Elizabeth was the daughter of Derick 'Richard' Waldron and Elizabeth Weezer. She was born on the Scott-Case farm in Three Bridges. Derick was born about January 15 1764 in Three Bridges and married Elizabeth on September 19 1790. His parents were Hieronimous and Lydia Waldron. Elizabeth's family attended the Dutch Reformed Church although she became Roman Catholic. She was the wife of Patrick Gunn and mother of the following children:

1-Richard M. Gunn (Aug 24 1824-April 7 1895)
2-Margaret Jane 'Jennie' Gunn Devlin (April 28 1827-1919)
3-Francis Gunn (Oct 3 1829-July 8 1906)
4-John F. Gunn (Abt 1830-Oct 25 1876)
5-Edward Gunn (Abt 1836-after 1860)
6-Elizabeth Gunn (abt 1838-after 1860)
7-Sarah F. Gunn Skiffington (August 1840-Feb 5 1901)
8-Charles P. Gunn (July 1843-Sept 27 1911)

She died in the Picnic Train Tragedy of St. Michael's Sunday School children going to Shaeff's Woods- the worst train wreck in the world at that time. Contributor Anonymous (46960440) found the following reference specifically to her condition, "Mrs. Gunn, aged 50 years, resided in Charlotte street, above Thompson, was so badly injured that she died soon after being removed to her home."
—"Appalling Accident on the North Pennsylvania Railroad," Public Ledger newspaper (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), Friday, July 18, 1856, p. 2

The train was overcrowded with as many as 1500 passengers due to the unseasonably hot weather and so it left the Cohocksink Depot late. Both trains were on a blind curve on the same track- one train would usually wait no more than 15 minutes for the opposite train to pass. Conductor Albert F. Hoppel knew the schedule of the regular train bound for Philadelphia and would have been aware that he was jeopardizing the lives of all passengers aboard the chartered train. He violated the most essential rule of this one-track road by not taking his cars onto a siding. He instead urged his engineer to pick up as much speed as possible so that the train passed the Edge Hill siding, the last opportunity for safety, at speeds of thirty-five miles an hour. Between Edge Hill and Camp Hill near Dewey's Lane there was a curve along an embankment twenty-six feet high. The excursion cars sped through a ravine and emerged on the curve, traveling with dangerously high speed on the downgrade. The trains collided moments later. Both locomotives stood on end, turned over, and then immediately caught fire. Hoppel escaped with only minor injuries. The engineer and fireman of the other train jumped off the train to safety. The innocent conductor of the other train, William Vanstavoren, reported the accident and then went to his residence and committed suicide by taking arsenic. Due to Hoppel being a 'Kensington Protestant' (a description which in those days meant an intense hatred of Catholics*), rumors of a deliberate plot to kill the passengers persisted for years. Engineers also learned of the Doppler effect on train whistles as a result of this accident. The New York Times wrote a scathing article that led to safety improvements on American railways such as not sharing a single track and using telegraphs to advise of delays.

*Both St. Michaels and St. Augustine Churches were burned by rioters from Kensington Protestant meetings in 1844 (known as the Philadelphia Nativist Riots, the Philadelphia Prayer Riots, or the Bible Riots).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the burial locations of Derick and Elizabeth are unknown at this time, there can be no findagrave memorials for them. Their known children are listed below :

1-Mary Waldron, born August 14 1791; married Jacob Quick; died July 26 1850
2-Susannah Waldron, born March 1 1793; married July 6 1810 George Forker; died November 14 1882
3-John Waldron, born March 9 1795
4-Joseph Waldron, born February 2 1797
5-Samuel Waldron, born February 1 1799
6-Elizabeth Waldron, born May 13 1801; married Patrick Gunn
7-Jane B. Waldron, born March 15 1803; married Samuel H. Case (abt 1796-Dec 6 1855; died by being thrown from a wagon); died May 29 1882 Hunterdon Co.
8-Richard Waldron, born April 17 1805; married November 28 1826 Mary Elliot; died July 21 1885
9-Sarah Waldron, born February 6 1807; m1st William B. Gundry; m2nd July 1860 Louis Woolman; died March 27 1866
10-Catherine Waldron, born May 7 1809; married James Peterson; died November 28 1886
11-Rebecca Waldron, born August 25 1811; married July 19 1829 Jacob B. Jackson; died August 17 1882
12-Hannah Waldron, born September 20 1813; married George Benner; died September 13 1866
13-Marinda Ann Waldron, born April 8 1816; married July 28 1836 James M. Henderson; died June 23 1889