. Volume 2 Jump to Page Number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Go Back to Index TOGA NEWS Issue 10, October, 2002

They affectionately nicknamed him "Lum" and the name stuck. It stuck through his twelve brothers and sisters, his numerous descendants and right up until this moment. Et the 2002 Peter O'Neal Reunion we met Tom and Ann Mackie from Michigan, who displayed his photos, and proudly announced to observers, "This is Lum!"

I'd like to thank Tom and Ann, not only for sharing this piece of O'Neal history with us, but also for allowing us to copy their photos and share them here in the newsletter. As you can no doubt see in the photos, Lum was a dashing young fellow and from the look in his eyes in the photo, was always ready for adventure.
At age 17 we find Lum listed as a farmer in the 1850 census. Then again in the 1860 Census of Allegany County, Maryland.

In 1869 Lum took a bride, namely Sarah Morgan. (If you'd like to learn more about the adventures of the Morgan Family and the role they played in settling this area, pick up a copy of "That Dark & Bloody River", by Allen W. Eckert.) Lum and Sarah raised up four children, all of whom were born in Allegany County. At some point it seems the children went off to make their fortunes, as children have always done. Part of the family migrated north to Bedford County, while the rest moved toward Cumberland, Maryland.

From the reunion we headed south and in no time at all crossed the border into Maryland. A few miles down the road and we arrived at the Pleasant Grove Methodist Cemetery, in Flintstone, Allegany County, Maryland.  And as Glenn Nave told us at the Reunion there were 17 O'Neal Tombstones located here.
We photographed the stones and will be placing the photos on the TOGA Website shortly. On the next page of this newsletter we'll add the transcription of the stones.