Ancestors Who Suffered the Loss of a Parent at a Young Age - SNGF

Randy's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun this week asked

1)  Do you have ancestors who suffered the loss of one or both parents early in their life?  Did the surviving parent remarry soon after one parent died?  Was a guardian appointed for your ancestor to protect their physical or legal interests?    

2)  Tell us about one or two of your "orphaned" ancestors and how this affected their life.

In five generations I have five ancestors who were young, from 8 years to 1 month, when either a father or mother died.  I don't know whether I feel sorrier for the children left without a parent, or parents left with young children and no spouse.  Either circumstance would be heart-breaking.

These are my five ancestors who became half-orphans.

1. Lee Doyle, my father, and his twin sister, Leila, were born in February, 1913.  Leila died soon after birth.  Lee was about a month old when his mother, Beulah Mae (Gerner) Doyle, died in early April.  She was 24.  She left behind her husband, Gust, and little Lee, about a month old.
   
   I believe my father's life was difficult without his mother.  His father remarried a woman who was, perhaps jealous of my father or of his mother.  From what I've heard, she was somewhat abusive and Gust did his best to keep Lee away from her.  My father once said he knew about the stepmother in Cinderella.
   
   He spent time with his grandparents, William and Tressa (Froman) Doyle.  But a grandmother, no matter how loving, cannot replace a mother.
   
   Additionally, my father's father, Gust, died when my father was 21 and Gust was 44.
   
   
2. Elizabeth (Armitage) Meinzen, my great-grandmother, was born in 1852.  She was 4 years old when her mother, Eliza (Hartley) Armitage, died of consumption in 1856 at the age of 44.  Eliza left behind her husband, Abel, and two daughters, ages 6 and 4.
   
   
3. Edward Jesse Bickerstaff, my great-grandfather, was born in 1871.  He was 7 when his mother, Emma (Nelson) Bickerstaff, died in 1878.  Emma was 33 years old at the time of her death.  She left her husband, Ellis, and three children, ages 15 to 7.
   
   
4. Tressa Rose (Froman) Doyle, my great-grandmother, was born in 1867.  She was 4 years old when her father, John Froman, died in 1871.  He was about 30 years old at the time of his death.  John left behind his pregnant wife, Catherine (Saylor) Froman, and six children, ages 10 to 1. A baby born 2 months after his death.
   In this case, John left the family in debt and the children were provided a guardian, S. W. Mannheimer, whose identity or relationship I've been unable to determine.  Catherine's father, Jacob D. Seylor/Sailer/Seyler, was the administrator.
   
   
5. Andrew Doyle, my great-great-grandfather, was born in 1836.  He was 2 years old when his father, William Doyle, died in an accident in 1838 when he was about 36.  William left behind his pregnant wife, Martha, and five children ages 12 to 2.  The baby was born six months later.
   
   

It is surprising to me that two of these fathers, John Froman and William Doyle, were both coal miners.  William died after being run over by a cart wheel.  Were both accidental mining deaths?  Also surprising is that both of their wives were pregnant at the time of their deaths.

Thanks for the genealogy fun, Randy.

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2024 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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From Dixon to Elvira, "in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter"

I think it's unusual to find a deed in which a sentiment is included and even more unusual to find one in which a father tells of his love for his daughter.  But that's just what I found.

This deed (image and transcription below) with an indenture of property has my great-grandparents' and great-great-grandparents' names on it and their relationship is stated.  You can probably guess how I found it.  Yes, through FamilySearch's new full-text search of property records!  What a boon that resource is to family history researchers.  Thank you, FamilySearch.

In this record Dixon and Rebecca (Smith) Bartley deeded property, with an indenture, to Frederick and Elvira (Bartley) Gerner.  (Note the name variations:  Dixon is Dickson; Frederick is sometimes Fred; Elvira is sometimes Alvira.)  In an indenture, there is an exchange of obligations by both parties on the deed.  The deed was dated March 15, 1883.  Elvira was 28 years old with eight children, ages three months to 9 years.  Three years earlier, in June, 1880, Fred and Elvira were living in Putnam County, West Virginia.  I don't know the date of their return to Butler County, Pennsylvania, but it's clear from this document that they already owned property there.

Find this image here (with a free FamilySearch account).  It is in FamilySearch's collection, "Butler.  Deed Books 1882-1883, 1883-1884, Deeds 1884," image 396.  Image 330 and 331 tell me that the title of the book is Deed Book 69, owned by the Butler County Court House in Butler, Pennsylvania.   (To enlarge these pages for easier reading, click the image.  It will open in another tab and be easier to read.)

This is the transcription.

[page] 65 [left side]
Dickson Bartley Aux
To
Frederick Gerner
   Alvira  Gerner

      This Indenture, Made the Fifteenth day of March
one thousand eight hundred and Eighty Three between Dickson and
Rebecca Bartley of Parker Township Butler
County Pennsylvania of the first part
and Frederick Gerner and Alvira Gerner
his wife of the county and State aforesaid
parties of the second part
      Witnesseth, That the said parties of the first part, for and in consideration of the sum of Eight Hundred Dollars, lawful money of the United States of America, unto them well and truly paid by the said parties of the second part, at or before the sealing and delivery of these presents, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, HAVE granted, bargained, sold, aliened, enfeoffed, released, conveyed and confirmed, and by these presents DO grant bargain, sell, alien, enfeoff, release, convey and confirm unto the said parties of the SECOND PART, their heirs and assigns, forever, all the following described property, viz:
    Beginning at a stone pile on line of D. P. Kelly on the East thence along line of Harrison Adams One Hundred and nineteen perches to a Hickory tree, thence along line of George Daubenspeck ninety eight perches to a post.  Thence S. 87½ [degrees?] E along lands of the first party thence along line of D. P. Kelly to the place of beginning ninety eight perches.  To each of the parties of the second part in the following proportion. Thirty two acres off the North side to Frederick Gerner in his own right and in consideration of the erection and maintenance of a fence on one side of a lane leading from his house to the public road as well as the payment of Twenty five dollars per acre, the above consideration of Eight Hundred dollars.  And Forty acres to Alvira Gerner in her own right.  For and in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter Elvira.  Containing seventy two acres and one hundred and Forty perches as represented on drafts No 1 as surveyed by N M Slater February A D 1883.  It is understood between the parties hereto that the second parties are to have limestone for their use on the farm ? from the South East corner of said first parties lands
     Together with all and singular the Said property improvements, ways, waters, water courses, rights, liberties privileges, hereditaments and appurtenances whatsoever thereunto belonging, or in anywise appertaining, and the reversions and remainders, rents, issues and profits thereof and all the estate, right, title, interest property, claim and demand whatsoever of the said parties of the first part, in law, equity or otherwise howsoever, of, in and to the same and every part thereof TO HAVE AND TO HOLD said Seventy two acres and One Hundred and forty two perches of land hereditaments and premises hereby granted or mentioned, and intended so to be, with the appurtenances, unto the said parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns, to and for the only proper use and behoof of the said partof [sic] the second part, their heirs and assigns FOREVER.

