Heinzman, Gail Wade b. 29 Jun 1917 Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA d. 17 Sep 2009 San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA: WETZEL Extended Family & More

Heinzman, Gail Wade

1917 - 2009 (92 years)

Name	Heinzman, Gail Wade [1, 2]
	20240402GHLn- from pdf: Gail Wade Heinzman, born 29 Jun 1917 in Bradford, McKean Co., PA, was the first of three children born to Glenn O. Heinzman and Mary Estelle Weir. Gail married Ethel M. Lathrop on 18 Oct 1940 in Olean, Cattaraugus Co., NY. Ethel was born 24 Apr 1920 in Crosby, McKean Co., PA. She died 23 Feb 1991 in Webster, Monroe Co., NY. Gail was a ham radio enthusiast. In 2006, InterceptRadio.com “the world’s largest radio/scanner frequency data base” listed Gail with a San Antonio address. Possibly Gail moved to San Antonio by 2006 when he was in his 80s. Gail died 17 Sep 2009 in San Anto nio. He was 92. The pictures Richard Sepulveda acquired may have belonged Gail Wade Heinzman This photo had no ID on the back, but Richard Sepulveda believes this is Gail. I agree based on a comparison with a known photo. to Gail. There are some clues that Gail had a daughter named Diana. Perhaps she also lived in Texas. Postscript: I have been in touch with Diane Marie Heinzman of San Antonio. She confirmed that these photos be longed to her father Gail Heinzman. ¾
Birth	29 Jun 1917	Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA [1]
	first of three children born to Glenn O. Heinzman and Mary Estelle Weir.
Gender	Male
Residence	Between 1920 and 1940	Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA
reunion	25 Jul 1923	Pleasant Valley Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA [3]
	Yentzer's farm on Sartwell Creek Road- 1st Mitchell-Vergason family reunion- Charles was the oldest member attending. ID's by Gerry Hamilton
	20181014HAv- First Mitchell-Vergason Reunion held at Yentzer farm in 1923 Comments and photos to help confirm or correct identities are most welcome PHOTO A 1923 Mitchell-Vergason Reunion AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you are lucky enough to still have older family members in your life, spend time with them now to identify people in the family photographs. Listen to their stories and learn about the people in the pictures. You will cherish the experience and future generations will cherish photos with IDs and details. By Gerry Lynn Hamilton April 2, 2018 GLHamilton48@Gmail.com Old group photos of family reunions are kind of interesting. They become fascinating if the people are identified and you know something about them. My mother, Luella Mae (Mitchell) Hamilton, gave me two old photos in 2008. About a decade later, I confirmed that the photos were taken in 1923 for the First Annual Mitchell-Vergason Reunion at the Yentzer Farm on Sartwell Creek Road, Pleasant Valley Twp., Potter Co., PA. Mom identified many of the people in the photos, and she appeared in both. She was 5 and she remembered the color of the dress she had on that day. Mom always had a good memory for details, and her mind was sharp even in her final days. Also she would have seen many of these folks at family reunions and other family events for the rest of their lives. In 2017, I obtained a news clipping about the first reunion. The clip listed the attendees, and I was able to identify most of the remaining people. I also made some best guesses. The clipping includes some mangled names and other details. [My guess: Some poor printer was working from handwritten copy.] What follows are the identifications and some additional details, as well as documentation in the form of a description of how I arrived at each identification. I would welcome any comments or photos that might help to confirm or correct these identifications. Identifications were completed for Photo A first, because the group was smaller (smaller puzzle) and most of the 30 people were already identified by my mother in 2008. By Gerry Lynn Hamilton April 2, 2018 GLHamilton48@Gmail.com Italics show the names as they were published, including errors. [Brackets show calculated ages for 1923.] b=born, d=died, m=married Children and grandchildren of George Washington Mitchell (b 1844) and Lydia Eliza Vergason and descendants of Charles L. Vergason and Alvira Russell. Additional descendants of Charles L. Vergason. Following are the 23 people Mom identified for Photo A. [43] Mr. and [39] Mrs. Fred Mitchell of Genesee ? Frederick M. Mitchell (1880-1940) and Rebecca L. Tuttle (1884-1948) m 4 Jul 1903. [40] Mr. and [50] Mrs. Mahlon Mitchell of Roulette and daughter [8] Carrie ? Mahlon Alvin Mitchell (1882-1971) and Rosalie Ida Byam (1873-1955) m 31 Jan 1918 Little Valley, NY (first for him and second for her). ? daughter Carrie Viola Mitchell (b 13 Jun 1913 Andover, NY; d 7 Feb 1933 Andover, NY). (The 1920 US Census lists Carrie as adopted. Her 1931 NY Marriage License states that her parents were Mahlon A. Mitchell and Kate Studley.) [36] Mr. and [32] Mrs. Carl Mitchell and daughters [7] Lula and [5] Laura and sons [4] Lloyd and [2] Carl of Coudersport ? Carl Earl Mitchell (often listed as Sr.) (1887-1980), Ettabell Virginia Thompson (1890-1973) m 5 Jul 1980 Wellsville, NY. ? and daughters Luella Mae (1917-2010) and Luva Alice (1916-2002) and sons Lloyd Earl (1919-2004) and Carl Wilbur (sometimes