Written by Velma Rose Smith

I am glad that all our children have known and loved their Papa and Mama Rose. They are wonderful people and my childhood was happy and carefree. True, as I grew old enough, I had to help with the work, in the house and outside, but I never resented that. I wish youngsters today could enjoy the homelife that families had in the days before cars and TV. As we sat around the heating stove eating apples and roasting chestnuts, Papa would tell me stories of his family background, told to him by his father, and historical stories, and I enjoyed hearing them. I can remember some of them. His father was Daniel (pronounced Danel) Rose, the 6th and his grandfather was Daniel Rose the 5th. Daniel the 5th was born in Rutland Vermont in 1788. He was Captain of a Militia Co. He served in the War of 1812 until May 1814 when he returned home. He became a teacher, he taught a school at Canoe Camp, and married one of his pupils, Sally Elliott, daughter of Nathanial Elliott of Covington, in 1814. They were married in the School House, the community center in those days. They had nine children, Daniel, my grandfather, was born in 1828 in Sullivan Twp. He died March 4, 1896, aged 68 years at his home of a kidney disease. He is buried in the State Road Cemetery, by his first wife. (I had a baby sister born in 1908, and she is buried there with Grandfather Rose as we lived near there at that time.)

Grandpa had a brother, Enos, that Papa was very fond of. Papa wanted to name Merritt, Enos, but Mama said NO.) Enos and his wife Emeline (Baity) lived on a farm on the old State Road. When his barn burned, he was so seriously burned, trying to save some of his animals, that he died. Enos had a son, Daniel, that never married and three girls. May married Orso Webster, and they lived on the old State Road. When I was a little girl we always visited them at least once every summer, driving our team the 20 miles. It was really quite a trip. Papa, Mama, Grandma Rose and I, in a two seated buckboard, on a sunny Sunday, down Johnson Hill to Covington where we took the State Road. The roadsides were in bloom, and at one place the wild grape vines run over trees and fences. I was interested in those as I had read the story of the Fox and the Wild Grapes. We all loved May, she was fat and jolly. They had one son, Luther. A sister, Martha never married, she was a registered nurse and was well known in Mansfield as Nurse Rose. She took care of Elliott, who owned the house that is now Shaw and Robena Funeral Home. When he died he left the home to her, and we often visited her there. The third sister Janie married Joe Strange. They had
Marcus (Mark), Leola, Martha (Palmer) Frederick and Maxwell. Mark’s son Robert has the (Strange’s) sawmill.

Many of the Rose’s, their descendants, cousins etc. are buried in the State Road Cemetery. I played in this cemetery as a child, picking daisies and making chains, and reading the names on the head stones.

Grandpa’s sister Clarissa, married Issac Wheeler. Their home was where Vera Bowen lives, and the Cemetery is to the south, in the field. They had four children, Emma, Alice, Otis and Clara. Emma married David Bowen (my Grandma Rose’s brother), they had Leah and Ransome. Leah married Charley Bliss and they had Loren (died as a baby), Donald and Woodrow, the Woody Bliss that runs a service station in Wellsboro. Ransome married Vera Ingerick and they had Clark, Howard and Orpha who married John Lundgren.

Alice married Ed Phillric and they had 7 children, the oldest one Fraie married Ferd Ernberger, who had Mildred who married Stacy Spencer and they had Ruth, Ellsworth, Robert, Warren, Betty, Patty, and Joan.

Otis was killed as a young man.

Clara married Charles Gillette, and they had 5 children, but the only one I knew was Emma and she was a teacher.

Another brother, James Madison, married Elmine Getchal. They had Morrison, Clarissa, James Emerson and Loretta. Clarissa married Orlando Ford and they had Rose that married Dwight Patterson and they had Doris that married John Storms and is now married to Roy Ford. Doris and I were good friends and I spent some time at their home. James Emerson, whose wife was Margaret, used to visit us. They had Jay who married Maude, making another Maude Rose, and Emavive who married Edwin Stacy Coles, the druggist in Mansfield.

Loretta married Elmer Briggs, they lived in Mansfield, he was a mailman, they had 6 children. Harry married Martille Stevens and they had Betty, Loretta and Billy. Loretta was a close friend of Wanda’s. Trella married Bob Wilson in Mansfield. I knew Trella well, they had Jeanette Rose, Mary Jane, Phillip and Robert.

