A Widow Who Is Still Married?

Another dip into the genealogy pool has yielded a bit of an enigma.

My second great-grandmother, Sophia Riel, wife of Joseph Major, is listed in the 1930 US Census to be a widow.

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7HY-V96 : accessed 29 May 2018), Sophie Major in household of Eva Phoenuf, Champlain, Clinton, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 8, sheet 11A, line 7, family 282, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1416; FHL microfilm 2,341,151.

Well, that's strange because Joseph didn't pass away until 1935.

Plattsburgh Daily Republican
January 30, 1935

The North Countryman

January 31, 1935

The obituaries state that Joseph passed away "at the Ogdensburg State Hospital" and "at an Ogdensburg N.Y. hospital".  This might be polite speak for the St. Lawrence State Hospital.  Growing up we knew it as a mental hospital.  A good write up of the facility can be found at the Watertown Daily Times website.

Even five years before, the 1925 New York State Census, I can't find Joseph, but I do find Sophia, living with her daughter and granddaughter.  Eva's husband, George Phaneuf, did die in 1924.

"New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS7G-6D6 : 8 November 2014), Sophia Majar, Champlain, A.D. 01, E.D. 01, Clinton, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 9, line 13, New York State Archives, Albany.

I don't know why Joseph Major was there, nor why his wife indicated that she was a widow.  Perhaps there was a social stigma of having one's spouse as a patient in a mental health facility.  Maybe it was easier to declare him dead than to answer repeated questions.  I just don't know.

Joseph was interred at St. Mary's Cemetery in Champlain, New York.  16 years later Sophia passed away and was buried next to him.

Ella and Clyde Aubrey in the 1925 New York Census

I've been dabbling a bit more in to my family's history, trying to track down each time my direct lines show up in the census records, both federal and state.  It took me a while to find Ella Major Aubrey, wife of Daniel Columbus Aubrey, in the 1925 New York State Census.  She was my Great-Grandmother.  The family had been in Champlain or Rouses Point for decades.  But census takers, indexers, and transcribers do very funny things with the written word.

I finally found the family listed as Aubay.  Close.

"New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KS7G-66F : 8 November 2014), Ella Aubay, Champlain, A.D. 01, E.D. 01, Clinton, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 5, line 29, New York State Archives, Albany.

But I did find another Ella Aubrey, this time in Niskayuna, Schenectady county, New York.  Schenectady county is just two over from Otsego county, where Ella's mother-in-law, Marie Vashrow Aubrey was enumerated in both 1920 and 1930.  Marie died in Oneonta, Otsego county, New York, which is just 72 miles from Niskayuna, according to mapquest.

I thought it might be my Ella.  Just a few years off on the age.  And has a son named Clyde.  This one is Clyde R. Aubrey.  My Grand Uncle was Joseph Freeman Claude Aubrey, but I understand that he went by Clyde.  Clyde R. was a Railroad Employee.  Claude/Clyde is listed as a machinist.  Many Aubrey men in Clinton county, New York were either machinists or railroad men.

"New York State Census, 1925," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KSH4-69R : 8 November 2014), Ella Aubrey, Niskayuna, A.D. 01, E.D. 04, Schenectady, New York, United States; records extracted by Ancestry and images digitized by FamilySearch; citing p. 15, line 30, New York State Archives, Albany.

I don't know who Clyde R. and Ella were, but I'm guessing they're not part of my direct family.  As always, more research to be done.

More on all branches of my family can be found here.

Tracking Narcisse Riel through census records

My 3rd Great Grandfather.

Narcisse Riel, born March 14, 1835, died 1913.  Some researchers say he died in 1912, but no source info has been given.


1851 Canadian Census:
"Canada Census, 1851," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MWRC-HTL : 3 August 2016), Narcesse Rielle, Sherrington, Huntingdon County, Canada East (Quebec), Canada; citing p. 63, line 7; Library and Archives Canada film number C_1121, Public Archives, Ontario.

1860 US Census:
"United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCQ2-PMM : 14 December 2017), Narciss Ryell, 1860.

1870 US Census:
"United States Census, 1870," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8FF-NWH : 12 April 2016), Nelson Eryill, New York, United States; citing p. 38, family 280, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 552,418.

1880 US Census:
"United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZZX-58L : 20 August 2017), Nelson Aryell, Mooers, Clinton, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 24, sheet 339D, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0820; FHL microfilm 1,254,820.

