Wordless Wednesday - Grandpa in his Classroom

My grandpa, Edward Brown Sr, in his classroom at H.F. Grebey Junior High School, Hazleton, PA

Travel Tuesday - The ICBU Convention

I blogged briefly in an Amanuensis Monday post on the Irish Catholic Benevolent Union (ICBU).  There really isn't a lot of literature out there concerning this organization and that's a shame because I know that it was a part of my Pennsylvania ancestors' lives.

In a photo album that I scanned from my aunt there were several pictures over 2 pages that were labeled "I.C.B.U. convention, Kingston, Aug. 19th/13"  I can't find out which "Kingston" this was and I haven't (yet) been able to find out where the ICBU convention was held in 1913.  One of the pictures was also labeled "Saint Patrick's Hall," but that didn't yield anything either.  Kingston is a popular city name and Saint Patrick...well...Irish patron saint...need I say more?

The only book I was able to find so far on the ICBU was a 1953 print dissertation by Sister Joan Marie Donohoe, S.N.D., M.A. from the Congregation of Notre Dame de Namur of Belmont, California.  It was submitted to the Catholic University of America as a requirement for her doctor of philosophy degree.  One of the books I need to dive into after I return my newest pile of library books.  Hopefully, it will help me better understand the pictures in this family album from my Quirk ancestors.

The very bottom picture was particularly interesting.  My Irish ancestors at an Irish Catholic convention of some sorts (and by looking at several of the pictures a parade was held) and there's a British flag.  Knowing the tension between the Irish Catholics and the British Protestants I can only suppose that someone was looking for conflict.

If anyone has any ideas about these pictures, I'd love to hear them!

This photo wasn't labeled ICBU, but was on the same page

A British flag at the ICBU convention?  I guess these two groups just couldn't resist the confrontation.

Amanuensis Monday - Bail of Alleged Pickpocket Forfeited

A little fun tonight.  I'm not blogging on one of my relatives (at least I don't think I am!), but I'm transcribing an article that was on the same page as the obituary I posted last night.  Let's just say it caught my eye.

Easton Express, Friday, 15JAN1926, pg 8

"Bail of Alleged Pickpocket Forfeited

When the name of Albert Smith was called in court at Belvidere yesterday there was no response, and Judge Harry Runyon promptly ruled that his bail bond of $2,500 be forfeited.  Court attaches say that the bond was furnished by a casualty company.  A short time after Smith had been arrested friends came to his rescue, with the result that the bond was accepted and the defendant lost no time in getting away from this vicinity."

I'm sure his friends were not at all pleased at losing such a sum of money.  That's a lot today, but we're talking 1926.  Not cool.  Perhaps this transcription will add a little spice to someone researching Mr. Smith's family tree!

Sunday's Obituary - Anna Blanchfield nee Boyle

Easton Express, Friday, 15JAN1926, pg 8

Continuing on this week with all those Blanchfield obituaries that I've been hanging on to for years without posting.

Anna Blanchfield nee Boyle was the daughter of Manus Maurice Boyle and Alice Monaghan.  A coal miner, Manus left his pregnant wife and daughter, (Bridget) Mary, and went to Australia to mine for gold.  He died in the shipwreck of the Royal Charter on his return voyage on October 26, 1859.  He never got to hold his daughter, Anna (my 2nd great grandmother) who was born 2 months after his departure.

“Mrs. Martin Blanchfield

Mrs. Anna Blanchfield, wife of Martin Blanchfield, died at 9 o’clock last evening at her home, 34 Heckman street, Phillipsburg, from paralysis, with which she was stricken two weeks ago.  During the eight years that Mrs. Blanchfield made her home in this town, coming here from Hazleton, Pa., she made many friends.

Besides her husband the deceased is survived by the following children:  Mrs. Robert Flynn, Misses Anna, Josephine, Lillian and William and Joseph Blanchfield.  A sister, Mrs. Mary Fay, of Hazleton, also survives her.  She was a faithful member of Sts. Philip and James’ Catholic church and the Rosary Society.”

A shame that her two daughters that predeceased her were not mentioned.  Mrs. Abraham (Mary) Turnbach and my great grandmother, Mrs. Edward (Alice) Quirk.  It reminds us that just because we come across an obituary doesn’t mean that the information in it is complete (or in many cases correct).  A shame when researchers get a piece of information like this and stop.

