Skipping Down Memory Lane: 2019

Friday, May 24, 2019

The Road

#52Ancestors

   The theme for week 18 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge was "Road Trip." I could write about the scenic drives I used to take on Route 9W along the Hudson River in Ulster County, NY to visit rural cemeteries and take pictures. I could write about driving from South Carolina down to Florida to visit a cousin I didn't know existed until I started researching my maternal grandmother's mother's family. My grandmother's father, Samuel Davis, had ancestors who served in the Civil War. I could write about driving from South Carolina to New York and making an unplanned stop in Pennsylvania when I saw a sign for Gettysburg. I'd always wanted to visit Gettysburg. As I was driving through town I saw a sign for the Gettysburg National Military Park and remembered my 3rd great-grandfather, William Davis had three brothers who served in the Civil War and that there was a monument for their regiment. The Davis brothers were in the 120th NY Infantry Regiment. I had to find that monument and take a picture.
   I am not writing about any of the road trips I had taken. I'm writing about an actual road, a scenic road that runs along side a mountain with beautiful views of the Hudson River and Hudson Valley in New York. Storm King Highway is a 3 mile stretch of road, part of Route 218, that was formed from the side of Storm King Mountain which is on the west bank of the Hudson River. This narrow, curvy road runs from the town of Highland by West Point Military Academy up to Cornwall-on-Hudson and is sometimes closed due to rock slides and inclement weather. I have driven this road once and will never do it again.
   Construction on Storm King Highway began in 1916 and with my 2nd great-grandfather's help it was completed and open to traffic in 1922. Stephen Duper was born approx. 1873 in Austria. He immigrated to the United States in 1887 or 1888 and was naturalized in 1892 in Rosendale, NY which is in Ulster County. He died 16 July 1931 at Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan, NY. Stephen Duper was a dynamite foreman who worked on Storm King Highway. My grandmother's cousin told me in a letter that he died of rock dust in his lungs. His death certificate states that he worked in construction as a rock driller and the cause of death was 'pleurisy-suppurative'. Rock dust from the rocky road?

   R.I.P.
   Stephen Duper
1873-1931

Sunday, May 19, 2019

+ Let Us Pray +

#52Ancestors

8 year old Gregory

   The topic for week 17 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge was "At Worship." When I saw this I thought of my 12 year old son. Gregory attends Catholic School and is an altar server. When he is scheduled, he serves 8am Mass on Sunday mornings. Gregory likes serving but sometimes he doesn't want to get up.
   Every now and then Gregory will sometimes complain about getting up early to go to church and tell me that he had just gone to Mass on Friday then ask why he has to go again. I remind him that my mother attended Catholic school and had Mass every morning, Confession on Saturdays, and Mass again on Sunday. I have told Gregory many times that he doesn't know how good he has it. When my mother attended church as a child the kneelers were not padded, there was a lot more kneeling back then, and the Masses were in Latin.
   Gregory is a good boy. He recently served a First Holy Communion and a Confirmation a few days later. At the Confirmation, he was one of the 'Vimps' (wore the fuzzy white shawl called 'vimpa' and assisted the Bishop). He was a vimpa last year as well. He has also served many funerals. Gregory likes serving and has gotten many compliments.

Let Us Pray

11 year old Gregory (2018)    12 year old Gregory (2019)
assisting Bishop at Confirmation    assisting Bishop at Confirmation

Saturday, May 18, 2019

Out of Place

#52Ancestors

   The topic for week 16 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge was "Out of Place." I have no idea what I can write about. Should I write about a person who might have felt out of place in a particular situation or environment or maybe some recordkeeping/records that I found were 'out of place?'
   After much thought, I chose to write about my 3rd great-grandparents, Patrick Devine and Emily Sheldon. These are my favorite people to write about. I was not working on genealogy while my maternal grandmother, Eleanor was alive nor did I know about Patrick and Emily. Once I found out about my Irish ancestors I was obsessed! I've always been fascinated with Ireland and long to visit that island. Patrick and Emily were a mystery to me when I first started this research. After quite a bit of stalking and with the help of census records, I found the names of all their children beside my 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa.
   William Vincent Devine was Patrick and Emily's youngest child, born sometime in February 1882 in upstate New York. The 1900 federal census shows him living with his mother who was listed as divorced in Ulster County, New York. I think his father was in a poorhouse in 1900. At some point after the 1900 census was taken, William moved to New York City, Manhattan, New York. On the 25th of January in 1903, William died of head injuries in Manhattan. His death certificate states that he had been residing there for two years. I found out about William's death from hints on Ancestry.com then ordered the death certificate hoping this was my William Devine. Yes, this was my William, my 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa's baby brother. He was only 21 years old when he left this earth.
   St Peter's Cemetery in Rosendale, NY is the final resting place for William Vincent Devine. I was excited to find William's place of burial. I felt I was getting closer to my Irish ancestors who were hiding from me. I called the cemetery to get the location of the plot so I can visit and also ask if anyone else is buried there. I was told that Patrick purchased the plot. I don't know when he bought it but I guess it was before 1900 when he and Emily were divorced. The tombstone has William's date of death and age as well as the names of his parents but there are no dates of death for Patrick and Emily. I later discovered that Emily had relocated to Ontario, Canada and is buried in Toronto. I have no idea where Patrick is.
   Patrick and Emily are Out of Place.

