Emma Martin was daughter of James Frederick Martin and Eliza Jane (Lowmiller) Plank Martin. Emma was born 19 September 1873 in Pennsylvania.

Emma had six sisters including:



Katherine "Kate" (Martin) Schoper (Born 14 December 1867 in Pennsylvania. She had two husbands, the first one being a Willard Schoper. She and Mr. Schoper reared Kate's niece, Florena, who was the biological daughter of Kate's sister, Emma Martin, and a Mr. Sherman. Kate and Willard Schoper also had a son. We have two photographs of Kate's second husband, but don't know his name yet.)

Carry Martin (I'm confused about Carry. We have a birthdate of 05 November 1869 in Pennsylvania for her, which would make her younger than Kate. But, my grandmother told me that Carry was the daughter of Eliza Jane (Lowmiller) and her first husband, Mr. Plank. Similarly, my great-grandmother, Nannie Martin Routh, described herself as the 7th daughter, so it is likely that this 05 November 1869 birthdate was for another daughter that we have not yet identified, with Carry actually being older than Kate. We do know that Carry had poor health and became obese and bedfast, so that her caretakers had to use sheets to turn her in bed.)

Elizabeth "Lizzy" (Martin) Schaefer Eckard (Born 01 March 1871 in Pennsylvania. Lizzy first married Peter Dorman Schaefer and they had children including Leo D. Schaefer, Violet Schaefer, and Olive Schaefer. After Peter Dorman Schaefer's death, Lizzy next married William H. Eckard.)



Sarah Jane "Sadie" (Martin) Shuey (Born 31 October 1875 in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Married to Oscar Clyde Shuey in Pennsylvania. Mother of Sara Elizabeth (Shuey) Mabry, Grace Shuey, Oscar Clyde Shuey Jr., Margaret "Peggy" (Shuey) Denman, Frederick James Shuey, Edith Catherine (Shuey) Polson Moll, and John Shuey. Sarah died 23 April 1956 in California.)

Nannie (Martin) Routh (Born 22 January 1877 in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Married 11 March 1907 to Simon Elias Routh in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Mother of Velva Delilah "Jean" (Routh) Houghton, Elda Elizabeth (Routh) Eddleman, and Lawrence Routh. Nannie died 19 August 1955 in Bloomington, Monroe County, Indiana. Nannie is buried at Greene County Chapel Cemetery, Greene County, Indiana, just across the county line from Stanford, Monroe County, Indiana.)

Jesse (Martin) Thalbo (Born 31 August 1886 in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Married to Tony Thalbo, and the mother of Mary Thalbo.)




Emma Martin had one younger brother:


John Henry Martin (Born 18 October 1883 in Blair County, Pennsylvania. Married to Lewetta M. Gibbs and Sadie Striker. John was father of Grace Pauline Martin, Violet Mary Martin, and James LeRoy Martin. John Henry MARTIN married his second wife, Sadie STRIKER, on 18 October 1928 in Los Angeles County, California.)

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Emma (Martin) Sweeny and a Mr. Sherman were the biological parents of Florena Elizabeth (Sweeney) Vaught. who was raised for some years as the daughter of Emma's sister, Kate. Mr. Sherman and Emma wanted to get married, but Mr. Sherman's father objected to the marriage. The elder Mr. Sherman was an unusual man who hid in tobacco cans money that he earned from selling grain, even though his wife discretely watched him hide the cans and later retrieved the money for herself. Although Mr. Sherman was never able to retrieve the money for himself, he continued to use this method of hiding it.



This is photo of beautiful young Florena Elizabeth (Sweeney) Vaught, the daughter born out-of-wedlock to Emma Martin and a Mr. Sherman.

Click on image to see larger photo of Florena.






This is a photo of Florena as a beautiful young girl, shown with her foster mother / aunt Katherine "Kate" (Martin) Schoper.

Click on image to see larger photo of Florena and Kate.

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Florena Elizabeth (Sweeney) Vaught is the pretty young woman sitting on the car's running board.
Standing beside Florena is Florena's birth mother, Emma (Martin) Sweeney.
Florena is holding her youngest son, Richard Kelly Vaught.
Florena's other son, Paul Martin Vaught, is standing beside Emma.


Click on small photo to see large photo!

----- CREDIT: Randy Vaught (My third cousin, Randy is a grandson of Florena Elizabeth Sweeney Vaught.)

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Emma later married George Hartman Sweeney and was the mother of at least two more children, including Mabel Sweeny. Mabel Sweeny married August "Gus" Hacker. See their photo below.

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Mabel (Sweeney) Hacker is the woman in the darkest coat.
The tallest man is her husband, August "Gus" Hacker.
With them are their four children: Jr., Ruth, David and Nancy


Click on small photo to see large photo!

----- CREDIT: Randy Vaught (My third cousin, Randy is a grandson of Florena Elizabeth Sweeney Vaught.)

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Elizabeth "Lizzy" (Martin) Schaeffer Eckard (left) with her sister, Emma (Martin) Sweeney.


Click on small photo to see large photo!

----- CREDIT: Randy Vaught (My third cousin, Randy is a grandson of Florena Elizabeth Sweeney Vaught.)

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Emma (Martin) Sweeney and dog enjoy a boat ride during her later years.


Click on small photo to see large photo!

----- CREDIT: Randy Vaught (My third cousin, Randy is a grandson of Florena Elizabeth Sweeney Vaught.)

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A photograph of George Hartman Sweeney and Emma (Martin) Sweeney in their later years.


Click on small photo to see large photo!

----- CREDIT: Randy Vaught (My third cousin, Randy is a grandson of Florena Elizabeth Sweeney Vaught.)

