How a 4-year-old named for Zelie’s namesake visited the borough
Zelie Passavant didn’t understand why everyone was taking her picture when she visited Zelienople’s Horse Trading Days last week.
The energetic 4-year-old is too young to understand the significance of her presence in a town named after her descendant who bore the same first name.
“As far as we know, she’s the first namesake after the original (Zelienople) namesake,” said Amy Passavant D’Ambrosio, Zelie’s aunt. “The older she gets, the better she’ll be able to understand the special meaning of her name.”
Zelie is the daughter of Amy’s brother, Jonathan Passavant, who lives in Waco, Texas. She is the sixth generation descendent of Zelienople’s original founder, William Alfred Passavant. The town was named after Passavant’s daughter, Zelie, who would help prepare small baskets of food and a Bible for her father to deliver to their neighbors.
During Zelie’s recent visit, she and her family stopped by the Zelienople Historical Society and spent time in the William Alfred exhibit exploring their roots, said Sue Casker, the society’s president. The family also toured the new little library at the gazebo, dedicated to Jay Passavant, Zelie’s grandfather.
“Our family has a deep gratitude to the historical society and Sue Casker specifically for how well they’ve cared for and preserved the history of the town and the Passavants,” said D’Ambrosio.
