Dr Joseph W. Silvara, son of Emanuel and Jeanette Marsh Silvara was born 1818 in the the Silvara, Pennsylvania area. He died April 29, 1851 in Palmyra Township, Hawley, Wayne, County, PA while on a house call.  He married Ellen Morgan on November 13, 1844. Ellen was born September 7, 1817 the daughter of James and Hannah Bennett Morgan. (Data from the Morgan Kurtz Genealogy). This Joseph Silvara graduated from the University of New York 1841. He then practiced medicine in White Haven, Luzerne County, PA where he is probably buried. He died in Hawley, PA on one of his long rides, practicing medicine. He was a dedicated physician.

Jeanette and Emanuel Silvara had their son (Dr.) Joseph W Silvara baptized in the Windham/Braintrim Presbyterian Church on December 24, 1819 or 1820. (The records are hard to decipher for that year).

In the 1860 Stroudsburg Borough census:

Ellen Morgan Silvara, who was aged 38 years, was born in PA. She was with her mother Hanna Morgan who was aged 74 years old and born in PA.

Their children, Emma who was then 14 and Thomas who was then 9, were with them.

There were four children of Dr Joseph W Silvara and Ellen Morgan in all: Emanuel, Emma, Thomas and Joseph.

        2                 i.    Emanuel Silvara was born before 1848; Drowned about age 16 at White Haven, PA about 1864.

        3                ii.    Emma Silvara was born about 1846. Emma married James Neil Pryor of Luzerne County, PA.  He was the son of Joseph H and Elizabeth Pryor.

Emma Silvara Pryor was found on the 1880 census in Scranton, PA.

 Name Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace

 James N. PRYOR   Self   M   Male   W   38   PA   Carpenter   PA   PA 

 Emma PRYOR   Wife   M   Female   W   34   PA   Keeping House   PA   PA 

 Joseph H. PRYOR   Son   S   Male   W   17   PA   Clerk In Store   PA   PA 

 Mercy M. PRYOR   Dau   S   Female   W   15   PA   At School   PA   PA 

 Clarence PRYOR   Son   S   Male   W   13   PA   Clerk In Store   PA   PA 

 Edwin E. PRYOR   Son   S   Male   W   11   PA   At School   PA   PA 

 James N. PRYOR   Son   S   Male   W   2M   PA      PA   PA 

 Census Place Scranton, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania

  Family History Library Film   1255139

  NA Film Number   T9-1139

  Page Number   232C

In 1910, Emma was still in Scranton, PA residing with an Aunt Elizabeth Pryor born July 1825, no husband or children with her.

Both Emma and the Aunt are from all PA-born families.

Emma Pryor

Home in 1900:    Scranton Ward 9, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania

Age:    54 

Editor's Note: Estimated birth year:1846 , although the census says August 1845

Birthplace:    Pennsylvania 

Race:    White 

Relationship to head-of-house:    Niece 

Image source: Year: 1900

Census Place: Scranton Ward 9, Lackawanna, Pennsylvania; Roll: T623 1420; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 75.

In April, 2005, Erin Pryor Gill sent the following message to Carol Brotzman for updating information on the Pryor family:

I am the g-g-g-granddaughter of Emma Silvara and James Neil Pryor.

I thought you might be interested in a few more small details about Emma's life. She and James were married in Eckley, PA, in St. James' Protestant Episcopal Church, in 1859, the same year the church was built. We think James, a carpenter/builder, may have been in Eckley to work on construction as the mining town went up. My dad found the record of their marriage in the Eckley museum archives. James Neil Pryor was the first in a line of four "James Neil Pryors" - James Neil Pryor IV is my father.

In 1910, Emma was living with her son James Neil and his wife Laura in Holland Talent, NY.

In 1930, Emma was living with her widowed son Clarence Elwood Pryor in Jersey City, NJ. His estimated date of birth seems off by about 10 or 12 years, which is strange, but her estimated DOB is right on the money, and the names are right, so I think it's them.

        4               iii.    Thomas Silvara was born previous to 1848; He passed on at age 17.

        5               iv.    Dr Joseph W Silvara, named for his father, was born November 02, 1848 in White Haven, Luzerne County, PA (although his death certificate says 1850; died in Philadelphia General Hospital on February 14, 1922..  He married Cora Hunt August 06, 1890; She was born about 1861 in New Jersey the daughter of Henry and A. Sarah Hunt. She was alive in 1922 when her husband died.

