Keziah (Gould) Purdy, 1823-1845

Once upon a time, about 1840,

There was a young girl named Keziah,

Who fell in love with a young man named Daniel.

They got married.

Within a year they had a daughter, Aurelia.

Twenty months later they had another daughter, little Adelaide.

Two years later, Keziah died of consumption.

Daniel and his little daughters moved 

In order to live near relatives that could help them,

Or perhaps because the grief was just too present where they lived.

A little over a year later,

Daniel remarried to a woman named Susan.

They had several children, 

Who they raised along with Aurelia and Adelaide.

Adelaide married in 1859, at age 16 to Wes.

Three days later, her father, stepmother, sister and step-siblings moved overland from upstate New York on to Wisconsin.

After the Civil War, Adelaide and Wes followed them in 1872.

None of them ever returned to New York.

Keziah's name became a memory in a family Bible.

Her birth and death dates recorded but fading.

Daniel died in 1881.

The information he knew about Keziah seemed to have died with him.

Who were her parents, her siblings?

Where was she born?

Where did she die?

And where was she buried?

No one knew the answers anymore.

For years after I started family history research, my family had only the birth and death dates and a name for my 3rd-Great-Grandmother. And the name that was "remembered" was Hezekiah Gould.  The name and dates had supposedly come from an old family Bible, but like so many things once owned and cherished, the Bible was long gone, and no one knew where it had gone to.

The name Hezekiah never felt right to me, historically it has been a man's name but like the dates that we had, I took them as good hints and kept looking. To not confuse the issue, at this point I will say that eventually I was able to prove that her name was Keziah.

According to the information that had been shared with me, Keziah was born 28 Jan 1825 and died on 20 Jun 1845 at age 20. She married Daniel Crane Purdy on 11 March 1841. The locations are not known for where Keziah was born or where she married Daniel.  

Two daughters were born to Keziah and Daniel. Aurelia A. Purdy was born 19 Nov 1841 in Wyoming County, New York. Her sister, Adelaide Fredora Purdy, was born 20 July 1843 in Allegany County, New York, possibly in the Town of Allen. According to family lore, Keziah died of "Consumption", known today as Tuberculosis, just two years later.

While also looking for information on Keziah, I noted that her mother-in-law, Daniel's mother, Abagail (Crane) Purdy died just a few months after Keziah on 1 October 1845 in Allegany County, New York. I found information on alleganyhistory.org that said that Abagail was buried in Pine Grove Cemetery, Town of Hume in Allegany County. I contacted the Town Historian, Rondus Miller, and she was kind enough to send me copies of the Cemetery Sexton's Plot book and another page that listed graves that had been "removed" from other cemeteries to Pine Grove Cemetery.  

It showed on the "Removed" list:

Abigal Wife of James Purdy Jr. Died Oct 1st 1845, Age 53y 

removed on May 13, 1887 and buried in Lot #139.

and to my great excitement:

Keziah wife of Daniel C. Purdy, Died Jun 20 1845, Age 22y

Removed    May 13, 1887 and buried in Lot #139.

 

Pine Grove Cemetery Sexton's Book, p.10

Filmore, Town of Hume, Allegany County, New York

Removals from other cemeteries reburied in Pine Grove Cemetery.

Note:  Click on the photos to look at full size images.

The name or location of the cemetery that Keziah and Abagail were originally buried in is not known. Rondus speculated that they may have been moved from the Mills' Mills Cemetery which had been located near a school, or possibly from a private grave on family property, but no record so far has been found that clarifies this.  Pine Grove Cemetery was established in 1860 and Keziah and Abagail's graves were moved on 13 May 1887.  By 1887, Keziah's husband, Daniel, was deceased.  It is unknown who had the graves moved.

This record from the Sexton's book also documents the marriages of Abagail to James Purdy, Jr., and that of Keziah to Daniel C. Purdy. It lists Keziah's age at death as 22 years old which would indicate she may have born in 1823 instead of 1825. While family lore says that Keziah's maiden name is Gould, no documentation has yet been found to support that.

Keziah and Abagail are buried in Lot #139 in Pine Grove Cemetery with seven other graves. There is no grave marker for Keziah, but there is a grave marker for Abagail. 

Abagail (Crane) Purdy, 1791-1845

Pine Grove Cemetery

Filmore, Town of Hume, Allegany County, New York

Others buried in Lot #139 with Keziah and Abagail are shown in the burial recording section of the Sexton's plot book, below.  Margarette Purdy and Sara A. Purdy (daughter of William Slagel) are relatives of the Purdy family. Other than Abagail Purdy, none of the others have grave markers listed in the current cemetery survey.  

Pine Grove Cemetery Sexton's Book, Lot #139

Filmore, Town of Hume, Allegany County, New York

Abagail Crane was married twice, first to Gideon W. Sowle about 1808. They are shown in the 1810 census in Camillus, Onondaga County, New York. They had two children, the only one who survived to adulthood was Aaron C. Soule. Gideon died in 1813. 

From 1813 - 1823, Rev James D. Purdy Sr, father of James Purdy Jr and grandfather of Daniel Crane Purdy, served the Scipio Circuit of the Methodist Genesee Conference. 

Rev. James D. Purdy Sr., lived in Camillus at the time of the 1820 census and possibly the entire time he was serving the Scipio Circuit from 1813-1823.

Abagail remarried in 1813 to James D. Purdy Jr. in Camillus, Onondaga County and they had six children, one of which was Daniel Crane Purdy.  

James Purdy, Jr. died in 1830 in Elbridge, Onondaga county when Daniel was 9 years old. The only adult male in the family at James Purdy's death was Aaron Soule and it appears that Abagail lived with Aaron and his family from then until her death.  

By 1840 Aaron Soule was living in Warsaw, Genesee County, New York with eight people in his household with ages appropriate to his mother, Abagail, and his half-brothers, Augustus, and Daniel C. Purdy.

It is unconfirmed where Keziah and Daniel were married. The date from the missing bible says they were married 11 Mar 1841 and locations that they lived in indicate strongly that it could have been in Genesee County. 

