Wishing for the 1890 Census in NY?

The destroyed 1890 census is a bane of many genealogist's research.  Those of us with New York state ancestors in 40 counties (not Chenango, Columbia, Franklin, Fulton, Jefferson, Livingston, New York (the Bronx and Manhattan), Oneida, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Richmond, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster, Westchester, and Wyoming according to FamilySearch) are lucky - we have a state census that was taken in 1892.

Not only is this census available on microfilm, but it is now searchable with images for most counties at FamilySearch.  It may not have households differentiated or relationships listed, but it does have

• Name


• Gender


• Age


• Color


• Country of birth


• If citizen or alien


• Occupation

One example in my research was trying to figure out if Maria Tross' husband was living in Buffalo when she immigrated with her children in 1884 from Germany.  There was no 1890 census for me to check, but when I learned about the 1892 state option, I looked there.  There was "Mary" with her two youngest children, but no Wenzel Tross to be found.  This made me want to check further into German records for his death prior to 1884.

If you have not checked the 1892 NY census for your ancestors, go to FamilySearch and check today!

Surname Saturday: Tross

This is pretty much the same as last week, with my direct ancestors in red.  I really need to work on this line...

–1-Wenzel Tross d. Bef 1900|

+Maria Strassheim b. 18 May 1841, Eberstadt, Giessen, Oberhessen,|   Darmstadt, Germany, d. 18 Feb 1921, Buffalo, Erie, New York, USA

+-2-Balthasar Tross b. 19 May 1869, Eberstardt, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany|

–2-Elise Tross b. Abt 1876|

–2-Katharine Tross b. Abt 1877|

–2-Augusta M. Tross b. 6 Sep 1877, , , , Germany, d. 1 Jan 1939, Buffalo,|    Erie, New York, USA|

–2-Heinrich Tross b. Aug 1875, , , , Germany|

–2-Philip Tross b. Abt 1883, , , , Germany, bur. 30 Oct 1958, Cheektowaga,|    Erie, New York, USA

BallinStadt - Port of Dreams

As I walked the two blocks from the Veddel S-Bahn stop to the BallinStadt Emigrant Museum in Hamburg, I stopped in from of the first sign and felt tears welling up in my eyes.  As I stared at the boats and other signs along the past to the entrance of emigrant families, it hit me: this is where, in 1859, John and Dorothea Passel and their 5 children, ages 3 - 19 left for a new life in America and where, in 1884, Maria Strassheim Tross took her 6 children, ages 11 months - 9 years, and 3 pieces of baggage and set off to meet relatives in Buffalo, New York.  I was standing in the place where they last saw their homeland of Germany, filled with hope, but nervous about the strange new land they would soon embark upon.

BallinStadt is a set of three reconstructed buildings, located on the Elbe River's Veddel Island, where the Emigrants Halls once sat.  Although what my ancestors would have seen would have been much different, since these buildings were not build until 1896 - 1907, the exhibit has information from 1850 until the present day.  Building number 1, actually the last building you come upon, is the entrance and also holds a multitude of computers with free access to Ancestry.de.  This allow patrons to search for their ancestors in records which include the Hamburg passenger lists.  Being in German, I could not do any research, but I did get a shot of the passenger list with the John Passel family.

I will post part 2 of this, on the main exhibit building, shortly.

A Tribute to Lillian Eichhorn Casell

The only known photo of my great-grandmother, Lillian L. Eichhorn

The Chronology of her life is available here

The first record of Lillian L. Eichhorn's life is a birth certificate in Buffalo, NY for F. Eichhorn.  No first name name, just an "F" for female, indicating that a new child had come into the world on 22 December 1908, an early Christmas present.  Lillian was the fifth child and fifth daughter born to William Fred Eichhorn and Augusta Tross.  If the weather was anything like it is today, 22 December was cold and snowy, but in the excitement of a new baby, I imagine no one minded.

Six years later, the Eichhorn's would welcome their sixth and final child, a boy, William Tross Eichhorn into the family.  Life must have been fun for this young family.  William worked for the railroad, while Augusta took care of the home which they were able to buy while Lillian was still young.  There were aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmothers around to be with.

