Charles F. Wegener - Who Knew?

1922 Passport Photo and Signature

My great-great grandfather, Charles F. Wegener, who is my father's maternal grandmother's father.

Charles was born on June 8, 1869 in Scharmbeck, Harburg, Niedersachsen, Germany.

He arrived in the United States at Castle Garden the age of 15 on May 2, 1883. The ship's manifest has him listed as Carl. He arrived on a ship named the SS Salier.

He married Emma Charlotte Kleine in the Gravend section of Brooklyn, NY on November 11, 1888.

He was naturalized on October 12, 1891.

In the 1900 census they were listed as having 3 children all living. The were married 11 years.  He was a bartender. It also indicates that he immigrated about 1884 and has been in the United States for 16 years.  Five years after this census his life would change forever.

On October 30, 1905, Emma died at age 36 of complications of pregnancy during her 4th month.  She left Charles a widower at age 36 with three girls to raise: Frances 7, Lena 12 and Edith 16.

In my research, I learned that Charles soon remarried.  He married Martha Cole, a widow, on April 26, 1906. 

They applied for passports.

Then sailed to Germany on August 2, 1906 and returned to the US on September 25, 1906. That day Mrs. Wegener started the action of separation.

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Wednesday, October 26, 1906  Page 22

I  am in the process of requesting the court records and will update int the near future.  Who knew he was married twice? 

Weird Coincidence - It's all in the Dates

Two days ago I received 2 death certificates in the mail.  One for Lena (Wegener) Hargrave and the other for her son Edward T. Hargrave, Jr.  Lena is one of my grandmother's, June Weller Turner's maternal Aunts and Edward her only maternal first cousin.

The certificates came on Tuesday.  I did not have much time to review them, but noted that I should probably call the funeral home as they were both cremated and there was no place of interment listed for either.  I called Wednesday and they were able to look up the record for Edward.  There was a note that he owned property in a local cemetery and recommended that I try there.  I then called the cemetery, but the woman I needed to speak with was not in and was told to try her tomorrow.

Well it's Thursday and when I called the woman was on the other line, but a very nice man tried his best to help me.  While waiting for him to look up some info, I was able to really take a good look at Edward's death certificate and notice that he died 7 years to the day - today.  He died on February 5, 2008.  Then I noticed his date of birth: February 3, 1916.  Oddly enough, his death certificate arrived in my mailbox on his 99th birthday.

After a very lengthy conversation, he was able to tell me that Edward and Verna are in niches next to each other.

It is nice to know what became of Grandma's only maternal cousin. Glad to learn that he lived to be 92 years old.

Ed Hargrave Jr., June Turner, Lena Hargrave & Vern Hargrave

Complements of Pamela Ward Howard a Findagrave.com volunteer.

Aunt Dee's notes on her Parent's, Patrick & Julia Donnelly, Transcribed:

Married in Sac. Heart Church, Elizabeth November 27, 1907.

Frank born on Spring Street, Elizabeth, November 7, 1908. 
All other children born on Bond Street 922.

When Pop & Mother moved into this house - bought for $2000 it had no cellar, no running water, no heat, no electricity, pump in yard. Eventually, Pop & his brother-in-law dug a cellar, put in 2 baths, put in heat, first put in gas light & then electricity. 

922 Bond Street was 100 years old when Mother & Pop bought it in 1909.  Street was cobble stoned; (Belgian blocks) & grass grew between the blocks.

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Here are some photos I have of the family at 922 Bond Street.  I would love to know if anyone has a photo of the actual house.