Finding all children born to a couple is useful for several reasons:
---Build a more complete family tree
---Identify possible DNA matches
---Recognize naming patterns to better identify ancestors
---Track movements via addresses on the birth records
Rhoda Ann Lutter (1879-1941) was the daughter of John Lutter (1854 - after 1904) and Rhoda Ann Gant (1858-1923). She married twice and had eight children, as far as I could find. She lived in New Jersey in Bayonne, Hudson County and Newark, Essex County. I do not know if she is related to me.
The birth certificates of her children are below, along with a discussion of the children and some of their other documents.
In the State of New Jersey, the life events of births, marriages, and deaths were supposed to be recorded at the state level beginning in 1848. Until 1878, these records are in the format of a ledger, with one or two lines per event. Images of these ledger books are available online. In 1878, individual certificates were created for births, marriages, and deaths. Indexes exist online for a lot of these events and years; however, the actual certificates are not online- they are housed on microfilm at the New Jersey State Archives in Trenton. The certificates concerning Rhoda's life were copied from the Archives by me.
I see this a lot in genealogy groups, so I will explain here: the index is not an absolute. Names were spelled differently, handwriting was interpreted incorrectly, and not all years are indexed! Also, New York City was a very popular destination for marriages of New Jersey residents. Such events are potentially in the indexes for New York City, which is separate from indexes for New York State.
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Microfilm cases of births records
New Jersey State Archives |
Indexes at FamilySearch or Ancestry are used to find births 1878-1900, as they were filed by county and large city. The geographic index can be used for births 1901-1929, though 1923 remains the latest year available at the Archives.
On April 18, 1899 in Bayonne, Rhoda Ann Lutter married Frank Clarkson. The following month, on May 25, 1899, their first child, Ruth, was born. But the baby's name was not Ruth on the record, but rather Marie Antoinette. Rhoda's name was given as Annie Farrell Lutter. I have no idea why these names were different.
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Marriage certificate of Frank Clarkson and Rhoda Ann Lutter,
married April 18, 1899 in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey. |
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Birth certificate of Marie Antoinette Clarkson,
later called Ruth,
born May 25, 1899 in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey. |
Research note: to locate this birth certificate from 1899, you can look in the index at Family Search. At the Archives, I look in the index books for the volume number. This certificate was tricky because I was looking for a baby named Ruth, not Marie, with a mother named Rhoda, not Annie. I've seen stranger things and it was easy enough for me to retrieve this certificate on a trip to the Archives, but if you cannot visit the Archives, you take a $10 gamble by ordering it.
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Index of births, New Jersey, 1890-1900
Available at the Archives in Trenton.
The father's first initial, location, and date help narrow down
which certificate you need. |
In the 1900 census, Rhoda was living in Bayonne with her parents and her daughter, "Ruth," age one. The 1900 federal census asked about the number of children of (married) women. Rhoda's answers were one child born, one still living. Rhoda's husband, Frank, was not listed in this household.
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1900 United States Federal Census
95 West 21st Street, Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey |
In 1904, Rhoda lost her husband and child. Frank died on November 12. Two weeks later, on November 26, Ruth Caroline, formerly known as Marie Antoinette, died. New York Bay Cemetery was the final resting place of father and daughter. The Evening Journal of Jersey City published a short article about these close deaths.
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DIED TWO WEEKS AFTER HER FATHER
Ruth Clarkson, 6 years old, of 483 Avenue D, Bayonne, died last Saturday.
Two weeks ago her father was buried. The little girl's funeral will take place
this afternoon. Rev. Mr. Troy of the People's Baptist Church officiating. |
Rhoda remarried to Alexander Cross in Bayonne on February 16, 1909.
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Marriage certificate of Alexander Cross and Rhoda Ann Lutter,
married February 16, 1909 in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey. |
The first child of Alexander and Rhoda was born later that year. Rhoda Ann Cross was born November 29, 1909 in Newark. Note the information requested on the birth certificate: "Number of children in all by this marriage." The number "1" was written. Rhoda Junior was the first child of this marriage, but she was the second child born to her mother.
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Birth certificate of Rhoda Ann Cross,
born November 29, 1909
at 25 Merchant Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. |
In the 1910 census, Rhoda and Rhoda Junior were living in Newark with Alexander Cross and Rhoda's mother, also named Rhoda. The number of children was a question for the 1910 census also. Rhoda was listed as having one child, one still living. The correct response would have been that she had two children, one still living. Her mother was listed with ten children, five still living. I have not found all these children, but that can be for another article. Spoiler alert: I did not find a birth certificate for Rhoda circa 1879.
Alfred Cross and family, living in the same house, is probably the brother of Alexander. Alfred relocated to Morris County, New Jersey.
