Family Heirloom: Book

After discovering cousin Father Charles Leo O'Donnell, a president of Notre Dame University, I procured his book of poems from a rare book seller on Amazon.com.  The editor was Father Charles Michael Carey, a nephew of Father O'Donnell.

Charles' father, Cornelius O'Donnell, was a brother to my great great grandfather, Patrick Francis O'Donnell.  They immigrated from Ireland to the United States in the 1870s.

It is one of Charles' poems, A Road of Ireland, that provides me with a place of origin in Ireland for these two brothers: Ardara, Donegal.  The author as well as the family history contained in this book make it worthy of being called a Family Heirloom.

Poem by Charles Leo O'Donnell

AncestryDNA: Birth name confirmed

After two years, a close match has appeared at AncestryDNA for M.S., who is adopted.  This is simply wonderful!

AncestryDNA

I reached out to this person about a week ago and have not heard back yet.  If I had nothing else to go on, this would be devastating.  This situation is a bit different.

The predicted first to second cousin match has no family tree attached to his DNA results; however, his username is displayed.  From there, I obtained a short family tree he had already uploaded.  His mother's last name matches M.S.'s last name at birth!  We have the correct family, but I still need to confer with this match to figure out which person in his family may be the biological parent of M.S.- if this is possible to do.

If I have the correct birth mother identified, then M.S. and this DNA match are first cousins, once removed.  They may share DNA on their X Chromosome, which would help me further solidify this theory.  Unfortunately, AncestryDNA, unlike 23andMe and FamilyTreeDNA, does not allow you to see where you share DNA with your cousins.

For background, M.S. was born and adopted in New Jersey before 1940.  This year is significant because this is when adoption records and corresponding birth certificates were sealed.  M.S. knew her original name and I viewed the adoption record at the Essex County Courthouse in Newark, New Jersey.  I requested the original birth certificate from the municipality and was told it could not be released.  I requested the original birth certificate from the state and was sent the amended birth certificate, which lists the adoptive parents as the biological parents.  (Only births through 1923 are available to the public at the Archives in Trenton.)

The problem in determining the birth mother and father is that only the "unmarried" mother was listed in the adoption papers with no age.  The surname belonged to a family in Newark of recent immigration from Germany.  This was not a small family.  Most members had multiple children and when a spouse died, the surviving spouse remarried and had more children.  I had no shortage of possible parents, either using the surname as a birth name or a married name.  It was (still is) possible that the birth mother was a visiting cousin from Germany, arrived in Newark in the 1930s, had a baby, and then went on her way- missed entirely in the 1930 and 1940 census.

Finding records on this family in Newark was not too difficult and actually dovetailed my research on my own Germany lines in Newark.  They lived and worked in the same neighborhoods and attended the same churches.  They probably knew one another and many generations later, their descendants also interact by happenstance.

Saint Peter's Catholic Cemetery, Jersey City

I visited Saint Peter's Catholic Cemetery in Jersey City (Hudson County, New Jersey, United States) now that the weather is improving.  (Thank you, R.B., for a lovely trip.)

The other Catholic cemetery in Jersey City is Holy Name, which is much larger.  The records for both cemeteries are available on microfilm through FamilySearch.org.  Saint Peter's listing at FindAGrave includes over one thousand burials.  Given the rather small nature of this cemetery, check FindAGrave to see if a stone still exists.  I did not check every stone, but all the ones that I investigated were already on FindAGrave.  The actual burial records will contain many more names, of course, so you need to view them as well.  Holy Name Cemetery, in comparison, has almost 30,000 burials on FindAGrave.  (You can also look up burials for Catholic cemeteries under the Newark Archdiocese at www.rcancem.org/deceased.  Holy Name Cemetery is listed; Saint Peter's is not.)

To park and access the gates, you turn onto Utica Avenue from US Routes 1 and 9 South (Tonnele Avenue).

Saint Peter's is well-maintained by neighboring Holy Name Cemetery.  The grounds are surrounded by railways, busy highways, and industrial plants, but the cemetery presents beautifully.

Geese grazing at Saint Peter's Catholic Cemetery in Jersey City

Duffy monument at Saint Peter's Catholic Cemetery in Jersey City

These engraved portions of these types of monuments are easily destroyed.

I put the camera inside the monument's missing side and found some pieces of lettering.

Autosomal DNA Testing at AncestryDNA: Kits Purchased

AncestryDNA also had a sale on their autosomal DNA testing kits last weekend:  $79 instead of the regular $99.  I purchased two- one for my father and one for me.

I have one person's atDNA tested at AncestryDNA so far.  M.S. was adopted at birth in New Jersey before 1940, before records were sealed.  (Under a new law, the records sealed as of 1940 will become accessible in 2017.)

