Follow Friday - Renewal Gone Bad Ruined Jewels of Hazleton's Past

Hazleton was the city I grew up in.  It's far from a city in its prime and many would consider it a city in decay.  A friend of mine, Charles McElwee, wrote a brilliant piece that appeared both in the local newspaper (The Standard Speaker) as well as on the The Greater Hazleton Historical Society and Museum's website.

I like to refer to Charles as my cousin, but we actually aren't.  We share a common relative, but aren't related. Still he's a wonderful person and, as you can get a glimpse of in this article, a very talented man.  It's a brilliant look back into Hazleton's past and where it's future could lie.  Please head on over a check out his piece called "Renewal Gone Bad Ruined Jewels of Hazleton's Past."

You don't need to have family in the Hazleton area to really find interest in this article.  Charles addresses what happened in many cities on the decline...urban renewal.  Urban renewal wasn't confined to northeastern Pennsylvania.  It happened in so many cities and some of what was done I was completely ignorant of (and shocked by).

Charles specifically references the Duplan Silk Mill and how it came to be in Hazleton.  I had ancestors that worked at Duplan so the piece had special meaning to me because it filled in a bit of family history.

Always a fountain of information, Charles McElwee has once again educated me in local history. Seriously...why did I learn none of this in school!?!?

Head on over.  You will not be disappointed!

Tombstone Tuesday - Nancy Finally Got Her Tombstone

Michael and Nancy O'Donoghue nee Brown - St Gabriel's Cemetery, Hazleton, PA

I've blogged about my cousin, Nancy O'Donoghue nee Brown, before.  She was one of those dear cousins you meet online when researching your genealogy.  You correspond, compare notes, and help each other as best as you can.  We even met once.  I still remember it fondly.

Shortly before I started blogging (almost 3 years ago now) Nancy died.  She was killed by her husband and we were all shocked beyond belief.  This doesn't happen to people you know.  It's something you read about in other people's families.  Her husband, Michael, was apparently seriously ill.  He died almost exactly a year after Nancy and before his trial could begin.

This is one of those pieces of family history that I would love to know what happened...why it happened, but I would never seek to ask anyone in Nancy and Michael's family just to confirm or alter my own theories.  Their children and grandchildren have got to be completely devastated and heart-broken.  I'm sure they would prefer to remember Michael and Nancy with fond, loving memories.  I'm sure they do.  They deserve to.

I was upset when I visited Nancy's gravesite nearly a year after she passed and discovered that there was only a marker from the funeral home.  No tombstone.  I had spoken with the caretaker at Saint Gabriel's Cemetery in Hazleton, PA and he had told me that many people stopped by to visit Nancy and asked the same question.

I didn't make it home in 2012 so perhaps the tombstone was there then.  I can only guess that perhaps the family knew in 2011 that Michael's end was near and they held off on placing the stone until after his passing.  Either way I'm just glad it's there.

Rest in peace, Nancy and Michael.

Military Monday - Remembering a Female WWI Veteran

I saw this obituary as I was looking through microfilm.  Upon glancing at it I decided to print off a copy because it was for a World War I veteran and that veteran was 95 years old.  I didn't really read the obituary...until last night.  That's when I noticed that this WWI veteran was a woman!

Standard Speaker, 22SEP1986, pg2

"Mrs. William C. Beltz
World War I veteran

Mrs. Elsie L. Beltz, RN, age 95, formerly of Freeland, who resided the past six years with her niece, Mrs. Ruth (Boyle) Priestley of Grand Blanc, Mich., died early Sunday morning at the McLaren Hospital, Flint, Mich.

Born in Quakake, she was the daughter of the late Peter J. and Mary (Eveland) Shoemaker.

She was a resident of Freeland for 85 years before moving to Michigan.

She graduated from the Pottsville Hospital Training School of Nursing, in 1914, and prior to her retirement, she was employed by the Hazleton State General Hospital.

She was an Army veteran of World War I, and served with the Army Nurse Corp.