Their oldest daughter, Aurelia, was born in (then) Wyoming County, New York on 19 Nov 1841. Wyoming County was formed from Genesee County on May 19, 1841. Wyoming and Genesee counties are adjacent to each other with Genesee county to the north, so it is likely that Keziah was living in early Genesee County when Daniel met her, possibly near Warsaw where he was likely living with his mother and older half-brother.

Adelaide was born on 20 Jul 1843 in Allen, Allegany County which was directly south of Wyoming County indicating that Daniel and Keziah had moved between Nov 1841 and early 1843.

Aaron Sowle was living in the Town of Caneadea, Allegany County at the 1850 census, but given that Abagail is buried in the Town of Hume, Allegany County it is likely his family moved there prior to her death on 1 Oct 1845. 

Pine Grove Cemetery in the village of Filmore, Town of Hume, Allegany County is where Keziah and Abagail are buried. It is less than 10 miles from Allen, making it likely that Abagail and Keziah died in 1845 in the immediate area of the adjacent Towns of Caneadea and Hume. 

Nothing more has been found about Keziah. Still to be confirmed is her maiden name, who her parents were, and where she was born.

My line of descent from Keziah, my 3rd-Great-Grandmother:

Keziah (Gould) Purdy, mother of 

Adelaide (Purdy) Kenyon, mother of

Louis Avery Kenyon, father of

Charles Martin Kenyon, father of

Kathleen (Kenyon) Von Fumetti, mother of

Karla (Von Fumetti) Staudt

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

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Heirlooms: Charles M. Kenyon's Violin and Phebe (Hunt) Vandervort's Piano

Photo Note:  Click on any image to view the full size photo.

My mother, Kathleen Kenyon, and her siblings grew up in post-Depression poverty in rural, Monroe County, Wisconsin. There was no indoor plumbing. No electricity. What heat there was in -30 Wisconsin winters came from a single wood burning stove in their living area, and a wood fueled cast iron range in the kitchen.

The house had been built almost 70 years before in 1872. It was run down, unpainted, and absolutely worn on every surface. But the family was happy to be there. After moving from house to house, after WWI, each of the children born in different homes as their parents worked hard to stay ahead of the rent payments, my grandfather had finally been able to purchase back what was the old Kenyon homestead farm on a land contract which we would call today, rent to own. The farm, which my grandfather had grown up on, had been sold out of the family over 20 years earlier by his father.

There simply was no money for any type of extravagance.

My grandfather, Charles M. Kenyon, and his father, Lou, played violin, guitar, piano, and other instruments totally by ear. They were widely respected for their talent and often played at barn dances and at the community hall.  The fiddle Charlie played was a "Stradivarius" model and had been ordered from the Sears catalog ca.1895-1900 when my grandfather was a boy and the used guitar had been picked up sometime after that. The family did not own a piano. 

Charles Kenyon with his fiddle, ca 1945-50.

Inherited by Charles' grandson, Rodney Kenyon in 1963.

Singing around the guitar and dancing around the fiddle at home in the evenings was a big part of my mother's family's entertainment in the little free time they had from working the farm.

From that point in my story, I will let my Uncle Jim Kenyon's voice take over in a story he shared in his book, "A Record of my Yester-Years"… 

Great Grandma passed away on a Monday in July 1932. Before that time, she gave a wonderful gift to our family. She purchased a brand new Brunswick piano. She wanted (my sister) Doris to take piano lessons, which she did. 

She knew that Dad and Grandpa both played the piano. She also knew that it would bring a lot of good times, singing around the piano, for the family; and it did. That was our entertainment center when company came.

There sure was quite a contrast in our old house, between the old gray wooden benches, unvarnished tables, potbellied stove, bare wood floors, and this beautiful new piano.

Thank-you, Grandma. We had a lot of happy times singing and dancing around your beautiful piano. You brought us many years of happiness in a not so happy era. You brought us many stories to brighten up our dull days; and you made us laugh. You gave us love and continuity with our generations long since passed. 

I remember you, with your frail body and stooped shoulders. I remember you, with your smiling face and the love you delivered to our family.

That piano was known as Phebe's Piano after Phebe (Hunt) Vandervort and was inherited by her grandson, Glen (Shookman) Kenyon and had a place of honor in his family's home until 2014 when my aunt died and it passed out of the family.

Phebe (Hunt) Vandervort, 1851-1932.

ca.1925

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

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Lillie McCrory Taylor (1839-1914): What was Her Relationship to Joseph Greenwood?

James "Joseph" Greenwood is my 2nd great-grandfather.  He was born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland in February 1823 and emigrated during the Great Starvation to the United States about November 1848. He lived in Steubenville, Ohio at "The Grove" which was the home and property of the intermarried members of the Stokely, Wilson and Lloyd clan.  

Joseph moved to Dubuque, Iowa in 1853 with Judge Thomas Wilson from "The Grove" and was still living in the home of Thomas Wilson in the summer of 1856 as a servant.  He met his wife, Mary Delahunty, who was also a servant in the Wilson home, and they married 3 Sep 1858 at St. Raphael's Cathedral.  They lived out their married life farming in rural Dubuque county.  

Mary died 21 Feb 1894 and is buried in St. Joseph's Catholic cemetery in Farley, Iowa.  Joseph lived with his son, James, from then until his death in 1902.  From 1894, Joseph made several trips back to visit old friends in Steubenville, spending the summer of 1899 there.

When Joseph died in April 1902, there was not a funeral held for him in Iowa and he is not buried there with his wife of nearly 40 years.  His remains were sent on to Steubenville, Ohio, accompanied by his sons. Joseph's funeral was held in the home of Mrs. Lillie (McCrory) Taylor.  He is buried at Union Cemetery with his brother, Hugh Greenwood who died in 1895.  The grave immediately beside theirs is that of Lillie (McCrory) Taylor.  On the other side of Lillie are the graves of her husband Thomas B. Taylor and his first wife, Margaretta (Workman) Taylor.

