Susie Nolt Burkholder
While researching the Hess and Nissley families of Pennsylvania, it became apparent that they were two prominent families within the Mennonite community of Lititz, PA (which, by no coincidence, is just a short hour's drive away from Joy's Antiques, where the collection of photos was found.)
Being old, established families in a small community has its perks: these families oftentimes become leaders in their communities, serve as community historians, are understood to be trustworthy, and perhaps have long-established plots of land: large farms, good amounts of livestock, and a steady income. Amongst these perks, they are also easy for genealogists to research.
As it turns out, the Hess and Nissley family sagas are well-documented in Historic Mennonite Farms and Homes', run by no other than a man by the name of Clarke Hess.
It is on this blog that we begin our search for a new subject of this blog: not of the Nissley or Hess name, but rather of the Burkholder family. But, as you can probably guess... yes, the Burkholders were intertwined with the Hess and Nissley families too.
Apparently, on 700 E. Front St in Lititz, PA, there is an old stone farmhouse, constructed in 1778, that once constituted one building of the historic Hess Homestead. This farmhouse, built by Christian Hess, moved into the hands of his sister Elizabeth who married Mennonite Deacon Daniel Burkholder.
Elizabeth and Daniel Burkholder's grandson, also named Daniel Burkholder (married to Ann Hertzler) lived in this old stone farmhouse and distilled Burkholder Whiskey at their family-run Rome Distillery.
So what do we know about the subject of our photo, Susie Nolt Burkholder? At first it was unclear whether Nolt was Susie's maiden name (in which case Burkholder was her married name) or if Nolt was her middle name (in which case it was a maiden name of someone one or two generations back).
Lo and behold, there indeed was a Susie Nolt Burkholder, born in 1874, making her between the ages of 16-22 at the time the photo was taken (according to this fantastic list of Lancaster photographers compiled by the Lancaster County's Historical Society, George Bew operated his photography studio in Lititz between 1890 and 1896).
Operating on the assumption that this Susan Nolt Burkholder is our subject, it means Nolt is indeed her maiden name: she married Martin Burkholder in 1899.
But...
Burkholder is also her mother's maiden name. And her father's mother's maiden name. And...
Susie is her own 3rd cousin.
Martin and Susie are not only husband and wife... they are second cousins.
Confused? Well, that's what you get for researching a close-knit group of families. Here's a tree:
So who was Susan Nolt Burkholder?
As noted, Susie was born in 1874 and married Martin Burkholder in 1899 at the age of 25. In 1900, they lived in West Earl Township in the southern district of Lancaster, where Martin was a farmer.
Two years later, Martin and Susie welcome their first and only child, Clayton. By 1930 Clayton, his wife Laura, and two young children Ray (4) and Rufus (3), are renting from Martin and Susie on the same property. The census indicates that the family lives somewhere between Farmersville and Akron.
By 1940, Clayton and Laura move out, though they only live down the road from Martin and Susie, who are now well into their 60s.
Martin and Susie would remain a rural farming couple until 1958, when Susie dies at age 83 due to a fractured hip. Martin died only three weeks later: a time frame so coincidentally short that the local newspaper found it worthy material to report.
Clayton remained their only child, and Rufus and Ray their only grandchildren. As evidenced by Martin's obituary, as well as Susie's obituary included on her FindAGrave, Rufus and Ray would give them seven great-grandchildren.
Clayton manufactured potato chips, founding the Burkholder Potato Chip Co. in Farmersville, which Rufus would go on to own and operate. Clayton died in 1969.
Rufus, a World War II veteran, passed at age 88 on December 1, 2015, with Ray preceding him in death.
Being old, established families in a small community has its perks: these families oftentimes become leaders in their communities, serve as community historians, are understood to be trustworthy, and perhaps have long-established plots of land: large farms, good amounts of livestock, and a steady income. Amongst these perks, they are also easy for genealogists to research.
As it turns out, the Hess and Nissley family sagas are well-documented in Historic Mennonite Farms and Homes', run by no other than a man by the name of Clarke Hess.
It is on this blog that we begin our search for a new subject of this blog: not of the Nissley or Hess name, but rather of the Burkholder family. But, as you can probably guess... yes, the Burkholders were intertwined with the Hess and Nissley families too.
Apparently, on 700 E. Front St in Lititz, PA, there is an old stone farmhouse, constructed in 1778, that once constituted one building of the historic Hess Homestead. This farmhouse, built by Christian Hess, moved into the hands of his sister Elizabeth who married Mennonite Deacon Daniel Burkholder.Elizabeth and Daniel Burkholder's grandson, also named Daniel Burkholder (married to Ann Hertzler) lived in this old stone farmhouse and distilled Burkholder Whiskey at their family-run Rome Distillery.
So what do we know about the subject of our photo, Susie Nolt Burkholder? At first it was unclear whether Nolt was Susie's maiden name (in which case Burkholder was her married name) or if Nolt was her middle name (in which case it was a maiden name of someone one or two generations back).
Lo and behold, there indeed was a Susie Nolt Burkholder, born in 1874, making her between the ages of 16-22 at the time the photo was taken (according to this fantastic list of Lancaster photographers compiled by the Lancaster County's Historical Society, George Bew operated his photography studio in Lititz between 1890 and 1896).
Operating on the assumption that this Susan Nolt Burkholder is our subject, it means Nolt is indeed her maiden name: she married Martin Burkholder in 1899.
But...
Burkholder is also her mother's maiden name. And her father's mother's maiden name. And...
Susie is her own 3rd cousin.
Martin and Susie are not only husband and wife... they are second cousins.
Confused? Well, that's what you get for researching a close-knit group of families. Here's a tree:
There is also a Hess connection via Christian and Anna's third son, the deacon Daniel Burkholder who married Elizabeth Hess.
So who was Susan Nolt Burkholder?
As noted, Susie was born in 1874 and married Martin Burkholder in 1899 at the age of 25. In 1900, they lived in West Earl Township in the southern district of Lancaster, where Martin was a farmer.
Two years later, Martin and Susie welcome their first and only child, Clayton. By 1930 Clayton, his wife Laura, and two young children Ray (4) and Rufus (3), are renting from Martin and Susie on the same property. The census indicates that the family lives somewhere between Farmersville and Akron.
By 1940, Clayton and Laura move out, though they only live down the road from Martin and Susie, who are now well into their 60s.
Martin and Susie would remain a rural farming couple until 1958, when Susie dies at age 83 due to a fractured hip. Martin died only three weeks later: a time frame so coincidentally short that the local newspaper found it worthy material to report.
Clayton remained their only child, and Rufus and Ray their only grandchildren. As evidenced by Martin's obituary, as well as Susie's obituary included on her FindAGrave, Rufus and Ray would give them seven great-grandchildren.
Clayton manufactured potato chips, founding the Burkholder Potato Chip Co. in Farmersville, which Rufus would go on to own and operate. Clayton died in 1969.
Rufus, a World War II veteran, passed at age 88 on December 1, 2015, with Ray preceding him in death.
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