My 3rd great-grandfather John Pegoda was born in Prussia about 1812. He left Ruda, Germany on 15 Apr 1851 on the ship Magnet and arrived in Galveston, Texas on 25 Jun 1851. There is reportedly a ship manifest with this documented in the Galveston County courthouse. I have never had the chance to track down this primary documentation myself. By 1858, John had become an American citizen.
John's life is definitely shrouded in some mystery. The book "Walker County, Texas: A History" provides the most information I have found about John, but none of it is sourced. The name Pegoda was reportedly adopted in America, as implied by the article. But, to me, John's original name is not clear. Various records show it as Purgudy, Purugdy, and even Peagody. The article states it as Purugdy. (Is that German even?) This book also reports that John died on 01 Dec 1881, a date I have seen reported nowhere else. It is also ironic that the article reports twins Anna and Felix also died on that same day. I wonder if one of them is a typo?
Finally, John and Nancy's final resting place is not marked. They, and other Pegodas, are reportedly buried in Bath (Possum Walk) Cemetery in Walker County, Texas. I can only rely on family history that says they are buried there. Nancy's date of death is not even known.
If you have primary or secondary documentation for John or Nancy that I have not found yet, please contact me or leave a comment.
Annie is my great great grandmother. She was a twin. There mother died giving birth.for some reason felix was given to a neighbor, an older couple. I have heard he had medical issues and there father was not able to take care of him. He died at age 7 i think. He is buried in huntsville.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe I had pieced all of this together finally based on family information, cemetery records, census records, and Walker County history information. One of the confusing issues was the misquoting of John Pegoda's death date in the Walker County History book (the date was for his wife - 01 Dec 1881). Once I figured out the twins really did exist and were born the same day, it finally fell together that Nancy McGraw died at the birth of her twins Annie and Felix. The census and cemetery records showing Felix living with people he is buried next to also helped immensely. I believe I have all of the correct information recorded for these folks now at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nivek/individual.html?id=115 (first page loads very slowly - be patient with it). Thanks for the comment!
DeleteWow, My Great Grandmother is Erie Pegoda, Marion Pegodas wife. I believe that was his name, I know I am related to John pegoda from Prussia. I have a map of the cematery somewhere. My Mother is Loretta and my aunt is Marion B Pegoda Goodnight
ReplyDeleteHi Debbye. The nice thing about the Pegoda surname is that when you find someone who has the name or has the name in their tree, you know you are related to them :) Nice to "meet" you.
DeleteMy mother (Loretta Pegoda) was born 2/1/1938 and passed 3/15/2014. I read somewhere that it was uncertain if she was the daughter of Herman Emanual and Maggie Pegoda, she was their daughter and sister to Marion B Pegoda Goodnight.
DeleteBut there's even more mystery related to the family. My branch of the family is from his first marriage to Emily Morse (or Moss in later census records). She and John had 3 kids (Nancy, Francis, John - 1860 census). She left John and took the kids; I see her with "Nanny" and "Fanny" in Trinity Co in 1870, then living with Fanny's family after that. If anyone has any information about Emily, I would greatly appreciate your getting in touch with me. I cannot find a death certificate to show her parentage or even where she is buried. Since the last census I see her is in Robertson Co., it is probably there. However, I read that she was buried next to John and Nancy in an unmarked grave (however weird that would be that she would be buried next to him).
ReplyDeleteHi my name is Shawn.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother Wanda Fay Langston, had a picture from a Loretta Pegoda from 1985. The picture is of Loretta I imagine. On the back it reads: "To my beloved sister (twin), the day after we buried our father. Chief of all us little Indians 2/8/85. On your Aquarius nephews birthday. 7 days from my birthday 2/1/38. Your with me and in my heart always. -Love you more than me-myself Reggie Loretta Pegoda."
Anyone know the relation between my Langston grandmother and the Pegoda's?
Rumor has it that my grandmothers dad was named Pegoda, but we always heard he was Native American, not Prussian.
What's your take Mrs Brown?
See the link below to a page in my genealogy. This is the Loretta Pegoda you are referring to. I have the ancestry traced there (you are a Pegoda descendant, and yes the immigrant was Prissian, not Native American) but I do not have the descendants traced. There is one sibling of Loretta (mismarked as a girl in my genealogy) - Marion B. Pegoda.
Deletehttp://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nivek/individual.html?id=2618
Kevin
thompson.kevin.p at gmail dot com