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Bauer Family History
It was in Obermusbach that my great-great-great-grandfather, Christian Bauer, was born, on October 17, 1835. Three years before, in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, located about 115 miles north of Obermusbach, Catherine E. Horn was born, in October of 1832. When she married Christian around 1859, she became my great-great-great-grandmother. Although her maiden name appears in several sources as Horn, those same sources list her parents as Michael Bauer and Christina Ebling-Bauer. They are also my four-times great-grandparents. "Bauer", by the way, is the German word that means "Farmer".
Since Catherine was four years older than Christian and about 35 years old when she married him, perhaps she had a previous husband named Horn.
To see a map of Germany showing these areas, click here.
How Christian met and married the older Catherine is still a mystery. Sometime around 1860, they made their way to America. Initially, they lived in Brooklyn, New York, where their first child was born. This was Otto Bauer, on May 28, 1861. After Otto, there was Anna Bauer, born around 1862, then my great-great-grandfather, Frank Bauer, on June 28, 1863. After Frank was born, the family moved to Newark, New Jersey. It was there that three more children were born: Edwin Bauer, May 9, 1865; George Bauer, May 9, 1867, and Christian Bauer, born December 20, 1871.
Listed on the 1870 Federal Census for Newark, Christian was working as a "hatter" (a person who makes or sells hats) while 38-year-old Catherine, who was known as Katie, was at home raising Otto (10), Anna (9), Frank (8), Edwin (5), and George (3). Another child, Christian Bauer, Jr., was born in 1871. Little Christian was only two years old when he died November 18, 1873, from a disease called Variola, more commonly known as Smallpox.
By 1880, they were living at 137 Broome Street in Newark. Christian and his sons Otto (20) and Frank (16) were working as "Hat Sizers", Anna (17) worked in a tailoring shop, Edwin (15), who is sometimes listed as Edward, was a plumber's apprentice, while George (12) attended school.
On the 1900 Federal Census, Katie, who was 67 and a widow at the time, indicated that she was the mother of eight children, but only four were alive in 1900. Those would be Otto, Edwin, and George. We know that Christian Jr. died in 1873 and my great-great-grandfather Frank in 1894. As for Anna, she disappears from the records after appearing on the 1880 Census at the age of 17. She either married or died before 1900. I have been able to find only these six.
Here are the stories (that I know about) of Christian and Katie's children:
In 1881, Otto met and fell in love with Emma Kraus. Emma was born in Newark in 1863. Her parents were Herman Kraus and Christina Joeck. On May 29, 1882, Emma gave birth to a boy named Edward Bauer. Six months later, Otto and Emma married, on November 28, 1882. Little Edward died six months after the wedding, on June 5, 1883. A second child was born November 12, 1884. This was Lydia Bauer. A third child, Augusta (Gussie) Bauer, followed on March 25, 1885.
They were living at 29 Boyd Street in Newark when, on July 28, 1887, Otto Bauer, Jr. was born. Unfortunately, he lived only 17 months before dying of convulsions just before Christmas, on December 23, 1888. It was right around this time that Emma contracted Tuberculosis. Incredibly, she became pregnant again, and on June 30, 1889, gave birth to her last child, Louise Bauer. Four months later, on October 20, 1889, Emma was dead. She was only 25 years old. The tragedies continued for Otto Sr. when, two months later on December 6, 1889, baby Louise died. Emma, Otto, Jr. and Louise are buried in Woodland Cemetery in Newark.
Otto was now left alone to raise nearly 5-year-old Gussie, and possibly Lydia, although I have no further evidence of her. What I do know, is that Emma had a sister, Barbara Krauss, who was married to Ludwig (Louis) Wolf, and that Gussie went to live with them. I know this thanks to information provided by Barbara and Louis' grandson, Ed Wolf. According to Ed, his father, Barbara and Louis' son, was in his late teens before he realized Gussie was not his older sister.
Around 1897, Otto's parents, Christian and Katie Bauer, were living at 217 West Kinney Street in Newark. Christian was still working as a hatter when he became ill with kidney disease and died in St. Michael's Hospital on May 25, 1897, at the age of 62. He was buried in Woodland Cemetery. Katie was 67 at the time. She moved in with her sons, 39-year-old Otto and 26-year-old George, at 76 17th Avenue in Newark. In the 40 years that Katie had lived in America, she was unable to speak English, according to the 1900 Federal Census. In 1901, Katie had moved to 39 Blum Street in Newark, where she died on April 7, 1901 of heart disease. She was buried with Christian at Woodland Cemetery, although it appears that Christian was initially buried elsewhere until his remains were moved to be with Katie.
Meanwhile, Otto was still living at the home at 76 17th Avenue in Newark. Living with him in 1915 was a 43-year-old widow named Marie Weber and her 22-year-old son Albert. Marie is mentioned in Otto's obituary as his surviving spouse when he died on June 12, 1916. Otto had been suffering from Angina Pectoris for over two years before he succumbed to the disease. He was 55 years old. He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, New Jersey.
Gussie grew up to marry Henry W. Wassmer on November 20, 1910. Henry was born in Newark on February 9, 1888, the son of Jacob Wassmer and Mary Hein. Henry was three years younger than Gussie. The wedding took place at Gussie's home, 397 Bergen Street in Newark, where she lived with her aunt and uncle, Barbara and Louis Wolf.
Gussie and Henry had a daughter, Thelma A. Henrietta Wassmer, born June 23, 1915. By then they lived at 430 South 17th Street, in Newark. Henry was a foreman and supervisor at the Newark Embroidery Works, where he worked for 53 years before retiring in 1957. He was 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 150 pounds, with blue eyes and a light complexion. He also had several tattoos on his arms. By 1920, the family was living at 426 South 15th Street in Newark.
Thelma married John Rippel, Jr. in Newark on June 9, 1939. John was born in Newark on November 8, 1908, the son of John Rippel Sr. and Anna Rizsak. He worked as a bottler at the Rheingold Brewery in Newark from 1943 to his retirement 30 years later in 1973. He was also a member of the Teamsters Local 843 in nearby Springfield.
Thelma and John had one child, a daughter named Janice "Jan" Arline Rippel. She was born in Newark in 1944. Jan attended the Essex County Girls Vocational Technical High School in Newark, where, among other things, she was the yearbook photographer. In October of 1966, she married Howard L. Mason in Springfield, located about 10 miles west of Newark. Howard was born and raised in Springfield and after attaining a master's degree from Columbia University he pursued a career with AT&T Bell Laboratories, retiring after 30 years. He and Janice lived in Little Silver, New Jersey. Howard died on October 2, 2020 at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, New Jersey.
In 1964, Gussie and Henry moved to 111 Hillside Avenue in Berkeley Heights, a town about 15 miles west of Newark, where Thelma and John also lived. Gussie died in Berkeley Heights on February 21, 1965, at the age of 79. Henry followed two months later, on April 26, 1965. They are buried together at Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover, New Jersey.
In that same year, Thelma started working as a cashier in the cafeteria of the Governor Livingston Regional High School in Berkeley Heights. She worked there for 15 years before retiring in 1980. On June 21, 1989, John died. Thelma died a year later, on October 5, 1990. They were buried with Gussie and Henry at Restland Memorial Park.
We know very little about Christian and Catherine's second child other than her name was Anna Bauer and she was born in New York around 1862. She appears on both the 1870 and 1880 censuses, then nothing more. The 1880 Census, when they lived 137 Broome Street in Newark, says she was 17 years old and worked in a tailor shop.
Back to Germany and my other great-great-great-grandparents: On November 20, 1837, my great-great-great-grandfather, Felix Greuter was born in Singen, Germany. Although we know his father's name was Kaspar Greuter, we do not know the name of his mother. Singen, located in the south-western German state of Baden-Wurttemberg, is right on the border between Germany and Switzerland.
