Thursday's Tithe ~ Boston Massachusetts

Boston Evening Transcript

~ May 20, 1907 ~

Police Lieutenant John B. Rosatto

Lieutenant John B. Rosatto, the man who demoralized La Mafia in Boston, died Saturday at his summer home in Billerica. While traveling through Italy with Chief Watts, the lieutenant was marked by La Mafia for death because of his uprooting of the branch of the society in Boston, and before he and Chief Watts got through with them two were under arrest in Rome.

Born in Boston, Jan. 15, 1858, of Italian parents, John B. Rosatto grew to be a thorough American citizen. He was educated in the schools of the North End and was an apt student. On Aug. 12, 1887, he was appointed a reserve officer, and on June 9, 1888, he was made a permenent patrolman. His devotion to his work was so complete and his success so marked that his rise was rapid, for on Aug. 10, 1893, he was made a sergeant, and on Oct. 23, 1894, he was made a lieutenant. He always served the department at the North End station, where his services were so valuable because of the growth of the Italian colony.

This obituary was located during one of my RAOGK volunteer lookup days. More information about the newspapers I search is on my family history web site. A memorial has been created for John B. Rosatto and can be found on Find A Grave. I hope you'll take a moment to leave flowers for him there.

Thursday's Tithe ~ Chicago Daily News

Some of the newspapers our ancestors' read announced deaths in a more abbreviated fashion than we see today. These obituaries, however brief, often contain clues for family history research. The following notices appeared (exactly as typed here) in the Chicago Daily News May 13, 1886;

"ANDREWS-At 1010 Harrison-st, May 10, NELLIE W. ANDREWS, aged 31 years.

HUGHES-At the residence of his parents, 444 W. Adams-st., May 12, 8 p.m., BEN O., dearly beloved son of William T. and Annie E. Hughes. Notice of funeral hereafter.

HOGLUND-At her residence, 64 Cornell-st., Tuesday, May 11, TOBENA C., beloved wife of John H. Hoglund, nee Nelson. Funeral from late residence Friday, 1:30 p.m., by carriages to Rose Hill.

HETLAND-At 587 N. Robey-st., May 10, JOSEPHINA HETLAND, aged 18 years and 7 months.

KELTZ-May 11, JAMES KELTZ, aged 24 years and 8 months.

KELLIGHER-At 80 N. Superior-st., May 11, DENNIS KILLIGHER, aged 32 years and 4 months.

KINDELIN-At his residence, 749 W. 23d-st., May 12, 1886, PETER KINDELIN, aged 62 years 3 months and 10 days. Notice of funeral hereafter.

KNAPP-At 2954 Arch-st., May 9, FREDERICK KNAPP, aged 45 years.

LINDEMANN-May 11, 8:35 p.m., HENRY FREDERICK, son of Henry and Doretha Lindemann. Funeral Friday, 11 o'clock a.m. sharp, from residence of parents, corner of Elm-st. and Sedgwick court, from there to C., R. I. & R. R. R. Depot, thence at 12:15 to Blue Island Cemetery.

M'LAUGHLIN-At 6 Grand-av., May 11, BERNARD M'LAUGHLIN, aged 21 years.

MUSSER-At Alexian Brothers' Hospital, May 10, NICLAUS MUSSER, aged 38 years.

NEUROTH-At 2821 Dashel-st., May 11, ELIZABETH NEUROTH, aged 37 years and 11 months.

O'LAUGHLIN-May 11, ANDREW O'LAUGHLIN. Funeral from his late residence, 662 W. 20th-st., Thursday, May 13, at 9:30 a.m., to St. Pius's Church, thence to Calvary by Milwaukee & St. Paul cars.

OLDERSHAW-At his residence in Riverside, Ill., on the 12th inst., PERCIVAL P. OLDERSHAW, in the 57th year of his age. Notice of funeral hereafter.

REES-In this city, May 12, CLARISSA J. RICE, beloved wife of Joseph H. Rees, aged 28 years. Funeral from 542 Austin-av., at 3:30 p.m. to-day (Thursday). Interment at St. Lawrence, N.Y.

