William Irwin Graham (1833-1908) Introduction

For many-many years I thought I was a Graham. That my great grandfather, William Graham, was born to Wiliam Graham and Mary Oliver.

Beginning around 2010 I began to think I might not be a Graham. Then in 2014 I did a "Y" DNA test, and sure enough. No Graham names.

So, here I am in 2023, after a DNA genealogical analysis, and locating some key documents, I'm writing about my great grandfather's adopted Graham family name.

For years I thought this family were my Graham family roots, and I spent years researching them and writing papers about, what is now, my adopted Graham family.

-- This is my DNA Report.

-- Here is William Irwin Graham’s research paper.

-- Also his parents, John Graham and Lydia Devore, research paper, and John's brother, Robert Graham and his wife Ann Devore research paper.

-- Better yet go the the families directory. This directory has all the supporting data, images, of every record.

William Irwin Graham (1833-1908) Family

William Irwin Graham was born April 30th 1833 to John Graham and Lydia Devor in present day Jackson Township, Perry County Pennsylvania.

-- Other researchers think William enlisted in the Civil War, but he did not. His cousin, his father's brother, Robert Graham's son, William A. Graham, enlisted in the Pennsylvania 77th Infantry Regiment Company D.

--  William A. Graham was in the same unit as his cousin David Howard Graham.


William Irwin Graham 1st married Mary Oliver about 1858. She was born February 8th 1842 to Frederick Oliver and Catherine Smith in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

-- On August 9th 1850 Fredrick Oliver lived with his wife Catherine in East Pennsboro Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Oliver was a laborer, 50 years old (b, 1800), and Catherine was 28 years old (b. 1822).

-- Catherine Smith-Oliver was a key breack through in my research. This is her research paper.

-- I also recommend reading the Mary Oliver research paper, and visit her family directory, and her mother's directory.


By 1860, Mary's parents were located near McClay's Mill, in the Newburg area of Hopewell Township.

William and Mary, lived next door to her parents Fredrick and Catherine in 1860 Southampton Franklin County Shippensburg Pennsylvania post office area.

William and his family lived most of his adult life in the Shippensburg area, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

He was a fence maker, and copper (barrel maker), and a sexton at the Grace Reformed Church in Shippensburg.

Mary Oliver died August 24th 1874, age 33 years, 6 months 16 days. Mary was laid to rest in the Spring Hill Cemetery, Section 4.2 Shippensburg Cumberland County.

-- Died, Graham – In Shippensburg Township, August 24th 1874, Mrs. Mary, wife of Wm. Graham, age 32 years, 6 months 16 days.


Very shortly after Mary died, William began a relationship with the widow, Mrs. Mary Sophia Culbertson, of Shippensburg, who had a one year, 2 month, old son, William Culbertson.

On July 18th 1875, William Irwin Graham married Mary Sophia Culbertson. The ceremony was performed by Mr. Brickey, Minister of the Gospel, and witnessed by Samuel Larkon and Richard Devor and wife.

-- Mary's maiden name is Mary Sophia Hildebrand, who was born February 17th 1842 to John and Mary Hildebrand in the Stony Point area of Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

-- Mary was 1st married to John Nearon on October 20th 1861 in Centerville, Cumberland County, by Reverend A. L. Guss.


--  This is an affidavit made by Mary S. Graham, attesting to her maiden name, her birth date and place of birth, her marriage to John Nearon, and setails on her marraige to William Irwin Graham.

-- John and Mary had a child, Carrie Odessa Nearon who was born in 1865, but died in 1866 from his Civil War service.


-- By 1870 Mary and Carrie lived with John and Margaret D. Weary, where Mary was a housekeeper in New Kingston, Middlesex Township, Cumberland County.

-- Then on December 19th 1871 Mary S. Nearon of Middlesex married Samuel B. R Culbertson of Middlesex, in New Kingston, Middlesex Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. The ceremony was performed by W. W. Wanbaugh. Witnessed by David H. Wanbbaugh and John A. Linsdorf.

-- My great grandfather, William, was born September 12th 1873 in the Walnut Bottom area of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

-- Samuel deserted Mary, married Julia Nonemaker, and went off to Stark County, Ohio, where they had two children. Samuel can't be found after 1880. His new wife, and kids, returned to Huntington County, Pennsylvania.


On June 24th 1877, William and his 2nd wife, Mary, Graham's first daughter, Mary Florence Graham, was born.

On May 19th 1888, Mary S. Graham, Mary Florence, Clara Zora, and Gertrude Viola were baptized at the German Reformed Church in Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.