[page] 65 [right side]
AND Dickson Bartley and Rebecca Bartley his wife the said parties of the first part, their heirs, executors and administrators, do by these presents covenant, grant and agree to and with the said parties of the second part, heirs and assigns that they the said parties of the first part and their heirs, all and singular the hereditaments and premisce herein above described and granted or mentioned, and intended so to be, with the appurtenances, unto the said parties of the second part, their heirs and assigns, against them, the said parties of the first part, and their heirs, and against all and every other person or persons whomsoever lawfully claiming, or to claim the same or any part thereof subject to the conditions herein set forth
SHALL AND WILL WARRANT AND FOREVER DEFEND.
     In Witness Whereof, The said parties of the first part have to these presents set their hands and seals.  Dated the day and year first above written.
Sealed and Delivered in the Presence }  Dickson Bartley (Seal)
J H Otto [signature]                           }  Rebecca  her x mark  Bartley  (Seal)
Jas Buzzard                                       }
     RECEIVED, the date above mentioned, of the above named parties of the second part, the sum of Eight Hundred DOLLARS, consideration money in full.  D. Bartley

State of Pennsylvania  }
Butler County             } SS.
On fifteenth day of March 1883, before me a Justice of the Peace came the above named Dickson Bartley and Rebecca Bartley his wife, and acknowledge the above deed to be their act and deed, and desire to have it recorded.  Said Rebecca Bartley being of full age, and by me examined, separate from her said husband and the contents of said Deed being first made known to her declared that she signed, sealed and delivered said Deed of her own free will and accord, without coercion or compulsion of her said husband.
     Witness my hand and seal, the day and year above written.
James Buzzard J. P.  [signature]  (Seal.)

     WITNESS:
Asa Steel

Recorded August 6th 1883

For me, the interest of this deed goes above and beyond a transfer of property.  Yes, Fred and Elvira payed for the property and Fred was to meet other considerations in return.  What I love about this document is Dixon's declaration that 40 acres will go to Elvira without any additional request of her "in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter Elvira."  At times like this I wish for a journal or photographs or anecdotal accounts to help me understand Dixon's and Elvira's relationship.  She was his sixth child and third daughter.  Did he have a special affection for her, and she for him? 

Notes, Comments, Thoughts

I find it interesting that the deed states only "Butler County" and not the township.  The only way to locate this property now would be to use an old map created after 1883 which identifies property boundary lines and names the property owners.  Since I know Dixon lived near Bruin in Parker Township and have identified his home, I believe it's safe to assume the property Dixon sold was in Parker Township.  It's surprising that none of the boundary lines Dixon used seemed to border his property.

It was interesting to learn that there was a lane from the public road to Fred and Elvira's house.  Wish I had photographs of that house!  These days would we call it a driveway?

Sometimes these old documents are brutal when it comes to the boilerplate language.  Below are some of the new words I encountered.  I found this post from a surveyor's point of view helpful.  For the words below I chose the simplest-to-understand definitions from across the internet.

• Indenture of Property.  A deed in which two parties agree to continuing obligations
  From Investopedia.
• Enfeoff.  To put in possession of land in exchange for a pledge of service, in feudal society.
  From https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/enfeoff
• Perch.  A linear measurement of 5½ yards or 16½ feet; also called a rod or a pole.  
  From Black's Law Dictionary, 2nd ed. at https://thelawdictionary.org/perch/
• Hereditaments.  An archaic term which is still found in some wills and deeds.  It denotes any kind of property, either tangible or intangible, that can be inherited.
  From https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/hereditament
  
• Appurtenances.  Property (as an outbuilding or fixture) or a property right (as a right-of-way) that is incidental to a principal property and that passes with the principal property upon sale or transfer.
  From https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/appurtenance
• Behoof.  An old-fashioned word that means something that is useful or beneficial to someone. It is often used in legal documents to describe a benefit that is part of a property transfer.
  From https://www.lsd.law/define/behoof
• Premisce.  I was unable to find a definition for this word.  Perhaps it is a spelling variant of "premise."

The conditions of the indenture are these.

• Dixon parted with the property.
• He also give permission to use limestone from his property.
  
• Fred and Elvira were to pay Dixon and Rebecca $800.00 for the property.
• 32 acres were to go to Frederick in his own right.
• Fred was to erect and maintain a fence on one side of a lane leading from his house to the public road.
• Fred was to pay $25.00 per acre.  Was it in addition to the $800.00?  It's unclear to me.
• 40 acres were to go to Elvira in her own right, "For and in consideration of the love and affection I bear to her my daughter Elvira."
• It seems there were no conditions on Elvira's acres.
• Frederick and Elvira were to have limestone for their use on the farm from the southeast corner of Dixon's property.

The witness to this deed, Asa Steele, was Elvira's brother-in-law, husband of Elvira's next younger sister, Lavina.

As thrilled as I am to find this deed/indenture, I can't help wishing the location of the property had been a little more specific, such as at least naming the township or town.  Perhaps more research will uncover a helpful map. 

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2024 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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Semi-Win for Fred Gerner's Death Announcement + Obit Magnet

[Note:  Obit Magnet is no longer functional as of (or before) February 23, 2025.]

If you are a genealogy blogger or reader of blogs, particularly Dick Eastman's blog, you will have read about Obit Magnet, a tool for finding obituaries.  I have a few ancestors for whom I have been unable to find obituaries, including my great-grandfather Fred Gerner.  I had only a notice that his will was being probated.  I dearly wish to find an obituary that gives a biographical information—place of birth, parents' names, etc.  So when I saw the announcement of Obit Magnet, I thought it was worth a search.

I did not find an obituary but I'll take whatever I can get regarding Fred's death.  This snippet, below, about his daughter, Leota Gerner Riss, visiting him for two weeks before he died and giving his death date is something I would never have found without the help of Obit Magnet.

This was published in the Noon Edition of the Youngstown Daily Vindicator on Saturday, April 3, 1926, on page 5, at the top of newspaper column 5.

     Mrs. Frank Riis was called to But-
   ler, Pa., where she spent two weeks
   with her father who was seriously
   ill.  He died Saturday.  Funeral was
   held Monday.  Fred Gerner was aged
   79 years, and is survived by his wife
   and 11 children, five children having
   died before him.


Accuracies and Inaccuracies in This Article

• Fred died on Friday, March 26, 1926, not on Saturday, which would have been March 27.
• Fred was 78 years, 5 months, and 27 days old at the time of his death, as stated on his death certificate.
• "Mrs. Frank Riis" was Fred's daughter Leota Riss.
  
• His funeral was, in fact, on Monday, March 29.
  
