Ralph Dornfeld Owen 1884-1973

Ralph Dornfeld Owen 1884-1973 ITH deep regret the Society reports the death, in his ninetieth year, on 14 November 1973, of Dr. Ralph Dornfeld Owen, a member of this Society since 1944. A memorial service was held on Saturday, 17 November 1973, at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Springfield, Delaware County. Born at Watertown, Wisconsin, 2 July 1884, son of Sylvester Albert Owen and his wife Sophia Maria Dornfeld, Ralph D. Owen married 27 September 1910, Ada Cecile Hilleman, who predeceased him. In 1911 he received an M.A. degree in English from Harvard University, and from the University of Wisconsin in 1922 a doctoral degree in English, Comparative Literature and Philosophy. After post-doctoral work in Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, he was Associate Professor of Education at Bryn Mawr College, 1923-1925, and then until his retirement in 1954, was Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Temple University. Following his retirement he spent two years lecturing in European universities, stressing scholastic theories and practices used in the United States. A man of many talents, he was considered an expert in school law and finance and served on many local and state committees set up to study public education. He was a life member of the National Education Association and of the American Association of School Administrators, and was a contributor to the Encyclopedia Britannica. While education was his vocation, genealogy was his avocation. His first published work in the latter field was as editor of the Descendants of John Owen of Windsor, Connecticut, 1622-1699, which appeared in 1941. His Schwefel, Dornfeld, Schoenike Genealogy was published in 1953. Articles in The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine included "Howard, An Early Philadelphia Family," and "Palatine and Palatinate," both in 1960. The same year he translated for the Magazine Friedrich Krebs' "Annotations to Strassburger and Hinke's Pennsylvania German Pioneers;" in 1961 Heinz F. Friedrichs' "The Eisenhower Genealogy: A Post Script;" and in 1964 Friedrich Krebs' "Emigrants to America from the Duchy of Zweibriicken." W 97 98 The Pennsylvania Genealogical Magazine He was elected a member of the Society's Board of Directors in 1947, was elected a Vice-President in 1958, became an Honorary Vice-President in 1965, and was made a Special Member in 1968. He served on the Magazine's Publication Committee from 1948 to 1954, and again from 1958 until his death, chairing the Committee from 1958 to 1964. He was a member of Phi Kappa Delta Fraternity, and while at Temple served as adviser for its chapter. He was a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, a member of the Order of Founders and Patriots of America, and of Descendants of Colonial Clergy, being descended from four Anglican rectors. Dr. Owen is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Ruth Ada Owen Pilkington, a son, Ralf HilLeman Owen, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. To them the Society extends its deepest sympathy. Mildred Goshow 1891-1973 T HE Genealogical Society reports with sorrow the death, on 18 June 1973, of Miss Mildred Goshow in her 82nd year. Private services were held at the James H. Turner Funeral Home, 6028 Ridge Avenue, Ror borough, on 20 June 1973, with Dr. Melvin M. Forney, pastor of the Roxborough Baptist Church, officiating. Interment was in West Laurel Hill Cemeter3'. Elected to membership in this Society in 1950, Miss Goshow became a life member in 1952, served as Secretary to the Board of Directors from 1962 to 1966 when, because of illness, she resigned from that post. After her health improved she was elected to the Board of Directors in 1969 and served until her death. She was born in Roxborough 3 Ottober 1891, daughter of Lorenzo Freas Goshow and his wife Elizabeth Ann Humpstone of Philadelphia. After attending Philadelphia Public Schools she was graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1909, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1913 and a Master of Arts degree in 1918, both from the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a member of Kappa Kappa Memorial Notice 99 Gamma Sorority. and Pi Lambda Theta, the honorary educational fraternity. She also did additional post-graduate work at the University, as well as at Cornell and Columbia. She taught social studies in high schools in Laurel, Delaware, and in Swedesboro, New Jersey; from 1917 on she taught at Frankford High School in Philadelphia, where she was head of the school's history department at the time of her retirement. Miss Goshow was a member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the National Education Association, the Pennsylvania State Education Association, Philadelphia Teachers Association, a contributing member of the National Council of Social Studies, and a life member of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. After her retirement from teaching, Miss Goshow devoted her talents to genealogical research, and was a prolific writer. Her work included a study of Peter Ott, 1737-1824, of Blockley Township, Philadelphia County, and his Descendants (1958); Notes on the Related Families of Weest, Thomas, Hockley and Teaffe (1960); the Family of John Hart, bricklayer of Philadelphia (1963); the Dest:endants of James Miles, Welsh Immigrant of 1683, and the Stame and Van Aken families of Philadelphia (1965); the Descendants of John and Psyche Rittenhouse Gorgas (1966); the Descendants of John Goodson (1968); and Some of the Descendants of Captain John Towers, 1758-1831, which was completed in 1969. Two of her shorter studies appeared in this Magazine: "The Righter Family of Roxborough in the 18th Cenutry," in Volume XXI (1958). and "The Family of John Comman, Sugar-baker of Philadelphia," in Volume XXII (1962). All of these works show her careful research and documentation; the longer studies are all completely indexed. To her many friends and to her only surviving sister, Mrs. Jesse McClennan of Folsom, Delaware, and to her three nephews and four nieces and their families, the Society extends its deepest sympathy at the passing of so admirable a lady.