While in high school Lillian would meet Alfred Marco Casell, three years her senior and son of Italian immigrants.  It is hard to say what her German parents thought of him, but they married when she was just 16.  Like her father, Alfred too worked for the railroad and with the money he made they rented a house on Sherman Street in Buffalo.

Between 1928 and 1935 they had four children, first a girl, followed by three boys.  I always imagine the promise that life had for them.  Then, at 2:45 pm, 19 December 1938, just three days before her 30th birthday, Lillian died of lobar pneumonia at their home on Division Street.  Suddenly, everything changed for Lillian's young family.  Lillian was buried on her 30th birthday in Acadia Park Cemetery, North Tonawanda, NY.  Her young widow could not afford a plot, so her brother-in-law let them have a space in the grave site he had purchased.

Life was not easy for the family she left.  Her mother, Augusta, was so overcome with grief, she died of a broken heart a mere 13 days later, on New Year's day 1939.  Alfred, unable to take care of four young children and work, put them into an orphanage in October of 1939, where they stayed for nearly 8 years.
Alfred died in 1981, never remarrying.  His eldest son, Robert and his wife had purchased four plots in Acadia Cemetery some years earlier, and placed Alfred in one of them.  Until that time, when a cemetery worker happened to mention it, neither Robert, nor any of his siblings knew that that was also where their mother had been buried.  In fact, standing on Alfred's grave, one can see to where Lillian is buried and it is just a short walk.  Using part of their inheritance, the four siblings placed a marker on their mother's grave site, marking her place and short life for those visit there.

Written for the Carnival of Genealogy: A Tribute to Women

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: Your Gratitude Story

This weeks Saturday Night Genealogy Fun by Randy is:
* Read Megan Smolenyak's article 120 Years of Smolenyaks in America: A Note of Gratitude from a Great-Granddaughter

* Do you have an ancestor like Megan's great-grandfather that was the first one to come to America (or your present country of residence) that you would like to thank?

* If so, tell us about that ancestor - and why you are thankful for their effort.


Maria Strassheim Tross, on the 24 June 1884, you arrived in New York City and then traveled to Buffalo from Eberstardt, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany with 6 children, all under the age of 10, including an infant, and only 3 pieces of baggage.  I believe your husband had died in the prior few months and yet you still set out to a new country, relatively alone.  I cannot even imagine doing something like that, even in todays world of quick airplanes.  Thank you great-great-great grandmother Tross, for being such an incredible, strong woman.

Tombstone Tuesday - Augusta Tross Eichhorn

Augusta Tross Eichhorn, 1877 - 1939

Tombstone(less) Tuesday - Marie Strassheim Tross and Louise J. Tross

My great-great-great grandmother Marie Strassheim Tross (1841 - 1921) in Buffalo Cemetery, Buffalo, Erie, NY.  The tombstone belongs to to her granddaughter Louise J. Tross (1913 - 1937)

Goals for the New Year

In 2010, I hope to accomplish the following:

• Interview my grandmothers, parents and great aunts, uncles and cousins on video ASAP!
• Goal is to do this by the end of February for my grandmothers
• Update each of my lines sideways and forward.
• I usually do well with my information about my ancestors siblings, but I have not done so well finding cousins in more recent generations.
• Focus my search for my German lines so that I can visit their hometowns while I am in Germany for 4 1/2 months
• I will therefore focus on the Eichhorn, Gresz, Fink, Weiss and Tross lines for the next two months
• Stay in touch with my relatives searching my fathers side of the family.
• I research my mothers side as I have great aunts and uncles who research my fathers.  I will be helping my Aunt Dottie with her search in Poland for the Karpinski's (my great-grandmother's line)
• Complete Dear Myrtle's finally get organization checklist from 2009
• Start researching my fiancé's line (at the very least, get the information he knows into my file)
• Blog: Participate in Surname Saturday each week in order to get my surnames out there and find new cousins!  I plan on going alphabetically though all my surnames.

