David H. Davis and Catherine Annie Harris were married in November 21, 1851 at the Ebenezer Chapel in Blaenavon, Wales. Blaenavon, now a World Heritage Site for its role in the Industrial Revolution, was the site of a major ironworks and coal mine. David Davis worked as a coal miner as did Catherine’s father and five older brothers.
David and Catherine came to America in 1854 and settled in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They had sixteen children and were members of the Welsh Baptist Church.
1.Daughter (-1854) passed away during the transatlantic journey.
2.John Harris Davis (1853-1902) – John was a coal miner/collier. He was born in Wales and came with his parents to Pennsylvania as an infant. In his early 20’s he moved to Butte, Montana and married Laura Sophia Dall and had two children: David William Davis (1883-1939) and John Glynder Davis (1889-1954).
3.Sarah Ann Davis (1857-1920) – Sarah was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She married Frederick Ruscoe of Wellington, Shropshire, England on August 8, 1881 and lived in England for the remainder of her life. Sarah and Frederick had four children: Horatio Colin Ruscoe (1883-), Lilian May Ruscoe (1884-), Harold Garnet Ruscoe (1887-), and Malcolm Clive Ruscoe (1890-1936)
4.Susannah Davis (1859-1949) – Susannah was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She married Charles Schultz of Alliance, Stark County, Ohio sometime around 1881. Susannah died in 1949 of heart disease/chronic myocarditis. Susannah and Charles had seven children: Julia Pearl Schultz (1881-1960), David Charles Schultz (1883-1969), Eva Mae Schultz (1898-1977), Harvey Howard Schultz (1892-1971), Susanna Margaret Schultz (1899-1983), Ellen Catherine Schultz (1901-1905), and Eleanor Lee Schultz (1908-1992).
5.Margaret H Davis (1861-1945) – Margaret is my 2nd great grandmother. She married Henry Hermon Updegraff (1855-1923) on February 24, 1880. They moved to New Castle, Pennsylvania sometime between 1885 and 1889- luckily before the Johnstown Flood that occurred on May 31, 1889. Henry and Margaret were members of the Lutheran Church. Margaret was raised in the Welsh Baptist Church and became active again after Henry’s death in the First Baptist Temple in Youngstown. Henry died in 1923 of heart disease and influenza. Margaret died in 1945 of heart failure. Margaret and Henry had four children: Clarence David Updegraff (1881-1942), Royer Howard Updegraff (1885-1962), John William Updegraff (1889-1966), and Alma Catherine Updegraff (1895-1930). Margaret and Henry also adopted their niece, Irene Margaret Davis, as a teen after her parents both passed away. Margaret also ended up raising two of her grandchildren and census records show multiple siblings, nephews, and nieces living with them and various points in time. She was a Past President of the Protected Home Circle (PHC) – a life insurance society that also provided social programs for young people teaching patriotism and religion as a way to prevent juvenile delinquency. I imagine her as the matriarch of the family.
6.Walter Evan Davis (1862-1876) – Walter was born in Johnstown and passed away at the age of 13.
7.David R Davis (1865-1890) – Davis was born in Johnstown. He moved to Butte, Montana as a miner in the late 1880’s where his older brother John had been working. David was stabbed in the abdomen during an altercation in 1890 at 24 years old. Details described in The Independent Record, October 19, 1890:
8.Mary Ellen Davis (1867-1952) – Mary was born in Johnstown and married John J Woods February 5, 1889. They moved to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania where John worked for the Steel Industry. John was 19 years older than Mary and I believe early in their marriage they were considered well off; they owned their own house, had a servant from Sweden, and John had a passport. At some point before 1920, I believe Mary and John split up. They did not have any children. John passed away February 25, 1921 after a three-year hospital stay at the Allegheny Hospital for the Insane, cause of death listed as “general paresis of the insane” – a severe mental disorder caused by late stage syphilis. Mary moved to Chicago and lived there for the next 25-35 years until she passed at age 85.
9.Luther John Davis (1868-1906) also called “Louis” – Luther was born in Johnstown and married Annie E Hughes in 1890. They lived in New Castle, Pennsylvania for a short time while Luther and his brother-in-law Henry Updegraff started a garbage business. He then moved back to the Johnstown area. On September 29, 1906, Luther was shot and killed while walking home from work. There were various reports in different newspapers saying that he was jumped by a “gang of foreigners” to that he initiated the conflict with an Italian-American calling the man racial slurs and then punching him.
10.William G Davis (1870-1956)
11.Glynder O Davis (1873-1934)
12.Sylvania Davis (1876-1876)
13.Rachel Gladys Davis (1876-1942)
There are three more children, but I don’t have any records of them. I believe these children died at an early age.
Walter Harris Obituary (4th great grandfather)
David H. Davis Obituary (3rd great grandfather)
Catharine Harris Obituary (3rd great grandmother)
Margaret Davis-Updegraff (2nd great grandmother)
Katie's Grove 