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We also have photographs of Emma (Martin) Sweeney's parents:


• James Frederick Martin and Eliza Jane (Lowmiller) Plank Martin


And, we have photographs of several of Emma's siblings:


• Kate (Martin) Schoeper, with Florena
• Lizzy (Martin) Schaefer Eckard and Jesse (Martin) Thalbo
• Nannie (Martin) Routh
• Sarah "Sadie" Jane (Martin) Shuey
• Sarah "Sadie" Jane (Martin) Shuey
• John Henry Martin



Emma Martin grew up in the Martin home in Carson Valley, in south central Pennsylvania. This valley is at the foot of the Allegheny Mountains, which are a section of the Appalachian mountain system. Gallitzin, Pennsylvania was 6 miles from the Martin home. Gallitzin is in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, near the border with Blair County, Pennsylvania. The Martin farm was, however, in Allegheny Township, near Duncansville, in Blair County, Pennsylvania. (Click on map to see larger map, with "X" showing location of the Martin farm.)

The Martin home in Carson Valley was called a 2-story home, but it also had an attic on the 3rd floor, which was used as additional living space by the large family. It was a well-built and large log home. The property was marked with a fence and gate. A path from the house led to the "john," or outhouse. At night, an oil lamp was used to find one's way to the outhouse.

The Martin family had a covered bridge down hill from their home. The family loved this covered bridge. Cold preservation of foods was accomplished by natural means. The family had a spring house built over the mountain stream, affectionately calling it, "Old Nabby." The reason for this name is not now known. They set containers of milk, cheese and butter in the stream, using stones to secure the food in the stream of cold water that flowed down from the Allegheny Mountains.

Wasting food was intolerable because of the laborious efforts required to secure enough food for the large Mountain family. On one occasion, the Martin children entered into a conspiracy of secrecy so that their parents, James & Eliza, would not know that a large barrel of molasses had been contaminated. James and Eliza had been gone for a few days to a soldiers' encampment meeting. The Martin children had friends staying with them during their parents' absence, having a "high old time." Inadvertently, someone left the lid off of the mollasses and a dead mouse was later discovered in the syrup by the Martin children. The Martin children removed the mouse, but subsequently "lost their taste" for the molasses so enjoyed by James, Eliza and their guests.

Although usually occupied with the business of farming, young Emma's family participated in the social events in their mountain community during Nannie's childhood. Social gatherings often included festive activities like cake walks. The Martins were introduced to Spring-time mushroom (morel) hunting by their neighbors. In colder weather, the Martin's joined their mountain neighbors for ice skating on frozen ponds, sleigh rides in the snow, bonfires and winter feasts.

The Martin family took "the second pass of the mountains" to visit friends on other farms, so that rigorous travel by wagon and on foot was required for the Martins to maintain the social contacts so important in their lives.

Education was very important in Emma's family of origin. Both public and school spelling bees were social events for the entire family. Children sometimes learned the spelling of words rhythmically, swaying as they sang the spelling of words. Church was also an important part of the Martin family social life. Emma and her siblings were musical and between them played many musical instruments.

Holidays were especially festive times for Emma's family. In warm weather, the family joined with neighboring farmfamilies in cooperative harvesting with shared dinners and picnics. Picnics and rallies were especially common on holidays, such as the fourth of July. Christmas was celebrated with gifts and special foods. The very atmosphere of Carson Valley prompted thoughts of traditional Christmas in the winter. The Martins rode in horse-drawn sleighs to the literal sound of 'jingle bells' across the mountain snow. Their visits were warmly received by neighbors who wrapped heated bricks for the sleigh voyagers to warm their feet.


Emma (Martin) Sweeny's niece, Elda Elizabeth (Routh) Eddleman, offers the following account of a 1913 Christmas season visit to the home of her Aunt Emma:



Mama wanted to go to Aunt Emma's and Uncle George's next because when Mama was young, and they lived on the farm, they were only six miles away, and she visited them often. It was much like her second home, so to Duncansville we went. Every greeting brought a flooding of tears, but Sis and I were getting used to them, and we knew that after the tears ceased to flow, their hearts would overflow with happiness, and that every visit was like a medicine to Mama!

Aunt Emma and Uncle George had three children -- two of our cousins were home, and one cousin was away in College. Though our cousins were in their teens, they were very loving with us, and Sis and I enjoyed being with them. We stayed a little over two weeks. Happy times always pass too quickly, but Mama said we just had to spend some time with Aunt Lizzie and Aunt Kate; so, our next trip was to Altoona.


Emma (Martin) Sweeny's husband, George Sweeny, was a close friend of Reed Huntington, the man who had courted Emma's sister, Nannie Martin, before Nannie married Simon Elias Routh. Reed and Nannie continued to have feelings for each other -- Nannie always saved his letters to her. George Sweeny always told Reed when Nannie was visiting Emma in Pennsylvania, so that Reed could call on Nannie. George would declare to Nannie, "There's someone out on the walk to see you." Nannie and Reed would then greet each other outside with a hug.

SOURCES


• Many of these charming accounts, and the wonderful photographs, were provided by Emma's niece, Elda Elizabeth (Routh) Eddleman, who lived 1910-1999. (My grandmother)
  
  
• Many of these remarkable photographs and family facts were kindly provided by Emma's nephew, James "Jim" Leroy Martin, who was born 23 February 1926 in California. -- Thanks, Jim!
  
  
• Further information and photographs were kindly provided by Florena's grandson and Emma's great-grandson, Randy Vaught. (My third cousin) ------ Thanks, Randy!