Jr.) (1921-2015). (Carl and Luella were the last two survivors from this reunion. Luella died in 2010. Carl W. died in 2015.) [31] Mr. and [30] Mrs. Clyde Mitchell of Olean ? Clyde Christopher Mitchell (1892-1965) and Ida Mae Johnson (1893-1956) m 24 Nov 1919. In World War I, he served in France in the Battles of Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihiel. [24] Harry Mitchell of Genesee ? Harry R. Mitchell (1898-1973) never married. [45] Mr. and [38] Mrs. Ora Shaffer and daughter [15] Lena from near Millport, Clearfield county ? Orel and Merlin Shaffer (1878-1939) and Cora May Mitchell (1884-1972) m 1901. ? Lena Amanda Shaffer (1908-1981). [68] Mr. and [29] Mrs. D. Yentzer and daughters [16] Lena and [13] Hattie ? Daniel “Dannie” T. Yentzer (1855-1931) and Nettie May Mitchell (1894-1989) m between 1916 and 1920 (second marriage for both). (His daughters with his first wife were not included in this group.) [8] Liddie Haskins and son, [10] Geo Haskins of Port Allegany ? Lydia M. Haskins (1915-2000) and brother George Arnold Haskins (1912-1985), children of Nettie May Mitchell and her first husband Irving Washington Haskins. [10] Thelma and [6] F. Gee of Roulette ? Thelma Rosalie Gee (1913-1963) and Forest E. “Buster” Gee (1915-), grandchildren of Rosalie Ida Byam, whose first husband was Ralph Hotchkiss, and children of Walter B. Gee and Mabel G. Hotchkiss. Mom provided clues for the following three people. [36] Mr. and [34] Mrs. Walter Neir of Custer City, PA ? Walter E. Weir (b 25 Apr 1887 McKean Co., PA, d 28 Jan 1936) and Bessie M. Evans (b Feb 1889 PA) m abt. 1914, divorced. Custer City is an unincorporated community near Bradford, PA. Walter is a son of Hattie B. (Vergason) and Ira Weir. Luella said she thought the name of this couple was Weir and they were from Bradford. I scoured McKean Co. census records looking for various spellings. I found a possible couple of about the right age, but I didn’t know how they were related to the family. In 2012, I received the obituary of Charles L. Vergason. One of the survivors was a daughter, Hattie Belle (Vergason) Weir. Big breakthrough! Using online records, I discovered Walter was a son of Hattie Belle, who was a daughter of Charles L. This strengthened my opinion that this group photo was a picture of Charles L. Vergason and his descendants and their spouses. At this point, I had no idea Hattie was in the photos. In 2017, I obtained a news clipping from The Potter Enterprise (16 Aug 1923 p6) through the online subscription service newspapers.com. The clipping provided the final clues. [54] Mrs. Hattie Neir of Olean Hattie Belle (Vergason) Weir (b 11 Jul 1869 Mecosta, MI, d Oct 1934, Olean, NY), daughter of Charles L. Vergason. She was in the photos! She was standing beside the unknown Vergason, and for a long time, I thought she might be his wife. As it turns out, she was standing behind her father with a brother on one side and her daughter on the other. [90] Charles Vergason and son Frank of Coudersport ? Charles L. Vergason (b 21 Jul 1833 Candor, Tioga Co., NY; d 29 May 1924, Sweden Twp., Potter Co., PA) oldest person at the reunion, age “90 years and 14 days.” ? son Frank James Vergason (1875-1949). With the news clipping, I now had the name of the unknown Vergason identified by my mother. As for his father, for a long time, I thought this gentleman was Charles L. Vergason and this was a group of his descendants. I knew he was alive at the time, and he looked like the oldest person in the group. The news clipping provided strong support for my opinions, and I felt confident in completing the identifications, or at least making some best guesses. [30] Mr. and [28] Mrs. G.O. Heinzman and son Gail of Bradford ? Glenn O. Heinzman (b abt. 1893) and Mary E. (Weir) Heinzman (b Mar 1895) daughter of Hattie B. and Ira Weir. ? son *Gail Wade Heinzman (1917-2009). Once Hattie and Frank were identified, there remained one unidentified young couple and one unidentified male child. Mary was standing between her mother and her husband. At this point, I had identifications for all 29 people in Photo A. There is one other gentleman in the background. Using the larger group photo, I made a best guess about his name, and concluded he was an onlooker, who was not related to the Mitchells, Vergasons or Yentzers. Now I turned my attention to Photo B, the larger group photo of everyone named in the news clipping. The first two steps were easy. Mom had already identified three of these folks. Then I transferred the identifications from 29 people in Photo A to the same people in Photo B. By Gerry Lynn Hamilton April 2, 2018 GLHamilton48@Gmail.com PHOTO B 1923 Mitchell-Vergason Reunion Following are the identifications Mom provided for the folks who only appeared in Photo B. [81] Wesley Allen of Coudersport ? Wesley Allen (1842-1930), whose first wife was Ann Eliza Mitchell (1842-1909), daughter of Mahlon Mitchell Jr. (1806-1889) and Elizabeth M. Gilbert (1815-1877). Wes was a Civil War veteran. [27] Mr. and [20] Mrs. Archie Foster, Coudersport ? Archie Leroy Foster (b 11 Oct 1895 Oswayo, Potter Co., d 1 May 1967 Coudersport) and Fannie May Thompson (b 1903 PA, d 4 Apr 1929, Coudersport). Fannie is a daughter of Charles Thompson (1868-1937) and Ada Dell Toles (1873-1963) and a sister of Ettabell Virginia (Thompson) Mitchell. At