The New Jersey Biographical Index tells us when Dr Joseph Silvara Jr. died.

New Jersey biographical index lists:

Silvara Joseph W 1848-1922

In Hunterdon Marriages compiled by Frank E. Burd:o:p>

Under “S”, 1876 to 1900, there is an entry for Dr Joseph Silvara Jr. as follows:

Silvara, Dr. J. W. & Cora Hunt, Aug 06 1890 (Bullock)

The Lacon Ferry
With the Town of Lacon, Illinois in the Background
1885
Where Joseph Silvara lived with his Uncle for 16 years as a Boy
Source: Nancy Piper's History of Marshall County, Illinois

After Joseph’s father died, the family moved to Stroudsburg, PA. From the time he was 5 till 21 he lived in Lacon, Marshall County, Illinois with his Uncle. You can learn more about life in Lacon at this time at History of Marshall County. There are also several pictures, including one of the Lacon Ferry, shown above, on the same site. Joseph stayed there on his Uncle's farm a year or two, and then came back to Bloomsburg, PA to be an apprentice in a drug store.  He bought medical books and, with the assistance of Dr Tewksbury for two years, he was making his plans for medical school. In 1872 he was in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the medical school.  On March 11, 1874 he graduated from Jefferson Medical College.

Joseph then located at Parsons, PA near Wilkes Barre and practiced for three years. Then the next eight years he was in Cresco, PA. In the fall of 1885 he moved to Ringoes, New Jersey

In the 1870 census, Joseph was in Bloomsburg, PA

SILVARA, J W   (1870 U.S. Census)

PENNSYLVANIA , COLUMBIA, W-WD BLOOM TOWN

Age: 21, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: PA

Series: M593 Roll: 1329 Page: 60

In 1880 he was found in this census

Joseph W. SILVARA

Age:    31

Editor's Note: Estimated birth year:1849

Birthplace:    Pennsylvania

Occupation:    Physician

Home in 1880:    Barret, Monroe, Pennsylvania

Marital status:    Single

Race:    White

Gender:    Male

Head of household:    Jno. W. YOTHERS

Father's birthplace:    PA

Mother's birthplace:    PA

DR JOSEPH SILVARA

From The Portrait and Biographical Record of Hunterdon and Warren Counties, New Jersey containing portraits and biographies of many well known citizens of the past and present: together with portraits and biographies of all the presidents of the United States.
Chapman Publishing Company
New York, 1898

Joseph W. Silvara M.D.

Among the medical fraternity of Hunterdon County this enterprising physician of East Amwell Township ranks high. For about thirteen years he has been located in the pretty little town of Ringoes, his practice covering much of the surrounding country as well. He is devoted to his chosen work, and is thoroughly abreast of the progressive spirit of his age, an age which has made a more complete revolution in the matter of treatment of disease than in almost any other direction of science. He is a member of the Hunterdon County Medical Society and since 1880 has been connected with the Odd Fellows. In 1883, 1884 and again in 1885 he had the honor of being sent as a representative to the Grand Lodge of the state of Pennsylvania.

The father of the above, Joseph W. Silvara, Sr., was also a member of the medical profession. He was born in the town Silvara, Bradford County, Pennsylvania, and took up the study of medicine when but seventeen years of age. He earned the money with which to take himself through college and in 1841 graduated from the University of New York. settling in White Haven, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania; he continued in practice as long as he lived. His labors were very arduous and were a severe strain upon his mind and physical strength, as he rode for sixty miles around to attend patients, and having gained a very favorable reputation, especially in surgical cases, he was in great demand. Death found him at his post of duty, as he died when out upon one of his long rides, in 1849, in the town of Hawley, PA. He married Ellen Morgan, by whom he had four children: Emma, now the wife of James N. Prior, of Brooklyn, N.Y.: Emanuel, who was drowned at the age of sixteen years, at White Haven: Joseph W., of this sketch: and Thomas, who died when seventeen years old.

