Picture of Clarence E Winterton, Produce Merchant

I snagged a great picture from eBay. It's a sepia tone photograph of eleven men standing in front of a structure labeled "Clarence E Winterton" with a sign "Philadelphia Poultry." "Papa" and an arrow are drawn underneath one of the men. The number "95" is on two of the posts. This was probably 95 Park Place in New York City.

The picture (not including mat) measures 4 1/4 " by 5 1/2 "

On the reverse is written, "First place he worked" and the photographer's information, J Watson.

"First place he worked"
J Watson, photographer. ?05 Bowery, NY

Clarence E Winterton (1860-1921) was was an older brother of my great great grandfather, William Walling Winterton (1863-1932). They were raised in Matawan and Keyport in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

I inherited many photos from this branch of my family, though most of the people in these photos remain unidentified. I'm not sure which of the photos, if any, that I have in my possession feature Clarence E Winterton. I tentatively identified William Winterton in some of these photos. 

Probably William Walling Winterton (1863-1932)
Brother of Clarence E Winterton

At MyHeritage, the picture was sharpened.

Image sharpened by MyHeritage

MyHeritage also colorized the photo. This is amazing. Life is breathed into sepia when colorized. The numbers on the pillars are more prominent. Light from above is visible within the structure on the right behind the men.

Image colorized by MyHeritage

MyHeritage can also recognize faces and enhance them. This picture was not crisp to begin with. Only one figure was recognized as a face, the man labeled "Papa."

Face of "Papa" reimagined by MyHeritage

The colorized picture of William Winterton revealed lush greens and a stored firewood.

 

Colorized photograph of William Walling Winterton

The New York City city directories list Clarence and his helpers at 95 Park Place.

City directory for the City of New York
1889-1890
William Winterton, trucks, was my great great grandfather.

In 1881 Clarence Winterton married Elizabeth R Lufburrow (1862-1940). They had three children:

-Clyde Ellsworth Winterton (1883-1936), married Blanche Johnson (1883-1966) and Marilena Drake (1887-1966).

-Vera Adele Winterton (1886-1964), married Frank Pierson Sproul (1884-1936).

-Roy Lufburrow Winterton (1889-1960), married Lillie Pedee (1894-1965).

 

Clarence relocated to New York City in the late 1880s- the youngest child was born there in 1889. (Though his name at birth was Orlie Vincent and not Roy.) By 1900, Clarence had relocated to Brooklyn.

1900 federal census 594 Monroe Street, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York.
Clarence Winterton, produce merchant.
Lizzie R, wife.
(Children on next page.)

 

 

 

 

By 1910, Clarence had relocated back to Keyport.

How did Clarence commute? By boat or train, I would imagine. 

Current map of showing locations of Keyport, New Jersey
and 95 Park Place, New York City

 

I visited Keyport Harbor for July 4th. You can see Freedom Tower in lower Manhattan from the water in Keyport. This building stands a few hundred feet from 95 Park Place.  

Me at Keyport on July 4, 2025.
The buildings of lower Manhattan can be seen by the rim of my hat.
This is where Clarence and William Winterton commuted
in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Who is the business partner, Frank Wardell?

I have not seen him in any records so far related to Wintertons. He might be the Franklin Wardell buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1945. In 1886 in Clintondale, Ulster County, New York Frank married Evva Carpenter (1865-1955). He must have commuted south to the produce store.

Family Documents: Clifford Charles Lutter, Mason

Among inherited family documents is now a single paper establishing Clifford Charles Lutter as a 32 degree Mason. He signed December 4, 1971 in Newark, New Jersey.

Document establishing Clifford Lutter (1915-1980)
as a Freemason 32d Degree

Signature of Clifford Lutter December 4, 1971

A few years ago the document surfaced that established Clifford's father, Howard, as a 32d degree Mason. Howard signed exactly 39 years before his son.

Document establishing Howard Lutter (1889-1959)
as a Freemason 32d Degree. 

The flat marker of Howard's burial location
(Glen Haven Memorial Park in Sylmar, Los Angeles, California)
is engraved with the masonic symbol of square and compass with the letter G center.
Photograph courtesy of Bill Burgess.

School Picture 1910s

Picture of three adult women and 36 children.
The picture measures 4 3/4 by 6 3/4 inches.

 

I inherited this picture from my paternal aunt. This appears to be a class picture of children below the age of ten. Three women are poised in the rear row.

The back of the picture is stamped "Heron & Co. Photographers, P. O. Box 958, Orange, N. J." This was located in Essex County, New Jersey.

Based on the hairstyles, I estimated that this picture was taken in the 1910s. The girls' hair was short with big floppy bows. The women's hair was long and piled atop their heads. Their blouses were not form-fitting.