Where's my great grandfather,William?

By 1900 William and Mary lived at 232 East Main Street, and by 1905 the family lived on Queen Street, Shippensburg.

While living at queen Street, in 1906, Gertrude would died from Tuberculosis (Consumption). After which the family moved again to Fort Street in Shippensburg, where on July 30th 1908, after several weeks of suffering from dysentery, William died at 75 year s old Thursday evening, in his home on Fort Street, Shippensburg.

William was laid to rest in the Spring Hill Cemetery, Section 4.2, Shippensburg, Cumberland County.

After William died, Mary and her daughter Clara lived at 340 King Street in the east ward of Shippensburg.

By 1916 Clara died at the Harrisburg State Hospital from Pulmonary Tuberculosis. Mary then moved in with her daughter Mary (Florence) Stevick at 3 North Earl Street in the west ward of Shippensburg Pennsylvania.

In 1921 Florence died, and Mary went to live with her son, William Culbertson, outside of Shippensburg in Mongul Southampton Township Franklin County Pennsylvania.

While living with her son, of Mongul, Mary died from the effects of a stroke and paralysis on February 3rd 1921. She was laid to rest February 5th 1921 next to William in the Spring Hill Cemetery, Section 4.2 Shippensburg Cumberland County.

Here's where I feel compeled to show some obituaries from the William Graham family members. Their importance in determing my great grandfather's birth name, were key in understanding who knew about his adopted Graham name.

Just who referred to my great grandfather as a Culbertson or Graham, was interesting. Of course ir depended on who provided the information for the record, transcribed from a close relative, husband or wife, a parent, or siblings.

This is another good reason to visit Mary Hildrebrandt's family directory, and William Graham's directory to see the many census, news articles, death certificates, and obituary records.

All records, especially the obituaries, helped determine my greatgrandfather's relationship to the William Graham family.

-- On Gertrude's 1906 obituary, my great grandfather was referred to as William Culbertson. I suspect Mary was the informant on the obituary.

On William Graham's 1908 obituary, my great grandfather was not mentioned, but Mary's madien Hildebrand name, and her Culbertson marraige, and name were. I suspect William's brother, John Devore Graham was the informant, as he was on William's death certificate.

-- On Clara's 1916 obituary, my great grandfather referred to as William of Lurgan, (in 1916 my great grandfather lived near Lurgan). I suspect Mary was the informant on the obituary.

-- Then on Florence Stevick's 1916 obituary, my great grandfather was referred to as "a step-brother William Graham of Mongul". I suspect her husband, William Stevick, was the informant on the obituary, as he was on her death certificate.

My great grandfather would have been a half-brother to Florence; they both were children of Mary.


William Graham and Mary Oliver had the following children.

i. William Albert Graham was born 1858, and was baptized May 14th 1859, at the Middle Springs Presbyterian Church by Reverend I.N. Hays, in Southampton Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

William may have died sometime after his brother Harry was born in 1866, and before the August 27th 1870 federal census was taken.

ii. Annie Catherine Graham (1860-1921). She married Edward Tobias Agle.

iii. John Harry Graham (1866-1897). He married Hadassah (Dessie) Reath.

iv. Cora Ann Graham (1869-1950). Cora married John Wennell, and then to John E. Geistwhite.


William Irwin Graham and Mary Sophia Hildebrand had three children.

i. Mary Florence Graham (1876-1921). She married William Stevick in 1895.

ii. Clara Zora Graham was born February 16th 1878. She never married, and died at the age of 36 on April 21st 1916 of Tuberculosis (Consumption), at the Harrisburg State Hospital, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

--  Clara was buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery Section 4.2, Shippensburg.

iii. Gertrude (Gertie) Viola Graham was born 1880. She worked at the Egg Crate factory in Shippensburg.

--  Gertie became ill with consumption in February 1905, and steadily grew worse since November 1905.

--  Gertie never married, and was 26 years old when she died June 18th 1906 of Tuberculosis (Consumption) at her parent's home on Queen Street Shippensburg.

--  She was buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery Section 4.2, Shippensburg.

Annie Catherine Graham (1860-1921) Family

Annie Catherine Graham was born September 16th 1860 to William Graham and Mary Oliver in the Shippensburg Post Office area of Southampton Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. She went by the name Catherine.

Annie married Edward Tobias Agle October 18th 1877.

-- Edward was born June 20th 1854 to Jacob Agle (1827-1863) and Regina Waltrick in Shippensburg Pennsylvania.

