What indexes and transcripts don’t tell you

October 5, 2021October 8, 2021 / Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / 3 Comments

Indexes and transcripts of documents provide clues about our ancestors’ lives. However, they typically do not show all information found on the original document. Sometimes, I am so excited to find any information about an ancestor that I forget about a basic principle– indexes and transcripts are just the beginning. The original document tells more of the story. In this post, I tell about a marriage record, a death record, and implications for my future research.

For the past several months, I have been writing a manuscript about my mother’s German ancestors who immigrated to America. I already have copies of some original documents. As I wrote, I identified and requested copies of other documents. New York City Archives staff usually respond to my requests within a few weeks. Documents from New York state continue to trickle in. One marriage record, the subject of this post, especially confounds me.

A short family history. Valentine Maurer, my mother’s great grandfather, immigrated to the United States about 1855. His death certificate[1], received in 2015, listed his parents as Leonhard Maurer and Marie Maurer, both born in Baden, Germany. Additional research revealed that her maiden name was Metzger (details for another post). So far, so good. I searched for more information about Leonhard and Marie, eventually finding them in New York City in 1865. [2]

Next item found, by chance, was a Manhattan, New York marriage index entry for 70-year-old Leonhard Maurer and Crescentia Ley/ Leu. [3] Leonhard’s age corresponded to other records. In August 2021, I found a similar marriage record index entry on a different online database.[4] This one had a certificate number so I requested a copy of the marriage record and received it on 29 August 2021. [5]

Family Search index (Accessed Feb 2021)

Ancestry index (accessed August 2021)

Name: Leonhard Maurer
Event Type: Marriage
Event Date: 15 Aug 1870
Event Place: Manhattan, New York, New York, United States
Event Place (Original): Manhattan, New York
Sex: Male
Age: 70
Marital Status: Unknown
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1800
Birthplace: Baden, Germany
Father’s Name: J… Maurer
Mother’s Name: Theresa Metzgas
Spouse’s Name: Crescendia Leu
Spouse’s Sex: Female
Spouse’s Age: 51
Spouse’s Marital Status: Single
Spouse’s Race: White
Spouse’s Birth Year (Estimated): 1819
Spouse’s Birthplace: Baden, Germany
Spouse’s Father’s Name: Peder Leu
Spouse’s Mother’s Name: Sabina Heusler

Name: Crescentia Ley
Gender: Female
Marriage Date: 15 Aug 1870
Marriage Place: Manhattan, New York, USA
Spouse: Leonhard Maurer
Certificate Number: 4936

The Family Search entry seems fairly complete. What more could be on the original document? Well, there were several items of interest. Specifically, the certificate included Leonhard’s occupation (saloon keeper), “number of husband’s marriage: No. 3” and “no. of wife’s marriage: no. 1.” Leonhard had been married two other times! I know of only one- Maria Metzger, Valentine’s mother.

Based on the 1865 census and 1870 marriage, Maria probably died between 1865 and 1870. At about the same time as finding the 2^nd marriage index entry, I found a death index entry for Maria Anna Mearer, age 63, who died in 1867.[6] Close enough to spend $15.00 for original certificate! I received a copy of that certificate on 2 September 2021.[7] Names of her parents are not recorded. How do I know that she is MY Maria Maurer? Her age of 63 is somewhat consistent with Maria Maurer, age 62 per June 1865 census. Address of Schols street, 16^th ward is roughly consistent with the family’s location in 1865. “Resident of this city: 10 years” is consistent with 1857 immigration record for Leonhard, Maria, and three of their daughters.[8] In addition, a November 1823 marriage record for Leonhard Maurer & Maria Anna Metzger indicates that Maria was born in 1804.[9] I can now say that she is probably the same Maria Maurer living with Leonhard in 1865.