Colorizing the photo at MyHeritage brought the people to life.

MyHeritage estimated that the photo was taken around 1915. That is amazing!

I don't know who these people are. My paternal grandparents were born in 1915 and 1921, so they (and their younger siblings) are not in this picture.

Jay Te Winburn, Photographer (1889-1965)

A mural in a bank in Montclair, New Jersey caught my eye. It depicts a parade on Bloomfield Avenue in Montclair.

From a storefront hung a sign for Jay Te Winburn, Portrait Photographer.

Fourteen years ago I researched this person. I inherited a photo taken by him.

Imprint of photographer Jay Te Winburn

I do not know the subject of the portrait. She appears to be a young woman with short, waved hair, wearing pearls. Perhaps the time period was the 1920s.

Current view of area depicted in mural

Based on addresses used by National Grocery Company and Winburn's studio, I would place this view from Bloomfield Avenue looking west at Maple Place.

Since writing the original article, the burial place of Jay Te Winburn was entered on Find A Grave. He died in 1965 and was buried in Flushing Cemetery in Queens, New York.

Parents of Mollie Schoenberger and Louis Schwartz

Where were Louis Schwartz and Mollie Schoenberger from in Europe? Who were their parents?

The couple's second child, Hannah, was born in New York City in 1883. The mother was Minnie, not Mollie, age 23, or born about 1860, in Hungary. The father, Lewis, was age 26, or born about 1857, in Hungary. His occupation was baker.

Hannah Schwartz born March 24, 1883
20 Clinton Street, New York, New York.
Midwife Rosa Rosenberg of 174 Suffolk Street.
Images online New York City Department of Records and Information Services

Their third child, William, was born in New York City in 1884. The surname was spelled Swartz, not Schwartz, but this could be because the midwife's name was Anna Swartz. Anna may not have been too good at spelling English; she wrote "mail" instead of "male." The mother was Bertha, not Mollie or Minnie, age 25, or born about 1859, in Hungary. The father, Louis, was age 33 years, or born about 1851, in Hungary. He was a baker.

William Swartz born October 8, 1884
235 Stanton Street, New York, New York.
Midwife Anna Swartz of 141 Attorney Street.
Images online New York City Department of Records and Information Services

Louis Schwartz appeared in the 1884 New York City city directory in 1884 at 235 Stanton. He was a baker. This matches the address and occupation on William's birth certificate.

Louis Schwartz, baker, 235 Stanton.
1884 Trow's New York City, New York city directory.
Database online at Ancestry

The Swartz family lived at 141 Attorney- the address used by midwife Anna Swartz. She must have inadvertently applied the spelling of her surname to the baby she delivered.

Swartz Henry, tailor. Swartz Ignatz, cloaks. Swartz Maurice, cloaks. 141 Attorney.
1884 Trow's New York City, New York city directory.
Database online at Ancestry

The next four children were not born in New York City. We will detail their records later.

The final child, a daughter, was born in 1900 in New York City. She was child number eight; six were still living. The mother was Mollie, age 40, or born about 1860, in Hungary. The father, Louis, was 45 years old, or born in 1855, in Hungary. He was a pedlar.

Tillie Schwartz born November 28, 1900
56 Cannon Street, New York, New York.
The recorder perhaps wrote the color "Brunette" for the hair instead of the skin.

The 1905 New York State census is the earliest census for this family that I discovered as of this writing.

Mollie and Louis resided in New York City with children Willie, Philip, Henry, Harry, Max, and Pauline (called Tillie at birth).

1905 New York State Census. 56 Cannon Street, Manhattan, New York

Louis and Mollie were born in Hungary. Their birth place of their first child, William, looks to originally have been Hungary with "United States" written over this entry. The next children were born in Hungary, except the final child, born in United States.

The places of birth of the children seem unusual to me. 

We do not know, as of this writing, the place of birth of the first child, likely around 1881. Hannah and William were born in New York City. Did Mollie and Louis return to Hungary and have the next four children there, from 1889 through 1894? Then they returned to the United States where they had Tillie, also known as Pauline or Pearl, in 1900.

A marriage record could provide the hometowns and names of parents, but so far, I have found no marriage record for Louis and Mollie.

The four sons born in Hungary list a town of birth on various records. The name looks like Gavitz, with or without "Nud" preceding this word. If anyone knows where this might be, please comment.

