A Tale of Two Families

German Roots

Our roots on my father’s side of the family find their origin in the lands of western-northwestern Germany that formerly were part of Prussia. We are the descendants of a young man who came to America at the onset of the immigration wave that engulfed America from the 1800’s through the mid 1900’s. Acknowledging the place and times from which he came is a necessary tribute to the “father” of the Obertubbesing family in America.

History of Prussia

The lands of modern day western Germany from which our ancestors came was part of the former Prussian territory and Prussian Kingdom. Prussia was an independent state from the 17^th century until 1871, and was the largest territorial unit of Germany from 1871 until 1945. While Prussian lands over history encompassed large portions of what is now modern day Poland, Russia and the Baltics, most German speaking Prussians through the years came to view themselves to be part of the German nation.

Prussia began its existence as a small territory in what is now northern Poland and the Kalingrad region of Russia. By the time of its abolition it stretched across the North German Plain from the French, Belgian and Dutch borders on the west to the Lithuanian border and to territories that are now in eastern Poland. For a period of time between 1795 and 1807 Prussia also controlled most of central Poland, including Warsaw.

Before its dissolution Prussia included, in addition to the regions of West Prussia and East Prussia that now lie in Poland and Russia, the regions of Pomerania, Silesia, Brandenburg, Lusatia, Province of Saxony (now the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany), Hanover, Schleswig-Holstein, Westphalia, parts of Hesse and the Rhineland.

As a predominantly northern and eastern German state, Prussia had a largely protestant majority, although there were substantial numbers of Catholics in the Rhineland, and a number of districts in Psen, Silesia, West Prussia, and the Warmia and Masuria regions of East Prussia had populations of mainly Catholic Poles.

In 1701, with the permission of the Holy Roman Emperor and the Polish King, Brandenburg-Prussia became the Kingdom of Prussia under the rule of Frederick I. Under Frederick II (Frederick the Great), Prussia later seized the province of Silesia from Austria, and following the Seven Years War that ended in 1763, Prussia was left as the dominant state of eastern Europe. During this period the great Prussian military and efficient state bureaucracy were founded, which served as the foundation of the German state until 1845, and of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) following World War II.

Frederick William II led Prussia into war with revolutionary France in 1792 but was defeated and had to cede his western territories to France. Frederick William III resumed the war but was also defeated, causing Prussia to cede even more territory to France in the Treaty of Tilsit. In 1813 Prussia renounced the Treaty of Tilsit and went to war yet again, this time against Napoleonic France. In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna Prussia recovered the lands previously lost to France, and also obtained all of the Rhineland, Westphalia and some other territories.

Prussia emerged from the Napoleonic Wars as the dominant power in Germany. The first half of the 19^th century then saw a long struggle in Germany between the forces of liberalism, which wanted a united Germany with a democratic constitution, and the forces of conservatism which wanted to keep Germany as a collection of weak independent states under the influence of Prussia and Austria. In 1848 the liberals had their chance when revolutions broke out throughout Europe. Frederick William IV responded by agreeing to a National Assembly and Prussia obtained a semi-democratic constitution, but the wealthier landowner classes retained their power over non land owners.

Westphalia

The Westphalia region of Germany is formed by the lands between the cities of Dortmucnd, Gelenkirchen, Münster, Bielefeld and Osnabrück, and is included in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. It is bordered by the Rhine and Weser rivers and is north of the Ruhr River. Westphalia was originally part of the Duchy of Saxony until it became a Duchy itself in 1180. Later, the Kingdom of Westphalia was founded by Napoleon and existed between 1807 and 1813.

After 1813 Westphalia became a province of Prussia. The northernmost portions of the former Westphalia, including the city of Osnabrück, had previously become part of the states of Hanover and Oldenburg. Today the state of North Rhine-Westphalia is comprised of the former Prussian province of Westphalia, the northern portion of the former Prussian Rhine province, and the former state of Lippe.

The modern day North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populated of Germany’s 16 states, with over 18 Million people. Located in western-northwestern Germany, it is best known for its industrial areas, but in fact the largest part of the state is forests and fields. Its capital city is Düsseldorf. It was established as a state after World War II in 1947 by the British military administration.

Within North Rhine-Westphalia is the city of Bielefeld with a present population of 330,000. The city was founded in 1214 by Count Hermann IV von Ravensberg. In the 15^th century it was a member of the Hanseatic League. Later it began to trade in linen and became famous as “the town of linen”.

In the city of Bielefeld is the castle Sparrenburg, built between 1240 and 1250 by Count Ludwig von Ravensberg, and the Altstädter Nicolaikirche, which is the oldest church of Bielefeld, built in 1340.

Bielefeld was considered a significant train traffic point between Ruhrgebiet and Berlin in World War II, and was bombed by the British towards the end of the War using the ten ton Grand Slam bomb, the largest conventional bomb used in World War II.

19^th Century German Immigration to America

German immigration to America initially began in the early 1800’s following the end of the Holy Roman Empire in Germany in 1806 and the take-over by a German Federation in 1815. The immigrants came from a wide geographic area and for a variety of reasons. They represented a highly diverse group in terms of religious origin, political orientation, education and socio-economic standing.

Although conditions in 19^thCentury Germany were not as bad as other countries, such as Ireland, there were nonetheless a number of “push” factors that led to widespread German emigration to the United States in the 1800’s. These factors included things such as crop failures, inheritance laws, high rents, high prices and the effects of the industrial revolution that all contributed to widespread poverty and suffering. Information about American business cycles, wages and food prices were widely publicized in Germany, and relatives who had already immigrated to America would often write to their families back in Germany and encourage them to do so as well. The result was often “chain migrations” and group settlements.

Even fairly wealthy farmers saw a bleak future, poor ones saw no future, and the German authorities actually paid some paupers to leave Germany. As opposed to earlier American settlers who were motivated by political and religious freedoms, many Germans were more likely to be motivated to leave Germany because of economics and the threat of forced Prussian military service. Following the failed democratic revolution of the 1840’s, many liberals and democrats left Germany, considering themselves more to be asylum seekers than immigrants.

In southwestern Germany the inheritance laws played a major role. It was common that parental possessions were divided amongst all children in equal shares. The result over the years was that once large family farm estates had been divided up into much smaller and non-profitable lands.

In northwestern Germany, where the Obertubbesing family finds its roots, the inheritance laws were different. There, the first-born generally enjoyed inheritance priority, but that would lead to younger children receiving less from their parents and looking to emigrate to improve their situation. In Westphalia and Osnabrück the introduction of lower priced English cloth goods devastated the textile industry, resulting in many Germans leaving those areas in the 1840’s.

Religiously motivated groups had typically left Europe in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, but some later emigration of the religious did occur. For example, in 1839 a large number of Old Lutherans left Germany to evade the forced unification of the Lutheran and Reformed churches in Prussia. Large numbers of Catholics left Germany following the 1870’s power struggle between the Prussian state and the Catholic Church. Jews fled from social discrimination in southern and eastern Germany. Chronologically, the next waves of German emigration to America occurred in the 1880’s when Social Democrats left in response to Bismarck’s Anti-Socialist Law; in the 1910’s and 1920’s during World War I when Germany began mandatory military service; and in the 1930’s and 1940’s when groups marked for annihilation by Hitler and the Nazis, most particularly Jews, Social Democrats (Communists) and Slavic Europeans were threatened with mass murder and genocide.

Germans were the largest group of immigrants arriving in the United States in all but three of the 40 years between 1854 and 1894. By the end of the 19^th century more than 5 million German immigrants had come to America, with 2 million more to arrive in the 20^th century.

The German immigrants differed from others in that they were usually educated and had marketable skills in crafts. More than half of the bakers and cabinets makers in America were German or of German origin, and many worked as well in the construction business. Educated Germans played important roles in the creation of trade unions and were often politically active.

The constant flow of German immigrants entering the United States through New York City, first in Castle Garden and later Ellis Island, resulted in a large and densely populated German neighborhood in Manhattan called Little Germany, or Kleindeutschland, located near Tompkins Square in the Lower East Side. Disaster struck the Little Germany community in 1904 when a ship chartered for the Evangelical Lutheran Church picnic caught fire and sank in the East River, killing 1,021 of the 1,300 passengers on board. Many of those killed were members of the most established German families in New York City and the social foundation of Little Germany. Little Germany never recovered from the losses sustained in the tragedy, and many German families became dispersed throughout New York City after 1904.

According to the 2000 United States Census, today more than 47 million Americans are of German ancestry. German was the highest reported ancestry in 23 states, and was in the top five in 48 of the 50 states[1].

During the lengthy period of German immigration, nearly one million Germans arrived in America during the 1850’s. That decade represented the peak period of German immigration to the United States, and was the decade during which John Henry (Johann Heinrich) Obertubbesing came to America.

Chapter 2

The Obertubbesing Family

Origin of Obertubbesing Name

Research performed by my older brother, George Obertubbesing uncovered a great deal of information regarding the Obertubbesing family and its roots in Germany. One of his most significant finds was learning of the existence of a man named Bruno Tubbesing.

Bruno was an amateur genealogist in Germany and a distant relative of the United States Obertubbesings. He authored a book entitled “A Farm History of the Tubbesings from the Uphaus”, and also published a quarterly newsletter named Familienverband Die Tubbesing aus Ravensberg (Family Association of The Tubbesings from Ravensberg). Bruno performed extensive research tracing the Tubbesing, Obertubbesing and Neidertubbesing families back to the year 1334. He died in approximately 1999.

It was learned through Bruno Tubbesing that the original farm at which the Obertubbesing family lived was and still is located on a small hill in Rotingdorf. Being on top of the hill, the farm was referred to as the “Uphaus”, meaning the house on the top. In early days it was common for a German family to take as a surname the name of the farm on which they resided. One of the original farm owners was Diederich To Uphaus, who was commonly known as Tubsing. The ing suffix was affixed to surnames to note a descendant. The farm was divided by a road in about 1450 into a lower (Neider) and a higher (Ober) portion of the lands. The families then came to be known as the Neidertubsing and Obertubsing, at some point changed to Neidertubbesing and Obertubbesing.

Bloodlines

The original Obertubbesing family dates back to about 1334, but research done by Bruno Tubbesing found that in fact the last individual of the Obertubbesing bloodline lived in the 18^th century. Johann Heinrich Obertubbesing was born in 1719 and married a woman named Anna Marie Kronsbein. Before Johann Heinrich could father any children with Anna Marie, he died in 1745. As was custom, Anna Marie remained on the Obertubbesing family farm and she later remarried a man named Johann Herman Greven. The couple remained on the farm, and as was also tradition, the children born of their marriage took the farm name of Obertubbesing. Johann Herman and Anna Marie had eleven children, one of who was named Johann Hermann Obertubbesing, born in 1757.

Johann Hermann married Catharina Maria Ilsabein Horman and they had ten children of their own. One of their daughters, Catharina Ilsabein Obertubbesing, bore a son of out wedlock with Johann Heinrich Voßeck. That son was named Johann Heinrich Obertubbesing, born January 11, 1838. He was the first and apparently only Obertubbesing to immigrate to the United States.

As the above discussion shows, the Obertubbesing individuals in America, who all are descendants of Johann Heinrich Obertubbesing, are actually bloodline descendants of Johann Heinrich Voßeck and, before that, Johann Herman Greven.

The Father of the American Obertubbesing Family

~ John Henry Obertubbesing, b. 1838, d. 1905

John Henry Obertubbesing was born the illegitimate son of Catharina Ilsabein Obertubbesing and Johann Heinrich Voßeck on January 11, 1838 in the Westfalen region of Germany, at the time part of Prussia. He lived at a farmhouse located at Rotingdorf 9 in the village of Werther. His given name was Johann Heinrich Obertubbesing[2].

Little is known about John Henry’s younger years in Germany, but we can assume that just as did his fellow countrymen at that time, he attended school and worked on the family farm through his teenage years. We do know, however, that in 1856 at age 18 he boarded a ship in the Old Harbor of Bremerhaven, Germany (Staatsarchiv Bremen) and set sail for America, where he later arrived at Fells Point in Baltimore, Maryland in December 1856.

The Baltimore Passenger Lists[3] record that Henry Obertubesink, an 18 year old farmer of Prussian origin, arrived in Baltimore in December 1856. His destination was St. Louis. He apparently made the journey alone as the Passenger List shows no other person with the same surname as him. America’s first commercial steam railway, the Baltimore & Ohio, had begun operation in 1828, opening a passage to western United States. John Henry presumably rode that locomotive to his final destination.

Between 1850 and 1920, almost one-third of German immigrants and their families lived in the Mid-Atlantic States, including New York, but an even larger number lived in the Mid-West, particularly in a quadrangle made up of Ohio, Missouri, Michigan, North Dakota and Nebraska. Why John Henry chose to travel to St. Louis rather than remain in the Mid-Atlantic region is not known. The reason may be as simple as the fact that the majority of immigrants from Germany made America’s Mid-West their final destination and John Henry chose to travel to a region with a large number of other Germans.

The article reprinted below describes and details the immigration and maritime history of Fells Point in Baltimore.

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Point of Entry: Baltimore, the Other Ellis Island

By William Connery

Ellis Island in New York harbor is well known as the main entry point for European immigrants in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. What many do not know is that Baltimore was the second-leading port of entry at that time. The establishment of the nation's first commercial steam railway, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, in 1828 opened the way to the West. As the westernmost major port on the East Coast, Baltimore was a popular destination.