Per June 1865 census, Maria reported 14 children.[10] I found records for 13 children born 1825 to 1852. My first list included two children, born January 1821 and October 1822. I initially dismissed them as being born outside of marriage. Now, I must consider that these two may have been born to Leonhard and his 1^st wife, possibly also named Maria. And, there is one more child to be found for Leonhard and his presumed 2^nd wife, Maria Metzger.

In summary, based on currently available information, assertions are:

Leonhard Maurer & 1^st wife: 2 children, born 1821 & 1822;
Leonhard Maurer & 2^nd wife, Maria Anna Metzger (1804-1867), married 1823; 14 children born 1825 to 1852; 13 children identified so far; and
Leonhard Maurer & 3^rd wife, Crescentia Leu, married 1870, no children.

REFELECTION

Don’t underestimate the importance of research logs. Include even questionable information and why you question it. Track everything, even indexes/ transcriptions. Record the date you order and receive certificates. Original certificates will likely have information that is not on index. Transcriptions also may not include all information that is on the original document.

What I learned (again!): New information, beyond what is indexed or transcribed, is usually on an original document. A complete research log takes some time now but will save time later. Search more than one database. If information is not found, check back in a few months. Be sensitive to alternate spelling of names.

What helped: Fairly complete citations from previous work.

What didn’t help: I didn’t have digital/ paper copies of all indexes/ transcriptions.

To-do: Review German records again. Ask my German friend if he is willing to translate. Continue systematic ordering of original BMD certificates.

SOURCES:

[1] Valentine Maurer, death certificate no. 16339 (1898), New York City Archives, New York City, New York City, New York; PDF copy received via email 2015.

[2] 1865 New York State Census, Kings county, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, , p. 34, dwelling 86, family 282, Leonard Maurer age 64; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed & downloaded 26 May 2018); citing New York State Archives, Albany, New York..

[3] “New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1940,” database, Family Search (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24MN-H9H : viewed & printed 5 February 2021), entry for Leonhard Maurer, age 70; citing Marriage, Manhattan, New York, New York, United States, New York City Municipal Archives, New York.

[4] “New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Marriage Index, 1866-1937,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 23 August 2021), entry for Crescentia Ley and Leonhard Maurer; citing New York City Department of Records/Municipal Archives.; certificate no. 4936.

[5] New York, marriage certificate no. no. 4936 (15 August 1870), Leonhard Maurer & Crescentia Leu; Bureau of Vital Statistics, New York City Board of Health, New York City.

[6] “New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2W7C-WKR : viewed & printed 24 August 2021), entry for Maria Anna Mearer, died 1867, age 63, certificate no. 4931.

[7] Kings county, New York, certificate of death no. 4931 (1 August 1867), Maria Anna Maurer; New York City Municipal Archives, New York City, New York; PDF copy received via email 2 September 2021.

[8] “New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957,” digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed & downloaded 29 January 2021), entry for Leonhard Moerer [Maurer]; citing Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C., microfilm publication M237.

[9] “Niederhausen, Rheinhausen EM: Katholischr Gemeinde:, Heiratsbuch, 1810-1839 (Catholic congregation: marriage book 1810-1869,” church marriage records; digital images, , Landesarchiv Baden-Würtemberg, Staatsarchive Freiburg (http://www.landesarchiv-bw.de : viewed & downloaded 23 August 2021), L10, bd 2322, fig. 35, entry no. 4.

[10] 1865 New York State Census, Kings county, New York, population schedule, Brooklyn, p. 34, dwelling 86, family 282, Leonard Maurer age 64; Maria Maurer, 62.

©Susan Posten Ellerbee and Posting Family Roots blog, 2021

A tangled web of 4 blended families

October 21, 2019 / Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / 4 Comments

Blended families are like a tangled spider’s web. The web consists of marriages, children, spousal deaths or divorce, remarriages, more children, another spousal death (or divorce) and marriage to a spouse with children from a former marriage. Suddenly, you are tracking four or more families. Names and dates blur. My web includes two families that eventually became two (2) blended families (total of four families) and 17 children. This post outlines the families and their relationships.

