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Eva
(Minerd) Hillwig |
Eva
(Minerd) Hillwig was born in February 1883 near Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland
County, PA, the daughter of Charles Marion and
Sabina (Pierce) Minerd.
Eva married John Yockey Hillwig (1882-1951), the son of William H. and Mary "Elizabeth" Hilwig, and a native of Mt. Pleasant, Westmoreland County, PA. The ceremony was held on Christmas Day 1900, when Eva was age 17, and John 18. Both sets of parents had to provide their consent.
John was of medium height, with grey eyes and black hair.
They had one son, William Charles "Willie" Hillwig, born on May 31, 1903.
Prior to marriage, John lived with his parents and was employed as a clerk in Greensburg, as shown in the 1900 federal census, when he was age 17.
Eva and John resided in McKeesport, near Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA, where he apparently secured a job.
It's said that Eva suffered from kidney
disease. Sadly, she passed away at the age of 22 on July 5,
1905. She is buried at Union Cemetery in Greensburg, Westmoreland County.
As a young widower, John took his son Willie back to Greensburg to reside with John's parents. The 1910 census shows them all together under one roof, with John working that year as a "common laborer."
John married again, in about 1910 or 1911, to Laura Margaret McCune ( ? - ? ). They had at least three more sons of their own -- Leonard Hillwig, Donald Hillwig and James Hillwig. Circa 1912, they resided in Monongahela, Washington Couinty, PA.
Adding to the family heartache,
eldest son Willie died at the age of nine, on Nov. 4, 1912, at Aliquippa, Beaver County,
PA, about 40 miles from home. His death certificate states that he succumbed to
"acute bronchial pneumonia" and "la grippe" (influenza). He was laid to rest near his mother in Greensburg. His legible but tilted grave marker
is seen here.
John registered for the military draft during World War I, in September 1918. At the time, he and Laura made their home at 115 Chase in Monongahela, Washington County, PA, and he was a manager at a "racket store."
When the federal census was again taken in 1920, John, Laura, their three sons and Laura's widowed mother lived on Chess Street in Monongahela. That year, the census-taker recorded John's occupation continuing as a racket store manager.
John passed away on Dec. 20, 1951, at the age of 69. He is buried at McKeesport and Versailles Cemetery.
His second wife Laura outlived him by five years. She died on July 6, 1956, at the age of 75.
Copyright © 2001, 2012 Mark A. Miner