The Patriarch of the Dillon Clan in Berks County was Anthony Dillon who worked as a Grocer and Canal Boat builder. Although he had lived in Reading for 50 years, he was born in Hampton, Schuylkill County. Anthony and his wife Julia (nee Schuck) were married in 1849 and had seven children. Daniel, William, John, George, Lincoln, a daughter Barbury(spelling?), and Clayton.
George Dillon, like his father and brother Daniel, worked on Canal Barges hauling coal between Port Clinton to Philadelphia. George was found fatally injured in Port Clinton where he apparently fell from a bridge on his way to work in June 1900.
John and wife Kate, lived at 29 S Front St. where he worked as a Reading City Policman. They had a son Rodger born June 1885 and a daughter Mary born June 1881. Mary was married to Henry Miller and had a daughter Ruth born 12/1899.
Clayton Dillon also worked as policemen for the City of Reading beginning Febr. 16, 1913. He was married to Ella (Ganter) and they had one child, Esther. Clayton died in 1934.
Lincoln eventually moved to Harrisburg with his son Lincoln Jr. and mother Julia sometime after 1900.
Finally, William Dillon born January 1858 lived at 605 S. 6th St. Reading along with wife Margaret (nee McKinney)who was born January 1862. They had four children, May born 12/1887; Frank born 12/1890; Walter born 2/1893, and Edith born 7/1898.
Daniel Dillon born 1852, and his wife Hannah (nee Keller) had one son, George born May 1874. They lived at 43 Water St., and later in the 100 block of S. fourth St. Daniel worked as a Canal Barge Captain hauling coal between Port Clinton and Philadelphia. Hannah apparently passed away around 1879 at the age of 24, and George was raised by his mother's sister, Belle Reedy on 16th St.
Daniel married Emma (Sassaman) in 1880 and had a son Charles with his 2nd wife. Unfortunately there is very little information available as to what happened to that marriage. In 1900 Charles is found living with is mother Emma and half-sister Mary Ellen Hinkle, living at 107 S. Front Street, and Daniel is found living in Manayunk at this time. Daniel died at the home of his brother John, on February 3, 1913 at the age of 61 years. The cause of death was listed as "Dropsy."
George often told stories of an Uncle, "Wild bill" Keller, who was an Indian Scout for the U.S. Cavalry in Fort Apache Arizona. One can only assume he was the brother to Hannah and Belle Reedy, but little is known of what happened to him.
George also had a cousin Harry Dillon who was married to Anna Brady. How Harry was related to George cannot be determined other than to say he may have been John or Clayton's son. Anyway he was known to be a communist. They had five children, John, Paul, Thelma, Dorothy and Leonard.
George later lived with the Nicholas & Catherine (Sullivan) Whalen family on N. 11th St., as a boarder and eventually fell in love with, and married Mary Anne Whalen on December 29, 1899. There were a total of ten children born to George and Mary Anne between 1900 and 1919. The first born was Loretta, born 1900, who married Gerald Fitzgerald and bore three children, Thomas, and Gerald, and Nancy
The second daughter was Marie, born 1901, was married to Donald Wanner and had two sons, Richard and James.
Helen, born 1902 was married to William Cronrath and had once child Maryanne.
Anna born 1904, married Harry Ramsey and had and son Harry and Daughter Patricia who was marrid to Dave Latanzio
John born 04/30/1908. John Married Margaret D'Agostino John and Margaret had four children, Elaine , Bernice, Patricia and Timothy .
Elaine born 04/22/1934 married Herb Ludwig and bore two children, Gregory and Kim born circa 1957, married Alois Poincavage and has three children, two sons, Scott and Douglas and a daughter Bethany.
Bernice born 04/05/1939 was married to Chester Traczuk until his death in 1981. They had two children, Abby Ann born 09/05/1960 is married to Michael Kasper, They have two children Marley born 11/19/87 & Lauren born 5/29/91, and Michael born 10/03/1962 married Pamela Snyder and has two children, Steven aged 21, and Julia aged 18.
Bernice married Joseph McCarthy in 1984.
Patricia born 12/11/1942, married Ray Donato and had four children Coral born 01/29/1960 is married to John Cappellano and has one child, Chelsea; Patti Lynn born 01/09/1963married Greg Galczynski and has two children, Erin and Justin; Lori born 08/18/1964 married Joseph Albert and had two daughters, Brianne and Brittany, and later Michael Hain, with whom she has a son Keaton. The last of Pat's children was Darren who was married in 2005, his wife's name is Candy and he has a stepdaughter Maya.
Finally Pat married Gene Snyder who passed away in 1998.
Timothy Dillon born 08/19/1945 married Donna Kocevar and had one son Shawn.
The sixth child was Gerald who married Cecelia Eline. They had one duaghter Kathleen who currently resides in California.
the seventh and eighth children were Kathleen and Eleanor, born in 1911 and 1917 respectively. Kathleen was married to Harry Seyfert and had two daughters Barbara, married to Donald chelius and Shiela who currently resides in Denver Colorado; Eleanor married Edward Leonardziak and had two sons Michael, who resides in Annvile, PA along with wife Mary. They had two sons Eric and Brian, and Christopher who has a daughter Ashley. Christopher's wife Bonnie passed away in 2005.
Next was Bernard (Ben), born in 1919 who married Mary Bialy and had one son Dennis, and finally Bernice was born 1921.
George passed away on May 11, 1946 and Mary Anne passed away August 21, 1959. Loretta passed away in 1986; Marie in 1969; Helen in 1974; John, my Father-in-law, and a man I admired immensely, passed away in 1997 at the age of 88(click for obit notice). John was loved by all his children, but as the enclosed letter from daughter Bernice indicates, He held a very special place in her heart.
Gerald passed away in 1976, Kathleen in 1999, Ben in 1964 and Bernice was stillborn, and Eleanor the last surviving child, passed away in 2005.
The photos attached to the George Dillon link above, show many of the children and grandchildren at various stags of their lives. Although not all the children are depicted, I have included as many photos as I could find.
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