   Rest in Peace
William Vincent Devine

Sunday, May 5, 2019

Who am I?

still late with these writing assignments....

   For week 15 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge, the topic was "DNA." Maybe tardiness is in my DNA because this story is late.
   I had always known that I had German and Irish ancestors and never really had a desire to take a DNA test. I bought my mother a DNA kit a few years ago as a Christmas gift. She is mostly Irish which is no surprise since her 2nd great-grandparents emigrated from Ireland in the 1840's. My mother's results state 24% Ireland and Scotland and 25% England, Wales, & Northwest Europe. I had read somewhere that 'Davis' is a Welsh name so maybe her Davis ancestors were from Wales. I finally bought myself a kit when Ancestry.com had a super sale at Thanksgiving time. I submitted my saliva sample and eagerly awaited the results.
   Who am I? What am I made up of? I know about the Germans and Irish but what else do I have thrown in the mix? Where are my people from? Days turned into weeks then finally... the email I'd been waiting for... the DNA results are in...
   I'd been stalking my 3rd great-grandparents, Patrick Devine and Emily Sheldon for years. I focused mainly on Emily because I had found out that Patrick was from County Mayo in Ireland but no idea what county Emily emigrated from. I needed to find her date and place of death so I could order her death certificate and hope the informant supplied more than country of birth.
So, how Irish am I? St. Patrick's Day is my favorite holiday. I love watching the St. Patrick's Day parade and hope to visit the Emerald Isle one day. I was so excited!!!
   I cannot believe this! Only 3%? ? ? ? My mother is 24% Irish and all I got was 3. I have 54% German which I guess isn't too bad. There are beautiful castles in Germany I would like to visit.

GERMANY!    not much Irish here....

My mother stealing all the Irish from me... :)

Saturday, May 4, 2019

- - Braught family Brick Wall - -

   BRAUGHT family

   Yes, I'm late again....

For week 14 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge the theme was "Brick Wall." I'm always writing about my maternal grandmother, Eleanor Davis. She was the first born child of Samuel George Davis and Josephine Agnes Duper. Samuel's parents were Daniel Davis and Flora Braught. I had already written about the Davis family but I had not written about the Braughts and put them on hold because I didn't have much information. I would consider the Braught family to be my brick wall.
   My 2nd great-grandmother, Flora Helen Braught was born March 4, 1863 in Ohio. Her parents were Samuel C Braught and Eleanor J Clark. The 1870 federal census has 7 year old Flora listed as 'deaf & dumb' and living with her 39 year old mother Eleanor, a widow who worked as a domestic servant. By 1880, 17 year old Flora was still living with her mother who had remarried since the last census but her husband is not with them. I don't know where Eleanor's husband was but she had Flora and her 23 year old son living with her. In 1870, Flora's older brother would have been 13 year old and I have no idea where he was living.
   I learned from the 1870 and 1880 censuses that Flora was born in Ohio. Her mother, Eleanor and Eleanor's parents were born in Vermont. Her father and older brother were born in New York. I did not find my 3rd great-grandparents, Samuel and Eleanor in the 1860 federal census. I found a Samuel Braught with wife Jane and some children in the 1850 census. Eleanor's middle name was Jane. I have found many censuses that have the person's middle name listed instead of the first. Are these my people? If so, at some point, Samuel and Eleanor moved to Ohio where their youngest child, Flora was born. I wonder if she was born in Fulton County because that is where she lived in 1870 and 1880. I wonder if the children on the 1850 census stayed behind in New York or accompanied their parents if their parents are indeed my 3rd great-grandparents, Samuel and Eleanor.
   In March of 1864, Samuel C Braught enlisted in the Army and three months later died in a field hospital in Tennessee. His death was not caused by battle wounds but instead he died of acute meningitis on 22 June 1864. He is buried in the Chattanooga National Cemetery. I have no idea when or where Eleanor died. I also do not know if the family in the 1850 census is mine and if so then I have no information about the children. I only have the dates of death for Flora, her brother, and their father.

Flora Samuel

BRAUGHT Brick Wall

R.I.P.

