of a moment. Life has been busy, the good kind of busy. In July, I took the huge national exam to obtain my license as a physical therapist (and passed!). In August, I graduated with my doctorate in physical therapy and have for the past couple of months been searching for the next big step in my life, a first job.

With all these big life events behind me I am now back to finish out the story.  

My classmate on the left and me on the right