this point, 31 of the 48 people are identified. Following is a harder task. I named people based in part on apparent age and a process of elimination. [23] Mrs. Cynthia McCann of Coudersport ? Cynthia McCann (1900-1931) daughter of Jacob Clark and Ida M. (Gurnsey) McCann and granddaughter of William Clark McCann and Cynthia Maria Strong. She was a stepdaughter of Charles L. Vergason. She married Frank Vancuren 1 Jun 1915. The couple does not show up in the 1920 US Census. She was standing next to Frank James Vergason, her half uncle, and they were part of a group of Vergasons. At one time, she was a servant in Frank’s home; at the time he was a widower and she was a widow (1930 US Census). [55] Mr. and [47] Mrs. Fred Wambold and [14] daughter Doris of Port Allegany ? Frederick Francis Wambold (b 15 Sep 1868 Sweden Twp., Potter Co., PA; d 25 Jul 1931 Pleasant Valley Twp., Potter Co., PA) adopted son of David Wambold and Mary J. VanHorn. Mary was a daughter of Martha Mitchell and James VanHorn and a granddaughter of Letitia Margerum and Mahlon Mitchell Sr. ? Emma (Lehman) Wambold (b 4 Sep 1876, d 18 Oct 1933 at home near Burtville). ? Doris Mae Rena Mary Wambold (b 2 Nov 1909, d 1998). Her middle names Rena and Mary were the names of her grandmothers. Fred and Emma were more or less the last couple identified. They were seated together. Doris was more or less the last girl identified. [72] Mrs. Rena Lehman of Burtville ? Rena Fay (Wakeley) Lehman (b 10 Jun 1851, d 7 April 1936), mother of Emma (Lehman) Wambold. One of the last two women identified. She seemed to be the older of the two. [68] Mr. and [72] Mrs. W.M. Ernest of Burtville William M. Ernst (one “e”) (b 4 Aug 1845 Germany, d 11 Oct 1923) and Mary Elizabeth (Yentzer) Ernst (b 8 Mar 1851 PA, d 22 Feb 1944), sister of Daniel T. Yentzer. Two photos of a younger W.M. Ernst shows he was a tall man, who parted his hair on the left. The gentleman sitting next to Daniel Yentzer fits that description. Mrs. Ernst was listed as the second oldest person, and she appeared to be the oldest woman. However, as I prepared this documentation, I realized Rena Lehman was also 72. Still I favored the seated woman, because three photos of a younger Mrs. Ernst shows she seemed to be a short woman, who did not smile for photos. Mr. and Mrs. D. Yentzer and daughters [16] Lena and [13] Hatti ? Tena M. Yentzer (b abt 1907) ? Hattie B. Yentzer (b 1910 Pleasant Valley Twp.; d 14 May 1985 Coudersport) Of five unidentified girls, there were two pairs, who looked like they could be sisters. The final choice was made by apparent age. [58] Rev. Leslie E. Cass, Burtville ? Leslie E. Cass (b 2 Feb 1865 Canada, d 21 Feb 1939 Cassadaga, Chautauqua Co., NY) The last man identified. [12] Misses Sylvia and [10] Elsie Stoddard, Chaffee, NY ? Saville (rather than Sylvia) and Elsie Stoddard. Chaffee is near Sardinia, Erie Co., NY. US Census records identify them as members of the George T. and Minnie M. (Cass) Stoddard family. The NY 1925 Census also identifies the family. Saville C. Stoddard (b abt. 1911 NY) and Elsie F. Stoddard (b abt. 1913). Their mother’s maiden name was Cass. Her father’s name was Leslie E. Cass, the same as the pastor at the reunion. The two girls were his granddaughters. The final choice was made by apparent age. Their names are included in a list of students earning school attendance honors. The list was published often in the Springville (NY) Journal for the Town of Sardinia. Their mother’s maiden name came from her memorial at Find A Grave. [46] Mrs. Myrtle Gale, Genesee ? Myrtle A. (Cooper) Gale (b abt 1877 NY) m 11 Apr 1907 to Wellsville Winifred L. “Winnie” Gale (b abt 1883 PA). One of the last two women identified. She seemed to be the younger of the two. She was perhaps a friend of the family. News items in The Potter Enterprise reported several times that she was staying with Fred and Becky Mitchell. [84] A.B. Holt of Ja Jose, PA Andrew Barrett Holt (b 30 Nov 1839 Boggs Twp. Near Milesburg, PA; d 13 Oct 1932 Sweden Twp.) son of John Holt (b Milesburg) and Perscilla Barrett (b Milesburg) m Mary Giffert abt. 1883. Their daughter Anna P. (b 1836) married William H. Duell 30 Mar 1902, Sweden Valley, PA. For many years, Civil War veteran Holt lived in Sweden Twp. along with his wife Mary and their children (US Census 1900 and 1910). At the time of the reunion, he was a widower living with a daughter at Ja Jose, Ferguson Twp., Clearfield Co., PA. Perhaps Holt was a family friend, who was visiting Potter Co. at the time of the reunion. In 1930, he was a widower living with his daughter and family in Sweden Twp., where he died in 1932 at the age of 92. He parts his hair on the right, and that was the clincher for me. Originally, I thought William H. Ernst would be sitting next to his wife. However, when I came across this photo, I saw a resemblance. Then I took note of his hair part. Photos of a young Ernst shows he parts his hair on the left. PHOTO CREDITS: Reunion A and B - Luella Mae (Mitchell) Hamilton collection Mr. and Mrs. William H. Ernst - ancestry.com (JErnst79) Andrew Barrett Holt - ancestry.com (JTCaron)
FSID	GQ5T-XNP
_MILT	20 May 1942	Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
Death	17 Sep 2009	San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA [1]
	age 92
Person ID	I81277	WETZEL-SPRING

