Month: August 2018

Name variations in census records: Maurer & Klee

/ Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / 2 Comments

census checklist Maurer KleeIn my previous post, Herman Maurer & Anna Klee:  Maternal great-grandparents, I stated:  “I am still searching for records related to Herman and Anna’s childhoods, specifically 1870 and 1880 census records.”   After posting the blog, I started a new search.  Results:  two records found — 1880 census for Herman’s parents and 1870 census for Anna’s parents.  Happy dance!  However, the search was frustrating and required more time than I expected. Multiple strategies include name variations and children’s names. Here’s my report.

First, Herman Maurer.

Search attempt record from research log for Valentine Maurer, Herman’s father:

10-13 Aug 2018 Family Search/ Ancestry Collections, BMD, census online, generic Valentin/ Valentine, Maurer, b. Germany, 1825-1830; names of each child After multiple tries (about 3 hours total),  Valentine Mauiner, age 52, Brooklyn, 1880!! Posted to Ancestry tree.

As expected, the family was finally found in Brooklyn, New York,  in 1880 [1].  However, the search involved many road blocks. Previous searches for the family using Ancestry database (at least 4 hours)  had produced no results. Next step involved looking at Brooklyn census page by page.  About 30 wards and townships with hundreds of pages in each ward quickly spoiled that effort! I really appreciate the pre-digital age researchers who spent hours reading those hundreds of pages on microfilm!  I tried using the names of Herman’s siblings (Valentin, Katherine/ Katie, Rosina/ Rosie, Joseph and Edward).  No luck! I tried using asterisk as placer for surname:  Maur*, Mau*, Ma* on Ancestry with similar lack of results.

Go to the next website- Family Search. Begin again and use same search strategies of children’s names and surname variations. Finally, a hit!

1880 U.S. Census_Brooklyn_Kings_NY_Valentine Maurer family_crop

The transcription reads:

Mauiner, Valentine, M W, 52, head, b. Germany.

Annie C, wife, F W 32, b Germany.

Valentine, son, M, 22, b. New Jersey.

Herman, son, M, 20, b. New Jersey.

Kattie, daughter, female, 14, b. New York.

Rosie, daughter, female, 12, b. New York.

Joseph, son, M, age 9, b. New York.

Edward, son, M, 5, b. New York.

Mauiner as surname!  Anna was actually 52 years of age, not 32. That explains why I didn’t find them before now. I tried similar search strategy for 1870 census without success.  The search continues for Valentin and Anna in 1870!

Also of interest is that 14-year-old Kattie Maurer is recorded as a box-maker. She made paper boxes, possibly match boxes, at home and was paid per piece. Her minimal wages supplemented the family’s income.

Onward, to Anna’s parents, Ludwig or Louis Klee and wife, Anna or Katharina. This search finally yielded even more surprising results. I used a similar strategy, beginning with Ancestry database then moving to Family Search database. I typed in Ludwig Klee, Louis Klee, Anna, and Katharina as parents. When no results found, I tried the names of their children – Fritz, Anna, Katherine/ Katharina for 1870 census and added Mollie and Louis for 1880 census. Again, no hits on Ancestry database. Next database searched was Family Search.  Again, I used the same format of surname, parents, and children. Finally, I used the asterisk approach of “Kle*”.  I had almost given up when an 1870 entry showed Anna Kleh, age 25, and Fritz Kleh, age 7.  Male, head of household was recorded as Louis Rleh, age 30.  These names and ages sound familiar!

1870 U.S. Census_Brooklyn_Kings_NY_Louis Klee family_crop

Here’s the transcription [2]:

Louis Rleh [Klee], 30, M W, machinist, value of personal estate $600, place of birth – Prussia, parentage: father of foreign birth- marked; mother of foreign birth – marked.

Anna Kleh [Klee], 25, F W, place of birth New York, father of foreign birth – marked, mother of foreign birth- marked.

 Presumed children:  Fritz, 7, M W, place of birth: New York.

Anna, 6, F W, place of birth: New York.

Katharine, 2, F W, place of birth: New York.

Louis, 1, M W, place of birth: New York.

As with the Maurer family, the transcriber wrote the surname as it looked. The search continues for Louis and Anna in 1880!

gg62755812To help you with similar problems, try these steps:

  • Begin in town from another census. Narrow down location (township, post office, ward, election district) as much as you can.
  • Review other census records. Place of birth recorded for each person may give you a clue.
  • Use name variants found in other records.
  • Use a few letters of name with asterisk to broaden search.
  • Change first names to anyone known to be in household, with name variants same as above.
  • Look in other census sources, online and print.
  • Review possible records page by page.

