David H Edwards of Altoona, Pennsylvania, was born May 28, 1843, in Bedford County.1 On October 21, 1866, he married Maria Hamilton, presumably in Wilmore Borough, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, since both of them were "of Wilmore Borough" at the time. 2 Their first child, Frances Gertrude, was born in October 1869 in Connemaugh Township, Cambria County.3 , 4 Shortly after that David and family moved to Altoona where he remained until his death in 1915.3
David Edwards' obituary mentioned two stepsisters among his survivors: Mrs Ida Walker of Pittsburg and Mrs Katie Smay of Johnstown.
Ida Hess Walker died April 21, 1935, in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County. Her death record said that her parents were John Hess and Florinda Ellis, both born in Pennsylvania. 5 But when Ida Hess married Joseph William Walker on May 17, 1887, in Clarion County, she said father's name was George, not John. Her mother's name on that record was Florinda Hess. 6
Mrs Katie E Smay died 25 April 1937, at Torrance State Hospital, Derry, Westmoreland County. Her residence was in Wilmore. The record says that her parents were George Hess and Farinda Ellis.7
Catherina Hess, age 10, and Ida Hess, age 7, were living in the household of Florinda Hess, widow, in Wilmore Post Office, Summerhill Township in 1870.8 Florinda and George Hess were in Summerhill Township in 1860 with the older children in the family.9
Mrs Florinda Hess died September 27, 1907 at 519 Maple Ave, Johnstown, age 81 years and 7 days. Her parents were listed as Enos Ellis and Elizabeth Parsons. The informant was Mrs Henry C Smay, of Johnstown.10
So the step-sisters mentioned in David Edwards' obituary were Catherine (Hess) Smay and Ida (Hess) Walker, daughters of George Hess and Florinda Ellis.
David's death certificate said that his mother's name was Florinda Ellis. (His father's name was not known.)11 Is this correct?
In 1850 "Herinda" Ellis, age 23, is in Summerhill, Cambria County, in the household of Enos and Ruth Ellis. Also in that household were children Mary age 15, Enos 6, Naomi 4, and Hannah 2. Records show that Ruth A Ellis filed for a mother's pension for her son Enos' Civil War service.12 So Florinda's mother, Elizabeth Parsons, must have died before 1844. (A tree on ancestry.com says that Elizabeth was also Mary's mother, and that both Florinda and Mary were born in Bedford County.)
Since Florinda Ellis was still unmarried in 1850, she couldn't be the mother of David Edwards, who was born in 1843.
In 1860, David Edwards, age 16, was living in Wilmore Post Office, Summerhill Township, in the household of John L and Sarah A Hess. 13 George and Florinda Hess were on the next page, in Summerhill Post Office. The will of John L Hess, probated 1 November 1892, says that on the death of his wife, whatever is left of his estate is to be divided between his two adopted children namely David H Edwards and Emma Hammers.14
Sarah A Hess' will, dated 10 September 1895, includes similar language, stating that her home and lot should be sold and the proceeds, less $50 for her headstone, should be "divided between my two adopted children Emma Hammers and David H Edwards, share and share alike."15
So David Edwards' adoptive parents were John L and Sarah A Hess.
Note: The familysearch.org tree and some public trees at ancestry say that George and John L Hess were brothers.
So why does David's death certificate say that his mother was named Florinda Ellis and he had two stepsisters, Katie Smay and Ida Walker? Possibly because John and Sarah Hess had no children of their own and David grew up with George and Florinda's children.
David's obituary said he was born in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. Not so coincidentally, John and Sarah Hess were living in St Clair Township, Bedford County in 1850.16 There are a number of Edwards families in Bedford County in 1840 and 1850 but only one in St Clair Township, namely Amos Edwards and his children. But Amos' will names all his sons, and none of them are named David.17 Of those sons, none had a son named David.
So at this point we don't know who David Edwards' birth parents were. I wonder if he did.
Or just maybe Florinda Ellis was the mother of David Edwards before she was married, and an unnamed Edwards man was the father. Her family was from St Clair Township also.18 But then why wasn't he raised as an Ellis and why isn't he in Enos Ellis' household in 1850? That is the way things often happened if an older daughter of a family had a child before marriage. Finding David in the 1850 Census would be very helpful, but I haven't been able to. He is not David H Edwards, son of Joseph and Elizabeth, in Hopewell, Huntingdon County. That man is accounted for.
For more about David Edwards and some of his children see the Pennsylvania Families tree on this site.
1 Altoona Tribune, October 16, 1915, page 16, Obituary of David H Edwards.
2 Ebensburg Democrat and Sentinel, November 1, 1866, page 3, marriage announcement of David Edwards and Maria Hamilton.
3 1870 Census, Ward 5, Altoona, Pennsylvania, dwelling 56, family 60, David Edwards household.
4 Pennsylvania Death Records, Frances Gertrude Edwards, April 3, 1954, Blair County, #29606.
5 Pennsylvania Death Records, Ida Hess Walker, April 21, 1935, Allegheny County, #35686.
6 Marriage License Docket No. 2., Clarion County, Pennsylvania, page 62, May 17, 1887, Joseph William Walker and Ida Hess.
7 Pennsylvania Death Certificate, Kate E Smay, April 25, 1937, Westmoreland County, #45561.
8 1870 Census, Summerhill, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, page 4, dwelling 64, family 59.
9 1860 Census Summerhill, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, page 347, ancestry.com says dwelling 2577, family 2609.
10 Pennsylvania Death Certificate, Mrs Florinda Hess, September 27, 1907, Cambria County, #88269.
11 Pennsylvania Death Certificate, David H Edwards, October 15, 1915, Blair County, #92855
12 Civil War Pension Index, Enos Ellis, filed October 17, 1878, application #239752.
13 1860 Census Summerhill, Cambria County, Pennsylvania, page 348, Post Office: Wilmore, dwelling 2583, family 2615.
14 Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, ancestry.com, Will of John L Hess, Cambria County, probated November 1, 1892.
15 Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, ancestry.com, Will of Sarah A Hess, Cambria County, probated November 27, 1895
16 1850 Census, St Clair, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, dwelling 175, family 176, John Hess household.
17 Pennsylvania, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1683-1993, ancestry.com, Will of Amos Edwards, Bedford County, probated January 30, 1873.
18 1840 Census, St Clair, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, page 3, Enos Ellis household.