Lillie McCrory was born in 1839 in Ireland and was the daughter of Samuel McCrory and Mary Moorehead.  She emigrated to the US and arrived at the port of New York on 7 Oct 1857 with Mary Kidd.  Lillie is not found in the 1860 US Census but was living in Steubenville, Ohio by 4 Jun 1863.  Lillie married Thomas B. Taylor in Jefferson County, Ohio on 25 April 1867.

The 1870 census shows Lillie and Thomas living at "The Grove" with the family of William R. and Jane (Stokely) Lloyd.   Also living at "The Grove" as a separate household is Elizabeth (Stokely) Wood, current owner of the property.

Lillie is listed in 1880 census with Thomas in Steubenville. Thomas died 1 July 1891 and was buried at Union Cemetery.  Lillie continued to live in Steubenville through the 1900 and 1910 censuses.  She moved to the United Presbyterian (UP) Home in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny Co, Pennsylvania and lived there from 1912 until she died 23 Mar 1914.  Lillie is buried in Union Cemetery.  Her grave marker lies between that of Joseph Greenwood's and a single stone shared by her husband Thomas B. Taylor and his first wife, Margaretta Workman.

Maria (Kidd) Guildford, born Jan 1840 in Ireland who emigrated with Lillie McCrory, was the daughter of James and Esther "Bettie" (Greenwood) Kidd.  It is believed that Esther Greenwood is the sister of Joseph Greenwood, and that Maria is his niece.  I have DNA matches connecting me to Benjamin Greenwood KIDD, the brother of Maria Kidd Guildford.

KEY ITEMS OF INTEREST:

Joseph Greenwood lived at "The Grove" with Judge Thomas Wilson, son of Peter and Francis (Stokely) Wilson for several years and moved with Judge Wilson to Dubuque, Iowa in 1853.

Lillie McCrory emigrated with the niece of Joseph Greenwood in 1857 to the United States.

Lillie and her husband, Thomas, lived at "The Grove" in 1870 with William R and Jane (Stokely) Lloyd and adjacent to Elizabeth (Stokely) Wood.

All the Stokely families are closely related but no marriages to anyone with the surnames of McCrory, Greenwood or Taylor are found. None of the Stokely clan appears to have ancestry in Ireland.

Joseph's only funeral was held in the home of Lillie McCrory Taylor in 1902.

Lillie McCrory Taylor and Joseph Greenwood are buried side by side and Joseph's wife is buried in Iowa.   It is believed that Hugh Greenwood never married.

Both Joseph Greenwood and his brother, Hugh, were brought back to Steubenville to be buried after their deaths.

Joseph Greenwood is from Ballymena, Antrim, Ireland.

Lillie (McCrory) Taylor had a living nephew, John Watt, who lived in Ballymena at the time of Lillie's death in 1914.

Lillie left a significant bequest from her estate to Maria (Kidd) Guilford, Joseph's niece in 1914.   

Maria named one of her daughters, Lillian, and one of Joseph's granddaughters was named Lillian.

The entire remainder of Lillie's estate was left to Mountford L. Lloyd in trust for William L. Lloyd to be kept safely invested, and the net income to be paid to the said William L. Lloyd during his natural life. 

At the death of said William L. Lloyd the residue became the absolute property of Mountford L. Lloyd, or his heirs.   Mountford L. Lloyd and William L. Lloyd are the sons of William and Jane (Stokely) Lloyd that Lillie and Thomas were living with at "The Grove" in 1870.

Lillie appointed Mary Wood as Executrix of estate.  Mary Wood was the daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Stokely) Wood.

My direct line connection to Joseph Greenwood:

Karla Von Fumetti, daughter of

Cyril Von Fumetti, son of

Sadie (Greenwood) Von Fumetti Bush, daughter of

Joseph Greenwood, son of

Joseph Greenwood, 1823-1902

Pictured:  Bob Greene and Viki Von Fumetti, 1966.

My grandmother, Sadie (Greenwood) Bush was trying to solve this mystery as far back as 1966 when she made the trip from Dubuque to Steubenville to visit Joseph Greenwood's grave.

This is the grave of Lillie McCrory's husband, Thomas B. Taylor's, 

first wife, Margaretta (Workman) Taylor

This is a 55-year research mystery, and I welcome any input, questions, or suggestions.

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

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Heirlooms: The Silver Cups

 

My Grandfather and Grandmother, Edmund and Georgia Von Fumetti continued a German tradition that had been followed in the Von Fumetti family for generations. I was given a silver cup when I was born, engraved with my name and birthdate, and each of my sisters and brother were given one as they were born. There were slight variations among them all and none of the cups was just like the other. 

My father, Cyril Von Fumetti, with his step-mother, Georgia, and 

my grandfather, Edmund Von Fumetti

July 1984

The little silver cups were not saved for special occasions. We could use them anytime we wanted to, and the wear and dents show that they were frequently used and enjoyed. They often did get pulled out for events such as family birthday celebrations. The photo below is from my sister's birthday in 1968 and all six cups are on the table.

The Silver Cups

Lower right:  Lynn and Karla's cups

Beside the cake: Mark's cup

Two together in front of Mom:  Lisa's and Jill's cups

Upper right:  Viki's cup

We loved the little treasured cups. It made them more special that they had our names and birthdates engraved on them. I would take my finger and follow the letters of script on the cup long before I could read my name. But, I knew it was my name and took great pride in having something that was mine only.  Almost everything we had as children, we were expected to share under most circumstances. These little cups were one of few exceptions.

Of the cups given to the six of us, five still exist. Lynn's was lost over the years.

This is my cup. Full of dents and a bit wobbly on the bottom now as the soft metal has been used, dropped, and bumped many times over 65 years. 

Karla Jean

August 31, 1956

Mark Steven

Now much loved and enjoyed by his grandson, Finn Cooper.