Father	Heinzman, Glen Olin, b. 30 Jan 1894, Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA d. 1 Nov 1961, Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 67 years)
Relationship	natural
Mother	Weir, Mary Estelle, b. 19 Mar 1896, Liberty, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA d. 11 Apr 1988, Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 92 years)
Relationship	natural
Family ID	F50999	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Lathrop, Ethel M., b. 24 Apr 1920, Crosby, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA d. 23 Feb 1991, Webster, Monroe, New York, USA (Age 70 years)

Marriage 18 Oct 1940 Olean, Cattaraugus, New York, USA [2]

20240402GHLn-
from pdf:
Gail Wade Heinzman, born 29 Jun
1917 in Bradford, McKean Co., PA,
was the first of three children born to
Glenn O. Heinzman and Mary Estelle
Weir.
Gail married Ethel M. Lathrop on 18
Oct 1940 in Olean, Cattaraugus Co.,
NY. Ethel was born 24 Apr 1920 in
Crosby, McKean Co., PA. She died 23
Feb 1991 in Webster, Monroe Co., NY.
Gail was a ham radio enthusiast. In
2006, InterceptRadio.com “the world’s
largest radio/scanner frequency data
base” listed Gail with a San Antonio
address. Possibly Gail moved to San
Antonio by 2006 when he was in his
80s.
Gail died 17 Sep 2009 in San Anto
nio. He was 92. The pictures Richard
Sepulveda acquired may have belonged
Gail Wade Heinzman
This photo had no ID on the back, but
Richard Sepulveda believes this is
Gail. I agree based on a comparison
with a known photo.
to Gail. There are some clues that Gail
had a daughter named Diana. Perhaps
she also lived in Texas.
Postscript: I have been in touch with
Diane Marie Heinzman of San Antonio.
She confirmed that these photos be
longed to her father Gail Heinzman. ¾

Children

1. Heinzman, Diane Marie [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]

Family ID F56841 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Event Map

	Birth - 29 Jun 1917 - Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA
	Residence - Between 1920 and 1940 - Bradford, McKean, Pennsylvania, USA
	reunion - Yentzer's farm on Sartwell Creek Road- 1st Mitchell-Vergason family reunion- Charles was the oldest member attending. ID's by Gerry Hamilton - 25 Jul 1923 - Pleasant Valley Twp, Potter, Pennsylvania, USA
	Marriage - 18 Oct 1940 - Olean, Cattaraugus, New York, USA
	_MILT - 20 May 1942 - Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
	Death - 17 Sep 2009 - San Antonio, Bexar, Texas, USA

= Link to Google Earth

Photos » Slide Show		Screenshot (117)(1) 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 Gail Wade Heinzman This photo had no ID on the back, but Richard Sepulveda believes this is Gail. I agree based on a comparison with a known photo. · The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The pages are from the 100th…
		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
		Sepulveda Story old pics FB240328GerryHamiltonPoMcK 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 · The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The pages are from the 100th Anniversary Portfolio, which I prepared in 2023 as a memento for the 100th anniversary of the first Mitchell-Vergason Reunion. I used an archival-quality…
		Screenshot (117) 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 Heinzman. Gail's photo was cropped from the 1923 Mitchell-Vergason Reunion group photo. Both photos were enlarged and enhanced. left: Charles L. Vergason right: Gail Wade Heinzman · The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The…

Sources

[S2615] FamilySearch.org, United States Social Security Death Index, "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQMF-4J7 : 12 January 2021), Gail Wade Heinzman, 17 Sep 2009; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQMF-4J7

[S2028] FaceBook- Potter McKean Genealogy, Gerry Hamilton · March 26 2024 · The Sepulveda Story 20240328GHLn-.
Cynthia Strong Vergason (1)
20240328GHLn-
20240328GHLn-
Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor
FB Potter McKean Genealogy
· March 26 2024

· The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The pages are from the 100th Anniversary Portfolio, which I prepared in 2023 as a memento for the 100th anniversary of the first Mitchell-Vergason Reunion.
I used an archival-quality art portfolio, also called a presentation or display portfolio, which is a little like a book with pages inserted in plastic sleeves.
Using the portfolio allowed me to prepare most of the pages before the reunion, and family members attending were able to take the portfolio home. I left room for five more pages with photos and text about the 2023 reunion. I mailed those pages after the reunion.

