Year In Review

With the end drawing near, it is a time to reflect on what has been accomplished in the last year, genealogically speaking.

If you follow my blog you know that this year I set a goal to locate and visit the burial locations of all my direct ancestors back to, and including, my 3rd great grandparents. When I started my mission I had determined that included 23 individuals, 10 of which I had little hope of finding. Well, I have 9 that I did not get to, most of which are buried in Canada. Although I tried to find burial locations for them, I couldn't find them and even if I had, traveling to Canada during this global health crisis wasn't a good idea. At points, international travel wasn't even permitted.

In addition to visiting 14 graves, reaching 60% of my goal, I also replaced a headstone. It is the stone for my third great grandfather, Victor Henry, and two of his sons, Joseph and Louis. I did so with the help of many many relatives. 

I gave a presentation about that project through the Allen County Public Library (Indiana). In fact I spoke several times this year about genealogy research. I gave 7 formal presentations to be exact.

I also spent a great deal of time unraveling DNA cases of adoption and unknown parentage. All with great success really.

I guess it is now time to start thinking about a goal for '22. I am open to suggestions. 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and wonderful 2022.

Victor Henry's New Headstone

I am pleased to announce that the headstone of my 3rd great grandfather, Victor Henry, has been replaced. It was set on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at St. John Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens, New York on the 125th anniversary of Victor's death. It was a long expensive process that began on Saturday, April 24, 2021 and ended with a bill for $6,100.50 between cemetery fees and the cost of the stone, much of which was contributed by family members. I think it is worth every cent to see them all clearly marked.

Third Great Grandpa, John Joyce, Dayton National Cemetery

THWACK.

On Saturday, June 12, 2021, I went to the Dayton National Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio with my cousins Peter and Ashlee. The three of us were on a one-way road trip from New York to New Orleans and I insisted we stop to see the burial location of my third great grandfather, John A. Joyce, bringing me one location closer to reaching my 2021 goal of seeing the graves of each of my great grandparents, great-great grandparents, and great-great-great grandparents.

It blew my mind when I discovered that John Joyce was buried in a National Cemetery in, of all places, Dayton, Ohio. My people are New Yorkers, they didn't live in Ohio. And really John didn't live there either, not really. John was born somewhere in Ireland. Don't know where but all the records I find for him, he is residing in New York, New York. Yeah, right over there in Manhattan. So I did not expect to find him buried in Ohio. For years I poked at New York City death records thinking he just had to be in there. He wasn't.

He purchased a great big plot in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, NY when he had to bury his son, also named John, in February of 1896. The elder John though, was not in that plot; no matter how much money I paid Calvary. Nope. He is in Ohio.

I have written about the discovery of his death location before but in brief I received an Ancestry.com hint for military records for John. I thought, "No that can't be him." But there on the military hospital records was an address for his wife, Mary Ann Joyce. Now John and Mary Joyce are pretty common names but to have an address confirmed that this was indeed my John. The address matched that of their residence in the 1910 census.

I had no idea he was in the military but apparently he was. He served in the U.S. Navy in the Mexican-American war as a first class boy. He enlisted at about the age of 17 in Philadelphia, PA on January 24, 1846. He was discharged on August 6, 1847 in Norfolk, VA. He served on the U.S.S. Potomac. Now I have to look for records in Philly and Virginia.

John was shuffled from Soldiers' Home to Soldiers' Home; what we could call VA hospitals today. I count at least 11 hospital stays from September 29, 1892 until his death on September 30, 1910, when he died. He had all sorts of ailments and was in so many military hospital locations. His last stay was obviously at the Soldiers' Home in Dayton, Ohio. 

I'm puzzled why his body was not sent home to New York. They certainly had the space in the huge plot he owned. Why are you in Ohio, John? 

I also wonder if I am the first of his descendants to visit his grave. 

It's a large cemetery with a very active Veterans' Administration service still operating on the property.

I could see the image of John's headstone on FindAGrave.com but that just isn't the same as being there.

It took awhile to find the stone in section Q. Not every stone was numbered. 

I would not have minded wandering around the neatly ordered rows of nearly identical stones out in the warm clear day there in Ohio except for the thousands of giant cicadas swarming the cemetery. My God they were everywhere. Huge! One hit me in the head with a thud so loud both my cousins heard. THWACK. I bet people for miles around heard it. Another bugger chased Cousin Ashlee in a whirling rhythmic dance around the parking lot. Quite the seen.

They are not pretty little things at all. Check this sucker out:

I am that black figure in the distance getting the hell out of Dodge, or Dayton as it were.

But here is John's spot - - great great great grandpa, John A. Joyce (February 1829, Ireland - 30 September 1910, Dayton, Ohio).

I know very little about the Mexican-American War and thus I have ordered John's his pension file from the National Archives to learn more about his service but have yet to receive any documentation. I'm hoping the file might reveal where in Ireland he was born and when he immigrated to the U.S. We'll see. I'll keep you posted!

Ethel's Citizenship

There was a period in U.S. history that if a natural born U.S. woman married a foreign man, she lost her U.S. citizenship. 

It's true!

Starting on March 2, 1907, an American woman, by birth or naturalization, lost her citizenship when she married an alien. She thereby took on his nationality. She could regain her U.S. citizenship if and when her husband naturalized. His naturalization required a total of 5 years residency in the U.S. including 1 year of residency in the state of application and 2 years between his declaration of intent to naturalize and the submission of his naturalization petition.

On September 22, 1922 the Cable Act was passed. This Act made it so that women could no longer be naturalized through derivative citizenship; meaning that she herself had to apply for her own citizenship. She didn't just get it automatically when her alien husband naturalized. 

It also made it so women no longer lost their U.S. citizenship just because she married an alien. However, the women who had previously lost their citizenship due to marrying an alien were only made eligible to naturalized. They didn't just get it back. They had to go through the process of applying for citizenship.

On June 25, 1936, it changed again so that women who were native born U.S. citizens that lost their citizenship due to marriage an foreign man prior to September 22, 1922 could be considered a citizen again if she took the oath of allegiance AND her marriage was terminated by either death or divorce of her spouse. So in other words, she could be come a citizen on her own as long as that guy wasn't her husband anymore.