Draft card registration of Philip Schwartz
born February 23, 1889 in Nug Gavitz, Hungary
Database online Ancestry

Questionnaire of military service of Henry Schwartz
born October 20, 1890 in Nud Gavitz, Hungary
Database online Ancestry

Petition for Naturalization of Harry Joseph Schwartz
born December 23, 1892 in Nud Gavetz, Hunary.
Database online Ancestry

Draft card registration of Max Schwartz
born October 23, 1894 in Nudgavetz, Hungary.
Database online Ancestry

The death certificate is another avenue for uncovering a hometown and the name of parents. Ancestry offers two indexes for deaths in the State of Connecticut: 1897-1968 and 1917-2017. Another index 1897-2001 exists on Connecticut Open Data.

Mollie Schwartz died in Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut on March 9, 1925. Her death was recorded by the State of Connecticut and the City of Bridgeport. Both records are below. These are two separately created records. There is a chance that one has information not contained on the other. In the case of Mollie Schwartz, her parents and place of birth were no more detailed on one than the other.

Death certificate of Mollie Schwartz from the City of Bridgeport, Connecticut
March 9, 1925
Cost $20. Turn-around time was two years via postal mail.

Death certificate of Mollie Schwartz from the State of Connecticut
Side 1
March 9, 1925
Cost $20. Turn-around time was one year via postal mail.

Death certificate of Mollie Schwartz from the State of Connecticut
Side 2
March 9, 1925

Mollie's father was Wolf Schoenberger, according to her death certificates. Unfortunately her hometown and mother's name were not provided.

A descendant of Mollie and Louis has an online tree with pictures. This person does not know where Mollie or Louis was born or raised.

Picture of Mollie Schoenberg, wife of Louis Schoenberg,
as offered by the creator of this tree

Louis died after Mollie. In the 1930 census, he was living with his daughter, Pearl, and her family in Stamford, Fairfield County, Connecticut.

I do not see a match for Louis Schwartz in the death index for 1930 or later in Stamford. There are people with this name who died 1930 or later.

The issue with obtaining death certificates from the State of Connecticut is that they are $20 each. You cannot view them online or in person, as I found out. I had to make many phone calls and emails to the City of Bridgeport. Connecticut allows members of certain genealogical associations to view death certificates, but a copy still costs $20.

"Sec. 7-51a. Copies of vital records. Access to vital records by members of genealogical societies. Marriage and civil union licenses. Death certificates. Issuance of certified copies of electronically filed certificates. (a) Any person eighteen years of age or older may purchase certified copies of marriage and death records, and certified copies of records of births or fetal deaths which are at least one hundred years old, in the custody of any registrar of vital statistics. The department may issue uncertified copies of death certificates for deaths occurring less than one hundred years ago, and uncertified copies of birth, marriage, death and fetal death certificates for births, marriages, deaths and fetal deaths that occurred at least one hundred years ago, to researchers approved by the department pursuant to section 19a-25, and to state and federal agencies approved by the department. During all normal business hours, members of genealogical societies incorporated or authorized by the Secretary of the State to do business or conduct affairs in this state shall (1) have full access to all vital records in the custody of any registrar of vital statistics, including certificates, ledgers, record books, card files, indexes and database printouts, except for those records containing Social Security numbers protected pursuant to 42 USC 405 (c)(2)(C), and confidential files on adoptions, gender change, surrogacy agreements and parentage, (2) be permitted to make notes from such records, (3) be permitted to purchase certified copies of such records, and (4) be permitted to incorporate statistics derived from such records in the publications of such genealogical societies. For all vital records containing Social Security numbers that are protected from disclosure pursuant to federal law, the Social Security numbers contained on such records shall be redacted from any certified copy of such records issued to a genealogist by a registrar of vital statistics.

Researchers in Connecticut, can you elaborate on the hoops one must go through to get records- legitimate or invented by clerks to thwart genealogical pursuits.

What became of Sarah Scherer?

Sarah Scherer, her first husband, William Schoenberg, and their seven children were all together in the 1925 New York State Census in Brooklyn. Sarah was 44 years old, or born about 1881. William was 43 years old, or born about 1882. The children ranged in age from twelve to 22.

1925 New York State Census
178 Throop Avenue, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York

By 1930, Sarah was a "widow," though the disposition of William has not been determined as of this writing. What became of her after the 1930 census was a mystery until the estate papers of Regina Phillips popped up on FamilySearch thanks to their full text search.

The names of Sarah's children appeared in accountings. Sarah's name was misspelled.

Estate of Regina Phillips, 1932, late of Queens County, New York

Sarah was described as Regina's niece. I guess that the connection is through Sarah's mother, Rosa Rubenstein (1853-1924), but the specific relationship is not clear as of this writing.

Parents and spouse of Regina Rubinsons (1870-1932)

Parents and maternal grandparents of Sarah Scherer (1881-19xx)

In 1890 in Manhattan, New York, Regina Rubinsons married Samuel Phillips (1870-1929). Her parents were Elias Rubinsons and Fany Goldberger.

