My great-grandmother, Eleanor (Morrow) Unger was born in Pennsylvania. In 1840, there was a Thomas Morrow on the census in Rockland, Venango County, PA.[1] In 1850, the names of the family that appeared on the U.S. census of Rockland, PA, were consistent with the family names after their move to Minnesota sometime before 1857.[2] On my great-grandmother’s death certificate, her place of birth was only listed as PA and her father was Morrow. (Mother unknown).[3] Her obituary said that she was born in Butler County; however, the family was already in Rockland, Venango County, by 1840. She was born in 1848. (The tick marks on the 1840 census representing the children were consistent with the ages of the children on the 1850 census ten years later.)[4]
Thomas Morrow died in 1863 but his will was not proved until 1914.[5] Someone had sold the farm but it never went through probate; hence, the lag time between his death and the probate record. The names listed on the record were consistent with the names on the other records.
Since the last time that I wrote about this brick wall, one of my DNA matches on Ancestry replied to my message. She also sent her raw DNA to GEDmatch (bless her heart!). She suggested that we might be related through the Douglass family from Slippery Rock, Butler County, PA. Our shared matches who had trees that went back to the early 1800s in Butler County, PA, also had members of the Douglass family. She didn’t explain her supposition but I looked at the 1800 U.S. census and found a William Morrow who lived next to the Andrew Douglass family.[6] Andrew Douglass’ 1805 will included his adult children. His oldest daughter was Ann whose married name was Morrow.[7]
On the 1800 U.S. census, William Morrow had three young sons who were all under ten. On other documents, Thomas Morrow listed his birth year as 1794. Thomas Morrow could certainly have been one of the young boys on the census.
At this point, my evidence does not meet the Genealogical Proof Standard but it’s a start!
[1] 1840 U.S. census, Venango County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Rockland, p. 111, sheet 4, Thomas Morrow household; database with digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 October 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M704, roll 497.
[2] 1850 U.S. census, Venango County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Rockland, p. 72, dwelling 221, family 222, Thomas Morrow household; database with digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 19 July 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 832. Also, 1857 Minnesota Territorial Census, Olmsted County, Minnesota, Town 107, Range 13, dwelling 1034, family 1034, line 32, Thomas Morrow household; database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 October 2020).
[3] Minnesota Death Certificate, Eleanor Unger, 25 March 1922; Dodge County Courthouse, Mantorville, Minnesota.
[4] Mantorville Express, “Elenor Morrow Unger”, 31 March 31, 1922; Dodge County Historical Society, Mantorville, Minnesota. Also, 1840 U.S. census, Venango County, Pennsylvania, Thomas Morrow household. Also, Mantorville Express, “Elenor Morrow Unger”, 31 March 31, 1922
[5] Minnesota, Wills and Probate Records, 1801-1925, Thomas Morrow, case number 3277, probate case file 3263-3282, Olmsted, Minnesota, 3 Jun 1914; database with images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 9 October 2020).
[6] 1800 U.S. census, Butler County, Pennsylvania, population schedule, Slipperyrock, p. 365, Willm Morrow household; database with digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 November 2020); citing NARA microfilm publication M32, roll 36.
[7] Pennsylvania, Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, Butler County, Pennsylvania, 10 Sep 1805, Andrew Douglass; database with digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 14 November 2020).
Noah and Eleanor (Morrow)Family c. 1891[1]
[1] Photo, Noah Unger family, c. 1891, Mantorville, Dodge, MN; privately held by Joan Gates [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Riverside, CA.