Barely 20 miles away, in the village of Oberhallau in Switzerland, Margaret Surbeck was born on November 18, 1844. Again, we know the name of Margaret's father, Zacharias Surbeck, but not her mother. Oberhallau is in the Swiss canton (state) of Schaffhausen. According to Google Maps, you can walk from Singen to Oberhallau in about 7 hours. We don't know if Felix and Margaret met before eventually making their way to America. But we do know that they were married at the First German Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Newark, New Jersey on May 10, 1866.
By 1870, Felix and Margaret were living in Newark with their two small children, Felix Greuter Jr. , born in Newark in 1867 and Margaret (Maggie) Greuter, born in Newark on April 5, 1868. Felix Sr. was working as a "maker of harness ornaments." By 1880, he was employed as a "milk dealer." He and Margaret were then living at 393 South 8th Street, with Felix Jr. (13), Maggie (12) and three more children, Herman Greuter, born July 8, 1874, Annie Greuter, born May of 1876, and Mary Greuter, born around 1878. Young Felix was employed as a "ledger maker."
The Bauers and the Greuters lived less than a mile from each other in Newark. On June 28, 1863, Christian and Catherine Bauer's third child was born. They named him Frank Bauer. He was my great-great grandfather. Early in his teens, he began working as a hat sizer, just like his father. Around 1885, 22-year-old Frank married 17-year-old Maggie Greuter. They had four children. The first three were George Bauer (November 15, 1886), my great-grandmother Anna Bauer (April 1, 1888) and Frank Greuter, Jr. (January 19, 1891), before Frank Sr. died of kidney disease on April 23, 1894. He was only 30 years old. This was just six weeks after 3-year-old Frank Jr. died from meningitis on February 8. 1894. Father and son are buried at Woodland Cemetery in Newark.
To make her life even more tragic, Maggie was pregnant at the time, and when daughter Marie Greuter was born on November 23, 1894, Maggie was left alone at 26 to raise little George, Anna and Marie. Less than two years before she lost her husband, Maggie's father, 53-year-old Felix Greuter, Sr., died on November 14, 1892. He is also buried at Woodland Cemetery.
By 1900, the two widows, Margaret (Surbeck) Greuter and her daughter Maggie (Greuter) Bauer were living at the family home at 393 South 8th Street in Newark. Living with them were 17-year-old Charles Greuter and 15-year-old Henry Greuter, born to Margaret and Felix in 1883 and 1884 respectively; their first daughter Annie and her husband Otto Bevensee and their children Henry Bevensee (4) and Frederic Bevensee (3); and Maggie's children Annie (12) and Marie (5).
Following Frank's premature death, Maggie worked as a servant to support herself and her children. She and her brother-in-law Otto Bevensee paid rent to Margaret who owned the house free and clear. It's a mystery why Maggie's 13-year-old son George isn't living with them. He shows up on other censuses. Sometimes, life and family research can be journeys of great mystery.
In fact, George Bauer shows up on the 1910 Census with his new wife, Katie (Katherine Van Driel). Katie was born in Newark on February 22, 1890, the daughter of Fred Van Driel and Attilie Gilligan. At the time of the Census, they were living just west of Newark at 22 South 21st Street in Irvington. George was employed as a house painter. The couple married November 27, 1909. At that time, George was living with his parents at 47 Grove Street in Irvington, while Katie was living with her mother, Attilie, at 118 21st Street in Irvington. The marriage took place at 35 Blum Street in Newark. George and Katie had three children: Catherine M. Bauer, born December 19, 1910; Anna M. Bauer, born October 2, 1915; and Leona M. Bauer, born October 17, 1917. Eventually, the family moved to 941 Grove Street in Irvington.
On October 10, 1919, Margaret (Surbeck) Greuter died in Newark at the age of 76. She is buried at Woodland Cemetery.
By 1942, George was living for a short time at 231 Winfield Terrace in Union, New Jersey. As all men were required to do, he registered for the draft. His draft registration record describes him as 5 feet 6 inches in height, weighing 150 pounds. He had gray eyes, gray hair and a ruddy complexion. Eventually, he moved back to Irvington.
After living most of his life in Irvington, George moved ten miles further west to Chatham, New Jersey in 1971. I remember attending his 85th birthday party there in November of 1971. Here's a photo from that event. George died there on March 22, 1974 at the age of 87. He is buried with Katie in Clinton Cemetery.
George and Katie's daughter, Catherine Bauer, was born in Irvington on December 19, 1910. Then around 1930 the family moved to Union Beach, New Jersey. Catherine was a typist for the telephone company when she married William August Gorhan in 1933. William was born in Stuttgart, Germany on November 6, 1907. His parents were Henry Gorhan and Mary Nagel who also lived in Union Beach. The Gorhans, including William, arrived in America in 1910.
Like his father, William worked as a mason. He was 5' 11" tall, weighed about 145 pounds, with brown hair and eyes, and a dark complexion. Both he and Catherine went no further than the eighth grade in school. They lived on Union Avenue in Union Beach and raised two sons, William August Gorhan, Jr. and Wayne Robert Gorhan.
William Jr. was born in Newark in September of 1934. In April of 1953, the parents of Shirley Ann Hettesheimer, on the occasion of Shirley's 18th birthday, announced her engagement to William. They were married one month later on May 21,1953. For some reason the marriage was performed by a minister of the Evangelical United Church in Arlington, Virginia. We don't know why they travelled all the way to Virginia, but the marriage certificate shows they lied about their ages. They were both 18 when they married, but William claimed he was 22, and Shirley 21.
Shirley was born in Jersey City on April 25, 1935, the daughter of Louis Hettesheimer and Florence Flanagan. The Hettesheimers lived on Morningside Avenue in Union Beach. Shirely was employed as a salesgirl when she married William, who was a carpenter at the time. They took up residence at 102 Isabelle Avenue in Union Beach and raised a daughter and son. At some point they divorced and Shirley married Ronald K. Palladino on May 18, 1996. He was four years younger than Shirley. She was 80 years old when she died on December 22, 2017. She is buried in Old Tennent Cemetery in Manalapan, New Jersey.
Catherine and William's other son Wayne was born ten years after William Jr. in Long Branch, New Jersey on July 7, 1944. Like his brother, he married a woman named Shirley. This was Shirley V. Martin, the daughter of Lewis L. Martin and Juanita Panlilio. Wayne and Shirley were married in June of 1963. The Martins lived in Union Beach. Lewis Martin was captain of the Diver II fishing party boat.
Wayne and Shirley had two daughters and a son. Wayne worked for the Armstrong Container and Supply Corporation and was a member of Local No. 32 of the Asbestos Workers of Newark. Around the time of the birth of the first daughter in 1964, Wayne posted a warning in the local newspapers that he was not responsible for any debts made by Shirley. After the birth of their second daughter in 1967, they moved to 37 Lakeland Drive in nearby Port Monmouth. Their son was born in 1969. Then, in 1988, they divorced.
Several months after the divorce, Wayne married Beverly Ann Van Doren, the daughter of Judson P. Van Doren and Mary Coleman. Beverly was born in Bound Brook, New Jersey on April 9, 1942. She was two years older than Wayne. Beverly grew up in Bound Brook near an asbestos products manufacturing company and suffered from a series of respiratory illnesses as an adult. She had a daughter and a son from previous marriages. In 1990, Wayne and Beverly moved out of Union Beach and lived in nearby Matawan for five years. Then in 1995, they moved to Toms River, New Jersey.
Beverly was described as a "sports nut" and was an avid supporter of her children's sporting events. She was also a devoted fan of the New York Mets. Her favorite Mets player was pitcher Al Leiter. On April 17, 2004, she was invited to a special ceremony at Shea Stadium where she got to meet Leiter in person. She described it as "the greatest day of my life." A few weeks later, she died at home with Wayne and her family at her side. She was 62 years old. She was buried at Ocean County Memorial Park in Toms River. Here are some newspaper articles about her.
