Melanie Hamm of Barnhart, Missouri (melmel1972@aol.com) has been searching for the parents of her Catherine Sell Stettler, born 1851 in Lehigh County, PA. Last month she finally obtained Catherine's death certificate which says that "Catherine F. Sell was born on 25 August 1851; died 3 March 1935 at her home on Turner Street in Allentown. She was 83 years, 6 months, and 6 days old. AND her father is listed as Evan Sell and her mother was Mary West."
There is only ONE Evan Sell in Lehigh County in 1840 to 1880, and he is recorded in Part 34, Family #5 (parents) and Family #11 of our Celle Family Book (Celle CD #2, History Volume 4, pages 168 and 169.) This Evan Sell was born about 1830/3 (he was listed as age 20 in 1850, and age 47 in 1880), a son of Charles or Carl Sell and Sarah Zimmerman. Evan married by 1860 to Fianna Hollenbach, and according to the Jordan Lutheran Church Baptismal records, and the 1880 Census, Evan and Fianna had at least seven children, born between 1864 and 1878.
The 1860 Census shows Evan Sell and wife Fianna living in South Whitehall Township (image #612) with two children in their household; a seven year old daughter whose name appears to be "Alise"; and a 3 month old baby named Jane. I few households away there is an eight year old "Catherine Sell" living with the neighbor family of James (age 32) and ?ivilia (age 26) Fries(??), and their one year old daughter, Rose. No relationship is stated, or known. Perhaps Catherine was living there to help care for and play with the baby?
In 1850 "Evens Sell" (Selb in the index) is listed as "age 20, cabinet maker", living in the household of Rhaim (sp??) and Eliza Schuyler, in Upper Milford Township, Lehigh County, PA.
Theory:
Based on all of the above records, it is our theory that Evan Sell married 1st, provably in late 1850 or early 1851 to Mary West, and that they had at least two daughters: Catherine, born 25 August 1851 and Alise (sp??) born about 1853. Then Mary West Sell died, and Evan remarried, probably about 1858/9 to Fianna Hollenbach, and that Jane, age 3 months in 1860, was their first child.
Wanted:
Marriage records for Evan Sell, for either or both of these marriages, about 1850/51; and about 1858/9. Probate and/or obituary records for Mary West Sell (about 1853/57); and for Evan Sell, who died before 1914. West family records identifying Mary West Sell, her dates, parents, and children. And any other records that might help us prove or disprove the above theories.
Please email me at :
Choppin.Carolyn@usa.net