Copyright 2019 by Annmarie Novick, Skipping Down Memory Lane. All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

~ Newsworthy ~

#52Ancestors

It is week 13 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge and the theme is "In The News." Aside from obituaries for this ancestor or that one, I have a few family members who made the news. In June of 1945, my maternal grandmother's name and address as well as her age was mentioned in a short article in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper from Brooklyn, NY. She was in a trolley car that was struck by another when that other trolley rolled back down a hill. There were no serious injuries. My 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa (Devine) Duper and her youngest son Gerald made the newspaper post mortem in an article about a fire in their apartment that claimed their lives. Teresa's cousin, Anna Devine, was a schoolteacher in a one room schoolhouse in the rural upstate NY town of Rifton,. Anna's comings and goings was always reported in the local newspaper along with her school's activities such as spelling bees and plays. Anna was a local celebrity in that town. She was a good person and everyone loved her. She even had a school named in her honor.
This week's story is not about any of the fine folks I just mentioned but about one of New York City's finest, Steven Duper, my great-grandmother's younger brother.

Stephen John Duper, the third child born to Stephen Duper and Teresa Devine was born 20 May 1897 in Rosendale, NY which is upstate in Ulster County. Stephen married a Hungarian lady named Mary and they lived in Brooklyn, NY. In 1923, he joined the NYPD. On October 7, 1924 the Brooklyn Daily Eagle newspaper reported that Stephen missed four days of work due to cough medicine knocking him out. This reminded me of those vintage advertisements and the potent ingredients that these medicines contained. I guess if it didn't kill you then it would eventually cure you. According to the article, Stephen stated that he took two drinks of the cough mixture on September 7 and didn't return to his senses until the 12th. Patrolman Stephen Duper was absent for four days without notifying his superior officers. He had pleaded guilty and stated that he didn't know what happened to him. The trial commissioner asked Stephen if he was married. He said that he wanted Stephen's wife there on the next trial day and the case would remain open until she appears. Stephen liked his drink. I wouldn't be surprised if it was a little something more than couch medicine that kept him out of work.
On October 20, 1928, Patrolman Stephen Duper was dismissed from the New York City police department. He had been charged with neglect of duty and violation of the regulations. He was absent without leave for five consecutive days. I guess he had one too many violations and apparently was not one of New York City's finest.

What kind of Cough Mixture did Patrolman Stephen Duper take???

I found vintage medicines and ads...

Sunday, March 24, 2019

"12"

#52Ancestors

   The topic for week 12 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge is "12." What can I do with the number 12? What can I possible write about? Can I find an ancestor with '12' children, an event that occurred in December, the 12th month of the year, or maybe an interesting 12 year old? I looked over my tree, glanced at the pedigree chart to see who I can focus on for week 12 and I've got it.
   I wrote about the Davis family for week 11. This was my favorite grandmother's father's family. Week 12 will be about her mother's family. I've got a 12 year old, as well as two births, a marriage, and two deaths in the month of December.
   When I first looked for my grandmother in the 1930 federal census, I expected to find a 10 year old girl living with her parents and two younger brothers. Instead, I found my maternal grandmother, Eleanor Davis was a 12 year old living with her maternal grandmother, Teresa (Devine) Duper and two uncles, Steven and Gerald Duper. Eleanor's mother was Josephine Duper. Josie was born 11 December 1894 and married Samuel Davis 18 December 1916. Josie's granddaughter, Carol, Eleanor's youngest daughter, was born on Josie and Samuel's anniversary in 1949. Just a few years later, on New Year's Eve in 1955, Eleanor's grandmother, Teresa and Teresa's youngest son, Gerald, died tragically in a fire in their apartment, a month before they were planning to move.
   December, the 12th month of the year had us celebrating new life and love but also mourning the deaths of our loved ones. Rest in Peace to my beautiful grandmother, Eleanor and the rest of her family in Heaven.

Saturday, March 23, 2019

~ DAVIS Family ~

#52Ancestors

   The topic for week 11 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge was "Large Family." My favorite grandmother, Eleanor Davis was the first of five children born to Samuel Davis and Josephine Duper. Her father, Samuel was the oldest of only three born to Daniel Davis and Flora Braught. Her grandfather, Daniel, who was my 2nd great-grandfather, was one of 13 children born to William and Emily.
   My 3rd great-grandparents were both born upstate New York in Ulster County. William H Davis was born 1832 in Milton, NY and Emily Martin was born 1836 in Lloyd, NY. I don't know where they met but they were married in 1853 according to the 1900 federal census. Their first born child, a daughter named Cordelia, was born in 1854 and two more children followed before my 2nd great-grandfather, Daniel made his appearance on New Year's Day in 1860. The 1900 census shows that there were 13 children born but I have only 11 names. I'm guessing the missing two children were born and died between censuses. Unless a baby was born in 1861, after Daniel's birth in 1860, William and Emily welcomed twin boys in 1862. Ferris and George were born on the 20th of May in 1862. Sadly, George died on October 16th in 1880 at the age of 18 when he fell from an apple tree near Milton, NY. The news article stated that he fell a distance of 20 feet. Ferris married a lady named Sarah and together they had five children. Two of the children died as babies when they were just a few months old but the other three lived to adulthood. Ferris died at the age of 85 on December 12, 1947. After the birth of the twin boys, William and Emily were blessed with three girls from 1866 to 1874. Another boy followed in 1875 and finally a girl in 1879.
   William and Emily lived in Marlborough, NY in Ulster County their whole married life. The 1900 federal census has their residence listed as Marlborough but I wonder if they moved in with one of their children after 1900 because their place of death is across the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, NY which is in Dutchess County. William died 6 August 1902 and Emily died five years later on the 28th of July in 1907. They are both buried in the Milton-Marlboro United Methodist Church Cemetery.

