RANCK GENEALOGY
Descendants of
Adam Michael Ranck (1850-1922)
and Caroline Wenger (1850-1941)

WENGER6 RANCK (Adam5-4, Jacob3, Valentine2, John Philip 1) was born at Upper Leacock Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on 6 March 1881 a son of Adam Michael Ranck and his wife Caroline Wenger. He died at Lancaster, Lancaster County, on 19 October 1960.[1] He married at Lancaster County on 10 May 1911 MAUD SHAUBACH HARNISH.[2] She was born at West Lampeter Township, Lancaster County, on 20 January 1854, a daughter of Jacob S. Harnish and his wife Annie Marie Shaubach.[3] She died at Lancaster on 25 July 1969.[4]


Wenger Ranck about 1909

Wenger and Maud both grew up on farms in Lancaster County. Both came from families that experienced grief over the deaths of children. Wenger was the fifth of seven children, but only the second of four to survive childhood. When he was three months old three of his older siblings died of small pox. Maud was the second of five children, but the eldest of only two to survive childhood. One sibling died before she was born, another died when Maud was four, and a third died when Maud was fourteen.

Wenger had an accident when working on his father's farm. His nephew Charles recalled the story:

The farm on Church Road near Bird-in-Hand is where Wenger lost his arm. He lost it in a corn fodder shredder. They flagged down the railroad, and a horse drawn ambulance from Saint Joseph Hospital met them at the train station. [5]

Daughter Anna recalled the story of what came next: After Wenger lost his arm, he felt a need to find something else to do. He received a diploma from Millersville after 5 years of study. Anna recalled him saying, "I couldn't stand to look at the four walls of that school any longer."[6]

Wenger Ranck graduated from Millersville State Normal School in 1909, and taught school for three years before returning to farming.[7] Wenger and Maud married in 1911, when they were aged thirty and twenty-seven. They first farmed in Strasburg Township. The Strasburg Weekly News reported on 26 June 1920:

The frame of a large barn on the farm of Wenger Ranck, at Refton, was raised Tuesday by about 80 carpenters, neighbors and friends. The work started about 1 o'clock and a little after 5 o'clock the structure was up without mishap. [8]

Some time after the birth of their last child in 1923 and the 1930 census they moved to a farm in West Lampeter Township. Wenger continued to farm, and the children continued to live on the farm into young adulthood. The 1940 Census reported them in West Lampeter Township as follows:[9]

Line Name Related Sex Race Age MS Ed B 1935 Residence Occupation
58. Ranck, Wenger head M W 58 M C4 PA same house farmer, general farm
59. Ranck, Maud H. wife F W 55 M 8th PA same house house work
60. Ranck, J. Harold son M W 28 S H4 PA same house farm work, home farm
61. Ranck, Caroline daughter F W 24 S C4 PA same house teacher, public school
62. Ranck, Anna daughter F W 23 S C3 PA same house teacher, public school
63. Ranck, A. Milton son M W 20 S C2 PA same house in school
64. Ranck, Samuel son M W 17 S H2 PA same house in school

Wenger responded to the census takers questions. In the column for education, "H" refers to high school which was normally four years, and "C" refers to college.

Two of the five children responded to the call to serve in World War II. Anna served in the Women's Army Corps, for the last year and a half she was stationed in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines.[10] Milt joined the Army Air Corps, and flew suplies over the mountains from India to China.[11] The War was followed by weddings: Harold in 1945, Milt in 1946, Anna and Caroline in 1949.

Wenger and Maud, all of the children, and many grandchildren, have been active in the Willow Street United Church of Christ (formery Evangelical and Reformed).[12]

Concerning the chidren not further discussed in these pages:

J. Harold Ranck graduated from West Lampeter High School in 1930, and worked as a fireman and engineer for the Pennsylvania Railroad and Conrail from 1941 to 1976. His son J. Harold Ranck, Jr., known as "Butch," graduated from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in 1964, received an Associate Degree in Agricultural Business from Penn State, served in the Marine Corps from 1966 to 1970, received a B.A. in Economics and Business from Slippery Rock University, at Slippery Rock, Butler County, Pennsylvania, in 1974, and later an M.B.A. in Business Administration from Penn State. He worked as a financial analyst for New Holland North America. Suzanne, daughter of Harold and Anne, graduated from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in 1968, and received a degree in Business Administration from Penn State in 1971. She then worked as a cost analyst for Armstrong World Industries in Lancaster. After her marriage in 1977 she went back to school, received an M.Ed. in Counselor Education from Millersville University, and has worked as a school counsellor in the Pequa Valley School District. Rosemary, the third child of Harold and Anne, graduated from Lampeter-Strasburg High School in 1971, and studied Graphic Arts at the York Academy of Art in York, York County, Pennsylvania. She moved to Colorado and works as a self-employed artist.[13]