A year after Beverly died, Wayne retired and less than a year after that, he died, on December 28, 2005. He was 60 years old. He was buried with Beverly at Ocean County Memorial Park.
William Sr. became an American citizen in 1945. He retired from his masonry career in 1971. Catherine was a member of the Union Beach Ladies' Auxiliary of Harris Gardens Fire Department and the town's Senior Citizens Organization. They were living on Washington Avenue in Union Beach when Catherine died at the age of 70 at Riverview Hospital in Red Bank on March 27, 1981. William lived on for several more years before he died at home on April 18, 1988. He was 80 years old.
George and Katie's daughter Anna Margaret Bauer was born in Irvington on October 2, 1915. In 1939, Anna married Henry "Harry" Francis Bangert, Jr., the son of Henry Francis Bangert, Sr. and Mary Kelly. Harry was born in Newark a few days after Christmas on December 27, 1914. Anna worked in the patent office of Bell Telephone Laboratories in Murray Hill, New Jersey. She was also a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America. Harry was a file maintenance coordinator with Western Electric in Union and Newark. He stood 5' 10" tall, weighed about 150 pounds, with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion with a receding hairline.
At first, they lived at 26 Isabella Avenue in Newark. At the same time, my father Bill and his parents John and Frances Murphy also lived on Isabella Avenue, but in the adjacent town of Irvington. Amazingly, they were barely three blocks from one another.
Anna and Harry had one child, a girl named Eileen Margaret Bangert. She was born in Newark on September 2, 1942. The following year, they moved to Chatham. Harry was a life member of the Newark-Communications Holmes chapter of the Pioneers of America of AT&T. He coached the Chatham Township Little League, and was a member of the Long Hill Volunteer Fire Department in Chatham and the Chatham Emergency Squad.
Eileen graduated from Chatham High School in 1961 and began working for Western Electric in Union. She was described as a pretty redhead when she worked a second job as an usherette at the Papermill Playhouse in nearby Millburn. She went on to become a Customer Service Representative in Telecommunications with Lucent Technologies.
Harry volunteered more than 8,000 hours of his time to Overlook Hospital in Summit. He was a counselor at the Center for Addictive Illness in Morristown and a member of The Friends of Bill W. Bill W. was Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Harry worked with Western Electric for 39 years before retiring in 1976. Anna worked for Bell Telephone Laboratories for 30 years before retiring in 1982. It was in Chatham that Eileen married Alfred Francis McGlynn on August 24, 1990. She was 47, he was 54. As far as I know, it was the first marriage for both of them. Alfred was born on December 4, 1935. His parents were John F. McGlynn and Mary Sopko. They did not have children.
On May 17, 1995, in Overlook Hospital in Summit, Harry died. He was 80 years old. In 1999, Anna moved to Cape Coral, Florida, to live with her daughter Eileen. Anna died in Cape Coral four years later, on January 8, 2003. She was 87 years old.
Eileen had a life-long love of animals, especially cats. She often rescued cats and nurtured them back to health. She supported the Associated Humane Society in New Jersey. When she and Alfred retired to Florida, she became active with the Animal Refuge Center (AFC). She was 78 years old when she died in Cape Coral a few days after her and Alfred's 30th wedding anniversary, on August 27, 2020. She is buried at Restland Memorial Park in East Hanover, New Jersey.
George and Katie's third and final child, a daughter named Leona Mae Bauer was born in Irvington, New Jersey on October 17, 1917. She married Vincenzo Morano in 1945. Vincenzo was born in Newark on March 16, 1914. His mother's name was Tessie. Vincenzo sometimes used his nickname James. He was 5' 7" tall, weighed about 160 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a light complexion. He and Leona lived in Newark, Union, and Bound Brook before moving to Bridgewater, New Jersey. They had one child, a daughter named Theresa Morano.
Leona died in Bridgewater on February 7, 2004 at the age of 86. Vincenzo was 95 and living with his daughter in Bound Brook when he died on June 23, 2009. They are buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Arlington, New Jersey.
My great-grandmother Anna Bauer was born in Newark on April 1, 1888. She was the second child born to Frank and Maggie. She was 16 years old when she married 19-year-old William A. Bittlingmeier at St. John's Lutheran Church in Newark on February 2, 1905. William was born in Newark on October 4, 1885, the son of Louis Bittlingmeier and Katharina Schuhmann. Like his father, William worked as a "moulder" in an iron works factory in Newark. He was 5 foot 7 1/2 inches tall, weighed 185 pounds, had gray eyes, brown hair, and a ruddy complexion. He also had a tattoo on his left arm.
William and Anna had four children: my grandmother, Margaret Bittlingmeier, born January 2, 1906; Edna Bittlingmeier, born June 16, 1907; William Henry Bittlingmeier, on July 1, 1916; and Marion D. Bittlingmeier, on July 8, 1921.
The family moved around a lot. In 1910, they were living at 398 South 8th Street in Newark, but by 1917, they had moved right next door to Frank and Katie at 943 Grove Street in Irvington. In 1930, their home was at 268 Burroughs Terrace in Union. And by 1940, William and Anna lived at 184 Alexander Street in Newark.
When Anna died at Presbyterian Hospital in Newark on June 1, 1963 at the age of 75, she and William were living just a few miles southwest of Newark at 196 Crann Street in Hillside, New Jersey. William died on May 5, 1969. He was 83 years old. By this time, they had 10 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren (including me). Although their death certificates do not show a cause of death, I remember they both died from heart attacks. They are buried together at Hollywood Memorial Park in Union, New Jersey.
As mentioned previously in this narrative, Frank Bauer Jr. was born January 19, 1891 at 374 15th Avenue in Newark. He was the third child born to Frank and Maggie Bauer. Frank Jr. lived only three years, dying February 8, 1894 from Tubercular Meningitis. At the time of his death, his parents were living at 393 South 8th Street in Newark, just a few doors away from Anna and William Bittlingmeier. Frank Jr. was buried at Woodland Cemetery.
Frank and Maggie's fourth and final child was Marie Bauer, better known to the family as Mamie. She was born in Newark on November 23, 1894. She was working as a "corset waist maker" and living with her widowed mother and grandmother at 414 South 8th Street in Newark when she married a plumber named Gustave Jobst Klaiber on April 6, 1916. Gustave, or Gus as he is better known, was of German ancestry. He was born in New York City on December 4, 1894, the son of Gottlieb Klaiber and Elizabeth Gaeskel. When they were married, Gus was working as a bartender, but he would work most of his life as a plumber.
By 1920, Mamie and Gus were living at 845 Springfield Avenue in Irvington. They had two children, Wilbur Gustave Klaiber, born October 17, 1916, and Anna May Klaiber, born March 24, 1919. Also living with them was Mamie's widowed mother Maggie.
By 1930 they had moved to Union Beach, New Jersey, at 453 Morningside Avenue. 13-year-old Wilbur and 11-year-old Anna May now had another sibling, 9-year-old Edna Klaiber.
Although Maggie was living with Gus and Mamie in Irvington in 1920, she did not move to Union Beach with them. Instead, she stayed in Irvington and moved in with her son George at his home at 941 Grove Street after George's wife Katie died suddenly on June 1, 1920.
Forty-six years after the death of her husband Frank Bauer, Maggie (Greuter) Bauer died on August 26, 1940, at East Orange General Hospital, where she was being treated for cancer, which had spread throughout her body. She was 72 years old. She then joined the other family members who are buried at Woodland Cemetery.
Gus and Mamie's son Wilbur Gustav Klaiber married Isabelle Mary Smith in 1940. Isabelle was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on April 1, 1918. Her parents were James Findlay Smith and Isabelle "Belle" L. Chapman. According to cousin Leah Smith Hochstaedt, Isabelle's father emigrated from Stonehaven, Scotland around 1906. He initially stayed at an inn in Elizabeth where Isabelle was the innkeeper's daughter. They were married a few years later. Isabelle's brother James Francis Smith was born in Elizabeth in 1913. He was Leah's father.