Accessed 21 October 2019 from
http://clipart-library.com/clipart/6Tr6KGaac.htm

As every genealogist knows, you do not always find records in chronological order. Bits and pieces emerge at various times during your search. You put these bits and pieces together into a timeline of events. The families in this web are:

Family #1: James Thomas Lafayette Powell and his 1^st wife, Deborah A. C. Daniel. 3 children.
Family #2/ Blended family #1: James Thomas Lafayette Powell and his 2^nd wife, Katherine Deborah Brown. My husband’s paternal great-great grandparents. 5 children.
Family #3: Elias Barker and his 1^st wife, Launa Barber. 6 children.
Family #4 / Blended family #2: Elias Barker, 2^nd husband of Katherine Deborah Brown Powell. 3 children.

I found documents at various times. Retrieval dates indicate the sporadic nature of my research on these families. I offer this chronology to show the back and forth nature of genealogical research.

2011. Document #1: Death certificate for Katherine Deborah Ellerbee [1](wife of James Walter Ellerbee), my husband’s paternal great-grandmother. Parents listed as James Thomas Lafayette Powell and Katherine Deborah Barker.

2012. Document #2: (I didn’t realize its significance until later). Widow’s Application for Confederate Pension, filed in 1932.[2] “Mrs. Catherine Barker. . . widow of J. T. L. Powell. . . . James Thomas Lafayette Powell. . . . remarried to E. Barker, Sept. 1^st, 1892, who died Aug. 20^th, 1900.” Conclusion: Barker was surname of Catherine’s 2^nd husband. What was her maiden name?

Dec 2015. Document #3: 1880 census for J.T. L. Powel, age 45, and wife, Catherine, age 20.[3] Children: Alvey Powel, son, age 14; J.M. Powel, son, age 12; Peter Powel, son, age 9; D.C. Powel, daughter, age 9 months. Analysis: Alvey, J.M. and Peter could not be Catherine’s children. D.C. Powel Is probably Katherine Deborah Powell Ellerbee, born 1879 per her death certificate.

2016. Document #4: Death certificate for “Mrs. Catherine Barker”.[4] Parents listed as “R.L. Brown” and “Marguerite Puckett”. Conclusion: Catherine’s maiden name was Brown, not Barker.

2016. Back to Document #2: “I was married to him [J.T.L. Powell] on the 22^nd day of April, A.D. 1877, in the county of Cherokee, in the state of Texas.” Confirms marriage date for Catherine and JTL Powell.

2016. Document #5: (recorded as “tentative”): 1900 U.S. Census for Elide Booker, age 46, and wife, Catherine Booker, age 41, with 8 children [5]—Isaac, age 15; Milton, age 13; Cora, age 11, Katie L, age 8; Bertie R., age 6; Ernest E., age 4; Alpha M. age 1; and stepdaughter, Jessie, age 11. Analysis: Catherine & Elide married September 1892. Isaac, Milton, Cora are certainly not hers; Katie could be hers but could also be daughter of Elias and his 1^st wife. Bertie R., Ernest and Alpha are certainly children of ‘Elide’ and Catherine. Catherine listed as mother of 8 children, 7 living. Who are Jessie’s parents? 2019: Elide Booker identified as Elias Barker.

March 2017. Document #6: [6] 1870 census for J.T. L. Powell, age 35, and Dan A.C. Powell, female, age 32. Presumed children: Alonzo Powell, age 4; Jas M, age 2. Analysis: “Dan A.C. Powell, age 32” is probably James Powell’s 1^st wife. What is her first name and maiden name?

March 2017. Document #7. Marriage certificate for James T.L. Powell and Deborah A.C. Daniel, married 1857. [7] Analysis: Name of James T.L. Powell’s 1^st wife was Deborah A.C. Daniel. Consistent with 1870 census. Confirms Deborah as James’ 1^st wife.

