I had been searching and searching for my 3rd great-grandmother, Emily who I refer to as my Irish brick wall. I thought I found her in the 1900 federal census living with her youngest son, William. Was that my Emily? I don't know, I might be chasing the wrong Emily. The 1900 census also states 9 children born, 7 now living. I knew of five children including my 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa and that's only because these names were given to me by my grandmother's cousin.
I found an Emily and Patrick Devine in the 1875 New York State Census. I'm 97% sure that these are my Devines... Four of the children listed are names I already had. My 2nd great-grandmother, Teresa was born later in the year, in November of 1875 and guess what? Teresa was born in Stuyvesant Falls, NY according to her baptismal record and the Devine family listed in this census were living in Stuyvesant. This must be them...
Three of Emily's sons are found in the 1900 federal census living in Arizona as goldminers. I'm pretty sure that these men are my 2nd great-grandmother's brothers because their ages match up with the ages on the 1875 NY census, they have their places of birth as New York and their parents were from Ireland. The head of household was Martin and he owned the home with no mortgage. That doesn't tell me much, the home could've been a tent or a shack.
Gold! My ancestors were goldminers. Well that's a refreshing change from the occupation of farmer which I'd seen on most censuses other than those in Brooklyn,NY or Manhattan in New York City. I have no further information on the goldmining Devine brothers. I don't know who their descendants were or where they died. Just like the town they lived in which is now a ghost town, they must've faded into the dust.
all that glitters...
Friday, August 2, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Collecting Cousins
I had taken a short break from blogging to assist my best friend with her genealogy. I think Lillian finally got tired of me asking her if she wanted me to trace her roots. She told me that she didn't know much about her family. She didn't think I'd get far. We were both pleasantly surprised.
Lillian provided her parents names and her maternal grandparents names and I went from there. I found census records for her grandparents and draft records from both WWI and WWII for her grandfather. Lillian's mother is still living and since the family had lost touch over the years I wondered which if any of her aunts and uncles were still alive so I started my search. There are/were three aunts that I knew of and three uncles. Her grandparents had seven children that I know of though I wouldn't be surprised if there was another one or two. Lillian's grandparents were married around 1916 and had a daughter born in 1923. I find it hard to believe that they were married for seven years before having their first child. I stumbled upon an obituary for Lillian's uncle John. I love obituaries that are filled with helpful information such as the one I found for Uncle John. I now know the names of John's wife and sons as well as the married name for his older sister, Eileen. I tried to find John's sons but didn't have much luck. I think I found one but he might be dead. I decided to search for the rest of Lillian's aunts and uncles. Her uncle John is dead. Who else passed on? I put two of her aunts on hold because I don't have a last name if they got married. I decided to focus on Aunt Eileen and happy to report that I found a few of her children.
I contacted one of Eileen's sons by telephone then sent him an email which he forwarded to one of his older sisters. They had both since then been in touch with Lillian. Aunt Eileen is still alive and has six children. Add those children to John's and that's eight cousins so far. Lillian still has five more aunts and uncles to be found.
How many cousins will we collect?
Lillian provided her parents names and her maternal grandparents names and I went from there. I found census records for her grandparents and draft records from both WWI and WWII for her grandfather. Lillian's mother is still living and since the family had lost touch over the years I wondered which if any of her aunts and uncles were still alive so I started my search. There are/were three aunts that I knew of and three uncles. Her grandparents had seven children that I know of though I wouldn't be surprised if there was another one or two. Lillian's grandparents were married around 1916 and had a daughter born in 1923. I find it hard to believe that they were married for seven years before having their first child. I stumbled upon an obituary for Lillian's uncle John. I love obituaries that are filled with helpful information such as the one I found for Uncle John. I now know the names of John's wife and sons as well as the married name for his older sister, Eileen. I tried to find John's sons but didn't have much luck. I think I found one but he might be dead. I decided to search for the rest of Lillian's aunts and uncles. Her uncle John is dead. Who else passed on? I put two of her aunts on hold because I don't have a last name if they got married. I decided to focus on Aunt Eileen and happy to report that I found a few of her children.
I contacted one of Eileen's sons by telephone then sent him an email which he forwarded to one of his older sisters. They had both since then been in touch with Lillian. Aunt Eileen is still alive and has six children. Add those children to John's and that's eight cousins so far. Lillian still has five more aunts and uncles to be found.
How many cousins will we collect?
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Battle of Gettysburg - day 2
It was the war between the states, the north vs the south in the American Civil War. During this bloody war, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1 - July 3, 1863.
It is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. On this day, July 2nd in 1863, my 3rd great-grand uncle, Daniel Davis was wounded. Daniel had enlisted with Company A of the 120th Infantry Regiment on New York.
It is the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. On this day, July 2nd in 1863, my 3rd great-grand uncle, Daniel Davis was wounded. Daniel had enlisted with Company A of the 120th Infantry Regiment on New York.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Daniel's Last Days
Daniel Davis was born on the 15th of April in 1838 in Marlborough, NY to Charles Davis and Susan Lounsbury. He and his brothers David and Ferris joined Company A of the NY 120th Regiment to fight for the Union side in the Civil War.
