Charles Harrison ALLUM

  General Notes:

Photo: This photo of Charles Harrison Allum, 1868-1938, originates with the collection of Shirley Allum Hudlicky. In the mid-1960s when visiting Greene County, Pennsylvania from the State of Washington, Shirley photographed ... the existing photo ... owned at that time by a descendant.

A lifelong resident of Greene County, Pennsylvania, Charles farmed in Richhill Township throughout his adulthood. Husband to Nora Belle Sprowls, he experienced almost 50 years of marriage with Nora before his death in 1938. The couple had four children between 1891 and 1907: John ("Harry") ... Grace ... Frederick ("Fred") ... and Nelle.

Photo from the collection of Shirley Allum Hudlicky



1868 BIRTH of Charles Harrison Allum

1870 CENSUS. In 1870 Charles' mother, Almira Jane, is in Mahaska County, Iowa as "A. J. Allen" in the household of her sister, Malinda (Allum) McKanna (with Malinda's husband, William H. McKanna, and their children). Also in the household in 1870 is Malinda and Almira's mother, Evaline Gregory Allum, documented "A. Allen" (for "Avaline" instead of "Evaline"?). Charles, who would have been less than two years old when the census was taken, is not documented. Either he had been left in Pennsylvania in the care of another -- where he was not documented in 1870 -- or was with his mother in Iowa but not recorded in the McKanna household. Also, where was Charles' four-year-old half-brother Effin in 1870?

1880 CENSUS, Pennsylvania, Greene County, Richhill Township ("Charles H. Allums," age 12, is "stepson" in the household of his married natural mother, "Alice J. Cummins," age 36, and his stepfather, "John J. Cummins," age 50)

1890 MARRIAGE (approximate) of Charles Harrison Allum and Nora Belle Sprowls

1900 CENSUS, Pennsylvania, Greene County, Richhill Township ("Charles H.," age 31, "Farmer," born "October, 1868 in Pennsylvania") (wife, "Nora B.," age 26, born "July, 1873 in Pennsylvania") (Nora is documented as the mother of 3 children, 3 children living in the year 1900; she and Charles had been married 10 years)

1910 CENSUS, Pennsylvania, Greene County, Richhill Township ("Charles H.," age 40, "Farmer, General Farm") (wife "Nora B.," age 36) (Nora is shown as the mother of 4 children, all 4 children living in the year 1910; she and Charles had been married 20 years)

1920 CENSUS, Pennsylvania, Greene County, Richhill Township ("Chas H.," age 51, "Farmer, General Farm") (wife "Nora," age 45) ("Allums" on census but transcribed "Allume" for some census indexes)

1930 CENSUS, Pennsylvania, Greene County, Richhill Township ("Charles," age 60, "Farmer, General Farm") (wife "Nora B.," age 56)

1938 DEATH, Charles Harrison Allum, at 70 years 0 months 29 days

Cause of death: "Pul. fibroid -- T.B.; other cause, chronic myocarditis" --death certificate

****

1940 DEATH of wife, Nora Belle (Sprowls) Allum, at 67 years 2 months 29 days

Cause of death: "Pleurisy with effusion; chronic myocarditis; cerebral embolism; tapping of pleura" --death certificate




BOOK: HISTORY OF THE CITY OF WASHINGTON AND WASHINGTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS by Joseph F. McFarland, Chicago, Illinois, 1910, excerpt from a sketch of Jesse Addison Sprowls as follows:

The Sprowls family was founded in West Finley Township at a very early period by seven brothers and two sisters, namely:William, Alexander, Henry, grandfather of subject; Arthur, James, John and Nelson. The sisters died early in life. Henry Sprowls was one of the progressive and prosperous farmers of the township. He married Mary Stollar of East Finley and reared a family of ten children: George, Clinton, Mary, Jemima, deceased; Elmira, Margaret, Daniel, Jeannette, Riley and Morgan. Clinton Sprowls was born in 1849, on the home farm in West Finley Township, where he lived until 1899, when he moved to Jefferson, Greene County, Pa., where he and his wife reside on the old Maj. McDowell homestead. He married Anna Mary Wallace, and of their union were born the following offspring: Jesse Addison; Nora, who is the wife of Charles Allum; Forest M.; Jennie L., who is the wife of J. K. Bush; James L.; Franklin L.; Eva, who is the wife of Samuel Nickles; John, Della, Stanley, Okal.




OBITUARY (Charles) from an undocumented 1938 newspaper:

CHARLES H. ALLUM

Charles H. Allum, 70, very successful and well known farmer of the Ackley's Bridge section, died at 10 a.m. Tuesday, November 1, in his home in Richhill Township, Greene County.

He was born October 3, 1868. He spent his entire life as a farmer and was noted for his strict business principles and honest dealing. He was also remembered as the old time violinist of his home neighborhood.

He was a lifetime member of the Republican party and was active in local politics. He was a member of the Wind Ridge Christian Church.

Surviving are his wife, Nora B. Sprowls Allum; five children, Harry, of East Finley; Grace, wife of Clyde S. Plants, of Claysville; Fred M., of West Finley; and Nelle M. Allum, of Claysville; a half-brother, E. H. McClelland, of Uniontown; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Short services will be held in the home at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, November 3, followed by services at 2 p.m. in the Windy Gap Church, near West Finley, in charge of his pastor, the Rev. E. M. Oakes, assisted by the Rev. M. Neagle, of the Windy Gap Church. Burial will be in the West Finley Cemetery.




OBITUARY (Nora) from an undocumented 1940 newspaper:

MRS. CHARLES H. ALLUM

Mrs. Nora B. Allum, widow of Charles Allum, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Clyde S. Plants, Wednesday afternoon, October 23, 1940, at 4:15 o'clock, following a lingering illness.

