Connellsville A Family History Locations
Lightburns
For the full story see Cain, Cluskey, Lightburn by Robert Lightburn in 2021
Lightburn Immigration
<1908 Mary Adeline Cominsky [Lightburn] b 1886 , Poland
m 1908 Charles Borrmeo Kane Lightburn
1885 Charles Borremo Cain (18 mo) Charles Cain (27) Ellen Cluskey Cain immigrates to America
1888 Robert W. Lightburn immigrates to America, age 28 aboard the steamship: “British King”, July 26th, 1888
Daniel Cane>
Charles Cain >
Charles Borromeo Lightburn (1883-1944) & Mary Cominsky
Charles Lightburn (1913-1979) & Catherine Russo Lightburn (19 2000)
Charles Cain (great grandfather of Charlotte, Cathleen, and Robert C) was born in 1858 in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. His parents were Daniel Cain and Mary McGovern. Daniel was born in Ireland about 1829. Mary McGovern was also born in Ireland about 1831. Charles’ siblings were Elizabeth (born 1856, died 1899, married to Martin Caine with an e on the end), James (born 1859, married to Sarah Hopper), Francis (born 1861 and married to Mary Scanlon), and Rose Ann (born 1870, died 1926, married to John Moiser). When I visited England in 2017, I met up with Annette Edmondson, who is the great granddaughter of Rose Ann Cain, at Sunday mass at the Church of Our Lady Immaculate and Saint Cuthberts. She still lives in County Durham and is our cousin and of the same generation as Charlotte, Cathleen, and Robert C.
b Jan 20 1913
Charles Stanley Lightburn
I remember seeing Dad listening to the Pirates on the radio and he loved Notre Dame. I picked up the South Bend Tribune on Monday at the West Side News on my way home from school, so he could read about the game.
Job Title Employer Years Employed Hobby
Foreman General Foreman Connellsville Mine & Manufacturing Supply Co. 118 S Sixth Street
Left Handed
Charles Borromeo Lightburn
1900 Census Robert Sept 1859 40 married 1893 born England, immigration year 1887, years in US 13 Foreman – Mine Ellen Aug 1837 42 married 1893 children born3 living 2 born England, immigration year 1885, years in US 14 Char B Dec 1884 15 born England immigration year 1885, years in US 15 Mary F Oct 1889 10 born PA at school
Born:b 9-14-1883
Address: 118 So 6th St, Connellsville
1942 WWII Draft Registraion Card Age 58 5’9”, 138 lbs Brown eyes, Grey hair, Ruddy compexion
England Imagrated to United States 1886, age 18 mo
Position: General Foreman Company: Connellsville Manufactuing & Mine Supply Company So. 4th St,
Connellsville Immaculate Conception Church
Father John T. Burns Council (good friends of family) Knights of Columbus
Children: Robert W. Lightburn, Panama City, FLA Mrs Ralph Kingsbury, Cleveland, Ohio Charles Jr. Sister: Mrs Hays Liston, Uniontown. Two Granchildren
Died: 1944 November 14
Charles Cain > Robert Lightburn
Charles Cain
b 1858 Hartlepool County, Durham
d (between: October 8, 1888 and Ellen’s marriage to Robert W Lightburn February 5 1893)
m Ellen Cluskey
b August 15 1855, Cork County Ireland
d May 18 1944
Children:
Charles Borromeo Cain > Lightburn
Mary F. Cain > Lightburn
William R. Lightburn
b 1825
m Mary Lightburn
b 1826
Children:Joseph Lightburn b 1848, William Lightburn b 1850, Ann Lightburn b 1851, John Lightburn b 1856, Robert Lightburn b 1860, George Lightburn b 1863, Matthew Lightburn b 1865, Wilson Octavius Lightburn b 1868
Robert Lightburn
b Bradley Durham England Civil Parish: Colliery Town: South Medomsley County: Durham District: Tanfield
d 4-1-1938
m Ellen Cluskey (Lightburn) d 5-22-1944 or 5-18-1944
Charles Borromeo Lightburn
Liverpool Mercury TUESDAY JUNE 26, 1888 Steam ship “British King” Departs Liverpool June 27, 1888 Arrives Philadelphia July 26, 1888 Passengers are forward to New york, Boston, and Balitmore without additional charge. Passengers and goods are landed at Philadelphia on the Wharf of the Pennsuylvania Railroad, passing direct into the Railroad Cars witough leaving the Wharf. This is the shortest and best route to the West. Richardson, Spence, & Co. 19 and 22 Water Street Saloon Passengers by BRITISH KING will embark from Langton Branch Dock not later than Noon on Wednesday next June 27.
