January 11, 2008

It was good to hear from you. Here is more info I received through Potter County Historical Society, Census Records and family history.

Jane R. Shay was born Jane Rebecca Shay to James Shay and Margaret Mayberry on November 26, 1866 in Scott County, Missouri. Both her parents were deceased before she was 4 years old. Her father served in the Civil War for the Union under 50th Missouri Infantry. Jane's father was 28 years old when he entered the war in 1864. That would mean he had to be born about 1836...give or take a year. He only served for 6 months till the end of the war.

I have a civil war record of his. I got the name of Jane's mother from William Heath's Potter County biographical sketch in 1898. The biographical sketch said that Jane Shay was the daughter of James Shay and Margaret Mayberry and that she was born in Scott County, Missouri.

I have no other information on Margaret Mayberry. They printed an edition of all the Civil War Veterans that were still alive in 1898 for Potter Co. The Potter County, PA historical society sent me a copy of William's bio. I will scan it for you.

James Shay was remarried briefly in the late 1860's to a teenager named Rebecca Withrow. James died shortly afterwards leaving her widowed (age 19) and all three of his children continued living with their stepmother and her widowed mother Mary Withrow.

They were living in Sandywoods, Scott Co. Missouri. Jane was probably born in Sandywoods. Jane is listed under her middle name Rebecca in the 1870 & 1880 census. It was common in the mid 1800's for children to be listed by their middle names. Jane had two older sisters; Mary Shay born about 1861 and Nancy Shay born about 1863. Since Jane was listed by her middle name, her sisters may be listed also by their middle names. Jane Rebecca Shay was still living with her step mother Rebecca Withrow in 1880. Her step mother was now remarried and using the name Rebecca Peal. She is listed as James' widow in the 1893 Civil War pension record.Sometime between 1880 and 1885, Jane came to live in Sweden Township, Potter County, PA.

I found a large number of Shays living in Sweden Township, but do not know where Jane fits in. They are likely distant relatives and that's how she ended up there. According to census records, Jane's mother was born in Kentucky and Jane's father was born in Ohio. Scott County, Missouri is on the border of Kentucky. I think Jane Shay's grandparents through her father, who are unknown to me at this time were tied into the Shay family of Potter County. One of them must have migrated over to Ohio where James was born. I have lots of records of the Shay family of Sweden Township...just in case they do fit in. But since I do not have James Shay's parents names...I cannot place the connection at this time.

Jane married William A. Heath on Sep 26, 1885 in Allegany, Potter County, Pennsylvania, son of Nehemiah Park Heath and Katharine Ardley. According to Jane's marriage record at the Potter County Historical Society, Jane was living in Sweden Township in Potter County in 1885. William & Jane settled in Brookland, PA and had 4 children together. Their first son George was born in 1886, their second son William was born in 1888, followed by a third son James in 1891 and finally a daughter Katharine in 1893. Jane passed away in 1898 and the details of her death are a mystery to me. Jane Heath was buried in Fox Hill Cemetery in Ulysses, PA.

My great aunt Charlotte Heath Sofa mentioned once to me that we had American Indian in our blood but I didn't know where that came in. I suspected the Shay side only because I can't trace that side out very much. I now believe it is Jane's maternal Mayberry branch that came from Kentucky.

My uncle Justin Heath has attended a few of the Seeley Family Reunion back in the 1990's in I believe Steuben County, NY. He has shown an interest in attending one again and has recently moved back to Potter County, PA upon his retirement. Last summer, we tried looking up phone numbers for Seeley members that he use to have, but he was unable to locate his address/phone list. I would love to pass on contact information to him and would be interested in any future Seeley family reunions.

While visiting my uncles in Coudersport, PA in 2006, I managed to do lots of research at the Potter County historical society...haha...they were amazed to find a 24 year old so interested in researching genealogy. I guess they usually get older people in retirement that come out to research this. I was a recent college grad with a lot of time on my hands and a big history buff...I decided I had read enough American biographies on famous people and it was time to research my own ancestors. I have made this a big hobby of mine.

This past Thanksgiving, my uncle Justin gave my mother two family heirlooms from the Heath side...a Remington Rifle (circa 1873) and a Elgin packet watch (circa 1882) that still works that had both belonged to William Heath and passed down to his son George Heath.

My grandmother was Dorotha Heath Lane and my mother is Paula Lane Floryan. I guess that makes us second cousins, once removed. I have much of the Heath Ancestry traced out. I look forward to hearing from you again.