William Davis    Emily Martin

REST IN PEACE

Friday, March 15, 2019

~ Uncle Gerald ~

#52Ancestors

   For week 10 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge, the topic is "Bachelor Uncle." It was not difficult choosing an uncle to write about because most of the uncles in my tree were married.
   Gerald P. Duper, my maternal grandmother's uncle was born 22 September 1910, the youngest of six children born to Stephen Duper and Teresa Devine. In 1930, the federal census shows that Gerald was a 19 year old knitter in a sweater factory in Brooklyn, NY. He was living with his mother, older brother Steven who was separated from his wife, and his niece, Eleanor who would become my grandmother. Ten years later, a 29 year old Gerald was working as a shipping clerk for a confectionery according to the 1940 federal census. My bachelor uncle (2nd great-uncle) was still living with his mother. His niece, Eleanor was still there as well.
   I asked my mother if she remembered much about Uncle Gerald and what could she tell me. She told me that she doesn't remember much since she was only 7 or 8 years old when he died. Although my mother spent a lot of time visiting with her great-grandmother and saw Uncle Gerald while she was there, he usually kept to himself so she never really got to know him. Teresa rented a bungalow every summer in Rifton, NY which is upstate in Ulster County where her schoolteacher cousin taught in a one room schoolhouse. My grandmother, Eleanor and her two daughters spent the whole summer there. The men in the family had to work so my grandfather visited on weekends and sometimes Uncle Gerald would visit. My mother remembers Uncle Gerald's visits but once again didn't really talk to him so she couldn't tell me anything about what type of person he was - personality, character traits, etc... I know absolutely nothing about this man other than two jobs that he's had and that he smiles for the camera. If I had to guess his personality based on the photos I've seen then I would say he was a friendly fellow who liked to laugh and socialize but I have no idea.
   My bachelor uncle died tragically in a fire along with his mother on New Year's Eve in 1955. He was only 45 years old.

   Gerald P. Duper
   1910-1955
   Rest In Peace

Thursday, March 14, 2019

At the Courthouse

#52Ancestors

   I'm a bit late again. For week 9 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge, the topic was "At the Courthouse." I can't think of anything to write about. I don't know of any ancestors who were married at a courthouse. I know of a few divorces and adoptions but I don't have details so I can't write about them. After speaking to my mother about this topic she informed me that my maternal grandmother worked in a courthouse.
   My favorite grandmother who I called MaMa was an interpreter for the deaf. I had already written about my great-grandmother, Josie who lost her hearing at a young age due to Scarlett Fever. MaMa communicated with her mother using sign language so when she found this job it was the perfect opportunity to be the voice for those who can't speak.

Sunday, March 3, 2019

Family Photo?

#52Ancestors

   For week 8 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge the topic is "Family Photo." I looked through the photo album of old black/white photos that had belonged to my grandmother and great-grandmother looking for a family photo that I could possibly use to tell a story.
The photo I chose is one of a man who I was always fascinated with when I was a child looking at old photos with my grandmother. She told me that he was an Indian (Native American) and her grandfather. I know now that he wasn't her grandfather or great-grandfather but I don't think she ever told me how many greats. I was told that this photo is a copy from a tintype photo. My grandmother died a week after my 14th birthday and long before I became interested in genealogy. There is nobody alive to ask any questions about ancestors from way back when so I'm on my own.
   This mystery man is not a grandfather on my grandmother's maternal side. My grandmother's mother, Josie was born in upstate NY. Josie's mother, Teresa was also born in upstate NY but her parents were from Ireland. Josie's father, Steven was from Austria. My grandmother's maiden name was Davis. I have traced the Davis men back to Charles Davis, my 4th great-grandfather who was born in NY in 1800. I don't have a photo of Charles who died in 1850 but I don't think this mystery man is him. I have photos of his son, grandson, great-grandson, etc … down to my great-grandfather, Samuel (Josie's husband). If this man is truly an ancestor, a grandfather, great-grandfather, etc... then he might be the father or grandfather to one of the Davis wives if not then I have no idea who he was.
   Mystery Man will probably remain a mystery.

I made a copy of the photo but it looks a bit dark so someone in one of my genealogy groups on Facebook was kind enough to lighten it for me. I do not think this man is Native American.

.

Copyright 2019 by Annmarie Novick, Skipping Down Memory Lane. All Rights Reserved.

Saturday, February 23, 2019

LOVE

#52Ancestors

I'm a little late with this story due to my son and I not feeling well.