Funeral Card Friday - Russell Mark Anderson

"Russel 'Mark' Anderson, 54, Green Bay, died unexpectedly, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012, at his home.  He was born Jan. 19, 1957, in Chicago, to Russell J. and Dona (Van Caster) Anderson.  Mark attended Bay Port High School.  He later served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps.  He began his career as a mechanic at an early age.  Mark owned and operated Anderson Motors in Green Bay and later worked at Mr. Outboard as a marine technician.  He was a member of the Waterboard Warriors since the 1980's.  Mark had a love of racing and enjoyed snowmobile and boat racing in particular.

Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law, Amanda and Brandon Rusch, Ashley and Nick Golik; a grandson, Wyatt Golik; his father and mother, Russell J. and Dona Anderson; four sisters and brothers-in-law, Rita and Roger Kieselhorst, Rhonda and Paul Knope, Rose and Rick Campbell, Becky and Mike Lindgren; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Mark was preceded in death by a brother, Rick Anderson; and his grandparents.

Friends may call at Blaney Funeral Home, 1521 Shawano Ave., from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday.  A Memorial Service will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home with Pat Dennison, Pastoral Associate officiating.  To send online condolences, please go to www.BlaneyFuneralHome.com.

A memorial fund has been established."

Mark's obituary was posted online at the Blaney Funeral Home and had been published in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Jan2012).  Mark was my husband's 2nd cousin.

Rest in peace Mark.  We will remember you always.

Wednesday's Child - Anne Marie Arendt

I was looking through the pile of funeral/memorial cards and came across this one.  Anne Marie was 11 years old when she died.  I don't know how or if she is related.  The card could have been kept because she was a child, but I will be pulling the obituary from the Green Bay Press-Gazette when I get back to Wisconsin next time.  It's always sad to see someone taken so young.  Having a 12 year old son, I cannot imagine what the family went through.

Rest in peace, Anne Marie.

**UPDATE** - Shortly after posting this story my sister-in-law, Karen, told me that Anne Marie isn't a relation, but she was one of her best friends from kindergarten through 4th grade.  Anne Marie passed away after becoming ill from encephalitis when she was in 5th grade.  Her family moved away from Green Bay, Wisconsin shortly after her death.  Anne Marie is still remembered and thought of often.  Thanks, Karen!

Tombstone Tuesday - Alice and Edward Quirk

I've talked about Edward and Alice Quirk nee Blanchfield before, but I realized that I never posted a picture of their tombstone.  I'll have to take another picture when I go back to Pennsylvania this summer.  I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I can't believe that I cut off part of the stone.  There's no information there, but still!

Alice died in 1915.  That's 45 years before her husband.  I thought that I had blogged Alice's obit previously, but I'm not seeing it on my blog.  I'll have to look again when this flu bug gets out of my system and if it turns out I didn't, then I'll have to rectify that.  It's a very sad story (as death usually is), but I will only touch on it today and save the details for when I'm more coherent.

Alice died shortly after giving birth to their second child.  The child also passed soon after birth.  My grandmother, Mary Alice Quirk, was their first-born.  Edward never remarried and he and his daughter lived with his brother and sisters.  Her aunts and uncle raised her like their own daughter and she had a good childhood.

The year Edward passed away, my grandparents lost their fourth child, a daughter, Ann.  She is buried with Alice and Edward.  Their tombstone is located in Saint Gabriel's Roman Catholic Cemetery in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

I like sharing information about Alice.  I don't have a lot of it, but when I first began my genealogy research and I ran across others researching the Blanchfields, there were more often than not family trees that had Alice married to someone besides Edward or not married at all.  I felt like I was actually able to help fit some pieces together for some people conducting their research.  I know I always appreciate it.

I feel a special connection with Alice.  I don't know why.  Perhaps it's because I feel for my grandmother having lost her mother when she was tiny and it makes me realize how lucky I am to have my mother even as an adult.

Until next time, have fun tending those roots!

Amanuensis Monday - Philippe Cayenbergh's Land Patent

OK, I know that my husband's ancestor having a land grant is nothing extraordinary, but the thought that an ancestor was the first person to purchase the land from the U.S. government is pretty neat.