Caroline Ranck Harnish graduated from West Lampeter High School in 1933 and received a B.S. in Education from Millersville State College in 1938. She worked as an elementary school teacher from 1935 to 1950 and 1960 to 1980, the last period in the Lampeter-Strasburg school district. Her husband, Preston Harnish, farmed in Pequa Township. Their daughter, Rebecca, graduated from High School in 1969 and received a B.S. in Secondary Education from Shippensburg State University in 1973. She has taught at Edward Hand Middle School in Lancaster.[14] The death of Bekky's husband Vince was reported in the newspaper as follows:[15]

Vincent James Lattanzio

Vincent James Lattanzio passed away on Friday, January 9th, 2015 at Penn State Hershey Medical Center after a brief bout with acute myeloid leukemia. Born in Philadelphia, PA on August 2nd, 1952, he was the son of the late Vincent and Josephine (Malandra) Lattanzio. He was married to Rebecca Harnish Lattanzio for forty years on December 21st, 2014.

Vince grew up in Maple Shade, NJ and graduated from Bishop Eustace Preparatory School in 1970. He graduated from Saint Joseph's University with a bachelor's degree in theology in 1974. He moved to Lancaster, the hometown of his beloved wife, Becky, in 1974 where he was fond of working on his in-laws' family farm. He studied Cabinet Making at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, graduating with the class of 1978. Vince started his career in banking at Commonwealth National Bank and joined Fulton Financial Advisors in 1988. He was a certified employee benefits specialist and later earned the designation of Certified Financial Planner. Vince was a senior vice president/manager of Charitable and Endowment Services at Fulton Bank at the time of his death.

Vince proudly served as treasurer of the Thaddeus Stevens Foundation Board of Directors and enjoyed participating in activities that supported the school. He was a member of Willow Street United Church of Christ, Willow Street, PA where he served on the finance committee.

The son of Italian immigrants, Vince treasured his recent trips to Italy during which he connected with cousins and visited his parents' hometowns in Abruzzo. He studied Italian diligently over the last several years and was able to speak it fluently. He was a member of the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society. Vince enjoyed going to Phillies games, playing ice hockey, cooking Italian food, and spending time in one of the special places of his childhood, Long Beach Island, New Jersey. His life was enriched by time spent as a Cub Scout leader, baseball coach, and ice hockey coach over the years. He especially delighted in spending time with his family.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his four children, Annie Lattanzio Hale (Paul), of Lancaster, Kate Lattanzio of Spartanburg, SC, Charlie Lattanzio of Oakland, CA, and Joe Lattanzio of New Orleans, LA. Vince is survived by three granddaughters, Julia, Sophia, and Emelia Hale of Lancaster, PA, his sister and brother-in-law, Edith and James Hanahan of Warminster, PA, and his brother-in-law, Thomas Hartzell of Burlington Township, NJ. He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and cousins who were dear to him. He was preceded in death by sisters, Angela Lattanzio and Phyllis Hartzell, and a brother, Gus Lattanzio. . . .
LNP, Lancaster, Pennsylvania - 13 January 2015

Preston and Caroline's son, Samuel, graduated from High School in 1971, served in the Marine Corps from 1972 to 1974, and has worked as a groundskeeper at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster.[16]

Anna Ranck graduated from West Lampeter High School in 1935, and received a B.S. from Millersville State College in 1947. She taught school in Lancaster from 1938 to 1974 except for her time in the military. Her husband, Adam, was a truck driver. They did not have children.[17]

Samuel Ranck married when he was 38 years old, and adopted his wife's children from a previous marriage. They lived in Lancaster Township, Lancaster County; he sold insurance.[18]

Wenger Ranck died after he fell in his yard and fractured his hip;[19] Maud died following a stroke.[20]

Wenger Ranck and his wife Maud Shaubach Harnish had the following children:

