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.