Monday, August 18, 2014

Daniel Saylor Wampler, Helen L. Weitzel, and Susan Bettinger

[hp3-18]   Jonas, WAMPLER
  b. 3Feb1814; Rockingham Co VA {kso}
  n. only child born in VA
  d. 2Feb1904
  m. Catherine LONG (21Feb1815-18Jun1892)
  n. Catherine dau Benjamin LONG and Elizabeth GARBER {mas}
  o. farmer
  r. Staunton VA near Highway 254 at Christian's Creek
  n. see note on farm location BSW bk9 p36
  l. [he1-2]Hans->[hp2-9]John=>

[hp4-28]   Daniel Saylor, WAMPLER
  b. 21May1844
  d. 12Oct1928
  r. Cherry Grove MD
  re. Church of the Brethren
  l. [he1-2]Hans->[hp2-9]John->[hp3-18]Jonas=>

‘ Source: Wampler-Wampfler Database

I came across a Veteran Pension file for a Daniel S. Wampler that died on October 12, 1928. According to the record Daniel S. Wampler served as Private in 147th Indiana Volunteer Infantry Co. H. It also stated he was disabled but does not share what his disability would’ve been. He started to receive the pension in 1890. On this same file a reimbursement noted made to a William Wampler in Frostburg, Maryland in January 1929.

Additional information about Daniel Saylor’s military service:
Wampler, Daniel Saylor

* Born 1844 in Staunton, Augusta Co. Va.
* Living in Summit Twp. Somerset Co. Pa. in Aug. 1870
* Private Co. H 147th Regiment Indiana Infantry
* Enrolled Jan. 30, 1865
* Mustered out Aug. 4, 1865
* Fractured left leg while in service
* Released from hospital July 7, 1865

SOURCE:
* Bittinger Family History, Somerset Co. Historical Society
* Soldiers and Sailors System”

His enlistment is further backed up, in online researching, through FamilySearch's United States Civil War Soldiers Index, 1861-1865. Combining all this information I now have two names to work with, William Wampler and Bittinger, and three states, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

William is a common name, but curiosity leads to thinking this has to be a child of Daniel S. Wampler (in order to receive any monies from Daniel’s military pension). However the Wampler/Wampfler Database entry, listed above, does not list any spouses for Daniel Saylor Wampler. FindAGrave search for a Daniel Wampler born in 1844 did not provide any assistance. but using just the year of death of 1928 lead to an entry. According to the memorial page, Daniel Wampler was born in 1842 and died 1928 in Garrett County, Maryland. He is buried in Whetzell-Fike Cemetery in Avilton, Garrett County, Maryland. It also listed a Susan Bittenger as his spouse. Her memorial page only shares she died in Garrett County, Maryland and was buried in the same cemetery. So he had a spouse, Susan, but we know little about her other than her maiden name which happens to be similar to the family history resource used above for his military service.

Using this little bit of information I came across an obituary notice for the William mentioned above in the Veteran Pension file:

WILLIAM F. WAMPLER FROSTBURG - William Freeman Wampler, 82, died yesterday [...] Born in Avilton, Md., he was a son of the late Daniel S. and Susan (Bittinger) Wampler. He was a member of the Cherry Hill Church of the Brethren. [...]

Source: Cumberland Evening Times - January 12 1966; Page 26

But, I am not finished with Daniel Saylor Wampler as he leaves an interesting trail on paper. He appears in 1850 US Census for Augusta County VA in the household of his parents. Then he appears again in the 1870 US Census living in Somerset County PA. In the PA census records he is listed having a wife named Helen and three children: Clara, Elias, and Benjamin H. Wampler.

Who is this Helen? Daniel may provide a clue as he is buried in Whetzell-Fike Cemetery and, with 22 internments shared on FindAGrave, this is likely a family cemetery.

In this cemetery there are two Clara Wampler listed as among the internments but one with the birth year of 1866. This would coincide with the information on Daniel’s 1870 Pennsylvania US Census. Clara Wampler Broadwater’s memorial page mentions she was married to a “Archibale[sic] Broadwater”. I found Archibald Broadwater’s 1900 US Census report from Garrett County, Maryland that had a spouse named Clara … born in Indiana. So this would help confirm this is Daniel Saylor Wampler’s daughter. This would also be the only US Census she would appear in after marriage, due to there wasn’t one taken in 1890 and she passed away in 1903.

Scrolling down the list, there is a Helen L. Weitzel listed but provides no clues on if this the Helen appearing in the 1870 US Census with Daniel. Our Helen is listed as being born around 1847 and the cemetery provides only two people that may been her parents, if this Helen L. Weitzel is one and the same, and that is Elias and Fannie Weitzel.

Doing math on information shared in William Freeman Wampler’s obituary, if he was 82 in 1966 this would have him born about 1884. If Daniel Saylor married a second time then it was between 1870, when he took the US Census, and 1883. This would also mean that Helen may have passed away within that same span of time. Applying math skills onto Daniel Saylor Wampler’s later US Census 1910 and 1920 reports with Susan Bittenger, without indepth research but a cursory glance at the 1850 US census reports taken in Maryland, I have narrowed down her parents to being: Solomon and Ann Bittinger or Peter and Sarah Bittinger.

Based upon these US Census reports, I have come to the conclusion that Daniel Saylor Wampler married Helen L. Weitzel and had three children in Indiana and Pennsylvania. If she passed away in Pennsylvania, it would make sense that Daniel S. Wampler may have moved to Maryland so her family could help with the children. Based upon obituaries and US Census reports, Daniel married again before 1884 to a Susan(na) Bittinger/Biddinger. One source has Daniel Saylor and Susan Bittinger Wampler having three children in Maryland. So, until we come across more information, I will work with the notion he had between 4 to 6 children through his two marriages.

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