Another brother of Grandpa Rose was Elliott and he married Laura Ann Morgan. They had Pembroke, Warren, Ann and Morgan. I knew all of these. Pem married Harriett Palmer and they had Elmer who married Gladys, these were the Insurance Rose’s in Wellsboro. Gladys died Aug. 1975 at Stony Fork.

Warren married Alice Gray, it was their farm we lived on beyond Mainesburg. They had Edith who married Nelson Smith in Mansfield, Fred married Laura Strange, Gray married Ione McEntee and Harold married Winifred Hughes.

Ann married Will Gray and had Nellie and Jessie.

Morgan married Nellie Miller, they had Edna Miller who never married. This Nellie Miller had a brother Charlies, who was the father of Principal Warren Miller. Their father was a cousin of Elliott and a brother of Warren Miller, Anna Whitney’s Grandfather.

These are the ones that kept in touch with our family so that I knew them, and when I was small we had the Rose reunions.

When I was 6 we moved from Scodac to the Warren Rose farm. While there, Warren Miller and I used to go strawberrying every summer, up where the Rose and Miller’s settled. We would drive his pony and cart and we would take our lunch and drive up the road toward Armenia Mountain, where we would turn off to the left into an old pasture. There were the old stone foundations of several buildings, and the old mill and the big mill wheel. We would fill our pails with berries, eat our lunch, and play around the mill. Even as a little girl I would think about the families that had lived there, the homes and the children that once played there. Papa had told me a story that his father had told him, about when he was a little boy about 9 or 10 and Enos was only 5 or 6, were sent out to salt the sheep, they got lost in the woods, they tried to find their way home, but got so tired that they sat down on a log to rest, after resting they walked on and on, finally decided to rest and discovered it was the same log they had sat on hours before. They were so tired they decided to stay by the log all night. The family found them there the next morning, frightened and hungry.

Daniel Rose the 5th was for many years a faithful member of the State Road Baptist Church, for a long time serving as Deacon of the church, he was loved and respected by all. He died February 4, 1852 at 64 years of age. Sally died August 26, 1870, 78 years old. They are buried in the State Road Cemetery. He was a Whig and a great admirer of Henry Clay. Daniel the 5th was my father’s grandfather.

His father was Russell Rose, who would be my great, great grandfather. He was one of the first settlers in what is now Ward Twp. He was born in Connecticut, June 11, 1753. Little is known of his early life, but at the age of 23 he enlisted in the Continental army and served throughout the War. While at Valley Forge he was promoted to serve as an Aide on Washington’s staff. After the War was over, he was discharged and returned home to Mass. Wouldn’t it be interesting if we knew more about this trip? He married Phoebe Orvis about 1780, and they had 2 children, Achsah and Phoebe. His young wife died in Nov. 1786 and in March 1788, he married Lydia Orvis (her sister). She was born in Norfolk, Conn. March 10, 1764. They had 7 children, Daniel 5th, Sophronia, Enos, Rebecca, Armanda, Lydia and Phoebe. The older sister Phoebe had died at age 21. The family moved to Rutland, VT. From there to Norfolk, Conn., thense to Coalbrook, where they lived for seven years, after which they again moved to Granville, Mass making their home there for two years. Then again moving back into Conn living in Hartland about three years. His health becoming poor and having a hard time supporting his family, he thought he would do what several families were doing, go West. Of course there were no railroads at that time, it was horse back or on foot. He wanted to see the country and secure a home, before he took his family so he set out. He traveled on horse back nine days and selected a place in Ward Twp, Tioga County, Pa. This was in 1807. In the unbroken forest he built a house of logs, with a huge stone chimney and oiled papers for the window, making it as comfortable as possible. He returned in the autumn to Conn. for his family. It took some time to make preparations for the long journey of 300 miles, but on February 15, 1808 they started out with horses and oxen and bobsleds or sleigh and their stock. They reached their new home March 19, 1808, having met with some difficulties. In this new home the family remained for some time, perhaps 10 years. With the assistance of the children he rapidly cleared off quite a snug little farm. Later on, there being some trouble proving his right to pension, he went on foot to Washington D.C. This was during President Monroe’s administration. On his arrival, the Officer in Charge told him he could not attend to his case until the next day, but Russell threatened to go to the President direct, and they decided to look into it. (The old Veteran walked back home, none the worse for his long tramp.) He assisted them in looking over the records, and found that his name, by mistake, had been recorded as Rufus Tose instead of Russell Rose. It was adjusted and he received his pension. Note: Pension Papers are documented in geneology link.