Irish and German settlers were the first to use Baltimore as a point of entry. Their tide increased after the Irish potato famine of the mid-1840s and the German political uprisings of 1848. The number became so great that after 1850, immigrants were no longer brought directly to Fell's Point, Baltimore's first port. Instead, they were unloaded at Locust Point, next to Fort McHenry. Between 1790 and 1860, Baltimore's population soared from 13,503 to 212,418. Word spread that, for those who worked hard, there were jobs to be had with the railroad and businesses in the city.

Soon, shipping links were established with Liverpool and Bremen. The situation for immigrants became even easier in 1867, when the B&O signed an agreement with the North German Lloyd Steamship Line, allowing passengers to purchase a single ticket that would carry them across the Atlantic and then west by train. The first steamer, the Baltimore, arrived in 1868, carrying passengers and German manufactured goods. It returned to Europe with Maryland tobacco and lumber.

Immigrants waiting to board trains at the

Baltimore & Ohio Pier at Fell’s Point, Baltimore

In 1869, several steamship companies signed a contract with a Mrs. Koether to run a large boardinghouse at the pier where immigrants debarked. For each one she fed and housed, she received 75 cents a day. Over the next fifty years, Koether received as many as forty thousand per year at her boardinghouse.

Entry into the city was fairly easy. Doctors and immigration officials boarded the ships as they steamed up the Chesapeake Bay. In New York, people had to land at Castle Garden and Ellis Island to be checked. The B&O had constructed two large buildings at Locust Point that served as terminals for both the steamship lines and the railroad.

Many who did not take the trains rode ferries across the harbor to Fell's Point. The early German and Irish immigrants improved their means there and then moved to other parts of the city. Increasingly after 1880, Italians came and settled to the west of the Point, while Poles settled to the east.

By 1913, when Baltimore immigration was averaging forty thousand per year, the federal government had built an immigration center at Locust Point. But just as the center was being completed, World War I closed off the flow of immigrants, so the building became a military hospital. After the war there were not enough new arrivals to justify reopening the center.

In the 1920s, the building was transferred to the Treasury Department and used by Prohibition agents as a depot for confiscated liquor bound for Baltimore. Many a bottle and keg found its final resting place against the rear brick wall. In 1943 the building was transferred to the U.S. Navy. A naval radio operations unit served there during World War II, and in 1947 it became a Naval Reserve Center, which it remains today under Cmdr. John Turonis.

By 1970, Baltimore's heyday as an immigration center was a distant memory. In fact, part of Fell's Point was nearly torn down to make room for a highway. A group of local citizens, led by future Sen. Barbara Mikulski, helped save the area. Since the bicentennial celebrations of 1976, more people have become aware of the need to preserve the Point.

Fell's Point is the oldest section of Baltimore and one of the country's oldest ports. The English settlement of this area began in 1726. Baltimore Town was established in 1729, as a separate entity to the west. In 1730 an English Quaker, William Fell, bought land on a marshy hook that jutted into the Patapsco River. He called his tract of land "Fell's Prospect," sensing the Point's possibilities for shipping and shipbuilding. The river offered a deepwater anchorage, which enabled seagoing vessels to send smaller boats back and forth from shore with cargo. Within a few years, ships would anchor off Fell's Point.

In 1763, William's son, Edward Fell, laid out streets and lots. Edward's wife, Ann Bond Fell, sold parcels of land to newcomers eager to take advantage of the economic boom fomented by the American Revolution and its aftermath. In 1773, after a generation of political independence, Fell's Point was annexed by Baltimore Town. In 1797, Fell's Point was incorporated as Baltimore City, along with Jonestown to the west and Baltimore Town, situated around the inner basin.

The Point served as the port of Baltimore for over a hundred years, since the inner harbor was too shallow for oceangoing vessels. In 1797, the Navy launched its first frigate, USS Constellation, from the Point, beating out Boston's USS Constitution. Fell's Point reached its zenith between 1800 and 1860, when its many shipyards (there were eighteen at one time) turned out hundreds of sailing vessels of many kinds. The most famous were topsail schooners--sharp, two-masted vessels that carried lots of sail but little cargo space--popularly called Baltimore clippers. These greyhounds of the sea could outrun and outmaneuver the lumbering warships that dominated the seas.

Dozens of schooners designed and based in Fell's Point, like Chasseur and Comet, operated as privateers during the War of 1812. They broke the English blockade of American ports and made a number of Baltimoreans very rich. After burning Washington in August 1813, Britain turned its army and navy toward Baltimore to eradicate that "nest of pirates." The result was the British defeat at Fort McHenry and Francis Scott Key's anthem, "the Star-Spangled Banner."

By the 1860s, Fell's Point was no longer the center of maritime commerce, as port facilities had moved to Locust Point and farther downstream to deeper waters and larger facilities. The Point remained a "sailortown," however, with bars, brothels, boardinghouses, and churches catering to the seaman ashore.

Today, Fell's Point serves as a center of nightlife for Baltimore. Many bars, pubs, and restaurants line the cobblestone streets. Much of the popular television police drama Homicide: Life on the Streets, is filmed at the Point. The City Recreation Pier has been refurbished to serve as the TV location for the Baltimore Police Department.

Fell’s Point today

Civil War Service

In addition to the Baltimore Passenger Lists that show John Henry’s destination to be St. Louis, further evidence of the fact that John Henry initially traveled to the Mid-West is that on August 16, 1860 he enlisted in the United States Army and he was mustered in St. Louis. It is doubtful that he would have been assigned to a St. Louis based part of the Army had he not already been living in the region at the time of his enlistment, so we assume that in fact after his arrival by ship in Baltimore he took the long locomotive ride to St. Louis. Nothing is known, however, about what John Henry may have done in St. Louis between his arrival in December 1856 and his Army enlistment in August 1860.

John Henry joined the 2^nd U.S. Infantry Regiment and was assigned to Company B at Jefferson Barracks. He enlisted for a five year commitment. The Army enlistment records describe John Henry as five feet six and three-quarters inches tall with blue eyes, light hair and affair complexion. His army occupation was listed as “teamster”, which at that time generally referred to someone who was a driver.

America at that time was a nation headed for crisis. The United States had been divided for most of the 1850’s on the issue of slavery, with northern abolitionists pushing for an end to slavery, and northerners and southerners fighting over each new state added to the union and whether slavery should be permitted or not in those states and the western territories.

The Presidential election would take place just three months after John Henry joined the Army. The nominations of the predominant political parties, the Republicans and Democrats, had been contentious proceedings. The ultimate Republican nominee was Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, and the party platform clearly stated that slavery should not be allowed to spread any farther. The Democratic Party nominee was Stephen Douglas of Illinois, but southern Democrats had walked away from the nomination process and selected their own candidate, John Cabell Breckenridge from Kentucky, a pro-slavery candidate. A third party, the Constitutional Union Party, unsatisfied with both Republicans and Democrats, ran a fourth candidate, John Bell of Tennessee.

In the end, the 1860 election demonstrated extreme sectionalism. Lincoln was not even on the ballot in nine southern states, and he won only 2 of the 996 counties in the entire South. However, the four candidate field resulted in a significant split of the vote, with 39.8% of the popular vote for Lincoln (180 electoral votes), 29.5% for Stephen Douglas (12 electoral votes), 18.1% for John Cabell Breckenridge (72 electoral votes) and 12.6% for John Bell (39 electoral votes). The result was the election to the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln’s election made South Carolina’s secession from the United States a reality. The state had long been looking for a reason to secede and unite the southern states against the anti-slavery forces of the north. Upon confirming that the election results were final, South Carolina declared on December 24, 1860 “that the Union now subsisting between South Carolina and other states under the name of ‘The united States of America’ is hereby dissolved”[4]. Other southern states soon followed (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) and The Confederate States of America were formed on February 9, 1861 with Jefferson Davis as President. Later, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee joined the Confederacy in the spring and summer of 1861[5].

On April 12, 1861 Civil War hostilities began when Confederate troops fired upon Northern troops stationed at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina. Those shots began a civil war that would ultimately kill over 600,000 Americans in battle and more than 1 million from disease. It would not end until the Confederates, with Robert E. Lee as its military leader, finally surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865. Five days later, April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth.

John Henry Obertubbesing served in the United States Army for the duration of the Civil War. When war broke out, he was assigned to the Army of the Potomac to serve under General George McClellan. The first battle action he saw was during the summer of 1861 in Booneville, Missouri, followed by battles in Dry Springs, Missouri, and the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. John Henry’s regiment was sent to Washington, D.C. in December 1861 and he remained there until March 1862, when he was moved to southern Virginia at Fortress Monroe.

In June 1862 John Henry was involved in his first major Civil War battle. The Battle of Gaines Mills was part of the Seven Days Battles, and the Union was defeated by the Confederacy, losing a large number of men, with the remaining Union forces, including John Henry, retreating north across the Chickahominy River. The victory at Gaines Mills saved Richmond for the Confederacy.

In August 1862 John Henry took part in the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia. It was during this bloody battle, in which the Union suffered 16,000 casualties and the South 9,200, that John Henry was wounded for the first time. Herman Tressin, a fellow Union soldier who witnessed John Henry’s wounds, stated in a letter in support of John Henry’s 1886 Civil War Pension application,

“I must say, that I seen John get wounded while in the act of helping a comrade who was shot in the Battle of 2^nd Bull Run, Virginia. When John was hit in the wrist from which I see the blood fly in his face, I ran to him. But he got away to camp hospital without aid, from where he went to Washington, for the surgeons were going to cut his hand off”.

After leaving the field hospital in Centerville, Virginia, John Henry went to Trinity Hospital in Washington where he was treated and then transferred to a naval hospital in Annapolis, Maryland for another 11 weeks. When he was finally discharged from the hospital he returned to southern Virginia, only to learn that his old company had been eliminated due to heavy battle losses. He was reassigned to Company G, with which he spent the winter of 1862-63.

In June 1863 his regiment was involved in two major battles as part of the Chancellorville Campaign, the battles of Fredericksburg and Salem Heights. In late June his regiment made the long march to Gettysburg, arriving on July 2, 1863, the second day of the famous battle. While his regiment was put into place on the right side of the Army’ 5^th Corp, they held in readiness and never became involved in the battle.

In August and September 1863 John Henry’s regiment went to New York City to help control the Draft Riots[6] From there they returned to Virginia to take part in the Mine Run Campaign[7], although fortunately for John Henry he saw no direct involvement in those battles.

John Henry was not as lucky the following summer. From June 1^st to June 3^rd, 1864, the Battle of Cold Harbor, Virginia took place, which came to be one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. It was the final major engagement of General Grant’s Overland Campaign of 1864, involving General Meade’s 40,000 strong Army fighting against General Lee’s 35,000 troops. During the first 15 minutes of battle nearly 7,000 Union soldiers were killed with many others captured. The battle lives in infamy as one of history's most lopsided battles. Before the assault, the Union soldiers had been in no doubt as to what they were up against. Many were seen writing their names on papers that they pinned inside their uniforms, so their bodies could be identified. One blood-spattered diary from a Union soldier found after the battle included a final entry: "June 3, 1864. Cold Harbor. I was killed." Grant said of the battle in his memoirs "I have always regretted that the last assault at Cold Harbor was ever made. I might say the same thing of the assault of the 22d of May, 1863, at Vicksburg. At Cold Harbor no advantage whatever was gained to compensate for the heavy loss we sustained."

One of the Union soldiers captured in the battle was John Henry Obertubbesing. John Henry was taken prisoner on June 2, 1864 at Gaines Mills. He was taken to Libby Prison in Richmond for temporary holding. He had been shot during the battle and was suffering from buckshot wounds in his left leg. On June 8, 1864 he was transferred from Libby Prison to the notorious Andersonville Prison in Andersonville, Georgia. For the remainder of the Civil War John Henry remained imprisoned at Andersonville.

That John Henry survived his imprisonment is nothing short of a miracle. Located in the village of Andersonville, Sumpter County, Georgia, Andersonville Prison became notorious for its overcrowding, starvation, disease, and cruelty. It was in operation from February 1864 to April 1865. The prison consisted of 27 acres and was enclosed with walls made of pine logs, which stood 15-20 feet high. The "stockade" held a hospital but no barracks were ever constructed for the prisoners, who were left to live in tents. Originally intended to hold 10,000 men, Andersonville at one time held over 33,000 men. According to records, a total of 49,485 prisoners went through the gates of Andersonville Prison. Prisoners suffered from hunger, disease, medical shortages, and exposure. The death rate at Andersonville was the highest of all Civil War prisons. A staggering 13,700 men died within thirteen months.

On April 1, 1865, as the Civil War was mercifully coming to an end, John Henry was released from Andersonville Prison as part of a prisoner exchange. The records of the prison reflect that John H. Obertubbersing, a Private in Company B, Regiment 2 of the United States Infantry, “survived Andersonville” and was “exchanged April 1, 1865”.[8]

Following his release, John Henry was moved to Newport Barracks in Kentucky, across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, where he remained until he was discharged from the Army on August 15, 1865. He had served in the United States Army for five years, fought in several of the bloodiest battles of the war, was shot and wounded twice, held prisoner in the worst of conditions, was 27 years old, and was finally ready to begin the life he had traveled to America to live.

