Henry Gillespie was born in Ireland around 1785. He and his wife, Mary, had five children: Anne, Elizabeth, Flora, Henry and John. They lived in Antrim, Ireland (near Belfast).

Their first son, Henry, was born in Belfast, Ireland on February 25, 1817.  He came to the United States with his cousin, John Elliott, when he was 25 years old.  After settling near Eastbrook, Pennsylvania, Henry married Elizabeth Martin, daughter of John Martin and Margaret Dodds, also from Ireland.  Henry and Elizabeth were my paternal Great Grandparents.

Henry was a carpenter by trade.  He and Elizabeth had four children: Margaret, John, Anna Mary and William Henry.  Elizabeth was very religious and came from a family of strict Covenanters.  The Covenanters was the name given to members of a religious group in Scotland and Ireland who bound themselves by a series of agreements, or covenants, to uphold the Presbyterian faith.

Elizabeth died on 22 January 1879; and her husband, Henry, died on 07 March 1879 while visiting his son, John, in Colorado.  At the time of their deaths all of their children were grown and on their own, with the exception of their youngest son, William Henry, my Grandfather.

Grandfather was born on 12 January 1867 in a log cabin near Edinburg, Pennsylvania (located between Parstown Corners (Union Tp.) and Edinbury (Mahoning Tp.) in Lawrence County.  He was only twelve years old when his parents died and he went to live with  Mr. & Mrs. Welch on a farm near Edinburg.

In 1901 William Henry married Leanore Eperthener, daughter of Hypolite Eperthener and Elizabeth Skermer.  Leanore and William were both teachers at the time of their marriage.  They had four children: Imogene, Gertrude, Donald Jay and William Henry, Jr.

Grandfather was quite successful and for a number of years was involved in the wholesale lumber business and affiliated with the Citizen’s Lumber Company.  He served as Mayor of New Castle, Pennsylvania from 01 January 1928 to 1932, having been elected on the Democratic ticket.  He lived his entire life in Lawrence County, except for a brief period of time when he taught school in Nebraska before his marriage.

After his term of mayor was finished he retired.  In 1936 he and Leanore moved to New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.  After suffering with a terminal illness for some time, Grandfather took his own life by inflicting a gunshot into his head.

At the time of his death in 1938, Grandfather was a Director of the Lawrence Savings and Trust Company, now the First Seneca Bank in New Castle.  He was a member of the Highland United Presbyterian Church and its Men’s Bible Class and he was also a member of Mahoning Lodge 243, F & AM, and a charter member of the coordinate bodies of Valley of New Castle Consistry, A.A.S.R.