• The five children who died before Fred were Netta (1894, age 2 months), Ethel (1892, age 4), Ida (1904, age 31), Beulah (1913, age 24), and Edward (1917, age 40).
  

About Obit Magnet   [Noted on February 23, 2025:  Obit Magnet no longer exists.]

Obit Magnet is a great finding aid for deaths that occurred between 1922 and the present, though if deaths were mentioned in "Back Then" or "Looking Back" articles, I think Obit Magnet would catch them.

To use this resource you must know the person's name and date of death.  However, the search extends for two weeks, so if you don't know the exact death date but know the year and are willing to search two weeks at a time, it's possible to find an obituary.  Also, make a list of all names the individual may have used, such as Fred Gerner, Fredrick Gerner, Fred K. Gerner, Fredrick K. Gerner, etc., so you catch all opportunities.

The newspapers it searchers are
> Google Newspapers at Google Books
> Newspapers.com (must have a subscription)
> NewspaperArchive.com (must have a subscription) and
> Chronicling America

I did not spend much time at Obit Magnet but I'm hopeful to find other obituaries when I continue searching.

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2022 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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A Prolific Father - Saturday Night Genealogy Fun

Randy Seaver of GeneaMusings suggested this idea for Saturday Night Genealogy Fun:

Determine who is one of the most prolific fathers in your genealogy database or in your ancestry.  By prolific, I mean the one who fathered the most children.  Tell us about them in a blog post, in a comment to this blog post, or in a comment on Facebook.

Fred and Elvira (Bartley) Gerner with 11 of their children

One of my paternal great-great-grandfathers, Fredrick Gerner, was the father of 16 children (who all had the same mother!).  Fred married Elvira Bartley in July, 1872, when he was 24 and she was 18.  Their first child was born in May, 1872.  All but two of their children lived to adulthood and married.  These are their children.

1.  Ida Adelia  (1873-1904)
2.  Alfonzo F.  (1874-1952)
3.  Alonzo J.  (1874-1940)
4.  Lana Ellen  (1875-1943)
5.  Edward G.  (1877-1918)
6.  Della Virginia  (1879-1968)
7.  Alma Mary  (1881-1952)
8.  John N.  (1882-1970)
9.  Bessie Leota  (1884-1973F
10.  Mabel Lodenia  (1886-1974)
11.  Beulah Mae  (1888-1913)
12.  Warren Franklin  (1890-1957)
13.  Ethel Clair/Clare  (1892-1897)
14.  Netta Mildred  (1894-1894)
15.  Brendice Kathryn  (1895-1996)
16.  Paul Victor  (1898-1972)
    

Two other grandfathers, Henry Meinzen, a maternal great-grandfather, and Andrew Doyle, a paternal great-grandfather, both had 14 children.

The premature deaths of two other great-great-grandfathers prevented them from fathering more children.  William Doyle died at the age of 36 with six children.  John Froman died at the age of 30 with seven children.  Who knows how many more children they might have had had they lived longer lives.

Congratulations to the fathers.  Even more congratulations to the mothers who bore the burden of pregnancy, childbirth, and child-rearing in the 1800s.

Thanks for suggesting this fun activity, Randy.

—Nancy.

Copyright © 2022 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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A 1938 Letter from Grandma Gerner

The grandmother of this letter is Elvira (Bartley) Gerner, my father's maternal grandmother, and the occasion for the letter is the wedding of my parents, Lee Doyle and Audrey Meinzen, on September 15, 1938.  The wedding was a small affair that took place in the Mineral Ridge Methodist Church, with a small reception at the bride's parents' home afterward.

Grandma Gerner wrote,

                Sep 12 = 1938

                       Well Lee i received your
  letter also Ray B were here to take
  me up.  But i had made plans to go
  to help Cassie peal peaches and it would
  disapoint them and they will come
  for me so you will excuse me
  and will wish you all the
  happiness this world can give and
  i will be up to B this fall and
  hope to see you.  then as ever

  Grandma Gerner

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Elvira's daughter, Beulah, was my father's mother who had died about a month after giving birth to him.  Ties with Beulah's family had not been severed because of this death but Dad and Grandma Gerner were not as close as they might have otherwise been had they lived in close proximity.

Grandma Elvira was 84 when she wrote this letter and had been diagnosed with senility nearly two years before.  If my parents were hurt at Grandma Gerner's decision not to attend the wedding, especially because peeling peaches seems like a less important thing than a grandson's wedding, they never said anything about it.

"Ray B" mentioned in the letter refers to Ray and Brendice Davis.  Brendice was one of Elvira's daughters and the next younger surviving sister to Beulah.  Ray and Brendice lived in the Canton, Ohio, area.  She and her husband had helped my father when he left home after his own father had died.  I have no idea who Cassie is.

Elvira's husband, Fred, died in 1926, and beginning in the 1930s, she began living with one of her daughters for several months at a time, then moving to live with another. 



The envelope was addressed to Mr. Lee Doyle, Warren Ave, Niles, Ohio.  (I wish I knew the street number!)   The return address was 168 Elm Street, Struthers, Ohio.  Elvira was likely living with either Bessie Leota (Gerner) Holland or Alma (Gerner) Kitch, since both were living in Struthers during the 1930s.

With this envelope my mother had placed a small, plain card on which was written, "With Best Wishes from Grandma."  Mom had written "blue spread" indicating that was the gift accompanying the card.  The handwriting is not the same as above so perhaps the blue spread came from another grandmother or perhaps from Elvira and someone wrote the card for her.  We'll never know.

I am so pleased when I come upon notes and letters my mom saved that came from my ancestors.

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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Mrs. Emma (Gerner) Vensel's 1922 Obituary

Emma (Gerner) Vensel is my great-grandfather Fredrick K. Gerner's older sister and daughter of Christian Gerner.  Though the obituary does not give any birth information other than location, her death certificate records her birth date as October 16, 1846.  

This obituary was published in the Butler County Record, 14 Dec 1922, page 8.

                  Mrs. Emma Vensel
     Mrs. Emma Vensel, aged 76, widow
of the later Alfred Vensel, died at the
home of her daughter, Mrs. D. S. Mc-
Guire, Fairview avenue, Butler, De-
cember 7.  Her father was the late
Christian Gerner.  She was born in
Germany but came to America when a
small child.  Most of her life has been
spent in Petrolia and Chicora where
she was well known.  For the past six
years she had resided here with her
daughter.  Children survive as follows:
Mrs. E. R. Parker and Mrs. D. S. Mc-
Guire, Butler; Mrs. E. L. Guthrie, Sa-
pulpa, Okla.; John V. Vensel, Nash-
port, Ohio; also three brothers, Fred
Gerner, Bruin; Charles Gerner, But-
ler; Christian Gerner, Calif.; also eight
grandchildren and one great grand-
child.  Funeral services were held De-
cember 10 at the home of her daugh-
ter where she died and interment was
in White Oak cemetery near Chicora.


