The Proven Children of Peter Snook and Elizabeth Simmons of Lafayette, Sussex, NJ

All hail the bachelors, spinsters and couples who never have children! These people, when they die, often leave their estates to their siblings and cousins, and through these estate records, family trees can be re-created.

Often, it’s the un-researched people who never marry or never have children who are the real treasures of genealogy work. Researchers ignore the people at their peril! Here’s a perfect case…

John Middaugh Snook died in 1910 in Orange County, New York. He left a widow but no children. His siblings are all dead, too. His will stipulated that part of his estate go to the children and grandchildren of his aunts, uncles, and cousins.

His widow was left with the task of finding and notifying these heirs and distributing the money. She and her attorney asked each of the known Snook and Middaugh family members for the whereabouts of the other descendants. In John’s estate record, she lists all these descendants, grouped by who the main parents are, all children of Peter Snook and Elizabeth Simmons –55 people in all!

What a treasure chest! When I found this document, I could immediately add two siblings into my family tree that I didn’t know were connected. (And delete one whole line I had added by mistake.)

https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/8800/images/004887248_00189?pId=8472027

See NYS Historic Newspapers for this article here.

Middaugh side:

• Hannah M. Everett – Hannah Middaugh m. William Everitt
• Milton Middaugh
• Children and grandchildren of Catherine Middaugh m. Northrup:
  • Alice M. Northrup
  • Frederick Northrup
• Children of Eliza Jane Middaugh and George Swarts
  • John Swartz
  • Maranda J. Potter – Miranda Jane Swartz Potter, daughter of Eliza Jane Middaugh
  • Hannah M. Ross – Anna Marie “Hannah” Swarts Ross
  • Hiram G. Swarts
  • Clarence Swarts
  • Louisa Rapplee – daughter of Charity Swarts and Hiram Rappalee, named as a granddaughter of Jane Middaugh Swarts
• Sons of Clarissa Middaugh andChauncey Adams:
  • John D Adams – John Dewitt Adams
  • George B Adams – George Baxter Adams
  • A.J. Adams – Albert J Adams

Snook side – These are all children of Peter Snook and Elizabeth Simmons

Per this estate record, these are all be the descendants of Peter Snook and Elizabeth Simmons. Two of these children don’t have any living descendants in 1910, so aren’t named. 

• Casper “Jasper” Snook m. Sarah Main
• Catherine m. Joseph Kispaugh
  • A mystery! John Middaugh Snook doesn’t name any Kishpaughs. Is she from the other Snook line? Or were all of her kids dead by 1910?
• John Snook m. Eunice Primrose
• Jacob m. Maria Dabron and Elizabeth Hunt
• Peter Snook m. Jane Kishpaugh
• Elizabeth Snook m. William Coleman
  • I don’t think any of their kids live until 1910
• Phillip Snook m. Harriet Stephens
• Henry Snook m. Euphemia Struble
• Samuel Snook m. Mary Middaugh
  • It’s his son, John Middaugh Snook, who has the 1910 estate record.
  • None of their other kids live until 1910, which is why John Middaugh Snook is leaving his estate to his aunts, uncles and cousins.

Children and grandchildren of Casper “Jasper” Snook m. Sarah Main.

• Huldah Miller – Huldah Snook m. Louis Miller
• James Snook – James Snook m. Harriet Wood
• Children of George Snook m. Mary Colman Drake (son of Casper/Jasper)
  • Elizabeth Luckey – Susan Elizabeth “Lizzie” Snook m. Jesse Luckey
  • Herbert Corey – Herbert Edgar Corey, son of Ida Snook Corey
  • Edgar Snook – Edgar Snook m. Fitzgibbons
• Children of Joseph W Snook (son of Casper/Jasper):
  • Lena Miller – Lena Snook Miller wife of Louis Miller (she marries in 1907)
  • Herman Snook – son of Joseph W Snook
  • Sabina Snook – son of Joseph W Snook
  • Child of Eva M Snook VanGorden
    • Edna Van Gorder – Edna Mae VanGorden, granddaughter of Joseph W Snook
  • Minnie Penney – Port Jervis – Minnie Snook Penney/Pinney

Grandchildren of John Snook m. Eunice Primrose (but why not their other children?). 