SNGF - My 16 great-great-grandparents

From Randy over at Genea-Musings: Here is your SNGF assignment for the evening (if you choose to accept it - this is not stump the genealogist or even Mission Impossible):

1) List your 16 great-grandparents in pedigree chart order. List their birth and death years and places.

2) Figure out the dominant ethnicity or nationality of each of them.

3) Calculate your ancestral ethnicity or nationality by adding them up for the 16 - 6.25% for each (obviously, this is approximate).

4) If you don't know all 16 of your great-grandparents, then do it for the last full generation you have.

5) Write your own blog post, or make a comment on Facebook or in this post.

1. Joseph Francis Eugene Acquard, Jr.: born 17 Jan 1855 in Cheektowaga, Erie, NY; married 15 Oct 1878 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY; died 10 Sept 1943 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY. FRENCH
2. Mary Ann Kollin: born 15 Oct 1878 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY; died 5 Feb 1938 in Bennington Ctr., Wyoming, NY. 1/2 GERMAN and 1/2 BELGIAN
3. Franciszek Karpinski: born 16 Sep 1880 in Poland; died 22 May 1943 in Erie or Wyoming, NY. POLISH
4. Jozefa Szydlik: born 26 Sep 1886 in Poland; died 4 Apr 1973 in Warsaw, Wyoming, NY. POLISH
5. John George Nuwer: born 21 Mar 1869 in Lancaster, Erie, NY; married 19 Apr 1893 in Lancaster, Erie, NY; died 1 Feb 1948 in Alden, Erie, NY. FRENCH
6. Anna M. Zaepfel: born 28 Sep 1874 in Elma, Erie, NY; died 7 Aug 1943 in Alden, Erie, NY. 1/2 GERMAN & 1/2 FRENCH
7. Edward Roll: born about 1888 in Alden, Erie, NY; married 22 Jun 1910 in Alden, Erie, NY; died 12 May 1941 in Alden, Erie, NY. FRENCH
8. Lidwina Agnes Pautler: born 16 Jan 1888 in Alden, Erie, NY; died 11 Oct 1975 in Batavia, Genesee, NY. FRENCH
9. Marcantonio Casillo: born 11 Jan 1868 in Italy; married 5 Sept 1901 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; died 26 Nov 1937 in Colden, Erie, NY. ITALIAN
10. Carolina Izzo: born 3 May 1876 in Italy; died 2 Oct 1934 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. ITALIAN
11. William Fred Eichhorn: born 22 Jun 1874 in Chippewa, Ontario, Canada; married 14 Jun 1899 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; died 9 Mar 1931 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN
12. Augusta M. Tross: born 6 Sept 1877 in Germany; died 1 Jan 1939 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN
13. Charles William Whitehead: born 12 Jun 1872 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada; married prior to 1896; died 27 Dec 1927 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. ENGLISH
14. Anna May Sanderson: born 17 Jun 1871 in Burlington, Ontario, Canada; died 29 Apr 1928 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. ENGLISH
15. Jacob J. Gress: born 26 Jan 1869 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; married prior to 1888; died 11 Aug 1932 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN
16. Elizabeth Fink: born 6 Jul 1867 in Buffalo, Erie, NY; died 24 Apr 1957 in Buffalo, Erie, NY. GERMAN

That gives me 31.25% German; 28.125% French; 12.5% Polish; 12.5% Italian; 12.5% English ; and 3.125% Belgian. The French and German parts are hard to tell as most of my fathers family came from the Alsace-Lorraine region which kept changing hands. The fact that my 3rd great-grandmother was born in Belgium (like the waffle) has always been cool to me. Oddly, I most identify with the Italian part of my heritage, even though it is way down on the list.

My Maria (Strassheim Tross)

My great-great-great grandmother Maria Tross's death certificate arrived earlier this week, as I discuss here, with a birth date of 18 May 1841 in Germany and her father's name as John Strassheim. The source of information was Adoph Wetzlelen, her son-in-law. The passenger list she is listed to America on with her 6 children has her as being from Hessen, Germany.

