Heritage is an estate that passes from an ancestor to a descendant—a birthright. This is the story of the Pursel family in Nevada—my family, my great grandparents—my ancestors of whom I am very proud. Henry Pursel was born in Uniontown, PA in 1829, and his wife Harriet Pursel was born in Fayette, Ohio in 1837. Nothing is known of their meeting or of how they arrived in Iowa. On April 1, 1863, a train of 40 wagons left Des Moines, Iowa, to make the long trip West. With this tr

PFA Journal July 1972 Vol. 1 Number 2 Reverend John McLeod Purcell was the eldest of nice children born to Albert Leland and Marian Caroline McLeod Purcell. He was born 24 October 1861 in McKinley, Marengo County, Alabama. He married Miss Lel Red and was associated with Stuart Female Seminary in Austin, Texas, for ten years. His son Rev. Malcolm Lee Purcell was born during that time and this is the story of his birth. Dr. R. K. Smoot, D. D., who was pastor of the First Southe

We are going to post stories about Purcell families taken from past journals. Perhaps you will recognize the name of one of your ancestors in these stories. Enjoy reading them! April 1971 Vol 1 Number 1 Written by (John) Van Purcell of Paola, Kansas My great grandfather, Robert Purcell, left Belfast in Northern Ireland in 1824 to escape the troublesome and dangerous Irish rebellion. He came to Canada, up the St. St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers to near Pembroke where my great g