US Army – Tuscarawas County Stories

Fallen Heroes: Staff Sergeant Joseph A. Pancheri

Altered image of American soldiers standing on the deck of a troop transport ship during World War Two.

Joseph Pancheri’s life, marked by dedication to his family and country, ended tragically during one of World War II’s most devastating and long-concealed maritime disasters. Severino Pancheri (1893–1957) immigrated from an Italian speaking territory in Austria in 1913, arriving in New York harbor on March 23 that year aboard the SS Niagara. Severino initially settledContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Staff Sergeant Joseph A. Pancheri”

Fallen Heroes: Private John T. Miller

Image from article on the 24th Medical Battalion, Korean War

This fallen soldier, who’s job was to provide comfort and aid to his fellow soldiers, was the first from his conflict to be returned home to his loved ones for burial. He was, of course, not the last. Nicholas Miller (1814-1900) and his wife Catherine (1809-1892) immigrated with their seven children, aged from newborn toContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private John T. Miller”

Fallen Heroes: Private William Border

There are many soldiers who train as medics or corpsman so that they can aid their fellow soldiers wounded in the heat of battle. Unfortunately, in this case, one of those trained soldiers never had the chance. The Border family can trace their Tuscarawas County roots back to the arrival of Christopher Border (1800-1856) andContinue reading “Fallen Heroes: Private William Border”

Russell Lowell Shively: Clean Living and a Cheerful Disposition

One of my mantras is that every person, historical or living, has a story to tell us. Occasionally, just to remind myself of that, I look for a random person in a historical record and dive into their life to discover their story. The other day I found myself virtually leafing through the 1913 NewContinue reading “Russell Lowell Shively: Clean Living and a Cheerful Disposition”

A Document Unlocks a Life: Francis McManus

When conducting family history research sometimes a single document holds the key that unlocks an ancestor’s story that otherwise has been forgotten. Just such a document revealed itself while I was conducting research into the history of my great-grandmother Elnor Josephine McManus’s (1890-1975) family. This document, concerning her brother Francis (Frank) McManus’s (1886-1935) admittance toContinue reading “A Document Unlocks a Life: Francis McManus”