Although I viewed M.S.'s adoption papers, I can't accurately determine her biological family for reasons that will be explained in an upcoming post.  Thus, I cannot attach her family tree to her results at AncestryDNA.  One of the great features of AncestryDNA is the (suggested) Most Recent Common Ancestor as identified in the family trees of the DNA matches.  (See this blog post for an illustration.)  I can't use this feature without a family tree, so my father's test and mine will enable me to participate in this feature.

The other reason for testing at a third company (FamilyTreeDNA and 23andMe already done) is to locate more close relatives and solve (and create) more family mysteries.  You can upload results from these three companies for free to GedMatch to meet everyone, but most people don't do this.  The link you need to solve your family mystery may be quietly ensconced at one testing site, unaware that he or she is your missing link.

Testing kit.  Spit into vial.
Return in postage-paid package.

Y-DNA Testing at FamilyTreeDNA: Kit Purchased

Last weekend, FamilyTreeDNA offered their introductory Y-DNA test (37 markers) for 20% off the regular price of $169.  I purchased one for my father.  This test is for the direct male line only- no DNA information from any other ancestor.  (The University of Utah has a fantastic video about this type of inheritance.)

I recommend the Y-DNA test for a man who is adopted and looking for his biological family.  (Both men and women seeking their unknown biological families should submit an autosomal DNA test.)

The test kit requires two takings of a specimen via cheek swabbing.  (Of note is that the return envelope is not postage pre-paid.  This is the first DNA test where I have encountered this issue and is important to realize if you are mailing a kit directly from FamilyTreeDNA to the person providing the specimen.  The person will have to obtain postage before mailing, which may be a barrier for some.)

My father's Y-DNA was previously tested at Ancestry.com.  (The Y-DNA and mtDNA tests were the first tests offered by Ancestry.  Now you may also purchase an atDNA (autosomal) test from Ancestry for $99.)  Today's results at Ancestry provide a list of fourteen people who "match" my father on the paternal line.  The problem is that there are enough variations in the 46 markers to push the estimated Most Recent Common Ancestor back anywhere from 24 to 35 generations ago.  This is too long a time frame for my modest Lutter family tree.

I am hoping that the database at FamilyTreeDNA provides more people who match my father.  Such people may or may not exist, nevermind have their DNA tested at FamilyTreeDNA.  But it's worth a try.

I cannot go back very far on the direct paternal line.  I am stuck at Hermann Lutter, born around 1860 in "Germany;" immigrated in the 1880s to Newark, New Jersey, United States.  Hermann had a brother, Otto Lutter or Luther, who also appeared in New Jersey in the 1880s.  On their marriage records, both brothers listed Wilhelm Lutter (Luther) as their father, though the name of their mother varied.  Otto's line seems to have died out.

Stay tuned for the results and interpretation.

Hidden Photograph

I was browsing my mother's papers and came across her diploma for 8th grade graduation in 1965 from Our Lady Help of Christians School in East Orange, Essex County, New Jersey.  I took the diploma out of the cover to scan it and out popped the class picture!  The tip here is to look behind framed papers and photographs for additional treasures.

Whoever thought to have all the children sign the back of the picture did a great service to those of us viewing this picture almost fifty years later.  The names as best as I can read them are:

William Ilg

Janet Kinahan

Jairo Jimenez

Kathy Russell

Michael King

Marianne Prokop

Repsi Sneed

Helen Lopez

Raymond Bonanno

Denise Bradley

Gregory Flemming

Louuis Hoyos

Maria Bryan

Paul Sullivan

Cheryl Jagoo

James Cullen

Kathy Mager

Kathy Drust

Robert Bartley

Christine Bailey

Michael Wiedaseck

Thomas Frunzi

David McKnight

Mary Ella Gally

Dennis Kamowski

William Jenkins

Judy Haas

Bruce Lane

Loretta Maloney

Judy Hoy

Patti Schaible

Michael Alexander

Mabel Wong

Richard Throckmorton

Ethel Brown

Henry Santurste

Ana Maria Fernandez

Barry McGrath

Andrea Godlowa

William Barasco

Find A Grave mobile app

I used the new Find A Grave mobile app!  This is an eagerly awaited, highly useful tool.  The website and app are both free.

I have not posted much on cemeteries lately because of the perpetual blanket of snow on the ground.  Most of the snow has melted now.

You can use the app to locate a cemetery using the map feature.  You can also add new graves and add information to existing entries, including GPS coordinates.

