The Family of Donna Arlene Atkinson

Donna Arlene Atkinson was the daughter of John Elmer Atkinson and Alta May Rodgers, who married near Plummer, Fayette County, Pennsylvania in 1907 and settled in Venango County.

At the time of the 1910 Census they family were living in a rented house in Oil Creek:

1910 CENSUS OF OIL CREEK, VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA:
NAME:	RELATION:	RACE:	SEX:	AGE:	STATUS:	OCCUPATION:	BIRTHPLACE:
John E Atkinson	Head	White	M	32	Married	Pumper, Oil Wells	Pennsylvania
Altie M Atkinson	Wife	White	F	23	Married	None	Pennsylvania
Adelia G Atkinson	Daughter	White	F	2	Single	-	Pennsylvania

NOTES:
1:	Living on Plumber Road, Oil Creek, Venango County, Pennsylvania.
2:	John and Alta had been married 2 years and Alta was listed as the mother of 1 child.
3:	John and Alta could read and write.
4:	Their parents were all shown as having been born in Pennsylvania.
5:	The above information is taken from scanned images at www.ancestry.co.uk.

1920 CENSUS OF ROUSEVILLE BOROUGH, VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA:
NAME:	RELATION:	RACE:	SEX:	AGE:	STATUS:	OCCUPATION:	BIRTHPLACE:
John Atkinson	Head	White	M	41	Married	Laborer, Refinery	Pennsylvania
Alta Atkinson	Wife	White	F	32	Married	None	Pennsylvania
Adelia Atkinson	Daughter	White	F	11	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Lydia Atkinson	Daughter	White	F	9	Single	None	Pennsylvania
D Arlene Atkinson	Daughter	White	F	8	Single	None	Pennsylvania
J Rodger Atkinson	Son	White	M	7	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Gwendolyn Atkinson	Daughter	White	F	3	Single	None	Pennsylvania

NOTES:
1:	Living at Cherry Run, Rouseville Borough, Venango County, Pennsylvania.
2:	The census records that all but Gwendolyn were able to read and write, and that Adelia, Lydia, Arlene and Rodger were attending school.
3:	It would appear that Donna Arlene was known by her middle name from a very early age.
4:	The above information is taken from scanned images at www.ancestry.co.uk.

1930 CENSUS OF ROUSEVILLE BOROUGH, VENANGO COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA:
NAME:	RELATION:	RACE:	SEX:	AGE:	STATUS:	OCCUPATION:	BIRTHPLACE:
John E Atkinson	Head	White	M	52	Married	Fireman, Oil Refinery	Pennsylvania
Alta M Atkinson	Wife	White	F	42	Married	None	Pennsylvania
J Rodger Atkinson	Son	White	M	17	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Gwendoline Atkinson	Daughter	White	F	14	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Adelia G Rennard	Daughter	White	F	22	Married	Servant, Private Families	Pennsylvania
John C Rennard	Grandson	White	M	2	Single	None	Pennsylvania
Donna A Madden	Daughter	White	F	18	Married	None	Pennsylvania
Edward J Madden	Son-in-Law	White	M	24	Married	Laborer, Oil Refinery	Pennsylvania

NOTES:
1:	Living on Third Street, Rouseville Borough, Venango County, Pennsylvania.
2:	The census records that all but their grandson were able to read and write, and that Gwendoline was still attending school.
3:	John C Rennard's age appears to have been written as 2 5/12, meaning 2 years and 5 months.
4:	There is no sign of Adelia's husband in the census and he may have been away on that night.
5:	John and Alta owned their home, which was valued in 1930 at $8000.
6:	The above information is taken from scanned images at www.ancestry.co.uk.

Donna Arlene's mother, Alta May, died on Thursday, 17 April 1947 and an obituary was published the following day in the 'Titusville Herald' newspaper:

'Mrs John E Atkinson'

     'Alta May Atkinson, aged 59, wife of John E. Atkinson, died at home on Third Avenue in Rouseville at 9:10 o'clock last night. She was a daughter of Benjamin F and Sarah Adeline Lepley Rodgers and was born in Forest County May 6 1887.
     She was married to Mr Atkinson of Plumer in 1907 and they had lived in Rouseville since 1913.
     She was active in the work of the Rouseville Methodist church and in Red Cross work during the war.
     Besides the husband she leaves three daughters, Adelia at home; Mrs James Shurmach of Oil City and Mrs Gwendolyn Hanna of Rouseville and one son, Rodger Atkinson of McClintockville. There are five grandchildren.
     The body will be taken from the Crawford funeral home in Oil City to the residence this afternoon, where friends may call and where services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Interment at Sunset Hill'.

Donna Arlene's father, John Elmer, died on Tuesday, 26 October 1948 and an obituary was published the following day in the 'Titusville Herald' newspaper:

'John E Atkinson'

     'John E Atkinson, aged 70, retired Pennzoil Co. employee, died early yesterday at his home in Rouseville. Born in Furgundus April 28, 1878, he was a son of Perry and Penina Porter Atkinson and had lived at Rouseville since 1910.
     He was married in 1907 to Alta May Rodgers of Plumer who died in 1947.
     He attended the Methodist church.
     He leaves the following children; Mrs Adelia Rennard, at home, Mrs Lydia Scharmack, Rodger Atkinson, Mrs Gwendolyn Hanna of Oil City; brothers and sisters Frank L Atkinson, Mt Vernon, Ill; Mrs Alice Hunter, Tidioute; Mrs Elsie DeMott, Titusville; Earl Atkinson of Meadville.'