It wasn't until July 2, 1940 that those women who lost their citizenship through marriage between 1907 and 1922 could be considered a citizen again. She still had to take the oath of allegiance, but it didn't matter if her husband was dead or alive anymore, she could do it on her own. The one caveat being that she had to resided in U.S. for the duration of the marriage.

So that brings me to my great grandmother, Ethel Mae Losee-Earle. Ethel was born on St. Valentine's Day, 1896 in Freeport, Long Island, New York, where 8 previous generations had all been born after her 7th great grandfather, Edward Raynor settled the area in the mid 1600s.

By all accounts, Ethel never left Long Island. Maybe she ventured into Manhattan or up to New England for some excursion but she never traveled abroad. 

On June 5, 1915, she married Abram Thomas Earle in Freeport. Abram was born in Twillingate, Newfoundland which at the time of his birth was a British colony. Newfoundland only became a province of Canada on March 31, 1949. So when Ethel married Abe, she too became a British citizen. She had never been there. Never planned to even visit. Yet, she was no longer an American.

Now maybe in 1915 that didn't seem like a big deal but I wonder how she felt in 1920 when American women were finally able to vote and she couldn't.

Until very recently I had no reason to believe Abe had ever naturalized. I believed wholeheartedly that he had died a British citizen. Although, I don't know what becomes of your citizenship status when your place of birth changes its status like Newfoundland did by joining Canada in 1949. When Abe died in 1973 would he have been considered British or Canadian?

Ugh, well I don't have to answer that because, lookie here:

Abe naturalized on January 10, 1925, before my grandfather Ed was born in August of that year.

And guess what - - So did Ethel.

I was so happy to see her Certificate of Naturalization. I find the whole business of one loosing her citizenship so shameful. As if marrying someone outside of your national origin is a sign of disloyalty to your nation.

Love is love, people.

Last Stop: St. Monica's Cemetery, Jamaica, Queens - The Hinches

This is the last cemetery Cousin Peter and I visited on our cemetery marathon on Saturday April 23, 2021. St. Monica's Cemetery is located on the southwest corner of Liberty Avenue and 160th Street in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

The cemetery was once the burial yard for a Catholic parish of the same name. The church was built in the mid-1850s but was deconsecrated in 1973. It had been damaged by a series of fires. All that remains today is the facade and steeple which were incorporated into the construction of a child care center for York College in about 2005; just about the time that I got a job at nearby St. John's University. 

The church had once been the parish of Mario Cuomo who was the Governor of New York State from 1983 to 1994. He and I are both graduates of St. John's University. (Go Red Storm!) It was also once the parish of my Hinch ancestors who lived in Jamaica; ancestors Peter and I share.

Annette "Anne" Hinch-Henry is our great-great grandmother. Annette was born in Barnamelia, County Wicklow, Ireland on February 22,1868. I often reflect on her life in my blog. It was tough. Her mother died in Ireland, her paternal uncle brought the family over to America. Her husband, Victor Henry, committed a murder-suicide in 1908. He murdered Annette's cousin. Annette had three small children to raise on her own after she had already buried three infants. She took in foundlings, or orphans as we would call them. One of them died of appendicitis while in her care. Then she wound up burying two of her adult children; her youngest son Victor Henry drown in a boating accident at the age of 38 and her older son, my great grandfather Charles Henry, died of cancer at 54.

Her father, my 3rd great grandfather, James Hinch was born in about 1816 in Ireland. James died January 29, 1886 in Jamaica, Queens, NY. He is buried in St. Monica's Cemetery. As are Annette's three infant children: Mary "Annie" Henry (8 December 1897 - 6 April 1899), James Henry (24 June 1904 - 16 July 1905), and Robert Henry (7 February 1906 - 10 February 1906).

I also know that her uncle, Charles Hinch, is buried there as well. Charles was slightly younger than James and I get the sense Charles was a bit better financially. Charles died on January 24, 1895. It was his daughter who Victor Henry murdered; Mary Ann Hinch-Cassidy. She is buried in St. Monica's cemetery too.

I don't know what other Hinch relatives might be in that graveyard because I have not been able to track down who has St. Monica's records. I know these burials because their New York City death certificates state the cemetery.

We also could not get into the cemetery which was locked. We could only peer through the chain-link fence at the spot I know is marked for them. They are that cluster of stones framed by the fence.

The stones are no longer legible but I know it is the spot based on content listed on FindAGrave.com. FindAGrave lists 458 photographed headstones in this cemetery. That is about 84% of the stone in the cemetery, not to mention all the unmarked burials there may be. So its a tiny cemetery. Not the tiniest I've been to but still small. In the whole church yard, the Hinches' stones are the only ones that butt up against each other.

FindAGrave only shows the headstone for Charles Hinch. But from family I have heard that my 3rd great grandfather James is buried right next to his brother. 

On my call to the Catholic Cemeteries of Brooklyn, I was told they do not maintain that cemetery. Someone does. I think it's them but I have  also contacted York College to see if I they are able to let me into the cemetery but I have received no reply.

Fifth Stop: Evergreens Cemetery, Brooklyn - The Prinzes

Cemetery of the Evergreens, more commonly referred to as Evergreens Cemetery, is a beautiful cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. It is the resting place of my great-great-great grandparents, Johan Prinz (14 May 1826 - 22 May 1888, New York) and Franciscka "Frances" Pruess-Prinz (17 November 1830 - 29 November 1902); and it is stop number 5 on my marathon through cemeteries with Cousin Peter. 

The Prinzes are interred in the section called North Mead in grave # 4534. Almost every cemetery is laid out differently. They might call certain areas plots or lots or sections. You might get a combination of numbers and letters designating rows and graves. In Evergreens the sections are huge and the North Mead section has thousands of burials with simple grave numbers; for example # 4534. We had no idea what row that was in. Typically rows line up left to right, like we read. In this case though, numbering ran in aisles from the front of the section to the back. When the line hit the back of the section, numbering picked up in the next aisle at the front. I've never seen it quite like that. I wish we figure that out before we found my people. We wandered through this cemetery for a long time.

