Amanuensis Monday: Peter STROESSER’s (Harry’s dad’s) death certificate

It had been only three years since the death of their mother, and in 1893 the STROESSER children, Michel, Baltasar, Anna, Harry, Nicolas, and Clara, found themselves truly orphans. Their father, Peter, passed away on 11 June, only four days before his son Baltasar’s eighteenth birthday.

Their neighbor Johann PENSCH, who had also been in attendance on the report of their mother’s death, was kind enough to take care of the detail of reporting the death to the Burgermeister, accompanied by another neighbor, Johann SALENTINY.

This image has been trimmed from the original at FamilySearch.

Transcription (the italicized parts were handwritten on the record):

Im Jahre tausend acht hundert drei und neunzig den zwölften

des Monats Juni um fünf Uhr vor mittags sind vor Uns

Glesener Michel, Burgermeister, Beamten des Civilstandes

der Gemeinde Folscheid, im Kanton Redingen, Großherzog=

thum Luxemburg, erschienen Pensch Johann, Taglöhner,

alt vierzig acht Jahre, Nachber des Verstorbenen

wohnhaft zu Schwiedelbruch,

und Salentiny Johann, alt sechzig zwei Jahre,

Maurer wohnhaft zu Schwiedel=

bruch, Nachber des Verstorbenen.

Diese haben uns erklärt, daß Stroesser Peter,

alt f ünfzig sieben Jahre, Eisenhändler,

geboren zu Ettelbrück, wohnhaft zu Schwiedel=

bruch, Witterer der zu selbigem Schwiedelbruch

verstorbenen Thinnes Barbara

verschieden ist gestern um acht Uhr nach mittags,

zu Schwiedelbruch , im Hause Nr. -- Gasse,

und haben beide Anzeiger gegenwärtige Urkunde, nachdem sie ihnen vorgelesen worden, mit Uns

unterschrieben.

Line by line Translation:

In the Year one thousand eight hundred ninety-three, the twelfth

of the Month of June at five o’clock before noon before Us

Glesener Michel, Mayor Officials of the Civil State

of the Commune of Folschette, in the Canton Redange, Grand-

duchy of Luxembourg, appeared Pensch Johann, Day laborer,

aged forty eight Years, Neighbor of the Deceased

residing in Schwiedelbrouch,

and Salentiny Johann, aged sixty two Years,

Mason residing in Schwiedel-

brouch, Neighbor of the Deceased..

This has been declared to us, that Stroesser Peter,

aged fifty seven Years, Ironmonger,

born in Ettelbruck, residing in Schwiedel-

brouch, Widower of the selfsame Schwiedelbrouch

deceased Thinnes Barbara

deceased is yesterday at eight o’clock after noon,

in Schwiedelbrouch , in House No. -- Street

and have both Informants the present deed, having been read to them, with Us

signed.

It is not known at this time exactly how the children formed their residences upon the death of their father; whether they stayed together or split into separate households, or whether some of them became wards of their extended family. The elder children were old enough that they may have taken care of their younger siblings; Michel was nearly twenty, Baltasar eighteen. They would have needed the aid of an older advocate in legal matters, but for most practical purposes they may have been quite old enough. Even Anna, though probably not old enough to take full responsibility, at sixteen would have been able to do much.

Harry would have required more help at fourteen, as would thirteen-year-old Nicolas and eight-year-old Clara. I am inclined to believe that those youngest three, at least, remained together. In later years the records show that they emigrated to the United States around the same time, and even lived in the same town for a while. It is slim evidence, I admit, but it does seem to indicate a certain amount of closeness between the three. The other STROESSER child who emigrated, Michel (or Michael, as he was known by then), went to Canada, quite far from his siblings.

Source:

Folschette, Redange, Luxembourg, death certificate no. 11 (1893), Peter Stroesser; digital image #111 of 125, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, “Tables décennales 1891-1894,” FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org : accessed 19 Oct 2014). Note: This image set is actually death records, mismarked as Tables décennales.

Sunday’s Obituary: William Filby

I’m on a roll. Since I already posted one random obituary today, why not another? This one is perhaps a bit less random; it is that of William Filby himself, my great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Filby’s brother. Okay, it’s not random at all. I had to dig through my digital folders to figure out where the articles were. It’s one of my favorite family obituaries, not only for the genealogically helpful material included, but also for the little personal touches.

The obituary was actually printed twice, first in the Chelmsford Chronicle, then in the Essex Newsman, both identical except that the second omitted everything after “The funeral was at St. Mary's Church on Tuesday.” So I will transcribe only the first obituary.

