Wedding Wednesday - Dugan-Quirk Wedding

I've blogged about Bessie Quirk and Dennis Dugan before, but it wasn't until I started talking to one of Dennis' descendants and going through my Dugan files that I realized I had never shared the newspaper clipping for their wedding. There's some good information there including where Dennis was originally from, Bessie's relocation to Bethlehem with her husband, and where Dennis was working.

The newspaper was the local Hazleton paper. The date is the beginning of October 1917 and in October 1917 The Daily Standard was replaced by the Standard-Sentinel. There was also The Plain Speaker at that time. Which one it was will most likely remain a mystery since the papers from this time period are not included in the Hazleton Public Library's holdings. I only have a copy because it was glued to the inside of an old family album.

I may not have any cousins through their line, but they will always hold a place in my heart.

"Oct 2 1917 (handwritten)

Dugan-Quirk.

Miss Bessie Quirk, of Jeanesville, and Dennis Dugan, of Bethlehem were united in marriage in St. Gabriel's church, this city, at 9:15 o'clock yesterday morning by Rev. Father Fagan.  The young couple were attended by Miss Mary Quirk, a sister of the bride, ad (sic) John Dugan, a brother of the groom. Miss Mary Lynch, of this city, played the wedding march, and Prof. Peter McKernan, of St. Gabriel's church choir, rendered several solos during the ceremony.

A dinner was tendered the wedding party and a number of guests at the home of the bride, after which the newly married couple departed on a honeymoon trip of the East. Upon their return they will reside in Bethlehem.

The bride is one of this region's accomplished young women, and is a graduate of the Hazle township high school. For the past several years she has been postmistress at Jeanesville. The groom is a former resident of Beaver Brook. Since locating in Bethlehem he has won several promotions in the plant of the Bethlehem Steel Co., where he now fills a responsible position."

Sympathy Saturday - Hopes Dashed

I've posted several times about my 2nd great aunt, Bessie Dugan. She died shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Elizabeth "Betty," by c-section in 1918. I was obsessed about finding out what happened to her daughter. Why? Bessie's parents, William and Mary Quirk nee Lee, had 9 children...only 2 of them married and had children of their own. My great grandfather, Edward Quirk, was one of them. Bessie Dugan nee Quirk was the other. I was in disbelief that so few had gotten married.

At first I had assumed that Betty had died near the time that Bessie did, but then I found her in a 1920 census with her dad. I won't go into too much detail. I've already done so in other posts which I will link to at the bottom if you'd like to read more. The point is I've been searching (and hoping) not just that I'd figure out what happened to her, but that I'd hear that she lived and that she had children and that there are other branches to my Quirk family to get in touch with.

Hopes dashed.

Pennsylvania Death Certificate - Elizabeth Dugan child of Dennis and Elizabeth nee Quirk

Mystery solved. Betty didn't reach her fourth year of life. She died from diphtheria in 1922. How absolutely heart-broken her father must have been to lose them both. How heart-breaking it was to find that death certificate and have it confirmed that my Quirk line is the only one that lives on.

In her death certificate her place of burial was listed as "Hazleton Catholic Cemetery." Yeah...thanks. No cemetery by that name. Bessie is buried in my family cemetery, St. Gabriel's, in Hazleton. So is Betty. I contact the church (now Holy Annunciation) and they have little Betty in their death register for 1922. Sadly they don't have a plot number for her. Their assumption is the same as mine...that she is buried in the same plot as her mother. I'll be looking for that obituary when I go back to Pennsylvania next summer. Hopefully, it's not on one of the Standard Speaker's many missing rolls of microfilm. If it is I'll have to go and seek out an obituary in Bethlehem.  The bottom line is that I want them remembered though. Always.

Ambiguous cemetery listed for burial

I'm grateful for the advances of modern medicine. Diphtheria isn't a concern anymore. We have a vaccination to protect against it. I'm amazed that Bessie died of c-section complications and not the influenza pandemic that was peaking at the time of little Betty's birth. Perhaps that was a contributing factor, but it's not in her certificate that way. I'm equally amazed that little Betty was able to avoid the flu and then die just before her fourth birthday from diphtheria. Diphtheria was certainly a killer of children, but to live through a terrible pandemic to die a few years later is desperately sad. The odds were not in her favor.