Genealogical information garnered from this obituary includes:

• Death Date:  December 7, 1922
• Death Location:  Fairview Avenue, Butler
• Father's name:  Christian Gerner
• Husband's name:  Alfred Vensel
• Birth place:  Germany
• Approximate birth year can be calculated:  1846
• Children's names and where they live:
  - Mrs. E. R. Parker, Butler
  - Mrs. D. S. McGuire, Butler
  - Mrs. E. L Guthrie, Salpulpa, Oklahoma
  - John V. Vensel, Nashport, Ohio
  
• Siblings' names:
  - Fred Gerner, Bruin
  - Charles Gerner, Butler
  - Christian Gerner, California
  
• Burial location:  White Oak Cemetery, Chicora, PA

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
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The Unsolved Puzzle of Lizzie Gerner

I thought there was one Lizzie Gerner; now I see there are two Lizzie Gerners, and possibly a third also.  What a puzzle to solve!  My original goal was to find a marriage record and death information for Lizzie Gerner, born about 1851, sister to my g-grandfather Fred Gerner.  Having more than one person with the same name in the same county complicates the search.

My first acquaintance with Lizzie Gerner was when I saw her name as a witness on the July 24, 1872, marriage record of my great-grandparents, Fred Gerner and Elvira Bartley.  The marriage took place in Sugar Creek, Venango County, Pennsylvania, and was performed by Abner Hales.  It looks like Lizzie signed the document because the handwriting is different from the other witness's handwriting, but perhaps not.  (Click the image to enlarge it in a new tab.)

This was the first record I saw with Lizzie's name and I guessed that Lizzie might be a relative of Fred Gerner but had no idea the relationship.  I wondered if she could be Fred's sister, or the wife of one of his brothers, Christian, John, or Charles.

I next encountered with a few years later when I saw her name in the 1860, 1870, and 1880 censuses, enumerated with Christian Gerner (variously recorded as Christian Gardner (1860), Christopher Gardner (1870), and Christian Garner (1880)).  For a further explanation of how I determined these were the same man whose name was Christian Gerner, read this post and this post.  (The census records are viewable with a free FamilySearch account.)

No relationships were recorded in the 1860 and 1870 U.S. Censuses but in the 1880 census I learned that Lizzie is the daughter of Christian.  It's interesting that she is recorded with three different names, as is one of her brothers.  I've learned that's not uncommon during that time period.

• In 1860, Isabell, age 9, is listed with Christian and Elizabeth Gardner, 3rd child of 6 listed.
• In 1870, Elisabeth, age 19, is listed with Christopher and Elisabeth Gardner.  The oldest of the children is no longer listed.
• In 1880, Lizzie, age 29, is listed as the daughter of Christian and Elisabeth Garner.
  

If the Lizzie of the marriage record is the same as the Lizzie listed in these census records, Lizzie would have been ~21 at the time of Fred and Elvira's marriage in 1872, and Fred and Lizzie were siblings.

Searches for a marriage record for Lizzie/Elisabeth/Isabell Gerner at FamilySearch, Ancestry, and MyHeritage have yielded no results. 

In my next, and, to date, last encounter with Lizzie Gerner she may have been recorded as Elizabeth Gerner.  In fact, there are two females recorded as Elizabeth Gerner and it seems unlikely that either is the Lizzie Gerner who is Fred's sister who was born about 1851.

This first of the two women named Elizabeth Gerner died in 1890 and was the wife of H. J. Gerner.  She is buried in Saxonburg Memorial Church Cemetery.

I do not know who H. J. Gerner is but I know that Saxonburg is a small town in Butler County, Pennsylvania.  Fred and Elvira lived there for a time.  Neither do I know who this Elizabeth Gerner is.  Is she related to my ancestors and, if so, in what way?

The other Elizabeth Gerner is, without a doubt, Fred's mother, Christian's wife and, therefore, my great-great-grandmother.  The birth year on this memorial coincides with the estimated birth year based on census records for g-g-grandmother.  She died on September 30, 1883, and is buried in Fairview Cemetery near Petrolia in Butler County, Pennsylvania.

But I have yet to find the Lizzie Gerner who is Fred's sister.  I will contact both cemeteries to request more detailed information, if it's available.

Notes and Comments
There are few things I truly know about Lizzie Gerner (and they may not be true). 

• Based on census records (if they can be trusted) she went by three different names at various times of her life:  Isabell, Elisabeth, and Lizzie. 
• In 1872 she called herself Lizzie (if the woman who witnessed Fred and Elvira's marriage is Fred's sister).
• She was still alive in 1880, was about 29 years old, and was still living with her parents.
  

It's a pitiful bit of information.   The search will continue.

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

1903 Marriage Record of Della Gerner and Thomas Fletcher

Della Gerner is another of Fred and Elvira (Bartley) Gerner's children.  She is the sixth child and third daughter.  She was born in Putnam County, West Virginia, in 1879.  She is standing with her younger brother Paul in this (very blurry) photo.

I met Aunt Della once when I was a young child.  I have the vaguest memory of her being a good-natured, jovial person.  Her grandson confirmed that impression.

Della married Thomas C. Fletcher in 1903.  She and her sister Alma applied for marriage licenses on the same day.  It seems that they were married one day apart but there's a bit of uncertainty when I look closely at this marriage record.  (Details in Comment and Observation section below.)

This is a transcription of Della and Thomas's marriage record which is available here, at FamilySearch's Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950 (with a free FamilySearch account).

No. 7650
Thos. C. Fletcher born in Butler Co.
on the 2" day of October A.D. 1877 residing at Broom [Bruin?] Butler Co.
and a Driller by occupation not related by blood or marriage
to the person whom he desires to marry
never married before
and Della Gerner born in Virginia Pa
on the 17" day of Feb A.D. 1879 residing at Fairview
a [blank] by occupation [blank] married before
And now this 28" day of Oct. 1903. Marriage License issued in legal form.
Consent of [blank] residing at [blank]
and [blank] residing at [blank]
      Filed this 28" day of October 1903
      Duplicate Certificate returned and filed this 28 day of Oct 1903 showing
marriage ceremony to have been performed by Albert D. Lero
on the 29 day of Oct 1903.

Observations and Comments

• Della was 24 and Thomas was 26 when they married, perhaps a little older than was common in 1903, especially for the bride.
  
• A close look at this marriage record reveals contradictory information.  The marriage license was filed on October 28, 1903.  The duplicate certificate was filed on October 28, 1903.  The marriage ceremony was performed on October 29, 1903.  It's unlikely that the certificate would have been filed before the marriage occurred.  No doubt there is some explanation, perhaps a clerk's inattention or possibly the handwriting isn't clear, but it leaves me questioning the marriage date.  If you click on the photo and enlarge it, perhaps you will see something different from what I see?
  