   For week 7 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge the theme was "Love", a perfect prompt for Valentine's Day which was actually last week.
   I have no story about strolling down Lovers' Lane hand in hand or taking a romantic boat ride through the Tunnel of Love. I'm writing about a love of education, a love of children, and a dedicated schoolteacher who was loved by all.

   Anna Devine was my 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa Devine's first cousin. On 11 March 1888, during the Great Blizzard of '88, Anna was born in Rifton, NY. She was the only child of John Devine and Mary Jane Corby. According to her obituary, she attended St Peter's School in Rosendale, NY and graduated from the New Paltz Teachers' College in 1911.
   Anna never walked down the aisle to matrimony. Her love was her students and the community. She taught in a one room schoolhouse in Rifton called the Rock School for about 43 years. When a larger school was built next to the Rock School and named in her honor, Anna taught there for another 5 years then continued as a substitute teacher after her retirement.
   Besides teaching, Anna started a 4-H Club, a drum corp, and directed plays and operettas that were performed at the Rock School or sometimes at the Village Hall. In 1953, her students wrote and published a book about local history called Rifton, Our Past and Present. I guess she gave a copy of this book to her cousin, Teresa who passed it down to her granddaughter, Eleanor. I now own that book along with photos that had belonged to my grandmother, Eleanor. This book is amazing just like the teacher who assigned this project to her students.
   Anna Devine, a local legend in Rifton and loved by the community, died at the age of 84 on    15 May 1972. She is buried near her mother in St Peter's Cemetery, Rosendale, NY.

REST IN PEACE

Monday, February 11, 2019

~ Surprise ~

#52Ancestors

   It is week 6 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge and this week's prompt is "Surprise."
   When I first started genealogy, I did not have a computer and there was no internet so I wrote everything on paper and drew a pedigree chart. Years later, I finally had a computer and although I didn't have a subscription to Ancestry.com I did create a username/password and started a tree. Without a subscription I did not get hints nor could I view many records. Sometimes there would be weekend specials where records would be free to view such as military records for the military holidays or Irish records for St Patrick's Day. I didn't have a printer at the time and couldn't attach the record to the tree as a non-subscriber so I wrote down what I found. One of the records that was available for free was the 1930 federal census. I typed in my grandmother's name and found only one Eleanor Davis close in age but was listed as 'granddaughter'. I clicked on the record and although this Eleanor Davis was listed as 12 years old and not the 10 year old I was looking for I knew she was my grandmother because of the other names listed with her. In 1930, my grandmother, "MaMa', was living with her maternal grandmother, Teresa and her two uncles. I thought if she was living with her grandmother instead of her mother then it might have been because her younger sister had died three years earlier so maybe her mother had a breakdown... I have no idea. I also thought if MaMa was listed as a 12 year old in the 1930 census then the census taker's math was wrong or her grandmother simply forgot her age. I spoke to my mother about this and she remembers her great-grandmother, Teresa as being sharp and certainly not forgetful.
   Fast forward a few years from the day I saw that 1930 census to a day when I was doing laundry and watching the St Patrick's Day parade. I had decided that I wanted to learn more about my Irish ancestors. I also wanted to start a blog. I finally paid for a subscription to Ancestry.com and couldn't wait to dive in and start searching.
   I found my great-grandparents, Samuel and Josephine Davis in the 1920 federal census. They were living in Manhattan, NY with their 3 year old daughter, Eleanor and infant son, Daniel.
   What??? How is my grandmother listed as a 2 year old in 1920? That is her year of birth. I tried ordering her birth certificate from New York City but received a reply stating no record found. I received the same reply from Albay. At the time that I ordered these certificates I didn't know if MaMa was born in NYC or upstate in Poughkeepsie where her paternal grandparents lived. I ordered a copy of the application for a social security card and found her year of birth.
   My maternal grandmother, Eleanor Francis Davis was born 2 June 1917. Why she changed her year of birth we will never know but it certainly was a surprise when I found out.

Eleanor Francis Davis

Sunday, February 10, 2019

At the Library

#52Ancestors

   I'm a week behind schedule due to my son not feeling well. This is for week 5 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge and this week's prompt is "At the Library."
   When I first started this hobby of genealogy there was no internet or if I remember correctly then it might have still been very new but I didn't have a computer anyway. I made plenty of visits to the local public library and checked out all the genealogy books they had. I checked out two books at a time on these visits, read them thoroughly, took notes, then went back for more. The library offers a wealth of information and resources including classes for those researching their ancestors.
   Once I finally dived into cyberspace and stalked my ancestors online, I was able to make great progress. When I found out from census records that my great-grandmother, Josie attended a school for the deaf I wanted to learn more about that school. When I looked up the name of the school online I found an article about a murder that took place in 1896 before Josie was a student. This was a New York Times article and because I didn't subscribe I was unable to view. That's okay because I had the Library of Congress at my fingertips.
   I found the website for the Library of Congress and searched old newspapers. I followed the murder investigation through detailed articles I read and I'm thankful these newspapers are available for viewing.
   I've been helping a friend with her genealogy and need to visit the local library in this town that I've moved to. The library here is amazing and I love their research room.
   I've told my son how important libraries are. I told him that you can't always go on the internet and 'Google' everything. Sometimes you need to step outside for a breath of fresh air and visit a library in person.

