Jumping Back Into The Poole: Olive Poole Reeves

      GADZOOKS,  I seem to remember Grams exclaiming when something REALLY surprised her. This casual dip back into the Poole, what I thought would simply be Flipside doing a timeline on my great aunt Olive, has actually turned into a blog about her husband, William Brooke Reeves.  I know only of my great grand aunt through whatever hard copy I have been able to ferret out from research.  I knew nothing of her husband...dead?, divorced?, gone.  I watch a lot of detective shows on TV and just look where all my detective skills have led.    

     I have no photo of my paternal great grand aunt, Olive Poole Reeves to display on my blog.  There are probably none of her remaining.  I sometimes wonder if she was present at the one mid 1920's Pool/Poole Family Reunion that was sent to me by a fellow researcher.  Perhaps all of the living brothers and sisters from the Sampson Frum Pool and Sarah Louise Harner Pool marriage are pictured.  Only several have been identified. Bummer!!!!

     Olive was born on February 19, 1873 to Sampson Frum Pool and Sarah Louise Harner on the Pool Family Farm in the Morgan District, Monongalia County, West Virginia.  She is listed on the Monongalia County Birth Record as Ollie Pool.  I have made mention on various other Pool/Poole blogs that sometime in the late 1800's or early 1900's, some of the family decided to add a final "e" to their surname/maiden name, consequently researchers will find both spellings.

   
     Olive married William B. Reeves, son of Wylie Crothers Reeves and Mary Miller, on September 12, 1895 in a Methodist Protestant Church, Morgantown, Monongalia County, Virginia.  William was born in January 27, 1876 in Wellsburg. Brooke County, West Virginia.  At the time of the wedding, he was still residing in Brooke County and is listed as a machinist. Perhaps he was working in Morgantown or somewhere near the Pool Farm.

     The next and final record of the married couple is the 1900 West Virginia Federal Census.  The newly weds are living in the Morgan District, north of Decker's Creek in Morgantown, West Virginia. No address is listed.  Olive's older sister, Nettie Pool is living with them.  Of great interest to me is that Olive's brother, my paternal great grandfather George Ethelbert VanGilder, was the census enumerator.  How cool is that!!!!

     For years I have been spinning my wheels wondering what happened to this couple.  There were no further census reports until 1930 and Olive is in Pittsburgh operating a boarding house on the North Side.  On various records she is listed as married or widowed...and yet, no William.  Today I finally became tenacious and put my research brain in gear and lo and behold.....William B. Reese on the 1930 and 1940 Ohio Census married to another woman.  Could this be Olive's husband???

     I located a marriage record for the Reeves couple enumerated in the two census listings and found William marrying Carolena Mull on August 27, 1919 in Wheeling, West Virginia.  Note that he lists himself as a widower.  This is the census couple; however, there is no mention of parents on the marriage information, so I'm not 100% behind the idea that this is Olive's husband.  Next step locate some record of death.  Actually, it was out on Find A Grave that I found my next clue.  William and Carolena are buried in a cemetery near Steubenville and his death was July 12, 1953....SCORE!!!  A simple locate on his death certificate and WAHOO this William B. Reeves parents match the William B. Reeves that married my great grand aunt, Olive Poole.

     The widowed information on the marriage certificate began to bother me.  I decided to dig a little further.  I am still missing information on William from 1900-1930.  I figured he had to have a WW I draft registration and lo and behold he did!  William B. became William Brooke Reeves and, yes, he is married to another woman!  More exploration....a found marriage license and a burial in a cemetery near Steubenville, Ohio.  

     Oddly, on the marriage certificate William's surname is spelled Reaves....however, it is our Bill.  On October 16, 1903 in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, William married Margaret (Maggie) Lorena Skaggs daughter of Theodore Skaggs and Ella Merritt. (Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M86979-5, System Origin:  Ohio-VR ,  GS Film number: 0900078 ,  Reference ID:  2:3HXWGLV.)  There is a 1910 Ohio Census report for the couple.  Maggie died from pneumonia on October 13, 1918 at Mingo Junction, Jefferson County, Ohio.  Her death certificate again spells her married name Reaves, although the memorial on Find A Grave has her name spelled Reeves.  She is buried at Georges Run Cemetery, Steubenville, Ohio.

