The Rest of the Story . . .
This scene describes what happened to the major characters of the story after the Civil War.
The Pennsylvania Regiments
78th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment
139th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment
139th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment
The 78th PA Volunteer Regiment was the regiment of George Washington Conley, the older son of James. The regiment has 3,217 soldiers. Those lost in service:
2 officers were killed
69 enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded
3 officers and 194 enlisted men died of disease
A total of 267 soldiers or 8.3% of the regiment died in the war.
139th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment
139th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment
139th Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment
The 139th PA Volunteer Regiment was the regiment of James and Henry Conley, the father and younger son. The regiment had 1,697 soldiers. Those lost in service:
10 officers were killed
135 enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded
5 officers and 86 enlisted men died of disease
A total of 236 soldiers or 13.9% of the regiment died in the wa
The 139th PA Volunteer Regiment was the regiment of James and Henry Conley, the father and younger son. The regiment had 1,697 soldiers. Those lost in service:
10 officers were killed
135 enlisted men were killed and mortally wounded
5 officers and 86 enlisted men died of disease
A total of 236 soldiers or 13.9% of the regiment died in the war.
Remember that the 139th regiment was primarily comprised of older men and very young men or boys.
James, Henry, and George
James Conley
James Conley died in 1868, although one of his military records incorrectly lists him as drowned in the war, date unknown. He died of a disease he contracted in the war. Sarah, his widow, received his pension.
Henry Conley
Henry died between 01 - 12 June 1864. His Company C was in the front line of battle at Cold Harbor, and he and many from his Company were killed there.
George Washington Conley
George survived the war and married Nannie Keibler. They lived in Pennsylvania. When Nannie died, George moved to Los Angeles, California to be near his family. He is buried in Roosevelt Cemetery in Gardena, California
Sarah, Sammy, and "The Girls"
Sarah Williams Conley
Sarah Williams Conley
Sarah Williams Conley
Sarah, James' wife, lived to the ripe old age of 93, having bore 15 children. After her husband died, she lived with several of her children and granddaughter, Dora. She was a washerwoman to help support her family who lived with her after her husband's death.
Sammy Weaver Conley
Sarah Williams Conley
Sarah Williams Conley
Sammy, the toddler recipient of his father's letters, died at the age of 58, killed in an auto truck accident. He never married.
"The Girls"
Sarah Williams Conley
"The Girls"
Only two of James and Sarah's daughters married, and both died at a young age, presumably in child birth.
At first it seemed strange to me that so few of the children married, but then it dawned on me that there were few eligible men available after the war. The children all lived in the Freeport area, near their mother, and all but Louisa were buried in the Freeport cemetery.
Nancy, Medora, and John Fullerton
Nancy Conley
Medora Conley Porter
Medora Conley Porter
Nancy, Dora's mother, lived with her mother until Sarah's death. She was buried in the Conley family plot and was later moved to another location within the Freeport cemetery.
Her death certificate shows that she was widowed, which was crossed out and corrected, listing her as single.
Presumably she kept the 23 letters and family pictures
Nancy, Dora's mother, lived with her mother until Sarah's death. She was buried in the Conley family plot and was later moved to another location within the Freeport cemetery.
Her death certificate shows that she was widowed, which was crossed out and corrected, listing her as single.
Presumably she kept the 23 letters and family pictures after her mother's death, and they were given to Dora when Nancy died.
Medora Conley Porter
Medora Conley Porter
Medora Conley Porter
Medora or Dora became a music teacher, married Edward Porter, and they had two children, both of whom died as infants, one in 1901 and one in 1902. Edward died in 1935.
When Barbara's grandmother moved to Los Angeles, California from Freeport, Pennsylvania in the early 1900's, she opened a rooming house for women. Dora lived there upon her
Medora or Dora became a music teacher, married Edward Porter, and they had two children, both of whom died as infants, one in 1901 and one in 1902. Edward died in 1935.
When Barbara's grandmother moved to Los Angeles, California from Freeport, Pennsylvania in the early 1900's, she opened a rooming house for women. Dora lived there upon her arrival in California after her husband's death.
Dora spent much of her family time with Barbara's family, and Barbara never questioned who this person was as she was growing up -- she thought she was probably just an older relative.
John Fullerton
Medora Conley Porter
John Fullerton
John Fullerton, Dora's father, married a woman by the name of Anna. They lived in the Freeport area, and he died in 1929.
It is not known if Dora ever knew her father.
Medora's Gravestone
The Letters and Photographs
The Letters and Photographs
The Letters and Photographs
Dora died financially poor, and the State of California seized her home and property after her death in 1964. She was buried somewhere in the Los Angeles area in a pauper's grave, according to Barbara. Barbara's relatives were able to take away a box of Dora's family history before the State disposed of it, hoping to find the Conley family someday and return the box to them.
The Gravestone
The Letters and Photographs
The Letters and Photographs
Fascinated with the story, I was determined to discover where Dora was buried. I ordered her death certificate which listed the cemetery where she was buried. Interesting, her death certificate lists "unknown" for her parents.
I spoke with my mother and aunt, and the three of us decided to give Dora a gravestone and have it placed on her g
Fascinated with the story, I was determined to discover where Dora was buried. I ordered her death certificate which listed the cemetery where she was buried. Interesting, her death certificate lists "unknown" for her parents.
I spoke with my mother and aunt, and the three of us decided to give Dora a gravestone and have it placed on her grave. The gravestone would be plain, adorned only with the mountain laurel, the state flower of Pennsylvania.
The Visit
The Letters and Photographs
The Visit
In March of 2013, the three of us visited Dora's grave at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, California. The paupers' graves are in a beautiful location, peacefully overlooking the hills above Sylmar. We laid flowers on her new gravestone.