Library of Congress

Sunday, January 27, 2019

Tea with Emily

#Ancestors

   Tea with Emily

   It is week 4 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge and this week's prompt is "I'd Like to Meet." As soon as I saw that prompt the first name that came to mind was Emily. Although there are many fine folks and a few scoundrels in my tree, I am fascinated with my 3rd great-grandmother. In the second week of this challenge I wrote about my maternal great-grandmother, Josie. This week I am writing about her maternal grandmother, Emily.
   My search for Emily started with an old leather clutch that my mother gave me. She told me that it had belonged to Josie and didn't know what it contained but thought I might want it since I save everything. I opened the clutch with excitement! I remember that day like it was yesterday. I found a stack of papers consisting of old letters, a report card from my great-uncle, and death certificates. One death certificate in particular which interested me the most was that of Josie's mother, my 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa. This is the lady that died in the fire with her son. I was curious to see who Teresa's parents were and where they were born. I knew we had Irish ancestors and now I've found them. Emily's parents were Patrick Devine and Emily O'Leary. My mother had told me that my grandmother's cousin was working on the family tree and that I should call her. I did not want to call a stranger so I sent her a letter. My grandmother had died many years before so I had to reach out to her first cousin for answers. I had sent the letter to Janet but it was actually her older sister Geraldine who was doing genealogy. Geraldine replied to my letter with chock full of information about the family and also enclosed a copy of Teresa's baptismal certificate. I was beyond excited to have this certificate until I saw that her mother's last name was not listed. I wrote to the church to request a copy of Teresa's baptismal certificate and the one they sent had a last name of 'Sheldon' but that was the name of the sponsor on the first certificate. I now had three documents with two different surnames and one of those was the sponsor. I called the church to explain and spoke to a nice man who mailed me a photocopy of the page from the book of baptismal records. Emily's last name was Sheldon!
   Emily J. Sheldon was born about 1846 in Ireland. She immigrated to the United States in 1851. I don't know when she married my 3rd great-grandfather, Patrick but the 1865 New York State Census has 20 year old Emily listed as a wife and that this was her first marriage. This was Patrick's second marriage and I later found out that the three children listed, ages 8, 6, 3 1/2 are from his first wife. Emily had given birth to three children by the time the 1870 Federal Census was taken. Another child was born in 1873 and she appears in the 1875 NY State Census but my 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa is not listed because she was born later in the year. I cannot find Patrick, Emily, or any of their children in 1880. I have searched far and wide and have no idea where they might have been hiding. Emily's youngest child, a boy named William was born in 1882.
   It is now 1900... a new decade, a new century, and a new woman. Emily is listed as divorced on the 1900 Federal Census and living with her youngest son, William in the town of Esopus which is in Ulster County, NY. It was stated that she had 9 children and 7 still living. I counted 10 but one of those children was at the bottom of the 1870 census instead of the top near the other close in age so maybe he was Patrick's nephew? Of those 9 children, the oldest three were from Patrick's first wife but Emily raised them so they were hers. I do not know which two children were deceased by 1900 because I do not have a date of death for all the children.
   in 1903, Emily's youngest child, William died of a head injury in New York City. At some point, Emily moved in with her daughter, Emma and family. The 1905 NY Census shows them living in Rifton, NY which is also in Ulster County. I found Emily's daughter, Emma, son-in-law, Simon and grandchildren in the 1910 Federal Census. They were still living in Rifton but Emily is not with them. Emma, Simon, and the children moved to Toronto, Ontario in Canada. I don't know if Emily moved with them or followed but she was living with them at the time of her death in March 1928. Emily's final resting place is Mt Hope Cemetery in Toronto. She also has a burial plot in St Peter's Cemetery in Rosendale, NY which is near Rifton. William I buried in St Peter's Cemetery and although his parents' names are inscribed on the tombstone, they are not there.
   If I could meet any of my ancestors, I would love to meet Emily. I would love to sit and have tea with my 3rd great-grandmother. I would even make scones for the special occasion. I would ask Emily if it was the potato famine that had her emigrating from her homeland of Ireland. I would sk about her parents and siblings. Where did she meet Patrick and why did they break up? Why did she move to Canada, could she not have stayed in NY with one of her other children? So many questions but not enough answers. I still have not ordered her death certificate. I need to get that ordered so I can hopefully find out the names of her parents if the informant actually knew. I'm hoping it was Emily's daughter, Emma who provided the information. Rest in Peace.