See these numbered stones in the retaining wall at the front of the section? They indicate the grave # at the front of that aisle. So strange to me.

In any case, that puts my people in the Bullwinkle aisle. There's a name that's hard to forget.

Peter and I hadn't figure that out though when we started looking. We wandered back and forth looking for any grave numbers etched into headstones. There were so few. 

But I found it!! 

It is so worn that it is practically impossible to make out the surname but it is there. Can you see it? P R I N Z

The Z is pretty clear.

Here it is from another angle.

What really should have given it away was this nearby footstone.

I am not sure that Grandpa sign is for my 3rd great grandpa, Johan Prinz, but it is very close by so maybe it's his. Nonetheless, I found them! I know the name engraved on the stone says Jan and not Johan but this spot makes sense to be grave # 4534. I'm sure it's them.

The stone includes some sort of lettering in a foreign language. It is too worn for me to identify. However, I know this couple was born in what is now the Czech Republic. I wish I knew what it said. But we have no time - on to the next. Last stop: St. Monica's Cemetery in Jamaica, Queens.

Fourth Stop: Most Holy Trinity Cemetery, Brooklyn - Some Sauers

After three and half hours of cemetery visits through 3 other cemeteries, on Saturday, April 24, 2021, Cousin Peter and I stopped for a leisurely lunch. It was really only the waiter who seemed to want it to be leisurely lunch though. Pete and I really didn't have much more time to get to the 3 other cemeteries on my list. One of the cemeteries left on the list closes at 4 p.m. and it was already 3:20 when we finished lunch. We thus entered the sprint phase of our journey that day. Next stop: Most Holy Trinity Cemetery.

Our destination was that of our great-great-great grandparents, George Sauer (11 June 1827 - 22 August 1891) and Anna Maria Schmitt-Sauer (6 August 1835 - 6 February1899).

This cemetery is unique in that all the markers are made of metal. Yes, metal. I have never seen anything like it before and couldn't resist knocking on a few just to confirm that, yes, they are mostly boxes constructed from some thin metal; tin, steel, zinc, perhaps. Even the large crosses were wood wrapped in metal.

Newer markers look perfectly square and uniform in color but most are in some state of rusting. George and Anna Maria are interred in Lott 66, Row 8, Grave 7 &/or 8. They themselves do not have a marker but their daughter, Barbara, married into the Neorgra family and they have a marker on the lot.

 

The Neogra family plot was purchased for the burial of George Sauer in 1891; Charles Neogra's father-in-law. His burial was followed by that of his wife Anna Maria in 1899. Then there are the following individuals:

• Ethel Redmann, (20 December 1905 - 11 January 1906)
• Infant daughter of Elizabeth Neogra-Redman who was just 23 days old when she died

• Cecilia Sauer, (14 July 1906 - 9 August 1907)
• Daughter of William Sauer and Agnes Gray-Sauer, my great-great grandparents who are buried in St. John Cemetery and who we visited earlier this day.

• James Leonard (25 December 1911 - 5 January 1912)
• Infant son of Josephine Neogra-Leonard and Michael Leonard. Grandson of Barbara Sauer-Neorgra and Charles Neogra.

• Barbara Sauer-Neogra (17 September 1861 - 11 January 1915)
• Daughter of William Sauer and Agnes Gray-Sauer

• William Neogra (29 October 1925 - 14 August 1926)
• Son of William Neogra and Mary Geopfert-Neogra. Grandson of Barbara Sauer-Neorgra and Charles Neogra.

• Charles Neogra (30 May 1857 - 20 May 1939)
• Husband of Barbara Sauer-Neogra. Son-in-law of William Sauer and Agnes Gray-Sauer.

We did not have much time to linger at this cemetery. It was actually our shortest cemetery visit, clocking in at just 11 minutes. I wish I had taken some more photos of the markers in various states of decay. I'm especially sad I didn't take a photo of the one that looked like a tree or something crashed into it. It was mangled like it had been in a car wreck. Sad. But, the next cemetery we had to get to was Evergreens, right next door, and it closes at 4 p.m. It was already after 3:30. So hurry, hurry, hurry.

Third Stop: All Faiths Cemetery, Middle Village - Elizabeth Goetz-Krantzel

On Saturday, April 24, 2021, my Cousin Pete accompanied me to several cemeteries in which our ancestors were buried but this one, All Faiths Cemetery, was specific to my mother's side of the family. In other words, Elizabeth Goetz-Krantzel (12 February 1833, Germany - 25 August 1898, NY) is my 3rd great grandmother, not Pete's. Pete is a good soul who indulges me and my wacky genealogy excursions. I love him.

I have written about my Krantzels recently and the sketchy details surrounding the death of Elizabeth's husband, my 3rd great grandfather, Heinrich Daniel Krantzel. Elizabeth, though, I knew was buried in Lutheran Cemetery. All Faiths Cemetery is Lutheran Cemetery. Well, it was first established in 1850 by a Lutheran pastor. Since its incorporation in 1852 though, members of all faiths were permitted burial in this cemetery. Thus, the name. Elizabeth's death certificate from August 25, 1896 clearly indicated she is buried in Lutheran Cemetery. This is the cemetery though, and they are very proud to boast on their entrance sign that are "For People of All Faiths." 

I am fairly certain Elizabeth was Lutheran, though. I am Catholic, as are both of my parents, and both of my grandmothers but neither of my grandfathers were raised Catholic. Grandpa Earle converted to Catholicism. Grandpa Gardner never did, yet, his father was raised Catholic and is interred in a Catholic Cemetery. Religion in my family history was pretty fluid and most reflective of what church the family lived closest to as opposed to a commitment to any specific denomination of Christianity. But I digress - -

It was my hope that this cemetery would reveal that Elizabeth's sketchy husband was buried with her, thereby removing the mystery surrounding his death. Unfortunately though, he's not buried in this cemetery. The clerk made a great effort to find the right plot location for Elizabeth so I trust Heinrich is not at All Faiths.

I went into the office with nothing but Elizabeth's name and dates of birth and death. The clerk looked and looked for any Krantzel on record and their were none. There were, however, a few Crantzels. That's right, they are misspelled in the official plot books. That surname is spelled a dozen different ways on their records; Krantzel, Crantzel, Cransel, Crausel, etc., etc., etc.