• I haven't looked yet but I hope a local newspaper published an engagement or marriage announcement for Della and Thomas.
  

As mentioned above, the image of this marriage record was found at FamilySearch.  The physical record of the license was filed with the Register of Wills, Mercer County, Mercer, PA, in Marriage License Docket, Volume 9, 1902-1905.

- –Nancy.

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

1883 Marriage Announcement: John Gerner and Maggie Sarver

This announcement of a marriage gives little genealogical information and it's possible this John Gerner is not the son of Christian and Mary Elizabeth (Stahl) Gerner or the brother of my Fredrick K. Gerner.  I'll continue research as though it is until I prove it right or wrong.

                            MARRIED.

GERNER—SARVER— At Freeport, Pa., July
   20th, 1883, by the Rev. H. K. Shanor, Mr.
   John Gerner, of Saxon Station and Miss
   Maggie Server of Sarver Station, Butler
County Pa.


John Gerner is the youngest known child of Christian and Mary Elizabeth, born about 1857.

According to 1860-1880 census records, Christian and Mary Elizabeth (along with their children, Emma, Fred, Charles, Isabell/Elisabeth/Lizzie, Christian, and John) lived in Fairview Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania.

John was listed as 4 in 1860, 14 in 1870, and 23 (and a son) in 1880.  In 1883, at the time of this marriage, he would have been about 26. 

There's always more research to do.  Because John is collateral relative he won't be a serious focus of research but I'll continue to look for him as I research ancestors.

This news article is available at Chronicling America:  https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86071045/1883-07-25/ed-1/seq-2/.

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

1903 Marriage Record of Alma M. Gerner and Francis E. Kitch

Alma M. Gerner is the daughter of Fredrick K. and Elvira (Bartley) Gerner.  She is the seventh child and fourth daughter (of 16 children). 

This marriage record comes from FamilySearch's collection of Pennsylvania County Marriages and specifically from the Mercer County, Pennsylvania, Register of Wills, Marriage License Docket, Volume 9, 1902-1905, page 202.  With a free FamilySearch account you can see the image and other pages of the docket here.  

No. 7649
Francis E. Kitch born in Coolspring Twp.
on the 20" day of March A.D. 1886 residing at Fairview Twp
and a Farmer by occupation not related by blood or marriage
to the person whom he desires to marry
never married before
and Alma M Gerner born in Butler Co.
on the 29" day of Jan A.D. 1881 residing at Mercer Co
a ---------- by occupation never married before
_____________________________________________
And now this 28 day of Oct. 1903 Marriage License issued in legal form.
Consent of [blank] residing at [blank]
and [blank] residing at [blank]
      Filed this 28" day of Oct. 1903
      Duplicate Certificate returned and filed this 28" day of Oct 1903 showing
marriage ceremony to have been performed by Albert D. Lero.
on the 28 day of Oct 1903.

Notes, Comments, Observations

• I like the fact that this marriage records gives the dates and location of birth of both spouses.  Unfortunately, Alma's location of birth is not accurate:  she was not born in Butler County, Pennsylvania.  According to her county birth record, she was born in Scott District, Putnam County, West Virginia. 
  
• Alma's birth record gives her name as Mary Alma.  Through the years of her life she went back and forth, finally settling with Alma as her chosen name.
• Alma's father moved their family from Butler County to Mercer County, Pennsylvania, sometime between 1900 and 1910, then back to Butler County between 1910 and 1920.  Did Fred have a touch of wanderlust?
• There is a discrepancy in birth dates between this record (January 29) and Alma's birth record (January 20).  It's hard to dispute the birth record even though it is a set of ditto marks from two records above it.
• It has always interested me to see marriage license applications given on the same date the marriage occurred.  For many years now, at least in Ohio, a couple must procure a marriage license days or weeks before the marriage occurs.
• Alma is noted as divorced in the 1930 U.S. Census and is living with her daughter and son-in-law, Kathryn and Elbert Knox, in Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania.

-–Nancy.

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Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Fred Holland, Leota Gerner's Second Husband

I'm not eager to search in too much detail or spend too much time to find more information about Leota (Gerner) Riss's second husband, Fred Holland.  Leota is my paternal grandmother's sister, not in my direct line.  I may come back to Fred in a few years but for now I'm happy enough with what I've found below.

FamilySearch had Ohio death indexes only for more recent years.  This is Fred's.
 

It tells me that he was born in 1992, died on August 18, 1958 in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Ohio, and that his residence was Struthers, Mahoning County, Ohio.  It also tells me that he was married.

I found a little more information in his death notice at Google News Archive.  It is on page 16 of the August 18, 1958, issue of The Youngstown Vindicator. 

             Fred Holland
     (Special to The Vindicator)
   Struthers, Aug. 18---Fred Hol-
land, 76, of 380 Spring St., was
pronounced dead at 7:55 a.m. to-
day at South Side Hospital after
Collapsing in a Struthers restau-
rant. The body is at the D. A.
Davidson Funeral Home.

Fred's obituary was published the next day, August 19, 1958, in The Youngstown Vindicator, on page 19, column 3, again available at Google News Archive.

            Fred Holland
     (Special to The Vindicator)
   Struthers, Aug. 19---Funeral
services will be held at 1:30 p.m.
Thursday at the D. A. Davidson
Funeral Home for Fred Holland,
76, of 380 Spring St., Apt. 14.  He
died of a heart ailment Monday
in South Side Hospital.
   Mr. Holland was born July 10,
1882, in Oxford, England, a son
of Harry and Elizabeth Holland,
and emigrated to Struthers in
1914.  He was a foreman at the
Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co.
coke plant, retiring 10 years ago.
He was a member of Wesleyan
Methodist Church.
   Besides his wife, the former
Leota Riss, whom he married 22
years ago, he leaves a daughter,
Mrs. Isabella Homer of Struth-
ers; a son, Harry, of Denver,
Colo.; a sister, Mrs. Anna Fox
of Struthers; and five grandchil-
dren.
   Friends may call from 7 to 9
p.m. Wednesday at the funeral
home.

Comments

• Might Fred have been married before?  Beulah Evelyn is not mentioned as a step-daughter and I haven't found any information that suggests Leota had more children.
• I've been unable to find Leota and Fred in the 1940 census, the first census in which they would likely have been married, based on this obituary's statement, "his wife, the former Leota Riss, whom he married 22 years ago."

Leota and her spouses certainly present a puzzle to be solved.  At some point in my past I remember the briefest of conversations between my parents about Aunt Leota in which my father said that she had been his wet nurse after his mother died when he was only weeks old.  If that's true, Leota would have had another child between about 1911 and 1913, and may (or may not) have been married.  I've found no record of a marriage from about that time nor a record of a birth.  Puzzles, puzzles.  Gotta love those family history puzzles to be solved!

-–Nancy.

