'David A. /Raymond N.' aka 'Jack' John Earley
My 'Uncle "Jack" Earley' married my Aunt Dorothy.
Written family sources and oral history that say Uncle Jack's mother was Margaret Jane _____., born Pittsburgh, Pa.; and that hisfather's name was Jessie Charles Earley, b. Cleveland, Ohio; (Aunt Dorothy's Bible record).Notes in a book (published in 1920) owned by him says his birthday was Jan.25, 1890. Still another source has it as Dec. 5, 1890!To add more uncertanity, the NJ marriage record says he was born in Cleveland, Ohio, his father's name John, and his mother's name Helen, and his age 22 (1893)!
The 1900 Census of Allegheny City, PA,(now Pittsburgh) indeed has a family group headed by a Jessie C. Early and Margaret, his wife. Their children are listed as Jean S. , David A. and Raymond N.
Uncle Jack left home at a very young age, for unstated reasons, on board a railroad freight car. After having his fill of a vagabond's life a number of years later, he arrived at the West Shore RR's (New York Central) East New Durham, NJ (Now North Bergen, NJ, Hudson county) rail yards seeking employment.
Seeing the young man's sincere intentions, a RR boss hired him, and he rented a room at 13 Peerless Place, New Durham, NJ. Uncle Jack succeeded at the RR. He became a car inspector and also a delegate of his labor union.He even married a daughter of one of the locomotive engineers.Born with an extraordinary memory, he would attend days of union meetings and not make written notes, but instead recited the details of the meetings to his wife, who would then type the reports for him.A natural wit, he would tell stories about his life among the 'bos' who had befriended him years ago and act out the comedy scenes of movies he had seen.
Uncle Jack seems never to have contacted his own family. He was probably assumed missing or dead at a young age by his parents and siblings, if any.Yet, he had a wife, a daughter and a family of in-laws for more than thirty years with whom he shares a place of eternal rest in Walden NY.
I believe that Uncle Jack was really David or Raymond Earley as stated in the Census. And that he used the name of John as an alias to hinder the revealing of his true identity.
If anyone is researching this family's descendants, I can help with some photos of my Uncle Jack's family.