Robert W. Lightburn Robert W. (technically, the step grandfather of Charlotte, Cathleen, and Robert C) is from Durham County England as well (the W. stands for Whitfield). His parents were William Lightburn and his wife Mary Whitfield, who lived in Knock, Westmoreland, England. According to the 1881 census. William lived with his 5 children, Ann (30), John (26), Robert W. (21), George (18) and Wilson Octavius (12). Robert W. died on March 30, 1938. His wife, Ellen died in 1944.
Robert Charles Lightburn
MAY 22, 1952 – FEBRUARY 1, 2023
Robert Charles Lightburn passed away on February 1 after a nearly two-year battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Bob prioritized family above all else and is survived by his wife of 18 years, Geri Morrisette Lightburn, his sisters Charlotte Brooks (Mack Lathrop) and Cathy Bailey (Stuart), his children, David and Ginger Lightburn, Jessica Lightburn, Ellie and Danny Awdeh, Cate and Jess Bryant, and his stepchildren Stacy and Jake Heinbaugh, Patrick and Sarah Morrisette, Lisa and Javier Pluta, Kevin Morrisette, and Scott Morrisette. Known as “Grandbob” to his 10 grandchildren, Bob leaves behind an incredible legacy of faith, dedication to family and service. He was preceded in death by his wife of 25 years Jeannine Jackson Lightburn, his parents Catherine and Charles Lightburn and Jeannine’s parents, Pattie and Frank Jackson.
Born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, Bob excelled in extemporaneous speech and debate and was the valedictorian of Geibel Catholic High School. He went on to major in Economics at Dickinson College where he was a Theta Chi, and studied abroad at Durham University in England where he played basketball. He received his law degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and was a member of the Bar Association in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Tennessee, and DC.
Bob began his esteemed 30-year tax accounting career in Pittsburgh at Coopers & Lybrand, seeing the firm through its historic merger with Price Waterhouse. He was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers for 21 years leading regional offices in Atlanta, Memphis, and Tysons Corner with his job moving the Lightburn family to Stone Mountain, GA, Germantown, TN, and back to Stone Mountain before a final move to Northern Virginia. With each relocation, Bob brought with him his Pittsburgh Steelers pride, going so far as to fly his team’s colors on the flagpole in Georgia on game days and forlornly lowering it to half mast when the team lost. Bob took immense care and pride in his clients and his work, and in his retirement enjoyed staying in touch with friends and colleagues from the firm through PwC alumni gatherings. One of his proudest moments was seeing two of his stepchildren, Stacy and Kevin pursue accounting degrees, with Stacy even following in his footsteps for a time at PwC.
A lifelong learner and history buff, it was a trip to the Cyclorama in Atlanta, GA and seeing the depiction of the Battle of Atlanta with a mention of Union General Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn that sparked a curiosity and deeper study of the Civil War. What started as a hobby became his second act, and Bob earned his Masters in History at George Mason University in 2004.
For over two decades, Bob could be found in the classroom, often teaching evening courses in taxation, accounting, and business law at the University of Pittsburgh, Robert Morris College, Memphis State University, and American University, and with his new degree, sharing his love of history at Northern Virginia Community College. He enjoyed engaging his students and loved his time in the classroom – delighting in the challenge of bringing the material to life through music or a YouTube video. A creative presenter and engaging storyteller, Bob relished the opportunity to engage with students and get them excited about Western Civ and Business Ethics. Inspired by the grit and determination of NOVA Community College students, he established a scholarship to support Business and Accounting students.