     So, here's the rundown--William Brooke Reeves married first, my great grand aunt, Olive Pool on September 12, 1895 in Morgantown, West Virginia.  He married second, Margaret (Maggie) Skaggs on October 16, 1903 in Steubenville, Ohio.  He married third, Carolena Mull on August 27, 1919 in Wheeling, West Virginia.  I do not believe that William had any children with any of his wives.

     But I digress....this blog is supposed to be about my paternal great grand aunt.  Olive seems to be MIA from 1910-to 1920.  Perhaps some of those years she was still married and living in Morgantown.  Once she and William parted ways, she may have moved in with family members.  I have seen through various records that the Poole sisters seemed to be acquainted with moving in with each other during times of crisis.

     Thanks to great grand aunt Olive's sister, my great grand aunt Sarah Ann Poole Pinyerd, who must have had a direct dial to the local newspapers, there are numerous accounts of the Poole sisters comings and goings from Sarah's home in North Charleroi, Pennsylvania.  It appears that Olive was a fairly permanent fixture in her sister's home from about 1920-1923 and perhaps later.  Two other Poole sisters were also guests at Sarah's home--my paternal great grandmother, Jessie Poole VanGilder and another great grand aunt, Eleanor Poole Bashaw and her two children.

1240 Palo Alto Street

     By the beginning of 1928, Olive was living in Pittsburgh and the 1930 Pennsylvania Federal Census lists her as running a boarding house at 1240 Palo Alto Street on the North Side of Pittsburgh. Two of the boarders are her niece and nephew, Olive Bashaw and Leon Poole Bashaw and her brother in law, Sarah's husband, John Pinyerd.  Olive does list herself as a widow.  The 1940 Pennsylvania Federal Census shows Olive still running her boarding house at 1240 Palo Alto.

     

   
     Olive died at her home, 111 Brilliant Avenue, Aspinwall, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.   She shared the house with her sister, Eleanor Poole Bashaw and her niece Olive Bashaw.  I google mapped the address and found a pleasant home on a nice street in Aspinwall.  

     Olive was buried with her Poole family at Mt. Union Cemetery, north of Morgantown, West Virginia.  I have visited the cemetery and taken photos.  There is no memorial marker for Olive.

Burial information on Find A Grave for William Brooke Reeves

Updated Februray, 2021
   

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2015, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



ERIN GO BRAGH--MCGOEY SURNAME

Mcgoey Family History

The Magee (and variations) family is an ancient lowland family of Scotland, established as Lords of Balmaghie in Galloway since the 10th century. Both the Clan Donald and the Clan Mackay claim it as a sept. 

     My Aunt Barb was IRISH through and through....except for one maternal great grand mother, Ann Hamilton, who married a Mitchell and perhaps a great great grandmother, Susannah Jury.  Ann Hamilton was born in Pennsylvania; however her husband, Robert Mitchell, was yet another IRISH lad.  We Hughes' are not devoid of IRISH roots; however not as heavily as the McGoey bunch.  I can celebrate St. Patrick's Day through my paternal grandmother, Sarah Margaret VanGilder Hughes and can claim one branch of IRISH origin....my paternal 4th great grandfather, Thomas McElroy.

     For my Hughes cousins, celebrate the holiday with gusto.  The Hughes side adds a minute portion of the roots from the old sod....your McGoey side close to 100%.

     My Aunt Barbara Ann McGoey Hughes born in Pennsylvania to Francis Regis McGoey and Augusta Mitchell both born in Pennsylvania.

     Francis Regis McGoey was the son of Michael Joseph McGoey and Clara Green, both born in Pennsylvania..

     Now the IRISH roots.  Aunt Barb's paternal grandfather, Michael Joseph McGoey, was born to John T. McGoey and Mary Theresa O'Neil both IRISH born.  No further genealogy on either of these lines.

   Her maternal grandmother, Clara Green....Almost Irish through and through.  Born to Bernard Green--IRELAND and Roseanna McGovern, born in Pennsylvania to Bernard McGovern--IRELAND and Susanna Jury born in Pennsylvania.  The Jury line is Pennsylvania back to the 1780's.  No further tracing to date.