Dugan posts:
Wisdom Wednesday - I Live For These Moments
Amanuensis Monday - Two Steps Forward and One Step Back
Amanuensis Monday - The Long Lost Dennis Dugan
Tombstone Tuesday - Another Brick in the Wall
Amanuensis Monday - Always Searching for Bessie

Amanuensis Monday - Always Searching for Bessie

Saint Gabriel's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Hazleton, PA

I always come back to Bessie.  She's more than just a brick wall she's an obsession at times.  Bessie isn't a direct line ancestor.  She's my 2nd great aunt, but of all the children that her parents had, she and my great grandfather (Edward Quirk) were the only ones to marry and the only ones to have children.  It's like the Quirks were dying out...


Edward had 2 children.  The first was my grandmother and the second child died...along with his wife/my great grandmother Alice Quirk nee Blanchfield.

Bessie's one child (that she died shortly after giving birth to) disappeared.  She most likely died.  I've posted previously about my efforts to track down Bessie's child (turns out her name is Betty...another Elizabeth.  I suppose her husband, Dennis, name the child after her when she died).  I want to know what happened to her.  To be certain of what happened to her and if she has died, where is she?  Her story needs to be told.

I've got a couple leads, but I think that I'll be trying to track her grave down in Bethlehem when I head home to Pennsylvania someday.  See if she's buried in the same cemetery as her father.  It may be a long shot, but it also may be the only shot I've got.

"Mrs. Dennis Dugan.

Unk Hazleton newspaper

Mr. (sic) Dennis Dugan of Bethlehem, died at the state hospital, this city, on Saturday at 11:25 o'clock, following a Caesarian operation for the birth of a daughter who is alive and well.

The deceased, prior to her marriage a year ago last September, was Miss Bessie Quirk, of Jeanesville.  She held the position of postmistress of that town for several years and was one of the Hazleton region's most estimable young women.  After her marriage, the deceased located at Bethlehem, where her husband has been located for some time.  Besides her husband, the deceased is survived by the following brothers and sisters:  Edward, William, Ella, a Hazle township school teacher, Catherine and Mary, all of Jeanesville.

The funeral will take place from the family home in Jeanesville on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, with interment private in St. Gabriel's cemetery."

[There are two dates hand-written in on the obituary, December 17 and December 14, 1918.  The 17th would be the date of burial and the 14th the date of death]

Tombstone Tuesday - Another Brick in the Wall

I've blogged about Dennis Dugan before.  He married Elizabeth "Bessie" Quirk who died shortly after giving birth to their daughter via c-section.  Their daughter was Elizabeth "Betty" Dugan and while I found her in the 1920 census with her widower father, by 1930 Betty is missing and Dennis is remarried.

Even though Bessie, Dennis and Betty are not in my direct line, I have spent a lot of time trying to find out what happened to Betty.  Why?  Bessie was the only other child of William and Mary Quirk nee Lee to marry and have a child.  The other was my great grandfather, Edward, and he had one child that lived.  He too lost his wife and second child shortly after childbirth via c-section. Despite William and Mary having had 9 children they do not have a multitude of descendants.  Part of me hopes beyond hope that perhaps Betty went off to live with another relative by 1930 and perhaps she married and had children.  I've found nothing to prove that...or disproved that, thus far.

I have hopes that someday I can find word of her.  She wasn't mentioned in her father's obituary.  Not a good sign.  There is likewise no grave for her in Holy Saviour Cemetery in Bethlehem, PA.  This is the cemetery that her father, Dennis, is buried in.  If she is buried there, perhaps it is under her married name.  A girl can hope.

I had hoped that Dennis' tombstone might add some additional information or chip a little away from the brick wall that are the Dugans.  Nope.  On one side of the tombstone is merely the surname "Dugan".  On the other "Auer," "King," and "Larkin".  I know his second wife's maiden name was King, and her mother's maiden name was Larkin, but I don't know who this "Auer" is.  Perhaps a clue.  I'll have to call the caretaker back and see if he can give me the names of these unknown people. Until that time, it doesn't appear that any bricks are coming down.  Sometimes I think there's a devilish leprechaun building up the wall instead.  Tricky little buggers, but I'm determined to find the gold at the other side of the rainbow brick wall.

[A very special thank-you to Charlene Teifer Stiffinella for taking the pictures of the tombstone and for permitting me to use them in my blog!]

