Norma, thank you very much for the fuill article. Could you please pass along the full
publication data (author, date,etc) so that I may include that in my source citations.
Are you a descendant of the Somerset Co Custers? Regardless, I'd be very interested in
exchanging any other info. I will gladly share my entire record.
Frederick came to Somerset Co. about 1795, according to Welfley
and
settled in a part of Quemahoning Twp. that later became Conemaugh Twp. In a
little roadside cemetery near Hollsopple, and American flag flutters over
the grave of Frederick Kuster, a veteran of Rev. War. The flag is put on
each year by VFW Post 8861 of Hollsopple. He may have been a drummer boy in
the Rev. War.
When I visited in August there were two flags. The two marble stones were for Frederick
and his brother John. John Sr had served in the Revolution, and most likely John Jr, who
would have been in his late teens. I've got a reference that says that the records of
Sr and Jr were hard to disinguish, but also another reference that says Jr wass in
campaign against Indians, which would have likely been in the 1790's. If Frederick was
born in 1774, he's only 8 when the Revolution ended.
In addition to the Kuster grave, the cemetery
contained also those of his wife, Elizabeth, who died in 1837, and their
three sons, William, Michael and Frederick Jr., and Frederick Jr.'s wife,
also named Elizabeth. The plain brown stones have no markings, and some were
broken at the time of the snowploy accident. It is believed that Kuster, Sr.
came to Conemaugh Twp. between 1790 and 1800 from Lancaster Co. When he died
in 1841, he had 11 living children and six grand children.
I saw three fieldstones within a few feet of the two marble stones that had initials and
dates, the rest I couldn't detect any writing. But I very clearly saw "EK
1841" and "BK 1837". I've consistently seen Elizabeth Stover
(Frederick's wife) as 1786-1837, but that would make her only abt 15 when she married
(not impossible, but was also questioned by Gingerich & Kreider), and it would seem to
me that the "EK 1841" would have belonged to Elizabeth. I've never
determined the original source for her birth and deathj dates, which are given to the
day.
The cemetery was probably located on the 250 acres he owned. After he
died, the land with its house and barn and cabin house was sold to Joseph
John's, founder of Johnstown, for $1500. The cemtery is located two miles
off Route 403 N. on the road to Seanor, about 20 miles from Somerset.
According to an article by Patricia Shaffer for the Windber-Johnstown GS, and published in
the Windber Era, Frederick's son Jacob and Joseph Johns (could have been Junior)
jointly purchased a tract, Deerfield #5, which they divided in 1835. Jacon lived in Shade
Twp at the time, the property in on the hilltop east of the Stonycreek, about three miles
east of where the cemetery in on the hilltop west of the river.
Final accounting of the estate was in 1848. There were 12 shares in the
estate. It is possible that Frederick had 17 children. Obituary of John
Custer noted that he was a one of a family of 17 children.
I haven't seen his 1915 obit yet, when I was in Johnstown in August I got obits up to
1910, all of them should now be posted on the Cambria or Somerset obit boards at
rootsweb.
Thanks again, look forward to sharing more
Brian Cartwright
blcart95(a)erols.com