Mrs. Allum was born in West Finley Township July 24, 1873. She was a daughter of the late Clinton and Anna Mary Wallace Sprowls. She was a member of the Enon Baptist Church and the Willing Workers Sunday School Class.

Surviving are four children, Mrs. Clyde S. Plants of Claysville, R. D. 1, at whose home she died; J. Harry Allum and Fred M. Allum of West Finley, and Nelle M. Allum of Claysville. There are nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Also surviving are the following brothers and sisters: Forrest M. Sprowls, of Erie; Mrs. J. K. Bush and Stanley S. Sprowls, of Brownsville; Frank L. Sprowls, of Gary, Ind.; Mrs. A. R. William, of Detroit, Mich.; John C. Sprowls, of Wilmington, Del.; Mrs. Clyde Bacon, of Greenville; Mrs. Irvin Glace, of Youngstown, O.; Okal M. Sprowls of McKeesport.

The body will be at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Clyde S. Plants, Claysville, R.D. 1, where services will be held Saturday, October 26, at 1 o'clock, followed by services in the Windy Gap Presbyterian Church at 2 o'clock. Burial will be in the West Finley Cemetery. The Rev. Paul K. Corley, of the Claysville Methodist Church, will have charge of the services.




DOCUMENT: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Death Certificate for Charles Harry Allum signed by his wife, Nora B. Allum

I received Charles' Commonwealth of Pennylvania death certificate in August, 1964. It is an actual copy (in a format in which copies were made at that time) of the original document.

Charles was the younger of two sons born to Almira Jane "Alice" Allum. His elder half-brother, Effin McClelland, was the son of Alice and William David McClelland. Charles' father, however, is unknown, and he used the surname ALLUM throughout his lifetime. Even Charles' death certificate -- signed by his wife, "Nora B. Allum" -- does not offer the name of his father: Instead, "(?) Allum" is written where the name of a father is requested with Charles' mother's name provided "Alice Allums."

Through the years, did Alice inform Charles of his parentage? We do not know. Likely we will never find a record that bears his father's name.

--DeeAnna Allum Granston


DOCUMENT: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Death Certificate for Nora Belle Allum, informant Nelle M. Allum, Nora's daughter

I obtained Nora's Commonwealth of Pennsylvania death certificate in September, 1964 when photocopiers as we have come to know them did not exist. Although some methods of copying were utilized at that time, not all businesses, organizations, etc. owned the necessary equipment. Even though one month earlier, I had received a copy of the original death certificate for Charles Harry Allum, all data for Nora's certificate was handwritten in 1964 on a death certificate form in order to fulfill my request.

--DeeAnna Allum Granston




DOCUMENT: Letters of Administration for Charles H. Allum, No. 12175, Volume 22, Page 379, as follows:


And now, January 4, 1939, Application for Letters of Administration filed, showing the following Heirs: Nora B. Allum, Spouse, J. Harry Allum, Grace Allum Plants, Fred M. Allum and Nellie M. Allum, sons and daughters.

Same day Letters of Administration upon the estate of Charles H. Allum, late of Richhill Township, Greene County, Pennsylvania, deceased, were granted to J. Harry Allum and bond taken in the sum of One Thousand Dollars, with Harry Coffield, Jemima Burns Coffield and G. L. Livingood, sureties, filed.

Affidavit of Death made by J. Harry Allum, who being duly sworn according to law, says that Charles H. Allum, late of said county, died on the 1st day of November 1938 at 10 o'clock A. M., and further saith not.

Affidavit of Death, Administrator's Oath & Renunciation filed with Bond.

(signed) Perry E. Wright, Register

The final account was filed on September 26, 1939




DOCUMENT: Will for Nora B. (Sprowls) Allum, Will No. 12493, Volume 23, Page 244, as follows:


And now, December 30, 1940, Application for Letters of Administration filed, showing the following Heirs: J. Harry Allum, Fred M. Allum, Grace Allum Plants and Nell M. Allum, sons and daughters.

Same day Letters of Administration upon the estate of Nora B. Allum, late of Richhill Township, Greene County, Pa., deceased, were granted to J. Harry Allum and Fred M. Allum and bond taken in the sum of One Hundred Dollars with G. L. Livingood and Harry Coffield as sureties, filed.

Affidavit of Death made by J. Harry Allum who, being duly sworn according to law, says that Nora B. Allum, late of said county, died on the 23rd day of October 1940 at 4:00 o'clock P. M., and further saith not.

Affidavit of Death & Administrators Oath filed with Bond.

(signed) W. L. Barnes, Register of Wills

Inventory and appraisement filed on January 8, 1941




PHOTOGRAPHS (photographed [copied] in 1965 by Shirley Allum Hudlicky):

Charles Harrison Allum

Charles Harrison Allum (different photo from above)

Obituary, Charles H. Allum (photographed in 1965 by Shirley)

Nora Belle (Sprowls) Allum, Charles Harrison Allum's wife

Obituary of Mrs. Charles H. Allum (photographed in 1965 by Shirley)

John Harrison Allum, son of Charles Harrison and Nora (Sprowls) Allum

Grace Allum (Plants), daughter of Charles Harrison and Nora (Sprowls) Allum

Extended family group photos

Charles married Nora Belle SPROWLS, daughter of Henry Clinton SPROWLS and Anna Mary WALLACE, about 1890. (Nora Belle SPROWLS was born on July 24, 1873 in West Finley Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania, died on October 3, 1940 in East Finley Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania and was buried on October 26, 1940 in West Finley Cemetery, West Finley Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania.)