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Alban D. Morgan – Miner of Wiconisco Who Had 24 Children
Posted By Norman Gasbarro on November 21, 2019
On 2 April 1910, Alban D. Morgan, a miner living in Coaldale, Wiconisco Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, died of pneumonia. His obituary, which appeared in the Lykens Standard, 8 April 1910, identified him as a Civil War veteran but gave little information about his service.
Alban D. Morgan of Coaldale, died at 5:30 p.m. Saturday after a weeks’ illness of pneumonia, aged 62 years, 8 months and 2 days. He was twice married, his first wife Eliza Ritzman, having preceded him in death a number of years ago. This union was blessed with 19 children, only three of whom survive: David Morgan; George Morgan; and Claude Morgan. His second marriage was to Mrs. Emma J. Mace [nee Emma Koppenhaver]. Four sons and one daughter resulted from this marriage, only three of whom survive; Alvin Morgan; Stella Morgan; and Joseph Morgan. He is also survived by his wife and four sisters: Mrs. William Barrett; Mrs. William Shamper; Mrs. Henry Bowman; and Mrs. John Hawk, all of Lykens.
Mr. Morgan was a veteran of the Civil War, a good, honest citizen and a kind father and will be sadly missed in the community in which he so long resided.
Funeral services sere held at his late home at 2 p.m. Tuesday by Rev. Paul G. Krutzky of St. John Lutherand Church. Burial was made in Wiconisco Cemetery.
The Veterans’ Card from the Pennsylvania Archives (above) identifies his Civil War services as a Private in Company D of the 97th Pennsylvania Infantry. At age 18, he enrolled as a substitute and mustered into service at Harrisburg on 27 February 1861 He was honorably mustered out with his company on 28 August 1865.
On 26 June 1880 he applied for pension benefits, as noted on the above card from Fold3 and it appears from the information on that card, that he was awarded a pension which he collected until his death, following which his widow applied. The date of death given on the card is eight days later than his actual death, which can be confirmed by his Pennsylvania Death Certificate (available from Ancestry.com, and not shown here).
On 15 July 1910, the second wife, Emma J. Morgan applied for benefits, which she received, according to the card above from Ancestry.com (as well as the Fold3 card).
Emma J. Morgan lived until 1 May 1951 and at the time of her death, her obituary appeared in a local newspaper.
MRS. EMMA MORGAN
Mrs. Emma Jane Morgan, age 84 years, widow of Albion Morgan, died at her home at Coaldale, Lykens R. D., on Tuesday.
Mrs. Morgan was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Koppenhaver, Elizabethville R.D., and had been a resident of the Coaldale community fifty years.
Survivors are two sons and one daughter, Alvin Morgan and Joseph Morgan, and Mrs. Stewart Bohrman, all of Lykens R.D., thirteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
Services will be held from the Buffington Funeral Home, Elizabethville, at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon. Rev. Albert L. Stinner, pastor of the Transfiguration Baptist Church, Lykens, will officiate and interment will be in the Evangelical United Brethren Cemetery at Berrysburg.
Friends may call at the Buffington Funeral Home Friday evening from 7 to 9 o’clock.
Not stated in the obituary, Mrs. Morgan was one of the last surviving Civil War widows collecting a pension in the Lykens Valley area.
Finally, from the available information at the time of this writing, Alban D. Morgan, also known as Alvin David Morgan and Albion D. Morgan, was honored by being recognized on the Lykens G.A.R. Monument.
As can be seen by the cut from the monument plaque, he is named as Alvin Morgan. He is listed with the men who joined the Heilner Post after its organization.
Comments are welcome.
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News clippings from Newspapers.com.
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