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.

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)

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 Mourison, Elizabeth, wife of William vanWinkle, Catharine, wife ofIsaac Tuttle, Ann, wife of Jacob Vanderhoof, Sarah, wife of David Occabock, Margaret, 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

Enhanced Photographs

This tip is from a FaceBook group for New York City Genealogy. (Great resources for research are on FaceBook.)

FamilySearch.org may have better versions of passport photographs than Ancestry.com's database, so check it out. Sometimes these pictures are the only available images of a deceased relative.

In the example below, the image on the right is a passport photo of Eugene Totten Bishop from Ancestry. The application was signed in 1918. On the left is the same image from Family Search, revealing more detail.

Eugene Totten Bishop (1876-1936) was my father's great granduncle.
He was born in Newark, New Jersey to William Reuben Bishop and Susan Jane Marsh.
I have not found a marriage or children for him.
He died in Newark and is buried at Evergreen Cemetery in Hillside, New Jersey.

Eugene resembles a man in a Bishop photo album I acquired from eBay years ago. I do not know if this is my family or not.

Viewing a Family Tree at My Heritage

My Heritage now offers pedigree views of family trees. This was a desperately needed modification.

In this view, you can see the ancestors of a person.

My Heritage originally offered only a "family view." If you clicked on a person, you saw one line of ancestors and could not click back to the original person. This made navigating a tree frustrating.

I discussed this issue three years ago.

My Heritage became an important factor in genealogy research when the DNA testing site 23andMe enabled customers to link to My Heritage to display family trees.

My Heritage is free to sign up, but a subscription charge must be paid to add larger trees and access records.

My Heritage offers its own autosomal DNA testing services. The price for a kit is in line with the other testing companies. DNA tested at My Heritage is compatible to upload to GedMatch.

If you tested your DNA elsewhere, you can upload the file for free to My Heritage for an ethnicity estimate and family matches. No subscription is required to access this information.

I have found many more matches from United Kingdom at My Heritage as compared to the other testing companies.

In the examples below, the tester's parents were from Ireland. At other testing sites, he has many distant matches. At My Heritage, he has several close matches.

Tracing Another Sister of Patrick ODonnell

A death certificate from California confirmed that I accurately tracked a sister of my maternal great great grandfather, Patrick Francis ODonnell (1856-1931).

Patrick's obituary from the Bayonne Times listed a sister I did not know about: Kathryn Mason Kennedy of Stockton, California. (The mother of Reverend Charles Leo ODonnell was another sister, Mary.)

The earliest record I could find for Kathryn was the 1885 New Jersey State census in Bayonne. She was Kate Mason, living with Charles Mason.

In September of 1885 in Bayonne, Margaret Mason was born. I have not found a birth certificate for her filed with the State. She was baptized at Saint Mary's Church in Bayonne, which was frequently used by the family.

Kathryn's next appearance was in Brooklyn, New York in the 1900 federal census. She was widowed, age 48, with two children:

Magarite C Mason, born September 1885 in New Jersey; and
John D Mason, born April 1889 in Connecticut.

I do not know how accurate this is, but for the question of children, Kathryn had listed four children, three still living.

I have not found Kathryn in the 1910 federal census.


In the 1920 census, Catherine Kennedy, widowed, was living in Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut with John D Mason, age 30. Daughter Margaret was living in San Francisco, California with husband James Joyce.

In the 1930 census, Kathryn had joined her daughter in Stockton, San Joaquin County, California.

Catherine Kennedy died in Berkeley, Alameda County, California on September 20, 1939. Her parents were listed as Peter ODonnell and Margaret Gallagher of County Donegal, consistent with the records of her siblings. Catherine's place of birth was listed as Killybegs. From this I also learned that her husband's name was Patrick Kennedy.

This certificate arrived ten weeks after my request.

I do not know what became of Kathryn's two husbands, Charles Mason and Patrick Kennedy.