     Aunt Barb's mother, Augusta Mitchell, was the daughter of James F. Mitchell and Mary Emma Shifter born born in Pennsylvania.

     James F. Mitchell was the son of my Aunt Barb's maternal great grandparents, Robert Mitchell and Ann Hamilton  Robert Hamilton was born in IRELAND....and Ann Hamilton in Pennsylvania. 

     I have not traced Ann Hamilton or Mary Emma Shifter to determine if they too, descend from Irish roots. 

Photo shared by Carol McGoey Heidrich

     Suffice to say, my McGoey/Hughes cousins have cause to celebrate on St. Patrick's Day.  And so do I.  McGoey cousin, Carol McGoey Heidrich once wrote and dubbed me an honorary McGoey for my research of the family.  WAHOO.  I am so honored to be counted among them.  However, I do have one or two ancestors who crossed the pond from IRELAND.  I can claim it on my own!!!

Saint Patrick

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.   PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2015, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



POP POP AND THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE

Tappan Zee Bridge

     Before my son left for his long weekend in the New York City area, specifically in Tappan, NY, I happened to comment that his paternal Great Grandfather, George Henry Hughes aka Pop Pop, worked for American Bridge Company that constructed the Tappan Zee Bridge.  Garrett's host and good friend drove across the bridge so Garrett was able to say to me, "Mom, I drove across Pop Pop's bridge." Good thing too, it is about to be deconstructed and a new replacement build in the next couple of years.  

Photo postcard

     Pop Pop began working as a employee with American Bridge, located in the company town of Ambridge, Pennsylvania when he was 13.  He left the employ of the company to join the Canadian Expeditionary Force during World War I.  When he returned from service he was hired as a draftsman and stayed with the company until his retirement about 1961. 

     As a draftsman, I doubt Pop Pop had any input in the Tappan Zee project and yet, perhaps some of his job entailed "drafting" a plan for the American Bridge construction crews to follow when erecting bridge.  Long story short--Pop Pop was part of the team at American Bridge when the Tappan Zee was constructed in 1955.

     I found a very interesting video regarding the construction of the Tappan Zee in the 1950's. 

     And a couple of photos from the American Bridge photo file:

Also on Flipside:

Fifteenth Edition of Smile for the Camera:  George Henry Hughes

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2015, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



WILLIAM CLINTON GWEEN

     Once again the on line Pennsylvania Death Certificates are proving that what was thought to be family fact is indeed fiction.  William Clinton Gween, second husband of my maternal grand aunt (Edna May Frederick), has been one difficult fellow to follow.  The first issue was his surname.  Grant Aunt Edna signed my Grandfather Stark's funeral book and it was illegible.  My Mom printed beside it what she thought was the correct spelling....NOT!!!  This family's married names became a confusion.  My grand aunt was a Gween and her daughter married a Quinn, somehow the spellings got tangled in the funeral book.

     If my Mom ever met her Aunt Edna's second husband, William Gween, she did not remember and no photos have been found to date.  As I wrote in another blog on Flipside regarding Great Aunt Edna, my mother seemed to remember that when Aunt Edna and her sister, my maternal grandmother, Martha Frederick Stark were standing together at my Grandfather Stark's wake, someone in the crowd commented, "Ah now perhaps the two sisters will be closer since they are both widows."  And this is where I began my quest for William Clinton Gween....deceased by 1945.

     William Clinton Gween, born April 16, 1876 in Redstone Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania was the son of George Gween and Eliza Jane Harris.  He was the eldest of four children that I have been able to locate through census reports.  I will add here that I have not been able to find this family in the 1900 census.  I believe there was a daughter named Olivet born about 1879, Ida Irene born April 26, 1882 who married William Benton Dearth and Herman Herschel Gween born December 4, 1884.

