Mountain Laurel & Coal

Today would have been my Nana's 100th birthday! Ruth Elaine Brown was born June 17, 1921, in Fayette City, PA, the second daughter of Isaac and Mary Balsis Brown. I remember her as a devoted and caring grandmother, who would do anything for her family.  She also had a strong and lovely singing voice. She sang when she washed the dishes and she sang when she folded laundry. She also sang beautiful old-time hymns in the church choir. When she was a young woman she attended the Clarksville Christian Church, where she met and fell head over heels in love with a handsome young man named Forest Vance Ross. They eloped and made their home in Clarksville, PA, where they raised three children: Kenneth Isaac, Forrest Wayne, and Janet Lea Ross. She was the matriarch of our family and her home was the gathering place for picnics, Christmas Eve dinners, Thanksgiving feasts, and plain old Sundays. Things just haven't been the same since she passed away on December 8, 2014, at the age of 93. ...

On October 16, 1908, my Great Grandfather Harry E. Phillians was visiting Connellsville, Pa. when he sent this post card to his future wife Miss Olivia M. Horner of Millsboro, Washington County, Pa.  I have a whole box of letters he wrote to her during their courtship. He was a widow from Delaware, Ohio who was in southwestern Pennsylvania looking for work as a barber. She was what they called, in the day, an Old Maid, who spent her days caring for her father George W. Horner of Millsboro. They married on January 28, 1909, in the Central Presbyterian Church in South Brownsville. He was 32 and she was 39. I will write more about these two at another time, but for now, enjoy this post card and the message H.E.P sent to Olive to let her know that he was all right and settling in Connellsville for the time being. My maternal ancestral line to Harry and Olivia Horner Phillians: 1. Randi Lee Ross 2. Roberta Lee Phillians 3. George Harry Phillians 4. Olivia Horner & Harry E. Phillians...

Here’s a lovely photograph of my Great Grandmother Mary Brown holding on to her friend Leota Nyswaner of Clarksville, Pa. I'm guessing this photo was taken in the 1950s. Leota was a dear lady who lived on Market Street, just a block from the home of Mary and her husband Isaac and my Grandparents Forest Vance and Ruth Brown Ross.  When we were young, my friends and I would visit Leota at her little house often. She would invite us in, give us treats, and tell us stories.  She told me about the day she sat with my Grandmother and helped deliver my father, Wayne Ross, who was born at home on August 13, 1942. She was very proud of this, but I was too young to think about asking any questions. Was she a midwife? Did my grandmother have a difficult time? Did the birth take a long time? Was my dad a big baby? Nope, I didn't ask a thing. I was about 7 years old, so I was probably thinking, “Wow, that’s interesting, Mrs. Nyswaner. May I have another cookie, please?”  I also rememb...

It just didn’t make sense that Tim’s grandmother would have neglected to buy a headstone to mark her mother’s grave. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the case. In September 2020, my daughter Abby and I took the dogs for a ride and stopped by the Holy Resurrection Orthodox Cemetery on Ridge Road in Centerville, PA to look for the grave of Maria Kricsfalussy Postic Paroda, the mother of Tim's grandmother Julia Marodi. We found Julia's grave and the graves of his grandfather Alex Marodi, and uncles Mike and George Marodi. We even found his father’s second grave. (Yes, second grave - keep reading.) Then, not too far away, were the graves of some members of the Paroda family. Maria had married Charles Paroda after the death of her first husband and these were the descendants of that union. We poked around, but we didn’t find the grave of Maria or Charles Paroda. This bothered me because the records I had indicated that they had been buried in this cemetery. Tim's grandmother...

Forest Vance & Ruth Elaine Brown Ross with their sons  Forrest Wayne and Kenneth Isaac Ross Eighty-four years ago today, on April 28, 1937, my Grandparents Forest Vance Ross and Ruth Elaine Brown traveled 90 miles from Clarksville, Pa. to Cumberland, Md., to get married. They were young and in love and I’m sure it was a lovely day for a drive! Ruth’s sister Margaret and Vance’s friend Mike Barnek went along to serve as witnesses.  Elopement must have been the thing to do back then, and apparently it was easier to get married in Maryland than in Pennsylvania. Twenty-six years later my parents went to Lavale, Md. to tie the knot. My maternal grandparents George and Blanche Shipley Phillians drove a little further east on their wedding day and said their vows in Hagerstown, Md.  My grandmother told me a sweet story about how my grandfather wanted to name my aunt April when she was born. Grandma didn’t care for the name, so she dismissed the suggestion and they chose the ...

Tucked in with my mother's belongings was this original drawing of a coal miner by artist Frank Melega of Brownsville, Pa. He gave it to her in January of 1996.  I have always appreciated Mr. Melega's work, because he was able to capture the toils and hardships of the life of the coal miners. Mr. Melega's son, who was also named Frank, was my art teacher at Jefferson-Morgan High School.  Click here to learn more about Frank Melega and his art. by Randi Ross Marodi - randileeross@gmail.com

Family tree research is a mixture of learning, research, inspiration, organization, organization, and while we're at it, more organization.  I’ve been collecting letters, obituaries, photographs, vital records, and newspaper clippings for over 40 years. I also have notes scribbled in dozens of notebooks here and there.  A few weeks ago, I decided it was time to organize everything, so I bought this box and created a file for individuals in my family. It’s a start.  My plan is to use these files to write about people in my family (ancestors and relatives who have passed) and share this information with others who may be interested. It’s overwhelming, so I’m going to just go with what inspires me at the moment - to not over-analyze it. I just want to see where it goes: a snippet here, a photo there, a newspaper clipping or two. Hopefully, this box of files will help me find what I need when I want it. I also think I’m going to have to buy some more boxes. by Randi Ross Maro...