Donegal Township
Westmoreland County Pennsylvania
Ritter Cemetery
Rosie A Reitz is buried on the corner. Her brother, Charlie (Tobe), went to the Moore School in Kuhn, Somerset County. I don't know where they lived. I have a picture with Tobe on. Zebulon and Lydia Moore were my gr-gr-gr grandparents. They lived in Kuhn. Their son in-law and daughter are buried next to them. They are Joseph and Mary Moore Showman. They were my gr-gr grandparents. Their children, buried next to them, died of black diphtheria. Joseph and Mary also lived in Kuhn. Only 2 of their children lived through the diphtheria. They were Frank and Bill.
Phillip and Rosanna Nedrow lived on the stretch before you get to Kuhn. Their grandson, Frankie, is buried next to them. Henry, Philip and Rosanna's boy, is buried next to Frankie. I just recently found out that Henry died by accident. He was helping out at the Ritter farm when his coat got caught in the threshing machine. He died the next day. His wife, Susan Enos Nedrow, and children Ephraim, RoseAnn, Emanuel, and Minnie, moved out to Pierre, South Dakota and then to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Susan, his wife, died there November 13, 1924. Henry and Susan Enos Nedrow were married July 29, 1866 by Reverand George Gardner in Donegal.
Peter Merringer and his parents and siblings lived near Kuhn. They bought a farm off of Mary Moore Showman in December 1894 for $1000.00 . Peter was the son of Faubian and Mary Louise Launcenddaufer Merringer. The Knupps- Jacob and Catherine Brallier Knupp were my gr-gr-gr grandparents. They were married in 1823. He bought land on the Westmoreland/Somerset border in Jefferson, Cook, and Donegal Townships. Their home stood near the west end of the old turnpike tunnel in Cook Township. Jacob died at home June 2, 1872. It cost $30.00 for the coffin and $10.00 for the funeral. Catherine died at 8 AM on April 14, 1876. Their children were: Emanuel married Mattie Hemminger, Mary (wife of Sam Hetzer), Isaac married Sarah (Sallie) Flickinger, Barbara (wife of Jonathan Dormyer), Emma (Amy) died young, David married Sarah Whipkey, Noah died at the age of 21, Harriet (my gr-gr grandmother) married Pete Lohr who died coming home from the Civil War and later married Lud Gardner, Levi married Mary Ankney, Elias married Harriet Ankney, Joel died young, Regina died at 19 years old, and Ephraim died at 17 years old. According to an old atlas map of Cook Township, Elias Knupp was a gun smith and lived close to his parents' home. He lived where Simon and Nora Grace Gardner Emert lived later on. Simon and Nora are buried at the Snowball Cemetery. Nora was Harriet Knupp's daughter. They later moved to Kregar.
Emanuel, Ephraim, Joel, Levi, Noah, and Regina are buried at the Ritter.
The Bisels and the Howards lived near Kuhn. Clara Auman who is buried there I have no idea or clue on her. There was an old Auman place close to turnpike and where the Knupps had land, but I don't know where the house stood and if this is even the same Aumans. I don't know anything about the Shaulises buried there, either. I'm not sure about Lucinda Tiger. There were Tigers who lived around there and down near Kregar. There was once a place called Mom Tiger's Boarding House. One person told me it stood near Kuhn. Another told me it was the old Ritter house. So I don't know. The Hetzers lived near Kuhn. They lived above the mouth of the east end of the old turnpike tunnel. Dan and Isaac Hetzer are buried at the Ritter. Sam and Mary Knupp Hetzer are buried there, also. He died on July 9, 1898. Dan Hetzer was a bachelor. He took up the vocation of cooper, making shingles and barrels. He was Sam's brother. On January 17, 1862, they bought 250 acres near Kuhn. Isaac was born 1857 in Somerset County and died in 1866. He was Sam and Mary's boy. Joseph V. Kramer- he was originally from Erie, PA. He came to Kuhn and boarded with Sam Hetzer. He later married Sam and Mary's daughter, Salome on September 3, 1885. George and Mary A Snyder Moore. He was Zebulon Moore's son Zebulon Moore's parents were David and Mary Parke Moore. David died between 1860 and 1870 and is buried at the Ritter. His wife, Mary, died between 1830 and 1840. Buried at the Ritter??? Zebulon's wife, Lydia, was a Lichtenberger. There was a Rudolph and Rachel Lichtenberger who lived near Zebulon and Lydia Moore. Zebulon and Rachel were brother and sister. Rudolph and Lydia were brother and sister. I'm guessing that Rudolph and Rachel Lichtenberger were buried at Ritter Cemetery. I saw on a census that Rudolph was a pauper, so they may have had no fancy headstones, just a fieldstone. Oren C. Allen- I have no idea who he is. Eva May Froe- I believe she was adopted by Hiram Knupp. Don't quote me. Frank Shawley- he was the husband of Mattie Geary. He died in 1933. He tried to commit suicide. Somehow, I was told, they tried to force water down his throat and he choked on it. I was told he found out he had cancer and slit his throat. I was also told he died on water being forced down his throat. His wife, Mattie, is buried at the Snowball Cemetery. I was told by my great-aunt that there is a Joe Ankney buried there, although there is no monument. He is in the one corner towards Kregar. He was murdered by Belle Bluebaugh years ago at her place somewhere beyond the Ritter where my great grandmother called "back in the mountains" back then and she was living at Kuhn at the time with Zebulon and Lydia Moore. I have the story why she killed him, but I can't remember why. I recorded around 172 stones/ monuments there. Some have names and dates on, others don't. For the ones that don't, I have no idea who they would be. Some are barely visible, some have initials like SS...that would be a Showman. R.N. would be a Nedrow. I believe there are infant Ritters buried there, too.
Contributed by David Harrold for use by the Westmoreland County Genealogy Project (http://www.pa-roots.com/westmoreland/)
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