19^th Century New York City

After his Army discharge in 1865 John Henry settled in New York City. Why he chose after the War to settle in New York City, when he had originally settled in St. Louis when he came to America, is not known. New York at that time was America’s largest city with a population of about 900,000[9]. It was also a city growing faster than its infrastructure could keep up.

For the nation, the 1860s marked a period of reconstruction following the end of the Civil War in 1865. Although industry was established well before the Civil War-indeed, the nation had been creating a manufacturing economy since the beginning of the century - the 1860s, in some sense, marked the beginning of profound change in the nation. Improvements in steel making transformed the metal industry in the US, making possible the mass production of steel needed for railroads and skyscrapers. The first transcontinental rail was completed by the decade's end, in 1869, and over the course of the decade the miles of railroad track laid increased from 30,000 to 52,000. In New York City, the first elevated train was operational in 1868 and Alfred Beach was experimenting on the first underground pneumatic tube in 1870. New York City also helped to open the skyscraper era, with construction on the Equitable Building, which was begun in 1868 and finished in 1870.

The end of the Civil War saw the beginning of the first great wave of immigration, both from the nation's rural to suburban areas and from abroad. Immigrants from abroad were drawn primarily from England, Ireland, and the northern European nations. By the 1860s, New York City emerged as the nation's foremost center of trade, industry, finance and communication. Along with these changes came a profound reorganization in work, neighborhood, housing, family, and transportation. Homes, work sites and offices, once clustered around the ports and commercial sites of lower Manhattan and Brooklyn's shoreline, spread to outlying areas of Long Island and Westchester.

New York's housing problems could be traced as far back as the eighteenth century. New buildings erected to alleviate the problems were strictly limited to the small space provided by an ordinary City lot, 25 feet wide by 100 feet deep. To counteract the limited space available, property owners began constructing double tenements on the same plot of land. These notorious "rear house" tenements, built alongside regular tenements with as little as 40 inches of space separating them, would become infamous over the following years as contributing greatly to the high mortality rate in the City due to their exceptionally poor conditions. Residents, who could not afford to live in the more expensive front house tenements, generally settled for the cheaper rear house units, where rooms were smaller and ventilation and sanitation worse.

Following a report by the Council of Hygiene of the Citizen's Association in 1867-when Manhattan contained some 15,000 tenement houses-the first tenement house law was passed. The law required that every tenement house should be provided with a "window or ventilator" in every sleeping room, that every house should be equipped with a fire escape, and "should be provided with good and sufficient water-closets or privies." The law forbade cesspools to be connected to tenement houses. Rather, all new tenement houses "should be graded and drained, and connected with the sewer." Unfortunately, while this law did much to stimulate tenement reform, it was seldom enforced and did little to actually improve the unsanitary living conditions.

In 1864, the commercial avenues of the area were paved with cobblestones which, in turn, provided deep cracks in which refuse collected and rotted. But the streets were "very filthy" with accumulations of manure from the horses that traversed the area, dead dogs, cats and rats, household and vegetable refuse that in winter accumulated to depths of three feet or more. "Garbage boxes," rarely emptied, overflowed with offal, animal carcasses, and household waste. "Pools" of stagnant water collected in the carcasses of dead animals, and over sewer drains that were generally clogged. "Filth of every kind [were] thrown into the streets, covering their surface, filling the gutters, obstructing the sewer culverts, and sending forth perennial emanations which must generate pestiferous diseases," reported William Thomas, the Sanitary Inspector for the district. "Drainage is generally imperfect, the courtyards being ... below the level of the streets" and "everything is thrown into the street and gutters at all times of the day." While poorly designed sewers had been installed throughout the region, most of the population depended upon the outdoor "water closets" and privies in the courtyards of the tenement buildings, close to wells used for drinking.

The few amenities that were provided were generally inadequate, often becoming public health hazards themselves. The water closets, reported the Citizen's Association Committee in 1865, were usually "covered and surrounded with filth, so as not to be approachable." Others were "merely trenches sunken one or two feet in the ground, the fluids of which [were] in some instances allowed to run into the courts, stones and boards ... provided to keep their feet out of filth." Half of the houses in the district had no sewers connected to them making the stench that arose during the summer "absolutely unbearable and perilous." Over 29 brothels, 43 stables and 406 "dram shops" added to the generalized decay of a district which 75 years before boasted the purest water in the city.

By mid-century, then, New York had among the worst health statistics in the nation. Vital statistics gathered by the City showed that while one out of every 44 people died in 1863 in Boston and one of 44 in Philadelphia, New York's rate was one in 36. Even when compared with European centers such as London and Liverpool, New York fared badly.

It was into this situation that John Henry settled.

Building a New Life

It is not known what John Henry did those first several years in New York, although it is assumed that he obtained some type of employment. What is known is that on July 27, 1867 he was married in a Lutheran Church located on 42^nd Street between 7^th and 8^th Avenues. His bride was Johanna Louise Sturm, who also was known by the “Americanized” name Jane Eliza Sturm. She was born in August 1843, and like John Henry, had immigrated to America from Germany[10]. Johanna Louise was, like John Henry, of Prussian descent, having been born in Hannover, Germany.

A New York City Directory from 1869 recorded John Henry Obertubbesing to be engaged in the occupation of “lumber”[11] and to be living at 407 West 50th Street in Manhattan. The next year, on April 30, 1870, Johanna gave birth to the couple’s first child, Henry Obertubbesing. Five more children would follow: Herman, born August 12, 1871; Charles, born February 28, 1874; Louise, born in February 1881; William, born February 16, 1883; and Lena, born June 17, 1888.

The 1880 United States Census documented the family of Henry Obertubbesing[12] to be living at 528 West 47^th Street in New York. His occupation was then listed as “laborer”, Louise was described as being engaged in “keeping house, and their first three children, Henry, Herman and Charles, were all recorded to be “at school”.

John Henry had apparently never fully recovered from his Civil War injuries, and in 1885 he applied for a Civil War Veteran’s pension. An 1862 Federal statute was the foundation of the Federal pension system until the 1890s. It stipulated that only those soldiers whose disability was incurred as a “direct consequence of Military duty" or developed after combat "from causes which can be directly traced to injuries received or diseases contacted while in military service" could collect pension benefits. The amount of each pension depended upon the veteran's military rank and level of disability. Pensions given to widows, orphans, and other dependents of deceased soldiers were always figured at the rate of total disability according to the military rank of their deceased husband or father. By 1873 widows could also receive extra benefits for each dependent child in their care.

It took nearly a year of correspondence in order for John Henry to prove his entitlement to a pension. That delay was likely due, at least in part, to errors in the spelling of his name in various military and medical records[13] Battle records from the field hospital at the First Battle of Bull Run recorded that Henry Overtubbussing had been wounded. When he was treated at Trinity Hospital the records were filed under the name John Henry Overtubbsingh. The Naval Academy hospital records were under the names J.H. Obertubeson and J.H. Oberthibbesing. It was previously noted that the Andersonville Prison records also misspelled the name, recording him as John H. Obertubbersing. When he was wounded at Cold Harbor and then taken prisoner, he never received any Union treatment, and the Confederacy maintained no records of what treatment, if any, that it may have provided.

He had to prove to the government that he had been wounded by submitting letters and affidavits of other soldiers who would attest to having witnessed his battle wounds[14]. This undoubtedly was not an easy task, but finally on August 26, 1885, John Henry began receiving a Civil War pension in the amount of $2 per month.

Little is known of John Henry’s later years. There are no existing records from the 1890 Federal Census as they were destroyed in a warehouse fire. There is a New York City Directory record of 1890 that lists a Henry Obertubbesing of 525 West 49^th Street to be employed as a “driver”, but as discussed later, it is believed that the entry refers to John Henry’s son Henry. The 1900 Census, taken at a time when John Henry was known to still be alive, shows that Louise, then age 56, was living at 423 W. 56^th Street with Louise, age 19, William, age 17, and Lena, age 11. John Henry is not listed as a member of the household. No occupation was listed for Louise, but William was described as an “electrical helper”, Louise was a “silks weaver”, and Lena was at school. It is not known why John Henry was not listed with the rest of his family.

John Henry died on July 10, 1905 of causes unknown. He was 67 years old. He apparently had relocated to New Jersey as he is buried in Grove Church Cemetery in North Bergen, New Jersey[15]. A marker at his gravesite notes his Civil War service by the display of a marker for the “Grand Army of the Republic”[16].

Johanna Louise survived John Henry, living to age 75 when she passed away in 1919. After John Henry’s death she purchased a two-story frame home in New Jersey, where she lived with their son William and his wife Emma. Records show that after John Henry’s death, she applied for a Civil War Widow pension in July 1915. It is believed that Johanna died from complications of burns sustained in a household accident.

The Family Disperses

The Children of John Henry Obertubbesing

John Henry and Johanna Louise had six children: Henry, born April 30, 1870; Herman, born August 12, 1871; Charles, born February 28, 1874; Louise, born in February 1881; William, born February 16, 1883; and Lena, born June 17, 1888. It is through these children that the Obertubbesing family members living today are descended and came to be spread throughout the United States. John Henry and Johanna Louise’s children all appear to have remained in the New York and New Jersey areas, but it appears that the splitting of the Obertubbesing family into distinct groups which had little contact through the years occurred in the generation of their children around the turn of the 20^th century. The following discussion is presented in the order of their children, from eldest to youngest, with complete discussion of each of John Henry and Johanna Louise’s children and their descendants.

~ Henry Obertubbesing, b. 1870, d. aft. 1930

The oldest son of John Henry and Johanna Louise, Henry was born April 30, 1870 in New York, New York. The 1880 Census, conducted when Henry was 10 years old, documented the family of John Henry Obertubbesing to be living at 528 West 47^th Street in New York, and recorded their first three children[17], including Henry, to be “at school”. No subsequent records of Henry’s childhood exist, due to the lack of 1890 Census records. It is believed that Henry did not complete high school.

The New York City Directory of 1890 lists Henry Obertubbesing of 525 West 49^th Street to be engaged in the occupation of “driver”. It is not clear whether this “Henry” was the child of John Henry Obertubbesing or if it was John Henry being listed under just “Henry”.

It is known that on March 8, 1894, at the age 24, Henry married Lavinia Haggerman, daughter of James and Lavinia Haggerman. Lavinia is thought to have been a piano teacher. Subsequent Census records from 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 record Henry’s occupation to be as a “plumber.

The 1900 Census noted Henry and Lavinia to be living at 337 West 50^th Street in New York City[18]. Lavinia’s father James Haggerman, then about age 59, was also living with them. The 1910 Census showed that Henry still lived on West 50^th Street in New York, but no house number was recorded. By 1910 the Census records show Henry and Lavinia’s to have a child, Howard, then age 2 who had been born in 1908, and Lavinia’s father James Haggerman, than age 69, was still residing with them[19]. The 1920 Census recorded that Henry lived in a rental apartment at 450 West 50^th Street in Manhattan[20].

A present-day view of 450 West 50^th Street, New York, NY,

early 20^th Century home of Henry Obertubbesing Family

There is some question regarding how many children Henry and Lavinia may have had. It is apparent that their only child to survive into adulthood was Howard, who was born June 15, 1908. But Henry and Lavinia are also believed to have had at least two other sons, Melvin and Everett, neither for whom a birth date is known for and both of whom apparently died infant deaths. Melvin and Everett are both buried in Cavalry Cemetery located at 49-02 Laurel Hill Boulevard, near the Long Island Expressway & Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, in Woodside, Queens County, New York.

There is a possibility that they had another son, born prior to Howard, who died in infancy. Milton H. Obertubbesing is recorded by the New York City birth records, 1891-1902, to have been born on March 30, 1895[21]. That child is recorded to have died on September 13, 1895 at six months of age[22]. The birth of Milton would have occurred approximately one year after Henry and Lavinia were married. None of Henry’s siblings would seem likely to have been the parent of Milton[23], and it is likewise doubtful that his parents, John Henry and Johanna Louise, would have been the parents at such an advanced age[24]. Thus, in light of the various circumstances it is believed that Milton H. Obertubbesing was in fact the first born son of Henry and Lavinia Obertubbesing[25].

It is known that while his primary residence, at least until after the 1920 Census, was in Manhattan, during the summer months Henry worked at the beach communities of the Rockaway peninsula of New York performing plumbing work. When this summer residence began is not known. It is believed that Henry and Lavinia owned several rental houses in this beach community. At some point in time Henry and Lavinia apparently moved full-time to the Rockaway area, as the 1930 Census recorded the family’s home at 413 Beach 43^rd Street in Edgemere, Queens. His son Howard was recorded in the 1930 Census to be employed as a “plumber’s helper”. The 1930 Census notes the estimated value of Henry’s home to be $4,000.

Henry is believed to have died an early and tragic death when he was struck and killed by a truck on Beach 32^nd Street in Edgemere. His only surviving son, Howard, remained in Rockaway and carried on his father’s plumbing business. Descendants of Henry Obertubbesing’s son Howard continued to reside in the Rockaway area right through the early 1990’s[26]. Today, however, none of Henry’s descendants remain in Rockaway, all having moved to either neighboring or more distant areas[27]. Generations subsequent to Henry now live in a number of states in America, but all trace their roots to the Rockaway peninsula.

The Rockaways

The article reprinted below[28] describes the history of the Rockaway Peninsula, the place where descendants of Henry Obertubbesing resided between the 1910’s and 1990’s[29].