October 2019. Documents # 8 and 9. Marriage record for Elias Barker and Launa Barber, 1874. [8] Find A Grave memorial number 79870105 for Euna Barker, “mother”, death date 1892. [9] Analysis: Confirms Elias’ first marriage and his first wife’s death in 1892.

October 2019. Document #9. 1880 census for Elias & Launa Barker with one child, Tempe, age 3 months. [10] Analysis: Elias and Launa were married with one child in June 1880.

FAMILY SYNOPSIS:

Family #1: James T.L. Powell married Deborah A.C. Daniel in 1857 at Sumter county, Georgia. James and Deborah had 3 children- Alonzo, James M. and Peter (born 1872). Deborah presumably died in Texas between 1872 and 1877.

Family #2/ Blended family #1: James T. L. Powell married Catherine Deborah Brown in April, 1877 at Cherokee county, Texas. They had at least 5 children – Katherine, William, Jessie and two undiscovered. James T. L. Powell died in 1890 leaving his wife, Catherine, a widow with 4 or 5 children. The older children from James’ 1^st marriage apparently married before their father’s death.

Family #3: Elias Barker married Launa Barber in 1874 at Milam county, Texas. Records show 6 children. Launa died in 1892, possibly after birth of youngest child, Katie, in February 1892.

Family #4/ Blended family #2: Elias Barker remarried in September 1892 at Cherokee county, Texas, to Mrs. Catherine Powell, widow of James T.L. Powell. Elias died in August 1900, leaving Catherine again a widow. Elias and Catherine had three children – Reba ‘Bertie’, Ernest and Alpha. Four of Elias’ children from his first marriage – Isaac, Milton, Cora and Katie- were still at home.

SUMMARY:

I found these records over an 8-year period. Some records were duplicated in my files. Current analysis of the combined documents revealed previously overlooked information. I didn’t fully identify gaps until this review.

Next steps for me: Review all documents again. Search for additional documents and information about each family. Report findings as blog posts focusing on one family per post.

REFLECTION:

Another task for Genealogy Do-Over. Filling out the research logs for James Thomas Lafayette Powell and his 2^nd wife, Catherine Brown (my husband’s great-great grandparents) showed me that more than one family was involved. I completed research logs for James and both of his wives. I started Research logs for Elias Barker and his 1^st wife. Research logs for the 17 children? One done for my husband’s great-grandmother, Katherine Deborah Powell Ellerbee. Others are on my to-do list with priorities to be assigned. I am on a different path than when I started.

What I learned/ recalled: Blended families are not a unique phenomenon to the late 20^th century. 1900 and 1910 censuses list number of children born and number living for women.

What helped: Access to online databases. Created ‘Blended family pedigree chart’. Printed records in files.

What didn’t help: Incomplete paper files and research logs.

To-Do: Search census records for Catherine Brown Powell Barker- 1910 through 1940; add to her research log — DONE. Create & complete research logs for Deborah A.C. Daniel, Elias Barker. Defer research on other children of these families. Confirm birth, marriage, death dates for Catherine’s known 6 children. Search for information about her other children (2 or 3 as indicated by 1900 & 1910 census).

SOURCES:

[1] Cherokee county, Texas, , certificate no. 36955, Katherine Deborah Ellerbee, 9 July 1959; digital images, Fold 3 (http://www.fold3.com : viewed, printed, downloaded 4 October 2019); citing Texas Department of Health, Austin, Texas.

[2] “Widow’s Application for Confederate Pension”, 8 February, 1932, Catherine Barker, widow’s pension application no. 50567,service of James Thomas Lafayette Powell (lieutenant, Co. C, 25th Regiment Georgia Infantry, Civil War); “U.S. Confederate Pensions, 1884-1958,” Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed,downloaded, printed 29 Nov 2012) citing Texas, Confederate Pension Applications,1899-1975, Vol. 1-646 & 1-283, Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Austin, Texas.

