Deadly Boating Accident 1909

John ODonnell was a paternal uncle of my grandmother. He resided in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey.

From his gravestone, I had his date of death- September 3, 1909. He was nineteen when he died.

John O'Donnell
born July 9, 1890
Died September 3, 1909
Gravestone at Holy Name Cemetery in Jersey City, New Jersey

I found no death certificate in the New Jersey State Archives and no obituary in newspapers from Jersey City. The Bayonne Times newspaper for this time period was destroyed.

I expanded the search to include newspapers from all over. Newspapers in New York City and even Alabama carried articles about John's death.

John was employed as a deckhand on the tug boat R B Little. He was sleeping after working the night shift when his boat collided with another, bursting steam pipes. John awoke and attempted to escape the room in which he was sleeping. John was crushed and scalded. Accounts differ as to the timing of his death in relation to these traumas. The other man in the room, John Lavin, lived. I have not determined when he died.

Newspaper article from The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, describing John's death as instant

Newspaper article from The Sun detailing John's attempt at escape before being scalded to death

Vital records for New York City are online, but not all years are available yet. 1909 is among the ranges of unavailable years for death certificates. Online indexes list a death for John ODonnell for September 3, 1909.

New York City index of deaths
entry for John ODonnell, 1909.
Son of Patrick [ODonnell] and Delia [Joyce].

Happy Birthday Beryl

 April 1st is the birthday of my paternal grandfather's sister, Beryl.

Beryl as a toddler

Picture of Beryl with her mother and maternal grandparents circa 1930.

Beryl was born "Baby" Lutter in 1918 at Newark Beth Israel Hospital in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey. She was the second and final child of Howard Lutter (1889-1959) and Ethel Laurel "Laura" Winterton (1891-1962).

In 1935, a correction was filed amending the baby's name to Beryl Enid and the father's name from Harry to Howard.

Beryl married Harry Samuel Nanejian (1901-1986) in 1937 in Suffern, Rockland County, New York. They had one child and lived in Nutley, New Jersey.

Beryl as a young woman

Beryl's death certificate arrived from California. She died February 22, 1988 in Laguna Hills, Orange County. Her ashes were spread at Newport Beach. She received her memorial on Find A Grave.

Death certificate for Beryl Enid Nanejian, died February 22, 1989
in Laguna Hills, Orange County, California.
Processing time was two weeks. Cost was $24.
Ordered from California Department of Health.

Happy Birthday Grandpa

March 18 is the birthday of my paternal grandfather, Clifford Lutter (1915-1980).

Birth certificate of Clifford Lutter.
March 18, 1915 in Philadelphia.
Father- Howard Lutter. Mother- Laura Ethel Winterton.

Clifford was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1915. The story surrounding his birth was that his father, musician Howard Lutter (1889-1959), was performing in Philadelphia. Otherwise, the family resided in Newark, New Jersey.

On the anniversary of his birth, I am posting some newly discovered photographs of him. I had these photos for years from various sources, but I did not realize that he was the young person in these photos. I suspect they were taken in Holmdel, Monmouth County, New Jersey at the residence of his maternal grandparents, William Walling Winterton (1863-1932) and Catherine Butterfoss Dunn (1865-1944).

This could be a picture of Clifford Lutter with his sister, Beryl.
Beryl was born in 1918.

DNA Identifies Siblings Two Hundred Years Later

The family of origin is a mystery for Catherine Donnelly, born around 1833 in Ireland.

DNA connections may provide leads.

By 1860 Catherine was married to Michael Preston (1813-1904), also of Ireland, and lived in Pine Plains, Dutchess County, New York.

Catherine Donnelly and Michael Preston had at least six children:

- John (1857-1928) (my great great grandfather) married Bridget Sheehy

- Anna (1858-1892) married Charles Ultcht

- Bartholemew (born 1864) only seen in the 1865 New York state census in North East

- Mary Elizabeth (1866-1890) married Jeremiah Welch

- Hannah (1870-1947)

- Catherine Agnes (1872-1954)

A clue about Catherine Donnelly's origins appears through her daughter, Hannah, who never married. Hannah lived in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey with her "cousin," Anna Donnelly. Anna was born around 1887 in Pennsylvania to Anthony Mang and Rose Stuginwald, both of Germany. So Anna could not have been a cousin of Hannah Preston, whose parents were Irish. Anna's absent husband, George Donnelly, was more likely to be Hannah's cousin.

1930 federal census
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
Hannah Preston, head; rents for $100; owns a radio; age 60; single; born in New York.
Anna Donnelly, cousin; age 47; [illegible marital status]; born in Pennsylvania.
Frank Donnelly, son of cousin; age 23; single; born in New Jersey.
Raymond Donnelly, son of cousin; age 22; single; born in New Jersey.