Kathryn's son, John Daniel Mason, served in World War I. He twice stayed in Togus, Maine at a National Home for Disabled Soldiers. I do not know what became of him.

Thank you MJ for the medical terminology

Kathryn's daughter, Margaret, had one daughter, Grace Catherine Joyce, born in 1917 in California. Grace married Robert John Duggan (1913-1991) and had children and grandchildren.

I would like to find out when and where Kathryn's husbands died and if she had more children.

Amanuensis Monday: Letter of Ward Family from Bloomfield New Jersey 1842

Dr I M Ward

66 N Pearl St

Albany

Bloomfield Sep 5 1842

Dear Doctor

No doubt you have been looking for

an answer to your letter to Horace in regard to Nancy

Barton, written about two weeks since. It is one week

to day since Julia called on Nancy and I supposed

that Horace had written to you on the subject until

Saturday when he told me that he had not, and

desired me to write. Nancy informed Julia that she

had just engaged to stay with Ms Matthews for six

shillings for weeks, but that if she had known that

you wanted her before she would have been glad

to come. Ms Richards and Emily left here last

Friday morning for Philadelphia. We proceeded down

the old road as far as the junction of the turnpike when

Emily was suddenly taken with flowing very copiously

immediately turned about and came up the turn-

pike and at home as soon as possible. Emily was put to

bed and the Dr was in attendance in a few minutes.

As yet nothing further of consequence has taken place

but he thinks a miscarriage inevitable sooner or later

and the consequence may be very serious. In addition

she has a light attack of Bilious Remittent fever and

is confined to the bed pretty much all of the time.

Ms Richard remains also with us untill something deci-

cive shall take place in regard to Emily. Philice has

been herefor a week or two and on Saturday she was taken

sick- pain in the breast- headache nausea +e she is

confined to the bed and the Dr prescribes for her every day

Emily and Philice have both been bled and physiced

to their hearts content I should think but we must

obey the Drs direction. Julias health has suffered some

from excitement. She has had more pain and pressure

in her breast and her cough is increased. She has taken

one powder and though it relieved her a little, since

which she has not taken any more. I have ? a his time

after time that if she gets sick again, it will be her own

fault, as she has the remedy in her power but is too

thoughtless or careless to use it. There is considerable

sickness about at present mostly of a Bilious character.

We shall be happy to hear from you whenever

convenient. Much love is sent from all to all.

I remain yours truly

Oliver P Hanks

Dr Isaac Moreau Ward (1806-1895), the recipient of this letter, was practicing medicine in Albany, New York in 1842. By 1850, he had returned to Essex County, New Jersey and was farming in Clinton, later known as Irvington.

Dr Ward's wife was Mary Ogden Rankin. They married in 1832 in Newark.


The author of this letter, Oliver P Hanks, had married Dr Ward's sister, Julia Ward (1822-1843), in 1838 in Bloomfield. Julia died a year after her husband wrote this letter and is buried in Bloomfield Cemetery.

The Horace mentioned in the letter could be another sibling, Horace Hinsdale Ward (1808-1845). In 1831 he married Mary C Keen of Bloomfield.

Another Lawsuit by Herman Lutter

My great great grandfather, Herman Lutter, was born around 1860 in or near what is now called Neuhaus am Rennweg in Germany. By 1881 he was living in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey, United States.

From his records, it seems that he had tumultuous relationships with people.

He split with his first wife, my great great grandmother Clara Rosalie Uhl (1865-1955), in 1888 when she was pregnant with their first and only child, Howard.

Around 1920, Herman purchased property in Spring Lake, Monmouth County, New Jersey. His second wife, Emma Lucinda Neubauer, remained in Newark, though she later moved to Spring Lake, where she died in 1946.

In 1921 he sued Albert Neubauer, the brother of his second wife, for room and board. Herman's initial win by default was overturned. One week before Herman died, the New Jersey Supreme Court upheld the decision.