Tina Johnson Daughenbaugh
Admin
Top Contributor
Gerry Hamilton, this is wonderful. I'm curious to know if you have pics of anymore of the Strong family, as well as any pics of the Dingmans. And perhaps the Conrnelius's?
1h
Reply
Gerry Hamilton
Author
Top Contributor
Tina Johnson Daughenbaugh I might. I am still going through the photos that Rick Sepulveda sent to me recently. If I find any, I will post them. I did post photos of Cynthia Strong and her four McCann sons. Do you have that one?
42m
Reply
Tina Johnson Daughenbaugh
Admin
Top Contributor
Yes, thank you. I did get a copy of that one saved
6m
Reply
______________
20240328GHLn-
The pdf.:
Sepulveda story: Old photo leads to a family treasure
Group photo from the 1st annual Mitchell-Vergason reunion
By Gerry Lynn Hamilton
Revised Sept. 29, 2023
In 2007, I became very interested in
my family history, which led me to start
a genealogy hobby. My mother Luella
Mae (Mitchell) Hamilton became my
No. 1 resource. In 1939, someone gave
her a scrapbook as a gift, and that began
her lifelong version of genealogy. She
saved photos, clippings and miscellane
ous items for a very extended family, as
well as her friends and prominent peo
ple in Potter Co., PA.
As Mom got older, she could not
keep up with pasting all of the obituary
clippings in albums, so she filed them in
envelopes by year. When Mom died in
2010, I inherited more than a dozen
scrapbooks and photo albums, as well
as the obituary clippings and hundreds
of loose photos.
Fortunately, I got to spend a lot of
time with my Mother before she died.
She helped with photo identifications
Luella Mae Mitchell
1937 Coudersport High
School senior photo (enhanced)
and family details, and her memory was
sharp until the last. I certainly got to
know my family tree, and best of all, I
got to know Mom better as I shared her
hobby.
Her photo collection included two
group photos from the first Mitchell
Vergason reunion in 1923. She was a
big help in identifying many of the 48
people in the two pictures. She was in
the photos and she remembered what
color dress she had on that day!
Through the years I was able to identify
other people in the photos, and specu
late about the rest.
In 2018, I prepared an online pack
age for the Painted Hills Genealogy So
ciety (PHGS). That package included
the two group pictures and a detailed
article listing all of the names of the
people who attended the reunion. (To
see the package, search for “1st Mitch
ell-Vergason reunion.”)
The public has free access to the
PHGS website, which is indexed by
Google. My hope was that anyone re
searching a related topic would find this
site and perhaps contact me with more
details.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
About 2004, Richard Sepulveda of
San Antonio, TX, started a new hobby.
He is fascinated by old photographs,
and he began collecting them.
At a flea market one weekend in
September 2019, Richard acquired a
batch of about a hundred old pictures.
Richard wrote in an e-mail message:
“The guy who sold them to me had a
LOT of stuff and mentioned that he of
ten gets his stuff by buying storage
units.”
One of the pictures was a group pho
to. Richard was curious to learn more,
so he started a search for the names on
the back of the photo. He was “sur
prised that I found it in less than a mi
nute on Google.”
In his Google search, Richard found
one of the pictures I had prepared for
the Painted Hills Genealogy Society. I
included my contact information, and
Richard got in touch with me by e-mail.
He sent seven scanned photos that in
cluded eight people, and all of them are
in my family tree.
The people in the photos included
Charles L. Vergason my great-great
grandfather and his second wife Cynthia
Maria Strong. The other photos are his
descendants and her descendants.
Charles was a widower and Cynthia was
a widow so this was a second marriage
for both.
Charles is the patriarch of the Ver
gason Branch of our family tree. Also
Charles L. Vergason
Perhaps about 1894, he would have
been about age 60
9-29-2023 Sepulveda Story 68
Mitchell Reunion ® 100th anniversary
many Mitchells descend from Charles
and his first wife Alvira Russell. Their
daughter Lydia Eliza Vergason married
George Washington Mitchell (b1844).
These are great pictures that do not
appear to be available elsewhere online.
Richard speculated about the source of
the photos: “I believe they belonged to
someone who was close to Gail Wade
Heinzman because there are a lot of him
and his sister.” I was curious to learn
more, so I asked some questions. Rich
ard wrote: “I have maybe close to 500
photos from the 1930s and earlier. I find
just about all my photos from estate
sales and flea markets (mostly flea mar
kets).”
Richard has continued to send pho
tographs by e-mail. So far all have some
words of identification for the people,
and such pictures are priceless. As the
photos arrived, I researched the identi
ties as we pieced together the puzzle
that is the Vergason family tree. The
extended family includes many sur
names ? Strong, McCann, Dingman,
Weir, Heinzman, Mitchell and many
others.
Richard is not related to the Ver
gasons, and he doesn’t have any par
ticular interest in genealogy. Perhaps he
can be classified as the accidental gene
alogist, and we can give some thought
to adopting him as an honorary Ver
gason.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
How did those pictures get to Texas?
Gail spent most of his life in Pennsyl
vania and New York.
Cynthia Maria Strong
(1835-1915)
Charles Vergason (left) and Gail
Heinzman. Gail's photo was cropped
from the 1923 Mitchell-Vergason Reun
ion group photo. Both photos were en
larged and enhanced.
Gail Wade Heinzman, born 29 Jun
1917 in Bradford, McKean Co., PA,
was the first of three children born to
Glenn O. Heinzman and Mary Estelle
Weir.
Gail married Ethel M. Lathrop on 18
Oct 1940 in Olean, Cattaraugus Co.,
NY. Ethel was born 24 Apr 1920 in
Crosby, McKean Co., PA. She died 23
Feb 1991 in Webster, Monroe Co., NY.
Gail was a ham radio enthusiast. In
2006, InterceptRadio.com “the world’s
largest radio/scanner frequency data
base” listed Gail with a San Antonio
address. Possibly Gail moved to San
Antonio by 2006 when he was in his
80s.
Gail died 17 Sep 2009 in San Anto
nio. He was 92. The pictures Richard
Sepulveda acquired may have belonged
Gail Wade Heinzman
This photo had no ID on the back, but
Richard Sepulveda believes this is
Gail. I agree based on a comparison
with a known photo.
to Gail. There are some clues that Gail
had a daughter named Diana. Perhaps
she also lived in Texas.
Postscript: I have been in touch with
Diane Marie Heinzman of San Antonio.
She confirmed that these photos be
longed to her father Gail Heinzman. ¾
Children of Cynthia Maria Strong (from left): Albert Harry Vergason (1877-1970), Hattie
Belle Vergason (1869-1934), Frank James Vergason (1874-1949) and Levi Orange
McCann (1855-1862). Levi was the oldest of Cynthia's four sons with William Clark
McCann. Cynthia had five children with Charles L. Vergason (1833-1924). Albert was Cyn
thia's youngest. This photo was among those provided by Richard Sepulveda.
Mitchell Reunion ® 100th anniversary
9-29-2023 Sepulveda Story 69