Pick a location and see all the cemeteries nearby

Find A Grave mobile app
Click on a tombstone on the map to see the name of the cemetery,
number of memorials, and number of pending photo requests

I visited Mount Hebron Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey.  I found a new occupant and used the app to see if a memorial had been added.  It had not.  So I went ahead and created a new memorial right there in the cemetery using the app.

I added the name, birth and death dates, and a photo- at which point the phone became stuck on the upload.

Then it started to rain.

I snapped a picture of the surrounding area, which is a good idea to make it easier to locate the grave for anyone's future visit.

At home, on a wi-fi signal, I tried uploading the photo again and received a Successful message.

This is the web version of the new memorial.  GPS coordinates are automatically included!  You can add GPS coordinates for an existing memorial using the app, but make sure you are standing at the gravesite when doing so.  There is a built-in protection so that you cannot add GPS coordinates if you are not near the cemetery.

Preserving abandoned stories

Someone shared with me records from a locally abandoned prison complex, Essex County Penitentiary, later used as the Annex, in North Caldwell, New Jersey.  After people ceased to use the buildings, they fell into disrepair and people took unofficial tours of the historical grounds.  Records were left behind and sometimes people find them at garage sales in the area.  Great pictures of the buildings before demolition can be found on Abandoned But Not Forgotten; about halfway down are pictures of records left behind.  These lost records tell personal stories of local history.

The records are files of two inmates who arrived at the penitentiary on the same day, March 6, 1931.  These would be wonderful for their families to see.

Elizabeth Jackson, age 22, of 42 Shipman Street in Newark, was sentenced to four months for the crime of fornication.  (Can you imagine a time when this was a crime punishable by jail time?  This woman's jail records paint a personal picture of this prosecution.)

Sarah Steward, also known by other names, including Watkins and Douglas, age 25, of 274 Prince Street in Newark, was sentenced to three months for the crime of adultery.  (Makes you want to know who the married man was and how this act was discovered.)

Sarah Steward's troubles continued after her release.
In this letter from a nurse in New York City, we are provided with a more specific birth location:  Chrisfield, Maryland.

The staple in the upper left corner of the letters caused rust to stain the other documents in the file.

In researching both women, I found only one other record for Sarah Steward.  In the 1930 federal census, she was also in this jail, as per the warden's letter, and is enumerated on that schedule.

Finding a Hometown in Ireland

My grandmother's grandfather was Patrick O'Donnell.  He was from "Ireland," which is not surprising or helpful with such a name.  Without a town, it is impossible to locate with any certainty the correct Patrick O'Donnell in Ireland.  He died in Bayonne, Hudson County, New Jersey- United States- in 1931.  His records on this side of the pond do not specify a place of origin in Ireland.  I found a sister of Patrick named Rose, who married James Kenny in Bayonne in 1883.  Rose provided me with more opportunities to uncover the hometown of her and her brother, but Rose's records also would not give up a location more specific than Ireland.

Enter the family stories.  My grandmother told me that she had a cousin who was a priest.  Not surprising in an Irish Catholic family.  My grandmother's cousin told me that they had a cousin who was a priest at Notre Dame.  This is more helpful, but there is no lack of Irish priests and churches called Notre Dame.  I did take note of two men named O'Donnell who served as president of Notre Dame University in Indiana.

I was at the Bayonne Library yesterday and found an obituary for Patrick O'Donnell in the Bayonne Times using his date of death.  In the obituary, his hometown in Ireland was not revealed, but I discovered two more siblings in the United States.

Patrick O'Donnell was the uncle of a priest, Charles Leo O'Donnell 1884-1934, who was a president of the University of Notre Dame.  Patrick's sister, Rose, was listed, and so was a previously unknown sister- Mrs Kathryn Mason Kennedy of Stockton, California.  A nephew with the last name O'Donnell indicates that Patrick had a brother for me to find and that I should start at Notre Dame University.

Having a priest in your family is great for genealogy.  Reverend Charles is especially wonderful because he was a president of a well-known university and he was a published author of poems.  People have researched Charles and cite his parents as Cornelius (or Neil) O'Donnell and Mary Gallagher.  This O'Donnell branch lived in Indiana, which is why I never found them in New Jersey.  The burial places of Neil and Mary and their children are on FindAGrave with references to hometowns in Ireland:  Ardara for Neil O'Donnell and Killybegs for Mary Gallagher, which are in County Donegal.  In his poem, "A Road of Ireland," Charles wrote:

     "When she came up from Killybegs and he from Ardara
     My father met my mother on the road, in Donegal."

