Sunday, July 1, 2018

Marriage of Step Siblings

A marriage between step-siblings is not a rare encounter.

Below is an explanation with documents on one such marriage.

Richard Everet Wolff (1908-1992) was my father's second cousin, three times removed. The common ancestors were Peter John Hyser (1790-1874) and Ella Fritz (1801-1847) of Greene County, New York.

Richard married his step-sister, Grace Liebeherr (1914-1993) in 1939 in South Orange, Essex County, New Jersey. One year earlier, Grace's mother, Edna Schermerhorn Hogan (1884-1938), who was also Richard's step-mother, died. I don't know if her death influenced the timing of the marriage. Perhaps a descendant could write in to clarify?





Witnesses Edna Gamble Liebeherr (sister of Grace Liebeherr) and G Wallace McComb.



Death certificate for Annie Coombe, first wife of Charles Wolff, 1927
in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey.


Death certificate of Edna Hogan, second wife of Charles Wolff, 1938
in South Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.



Richard's parents were Charles Endicott Wolff (1881-1946) and Annie Rosalee Coombe (1886-1927). They had married in Jersey City in 1907.




In 1928, one year after his first wife's death, Charles Wolff remarried to Edna Hogan in East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey. Edna was the widow of Richard Liebeherr- Grace's father, who had died in 1924.



Death certificate of Richard Liebeherr, first husband of Edna Hogan, 1924
in East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.
Informant was Ernest L Broome of Tarrytown, New York.
Why was his wife not the informant?

The merged families in the 1930 federal census at 116 Prospect Street, East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.


The family remained living together in 1940 following the death of Mother Edna
and the marriage of Richard and Grace.
195 Prospect Street, East Orange.



Thursday, June 28, 2018

Documents for Identified Drowned Man

I found an interesting death record in the New Jersey Archives for the year 1924.

Drowning was not an uncommon event in years past. Currently in the United States an average of ten people drown every day. During my document gatherings, I see lots of death certificates and burial records for unidentified people who drowned.

Andrew Liscano's identity was discovered two weeks after his body was found on May 26th, requiring the death certificate to be amended from "unidentified male adult." He had been missing since May 18th. He was 18 years old.

This death record illustrates:
-Your person of interest may have drowned and be listed as unidentified in death records, newspapers, and burial records.
-Check nearby states, especially if your person of interest lived near a waterway.

Andrew Liscano lived in New York City, but his body washed ashore the Hudson River in New Jersey. The location on the first death certificate was given as the foot of 17th Street in Hoboken. This street no longer exists. (If anyone could explain what happened to 17th Street, that would be great.) The reissued certificate names Tietzen and Lang Dry Dock as the more specific location.


(West Hoboken is now part of Union City)


Death record for unidentified man found drowned on May 26, 1924 in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Burial was at Hudson County Cemetery, Laurel Hill (Potter's Field).


Reissued amended death certificate for Andrew Liscano, identified by his sister, Rachel Lagaras.
This amended record provides a lot more information.
Looks like he was reinterred at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, New Jersey.


Undertaker Earl F Bosworth issued a letter explaining why and how the death certificate should be amended.
This funeral home is still in operation today in Hoboken.
This letter provides the name and address of deceased's sister and another person, Agnes Em.



Here is the funeral director, Earl F Bosworth, listed in the Hoboken City Directory in 1925.
(Available at Ancestry.com)


Monday, June 18, 2018

Amanuensis Monday: Will of Conrad Hopler, proved 1816 in Morris County, New Jersey

In the name of God Amen.

I, Conrad Hopler, of the Township of Pequanack, in the County of Morris, and State of New Jersey, being sound of mind and memory this tenth day of May in the year of our Lord Eighteen hundred and fifteen, do make the following as my last will and testament.

First I give and bequeath unto my daughters, Charlotte, wife of Henry MourisonElizabeth, wife of William vanWinkleCatharine, wife ofIsaac TuttleAnn, wife of Jacob VanderhoofSarah, wife of David OccabockMargaret, wife of James Shaw, and Susannah, wife of James Lyon, and to their heirs and assigns forever all that part of two certain tracts of land which I am lawfully seized of at present, the one originally contained sixty three acres and four tenths and the other eighty six acres and six tenths which said two tracts of land was surveyed and returned to Joseph Hopler, my father, on the twenty eighth day of March AD Seventeen hundred and fifty by virtue of a deed to him from Gershom Mott by a deed bearing date the twelfth day of March Seventeen hundred and forty nine fifty- this is now about sixty seven acres of the two said tracts that I am now possessed of which I wish to be equally divided between my said six daughters above named or their lawful representatives according to quantity and quality- to them their heirs or assigns forever. The said lands being situate near where John Tucker now living in the township of Pequanack abovesaid.