  1. JACOB HAROLD7 RANCK b. at Refton, Strasburg Township, Lancaster County, on 4 March 1912; d. at Lancaster on 26 March 1997;[21] m. at Lampeter, West Lampeter Township, on 13 October 1945 ANNA LEAMAN WITMER,[22] b. at Lampeter on 11 December 1916, d. on 23 February 2010, child of John B. Witmer and Ida Leaman.[23] Children of Harold and Anna:[24]
    1. Jacob Harold Ranck, Jr. b. at Lancaster on 1 October 1946; m. at Quarryville, Lancaster County, on 10 August 1968 Dianne Aument b. on 13 April 1946. Children of Butch and Dianne:
      1. John Michael Ranck b. at Michigan on 2 January 1979.
      2. JoAnn Ranck b. at Hershey, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on 27 January 1982.
    2. Suzanne Ranck b. at Lancaster on 2 November 1950; m. at Lampeter on 29 July 1977 James Cudworth b. at Bainbridge, Chenango County, New York, on 8 January 1951. Child of Suzanne and James:
      1. Robin James Cudworth b. at Lancaster on 10 December 1984.
    3. Rosemary Ranck b. at Lancaster on 31 January 1954; m. at Colorado on October 1992 Joel Dournell Zanni, div. at Colorado on April 1997.
  2. CAROLINE7 RANCK b. at Refton on 25 October 1915; d. at Lancaster on 7 June 2010;[25] m. at Easton, Northampton County, Pennsylvania, on 25 June 1949 HAROLD PRESTON HARNISH,[26] b. at Pequea Township, Lancaster County, on 4 March 1909, d. at Lancaster on 17 October 2003, child of Samuel Myer Harnish and Anna Cora Good.[27] Children of Caroline and Preston:
    1. Rebecca Maud Harnish b. at Lancaster on 16 October 1951; m. on 21 December 1974 Vincent James Lattanzio[28] b. at Philadelphia on 2 August 1952; d. at Hershey on 9 January 2015.[29] Children of Bekki and Vince:[30]
      1. Anna Maria Lattanzio b. at Lancaster on 30 January 1980; m. Paul Hale. Children of Anna Maria and Paul:
        1. Julia Hale
        2. Sophia Hale
        3. Emelia Hale
      2. Katherine Lattanzio b. at Lancaster on 7 April 1982.
      3. Joseph V. Lattanzio b. at Lancaster on 12 May 1988.
      4. Charles P. Lattanzio b. at Lancaster on 12 May 1988.
    2. Samuel Joseph Harnish b. at Lancaster on 20 July 1953.[31]
  3. ANNA HARNISH7 RANCK b. at Refton on 28 November 1916;[32] d. at Lancaster on 6 October 2005;[33] m. at Manhattan, New York City, New York, on 1 January 1949 ADAM METZLER RANCK,[34] b. at Paradise Township, Lancaster County, on 29 July 1915, d. at Lancaster on 31 March 2007, child of Ross K. Ranck and Sue R. Metzler.[35] He had m(1). on 24 February 1938 RUTH HORST div. after separation at Los Angeles County, California on 15 March 1945. Ruth later married ________ SPENCER.[36] Adam and Ruth had the following children, two of whom took the surname of their step-father:[37]
    1. Richard Lee Ranck b. at Lancaster on 12 May 1939; m. Victoria ________
    2. Donald Ranck Spencer b. at Lancaster on 8 December 1941.
    3. Ronald Ranck Spencer b. at Lancaster on 8 December 1941; m. Dolores ________
  4. ADAM MILTON7 RANCK b. at Refton on 1 September 1919.
  5. SAMUEL HARNISH7 RANCK b. at Refton on 26 March 1923; d. at Lancaster on 31 January 1980; m. on 8 July 1961 SHIRLEY MARY (HABECKER) SMITH, b. at Lancaster on 22 September 1932, child of John S. and A, Mary Habecker.[38] She had m(1). WILLIAM HENRY SMITH, Jr.;[39] she m(3). at Willow Street, West Lampeter Township, on 1997 TOM SOSNOSKI.[40] Children of Shirley and William, adopted by Samuel:[41]
    1. William Henry Ranck b. at Lancaster on 5 January 1953
    2. Douglas Carl Ranck b. at Lancaster on 9 April 1954; m. on 3 May 1980 Donna Marie Coté; div. January 1988; Children of Doug and Donna:
      1. Joseph Coté Ranck b. at Leadville, Lake County, Colorado, on 31 January 1981.
      2. John David Ranck b. at Leadville on 17 September 1985.