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Rockaway..."place of waters bright"

The Rockaways are a sandy strip of barrier beach at the southern shore of Brooklyn and Queens. In 1833 the Rockaway Association, a group of wealthy individuals who wanted to develop a fine oceanfront hotel in Rockaway, purchased most of the oceanfront property on the old homestead from descendants of Richard Cornell[30]. The Marine Hotel was erected on the site of the original Cornell home and immediately gained popularity among New York’s rich and famous, including such notables as the Vanderbilts, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Washington Irving. The Rockaway Association was also responsible for the construction of the Rockaway turnpike, to guarantee easy access to the hotel. Although the Marine Hotel was completely destroyed by fire in 1864, its success gave way to the erection of many more fine hotels and private residences on the peninsula.

Transportation to and from Rockaway originally consisted of horse-drawn carriages and horses. A ferry took passengers from downtown Manhattan to Brooklyn, and by the mid-1880’s, the steam railroad succeeded the stagecoach, terminating at the present Far Rockaway station of the Long Island Railroad. Benjamin Mott deeded to the railroad company a seven acre tract of land to be utilized as a railroad depot. The coming of the railroad to Far Rockaway increased land values and resulted in a boom to the businesses in the area. By 1888, the village of Far Rockaway was large enough to apply for incorporation.

The increasing appeal of the Rockaway area gave rise to an amusement park in Seaside, which attracted families from all over the city. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the Great Seaside Fire in 1892. A building boom followed the great fire. The entire section destroyed by the fire was rebuilt and many other places of entertainment and amusements were added, and the area was further developed as a seaside resort, making Rockaway widely regarded as "The Playground of New York".

The Rockaway resort area offered various amusements and rides, including George Tilyou’s Amusement park. In 1896, on the Fourth of July, the Seaside Amusement Company officially opened its doors to the public. This park was the future home of Rockaways’ Playland. Built in 1901, Playland became world renowned and was the home of the Cinerama coaster, an Olympic size swimming pool, and a million dollar midway. It was eventually bought by the Geist family of Rockaway. Millions enjoyed the long days they spent with family and friends at the beach, followed by a trip to Playland. It lasted until 1985, when it could no longer compete with major regional theme parks being developed all over the country.

On July 1, 1897 the Village of Rockaway Park was incorporated into the City of Greater New York. Streets were graded and sections of Rockaway Park, Belle Harbor and Neponsit began to be developed. The completion of the Cross Bay Bridge in 1925, the further development of the beach and boardwalk in 1930, the completion of the Marine Parkway Bridge in 1937 and the improvements to the railroad services in 1941 were all the factors that made Rockaway more accessible to the working class people of New York.

Beach 94th St. c. 1930 - Rockaway Beach, NY

In the early to mid 20^th century Rockaway was, as it had been since the 1800’s, a busy summer resort area with hotels, bungalows for rent, amusement parks, and saloons. Rockaway Beach has a 6 mile long boardwalk that is second in length in the U.S. only to the boardwalk at Atlantic City. The population of Rockaway in 1930’s and early 1940’s was made up of year-round middle class families and thousands of New Yorkers who came for just the summer months. During the 1930’s and 40’s, Rockaway was a thriving beach community.

The popularity of the Rockaways as a vacation spot began to decline significantly after World War II, when advances in transportation made more distant resorts and summer attractions more accessible and desirable. Businesses began to close down and only a handful of the main resort hotels remained as rooming houses and apartments. Rockaway began a slow steady decline from which it has never recovered, with large parts of the narrow Rockaway peninsula becoming some of New York City’s worst slums. Many others were destroyed by fires or torn down as part of a large scale development projects and urban renewal programs. Apartment houses, that numbered six in 1900, now exceed 200. The population of the Rockaways continued to increase from 80,000 in 1960 to just over 100,000 today. The Boardwalk now runs past high rise apartment buildings, housing projects, vacant lots, faded pastel buildings and nursing homes.

**********

The Children of Henry Obertubbesing

Henry and Lavinia had three children, Howard, born June 15, 1908, and Melvin and Everett, neither of whom a birth date is known for. Both Melvin and Everett died infant deaths[31]. Only Howard survived to adulthood.

~ Howard Obertubbesing, b. Jun 15, 1908, d. Feb 23, 1956

Henry’s only surviving child was Howard Obertubbesing, born on June 15, 1908 while Henry was living in Manhattan on West 50^th Street. Howard lived with his parents in Manhattan through his childhood years, as recorded in the 1910 and 1920 Censuses, and moved with them to Rockaway sometime between the 1920 and 1930 Censuses. As noted previously, the 1930 Census showed Howard, then age 22, to be living with his parents and working as a “plumbers’ helper”. Presumably, the plumber he was helping was his father Henry. It is believed that Howard did not complete high school[32].

As an adult Howard married Kathryn Rose Ferger[33]. The date of their marriage is not known, although it is believed to have occurred around 1930 or 1931. The 1930 Census showed Kathryn to be living with her parents in Bronx, New York, while that same Census showed Howard to be living with his parents in Rockaway. Their first child, Howard, was born on December 19, 1931, when Kathryn was just 18 years old[34], and it appears that Howard and Kathryn were already married by that time.

Howard worked as a plumber through his adult years. His last known employment was with the M.J. Donnally & Son company. He and Kathryn continued to own rental properties that Howard had inherited from his parents, Henry and Lavinia. Howard and Kathryn lived in Rockaway at 411 Beach 43^rd Street until the time of Howard’s death in February 1956. Howard had apparently been a heavy cigarette smoker and he died from lung cancer. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens, New York.

The Children of Howard Obertubbesing

Howard and Kathryn had six children: Howard, born December 19, 1931, Philip Henry, born August 5, 1937, Gerald, born June 19, 1941, Edwin Roy, born August 1, 1945, Kathryn Veronica, born October 10, 1947 and Joan, born May 28, 1951.

~ Howard Obertubbesing, b. Dec 19, 1931, d. Jul 24, 1974

The eldest of the children of Howard and Kathryn Obertubbesing, Howard was born in Far Rockaway, New York on December 19, 1931. His childhood was spent in Rockaway where he attended grammar and high school, although he did not complete high school or earn a diploma. Howard left school in the 9^th grade to work to help support his family.

Howard enlisted in the United States Army in 1950 and served in the Korean Conflict with the 1^st Cavalry Division, 7^th Cavalry Regiment. He was wounded twice in the war and earned two Purple Heart medals[35]. He was wounded on October 10, 1951 in North Korean near Mak-Tong, and returned to service after recovering.

It was while serving in the Army that Howard married Elizabeth Ann (“Betty”) Jones[36] on December 3, 1951 at St. Gertrude’s Roman Catholic Church in Edgemere. Howard and Betty lived for a few years in a bungalow owned by Howard’s mother Kathryn, and spent some time living with Kathryn. Howard worked for various employers as a plumber and laborer while Betty was a stay-at-home mother.

Howard and Betty’s first child, Thomas Lee, was born on November 10, 1954 in Far Rockaway. While still living in Rockaway their second son, George Howard was born on November 26, 1956, followed by the birth of Kenneth on August 2, 1958.

For a period of time Howard and Elizabeth moved to the upstate New York city of Elmira where they lived for several years. However, by the time that their fourth son was born, Howard III on December 23, 1961, they had moved back to Far Rockaway.

Following the birth of Howard III, Howard and Elizabeth moved to upstate New York for good. They rented a small former school house in the Albany County town of Westerlo. Howard worked as a laborer, plumber and tended bar at a tavern owned by Betty’s father, George Jones, on the bank of Lake Onderdonk in southwestern Albany County. It was while living in Westerlo that the fifth and final son of Howard and betty, Edward, was born in Albany, New York on August 1, 1963.

With a family of seven, Howard and Betty had outgrown the small former schoolhouse in Westerlo. In 1967, the family purchased their first home, a large old colonial farmhouse in the Hamlet of Acra, Town of Cairo[37], Greene County, New York for the sum of $9,000.00. The home had served as a boarding house in the 1800’s and had been divided into a two-family home by the time Howard and Betty purchased it. The home was set upon two acres of land that provided abundant space for their five boys to play.

Howard and Betty spent much time fixing up and modernizing their new home. Betty’s brother George Jones[38], who himself had moved from Long Island to Florida, spent a full summer living with them to help in that effort.

It was not long before the home of Howard and Elizabeth became the gathering place for the various town children who had befriended their sons. The lands were flat and open and the boys had laid out a baseball diamond on one-half of the property. Howard installed a chain link fence to serve as a baseball backstop and he also installed an outside water fountain so that the boys and their friends could get drinks without the need to go inside the house with dirty shoes.

After working for a short period of time with his uncle Philip Ferger, his mother’s younger brother who also lived in Cairo and operated a plumbing business, Howard began operating his own plumbing and heating business in 1971. Known as Cairo Plumbing & Heating, Howard’s business grew rapidly. His eldest sons, Thomas and George, assisted in the business and George, who had artistic as well as musical talents, prepared a cartoon logo for his father’s business stationary and invoices.

In 1972 Howard was diagnosed with Leukemia. While his doctors gave him a poor prognosis, Howard battled the disease for almost two years before eventually succumbing to it on July 24, 1974. He spent good portions of the two year period as a patient at the Stratton Veteran’s Administration Medical Center in Albany, New York. Until his diagnosis, Betty did not have a driver’s license and had not worked outside of the home. With her husband’s illness Betty acquired her license in order to make the frequent trips to the hospital in Albany to visit Howard, and she also obtained employment working in the kitchen of the Cairo Central School.

In the spring of 1974 Howard and Betty made plans to move to Florida during the summer months after the school year had ended. They had entered into a contract for the sale of their Acra home. The purpose was for Betty to be in closer proximity to her brother George who was living in Tarpon Springs, Florida. However, Howard’s condition worsened considerably in the late spring and early summer. He died while a patient at the Veteran’s hospital on July 24, 1974. Betty was able to withdraw from the contract to sell the home and she decided to remain in the Acra home to raise their sons.

Howard is buried in the Cairo Cemetery in Cairo, New York. His grave is marked by a headstone and also by a bronze military plate that documents his military service.

The Children of Howard Obertubbesing

Howard and Betty Obertubbesing had five sons: Thomas Lee, born November 10, 1954; George Howard, born November 26, 1956; Kenneth, born August 2, 1958;p Howard III, born December 23, 1961; and Edward, born August 1, 1963. Edward was born in Albany, New York: the older four sons were all born in Far Rockaway.

~Thomas Lee Obertubbesing, b. Nov 10, 1954

Thomas Lee[39] was born November 10, 1954 in Far Rockaway, New York. He was first grandchild for both Howard and Betty’s parents.

~ George Howard Obertubbesing, b. Nov 26, 1956

George Howard Obertubbesing was born on November 26, 1956 in Far Rockaway, New York.

~Kenneth Obertubbesing, b. Aug 2, 1958

Howard and Betty’s third son Kenneth was born August 2, 1958 in Far Rockaway, New York.

~ Howard Obertubbesing III, b. Dec 23, 1961

The fourth son of Howard and Betty, Howard III was born in Far Rockaway, New York on December 23, 1961.

~ Edward Obertubbesing, b. Aug 1, 1963

The fifth son of Howard Obertubbesing and Elizabeth Ann Jones, Edward was born on August 1, 1963 at Brady Maternity Hospital in Albany, New York.

From his birth until April 1967 he lived with his family in a small rented home, a former school house, in the Albany County town of Westerlo, New York in southwestern Albany County. In 1967 Howard and Elizabeth purchased their first home – a 100 year old former boarding house on two acres - in the small hamlet of Acra, in the town of Cairo, Greene County, New York, and Edward lived in that home until he was an adult.

Edward attended grade school at Cairo Central School, beginning kindergarten in September 1969. In 1977 the Cairo Central School District merged with a neighboring town to form the Cairo-Durham Central School District, where Edward attended Junior High and High School, graduating in June 1981.

Childhood days were spent playing in the yard and woods around the Acra home. Neighboring boys would often come to the house to play baseball in the spring and summer and football in the fall. His father Howard constructed a chain link fence to serve as a baseball backstop on to property, and installed an outdoor water-fountain in to keep the boys from tracking muddy shoes into the house when getting drinks. In winter a small stream running through the yard was dammed and an ice rink formed for skating and hockey. Edward played competitive baseball through his childhood and teenage years, playing in Little League, Babe Ruth, American Legion leagues, as well as on his high junior varsity and varsity teams. In high school he also took up long distance running as a member of the Cross-Country Track team, excelling at that sport, winning a number of races with records times and was the team’s Most Valuable Player in both seasons that he competed – 11^th and 12^th grades.

At high school graduation Edward was the recipient of several honors and awards, including the award for Outstanding Teenage Boy as selected by the high school faculty, the Teenager of the Month award given by the Elks lodge, as well as several other certificates and medals. He was a letter earner in varsity Baseball and Varsity Cross-Country, and the recipient of a New York State Regent’s Scholarship.

After graduating high school in 1981, Edward attended Niagara University in Niagara Falls, New York for his freshman year, and transferred to the State University of New York at Plattsburgh from where he graduated in May 1985. He changed his major area of study several times in college, eventually settling on the study of Mass Communications and Journalism, the degrees in which he completed his Bachelors degree.