Jill Marie

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

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Giuseppe Maria v. Fumetti, ca.1670-abt.1730; Origins, History, Coat of Arms: Shield and Crest

 

Family tradition tells that Giuseppe Maria v. Fumetti, born in Tuscany, moved to Düsseldorf with a daughter of the House of de Medici as a financial advisor in her marriage to the Elector of Palatine.

My Fumetti line of descent from my sixth great-grandfather:

Giuseppe Maria v. Fumetti, ca.1670 Tuscany - bef.1730 Cologne 

Johann Ferdinand v. Fumetti, 1701-1757

Franz Joseph Anton Nepomuck v. Fumetti, 1739-1799

Johannes Justinus "Justin" v. Fumetti, 1790-1861

Franz "August" Robert v. Fumetti, 1823-1891

Julius Francis "William" August von Fumetti, 1866-1936

Edmund August Von Fumetti, 1901-1988

Cyril William Gene Von Fumetti, 1930 - 2012

Karla Jean Von Fumetti

The following is from the "Genealogisches Handbuch Des Adels, Adelige Häuser B Band III" [the Genealogical Handbook of the Nobility. Aristocrat houses B Band III] by C. A. Starke, 1958 citing Walter Rau: The family von Fumetti manuscript, 1955, the property of the author in Stuttgart:

Translation:  Catholic. The family comes from Italy, probably from the Tuscan nobility, and came to Germany in the 17th century. The family line begins with Giuseppe Maria (v.) Fumetti, died before 1730, Kurköln. Banker in Düsseldorf. Belonging to the nobility was not objected to in Prussia. 

Giuseppe was considered Tuscan nobility when he went to Düsseldorf which at that time was an Electorate of the Holy Roman Empire. Nobility were people who had titles bestowed on them which were hereditary such as Dukes, Counts, Earls, and Barons but were not royalty. Although it seems acknowledged that Giuseppe was a noble from Tuscany, it is unknown what his title was when he went to Düsseldorf. Based on the crest of a Count's crown which adorns the Fumetti shield, Giuseppe was given the title of Count by the Electorate of Palatine. There is no other mention in the family history or papers of any other title, so Giuseppe may have been a Count in Tuscany, or the Elector may have only recognized the title bestowed on him in Düsseldorf.

While I have not found proof that Giuseppe Fumetti escorted her; Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, the daughter of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, did marry Johann Wilhelm, the Elector of Palatine on 29 April 1691. The House of Medici was the Italian banking and political family that ruled Florence for three centuries. Anna Maria Luisa left shortly after her marriage, by proxy in Tuscany, for Düsseldorf, the capital of the Electorate of Palatine.  

The timing of the marriage of Giuseppe Fumetti to Anna Sophia Christina Coppels (Kappels) in 1696 in Düsseldorf lends some credence to the family lore as well the information given in the Handbuch Des Adels.

Beate v. Fumetti b.1917 is a great-granddaughter of Justin v. Fumetti in the lineage at the top of the page. Research done by Beate prior to 1990 and translated by Lisi Fruhling, at that time:

When Anna Maria Luisa de Medici had sent for merchants, artists, workmen and bank-clerks from her house, the Toscana, Giuseppe Fumetti came from there as one of the bank-clerks to Düsseldorf, who had to care for the finances of the sovereign, as the banks of Florenz were said then to be standard in money-matters.

The Fumetti family is demonstrable up from the 12th century. They had lived near the upper Italian lakes, Garda, or Como Lake. They were against a ruling party of the Viscounts. After a battle against them the (Fumetti's) had to fly and there lived in the Toscana. Giuseppe’s parents are unknown. He probably lived in Florenz before removing to Düsseldorf, he was the first v.F. in Germany. 

Taking the account of Giuseppe von Fumetti's life from the Adels book, I turned to Horst Reschke in 2000 who both translated and explained Giuseppe's notable accomplishments:

Giuseppe was a diplomat, or ambassador, for the Electorate of Cologne at the court of Palatinal-Zweibrücken.

An electorate was a state ruled over by an Elector. An elector was one of only a handful of German princes whose obligation and privilege it was, to elect the Kaiser or emperor.  

Cologne - not just the city, but the territory around it - was ecclesiastical territory as early as 313/14. It first became a diocese, when Cologne was conquered by the Franks, in 459 A.D. In the year 794 it was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. In the 12th century the archbishop of Cologne became one of the electors. The secularization of the territory of Cologne began in 1801, when France annexed the area west of the Rhine. It continued in 1803 with the assignment of the area east of the river to several secular states and was wholly completed in 1806, when the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation ceased to exist.

The first time the Palatinate and Zweibrücken were associated with each other was in 1390, when the lineage of the Counts of Zweibrücken became extinct and its possessions fell to the Palatinate. Zweibrücken pretty well remained in the picture all along, but always as a component of a slightly different name combination. The actual designation Pfalz-Zweibrücken came into existence in 1611, when the (convoluted) territory was split three ways. The other two sections were named Pfalz-Moschellandsberg and Pfalz-Kleeburg. 

Giuseppe v. Fumetti and his wife, Anna Coppels, had eight children. My immediate family is descended from their third child, Johann Ferdinand v. Fumetti. Giuseppe died about 1730 in Koln (Cologne) and Anna died 1739 in Düsseldorf, Prussia, though their exact burial locations are unknown.

At the christening of his children from 1697 to 1711 in the St. Lambert's Catholic Church in Düsseldorf, the father's name is given as Giuseppe Maria and/or Josephus or Joseph Maria Fumetti, rather than v. Fumetti which would indicate nobility although it is unclear if that was simply a preference of the recording church. 

All of Giuseppe's children used the title of v. Fumetti during adulthood which indicates that Giuseppe may have been granted his title of Count after 1711, if not before. 

The Fumetti shield has been in existence at least since the time of Giuseppe's move to Düsseldorf and may have been used prior. The shield, as used by the direct descendants of Giuseppe v. Fumetti also includes a crest of a Count's crown. 

Photos and information below are provided by "J. Siebmacher's grosses und allgemeines Wappenbuch, III. Band, 5. Abteilung; Der Adel des Herzogthums Oldenburg; Author: M. Gritzner, Ad. M. Hildebrandt; Publication: Nürnberg: Bauer & Raspe, 1872". 