     I am ball parking William and Edna's marriage about 1917.  They are married when William signed his World War I draft registration in 1918. They are enumerated on the 1920 Pennsylvania Federal Census.  William worked for Westinghouse Electric in Pittsburgh as a machinist and later a foreman.  Edna is enumerated by herself in the 1930 and 1940 Pennsylvania Federal Census report.   She is also listed alone in Pittsburgh City Directories in the early 1930's.  Conclusion, William must have died between 1920-1930.  WRONG!!!

          Thank you PA....I found his death certificate and lo and behold William Clinton Gween died on November 11, 1957...more than ten years after the supposed comment was made about the two sisters being widows.  Oddly, Edna is listed as his wife on the death certificate and on several obituaries; however the obit also reveals that William was living alone at the time of his death. Perhaps they separated without the legalities of a divorce before 1930.

          William is buried in Pleasant View Cemetery, Smock, Fayette County, Pennsylvania along with his parents and siblings.  All are on Find A Grave.

Flipside Blogs:

Edna May Frederick Zeigler Gween

Edna May Frederick Zeigler and Mary Zeigler Quinn

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2015, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



ANNA ESTELLE VANGILDER TYMAN

OMB--Oh My Blog

     

      It's so interesting noodling around ancestry, looking for new information and actually finding an OMG moment.  I have had several over the past few months since the great state of Pennsylvania has jumped on the proverbial ball and uploaded their death certificates.  Today was just one of those moments.

     I have been diligent trying to transfer decades of written genealogical research onto my computer.  What I have noticed is that the notes from a decade or more ago, when I spent countless hours in front of a microfilm machine, are now so easily accessible through a search engine on several genealogy websites.   Cut and paste from those websites has made my transcription relatively easy. While thumbing through my pages I have found family questions that I never followed up on and an Oh My Blog (OMB) one occurred this morning.

     As with so much research, we begin with a name and in linear thinking, end up with another...and another....and another.  Happily jumping from one relation to another in the search engine.  This am my search led me to my paternal grand aunt, Anna Estelle VanGilder Tymann.  

     Anna Estelle, known as Ted or Red, she apparently had VERY red hair, has been like an illusive butterfly.  I have a few photographs of her which were shared by her eldest daughter years ago.  I knew she married three times.  I knew when she died that her ashes were kept by her youngest daughter on the mantel over the fireplace.  Piecing her life together from such rough information has been like putting my head through a brick wall.  

     I have scrolled through Flipside and believe that I never blogged about my grand aunt--probably just didn't have enough information.  Today that all changed.

     Now how cute is that little face!!!  Anna Estelle was born on April 8, 1896 in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia.  She was the second child of George Ethelbert VanGilder and Jessica Poole and joined an older sister, Mary Louise.  Two other daughters were born into this family; my paternal grandmother, Sarah Margaret and Jessica Virginia.

     On May 24, 1904, George Vangilder died and to make ends meet, Jessie opened a boarding house in their home--housing for West Virginia University students. Managing boarding houses and cooking became Jessie's life and her four daughters helped with the work when not in school.  Difficult lessons to learn for four young girls.

     From research the VanGilder women relocated in 1911, to Woodlawn, Beaver County, Pennsylvania and Jessie was hired as a cook and boarding house manager for the steel workers in the newly formed J&L Steel Company's company town.  Anna Estelle would have been fifteen.  One of the boarders was a steel worker named Joseph Wallace who married Anna Estelle in 1912.

     The Wallace's had two daughters, Catherine Wallace, known as Kae, born on March 8, 1913 in Aliquippa, Beaver County, Pennsylvania and Sarah Edna Wallace born February 18, 1916 in Washington, Pennsylvania.  The marriage was stormy and the Wallace's divorced by 1920.

     Anna Estelle married second, Joseph Schenk.  I have not been able to locate information regarding this marriage or where they lived.  A complete brick wall for now.

    Anna Estelle married third, Maurice Jacob Tyman, a Russian immigrant from Odessa.  I was able to locate them on the 1930 California Federal Census living in the city of Los Angeles.  Could not find them on the 1940 Federal Census, although there is a Maurice Tyman enumerated in Philadelphia, PA with his mother and several siblings.  "Our" Maurice--I don't know ;-)

     I did locate an Atlantic City 1935 directory that had Estelle Tyman listed as a waitress in a deli (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011) ....and OMG, according to the death certificate below....she is ours!!!!  It appears that Estelle and Maurice parted ways by 1935.

