James H. Irvin Obituary

The obituary appears below as it was printed. The following errors and inconsistencies appear: Some sources indicate that James was born in 1862 (death certificate & baptismal record) while others (obituary & headstone) provide the 1863 birth date. "Mrs. W. A. Rummel" should read "Mrs. W. O. Rummel".

Chambersburg Public Opinion

James H. Irvin

Shippensburg , May 9th - James H. Irvin, 128 East King street, died of a heart condition Wednesday afternoon, his 78th birthday. He was found dead on the front porch, where he had been sitting, by his daughter, Mrs. Margaret Gossert, with whom he made his home. He had been in ill health for four months.

A retired machinist, Mr. Irvin had been making his home with his daughter for the past eight years. He was born in Fannettsburg, but had lived most of his life in the Cumberland Valley, having made his home at Shippensburg, Chambersburg, and Harrisburg.

Mr. Irvin was born May 7, 1863, son of the late John and Margaret Irvin. He was married in 1878 to Miss Ida Catherine Bock, who died in 1916. He was a member of the Methodist Church in Chambersburg and of the Sons and Daughters of Liberty lodge.

Surviving are four sons, Russell Irvin, Pittsburgh; John Irvin, Philadelphia; Wilmer Irvin, Harrisburg; and Ralph Irvin, Harrisburg; four daughters, Mrs. Gossert, Mrs. William Rockwell of town, Mrs. Grace Shipley, Pittsburgh, and Mrs W. A. Rummel, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Funeral services will be held at the home at 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon, conducted by Rev. M. C. Manning. Burial will be in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Chambersburg. Friends may call at the home Saturday evening.

James Henry Luther Irvin (1862 - 1941)

James Henry Luther Irvin was born on May 7, 1862 in Fannettsburg, Metal Township, Franklin County, PA. His parents, John Andrew and Margaret Karn Irvin, had at least five children before James. His baptism was recorded on November 8, 1862 at Fannettsburg Presbyterian Church.

James married Ida Catherine Rossman Bock in either 1878 or 1880. In either case, husband and wife were very young. The young couple took residence with Ida's parents, David Taylor and Eliza Rossman Bock, as shown in the 1880 Federal Census. The term 'shot-gun wedding' comes to mind. If this label applied to James and Ida, then the 1880 birth of Bessie Mae may have provided the motivation for such a young union. James became a father on his 18th birthday. 

In the ensuing years, James and Ida produced ten more children. The family lived for sometime in or near Fannettsburg. By the time of the 1900 Federal Census, James brought the family to Chambersburg. James found employment as a laborer for the railroad and, later, for a foundry.

The Chambersburg years were marked with tragedy. His son, Harvey, was crippled at work in 1908 when struck by a train car. Another son, George "Mack", disappeared on a hunting trip in 1909, only to be found dead several years later. And in 1915, Ida passed away three weeks after being paralyzed by a stroke. 

James spent the subsequent years residing with his daughters in Shippensburg and finding work as a day laborer on nearby orchards. He alternated between the homes of of his daughters, Bessie Rockwell and Margaret Gossert. He lived in Harrisburg at the time of the 1930 Federal Census, but he returned to Shippensburg by the end of 1933. He remained with Margaret until his death. Jean Eshenman, a great-granddaughter, remembers that during this time, "He sat on his chair and watched the world go by." Surely, that was his right after parenting and providing for 11 children during hard times.
James died on his birthday in 1941. 

The Children of James and Ida Irvin

1. Bessie Mae (m. George Rockwell) 1880-1963

2. John Alexander (m. Elizabeth Grace Coble) 1881-1965

3. Harvey Rossman (m. Gertrude Jacobs) 1883-1939

4. William Russell (m. Bessie Peoples) 1885-1948

5. Wilmer Harry (m. Nora Hollinger) 1887-1946

6. Welthey Jane (m. William Oscar Rummel) 1890-1955

7. Margaret (m. Charles Gossert) 1892-1960

8. George "Mack" McClellan 1895-1909

9. Mabel Elizabeth (m. Andrew Peters) 1897-1929

10. Ralph R (m. Ethel Manuel) 1899-1966

11. Grace Marian (m. Martin Shipley) 1906-1979

4 Generations of Irvins

Standing: John Richard Irvin & Wilmer Irvin

Seated: James Irvin & baby

Ida Catherine Rossman Bock's Biological Father Revealed

Some time ago, I submitted a post about Ida's mother, Eliza Jane Rossman. In that entry, I discussed some of the problems we encounter when we try to identify Ida's father. Ida was born in 1865. In the 1870 US Federal Census, she is listed as Ida Rossman, age 5, and she lived with her maternal grandparents, Bartholomew and Margaret Rossman in Metal Township, Franklin County, PA. Please note that she retained her mother's maiden surname. The circumstances seem to suggest that Ida was born out of wedlock.
At the time of the 1880 census, Ida, aged 15, was already married to James H. Irvin. The young newlyweds lived with Ida's mother and step-father, David Taylor Bock.
Ida's step-father was married once before his union with Eliza. He married Teliah Gelwicks soon after the 1860 census. He and Teliah had two daughters, Mary and Lydia. But Teliah died in 1869. David took Eliza as his second wife within a couple of years.
The quest for Ida's biological father seemed hopeless. Where could one hope to find any record of the illegitimate 1865 birth of poor girl in the seclusion of Path Valley?
No written record may exist but the answer lies still within living memory passed through at least four generations. In a recent discussion with a distant relative with whom my family has long lost touch, I learned that David Taylor Bock was Ida's biological father.
The story comes from an elderly relation named Jean. She and her husband extensively researched the Irvin family history in the 1960's and 1970's. They traveled to Fannettsburg to meet an elder of the Bock family still living there at that time. This woman knew a great deal of the old Bock lore. With certainty, she explained the circumstances of Ida's birth.
Bock oral tradition maintained that David Taylor Bock had an affair with Eliza and fathered Ida while he was married to Teliah. After Teliah's death in 1869, David married his mistress. He and Eliza soon had a second child, John Rossman Bock.
One can now reasonably accept that the Irvins and Bocks are indeed related by blood. We are very fortunate to benefit from the work done decades ago by Jean and her husband. Though much can be regained by searching microfilm, census records, and death certificates, the greatest genealogical resource is still the living memory of our elder generations.