George Donnelly and Anna Mang were married in Newark in Newark in 1905. His parents were John Donnelly and Ellen Brady. He was 32 years old (born about 1873).

Marriage record George F Donnelly and Anna Mang.
Married March 6, 1905 in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.

George Donnelly was last seen in the 1905 New Jersey State census in Newark. With Anna Mang (1887-1963) he had three children:

- Mary Donnelly (11 December 1905 - 21 April 1909)

- George Francis Donnelly "Frank George" (31 December 1906 - 12 February 1974)

- Raymond Anthony Donnelly (26 March 1908 - 18 March 1953)

Three-year old Mary was buried at Saint Mary's Cemetery in East Orange. She died of Scarlet Fever at the Essex County Isolation Hospital in Belleville. 

Raymond never married. He was buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in East Orange.

George Donnelly Junior married Imelda Heery in 1938. His descendants are among the DNA matches connected to Catherine Donnelly, wife of Michael Preston. They trace their origins to Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.

In the 1880 census, George, age 8, was enumerated with his parents, John and Ellen "Donley," in Bridgewater, Plymouth County. Ten of George's siblings were also listed.

1880 federal census
Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Household of John Donley [Donnelly]

If George Donnelly and Hannah Preston were first cousins, then George's father, John Donnelly, was a sibling of Hannah's mother, Catherine Donnelly.

Tree explaining cousin relationship between
Hannah Preston and George F Donnelly.
Birthdates are approximate years.

John Donnelly died June 21, 1921 in Brockton. His parents were listed as Bartholomew Donnelly and Ellen E Brady. (John's wife was also named Ellen Brady. Did both women share a name, or was this an error?)

Death certificate of John J Donnelly.
Died June 21, 1910 in Brockton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Father- Bartholomew Donnelly. Mother- Ellen E Brady.
Available on Ancestry.

Catherine Donnelly named a son Bartholomew. Was he named for his maternal grandfather?

Catherine Donnelly is a close relative, perhaps the sister, of John J Donnelly (1842-1910) of Brockton.

John Donnelly's daughter, Jennie (1868-1950), married John Joseph Reagan (1868-1944). Several of Jennie's descendants are also DNA connections.

Identifying the town of origin in Ireland and viewing records could help solidify Catherine Donnelly's connection to John Donnelly.

Shamrock crocheted by my grandmother
Jeannette ODonnell (1920-1993)

Earnings reported to Social Security

The Itemized Statement of Earnings for my grandmother, Jeannette ODonnell (1920-1993), arrived from the Social Security Administration. This information was requested in June of 2023 for a fee of $100. Proof of death and direct descent was required. (Form SSA-7050-F4.)

The point of requesting this information was to see when and where she worked and possibly ascertain when important life events happened.

The Social Security Act of 1935 created federal old age benefits. Not all workers and employers were required to participate.

One of many newspaper articles explaining the new Social Security Act of 1935.

Jeannette was born in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey in 1920. She applied for a Social Security Number on December 2, 1941. 

Form SS-5 "Application for Social Security Account Number"
completed December 2, 1941.
The year of birth and name differ, but that's another story.
To locate a deceased individual's Social Security Number, search in the Social Security Death Index.
Then fill out form SSA-711 and submit $30.

Jeannette probably worked before December of 1941. The wages were not reported to Social Security.

Her first reported employer was W T Grant. She earned $39.55 in the last quarter of 1941 and $26.75 in the first quarter of 1942.

W T Grant was a bargain store that sold household items. In 1975, the national chain declared bankruptcy, hence the attorney name of Joseph Pardo and the address in New York City. Jeannette probably worked for the store located at 493 Broadway in Bayonne.

Advertisement of sale for W T Grant Co Store in Bayonne.

Help Wanted ad for W T Grant Co Store.
Maybe Jeannette saw this in her local paper.

In 1942 Jeannette began working at the telephone company. This was a national chain, so the current names and addresses do not reflect their names and addresses when Jeannette worked for them. Her last reported earnings from a telephone company were in 1957. Some quarters were little or no earnings. This is probably when she needed time off to have babies.

Jeannette's yearly earnings from what is now called AT&T and Verizon.

Jeannette is seated and third from the left, wearing the dark suit.
Supposedly the other people are her coworkers at the phone company.

Help wanted ad for New Jersey Bell Telephone Company, 1944.
"The telephone company needs more girls to handle war calls."

Jeannette needed a paycheck for personal reasons. The country was at war and women were called upon to work outside the home. This could have made Jeannette's jobs seem natural for the time period without indicating problems in her personal life.

Wages for operators and service assistants at Bell Telephone.
This was published in 1950 to address concerns over rate hikes.
We do not know Jeannette's hours, so we do not know her hourly rate.