My family knew Wilbur and Isabelle as "Bubbie" and "Skippy." Leah knew them as Bill and Isabelle. They lived first in Elizabeth, then moved to Linden, New Jersey in 1948. Wilbur was 5' 11" in height, weighed about 170 pounds. He had brown hair, blue eyes, and a light complexion.
Wilbur and Isabelle had two sons: Richard "Richie" Alan Klaiber, born in Elizabeth on February 20, 1943 and William "Bill" Gustave Klaiber, born September 22, 1945 in Elizabeth. Wilbur was a supervisor of mechanics at Merck & Co. in Rahway for 37 years. He was also a member of the Lafayette Lodge, F&AM (Free and Accepted Masons), and the Reformed Church of Linden.
After living in Linden for 30 years, Wilbur and Isabelle moved to Toms River, New Jersey in 1978. Wilbur joined the Toms River Elks Lodge. Shortly after moving there, however, Wilbur died on February 6, 1979 at the age of 62. He was buried at Rosedale Cemetery in Linden, next to Isabelle's parents, James and Isabelle Smith, who died in 1948 and 1964, respectively. Although Wilbur's sons Richie and Bill were still living in 1979, Richie's name was omitted from Wilbur's obituary.
After Wilbur died, Isabelle became an active member of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, a volunteer with "Meals on Wheels" in Lavalette, and an active member and one-time president of the Dover Township Senior Center.
Richie earned a degree in accounting at a college in North or South Carolina, and initially worked as an accountant in New York City. Leah remembers that he played guitar pretty well. Music was his passion. He had a huge collection of records. He seemed to know anything and everything about early rock and roll. He did DJ gigs for a while when he was back with his mother in New Jersey. In fact, he was the DJ for Leah's wedding. He used to frequent the club circuit to dance and mingle with other oldies fans.
In February of 1966, Richie married Adley "Addie" Green, the daughter of Samuel Green and Edith Zweben. The marriage took place in Roselle Park, New Jersey. Addie was born in New Jersey on December 15, 1944. Richie and Addie had one child, a son named Alan Richard Klaiber.
Bill served in the U.S. Army Reserves and had a bachelor's degree in business management from Fairleigh Dickinson (I worked for FDU in the 1990's!). Bill was married to Karen Williams. They lived in Wayside, New Jersey before moving to Toms River in 2000. At one time Bill was the owner of 123 Auto Parts in Brick, New Jersey before going to work for Pep Boys in Toms River as an assistant manager. Bill retired from there in 1996.
Sometime around 1999, Bill and Karen moved in with Isabelle at 722 Bermuda Drive in Toms River. In Autumn of 1999, they decided to have the house knocked down and rebuilt. While this was being done, they lived in Leah's house in Ortley Beach, at a time when Leah was out of the country. Richie lived in a bungalow in Ocean Beach that Isabel owned. At some point, he and Addie divorced and she moved to Florida where she married Abraham Julius Elkin in 1984. Addie was vice president and manager of residential mortgage department of the Bancorp Mortgage Company in Miami.
Richie started having strokes and deteriorated mentally to the point of being unable to care for himself and needing constant supervision. Isabelle had to have him placed in a nursing home in Toms River. He died at the nursing home on October 21, 2000, at the age of 57. He was buried at Riverside Cemetery in Toms River. According to the clerk at the cemetery office, he was buried in an unmarked grave by "Social Services." In other words, a pauper's grave. The county buried him when there was no one else to take the responsibility (and cost) of having him buried.
Isabelle, Bill and Karen moved back into the new home in Summer of 2001. Around 2003, Isabelle's health began to decline. She became bed-ridden and, like Richie, had to be placed in a nursing home. To make things even worse for the family, Bill was dying from cancer. He was never able to visit Isabelle at the nursing home to say goodbye. He was 58 years old, just a year older than his brother, when he died on March 13, 2004. He was entombed in a mausoleum at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Toms River.
Isabelle languished in the nursing home, outliving both of her sons. She was 89 when she died on August 23, 2007, and placed in the unmarked grave at Riverside Cemetery with Richie, again by "Social Services."
Mamie and Gus's second child was Anna May Klaiber, born in Irvington on March 24, 1919. She was working for a clothing manufacturing company when she married Michael "Mickey" Sullivan at the Congregational Church in Maplewood, New Jersey in 1942. At the time of the wedding, Mickey was serving as an Army corporal stationed at Camp Tyson in Tennessee. Before his enlistment in 1941, he worked for Horn and Hardart Automat self-service cafeteria in New York City. He was born in Jersey City on September 9, 1918. His parents were Edward Sullivan and Dorothy DuFrane. They lived at 503 Sydney Avenue in Union Beach.
Mickey was 5' 8" tall, weighing 145 pounds, with brown hair, gray eyes, and a dark complexion. He and Mamie had no children but they did have a white miniature toy poodle that they treated like a child. The poodle's name was MJ. Mickey worked at the Edison Shipyards, but he and Anna May also owned a bar in the Maurer Building at 36 Broad Street in Keyport, New Jersey called the "Silver Dollar Tavern". Every holiday, MJ would be groomed and dyed to reflect the holiday (red for Christmas, orange for Halloween). They also owned a summer place in Lavalette, New Jersey, on Swordfish Drive. We spent many wonderful times there.
But there was a dark side to their lives. They were both chronic alcoholics. The family, especially Anna May's sister Edna, encouraged them to seek professional help, but Mickey flatly refused. Anna May tried on at least two occasions to enter an alcoholic treatment facility, but it was to no avail. They had put all of their money into the Silver Dollar and when that failed, they became destitute. Anna May was 49 years old when she died in 1968 of a heart attack, probably brought on by the alcoholism. Mickey followed her the next year. His appearance had become more and more shabby. He looked like a homeless person. My memory is that he was found unconscious on a street in Keyport and died at the Veterans Hospital in East Orange. He was 50 years old when he died on June 3, 1969.
Mamie and Gus's third child was Edna Marie Klaiber. She was born around 1921. She graduated from Keyport High School in 1936 where her sister Anna May also attended. The two sisters enjoyed that summer at a camp sponsored by the Congregational Church in Union Beach. The camp was located at the Kreswick Colony in Whiting, New Jersey. The Colony was a retreat and treatment center for alcoholic men. Among the other teens at the camp was Don Abrams, another graduate of Keyport High. Later that summer, Don and young Mickey Sullivan joined Anna May and Edna and several other teens motoring to the beach in Sea Bright, New Jersey to enjoy "swimming and playing games", according to the local newspaper.
Edna was a clerk-typist at Camp Evans military installation in Wall Township, New Jersey when she married Don, that is Sgt. Donald George Abrams on March 5, 1944, at the First Congregational Church in Union Beach. It was during World War II and Don was serving with the Army at Camp Phillips in Kansas where he was attached to the military police escort guard. Edna's sister Anna May served as her Matron of Honor, while her brother Wilbur was Best Man. Mickey Sullivan served as one of the ushers. Until Don completed his enlistment with the Army, Edna continued to live with her parents.
Don was born in Newark on November 11, 1916. His parents were John Nelson Abrams and Ruth Endlich. He stood 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds. He had brown hair, gray eyes, and a light complexion. He was a meter repairman for the gas and electric light company. He and Edna had one son, Donald George Abrams, Jr., born October 7, 1950. There may have been another child but I'm not sure. They lived on Summit Terrace in Elizabeth, then 117 Sydney Avenue in Union Beach, the same street where Anna May and Mickey lived, and less than one block from Mamie and Gus on Morningside Avenue.
Don was living in Hyattsville, Maryland when he died at the age of 91 on September 19, 2008. There is no record of Edna's passing.
