My father told me about two brothers from Gennany who came to this country in the middle to late 1700's and settled in western Pennsylvania. He thought they might have received a land grant from William Penn. He did not know their names and I have not, as yet, been able to track them down. Any way, the four brothers, Peter, Solomon, Jacob and Abraham, who comprise our lineage were descended from one of those two brothers. Peter, my great-grandfather, was a cooper by trade and I believe made barrels for the salt mine in Saltsburg. Salt was mined, packed in barrels and shipped to market on the Pennsylvania Canal that went through Saltsburg. His brother Solomon worked as a boatman on this canal.

Peter Dunmire was born June 3,1814 and married Rachael Miller about 1840. The exact date I do not know. Rachael gave birth to seven children, Martin, Margaret, Elizabeth, William, John, Clark and Maria ( or Mariah ) . She preceded Peter in death on September 18, 1898 at the age of 85 years, 7 mo., 21 days. Peter died eight months later at the age of 85 years, 17 days. Both Peter and Rachael are buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Clarksburg, PA. I visited the cemetery in 1993, but was unable to see the gravestone because it was toppled over face down.

Three of Peter and Rachael's seven children, Martin, Margaret and Elizabeth never married and lived with William and his wife Etta, first in Conemaugh Twp., and later on a farm in South Bend Twp. Martin did the farming and William was a carpenter. The two ladies, Maggie and Lizzie helped with the farming and raising William and Etta's five children. This was necessary because of Etta's early death after a long illness. William and Etta were my grand parents. They were married in 1897, and raised five children, Lawrence, Ezra, May, Lulu and William. There was also another child that died shortly after birth. Of the surviving children, Bertha May was never married and died at the young age of 23 years. William was institutionalized in a mental hospital and remained there until his death at age sixty-five. Lawrence, Ezra, and Lulu all married and had families.

Lawrence was my father. He was born October 1, 1899 in Nowrytown, PA. At the age of 20 he left the farm and took employment with the Apollo Steel Company in Apollo, PA. On April 27, 1921, he married Julia Mary Armstrong. The wedding took place in Elderton, PA. by Rev. Samuel Ford. Lawrence and Julia had four children born between the years of 1922 to 1932. All married and raised families comprising sixth and seventh generation Dunmires. Lawrence worked in the mill as a shipping foreman until 1943. He then resigned and took a job several months later as a driver with Penn Transit Bus Co. He was a transportation manager at the New Kensington office when he retired in 1962. Upon retirement he moved to Florida where he lived until his death in September 30, 1978. (Note: After the death of Julia, Lawrence married Helen Simpson Haggey.)

Note by H. S.)Since this was written, Richard (Dick) has found additional information on the earlier Dunmires.