Tuesday's Tip - The Case of the Two Viola Vanias

When you've got someone in your family tree with the married name of Viola Vania you would think that if you found a death date for her that it would be your Viola Vania. I mean, how common could that name be? And if you found a Viola Vania in Algoma, Wisconsin where your Viola lived then you were good, right? Never assume anything, my dear Watson. Never.

Viola Cayemberg was the daughter of Gustav Joseph Cayemberg (he went by Joseph) and Virginia Wautlet. This is a branch of my husband's family that I don't have much on. The reason is that our reunions are based off Gustav's brother, Eli Cayemberg. Many (though not all) of the descendants of Eli and Florence seem to ignore moving beyond Eli or tracing those lateral lines. I don't. Cousins are a wonderful thing and they can help fill in holes and confirm data. Plus if we keep track of the cousins of Eli and Florence why not of Philippe and Catherine, Eli and Gustav's parents?

The Algoma Record Herald,
Thurs. 30APR1992, pg4

I found two different death dates for Viola from various sources on Ancestry and FindAGrave. One date was November 21, 1994 and the other was April 24, 1992. Seeing those two dates was a bit much. One is my husband's birthday and the other is mine (wrong years...I wish I was that young!). So I put both down for a bit of research when I went back to Wisconsin for Christmas. When I got there I pulled the microfilm for the The Algoma Record Herald and started with the earlier date...

"Viola Vania

Viola Vania, 92, 601 Navarino St., Algoma, died Friday, April 24, at Kewaunee Health Care Center.

The former Viola Buss was born May 9, 1899 in Milwaukee to August and Louise (Bloehmil) Buss. She moved to Algoma from Milwaukee in 1932. In 1919 she married Joseph Vania in Milwaukee. They owned and operated a bar in Algoma until 1947.

Survivors include nieces, Mrs. Mabel Murawski, Muskego, Mrs. Ethel Brauer, Algoma; and other nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, one brother and one sister.

Friends called from 3-8 p.m. Monday at the Wiesner-Massart Funeral Home, Algona, and after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church. Funeral services were 11 a.m. Tuesday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, the Rev. Brent Merten officiating. Burial was in Pilgrims Rest Cemetery, Milwaukee."

The Algoma Record Herald,
Thurs. 24NOV1994, pg7

Not my Viola. On to the next obituary hoping I wasn't going to get double-whammied and end up with no good result:

"Viola Vania

Mrs. John (Viola) Vania, 90, Algoma, died on Monday, Nov. 21 in the Algoma Long Term Care Unit.

The former Viola Cayemberg was born on August 2, 1904 at Rosiere. She graduated from the Rosiere Graded School. Her family later moved to Algoma. She married John Vania in Algoma on March 4, 1924 and they resided in Algoma until the time of their deaths.

She is survived by eight children, Gladys Krueger, James and Lloyd (Janet), Gloria (Jack) March, John (Pat), all of Algoma; Mae (Richard) Dreier, Concord, Calif.; Donna (Ernest) Walker and Raymond (Carol), Green Bay; 24 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and one sister, Ann Vania, Algoma. She was preceded in death by four sisters and one brother.

Friends called at the Schinderle Funeral Home from 4 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and after 10 a.m. on Wednesday at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Algoma, until time of services. Parish vigil was at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening. Funeral services were on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Church, with the Rev. Jim Massart officiating. Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery."

Now this is my Viola! Lots of great information in here that I didn't previously have. I did have that Viola was one of seven children and a sister was Ann(a), so it looks like a sister also married a Vania, but I'll have to look into that one to be sure. At least now I know that all of her siblings, save one passed before November 21, 1994. That's helpful.

This research and discovery was important...is important because we know that so many of the public trees we find are rife with errors. The errors are usually caused by inexperience and sloppiness. I know when I first started out I made a lot of mistakes. I learned and was open to the fact that I could be wrong. Accepting this possibility is an important part of becoming a better researcher and genealogist. Most people learn and evolve in their research, unless they can't acknowledge their faults. Even professional, paid researchers can get it wrong sometimes. If the best can be mistaken then anyone can. Only those that refuse to admit their shortcomings will continue down the wrong paths, and they'll hit more brick walls in their trees.

An obituary isn't confirmation of a connection. It's a secondary source of information provided by grieving relatives that can get things wrong, but it can help to establish proof and lend credibility to assumptions when combined with other primary and secondary sources. I already knew Viola Cayemberg was born on August 2, 1904 because I had previously pulled her birth record at the Wisconsin Historical Society. The birth date matching up perfectly strengthened both of these records  as well as the other census data I had collected.

Even if you're fairly certain that someone you found is the right person you need to check the records and confirm your research. Write it down in a research log and put your assumption/what you hope to find. If it turns out to be true you can happily and confidently put that person in your tree.

Until next time, have fun tending those roots!

(Viola Vania nee Cayemberg is my husband's first cousin twice removed)

Wednesday's Child - Tamara "Tammy" Laurent

This article was difficult to transcribe.  It's a parent's worst nightmare.  The newspaper clipping was in a scrapbook that was passed on to me by my mother-in-law and had been passed on to her by her mother-in-law.  There is not indication of the newspaper it was published in although it would have most likely been the Green Bay Press-Gazette or nearby newspaper.  The date hand-written in is most likely the date of death rather than the publication date.

Rest in peace little Tammy.

"Struck by Car in Driveway, Child Dies

LUXEMBURG - A 22-month old child, Tamara Laurent, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Laurent, Town of Luxemburg, died about 4:30 a.m. Sunday of injuries suffered about noon Friday when she was accidentally struck by a car being backed out of the family garage by the mother.  The mishap occurred in the Laurent driveway.

The child - Tammy to her family - died at St. Vincent's hospital, Green Bay.