After living for many years in Union Beach, Gus and Mamie moved to 327 Raritan Road in Linden, New Jersey, in 1953. Gus was 5 feet 5 1/2 inches tall and weighed about 150 pounds. He had blue eyes, brown hair and a ruddy complexion. He was a member of Local 24, International Brotherhood of Plumbers. He was also an exempt fireman in Union Beach and a member of the New Jersey State Fireman's Association. I remember that Gus liked to drink a glass of beer with a raw egg in it every day. He said it was his "health drink."
Gus was 72 when he died in Linden on August 22, 1967. Mamie followed 13 years later on May 29, 1980, when she was 85. They are buried together at Hollywood Memorial Cemetery in Union, New Jersey.
Edwin Bauer was born in Newark on May 9, 1865, the same day the Civil War officially ended in America. Edwin was the fourth child born to Christian and Catherine Bauer. He wasn't baptized until three years later on August 18, 1868, at the First German Presbyterian Church in Newark. When he was 15 years old, he became a plumber's apprentice. On May 26, 1887, he married Carolina Felder, the daughter of Louis and Agnes Felder. Carolina was born in Newark on October 21, 1864. By now, Edwin had become a Newark policeman. They lived at 106 Stuyvesant Avenue in Newark and had eight children.
In January of 1914, officer Edwin raised the American flag up the pole in front of the Third precinct police station in the morning but mistakenly used only one rope to do so. This left the flag stuck and unable to lower at the end of the day, much to Edwin's embarrassment. A teenage had been arrested for illegally riding on a train as was held at the precinct jail. He offered to climb the 50-foot pole and successfully retrieved the flag. This prompted the court judge to drop all charges against the teenager and set him free.
Their first child was Caroline Bauer. She was born in Newark on December 9, 1887, seven months after the marriage. After going no further than 8th grade in school, she found work as a bookkeeper. In 1911, she was still living with her parents at 106 Stuyvesant Avenue in Newark when she married John Martin Chanik, the son of Johann Chanik and Anna Eva Obrecht. John was born in Newark on October 19, 1882. For a few years, they lived with Caroline's parents on Stuyvesant Avenue in Newark. Eventually, they moved to Irvington and rented an apartment at 170 Lincoln Place, very close to Clinton Cemetery where several family members would eventually be buried. John was a manager at a movie theater.
By 1926, they moved across town to 118 Hillside Terrace which they would eventually own and where they would live for many years. Like Caroline, John did not go beyond 8th grade in school. He worked at different jobs over the years, for a steel company, a celluloid company and eventually became foreman at a tool factory. He was 5' 9" tall, with brown hair and eyes, and light complexion. He and Caroline had two sons and a daughter
Their first child was Evan Martin Chanik. He was born in Irvington a day after Christmas on December 26, 1912. He served in the Navy during World War II and the Korean Conflict, eventually attaining the rank of Commander.
On July 2, 1945, Evan married Elizabeth Zane Taylor, the daughter of Stacy Quinn Taylor and Lulu Zane Burton. Elizabeth was born February 8, 1919 in Chicago, Illinois. The marriage took place in Florida. By 1950, they were living in the downstairs apartment at 7 Patterson Avenue in Hempstead, Long Island. They had four children: Alison Zane Chanik, Evan Martin Chanik, Jr., John C. Chanik, and Jane C. Chanik.
Evan Jr. followed in his father's footsteps. In March of 1978, he was a Lieutenant with the Navy and piloting a routine mission in an A-4 Skyhawk fighter plane out of Miramar, a major fighter pilot base. Unexpectedly, the plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 50 miles west of San Diego near San Clemente Island. Miraculously, Evan suffered only minor injuries and was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter.
Evan Sr. retired from the Navy in 1964 after serving 30 years. He was 73 years old and living in Tucson, Arizona, where his daughter Jane also lived, when he died on March 31, 1986. He was buried at Fort Huachuca Cemetery in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Elizabeth lived on for many more years and was living in Cerrillios, New Mexico when she died at the age of 94 on September 20, 2013. She was buried next to Evan at Fort Huachuca Cemetery.
On August 2, 1918, Caroline and John's second child was born, like her brother Evan, in Irvington. This was Arline Caroline Chanik. She was living at home with her parents in Irvington and working as a file clerk for an insurance company when she married Edward Riggs Randall, Jr. in 1941. Edward was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 31, 1914. His parents were Edward Riggs Randall, Sr. and Elizabeth McCutcheon. At the time of the marriage, Edward was living with his married sister Laura (Randall) Hathaway in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. He was a secretarial worker for a public service company. Glen Ridge is about 6 miles north of Irvington.
Edward stood 5' 8" tall, weighed about 140 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a light complexion. The day after Valentine's Day in 1943, he enlisted in the U. S. Army and served beyond the duration of the Second World War, honorably discharged on December 30, 1945. He and Arline moved to Hempstead, Long Island and Edward went on to serve as a sales representative for the Cherry-Burrell Corporation of White Plains, New York. The company manufactured metal products and machinery for the milk producing industry. Edward worked for them for 34 years. Afterwards, he was a self-employed sales representative for 12 more years, finally retiring in 1988.
Back in 1933, Edward obtained a glider pilot license and became an avid flyer of sailplanes. His license was signed by Wilbur Wright. During his enlistment in the Army, Edward became part of the newly established Army Air Force, the predecessor of the United States Air Force.
Arline and Edward had one child, a son named Gregg E. Randall, born in Pennsylvania in 1956. Around 1959, they moved to Cedar Grove, New Jersey, not far from Glen Ridge. In 1965, Arline started working as a secretary at Montclair State College.
Unfortunately, their son Gregg developed leukemia and died at the hospital in Glen Ridge on May 14, 1972. He was just 16 years old, a sophomore at Cedar Ridge High School, and an amateur radio operator.
Arline and Edward continued living in Cedar Grove. After working 13 years at her secretarial job at Montclair State College, Arline retired in 1985 and they moved to the Crestwood Village adult community in Whiting, New Jersey. In Whiting, Edward became a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Air Force Association. Arline was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Whiting VFW and a volunteer for Somebody Cares, a non-profit organization in Whiting that helps needy adults, especially with medical equipment.
Arline and Edward were still living in Crestwood Village when they travelled to North Kingston in Rhode Island for a vacation when Edward died there suddenly on September 9, 1990. He was 76 years old. He was buried at Somerset Hills Memorial Park in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Less than four years later, Arline was in Tucson, Arizona when she died there on January 23, 1994. She was 75 years old. It's possible she was visiting her niece Jane (Chanik) O'Hare, the daughter of her brother Evan, who lived in Tucson. Arline joined Edward at Somerset Hills Memorial Park.
Caroline and John's third child, Warren John Chanik, was born in Irvington on April 23, 1921. By 1940, the family had moved to Linden. Warren dropped out of high school after his freshman year. In January of 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served until the end of World War II, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant. After returning to civilian life, he married Josephine G. Chornoboy in November of 1949. Josephine was born in East Whertly, Massachusetts on May 10, 1918. She was three years older than Warren. Her parents were Polish immigrants Jozef "Joseph" Chornoboy and Anelia "Nellie" Vinick (Wnenk?). The family moved to Linden when Josephine was a child. Josephine was a "Rosie the Riveter" during World War II at Eastern Aircraft in Linden.
Warren was 5' 11", weighed about 150 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a ruddy complexion. He also had a noticeable scar on his left wrist. He was a forklift operator at Pantry Pride in Linden for 20 years before becoming a truck driver for the Wakefern Food Corporation in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He and Josephine had four daughters and two sons.
Josephine was a member of the Linden Ceramic Club, plus a communicant and member of Saint John the Apostle church where she belonged to the Rosary Society. Warren was a member of both the America Legion Post 1000 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1352 in Linden. He also belonged to the Knights of Columbus Council 2859 in Linden.
After working for Wakefern for 17 years, Warren retired in 1997. He died at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway, New Jersey on February 3, 2004. He was 82 years old. He was buried at Saint Gertrude Cemetery in Colonia, New Jersey. Several years later, Josephine died at home in Linden on April 1, 2013, a month short of her 95th birthday. She joined Warren at Saint Gertrude Cemetery.