Our surname Cayemberg has gone through multiple changes over the years, Cayenbergh, being one, but not the oldest.

"Homestead Certificate No 137
Application 275

The United States of America, To all to whom these presents shall com, Greeting:

Whereas, there has been deposited in the General Land Office of the United States, a certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Menasha, Wisconsin, whereby it appears that pursuant to the Act of Congress approved 20th May, 1862, 'To secure Homesteads to actual Settlers on the public domain,' and the acts supplemental thereto, the claim of Philippe Cayenbergh has been established and duly consummated in conformity to law for the North West quarter of the North West quarter of Section three in Township twenty five, of Range twenty four in the District of Lands subject to sale at Menasha, Wisconsin, containing forty acres and eighty six hundredths of an acre, according to the Official Plat of the Survey of the said Land returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General.

Now know ye, That there is therefore granted by the United States unto the said Philippe Cayenbergh the tract of Land above described: To Have and to Hold the said tract of Land, with the appurtenances thereof, unto the said Philippe Cayenbergh and to his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States of America, have caused these latters to be made Patent, and the Seal of the General Land Office to the hereunto affixed.

Given under my hand, at the City of Washington, the first day of April, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and seventy one, and of the independence of the United States the ninety fifth

By the President:  U.S. Grant
By J. Parrish, Sec'y
J.(W). Wanger, Recorder of the General Land Office"

The J.W. Wanger was taken from a transcription of another Land Patent on WorldCat.  I still see J. N. not J.W. but it could be.  (Thanks, Sean Kelley for the help!)

Sunday's Obituary - I'm Baaaack!

Marker for Martin, Anna and 2 of their daughters

I've missed you all.  I've missed my blog too, but I'll be honest...this recent move to Colorado kicked my butt.  I'm used to moving.  The military saw to that, but it was so much easier when I was just a little younger and wasn't caring for a desperately sick kitty.  Since I was having such a difficult time getting to my blog I decided to wait until the move was complete before heading back.  So the house is built and the boxes have (almost) all been emptied.  The organizing is mostly done and the kitty is hanging in there, so it's time to get back to it.

During the organization of our office (which is also the place that is still requiring some attention) I started to go through old genealogy papers that I was bad enough to not file and enter into my database when I first collected them.  Bad, but a habit I'm trying to break.  Anyway, I realized that I had several obituaries on the Blanchfield side of my family and not a single one made it into a post! Shameful, but now I'll have posts for Sunday's Obituary for many weeks to come.

I decided to start with the father of this particular collection...Martin Blanchfield.  Martin Blanchfield married Anna Boyle on January 9, 1876 in New York City in Saint Andrew's Catholic Church.  I did blog about their marriage before as St. Andrew's was kind enough to send me a transcription of their marriage sacrament.

Martin and Anna had 12 children:  Mary, Alice, Annie, William, Josephine, Lillian, Catherine, Joseph, and four children that did not survive, but were acknowledged, namelessly in census records.  Their daughter, Alice, was my great grandmother.  The family moved from New York City to the Beaver Meadows area in Carbon County, Pennsylvania.  Most of their children were born in Carbon County (except Mary and Alice), and all except Mary and Alice moved with their parents to Phillipsburg, New Jersey where they lived out the remainder of their lives.

Martin's obituary was published in the "Easton Express" on Monday, May 13, 1935 on page 8...the same day he passed.  The obituary is brief.  Just one short paragraph, but I'll give them credit for squeezing in as much as they could that would help a genealogist:

Easton Express, 13MAY1935, pg 8

"Martin Blanchfield

Martin Blanchfield, aged 75, died early this morning at his home, 65 Glen avenue, from a heart attack after an illness of one week.  Mr Blanchfield was well known and had many friends.  He is survived by two sons and four daughters, William and Joseph Blanchfield, Mrs. Robert Flynn and Misses Anna, Josephine and Lillian Blanchfield.  He was a member of Sts. Philip and James' Catholic Church and the Holy Name Society."

Not too bad for a brief obit.  Church, address, and kids.  No mention of his wife, Anna, so if I hadn't already discovered her death date this would have let me know that she predeceased him.  If only every obituary I needed had this much useful information!