Amanuensis Monday - The Long Lost Dennis Dugan

I've blogged before about Dennis Dugan and his first wife, Bessie Dugan nee Quirk.  Bessie was my great-great aunt and she died shortly after giving birth to a daughter.  I've often wondered what happened to that daughter, but so far (despite previous moments of inspiration on the subject) I have been unable to figure out if she died young, moved away to live with other family, or if she grew up and simply got married and led a normal life.

In an attempt to try to find out what happened to her I finally tracked down some obituaries for her father, Dennis, and his 2nd wife.  Sadly, there was no mention of her in the obituaries, so back to square one.  Her not being mentioned does lead me to believe that her life was most likely cut short.  Perhaps she even died prior to her father remarrying.  Who knows.  I'd like to avoid Pennsylvania doing a broad search for her death record, but it may come to that if I keep banging my head against this brick wall.

Dennis' daughter, Betty/Elizabeth (named after her mother), did have some half-siblings though.  I do often wonder if they ever knew her.  Was her name even mentioned after she passed?  Ah well.  On to her father's obituary:

The Globe Times - 17MAY1954, pg8

"Dennis J. Dugan

Dennis J. Dugan, 711 Pawnee St., a former employee [sic] of Bethlehem Steel, died unexpectedly at 8:30 a.m. today in his home.

A resident of Bethlehem for 45 years he was born in Audenried [sic], Pa.  He was a member of St. Ursula's Church in Fountain Hill, of the Protection Hose Co. and of the South Side Fireman's Relief Assn.

His survivors include his wife, Rose (King) Dugan; two sons, James of Bethlehem and Francis, at home; two daughters, Sister Rose Dennis Dugan, SSJ, Church of the Ascension in Philadelphia, and Mary wife of James Phillips at home; and two sisters, Mrs. William O'Donnell and Margaret Dugan of Washington, D. C. Three grandchildren also survive."

Amanuensis Monday - Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

Did you ever feel like you were doing some kind of weird genealogical dance researching your family history?  I'm feeling that way right about now.  In mid-August I wrote a post "Wisdom Wednesday - I Live For These Moments".  In it I talked about a revelation I had about finding a missing (and most likely deceased) family member who disappeared from family history.  Bessie Dugan nee Quirk died in 1918 shortly after giving birth to her daughter, Elizabeth (Betty).  Betty was found in the 1920 census living with her father and his siblings in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.  She was no where to be found in the 1930 census, but her father, Dennis Dugan, was remarried.

Family lore never passed on anything about Dennis, or Betty for that matter.  We had actually assumed that she died at the same time as her mom.  The newspaper clippings that stated the baby was well but the momma wasn't didn't change that view.  It wasn't until I started researching and found the above mentioned that we collectively began to wonder, "What ever happened to little Betty?"

My previous post's revelation was that if I researched the step-mother's obituary that perhaps Betty would be mentioned in it.  Either as having predeceased her or, hopefully, had survived her.  So I contacted the local Bethlehem, PA newspaper "The Morning Call" and asked for help getting to back issues.  They directed me to the library that holds the microfilm and they had a brilliant online search tool.  I was able to input Dennis' 2nd wife, Rose Dugan's, name and she popped up with the date of the obituary.  I also found Dennis' obit.  I didn't find Betty/Elizabeth.

So I paid the small fee to have the articles printed out and sent to me and I got them this past week.  The excitement was, and still is, there at having received this information, but it didn't answer the question I was looking for.  I will most likely continue to delve into this collateral line to find out the question of, "What happened to Betty Dugan," but for now, I'll simply share her step-mother's obituary.

The Globe Times - 13SEP1982

"Mrs. Dennis Dugan

Mrs. Rose King Dugan, 87, formerly a guest at Cedarbrook Annex, Fountain Hill, died today in St. Luke's Hospital.  She was the widow of Clarence Steager and Dennis Dugan.

Born in Bethlehem, she was the daughter of James and Ellen Larkin King.

She was a member of Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, Bethlehem.

Surviving is a son, James J. Steager of Fountain Hill; two daughters, Sister Joan Dugan of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Mary Phillips of Bethlehem; a sister, Mrs. Anthony Reiser of Bethlehem, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

A son Francis preceded her in death in 1956.

A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Ss. Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 730 W. Broad Street.  Call one hour prior to services Wednesday evening.  Burial will be in Holy Savior Cemetery, Bethlehem, at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

The Charles M. Downing Funeral Home, 835 Broadway, Bethlehem, is handling arrangements.

