Hello,

This is my husband's family. I am a little confused because you say our Benjamin F. Wessell's may not be the same but that the Virginia Wessell who married a Todd is the same line. From what you wrote, it also looks like in one generation a Todd married a Wessell and in the next generation, a Wessell married a Todd - all from the same lines?

This is more of what I have:

Barry Wessell Fry b. 10/29/44, s/o
Dorothy Wessell (Fry), b. 7/31/1915, d/o
Harry A. Wessell, b. Norristown, PA 9/4/1887 m. Kathryn Collins.

1920 United States Federal Census:
Wessell, Harry
Age: 33 Year: 1920
Birthplace: Pennsylvania Roll: T625_1604
Race: White Page: 6B
State: Pennsylvania ED: 144
County: Montgomery Image: 1029
Township: Norristown

1930 United States Federal Census:
Wessell, Harry A
Age: 41 Year: 1930
Birthplace: Pennsylvania Roll: T626_2083
Race: White Page: 5A
State: Pennsylvania ED: 106
County: Montgomery Image: 0842
Township: Norristown
Relationship: Head

Harry A. Wessell, Sr.:
Death Registration #6840; not a veteran, retired electrican. *Death cert. says parents were Alfred Wessell and Margaret McCauley. (D. W. Fry said parents were Benjamim Wessell and Margaret McCauley. Could they have been his grandparents instead? Or is the death cert. wrong which CAN happen based on the info. the informant had. Also, headstone has Sarah Rebecca as Benjamin's wife - 2nd wife?? But then, there is the older Benjamin Wessell with a wife Margaret which I think is the same family:

1880 US Federal Census:
Benjamin U. WESSLE
Male

Other Information:
Birth Year <1828>
Birthplace NJ
Age 52
Occupation Laborer
Marital Status M <Married>
Race W <White>
Head of Household Benjamin U. WESSLE
Relation Self
Father's Birthplace NJ
Mother's Birthplace NJ
-----------------------------------------------------
Source Information:
Census Place 2nd Ward, Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania
Family History Library Film 1255159
NA Film Number T9-1159
Page Number 412A


1880 US Federal Census:
Household:

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace

Benjamin U.WESSLE Self M Male 52 NJ Laborer NJ NJ
Margaret WESSLE Wife M Female 48PA KeepingHouse PA PA
Benja F. WESSLE Son S Male 21 PA Laborer NJ PA
Alfred A.WESSLE Son S Male 15 PA Laborer NJ PA
Florance WESSLE Dau S Female10 PA At School NJ PA
Ida P. WESSLE Dau S Female 7 NJ PA

Source Information:
Census Place 2nd Ward, Norristown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania
Family History Library Film 1255159
NA Film Number T9-1159
Page Number 412A

It would seem that the above census record is the correct family and includes the parents of Harry A. Wessell, Sr. since both a Benjamin and an Alfred are listed. We're just not sure which one is Harry's father.

Benjamin F. Wessell:
Death Certificate #19307; retired conductor - P & R Railroad, birthplace NJ.

At Riverside Cemetery in Norristown, PA headstone says:
WESSELL
1859 Benjamin Franklin 1939
1863 Sarah Rebecca 1941

MULLINEAUX
1887 Henry Davis 1960
1887 Ada Wessell 1974

There is also another Benjamin F. Wessell b. 31 Mar. 1890, d. Mar. 1973, m. Ivy H, 1892-1960, both buried Riverside Cem. (My husband remembers an Ivy so I would say Harry A., Sr., Ada, and Benjamin F, Jr. are all siblings or some combination of cousins.)

Benjamin F. Wessell, (Jr.?)
SSDI:
Last residence: 33134 (Miami, Miami-dade, FL); SSDI.
ZIP Code: 33134
Localities: Coconut Grove, Dade, Florida
Coral Gables, Dade, Florida
Miami, Dade, Florida

I have Harry A., Ada, & Benjamin F. (Jr?) as siblings. Perhaps some combination are cousins since it seems Alfred was/may have been Harry's father instead of Benjamin F. (Sr.?). Also odd is that Ada's birthdate is 2/1887 and Harry's is 9/1887, making them only 7 months apart. My husband does remember an Aunt Ada.

There is something definitely wrong here but I have yet to figure it out and haven't worked on this line for a year. Anything you can add to straighten it out would be great.

As far as Todd's: J. Harrison was not blood and married my husband's aunt, Virginia Wessell. Their children are Kathryn, James H., Jr., and Henry, all my husband's first cousins.

Hope you can straighten some of this out and hope I didn't confuse you too much.

Regards,
Brooke

P.S. Couldn't get your e-mail address to go through.