Just a quick look found this. Any help?http://billiongraves.com/pages/record/Velnia-Glossenger/8132069#given_names=Velma&family_names=Glossenger

Thanks, Linda. I had to give Billion Graves an email address to view the link. Whoever posted the info likes the Velma spelling too; it probably is correct. I suppose I'll change it. Meanwhile, I like my photos better. :-)

William Glossenger's memorial on FindAGrave.

Isn't that memorial taller than most others? Would that indicate a family with more money? Have you ever research that stuff too?

That looks like F. V. to me? If so perhaps the Velnia is a last name used as a first for the child?

Looks like a V to me too.

It does look like a V, and that's an interesting theory about using the last name as a first name. If you look at

a larger image

you can see faint traces of what might be a W. I got the W from the historical society's list. If it's a V, the engraver left a bit more space than usual after the F.

No, Jim, I never think about how much money they had.

PartyMusic, I just read your post. Good clue--thanks!!

Hmm . . . I found a Mary Glosenger (1801 - 1885) in the same cemetery. In a cemetery across the road I found Glosenger, Glossinger, and Glassenger, all related. It's a wonder you genealogists remain sane! :-)

I have been trying to get on here for two days - really dislike Houzz, they don't accept my username and password most of the time. Anyway - I did some searching on ancestry and found a Florence V. Glossinger that was married to a William. She was born in Jan 1868 in PA and lived in Lake Wayne PA, which is near Salem Township in Hamlin, PA. In one census, I forgot to write down the year, she was listed as a widow and that her father was born in PA and mother in Germany. The same census had a child named Violet who was 5 and I think the year was 1900. There was also a will on ancestry that named Florence V. as the adminstrator.

Hope this helps.

Spelling didn't mean anything in times gone by. Names were spelled how they sounded and how you spelled them was not important.

Mboston, you hit the jackpot! Well, my jackpot, anyway. Thanks so much! :-)

I'm wondering what Lake Wayne is called now. I know the area pretty well, and never heard of Lake Wayne. I thought it might be Lake Ariel, but I looked that up and learned Lake Ariel had several other names, including Jonestown (eek!).

Unfortunately, Florence doesn't seem to be on FindAGrave (yet), so I can't link her to her daughter. But I added Florence's name to Velnia's memorial. (I'm keeping her name as Velnia because that's what it says on the stone, plus there's always the possibility Raven mentioned above, that she was given her mother's maiden--or middle--name.)

Thanks again, Mboston!