She was a member of St. Luke's Evangelical Church, Freeland; the Hazleton Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, the American Legion Post No. 473, Freeland, and the Lady Jeremiah Rebekah Lodge No. 93.

Preceding her in death was her husband, William C. Beltz, who died in 1965.

Surviving are three step sons, William, John and Wilbur Beltz, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. from the Cotterall Funeral Home, Freeland, with the Rev. Richard H. Summy, officiating.  Interment will be in the Odd Fellows Cemetery, Tamaqua.

Relatives and friends will be received by the family on Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m.

Memorial donations to St. Luke's Evangelical Church, Freeland, will be appreciated."

Elsie was born on June 21, 1891.  She enlisted in the military on January 16, 1918 and was discharged on November 5, 1919.  She passed away on September 21, 1986 (US Department of Veteran Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010). Elsie didn't marry until she was about 35 years old and guessing from this obituary she and William had no biological children together.

Women served during WWI, especially in the Army Nurse Corp.  The influenza pandemic that hit during the time created a desperate need for nurses everywhere, and many were funneled into the military.  It's good to see this veteran remembered.  Thank you for your service, Elsie.

Sunday's Obituary - An Obituary That Broke My Heart

My sisters and me with "Nana" (I'm the ham-bone on the right).  We loved her hugs.

I was excited to get home to Pennsylvania and dive into the local newspapers so I could find the obituary for Hazel Blum nee Hill...the next door neighbor we called "Nana".  I wanted more details on her life.  I knew some basics about who she was, but hoped for more in her obituary.  I was to be greatly disappointed.

Hazleton Standard Speaker 01AUG1996, pg2

"Hazel Blum

Hazel Hill Blum, 97, of Hazleton, the oldest member of Trinity Lutheran Church, died Tuesday at Hazleton General Hospital.

Born March 17, 1899, she was the daughter of the late Conrad and Olive Aubrey Hill, and was a life-long resident of Hazleton.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Dr. Maurice L.; brother, Harry; and a sister, Rebecca Hill Kramer.

Surviving are two nieces and a nephew.

Funeral arrangements will be announced."

I know I shouldn't have been disappointed with this obituary.  There is some good stuff in there (believe it or not).  It gives me the name of the church she belonged to (which I did not know).  With this I can help rectify something that was missing from this obituary...where she's buried.  I saw that statement "Funeral arrangements will be announced" and with two kids getting bored in a library I only searched through the rest of the roll of microfilm in hopes of finding her burial announcement, but there was nothing.  A call to Trinity Lutheran will hopefully tell me where "nana" is buried.  I have a feeling it's Vine Street Cemetery in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.  Why?  Proximity.  It's the closest cemetery to the church. That's not conclusive, but it's a start.  Perhaps the church will be able to help me out more.

My parents always would talk about how old "nana" was.  I frankly thought that it was a bit of an exaggeration.  Little did I know that "nana" was already 73 years old when I was born!  The obituary (while not a primary source) helps to confirm how old she really was.  There's a little part of the Irish in me that giggles knowing "nana" was born on Saint Patrick's Day.  Warm and fuzzy feelings (nothing truly of genealogical significance there...just smiles).

Knowing that "nana's" parents were Conrad and Olive Hill was no surprise.  I was able to find this information out in the US Federal Censuses.  Hill may indeed be a very common last name, but I had one bit of information going for me..."nana" was my neighbor and I knew that the house she lived in with her husband, Maurice, was the house she grew up in.  Finding her in the census records while knowing that tid-bit was easy.  What I didn't know was her mom's maiden name.  The way the obituary was written we can tell it's Aubrey.  I'll be able to do some research there.  Why?  She's not my family. I just want to know more about hers.  It's not something that I can really explain.  Perhaps other genealogists can empathize with me here...perhaps I'm just a bit kooky.

Michele, "Nana" and me (I know I'm cute)

I knew the names of her brother and sister because they were in the census records too.  Now I'll be able to look for Rebecca in later census records under her married name. Perhaps I'll be able to find out the names of both Harry and Rebecca's Hill descendants.