I decided to check familysearch.com for the off-chance she was listed here and she was (I think)!

Maria Elisa Strassheim, b. 18 May 1841, Eberstadt, Giessen, Oberhessen, Hessen to Jacob Strassheim and Catharina Argin.

As two of her daughters are Elise and Katharine, this would definitely add evidence to it fitting. Then, I looked further down the list and found:

Maria Elisa Strassheim married to Wenzel Trost, 18 Nov 1866 at Eberstadt, Giessen, Oberhessen, Hessen.

My Maria was married to a Wenzel (also seen as Wesley) and their first child that I know about was born approximately 1869, which would also fit with the date.

Looks like a good fit so far. I need to find Maria's death notice/obit in the near future to hopefully confirm some of this. I also need to read the packets on searching in Germany I found on familysearch.org.

They arrived!

Yesterday my two other microfilms arrived at the FHC. I went through the Halstead marriage records, still none for my ancestors, but a few for their siblings. The roll also happened to have marriage banns from Knockholt, Kent, where I have relatives from! Again, none for direct ancestors, but some for siblings, including one of the siblings from Halstead, who married a man in Knockholt. That was a nice surprise:-) The records from Roccaromana, Caserta, Italy also came in and I can't read them. Now, obviously I realize I can not read the Italian, but it is so tiny (it's one of those small microfilms) that I cannot make out any of the words/letters. I am going to buy a magnifying glass, but I'm not sure that will help enough. Any recommendations are more than welcome!

Today my birth/death/marriage certificates came in from Buffalo. It took just a week and a day from ordering them, which is really decent time. Unfortunately, the marriage record couldn't be found, but the index was fuzzy, so I think I must have guessed the wrong year. Next time I'm there I'll check the library microfilm, which might have the record.

I received death certificates for:

• Charles Herman Eichhorn, which has his parents names, Nicholas Eichhorn and Dora Schneider, and shows I had the right family in Canada! Now I have to continue my search there and eventually back to Germany. He was buried at Buffalo Cemetery and hopefully his wife is next to him, as I have no idea when she died.
• Elizabeth Whitehead, my great aunt, who died at 9 days old. The death cause is different than the one listed in the church records; this one makes more sense (cerebral hemorrhage).
• Maria Tross, which has her maiden name as Strassheim (on a marriage record of her child it looked like Crossheim or Crosshein). It also says she was buried in Buffalo Cemetery, so hopefully I can find some info on her husband (Wenzel/Wesley Tross) there and in her obituary.
• Mrs. A. [Barbara] Fleeman. She died in 1870, so there is pretty much no information, other than she was born in France about 1824, but no maiden name. Also no cemetery, but based on her probate file, they might not have been able to afford burying her.
• Adam L. Fleeman. Not my ancestor as hoped, but rather his grandson, who died at 3 months, 24 days. He is buried in Forest Lawn, so I will go visit next time I am in Buffalo.

I received birth certificates for some of the siblings of my ancestors as follows:

• William Tross Eichhorn, son of William F. and Augusta (Tross) Eichhorn.
• Clara Evelyn Eichhorn, daughter of the same.
• Adeline Whitehead, daughter of Charles and Anna M. (Sanderson) Whitehead.
• Amelia Angela Maria Casilla [sic] daughter of Marcantonio and Carolina (Izzo) Casillo.

Time to go update the Legacy file:-)

Family Lines: Maternal Branches

Thank you to Becky for this wonderful idea!