NOTES

1Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1966, certificate 094355-60, Wenger Ranck, 1960; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 10 June 2018); Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11, Series 11.90. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
2Anna Ranck, phone interview by Charles A. Maxfield, 1 January 1998; notes, privately held by Charles A Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania, .
3Ibid.
4Funeral Card for Maud Ranck, 1969, privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania, provided by Betty Kibler.
5Charles P. Ranck, Interview by Charles A. Maxfield, 26 July 1982; notes, privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
6Anna Ranck and Caroline Ranck Harnish, Interview by Christyann Ranck Maxfield, July 1987; privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
7"Wenger Ranck Dies After Fall," obituary, New Era, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, 20 October 1960, .
8"Seventy-Five Years Ago," Strasburg Weekly News, 23 June 1995, vol. 97, no. 25.
9Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, population, West Lampeter, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, enumeration district (ED) 36-163, roll 3535, p. 10B, household 192, Wenger Ranck family; digital images, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 29 January 2019); NARA microfilm group T627.
10Anna Ranck, phone interview, 1 January 1998.
11Mary Elizabeth Bauer Ranck Kibler, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Interview by Charles A. Maxfield, about 1998; notes, privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
12various interviews and personal knowledge.
13Letter from Suzanne Ranck, to Charles A. Maxfield, 18 January 1998; held in by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
14Letter from Caroline Ranck Harnish, to Charles A. Maxfield, 26 January 1998; held in by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.
15"Vincent James Lattanzio," obituary, LNP, 13 January 2015; Genealogy Bank (genealogybank.com : accessed 29 January 2019), Recent Newspaper Obituaries.
16Letter, Caroline Ranck Harnish to Charles A. Maxfield, 26 January 1998.
17Anna Ranck, phone interview, 1 January 1998.
18Ibid.
19Pennsylvania Department of Health, Death Certificates, 1906–1966, certificate 094355-60, Wenger Ranck, 1960.
20Anna Ranck, phone interview, 1 January 1998.
21"J. Harold Ranck, railroad engineman," obituary, Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 27 March 1997. B3.
22Letter, Suzanne Ranck to Charles A. Maxfield, 18 January 1998.
23"Anna W. Ranck," obituary, Lancaster Newspapers, 24 February 2010. Find a Grave (findagrave.com accessed : 18 June 2018).
24Letter, Suzanne Ranck to Charles A. Maxfield, 18 January 1998.
25Social Security Administration, "U.S. Social Security Death Index," database, Ancestry (ancestry.com : accessed 14 April 2017), Caroline R. Harnish. "Caroline R Harnish, 94," obituary, Intelligencer Journal, 8 June 2010; Genealogy Bank< (genealogybank.com : accessed 29 January 2019), Recent Obituaries.
26Letter, Caroline Ranck Harnish to Charles A. Maxfield, 26 January 1998.
27"U.S. Social Security Death Index", Preston H. Harnish, 161-30-6765. "Preston Harnish, lifelong Red Sox fan," obituary, Intelligencer Journal, 18 October 2003; Genealogy Bank (genealogybank.com : accessed 29 January 2019), Recent Obituaries.
28Letter, Caroline Ranck Harnish to Charles A. Maxfield, 26 January 1998.
29"Vincent James Lattanzio."
30Ibid.
31Letter, Caroline Ranck Harnish to Charles A. Maxfield, 26 January 1998.
32Anna Ranck, phone interview, 1 January 1998.
33"U.S. Social Security Death Index", Anna H. Ranck.
34Anna Ranck, phone interview, 1 January 1998.
35"Adam M Ranck, 91," obituary, Intelligencer Journal, 2 April 2007; Genealogy Bank (genealogybank.com : accessed 29 January 2019), Recent Obituaries.
36Anna Ranck, phone interview, 1 January 1998.
37Ibid.
38Ibid.
39Ibid.
40Personal knowledge
41Anna Ranck, phone interview, 1 January 1998.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Anna W. Ranck," obituary, Lancaster Newspapers, 24 February 2010. Find a Grave (findagrave.com accessed : 2018).

Harnish, Caroline Ranck. Letter. 26 January 1998, to Charles A. Maxfield. Privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Kibler, Mary Elizabeth Bauer Ranck. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Interview by Charles A. Maxfield, about 1998. notes. Privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Lancaster. Intelligencer Journal. Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 27 March 1997,18 October 2003, 2 April 2007, 8 June 2010.

LNP, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 13 January 2015.

New Era. Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Department of Health. Death Certificates, 1906–1966. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2018.

Ranck, Anna. Phone interview by Charles A. Maxfield, 1 January 1998. notes. Privately held by Charles A Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Ranck, Anna and Caroline Ranck Harnish. Interview by Christyann Ranck Maxfield, July 1987. Privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Ranck, Charles P. Interview by Charles A. Maxfield, 26 July 1982. notes. Privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Adam and Anna Ranck also participated in interview.

Ranck, Maud, Funeral Card for, 1969. Privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Provided by Betty Kibler.

Ranck, Suzanne. Letter. 18 January 1998, to Charles A. Maxfield. Privately held by Charles A. Maxfield, Lansdale, Pennsylvania.

Strasburg Weekly News. Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

United States Department of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States: 1940, population. Digital images. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2019.

United States Social Security Administration. "U.S. Social Security Death Index." Database. Ancestry. ancestry.com : 2017.

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