Expand your research toolbox to include other resources. Here is a partial listing of online resources:

Online family tree databases suggest records through a link to your family tree on their website or another family tree program.  Check your family tree software program for access.

Print resources (partial list):

  • State-specific census indexes. Available at many historical society libraries. Check with your local library and state or county historical societies.
  • Local and county histories. Biographies and other information, such as lists of school board members, will give clues about a person’s residence during the census years.

Happy hunting!

reflection-swirl-green-color-hi

Reflection:

This post was easy to write and tells of my progress in obtaining census records for Valentine Maurer and Louis Klee.  I wish that I could report 1870 and 1880 census records for both families. Oh, well, subject for another post!

What I learned:  Census databases are not created equal! Don’t limit myself to the most popular websites. Try using known address from one census to find enumeration district for another census.  For Brooklyn, try same ward from another census.

What helped:  Knowledge of search strategies. Being able to narrow residence to city and state. Tracking search attempts and strategies on research logs.

What didn’t help: Number of pages in Brooklyn census. I was too lazy to look through hundreds of pages.

TO-DO: Continue search for Valentine Maurer (1870 census) & Louis Klee (1880 census) families.  Use multiple sources, including print indexes available at Oklahoma History Center library.  Keep detailed record of search attempts, including key words, on research logs.

SOURCES:

[1] 1880 U.S. Census, Kings county, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, enumeration district (ED) 182, p. 42B(penned), sheet325B, dwelling 161, family 465, Mauiner [Maurer] Valentine, age 52; digital images, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6HS : accessed, printed, downloaded 13 August 2018); citing National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication T9, roll 0852.

[2] 1870 U.S. Census, Kings county, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, Ward 16, p. 78 (penned), dwelling 288, family 762, Louis Rleh [Kleh]; digital images, Family Search (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8NB-M8X : accessed, printed, downloaded 14 August 2018); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication M593.

© Susan Posten Ellerbee and “Posting Family Roots” blog, 2018. 

Herman Maurer & Anna Klee, maternal great-grandparents

/ Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / 2 Comments

Herman Maurer (1858-1927).  Anna Klee (1864-1918)

Maurer_Herman_wife Anna Klee_ca unknown

Herman Maurer and Anna Klee. privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Photographs originally held by Esbon Herman Tucker, grandson of Herman and Anna. Photographs given to Ms. Ellerbee by Mary Ann (Tucker) Rogers, daughter of Esbon Herman Tucker, April, 2018.

You probably saw at least one blog post about Herman, Anna or their children. Each post captured a single life event and discussed  genealogical research methods and/or findings.  I am still searching for records related to Herman and Anna’s childhoods, specifically 1870 and 1880 census records. However, I can share information about the life of Herman and Anna as a couple.

Take a trip down memory lane:

30 April 2017: Birth certificate of daughter, Amalie Charlotte Maurer

15 May 2017:  Charlotte Maurer Tucker in Reflections on Mother’s Day, 2017

21 December 2017: Anna’s autograph book

12 April 2018:  Viola Maurer, Herman and Anna’s youngest child

6 June 2018:  Herman and Anna’s ‘missing children’

1 August 2018:  Herman and Anna in 1920 census

Herman Maurer and Anna Klee were first-generation Americans.  Their parents immigrated to the United States in the 1850s. Herman’s father, Valentin Maurer, was from Baden, Germany.  [1]  His mother, Anna Katharina Korzelious (approximate spelling), was also from Germany. [2] Baden lies in the southwest part of Germany, close to an area called Alsace-Lorraine. Alsace-Lorraine alternated between German and French rule throughout its history.  (Note: Mom always said that her Maurer ancestors were from Alsace-Lorraine.)

Map of Germany showing Baden and Prussia from Encyclopedia Brittanica

Source:  https://www.britannica.com/place/Prussia.  Accessed 10 August 2018

Anna’s parents, Ludwig Klee and Anna Wolf, came from Germany, possibly Prussia [3] or Holland[4] .  I haven’t found consistent records to verify either claim.