Following his graduation from SUNY Plattsburgh, Edward attended law school at the Delaware Law School of Widener University[40] in Wilmington, Delaware. Based upon his strong grade point average from college and his law school admission tests results, Edward was awarded a full tuition scholarship for the duration of his law school studies. While in law school he was active in interscholastic Moot Court competitions in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois, being recognized in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition as one of the best oral advocates. He was a member of the Phi Delta Phi Legal fraternity, won various honors and awards including the American Jurisprudence Awards for the highest grades in Property Law and Evidence, and at graduation won an award for being the student with the highest grade and greatest aptitude for the study of criminal law. He graduated Cum Laude, ranked 4^th in his graduating class, in May 1988.

It was while in law school that Edward married his first wife, Lynn Kohrs, whom he had dated since high school. While Edward attended school and worked part-time, Lynn was employed as an Employee Benefits Manager with Delaware Trust Company, a large Delaware bank.

His first job after law school was in 1988 with a large Buffalo, New York law firm, Phillips, Lytle, Hitchcock, Blaine & Huber, where he specialized in Workers’ Compensation Law. After working their for several years, and desirous of returning back the Capital District of New York, Edward left Buffalo in 1990 to work for the Albany law firm of Rowley, Forrest, O’Donnell & Hite. He was an associate attorney at that firm for about two years, leaving briefly to work for a small personal injury law firm and then to form his own law practice. Edward operated the Law Office of Edward Obertubbesing from March 1992 until he merged it into a larger firm, Stockton, Barker & Mead, in 1995. His law practice was a general legal practice with concentrations in workers’ compensation law, personal injury, real estate closing, wills and estates. Following the merger with Stockton, Barker & Mead Edward continued to work for that firm until 1998.

In May 1991 Edward and Lynn bought their first home, a new construction model in the Colonial Hills development in Ballston Spa, New York. They had prior to that been living at the Twin Lakes Apartment complex in Clifton Park.

In the fall of 1993 Edward ran as the Democratic Party candidate for the Town Council of the Town of Milton, Saratoga County. Running on a platform of more open town government and with a vow to not claim the salary for the position if elected, Edward ran a strong campaign and received more votes than any Democratic candidate had received in the Town of Milton in over 1200 years. While he lost that election, Edward received praise in the media for having waged a strong campaign.

It was shortly after that election that Edward’s first children, twins Karen Jean and Erik Howard, were born on December 3, 1993 in Bellevue Hospital in Schenectady, New York. Edward and Lynn and their children remained in Ballston Spa until August 1997 when they moved to Trumbull, Connecticut for a job promotion that Lynn had received with her employer, General Electric Company. Shortly after moving to Connecticut Edward and Lynn learned that Lynn was pregnant with their third child. That child, Marilyn Elizabeth, was born on April 15, 1998.

While living in Connecticut Edward had continued to work for the law firm of Stockton, Barker & Mead. The weekly travel grew to be too much, and in August 1998 Edward obtained employment with the New York State Insurance Fund in its White Plains, New York office.

In March 2000 Lynn received another promotion with General Electric, this time requiring relocation back to the Capital District. Edward was able to arrange a transfer to the New York State Insurance Fund’s Albany office. They moved to a home in Voorheesville, New York, where Lynn continues to reside.

Edward and Lynn separated at the end of 2000 and were divorced in March 1992. Edward remarried Sirli Sepper[41] on October 11, 2002 in Key West, Florida. They renewed their vows before Sirli’s family in Estonia on April 11, 2004.

Edward and Sirli first lived in an apartment in Delmar, New York and then a house in Guilderland, New York. In April 2002 Edward purchased a house in Albany, New York where Edward and Sirli lived until August 2004. They performed extensive renovations of that house, and sold it in August 2004 to move to their present home in Westerlo, New York.

Edward and Sirli have a son Thomas Endel[42] who was born on November 5, 2005. Edward continue to work for the New York State Insurance Fund, presently serving as Business manager of the Albany District Office, and Sirli is employed as a Medical Assistant at Northeast Orthopaedics, a large orthopaedic group in Albany.

Edward participates in the Capital District Men’s Senior Baseball League as a player and manager. In the winter he snowmobiles and downhill skis. Edward reads extensively, enjoys genealogy, and operates a part-time disc jockey business. Sirli enjoys cross country skiing in winter and gardening in summer. She enjoys knitting and reading. Edward and Sirli have two dogs, a German Sheppard named Roxie and an English Springer Spaniel named Cooper. They also raise chickens on their five acres in Westerlo.

Herman Obertubbesing, b. 1871, d. 1947

Herman was the second son of John Henry and Johanna Louise, having been born in New York City on August 12, 1871. The 1880 Census, conducted when he was nine years old, showed him to be attending school and living at home with his parents and brothers Henry and Charles at 528 West 47^th Street in Manhattan. The absence of any 1890 Census records prevent us from knowing what he was doing then, and no reference to Herman has been found in any 1900 Census records.

It is known that on October 28, 1899, Herman married Wilhelmena Katherine Schaffner in New York City. His bride was the daughter of Wilhelm Schaffner of New York, who was a cabinet maker by trade. Herman and Wilhelmena had a daughter, Anneta Obertubbesing, who was born in New York on August 3, 1902[43].

In 1910, however, Herman was record as living as a “boarder” at 27 South Division Street in Queens and his occupation was described as “plumber”. It is suspected that Herman likely was temporarily working with or for his brother in Henry’s plumbing business in Far Rockaway. No separate record has been found to show where Wilhelmena and Anneta may have been residing at that time.

Herman thereafter became a businessman. The 1920 Census describes as a “manager for an office foods firm”, and indicates that he was living then at 340 West 51^st Street in Manhattan. The Census records the only household members to be Herman and his daughter Anneta, who was age 17 at the time. However, the Census recorder did indicate in the 1920 Census that Herman was married. No mention is made in the Census report of Wilhelmena and nothing is known about her.

In 1930 his occupation was described as “sales manager” and he was living then at 666 West End Avenue in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. His monthly rent was noted to be $166. Of particular note, the 1930 census shows his wife then to be Frances.

It is unclear how the marriage of Herman and Wilhelmena came to an end. While a record of their 1899 marriage exists, none of the subsequent census records that contain information about Herman contain any reference to Wilhelmena, other than the 1920 Census recording that Herman was married. As divorce was certainly a rare occurrence in the early part of the century, the more likely explanation is that Wilhelmena died at a young age.

A historical record does exist documenting that Herman Obertubbesing was a significant figure in amateur sports in the early 1900’s. A biographical entry for Herman was published following his death in The National Cyclopedia of American Biography[44], chronicling his involvement in various amateur athletic organizations including the West Side Athletic Club in New York City, the Amateur Athletic Union, the Industrial Athletic Committee of the Amateur Athletic Union, the James E. Sullivan Club, the American Olympic Committee, and the Amateur Boxing Association of the Americas. Herman held officer positions in several of these organizations and was responsible for a number of changes and improvements to the organization of amateur athletics in the United States. He was an Olympic official at the 1924 Paris games.

The entry in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography indicates that Herman attended New York City public schools and took special courses at the Y.M.C.A. It notes that Herman worked as an accountant for Paramount Pictures, a sales representative with Runkle’s Chocolate Company, and that at the time of his death he held a position with the New York State Supreme Court.

Herman Obertubbesing died on May 28, 1947 in Great Neck, New York at the age of 75.

Charles Obertubbesing, b. 1874, d. aft. 1910

The third child of John Henry and Johanna was Charles Obertubbesing, born February 28, 1874 in New York City. Little is known about Charles other than a few bare facts gleamed from several census records.

In the 1880 Census for John Henry Obertubbesing’s household in Manhattan, Charles is recorded as being six years old and in school. As with others discussed before, there are no 1890 census records to learn what Charles may have been doing at that time.

It is known that Charles was married on February 14, 1900[45] in New York to Louise Schubert. Charles and Louise had three children; Louise, born February 11, 1901[46]; George, born in 1904; and Ethel, born in about 1911.

The 1910 Census records Charles as being employed as a “shipping clerk” in “provisions”. No additional information is known about where he worked or for how long.

In 1920, the Census records for Louise, George and Ethel show them to be living in the North Bergen Ward of New Jersey. No census records show where Charles was in 1920 or where Charles and Louise’s daughter Louise was living. Louise would have been 19 years of age so it is possible that she had married and was listed as a member of a household under her husband’s name. If alive, Charles would have been 46 years old in 1920.

Apparent from the records is that Charles’ family moved to New Jersey sometime between 1910 and 1920. Other Obertubbesing family members followed, leaving Henry, Herman and their descendants as to only ones who remained in New York[47]. This time frame reveals a separation in the Obertubbesing family to those in New York and those in New Jersey; a separation that appears to have never been closed. For whatever the reason may be; whether it be the geographic distance placed between them, or perhaps some personal family differences; it appears that from around 1915 to 1920 and thereafter, the branches of the Obertubbesing family tree grew in separate directions with little or no subsequent connection to each other.

Louise Obertubbesing, b. abt. 1881, d. aft. 1930

The first daughter of John Henry and Johanna, Louise Obertubbesing was born in New York in about 1881. Other than the assumption that she attended school during her childhood years, little is known regarding her early years of life. She presumably lived with her parents in New York City from the time of her birth until when she was married.

In 1900, at age 17, Louise was living at 423 West 46^th Street with her mother, and with her brother William and sister. The census noted that Louise was employed as a silks weaver. No other work history is known for Louise, as it appears that after she married she remained a homemaker.

Louise married Albert Hansen, who is believed to have been born in about 1882[48]. The Census records of 1920 show that Albert reported his parents as having both been born in Germany, while other Census records reflect that it may have been his grandparents who immigrated to America. The marriage date of Louise and Albert is not known, although the Census of 1930 indicates that Louise, then age 49, had been married at age 20, so working backwards that would indicate that she and Albert were married in about 1901 when she was 20 years old and Albert 17 years of age.

The Census records from 1910, 1920 and 1930 all show Louise and Albert to be living in West New York, in Hudson County, New Jersey. Louise and Albert had three daughters: Lillian, born in about 1904; Helen, born in about 1906; and Murial Stone, born in about 1917. In 1910 they lived at 228 23^rd Street in West New York, New Jersey; in 1920 they lived at 425 23^rd Street, also in West New York; and in the 1930 Census they are reported to have lived at 1077 Boulevard East in West New York.

The 1910 Census reports Albert’s occupation as driver, with none listed for Louise. In 1920, the Census report indicates that Albert was working as a salesman, and also reflects that Lillian, then just 15, was working as a weaver for an embroidery company. In 1930 Albert was noted to be employed as a watchman.

It is unknown where Albert and Louise lived after 1930[49]. Information concerning the marriages of their children and their descendants is discussed later.

William Obertubbesing, b. 1883, d.

Besides Henry Obertubbesing, from whom my family finds it roots, more Obertubbesing family members living today can trace their ancestry to William than can be traced to any other of John Henry and Johanna Louise’s children. William fathered eight children, seven of whom had multiple children of their own. William’s descendants, while being rooted in New Jersey, have moved to places in other parts of America, resulting in the Obertubbesing family today being represented in numerous states.

Like his siblings, William Obertubbesing was born in Manhattan, having come into the world on February 16, 1883. Being born after the 1880 Census, and due to the absence of any 1890 Census records, the first record of William is the 1900 Census. In 1900, at age 17, he was living in the household at 423 West 46^th Street with his mother, who the census recorded listed as the head of household under the name Louise, and with his sisters Louise, then 17, and Lena, age 11. The census records William’s occupation as “electrical helper”.

Chapter 3

Colonial American Roots

The Jones on my mother’s side of the family have lived in America since Colonial times. New York was one of the original thirteen colonies of America, and the 11^th state to ratify the constitution after the Revolutionary War, becoming a state in 1788. They lived at the time this nation was being born, and discussion of the era in which and location where they lived is therefore appropriate.

Upstate New York’s Early History

Before the arrival of European settlement, Upstate New York was inhabited by a mixture of Iroquois-speaking people (mainly west of the Hudson) and Algonquin-speaking people (mainly east of the Hudson). The conflict between the two peoples was an important historical force in the days of the early European colonization.

The region was important beginning in the very early days of both the French Colonization and Dutch colonization, where much of the fur trade of the New Netherland colony was located in the upper Hudson Valley. The area was the scene of much of the fighting in the French and Indian War, events which were depicted in the work of James Fenimore Cooper.

Upstate New York was strategically important in the American Revolution, and was the scene of several important battles, including the Battle of Saratoga, which is considered to have been a significant turning point in the war. While New York City remained in the hands of the British during most of the war, the upstate region was firmly in the hands of the Colonial forces. In 1779, the Sullivan Expedition, a military campaign ordered by Gen. George Washington, drove thousands of Iroquois from their lands in the region.

Following the American Revolution, the United States signed a federal treaty, the Treaty of Canandaigua, with the Six Nations of the Iroquois, affirming their land rights in the region. Nevertheless, extinguishing of Indian title to these lands continued through the early 19th century. The lands were then settled by Revolutionary War veterans and others from New England states.

The Early Settlement of New York’s Albany County

Located in the eastern portion of New York State and originally known as Fort Orange, Albany was first settled in 1624 by the Dutch West Indies Company. The English took over the region in 1664 and the county of Albany was established in 1683.

Albany County extends about 25 miles west from the Hudson River, and is bisected from north to south by the Helderberg escarpment, an abrupt rise of land that in many places is a sheer cliff making access to the hill country difficult. The earliest European settlements were in the fertile valley lands along the easily accessible Hudson River; the land above the escarpment remained wilderness for another century.