First the clerk found an Ernest Crantzel. "Yes!! That is her son!," I exclaimed.

"He died of epilepsy," the clerk stated.

"What?!" My niece just recently had what they think might have been a seizure and the doctors asked if there was a family history of epilepsy. I know of one great-great uncle who lived in a hospital for epileptics back in the early 1900s, no relation to Ernest but also on my mother's side. I called my sister that evening as this perhaps might be of interest to her doctors.

In any case, based on the other details provided to me the plot was purchased by Francis "Frank" Krantzel, another son, to bury their mother, Elizabeth, in August 1896. Elizabeth was 63 years old, 6 months, and 13 days when she died on August 25, 1896 placing her birth at February 12, 1833 in Germany.

She is interred with her son Ernest Krantzel (12 Oct 1863 - 7 Oct 1921) and his wife, Kate Stadleberger-Krantzel ( abt. 1865 - 6 Aug 1917) in Public Lot 2, Map 5, Row 46, Grave 21. 

The grave is unmarked as are so many around them as you can tell by the nearly empty field. The cemetery, although quite beautiful in many ways, was in desperate need of a mow and the main office informed us of this before heading out to the plot. It's early spring and I suppose the landscaping crews have not begun their work their yet. It was so overgrown. Even what they call the Family Lots, owned by families in better financial circumstances than my people. Families like that of, oh say, Donald Trump who's parents, Fred and Mary Trump are interred. They don't have the fancy headstone one might expect/ Their section looks downright abandoned and unkempt as well. 

Second Stop, part 4: St. John Cemetery, Middle Village Queens - Victor Henry

The last on our list of gravesites to visit in St. John Cemetery on that beautiful Saturday, April 23, 2021, was that of our 3rd great grandfather, Victor Henry (born in March 1838 in Switzerland - died 9 November 1896, in Queens, NY). Victor is interred in Section 16, Row A, Grave 403. 

Row A, you say, well that is going to be right up front now, isn't it? Probably won't even have to get out of the car to find it. However, this was far from the easiest one to find.

Cousin Peter and I certainly parked close enough to the grave. It was in the first row. Well, it wasn't facing the road, so maybe technically it is the second row, really. Nonetheless, can you pick it out of this photo?

Nah, neither could we. But if you guess that broken one in the middle, you would be correct.

Cousin Peter and I paced back and forth down the row looking for plot numbers that are occassionally etched into the lower right corner of the headstones. It was a long row with very few headstones facing the direction we needed. I attempted to take 30 inch strides like we had seen a the cemetery worker at St. Michael's Cemetery do earlier that day. 

"Pete, I think it's this broken one."

Incredulously we examined the remains of the stone looking for any text on it. So worn, we couldn't see anything. The top half of the stone was propped up against the back of the base. Pete helped me tip the top portion of the stone back so I could see the other side and sure enough - -  Can you make it out?

I can barely make out the words. 

"IN MEMORY 

OF 

VICTOR HENRY

DIED NOV 9 (or 8) 1896

AGE (illegible)

JOSEPH HENRY

(illegible) 1902"

Do you see any of that? I think this is the one instance in which taking a rubbing of the stone would have been totally acceptable. It is said that such practice can really damage a stone but honestly, it doesn't get more more damaged than this.

I instantly wanted to replace this stone. I mean there are plenty of family plots with no marker at all. My past post from about this cemetery visit showed Victor's wife, Mary Carillion-Henry's plot with nothing but an azalea. If I had a ridiculous amount of money I'd put headstones on everyone but something about this one, severed in the way it is, made me ache to see it replaced. I mean, this family had very little money. I am sure even way back then a headstone was an investment. Now it would just be gone.

Two days later I contacted the cemetery. They didn't call me back I called them again the following day. What do I need to do to replace this stone?

Well, they were quick to tell me the past care fee the family owed. Hmm. Nearly $3K but made it sound like the effort to replace the stone would be impossible. I would need the permission of every living descendants. Huh? They can't be serious.

I was told they made an effort to contact the grave owner when the stone was broken in a storm back in 2010. Um, the plot owner, Victor's son Victor, died in 1908. 

So here comes a relative, willing to pay to replace the stone and they expect affidavits from every living descendant for a man who died 125 years ago. Sounds a bit insane to me. I could understand such lengths if I was trying to add information to the stone but I am just trying to put something back the family wanted there in the first place.

I know of only 2 remaining great grandchildren of this man. I'm 99% sure there are no others. However, I can only estimate hundreds of great-great, great-great-great, and great-great-great-great grandchildren. That's pretty freakin' great.

I immediately reached out to a fellow descendant of Victor's, Cousin Jenny who has recently been working with another Catholic Cemetery in Queens to get some names added to existing stones on the other side of her family. She assures me it is a project, a great-great-great-great-great freakin' project.

Anyway, Jenny and I have since contacted a monument dealer and started a FaceBook group for family members, and plan to launch a GoFundMe campaign very soon in an effort to replace the stone.

No matter what it costs or what hoops the cemetery requires us to jump through, I know that many members of the extended will feel compelled to contribute to the effort, recognizing that this man, Victor Henry, is very much the reason we exist, why we are Americans, and why we know and love one another.

Second Stop, part 3: St. John Cemetery, Middle Village Queens - Mary Carillion-Henry

Another of the graves that Cousin Peter and I visited in St. John Cemetery on April 24, 2021 was that of our 3rd great grandmother, Mary Carillion-Henry (October 1855 - 8 January 1907). Mary is interred in Section 13, Row O, Grave 7. She has no marker which, again, is not uncommon for my family. Although, we have been richly rewarded in finding many Henry family markers on this particular day. Instead, Mary has a beautiful fuchsia colored azalea near her grave. It might really be the neighbor's planting but we admired it just the same.

Mary was a struggle to research. For decades my records recorded a vague maiden name for Mary. Sometimes it appeared as Carion, Carrion, Carien, Karon, Carson, and a ton of other variations. I knew they were all wrong. In part I knew this because of this image; the reverse of Mary's Death certificate:

On the back on Mary's Death Certificate there was a note that her son August Henry, the informant, that reads "Could not ascertain Mother's Maiden Name."

