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Welcome...

Thank you for stopping by to visit my site. It is very modest at this hour, but will be growing even larger as I discover more information on the people that preceded me and helped make me what I am today.

This site is and ongoing project and will be updated on a periodic basis. The site is centered on my ancestors of the Frank Dawson Bliley family of Erie, Pennsylvania. There are other Bliley families in Erie County Pennsylvania, many of whom are the descendants of Sebastian Bleile (1793-1872), the brother of my Great-great-grandfather Andreas Bleile (1785-1835).

This site is really the work of more than one person. Some of them are my ancestors, and living relatives, others are people that I have met though this site and generously contributed their time and research.

If you have any letters, photos or other documents on this family you would care to contribute to the project, I would love to borrow or receive them as a gift. In either case, I would be delighted to hear from you. For more information about this site, click here.

Charles "Chuck" Arthur Bliley
Rochester, New York, U.S.A.
K3NAU@AOL.com

Updated: January 15, 2014

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CONTENTS:

Our German Roots The Family Name My Family Scrapbook Generation 1--1780's to 1890's Generation 2--1820's to 1900's Generation 3--1860's to 1940's Generation 4--1900's to 1990's Generation 5--1940's to 2030? Cemeteries Miscellaneous Resources Wagner, Bliley and Dowd Families of Erie County, Pennsylvania Mead Family Resources Dawson Family Genealogy Family History Recordings Obituaries Reunions Downloads About This Site My Other Web Sites NOTE: The symbol indicates sections or items that have been added within the last six months.

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Our German Roots

The Blileys born before the 1800's had their roots in Germany. The families, which came to America in the 19th Century, were from the Black Forest area of Southern Germany near the union of Germany, France and Switzerland. In the late 1800's, this area formed the German principality of Grand Duchy of Baden. Many of the Blileys were born in the small town of Krozingen about 5 miles southwest of Freiberg. (Map: 130K) Freiberg is located is located about 80 miles (120 km) southwest of the famous city of Stuttgart. Baden was united with the nearby principality of Württemberg to form the state of Baden-württember. I trace my lineage from Andreas William Bleile who immigrated to America in 1834 and chronicled by his son Charles in a letter.

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The Family Name

In my research and the documentation that I have been given, I have found two dominant spellings of the family name: Bliley and Bleile. There are also several other variations: Bleule, Blila, Baylin mostly found in early family records from the state of Baden-Württemberg. I, Germany.

I have found records of a Bleule parent's offspring being named Baylin. My great grandfather's name spelled as both Bleile and Bliley, but the Bliley is used in all family literature in the United States of America. One of the brothers of Charles A. Bleile (later Bliley), Andrew William Junior, used Blila as his family name.

One genealogist I met suggested the name variations may be the result of the different languages used in various recording systems, such as wedding licenses, baptismal certificates, birth certificates and death certificates, and cemetery registers. Religious records been kept many languages throughout the ages and in different countries--common ones are Latin, Hebrew, German and English. Perhaps a good linguist could give a definite answer, I cannot. It is possible that some of them could have been illiterate or barely literate, and corrupted the name themselves by accident.

After speaking with my first wife's German-born cousin Margaret, I have some explanation for the differences in the spellings of the family name. The variations of Bliley that end in "le", such as Bleule and Bleile, are common to the German dialect from the Southern area of the country in the state of Baden-Württemberg. In the genealogical records, the state name is often abbreviated to only Baden to save space. Many of the family names in this region end in "le" in a fashion similar to Polish names commonly ending in "ski". I have been told by German natives that "blei" is the metal lead and "le" means little and is used in German slang to mean "little lead pencil". Others say it is a corruption of a German word for the sound coming from a "wood or stamp mill". Quite frankly, who cares. It is a name with many find people associated with it.

Now, as to what brought them to this country in the first place...that will only be answered through speculation, and hard evidence if I am lucky!

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My Family Scrapbook

GENERATION 1 -- 1780's to 1890's

Great Great-Grandfather: Andreas William Bleile
B: January 9, 1787; D: February 1835
Spouse: Catherine Eich

I know almost nothing about my great great grandfather except that he was the first Bliley in our "clan" who immigrated to the United States. He brought with him his wife Catherine Eich, five children, and aged aunt, from Germany in 1834 to settle in Harbor Creek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania. Andrew died one year later at the young age of 49.

Children: Eleanor, Charles A., Mary, Barbara, and Andrew Jr.

• The Immigration Experience
  Andreas, Catherine and the four children came to the United States in 1834 on board the ship Charlemagne along with more than 150 other immigrants. Andreas insisted on coming to the U.S.A. in spite of a recent and debilitating stroke. The story of their journey is chronicled by one of their children, Charles, late in his life.