Wappenbuch, translated to English means Heraldic Book. Siebmacher's Wappenbuch is considered the definitive work on Germanic heraldry.

Translated from German: 

This Italian family, which came from Tuscany at the beginning of the 18th century, was a member, then a privy councilor, of the Cologne electors. His sons turned to Hildesheim and donated the lines that were flourishing in Hanover and Oldenburg. Here the official assessor of the register belongs to Oldenburg Edmund Ludwig August v. F.

W .: In the (oval) g. Shields a descending b., Straight, continuous point, marked with 3 (2.1) stars and each marked with a cross (?) On the shield, which is held by 2 twisted snakes, rests a crown with 9 prongs that have 3 blades. 6 pearls in between. 

The shield shown in this book, is the one that has been used by every generation descending from Giuseppe v. Fumetti. Upper left corner. Siebmacher's 1872.

The earliest family evidence of the use of the coat of arms in my possession is from a hand created rendering on the seal of a document by Johannes Justinus v. Fumetti, the great-grandson of Giuseppe v. Fumetti. Estimated before 1822.

This image of the family crest below was drawn by my great-grandfather, William v. Fumetti in 1886 at age 20. Note that the image below had an addition to the coat of arms, an attached lion's head within a roped embellishment. Family account says that the lion's head was added to our line's coat of arms representing the marriage in 1822 between Johannes Justinus v. F. and his English wife, Katharina Diggles. The lion is a traditional symbol for England.

Several heirlooms exist within my extended family's direct line that carry the v. F. coat of arms or Count's crown.

When my grandfather emigrated about 1880, he brought with him a wax sealing kit in a small wooden box with a sealing tool that is called a petschaft, a form of siegel, or a seal. It is about 4" tall with an inverted copy of the v. F. coat of arms sealing plate is made of metal and attached to a handle. The seal can sit upright in a small, matching wooden cup. It was made after the marriage of Justin v. F. as it reflects the lion's head.

At the time that William emigrated he also brought stones of several types (agate, jade, bloodstone) that had the v. F. coat of arms etched into them. Two are held within my father, Cyril Von Fumetti's, line of descent and one is in the possession of his sister, Phyllis', descendants. Other stones exist among descendants of the emigrants to the U.S., William v. F. and of his brother, Johann Wilhelm Bernard v. F. 

Other pieces of jewelry also exist among the extended family including pendants and cufflinks. This belongs to one of my sisters.

William also brought, or inherited from his parents, some silverware and silver hollow ware which has been dispersed through the family. This is one of the spoons that he had as part of the set of silverware and has the Count's crown engraved on it:

Looking at the above pendant and the green jade ring, the armorial markings for color are fairly obvious. Dots are the standard representing the color gold in the shield, horizontal hatching indicates blue, and though it is not clear from the small images the stars are gold and the crosses are red. It is noted in descriptions of the shield that the crosses are unusual. They may reflect special meaning to the family at the time the crosses were created. They have radiating lines from the upper half of the crosses and a pearl or cabochon in the center, with a dropping straight arm ending in a small round shape. This pendant was made from a casting of the petschaft. The petschaft was created ca. 1822-1880 and may be the truest representation we have of the original coat of arms.

Shapes and colors used in heraldry are meant to represent different attributes of the person or family. Crosses can indicate religious steadfastness or faith; stars, divine quality. The color red suggests military strength, a warrior or military duty, possibly a martyr; gold expresses generosity, wisdom, glory and faith; and blue, to represent truth and loyalty.

The Count's crown reflects 9 pearls, 3 standing on each side of the center blade, and one on each of the 3 blades. Markings on the crown are a combination of crosses and diamonds believed to be black and blue in color respectively based on a letter from Victor v. Fumetti in 1998 describing his father's artwork. The color black, or sable, suggests wisdom, constancy, prudence and grief.

The serpent embellishments are gray serpents with red tongues. They are not considered to be part of the shield, but an adornment.

The dropping lion's head has a gold face with black mane, and the enclosing tapered rope is gold. This is not considered to be part of the shield, but an adornment added to reflect the marriage of Justine and Katharina (Diggels) v. F.

There can be confusion over who is entitled to use a coat of arms. Generally, it was worn by the individual it was awarded to or by a direct line descendant, traditionally male, from the person that was granted the original coat of arms. Modern interpretations include descendants of females with the family surname Fumetti.  

The ranks of nobility are no longer a legally recognized class in Germany since shortly after the end of WWI when the Weimar Constitution took effect in 1919 and all Germans were declared to be equal. The use of von (.v) commonly remained as part of the surname of these families and is still an indicator of which families in Germany descended from noble lines.

Today in the world, the Fumetti surname is found in Germany, Austria, Corsica, Italy, and the United States.  

I am working on a One-Name Study of the surname Fumetti. It is mostly in the research and DNA identification phase but a description can be found at https://one-name.org/ if you type in Fumetti in the box at the top of the webpage that says "Is your surname here?"   

There is also a 1 minute video describing what the Guild of One-Name Studies mission is that can be found here  https://vimeo.com/561265778

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.

The House at 2661 New Haven Street

 

2661 New Haven Street, Dubuque Iowa

ca. Winter 1971

Today, even the words "New Haven Street" tug at my heart and memories jump into the forefront of my thoughts. But there was a time when the street did not exist, nor the house we grew up in. 

Our family in spring 1961, consisted of my parents, myself and my sisters, Viki and infant, Lynn. At that time, we lived in a small 2-bedroom house on Hale Street and Dad and Mom decided we needed more room. Mom drew up what she wanted for the floor plan, Dad created the blueprints and my grandfather, Maurice Bush, a retired carpenter, became the contractor in charge of building the house.