In politics he was originally a Federalist, later joining the Whig Party. Both he and his wife were members of the Baptist Church. Soon after his trip to Washington he and Lydia went to live with their son Daniel 5th in Sullivan Twp. They lived with them until his death June 1 1830 at 77 years of age. Lydia, his wife lived to be 93, she died June 3, 1857.

Achsah was his oldest daughter by his first wife, and there is a story told about her, told to my father, by his father, etc. She was a young lady in her early 20’s when she came with the family to Pa. and helped her stepmother with the housework. There was the flax to spin and the wool to spin to make clothing for the family. They made yeast from hops to bake their white bread, they leeched wood ashes for lye, saved the fat from butchered animals and made their own soap, made candles using wicks from the pits of cattails, making home remedies from plants found in the woods and bark from trees, making their own dye too from bark and flowers, churned their butter, a garden to weed and fruit and nuts dried to preserve them. There were little lambs, pigs and chickens to tend and the endless cooking and serving. One day, not so long after they arrived at their new home in the woods, she went to look for the cows and lost her way. The more she wandered about, the more confused she got, but finally she came to a small stream and she followed it down to where it joined the Tioga River. It was getting dusk, so she made a bed for herself in the hollow of a large stump, with some hemlock for covers. During the day the men had searched for her but at night they returned to her father’s house. In the morning Achsah started out to follow the Tioga River, in hopes to reach the town of Blossburg before another night, but it was getting dark and she hadn’t found any house but just then she heard voices calling her name, the men had found her. They made camp for the night and they had food with them so they were all quite comfortable. In the morning they walked to Blossburg, and procured a horse for her to ride home on. In the search party was a young man named Simeon King, who was more anxious than the others. About a year later they were married and set up housekeeping a few miles from her father’s, where they lived for several years. They had four children, Fidelia (Mrs. Alvin Parmeter), Alva, who became a minister and lived to an old age, Alpheus, who went west and died, Andrew who married Evaline Gray. Achsah, after the death of her husband went to live with one of her children in Marion County, Iowa. She was past 94 years when she died.

Sophronia, an own sister of Daniel the 5th, married John Watson, who died, leaving here with 7 children.

Eno’s, a brother of Daniel 5th, married Betey Harkness and had 5 children. They are buried at Monroeville, Ohio. A beautiful monument marks their grave, placed there by son James of California.

Lydia, another sister of Daniel 5th, married Robert Bardwell, they had 6 children. After living in Sullivan for a time they moved to Springfield, Bradford Co, where they are buried.

Phoebe, a younger sister was born in Hartland Co. Conn. April 6, 1805, and was only 3 years old when the family moved to Pa. She married William Ludington. They had 14 children, 3 died in infancy. When I was going to Normal School in Mansfield, a girl in my class was named Phoebe Ludington Green. I mentioned her name to Papa, and he told me about his great Aunt Phoebe marrying a Ludington, so I talked to Phoebe and sure enough that was her great grandmother. She was from Illinois, and had come to Mansfield to stay with some of her Rose relatives and go to the Normal School. We had some nice visits, but I’ve never heard from her since.

Sister Amanda, married Josephus Fuller. Their home was in Sullivan Twp. as long as he lived. After his death, April 7, 1867 at the age of 67 years, she lived with her children. In 1829 they joined the Baptist Church. She died at the home of her son, Enos, at Painted Post January 16, 1893 being nearly 88 years old.

Leaving Daniel 5th’s sister Rebecca until the last as we have heard more about her. She was born in Litchfield Co. Conn. Oct. 13, 1795, so she was 12 years old when the family came to Pa. June 30, 1814 she married John Packard. They had 11 children, all of which grew to maturity. John died in March 1842, when she was 47. Her birthday was celebrated annually for a good many years by a family reunion, held at the home of her son Harley, with whom she lived. The last birthday party was held on her 100th birthday, and I’ve heard Papa Rose say they were there. I have a quilt that she pieced and gave to Papa. Until she was 70, she wove cloth and carpets, but from then on she did needle work and made quilts. She lived to be over 105 years of age, and had good health until the last few months. She ate heartily and walked around the house and yard without a cane. Her mind was clear, recalling incidents of her childhood and much of the history of the family came from her memory. She died May 3, 1901 and is buried in the Mainesburg Cemetery. She (if you don’t want to figure back) was a sister to Papa Rose’s grandfather. She had Ashley, Daniel, Nehimia, Harley, James and Albert, all Civil War Veterans, and Amanda, Lydia, Mary, Elmina, and Cynthia.