John Martin Chanik died on July 28, 1953 at the age of 70. He was buried in the Bauer Family Plot at Clinton Cemetery in Irvington. Caroline moved from Irvington to Cedar Grove in 1959 to live with her daughter Arline and her husband Edward Randall. Caroline became a member of the Community Church of Cedar Grove and the Cedar Grove Senior Citizens Club. She was living at 74 Grissing Court in Cedar Grove when she died on December 19, 1968. She was 81. She was buried next to John in Clinton Cemetery.
Edwin and Carolina's second child was Elsa "Elsie" Bauer. She was born in Newark on August 22, 1889. She dropped out of school after the seventh grade. On June 20, 1917, Elsie married Matthew Erskine at the Kilburn Memorial Presbyterian Church in Newark. Matthew was born in Renfrewshire, Scotland on March 24, 1890. He had just arrived from Scotland when he married Elsie. His parents David Matthew Erskine, a house carpenter, and Flora Ann Fleming.
Like Elsie, Matthew did not go beyond seventh grade in school. They lived with Matthew's parents at 60 Stuyvesant Avenue in Newark. This was less than two blocks from Elsie's parents, Edwin and Caroline Bauer, who lived at 106 Stuyvesant Avenue. Matthew was a house carpenter, like his father. He was 5' 8" tall, weighing about 145 pounds, with light brown hair, blue eyes, and a ruddy complexion.
By 1930 they were living in a house they owned valued at $6,000. This was at 33 Mead Street in Newark where they would stay for a number of years. Matthew was now a foreman at a concrete plant. Elsie's widowed father Edwin lived with them. He was still a police officer. By this time, they had three children. Sometime before 1950, they moved to 54 Highland Avenue in Leonardo, New Jersey, about an hour's drive south of Newark. Matthew continued working as a foreman at the concrete plant.
Elsie and Matthew's first child was Edwin Matthew Erskine. He was born in Newark on May 7, 1918. He did not go beyond eighth grade in school. He worked for the Western Electric Company in Kearny, New Jersey before joining the U. S. Coast Guard and serving during World War II. He was 5' 10" tall, weighed about 170 pounds, with brown eyes, black hair, and a light complexion.
In 1943, Edwin married Caroline Pfleuger, the daughter of Ernest Pfleuger and Caroline Harenberg. Caroline was born in Newark on May 21, 1919. She graduated from Morrell High School in Irvington in 1937 and went on to become a nurse in a doctor's office before her marriage to Edwin. She and Edwin had three sons: Edwin Erskine, Jr., Ernest Erskine and Robert Erskine.
Edwin was employed running a sawing machine at a lumber mill. He also served as Fire Chief with the Springfield Fire Department, and served with the department for 32 years. He loved working with wood in his spare time and built many beautiful cabinets. He also loved raising canaries and fish.
Edwin and Caroline lived in Springfield most of their lives. Caroline was a member of the Springfield Seniors Club and the Garden Club. In 2004, they moved to Richmond Hill in Georgia. Caroline became ill and was confined at the Heritage Park Nursing Home in nearby Savannah where she died on January 13, 2005. She was 85 years old. She was buried at Hollywood Memorial Park in Union, New Jersey. Edwin followed her several years later. He was 92 when he died under hospice care on January 2, 2012. He was buried with Caroline at Hollywood Memorial Park.
Child number two for Elsie and Matthew was Flora Ethel Erskine, born in Newark on August 31, 1921. After graduating high school she worked as a clerk for an insurance company. The same year that her brother Edwin married Caroline Pfleuger, Flora married John Schmidt, on June 19, 1943. John was born in Brooklyn on February 24, 1916. His parents were Jacob Schmidt and Caroline Koch. John and Flora lived with Elsie and Matthew on Highland Avenue in Leonardo. John was 5' 6" tall, weighed about 165 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a light complexion. Despite having a lame left leg, he worked for over 60 years in sales and management for the Crucible Steel Company of America.
Flora and John had three children, John E. Schmidt, Nancy Schmidt and David Schmidt. Although Flora devoted her life to her husband and children, she also worked at Prudential Life Insurance Company and Trans World Radio, a worldwide missionary radio network. In 1985, John and Flora moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They became members of Calvary Church in Lancaster. John was 95 years old when he died in Lancaster on Christmas Day in 2012. He was buried at Mellinger's Mennonite Cemetery in East Lampeter, Pennsylvania. Three years later, Flora was 94 when she died in Lancaster on October 19. 2015. She was buried with John at Mellinger's Mennonite Cemetery.
Elsie and Matthew's third child was Ruth Erskine. She was born in Newark on November 20, 1922. After graduating from West Side High School in Newark she attended the Delahanty Secretarial School in New York City. On March 2, 1946, she married Ernest "Ernie" Elmer Bedell, Jr., the son of Ernest Elmer Bedell, Sr. and Anna Kane. Ernie was born in Newark on July 13, 1921. He graduated from Arlington High School. He was studying music at Trenton State Teacher's College when he enlisted in the Army in 1942 and served overseas during World War II. He served in the German sector of Europe with the Medical Administration as a First Lieutenant and earned a Bronze Star. He was honorably discharged after the war ended and married Ruth two weeks later. He was 5' 10" tall, weighing about 170 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes and a light brown complexion. He and Ruth lived with his parents in Kearny and raised four sons and two daughters. At some point, they settled in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Their six children were Charles Clifford Bedell, Paul Bedell, Bruce Erskine Bedell, Douglas Bedell, Ruthann Bedell, and Lois Bedell.
Ernie went on to receive a Bachelor of Music degree from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, and a Master of Musci degree from the University of Nebraska. From 1950 to 1966, he served several churches in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Nebraska as organist-choirmaster. He received his Teacher Certificate at Kearny State College and taught music at Barr Junior High School in Grand Island. He served as instructor in organ and as the chapel organist at Hastings College in Nebraska. He and Ruth were members of the First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island where Ernie was the organist from 1970 until deteriorating health forced him to retire.
Ruth was a "TeamMates Mentor" in Grand Island. The organization is a school-based mentoring program that matches a community volunteer with a student to serve as a one-to-one mentor. TeamMates matches meet once a week at the school, during school hours throughout the academic year. Mentors and mentees usually play board games, shoot hoops, do a craft, or just talk.
Ernie's health continued to decline and he died at home in Grand Island on August 16, 1994. He was 73 years old. Fifteen years later, Ruth died on March 19, 2009 in Lincoln, Nebraska where two of he children lived. She was 86. She and Ernie chose to be cremated.
Elsie was a member of the Abraham Lincoln Company Daughters of America in Vailsburg, New Jersey, and the Beacon Light Council No. 133 Daughters of America in Leonardo. Matthew died in Leonardo on February 16, 1962, at the age of 71. He was buried at Hollywood Memorial Park in Union, New Jersey. Elsie moved from Leonardo to 167 Linden Avenue in Springfield, New Jersey where her son Edwin lived. She died there a year after Matthew on July 13, 1963. She was 73. She was buried with Matthew at Hollywood Memorial Park.
After the birth of their second child Elsie in 1889, life took a tragic turn for Edwin and Carolina. After two girls, they welcomed a son and named him Edwin E. Bauer. He was born in Newark on April 21, 1891 and lived for less than three months before dying on July 13, 1891. They buried him in an unmarked grave at Woodland Cemetery in Newark.
Another son was born the following year on December 17, 1892. This was Emil L. Bauer. Then, on May 4, 1894, another daughter arrived, Ida Bauer. Baby Ida lasted three weeks before dying on May 27, 1894. Two-year-old Emil went next. He died on October 3, 1895. They were all buried together in the unmarked grave at Woodland Cemetery.