     When Cousin Kae and I chatted years ago, she made mention that she was living with my grandparents, her aunt and uncle, in Pittsburgh during her teen years.  I have no idea where her sister was living and cannot find any evidence of her in the census reports.  It almost appears that Grand Aunt Estelle left her kids off with relations, while she lived her life....I know, rather harsh of me....

     So there you have it....or had it....until today when I let my fingers do the walking in ancestry and what should pop up but......

Although Estelle's married name is spelled Tymann
on the death certificate, records online show it to be Tyman

     WOOT WOOT!!!!  Brick wall smashed.....and one of my OMG/OMB moments was to see the address as her residence.....615 Ohio River Blvd. Avalon, Pennsylvania....and guess whose address that was.....my paternal grandparents and Estelle's sister.....Sarah Margaret VanGilder Hughes and George Henry Hughes (aka Grams and Pop Pop).

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. Comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2015, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



Oh Come All Ye Faithful

     Probably at least 18 years ago, we had a somewhat upsetting incident on Christmas Day involving my dear mother, Martha Stark Hughes.  This was one of the first years that Ken put together Christmas Carol song books and we enjoyed a Hughes/Hiser family sing along. 

     It was a delight to sing our favorite holiday songs together as a family with Ken accompanying on his guitar.  Conjures up a Norman Rockwell family painting….lol

     Well into the listing of songs, Mom requested her favorite, “Oh Come All Ye Faithful”.  As I remember, we sang a verse or two when Ken decided to jazz it up a little.  Mom came apart at the seams.  She ran from the family room while yelling, “That song reminds me of me of my father, who was called ‘Old Faithful’ by the minister of the church back in Avalon.”  She was mad….she was almost in tears…..we were all simply STUNNED!!!

     When Mom calmed down, we sang the song properly.  She proceeded to tell the story of “Old Faithful”.  Back in they day, her family were members of the Bellevue Methodist Episcopal Church in Bellevue, Pennsylvania.  The church was often referred to as the “Greenstone Church” because the stones of the building were green in color.  Mom’s father, my maternal grandfather, Charles Edward Stark, was the head of the Traffic Department with Carnegie Steel (later US Steel) in Pittsburgh.  That department consisted of the “number crunchers” for the company.  Grandfather was very involved in the life of the church and served as the church’s treasurer.    

     Mother had a book, published in 1930 and written by the minister of the church, Rev. James F. Hoffman, D.D., with an inscription to her father, “For Old Faithful”.  See how this is all coming together.  We had defiled the memory of her father by jazzing up Oh Come All Ye Faithful. 

     We learned the lesson and never sang the song with anything but respect. 

     When Mom died on Christmas Eve 1999 and we held two memorial services for her, one in Pittsburgh where she is buried and one in Lakewood, Ohio, her home for the last twenty years of her life.  Ken respectively played “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” on the guitar at both gatherings.  Throughout the years since, when we were in Pittsburgh for the holidays, we would sing the song with guitar accompaniment in front of her final resting place in the mausoleum. 

     Mom has been in her heavenly home for fifteen years now and oddly the story of “Old Faithful” and the book inscription came up last week.  Where did that book go?  I figured since I cleaned out Mom’s apartment fifteen years ago, that I probably had it stored somewhere in my own house. 

     This morning my brother, Jeff, texted me wanting information about the book.  Lo and behold, he had it. We were both amazed to see the inscription was made to “Old Reliable” and not “Old Faithful”.

     I wonder if this gives us license to jazz the Christmas carol up????  NAW ;-)

Untangling the church’s name and address:

Bellevue United Methodist Church aka Bellevue Methodist Church, Greenstone United Methodist Church

     I can remember this church on the corner of North Home Avenue and California Avenue when I would drive to visit my maternal grandmother.  The large green tinted stone church with a revolving lighted cross on top of the steeple.  As I recall Home Avenue was the division between Avalon and Bellevue, Pennsylvania.  Throughout the years, the name and address of this church changed, probably due to church growth and the entrance to the sanctuary relocated.