• Any descendants of Alfred Snook, son of John and Eunice
• Sons of Elizabeth Snook m. Israel Struble:
  • Alfred Struble – Alfred Conrad Struble
  • Amos Struble – Amos C Struble

Children and grandchildren of Jacob Snook (Minisink, NY), the son of Peter Snook and Elizabeth Simmons

• Jacob Snook and Maria Dabron, his first wife: M.J. Snook  – Minton J Snook, their grandson via their son of Jacob Perkins Snook
• Jacob Snook and Elizabeth Hunt, his second wife: Susan M Hoyt – Susan Maria Snook Hoyt, their daughter

Children and grandchildren of Peter Snook and Jane Kishpaugh

• Phebe J. Roloson – daughter of Peter Snook and Jane Kishpaugh
• Children of Charity Snook and George Givens Struble 
  • Peter Struble
  • John Struble
  • Jonas Struble
  • Hannah J. McMickle – Hannah J Struble m. Edward D McMickle
• Children of Harriet Snook and Robert Hall Stoll. 
  • Lydia Stoll
• Children of Elizabeth Snook and John H Rutan. 
  • Anna Merring – Anna Jane Rutan m. Amzy Merring
  • Jonas Rutan

Children of Philip Snook and Harriet Stephens

• Alanson P Snook
• Coleman Snook
• Howard Snook
• Sarah Coss of Dover NJ – Sarah E Snook m. Elias Coss
• Children of Jacob Snook and Elmira Tuttle. 
  • Frank Snook – Franklin Snook
  • Fred Snook
  • Laura Depue – Laura A Snook m. Irving Charles Depue
• Children of Susan Snook and Hampton Predmore. 
  • Clarence Predmore
  • Floyd Predmore

Children and grandchildren of Henry Snook and Euphemia Struble. He is is the son of Peter Snook and Elizabeth Simmons.

The estate records says, “…and other descendants of Henry Snook.” Clearly, the family knows there are more kids, but they don’t know who they are and/or where they’re located because some people die young and their kids are placed with family members. See especially Peter H Snook’s family below.
Child of Henry Snook and Euphemia Struble. 

• Mrs. William Lundy – Margaret Snook m. William C Lundy
• Children of Robert H Snook and Hannah Williams:
  • Linden Snook
  • Robert Snook
  • Floyd Snook
  • Samuel Snook
  • Edward Snook (Coleman Edward Snook)
  • Mrs. Harvey Jones  – Mary Francis Snook who married George Harvey Jones
  • Mrs. Bert Pellett – Lillie Snook Pellett
  • Why not any children of Martha m. Benjamin Reeves?
• Children of Sarah Snook and Jonas Brink:
  • Peter Brink
• Children of Amelia C “Emma” Snook and John D Dennis:
  • Joseph Dennis
• Children of William Snook and Margaret Hornbeck:
  • Ada Snook
  • William Snook – William A Snook
  • Does not list Lanie Snook Raser
• Children of Peter H Snook and Elizabeth Burwell.
  • John Snook of Newton – John P Snook who marries Ella Snook (daughter of James Snook and Harriet Wood)
  • Stella Farrell of Newton – She is daughter Mary E Snook aka Estella M “Stella” Snook. This one stumped me for a while, but she is listed as a descendant of Henry and Euphemia Snook in John M Snook’s estate. When Peter H Snook’s wife, Elizabeth Burwell Snook, dies around 1871, three of the youngest children are sent to live with relatives. Morris Snook is living with his Burwell grandparents, Nellie Snook is living with her Burwell aunt (Susan Burwell Potter), and Stella Snook goes to live with Rachel Snook Stickles (daughter of Peter Snook and Jane Kishpaugh, Peter H Snook’s aunt and uncle). She must eventually be adopted by them, because her first few census records with them are using “Snook” but she marries as “Stickles”. She marries Chatman Farrell.