[3] 1880 U.S. Census, Cherokee county, Texas, population schedule, Precinct no. 8, enumeration district (ED) 19, p. 1 (ink pen); p. 447A (stamp), dwelling 6, family 6, D.C. Powel age 9/12; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed, downloaded, printed 26 December 2015); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C., microfilm publication T9, roll 1295..

[4] Jefferson county, Texas, death certificates, death certificate #14269 (1944), Mrs. Catherine Barker, 8 March 1944; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed & downloaded 9 November 2017); citing Texas Department of State Health Services, “Texas Death Certificates, 1903-1982”, Austin, Texas.

[5] 1900 U.S. Census, Cherokee county, Texas, population schedule, Justice Precinct 8, enumeration district (ED) 0030, p. 1B (ink pen) & p. 2A, dwelling 16, family 16, Catherine Booker [Barker]; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, downloaded 9 October 2019); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. , microfilm publication T 623, Roll 1619.

[6] 1870 U.S. Census, Calhoun County, Georgia, population schedule, Militia District 626, p. 55 (ink pen, p. 585 (stamp), dwelling 510, family 486, Jas T L Powell; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, downloaded. printed 9 November 2017); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication M593_138.

[7] “Sumter County, Georgia, Marriage Books, Sumter County Ordinary Court, 1850-1857,”p.218, no. 24, James T.L. Powell, Deborah A.C. Daniel, 28 June 1857; digital images, University System of Georgia, Georgia Archives (http://vault.georgiaarchives.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/countyfilm/id/289112/rec/3 : accessed,downloaded, printed 24 March 2017); Georgia Archives, Morrow, Georgia.

[8] “Texas, County Marriage Records, 1817-1965,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 10 October 2019), entry for Elias Barker and Launa Barker; citing “Marriage Records, Texas Marriages,” Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Austin, Texas.

[9] Find A Grave, database and images (http://www.findagrave.com : viewed & printed 10 October 2019), memorial page for Euna Barker, Find A Grave Memorial # 79870105, citing Mount Hope Cemetery (Wells, Cherokee, Texas), memorial created by seemore, photograph by Deb.

[10] 1880 U.S. Census, Lee county, Texas, population schedule, , enumeration district (ED) 094, p. 79A (stamp); p. 49 (ink pen), dwelling 316, family 319, Elias Barker age 26; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, printed, downloaded 10 October 2019); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. microfilm publication T9, roll 1316.

Viola Blanche Maurer Tucker (1907 -1985)

April 12, 2018April 11, 2018 / Susan M. Posten Ellerbee / 1 Comment

On this “Thankful Thursday” , I express my gratitude to Viola Blanche Maurer Tucker, my maternal great-aunt, for writing down names and information about the Maurer and Tucker ancestors[1]. I have a carbon copy of the original.

Maurer Tucker History_ca1980_for blog_April 2018

Page 1 of “Maurer-Tucker Family History” written by Blanche Viola Maurer Tucker, ca 1980. Carbon copy privately held by Susan Posten Ellerbee.

Do you remember carbon paper? Before copy machines, there was carbon paper. First, insert a piece of carbon paper between two pieces of paper. Write or type on the top page. An exact copy, more or less, of the top page appears on the subsequent pages. Generally, you can produce three or four clear copies this way. Each piece of carbon paper lasts for 4-5 copies. Messy, but effective!

For more information about the history of copying, read this story: ‘Photocopier’

Back to my story. Viola was my mother’s aunt, my maternal grandmother’s sister. Called ‘Olie’ by us, she had always lived with my grandparents (at least, as far back as I can remember!). I didn’t really think much about those living arrangements when I was a child or even as I became an adult. I knew that both of Olie’s parents died when she was young and that’s why she lived with her sister. As I carefully reviewed documents for Genealogy Do-Over and recorded information on research logs, Olie’s situation really hit me.

