The History Center on Main Street


61 North Main Street, Mansfield, Pennsylvania 16933

Community Genealogy & History


Cemetery Listings - Tioga County, Pennsylvania
Photo NOV 2004 
by Joyce M. Tice
On a day that was too cold to persuade myself to even go down the driveway for the mail, I was lured from my warm house by the prospect of a newly discovered old tombstone in the woods on Armenia Mountain. Within twenty minutes of the phone call I was on the mountain following Ron Young of Troy through the snowy woods trying to memorize landmarks so I could find this burial ground again. For those of you whose interest in history is only moderate, I can only say, well, it takes all kinds. While it seems that a century old tombstone could wait a little longer, the information it might contain was just too tempting to delay at all. Ron seemed to know right where he was going with a few little jogs this way and that. Finally he reached down and turned over a heap of snow, that looked like all the other snow around,  to reveal, lo and behold, a tombstone. How he ever found it covered with snow is a marvel to me. I'll be lucky to ever find it again under any circumstances. It was very late in the afternoon and so the close-up photos are not very clear, and the moss distorts them. However, Ron had done a tombstone rubbing which he gave me, which is fairly legible. I was back home where it is warm within an hour of the initial phone call and able to pick up the mail from the car as I drove back in.

A. R. Gafford Died Oct. 27, 1870 Aged 39 yrs. 5 ms & 23 ds
Emeline His Wife Died Sept. 5, 1859 Aged 31 yrs

I am following this with a family history. At this time I do not have descendants any further than grandchildren on this line. I hope that some day descendants will contact me and I can take them to this burial ground. I will also go back in warmer weather to see if any more can be located in that area. I do have a map and written instructions so that I should be able to find it again. but I am not publishing them because of the vulnerability of old tombstones, and I do not want to take responsibility for luring anyone into such a remote piece of wilderness - even by my standards.

I believe that this location is in Ward Township, but I am not exactly sure where the Sullivan Township - Ward Township border is in that area. It is not marked. Since the Gafford School was in Sullivan, this may also be in Sullivan.

If you contact me about this information please reference the exact page on which you found it. There are many thousands of pages on the site  and if you just start with no reference when it is not fresh in my mind, I may not know what you are talking about. 

Linda Cornell Reese visited this burial ground October 2008. Linda found about four or five graves with headstones and footstones of field stones, no inscriptions. These probably include Aaron's parents whose burial location has not been known before.
Name of Cemetery: Gafford Family Burial Ground
Deeded As
Read By: Linda C. Reese
Date Read: 2009
Typed By: Pat Smith Raymond
Formatted and Published by Joyce M. Tice October 2010
Location: Sullivan Twp., Tioga County, PA
GPS Coordinates
Other Comments: Located off Dewey Hollow Road on Private Property.  Was the Richard and Rachael Landrus Gafford Farm
Number of Burials this Section Approximately  7
Last Name First Name Date of Birth Date of Death Age Inscription/Relationship/Comments
Row 1          
3 Full Size Graves         Marked by Field Stones-Head and Foot
Row 2          
2 Full Size Graves         Marked by Field Stones-Head and Foot
Gafford A. R.   10/27/1870 39y5m23d  
Gafford Emeline   9/5/1859 31 yr On marker w/A. R.
Foot Stone A.R.G.          


Aaron & Emeline

First Generation

1. Aaron R.1 Gafford, son of Richard C. Gafford* and Rachael Landrus*, (#62176) was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania 1830/31. Individual flags: Civil War. Aaron died 27 OCT 1870 in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, at age 39. His body was interred OCT 1870 in Ward Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Off Dewey Hollow Road on Armenia Mountain near Bradford county line. Burial location discovered Nov. 2004 by hiker, Roger Young. Tombstone photographed 13 NOV 2004 by Joyce M. Tice

He married twice. He married Emmeline Unknown (Gafford) After 1850. (Emmeline Unknown (Gafford) is #62338.) Emmeline was born ABT 1829 in New York. Emmeline died 05 SEP 1859 in Ward Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, at age 30. The area that is now Ward was part of Sullivan Township at that date.

He married Eliza Costley BY 1860. Eliza present in 1860 census with Aaron. Apparently married very shorty after death of Emeline in Sept 1859. (Eliza Costley is #5888.)

Eliza was born JUL 1844. Eliza was the daughter of Nelson Costley* and Olive Unknown (Costley). She married Alonzo Rumsey 31 OCT 1874 in Mainesburg, Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Eliza died 13 MAY 1928 in Covington Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania, at age 83.

Aaron was listed as the head of a family on the 1860 Census in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Aaron and Eliza were next door to Richard. Samuel was with them.

Aaron was listed as the head of a family on the 1870 Census in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Aaron was mustered into Co. C, 171st Pa,but was discharged "for manifest unfitness for duty."

Aaron R. Gafford and Eliza Costley had the following child:

+ 2 i. Frank Charles2 Gafford was born AUG 1861.
 

Second Generation

2. Frank Charles2 Gafford (Aaron R.1) (#62185) was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania AUG 1861.

He married Ella D. Ripley 1881. (Ella D. Ripley is #45312.) Ella was born 14 FEB 1862 in Armenia Township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Ella was the daughter of Alfred Ripley and Nancy Mary Shepard*.

Frank was listed as the head of a family on the 1900 Census in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. May be same person as C. F. or Charles F. Gafford born about the same time. Frank Gafford was a farm hand in the household of H. B. Card in 1880. Other sources say Emeline mother of Frank, but if born 1861, then Eliza must be the mother.

Frank Charles Gafford and Ella D. Ripley had the following children:

3 i. Alfred3 Gafford (#51967) was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania DEC 1881. Alfred died 09 JUL 1884 at age 2. Her body was interred JUL 1884 in Bakerburg Cem., Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Tombstone gives age at death as 2y 8m 7d.

4 ii. Paul Gafford (#62187) was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania NOV 1886. Paul died 22 FEB 1887 at age unknown. His body was interred FEB 1887 in Bakerburg Cem., Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Tombstone gives age at death as 3m 7d.

5 iii. Lily Gafford (#62465) was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania NOV 1886.

6 iv. Charles C. Gafford (#62466) was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania JUN 1890.

7 v. Emeline Gafford (#62467) was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County, Pennsylvania OCT 1892.