-- Edward and his brother, Abner, attended the White Hall soldiers' orphans' school in Camp Hill Cumberland County Pennsylvania. They enrolled on September 3rd 1866, and were discharged January 9th 1869.


Annie and Edward lived in Shippensburg, where he was a plasterer by trade, and was in business with his brother Abner Agle of Shippensburg.

Since 1886 he and Annie were members of the Shippensburg Church of God. Annie couldn't read or write.

In 1900 Annie's maternal grandmother, Catherine Thrush, lived with the Angle family in Shippensburg.

-- Here's a Catherine and Edward Angle photo, and a close up of Edward, and Catherine.


In 1916 the Agle family moved from Shippensburg Cumberland County to Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. By 1920 Edward and Annie are living with their daughter Mary Agle-Snoke in Harrisburg Pennsylvania.

Annie Catherine Graham-Agle was 61 years old when she died November 30th 1921 at the home of her daughter Mary C. Agle-Snoke of Harrisburg.

Her funeral services were held at her home on Friday December 2nd, conducted by her pastor, T.M. Funk, and assisted by her former pastor Rd. I.A. MacDannald of Mt. Joy, and Dr. Houck of Harrisburg.

Annie was laid to rest in the East Harrisburg Cemetery, Harrisburg Dauphin County Pennsylvania.

Edward Agle died when he was 68 years old, Tuesday 4:30 P.M. November 7th 1922 at his daughters, Mary Agle-Snoke's home located at 523 Seneca Street Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

His The funeral services were held at his home on Friday afternoon, November 10th 1922, at 1:30 o'clock, the Rev. T. M. Funk of the First Church of God, officiating.

Edward was laid to rest in next to his wife in the East Harrisburg Cemetery, Harrisburg Dauphin County Pennsylvania.

Annie and Edward Agle had four children.

i. Regina Agle was born 1879. She married Harry G. Seitz and in 1922 lived in Harrisburg Pennsylvania.

ii. Clarence E. Agle who was born September 1882. He married Dessie Haney on November 14th 1903 in Harrisburg Dauphin County Pennsylvania. Dessie was born in 1882 to William and Buelah Haney.

iii. Cora A. Agle was born May 1891. She married Lawrence B. McCaleb and in 1922 lived in Enola, Cumberland County Pennsylvania.

iv. Mary C. Agle was born February 1894. She married Irvin C. Snoke on December 19th 1912 in Shippensburg Franklin County Pennsylvania. In 1910 and 1920 they lived in Ward 10 of Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Irvin was born about 1890 to Clarence Snoke in Pennsylvania. Irvin is a contractor carpenter.

-- In 1930 Mary and Irvin lived in East Pennsboro, and by 1940 they lived in Ward 4, Penbrook, Penbrook Borough, Dauphin, Pennsylvania. When their daughters married, the family lived at 2725 Butler Street, Penbrook Dauphin County Pennsylvania.

-- Mary and Irvin Snoke children are.


a. Jean C. Snoke who was born June 1917. She married Paul Henry Lauver on August 24th 1940 in Penbrook Borough, Dauphin Pennsylvania. Paul was born in 1918 to Henry E. Lauver and Lottie Mae Ploregh.

b. Dorothy Lucille Snoke was born 1924. She married Ralph Willard Hamm on September 20th 1947 in Penbrook Dauphin County Pennsylvania. Ralph was born to Conrad Hamm and Dora E. Mantzly.


John Harry Graham (1866-1897) Family

John Harry Graham was born 1866 to William Graham and Mary Oliver in the Shippensburg area of Pennsylvania. John went by the name Harry.

-- Harry’s descendants believe his name is Harry Albert Graham, which is based on two sources of the time, where the information would have been provided by Harry’s wife, Dessie. I believe Harry Albert is not his correct name.

--  Two sources suggest his name is John Harry Graham; His name is J. Harry Graham on his memeorial card, and in his obituary.


Harry married Hadassah Reath April 30th 1891 in the village of Scotland, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. She was known as Dessie, and her family lived in Scotland, were she was born December 28th 1866 to William Reath and Nancy Eversole (Ebersole) in Scotland Franklin County Pennsylvania.

-- Dessie's parents were William F. Reath who was born April 1833 in Maryland, and her mother died before April 1891. Her sister was Rosetta S. Reath, who was born September 1874 in Scotland area Franklin County, Pennsylvania.


These are photos of Harry as a young boy, and Harry as a young man.

This is Dessie, and her at Lutz’s Pants Factory, sitting in the front row, black dress .

-- Here's Harry's research paper, and the family's geneological paper.

-- This is the family directory.


Harry died March 25th 1897, and is buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery Section 2.3, Shippensburg Pennsylvania.

