Sunday's Obituary - Gabriel Kennedy

The Standard Speaker, 30JAN1971, pg 1

I'm always trying to firm up my lateral lines. It can help in so many ways. If you're stuck on a direct line ancestor, but you gather information on that person's brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, etc you might find information in documents about them that could also pertain to your ancestor. Even if your ancestor isn't specifically mentioned knowing more about that lateral line can help you confirm or reject a document you find on your ancestor later. After all if you know the members of your ancestor's family and then find a document that has completely different names you'll know that it's not right and to keep looking.

This obituary doesn't yield an immediate results for my direct line, but it's still a good obituary and you never know what the future brings. Maybe it will help someone else and they'll know something about our joint line I don't. I wonder why Gabe died so suddenly. The Pennsylvania Death Certificates aren't online for 1971 so I won't know for awhile. He was 65 when he died. Sure, so people will say that's a good age. As I get older though it starts to feel like 65 is too young to pass. Of course I'm looking at it from today where our average life expectancy is a bit higher than that.

“Gabriel J. Kennedy, Former Cafe Owner, Dies Unexpectedly

Gabriel J. ‘Gabe’ Kennedy, one of the area’s best known bar and restaurant owners, died unexpectedly at 10:30 o’clock last night in his home at 356 Thirlwell Ave.

The prominent businessman, who retired in 1970 after operating Gabe’s Cafe on the Heights for more than 35 years, was born in Tresckow, a son of the late Anthony and Fannie Cortez Kennedy, and spent his entire life in Hazleton.

‘Gabe’ established an outstanding reputation as a businessman and humorist and was noted for his generosity to the needy.

He was a member of Holy Rosary Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, Hazleton Council No. 442, and the Heights Fire Co.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Mary, in 1930; a brother, Dr. V. James Kennedy, in 1968, and another brother, Joseph, in 1969.

Surviving are his wife, the former Mary Turnbach; one daughter, Mrs. Joseph (Joan) Undeck, Wheaton, Md.; a grandson, Joseph, and the following brothers: Dr. Frank Kennedy, D.D.S.; Charles T., Anthong and John, all of this city.

The Standard Speaker,
30JAN1971, pg 2

The funeral will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday from the Turnbach Funeral Home.

A high mass of requiem will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. in Holy Rosary Church. Interment will be in St. Gabriel’s Cemetery.

Friends may call at the funeral home from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday.

A para liturgical service will be held at 8 p.m. Monday in the funeral home.”

Gabriel was married to Mary Turnbach who was my first cousin twice removed. Rest in peace, Gabe.

Treasure Chest Thursday - Another Reason I'm Lucky

Last week I showed you two wonderful scrapbooks that were passed onto me from my mother-in-law.  She got them from her mother-in-law.  Some had articles from World War II and I can't believe I let them sit around without scanning them for so long!  Well, another wonderful gift that I had received at the same time from my mother-in-law was a magnetic photo album filled with funeral cards.  This time they were collected by her mother and passed on.

Some are incredibly delicate

I did rescue the cards from the magnetic photo album they were originally in.  It was touch and go there on a few cards as well, but they all remained in pretty good condition.  They are now safely stored in an archival safe album with photo corners so they can be removed and both sides can be viewed.


I have over 200 memorial cards in that photo album.  A treasure.  I know that they were collected for a reason.  Family members?  Friends?  Parishioners?  Historical events?  Most likely they are all of the above and I just need to figure out which ones are connected with my family.  Regardless of which category they fall into, I'll eventually get each one posted.

One of the most unusual memorial cards I have is for President John F. Kennedy.  No doubt all the Catholic churches handed them out when he died being our only Catholic President.  Just as cards for Pope John Paul II were handed out after he passed.  There were millions, I'm sure, but I still get a kick out of the card!


There was some damage done by the magnetic album, but it didn't destroy any of the cards.  It did ruin some of the beautiful artwork on the cards though.  I love looking at the religious artwork on the cards.  I love seeing the cards written in German and trying to see how much I can make out in that old script.  And I love the cards with pictures of the departed on them.

Damage done by the "glue" on magnetic photo albums

Is it odd to like memorial cards?  Perhaps no more than roaming cemeteries and courthouses.  We genealogists are an odd bunch!

Enjoy tending those roots!

Gorgeous artwork.  Who was he and why did he die in a military camp during WWI?  The Great Flu?

UPDATE:  I just had to do some poking around and found several websites on Camp Sherman, Ohio, one of which (aptly named Ohio History Central) reports a large outbreak of the "Spanish Influenza" where many of the Soldiers died.  The time period would be correct as well.  I think I may be ordering a death certificate.  Strangely enough  don't have anyone in my tree that died of the Influenza Outbreak of 1918 (I hate calling it Spanish Influenza since that name is just so inaccurate).  This would be the first person I've discovered that did succumb to the pandemic.

Gorgeous artwork