More from my collection
"Jim VanDyke with Grandmother (Isabella) Sinclair)"
Isabella Adamson Sinclair was born in June of 1812, in Scotland. She married Duncan Sinclair March 15, 1835. They had five children in Scotland, then took a ship (the Caledonia) to the US, arriving in New York City on May 22, 1843. She had six more children in Pennsylvania, for a grand total of eleven kids.
She outlived her husband and four of her children, dying Feb. 2, 1890, at the ripe old age of 77.
Unfortunately that's all I can find on her.
James Pratt VanDyke (AKA Jim) was the 4th child of Isabella's oldest daughter, Jane. He is pictured here again with his younger sister Jennie Bell (VanDyke) Howie.
Jim was born Nov. 7, 1874 in Bradford County, PA. It looks like he lived in Ulster most of his life, though he stayed in Towanda for about a year. He married Alta Jane McCauley March 28, 1900. They had one child, a son named Gordon, born Jan 10, 1904.
Jim was a farmer. It seems most of the people in the Sinclair/VanDyke family were farmers.
He died the morning of Feb. 21, 1932. His neck was broken in a car accident. He was 57.
Jennie Bell (VanDyke) Howie was born Nov. 14, 1881, also in Bradford County. She was Jane's youngest child.
She married James Henry Howie Dec. 3, 1902. The 1930 census has James listed as a "dealer of cattle and poultry". Jennie's death certificate says she made dresses, but I don't see it listed as an occupation on any of the census forms.
On June 9, 1961 she suffered a "cerebral accident". Twentyfour hours later she was dead. I must admit, I find it interesting that both she and Jim died in "accidents".