William Hunsinger and Cornelia Holsizer

Pictures and Information from grand daughter, Alice (Smith) Teichert

William Hunsinger was born August 6th, 1846. Lived in Rock Glen, Pennsylvania. Married first to "an indian" and had two boys named Ezra and Ira. He left his family and moved to Effort, Pennsylvania where he changed his name to "Smith". He married a second time to Cornelia Holsizer? Their children were Herbert, Lizzie, Annie, Cora, and Minnie.
William died December 1, 1906 in Effort, Pennsylvania. Cornelia died March 16, 1928 in Effort, Pennsylvania.

Photo of William, about 1885

Herbert Washington Smith was born November 13, 1886 in Effort Pensylvania. He met Mary Estella Green

while she was working at Hotel 57, Trachsville, Pennsylvania at a dance. They were married and lived at Wild Creek, PA (near Leighton), housekeeping in a small house. Sphener was born there, about 1903. William, the second child died when only about 6 months old. Stanley, Alvin, Verdie, and Alice were their other children.

Photo of Cornelia, about 1895

Photo of Herbert, about 1910

Notes added by Ray Parsons:
1.For an excellent account of the Hunsinger family history see the book (346 pages, hardback) "Johann Georg Huntzinger/Hunsinger, Sons George and Bernard of Eastern Pennsylvania, Some of Their Descendants" by Jean Hunsinger Burr (P.O. Box 128, St. James City, FL 33956), published 1996 by Genealogy Publishing Service,(537 Beasley Mine Road, Franklin, NC 28734 ), Library of Congress Cat Card No. 96-77733.

2.The Spring 2002 issue of the Huntzinger/Hunsinger Family Association contained the following article by Dick Hunsinger:
"...William Washington Hunsinger, a most interesting and difficult case to figure out as it involved several families. I received an obit for a Miss Harriet Hunsinger, about 16 years of age that drowned in the Tioga River on June 5, 1930. It stated she was the daugher of Mr. & Mrs. Ezra Hunsinger of Tioga, PA. I had only 1 Ezra in Tioga so I put her as the daughter of Ezra Burton Hunsinger. Several months ago I received a letter from one of Ezra's granddaughters stating the family knew nothing about this Harriet. I started going thru census records, etc. and found nothing. Could Ezra have been Harriet's father's middle name? I went through Hunsingers with the middle name of Ezra from that time frame and found David Ezra born April 26, 1864. David Ezra the son of William Washington Hunsinger. The 1920 Tioga Co., PA Census, David (53) appears with wife Anna(43) and one child Harriet (6). This is our little Harriet that drowned. David Ezra appears as David/and/or Ezra in many places. I did not have much information on Washington either. I received an inquiry from the husband of his gr-grandaughter (Mary Louise Smith Parsons) stating that history passed down said William's first wife was an Indian, they had two children, Ezra and Ira. I began digging. The 1850 census of Black Creek Twp., Luzerne Co., PA - William appears as one of the childrern living with parents David (1821-1885) and Elizabeth Hunsinger as Washington, age 6. In the 1860 census, same place, he is listed as Wm. W. age 15. William W. or Washington, he is one and the same person. Records have been found showing first wife was Maria Schwenk, who I doubt was indian. Married her between 1863-64, baptism records found of 2 children, David and Jacob. David is the above David Ezra. William for unknown reasons left Maria and moved to Effort, Chestnut hill twp, Monroe Co, PA. There he changed his name to William Smith, and became a store operator and was a huckster. While at the store, he met Cornelia Holzier, whom he married about 1875-6. The 1880 census of Chestnut Hill, Monroe County, PA shows William and Cornnelia Smith with daughter Elmira age 3 and son William, age 2. The 1870 census of Union Twp.,Schuylkill Co., PA first wife Mary Hunsinger age 27 appears with son David E. age 6 and Jacob M age 2, living in the household of her father Jacob Schwenk. This indicated William had already left her by then. He next appears in the 1880 census with wife Cornelia. He had 5 children by second marriage, all going by Smith. No records or mention of a divorce from first wife. Have not seen mention of him in 1900 records yet. Majority of information provided by William's gr-grandaughter, Mary Louise (Smith) Parsons. Any instances of name changes please let me know. ---Dick Hunsinger"

Note March 18, 2007 from Cara McCormick, [email protected]
-----My Great Grandfather is Ezra Hunsinger; my grandmother is his daughter, Martha; and my father is her only son, Clark Hughes. I have a brother and sister and we all have children � teenagers and what fun that is!! I also have two other half siblings.
I read that William changed his name to Smith and relocated. Ezra kept diaries for nearly all of his life and I have a number of them in my possession. Today, I decided to pull out some of the old papers that I hadn�t looked at in years and found written on the first several pages what is probably the reason why William relocated. Ezra wrote �My father to shun the civil war went to Canada . When the war was over he came back. War troubles still against him and he went again.� He also wrote, �I was around 4 years old my father run a butcher shop. I used to mimic him butchering on my cloth with wooden sticks.� Ezra writes that his mother met a man from Tioga Co when he was 8 and she moved to Mitchell Creek . So, it sounds like she knew William wasn�t coming back by then.

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