John
R. Jennings Jr.
(1873- ? )
John R. Jennings Jr. was born in 1873 at Ohiopyle, Fayette County, PA, the son of John R. and Martha (Knight) Jennings Sr. He was a railroader, and was married three times.
Some legal papers involving John provide fascinating insights into his life as a railroader. On Oct. 5, 1894, he and Helen W. Hager eloped to Cumberland, MD to get married. He was age 21, and she was 16. At the time of marriage, he had saved about $350.
They lived in a rented house in Dawson, Fayette County, containing three rooms and a basement, which was used as a kitchen and dining room. Two rooms were used as furnished bedrooms and one as a sitting room. John's supervisor on the railroad, E.C. Carr, later said the home "was as good as could be expected and rather better than I expected, that is everything looked nice and neat and comfortable, above the average of the home of the ordinary working man in his circumstances."
A
bird's eye view of Dawson of the era is seen here.
As a railroader, John worked "every day," leaving home about 6:30 a.m., and often returned home about 5:30 p.m. He earned $1.20 a day. In the words of his boss, "While he was working for me he made full time and over time, ... and when I needed a man I frequently called on him, and he would always respond. Don't remember of his ever disappointing."
In September 1895, he and Helen separated. She went back to her parents' home in Dawson, and he went to Ohiopyle near his parents' home. At the time he sued to divorce Helen, in 1904, he worked for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad at Buena Vista near Pittsburgh, PA. His sister Jennie Griffiths testified in the divorce hearing.
In June 1900, John was residing at the Ohiopyle home of his sister and her husband, Mary and Walter Shipley. The census records that at age 27, he claimed to be a widower.
John may have married sometime again before 1906, because the Dec. 10, 1906 Connellsville Daily Courier reported
that "The remains of Mrs. J. Jennings were brought to this place yesterday
afternoon and laid to rest in Sugar Grove Cemetery at 3:30 P.M. A host of
friends followed the remains to the grave." As John's father and sister in
law also were buried in this cemetery, it's thought John is the "J. Jennings"
referred to in the news story.
John apparently remarried again, to Ethel (?). In 1912, when one of their sons was born, they were residing in West Newton, Westmoreland County, PA. Their children were Rayman E. Jennings, Velma Bleasdale, Jenny Schaubut and Ruby McMaster.
Seen at right is the old Baltimore & Ohio Railroad passenger depot in West Newton. Note the snow piled on each side of the railroad tracks.
The fates of John and
his third wife Ethel are unknown.
Son Rayman moved to Beaver Falls, Beaver County, PA, where he spent 39 years working for Babcock & Wilcox. A rare old postcard bird's-eye view of Beaver Falls is seen at left. Rayman often visited his first cousin, Otto Shipley, who also resided in Beaver Falls, and who was the first mayor of the town of West Mayfield.
Copyright © 2000, 2003-2004, 2006 Mark A. Miner