In 1621 the Netherlands government had granted the Dutch West India Company a 24-year trading monopoly in its American colonies. The Company conceived of the Patroon system as a way to attract settlers without increasing its expenses. A Patroon, or Dutch Lord, was granted a large tract of land; in return he agreed to sponsor settlers and colonize the land at his own expense.

Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, a prominent Amsterdam merchant and principal shareholder in the Dutch West India Company, was granted the colony of Rensselaerwyck in 1629, incorporating what is now the city of Albany, plus most of what is now Albany, Rensselaer and Greene Counties. Fort Orange, now Albany, became the center of the Dutch fur trade.

The Dutch farmers brought over by the Van Rensselaers to clear and work the rich Hudson Valley farmland were not permitted to own it. Rather they were granted long-term leases, assuring the Patroon a healthy yearly income. The leases could be sold, along with the buildings, but the underlying land and mineral rights belonged to the Patroon. When the English wrested control of the Dutch American colonies in 1664, they did not disturb the Patroon system.

For the next 65 years or so the land in the Helderbergs – for the most part hilly and rocky – remained wilderness. When the first settlers finally took to the western hills in the early 18^th century, one would think that they would have gone up over the Helderberg escarpment; but that is not the case. They entered surreptitiously through the “back door” via Schoharie, thus avoiding detection and having to pay rent for almost fifty years!

These early squatters in the Helderbergs were refugees from the Palatinate region of what is now Germany. In the 17^th century northern Europe was a disparate collection of fiefs and kingdoms. The Palatinate was a German-speaking region along the Rhine River, roughly where the modern German state of Rhineland-Pflaz is located. At the time, large landholders in the British American colonies were seeking settlers for their sparsely populated holdings. They distributed pamphlets up and down the Rhine extolling the climate and availability of land in Carolina and Pennsylvania. In the Palatinate, devastation brought on by war, confiscatory taxation, and fear of religious persecution prompted the start of the Palatine emigration to the new lands in America.

In 1709 most of the pine resin used to make tar for waterproofing ships came from Sweden. Since it was important to the British Navy to have its own supply, it was proposed to ship the Palatines that Britain had recruited to New York to establish a British tar industry on land along the Mohawk or Hudson Rivers. The refugees were promised forty acres and farm tools. In return they had to work the land and pay back the costs of their transportation and subsistence.

The ships arrived in the harbor of New York in June 1709. New York Governor Hunter, who the British put in charge of the refugees and the tar project, kept careful lists of the families provided subsistence so that the government could be repaid. Governor Hunter sent a survey team to the Schoharie Valley area to see if it was suitable for his tar project. A Mohawk chief, when made aware of Hunter’s proposed use of the land, gave it to the Queen for “Christian settlements.” Nevertheless, although he accepted the land, Hunter later rejected its use for his tar project since it had no suitable pines.

As a result of Hunter’s decision to not use the Schoharie Valley land, about 1,200 of the Palatines were settled instead in several camps on both sides of the Hudson near the juncture of present day Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, and Ulster Counties. They were given small tracts of worthless land upon which to build a shelter, and set to work stripping the bark from pine trees for the tar project.

By the spring of 1711 the Palatines were extremely dissatisfied with their bleak prospects and were on the verge of rebellion. They demanded the lands in Schoharie Valley that they believed had been given to the Queen for their settlement. Governor Hunter replied that they could have 40 acres only after repaying with their labor the Government outlay for their transportation and subsistence; and he would decide where the land would be located. The enraged refugees’ rifles were confiscated and they were forced to remain at the work camps under increased military surveillance.

In the middle of September 1712, Hunter ran into financial problems and the Palatines were unexpectedly told they would have to fend for themselves. So that they could be contacted if funds became available to restart the pine tar and resin project, they were told they must obtain permission to leave. Nonetheless, about a quarter of the Palatines chose to go to Schoharie without asking permission. They sent their leaders on ahead to negotiate with the natives for a place to settle. The Indians readily agreed, since they had given the land to Queen Anne for that purpose.

In 1721, then Governor Burnet gave the Palatines permission to purchase land from the Mohawks in the Mohawk Valley. Over the next few years the majority of the Palatine families in Schoharie moved to Montgomery and Herkimer Counties; others went to Pennsylvania and Canada. But those that remained in Schoharie had to lease their farms from the Patroons for that area, Martin Schuyler and other Dutch aristocrats. In 1729, seven Palatine families bought the land they were farming, including that upon which the village of Schoharie is now located.

Some of the early Schoharie settlers who wanted to remain in the area near friends and family, but either could not or would not pay rent, decided to move just a few miles east to what are now the Towns of Berne and Knox, in Albany County. At that time, the wilderness land there could be had for the taking. As long as they entered by the back door, so to speak, i.e. from the west, Van Rensselaer would not know they were there. Additionally, some of the new Palatine German, Swiss, and Dutch immigrants who arrived about that time with plans to settle in the Schoharie Valley instead squatted on the “free” lands in nearby Rensselaerwyck, since they had no money to rent or buy land.

The Ball and Dietz families were among the earliest settlers in the Helderbergs. There is convincing evidence that by 1740 they were living next to each other in the Switzkill Valley, a few miles southwest of what is now Berne. Due to the lack of primary evidence, it is difficult to determine who all the earliest settlers in the Helderbergs were. For several decades there was no church in the Helderbergs; marriages and baptisms were frequently performed by a circuit preacher and recorded in Schoharie. During this early period of settlement it appears that the Berne area was probably still considered part of Schoharie; so records indicate that persons lived there. For all of these reasons, it is impossible to say with certainty who were the first settlers in the Helderbergs, where they lived, or when they arrived.

Sometime before 1765 the area east of what is now the Albany and Schoharie county line finally had a name of its own. It started to be called “the Beaver Dam” – named after a large beaver dam on the Foxenkill on the flats below what is now the village of Berne. Also in about 1765 the first church in the Helderbergs was constructed on the road to Schoharie, a mile west of what is now the village of Berne. Since there was no village at the time, it can be assumed that the Beaverdam Reformed Church was constructed near the center of the then settled area. It was several more years before a fulltime minister was hired; in the meantime, many baptisms and marriages continued to be recorded in Schoharie.

A 1767 map of the Rensselaerwyck Manor shows no leases above the Helderberg escarpment. This strongly suggests that the Patroon, Kiliaen Van Rensselaer, either had no interest or no knowledge of the perhaps fifty families who had been squatting on his mountain lands, some possibly for more than forty years.

In 1785, Kiliaen’s Van Rensselaer’s grandson Stephen Van Rensselaer III inherited Rensselaerwyck Manor. After he inherited the Manor, Stephen Van Rensselaer commissioned a survey of the land above the Helderberg escarpment dividing it into a grid of quarter-square-mile lots. Leases were keyed to the numbers on the map grid. The resulting 1787 map shows the number of each lot and the name of the leaseholder, as well as roads, churches, mills, and streams.

The 1787 Van Rensselaer map shows a concentration of leases in the Switzkill and Foxenkill Valleys along what is now State Route 443, the Helderberg Trail; just east of East Berne the trail turned south towards Westerlo. There were also numerous leases along the top of the Helderberg escarpment. Farther north there were leases in a broad swath that generally followed the route through Knox between Altamont and Schoharie. This appears to have been the main East-West road through the hill country at the time.

Stephen Van Rensselaer made plans to develop and populate the unsettled lands of the Manor. In order to populate 700,000 acres of his land in the Helderberg hills, he offered to give each patron of the American Revolution the use of 120 acres of his land free of charge for seven years. Handbills were distributed throughout New England announcing that he would give veterans of the Revolution homesteads without cost. Only after the farms became productive would he ask for any compensation. The conditions of the grants stated that a farmer must clear the land, build a dwelling, and live there for seven years before beginning to pay rent. After seven years, he promised that each tenant would receive a “durable lease” with a moderate annual rent paid in wheat. However, Van Rensselaer did not define the conditions of his “durable lease” until after the seven years elapsed.

Due to the success of Stephen Van Rensselaer’s land promotion efforts; there was soon an influx of Dutch, German, British, Irish, Scotch, Swiss, and French settlers from the overcrowded lands of New England and the Hudson Valley. Early farmers had large families; in order for their children to have their own farms, some had to move west, and for many in New England this was to the highlands of western Albany County.

About 3,000 families took Van Rensselaer’s offer. As the seven years were soon to come to an end, Van Rensselaer asked his brother-in-law Alexander Hamilton to create the “durable lease” that would permanently bind the tenants to his estate. By calling the contract an “incomplete sale,” Hamilton showed his brother-in-law how to sidestep the issue of feudalism outlawed in New York State in 1782.

Under the “incomplete sale” contract, the tenants purchased the title to and the use of the soil for an annual cost of 14 bushels of winter wheat, four fat fowls and one day’s service with horse team and wagon for the landlord. The tenant paid all taxes and was to use the land for agricultural purposes only. Van Rensselaer kept all wood, mineral and water rights, as well as the right to exploit those resources. The tenant could not sell the property, but only his contract of “incomplete sale” under the same terms. If a tenant chose to sell his contract, Van Rensselaer had the option (called the “quarter-sale” option) of collecting one-fourth of the sale price, or buying back the property contract for three-fourths of the market price.

Through this arrangement, Van Rensselaer kept all the advantages of landownership and the tenant had all of the obligations of land improvement, road building and taxes. When the tenants went to collect their “durable lease” after working their land for seven years, they were shocked to discover the terms of their lease and objected to the lease conditions, arguing that the terms were not what the Patroon originally promised. However, Van Rensselaer would not negotiate and the tenants had to choose between signing the “incomplete sale” contracts, or leaving their 120-acre farms and all the buildings and improvements they had made over the previous seven years without compensation.

Making matters worse for the tenants, soil conditions in the townships of Berne, Westerlo, Rensselaerville and Knox were difficult and, as a result, the 1,300 residents of these areas often fell behind in their annual rent to Van Rensselaer. However, he did not aggressively pursue overdue rent payments. As a result, Stephen Van Rensselaer became known amongst many of his tenants as the Good Patroon.

The Anti-Rent Wars

In January 1839, Stephen Van Rensselaer III died, and the tenants anxiously waited to see how his heirs would handle the unpaid rents. In his will, he divided his estate between Stephen Van Rensselaer IV, the only offspring of his first marriage, and William Paterson Van Rensselaer, the oldest son of his second wife. Stephen’s half of the land estate was called West Manor and William’s called East Manor. The will also stated that Stephen and William should immediately collect back rents from his tenants and their heirs totaling $400,000 so that their inheritance could be unencumbered. This news hit hard for the people of Berne, Westerlo, Rensselaerville and Knox.

Stephen IV and William’s initial attempts to collect back rents were unsuccessful. The tenants simply ignored their collection agents. Soon afterwards, the farmers met and tried to negotiate lenient payments of back rents with the two brothers. The Van Rensselaers responded by sending Under-sheriff Amos Adams of Albany County with writs of ejectment against the leaders from the four rebellious towns who came to negotiate. The farmers responded by threatening Adams with death. As a follow-up, a few of the Westerlo farmers who personally knew Adams wrote him anonymous letters telling him that if he returned with writs of ejectment his life would be in danger. Upon hearing of the incident, the Van Rensselaers insisted on immediate, vigorous action from the County Sheriff. The Sheriff then sent a Deputy named Daniel Leonard to issue writs to the ringleaders.

It was customary in the hill towns to use a tinhorn to call in family members and field hands for lunch and dinner. As he entered the hill town areas, Deputy Leonard heard the sound of those tinhorns, which followed him throughout his trip. The farmers were using their tinhorns to alert each other that an officer of the law was in the area.

When Leonard reached Gallup’s store in Berne, 15 horsemen and a number of men on foot greeted him and forcibly took away his writs ejectment and burned them. Debating whether to tar and feather Leonard, someone in the crowd suggested, “Let’s drink to the Patroon! His agent shall pay!” The mob then took Leonard as their prisoner to Lawrence’s Tavern on the Delaware Turnpike where they continuously blew their tinhorns and had Leonard buy them drinks. Then they took him to a tavern in Reidsville and had him buy them drinks there until he was broke. Afterwards, they sent Leonard down the road to Albany on foot, shaken, but unharmed.

From then on, the sound of the farmers’ tinhorns became a symbol of the Anti-Rent rebellion and the farmers blew their horns at Anti-Rent meetings and to warn their neighbors of the approaching sheriff and his deputies. On one occasion when Sheriff Archer came to the hill towns with a posse of 500 men to restore law and order, the farmers used their tinhorns to quickly gather 600 on horseback armed with pitchforks and clubs to surround the Sheriff and his posse in Reidsville.

In March 1840, when Archer’s successor, Sheriff Amos Adams, went to the Helderbergs to auction off livestock to satisfy a past due rent claim, a party of men disguised as Indians dressed in loose pantaloons, tunics of brilliant calico, and decked with fur, feathers and tin ornaments, gathered in the sale area. To prevent recognition, some had painted their faces black or red and others wore masks of calico or painted sheepskin. Without lifting a finger, they prevented Sheriff Adams from holding the auction because their presence scared away the Van Rensselaers’ friends who came as bidders. It was the first time the Calico Indians appeared in the Anti-Rent wars and their presence continued throughout the rent wars.