Memorials may be made in her name to Ss. Simon and Jude Church."


[The Globe Times, Sep. 13, 1982 pg B4:Col3]

Wisdom Wednesday - I Live For These Moments!

Buried Saint Gabriel's Cemetery, Hazleton, PA

Have you ever had those moments of genealogical divine intervention where a brick wall that has been laughing at you for months or years finally starts to crumble?  That happened to me yesterday morning.  I woke up early to get ready for a PTA-type morning.  Before falling into PTA induced insanity I relaxed with my morning routine of coffee, checking Facebook, and checking obits from my (and my husband's) hometown.

It was my hometown's obituaries that caught my attention.  An obituary in the Hazleton Standard Speaker for one Rose Marie Dugan.  While Rose is no relative of mine, at least not one I'm aware of, she does share a name with a relative.  Rose Dugan was the second wife of Dennis Dugan.  Dennis' first wife, Elizabeth "Bessie" Dugan nee Quirk was my 2nd great aunt.  So why would I be interested in his 2nd wife?  A little background...

Bessie was one of (at least) 9 children of William Quirk Sr and Mary A. Lee.  Nine children and you would think that there would be lots of descendants around to help me with my research, or heck, just to connect with.  Nope.  Sometimes life throws curve balls at families and they deal as best as they can:

Child #1 - William Quirk b. 09JUL1869 d. before 1880 - I have 2 baptismal records for William Quirk (son of William and Mary Quirk), which indicates to me since this William is in the 1870 census and then is the same age in the 1880 census that he died before 1880 and the parents later named another son William.

Child #2 & #3 - Susan Quirk b. 22SEP1870 d. 13AUG1889 - Why child 2 and 3?  Well, I have a baptismal record for Susan Quirk (child of William and Mary Quirk) showing her birth as 1870.  I have a funeral card for Susie Quirk for 1889.  The problem?  If these dates were for the same person, she would have been almost 19 when she died, but the funeral card (left) has that she was 15 years, 8 months old when she died (wish they had listed the days so I could figure out the exact date).  Doing the math, this Susie was born between December 1873-January 1874.  So was the baptismal certificate transcribed wrong?  Possibly, but that a lot to transcribe wrong...the month and year?  I think it's more likely that the first Susan died sometime before the 2nd Susan was born.  I can understand them wanting to rename another daughter Susan (as they would for William) since Susan was Mary's mother's name.  So the above dates (seem to me to be) most likely the birth for one Susan and the death for the other.

Child #4 - Eleanor "Ella" Quirk b. 15APR1872 d. 01JUL1941 - Ella would have been born between the two Susans, if there were indeed two Susans.  She never married. She was a school teacher and helped to raise my grandmother Mary Ann Brown nee Quirk (mentioned immediately below).

Child #5 - Edward Joseph Quirk b. 08AUG1876 d. 19OCT1950 - Edward was my great grandfather.  He married Alice Blanchfield on 15SEP1912.  They had my grandmother, Mary Ann.  Then Alice died in/shortly after childbirth with their second child (name/gender unknown) on 23SEP1915.  Edward and Mary then lived with Edward's siblings who helped raise Mary Ann.

Child #6 - Catherine G. Quirk b. 24JUL1878 d. 23JAN1961 - "Aunt Kay".  I believe my aunt Cathy is named for her.  She never married.  Just helped take care of Mary Ann.

Unk Hazleton newspaper

Child #7 - William Quirk b. 26OCT1880 d. 16OCT1948** - "Uncle Bill".  He never married.  Lived with his siblings his whole life and can be assumed that he also helped to raise little Mary Ann.

Child #8 - Elizabeth "Bessie" Quirk b. 09FEB1882 d. 14DEC1918 - Bessie was the postmistress in Jeanesville, PA.  She married Dennis Dugan on 02OCT1917.  She would have been 35 when she got married.  Late by standards in the early twentieth century.  She died after a cesarean section (on right).

Child #9 - Mary A. Quirk b. 10MAY1887 d. 02DEC1965 - "Aunt Mary" (shocker, I know) never married.  She helped to raise Mary Ann as well.

Obviously, William and Mary could have had other children that are not accounted for in the census records and that didn't get sent to me from the church in baptismal records.