Great Great-Grandmother: Mary Elizabeth Sloan Hall Brown
B: 17??; D: 18??
Spouse: John Calvin Hall; Charles Brown

Here is an interesting lady whose life is outlined in some notes found in a maple table she owned and in notes accompanying a few photos in her grand daughter's family photo album. More research is definitely needed to flesh out her biography.

Maple Table Story--with photos of the table and Mary Sloan

Children: Hall: Alzina Hall and two unknown siblings; Brown: one unknown male child.

Great Great Uncle: Sebastian Bleile/Bliley
B: January 25, 1793; D: August 16, 1872
Spouse: Magdalene Gredler

After many years of searching, I have finally found a photo of Sebastian and three of his children. Here is a new page with that photo and items of interest to this side of the family. I hope to expand this area of the site over then ext few years.

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GENERATION 2 -- 1800's to 1900's

Great-Grandfather : Charles A. Bleile/Bliley
B: July 23, 1822; D: November 15, 1906
Spouse: Mary Jane Mead

He was a life-long farmer like his father in Erie County, Pennsylvania. He built a fine new home in 1865. (See "Bliley Homestead" below.)

• Immigration to America

I recently was blessed by a copy of a letter written by Charles Bliley providing the background on why his family came to America.

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Great-Grandmother: Mary Jane Mead Bliley
B: July 25, 1827; D: May 24, 1913
Spouse: Charles A. Bliley
Children: Alexander W., David C., Barbara, Josephine, Mary Agnes, Wilfred H., Rose J. (Nellie), Frank A. Ross A.

My great-grandmother was very interesting and capable woman. Her life was typical of many women of her time that were part of our national agrarian culture. She lost two fathers at an early age and later had eight surviving children with her husband, Charles A. Bliley.

• "Reminiscences of My Life" by Mary Jane Mead

In 1906, at the age of 79, Mary Jane Mead wrote a very detailed story (5,000 words) about her early life and her years with Charles.

• Notebook and Scrapbook (1888-1911)

Over a 100 pages of a ledger in which she initially used to keep track of her responsibilities on the family farm--eggs, butter, chickens, and vegetables. Later, it was reused as a personal scrapbook of events in her life. Fully indexed with photos of each page.

The Lives and Times of Charles A. and Mary Jane Mead Bliley,
A Scrapbook of Family Photos, Memoirs, Facts and Whimsy

Looking for an overview of the lives of Charles & Mary Jane Bliley? Here is a 25-page scrapbook of interesting and fun material on their lives, family and work. The content is available online and in PDF format.

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Great-Uncle: Andrew Blila
B: March 15, 1830   Died: February 2, 1919
Spouse: Gertrude Spacht
Children: Frances Ida Blila and Edward Joseph (Wood) Blila [Both Adopted]

Every family has people with character. Andrew was a bigger-than-life character who accomplished a lot in life, including garnering great respect from the community of Erie, Pennsylvania. After a year of research and support from several Blila descendants, I completed a fairly comprehensive profile of Andrew. The profile includes a short biography, a photo tour of his house, information about his place of work, cabinetry examples, photo gallery of family members and more.

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Great-Uncle: Alexander Bliley
B: September 14, 1848   Died: August 25, 1905
Spouse: Hulda J. Johnson
Children: Charles "Charley" and Harold "Harry"

Alex was one of the first entrepenours of the Bliley family. He was the first child of Charles and Mary Jane Bliley and the first to crave the taste gold and its benefits in Colorado. While he did not gain great wealth, it was not for the lack of trying. He was a gold mine development supervisor, a dealer in mining equipment and building materials, and a volunteered to fight the Ute Indians in 1887. Read more about this interesting man. Start by clicking here.

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The "Bliley Homestead" and Farm

Great Grandfather Charles Bliley owned several farms over his lifetime in Harborcreek Township, Pennsylvania. The last, and largest (116 acres) was purchased in 1865 for $7,731. Ten years later, they built a large brick house which still stands today. The Farm Photo Album contains a variety of illustrations of the farm. The farm is located near Wesleyville, in Erie County Pennsylvania. The scrapbook's resources include:

• 1875 Erie County, Pennsylvania Map and Atlas
• Engraving of the farm from the 1875 Atlas
• Map Detail from the Atlas
• 1999 Photos of the farm house
• Kitchen clock from the farm

(NOTE: The farm page is large and can take up to a minute to download with a 33 kbps connection.)

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GENERATION 3 -- 1860's to 1940's

Grandfather: Frank Anderson Bliley
Father of Frank Dawson Bliley and my grandfather
Spouse: Lula Dawson Bliley

• 1900 Photo of Frank Anderson Bliley
• Chronology of Frank Anderson Bliley's Life
• 1946 Obituary from the Erie Daily Times
• Career in the Law and Offices
• Photos from the Erie County Bar Association files

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Grandmother: Lula Dawson Bliley
Mother of Frank Dawson Bliley and my grandmother.

