45. Henry WINGER
Federal Census Research by ALW48 shows that Henry WINGER is first listed at age 17 with his family in the 1850 census for Cranberry Township of Venango County, Pennsylvania. He was therefore probably born about 1833. The location of his birth could have been Cranberry Township. Or it could have been Hempfield Township of Westmoreland County, PA where his family had lived previously and where his older siblings had probably been born. Henry is next found in the 1870 census for Oil Creek Township of Venango County. Henry is listed as age 38 and the woman of the house is listed as Elizabeth, age 30. The offspring are listed as Sylvanus - age 8, Elmer - age 7, Sarah - age 4, and Jesse - age 1. In 1880 the family is found in the census for Siverly Borough of Venango County. Oil Creek Township and Siverly Borough are basically the same entity, Oil City. The offspring are listed as Sylvanus - age 18, Elmer - age 17, Sadie (another name for Sarah) - age 14, Frank (Franklin Jesse) - age 11, Melvina - age 6, and Lillie - age 3. But the wife is listed as Jane, age 40. From oral history of the family, the wife of Henry WINGER was Sarah Jane MCBRIDE. But after 1880 the name Sarah or Jane does not appear again. However, Elizabeth, age 61 is listed in the 1900 census for Siverly Borough of Cornplanter Township, living with the family of her daughter Sarah, age 34, who is also known as having married David SELLARD. Also living with them was Elmer age 37, the son of Elizabeth and the brother of Sarah. It appears as if Elmer had probably never married.
Henry WINGER is not found in the 1900 census because he died 9 JUL 1891. By trade he was an oil well driller and so was his thirty-five year old nephew Samuel E. WINGER, the son of Henry's brother Samuel Jessie WINGER. Both were working for Forest Oil Company on Hog Bar Island which is in the Allegheny River adjacent to the town of Coraopolis, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Gas and oil had been discovered on the island the previous year. So this would be good work for the two for quite a while. But the gas well on which they were working exploded. They both succumbed to the burns they received within a very few days. Both were brought home to Oil City to be buried.
62. Elmer WINGER
Buried Section 10, Lot 61, Grove Hill Cemetary, Oil City, Venango, PA