We had a large garage right next to the house on Hale Street, it was as big as the house itself. A lot of activity started happening in that garage that little girls found fascinating. Mom, as well as Dad, Grandpa and a few strangers popped in and out throughout the days to work in there. The saws would make loud noises and Viki and I would cover our ears but stood there watching everything that was going on. This went on for some time and Grandpa, who we saw most of the time anyway, came and went more frequently, sometimes multiple times a day. Two curious little girls finally had enough wondering about what was going on and decided to find out for themselves. While Grandpa was in the house having a cup of coffee or a chat with Mom, Viki and I crawled into the back floorboards of his car. Grandpa hopped in a few minutes later and we were off.  

We must have been terrified of being found out because we were silent during the car ride and my grandfather had no idea, we were right behind him. A short time later Grandpa pulled the car to a stop and got out.  Viki and I slowly raised our heads and looked around us. We saw Grandpa up on the hill talking to men in front of something that looked like big pieces of wood put together in the shape of a house but that we could have walked right through. We turned our heads around. There were a few houses here or there, piles of dirt some places, big holes other places and a few more of those stick houses. All very interesting. The door to the car opened suddenly and we both jumped. We had been discovered. Grandpa just laughed at us, got in the car, and drove us back home. The big secret was out! We were going to have a new house.

The dirt covered property that we had just seen was on Lot 11 in Block 12 in Steger Heights Subdivision. At the time that New Haven Street was put in, it was literally the western edge of Dubuque. If you walked just to the crest of the hill all you could see was farmland and countryside in the distance to the west. Center Grove Church, about a mile away, was the only distinctive feature in the landscape and at that time Highway 20 ran a block behind our house rather than several blocks away to the south where it was moved during the mid-1960's. 

The house went up quickly. I started kindergarten that fall and while I was at school, and Viki and Lynn were with Grandma, Mom and Dad moved us from one house to the other on Sept 15, 1961.  Walking into the house that first afternoon was so exciting. We had beautiful hardwood floors throughout the living area and bedrooms that Dad had finished, and a kitchen table that was built into the wall of the kitchen, something I had never seen before. Walking down the hall we saw the bedroom that was going to be Lynn's, then further back was Mom and Dad's room at the front corner and Viki and my room at the back corner of the house. Our bedroom even had a toy closet built into the wall that had our dolls and games waiting for us. 

Although I did not realize it then, the house was of a very modern design inside with a lot of built-in features that other homes did not have. We had a linen closet that spanned the back of the hallway with shelves enclosed by cabinet doors on top and drawers below it. Dad built in false floors in our closet, and in theirs, that had a drop lid shoe chest and drawers along the front for extra storage underneath. Eventually the front bedroom had a chest of drawers built in as well. We had a large closet built over the stairwell to the basement which allowed for storage of larger things that sat on 2-foot-high tiered shelves that also allowed us to get into the attic. 

Most 3-bedroom houses of that time did not have more than a single bathroom. Dad and Mom had designed a longer narrow space divided by a door with entrances from both the back foyer and from the hallway. Walking in from the hallway was our tub and a large vanity that ran the length of the space with a sink to one side and storage underneath, then through to a smaller area with a toilet, sink and the washer and dryer. It was designed for a bigger family, and eventually there were eight of us in all and that bathroom allowed for us to get showers, dressed, hair fixed, and laundry done with surprising grace; most of the time.

Mom's kitchen, was a galley shape and had floor to ceiling cabinets, long spacious countertops, and a large utility closet that sat behind our kitchen table. If there was a spot to build in storage, there was something there; giving Arts and Crafts features to the ranch style house. The basement became our favorite play space, especially in the winter, and we had room to ride our tricycles, play with our toy kitchen and other large toys to our hearts' content. Later as Mark, Lisa and Jill arrived, two bedrooms were created in the basement for Viki and I and a work room for Dad. The play space became smaller but then had a TV and comfortable furniture for the kids to congregate. 

Our family owned the house over 40 years until July 2002 when Mom sold it to downsize to a smaller apartment. We all drive past the house whenever we are back in Dubuque; looking at what's changed and what is still the same. So many memories lie within those walls.

Spring Time

A look at the plans for the new house:

Double click on images to enlarge

The front elevation of the house including swing set placement.

Floor plan

The basement and garage with the curving steps down to the driveway.

The original color of the house remained for several years until a bad hailstorm destroyed the siding.  When it was replaced, the house was painted an olive green that remained until the house was sold.

My sister, Lynn, Spring 1966.

2661 New Haven Street with the curved stairs, 6th house down from the corner

New Haven Street in 2013, upper street.

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.

Mary (Delehanty) Greenwood, 1829-1894: Parents, Siblings and Origins

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.

Mary Delehanty emigrated to the United States about 1855 although I have been unable to find her specific immigration information to date.  She is found first in Dubuque, Iowa in the 1856 Iowa State Census when she is listed as Mary Dillanttei at age 27.  The census lists her as a servant, born in Ireland, and in the state "0" years.  Mary is living in a house with the family of Judge Thomas Wilson and three other servants, Mary O’Hare, Ann Lynett, and Joseph Greenwood, all also born in Ireland and new to the state.  Joseph Greenwood moved to Dubuque with the family of Thomas Wilson and had been associated with the Wilson family for several years prior.  Mary shows up in the 1856-57 Dubuque City Directory, along with Joseph Greenwood as a servant, boarding at 16th and White, which is also listed as the home of Thomas Wilson, a District Court Judge.  

Mary married Joseph Greenwood 3 Sept 1858 at St. Raphael's Catholic Cathedral in Dubuque.  They farmed in Whitewater Township, and then in Taylor Township in Dubuque County for the duration of their married life.  Joseph and Mary had 5 children:

     Joseph, born 1859
     James, born 1861
     Catherine, born 1863   
     William, born 1865
     Mary, born 1868

Mary (Delehanty) Greenwood died 21 Feb 1894.  Various censuses from 1856-1880 indicate that Mary was born about 1828, although the last census she was listed in indicated 1829-30.  Mary's death certificate lists her age at death as 65 years, 7 months, 3 days, which would be 18 Jul 1928-29.  Mary's grave marker lists her birth date as 17 Mar 1831.   I do believe that Mary celebrated her birthday on March 17th.  The year of her birth is likely to be between 1828 and 1831. 