To have lost three babies in less than five years must have been devastating to the young couple. A few years went by before Carolina gave birth to another child. This was another Emil named Emil E. Bauer, born in Newark on June 23, 1898. Finally, the curse was broken and Emil joined his sisters Caroline and Elsie into adulthood. Another child would be born in 1908 and he too would live beyond childhood. Were the tragic events over for the family? Unfortunately, no. In fact, they probably became much worse.
To begin with, another doomed baby was born with the curious name of Lisetta Hazel Bauer on August 20, 1901. She lived for only three months before succumbing on November 30, 1901. She was buried with her other siblings in the crowded Woodland Cemetery grave.
We now have a seven-year gap between child number seven and number eight. This might be an indication that Edwin and Carolina were having an understandably rough time dealing with the deaths of four babies in a ten-year span. In any case, child number eight, Elmer Martin Bauer was born in Newark on October 18, 1908.
But, back to child number six, the second Emil. He was living at home, at 106 Stuyvesant Avenue in Newark, and working as an apprentice for an electrician when he was drafted into the Army a year after Congress declared war on Germany in 1917. He joined with the Army's First Heavy Mobile Ordnance Repair Shop and was sent to France and reached the rank of Sergeant. After returning from the war, Emil married a woman named Helen and they were living with his parents when Emil took his father's loaded police pistol, pointed it to the side of his head, and pulled the trigger. He left the following suicide note:
"Goodbye ma and dad. Helen made a remark that she would not be my slave and I thought it best to end my life, as I do not want anybody to be my slave. Goodbye to all."
When his 22-year-old brother Emil committed suicide at the home, 11-year-old Elmer was still living there. Caroline and Elsie had married and moved out a few years before. We have no way of knowing if Elmer was there when this horrible event occurred, but mother Carolina probably was. They abandoned the home with all of its sad memories and moved to 973 Chancellor Avenue in Irvington. Again, we have no way of gauging the anguish Carolina may have been suffering, but she died two years later on December 1, 1922. She was 58 years old. She was buried at Clinton Cemetery in Irvington. By this time, Elmer was 14 years old.
Elmer's widowed father Edwin continued working as a police officer. He moved in with Elsie and her Erskine family at 33 Mead Street in Newark. He finally retired from the police department in 1940 when he turned 75. He died a year later on August 22, 1941. He was buried next to Carolina at Clinton Cemetery.
Elmer graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York with a degree in electrical engineering in 1933. Troy is 150 miles north of Newark. He did construction work in Washington, D. C. for a time then joined the Corps of Engineers and was assigned to the Buffalo, New York district, located 300 miles west of Troy. He was 6' 2" in height, weighed about 210 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and a ruddy complexion.
On September 20, 1943, Elmer married Mary Elizabeth Niles, daughter of Thomas Niles and Mary Elizabeth Welsh. Mary was born on December 21, 1907. She was six years old when her father died in 1914. She was 35 years old when she married Elmer (he was 34). It appears to be the first marriage for both of them.
Mary was a graduate of Catholic Central High School in Troy and was employed by the New York State Education Department several miles south in Albany when she married Elmer. They lived in Buffalo and raised four children. Elmer was a member of Buffalo Council 184, Knights of Columbus and the Holy Name Society of Saint Margaret's Church. Near the end of 1954, Elmer developed a heart ailment and took a leave of absence from his role as Chief of the Military Supply Section of the Corps of Engineers. He returned to his post on February 1, 1955. He was at work on March 18 when he suffered a heart attack and died an hour later. He was 46 years old. He was buried 300 miles east of Buffalo at Saint Mary's Cemetery in Troy. When Mary died at the age of 59 on May 15, 1967, she was buried with Elmer at Saint Mary's Cemetery.
George Bauer was born in Newark on May 9, 1867. He was the fifth child born to Christian and Catherine Bauer. His birth occurred on his brother Edwin's second birthday. As stated above, Edwin wasn't baptized until three years after his birth when he and George were baptized together at the First German Presbyterian Church in Newark on August 18, 1868.
George married Amelia S. Lederer in Paterson on October 2, 1887. Amelia was the daughter of David and Anna Lederer. Her parents came from Bohemia, the westernmost region of the Czech Republic. Amelia was born in Manhattan on October 14, 1867. She was ten years old when she and her family moved to Paterson. Several months before the marriage, 19-year-old Amelia entertained guests at a house party in Paterson by playing the piano and "singing several ballads in her exquisite style."
George was a weaver in a silk factory. He and Amelia had three children. They lived at 705 Broadway in Paterson. George was an active member of a social club called the Acquackanonk Tribe of Red Men. Despite its title, the club membership was restricted to white men only.
Their first child was Jessie A. Bauer, born in Paterson in April of 1889. Jessie grew up to become one of the leaders of the Paterson Eastside social set. Saint Paul's Episcopal Church was the setting for her marriage to John Ira Hartley on October 21, 1913. John was born in Paterson on August 31, 1887. They set up residence in Manhattan.
In March of 1914, Jessie's father George became ill and died two weeks later on March 30. He was 46 years old. He was buried at Cedar Lawn Cemetery in Paterson.
Five years later, Jessie followed her father when she died from pneumonia at the young age of 29 on January 22, 1919. There is no record of where she might have been buried.
Child number two was Grace Bauer. She was born in Newark in September of 1890. Very little is known about her except that she was 25 years old and living with her widowed mother and sister Anna in 1915 in the home at 705 Broadway in Patterson and employed as a school teacher. No other record of her existence has been found.
The third and last child was Anna Elizabeth Bauer, born in Paterson on January 21, 1896. She married an accountant named Ronald Blauvelt Hopper on October 25, 1916. The marriage took place at the home of her widowed mother Amelia at 705 Broadway in Patterson. The ceremony was conducted by the Reverend W. H. Watts, rector of Saint Mary's Episcopal Church. Ronald was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey on October 15, 1894. Those who lived in Ridgewood referred to it as The Village. Ronald was considered "one of Ridgewood's favorite sons". His father was John Blauvelt Hopper, a Surrogate of Bergen County. His mother was Ida Cole. He attended Pennington College in Princeton until he was interrupted to serve in the U. S. Army from 1916 to 1917. He returned to graduate from Pennington in 1917. He stood 5' 10" tall, weighed about 185 pounds, with blue eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion.
Ronald was the manager of the H. and R. Machine and Garage Company on Prospect Street in Ridgewood. In 1916, it was common to refer to automobiles as "machines". They lived at 489 Colonial Road in Ridgewood and were members of the Old Paramus Reformed Church. Ronald was a member of Fidelity Masonic Lodge 113. Anna's widowed mother Amelia moved in with them around 1920. She attended Christ Episcopal Church in Ridgewood, and was a member of the Ridgewood Woman's Club. On June 13, 1935, Amelia died at home after a long illness. She was 67 years old. She was buried with George at Cedar Lawn Cemetery.
Anna and Ronald had a son, John Blauvelt Hopper II, born in Patterson on October 3, 1920. He was attending Pennsylvania Medical School when he married Frances Randolph Dietrick, in Philadelphia on March 27, 1943. Her parents were Stapleton Conway Dietrick and Emily Beverly Randolph. John continued his studies and graduated in 1944. Shortly after, Doctor Hopper entered the U. S. Navy as a Lieutenant (jg) in the Medical Corps. He sailed around the world aboard the General Callan Troop Ship. After his discharge, he began a medical practice in Mendham, located forty miles southwest of Ridgewood. During his 27-year career as a doctor, he delivered 3,500 babies. He was recalled to active duty by the Navy for two years during the Korean War.
In 1955, Dr. Hopper moved his family to a 65-acre horse farm in Chester, New Jersey where they raised and showed Arabian horses. They moved back to Mendham ten years later, then to a farm in Thornton, New Hampshire where Dr. Hopper set up his practice in his barn. He finally retired and in 2006 he and Frances moved to The Pines adult community in Whiting, New Jersey. Dr. Hopper died there on February 19, 2010 at the age of 89. He was buried at Mad River Cemetery back in Thornton. Frances continued living at The Pines until her death on November 29, 2017. She was 95. She was buried with Dr. Hopper at Mad River Cemetery.