	Sepulveda Story old pics FB240328GerryHamiltonPoMcK 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 · The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The pages are from the 100th Anniversary Portfolio, which I prepared in 2023 as a memento for the 100th anniversary of the first Mitchell-Vergason Reunion. I used an archival-quality…
	Screenshot (116) 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 Children of Cynthia Maria Strong (from left): Albert Harry Vergason (1877-1970), Hattie Belle Vergason (1869-1934), Frank James Vergason (1874-1949) and Levi Orange McCann (1855-1862). Levi was the oldest of Cynthia's four sons with William Clark McCann.…
	Strong Vergason, Cynthia kids fr Sepulvedapdf(1) 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 Cynthia Maria Strong (1835-1915) · The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The pages are from the 100th Anniversary Portfolio, which I prepared in 2023 as a memento for the 100th anniversary of the first Mitchell-Vergason…
	Screenshot (117) 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 Heinzman. Gail's photo was cropped from the 1923 Mitchell-Vergason Reunion group photo. Both photos were enlarged and enhanced. left: Charles L. Vergason right: Gail Wade Heinzman · The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The…
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	Screenshot (117)(1) 20240328GHLn- Gerry Hamilton, Top Contributor FB Potter McKean Genealogy · March 26 2024 Gail Wade Heinzman This photo had no ID on the back, but Richard Sepulveda believes this is Gail. I agree based on a comparison with a known photo. · The Sepulveda Story tells how a treasure of family photos came to me. The pages are from the 100th…

[S1812] paintedhills.org, First Mitchell-Vergason Reunion held at Yentzer farm in 1923. Gerry Lynn Hamilton, April 2, 2018.
Luella Mae Mitchell (1) fact
20181014HAv-
20200821HAv- Source made.
20181014HAv-
First Mitchell-Vergason Reunion held at Yentzer farm in 1923
Comments and photos to help confirm or correct identities are most welcome

PHOTO A 1923 Mitchell-Vergason Reunion

AUTHOR'S NOTE: If you are lucky enough to still have older family members in your life, spend time with them now to identify people in the family photographs. Listen to their stories and learn about the people in the pictures. You will cherish the experience and future generations will cherish photos with IDs and details.

By Gerry Lynn Hamilton
April 2, 2018
GLHamilton48@Gmail.com

Old group photos of family reunions are kind of interesting. They become fascinating if the people are identified and you know something about them.

My mother, Luella Mae (Mitchell) Hamilton, gave me two old photos in 2008. About a decade later, I confirmed that the photos were taken in 1923 for the First Annual Mitchell-Vergason Reunion at the Yentzer Farm on Sartwell Creek Road, Pleasant Valley Twp., Potter Co., PA.

Mom identified many of the people in the photos, and she appeared in both. She was 5 and she remembered the color of the dress she had on that day. Mom always had a good memory for details, and her mind was sharp even in her final days. Also she would have seen many of these folks at family reunions and other family events for the rest of their lives.

In 2017, I obtained a news clipping about the first reunion. The clip listed the attendees, and I was able to identify most of the remaining people. I also made some best guesses. The clipping includes some mangled names and other details. [My guess: Some poor printer was working from handwritten copy.]

What follows are the identifications and some additional details, as well as documentation in the form of a description of how I arrived at each identification. I would welcome any comments or photos that might help to confirm or correct these identifications.

Identifications were completed for Photo A first, because the group was smaller (smaller puzzle) and most of the 30 people were already identified by my mother in 2008.

Italics show the names as they were published, including errors. [Brackets show calculated ages for 1923.] b=born, d=died, m=married

*Children and grandchildren of George Washington Mitchell (b 1844) and Lydia Eliza Vergason and descendants of Charles L. Vergason and Alvira Russell.
**Additional descendants of Charles L. Vergason.
Following are the 23 people Mom identified for Photo A.
[43] Mr. and [39] Mrs. Fred Mitchell of Genesee
? *Frederick M. Mitchell (1880-1940) and Rebecca L. Tuttle (1884-1948) m 4 Jul 1903.

[40] Mr. and [50] Mrs. Mahlon Mitchell of Roulette and daughter [8] Carrie
? *Mahlon Alvin Mitchell (1882-1971) and Rosalie Ida Byam (1873-1955) m 31 Jan 1918 Little Valley, NY (first for him and second for her).
? daughter *Carrie Viola Mitchell (b 13 Jun 1913 Andover, NY; d 7 Feb 1933 Andover, NY). (The 1920 US Census lists Carrie as adopted. Her 1931 NY Marriage License states that her parents were Mahlon A. Mitchell and Kate Studley.)

[36] Mr. and [32] Mrs. Carl Mitchell and daughters [7] Lula and [5] Laura and sons [4] Lloyd and [2] Carl of Coudersport
? *Carl Earl Mitchell (often listed as Sr.) (1887-1980), Ettabell Virginia Thompson (1890-1973) m 5 Jul 1980 Wellsville, NY.
? and daughters *Luella Mae (1917-2010) and *Luva Alice (1916-2002) and sons *Lloyd Earl (1919-2004) and *Carl Wilbur (sometimes Jr.) (1921-2015). (Carl and Luella were the last two survivors from this reunion. Luella died in 2010. Carl W. died in 2015.)