It was actually an AncestryDNA match several years ago that led me to her maiden name, Carillion. I matches with a woman who was the descendant of John Carillion, who turned out to be Mary's brother. That DNA discovery yielded another generation to add to my tree; Mary's parents, Nicholas and Caroline. 

Although the spelling of both surnames are very off, below is an image from the NY State 1875 Census showing my 4th great grandparents Nicholas and Caroline with their children John and Louisa "Karron" living right next to my 3rd great grandparents, Victor and Mary "Arrai" with their infant son (my great-great grandfather) Victor Henry. Yes, if you say Henry with a French accent and try to spell it phonetically, Arrai is pretty close.

Second Stop, part 2: St. John Cemetery, Middle Village Queens - Anne Hinch-Henry

When visiting St. John Cemetery with Cousin Pete on April 24, 2021, we visited several graves of our ancestors, one of which was our great great grandmother, Annette "Anne" Hinch-Henry. She is my Grandma Earle's paternal grandmother. All my research into her life has revealed such terrible sadness. Doesn't she look like Julia Roberts though?

Annette was born on February 22, 1868 in Barnamelia, County Wicklow, Ireland to James Hinch and Jane Kavanaugh-Hinch. She was the 4th of 6 children; 5 girls and 1 boy. Her mother died in Ireland but I can't find a record for the date or the cause. Her brother also died young. The family lore was that he drown in a local river but the death record I found, which might not be him really, states he died in a workhouse. 

It was her uncle, Charles Hinch, who made his way to the United States and acquired enough wealth to secure some property in Jamaica, Queens, New York and bring his family and his brother's family over from Ireland. Charles and James Hinch are buried in St. Monica's Cemetery which was also one of the cemeteries Peter and I visited on April 24. I plan to blog about that soon.

Annette married Victor Henry on June 18, 1895. The couple had 6 children, 3 of which died as infants and two of which she outlived. Yes, she buried 5 of her 6 children. And then in a very dramatic event, her husband killed Annette's cousin, Mary Hinch-Cassidy before turning the revolver on himself on June 8, 1908. Tragedy after tragedy, Annette survived until the age of 84. She died on March 2, 1952 in Pearl River, NY where she was living with her daughter Jane Henry-Edsall.

She is interred in St. John Cemetery in Section 18, Row O, Grave 78. And yes! She has a headstone. 

You can see she is interred with Edward Reed who died when he was 16 years old. Edward was a child that Annette fostered and died while in her care. My great uncle Bobby Henry shared the details of Edward's death with me many years ago. Eddie was suffering with stomach pains so Annette took him to a doctor who told the kid he was faking his illness so that he didn't have to go to school. That night Eddie died in his sleep from a ruptured appendix. More tragedy this poor woman had to endure. It comforted me to see Eddie recorded on that headstone with Annette.

I called St. John Cemetery to learn what that name Nolan is doing on the bottom of that stone. That is not a surname I have run into in my genealogy research. Apparently the plot was purchased by Daniel Nolan. Daniel is not interred in the plot but there is a third burial there, one not listed on the stone. Daniel's cousin of some ilk, Louis Lanzerett (about 1859 - 10 Aug 1918) of Woodhaven, Queens, New York. Daniel Nolan is so common a name I can't be sure any of the ones are find are the right person. Maybe someday I will figure out the connection but for now I am grateful Daniel provided my great-great grandmother a beautiful place to be laid to rest.

Second Stop, part 1: St. John Cemetery, Middle Village Queens - William and Agnes Sauer

The second cemetery Cousin Pete and I visited in our marathon of cemetery visits on Saturday, April 24, 2021, was St. John Cemetery on Metropolitan Ave. in Middle Village, Queens, NY. What a truly beautiful and well maintained cemetery. 

This is the location of the graves of more than a few of my Grandma Earle's people and thus ancestors Peter and I share. Pete and I are second cousins. My Grandma Earle and his grandma were sisters.

My plan was to visit the burial locations of these 5 individuals:

1. Our great-great grandfather on Grandma Earle's mother's side; William Sauer (11 February 1870 - 23 December 1932) Section 24, Row K, Grave 106

2. Our great-great grandmother, William's wife; Agnes Gray-Sauer (27 October 1871 - 30 December 1941) who is buried with her husband in Section 24, Row K, Grave 106. 

3. Our great-great grandmother on Grandma Earle's father's side; Annette "Anne" Hinch-Henry (22 February 1868 - 2 March 1952) Section 18, Row O, Grave 78

4. Our 3rd great grandmother, Anne's mother-in-law; Mary Carrillion-Henry (October 1855 - 8 January 1907) Section 13, Row O, Grave 7

5. Our 3rd great grandfather, Mary's husband; Victor Henry (March 1838 - 9 November 1896) Section 16, Row A, Grave 403

In addition to these 5, several of Peter's mother's relatives are buried in St. John Cemetery and so we also ventured to find some of his family graves. 

We got to St. John at about 11:20 and left a little after 1 p.m. It was certainly the longest of our stays inside any one cemetery that day. We probably also got our most steps in there wandering about trying to find the grave numbers etched into the bottom right corners of headstones.

Because we visited so many graves in St. John, I am going to blog about one gravesite at a time. The first of which is the grave of our great-great grandparents, William Sauer (11 February 1870 - 23 December 1932) and Agnes Gray-Sauer (27 October 1871 - 30 December 1941) in Section 24, Row K, Grave 106. 

You might wonder why we didn't start at the lowest numbered section. Well, the way the numbering of sections are laid out, 24 is actually closest to the entrance we came through. This is an enormous Catholic Cemetery; nearly 190 acres. You need a map. However, we didn't need to go to the office. Signs people! Signs.

You can kind of see Peter and I reflected in the map sign. We came in through the gate between sections 1 and 2. It took some navigating but we found William and Agnes in section 24 in Row K which runs perpendicular to the red road way parallel to Woodhaven Blvd. Their headstone faces towards Furmanville Ave. And yes! They have a headstone.