Emily J Sheldon 1846 Ireland - 1928 Canada
3rd great-grandmother

Monday, January 21, 2019

Ferris

#52Ancestors

I'm a few days late but this is my post for week 3 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks writing challenge and this week's prompt is 'Unusual Name'. My direct ancestors all had traditional names such as Samuel, Daniel, Robert, and of course Mary. I've been helping a friend with her genealogy and came across a ton of unusual names but since those are not my people I'll have to find someone in my family. I checked Ancestry.com and looked over the names. I didn't want any in-laws or distant cousins. The only person I found with a name that I find unusual is the younger brother of my 3rd great-grandfather, William Davis.
   Ferris G Davis, my 4th great-uncle was born 5 July 1842 in Marlborough, NY to Charles Davis and Susan Lounsbury both of NY. He was 10 years younger than my 3rd great-grandfather William and one of 8 children that I found but I might be missing one or more if a child was born and died between censuses. I'm sure I'm missing children because I have Charles and Susan's first child, Isaac born in 1824 and the next child born eight years later was William. After William I found the children to be born, one or two years apart with a few three years apart.
   Ferris was 20 years old when he volunteered to serve in the Civil War with his two brothers, David and Daniel. In Marlborough, NY the young men enlisted 6 August 1862 in Company A, New York 120th Infantry Regiment. He served a year and a half in the Battle of Fredericksburg, was wounded at Chancellorsville and discharged 4 September 1864 due to injuries.
   In September of 1866, Ferris married a young lady named Mary in downtown Manhattan, New York City. Their first child, a boy they named John was born in November 1868. They were still living in lower Manhattan by the time the 1870 federal census was taken. Their second child, daughter Margaret was born in 1872 and I'm guessing this joyous event occurred upstate because a year earlier, the Gazeteer and Business Directory for Ulster County has Ferris listed as a fruit farmer in Marlborough, NY. In the 1875 New York State Census, Ferris, his wife Mary, and their two children are found living next-door to Ferris's mother, Susan and step-father, John (his father, Charles died in 1850).
   In March of 1876, Susan died. I'm guessing that Ferris and family headed west soon after that because I found them in the 1880 federal census living in Minnesota. By 1900, Ferris and his wife are living in Benton, Missouri where they would live out the rest of their days. Mary died in 1919 and Ferris moved in with his son and family. The 1920 census shows Ferris, a widower, living with his son, John, daughter-in-law and grandson. Sadly, Ferris died at the age of 80 on 12 March 1923.

Ferris G Davis 1842 - 1923
4th great-uncle
Veteran of Union Army, Civil War

Friday, January 18, 2019

~ Silent World ~

#52Ancestors

   This post is a week late. I was exhausted last week and busy with my son's school and scout activities.
   It is week 2 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge and this week's topic (writing prompt) is 'Challenge'. I wrote about my great-grandfather, Samuel last week and this week I am writing about his wife. I have read other stories by people participating in this writing challenge and saw that some had written about a 'challenge' they had in their research. I chose to write about the 'challenges' that my great-grandmother dealt with in life.
   Josephine Agnes Duper was born 11 December 1894 in Rosendale, NY to Stephen Duper who had emigrated from Austria and Teresa Devine from Stuyvesant Falls, NY. She was a healthy baby girl at birth and at some point in the first few years of her life had contracted Scarlet Fever causing her to lose her hearing. I can't imagine how she felt going from hearing the sound of her mother's voice, the birds chirping, the everyday noises of life around her to dead silence. Josie had to learn to communicate with her family and survive as a deaf child in a hearing world. The challenge had begun...
   The family moved to Manhattan, NY and by 1900, Josie was a 5 year old enrolled as a student at the Institution for the Improved Instruction of Deaf Mutes. She was still there in 1910 according to the federal census.
   On December 18th of 1916, Josie married Samuel Davis, a man who can hear but had parents who were deaf (like Josie, they lost their hearing due to Scarlet Fever). Their first born child, my grandmother Eleanor, was born in June of 1917. There were four more children that followed, 3 boys and a girl, each born about two years apart.
   In January of 1927, Josie's youngest daughter, Dorothy died at the age of 3, a day before Josie's baby boy's 1st birthday. She had been sick but also suffered from 3rd degree burns when her dress caught fir from the kerosene heater. I don't know how long it took Josie to realize that her daughter was on fire because she wouldn't have heard the little girl's cry.
   The family split up. The 1930 federal census shows my grandmother, Eleanor living with her maternal grandmother, Teresa in Brooklyn, NY and I'm guessing that the boys were living with their father upstate NY. I did not find Josie in 1930 or 1940 but I think she was living in Brooklyn.
   Tragedy struck again on New Year's Eve, 1955 when a fire caused by a kerosene heater broke out in the apartment where Josie's mother and two brothers were living. Her brother Stephen was on his way out with their mother until Teresa realized that her youngest son, Gerald was not with them. She ran back inside and perished along with Gerald who was in one of the back rooms. Stephen barely made it out.
   Josie's husband, Samuel died in 1947 and Josie found love with a nice man named Benson who was deaf like herself. The couple were part of a deaf club that met for parties and card games and socializing with others like themselves.
   My mother had fond memories of Benson. When I told her I was writing a story about the challenges and hardships that Josie faced, I mentioned a church in Manhattan where Josie's sister-in-law had her funeral Mass. I told my mother that this was a deaf church called St Ann's Church for the Deaf Mutes. She told me that she had been there a few times with Josie and Benson. My grandmother had taught my mother sign language so she was able to follow along and understand the Mass. Benson died in 1960. Josie spent a lot of time with her daughter, Eleanor then eventually moved in. I remember Josie from my days of visiting my grandmother.
   Josie, my maternal great-grandmother, had a hard challenging life but finally found eternal peace when she went to Heaven 17 July 1977