It looks as if Charles' father, Cornelius/Neil O'Donnell was a brother to my ancestor, Patrick O'Donnell; and their sisters were Rose and Kathryn.  From the records I have compiled for Patrick and Rose, the parents of these four siblings were Peter O'Donnell and Margaret Gallagher.  It is interesting that Cornelius O'Donnell may have married a Gallagher; I wonder if there was a relation.  At this point, I do not know if Peter and Margaret came to the United States.

MapQuest.com
Ardara is few than ten miles north of Killybegs in County Donegal, Ireland.

wikipedia.org

I now have specific location to look for records on my O'Donnell and Gallagher ancestors.

This story illustrates why you must follow your lines up and then across and back down through siblings and cousins.

Genetic Genealogy: Fourth Cousins

Another successful match in my genetic genealogy pursuits at 23andMe!  This time we have my father's fourth cousin.  The most recent common ancestors were my father's great great great grandparents:  Eliakim Marsh and Susan Long.  They were born in the 1810s and lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  [Elizabeth is currently in Union County, but the area was Essex County until 1857.]  Eliakim died in 1881 and Susan in 1882.

ISOGG.org

With an autosomal DNA test, you have slightly less than a 1 in 2 chance of sharing any identical DNA with a fourth cousin.  My father and his three siblings all share DNA with this fourth cousin.  The amount of DNA shared ranges from 0.66% to 1.18%, which is on the high side for a fourth cousin match.  This could indicate that we are related on more than one line, or that Eliakim and Susan were related to each other.  Additional research will yield more information.

Of special note is a match to my aunt and uncle on the X chromosome.  This is a 23 cM segment from either Eliakim or Susan- we cannot tell which one at this point.  The X chromosome has a specific inheritance pattern.  The chain is broken in any father to son descent.  A father passes on his only X chromosome to a daughter- an exact copy.  A mother has two X chromosomes that are recombined, likely into two or three segments, and passed on to her children.  Thus, large segments on the X chromosome may travel intact for many more generations than autosomal segments (the other 22 chromosomes).

By identifying the ancestors responsible for an area of a chromosome, we can specifically use that one branch as we look at the other DNA cousins who match on this same segment.

The path of inheritance for this segment of the X chromosome for my aunt and uncle was:
1.  Eliakim Marsh or Susan Long
2.  Susan Marsh
3.  Minnie Bishop
4.  Eugene Cook
5.  Beulah Cook
6.  Jody's aunt and uncle

How did we figure out the relationship and the most recent common ancestors?  Geography.  We looked in our family trees and identified people living in the same area of the world at the same time.  New Jersey, United States, 1800s.  Then we compared surnames.  In reviewing my notes on Marsh and Long, I realized that we had first corresponded years ago on these same people, where the relation had already been figured out.  Here we are, connecting again, because we share identical DNA from our common ancestors born 200 years ago.

Take a ride on a roller coaster

My paternal grandfather, Clifford Lutter (1915-1980), was a photographer, among other careers.  I have many of his photographs and have a separate page for them on this blog.  Some of the aerial shots include what I figured was the Jersey shore.  People offered names for the roller coasters in the pictures.  Most people have named the Jet Star roller coaster of Seaside Heights, which was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

I was recently contacted by someone who with two new names:  Twister for the coaster next to the pool and Jack Rabbit for the coaster at the end of the jetty, formerly located in Keansburg, New Jersey.  I researched these coasters online and to my delight I found a picture of the Jack Rabbit in Images of America:  Keansburg, New Jersey (Arcadia Publishers).  You can view portions of the book at Google Books.

Google Books
Images of America:  Keansburg, New Jersey
page 41

The picture in the book is dated 1940; no photographer is credited.  The picture looks like it would neatly fit into the series of shore pictures taken by Clifford Lutter.  Look at the placement of the cars on the street and the two ships in the Atlantic Ocean.

Picture by Clifford Lutter from the Lutter Family Collection

This helps us date the picture and provides us with some insight into Clifford's life at the time.  In the 1940 census, Clifford is living in Newark with his mother, Laura Winterton, and his mother's mother, Katherine Dunn.

1940 United States Federal Census
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
Ancestry.com

Clifford's mother's occupation is listed as a photographer for N.Y.A. Project.  I think this is an error and that this was actually Clifford's occupation.  N.Y.A. was the National Youth Administration, a federal program to provide work for unemployed young people under the Works Project Administration.  This tells us that Clifford was a skilled photographer at this point of his life, but had difficulty finding paid private work.  When Clifford applied for a Social Security number in 1936, he listed Works Project Administration as his employer.

This is a wonderful discovery that one of Clifford's pictures was published.  I made this discovery because I posted the pictures here and someone contacted me about the roller coasters in the pictures.  This makes me think that more of his pictures may be found in published books, awaiting discovery.