So there is information gleaned out of a rather brief obituary, so why am I so sad?  I loved "nana".  Still do and always will, but I have the memories of a child of her and we know that children don't always remember the most significant bits of information, nor do they ask the questions we as adults want to know.  My "nana" died when I was a trainee in the Army.  I didn't know until over a year later that she was gone.  My father never told me.  I just felt hollow.  I was now an adult and would never be able to hug that tiny little lady again.  I'm 5'5"...or at least I was before the Army shrank about 3/4-inch from me over 10 years.  "Nana" was maybe 5'0" tall.  There wasn't a time I saw nana outside or visited with her that I did not hug her.  She never had children and rarely had family visit her.  Who is there to remember her?  This obituary doesn't encourage me.

I hope that I will find the burial information for her in the newspaper next year.  I hope it was put in there. I hope that she was memorialized properly.  "Nana" lived to be 97 years old, but did she out-live everyone that truly knew her?  Does anyone have fond memories of "nana" apart from my sisters and I?  I hope so.  I hope this post lets them find me so that we can always remember one of the most loving people I have ever met...Hazel Blum nee Hill.

Funeral Card Friday - Adelbert W. Boegel

I was looking through funeral cards while waiting for a friend to arrive to brain-storm events for our Cub Scout Wolf Den and came across this card for Adelbert W. Boegel.  What struck me about this card and why I decided to share it today was because it had a piece of information on it that I rarely see on funeral cards.  It actually had which plot Adelbert was buried in!

"In Loving Memory Of

Adelbert W. Boegel

Born To Life

March 22, 1911

Born To Eternal Life

May 27, 1986

Services Sat. May 31, 1986

St. Boniface Church

Goldendale

Interment Holy Cross Cemetery

Blk. 18 Sec. 3 Lot 325 No. East

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; they will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen."

According to the family tree my mother-in-law gave me, Adelbert was the son of Raymond Boegel and Catherine Schrauth and the grandson of William Boegel Sr and Katherine Melzer.

With just a quick search the family tree that was given to me can be verified through US Census records that show Adelbert with his parents, Raymond and Catherine, at the right age and in the right location.  I'm still working on verifying all the information in the handwritten tree they gave me, but for now I have no reason to believe that they would be wrong.

As to the burial information I did some checking online and St. Boniface Church is on Glendale Road in Washington County, Wisconsin, but their cemetery isn't Holy Cross.  It would appear that Holy Cross Cemetery is in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.  I began thinking that maybe the cemetery name had changed, but 1986 wasn't that long ago.  Then I had another thought...you know...the obvious kind...maybe he really was buried in a different cemetery.  So I checked directions on Google Maps and found that the church and this cemetery are only about 15 minutes apart.  Very feasible although I still don't know why he wouldn't be buried in the church cemetery unless Holy Cross was where the rest of his family was buried.

The fun of genealogy...there's always something else to look into!

Those Places Thursday - A Historic Moment at the Supreme Court

At the Supreme Court as the ruling striking down Proposition 8 occurred - June 26, 2013

My mom, two sons and I took a trip to Washington D.C. this summer.  We arrived on June 25th and walked around the National Mall and Arlington National Cemetery.  That was the day that the Supreme Court decided that the Voting Rights Act was out-dated.  So glad we didn't visit the courthouse that day.  It's a day I'd like to forget.

At the FDR memorial

On the roster for day two was the far side of the National Mall with the MLK and FDR memorials, the White House (no tours due to the sequester so pictures of the outside only), Congress, and the Supreme Court.  Sounds like a busy day, but we weren't taking any tours and we hoped to get out before rush hour.  As we were entering the National Mall portion of D.C. we turned the news on the radio.  We knew that Proposition 8 and D.O.M.A. (the Defense of Marriage Act) were going to be ruled on that day.  As we entered the Capitol we heard it...D.O.M.A. was struck down.  The boys were playing with their electronics in the back of the van. They were oblivious about what just happened until we started talking about it minutes later.  My mom was thrilled.  I was in tears.  So happy I could cry...I certainly understood that phrase that morning.

