My Genealogy Hound

MRS. ELIZABETH EMANUEL, a much loved and much honored lady of Catasauqua, died March 17, 1894. For nearly ten years she had survived her husband, Morgan Emanuel, Sr., who was born in North Wales, and was the son of a sea-faring man, his father being a shipmaster. Morgan Emanuel also began his business career as a seaman, but later left that occupation and became engaged with the iron works at Dowlais in contracting and furnishing supplies.

Mr. Emanuel was first married in Wales to Mary Jenkins, who was a native of that country, and who died there. In 1844 he came to America, settling near Pottsville, Pa., where he engaged as a raining contractor. About 1846 he came to Catasauqua and became connected with the Crane Iron Company, his business being to supply the furnace and to inspect ore. By his first marriage he had two children, one of whom died in childhood. The surviving son is Morgan Emanuel, of Catasauqua, whose biography will be found elsewhere in this volume.

February 22, 1856, in Easton, Pa., occurred the second marriage of Mr. Emanuel, Sr., which united him with our subject, then Miss Elizabeth Miller. She was born in Mt. Bethel, and was the daughter of Robert Miller, a native of Pennsylvania, but of English descent. The latter learned the trade of a weaver, but after engaging in that line of business for a time returned to his farm at Mt. Bethel, where he carried on agricultural pursuits. He lived to an advanced age. Our subject’s mother was known previous to her marriage as Jane Maddah. She was born in Lower Mt. Bethel, Northampton County, and was the daughter of Thomas Maddah, who was of Scotch descent, and had been a brave soldier in the Revolutionary War.

Mrs. Emanuel was one of a family of five children, three daughters and two sons. Of this number two daughters are now living. Reared to womanhood at Mt. Bethel, she remained at home until her marriage, at which time she located with her husband at Catasauqua, where he was engaged in contracting supplies for the Crane and other furnaces until his death, and where he wasa stock-holder in the Thomas Iron Company. He had also been a successful agriculturist, and had become the possessor of a comfortable competence.

Their beautiful residence on Pine and Third Streets was erected previous to Mr. Emanuel’s death, which occurred in April, 1884, when in the seventy-second year of his age. He had been for years a faithful and useful member of the Presbyterian Church, in which his loss was deeply mourned. He was a stanch Republican in politics.

Mrs. Emanuel was also a very useful member of the Presbyterian Church. She became the mother of three children: Maggie, who resided with her mother until the latter’s death; Thomas, who died in October, 1892, in his thirty-first year; and Jennie, who died in childhood. The home was always a very hospitable one, and here mother and daughter received the many friends who surrounded them.