Herman Maurer, the oldest child of Valentin Maurer and Katharina Korzelious, was born 16 October 1858 in Egg Harbor City, Atlantic county, New Jersey.[5]  Valentin apparently moved his family to Brooklyn, New York, by 1866, where Herman’s sister, Katharine, was born.[6]

Anna Klee was born 25 July 1864 in Brooklyn, Borough of Kings, New York to Ludwig (or Louis) Klee and Anna Wolf.[7]  According to aunt Viola’s history, Anna was one of five children. [8]

Herman, age 25, and Anna, age 19, married on December 31, 1883 in Brooklyn, New York. [9] I have no  family story about how they met.  They may have lived in the same neighborhood or attended the same church. Discovery of 1870 and 1880 census records for the two families may yield that information.

Maurer_Herman_Anna_Klee_MC_for blog

Herman and Anna lived at 169 Hopkins Street in Brooklyn according to various records.  This multi-family dwelling no longer exists.

Hopkins Street

Photo by Percy Sperry. ©Milstein Division, The New York Public Library.  Used with permission.  Photo accessed 26 July 2018 from New York Public Library Digital Collections:   https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47dc-d3dc-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Children came quickly and often to the couple.  In 1910, Anna reported being the mother of 8 children with 5 still living.[10] Records support or confirm the births of 7 of those children:

  • Edward (born 1885; died 1892)[11]
  • Arthur, born 1887[12]
  • William Charles, born 30 June 1890[13]
  • Amalie Charlotte (born 26 May 1892; my grandmother)[14]
  • Herman Charles (born 22 Aug 1893)[15]
  • Emma Lizzie (born and died 1898)[16] (Note: Found after I posted “Missing Children”).
  • Viola Blanche (born 16 Mar 1907)[17]

I am waiting on a copy of birth certificate for Lillian, born about 1901, and died young.  Anna probably had all of these children at home.  UPDATE  22 Oct 2018:  Received from another Maurer researcher, copy of birth certificate for Lilian Maurer, born 7 Jan 1901; source NY Birth Index.   Parents listed as Henry Maurer and Catherine Schell. Back to the records! 

Maurer children composite

Photos privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Photographs of girls originally held by Esbon Herman Tucker, grandson of Herman and Anna;  given to Ms. Ellerbee by Mary Ann (Tucker) Rogers, daughter of Esbon Herman Tucker, April, 2018. Photographs of Maurer boys originally held by Mercedes Viola Tucker Bunce, granddaughter of Herman and Anna; digital copies sent to Ms. Ellerbee by Barbara (Bunce) Rosier, daughter of Mercedes Viola Tucker Bunce, May 2018.

Herman worked as a mechanic.  About 1903, Herman and Anna moved to Huntington, Suffolk county, New York, on Long Island.  Charlotte and her husband, Esbon Tucker, lived with Herman after their marriage. [18]

Anna died in 1918 and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Brooklyn.  [19] Herman continued to live with Charlotte and her family until his death in 1927. [20]

Of Herman and Anna’s five surviving children, only two gave birth to grandchildren.  Charlotte and Esbon had four children. Herman Charles and his 2nd wife, Elizabeth,  had two children.  Mom talked often about having only two cousins on her mother’s side.  The death of her cousin, Herman, in World War II,[21] left her with only one Maurer first cousin.  As I remember, mom knew about her distant cousins but had lost contact with most of them.

reflection-swirl-green-color-hi

Reflection:

I wish I knew more about Anna’s parents.  Their file holds little information and much of that is contradictory.  I haven’t found 1870 or 1880 census records for either set of parents.  I debated about posting because of this. The search continues.

What I learned:  What little I really know about the Klee family beyond names and a few dates.  I wish that I listened better when Mom was alive and telling the stories!

What helped:  Documents and records already in file. Thanks to cousins,  I now have pictures of Herman and Anna as well as pictures of their young children.

What didn’t help:  Lack of information about Anna’s parents.  As I reviewed documents in my files, I realized that much of the information was contradictory.   I spent several hours searching with minimal results. Today’s BSO is  tomorrow’s  focused search.  I created research logs for Ludwig and Anna but the logs are not complete.

TO-DO:  Renew search for Ludwig Klee and Anna Wolf. Start over with only Viola’s history. Critically analyze each document.  Record each step!!!  Request birth certificates for Arthur, William, Herman and Viola. Request death certificates for Edward, Emma Lizzie, Lillian and their mother, Anna Klee Maurer. This could be very expensive! Explore options to contact other Maurer cousins.

[1] Valentine Maurer, death certificate no. 16339 (1898), New York City Archives, New York City, New York City, New York.