When Herman died on July 3, 1924, he was in the process of divorcing Emma.

In his will, Herman left almost nothing, five dollars, to his son, Howard.

Today I found another lawsuit by Herman from 1922. He won. He sued John R Wynne for money owed on a car sale. Wynne's defense was that the car did not work after driving from Newark to Red Bank.

Newspapers.com is a pay site

The second wife of Herman's son was Fiorita Lorenz. Her first husband was James Howard Winnie, born around 1887 in Nevada. I wonder if the Wynne who Herman sued was related to this other Winnie.

What Became of Edgar Duryea's Marriages?

Jacob H Duryea (1850-1928) is related to my father through both of Jacob's parents, George W Duryea (1823-1864) and Rene Brewer (1824-1904).

In Jersey City, New Jersey, Jacob married twice, first to Harriet Dunham in 1873 and then to Marietta Dunham in 1874. I don't know if this was a recording error or if these marriages really happened. The women were listed with different parents. Harriet was the daughter of Henry and Jane. Marietta was the daughter of Lewis and Sarah.


Marietta Dunham (1852-1922) and Jacob Duryea had three children:

1. Charles Duryea (1874-1876), buried in the Brewer plot in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in New York.

2. Edgar Henry Duryea (1876-1926), buried in the Eyre/Duryea plot in Hoboken Cemetery in New Jersey.

3. John D Duryea (1880-1891), buried in the Eyre/Duryea plot in Hoboken Cemetery in New Jersey.


About the Eyre/Duryea plot in Hoboken Cemetery:

Jacob Duryea's sister, Letty Jane Duryea (1848-1889), was originally buried in Hoboken Cemetery. She died in Jersey City from complications of pregnancy. Letty's husband, Alfred DeCiplet Eyre (1848-1912), was buried in nearby Fairview Cemetery in Bergen County. At some point, Letty was reinterred at Fairview.

Henrietta Elizabeth Funtman (1815-1887), the mother of Alfred DeCiplet Eyre, was buried in this Hoboken plot and not moved.


While reviewing Duryea marriages in New Jersey, I was surprised to find a record for Edgar H Duryea, the only son of Marietta and Jacob to reach adulthood.

On May 7, 1897 in Hoboken, Edgar Duryea married Lillian Hagan. Lillian's father's name was John Hagan; her mother's first name was Mary, but the last name is hard to read. Maybe Bulley? They were from Germany.

Three years after this marriage, in the 1900 census in Jersey City, Edgar was single and living with his parents. I did not suspect an earlier marriage.

Rene Duryea was Rene Brewer (1824-1904), mother of Jacob Duryea.
Janette Lent was Jennet Conklin (1814-1902), the widow of Rene's maternal uncle, David Mann Lent (1811-1892).

Seven months after Edgar's wedding, he was in a wagon accident.

I have not found Edgar in the 1910 census. He was not with his parents. He registered for the draft for World War I. He was living at 213 East 49th Street in New York City. His nearest relative was his father, Jacob H Duryea, in Jersey City.

In the 1920 federal census, Edgar was still at this address in New York City as a boarder. With him was Elizabeth Duryea, age 39. Was she another wife?

Edgar died on August 29, 1926 at Fairmount Hospital in Jersey City from pneumonia.

His death certificate states that he was married, but the wife's name was "Can not learn." Informant was Edgar's father, Jacob.

Edgar's obituary gave no indication of a wife.

Edgar's gravestone in Hoboken Cemetery leaves room for inscription, but no wife joined him in the ground.

Sarah B LeBarron (1811-1886) was the maternal grandmother of Edgar Duryea.

What became of Edgar's wife or wives? Did he have any children?

When a DNA match appears with ties to Jersey City, but no surnames in common, the connection could be cousins such as Edgar. Although Edgar was a few generations back, he was a double relation. If Edgar had descendants, they could share Duryea and Brewer DNA with my father, his siblings, and their cousins in this branch.