Nancy H. Vest, Writer

Sharing Stories and Wisdom from Generation to Generation

  • Home
  • About Nancy
  • Growing Up Years Journal
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Marking Your Milestones

in Extended Family

52 Ancestors Week 37 – Stewart Heiser, Man vs. Train

Share

My 2nd great uncle, William Stewart HEISER, was born around 1871 in Franklin, Carroll County, Maryland. His parents were Daniel Christopher HEISER (1830-1908) and Susan Matilda CUSHING HEISER (1835-1880).Maryland sign

Stewart, as he was called, was one of seven children born to Dan and Susan. Only 5 children lived to adulthood. One of his brothers, James, I have written about here: James HEISER. Another of his brothers, Joseph, was my great-grandfather.

I don’t much about Stewart’s life. In the 1880 census, Stewart’s family was living in Franklin. His father was a stone mason, his mother kept house as did his oldest sister, Georgianna. His brother, Joseph, was a laborer. Stewart and brother James appear to be in school. The other children were younger still.

Susan died sometime around 1880, but I don’t know what happened to her. I cannot locate any information about it. Dan married Emma Annie PALMER (1857-1916). He was much older than her, as often happened then because of the need for a wife or a husband. Annie, as she was called, had two sons with Dan, born in 1882 and 1884.

The 1890 census is mostly lost due to a fire long ago, so I can’t say anything about Stewart’s life at that time. I imagine that he was a laborer or stone mason, though, and living in the Mt Airy area.

One evening in late January or early February of 1891, Stewart left Watersville about sundown in an intoxicated condition and started up the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad track towards home.Train tracks

According to the The News, ‘he had not proceeded more than few hundred yards before a passing train struck him. All the trains during the night ran over his body.’

The News also said his body was ‘in a horribly mangled condition. Both his legs and arms were cut off, his head severed from the body and the body cut in twain. His remains had to be taken up with a shovel.’

Stewart was buried at Linganore Cemetery in Unionville, Frederick County, Maryland. As far as I know there is no stone for him.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Linganore United Methodist Church and cemetery. Photo from findagrave.com. Click on photo for link.

Stewart was loved by his family so much that his two brothers, Joseph and James, each named a son after him in his memory.

Copyright © 2015 Nancy H. Vest All Rights Reserved

52ancestors-2015

Share
Click here to subscribe to my nearly weekly newsletter and receive a free e-book, Write Your First Life Story Today
« 52 Ancestors Week 36 – Thornwell Grant, war casualty
52 Ancestors Week 38 – John W. Lee, Elite Soldier & Turpentine Farmer »

Trackbacks

  1. 52 Ancestors Week 43 – Daniel C. Heiser: unhappy blended family? | Nancy H Vest, Writer says:
    October 23, 2015 at 7:59 pm

    […] James E. HEISER, Sr. both of whom I’ve written about previously.  Read about them here:  William Stewart Heiser and James E. Heiser, […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe to my nearly weekly newsletter via email and receive a free e-book, Write Your First Life Story Today.

Most Used Tags

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Baltimore Carroll County Chesterfield County Christmas Civil War Columbia Cotton mill farmer Farming Fort Jackson Frederick Frederick County Ft. Jackson grandparents Keeping Grandma Alive Keepsakes Kershaw County Lexington County Marlboro County Maryland Monocacy Cemetery Montgomery County North Carolina Pennsylvania Photos Richland County South Carolina Surname: Burroughs Surname: Davis Surname: Futrell Surname: Grant Surname: Griffin Surname: Heiser Surname: Hillard Surname: Jeffords Surname: Lee Surname: Martin Surname: Price Surname: Pyles Surname: Terry Surname: Thomas Virginia World War 1 World War 2

Archives

Categories

GeneaBloggers

Share:

Share

Copyright © 2023 · Market theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Created and maintained by Bakerview Consulting