In May 1844, the Anti-Rent leaders from the three counties met at the home of John J. Gallup in East Berne, a few miles from Rensselaerville. The meeting was held to discuss two urgent problems – the strengthening and extension of the Anti-Rent ranks; and, the prevention of rent collection and the repossession of farms by landlords. The leaders agreed that the only solution was armed resistance. They clearly understood that this resistance to the law was treason. Therefore, the leaders agreed upon the Calico Indian disguise when protesting in public. All members were bound by oath, secretly administered. Soon afterwards, the Anti-Rent movement had a disciplined army of hundreds of men.

From then on, Calico Indian raids and violent protests amongst the tenant farmers increased. Many officers of the law and agents of landlords were tarred and feathered, wounded by gunshot or beaten with clubs by the Calico Indians, but relatively few lost their lives. In the meantime, legal arguments in the New York State courts and legislature raged on concerning tenant farm rent. Some Anti-Renters were even elected to the State Legislature. In 1850, the New York State Supreme Court ruled that “quarter-sales” after 1787 were unconstitutional and that the Van Rensselaers’ titles to land were invalid. Believing that there were no further rights to appeal, William Van Rensselaer conceded through his attorney that the contest had ended.

However, in 1852, a Court of Appeals reversed the 1850 decision invalidating the Van Rensselaer land title based on the landlord-sponsored statue of 1830, which basically said that such land titles had to be legally questioned within 40 years of their original land grant. But the reversal did not question another ruling in 1852 that confirmed that tenants who obtained “quarter-sales” after 1787 owned the land they farmed. Understanding that these legal disparities marked the beginning of the end for land rents, Stephen Van Rensselaer IV offered much of his land for sale to speculators. Walter Church, son of a wealthy landowner of western New York bought most of Van Rensselaer’s leases for $210,000.

Between 1855 and 1870, Walter Church tenaciously pursued farmers who owed rent. Many refused to pay rent, citing the 1852 court ruling. With money and lavish entertainment, Church bought influence with many judges and politicians. As a result, he would often clog the courts with as many as two thousand property suits in a year without losing one major case. Farmers continued to resist paying rent and the bloodiest battle in the 30-year Anti-Rent war occurred when Church set out to acquire the William Whitbeck farm in East Manor, across the Hudson, in 1869. This incident left the sheriff dead and four of his men seriously wounded before his posse ran off.

The last of the Anti-Rent Wars blood flowed in 1880 when Deputy Sheriff Leonard Chamberlain went to East Berne with a court order to take possession of John Frederick’s farm for Walter Church. As Chamberlain jumped from his wagon, Frederick fired a shotgun from his window and killed him. According to farmers who saw the body, it “looked like a pepperbox.” By 1880, the majority of leases passed into the hands of the farmers. Despite his successes in the courts, Walter Church died in 1890 bankrupt.

The land rents never disappeared completely. As late as 1975, some upstate farmers still paid in cash the equivalent of the old annual rent of 14 bushels of winter wheat, four fat fowls and one day’s service with horse team and wagon for the landlord. Even now, many landholders wishing to sell or take out a loan are shocked to find that the old leases that originally bound their farms were never adjusted, and that unpaid feudal tributes amount to more than the farm is worth; however, people normally settle such back rents for a small fee.

Today, many people in the Berne, Westerlo, Rensselaerville and Knox areas treasure their Anti-Rent “official Indian call to arms” tin dinner horns and their history that their ancestors left for them.

Formation of Western Albany County Towns

On November 1, 1683, the Colony of New York was divided into ten counties, with Albany one of the largest. Over the years land was taken from Albany County to form other counties including Tryon and Charlotte (now Washington), Columbia, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schoharie, Greene and Schenectady, making the Albany County of today much smaller than its original 1683 boundaries. Later, in 1772, the Manor of Rensselaerwyck was created as a district.

When the Manor Rensselaerwyck was subsequently divided into east and west sections in 1779 by Stephen Van Rensselaer III, the portion of the manor on the west side of the Hudson River, excluding the city of Albany, was called Watervliet. From this large swath of land subsequent towns were formed as follows: In 1790 Rensselaerville was formed out of Watervliet; in 1791 Coeymans was formed; and in 1793 Bethlehem was formed. Subsequently, smaller town were formed as follows: in 1795 Berne was formed out of lands from Rensselaerville; in 1815 Westerlo was formed out of lands from Coeymans and Rensselaerville; in 1822 Knox was formed out of lands from Berne; and in 1832 New Scotland was formed out of lands from Bethlehem. As a result of these various changes over the years, it seems likely that a person who never moved could have been recorded as a resident of several of these different towns depending on when the census or recording took place.

The earliest settlers of Albany were the Dutch and later the English. Among the smaller townships formed in western Albany County, where our Jones family finds it roots, Berne was settled initially be German families (the Palatines)[50], Coeymans was an original Dutch settlement[51], New Scotland was settled originally in about 1660 by Dutch immigrant Teunis Slingerland, Rensselaerville was likely settled originally by Dutch and German pioneers, although the first definitive records of settlement are from after the Revolutionary War, and Westerlo was mostly settled by New Englanders who came after the Revolution in response to Stephen Van Rensselaer’s land promotion efforts of the 1780’s and 1790’s.

It is at this time that the story of our Jones ancestors, commencing with John E. Jones, begins.

Chapter 4

The Jones Family

The name “Jones” is one of the most common surnames in all of America. The United States Census Bureau reports that in the 2000 Census the name Jones is the fourth most commonly occurring surname in the United States today[52]. It is a patronymic name meaning “son of John (God has favored or gift of God)”. The surname is especially common in Wales and southern central England. In North America the name Jones has also absorbed various like-sounding surnames from other languages.

Immigration records of the United States show the top places of origin for Jones immigrants to the United States to be as follows:

England 19,635

Wales 3,831

Ireland 2,473

Scotland 310

German 179

The most common European ports of departure for persons named Jones were Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland, between which 84% of Jones immigrants set sail for America. Other ports of departure include Aspinwall, Panama; London, England; and Glasgow, Scotland.

Reflecting the pre-industrial revolution era in which the information was recorded, the 1880 United States Census shows the greatest percentage of persons named Jones to be engaged in the occupation of farming (36%), followed by laborer (11%), keeping house (6%), farm laborer (5%), farming (4%) and carpenter (2%).

John E. Jones, b. Abt. 1784, d.

It is apparent from various records found in the Town of Westerlo, New York and U.S. Census records that John E. Jones of Westerlo is the earliest ancestor on our mother’s side of the family. Our grandfather apparently knew of the existence of Eli Jones, discussed supra, and it had long been believed that Eli may have been the first Jones in America. Records discovered, however, show that Eli Jones was in fact one of the children of John E. Jones, of Westerlo, Albany County, who himself was born in New York state in 1784. To date I have had no success in learning the parents of John E. Jones, but records of land transactions, marriages, births and the Jones Family Cemetery discovered in the fields of Westerlo confirm that we are descendants of John E. Jones.

Eli Jones, b. Abt 1815, d. Oct 3, 1880

There are a number of clear and convincing records found that pertain to Eli Jones[53]. There are multiple records for the Jones family from the 1800’s that show residences and real property ownership in the Albany County towns of New Scotland, Coeymans, Westerlo and Berne. The towns of New Scotland, Coeymans and Westerlo all actually intersect in the present day where Albany County Route 312 intersects with Dunbar Hollow Road, and the line for the Town of Berne is in close proximity to this location. It may be that Eli Jones either moved to different locations within these townships, that errors occurred with respect to recording which town his farm lands fell into, or, as noted in the discussion of the history of Albany County and the formation of townships, the name of the township within which his lands fell could have changed over the years due to the formation of new towns.

The United States Census[54] reports earlier than 1850 do not list the names of all household members. Instead, they list the name of the head of household, most always a male, and then count the other household members by listing them by age group. Thus, it is not possible from the early Census records to definitively determine the names of household members other than the head of household.

The 1840 Census for the Town of Berne shows an Eli Jones that was in the age group of age 20 to age 30. In the household were a female in the age group of 20 to 30, two females under age five, and one female between the ages of five and ten. While the family member names are not listed, it is fairly certain that this family recorded in the 1840 Census is that of our ancestor Eli Jones. The reason for this certainty is that the ages and names actually recorded in the subsequent 1850 Census do show that Eli would have been about 25 in 1840, Mary Ann would have been about 23, and daughters Margret (age 16 in 1850), Betsy (age 14 in 1850) and Earielisse (age 12 in 1850) would have been in the age ranges recorded in the 1840 Census (Betsy and Earielisse would have both been under age 5 in 1840, and Margret would have been between 5 and 10 years of age).

The 1850 United States Census for the Town of Coeymans, Albany County, New York recorded Eli Jones to be 35 years of age, meaning that he was born about 1815. The 1850 Census listed his occupation as “farmer” and showed him to be married to Mary Ann, age 33, who is believed to be Mary Ann Smith, daughter of Nicholas Smith and Maria Onderdonk[55]. Maria Onderdonk’s family can be traced back to Revolutionary War veteran Johannes Onderdonk, who lived from 1749 to 1846, and is the family for which Lake Onderdonk in the Town of Westerlo is named.

The 1850 Census lists household members, in addition to Eli and Mary Ann, as Margret, age 16, Betsy, age 14, Earielisse[56], age 12, Catherine, age 10, Margret, age 8, Smith, age 6, Ellen age 1, and Thomas, age 19. Thomas appears to be a relative, as the Census records his place of birth as Vermont, while Eli, Mary Ann and the other children are all shown as having been born in New York.

The 1860 Census for the Town of New Scotland, Clarksville Post Office, shows Eli Jones and his family to be then living in the Town of New Scotland, which is located several miles from the Town of Coeymans. The Census appears to be referring to the same family as that from 10 years earlier, as it lists Eli being age 46, Mary Ann age 43, Margaret[57] age 19, Smith age 17 and Ellen age 11. New family members listed are Franklin, age 7, Leonard, age 5, and Edward age 2.

The 1870 Census, done at a time when Eli Jones is believed to have still been alive, has no reference to him in any of the towns of New Scotland, Coeymans, Westerlo or Berne. The reasons for this are unclear.

Interestingly, the 1880 Census once again does record an Eli Jones, born in about 1815, to be living in the Town of New Scotland. Listed as Eli’s spouse in this Census is Adaline Jones, born about 1832, and a daughter, Maryette Malory, born about 1843. No evidence is found regarding when Eli’s wife Mary Ann may have died, but the information from the 1880 Census would indicate that Mary Ann may have died between the time of the 1860 and 1880 Censuses, and that Eli remarried Adaline. Since the children of Eli and Mary Ann range between Margrette, born in about 1841, and Edward, born in 1858, it would appear that Maryette Malory, born about 1843, was the daughter of Adaline and step-daughter of Eli Jones.

The above discussed Census records therefore definitively show Eli Jones and his family to have lived in Berne in 1840, Coeymans in 1850, and New Scotland in 1860 and 1880.

The Albany County Clerk’s office has several records showing land ownership by Eli Jones. The first is from the Grantees Index of Deeds covering the period of 1690 through 1894. That index shows a conveyance of 81-½ acres of land in the town of Berne from John E. Jones and his wife Elizabeth to Eli Jones on March 8, 1845. The deed is recorded at Book 103 of Deeds at Page 424. The parcel is identified as Part of Lot 389. This conveyance is consistent with the 1840 Census that showed Eli Jones to be living in Berne. It appears that a loan was taken out for this purchase, as the Albany County Mortgages Index shows a mortgage dated March 8, 1845 from Lucy Megatt to Eli Jones and his wife Mary Ann.

The same surname of the Grantor in this land conveyance leads one to think that a relationship existed between Eli Jones and John E. Jones and his wife Elizabeth, but no definitive confirmation of a relationship has been found. Records from The Berne Historical Project show John Jones to have been born in about 1784, his wife Elizabeth Dean to have been born about 1787, and the two having been married before 1818. These dates make it possible that John E. and Elizabeth Jones may be the parents of Eli Jones. However, the records of the Berne Historical Project list John and Elizabeth’s only children to be Mary E. Jones, born on March 12, 1819, and John E. Jones, born in June 1820. Since the latter John E. Jones, Jr. subsequently married Hannah White (b. Jun 1828, d. 1900) it is most likely that the land conveyance that occurred in 1845 was by the elder John E. Jones and his wife Elizabeth.

It is possible that Eli Jones is the son of John E. and Elizabeth Jones and that The Berne Historical Project records simply do not list all of the children of John E. and Elizabeth Jones. The source and date of those records is not stated, and it could be that Eli was already emancipated at the time that the information was recorded. The conveyance by John E. Jones to Eli Jones and Mary Ann Jones, coupled with the later transaction (discussed later herein) by Eli Jones to John E. Jones (apparently the younger John E. Jones) does create the strong suspicion that a familial relationship exists. Certainly, it seems likely that if John E. Jones and Elizabeth Jones are not the parents of Eli Jones, it is possible that they were the uncle and aunt of Eli Jones or perhaps an older brother and his wife.

That entire parcel of land that Eli and Mary Ann had purchased in 1845 was later transferred by them to William T. Flansburgh on April 1, 1850. The deed for that conveyance is recorded at Book 109 of Deeds at Page 118. Following that sale it does appear that Eli Jones and his family moved, as the 1850 Census, dated July 15, 1850, three months after the land conveyance in Berne, shows Eli Jones and his family to the be living in Coeymans. The Census records for 1850 include a column for recording the value of land owned by the subject family. While the Census states that Eli Jones was a “farmer”, no value is recorded for any lands, indicating that Eli Jones did not own his farmlands at the time of the 1850 Census.