The stone on the right is for our great-great grandparents as well as their daughter, also named Agnes. The stone on the left is for their son, also named William. Not real creative with their name choices. You can see in the background the Christ the Redeemer Mausoleum which helps to give one a sense of the location within the cemetery

William Sauer the younger was the father of our grandmothers' cousin who we lovingly called "Uncle Billy." I just recently learned Uncle Billy passed away last year on January 16, 2020 at the age of 95. His father had a rather short life though. He died of pneumonia at the age of 25.

Great-great grandpa William Sauer was an ambulance driver back when the ambulance was a wooden wagon. Below is a photo of William and his horse evidently hitched to a wagon of some sort.

My grandma also talked about their monkey. Yes, great-great grandpa had a monkey. One of her earliest memories was of her grandfather William holding her and feeding buttered crackers to the monkey who would lick off the butter and throw the crackers on the ground. I don't know who the people are in the photo below but I know that is the monkey.

I also have a beautiful image of my great great grandmother, Agnes Gray-Sauer, in a family group photo. That is Agnes right in the middle. In front of her are 3 of her 5 children. The child standing on the left is William Sauer (1901-1926) and the young girl is my great grandmother, Anna Marie Sauer-Henry (1896-1986). The little boy in the middle is Joseph Sauer (1902-1968). 

The woman on the left holding the baby is Margaret Gray-Fitzpatrick (1878-1956). She is holing her son, Raymond Fitzpatrick (1906-1977). The woman in the back on the left is Agnes & Margaret's sister, Mary "Mamie" Gray (1869-1929). The woman on the right in the back not holding a child is Elizabeth "Eliza" Gray (1879-1970). I am not sure who the woman on the far right is, the one holding the sleeping baby. I suspect the baby might be Agnes's 4th child, Cecilia Sauer (14 July 1906 - 9 August 1907) which provides a pretty narrow window of time in which this photo was taken; sometime during Cecilia's lifetime. Cecelia was buried in Most Holy Trinity Cemetery which was part of my cemetery marathon. I'll write about that visit soon.

First Stop: St. Michael's Cemetery, East Elmhurst - Johan and Sabina Prinz

We did it! Cousin Pete and I did my cemetery marathon this past Saturday, April 24, 2021. We hit 6 cemeteries, and ate a lengthy lunch, in a total of 6 hours 17 minutes. A bit wacky but we did it.

Our first stop was St. Michael's Cemetery in East Elmhurst, Queens which is just a hop, skip, and a jump from where Peter lives. Cousin Pete actually lives in walking distance of where my grandma grew up - my grandma on my mom's side, not Pete's grandma. Pete and I are related through our father's lineage. Anyway, Pete was kind enough to accompany to graves of my mother's side as well.

I have a history with St. Michael's. Many years ago when I first went looking for the burial location of my great-great grandparents, Johan Nepom Prinz (2 May 1854 - 21 April 1929) and Sabina "Lena" Krantzel-Prinz (17 June 1860 - 25 April 1926), I was told I had to pay them for that information. Outraged, I wandered that cemetery looking for a potential burial location; unsuccessfully of course. It is a big cemetery!

This time around when I called for a plot location, they kindly gave me that information over the phone. However, I didn't know my way around the cemetery  despite all the time I spent walking around in there in the past. When we entered the cemetery, we didn't see a sign with a map on it, so we went to the cemetery's office. We were helped by a very nice woman who provided us with a paper map and showed the route to take to get to Grave 11 - Range 85 - Plot 6.

Johan and Lena are interred in this grave with their daughter Margaret Prinz-Kamm (5 October 1886 - 14 December 1915) who died in childbirth when she was just 29 years old.

When Peter and I were wandering around Plot 6, a cemetery worker driving an excavator noticed us and asked if we needed help. He came down from his machine and measured out where the actually plot would be, stating that their graves are 30" wide.

So this is them. Look familiar? Yeah, my people almost never have a headstone. 

Looking at this patch of earth the worker commented that he had been working for the cemetery for 35 years. When he first started out some of the old time employees had told him that sometime in the 1970s, some of the headstones were buried. Occasionally, they still get requests to dig up the interred stones. Frequently those stones are broken in the process. 

Is this the first time you are hearing of this? 

I wish I could say I have never heard of this before but in fact, I have. There is a "park" in Hempstead, New York in which my 6th great grandparents are interred; Jacob and Rebecca Raynor. The Hempstead Old Town Burial Ground had fallen into such disrepair that the Town decided to level it. A few headstones stand in a far off corner of the Old Town "Park" but it is not at all a park, its a cemetery. The Town buried the old headstones over the graves and now it's a pretty lawn.

Lovely, just freakin' lovely.

Now I don't know if this is true of Johan and Lena's headstone. I suspect they never had a stone because that is just how it is in my family. Or maybe there are more stones out there then I think. Stay tuned for posts on my other 5 cemetery visits from Saturday.

Gearing Up for a Cemetery Stomping

I am gearing up for a full day of cemetery stomping on Saturday, April 24, 2021. At present my Cousin Pete is planning to go with me. A bunch of the graves I have yet to visit are for individuals from our shared line and the few that are from my mother's side of the family (not Pete's family) are located very close to where Cousin Pete lives in Queens, NY. There are lots of things that Queens is known for but two of the biggest are its airports (LaGuardia & JFK) and cemeteries (far too many to list). 

Of the 59 of my deceased direct ancestors (grandparents, great grandparents, great-great grandparents, and 3rd great grandparents), I have 23 yet to visit. Not too shabby. I know I am blessed to be able to name all of my 3rd great grandparents. Finding records of all their deaths though, is proving to be frustrating. But anyway, on this planned cemetery stomp, I'll be visiting 12.

In the past I posted a map of my planned route through 6 or 7 cemeteries I have to visit. I have since knocked one of them out. I have also come up with quite the visual inventory of who I plan to visit, though.

There is a key to the right of each image: 

The names in White boxes are those I have yet to visit. I have plot locations for these people and I will visit almost all of them on this day of cemetery visiting. Most of them are Grandma Earle's ancestors and, again, are interred in the cemetery belt that stretches through Brooklyn and Queens.

