One of my brick walls has been Susan Goodman’s family. Susan was the wife of George Emery Zuver and was my 3rd great grandmother. What I am pretty sure about Susan was that she was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. By 1842 she had married George and started having a family. She had 4 children by the time the 1850 Census rolled around.
From what I can find on the web, Susan’s father was Samuel Goodman and her mother was Maria Hill, her parents would die in 1854 and 1852. According to what other researchers have noted they died in Sugar Grove Hill, Mill Creek Hollow, Pennsylvania. When I research Mill Creek Hollow I find it in Northwest Pennsylvania. Susan would end up living in Mercer County which is close to Pittsburgh in Southwest Pennsylvania. It would seem too far away.
Research on Sugar Grove finds it in Huntingdon County, which is located right next to Mercer County in Southwest Pennsylvania. This would seem to be the better match. After searching the 1850 Census I can find Susan in East Lacawannock, Mercer County, Pennsylvania, with her husband George and their 4 children. This Census page was taken August 19, 1850. I can also find a Samuel Goodman, a wagon maker, wife Maria, Susanna, and James listed for Henderson, Huntingdon County Pennsylvania, taken August 28, 1850. The ages of Samuel, Mary, Susanna and James all match the ages that I have listed for each of them. It could be possible that Susan(na) and her oldest son James traveled to Henderson, a distance of 150 miles, to visit her parents and that the enumerator was mistaken when noting Susan and James’ last name. Or possibly were they already visiting her parents and just added to the Census with her husband, even though not at home during the enumeration.