1892 New York Census:
"New York State Census, 1892," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MQ9P-Q9Q : 6 November 2014), Nelson Reyell, 1892; citing Mooers, E.D. 01, county offices, New York; FHL microfilm 863,412.

1900 US Census:
"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MS65-3JB : accessed 12 February 2018), Nelson Aul, Mooer's Township Mooer's village, Clinton, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 19, sheet 13B, family 259, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,241,018.

1905 New York Census:
New York State Census, 1905, database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MKMT-VJ2 : 20 December 2017), Nelson Reyell, Mooers, E.D. 01, Clinton, New York; citing p. 14, line 37, county offices, New York.; FHL microfilm 863,413.

1910 US Census:
"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M5Q7-Z1K : accessed 12 February 2018), Nelson Argell, Mooers, Clinton, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 20, sheet 7A, family 148, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 932; FHL microfilm 1,374,945.

More family fun. Oh, Joy!

My folks are back visiting, which is a good thing. I spent some time with my mom looking at various photos of her family's headstones in West Virginia. I gave her a quick lesson on FindAGrave.com and FamilySearch.org.  We found draft registration cards of her maternal grandfather, Floyd JOY, at FamilySearch.org.  I present them below.

"United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25143-22776-77?cc=1968530 : accessed 10 June 2016), West Virginia > Wirt County; A-Z > image 651 of 1486; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-266-11668-181028-79?cc=1861144 : accessed 10 June 2016), 004135276 > image 2169 of 3213. Citing NARA microfilm publications M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

Note: I have edited the original image files, to straighten, remove extra space, and rotate the images.  The links in the captions will provide a true representation of the images.

James Oliver Knowles

James Oliver Knowles is my wife's paternal grandfather.

James Oliver Knowles
Saulmon Cemetery, Gibson Co., Indiana

Registration State: South Dakota; Registration County: Brown; Roll: 1877787; Draft Board: 2.Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: Indiana.
Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 [database on-line].
Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

1940 US Census - Clinton Co., NY EDs

On April 2, 2012, the 1940 Census will be rolled out.

Here's a link to the Enumeration District maps for Clinton County, New York.  I'll be headed straight to ED 10-9.  That's Champlain, proper.

Mustering Out

My Great-Great-Grandfather's Civil War Muster Rolls.  John Wesley Nichols served first with the New York Sixteenth Volunteer Infantry Regiment, Company K.

New York State Archives, Cultural Education Center, Albany, New York; 
New York Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861-1900;
Archive Collection #: 13775-83; Box #: 68; Roll #: 911-912.

After mustering out, he served with the New York Second Veteran Cavalry, Company H.

New York State Archives, Cultural Education Center, Albany, New York; 
New York Civil War Muster Roll Abstracts, 1861-1900;
Archive Collection #: 13775-83; Box #: 774; Roll #: 430.

images from Ancestry.com

Those Pesky Peskys

Chuck Whiting runs the bibliophemera blog. Yesterday he focused on the author, Rose Wilder Lane and her correspondence with Schulte's bookstore in New York.  Very interesting stuff.  I was drawn not to Mrs. Lane, but the bookseller, Mr. Philip Pesky and later, his son, Mr. Wilfred Pesky.  A quick search on ancestry.com offered up some info.

I was first able to find Philip Pesky in the 1910 US Census.  His parents were Russian and he was born in New York.  He had been married to his wife Minnie for four years.  He was a salesman in the wholesale book business.  (click on the census images to view them in a larger format)

Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York; Roll: T624_1017; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0411; Image: 1058; FHL Number: 1375030.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006.

In 1918 Philip Pesky registered for the draft.  At this point he's moved out of New York and into New Jersy.  He's a manager and his employer is Theo. E. Schulte.  I presume that this is the Schulte's Book Store.

Source Citation: Registration Location: Hudson County, New Jersey; Roll: 1711906; Draft Board: 2.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.

The 1920 US Census shows the family living in New Jersey and managing a bookstore.

Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Bayonna Ward 3, Hudson, New Jersey; Roll: T625_1040; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 22; Image: 709.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

The 1930 Census shows that the family had moved from Hudson county, New Jersey to Essex county, New Jersey.  Philip is still the manager of a book store.

Source Citation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Irvington, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: 1330; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 443; Image: 655.0.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.

Twelve years later Philip once again registers for the draft.  And we can see that he hasn't moved in the last decade and that he's still working for Schulte's Book Store.

Source Citation: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA);Washington, D.C.; State Headquarters: New Jersey.

Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942[database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010.

On September 17, 1957, The New York Times reported that Philip Pesky, proprietor of Shulte Book Store, died at his home on Momm Court.