In 1930 when the book was written:

Bellevue Methodist Episcopal Church
Bellevue, Pennsylvania

In 1945 when my grandfather, Charles Edward Stark died:

Bellevue Methodist Church
419 North Home Avenue
Bellevue, Pennsylvania

In 1971 when my grandmother, Martha Frederick Stark died:

Bellevue United Methodist Church
939 California Avenue
Avalon, Pennsylvania

Today:

Greenstone United Methodist Church
939 California Avenue
Avalon, Pennsylvania

Have also seen 939 North Home Avenue listed as address

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. All comments are welcome; however, if they are inappropriate, they will not be published.    PLEASE post your e-mail in the comment section if you would like to network about a particular surname or topic. I will capture it for my use only and not include it when I publish your comment.

© 2015, copyright Linda Hughes Hiser



CHRISTOPHER F. STARK AND ROSETTA SAUER STARK

            I have been working to clean up old handwritten notes from the past 20 or 30 years of genealogical research and happened upon one regarding a Ch F. Stark who performed the marriage ceremony of my maternal great grandfather and great grandmother, Charles (Carl) Stark and Wilhelmine Catherine Schwarz, in St. Louis, Missouri.  The curiosity is that my great grandparents traveled from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to St. Louis to be married by Rev. Stark.  Are the two Stark males related?

            Finding Rev Ch F. Stark and his wife, Rosetta, who was the witness to the marriage was as easy as letting my fingers do the walking on ancestry.  The minister’s full name was Christopher F. (Frederick) Stark and Rosetta’s maiden name was Sauer.  Pastor Stark was the minister of the Evangelical Bethlehem Church, 2844 Morgan (now Delmar), St. Louis, Missouri when my great grandparents were married in 1878. 

            From a review of census reports, Christopher and Rosetta, probably newly married were enumerated in the 1860 Illinois Federal Census living in Carlyle, Clinton County, Illinois.  Christopher is listed on the census as a minister.  Relocating to St. Louis by 1870, Christopher, continued to be listed as a minister, was living with his family in a sub division #16 of the 9^th ward.  He continued to be listed as a minister and living in St. Louis, MO from 1870-1910.

            Christopher F. Stark was born on March 31, 1834 in Germany and died July 22, 1918 in St. Louis, Missouri.  He was buried at Bethania Cemetery (now known as Bethany Cemetery) on July 25, 1918.  (Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, File Number 25046, Registered Number 7110).  I have seen Württemberg listed as his place of birth.  The 1900 Missouri Federal Census provides his immigration information—40 years in the United States, immigrated in 1860 and naturalized.  Obituary:  STARK, (Rev.) CHRISTOPHER F. St. Louis Post-Dispatch 1918 7/23, Burial permit 7/26.

            Soon after Christopher’s arrival in America he married Rosetta Sauer.  Rosetta was born February 23, 1834 in Germany, the daughter of John G. and Elizabeth Sauer.  The Sauer family is enumerated in Hennepenn, Putnam County, Illinois.  That is probably where Christopher and Rosetta married.  Their first two children were born in Illinois.  Rosetta died in St. Louis, Missouri on November 10, 1920 and was buried on November 13, 1920 at Bethany Cemetery.  (Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, # 35341).  Oddly the 1900 Missouri Federal Census lists her as mother of 6 children with 6 living.  So far I have identified eight children born to this marriage, all before 1900.  Obituary:  Stark, Rosetta Sauer, St. Louis Post-Dispatch 1920 11/11 p39, Burial permit 11/15 p12.

Known children of Christopher F. Stark and Rosetta Sauer:

1. Lydia L. Stark born about 1861 in Illinois.

2.  Cornelius G. Stark born July 28, 1863 in Illinois, died December 14, 1924 at home in St. Louis, Missouri.  Cornelius is listed as divorced on his death certificate and living in the Stark Family home, 4579 Page Avenue in St. Louis.  His occupation at the time was a traveling salesman dealing in millinery.  Cornelius was buried on December 17, 1924 in Bethany Cemetery, Wellston, St. Louis County, Missouri. (Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Number 36329).  The 1920 Missouri Federal Census lists Cornelius as widowed.  Obituary:  Stark, Cornelius G. St. Louis Post-Dispatch 1924 12/16 p36, Burial permit 12/18 p45.