[2] 1860 U.S. Federal Census, Atlantic county, New Jersey, population schedule, Galloway, p. 291 (penned), dwelling 2238, family 2205, Catherine Maurer, age 31, birthplace Germany; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, downloaded, printed 31 January 2018); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C., microfilm publication M653_682.

[3] 1910 U.S. Census, Suffolk County, New York, pop. sch., Huntington, enumeration district (ED) 1367, p. 2B (penned), Family #26, Herman Maurer (head); digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed, viewed, downloaded 31 January 2017); National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C., microfilm publication T624, roll 1083.

[4] Viola Blanche Maurer Tucker, “Maurer-Tucker Family History,” page 1; MS, 1800s to 1980s, Huntington, Suffolk County, New York; privately held by great-niece, Susan Mercedes Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use], Yukon, Oklahoma, 2017.  Carbon copy of original document created ca. 1975-1980 sent to Ms. Ellerbee by her great-aunt.

[5] Hermann Maurer, death certificate no. 10424 (1927), Department of Health of the City of New York, New York City, New York; copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, June 2015

[6]New York, Bureau of Records, Department of Health, Borough of Brooklyn, Certificate of Death no. 23456 (4 December 1941), Katherine A. Scheffel; Muncipal Archives, New York City, New York; copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, July 2016.

[7] Tucker, “Maurer-Tucker Family History,” page  2.

[8] Tucker, “Maurer-Tucker Family History,” pages 2 & 3.

[9] Brooklyn, New York, Certificate of Marriage Brooklyn, no. 3739, Hermann Maurer & Anna Klee, 31 December 1883; New York City Department of Records & Information Services, New York City; copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, June 2014.

[10] 1910 U.S. Census, Suffolk County, New York, pop. sch., Huntington, ED 1367, p. 2B (penned), Family #26, Herman Maurer (head).

[11] Prepared by Italian Genealogical Group and German Genealogy Group, “New York, New York, Death Index, 1862-1948,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed & printed 17 July 2016), entry for Edward Maurer, b abt 1885, died June 1892; citing “New York City deaths, 1862-1948,” New York City Department of Records/ Municipal Archives; Certificate #10178.

[12] “World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, downloaded 4 February 2018), entry for Arthur Maurer; citing , United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, Roll: 1818992; Draft Board: 1.

[13] Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : viewed & downloaded 1 February 2018), memorial page for William Charles Maurer, Find A Grave Memorial # 2749358, citing Long Island National Cemetery (East Farmingdale, Suffolk, New York), memorial created by Chuck, photograph by Chuck.

[14] New York, New York City Department of Records and Information Services, birth certificate 5947 (28 May 1892), Amalie Charlotte Maurer; Municipal Archives, 31 Chambers Street, New York, N.Y. 10007. Copy of original privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,] Yukon, Oklahoma, 2018. Copy of original obtained from New York City Municipal Archives, March 2017.

[15]  “New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909,” database, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W74-MXN: 20 March 2015) : accessed & printed 17 March 2017), entry for Herman Maurer; citing Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, reference certificate no. 11175, New York Municipal Archives, New York.

[16] “New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/2WFS-Q5K : 10 February 2018), Emma Lizzie Maurer, 04 Sep 1898; citing Death, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,324,009.

[17] “New York, New York City Births, 1846-1909,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:61903/1:1:2WCT-7YW: 20 March 2015), Anna Klee Maurer in entry for Blanche V. Maurer, 16 Mar 1907; citing Manhanttan, New York, New York, United States, reference cn 10873 New York Municipal Achives, New York. Event place: Brooklyn, Kings, New York.

[18] 1920 U.S. Census, Suffolk county, New York, population schedule, Huntington, enumeration district (ED) 113, p. 7A (penned), dwelling 136, family 139, Herman Maurer, head, age 60, widower; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed, downloaded, printed 14 March 2017); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. Microfilm publication T625, Roll 1269.

[19]  “New York State Death Index, 1880-1956,” database with images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com :  accessed & downloaded 23 July 2018); entry for Anna Maurer, 1918, 26 Jul, Huntington, pg. 1003; citing “NY State Death Index,” New York Department of Health, Albany, N.Y.’ Certificate number: 45345.

[20] New York City death certificate no 10424 (1927), Hermann Maurer.

[21] For more information about Herman Maurer (1923 – 1944), read my 2017 Memorial Day post. 

© Susan Posten Ellerbee and “Posting Family Roots” blog, 2018.