Eleanor Patton Hassler

Eleanor Harriet Patton Hassler was my father's mother's mother. My great grandmother. Some people are luckey to know or at least meet their great grandparents. Unfortunately I never met her. This is the portrait I given by my Aunt Doris (mentioned in my previous blog).

Eleanor was born June 26, 1865. Died Aug 24, 1920. She was the youngest child of Elias Patton and Eleanor Carson Patton. She has 6 siblings, Rebecca M., George C., Margret A., Mary Jane, James and Susan Ann. All her siblings were born before the Civil War. Eleanor was born after the Civil War.

Eleanor married William Stinger Hassler on March 21, 1900. They had 2 daughters, Dorathy and Matilda. Dorathy never married died April 20, 1933. Matilda is my grandmother.

I don't know very much about Eleanor. What I do know is she was born, lived, married and died in Fort Louden, Pa. She lived with her parents in the Patton house that still is standing on the land where historical Fort Louden is located. The house has pictures of her family. This is her picture as a child. I was with my dad visiting the house one day and was so surprised and wonderfully please to discover these picture. I will write more about this house and family later.

Benjamin and Matilda Funk

Benjamin and Matilda Funk

I will start my new blog in honor of my grandparents Benjamin Stewart and Matilda Hassler Funk. They are my fathers parents. They are gone but still very much alive in my heart and thoughts. They lived most of their life in Hagerstown, Maryland. I grew up in Michigan about 500 miles from them. So I have not much time with them, but when we made a trip for a visit on weekends or week long vacations, they were always around. I remember many visits to their home, Thanksgiving dinner with the whole family (which turned out to be very much like a family reunion), and a few times when they visited us here in Michigan.

I remember when I was about 13 or 14 years old, my Grandmother showed me a picture of her mother and I thought it was a picture or her. It was a little black and white picture. I never even asked what her mother's name was. I wish then I asked her more about her mother and father. Then many years later visiting my Maryland family, requesting my aunts, uncles and cousins for family photos for me to copy on my scanner and my Aunt Doris gave me a wonderful surprise. It was a hand colored portrait of my grandmother's mother the very same picture grandma showed me when I was a child. Her name was Eleanor Patton Hassler. I have it hanging in my living room. Thank you Aunt Doris I will cherish it forever.

I have so much to write about of my Funk family. I am every exicted starting this blog so I can share all my notes, stories and pictures I collected and researched for over 15 years.