Blanche Viola Maurer was born on March 16, 1907, the youngest of nine children born to George Herman Maurer and Anna Klee. Her brother, Herman Charles, born in 1893, was her closest living sibling. Between 1893 and 1907, Herman and Anna buried two children – Charles Harry and Lillian. Charles Harry, born in 1893 and died in 1894, was probably twin brother of Herman Charles. Lillian, born January 7, 1901, [2] ‘died in infancy’ according to Viola’s handwritten family history. [3]

Anna was 43 years old when Viola was born. It is possible that Anna was beginning to go through menopause at the time. When Viola was 11 years old, Anna died [4] leaving Viola and her 60-year-old father alone.

Charlotte (aka “Lottie”), Viola’s only living sister, married Esbon J. Tucker in June 1917 [5]. Lottie and Esbon did not establish their own home immediately. In January, 1920[6], the census taker found Herman Maurer, widower and head of household with 13-year-old Viola, as well as Charlotte (Lottie), Esbon, and their two children, Esbon, age 2, and Eunice (my mother).

Herman , Viola’s father, died in May 1927[7] , leaving 20-year-old Viola an orphan. She continued to live with Lottie and Esbon. [8] Viola had no children of her own but was like a second mother or a big sister to Lottie’s children. Viola was an accomplished needlewoman. She taught her niece, Eunice, to knit and crochet. Eunice, my mother, then taught me. I still enjoy these crafts.

As mentioned in the introduction, I did not appreciate her situation until now. Olie was a constant person in my grandparents’ home, as she had been when my mother was growing up. I cannot imagine losing my mother at age 11 and my father by the time I was 20! What was it like to constantly rely on a sibling for a home? How did she respond emotionally to these events?

Consider the time period. Women rarely worked outside of the home in the 1920s and 1930s. Was Olie a ‘Rosie the Riveter’ during World War II, when so many women took on the jobs of men to support the war effort? Mom never said anything about that and I never thought to ask. According to the 1940 census, Viola worked as a salesclerk in a bakery. [9] That explains all of the wonderful cakes at their house!

By 1970, Lottie suffered several strokes and dementia. Pop and Olie cared for her at home for as long as they could. My mother said that she only found out about the problems when Pop decided to put Lottie into a nursing home, about 6 months before her death. This very difficult experience probably deepened the bond between Pop and Olie. After Lottie died in 1974,[10] Olie married my grandfather. Two old people, living together for decades, now joined in marriage.

Esbon Tucker_Viola Maurer_1975

How did Viola feel about all of her losses? I remember her as being cheerful and kind. At first, she probably was overwhelmed then accepted her situation. I do not know how I would have reacted . Did the experience make her stronger?

Viola wrote the nine-page family history in the late 1970s or early 1980s. She mentions Lottie’s death (1974) and her own marriage to Esbon but not Esbon’s death in 1984.[11] Using available resources, I have confirmed much of the information that she gave. One surprising fact is that she reported her full name as Blanche Viola Lucy Maurer when she applied for a Social Security number. [12] This is my first encounter with that name! I learned earlier that Germans traditionally used a middle name in everyday life rather than the person’s given first name.

Again, I express my gratitude to you, Blanche Viola Lucy Maurer Tucker, my third grandmother. Thank you for teaching my mother to knit and crochet, so she could teach me. Thank you for being part of my childhood. Thank you for taking time to write down our family stories. Questions still to be answered:

Is there another ancestor named Blanche in the family history?
Is Viola’s middle name of Lucy on any other documents?

reflection-swirl-green-color-hi

Reflection:

I started writing this post about 2 months ago but wasn’t sure exactly what direction I would take. As I searched for inspiration, I looked again at daily blog prompts suggested by Thomas MacAntee. The idea of “Thankful Thursday” caught my eye. I am grateful to Viola for many things. We visited my New York grandparents only once a year but I vividly remember some things – a red and white enamel kitchen table with pull-out leaves (now a collector’s item!), two black and white cocker spaniels, German stollen (a sweet yeast bread), a sleeper chair (like a sleeper sofa but twin size), a musty basement. As I delve more into the family history, I see German connections in each generation. The written legacy of names and dates proves invaluable, even though, on the surface, the contents appear skeletal. I build from the bare bones outward. Without Viola’s document, progress would be much slower.