Daniel enlisted on the 6th of August in 1862 and mustered out on the 22nd of August. He bravely fought at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg where he was wounded on the 2nd of July 1863. A few months later, on October 12th, Daniel was taken prisoner at James City in Virginia.
Belle Isle, VA with its pretty name was an island in the James River that served as a prison with harsh conditions. This was where Daniel spent the last days of his life - wasting away from disease and malnutrition until he finally died.
I don't know exactly when he died or where he is buried but I had one of those green leaves (hint) on ancestry.com which showed that Daniel is listed on the Find A Grave website. The person who posted the information to the website had the correct information for Daniel as far as date of enlistment, mustering, etc and there was even a date of death. I wondered how this person had the date of death and name of cemetery but no plot #. According to the Find A Grave website, Daniel died on March 1,1865 and is buried in Richmond National Cemetery. The cemetery's website does not have Daniel listed and it states that they received bodies from the Belle Isle Cemetery. Those were the first interred at the national cemetery. Where did the person who posted Daniel's memorial get his information from? Did he get this from a list and if so and he doesn't have a plot # then how does he know that Daniel is actually buried there? The date of death listed 1 March 1865 can't be correct because Daniel's widow, Olivia applied for pension in May of 1864.
When did Daniel Davis die and where is he buried?
Daniel enlisted on the 6th of August in 1862 and mustered out on the 22nd of August. He bravely fought at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg where he was wounded on the 2nd of July 1863. A few months later, on October 12th, Daniel was taken prisoner at James City in Virginia.
Belle Isle, VA with its pretty name was an island in the James River that served as a prison with harsh conditions. This was where Daniel spent the last days of his life - wasting away from disease and malnutrition until he finally died.
I don't know exactly when he died or where he is buried but I had one of those green leaves (hint) on ancestry.com which showed that Daniel is listed on the Find A Grave website. The person who posted the information to the website had the correct information for Daniel as far as date of enlistment, mustering, etc and there was even a date of death. I wondered how this person had the date of death and name of cemetery but no plot #. According to the Find A Grave website, Daniel died on March 1,1865 and is buried in Richmond National Cemetery. The cemetery's website does not have Daniel listed and it states that they received bodies from the Belle Isle Cemetery. Those were the first interred at the national cemetery. Where did the person who posted Daniel's memorial get his information from? Did he get this from a list and if so and he doesn't have a plot # then how does he know that Daniel is actually buried there? The date of death listed 1 March 1865 can't be correct because Daniel's widow, Olivia applied for pension in May of 1864.
When did Daniel Davis die and where is he buried?
Monday, May 27, 2013
P.O.W.
Today is Memorial Day. Rest In Peace Daniel.
Daniel Davis was my 3rd great-grandfather, William's younger brother. He was a Prisoner Of War at Libby Prison. I have a record that shows he was at Belle Isle but I also found something showing Libby Prison. Maybe he was at Libby Prison then transferred to Belle Isle?
Daniel Davis
1838 - 1863
Daniel Davis was my 3rd great-grandfather, William's younger brother. He was a Prisoner Of War at Libby Prison. I have a record that shows he was at Belle Isle but I also found something showing Libby Prison. Maybe he was at Libby Prison then transferred to Belle Isle?
Daniel Davis
1838 - 1863
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
I Found the Child!
When I discovered that my great-great-grandmother, Teresa (Devine) Duper had six children but one died, I was determined to find the missing child.
The 1910 census states five children born, four living (Gerald was born in 1910, after census was taken). I only knew of four children as of the 1910 census: Josephine, my great-grandmother, Steven, Theresa, and Albert. Who was the missing child? When did he or she die? When was the child born? I still have not found the Duper family in the 1900 census but then again my 2nd great-grandfather was Austrian and had a thick accent. The other censuses I found had the names badly misspelled. The 1905 NY state census has three children- Josie, Steve and Tessie. I know those names so I must did deeper.
I had ordered Theresa's birth certificate from the Municipal Archives in New York City. Tessie was born in August of 1902 in Manhattan and her birth certificate states three children born previously and four now total. My great-grandmother Josephine was born in December of 1894 and her brother Steven was born in May of 1897. Was the missing child born before Josie? Was he or she born between Josie's birth and Steve's or between Steve's and Tessie's? I needed to order more birth certificates. Josie and Steve were both born in Rosendale, NY. I ordered Josie's birth certificate because she was my great-grandmother so I thought I'd start with a direct line ancestor. The town clerk in Rosendale processed my request quickly and I had the certificate approximately a week after I mailed them my check. I could barely contain my excitement as I carefully opened the envelope. I found that there were no children born before Josie. I then ordered Steven's birth certificate. Steven was born in 1897. If the missing child was not born before Steve then I would have to search for the years 1898-1901 in Rosendale and if not there then I'd have to check Manhattan because his younger sister Theresa was born in Manhattan in 1902. I hoped Steve's birth certificate was helpful. That certificate arrived just as quickly as his sister's. I opened the envelope and was happy to see that there were two children born previously. That's great! Josie and Steven were both born in Rosendale, one in 1894 and the other in 1897 so I will assume that the missing child was also born in Rosendale. I called the town hall and asked if it was possible to search for a birth certificate without the first name or date of birth. I was told that they could so once again I mailed a check for $22. along with my request for a birth certificate for Baby Duper born in 1895 or 1896 unless he or she was a twin to Josephine born in 1894. I also listed the parents names with their places of birth. I waited patiently for my request to be fulfilled. I expected this request to take a bit longer because i couldn't provide a name and an exact date of birth.