• 1902 Photo of Lula in a "Riding Coat"
• Lula's Family Photo Album, Circa 1860-1931 
• Dawson Homestead, Corry, PA -- Panoramic Maps, photo and postal card

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Great Uncle: Wilfred Henry Bliley
B: 29 May 1859; D: 25 April 1928 (Age 68)
Spouse: Jessi M. Chambers
Bought family farm on Station Road in Harborcreek Township, PA.

• 1908/9 Family Photo Album--Photographs by Samuel C. Wagner of the Bliley family. Album assembled and labeled by Inez Wagner.

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Great-Great Aunt: Josephine Bliley Bonnell
B: 12 Jan 1852; D: 23 May 1918 (Age 66)
Spouse: Elliott Mead Bonnell

Great-Great Uncle: Elliott Bonnell
B: 17 May 1846; Harborcreek, Erie County, PA; D: 1917 (Age 71), Corry, Erie County, PA
Spouse: Elliott Mead Bonnell

• Bonnell-Bliley Wedding Certificate--Here is a couple that we know little about, but we do a photo of their lovely 1873 wedding certificate.
• Gospel Hill Cemetery--Photos and index of a small cemetery just South of the Bliley Farm on Station Road. Many Bonnells are buried here.

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Grandfather: John Axel Rosenberg
Grandmother: Isabelle Frances McGrorey Rosenberg
Parents of my mother, Isabelle Marie Rosenberg Bliley Kaiser

• Rosenberg Family Photo Album 

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GENERATION 4 -- 1900's to 1990's

Father: Frank Dawson Bliley
My father and founder of the Bliley Electric Company.
B: April 29, 1906; D: May 29, 1955 (Age: 49)
Spouse: Isabelle Marie Rosenberg Bliley Kaiser

• A Special Christmas letter Home -- December 21, 1929
• 1954 Portrait for the Company's 25th Anniversary Promotions
• Company Security Badge from World War II
• Dawson and Bliley Road Signs in Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania
• Keeping in Touch with Home from the Road
• Chronology of His Life
• Chestnut Hill Kids' Movie Theater—World War II

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Mother: Isabelle Rosenberg Bliley Kaiser
My mother and best friend in life.
B: Nov. 15, 1914; D: May 15, 1997 (Age: 83)
Spouses: Frank Dawson Bliley; Lawrence F. Kaiser

• 1984 70th Birthday Photo
• A Mother's Request of Her Son
• Amateur Radio Activities
• 1996 Photo signing her amateur radio license

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Stepfather: Lawrence Francis Kaiser
My "father" since 1957.
Spouse: Isabelle Marie Rosenberg Bliley Kaiser

• 1998 Photo of Lawrence Francis Kaiser

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GENERATION 5 -- 1940's to 2030?

Charles Arthur Bliley, Web site owner and family historian

I am one of my father's five children and author of this site.

• 1998 Photo of Charles Arthur Bliley

First Wife of Charles Bliley: Deborah Ann Noble Bliley
B: March 18, 1948; D: May 8, 2004 (Age: 56)

• Born and raised in Erie, PA
• Married: July 6, 1974.

Second Wife of Charles Bliley: Marilyn Joann Holcomb Swanson Bliley
B: 19xx

• Born and raised in Bradford, PA.
• Surviving Spouse of David Swanson (D: 2004)
• Married: July 31, 2010 and counting.

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CEMETERIES

Below are links to three cemeteries that I have visited in which family members are buried. Each as photos of the cemetery and headstones.

• Erie Cemetery, Harbor Creek, PA -- Bliley, Rosenberg and Kendall
• Gospel Hill Cemetery & Index -- Bonnell, Edson, and Coover
• St. Boniface Cemetery, Erie, PA -- Bliley, Josten, Egg, and McConnell
• Pine Grove Cemetery, Corry, PA -- Dawson, Hall, and Pound
• Trinity Cemetery, Erie, PA -- Erie, PA
  • Low-Resolution Photo Gallery
  • High-Resolution Photo Gallery

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FAMILY PHOTO ALBUMS

The collection of photo albums, principally by Sam and Inez Wagner, has grown into a huge collection totaling almost a 1,000 photos. While it is labeled as "rough draft" the content is too exciting unto to announce it is available for viewing.

• Photo Albums of Sam and Inez Wagner -- Nine albums with additional photos of Sam's trick photograph.
• Wilfred H. Bliley's Family Photo Album -- An album of 35 photos, mostly created by Sam Wagner for his uncle Winfred and captioned by Inez Bliley.
• Lula's Family Photo Album, Circa 1860-1931 -- My grandmother's personal photo album with nearly a hundred exquisite photos covering most of her life in Corry and Erie, Pennsylvania.

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MISCELLANEOUS RESOURCES