It's also obvious that little Mary Ann Quirk was taken care of and loved.  I hear those stories from my mom, aunt and uncle.  She may have actually been a little spoiled too, and I say that in a loving, good way.  She probably didn't want for much.  But for William and Mary to have had all those children and end up with only one descendant?  Talk about sad.  I say "one" because no one in my immediate family knows what happened to Bessie and Dennis' child.

1920 U.S. Federal Census - Andrew Dugan household

I became fixated with Bessie and Dennis' child.  Nothing no name for the child in the newspaper, BUT I did find Dennis in the 1920 census.  He was living in Bethlehem, PA with his siblings and his daughter...BETTY!  Named after Bessie!  YAY!!!  Happy dance!  1930 census...well, Dennis is still there in Bethlehem, but he's remarried (to Rose) and with a (step) son...no Betty.  Did she die?  Did she go off to live with other relatives?  I don't know.  Certainly it was a little bit of progress on finding another Quirk.  But happiness at realizing Bessie's daughter survived was slammed down by a nasty brick wall, and Betty wasn't found with her aunts and uncles in the 1930 census.

1930 U.S. Federal Census - Dennis Dugan household

That's where I was before yesterday morning.  Seeing the Rose Marie Dugan obituary made me realize that I had never checked to see when Dennis' 2nd wife died.  If I could find an obituary, maybe I could find a reference to Betty.  I don't k now why I hadn't thought to search through the 2nd wife before, but sometimes it just happens.

So I checked the Social Security Death Index for Rose Dugan...yep.  Right where I expected her in Bethlehem, PA.  Died September 1982.  Good.  Recent is good.  I contacted the local Bethlehem newspaper, The Morning Call, via email and asked for help.  Who has the archived copies and are they available through inter-library loan?  I let them know who I was looking for and when she died (always hoping that they might perform a random act of genealogical kindness) and throwing in there that I'm from northeastern PA but living in Texas near Fort Hood (gotta try for some military lovin'...I'm not beneath that!).

I got a response a few hours later, and while it wasn't with the obituary, it directed me to the libraries with the microfilm and with some additional information.  She told me that their records indicate that there was an obituary published on 14SEP1982 for a Rose Steager Dugan on page B6 under "Local/Region" section.  She said I would need a date to request the information from the library.  I was excited.  Another name...Steager.  So what did I do?  I jumped on Google and typed a search for "Rose Steager Dugan".

I got an obituary for one James J. Steager Sr. published in...The Morning Call!  It mentioned his mother, Rose (King) Dugan and his step-father, Dennis Dugan.  Sadly, no mention of Betty.  Dennis and Rose did have another child (Francis), but he's no relation to me and he passed away as well.

Still, I got a church name...Saint Ursula.  I contacted them for the name of the parish cemetery, Holy Saviour.  I've also got the number for the groundskeeper. I called and left a message asking for Dugan burials.

So now I've got names.  Perhaps a child of James or Francis knows about Betty.  Perhaps they have a picture of Dennis.  I would love to see what he looks like.  I've got so many pictures in an old album that could be him...with an unknown baby...perhaps Betty.

The wall hasn't been torn down, but I think I whacked a brick or two out of it and can see some light on the other side.  The wall will eventually come down.  I'm sure of it.  I'm not hopeful though to find the result I wanted...another Quirk descendant.  If she had lived, wouldn't the she be listed as a step-sister in James' obituary?  Who knows, but I won't stop whacking away at that wall.  I'm determined and new motivation has energized me!

[The news clipping for Bessie Dugan nee Quirk's death has no source information.  It was glued to the inside cover of a photo album with dates penciled in.  The dates are presumably for her death and burial rather than actual publication.  The newspaper is most likely from the Hazleton Standard Sentinel or Hazleton Plain Speaker which predate the current Hazleton Standard Speaker.  It is also possible that the clipping came from a Bethlehem newspaper, but since the rest of the Quirks to which this album belonged lived in/around Hazleton it is unlikely]

**William Quirk is listed in the 1880 census which was enumerated in June 1880...that was before his October birth.  Now they were enumerated on June 21st so unless the baptismal record for William is wrong and he was born February-ish in 1880 there was another baby William that died before the one born in October?  If you look at the 1900 census William is listed as being born in May 1881! We can expect errors in them to some extent though.  Mary Quirk nee Lee is said to have given birth to 9 children 6 still living which is something to go on!