After twenty years of no reported wages, Jeannette returned to work in 1978 at Freedman's Bakery in Belford, Monmouth County, New Jersey. She worked there until 1981. This was another national chain, so the current address of the employer is not where Jeannette physically worked.

Jeannette's earnings at Freedman's Bakery 1978-1981

Jeannette behind the counter at Freedman's Bakery

Ad for Freedman's Bakery, Monmouth County locations

The printout of earnings by quarter provides leads as to Jeannette's whereabouts and activities during her younger years. This was worth the fee and effort to obtain.

Pending Orders

Below is the list of records not available online that were ordered and not yet fulfilled.

More items were ordered since the last published list on January 21, 2024.

Service Record and Application for Bounty Land of Jonas Long, War of 1812

Requested from CivilWarRecords.com on February 12, 2024.

$55 via credit card online.

Death certificate of James Cummings, 1912

Requested of the New York State Department of Health. Form DOH-4384 mailed February 9, 2024.

$22 check.

Death certificate of Jane Cummings, 1899

Requested of the New York State Department of Health. Form DOH-4384 mailed February 9, 2024.

$22 check.

Death certificate of John Grant, 1882

Requested of the New York State Department of Health. Form DOH-4384 mailed February 9, 2024.

$22 check.

Death certificate of Beryl Nanejian, 1989

Requested from the State of California. Form VS 112 mailed January 19, 2024.

$24 check cleared February 8, 2024. Confirmation email received February 7, 2024.

Probate records of Jonas Long, 1837, and William Owens, 1853

Requested of the Richmond County, New York Surrogate's Court. Email dated June 25, 2023.

No fee at this time.

Social Security Earning Information of Jeannette ODonnell, 1937 through 1993

Requested of the Social Security Administration. Form SSA-7050-FR mailed June 2, 2023.

$100 check cleared October 26, 2023.

Death certificate of Mollie Schwartz, 1925

Requested from City of Bridgeport and State of Connecticut. Forms VS-39DST mailed April 6, 2023. (Same form number on both town and state forms.)

$20 each via money orders.

Death certificate of Edward Sheeby [Edmond Sheehy], 1893

Requested of the New York State Department of Health. Form DOH-4384 mailed March 1, 2022.

$22 check cleared April 2, 2022.

Originally requested in 2015.

Town of Amenia provided an obscure ledger entry in 2023.

Pending Orders of Records

 While a lot of records are online, many are not.

Below is a list of records I ordered and am still awaiting a response.

One item was received since my last published list on December 6, 2023.

Death certificate of Beryl Nanejian, 1989

Requested from the State of California. Form VS 112 mailed January 19, 2024.

$24 check.

Probate records of Jonas Long, 1837, and William Owens, 1853

Requested of the Richmond County, New York Surrogate's Court. Email dated June 25, 2023.

No fee at this time.

Social Security Earning Information of Jeannette ODonnell, 1937 through 1993

Requested of the Social Security Administration. Form SSA-7050-FR mailed June 2, 2023.

$100 check cleared October 26, 2023.

Death certificate of Mollie Schwartz, 1925

Requested from City of Bridgeport and State of Connecticut. Forms VS-39DST mailed April 6, 2023. (Same form number on both town and state forms.)

$20 each via money orders.

Death certificate of Edward Sheeby [Edmond Sheehy], 1893

Requested of the New York State Department of Health. Form DOH-4384 mailed March 1, 2022.

$22 check cleared April 2, 2022.

Originally requested in 2015.

Town of Amenia provided an obscure ledger entry in 2023.

Personnel File for the Works Progress Administration

Certification of Eligibility
Works Progress Administration file of Clifford Lutter

From the National Archives and Records Administration ("NARA"), I received nineteen pages of the personnel file of my paternal grandfather, Clifford Lutter (1915-1980), for his work with the Works Progress Administration ("WPA"). I knew he worked for the WPA because he wrote them as his employer when he applied for a Social Security number in 1936. (You can request a copy of this application for a deceased person, no relation necessary.)

Form SS-5 "Application for account number"
Clifford Charles Lutter, dated December 1, 1936.

The information was originally requested on October 14, 2023 via postal mail using NARA's form 14137 (found here on their website).

On January 9, 2024 NARA sent an email indicating that the file was located and the fee for copying was $70. I remitted payment the same day.

Email from NARA
"Please allow time for the scanning and uploading process to be completed. Our staff is minimal and all requested records need to be digitized and redacted prior to delivery, so we care currently looking at a much longer turnaround than is typical."

On January 11, 2024 the file was received via an email link.

Email from NARA
"We apologize for the quality of the documents. Our WPA records were microfilmed and the originals destroyed several decades ago. The images we provide are the best possible quality that we can produce."

The Works Progress Administration, later renamed the Work Projects Administration, was created in 1935 to ease the high unemployment rate in the United States during the Great Depression.

