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.

Edith June Weller Turner: June 1, 1914 - December 13, 1987

100 Years Ago Today….        

                                       

Edith Marie (Wegener) Weller gave birth to her first child, my grandmother, Edith June Weller on June 1, 1914 in New York, NY.  She was called “June”. She grew up in Manhattan and went to Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School.

She later moved to Montclair, New Jersey with her parents. 

I never knew her as an adult.  I was in high school when she passed.  I wish I would have asked her more questions.

I remember that she wore White Shoulders perfume and loved Julio Iglesias.  She thought he was “dreamy”.  She would light up and start singing whenever he came on the radio.  She taught me how to play poker and introduced me to chocolate flavored soda.  She loved the ocean and taking her children and grandchildren to the beach.  She taught her granddaughters how to get picked up by a lifeguard at the beach – literally. 

 




She wasn’t known for her cooking, but she did make a killer pot roast.  Whenever we planned to visit her, she would ask us what we wanted for dinner (even though she already knew the answer). We usually could smell it walking in her door.  

There was a lot I did not know about my grandmother’s life until the genealogy bug bit me.  We had similarities in our own personal life experiences that I did not realize until years after my father passed.  

Her father died February 26, 1939, later that same year on October 6^th she married my grandfather, Hugh D. Turner. Her brother gave her away.  

 

 

Sixty-one years later, my father passed on February 29, 2000, later that same year on October 8^th  I was married.  My brothers gave me away.  History has a way of repeating itself even when we don’t know it’s happening.

I sit here today and watch my two children play in the back yard, something I know she did. Today is a little different for me, because today I’m wearing White Shoulders and thinking I wish I knew what the secret to her pot roast was.

Happy Birthday Grandma Turner!

Happy Birthday and Thank You Aunt Helen

111 years ago today on April 5, 1893, Helen Montague Turner eldest daughter of Hugh D & Willetta Turner was born in Roanoke City, Virginia.

1893 Warrenton, Virginia

 

  

 

 

She was an avid genealogist before all this modern day technology.  Her collection of letters is unbelievable dating from the 1930's up to her death in 1965.  She transcribed court records as there were no means of making copies.  Some of her collection is available via the Library of Virginia's online catalog.  Search Helen Turner and scroll down to see the online material (survey reports of the documents in the home of Helen Turner). 

I never had the chance to meet Aunt Helen, but am honored to share her passion for genealogy. Thanks Aunt Helen for paving the way and Happy Birthday too!