Cramer / King / Fosbrink line — verification against original records (2026-11-07)
Line: Andrew → Charles A. Halahan → Laura Grace (Conner) Halahan → Laura Grace (Moore) Conner → Mary C.
(Fosbrink) Moore → John H. Fosbrink Sr + Laura Grace Cramer → … Images in docs/records/.
| # | Link | Verdict | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laura Grace Cramer is the daughter of Messimore Cramer + Mary Howard | CONFIRMED | Laura Fosbrink's PA death certificate (#88723, Bullskin Twp, Fayette, d. 1928-09-15, b. 1843-04-16 Somerset Co): father M. Cramer, mother Mary Howard, both b. Somerset Co; husband John; informant Grover C. Fosbrink, Bobtown. Censuses: 1850 Upper Turkeyfoot — Messimer Creamer 29, Mary 28, Ellen 10, "Leah" 8, Cassimon 6, Charles 4, Joseph 1; 1860 Upper Turkeyfoot — Mesmer Cremer 40, Nancy 25 (2nd wife Nancy Lanning), "Larue" (Laura) 18, seamstress, Cassmer 15, Charles 13, Harriet 7, Elizabeth 3, Jeremiah 0. Same sibling set both years, so the 1850 "Leah" is Laura (age off by a year, as usual) |
| 2 | Messimore Cramer is the son of Benjamin Cramer + Polly King | CONFIRMED | Missimer Cramer's PA death certificate (#53484, Middlecreek Twp, Somerset, d. 1909-06-07): born 1819-04-15 (not 1811 — the headstone/FAG 1811 is wrong; censuses give ages 29 in 1850, 40 in 1860), widowed, retired farmer; father Benjamin Cramer, mother Polly King, both b. PA; informant Jeremiah Cramer (his son), New Lexington; buried Wesley Chapel |
| 3 | Benjamin H. Cramer is the son of Adam Cramer + Hannah Rambo | SUPPORTED, not proven | Adam Cramer and Benjamin Cramer are both heads of household in Milford Twp, Somerset in the 1810 and 1820 censuses (index); Adam buried in the Cramer–King Cemetery (FAG; PA cemetery records give b. 1745/47, d. Dec 1819). No document naming Benjamin as Adam's son found — needs Adam's 1819–20 Somerset Co will/estate or orphans' court record (not indexed online). DAR site timed out (522) — Adam's DAR/pension status unchecked |
| 4 | Polly King is the daughter of Samuel King Sr + Hannah Messimer | SUPPORTED, not proven | A Samuel King is head of household in Milford Twp in 1800, 1810, 1820 (index), next to the Cramers; the shared Cramer–King cemetery and the name "Messimore" given to Polly's son fit Hannah Messimer as Polly's mother. No record naming Polly's parents found |
| 5 | John H. Fosbrink Sr is the son of Johann Gerhard (Garrett) Vossbrink + Catharina Kroeger | CONFIRMED | John H. Fosbrink's PA death certificate (#35171, Bullskin Twp, Fayette, d. 1929-03-26, b. 1843-03-19 Somerset Co, retired farmer, widower): father Garret Fosbrink, b. Germany; mother Mary Kriegel [Kroeger], b. Germany; informant Grover C. Fosbrink, Bobtown; buried Hill Grove. 1850 census household not found in the index under Fosbrink/Vossbrink spellings |
| — | Mary Howard's parents (WikiTree: Daniel Howard?) | NOT FOUND | Not researched to a record this pass |
Side note (not ours, logged so nobody chases it): William Harmon Fosbrink (1846–1929, Clarinda, Iowa), parents John Harmon Fosbrink + Kathrine Steltenpohl — a different Fosbrink family.
Corrections for tree.md
- Messimore Cramer: born 1819-04-15 (death certificate + censuses), not 1811.
- John H. Fosbrink's mother: Mary Kriegel/Kroeger on his certificate (Catharina Maria per FAG).
- Laura Grace Cramer's parents and Messimore's parents are now record-proven.
Records saved
ancestry-pa_1928_death-cert_88723_Fayette_Laura-Fosbrink_parents-M-Cramer-Mary-Howard.pngancestry-pa_1929_death-cert_35171_Fayette_John-H-Fosbrink_parents-Garret-Fosbrink-Mary-Kriegel-Germany.pngancestry-pa_1909_death-cert_53484_Somerset_Missimer-Cramer-b-1819_parents-Benjamin-Cramer-Polly-King.pngfamilysearch_1850_census_Upper-Turkeyfoot-Somerset-PA_Messimer-Mary-Creamer-household_Leah-8.pngfamilysearch_1860_census_Upper-Turkeyfoot-Somerset-PA_Mesmer-Cremer-40-Nancy-with-Laura-18-seamstress.png
Next (to prove links 3–4)
Somerset County Register of Wills / Orphans' Court: Adam Cramer estate (1819–20), Benjamin H. Cramer estate and guardianships of his minor children (1843–44), Samuel King Sr (Athens Co, Ohio, 1857). FamilySearch "Pennsylvania, Probate Records, 1683-1994" has Somerset images (browse only).