In 1954, Anna and Ronald moved to Mendham. Like his father, Ronald later became a Surrogate of Bergen County. A surrogate is a public official who has jurisdiction over the probate of wills, the settlement of estates, and the appointment and supervision of guardians. He died at his home in Mendham in February of 1977, age 82, and was buried at Valleau Cemetery in Ridgewood. Anna moved to her son's farm in New Hampshire where she died June 2, 1985 at the age of 89. She was buried with Ronald at Valleau Cemetery.
On December 20, 1871, Katie gave birth to another son. They named him Christian Bauer, after his father. Sadly, baby Christian did not live long enough to celebrate his second birthday before dying on November 18, 1873. We have no record of where he might have been buried.
On the 1900 Federal Census, Katie claimed she had given birth to eight children, but only four were still living at the time. We know that the three still living were Otto (1861-1916), Edwin (1865-1941), and George (1867-1914). And we know of three who died before 1900. They were Anna (1862-?), Frank (1863-1894), and Christian (1871-1873). That leaves one more still living in 1900, and one more who died before then. But who were they? Unfortunately, there is no conclusive evidence of their existence, at least for now.
William "Bill" Hatch was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on May 22, 1900. His parents were William R. Hatch and Elizabeth McClery. He completed one year of high school in Ireland before emigrating to the United States on April 27, 1920. Bill was working for the Ford Motor Company as an upholsterer and living at 119 Oakwood Avenue in Arlington, New Jersey when he married Anna Marie Basile at City Hall in Manhattan on September 28, 1927. At the time, Anna was living at 517 Main Street in East Orange. Arlington, where Bill was living, is a neighborhood in the town of Kearny, just a few miles north of Newark. Following the marriage, they settled in Newark.
Anna was born in East Orange on July 12, 1905, the daughter of Italian immigrant John Basile, and Winifred Davis, whose parents were Irish immigrants. Anna went as far as the eighth grade in school in East Orange. To view some photos of Anna and Bill, click here.
In 1930, they were renting an apartment for $35 per month at 1 Salem Street in Newark. Ten years later, their rent was still $35, but at 38 Halsted Street, a very short distance from Salem Street. Then in 1950 they were at 174 Smith Street, a short walk from their first apartment on Salem Street. All of these locations were very close to where my mother Jackie and grandparents Jack and Margie Bogner lived on Silver Street.
I remember Bill as a short man and that Anna was a few inches taller than him. He was 5' 4" tall and weighed about 140 pounds. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and a ruddy complexion. He had a deep, gravelly voice and loved to tell jokes to my sister and me. He and Anna had two sons and a daughter.
Harry J. Hatch, their firstborn, was born May 15, 1930. Although they were living in Newark at the time, Harry was born in East Orange, probably at the home of Anna's parents. After graduating from Montclair State University and Seton Hall University with Batchelor and Master's degrees in business and education, Harry joined the Newark Public School System at taught business classes for 15 years at Ivy Junior High and Vailsburg High School. He had a second, successful career as a restaurant owner and operator. His restaurants were located all over New Jersey and included, the Beachcomber Steak House, Beef & Ale in South Orange, Gasoline Alley in Berkeley Heights, P.J. Ruggles in Spring Lake Heights, Samantha's in Branchburg, and McNasty's in Whitehouse.
In July of 1965, Harry took the time to marry Lynda R. Ciborowski, the daughter of Henry Ciborowski and Ruth Greenemeier. Lynda was a free-lance model who displayed the latest fashions of some of New York City's top designers. She and Harry raised two daughters, Kimberly Hatch and Alison Hatch, while she continued her modeling career. She and Harry were known for their culinary talents, as well. Besides modeling and raising her family, Lynda was also responsible for designing and creating the authentic Irish pub outfits worn by the waitresses at Harry's Beef & Ale restaurant. Here is an excellent article about Lynda's modeling career.
As if Harry didn't have enough to keep him busy, he was also a commercial real estate agent specializing in restaurants, liquor licenses, and office buildings. For several years Harry was a sports agent for baseball players coming out of Seton Hall University. His roster included a number of great players drafted by Major League Baseball, such as Mo Vaughn and Craig Biggio. He thoroughly enjoyed his free time officiating high school basketball and baseball games. He would ultimately spend 50 years of his life as the referee of one of the top New Jersey Football Officials Association crews. Here are just a few of the newspaper articles written about Harry over the years.
Harry would spend nearly 60 years as a season ticket holder, watching the New York Giants and Jets as far back as their origins at the Polo Grounds in Manhattan. He also attended nearly 30 Super Bowls around the country. A seasoned fisherman, Harry fished in waters off Long Beach Island and the Florida Keys. He had the opportunity to travel the world, and spent time on all of the continents, except Antarctica. He had a soft spot in his heart for children suffering from disease and strongly supported the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Harry was relaxing at his summer home on Long Beach Island when he suffered a fall and subsequently died, on August 26, 1912. He was 82 years old.
Bill and Anna's second child was Winfred "Winnie" Elizabeth Hatch in Orange, New Jersey on July 28, 1936. Although she and her brother Harry were born in Orange, they were living in Newark at the time. Perhaps they were born in a hospital in nearby Orange. Winnie was raised in Newark, graduated from West Side High School and was working at the Hummel Distributor commercial printing company when she met her future husband George Albrecht as attendants at a mutual friend's wedding. Winnie and George were married at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic church in Newark on October 11, 1958 and settled in Cliffwood Beach and raised a family.
George was born May 21. 1932 in Orange and raised in Laurence Harbor, New Jersey, but graduated from nearby Matawan High School. His parents were Robert Albrecht and Mabel Elliott. Laurence Harbor is right next door to Cliffwood Beach. George was employed by F. M. Rojek Building Contractors of Elizabeth and Lester's Barber Shop in Matawan.
As a kid, George looked like a giant to me. When I mentioned this to Winnie, she replied "Yes. But he's a sweet giant." George was a proud four-year veteran of the United States Navy. He and Winnie remained in Cliffwood Beach for 64 years. George served as a carpenter for the Old Bridge Township Board of Education, retiring in 1997. He was an avid fisherman, loved going to Atlantic City, play horseshoes, and above all spending time with his family. Winnie always had a pretty smile and very sweet disposition. Like George, she was strongly devoted to her family. They had two sons and a daughter: George Jr., Robert and Donna.
George and Winnie died within months of each other. She on January 29, 2022 at the age of 85, and George on December 10 of that same year. He was 90. He was buried with full military honors at Shoreland Memorial Gardens in Hazlet.
On November 24, 1938, Bill and Anna's third child, Donald J. Hatch was born. He married Janice M. Gaffga in August of 1962. Her parents were John E. Gaffga and Catherine M. Garvey. That is all I know about them.
In 1950, Bill and Anna were living at 174 Smith Street in Newark with their three children. Years later, Anna died there at the age of 58 on January 4, 1964. She was buried at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in East Hanover. The following year, Bill retired from Ford after working there for 45 years. He moved to Cliffwood Beach to live with daughter Winnie and her family. By this time you may be wondering how the Hatches and I are related. Actually, we aren't. But I was always told "they are family." One reason for this assumed connection is that they lived near my grandparents Jack and Margie Bogner in Cliffwood Beach. But the real connection may extend back to when they all lived in Newark near each other on Silver Street and Smith Street. In any case, I consider them close enough to be family.
Since they did live near my grandparents, we would often drive the barely 10 miles from our home in Middletown to Cliffwood Beach. We always knew when to turn off the highway when we came to the iconic Pirate Ship to go visit. Winnie lived closer to the beach on the same street as my grandparents whose house was right next to a small farm.