On September 26, 1966, The New York Times reported that Wilfred Pesky, president of Shulte's Book Store, died of a stroke on the 24th of September at Columbus Hospital in New York City.

The New York Times had a story about Book Stores of the New York are which included the following description of Shulte's Book  Store:

SCHULTE’S BOOKSTORE
1917-late 1960’s
One of the last of the great bookshops on Booksellers’ Row — the stretch of secondhand stores on Fourth Avenue just south of Union Square — Schulte’s survived labor strife, including a strike right before World War II, and prospered. “It was a huge barn of a store,” said Marvin Mondlin, co-author of “Book Row,” a history of Manhattan’s secondhand bookstores.

The store had four owners in its lifetime, among them the professedly unbookish Wilfred Pesky, who, according to Mr. Mondlin, once announced: “You don’t have to read a book to sell books. I never read a book in my life.”

I was not able to find out anything more of the Pesky family, but I'm sure that there's more out there.

Family "Trees" While You Wait

The Troy Northern Budget - February 9, 1913

William Henry "Wee Willie" Keeler

Recently, on a 19th century baseball mailing list, a request came across for information on any living family members of "Wee Willie" Keeler.

I've heard the name before, but wasn't readily familiar with him. I won't rewrite all of his feats, but he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939, having played from 1892-1910, with a lifetime batting average of .341 (or .343, or .345, depending on which site you look at).

So, to find if there are any living family members, it makes sense to look at the family.

I went to wikipedia to get some basic information about him (born March 3, 1872. died January 1, 1923, both in Brooklyn, NY). Then I hopped on Ancestry.com and found some census records.

1880
I couldn't find the family in the 1880 census, either at Ancestry.com or at FamilySearch.org.

1890
The bulk of the 1890 general population census is missing. I didn't even try to look for it.

1900
His parents (William and Mary) were born in Ireland. He and his brother, Thomas, were born in New York. But the 1900 census says that he was born in 1873 (not 1872 as other sites claim) and is 27 years old. His occupation was "professional ball-player" working 8 months out of the year. The family lived on Pulaski Street in Brooklyn. Other information to be gleaned from this census is that his parents were married for 38 years, making their marriage date to be about 1862. Mary had 5 children, but 2 of them had died.

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 21, Kings, New York; Roll: T623 1058; Page: 4A; .

1910
A decade later, Mary has died. Both boys still live with their father on Pulaski Street. William is now 38 years old and continues to be a "professional player" in the industry of "baseball".

Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 21, Kings, New York; Roll: T624_969; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 519; Image: 956.

1920
William has moved out of the family house and is a boarder on Gale Street, still in Brooklyn. His age is listed as 48, which is consistent, since this census was enumerated in January of that year. He's a "ball player" in the "American League", despite not having played since 1910. And that was with the New York Giants, a National League team. Of the 19 seasons that he played, 12 of them were for NL teams.

Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Brooklyn Assembly District 5, Kings, New York; Roll: T625_1151; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 259; Image: 334.

I couldn't find any more from a quick search on Ancestry. World Connect at Rootsweb.com wasn't fruitful.

Then I did some general web searching (google is your friend).

Here are some sites about William Henry "Wee Willie" Keeler...

• Official Site of "Wee" Willie Keeler
• Baseball Hall of Fame player page
• Baseball-Reference.com - statistics
• Wikipedia page
• The DeadballEra.com - Obituary
• FindaGrave.com

These sites helped me find out a bit more, specifically the obituary and the FindaGrave pages.

From the photos on the FindaGrave site, it appears that he had two other siblings (Ellen and John), both dying young.

From this information, there does not appear to be any direct descendants of "Wee Willie" Keeler. I have made only cursory glances to try to find when and where his parents came to the US. There is more research to be done, but I figured that I should set out what I have learned already.

One more tribute

This one is from Angie's side of the family. Her first cousin, three times removed, John H. Lurker, from Posey Co., Indiana, served in World War I.

This image and info came from the Gold Star Honor Roll from Google Books.

Another tribute

Michael Nichols is my 3rd great-grandfather. He was born in Canada and died at Andersonville, Georgia.


It is my best guess that he was a substitute soldier for someone. He was part of Company I, Seventh Regiment, Connecticut Infantry.

Memorial Day tribute

This is Memorial Day weekend in the US. This holiday is supposed to commemorate U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. Here's a one of them. Orville Nicholas Hodlin is my grand-uncle who died during World War II.