3.  Roland Michael Stark born June 20, 1867 in St. Louis, Missouri, died June 12 1949 at the home he shared with his sister, Ida Louise, 413 South Dade Avenue, Ferguson, St. Louis County, Missouri.  At the time of his death, Roland was employed with the City of St. Louis Water Department.  The death certificate lists that he never married.  Roland was buried on June 14, 1949 in the Stark Section of Bethany Cemetery, Wellston, St. Louis County, Missouri.  (Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Number 22034).

4.  Clara S. Stark born about 1870 in St. Louis, Missouri.

5.  Ida Louise Stark born about June 16, 1872 in St. Louis Missouri, died July 1, 1954 at the Manchester Nursing Home, Manchester, St. Louis County, Missouri.  This lady’s name is a confusion.  Her death certificate lists Elouise, her burial stone lists Eloise, various census records list Ida Louise and she signed her brother’s death certificate as Louise Stark.  It is anyone’s guess!!  It appears that she lived with her younger married sister, Salome Stark Bush at 7365 Arlington Drive, Richmond Heights, Missouri before her death. Eloise was buried on July 3, 1954 in the Stark Family area of Bethany Cemetery, Wellston, St. Louis County, Missouri. (Missouri State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Certificate of Death, Number 25864).

6.  Catherine R. Stark born about 1876 in St. Louis, Missouri.

7.  Salome Stark born March 29, 1882 in St. Louis Missouri, died July 4, 1957 in Orange County, California. (State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics).  Married George Bush.  Mother of a daughter, Lisette Bush born about 1924 in St. Louis, Missouri.

8.  Mary Stark born April 1884 in St. Louis, Missouri.

            Three additional Starks are buried at Bethany Cemetery.  An Infant Stark who died, June 1872, Rosetta Stark who died June, 1890 (Stark, Rosetta K. St. Louis Post-Dispatch 1890 Burial permit 6/3 p5) and Felix B. Stark who died February 7, 1902.  Felix does not appear to be related to Christopher F. Stark; however the infant and Rosetta could be additional children of Christopher and Rosetta Sauer Stark. 

            My maternal great grandmother’s marriage certificate indicates that she was from Württemberg.  Family stories tell of her coming to America and living with a family (possibly her relations) in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh to be a bride.  Is the connection a Stark/Swartz connection from Württemberg?  All documents I have been able to locate regarding my maternal great grandfather’s German roots appear to stem from Westphalia; Düsseldorf and Elberfeld, a municipal subdivision of the German city of Wuppertal.  Both are located in Westphalia. 

            Death certificates on the Stark men does not give any information as to their parentage and it is clear that they are not from the same area in Germany.  My conclusion—their relationship is still a mystery. 

            If google search brought you to this blog and you relate to the St. Louis, Missouri Stark family, I would love to hear from you.

Additional research on the family:

-John G. Sauer, listed as grandfather on the 1880 Missouri Federal Census and living with the Stark family in St. Louis.  Born about 1796 in Prussia.

-Bethany Cemetery (Also known as: Bethania Cemetery)

6800 St. Charles Rock Rd.

Wellston

St. Louis County

Missouri  USA

Phone: 314-385-0841

-From a website of the St. Louis Genelogical Society (https://stlgs.org/research-2/congregations/clergy-by-name)

Clergy by Name

                                                                                                                  

Stark      Ch. F.               St. Peter’s Evangelical     1864-1865

Stark      Christoph         Holy Ghost Evangelical     1866-1867

Stark      C.F.                  Bethany Evangelical         1867-1878

-From a website http://stlouis.genealogyvillage.com/earlychurches.htm

Bethany Evangelical Church was located at Red Bud and Rosalie Avenues for many years, and was organized in 1867 in a hall at 22nd and Franklin. It later worshiped in a small chapel at 24th and Carr, and in 1875 dedicated its own church at 23rd and Wash Streets. Rev. Christoph F. Stark was pastor in 1875. In Fairgrounds area. 1867

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