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Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Research Tip: Read Every Entry on the Page

When you search for an ancestor in court records where there are several entries on a page be sure to read all the entries on that page.  You never know who you will find. 

I searched for and found Alma Mary Gerner's marriage recordnin the Mercer County Orphan's Court Marriage License Dockets.

Looking at the rest of the entries, I found Alma's sister Della Gerner's marriage record as the next entry.  I love it when that happens!

It's worth the extra minute to look at all the records on a page because you never know who you'll find.

-–Nancy.

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Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Frank B. Riss: from Horse Thief to Justice of the Peace?

Like a dog with a bone, I couldn't give up the search for Leota Gerner's first husband, Frank B. Riss, especially when I realized I already had some information about him in RootsMagic.

I was surprised to find this snippet, below, in The Virden (Illinois) Recorder at Old Fulton New York Postcards.  It was published sometime between February, 1909, and September, 1910.  (I've been unsuccessful in maneuvering the Old Fulton website to get more details about the exact date of this article and its specific location in the newspaper.) 

          Girl Betrays Fugitive.
    Betrayed by his sweetheart, who
gave his photograph to the police,
Frank B. Riss, was arrested near
Streator and taken back to Calgary,
Canada, to answer to the charge of
horse stealing.

To be accurate, I have no way of knowing that this is Leota's husband.  The name, Frank B. Riss, is the same as Leota's Frank, who was born in Streator, Illinois.  They could the be same person, or not.  The distance between Streator and Calgary, Canada, is about 1,616 miles by today's highways, but no doubt further in 1909-1910.  This article leaves me with the questions of how many horses were stolen and whether it was worth the expense to transport Frank that long distance.  And, of course, the question of whether this is Leota's Frank or not. 

Ancestry.com shows Frank B. Riss in the 1917, 1918, 1920, and 1921 Youngstown City Directories as an engineer and in 1926 he appears as a Justice of the Peace with the following description.

RISS Frank B.  [Leota]  Justice of The Peace Berlin township, 13 Central Square, 3d floor Diamond Block, Phone 4-1504 h Berlin Center O

 
Next I find him on his 1930 Ohio Death Certificate from FamilySearch with excerpted information below.  (Click on the death certificate to see it full size in a new tab.)

Name.  Frank B. Riss
Place of Death.  South Side Youngstown Hospital,
      Youngstown, Mahoning County
Residence.  1635 South heights, Youngstown
Husband of Mrs. Leota Riss
Date of Birth.  June 6, 1882
Name of employer.   John Gerner
Birthplace.   Streator, Ill.
Date of Death.   Jan 3, 1930
The Cause of Death was Ac. Gangrenous Pancreatitis
Contributory.   Cholelithiasis (a form of gallstones)
Place of Burial.    Lake Park Cemetery
Date of Burial.   6 Jan 1930

And finally, Frank's death certificate led me to his obituary published in The Youngstown Daily Vindicator on Saturday, Jan. 4, 1930, p. 3, col. 5.  (Image from microfilm at Archives Library of the State of Ohio, no online link available.)

      FRANK B. RISS
             TAKEN BY DEATH
               ---------------
  Former Justice of Peace, One-
     Time Sheriff Candidate,
           Dies in Hospital
               ---------------
   Frank B. Riss, aged 47, of 1635
South Heights Ave., prominently
known in Youngstown in the days
of the “raiding” justices of peace,
died of complications at four p.m.
Friday at Youngstown Hospital after
an illness of three weeks.
   Riss was justice of the peace of
Berlin Township for a number of
years and maintained an office in
Youngstown at Boardman and Mar-
ket Sts.  His constables were active
for several years in liquor raids.
   He was born June 6, 1882, at
Streator, Ill., and had lived in
Youngstown for about 15 years.
   He leaves his widow, Mrs. Leota
Riss, and a daughter, Evelyn Riss.
   He also leaves his mother and
father, Mrs. and Mrs. Fred Riss of
Streator; two sisters, Mrs. Henry
Bollmer, Streator, and Mrs. Lester
Kernan, Chicago, and five brothers,
Edward, Albert, Lafe, Jess and Otto
Riss, all of Streator.
   He was married 14 years ago to
Miss Leota Gerner of Youngstown.
He was a member of the M. E.
Church.
   Mr. Riss has lately been in the
trucking business.
   Funeral services will be held at
2:30 p.m. Monday at the home.  The
Rev. N. B. Mathes will be in charge.
Burial will be in Lake Park Cemetery.

Notes and Comments

Based on the information in the obituary

• Frank moved to Youngstown in about 1915.
• He married Leota in about 1916. 
  
• His daughter became Evelyn Riss instead of Beulah E. Riss from previous records.
• He was "prominently known" when he served as Justice of the Peace and was involved in liquor raids.
  

I have lots of questions about the liquor raids, the danger involved for Frank and his deputies, and how Leota felt about that.  This obituary conjures images of smoky speak easies filled with people on the alert for raids.  If Frank was as well-known as the obituary suggests he is probably in new articles in The Vindicator during the 1920s.  What a lot of searching it would require to find him!

I don't know, and my never know, whether the Frank B. Riss, horse thief, is the same person that Leota Gerner married and who became a Justice of the Peace in Mahoning County, Ohio.  What evidence shows me is that Leota Gerner was married to Frank B. Riss, engineer, Justice of the Peace, and truck driver who died on January 3, 1930.  How I wish I could connect the dots--if there are any--through the years between horse thief and Justice of the Peace.

-–Nancy.

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Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Bessie Leota Gerner—Under the Radar

As I continue to rename and update my source citations in RootsMagic, I sometimes come across an ancestor or relative with little information.  When that happens I usually do more research, looking for documents to substantiate the dates and names I have from family records.  That is the case with Leota.

Bessie Leota Gerner is one of my grandmother Beulah Mae Gerner Doyle's older sisters.  According to family records she was born in 1884 in Bruin, Pennsylvania, and, according to obituaries, died in 1973 in Canton, Ohio.  I know my parents and our family visited her and her sister, Brendice, but I have no memory of Aunt Leota, which is the name my father and our family called her in the 1950s and 1960s.

How can someone could fly so far under the radar that she is found only in only census records, mentioned in the obituaries of her siblings, and her own obituary during her adult years?  Below is a compilation of what I know about her and her family.

Family Records.  These are hand-written entries in a Family Bible with no documentation.

• Birth:  "Bessie L. Gerner.   June 17. 1884."
• Death:  "Leota Wiborg  January 29th 1973"
  

Husbands.  No marriage records--not a single one--have been found.