When you study ancestry, you go backwards, so we wrote of my Grandfather Rose, Daniel 6th and of his father, Daniel 5th, and of his father and family, Russell Rose. Russell’s father was Daniel Rose 3rd and Russell had a brother, Daniel the 4th, and Ever, Seth, Abner, and sisters Louisa and Mercy. The boys were all Revolutionary soldiers. Daniel Rose the 3rd married Miss Achsah Ball. Their family fought Indians, suffered from hunger and diseases. This Achsah Ball is the connection with the Martha Ball Washington.

Daniel Rose the 3rd was born August 29, 1710. His parents were Daniel the 2nd and Mary Foote, married May 14, 1706. They had Ruth, Jahiel, Daniel 3rd, Josah, Lydia, Mary and Hester.

Daniel Rose 2nd was the son of Daniel 1st and Elizabeth Goodrich. He was born August 20 1667. His brothers and sisters were Elizabeth, Mary Hannah, John, Jonathan, Sarah, Agigail, Dorothy and Lydia.

Daniel Rose the 1st was born in 1631, the son of Robert and Margery Rose. There were 10 children. John, Robert, Elizabeth, Mary, Samuel, Sarah, Daniel 1st, Dorcas, Jonathan and Hannah.

Robert Rose, the founder of the Rose family in America was born in England in 1594. With his wife and 8 children he came to New England in the ship Francis in 1634 from Ispwich County, Suffolk, England. He was one of the adventurers from Watertown, Mass who first settled in Wethersfield, Conn. and at the latter place he was a large land owner. He was a soldier in the Pequot War, was a constable and in 1641-42-43 a representative to the general court. He was twice married, first to Margery.

I may have lost count, but I figure Robert was my great, great, great, great, great, great, grandfather (6th great grandfather) and I never even knew my Grandfather Rose.

Papa has told me of his father and his first wife, Lucy Baity, coming from their farm in Sullivan Twp. to the farm adjoining the Miller farm, (Bill Krolls upper place). His cousin, Warren Miller whose wife was a Webster, came at the same time.

They had four children:

1. Ella – married Tom Landon, a carpenter, who built many of the barns in Charleston Twp. They had
   1. Willie, died when young
   2. Daniel R., died as an infant
   3. Maude married Chauncey Knowlton
   4. Harold killed in an elevator accident.
2. Rolland – married Nettie Dartt, they had
   1. Harry – married Nellie Collins and had
      1. King
      2. Pearl
   2. Leon – married Luella Bennett
      1. Zelma
      2. Ray married Inez Bartholmew
         1. Harold married Alice Wood
         2. Ada
3. >Rolland later married Mildred Catlin and had
   1. Floyd
   2. Laverne
   3. Paul
   4. Ruthadell
   5. Beverly
4. Leon married Mary Bennett – had
   1. Earl – died as a child
   2. Paul
   3. Basil
   Leon run the store in Cherry Flats, then he and Mary parted and he took Paul and went West to Montana. He started a Trading Post, build a house, a little town started and he named it Laurel. Merritt drove through the town two years ago and noted Pennsylvania Avenue.
5. Luna – married Elmer Burnside (called Dick) they had
   1. Leonard
   2. Nina>
   3. Edith
   4. Muza
   5. Morton (dead)
   6. Elmer
   7. Harold
   8. Maude

After Lucy died, Daniel married a neighbor girl, 21 years younger then he, Mary Bowen (2-24-1848). Luna was 3 years old at the time. They had David (9-25-1876) and James (Jay) (10-9-1883) and later they moved from the Rose home to the Bowen home. David was 16 attending Mansfield Normal and Jay 9 years old when Daniel died (1892). Mary died Aug 1914. When David was 22 and teaching school, he married, July 5, 1899, one of his pupils, red-headed Maude Jones July 26, 1880, and they had two children; Velma (myself) Oct 17,1900 and Merritt Oct 24, 1911, and a stillborn in girl in 1908.

In 1906 Jay married Anna Collins, they had no children that lived. Anna died in Sept. 1919 and in December 1920 Jay married Mrs. Eva Pryor Wright. She had 2 girls, Rosamond and Lucille Wright.