It took awhile to get to the parking garage, but we decided that the Supreme Court was the place to be.  Prop 8 still needed to be ruled on and the demonstrations should be quite the experience so we started walking to the Supreme Court.  We did have to pass Congress on our way (they're right across the street from each other, if you didn't know) and as we passed I pointed out to my children "the building where no work gets done" and took some photos for posterity.  We then crossed the street and dove into the crowds in front of the Supreme Court.

We heard cheers as we crossed and I felt certain that it was more good news.  I approached someone wearing a pro-LGBT shirt and asked what the outcome of Prop 8 was.  We were told that it had been upheld.  I was stunned.  Was all that cheering really because it had been upheld.  I comforted with the words that the fight wasn't over and we'd get there someday, and my family and I entered the crowds to try to get closer to the stairs.

The wall at the Martin Luther King Jr memorial

We couldn't.  We got through much of the media that was set up along the walkway and then couldn't go any further.  What was the hold up?  I was frustrated until I realized that I had come within 2 people deep of a statement that Representative John Lewis (D-5th District, Georgia) was giving...thus the congestion.  I recognized the man standing there from TV, but I couldn't remember if he was friend or foe to the LGBT community so I did what any other clueless bystander would do.  I whipped out my iPhone held it up over the heads of the few people that separated me and the congressman and took a picture.  I saw a young woman smiling at me when I did that and asked her, "I'm sorry, but who is this man and what district does he represent?"  She told me and I knew he was a friend.  He was a very active figure in the Civil Rights Movement and had marched with Martin Luther King Jr.  A supporter of equality for all.

I'm sorry your eyes were closed Rep Lewis, but thank you for your service!

I asked this woman what the ruling was.  That we had been told that Prop 8 had been upheld, but that everyone looked far too happy for that.  She told me that indeed it had not been upheld, but struck down.  The person I had spoken to upon crossing the street was mistaken.  I was elated.

I've talked to my children, ages 12 and 7, about topics like racism, sexism, and equality before.  This was a moment for them to experience too.  I don't know that Daniel completely understood its significance being only 7, but I know that my oldest son got it.  I know that both of them will be able to tell their children and grandchildren that they were there on this momentous day and that they stood near the stairs to the Supreme Court with their mom and grandmother when one of the fundamental tenants of our country was reaffirmed...

"All men* are created equal"

The wall at the Martin Luther King Jr memorial

*Just a little linguistic reminder that the term "man" and "men" can actually be used as gender neutral words.  A point often lost among many.  Today we would say "everyone" but language needs to be viewed in the context of the era in which it was written and "man" was the appropriate term when the Constitution was written.

Very busy in front of the Supreme Court on June 26, 2013

This post is dedicated to all the friends I have that are members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.
To see my fellow Americans discriminated against for basic rights that everyone should have tears at my heart. These rulings are of historic significance for our country.  There are states that still deny these rights to members of the LGBT community and while we have not finished the fight, we took two giant steps forward...and I want my descendants to know that I was there.

Tombstone Tuesday - A New Tabor Tombstone

Mountain View Cemetery, West Hazleton, PA

I've shared (or at least I think I have...hmmm I'll have to check on that!) the tombstones for my paternal grandmother, Florence Tabor nee Bronsavage, and my paternal grandfather, Clarence Tabor, before.  Sadly, on November 12th of last year my uncle, Leonard Tabor, passed away.

I remember years ago talking with my father and uncle about where they wanted to be buried (grim conversation, but not to a genealogist).  My father wanted to be buried with his dad, and my uncle wanted to be buried with his mom.

My uncle had made plans.  He knew he was dying.  The funeral and the tombstone had been planned and paid for before his death.  When I went back to Pennsylvania this summer, I visited the cemetery where they were buried.  The separate tombstones for my grandparents were gone and there was one tombstone set in its place.

It was weird seeing the old tombstones gone.  It was painful to see my uncle's name on the tombstone and know that I wouldn't get to see him again, but it was made a little easier knowing that he was buried with family as he wanted.