What I learned: carbon paper is hard to find in 21^st century America. I developed a new appreciation for the difficulties that Viola must have faced from her early teens. Or, am I projecting my own values on her?

What helped: Amount of research already done on the Tucker-Maurer family. Transcription of Viola’s history done in 2010. Copies of birth and death certificates from New York.

What didn’t help: Nothing that I can think of. Not ordering Viola’s birth and death certificates before writing blog.

Future: Consider other daily topics for future blog posts. Order Viola’s birth and death certificates. Order death certificate for Anna Klee Maurer, Viola and Charlotte’s mother.

Sources:

[1] Viola Blanche Maurer Tucker, “Maurer- Tucker Family History.” (Handwritten notes. Huntington, New York, ca. 1975-1980); carbon copy privately held by Susan M. Posten Ellerbee, [address for private use,], Yukon, Oklahoma, 2010. Copy given to Ms. Ellerbee by her mother who received copy from Viola ca 1980. Transcribed by Ms. Ellerbee in 2012. Ms. Ellerbee is great-niece of Viola Blanche Maurer Tucker.

[2] “New York, New York, Extracted Birth Index, 1878 – 1909”, online database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : : accessed 10 April 2018); entry for Lillian Maurer, born 1 Jan 1901, Kings, New York; citing “Index to New York City births, 1878-1909”, New York City Department of Records/ Municipal Archives, New York City, New York.

[3] Maurer., “Maurer-Tucker Family History,” Section – Charlotte Amalie (Anna) Maurer, page 1.

[4] Cyber Angel, “Anna b Bklyn d Huntington NY 1918 hus Herman,” Surnames: Maurer Family Genealogy Forum, discussion list, 8 February 2002; (http://genforum.genealogy.com : accessed & printed 9 June 2007), transcription of obituary posted in Brooklyn Standard Union, 28 July 1918.

[5] Suffolk county, New York, Affidavit for License to Marry (3 pages), 14570 (stamped); 783 (penned), Esbon J. Tucker Charlotte A. Maurer, 1 June 1917; New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section, Genealogy Unit, Albany, New York.

[6] 1920 U.S. Census, Suffolk county, New York, population schedule, Huntington, enumeration district (ED) 113, p. 7A (penned), dwelling 136, family 139, Viola Maurer, daughter, age 13; 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.

[7] Hermann Maurer, death certificate no. 10424 (1927), Department of Health of the City of New York, New York City, New York.

[8]1930 U.S. Federal Census, Suffolk County, New York, population schedule, Huntington, enumeration district (ED) 63, p. 2A (penned), p. 132 (stamped), dwelling 35, family 46, Viola Maurer, sister-in-law, age 23; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed, downloaded & printed 14 March 2017); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C. Microfilm publication T626, Roll 1651.

[9] 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Suffolk county, New York, population schedule, Huntington, enumeration district (ED) 52-97, p. 12 B (penned), household no. 463, Esbon Tucker (head); Viola Maurer, sister-in-law, age 32; digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed, downloaded, printed 14 March 2017); citing National Archives & Records Administration, Washington, D.C., microfilm publication T627, Roll 2785.

[10] Charlotte Tucker, death certificate # 031537 (9 April 1974), New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Albany, New York.

[11] Esbon J. Tucker, death certificate no. 100055063 (barely legible) (18 July 1984), New York State Department of Health, Vital Records Section, Albany, New York.

[12] Blanche Viola Lucy Maurer, SS no. 077-09-2343, 30 Nov 1936, Application for Account Number (Form SS-5), Social Security Administration, Baltimore, Maryland.