The names in Green boxes are ones I have visited, if not very recently then at some point in my lifetime. I have visited all of Grandpa Earle's ancestors back to my 3rd great grandparents. This is in part due to the fact so many of them are buried near where I live. Grandpa's mother comes from a long line of Long Islanders.

The names in Gray boxes are ones I am working on to finding burial locations. I realize I may never be able to locate some of them. Most of them are my Grandpa Gardner's ancestors, and thus are my French-Canadians. Not only is it a long trip up to Quebec, their records are proving impossible to find. I am grateful for the Drouin Collection but I just can't find them all in there. The Drouin Collection is a French-Canadian collection of over 15 million vital records entries. If you have French-Canadian ancestry and don't know about the Drouin Collection, you need to.

The name in the Blue box I have already posted about; Elizabeth Goetz-Krantzel's death certificate says she is interred in Lutheran Cemetery (a.k.a. All Faiths Cemetery) but they have no record. I plan to interrogate their cemetery office in-person, though.

Grandpa Earle's Ancestors:

Grandma Earle's Ancestors:

Grandpa Gardner's Ancestors:

Grandma Gardner's Ancestors:

Wish me luck!

My Krantzels: I Can't for the Life of Me Figure Out These Deaths

I've got a pair of 3rd great grandparents that are all sorts of sketchy. If I have any kind of shady characteristics, I suspect I inherited that DNA from them; Elizabeth Goetz-Krantzel (12 Feb 1833, Germany - 25 Aug 1896, New York) and Henrich Daniel Krantzel (21 May 1825, Worms, Germany - unknown). 

That's right. I have no clue when or where Henrich Daniel Krantzel died but it's sketchier than that. First off, Henrich Daniel Krantzel shows up in records as, Heinrich, Henry, Daniel, Daniel Heinrich, H. D., D. H., etc. That's not terribly disturbing although it would be divine to see some consistency. It's his death that bothers me the most.

When I obtained Elizabeth's death certificate from the New York City Municipal Archives many years ago, it indicated that she was a widow. Logically I set about to find a New York City based death certificate for Daniel or Henry or whatever he wanted to call himself, prior to August 1896. Keeping in mind that his name was so fluid and I had seen so many variant spellings of Krantzel. My search was unsuccessful.

So I called Lutheran Cemetery which is indicated on Elizabeth's death certificate as the cemetery in which she was interred, thinking that the couple is likely buried together. Lutheran Cemetery is now known as All-Faiths Cemetery. Well, they have no record of an interment for a Daniel or Henry or Henrich Krantzel. They also have no record of an interment for Elizabeth either. Whaaaaaat?

Now I have made that call a couple of times over the years, thinking that maybe I'd get a different clerk who would look in some magical book somewhere and find their spot. Still no luck.

Where are these people?

I thought perhaps the former Lutheran Cemetery's records are not up to snuff so I sort out as many records as I could for this couple, which is really what a genealogist always does.

I learned that apparently H.D. served in the Civil War and that his widow, Elizabeth, filed for his pension. Now this is where is gets really shady.

I obtained the full pension file. It was huge. Apparently, Elizabeth had filed multiple times, in 1889 and 1890. Each time her appeal was rejected for what appears to be lack of details. "Yeah, no kidding, Federal Government." 

In each of Elizabeth's applications she is consistent in stating that "Daniel" was a member of the New York 8th Regiment, Company B and that he died on 8th of April 1877 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati, Ohio??? What the hell was he doing there???

Until - - there is another appeal made in 1891. This claim was also denied but it included a letter that read as follows:

To the Hon. Board of Health:

I respectfully request that the accompanying "Corrected Certificate" of the death of Henry D. Krantzel, 59 years old, who died opposite 168 Front St., on Nov 2, 1884, be filed with the original Certficate of the death of an "Unknown Man", about 55 years old, who died opposite 168 Front St., on Nov 2, 1884, said unknown man being since identified as Henry D. Krantzel.

Yours respectfully,

E. Krantzel,

Son of Henry D. Krantzel

7 St. Mark's Place

Now what the heck is this? Henry D. died November 2, 1884 in New York City? What happened to him keeling over in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1877?

I can't for the life of me figure out the death of this grandpa or the burial location for grandma. Their deaths give me grief alright. I wonder what is really at the root of all this conflicting information. Hmm. I do intend to go to All-Faiths/Lutheran Cemetery and inquire in-person. Maybe when they see my sad face they go to great lengths to search for these two in their records.

Great Grandma Mayme Sharp-Gardner in Union Cemetery, Sayville, New York.

On Saturday, April 3, 2021, I visited the grave of my great grandma, Mayme Sharp-Gardner. This side of my family has always provided me more questions than answers. I know Mayme died on January 25, 1961 in Sarasota, Florida and is buried on Long Island in Union Cemetery in Sayville, NY. She was 69 years old when she died, having been born Mary Elizabeth Sharp near Sherebrooke, Quebec, Canada on September 2, 1891 to Lydia Marie McLean-Sharp and Daniel Sharp. I know this because after my grandfather died in 2005, my Aunt Nancy, who has also since passed, was cleaning otu grandpa's house and came across some family papers. She sent those documents to me. They inclued Mayme's obituary and death certificate.

I don't know what Mayme was doing in Sarasota. I am certain she lived in Patchogue, Long Island at the time of her death. I don't know why she is buried in Union Cemetery - her husband is in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York and her infant daughter, May, is in Cedar Grove Cemetery. I don't know how she even met her husband. She married Albert Gardner (a.k.a. Almond Desjardins) on September 5, 1922 in Manhattan, NY. According to the 1920 Census, though, in '20 Mayme was in Lowell, Massachusetts and Albert was in Oaklahoma City, Oklahoma. How did they ever meet?

In any case, Mayme outlived her husband Albert Gardner by 15 years. For an unknown portion of those years she lived with Albert's sister, Florence V. Desjardins-King. When Florence died in 1952, Mayme continued to live with her brother-in-law, Elbert G. King. Uncle Al, as my grandpa called Elbert, was my grandfather's favorite uncle. 

