My Genealogical Information Continued

Posted on November 18, 2024

The information is sparse. Father John Adam Hazel obituary names sisters Mrs. Stewart Fleck and Mrs. Mary Steele and brothers George, John, James and Edward Post office directories of Centre County for the years 1890, 1900, 1910 indicated. John Adam Hazel had three sons Samuel, Franklin (my great grandfather) and Harvey E. John Adam Hazel, believed to be correct name though generally referred to as Adam, died Friday before March 10, 1916; nearly 77 years old in Miles Township, Centre County, Pa. Moved to the town of Axe Mann to work as a carpenter and justice of the Peace for 19 years, jury commissioner of Centre County. He was a democrat and a Lutheran. Brothers Wilson, Cornelius and M Frank, sisters Mrs. Samuel White and Mrs. Adam Courter. Buried in Lutheran Cemetery at Pleasant Gap. His grave has yet to be located in the same cemetery by my brother Mike Hassell and my late grandfather Nathaniel Hassell.

According to a card file in Centre County Historical Museum, the Cornelius family included Catherine, Adeline, Oliver, and Frank Herman Hazel of Bellefonte, PA. His grandson (though Father Thomas Hazel with brother George) of Jared Hazel, another brother (along with Samuel perhaps the Samuel referred to in the 1890 directory), all according to the Democratic Watchman news story of Sept 25, 1903, about the Hazel-Shaffer reunion. He was born March 27, 1814; died June 18, 1877 (Democratic watchman. Lived in Miles township, Centre County; buried in Lutheran and Reformed Cemetery Madisonburg, PA obituary found).

Died in the year 1827; estate papers maybe found in Centre County Historical Museum; unknown who Jacob is of today; maybe son of Berhart Hazel (most likely); maybe Berhart ‘s brother Jacob whom little is known maybe the Hazel family Patriarch Jacob Hazel Sr. or perhaps none of the above (extremely unlikely) from the research done by my brother and my father’s father. The following historical facts of the families are boiled down from Mr. Gramley address; what the early settlers accomplished with the help of their wives is what made Brush Valley a paradise. Among taxable in 1797 we find Barnet Hazel and Jacob Hazel, Adam Shaffer and Nicholas Shaffer and on the singles list Jacob Hazel. Contemporaneous with these were the spanglers, Gramleys, Wolfs, Cermans, ect. Shaffers took a lively interest in public affairs. In 1801 an assessment appears the names of Bernard Hazel, Jacob Hazel, Adam Shaffer and Nicholas Shaffer and on the name of Micheal Shaffer. In 1813 Captain George records company in the war of 1812, has the name of Micheal Shaffer. The name of Hazel we find spelled originally “Hassel” the German word for Hazel and was one of the first settlers in 1789. He bought a tract of land from colonel Miles in 1794; most of it included in Joe Bierly’s place near Centre Mills. So far as known he only had two children Bernart Jacob on what was afterwards known as the Benjamin Royer farm near Madisonburg.

He moved west about 1826, Bernhart’s children were John, Jacob, Philip, Peter, Bernhart, Henry, William, Susan married John Carner of Hublersburg. Catherine married Mr. Camp. All these sons left the valley, some going west except Jacob, who is the ancestor of the Hazel’s of Madisonburg of whom many are present at the reunion. I and my siblings are also related to the Fitts family. The research revealed that Loren Fitts who was born in Mansfield, New Jersey in 1800 and came to Somerset, New York and his father Jaco Fitts in 1810 the reason I mention the Fitts family is that my grandfather Nathaniel Hassell married Alieth Fitts. I could go into the Fitts family genealogy, but I will end this with my grandmother E Alieth Fitts born February 28, 1902, Somerset, New York buried somerset Cemetery who married Nathaniel Wilber Hassell my father’s father. They lived in Kenmore, New York until they both passed away, they had two children Esther T. Hassell born Sept 20, 1929, passed away several years ago Warren Hassell, my father, born December 30, 1933, died July 1997 married Lucille Aiello dec 4, 1933 died Dec 23, 2002.