The deed records next show that on March 28, 1853 Eli Jones obtained 94 acres in the Town of New Scotland from Conrad Mart and his wife Maria. The deed is recorded at Book 121 of Deeds at Page 52. This again appears to be a purchase as the Albany County Mortgages Index shows a mortgage dated March 28, 1853 to Eli and Mary Ann Jones from Ira Nodine. This transaction is consistent with the 1860 Census which recorded Eli Jones and his family to be living in the Town of New Scotland.

On December 14, 1867 Eli Jones et al received a conveyance of 206 acres in New Scotland from Stephen Van Rensselaer IV and his wife Harriet. This deed is recorded at Book 213 of Deeds at Page 58. While the subsequent 1870 Census has no record of Eli Jones, the land conveyance that occurred in December 1867 indicates that at least as late as that date Eli and his family were still living in the Town of New Scotland, and again, the 1880 Census does record Eli Jones to be living in New Scotland.

There are no records found that show when and how Eli Jones disposed of the New Scotland property, which between the two deeds of 1853 and 1867, totaled 300 acres. The likelihood is that the land was inherited by one or more of his children who may have subsequently disposed of the land. Research continues in this area.

The final land transaction on record for Eli Jones is a conveyance by him to John E. Jones on July 28, 1873 of 80 acres in Westerlo, which property is referred to as “being John E. Jones’ farm in Westerlo”. The deed is recorded at Book 266 of Deeds at Page 376. This recorded conveyance occurred when Eli Jones would have been about 58 years old, and when John E. Jones and his wife Elizabeth, from whom Eli had obtained 81-1/2 acres in Berne back in 1845, would have been ages 89 and 86, respectively. It is questionable that John E. and Elizabeth Jones would have been obtaining additional land to farm at their advanced age, so it is more likely that the grantee in this transaction was the younger John E. Jones who had been born in 1820. No records have been found that show how it was that Eli Jones himself had came into possession of the Westerlo property, and research continues on that question.

This last transaction once again suggests a familial relationship between Eli Jones and John E. Jones, the exact nature of which has not yet been determined although it seems likely that the elder John E. Jones was the father of Eli Jones and the younger was his brother.

As noted before, the earliest convincing records for our ancestor Eli Jones are the 1840 Census. Based upon the belief that Eli was born in about 1815, which is supported by his reported ages of 35 in the 1850 Census and 46 in the 1860 Census, and the grouping of him in the 1840 Census into the age range of 20 to 30, we can presume that in the 1830 and 1820 Censuses he would have been included as a household member in the Census records for his father and mother. In 1830 he would have been about age 15 and in 1820 he would have been about age 5. The Census records for 1830 showing John E. Jones living in Westerlo, Albany County, New York and having male children between the ages of 10 to 15 and 15 to 20 supports the conclusion that Eli Jones was the son of John E. Jones from Westerlo.

With respect to what Eli Jones farmed at his properties in Berne, Coeymans and New Scotland, no records exist. However, The History of New York State, published in 1927, written by Dr. James Sullivan[58], documents that in the 1800’s the farming in Berne generally consisted of growing vegetables and grasses, New Scotland crops included fruits and potatoes, and the primary farm products for Coeymans were vegetables, fruits and milk. We can assume that Eli Jones likely farmed some combination of the agricultural products.

[1] The “least” German states are Maine and Rhode Island.

[2] Johann Heinrich “Americanized” his name to John Henry after immigrating to the United States.

[3] Baltimore Passenger Lists, 1820-1948, Microfilm Roll M255_11

[5]Four other “slave states” – Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri – remained a part of the Union, although both Kentucky and Missouri were represented with a star on the flag of the Confederacy.

[6] The Draft Riots were violent protests that occurred after Abraham Lincoln issued the March 3, 1863, Enrollment Act of Conscription. Although demonstrations took place in many Northern cities, the riots that broke out in New York City were both the most violent and the most publicized. Eventually, Lincoln deployed combat troops from the Federal Army of the Potomac to restore order; they remained encamped around the city for several weeks.

[7] The Mine Run Campaign took place from November 27 to December 2, 1863, with Payne’s Farm and New Hope Church the first and heaviest clashes of the campaign. Skirmishing was heavy, but a major attack did not materialize. Union General Meade concluded that the Confederate line of Robert E. Lee was too strong to attack and retired during the night of December 1-2, ending the winter campaign.

[8] The U.S. National Park Service database for Andersonville Prison allows users to search for prisoners by name, regiment or company.

[9] New York City at that time did not include the modern-day boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, which did not become part of Greater New York City until 1898, or the Bronx, which became part of New York City is stages in 1874, 1895 and 1896, or Staten Island.

[10] The entries on the 1900 United States Census show that Louise reported her year of immigration to be 1865.

[11] One wonders if the directory may have been is error, and that “lumber” in fact should have read “plumber”. Other records show that John Henry’s two oldest sons, Henry and Herman, worked at times as plumbers. As it was common at the time for sons to learn a trade from their father, it raises the possibility that John Henry may have worked as a plumber rather than in the lumber business.

[12] The Census recorder noted only the name “Henry” Obertubbesing as head of the household, dropping the “John”. It is noted that in a number of records John Henry varied in how his name was used, sometimes using both “John” and “Henry”, and sometimes just using one or the other.

[13] Any person with the surname Obertubbesing can certainly understand the difficulties frequently caused by the misspelling of our family name.

[14] Herman Tressin, a fellow Union soldier who witnessed John Henry’s wounds, submitted such a letter in support of John Henry’s 1886 Civil War Pension application. His recollection is set forth earlier in this chapter.

[15] Grove Church Cemetery is owned by the Grove Reformed Church, 1132 46^th Street, North Bergen, New Jersey 07047.

[16] Founded in Decatur, Illinois on April 6, 1866 by Benjamin F. Stephenson, membership was limited to honorably discharged veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or the Revenue Cutter Service who had served between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865. The GAR founded soldiers’ homes, was active in relief work and in pension legislation. Five members were elected President and, for a time, it was impossible to be nominated on the Republican ticket without the endorsement of the GAR. The final Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic was held in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1949 and the last member, Albert Woolsen died in 1956 at the age of 109 years.

[17] Household members recorded in the 1880 Census included Henry, age 43, head of household, his wife “Louise”, age 36, and children Hnery, age 11, Herman, age 8, and Charley, age 6.

[18] The Census recorder mistakenly entered his name as “Harry” and his wife as “Lorinda”.

[19] The Census recorder recorded the household members as “Beary” Osertebhering, age 41, “Rainna” , age 32, Howard age 2 and James “Hegeman”, age 69.

[20] The names recorded by the Census recorder were Henry “Obentubbesing”, age 50, “Lovinia Obentubbesing”, age 41, and Howard “Obentubbesing”, age 11.

[21] Certificate # 16438, recorded in Births Reported in April 1895.

[23] Herman, while age 24 in 1895, did not marry until 1899; Charles was age 21 in 1895 but did not marry until 1900; Louise was age 14 in 1895 and did not marry until 1901; William was just 12 years old in 1895, and Lena was just 7 years old in 1895.

[24] In 1895 when Milton was born John Henry would have been age 57 and Johanna Louise would have been age 51.

[25] One other possibility is that Milton and Melvin are one in the same person. No independent records have been found to document the births or deaths of either Melvin or Everett Obertubbesing.

[26] Some of those descendants also carried on the family tradition of working as plumbers. Howard’s sons Howard, b. Dec 19, 1931, Philip, b. Aug 5, 1937, Gerald, b. Jun 19, 1941 and Edwin, b. Aug 1. 1945, all worked as plumbers in their lives.

[27] Howard’s children included Howard, Philip, Gerald, Kathryn and Joan Obertubbesing. Howard left Far Rockaway in 1963, Gerald left for Brooklyn in the late 1970’s, Kathryn moved to Long Island in the late 1970’s, Joan moved to Long Island in the 1980’s, and Philip lived in Far Rockaway until his death in 1994.

[28] Excerpt taken from the “History” section of the website for The Wave, Rockaway’s newspaper since 1893. http://www.rockawave.com.

[29] The Author’s maternal ancestors (the Jones family) also resided in Rockaway from the early 1900’s to the 1960’s.

[30] Richard Cornell purchased the land known as Rockaway 1687.

[31] As previously noted, Records of the New York City Health Department document that a child named Milton Obertubbesing was born in March 1895 and died on September 13, 1895. It is quite possible that Milton may have been a first born child of Henry, or it could also be that one of Henry’s children was named Milton rather than Melvin, but no definitive evidence of either possibility can be found.

[32] This belief in anecdotal in its origin. When my oldest brother Thomas Lee Obertubbesing graduated from Cairo High School in Cairo, New York in 1973, it was said that he was the first Obertubbesing to graduate from high school.

[33] Kathryn Rose Ferger, aka Catherine Ferger, was born September 8, 1913. She was raised by Philip and Hazel Ferger, who at the time of the 1920 Census lived in Manhattan and in 1930 lived in the Bronx. Kathryn is believed to have been adopted by Philip and Hazel Ferger.

[34] Kathryn would have been age 17 when she became pregnant with Howard in about March 1931.

[35] The total Korean War casualties for the 1^st Cavalry included 3,811 killed in action and 12,086 wounded in action.

[36] Elizabeth was the daughter of George Herbert Jones and his wife Mary White. The family history of Elizabeth is set forth in great detail in the Jones Family chapters of this book.

[37] Cairo was formed from Catskill, Coxsackie and Freehold, or Durham, on March 26, 1803. It lies at the foot of the Catskills, the mountains forming the west boundary. Patents had been issued for all of the lands of this town before the Revolution, but it is doubtful whether any of these had been occupied by actual settlers before James Barker, who came in 1772. With the end of strife there was quite a migration to this district, principally by those who were after hemlock bark for tanneries. Curiously, out of the destruction of so many trees for their bark, grew a new industry, which has left its name forever on one of the streams of the neighborhood—shingle making. The only sizable settlement in the town is the village of Cairo.

[38] The older brother of Elizabeth, George Edward Jones was born July 1932 in Far Rockaway.

[39] The middle name “Lee” is from an Army friend whom Howard served in Korea with.

[40] The law school is now known by the name Widener University School of Law, with campuses in Wilmington, Delaware and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

[41] Sirli Sepper was born Aug 14, 1981 in Tallinn, Estonia. Her parents are Alexander Sepper and Eve Vesiloik.

[42] “Thomas” is after Edward’s oldest brother and “Endel” was the name of Sirli’s maternal grandfather.

[43] New York City Births, Certificate # 30608.

[44] The National Cyclopedia of American Biography. Volume 36. New York: James T. White & Co., 1950.

[45] Perhaps Charles was the romantic type, having married Louise on Valentine’s Day, which was a Wednesday in 1900.

[46] New York City Department of Health, Births Reported in the City of New York, 1891-1902, certificate # 7653.

[47] As later discussed, the other children of John Henry and Johanna Louise - Louise, William and Lena - and their descendants, all moved to, lived in and built there lives in New Jersey and subsequently in other places, but none appear to have ever returned to New York.

[48] 1900 Census records show a Hansen family living at 511 9^th Avenue in Manhattan. The head-of-household was a man age 39 whose name appears to possibly be Marty. Household members included a daughter Mary, age 20, and sons August, age 19, Albert, age 17, and Henry, age 7. Albert is described as being employed as a driver, which is consistent with the occupation listed for him in the 1910 Census.

[49] As previously noted, Census records for 1940 will not be available to the public until after 2010.

[50] During the American Revolution, the Berne area raised a company of 85 men, 65 of whom fought with the British.

[51] Barent Peterse Coeymans, a Dutch immigrant from Utrecht, settled the area in 1636.

[52] The three most frequent surnames ahead on Jones are Smith, Johnson and Williams.

[53] As discussed, it is apparent that Eli Jones was the son of John E. Jones, b. abt. 1784, and his wife, the former Elizabeth Dean, b. abt. 1787, d. aft 1870. Census records show that John E. Jones lived in Westerlo, Albany County, New York at the time of the Censuses conducted in 1830, 1840 and 1850. John E. Jones from Westerlo is noted in the 1830 Census to have one male child between ages 10-15 and one between the ages of 15-20. Eli Jones, having been born in 1815, and thus 15 years of age in 1830, could have been recorded in either of those columns, so the 1830 Census likely is referring to a young Eli Jones.

[54] Census records are available for the years between 1790 to 1930. The 1890 records were destroyed by fire and for the most part are not available. Records prior to 1850 listed only the name of the head-of-household with no family members names recorded. Census records are not available to the public for a period of 70 years; the 1940 Census records will become available in the year 2010.

[55] Records found in the Berne Historical Project show the lineage of Mary Ann Smith to be as follows: Her parents were Nicholas Smith, b.1797, d. 1853 and Mariah Onderdonk, b. 1801, d. 1861. Maternal grandparents were Peter Onderdonk, b. 1778, d. 1873 and Eleanor Chatterton, b. 1774, d. 1858. Maternal Great-Grandparents were Johannes Onderdonk, b. 1749, d. 1846 and Margrietje, b. 1750, d. 1825.

[56] The handwriting on the Census form is difficult to read for this name, and this spelling is the best guess at what is written.

[57] The name Margaret is spelled differently in the two census, the apparent result of a spelling error by the census taker.

[58] Publisher Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc., 1927