[31] Mr. and [30] Mrs. Clyde Mitchell of Olean
? *Clyde Christopher Mitchell (1892-1965) and Ida Mae Johnson (1893-1956) m 24 Nov 1919. In World War I, he served in France in the Battles of Meuse-Argonne and St. Mihiel.

[24] Harry Mitchell of Genesee
? *Harry R. Mitchell (1898-1973) never married.

[45] Mr. and [38] Mrs. Ora Shaffer and daughter [15] Lena from near Millport, Clearfield county
? Orel and Merlin Shaffer (1878-1939) and *Cora May Mitchell (1884-1972) m 1901.
? *Lena Amanda Shaffer (1908-1981).

[68] Mr. and [29] Mrs. D. Yentzer and daughters [16] Lena and [13] Hattie
? Daniel “Dannie” T. Yentzer (1855-1931) and *Nettie May Mitchell (1894-1989) m between 1916 and 1920 (second marriage for both). (His daughters with his first wife were not included in this group.)

[8] Liddie Haskins and son, [10] Geo Haskins of Port Allegany
? *Lydia M. Haskins (1915-2000) and brother *George Arnold Haskins (1912-1985), children of *Nettie May Mitchell and her first husband Irving Washington Haskins.

[10] Thelma and [6] F. Gee of Roulette
? Thelma Rosalie Gee (1913-1963) and Forest E. “Buster” Gee (1915-), grandchildren of Rosalie Ida Byam, whose first husband was Ralph Hotchkiss, and children of Walter B. Gee and Mabel G. Hotchkiss.
Mom provided clues for the following three people.
[36] Mr. and [34] Mrs. Walter Neir of Custer City, PA
? **Walter E. Weir (b 25 Apr 1887 McKean Co., PA, d 28 Jan 1936) and Bessie M. Evans (b Feb 1889 PA) m abt. 1914, divorced. Custer City is an unincorporated community near Bradford, PA. Walter is a son of Hattie B. (Vergason) and Ira Weir.

Luella said she thought the name of this couple was Weir and they were from Bradford. I scoured McKean Co. census records looking for various spellings. I found a possible couple of about the right age, but I didn’t know how they were related to the family.

In 2012, I received the obituary of Charles L. Vergason. One of the survivors was a daughter, Hattie Belle (Vergason) Weir. Big breakthrough! Using online records, I discovered Walter was a son of Hattie Belle, who was a daughter of Charles L. This strengthened my opinion that this group photo was a picture of Charles L. Vergason and his descendants and their spouses. At this point, I had no idea Hattie was in the photos.

In 2017, I obtained a news clipping from The Potter Enterprise (16 Aug 1923 p6) through the online subscription service newspapers.com. The clipping provided the final clues.

[54] Mrs. Hattie Neir of Olean
**Hattie Belle (Vergason) Weir (b 11 Jul 1869 Mecosta, MI, d Oct 1934, Olean, NY), daughter of Charles L. Vergason.

She was in the photos! She was standing beside the unknown Vergason, and for a long time, I thought she might be his wife. As it turns out, she was standing behind her father with a brother on one side and her daughter on the other.

[90] Charles Vergason and son Frank of Coudersport
? Charles L. Vergason (b 21 Jul 1833 Candor, Tioga Co., NY; d 29 May 1924, Sweden Twp., Potter Co., PA) oldest person at the reunion, age “90 years and 14 days.”
? son **Frank James Vergason (1875-1949).

With the news clipping, I now had the name of the unknown Vergason identified by my mother. As for his father, for a long time, I thought this gentleman was Charles L. Vergason and this was a group of his descendants. I knew he was alive at the time, and he looked like the oldest person in the group. The news clipping provided strong support for my opinions, and I felt confident in completing the identifications, or at least making some best guesses.

[30] Mr. and [28] Mrs. G.O. Heinzman and son Gail of Bradford
? Glenn O. Heinzman (b abt. 1893) and **Mary E. (Weir) Heinzman (b Mar 1895) daughter of Hattie B. and Ira Weir.
? son **Gail Wade Heinzman (1917-2009).

Once Hattie and Frank were identified, there remained one unidentified young couple and one unidentified male child. Mary was standing between her mother and her husband.

At this point, I had identifications for all 29 people in Photo A.

There is one other gentleman in the background. Using the larger group photo, I made a best guess about his name, and concluded he was an onlooker, who was not related to the Mitchells, Vergasons or Yentzers.

Now I turned my attention to Photo B, the larger group photo of everyone named in the news clipping. The first two steps were easy. Mom had already identified three of these folks. Then I transferred the identifications from 29 people in Photo A to the same people in Photo B.

PHOTO B 1923 Mitchell-Vergason Reunion

Following are the identifications Mom provided for the folks who only appeared in Photo B.
[81] Wesley Allen of Coudersport
? Wesley Allen (1842-1930), whose first wife was Ann Eliza Mitchell (1842-1909), daughter of Mahlon Mitchell Jr. (1806-1889) and Elizabeth M. Gilbert (1815-1877). Wes was a Civil War veteran.

[27] Mr. and [20] Mrs. Archie Foster, Coudersport
? Archie Leroy Foster (b 11 Oct 1895 Oswayo, Potter Co., d 1 May 1967 Coudersport) and Fannie May Thompson (b 1903 PA, d 4 Apr 1929, Coudersport).
Fannie is a daughter of Charles Thompson (1868-1937) and Ada Dell Toles (1873-1963) and a sister of Ettabell Virginia (Thompson) Mitchell.

At this point, 31 of the 48 people are identified.
Following is a harder task. I named people based in part on apparent age and a process of elimination.