• Jules/Juels Wiborg.  The obituaries of her brothers John and Paul, in 1970 and 1972, name her as Leota Wiborg.  Her own obituary gives her name as "Mrs. Leota Holland Wiborg" and states that she was the widow of Juels Wiborg.  
• Fred Holland.  She is named as either "Mrs. Fred Holland" or "Mrs. Leota Holland" in the obituaries of her siblings (Alonzo in 1940; Alfonzo in 1952; Alma in 1952; Warren in 1957) and her mother (in 1943). 
  The Ohio Death Index records this information for Fred Holland:  born 1882, died August, 1958, in Youngstown, Ohio, residence Struthers, Ohio. 
• Frank B. Riss.  Leota's father, Fred Gerner, names her "Mrs. Lotie Riss" in his 1926 will.  Leota married Frank sometime between 1910 and about 1918, based on the 1910 U.S. Census (where she is living with her parents) and the 1920 U.S. Census (where she is recorded as Bessie Riss, the wife of Frank B. Riss). 
  Frank's Ohio Death Certificate give his date of death as January 3, 1930, and name his wife as Leota Riss and his employer as John Gerner (likely Leota's brother).  Frank was 47 at the time of his death.
  

Census Records and Residences.

• 1900.  Bessie L. Gerner, living with parents in Parker Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania
• 1910.  Leota Gerner, living with parents in Fairview Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
• 1920.  Bessie Riss, living with Frank B. Riss, daughter Beulah E., and sister Brendice C. Gerner in Poland Township, Mahoning County, Ohio
• 1930.  Leota Riss, widow, living with daughter Beulah E. on Sexton Street, Struthers, Mahoning County, Ohio 
• 1940.  Bessie F. (or L.?) Holland, living with Fredrick Holland and mother Almyra [sic] Gerner in Struthers, Mahoning County, Ohio
• 1943.  Mrs. Fred Holland, Struthers, Mahoning County, Ohio  (Elvira Gerner's obituary)
  
• 1952.  Mrs. Fred Holland, Oakland, California (her brother Alfonzo's obituary)
• 1952.  Mrs. Leota Holland, Oakland, California (her sister Alma's obituary)
• 1957.  Leota Holland, Oakland, California (her brother Warren's obituary)
• 1970.  Leota Wiborg, Canton, Ohio (her brother John's obituary)
• 1972.  Leota Wiborg, North Canton, Ohio (her brother Paul's obituary)
• 1973.  Mrs. Leota Holland Wiborg, North Canton, Ohio (her own obituary)
  

Comments, Questions, and Challenges

• Finding no records for any of her marriages is a surprise.  I thought that her marriage to Frank, probably about 1915-1918, would be available online at FamilySearch or Ancestry but haven't found it yet after searching in both Ohio and Pennsylvania.  I can understand that the more recent marriage records (probably 1930s and late-1960s) may be withheld until a later date.  It's possible that Leota met and married Juels Wiborg in California between 1958 and 1970.
  
• Why is there not an Ohio birth record for Beulah E. Riss?  (The census records give her place of birth as Ohio.)  There could be a transcription error, of course, but there are other possibilities.  Was she born before Leota and Frank were married?  Was she adopted?  She seems to have disappeared after the 1930 U.S. Census and I haven't found a marriage or death record for her, either.  Leota's sister, in later years, told her daughter-in-law that Leota had a daughter named Evelyn.  A search for Evelyn Riss and Evelyn Gerner did not turn up any results.  Did Beulah grow to adulthood and marry?  If not, when did she die, and where?
  
• There seems to be no information on Jules/Juels Wiborg on FamilySearch.  Unless he was born in 1913, which seems unlikely.  There would have been an almost 30-year difference in their ages.

How can one person, her daughter, and three husbands manage to stay under the radar, especially in the late 1800s and the early 1900s?  There don't seem to be leads for next places to search, either.  It's unlikely I'll spend much more time looking since Leota is a collateral relative.  As much as I like to find the families of my grandparents' siblings, I'm more interested in searching for my direct ancestors.  I'll probably come back to her in a few years and see if new information is available online. 

The Records.  All links are to FamilySearch records, viewable with a free FamilySearch account.

• Fred Holland in Ohio Death Index here
• Frank B. Riss's 1930 Ohio death certificate here
• Leota and family in 1920 U. S. Census here
• Leota and family in 1930 U.S. Census here
• Leota and family in 1940 U.S. Census here
• If you'd like information about the obituaries for Leota and her siblings, please contact me.
  

-–Nancy.

Copyright © 2021 Nancy Messier.  All Rights Reserved. 
Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Fred K. Gerner's Will Filed For Probate, 1926 News Article

Fredrick K. Gerner, my father's maternal grandfather, died on March 25, 1926, in Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania, where he lived most of his life.  I have never found a newspaper obituary for him but while searching for an obituary in The Butler Eagle I found the article below, published on Friday, April 2, 1926 (on page 17, column 1).  I find it unusual that the contents of his will were considered worthy of publication by a local newspaper.

Bruin Man's Will Filed For Probate
   Personal property of $5,000 and a
house and lot in Bruin borough of the
approximate value of $500 is listed in
the will of Fred K. Gerner of Bruin,
who died March 26.  The will was ad-
mitted to probate in the register and
recorder's office today.
   To the widow, Elmira [sic] Gerner is be-
queathed the house she now lives in,
bonds and mortgages and all other
property above what is bequeathed to
the children.
   To each of the following children is
bequeathed $500:  Mrs. Della Fletcher,
Bruin; Alma Kitch, Bruin; Mrs. Lottie
Riss, Berlin Center, O.; Mrs. Brendis [sic]
Davis, Louisville, O.; John Gerner,
New Middleton, O., and Warren Gerner,
Bessemer, Pa.
   To Mabel Double and Paul V. Gerner
is bequeathed $600 each.  The will pro-
vides that the oil leases of the decedent
shall be sold and the money turned into
the estate.

Observations & Comments

• Fred and Elvira had 16 children.  At the time of Fred's death, 11 were still alive.  Not mentioned in this article are his three oldest living children, Lana, Alfonzo, and Alonzo.  In the will itself, both Lana and Alfonzo are named but Alonzo is not.  I have no history or background suggesting why Alonzo was excluded from the will. 
• Both the will and this article mention oil leases.  Butler County was rich in oil wells and it seems that Fred and several of his sons were involved in the extraction of oil either directly or indirectly.  The mention of oil leases suggests that Fred's property may have had one or more oil wells which were leased to a company or companies for pumping. 
• The value of Fred's $500.00 in 1926, would be about $7,600.00 today and $5,000.00 in 1926 about $76,000 today.  By today's standards, Fred was not a particularly wealthy man.
• I used inter-library loan to have a microfilm of the newspaper sent to my local library from the Pennsylvania State Library a dozen years ago.  I viewed the film and found this article the day after the Columbus Metropolitan Library called to tell me the microfilm had arrived.  When I returned it to the desk after using it, I asked how how much longer it could stay.  They told me it should have been returned a week ago!  I was unable to locate an obituary in any of the issues from March 26 through April 2, 1926. 

-–Nancy.