I mostly research my mother's family, as my father has an aunt and uncle who have traced a lot of his line. Here is where I am at currently. As you can see, I am currently trying to find many of my immigrant ancestors' parents. I am hopeful that next week when I go to Buffalo, I will find obituaries that assist in this. Please leave a message if you would like further information:-)

THE LINEAGE OF MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER (Mom's Father)

Casillo/Casell

Alfredo Marco Casillo (Alfred Marco Casell) [1906-1981] and Lillian L. Eichhorn [1908-1938] ~ Buffalo, Erie, New York

Marcantonio Casillo (Marco Antonio Casell) [1868-1937] and Carolina Izzo [1876-1934] ~ Italy > Buffalo, Erie, New York

John or Peter Casillo [Unknown] and Angelina Unknown [Unknown] ~ Italy

Both Alfred and Marco legally changed their name to Casell. I am not entirely sure who Marco's parents are, these are the names I have found so far. According to my grandfather's family tree, Marco was from RocRoma, Caserta, Italy. No one in my family has been able to find this place, however, familysearch.org has many Casillo's listed under Roccaromana, Caserta, Italy, so this is a possible search option.

Eichhorn/Eichorn

Lillian L. Eichhorn [1908-1938] and Alfred Marco Casell [1906-1981] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY

William Fred Eichhorn [1874-1931] and Augusta M. Tross [1877-1939] ~ Ontario > Buffalo, Erie, NY

Charles Herman Eichhorn [1848 - ~1905] and Katharine Weiss/Wise [1869 - ~1905] ~ Germany > Chippewa, Welland, Ontario > Buffalo, Erie, NY

Nicholas Eckorn/Eickhan/Thorn [~1799-1878] and Dorothea Unknown [Unknown] ~ Germany > Ontario

Nicholas and Dorothea are still under investigation, but evidence keeps accumulating.

Izzo

Carolina Izzo [1876-1934] and Marco Antonio Casell [1868-1937] ~ Italy > Buffalo, Erie, NY

Peter Izzo [Unknown] and Catherine Donufrio(sp?) [Unknown] ~ Italy > NY

Tross

Augusta Tross [1877-1939] and William Fred Eichhorn [1874-1931] ~ Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY

Wenzel/Wesley Tross [Unknown] and Marie/Mary Crosshein(sp?) [~1843-~1913]~ Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY

THE LINEAGE OF MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER (Mom's Mother)

Bond

Emma Bond [~1812-1877] and Charles Whitehead [~1811-1887] ~ Knockholdt, Kent, England > Halstead, Kent, England

Richard Bond [Unknown - Bef. 1841] and Mary Unknown [~1798-1862]

Fink/Finck

Elizabeth L. Fink [1867-1957] and Jacob J. Gress [1869-1932] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY

Gottlieb Fink [1838-1910] and Barbara Fleeman [1846-1929] ~ Württemberg, Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY

John Finck [Unknown] and Barbara Killster [Unknown] ~ Württemberg, Germany

Fleeman

Barbara Fleeman [1846-1929] and Gottlieb Fink [1838-1910] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY

Adam Fleeman [~1820-1889] and Barbara Gris [~1824-1870] ~ Hesse, Germany > Buffalo, Erie, NY

Gress/Gresz

Vera Louise Julie Gress [1900-1976] and William Herbert Whitehead [1896-1965] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY

Jacob J. Gress [1869-1932] and Elizabeth L. Fink [1867-1957] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY

Joseph Gresz [~1841-1899] and Sophia Persales/Possehl [1846-1929] ~ Germany > Eden, Erie, NY > Buffalo, Erie, NY

Joseph Gresz [~1806-~1865] and Catherine Unknown [~1810-~1875] ~ Germany > Eden, Erie, NY

Hayman

Mary Ann Hayman [1845-1877] and Charles Whitehead [1840-1902] ~ Halstead, Kent, England > Ontario

Thomas Hayman [~1799-1867] and Susan Whitehead [~1802-1867] ~ Halstead, Kent, England

Whitehead

William Herbert Whitehead [1896-1965] and Vera Louise Julie Gress [1900-1976] ~ Buffalo, Erie, NY

Charles William Whitehead [1872-1927] and Anna May Sanderson [1871-1928] ~ Ontario > Buffalo, Erie, NY

Charles Whitehead [1840-1902] and Mary Ann Hayman [1845-1877] ~ Halstead, Kent, England > Ontario

Charles Whitehead [~1811-1887] and Emma Bond [~1812-1877] ~ Halstead, Kent, England