William Sylvester Swails

William Sylvester Swails married Mary Elizabeth Pannebaker on 6 April 1893 in Blair, Perry County, Pa. Press marriage license to view their marriage license.

Mary Elizabeth (Lizzie) Pannebaker was born 11 October 1866 and died 23, November 1933

Mary had a son before her marriage to William.
James Ramsey Dobbs Jr. was born 3 May 1890 and died 4, March 1915

William Sylvester and Mary had three children

  Carrie Ruth born 21, March 1895 Reeds Gap, Juniata County, Pa. Died 7, August 1979
   interred Montoursville Cemetery, Montoursville, Lycomong County, Pa.
  Charles (Lloyd) born 2, March 1897 Perry County, Pa. Died 11, November 1963
   Loganton Clinton County, Pa.
  Edna Irene Born 1900-1901 died 1983 interred Montoursville Cemetery Montoursville,
  Lycoming County, Pa.

[Story:]
William Sylvester Swails used the Swails spelling as did his son Lloyd Swails originally. A teacher told one of Lloyd's children that it was spelled Swales. The child's step-grandfather, Grampa Bowersox thought it was amusing since William had deserted his family. So they kept the different spelling. William signs his name "Swails".

In the 1900 census a William Swales is living in Lewistown, Mifflin, County, Pa. He is listed as a boarder with a birth date of 1870. He is listed as married but he has no wife living with him. Most likely this is our William. There are not any other people in the census this year that could be him. This is the census where Mary Swails is living with the three young children.

In 1910 William S. Swails birth year about 1871 is living in Falmouth, Pendleton, Kentucky. His spouse is listed as Dora, both born in Pennsylvania. He is a day laborer and they rent a farm. They have been married three years. They have two children, William L, 3 and Lester H. 6 months.

In 1920 William Swails and Dora are living in Ohio, Clermont, Ohio. They now have three children, William 13, Stella, 8 and Edna, 6. It appears that they have lost Lester H. since 1910.

Some time between 1920 and 1930 William leaves his second family and according to a grandson, he got on a train that ran by the house and never came back. That grandson and three descendants of William and first wife Mary showed to be closely related by a DNA test.

In 1930 William is in Dade City Florida married to Sarah F Swails He lists his first marriage at age 32 which does not fit in with any relationship. He owns a home and works in a filling station.

In 1940 they are living in a rented house, he is unable to work and he indicates that he has another income source. For the first time the census is asking for the highest grade completed and he completed fifth grade.

A copy of his death certificate indicates he died on 31, December 1943 in Dade city, Paseo, County Florida. We might think that this could be a different William as his name is spelled Swailes and birth date is 1870. But his mother's name is listed as Abigal unknown and his father is listed as William C. Swailis. We know that he always listed his mother's late husband as his father.

Other information revealed that the informant was a Mrs. Lula Cooper who did not know his occupation but said he had a long walk to work.

The state of Pennsylvania Death Certificates lists that William Swails' spouse was Mary E Honeybaker and a son was Charles L. Swails. This would seem to indicate that the informant heard Honeybaker for Pannebaker. It also seems that he never legally divorced Mary.

William Sylvester Swails 2nd Family

William married Dora on June 2, 1906. They had four children:
William Leo
Stella
Edna Mae
Herbert Lester

Edna Mae 1913-1986 married Clifford Patterson born, 19, June 1910 Kentucky died 27, December 1984 in Phoenix Arizona
They had an infant who was born and died in 1933.
They had other children

William Sylvester Swails 3d relationship

William is living and or married to Sarah F Swails in Florida.

William named a daughter Edna in his first and second marriage.
It is believed that William did not have legal divorces from his wives.

William's grandson from his second family and a great-granddaughter from his first family proved a close DNA match.

Someone gave information to a Pennsylvania death table that William Sylvester Swails who died in Florida was married to a Mary Honeybaker and had a son named Lloyd Swails. It is supposed that the informant remembered Pannebaker as Honeybaker and we know William had a son named Charles "Lloyd" from his first family. This also seems to indicate that he never divorced Mary Elizabeth "Lizzie" Pannebaker. The family only knew that he left his first family and no one knew what became of him.