Hi, my name is Phyllis Funk. I joined this group just about a week ago. I'm wanting
to locate a source of PA newspapers, particularly the Towanda Daily Review and/or the
official county paper for Bradford County. I'm interested in 1907-1908.
I am also looking for information about a boarding house in Towanda somewhere between
1907-1916. It was run by Mae Eleanor and Peter Frey.
To make a very long story short, I'm looking for a "skeleton" in our family.
It would certainly straighten out a lot of information that doesn't seem to fit and
that I haven't been able to verify. . . .
1) my grandmother, born in Chicago 1890, somehow ended up at the age of 17 in Towanda PA
(rest of her family stayed in Chicago)
2) she was found by Mr. Peter Frey in some abandoned building
3( she ended up being raised by the Freys (who ran a boarding house in Towanda) and she
considered Mae Frey her mother
4) Supposedly, "GGrandmother Frey" had a "daughter" (Catherine) which
was born around 1908.
5) GG Frey mentions "Catherine" in some letters, etc. However, in GGma
Frey's obituary, it only mentions she "was the beloved mother of Stuart Wells
Frey". It never metions Catherine!!!
THE INTERESTING PART is my father and his two siblings (all in mid-upper 80's at this
time) all say their mother (my grandmother) mentioned once (and only once) that she had
given birth to another girl. No questions were every asked and until I started this
research, it was presumed it was either a still birth or was not brought to term. No one
has ever questioned it.
I'm thinking that possibly "Catherine" (my GGmother's daughter) is
REALLY my Grandmother's daughter born out of wedlock which in those days, was quite
often hidden. That would make her my Aunt. My Grandmother kept in touch with her real
immediate family in Chicago, however, we just located one of her nephews two years ago (a
cousin my father never knew he had) and the nephews says he had been told he had another
Aunt but was never told why she left or was taken away ????
Any hel[p or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Phyllis