Marriage certificate of Samuel Phillips and Regina Rubinsons
July 8, 1890 in Manhattan, New York.
Groom's parents- Israel Phillips and Amali Hönig.
Bride's parents- Elias Rubinsons and Fany Goldberger.

Samuel Phillips predeceased his wife in 1929. They had no surviving issue when Regina died in 1932.

Death certificate of Regina Phillips
died May 27, 1932 in Manhattan, New York.
Father- Edward Robinson. Mother- Dora Chonowksy.

The names of Regina's parents had morphed from Elias Rubinsons to Edward Robinson and from Fany Goldberger to Dora Chonowsky.

Regina's estate documents mention a change in Sarah's surname from Schoenberg to Koppel, along with the address 518 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. Koppel was the married name of Sarah's youngest daughter, Beatrice.

No marriage record for Sarah Scherer or Schoenberg to Mr Koppel was found in New York City, New York State, or New Jersey.

Using FamilySearch's search text function, Sarah's application for naturalization popped up. She filed twice- once under the name Sarah Koppel in 1942 and again under the name Sarah Mendlinger in 1946.

Declaration of Intention of Sarah Koppel
signed February 4, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York.

Declaration of Intention of Sarah Mendlinger
signed November 21, 1946 in Brooklyn, New York.

These documents are great because she provides a birthdate and place (April 15, 1881 in Sobolj, Megye, Hungary), date of immigration, marriages, and children. These are not necessarily accurate.

Plus we get a picture of Sarah!

Picture of Sarah Scherer attached to her 1942 Declaration of Intention

On the 1942 petition, she wrote that she married Jacob Koppel on June 15, 1931 in Brooklyn. I don't see this in the index of marriages.

On October 10, 1931, Sarah's youngest daughter, Bertha (called Beatrice in the naturalization document), married Bernard E Koppel, the son of Jacob Koppel and Lizzie Friedman.

Marriage certificate of Bernard E Koppel and Bertha Schoenberg
October 10, 1931 in Brooklyn, New York.
Groom's parents- Jacob Koppel and Lizzie Friedman.
Bride's parents- W [Aaron?] and Sarah Scherer.

Bertha, later called Beatrice, was born August 25, 1913 in Jersey City. The surname was misspelled "Schomberg" on the birth certificate.

Birth certificate of Bertha Schomberg
August 25, 1913 in West New York, Hudson County, New Jersey.
Father- William Schomberg. Mother- Sara Scherer.

On October 28, 1931, a correction was submitted to change the surname from Schomberg to Schoenberg. Four months earlier, mother Sarah had supposedly married Jacob Koppel. Yet she signed "Sarah Schoenberg" and not "Sarah Koppel" on the request for the correction.

Correction to birth certificate of Bertha Schomberg to Schoenberg
signed October 28, 1931.

A record does exist for Sarah's marriage in 1943 to Kopel Mendlinger. (Not the same person as Jacob Koppel.)

Marriage license of Kopel Mendlinger and Sarah Koppel
married January 10, 1943 in Brooklyn, New York.

Although marriages for Brooklyn in 1943 are supposedly all scanned and available online, this one was not. I ordered it through the mail. Cost was $18 and turn-around time was two months.

Available marriage records supposedly online at
New York City Department of Records and Information Services

Sarah's place of birth was Tisa Dop, Hungary. This is Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary.

Map of Tiszadob, Szabolcs, Hungary on map of Europe 2025.

Sarah listed one prior marriage to Jacob Koppel. She omitted her first marriage to William Schoenberg. How did that marriage end? Did William die? Disappear? Divorce?

Sarah's marriage history as reported on her license to marry 1943

What became of Sarah Scherer? I do not know. I did not find a death record for her in New York City. 

Notes about the birth records of the children as listed on Sarah's petitions for naturalization:

Sarah had seven children that I discovered. The first, Dora (1903-1934), was deceased by the time of Sarah's petitions, which only asked about living children.

The second child was born February 2, 1905 in Manhattan. "Lena" was originally the name, but "Sadie" was written in read above the crossed out Lena. This is probably for Sadie, but where is Lena's birth certificate? Lena was child number 3.

Birth certificate of Lena [crossed out] Sadie Schönberg
born February 2, 1905 in Manhattan, New York.
Father- William Schönberg. Mother- Sarah Scherer.

I did not find a birth record for Abraham, child number 4. He could not not have been born on January 16, 1909 because the fifth child, Sam, was born July 29, 1909.

Birth certificate of Sam Schomberg born July 29, 1909
in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey.
Father- William Schomberg. Mother- Sarra Scherer.

Catherine, child number 6, was born February 21, 1911 in Jersey City, not February 2, 1912.