Josie as a young mother with one of her sons and her mother, Teresa. It looks like she's pregnant with her second son. about 1921

JOSIE and Benson 1950's

Josephine Agnes Duper 1894 - 1977
great-grandmother

Saturday, January 5, 2019

Samuel George Davis

   I've neglected this blog for so long that I almost forgot I had a blog. What better way to get back into writing and revive my dead bog than to participate in Amy Crow Johnson's 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. I found out about this challenge in one of my genealogy groups on Facebook. Each week there will be a different theme, a word or phrase to prompt us to write and it can be about anything. Week 1 is "First". I had already decided that this week's post would be about my great-grandfather, Samuel George Davis because today was his birthday and also my son's birthday. Although I had chosen to write about my great-grandfather, I couldn't think of a "first" for him until I sat and thought about his life.
   Samuel George Davis was born 5 January 1885 in Spring Hill, Ohio to Daniel J Davis who was originally from Ulster County, New York and Flora H Braught from Ohio. Daniel and Flora were both deaf-mutes who lost their hearing at a young age due to Scarlet Fever. Samuel was healthy and his hearing was fine. I don't know if growing up with deaf parents and a father who drank contributed to his behavioral problems but this boy ended up in a reform school. Imagine my surprise when I saw this tidbit of information on the 1900 federal census. The census showed him with his parents and in the column for occupation it states 'at Lancaster Reform School' but for his younger sister it just states 'at school'. I looked up Lancaster Reform School on the internet and found that at the time of my great-grandfather's incarceration or should I say 'detention' since he wasn't an actual 'prisoner', this institution was called Boys Industrial School and was located in Fairfield County. I called the Ohio Historical Society to inquire about obtaining a copy of Samuel's record. The lady I spoke to was helpful and friendly. I mailed my payment along with the name, date of birth and record #, and received a copy of the 'inmate record' with a brief history of the institution about a week later.
   Samuel Davis was admitted to the Boys Industrial School 17 January 1899, just 12 days after his 14th birthday. The case record has his personal information such as name, date and place of birth, parents names and current residence. His nationality is listed as German-Irish. There is a column for health and special marks which has a physical description. There are columns for education and employment. The miscellaneous column asks about profanity, tobacco and alcohol use which there is none but he is listed as truant. For the commitment column it is shown that he was committed by the probate court in Henry County. He is a first time convict and his offense is being Incorrigible and a Truant. Let's go back to the miscellaneous column... at the bottom it is written that he is "pleasant" with a "bright face". So, my great-grandfather, Samuel George Davis was a pleasant, incorrigible truant. He was lucky though because before this school was established, young offenders were housed with adult felons. The new school had boys living in cottages, being treated as students rather than prisoners, and worked the farm along with academic classes. There was a demerit system at this school. Samuel was released 9 August 1900.
   By 1910, Samuel was living with his parents and younger sister in Brooklyn, NY according to the federal census. I don't know when he moved from Ohio to New York but found his parents in the 1905 New York state census living at a different address in Brooklyn.
   In December of 1916, Samuel married Josephine Duper and the following June, their first born daughter, my grandmother, Eleanor was born. They had four more children, each born about two years apart.
   At some point the marriage fell apart. I don't know if it had been crumbling for years but by 1930, I found my grandmother, Eleanor living with her maternal grandmother according to the federal census. I did not find Samuel or Josephine in 1930, nor did I find their sons. There was another daughter who was born in 1923 and tragically died in 1927, a day before their youngest son's first birthday. I don't know where Josephine was in 1930 but I think the boys stayed with their father who didn't bother answering the census. I wonder if Josephine had a breakdown due to her daughter's death and was in a hospital at the time the census was taken? I met my grandmother's cousin years ago (long after my grandmother had died) and she told me that the boys stayed with their father upstate and their mother lived in Brooklyn and would sometimes visit on the weekends. She said that her mother (Samuel's sister) used to help care for the boys. She loved her Uncle Sammy. She described him as a man who liked to drink a lot and when he was drunk he would buy the neighborhood kids ice cream. I guess he was a jolly drunk. I don't know if he consoled himself with alcohol after the death of three year old Dorothy or if he had been drinking for years. His reform school record described his father as intemperate. I wonder if he was prone to drinking because of his father? He died of stomach cancer in July of 1947.

Samuel George Davis 1885-1947 great-grandfather

#52ancestors 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks