We now have a local history museum in Mansfield representing the area in and near Mansfield including Richmond, Sullivan, Rutland, Covington, Tioga and more
Visit the History Center on Main Street at 83 North Main Street where our library resources are housed. We also have a museum location at 61 North Main Street.
Regular hours are noon to 3 T, W Th or by appointment. Extended Summer Hours
Also visit us on Facebook -- Museum established 2012 - Memberships available, Donations welcome

If you have ancestors in our area, the History Center would like to meet you and show you what we know about your family and learn what you know that we don't. Mansfield area people are the core of what we value. Our genealogy database of nearly 100,000 individuals with local connections may include your ancestors. We also have filing cabinets full of resources and a thorough knowledge of our past residents, schools, and businesses. It's worth a visit.

Memrships or Donations to The History Center will help keep this website available. donate
 
Bradford County PA
Chemung County NY
Tioga County PA
Tri-Counties Genealogy & History by Joyce M. Tice
Diaries & Letters of Tri-Counties
1901
Burt Strange, Gravedigger, of Sylvania and Sullivan Township

 
1901 1902 1903 1904 1905
Diary of Burt Strange
Township: Sylvania, Columbia Township, Bradford County PA
Year: 1901
Transcribed (Extracts only) by Fay TILLER Morgan
Introduced and Annotated by Joyce M Tice 
from her Sullivan-Rutland Genealogy Project
Tri-County Genealogy & History Sites Home Page
How to Use This Site
Warning & Disclaimer
Columbia Township Page
Sullivan Township Page
More Diaries & Letters
No Unauthorized Commercial Use
Say Hello to Joyce
Photo from I.O.O.F. Collection submitted by Fay TILLER Morgan
Joyce's Search Tip - December 2010
Do You Know that you can search just the 355 pages of our
Diaries and Letters on this site  by using the Diaries button in the Partitioned search engine at the bottom of the Current What's New Page? But diaries and letters are wonderful sources to understand the culture of time and place. Read them and enjoy them slowly.
Excerpts from Burt Strange diary Sylvania Pa - Burt Strange was born in Sullivan Township, Tioga County PA 1866, son of Laura Mosher and Ezekial Strange. He married Sophia Stock and they lived in Sylvania, Columbia Township, Bradford County PA. He died 1940 and is buried in the Gray Valley Cemetery in Sullivan Township. During his working life he was a gravedigger employed by the funeral business of Waldo and Soper in Sylvania. Later this became Soper and Mosher. Because of his business, Bert's diaries are particularly valuable. They record more deaths and burials than most. Bert tells us who he buried but rarely the cemetery. However, we know a lot of that from other records. Since many of the "customers" were from the adjacent Sullivan and Columbia townships  we have information about many of them in my Sullivan-Rutland Genealolgy Project. I have annotated the diary entries with some of that information. Fay has extracted birth, death, marriage, and burial information form diaries that she once had available. We do not have the originals, nor do we have access to them at this time.
Year Month  DaY 
Events extracted from Diary
   Commentary by Joyce M. Tice  SRGP ID
1901 Feb  5 Went with C E Waldo for Mrs Dryas Soper and took her to Wind Fall    "Mrs. Darius Soper" Was Ann Packard -  Buried Windfall Cemetery. Darius and Ann built the house in Sullivan Township that I grew up in - Still called Soper's Corners. 8471
1901 Feb  7 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Cunningham to Troy    
1901 Feb  9 I and C E Waldo buried John Gustin    
1901 Feb 23 to bury Mr C Worden and Mrs Burt Preston. Burt Preston's wife funeral in afternoon.   Charles Worden  born 02 SEP 1835 40042
1901 Mar  31 I and C E Waldo got Fred Murray's wife on the Mountain and took her to Troy   Armenia Mountain 
1901 April  4 Roy Smith moved on McKean farm    
1901 April  12 I and C E Waldo buried Nelson Welch's wife's Mother    In 1901 Nelson Welch was married to Helen Welch whose mother was Charlotte Bliss, widow of Elijah Welch. I do not have a death date for Charlotte so can not say for certain this is the right person. I also do not have cemeteery information on Charlotte. 3448
1901 April  16 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Horace Hagre   Caroline Matilda Brewster. Buried Brewster Cemetery, Sullivan Township - In sigh tof my house. She married Horace Hagar 30 OCT 1872 550
1901 May 14 Orrin Lay shot himself   See Family Photos and Obit 3208
1901 May  16 Orrin Lay funeral   Buried Gray Valley Cemetery, Sullivan Township  3208
1901 May 17 Mrs Sam Tinkham funeral    
1901 June  18 to C Peckham's to a funeral    
1901 July 22 Furman Bullock barn burned    
1901 July  27 to Porter Fletcher's funeral   Orrin Porter Fletcher buried State Road Cemetery, Sullivan Township  9875
1901 Aug  10 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Burr Wood of Covert   Hannah Smith buried Covert Cemetery in Armenia - See her Bible Records  1659
1901 Sept  6 William McKinnley was shot to Buffalo   Pan American Exposition - Buffalo 
1901 Sept  14 went to C H Mosher's Barn Raising    
1901 Sept  27 went to Richard Simmon's baby's funeral    
1901 Nov 4 I and Will Waldo buried Mr Lovelace to Troy    
1901 Nov 15 I and C E Waldo buried Oscar Hilfigure to Mainesburg   Oscar Hilfiger buried Mainesburg Cemetery  22529
1901 Nov 16 I and C E Waldo buried Frank Bullock to X Roads and Rowland Taylor in afternoon   Frank Bullock buried Fries Cemetery at Columbia Cross Roads  61876
1901 Nov 20 I and C E Waldo buried Richmond Sweet   I have obituary, but neither it nor the diary give cemetery.  18615
1901 Dec 14 Mr Richards and wife was drowned in Austinville the worst flood I ever knew in Sylvania    
1901 Dec 16 went to Dyer Howell's funeral    
           
1901    
Married
    
1901 Jan 4 Perry Courtney and Edith Dewey     4802 -4801
1901 Jan  17 Will Mosher and Carrie Packard   probably William Mosher b 1878 son of Adelia Card and Franklin Mosher.  16050
1901 Jan 23 James Thrall and Julia Besley was married     63457 - 63458
1901 Feb  27 Geo D Bradford and Edith Slinglerland     11135 - 727
1901 March 8 James Rockwell and Myra Benson    
1901 March  14 Lewis Alexander and Edith Sherman    
1901   14 Gordon Case and Jennie Maynard     24007 - 12791
1901 June 25 James Smythe and Mrs Wheeler    
1901 June  26 Floyd Bradford and Alice Strait   Sarah Alice Strait  62957-62954
1901 Sept 14 Peter Omillion and Carrie Mosher   Caution - This was second marriage for Peter. Mosher may be a married name and not the real name for Carrie. Both buried Prospect Cemetery in Mansfield. 17113 - 17114
1901 Oct  24 Frank Lawrence and Nan Elliott    
1901 Dec 22 Henry Monroe and Frank Smith daughter    
1901 Dec 25 Roy Reese and a Smith girl    
1901 Dec 25 Bob Brodric and Kate Cudworth     7864 - 6810
           
1901     Visits - Julia A Smith - Sulivan    
           
1901    
Died
    
1901 Jan 14 Mrs Purley Ludington and Geo Rogers   Mary Welch married Perley Ludington. She is buried King Hill Cemetery, Sullivan Township  4784
1901 Jan 30 Mrs Burt Strait    
1901 Feb 3 Mrs Dryer Soper died   Ann Packard - See above  8471
1901 Feb  5 Mrs Cunningham died    
1901 Feb? 7 Mr John Gustin died    
1901 Feb  14 Mrs Hubert Bartlett died   Jennie Smith , Buried Mainesburg Cemetery 4501
1901 Feb 21 Mr Charles Worden died and     40042
1901 Feb  21 Mrs Burt Preston died    
1901 Feb  24 Delos Rockwell of Troy died Esq     46770
1901 March 29 Mrs Fred Murray died    
1901 April 3 Albert Lee baby died    
1901 April  10 Mrs Lucy Welch died    
1901 April  14 Mrs Horace Hagre died   Caroline Matilda Brewster - See above  550
1901 April  22 Jim Smith died    
1901 May  14 Orrin Lay   See above 3208
1901 May  15 Mrs Sam Tinkham    
1901 June  9 Carl Slingerland baby died     75302
1901 July 25 Porter Fletcher died   See above 9875
1901 Aug 8 Mrs Bur Wood of Armenia   Hannah Smith - See above  1659
1901 Aug 30 John Argetsinger killed falling from silo   Buried Prospect Cemetery, Mansfield  13784
1901 Sept 6 William McKinley was shot   At Pan American Exposition in Bufffalo
1901 Sept  12 Bill Lawrence died    
1901 Sept 14 President McKinley died   See above
1901 Sept  25 R Simmons baby died    
1901 Nov 13 Oscar Hillfigure died   Oscar Hilfiger 22529
1901 Nov 15 Rowland Taylor died    
1901 Nov 18 Richmond Sweet died     19615
1901 Nov 27 Henry Gernet died    
1901 Dec 14 Dyer Howell died    
1901 Dec 25 Lib Simerson died    
           
1901    
Cash Account with C E Waldo
    
1901 Jan  15 I and C E Waldo burried Mrs P Ludington 3.00 See above 4784
1901 Feb  5 I and C E Waldo burried Mrs Dryers Soper 3.00 See above 8471
1901 Feb  7 I and C E Waldo burried Mrs Cunningham 3.00  
1901 Feb  9 I and C E Waldo buried John Gustin on Coryland 3.00  
1901 Feb 23 W E Sherman and C E Waldo buried Charles Worden  3.00 See above 40042
1901 Feb  23 and Mrs Burt Preston - the same day 3.00  
1901 March 31 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Fred Murray 3.00  
1901 April  12 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Lucy Welch 3.00  
1901 April  16 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Horace Hagre 3.00 See above
1901 Appril 19 I and C E Waldo settled he owes me 3.56  
1901 May  16 I and C E Waldo buried Orrin Lay 3.00 See above
1901 May  17 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Sam Tinkham 3.00  
1901 May 18 settled in full up to daye    
1901 June  18 I and C E Waldo buried a child of C E Peckham 3.00  
1901 Aug 5 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Berry Preston 3.00  
1901 Aug  10 I and C E Waldo buried Mrs Bur Wood 3.00 Hannah Smith - See Burials above  1659
1901 Sept 27 I and C E Waldo buried Richard Simmons baby 3.00  
1901 Nov 4 I and Will Waldo buried Mr Loveland 3.00  
1901 Nov  9 settlement in full to date    
1901 Nov  15 I and C E Waldo buried Oscar Hillfigure 3.00 See above
1901 Nov 16 I and C E Waldo buried Frank Bullock 3.00 See above 61876
1901 Nov  16 and Rowland Taylor 1.25  
1901 Nov  20 I and C E Waldo buried Richmond Sweet 3.00 See above 18615
           
1901    
Births
    
1901 Jan 30 boy to Mrs Richard Simmons    
1901 Feb 25 girl to Miss Jessie King     4912 (?)
1901 April  26 second boy to Sam Cannedy    
1901 May 17 to John Strange a boy   Edson Charles Strange born Sullivan Township  6675
1901 May  18 to Carl Slingerland a boy     75302
1901 Nov 2 a girl to Adam Sugar   Adam Schucker and Clara (Lydia Clorinda) Palmer had child named Hannah 31217
1901     cash acct with Will Sherman    
      twenty entried at 1.25 per day or .63 for 1/2 day    

The History Center on Main Street, 83 N. Main Street, Mansfield PA 16933   histcent83@gmail.com
Published On Tri-Counties Site On 5/24/2002
By Joyce M. Tice
Email: JoyceTice@aol.com