Incredibly disciplined and goal oriented, running became a passion for Bob. He trained for his first marathon at 48, primarily to prove after his son David completed one, that he, too, was up to the challenge. He subsequently completed 21 marathons and 21 half marathons over the next 20+ years. (David retired from long distance running after that fateful first marathon.) A disciple of Jeff Galloway, Bob would encourage even the most casual runner, that they, too, could run a marathon. When he wasn’t running, Bob enjoyed working in his garden tending to his tomatoes and cucumbers, rehabilitating orchids, and researching the family tree.
Bob had a strong faith and believed in generously sharing his time and talents whether through the Catholic Church serving on the finance committee, providing tax support or delivering meals and food items, serving on the board of GoodWill in Atlanta and the Board of the Northern Virginia Community College Foundation, and volunteering with the National Park Service at the Manassas battlefield. For almost 20 years, he volunteered and coached youth basketball for 6 of his 9 kids. Unfortunately, both Jessica and Ellie contributed to teams that never won a single game, despite Coach Lightburn’s unwavering encouragement. Even while recovering in the hospital from pneumonia and an aggressive round of chemo in 2022, he began making plans on how he would volunteer at the hospital in the future to spread a little joy and encouragement to those that were struggling.
As the patriarch of a large blended family, Bob’s greatest legacy will be his family to whom he devoted his whole life. Bob was happily married to his children’s mother, Jeannine, whom he met in high school at a speech and debate competition in Florida. Bob and Jeannine had a home cooked dinner around the kitchen table with their kids most evenings, usually having to shoo the kids away so they could have a cup of tea and a Pinwheel cookie together for dessert, just the two of them, to talk and laugh. Bob was steadfast and a reassuring presence by Jeannine’s side during her hospitalization and subsequent liver transplant, comforting his children through an uncertain and challenging time. After the sudden loss of their mother in 2002, Bob, already a hands-on dad, re-committed himself to making sure his 4 kids continued to thrive, forging a special bond with his youngest daughter, Cate, who was only 12 at the time. Bob was an ever-present father, the kind of dad who knew the names of his kids’ friends and teachers, who drove carpool, cooked dinner, played games and took them to movies. He was the glue that kept everyone close. Meeting Geri revitalized his life and their marriage brought him so much joy. One of the greatest sources of his happiness was the blending of their two families, and he was an incredibly proud stepfather to her 5 children. Bob and Geri took on hobbies together from bicycle trips in Europe to swing dancing lessons to pickleball. Geri even got Bob to ice skate! He and Geri welcomed their massive blended brood home to Arlington at Thanksgiving, often deep frying the turkey to a cheering crowd in the driveway, hosted beach weeks full of games, happy hours and sunshine, orchestrated tournaments and prop bets around sporting events, and stayed in close touch through visits, texts and Zoom. Geri was his rock and best friend, and her unwavering devotion, care and strength sustained Bob during these last two years of treatment.
Bob heroically beat cancer once after undergoing a bone marrow transplant in June 2021, with his son David as the donor. Bob’s acute myeloid leukemia returned in May 2022. His wide circle of friends from across the country wore “Team Bob” shirts and sent video messages that boosted his spirits and were a testament to his steadfast friendship through many moves and seasons of life.
Bob was a man of character and integrity and left an indelible mark on the hearts of his family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, clients and students. His steady and constant example to be of service to others, to try new things and see where they lead, to delight in simple pleasures like a Saturday morning donut or a Tom Petty song, to capture moments like he did with his annual Christmas cassette tape interviews, and to put family above all else has inspired the next generations of Lightburns and Morrisettes and enriched the lives of all who had the honor to know him. He was a strong and steady light in the lives of his friends and family and the world will not shine as bright without Bob Lightburn in it.
In lieu of flowers, to honor Bob, we invite you to consider giving blood at the Red Cross or your local blood bank because there is a critical blood shortage and Bob was the recipient of generous donations for the past two years. We also invite you to support the Lightburn Business-Accounting scholarship for students at Northern Virginia Community College by visiting the secure donation portal on the NOVA Foundation website: https://giving.nvcc.edu/make-a-gift. Choose ‘other’ from the designation drop down menu and type in: Lightburn Scholarship in the space provided or email novafoundation@nvcc.edu.