The interior of St. Mary’s Church, where the funeral took place. I had hoped to find a shareable image of the Star Inn, where William lived and worked for many years, but had no luck. But if you would like to see the inn, check out this link.
By Maria (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

OLDEST RESIDENT.—With the passing of Mr. William Filby at his residence in Wantz Road, on Oct. 9, in his 95th year, Maldon has lost the oldest male inhabitant. He was well liked for his cheery personality. A week before his death he was out in the town. From 1885 to 1909 he was licencee of the Star. He leaves a son and three daughters, and there are 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. The funeral was at St. Mary's Church on Tuesday, the Rector, the Rev. A. D. Short, officiating. The mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. Frank Filby, son and daughter-in-law; Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Turner, Mr. and Mrs. Parry, Mrs. F. Halliday, sons-in-law and daughters; Mrs. Horace Keeble, granddaughter; Mrs. M. Smith, housekeeper. Also present were Mr. H. Freeman, Mr. J. Rogers, Mr. J. Green (Hearts of Oak Benefit Society), Mrs. C. Brady, Mrs. Moss, Mr. E. D. Roberts, etc.

The Essex Newsman also printed a brief notice of his death:

FILBY, William, in his 95th year, after a short illness, on 9th October, at his residence, Wantz Road, Maldon.

Sources:

“Deaths: Filby, William,” The Essex Newsman, 17 Oct 1942, p. 4, col. 5; digital images, British Newspaper Archives (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ : accessed 26 Dec 2012), Brightsolid in partnership with the British Library. 

“Maldon, Braintree & Witham: Oldest Resident,” The Chelmsford Chronicle, 16 Oct 1942, p. 11, col. 2; digital images, British Newspaper Archives (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ : accessed 26 Dec 2012), Brightsolid in partnership with the British Library.

“Maldon & Heybridge: Oldest Resident,” The Essex Newsman, 17 Oct 1942, p. 4, col. 4; digital images, British Newspaper Archives (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ : accessed 26 Dec 2012), Brightsolid in partnership with the British Library.

Sunday’s Obituary: Charles Francis Turner

Note: Further research has revealed that this Charles Francis Turner is not the same as the one who was a child of Richard Stebbens Turner and Lily Filby after all, and therefore is not related to me. However, this post may still be of interest to people who are actually related to him.

 

Although my very first blog post told a part of the story of this side of my family, it has been a while since I have again visited it. (My Luxembourg source project takes up most of my blog time lately.) And, although I would love to again present a well-researched narrative, that takes quite a while to prepare, and I am presently impatient. So I am taking advantage of the Sunday’s Obituary prompt at Geneabloggers to transcribe a more or less random obituary from the English branch of my family. I have also added a Descendancy Report for my 3great-grandfather John Filby, to clarify the relationship of the subject of the obituary to my family.

The subject of the obituary is Charles Francis Turner, a somewhat distant relation. In fact, he is my second cousin twice removed, being the grandson of my great-great-grandmother’s brother.

St. Mary the Virgin, the parish church at which the funeral took place.
Lynda Poulter [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

THEYDON BOIS

THE LATE MR. C. F. TURNER. -- The funeral took place at the Parish Church on Monday of Mr. Charles Francis Turner, who died at the residence of his son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. C. Rose, at Coppice Row, at the age of 65. He was very well known in the district, to which he came in 1902, starting a hairdressing business at Epping For four years he was licensee of the Wheatsheaf, Theydon Bois, and later the Carpenters’ Arms, Thornwood. for nine years. During the war he worked at a munition factory. He leaves a widow, one son, and one daughter. The funeral was conducted by the Rev. M. W. Smith, vicar of Chigwell. The immediate mourners were: Mrs. Turner, widow; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Turner, son and daughter-in-law; Mr. and Mrs. C. Rose, son-in-law and daughter; Miss Betty Rose, granddaughter; Mrs. W. Gloyn, sister; Mr. Ralph Turner, brother; Mrs. J. Luck, sister-in-law; Mr. S. Thake, brother-in-law; and Mr. and Mrs. R. West.

  Other Theydon Bois News on Page Five.

The parents of Charles Francis Turner, though not mentioned in his obituary, were Richard Stebbens Turner and Lily Filby. Lily Filby was, in turn, a daughter of William Filby, my great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Filby’s brother. [Note: these parental relations are in error, as noted above.]

Source:

“Theydon Bois,” The Chelmsford Chronicle, 19 July 1935, p. 12, col. 2; digital images, British Newspaper Archive (http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ : accessed 2 Jan 2014).