Search for content in message boards

Katharina Latz in Clearfield County Pennsylvania

Replies: 0

Katharina Latz in Clearfield County Pennsylvania

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 6:13AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 29 Mar 2013 6:57AM GMT
Surnames: Latz; Hastings; Rafferty; Raftery
I am searching for info re: my grand-aunt, Katharina Latz, born in Wadern, Merzig-Wadern, Saarland, Germany in 1863, the daughter of Nicholas & Katharina (Feit) Latz, after she arrived in the U.S. and settled in Clearfield County Pennsylvania.

I understood she married a John Hastings circa 1890 and have found an obituary from The Daily Journal newspaper (Philipsburg, Pennsylvania), dated 1933, for a John Hastings listing his wife as “Miss Katherine Latz” and naming their seven children. I have also found an obituary in that newspaper, dated 1942, for a “Mrs. Catherine Hastings” and although it does not name her husband, the names of her seven children track (including the daughters’ married names) to those in the 1933 obit. However, the obit for one of their children, Nicholas, from The Progress newspaper (Clearfield, Pennsylvania) in 1975, tracks in every respect to the two earlier obits, except that the family name is now “Rafferty,” not “Hastings.”

I have not found a marriage license for John Hastings & Katharina Latz in either Clearfield or Centre Counties, but I have found one for John Raftery & Katie Latz (1891). Unfortunately, the info for her parents was left blank. I have also found the marriage licenses for three of the children named in the three obits and the family name is “Raftery” for all (I am certain these are correct because the grooms’ names for the two girls also track to the three obits).

One final point – the U.S. Census data: 1900: John & Kate Raftery family living in Decatur Township, Clearfield County, PA next door to Peter Latz; 1910: John & Catherine Ratery family living in Decatur Township, Clearfield County, PA; 1920: John & Catherine Raferty family living in Decatur Township, Clearfield County, PA next door to Peter Latz; 1930: John & Kathryn Raftery family living in Decatur Township, Clearfield County, PA and 1940: Kathryn Hastings family living in Decatur Township, Clearfield County, PA next door to Peter Latz. The children listed in each census track to those listed in the three obits, Katharina had a brother, Peter Josef, who lived in Decatur Township and nowhere do I find census entries for both Hastings and Raftery/Raferty/Rafferty in the same year.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Find a board about a specific topic