Second I give and bequeath unto my son, Peter Hopler, and to his heirs and assigns forever, the house and barn where I now live and the lot of land where they stand bounded as follows- Beginning in the road distant one chain and ninety links due west from the west corner of my dwelling house, thence /1/ north forty two degrees and fifteen minutes east four chains and fifty links to an apple tree; thence /2/ south seventy one degrees and thirty minutes east one chain and thirty four links; thence /3/ south three degrees west three chains and twenty links; thence /4/ south fifty degrees and thirty minutes west two chains, to the middle of the aforesaid road; thence /5/ westerly along the said road to the place of beginning, containing one acre be the same more or less.

Thirdly I give and bequeath unto my said son Peter Hopler and to his heirs and assigns forever all that other lot of land also in the township of Pequanack lying about a quarter of a mile from the road that leads from Boonton to Frederick Miller on the north east side of said road about north east from where Frederick Hopler now lives- beginning at a small black oak saplin, the north east corner of Jacob Kanous’ lands, being also a corner in the Boonton tract; thence /1/ north sixty two degrees with twenty chains partly by a stone fence to a corner in a road lately laid out from Jacob Demouth’s barn to the publick road near Frederick Hopler’s; thence /2/ along said road or near the same north forty one degrees east twelve chains and fifty links to another line of the Boonton tract; thence /3/ along the same southerly about five chains to another line thereof; thence /4/ along the same to the place of beginning, containing twenty acres be the same more or less.

Fourth I give and bequeath unto my son, Frederick Hopler, during his natural life and to his heirs after his decease the following lots of land and premises situate in the township of Pequanack aforesaid.

First lot bounded as follows. Beginning at the south east end of the bridge that crosses the Beaver brook in the road leading from where I now live and to Frederick Miller’s; thence /1/ southeasterly along in the middle of the road fourteen chains and forty three links thence /2/ south forty one degrees and thirty minutes west nine chains and eighty seven links; thence /3/ north fifty two degrees and thirty minutes west to the said Beaver brook; thence /4/ up the stream of said brook the final courses thereof to the place of beginning containing fifteen acres be the same more or less.

The second lott, called the barn lot, beginning at the north east side of a large rock in the road about three or four chains southeasterly from my dwelling house; thence /1/ south twenty four degrees west two chains; thence /2/ south fifty nine degrees and thirty minutes east eight chains and fifty links; thence /3/ north twenty four degrees east two chains to the middle of the aforesaid road; thence /4/ along in the said road north fifty nine degrees and thirty minutes west eight chains and fifty links to the place of beginning, containing one acre and seventy hundredths of an acre.

Fifthly all the residue of my land, not heretofore bequeathed, situate on the northeast side of the road leading from William Scott’s to the bridge crossing the beaver brook near the school house, I give and bequeath unto my son, Frederick Hopler, during his natural life and to his heirs after his decease forever.

Sixthly all the residue of my land not heretofore bequeathed, lying on the southwest side of the road leading from William Scott’s to the bridge crossing the beaver brook near the school house in Rockaway valley I give and bequeath unto my son, Peter Hopler, and to his heirs and assigns forever.

Seventhly after my Just debts are paid I give and bequeath all my personal estate to my seven daughters first above named and the heirs of my daughter, Mary, deceased, that is, the heirs of my daughter, Mary, deceased, to have one eighth part thereof and that to be divided, share and share alike amongst them and my seven daughters above named to have seven eighths thereof that is of my personal estate after the debt are paid to be divided share and share alike.

I appoint Jacob Demouth and my son-in-law, Henry Mowrison, to be executors to this, my testament and last will.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year above written.
Conrad Hopler, his mark

Signed, sealed, published, and declared by the said Conrad Hopler to be his testament and last will in the presence of us:

Thomas Vanwinkle
John Kanouss
Thomas Kanouse

Henry Morrison renounced April 10, 1816, witnessed by Hezekiah Schofield and James Lyon.

Proved by Thomas Vanwinkle May 3, 1816.


Inventory by Aaron Miller and William Allger

Notes against:
Mary Vanwinkle  7.70
Frederick Hopler  29.80
Tunis Kanouse  6.90
James Lyon  22.05
David Kanouse  31.35
Matthew Stagg 5.35
Thomas Stagg  1.06
Isaac Tuttle  9.62
Peter Earl  3
Aaron Miller  4.45
Jacob Demouth  3.42
James Shaw  2.29
Conrad Kanouse  9.25

Bond against Jacob Kanouse Junior  300

In hand of John Earl  0.87
In hand of James Cardiff  0.66
In hand of John Pier  0.12