William Augustus Porter

Notes:

He died on 15 Dec 1901 at the age of 28 in Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania.

William A. Porter, son of Norman Porter, of Ellerslie, died on Sunday at the University of Pennsylvania hospital, Philadelphia, from Bright's disease, aged twenty-eight years. He was a fireman on the Bedford division of the Pennsylvania railroad and his remains were brought home for interment on Tuesday. He leaves a widow and one child. December 20, 1901, The Bedford Gazette, from the Cumberland News

Family/Spouse: Clara Rebecca Lowery. Clara (daughter of Lewis K. Lowery and Emma Something) was born on 10 Jun 1883; died on 4 Mar 1961. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Mildred Viola Porter died in UNKNOWN.

Notes:

Notes sent by Phyllis Rosley from Gary Porter on January 10, 2015

Norman was orphaned in 1855 at age 4 and, with his three sisters, raised by relatives.

About 1870, he married Anna Stair (1850 - 1875), the daughter of Augustus Stair (originally spelled Stohr, immigrants from Hesse, Germany) and produced sons Oscar Howard and William Augustus and two daughters who apparently died at or near birth. Anna herself died prematurely of pneumonia in 1875 and two years later Norman asked Anna's sister, Sarah Stair, to marry him. She is reported to have said "not until you get a headstone for my
sister," which apparently was speedily done. Norman's marriage (on December 18, 1877) to "Sarah E. Stoer" (sic) is recorded in records of the Wellersburg Reformed Church, Somerset County, Pa. A fee of $3.00 was paid. Earlier that year (August 28) Norman's Uncle Thomas Jackson Porter and Aunt Rebecca Porter had left him 39 acres of land in Londonderry Township, Pa., including all the buildings and improvements. Later in 1877 he sold some of this land to his sister Sarah (Porter) Clites. He sold additional land to Daniel Clites (Sarah's husband) in 1890 and to Shannon Brant in 1891. Norman and Sarah produced sons Harry Robert (1878), John Ross (1882) and James Vernon (1884) and a daughter, Anna M. Porter who died in 1882 at age 2. When Sarah also died (in 1890) Norman is said to have farmed out the boys to various families, taking son John Ross to live on the Cook farm in Ellerslie, Md. Norman worked as a hosteler on the Pennsylvania Railroad and when each of his boys turned 15 he also got them jobs on the railroad. Norman served as president of the Patriotic Order of the Sons of America Lodge located in Ellerslie. He lived in a house just below the present Porter Cemetery near Stringtown, Pa. and donated the land used for the cemetery. In August 1917, Norman was living with son John Ross at John's farm in Ridgeley, West Virginia, when he fell from a peach crate onto a stake. Although treated at the Western Maryland Hospital, peritonitis set in from a lacerated bowel and a hernia, causing his death at age 66 years, 6 months, 9 days. Louis Stein was his undertaker. Norman's will, which had been signed April 11, 1907, named James Vernon as Executor and divided Norman's estate into fifth's, a fifth for each of his four living sons (Oscar, Harry, John and James), and a fifth to be divided by Clara (Lowery) Porter, (by then the widow of William Augustus) and their daughter Mildred Viola Porter.

Norman married Anna Stair about 1870. Anna was born in 1850; died in 1875. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

William married Mary Ann Harden in 1847. Mary was born on 4 Jul 1829; died on 10 Feb 1860 in Londonderry Township, Bedford County, Pennsylvania. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Notes sent on January 10, 2015, by Phyllis Rosley from Gary Porter, for MARY ANN HARDEN:
In probating the estate of Mary Ann Porter, items sold at auction went to (among others) Nicholas Burkett, John Beals, Sam Lowrey, Daniel Devore, John E. Porter, Moses Porter, Leonard Porter. This shows some of the neighbors in the area.

On June 26th, 1855, Mary Ann petitions the Register of Bedford County: "I, Mary Ann Porter, do hereby decline administrating upon the estate of my late husband, Wm. N. Porter, and request you to grant letters to Mr. Thomas J. Porter
upon said estate." Attested to by James Harden. Filed July 3, 1855.

November 20, 1857. Came into Court Thomas J. Porter, administrator of the
estate of Wm. N. Porter, late of Londonderry Township, deceased, and produced a certified copy of the account of his administration on the estate of said deceased as passed by the Register of Bedford County by which it appears there remains in the hand of said accountant the sum of three hundred dollars and fifty seven cents with interest from the 20th day of Nov. A.D. 1857. And it appearing to the Court that notice had been given according to the Act of _______ the same was confirmed and distribution awarded according to law.

Notes:

He signed a will in Bedford Co., Pennsylvania. PORTER, WILLIAM, late of Allegheny County, Maryland. Will dated May 20, 1836; prob. March 25, 1844. Wife not named; children: Lendy Logsden wife of Lawrence
Logsden; Sarah Logsden wife of Anthony Logsden; Margaret Burley wife of John
Burley; Catherine; John E.; Moses; Thomas; William Nelson. Exr.: Moses Porter,
Wits.: John Porter, James M. Porter, William R. Porter.

(Source: Bedford County Will Book Abstracts, Volume 3, p. 272.)

William + Mary Nelson. Mary died in UNKNOWN. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]