From Ireland to Newcomerstown: Fenton family reunion was 177 years in the making
Many people want to find the time to study their genealogy and learn more about extended family members.
Lynn Buckley, cousin to the Fenton family of Tuscarawas County, found herself wondering even more from her side of the Atlantic about what had happened to family members setting sail from Ireland for a new life in America. She began the search during the COVID-19 pandemic as no one living knew where Samuel and Jane Fenton and nine of their 10 children had made their home.
Lynn and cousin Ian Fenton are the great-grandchildren of George, the one son who stayed behind in Ireland and thus they grew up there, but both now reside in England. Their great-grandfather was raised by two unmarried uncles and a grandmother on his maternal side. He would have been about 8 years old when the family left Ireland in 1846. He inherited the farm near the town of Omagh, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, which is now part of the United Kingdom. Samuel and Jane’s other children were James, William, Samuel, Archibald, Isabella, Alexander, Eliza, Robert and Mary born in the United States.
“My mother (nee Anne Fenton) did her best to track them down, but just did not have the means available at that time," Lynn said. "For me, it was the power of the internet and help from a friend which led me to discover that Samuel, Jane, and the children had in fact arrived first in Pennsylvania and lived there for five years before moving on to Newcomerstown, Ohio, in 1851. The breakthrough was profoundly moving especially seeing photographs of Samuel and Jane with a note referring to George as “Stayed in Ireland.”
"Gradually the family stories took shape in the form of more photos, maps, and official records. I then contacted Ohio family member Sondra Paazig through Facebook and Ancestry. She and her husband, Earl, were responsible for putting the missing pieces together and making this happen ... Sondra’s maiden name was Finton, as one son of Samuel and Jane’s entered the military too young and was asked to leave. However, a short time later he successfully made it in under the last name of Finton instead of Fenton, and he went by that last name for the rest of his life."
So, 177 years after the original emigration, Lynn, husband Roland, and her cousin Ian and his wife, Helen traveled to Newcomerstown for a few days to connect with family at the Fentons' 95th annual reunion. There they met more than 70 relatives Lynn never even knew existed.
Don Fenton 91 of Newcomerstown and his son Mark and daughter-in-law Kathy were the hosts for the cousins, and they spent the first few days of their time locally visiting the former site of Samuel and Jane’s home located on Blue Ridge, as well as Bakersville Cemetery where seven of Samuel and Jane’s children are buried along with other family members.
Ian and Lynn also visited a cousin, Dale Fenton of New Philadelphia, who was 103 years old.
On their final day in the village the cousin group was welcomed at the Olde Main Street Museum by John Ourant, in addition to Marian and Walter Murphy serving as tour guides. Two exhibits were sentimental to the Fentons. One was the blacksmith display, which refers to Isaac Norris, a Fenton family member. The other was the Newcomerstown News replica showcasing Charles Phillips, a long-time owner of the paper and his wife Awilda, also a Fenton family member.
The Phillips’ daughter Rachel Sindlinger has resided in Newcomerstown most of her life and continues to be active in the village.
“Over the few days there, we could not have had a warmer welcome from relatives and their friends. I deeply appreciate the time that they took to show us around, tell their stories, roll out the family history, provide us with delicious food and so much more. There is something about physically walking around the roads, fields, towns − the places that I had only recently discovered through the lens of Google," Lynn said. "And there is something about actually being with the people whom I had only met via emails, Facebook, and notes on Ancestry."
Don Fenton offered similar sentiments: “The visit gave me many glimpses of life in the past that will never be in the history books, but they are my history and my family. It was an enjoyable five days for the entire Fenton family, and I know that we will continue to stay in touch via email, Facebook, and phone to continue to share the Fenton Family news.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Ireland residents travel to Newcomerstown to connect with family