The birth of our subject occurred in White Haven, Pennsylvania, November 2, 1848, and he was thus but a year old when death deprived him of his loving father's care and guidance. The mother removed to Stroudsburg after that sad event, and from his fifth to his twenty-first year the doctor lived with an uncle in Lacon, Illinois. He received very good educational advantages and graduated from the Lacon high school. For a year or so he carried on his uncle's farm. His next move was to go to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, where he entered a drug store and served an apprenticeship of three years. Afterwards he was for another twelve months in the same position but with a good salary. During this period he had made up his mind that he would enter the medical profession, and having bought a few books relating to the subject, he started on this difficult undertaking. For two years, Dr. Tewksbury, of Ashley, Pennsylvania, where he was then residing, directed his ambitious efforts, and at last in the winter of 1872, and again in the following year, he was a student in Ann Arbor (Michigan) at the University, The last year of his course he passed in Jefferson Medical College, graduating with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, March 11,1874. His initial practice was in the town of Parsons, a suburb of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania and there he was located three years. The eight following years he practiced in Cresco, Pennsylvania, and in the fall of 1885 came to settle permanently in Ringoes. The first three years he was associated with Dr. Robbins, then a candidate for state senator, and since then he has been alone, and has certainly met with gratifying success and his full share of the public patronage. August 6. 1890, he married Miss Cora Hunt of this village. They have a pretty and happy home and delight to entertain therein their numerous friends.

In 1892. Mrs Henry Hunt was visiting her daughter in Ringoes, New Jersey for a week according to the Hopewell, New Jersey 1892 Newspaper. The Dr Silvara family "are now keeping house". They had moved there in 1885 and stayed until 1902 as shown in the following news item.

Trenton Times
Trenton, NJ
April 9, 1902

Ringoes News

The following changes have taken place here: Noah Hunt and sister have moved to Glen Moore, Edward Housely to Flemmington, William White to Barbertown, Henry V D Hunt to Pleasant Ridge, Dr. J W Silvara to Camden. Charles Hunt to Camden.

Dr. Joseph Silvara is in New Jersey for the 1900 census. In 1910, he is in Philadelphia and in 1920 Cora was in Philadelphia, although we could not find him. Perhaps he was elsewhere on census day. He died on February 14, 1922 in Philadelphia as per his death certificate shown below.

Death Certificate for Dr. Joseph W. Silvara
February 14, 1922
Signed by his wife, Cora
Courtesy of Carol Brotzman

(1900 U.S. Census)

NEW JERSEY, HUNTERDON, E AMWELL TWP

Age: 51, Male, Race: WHITE, Born: PA

Series: T623 Roll: 980 Page: 95

Joseph W Silvara

Birthplace:    Pennsylvania 

State:    PA 

Age:    60 

Color:    W;W 

Enumeration District: 0214 

County:    Philadelphia 

Head of Household William Matlack

In 1910 Cora is with her sister Mary and brother-in-law Frank Brown in Philadelphia, PA

Name:    Frank Brown

Birthplace:    Pennsylvania 

State:    PA 

Age:    39 

Color:    W 

Enumeration District: 0222 

County:    Philadelphia, Philadelphia 

Relation:    Head of Household 

Other Residents: Relation Name Age Birth Place

Wife Mame H 37 New Jersey

Daughter Frances E 09 Pennsylvania

Silvara, Cora H 49 New Jersey

SILVARA, CORAH   (1920 U.S. Census)

PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA, 15-WD PHILADELPHIA

Age: 59, Female, Race: WHITE, Born: NJ

Series: T625 Roll: 1621 Page: 119

Dr Silvara married Cora Hunt. This is her family on the 1880 census:

Relation Marital Status Gender Race Age Birthplace Occupation Father's Birthplace Mother's Birthplace

D. V. Henry HUNT   Self   M   Male   W   50   NJ   Blacksmith   NJ   NJ 

A. Sarah HUNT   Wife   M   Female   W   45   NJ   Keep House   NJ   NJ 

Cora HUNT   Dau   S   Female   W   19   NJ   Student   NJ   NJ 

R. Henry HUNT   Son   S   Male   W   13   NJ      NJ   NJ 

H. Mary HUNT   Dau   S   Female   W   7   NJ      NJ   NJ 

Census Place East Amwell, Hunterdon, New Jersey, Family History Library Film   1254787

NA Film Number   T9-0787  Page Number   34B 

The genealogical lines of Dr. Joseph and Cora (Hunt) Silvara are shown below.

The Genealogical Lines of Dr. Joseph W. Silvara
and Cora (Hunt) Silvara
Courtesy of Carol Brotzman