Just recently, my sister, Rachel, just moved to Sayville and Union Cemetery is about a mile from her house. I totally had forgotten Great Grandma Mayme was buried there until I started this project of grave visiting. 

Union Cemetery doesn't have an office. The building in front of Union Cemetery is actually a Friendly's Ice Cream Shoppe and they don't know nothin' 'bout burying no dead people. 

It took some steps to finally tracked down the person who had the Union Cemetery records. First I found a number for the Union Cemetery Association that went to voicemail. A very kind woman called me back and left me a voicemail instructing me to call the Raynor & D'Andrea Funeral Parlor and ask for Vivian. Vivian doesn't work there, as far as I could tell, but rather Vivian has the Cemetery's records. Once I got a hold of Vivian, she told me she'd get back to me with the plot information I requested. And she did get back to me very quickly and shared with me another long forgotten fact, that my great grandma is buried with Gordons; in the plot purchased by Baldwin Gordon. "Hmm," I thought, "Who are these Gordons? That sounds familiar." 

Um, yeah, they sound familiar. Elbert G. King's middle name is Gordon; a common male name, I know, but in this case, it is his mother's maiden name as well. His mother was Alice Gordon-King (1871-1956). Elbert must have inherited the plot from her. Alice is not buried in Union Cemetery but her father John Harris Gordon (1844-1878) and her grandfather, the purchaser of the plot, Baldwin Cook Gordon (1803-1861) are in this family's plot at Union Cemetery along with their wives; Theresa Newton-Gordon (1845-1933) and Jerusha Raynor-Gordon (1807-1888), respectively. Elbert must have given my grandpa a vacant grave in the plot in which to bury Mayme.

There is no headstone for Mayme. This is no surprise to me. My family rarely has headstones. However, the ones around her were quite impressive.

It's a Dad!

Tuesday night, March 29, 2021, confirmation came in for my most recent client who was searching for her biological father (It Is Him! - written 3 Feb 2021). The confirmation was in the form of his DNA results. They match on AncestryDNA as parent/child.

It was a long arduous process but it feels good to solve such a meaningful mystery. 

I couldn't have figure it out, though, had it not been for all the biological cousins out there who also took DNA tests.

You may not know who you are helping when you take a direct to consumer DNA tests. There are many people opposed to this kind of information being out there. They have legitimate concerns about their privacy and the future of privacy in general. But great blessings can also come out of genetic genealogy.

I hope my client and her biological father can develop a mutually beneficial, positive, adult child/parent relationship.

If you are struggling to learn about your biological family:

1. Before you even take a DNA test, learn how to interpret your results and about the limitations DNA testing can run into.
2. Accept that you may never know the answer you seek and that what you find may not be good.
3. Get a good strong support system around you because it is a freakin' emotional roller coaster.
4. Then test everywhere you can. You never know where that significant cousin match will be.

An Unknown Great Aunt Visited in Cedar Grove

I recently had a cemetery adventure with my friend Toni. I hadn't really spent any time with Toni this past year due to COVID. We talk every week but it isn't the same as a visit. Now that I am vaccinated though, I thought maybe she'd be up for a brief visit; one just long enough to find the grave of my newly discovered great aunt.

My Grandpa Gardner wasn't one to talk much about family but I was still very startled when an Ancestry hint popped up for a child born to Albert Gardner and Mayme Sharp-Gardner, my great grandparents. I seriously doubted he would have had a sister I didn't know about but then again, I shouldn't have been surprised. In all honesty I wonder if my grandfather knew about her. 

According to the New York City Death Record Index, May Gardner was born on July 4, 1928 when my grandfather was just shy of 2 years old having been born August 5, 1926. May died on March 21, 1929 at 8 months old. At 2 1/2 years-old, would my grandfather remember the loss of an infant sibling? I'm certain it is not something the family spoke of frequently. Alas - -

Cedar Grove Cemetery is a nonsectarian cemetery in Flushing, Queens, New York. However, there is a dominant Jewish section of the cemetery known more commonly as Mount Hebron Cemetery. 

When we got to the cemetery we stopped into the office to confirm the location of the plot for my Great Aunt May Gardner, obtained a map, and inquired as to whom she was buried with. Her father, Albert Gardner is buried in Calvary Cemetery. Her mother, Mayme Sharp-Gardner is buried on Long Island, New York at a location I have yet to confirm. I know of no other family members on this side of the family buried in Cedar Grove. 

The very helpful woman in the office listed for me two individuals interred in the plot; Ernestine Schmitt and Helen M. Schmitt. There is a name I haven't heard yet in the family.

She also showed me how one could use the cemetery's website to drop a pin on a plot location and use their gps to find the location. You just go to their website: https://www.thecedargrovecemetery.com/ 

Click on the tab for Search 

Enter the name of the individual you are trying to find. 

When you get the list of results, click on the person's name and it will provide a map with an approximate location of the grave; approximate in that it could be a few feet off.

Toni and I ventured out to find the location. I doubted sincerely that there would be a headstone. We did see a Schmitt headstone, Toni spotted it, but it said John Schmitt on it so I ignored it.

When I got home I started to research Ernestine Schmitt and Helen M. Schmitt and sure enough FindAGrave revealed the headstone I should have looked at. I didn't notice Ernestine listed on it. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/147674527/ernestine-schmitt

Curiously, there is no internment record for John Schmitt in this plot. The headstone makes no mention of Helen. AND I have no idea who these people are. 

I did discover that the Schmitts lived in the same general area of Astoria, Queen in which my Gardners lived at the time. John and Ernestine were significantly older than my great grandparents; Albert and Mayme who were both born in 1891, John Schmitt was born in 1862 and Ernestine in 1866.

I did discover that Helen Schmitt who is interred with Ernestine died on January 25, 1919 when she was just 7 months old. Ernestine would have been about 52 at the time of that child's birth which makes her a bit old to be the mother of Helen. Perhaps Ernestine and John were the grandparents of Helen Schmitt or adoptive parents. 

I am left to assume that the Schmitts were either friends of the family or perhaps just generous neighbors or fellow parishioners who donated or sold the space in their plot to my great grandparents to buried their infant daughter, May. Whatever the case, I am grateful they gave my infant great aunt a resting place.