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Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Netta or Metta? Her 1894 Butler County, Pennsylvania, Death Record

Brendice Gerner told me when she was in her late 90s that she had a sister named Meta Mildred who died in 1894.  While researching in a book of transcriptions of deaths in Butler County, Pennsylvania, I saw her name as Netta, and so I've been wondering which is correct.  Brendice was born a year after Meta/Netta died so it's likely she only heard the name and did not see it written.  It's easy to mishear or confuse an M and an N.

Perhaps you can please help?  This is a partial copy of her record in Butler County (Pennsylvania) Registration of Deaths, 1893-1906, on a digitized film of the original record book at FamilySearch.  Her name is at the top of this image.  Clearly there are two t's but what are the first and second letters?  I included the names below for comparison of handwriting.



What do you think?  Metta or Netta, or do you see a different name from those?

Below is an image of the whole page (she's about halfway down), then just her line, and below those is a transcription of her information.  Click on any of the images to enlarge them in a new tab in your browser.

This is the transcription.

Page 43 [both pages have the same number], G, Registration of Deaths, Butler County.
[left page:]
Name of Deceased.  Gerner, Netta M. [or is it Metta?]
Color.  white
Sex.  Female
Age.  4 mo.
Name of Father. (If minor.)  Fred Gerner
Name of Mother. (If minor.)  Elvira Gerner
Married or Single.  Single
Place of Birth.  Bruin
right page:]
Occupation.  [blank]
Date of Death.  Nov 7 1894
Place of Death. (Street and Number.)  Bruin
Cause of Death.  Enlargment [sic] of liver
Duration of Last Sickness.  2 weeks
Place of Interment.  Bear Creek C.
Date of Interment.  Nov 9 1894
Date of Record.  Dec 15 1894

Notes and Observations

• I was thrilled to find the digital image with this information but hoped that her name would be so clearly written that there would be no question about it.  The transcription I have from a book just isn't the same as seeing an image of the original entry in the ledger.
  
• It's interesting that both Netta/Metta and her father, Fred Gerner, had liver problems.  Could it be that there was a genetic or hereditary relationship between their problems?  Fred died of chronic interstitial hepatitis whereas Netta/Metta died of an enlarged liver. 
• How would an enlarged liver have been diagnosed in 1894?
  
• I checked Bear Creek Cemetery at Find-a-Grave but did not find Netta/Metta.  It's possible that she has no grave marker.
  

Thanks for offering your interpretation of her name in the record if you have time.  I appreciate it.

-–Nancy.

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Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 
.

Miss Beulah Gerner Hosts Tennis Club, December 3, 1909

Who knew that my grandmother played tennis?  Or did she?  Perhaps it was a group of young ladies who called themselves the "Tennis Club" for want of a better name.

TENNIS  CLUB  ENTERTAINED.
   Miss Buelah [sic] Gerner, Brown avenue,
entertained 30 members of the Tennis
Club of the Methodist Episcopal
church at her home last evening.  A
pleasant evening was spent and lunch-
eon was served.  Miss Ella Hulder-
man assisted Miss Gerner in receiv-
ing.

Beulah was a young adult, aged 21, when this article was published in the Butler Citizen (Butler, Pennsylvania) on Saturday, December 4, 1909 (on page 5, column 2).  I would love to know what was served for luncheon, what activities the young ladies participated in during the evening, and what they wore. 

Observations and Information Garnered from This Article

• Beulah may (or may not) have been athletic.
• She lived on Brown Avenue (in Bruin, Butler County) which agrees with other information from other sources.
• She may have attended the Methodist Episcopal Church.
• She had a friend or acquaintance named Ella Hulderman, as well as 28 other friends/acquaintances.
  

I have very little information about Beulah as a child or young adult so it was exciting to find this brief article. 

–Nancy.

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Do not copy or use any content from this blog without written permission from the owner. 

Warren Franklin Gerner's 1957 Death Certificate

Warren Franklin Gerner is the man on the right, sitting on the running board of this 1941 or 1942 Chevrolet Business Coupe in a park in Niles, Ohio, for a family reunion.  He is with his brothers, John, standing, and Alfonzo (aka Fon or Fawn), sitting beside him.  He is the son of Fredrick and Elvira (Bartley) Gerner, brother to my paternal grandmother, Beulah (Gerner) Doyle.

I have very little documentation about Warren.  In fact, I think this death certificate is the first document I've found for him.  Most of the information I have comes from family sources.  Several of his great-grandchildren have contacted me as well as a few other Gerner descendants. 

I understand that Warren was married at least twice but I have the name of only one of his wives, Leila Davis. 

Below is his 1957 California death certificate which I found at FamilySearch's California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994, and a transcription  You can see this record here with a free FamilySearch account.

Certificate of Death, State of California--Department of Public Health
Registration District No. 7097, Registrar's Number 1164
Decedent Personal Data
Name of Deceased--First/Middle/Last  WARREN FRANKLIN GERNER
Date of Death  JAN. 24, 1957  Hour 3:00 AM
Sex:  MALE
Color or Race:  CAUC
Specify [marital status]:  DIVORCED
Date of Birth:  JULY 10, 1890
Age (last birthday):  66 years
Usual Occupation:  JIG BUILDER
Kind of Business or Industry:  AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY
Birthplace:  PENNSYLVANIA
Citizen of What Country:  U.S.A.
Name and Birthplace of Gather:  FREDRICH GERNER, GERMANY
Maiden Name and Birthplace of Mother:  ELVIRA BARTLEY, W. VA.
Was Deceased Ever in U.S. Armed Forces?  NO
Social Security Number:  292-10-8270
Informant:  TEDDY MAX GERNER
Place of Death
County:  LOS ANGELES
City or Town:  BELLFLOWER
Length of Stay in This City or Town:  6 MOS.
Last Usual Residence:  State:  CALIF.  County:  LOS ANGELES:  City or Town:  BELLFLOWER
Street or Rural Address:  9141 E. CENTER ST.
Coroner's Certification
Coroner:  ...INVESTIGATION
Signature:   E. A. WINSTANLEY, CORONER [rubber stamped]
BY ELDON BOYD, M.D. [signature]
Address:  HALL OF JUSTICE, LOS ANGELES
Date Signed:  1-25-57
Funeral Director and Registrar
Specify...  BURIAL
Date:  1-29-57
Cemetery:  ARTESIA CEMETERY
Signature of Embalmer & License Number:  WILLIAM F. HAND, 4230
Funeral Director:  BELLFLOWER MORTUARY
Date Received by Local Registrar:  JAN 28 1957
Signature of Local Registrar:  ROSEMARY STEPHENSON
Filed:  MAR 1 1957  Ray E. Lee, Country Recorder   2050

Observations
This certificate of death gives no information about the cause of death.  Because there was a coroner's investigation I wonder if Warren's death was the result of an accident. 

–Nancy.

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