Mary E. Sweigert and William E. McCulloh both had their roots in Franklin County, Pennsylvania but apparently did not meet until the
mid-1880s in Whiteside County, Illinois.
Mary was born near Chambersburg in Hamilton Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania
on January 2, 1860,[1] the fifth of nine children born to Henry and Margaret Bender Sweigert. Henry was a farmer in Franklin County.[2]
Her Schweickhardt (Sweigert) family ancestors immigrated to the Pennsylvania colony in 1727 from Eichtersheim, in the modern
day state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The family was Lutheran and originally settled in Lancaster County before moving toFranklin County in the late 1700s.[3] Mary’s personal Catechism and hymnal indicate she was raised in the Lutheran faith.
Mary moved to Whiteside County in mid-1884 with her younger sister and brother-in-law, Emma Jane Sweigert and John Emanuel Cleverstone.[4] They settled in Union Grove Township. Emma remained in Whiteside County where she died in 1938.[5] Two of Mary’s other
siblings also resided in Illinois. Her older brother, Gideon Andrew Sweigert moved his family to Rockford, Winnebago County in
the early 1900s. He died there in 1926. Her youngest brother, George Edward Sweigert, and his wife moved to Mt. Pleasant Township,Whiteside County about 1899 where two of their children were born. They returned to Franklin County, Pennsylvania about 1903.[6]
Mary and Will were married October 4, 1888 in Morrison, Illinois by the Rev. J. W. Skinner of the Morrison Presbyterian Church. Their marriage was witnessed by Haddie McCulloh, Will’s younger sister, and J. A. (Jeremiah Augustus) George.[7]