Clifford Lutter entered his adulthood during the Great Depression. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1915 to Howard Lutter (1889-1959) and Ethel Laurel "Laura" Winterton (1891-1962). They lived in Newark, New Jersey, but Howard was performing as a musician in Philadelphia, hence the out-of-state birth. His sister, Beryl, was born in 1918. His parents divorced in 1927. His father remarried in 1928. Clifford resided with his father's newly created blended family.

1930 federal census: 171 Ampere Parkway, Bloomfield, Essex County, New Jersey

Howard Lutter, head; owns a home worth $8,000; owns a radio; age 41; first married at age 23; born in New Jersey.

Fiorita Lutter, wife; age 40; first married at age 21; born in Germany.

Rita Lutter, daughter; age 16; born in New Jersey.

Clifford Lutter, son, age 15; born in Pennsylvania.

Beryl Lutter, daughter; age 12; born in New Jersey.

*Rita was Fiorita's daughter from her first marriage.*

The Great Depression was in full swing as Clifford finished high school and sought employment as a young man.

In 1935, he sought relief from his unemployment through the WPA. He resided in Newark, New Jersey at 8 Gouverneur Avenue with his mother. He began work in December of 1935 as a laborer in Newark at a rate of $55 per month.

Clifford Lutter with his mother, Laura Winterton

Clifford stopped working for the WPA on June 18, 1937 because he became privately employed. He was working as an observer at City Hall Annex in Newark.

A "Reassignment Slip" appears a few times in the file. This informed of a new job title, location, and rate of pay.

Clifford Lutter reassigned to work as a laborer at Port Newark on April 8, 1936
under the WPA.

On September 4, 1936, Clifford was laid-off from his position as a junior statistical field clerk.

At the end of September of 1936, Clifford was reinstated as a junior clerk on the Radio Survey project at the firehouse on Congress and Lafayette Streets in Newark. His salary was 55 cents per hour and 130 hours were allotted. This is the first time that a new home address was used- 55 Chester Avenue.

On November 2, 1936 Clifford signed a Review of Workers Status. He was unemployed for one and a half years. His household grew from two people to three with the addition of his maternal grandmother, Kate Winterton, age 72.

Clifford Lutter's grandmother and mother-
left: Catherine Butterfoss Dunn, wife of William Winterton, (1865-1944)
right: Ethel Laurel "Laura" Winterton, wife of Howard Lutter, (1891-1962)

The most informative page was the Questionnaire filled out on November 10, 1936. Clifford provided information on his background that I did not know. He attended schooling after high school. I cannot make out the name of the school's initials- looks like "N. I. A. (N.Y.C.) 9 months newspaper co." He also attended the American School of Graphology, where he studied handwriting classification for one year. (I'm not sure where this was located.) He worked as a police reporter for the Star Eagle newspaper in Newark for two years before leaving in 1934. His rate was $22 per week. His other occupation was hand writing expert.

In the 1940 census, Clifford was still living at 55 Chester Avenue in Newark with his grandmother and mother. I think that his employment line was misattributed to this mother. He was working as a photographer for the N.Y.A. Project and earned $360 for working 26 weeks in the previous year. This would average out around $13.85 per week, far less than the $22 per week he reported earning when he worked for the newspaper in the early 1930s. N.Y.A. probably stood for National Youth Administration, another program to ease unemployment.

Note: As of this writing, the newspaper Star Eagle is not online. At Newspapers.com is a collection with this title for the years 1907-1916, but is actually the predecessor, The Evening Star.

If your person of interest lived his or her working years in the 1930s in the United States, you may want to inquire of NARA for a WPA personnel file.

Envelope Addressed to Anna B Duryee

Another envelope addressed to the Duryee family of Newark, New Jersey appeared on eBay.

The prior one was for George S Duryee. This one was for his sister, Anna Brower Duryee, care of their father, Peter Sharpe Duryee.

Envelope addressed to Miss Anna B Duryee, care of P S Duryee Esq, Newark, New Jersey.
"For plate 2L6"
"1858" written under reddish stamp, three cents U.S. Postage, of George Washington

Anna Brower Duryee was born around 1841. She died in 1922. I found no marriage record for her. She was buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Newark with her parents and siblings.

Duryee family plot
Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Newark, New Jersey

The Duryee family was living in Newark when the 1850 census was created.

John Brower Duryee (1839-1940) lived his brief life before this census.

George, Susan, Joseph, Edward, and Amy had not been born yet.

1850 census. Household of Peter Sharpe Duryee and Susan Rankin.
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey.

The advertised value of this item is not as a family heirloom, but rather as a collectible stamp. I am not familiar with philately. From a brief look, the plate refers to the reddish three cent stamp with the image of George Washington.