One of Mary's obituaries said that she was born in Kings County, Ireland and mentioned that she was survived by a brother but gave no name or location.  That was the starting information in the search for Mary's parents and siblings. 

There were a few other Delehants living in Dubuque County in the various years that Mary was living there.  There were only two families living close to Dubuque County with parents of a possible age to be Mary's parents.  The first was that of John and Honora (Powers) Delahunt who lived just south of the Dubuque County line in Mosalem Township, Jackson County who emigrated to the US and were in Jackson County by the time of the 1849 census.  John Delahunt of this family was originally from Birr, Kings County and Honora Powers was from Thurles, Tipperary, Ireland.  Tipperary is the adjacent county to Kings County, now known as County Offaly.

The family of Matthew and Margaret Delahunt lived in the Galena Territory of Jo Davies County, Illinois which is about 20 miles east of Dubuque and documents say they were from County Wicklow, Ireland.

Considerable research was done trying to prove whether the families of John and Honora or the family of Matthew and Margaret were possibly Mary's parents.  Matthew and Margaret had a daughter Mary and were from County Wicklow, a significant distance from Mary's birthplace of Offaly County, which allowed them to be ruled out.

Looking at John and Honora (Powers) Delahunty as possible parents of Mary, there is little documentation that names who their children were.  Those mentioned in the censuses living with, or associated with Honora after John's death in October 1849 and generally proven are: 

     James Delehanty b. Jan 1827

     Mary Anna (Delahunt) Freeman b. Sept 1828
     Julia (Delahunt) Redden b. 1833

     Edward Joseph Delehanty b. 18 Jun 1844

John Delahunt b. 7 Mar 1830 has often been considered as a son of John and Honora (Powers) Delahunt, but no paper documentation exists.  

Frustrated with lack of any source documents listing Mary and connecting her with any family members, I turned to DNA matching.

To date, I have 7 DNA matches with descendants of John Delahunt b. 7 Mar 1830, through two of his children, Daniel, and Mary Ellen.  This proves a genetic relationship between Mary (Delahunt) Greenwood and John Joseph Delahunt, suggesting that the connecting ancestor couple could be shared parents or a more distant relationship.

John Joseph Delahunt married Anna Maher 15 Nov 1857 in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.  They had the following children: 

     Michael b. Aug 1859
     Katherine, b. Jan 1861
     Daniel, b. 6 Mar 1863
     Mary Ellen, b. 6 May 1865
     Andrew, b. 25 Oct 1869
     Anna, b. 1 Jun 1871
     John Joseph, b. 1 Jun 1873

I also have a small DNA match to Ann Delehant.  Her 2nd great-grandfather was William Delehanty.  His obituary states that he was born 1822 in Kings County (now Offaly), Ireland, emigrating to the US in 1849 and settling in Niagara County, New York in 1850.  

William married twice, (1) Bridget Tyrell and (2) Ellen.  His children, all born to Bridget are:

     Michael b. 1851
     Edward b. 1853
     Catherine b. 1854
     Daniel b, 1855
     Ellen b. 1856
     Mary b. 1857, died young
     William b. 1858
     Bridget b. 1860, died young
     Mary b. 1861
     Bridget b. 1863

William's obituary states that he was survived by a brother and sister in Dubuque, Iowa, and a brother and sister in Denver, Colorado.  At the time of William's death 3 Oct 1893, Mary (Delahunty) Greenwood was living in Dubuque County and the above John Delahunt (mar. Anna Maher) had moved from Dubuque County where they had farmed for many years to Fremont County, Iowa.

John Delahunt b.ca.1830 is found in the 1860 Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio census (official date 1 Jun 1860) with the following people living in his household:  

DELAHUNT, John 25 M b. Ireland
Anne 2 F b. Ireland
                Thomas 35 M b. Ireland
MAHER, John 24 M b. Ireland

Michael 34 M b. Ohio

The 1860 census does not identify specific relationships, but research shows that there should have been Anne (Maher) Delahunt b.1827 and son Michael b.1859 in this household.  They have not been found in any other household and the census taker may have started with Anne who would have been 32 on the official date of the census and omitted baby Michael, who was born in Iowa.  Although there are Michael and Thomas Delahunt living in the household, it is hard to say what the relationship might be though it would seem quite possible they were brothers/cousins/uncles to John Delahunt who was head of the household. Research shows that John Maher is the brother of Anne (Maher) Delahunt.

John Delahunt is also found posting an advertisement in the "Missing Friends” of the 28 Jan 1860 Boston Pilot under Information Wanted:

OF THOMAS DELAHUNTY, from the parish of Roscrea [King's co.]; when last heard from October, 1858, was in St. Louis, Missouri. any information as to his whereabouts will be thankfully received by his brother, John Delahunty, Cincinnati, Ohio.

John is listed 4 months later in the above 1860 census, with a Thomas living in his household.  It seems probable that this is the same Thomas, listed as a brother of John's.  

Changing gears, and looking for Delahunts living in the Denver, Colorado area, I found a handful of names but the only ones I could not associate with a different family was the family of Daniel Delehanty, b. 8 Jan 1822 in Ireland. He married 1869 to Margaret Regan in Denver and living in Weld County, adjacent to Denver and today considered part of the Denver metropolitan area.  Daniel is listed in the 1860 through 1900 censuses and would have survived William Delehant who had a "surviving brother and sister" at the time of his death in 1893.

Daniel and Margaret (Regan) Delehant had the following children:

     William b. 1870
     Thomas b. 1872
     Mary b.1874

Using the research I had done, I put together a theoretical family for Mary using the potential links of DNA, census information and obituaries:

     William b. 1822
     Daniel b. 8 Jan 1822
     Michael b. abt 1827
     Mary b. 17 March 1828-1831
     John Joseph b.  7 Mar 1831
     Thomas b. ca 1825
     An unidentified sister 

Knowing that the likely place Mary and the others were from was Roscrea Parish, Kings (now Offaly), Ireland the search was started with that location in the Irish baptismal records.  What was tricky is that Roscrea Parish is generally considered to be in Tipperary County, but there is indeed a very small piece of the parish that strays into County Offaly.