On February 28th 1908, 41-year-old Dessie was coming home from her job to 46 Penn Street in Shippensburg, when she went to the cellar for a bucket of coal, and suffered a heart attack.

She died in the evening of February 28th 1908. She was laid to rest next to her husband in the Spring Hill Cemetery Section 2.3 Shippensburg.

Harry and Dessie had three children, by 1900 only one was still living.

i. Harry Albert Graham was born December 1894. -- Here's the geneological paper on Harry Graham Jr. which is in two parts; Part-A, and Part-B

Cora Ann Graham (1869-19050)

Cora Ann Graham was born December 8th 1869 to William Graham and Mary Oliver in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

Cora was 24 years old when she married 21 year old William Wennell on June 27th 1895 in Shippensburg Cumberland County Pennsylvania.

-- William was born February 22nd 1873 to George W. Wennell and Mary Ann Grimm in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. William was a steam and pipe fitter.

George was a Civil War Veteran, and at 28 years old he died July 17th 1875, at his residence on Spring Valley Street, between 2nd and 4th Streets, Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.

George was laid to rest in the Mount Kalmia Cemetery, which is present day Harrisburg Cemetery, Harrisburg Pennsylvania.

-- In 1878, Mary Wennel was a dressmaker, and a widow living at 720 Cowden Street Harrisburg Pennsylvania.

In 1904, Cora attended the Methodist Episcopal Church in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, where she gave an offering of $.50 cents.


By 1910 Cora and William would live in Ward 9 in the city of Harrisburg Dauphin County Pennsylvania. After 1910 we lost William.

Sometime prior to the 1910 census, Cora and William separated or divorced, and from 1912-1914 Cora lived with William’s mother, Mrs. Mary A. Wennell, at 26 Balm Street.

From 1915-1916 Cora lived with a Mrs. Wennell and Cora’s daughter, Jean, at 28 North Summit Street. While living there Jean was a clerk in a store.

Shortly after 1916 Cora married John Edward Geistwhite, who was born March 5th 1874 to John H. Geistwhite and Rosey B. Fentzel in Pennsylvania. John was a machinist working for a machine shop in York Pennsylvania.

In 1921, when her mother Mary Graham died, Cora was identified as still living in Harrisburg Pennsylvania.

By 1930 Cora and her husband John lived next door to her daughter Jean Wennel-Garrett.

John Geistwhite was 56 years old when he died June 14th 1930 at his home on Summit Street in Penbrook Dauphin County Pennsylvania.

He was laid to rest June 17th 1930, next to his first wife Minnie, at the Green Mount Cemetery in York Pennsylvania.

After John died Cora moved in with her daughter, Jean Garrett, and her family.

Cora was 80 years old when she died June 24th 1950 while living at 27 Butler Street in Penbrook Dauphin County Pennsylvania.

She was laid to rest June 28th 1950 in the Churchville Cemetery in Oberlin, Dauphin County Pennsylvania.

In 1910 Cora and William had three children, and only one was still living.

i. Jean M. Wennell was born March 24th 1898.

Mary Florence Graham (1876-1921)

Mary Florence Graham was born June 24th 1877 to William Graham and his Mary Sophia Hildebrand in Shippensburg, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Mary also went by the name Florence.

Mary Florence was baptized, along with her mother and sisters, on May 19th 1888 at the German Reformed Church in Shippensburg by Reverend J. David Miller.

Florence married Wilbur J. Stevick in 1894. William was born May 10th 1870 to Jacob M. Stevick and Clara Mull in Franklin County, Pennsylvania.

-- Here's Florences's research paper, and the family directory.


William and Florence moved around a lot while living in Harrisburg.

-- In 1897 William and Florence where boarding at 422 Market Street.

-- Between 1898 and 1900 they were at 101 North 4th Street. -- Between 1901 and 1902 at 31 Balm Street.

-- In 1903 at 1420 North 3rd Street.

-- In 1904 and 1905 they were living at 643 Calder Street.

-- Between 1906 and 1907 thye were in house 9 at 13th Street.

-- In 1908 they were at the rear of house 8 on 13th Street.


Florence was 45 years old when she died July 21st 1921 from cancer of the uterus in Shippensburg. She was laid to rest on July 23rd 1921 in the Spring Hill Cemetery, Section 7.2 Shippensburg.

Wilbur was 52 Years old when he died May 4th 1923 of acute dilation of the heart in Chambersburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He was laid to rest May 7th 1923 with his wife at the Spring Hill Cemetery.

Florence and William had no children.