Private, U.S. Army
Serial Number: 42091929
23rd Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division
Died: October 19, 1944, Holland
Buried at: Plot D Row 1 Grave 23
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Henri-Chapelle, Belgium

info from: The American Battle Monuments Commission


Here is his obituary...

Pvt. Hodlin Killed In Action In Holland
  Pvt. Orville N. Hodlin, 27, formerly of Champlain, was killed in action in Holland on October 19th, according to a telegram received by his wife last week from the War Department. Other details have not yet been made available. Pvt. Hodlin was born in Worcester, Mass. and is a son of Margaret Hodlin (now Mrs. John Dragoon), of Plattsburg, and the late Orville D. Hodlin. Mrs. Edison Aubrey, of Champlain, is a sister.
  Pvt. Hodlin was inducted into the service on Jan 25, 1944, and received his basic training at Camp Blanding, Fla. He went overseas to England with his unit late in July and was sent to France later seeing action with the American forces invading Holland. He had seen action in France, Belgium and Holland.
  Pvt. Hodlin attended school at Champlain and Ellenburg, and later was a member of the Civilian Conservation Corp. Surviving besides his wife and mother are three daughters: Catherine, 8, Barbara, 4, and Linda, who is six months old.

The North Countryman
Rouses Point, New York
16 November 1944

Is there an Astral Mystic in the house?

This is from the Plattsburgh Daily Press, 1941. Clyde Aubrey is my grand-uncle. I'm trying to figure out if I have "the gift."

Genealogy Humor and Animal Crackers

Yeah, that should catch your eye.

Years ago, I found a great parody piece of The Empire Strikes Back. The Modern Humorist site produced it. Very funny. And not edgy.

Warning ... some of the other humor at the Modern Humorist site is quite edgy (read: rude). I gave you fair warning.

And now to the Animal Crackers. Caroline (and Angie and I) have taken quite a liking to Stauffer's Animal Crackers. My aunt Shirley sent a container of the mini crackers. Caroline will say, "Baby Crackers, Baby Crackers!" We indulge her.

Whee! H.R. 390 Passed

Like I get all excited by House Resolutions getting passed.

Last week, Congressman Tom Lantos (D-San Mateo, San Francisco), had the Preservation of Servitude, Emancipation, and Post-Civil War Reconstruction Act passed in the House.

His press release can be found here.

I agree with Rep. Lantos in what he shared with the Speaker of the House when he said,

The federal and local records covered by this legislation are not only of personal importance to the families involved, Mr. Speaker: They are also historically significant to us all. They document the reuniting of our nation and the historic moment of transition for slaves from the status of property to citizens, a time when our country finally began to right a horrible moral wrong. We need to take the process another step now, by ensuring that those records and the lessons they hold are preserved for all eternity.

Thank you, Rep. Lantos.

Mark

Genealogy Bill Introduced (but not for me)

In the January 29, 2007 issue of the Knoxville News Sentinel, there was a column in the Perspective section by Lisa Hoffman of the Scripps Howard News Service. I quote it below...

Black historians and families researching their forbears could have a new national database to plumb if a Senate measure wins favor on Capitol Hill. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is proposing the creation of the database at the National Archives to offer a central registry of emancipation records, land deeds, wills, voter-registration and other far-flung documents from the slavery, Reconstruction and pre-civil-rights eras. In the House, Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., is sponsoring a similar bill, which would also help states, colleges and genealogical organizations to establish digitized databases of similar records.

Here is a link to Sen. Landrieu's recent press release. The text of the SEARCH Act can be found here as a pdf file.

After reading the text of the proposed act, and pulling my cynical cap a wee bit tighter, I would prefer the language to read...

The Archivist of the United States shall establish, as a part of the National Archives, a national database consisting of historic records of servitude and emanicaption in the Unites States to assist all African Americans in researching their genealogy.

As I understand it, my 4th greatgrandfather, Stephen Fluharty, was an indentured servant. He later fought in the Revolutionary War. I am not African American (that I know of), but I do have someone in my line that should have a record of servitude. I have traced my family as coming from: Canada, France, Scotland, England, Germany and elsewhere. My wife's mother's family comes mostly from Germany. Her father's side from Europe. Yet, according to the proposed bill, the new database is not designed for me, but only for African Americans.

If the bill is accepted into law (and I hope that it is), I'll search the new database. I don't expect to find my people in there, but I truly am glad that Sen. Landrieu is pushing to get this in place. It will be a good thing for the whole of the genealogical community.

Thank you, Sen. Landrieu.

Mark