[23] Mrs. Cynthia McCann of Coudersport
? Cynthia McCann (1900-1931) daughter of Jacob Clark and Ida M. (Gurnsey) McCann and granddaughter of William Clark McCann and Cynthia Maria Strong.
She was a stepdaughter of Charles L. Vergason. She married Frank Vancuren 1 Jun 1915. The couple does not show up in the 1920 US Census.
She was standing next to Frank James Vergason, her half uncle, and they were part of a group of Vergasons. At one time, she was a servant in Frank’s home; at the time he was a widower and she was a widow (1930 US Census).

[55] Mr. and [47] Mrs. Fred Wambold and [14] daughter Doris of Port Allegany
? Frederick Francis Wambold (b 15 Sep 1868 Sweden Twp., Potter Co., PA; d 25 Jul 1931 Pleasant Valley Twp., Potter Co., PA) adopted son of David Wambold and Mary J. VanHorn. Mary was a daughter of Martha Mitchell and James VanHorn and a granddaughter of Letitia Margerum and Mahlon Mitchell Sr.
? Emma (Lehman) Wambold (b 4 Sep 1876, d 18 Oct 1933 at home near Burtville).
? Doris Mae Rena Mary Wambold (b 2 Nov 1909, d 1998). Her middle names Rena and Mary were the names of her grandmothers.
Fred and Emma were more or less the last couple identified. They were seated together. Doris was more or less the last girl identified.

[72] Mrs. Rena Lehman of Burtville
? Rena Fay (Wakeley) Lehman (b 10 Jun 1851, d 7 April 1936), mother of Emma (Lehman) Wambold. One of the last two women identified. She seemed to be the older of the two.

[68] Mr. and [72] Mrs. W.M. Ernest of Burtville
William M. Ernst (one “e”) (b 4 Aug 1845 Germany, d 11 Oct 1923) and Mary Elizabeth (Yentzer) Ernst (b 8 Mar 1851 PA, d 22 Feb 1944), sister of Daniel T. Yentzer.

Two photos of a younger W.M. Ernst shows he was a tall man, who parted his hair on the left. The gentleman sitting next to Daniel Yentzer fits that description.

Mrs. Ernst was listed as the second oldest person, and she appeared to be the oldest woman. However, as I prepared this documentation, I realized Rena Lehman was also 72. Still I favored the seated woman, because three photos of a younger Mrs. Ernst shows she seemed to be a short woman, who did not smile for photos.

Mr. and Mrs. D. Yentzer and daughters [16] Lena and [13] Hatti
? Tena M. Yentzer (b abt 1907)
? Hattie B. Yentzer (b 1910 Pleasant Valley Twp.; d 14 May 1985 Coudersport)
Of five unidentified girls, there were two pairs, who looked like they could be sisters. The final choice was made by apparent age.

[58] Rev. Leslie E. Cass, Burtville
? Leslie E. Cass (b 2 Feb 1865 Canada, d 21 Feb 1939 Cassadaga, Chautauqua Co., NY)
The last man identified.

[12] Misses Sylvia and [10] Elsie Stoddard, Chaffee, NY
? Saville (rather than Sylvia) and Elsie Stoddard. Chaffee is near Sardinia, Erie Co., NY. US Census records identify them as members of the George T. and Minnie M. (Cass) Stoddard family. The NY 1925 Census also identifies the family. Saville C. Stoddard (b abt. 1911 NY) and Elsie F. Stoddard (b abt. 1913). Their mother’s maiden name was Cass. Her father’s name was Leslie E. Cass, the same as the pastor at the reunion. The two girls were his granddaughters. The final choice was made by apparent age.
Their names are included in a list of students earning school attendance honors. The list was published often in the Springville (NY) Journal for the Town of Sardinia. Their mother’s maiden name came from her memorial at Find A Grave.

[46] Mrs. Myrtle Gale, Genesee
? Myrtle A. (Cooper) Gale (b abt 1877 NY) m 11 Apr 1907 to Wellsville Winifred L. “Winnie” Gale (b abt 1883 PA).
One of the last two women identified. She seemed to be the younger of the two. She was perhaps a friend of the family. News items in The Potter Enterprise reported several times that she was staying with Fred and Becky Mitchell.

[84] A.B. Holt of Ja Jose, PA
Andrew Barrett Holt (b 30 Nov 1839 Boggs Twp. Near Milesburg, PA; d 13 Oct 1932 Sweden Twp.) son of John Holt (b Milesburg) and Perscilla Barrett (b Milesburg) m Mary Giffert abt. 1883. Their daughter Anna P. (b 1836) married William H. Duell 30 Mar 1902, Sweden Valley, PA.

For many years, Civil War veteran Holt lived in Sweden Twp. along with his wife Mary and their children (US Census 1900 and 1910). At the time of the reunion, he was a widower living with a daughter at Ja Jose, Ferguson Twp., Clearfield Co., PA. Perhaps Holt was a family friend, who was visiting Potter Co. at the time of the reunion. In 1930, he was a widower living with his daughter and family in Sweden Twp., where he died in 1932 at the age of 92.

He parts his hair on the right, and that was the clincher for me. Originally, I thought William H. Ernst would be sitting next to his wife. However, when I came across this photo, I saw a resemblance. Then I took note of his hair part. Photos of a young Ernst shows he parts his hair on the left.

PHOTO CREDITS:
Reunion A and B - Luella Mae (Mitchell) Hamilton collection
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Ernst - ancestry.com (JErnst79)
Andrew Barrett Holt - ancestry.com (JTCaron)

	At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
	At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
	At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.

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