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1910 United States Federal Census
25 Merchant Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey |
Another observation about the 1910 census: two houses away was the household of Martin Lang, widower. In 1912, Rhoda's sister, Lucie Lutter, married Martin.
Rhoda and Alexander's next child was Letitia Cross, probably born in March of 1911. I cannot find a birth certificate for her. She died August 7, 1985 in Newark. Her parents were not mentioned, but her two surviving sisters, Doris and Lucille, were mentioned, linking her to this family.
The geographic birth index does not have a baby with the surname Cross born in March of 1911 in Newark.
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Obituary of Letitia V Cross from the Newark Star Ledger newspaper,
August 8, 1985. |
The New Jersey Death Index (not her actual death certificate) gives Letitia's birthdate as March 4, 1911.
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Index of death certificates, New Jersey
Letitia Cross died August 7, 1985 in Newark.
Date of birth March 4, 1911. |
In contrast, the Social Security Death Index gives her birthdate as March 7 (not 4), 1911.
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Social Security Death Index from Ancestry dot com.
Letitia Cross, born March 7, 1911; died August 1985.
Last residence Newark. |
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Death certificate of Rhoda A Cross,
died May 2, 1912 at 23 Merchant Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.
Age 2 years. |
At this point, Rhoda had given birth to three children. Two had died. She was pregnant with her fourth child. On January 19, 1913, Lucy Nomi Cross was born in Newark. Her birth certificate listed her as the fourth child of the marriage; actually she was the third.
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Birth certificate of Lucy Nomi Cross,
born January 19, 1913
at 23 Merchant Street, Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. |
Alexander Hamilton Cross was born May 11, 1914 at Newark City Hospital. He was listed as the fifth child of the marriage; he was the fourth. Three children were still living. He was not named at birth.
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Birth certificate of Baby Cross, later named Alexander Hamilton Cross,
born May 11, 1914
at Newark City Hospital in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.
(Original copy on microfilm is blurry.) |
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Supplemental Report of Birth
naming Baby Cross as Alexander Hamilton Cross
(original is blurry) |
Marjorie Morton Cross was born February 24, 1916 at Newark City Hospital. She was listed as the fifth child of the marriage, with four still living. This is accurate for the marriage. I do not know where the middle name "Morton" comes from.
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Birth certificate of Marjorie Morton Cross,
born February 24, 1916
at Newark City Hospital. |
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Death certificate of Marjorie R Cross,
died July 12, 1917 in Newark. |
Edith Cavell Cross was born July 28, 1918 in Newark City Hospital. She was listed as child seven of the marriage with four still living. She was actually the sixth of the marriage. She was not named at birth. I do not know where the middle name "Cavell" is from.
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Birth certificate of Baby Cross, later named Edith Cavell Cross,
born July 28, 1918
at Newark City Hospital. |
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Supplemental Report of Birth
naming Baby Cross to Edith Cavell Cross |
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Death certificate of Edith Cross,
died July 5, 1923 at Newark City Hospital.
The year of birth is listed incorrectly as 1923.
She was born in 1918.
She was a few weeks shy of her sixth birthday. |
Rhoda's final child was Doris, born May 9, 1921 at Newark City Hospital. The requested information on this birth certificate was not for the number of children of the marriage, but rather "No. of children born to this mother, including present birth." Doris was listed as child number eight, with five still living. I think this is an accurate count.
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Birth certificate of Doris Cross,
born May 9, 1921
in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. |
Rhoda died September 10, 1941 in Newark. She was
buried at Woodland Cemetery with her three young children by Alexander Cross. Only Rhoda has a marker.
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Death certificate of Rhoda Ann Cross,
died September 10, 1941 in Newark. |
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Flat stone marker in Woodland Cemetery in Newark
for Rhoda Ann Cross (1879-1941).
Block A, Lot 17. |
Alexander Cross, the husband of Rhoda Lutter, died April 21, 1958 at Martland Medical Center in Newark. He was
buried at Rosemount in Newark. The informant was Letitia Cross.
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Death certificate of Alexander Cross,
died April 21, 1958 in Newark. |
Four of Rhoda's children survived to adulthood. I found no marriage record for Letitia.
"Lucille" Cross married Robert Hunt in Newark on September 21, 1941. Letitia was a witness. Lucille had two sons. She died February 5, 2000.
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Marriage certificate of Robert Hunt and Lucille Cross,
married September 21, 1941 in Newark. |
Doris married Samuel Burger in Manhattan on May 28, 1942. They lived in Queens, New York and had four children. Doris died in 1987.
Uncovering the arrival of the children in Rhoda's life paints a picture of her early adulthood. She lost four of her eight children when they were young. She lost her first husband when she was only about 25 years old. The middle names of the children could provide additional clues about family origins.
