By charlton, on July 24th, 2011 On July 16, 2011 a number of descendants and their relatives gathered on Rocksprings Road near Bells Crossing at the rear of Elizabethtown Township. We were looking for the home of Reuben and Margaret Peer.

Direct descendants of Reuben and Margaret Peer standing in front of the old Peer House (from left to right): John Charlton, Pamela Vittorio, Miranda Beninger, Betty Britschgi, Julie Hinton, Gary Bushaw.
We had a couple of pieces of information to go on.
Continue reading Peer Descendants gather at Bells Crossing
By charlton, on August 9th, 2010 More before and after photos of Julie Hinton’s and Pamela Vittorio’s efforts to save family gravestones from ongoing destruction from lichen. These photos were taken by Julie at the North Watertown Cemetery in Watertown, New York.
What is lichen?
Lichen (pronounced liken) is a simple slow-growing plant that typically forms a low crustlike, leaflike, or branching growth on rocks, walls, and trees. Lichens are composite plants consisting of a fungus that contains photosynthetic algal cells. Their classification is based upon that of the fungal partner, which in most cases belongs to the subdivision Ascomycotina, and the algal partners are either green algae or cyanobacteria. Lichens obtain their water and nutrients from the atmosphere and can be sensitive indicators of atmospheric pollution.
North Watertown Cemetery
 Florence M Peer (before cleaning)
 Florence M Peer (after cleaning)
 Reuben Peer Jr. (before cleaning)
 Reuben Peer Jr. (after cleaning)
By charlton, on August 8th, 2010 Photo courtesy The White Gate Inn, Ogdensburg, NY.
 Pamela Vittorio, Julie Hinton, Ruth & John Charlton
This past week, three descendants of Reuben Peer Sr. and his wife Margaret Keough (Chio) met in Ogdensburg, New York to visit the Ogdensburg cemetery and the graves of the Chio family, related to Margaret. Pamela is descended from Reuben Peer Jr, Julie from Clarissa Lovina Peer and myself from Lucy Adelaine Peer. Ruth shares our interest in genealogy and has done research with me on the Peer family.
This was the first time we had met Pamela who had put two and two together and proved the connection between Margaret Keough of Elizabethtown Township in Ontario and the Chio family of Ogdensburg. She did this using census records and the information from Clarissa’s Lost But is Found journal entry.
Continue reading Peer Genealogists meet in Ogdensburg
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009 Peer Family 1880 Carte-de-Visite

Back Row – William James, Hannah Jane, Lucy Adeline, Margaret Anne
Middle Row – Reuben Sr., Margaret, Reuben Jr., Mary Lilly
Front Row – Katherine Matilda, Clarissa
Photo courtesy: Julie Hinton
Continue reading Reuben Peer
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009
| Head |
Occupation |
Religion |
Location |
Area |
| Widow Peer |
Farmer |
Episcapalian
Methodist |
Lot 29
Con 10 |
50 Acres |
|
5 French Natives
1 Male (6-13)
2 Single Males (21-29)
1 Married Females (14-44)
1 Single Female (45 of more)
5 neat cattle
3 horses
12 sheep
2 hogs |
20 Acres farmed
25 acres wood
5 acres pasture
5 acres wheat annual yield 40 bushels
1 acre oates annual yield 11 bushels
1 acre buckwheat annual yield 10 bushels
.5 acre potatoes annual yield 50 bushels
fraction acre Indian corn annual yield 8 bushels |
|
| Ontario Archives #M5909, Elizabethtown Twp., County of Leeds, Pg 17 |
According to a letter written by Clarissa Peer (Lucy Adeline Peer’s sister) when Clarissa was 88 years of age, Peter Peer married an Irish girl named Graham. Source: Julie Hinton (Clarissa’s Grand-daughter)
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009 Margaret’s Gravestone

photo by John Charlton
| Names |
Occupation |
Birthplaces |
Religion |
Age |
M.S. |
House Type |
| Reuben Pier |
Farmer |
Upper Canada |
None |
27 |
M |
Log, 1 story |
| Margaret Pier |
|
U.S.A. |
- |
21 |
M |
| Ontario Archives #C-11733, Township and County of Leeds, Division 1, Pg 3 |
Continue reading Margaret Peer (nee Keough)
By charlton, on October 18th, 2009
By charlton, on September 21st, 2009 Like the previous entry, the following newspaper clipping was pulled from Gerald Connell’s suitcase.
William Henry Richards died July 30th 1923 at 1:30 am at the age of 59 years. A life long resident of Bell’s Corners, eldest son of the late Richard Richards and his wife Eliza Hinton. 40 years ago, united in marriage to Lucy, third daughter of the late Reuen Peer, of Bel. One daughter Mrs. Delbert Connell – Newbliss. Three sons – Roy of Prescott, Howard of Roebuck, Harold on the homestead. One sister – Mrs James Garvin of Almonte. One brother – Edward of Rockspring. Funeral at Shiloh Methodist Church. Burial at Weir’s Cemetery.
By charlton, on September 21st, 2009 Julie Hinton sent these photos to me yesterday. They appear to be photos of William and Lillian Spicer at their home in Fairfield East. Julie says the inscription on the back of the second photo is “Uncle & Aunt Spicer, Wordshea? or perhaps workshed? Fairfield East. The first simply says, “Wm Spicer wife”.

I found this obituary for Lillian Spicer and the subsequent ones posted below in a suitcase passed down to me by my Uncle Gerald Carson Connell. Clipped tightly from various newspapers without dates or publication names, they place various Peer offspring in different places at different times. The first note reads:
Mrs. William Spicer died May 1936
Mary Lillian Spicer, survived by one brother Reuben of Watertown, four sisters Mrs. M. L. Hinton – Castleton, Mrs. Lucy Richards – Prescott, Mrs. Hannah Brown – Brockville and Kitty Peer – Fairfield East.
A similar clipping had been saved for Reuben Peer with the following information.
Reuben Peer
Born near here in 1853. Son of the late Reuben & Margaret Keough Peer. Early life spent in Elizabethtown. In 1901 moved to Ogdensburg where he lived for 2 years until going to Watertown. It then lists four surviving sisters Mrs, Lucy Richards, Prescott, Mrs M.S. Hinton, Castleton, Mrs Hannah Brown, Fairfield EAst, Mrs Katherine Peer, Jellyby.
Another one for Margaret (Mrs George Rowsom)
4th daughter died Dec 1930 – survived by one brother Reuben of Watertown, Mrs. Lillian Spicer – Fairfield East, Mrs Chas Brown – Fairfield East, Mrs Lucy Richards – Prescott, mrs (Rev) Hinton – Bobcageon, Kaie of Bells.

By charlton, on September 20th, 2009 
Click on photo to enlarge
This photo comes to us courtesy of Pamela Vittorio. She says of the photo:
I only know a few people: Reuben Peer Jr. and his wife Florence Mabel (nee Smith) Peer (my great great grandparents) are on the left side of this photo. He has a bowler style hat on and she’s a bit heavy set.
It looks like Lucy and Hannah Peer are standing next to them L to R. My grandmother Belle Trahan is the young girl standing in the center of the picture… she was raised by Reuben Jr. and Florence Peer– the daughter of Lillian (Peer) Trahan, my great-grandmother (Reuben Jr & Florence’s daughter) — the statuesque woman in the white floral dress with her hair up, and turned away from the camera…standing about 4th in from the right of the photo.
Apparently there were 63 in attendance that day–the caption on the picture said “Just a few of our 63, Sept. 1929“
See also: Peer Family Reunion 1929
|