*************************************************************
The child has a name! Let us rejoice! The child has been found!
William Vincent Duper was the second child born to Teresa Devine and Stephen Duper. William was born on the 13th of January in 1896. He was probably baptized at St. Peter's Church in Rosendale as his siblings Josephine and Steven were. I will find out soon enough. William does not appear in the 1905 NY state census but was alive in 1902. Now that I have a name and birth date for the missing child it will be easier to order the death certificate. William would have been 7 or 8 years old at the time of his death. What caused the child to die so young?
William Vincent Duper - - found at last!
The 1910 census states five children born, four living (Gerald was born in 1910, after census was taken). I only knew of four children as of the 1910 census: Josephine, my great-grandmother, Steven, Theresa, and Albert. Who was the missing child? When did he or she die? When was the child born? I still have not found the Duper family in the 1900 census but then again my 2nd great-grandfather was Austrian and had a thick accent. The other censuses I found had the names badly misspelled. The 1905 NY state census has three children- Josie, Steve and Tessie. I know those names so I must did deeper.
I had ordered Theresa's birth certificate from the Municipal Archives in New York City. Tessie was born in August of 1902 in Manhattan and her birth certificate states three children born previously and four now total. My great-grandmother Josephine was born in December of 1894 and her brother Steven was born in May of 1897. Was the missing child born before Josie? Was he or she born between Josie's birth and Steve's or between Steve's and Tessie's? I needed to order more birth certificates. Josie and Steve were both born in Rosendale, NY. I ordered Josie's birth certificate because she was my great-grandmother so I thought I'd start with a direct line ancestor. The town clerk in Rosendale processed my request quickly and I had the certificate approximately a week after I mailed them my check. I could barely contain my excitement as I carefully opened the envelope. I found that there were no children born before Josie. I then ordered Steven's birth certificate. Steven was born in 1897. If the missing child was not born before Steve then I would have to search for the years 1898-1901 in Rosendale and if not there then I'd have to check Manhattan because his younger sister Theresa was born in Manhattan in 1902. I hoped Steve's birth certificate was helpful. That certificate arrived just as quickly as his sister's. I opened the envelope and was happy to see that there were two children born previously. That's great! Josie and Steven were both born in Rosendale, one in 1894 and the other in 1897 so I will assume that the missing child was also born in Rosendale. I called the town hall and asked if it was possible to search for a birth certificate without the first name or date of birth. I was told that they could so once again I mailed a check for $22. along with my request for a birth certificate for Baby Duper born in 1895 or 1896 unless he or she was a twin to Josephine born in 1894. I also listed the parents names with their places of birth. I waited patiently for my request to be fulfilled. I expected this request to take a bit longer because i couldn't provide a name and an exact date of birth.
*************************************************************
The child has a name! Let us rejoice! The child has been found!
William Vincent Duper was the second child born to Teresa Devine and Stephen Duper. William was born on the 13th of January in 1896. He was probably baptized at St. Peter's Church in Rosendale as his siblings Josephine and Steven were. I will find out soon enough. William does not appear in the 1905 NY state census but was alive in 1902. Now that I have a name and birth date for the missing child it will be easier to order the death certificate. William would have been 7 or 8 years old at the time of his death. What caused the child to die so young?
William Vincent Duper - - found at last!
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Goodbye Aunt Tessie
I had written about my maternal great-grand aunt, Theresa (Duper) Engstrom who was born in NY then moved down to Florida with her family.
I finally ordered a copy of her death certificate. I already knew when and where she died but I was curious about the informant. I wondered if it might be her daughter, Violet and if so then I would get Violet's last name if she married.
I received the death record and couldn't wait to open the envelope. I was a bit disappointed to find the informant listed as Records of Villa Maria which was her last residence and her place of death. Theresa Engstrom died on November 16, 1995 at 2:15pm at the Villa Maria Nursing Center which was a nursing home in Miami, FL. She was 93 years old. There was no burial, she was cremated.
Goodbye Aunt Tessie.
I finally ordered a copy of her death certificate. I already knew when and where she died but I was curious about the informant. I wondered if it might be her daughter, Violet and if so then I would get Violet's last name if she married.
I received the death record and couldn't wait to open the envelope. I was a bit disappointed to find the informant listed as Records of Villa Maria which was her last residence and her place of death. Theresa Engstrom died on November 16, 1995 at 2:15pm at the Villa Maria Nursing Center which was a nursing home in Miami, FL. She was 93 years old. There was no burial, she was cremated.
Goodbye Aunt Tessie.
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