Funeral services were conducted at 2 p.m. Monday at the McMahon funeral home, Luxemburg, and burial was in the Evergreens at Algoma.

The Laurents live on a town road which forms the Brown-Kewaunee county line.  Their home is in the Tonet area.

Mrs. Laurent told Kewaunee county authorities that she had instructed Tammy and another daughter, Sandy, 3, to stay on the porch while she backed the car out of the garage.  She said she started out and felt a bump and then heard sandy call out Tammy's name.  She looked out the car door and found Tammy under the vehicle.

The mother is the former Ruth Ann Villers.

Tammy was born at Algoma Memorial hospital Aug. 9, 1968.

Survivors are her parents; two sisters, Carol Jean, 6, and Sandra, 3; two brothers, Paul, 4, and Daniel, four months; the maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Villers, R2, Algoma; the paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Norman Laurent, R3, Luxemburg, and great-grandfather, Fred Villers, R1, Algoma."

[Date hand-written, June 28, 1970]

Sunday's Obituary - Octavia Villers nee Wagner

I've actually got 2 wonderful obituaries for Octavia.  One was sent to me from a cousin that I met through the absolutely wonderful world of message boards (I love those darned boards so very much!).  The other I found during Scanfest last Sunday.

Yes, can you believe that I had the obituary published in Wisconsin for years and didn't know it.  That's why I'm forever grateful that I finally remembered to tune in and do a scan fest.  I knew I had lots to scan, but never seemed to get to it.  This find has certainly motivated me to get down to it and get it done!

So for you long-time readers of my blog (there are one or two of you out there)...you may recall the murder trial of Martin Joseph Villers that I posted on back at the end of 2010.  Well, Octavia was his wife.  She is my husband's great-great grandmother.  I'm posting both obituaries, because they are a bit different and they therefore give slightly different genealogical information.  It also makes for a pretty good comparison.

The Bismarck Tribune

The following is from the Bismarck Tribune, July 1940:

"OCTAVIA VILLERS, AGED CO. PIONEER, PASSED AWAY TODAY

Funeral Services Will Be Held At St. James Church Monday

Mrs. Octavia Villers, aged pioneer resident of Jamestown and Stutsman county, died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary LaJoie, at 6:30 o'clock this morning.

Mrs. Villers came with her parents to the United States 84 years ago from her native land, Belgium, where she was born December 18, 1842.  The trip was made in a sailboat and took six weeks.  The family went to Rosiere, Wisconsin, near Green Bay.  It was 54 years ago when Mrs. Villers came to Stutsman county to Montpelier.  She came to Jamestown over 30 years ago and for nearly 20 years lived with her daughter, Mrs. Ella Naze and since that time has lived with Mrs. LaJoie.

Mrs. Villers was active until about two years ago.  She was a member of St. James Catholic church.  Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. LaJoie; Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski, Wis.; Mrs. Agnes Tardiff, Duluth, Minn.; and a son, Louis Villers, Green Bay, Wisc.; 24 grandchildren; 36 great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.  Mrs. Naze, a daughter, died several years ago.

Funeral services will be held at St. James Catholic church Monday morning at 9:00 o'clock.  The body is at the Daly Funeral Home.  The family requests that no flowers be sent.  The rosary will be said Sunday night at 8:00 o'clock at the funeral home."

The date is hand-written in as July 5th.  No year is given.  Octavia died in 1940 at the age of 97.  She missed her 98th birthday by 6 months. You can also note that her husband is not mentioned in her obituary at all. Not surprising I guess considering his crimes in the region. He is mentioned in the Wisconsin obituary below.

This obituary was taken from a local Wisconsin newspaper.  It's a clipping, so I'm not sure which one, but I'd be willing to bet it wasn't the Green Bay newspaper.  Perhaps Algoma's newspaper:

"Former Rosiere Woman Dies in North Dakota

Word has been received here of the death of Mrs. Octavia Mary Villers, 98, which occurred Friday morning at the home of her daughters, Mrs. Felix Lajoye, Jamestown, N.D.  She was a former resident of Rosiere.  

Unknown Wisconsin newspaper

Mrs. Eli Cayemberg and Walter Cayemberg, Pulaski; Henry and Wilfred Cayemberg, Manitowoc; Mrs. Russell Anderson, Green Bay, and Hubert Guillette, Anston, attended the services which were held this morning at St. James Catholic church with burial in the church cemetery at Jamestown. 

The deceased was born in Belgium Dec. 22, 1842, and came to America in 1854 with her parents Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Wagner, settling in Rosiere.  She married M. J. Villers in 1864 and lived in Algoma for 10 years before coming to North Dakota 54 years ago. 

Survivors are four children, (Florence) Mrs. Eli Cayemberg, Pulaski; (Mary) Mrs. Felix Lajoye, Jamestown; (Agnes) Mrs. Joseph Tardiff, Duluth, Minn.; and Louis Villers, Green Bay; 46 grandchildren and several great grandchildren.  A daughter, Mrs. Prosper Naze, died four years ago." 

No date on this one, but again, I know when she died.  I this obituary they state that she's 98 years old even though they listed her birth date.  Ah well...math!  It's a small point either way.

This last one is the one that I "found" last weekend, and I'm glad that I did.  I've been scanning obituaries that my husband's paternal grandmother collected and have been wondering how they are going to fit into our family tree, if they will at all.  This last obituary gives some pretty great information on her children.  And you know what?  I recognize some of the names.  Scoreboard!  Naturally, the search isn't over with just this obituary.  They are prone to errors.  After all, they aren't submitted by the deceased.  All second-hand information, which may or may not be accurate.  I mean look at the birth dates.  They were off.  Either by the person submitting the information or the person writing the story.   It does give me a great starting point to continue that research though!