RICKIE-At 128 25th-st., May 11, ETHEL RICKIE, aged 7 years.

RICHTER-At 572 Larrabee-st., May 10, ETHEL RICHTER, aged 25 years and 7 months.

SHEHAN-AGNES, daughter of Michael and the late Mary Ann Lucy Shehan. Funeral notice hereafter. Gone to meet her mother.

THOMAS-At 2522 S. Dearborn-st., May 10, ROBERT THOMAS, aged 38 years.

SILK-ELIZABETH SILK, aged 51 years and 9 months. Funeral Friday, May 14, at 10 o'clock, from her late residence, 2605 Cologne-st., by carriages to Waldheim.

TOBEY-At Southern Hotel, May 9, MARION E. TOBEY, aged 70 years.

WOOD-At 569 W. Adams-st., May 10, SOPHIA B. WOOD, aged 74 years and 4 months."

These obituaries were located during one of my RAOGK volunteer lookup days. More information about the newspapers I search is on my family history web site.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Hester Ann (Leffel) Clarke

Hester was born 30 Nov 1863 in Springfield, Clark County, Ohio to Reuben W. and Rachel J. (McClelland) Leffel.

She married Norman A. Clarke 23 Nov 1887 in her hometown of Springfield. The couple moved to Dayton where Norman worked as a foreman, first in a manufactoring shop, then in a sewing machine factory. Hester cared for their home.

Hester did not have any children. She died at the age of 48.

From the Monday April 1, 1912 issue of The Springfield (Ohio) Daily News page 9, "CLARK - The body of Mrs. N. Clark, who died in Dayton, and who was a sister of Mrs. C. L. Reese, will arrive here at 8:17 o'clock Monday night over the Big Four and will be taken to the residence of Mr. Reese, 1840 South Limestone street. The funeral will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. from the Reese home and burial will be at Fernclliff cemetery."

This headstone photo was a gift from a fellow contributor at Find A Grave. It took two trips to the cemetery to locate the marker because it was covered with snow. The volunteer said because the headstone is lime, the letters and numbers are already wearing away.

I very much appreciate the photograph and knowing where Hester was laid to rest. But I can't help thinking this is such a dismal looking memorial to a woman's life.

Thursday's Tithe ~ Baltimore Maryland

Baltimore Sun

~ May 6, 1905 ~

W. Irving Lindsay

The funeral of Mr. W. Irving Lindsay, who died last Tuesday evening, took place from his late home, 1706 McCulloh street, yesterday morning.

Rev. Duane Wevill, of the Reformed Episopal Church of the Redeemer, officiated. The interment was in Loudon Park Cemetery. The funeral was attended by representatives from Baltimore Tent, No. 1, Knights of the Maccabees, and Arundel Council, No. 155, Junior Order United American Mechanics.

The pallbearers were Messrs. William A. Tottle, James W. Ramsay, James W. Hilbert, Emmanuel Holtz, John A. Lidie and H. A. Doughty. George W. Little had charge of the arrangements.


This obituary was located during one of my RAOGK volunteer lookup days. More information about the newspapers I search is on my family history web site. A memorial has been created for Mr. Lindsay and can be found on Find A Grave. I hope you'll take a moment to leave flowers for him there.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Mary F Thompson

Mary F. Thompson was born Maria Fredrika Petersdotter November 22, 1864 in Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden.

At sixteen, Mary traveled alone to America. According to family stories, she worked as a domestic on Nob Hill in San Francisco for a time. Somehow Mary ended up in Chicago where she married Norwegian-born Peter Thompson in January of 1883.

Mary and and her husband had two sons and two daughters. At the height of the Great Depression, Peter traveled to Norway to help during a family emergency. He contracted pnemonia on the return trip and died before reaching Chicago.

After losing her husband, Mary was swindled out of money she deposited on an apartment building. She moved to Wisconsin and farmed with her son for a few years until he had an accident that prevented him from farming successfully. Mary returned to Illinois and lived her last years with a grandson and his wife in suburban Chicago.