There, in the Roscrea parish records, County Offaly is found this family:

Michael Delehanty and Catherine Whelan

Their children:

     William and Daniel, twins, baptized 7 Jan1822
     Johanna, baptized 29 June 1825
     Michael, baptized 13 July 1827
     Mary, baptized 20 March 1829
     John, baptized 17 April 1831
     Thomas, baptized 31 July 1833 
     Catherine, baptized 14 Apr 1835
     Sarah, baptized 14 Aug 1838

Layering the above family next to my theoretical family for Mary is the following

Theoretical family                           Children of Michael & Catherine (Whelan) Delahanty:

William b. 1822
Daniel b. 8 Jan 1822                        William and Daniel, twins, baptized 7 Jan1822
                                                         Johanna, baptized 29 June 1825
Michael b. abt 1827                         Michael, baptized 13 July 1827
Mary b. 17 March 1828-1831          Mary, baptized 20 March 1829
John Joseph b.  7 Mar 1831             John, baptized 17 April 1831
Thomas b. ca 1825                           Thomas, baptized 31 July 1833 
                                                          Catherine, bap 14 Apr 1835
                                                          Sarah, bap 14 Aug 1838
Unidentified Sister

These are very close matches for Mary (Delehanty) Greenwood and her theoretical siblings.

Other things to take into consideration:

1. William's obituary says 2 brothers and 2 sisters survived his death on 3 Oct 1893.  At that time Mary, John Joseph and Daniel were all living.  I have not been able to find Catherine or Sarah from the above family yet to rule them in as the surviving sister, or out. I have no additional information on Thomas or Michael, but this would indicate they had died prior to William.

2. Mary's obituary says 1 brother survived her.   John Joseph and Daniel would have survived her, as well as the unidentified sister.  There was no family lore passed down through Mary's lines so it is unknown if Mary had an ongoing relationship with any of her siblings and what her family may have known about them.

3. The English and the Irish often followed a traditional naming pattern. Although not all families adhered to this naming pattern, this is generally the format that was followed:

     1st son - named for paternal grandfather
     2nd son - named for maternal grandfather
     3rd son - named for the father
     1st dau - named for maternal grandmother
     2nd dau - named for paternal grandmother
     3rd dau - named for the mother

In William's family:

     1st son - named Michael
     1st known daughter - named Catherine
     a son named Daniel, presumably after William's twin
     a son named Mary, possibly named for William's sister

In Daniel's family:

     a son named William, presumably after Daniel's twin
     a son named Thomas, possibly after Daniel's brother
     a daughter named Mary, possibly after Daniel's sister

In Mary (Delehanty) Greenwood's family:

     2 sons named after her husband's 1st and 2nd names "Joseph James"
     1st daughter - named Catherine
     2nd daughter - named Mary
     3rd son named William - there are no known William's in Joseph's family

In John Joseph's family:

     1st son - named Michael
     2nd son - named Daniel - Anna's father by transcription is "Darbutis"
     3rd son - named Andrew
     4th son - named John Joseph after his father
     1st known daughter - named Katherine 
     2nd known daughter - named Mary.  Anna's mother was Maria
     3rd daughter named Anna - mother of this child also named Anna

There is substantial reason to believe that these families named their children following at least a semblance of a naming tradition or named them after parents and siblings. 

4. There are no daughters in William, Daniel, Mary, or John's families named Honora (Nora, Annora).  There are no sons named John in these families except that John Joseph named his 4th son, John Joseph, but gave his first-born son the name of Michael.  

5. John and Honora (Powers) Delehant emigrated to the US about 1840 and were living in Iowa no later than 1849 when they are listed in the 1849 Iowa census.  Out of William, Daniel, Mary, and John Joseph, William emigrated was the first to arrive, about 1849. The other 3 arrived several years later.  In addition it does not make sense that John and Honora would have brought 3 of their young children, James (13), Mary Anna (12) and Julia (7) and left behind Mary (11) and John Joseph (9).  Mary emigrated about 1855 and John states in the 1900 census that he emigrated in 1851.

6. William and Daniel were twins.  Twins appear to run in this family line as Mary had 4 sets of twin grandchildren: 1 set through son Joseph and three sets through her son James.  While this is not proof of relationship, it is interesting. 

Based on the evidence above, I believe the following to be the family of Mary (Delehanty) Greenwood:

Parents: Michael Delehanty and Catherine Whelan

Their children, all baptized Roscrea Parish, Kings County (now County Offaly), Ireland:

     William and Daniel, twins, baptized 7 January 1822
     Johanna, baptized 29 Jun 1825
     Michael, baptized 13 July 1827
     Mary, baptized 20 March 1829, likely born 17 March 1829
     John Joseph, baptized 17 April 1831, likely born 7 Mar 1831 
     Thomas, baptized 31 Jul 1833
     Catherine, baptized 14 April 1835
     Sarah, baptized 14 Aug 1838

Nothing more is known at this point about the birth, marriage, or death dates or locations of Michael Delehanty or Catherine Whelan.   

I do feel this conclusively proves that John and Honora (Powers) Delehanty are not the parents of Mary (Delehanty) Greenwood nor of John Joseph Delehanty b. 7 Mar 1831. John Delahunty b.abt 1800 was supposedly born in Birr, Kings County and Honora Powers born in County Tipperary. John b.abt.1800 is likely related at some point further back on the Delehanty line.  Research could be done to verify whether the children that John and Honora had were baptized in Roscrea Parish or an adjacent parish prior to their emigration in 1849.   

Sources and Proof documents available on request.

Michael Delehanty and Catherine Whelan, parents of

Mary (Delehanty) Greenwood, my 2nd great-grandmother, mother of 
Joseph Greenwood, father of
Sadie (Greenwood) Von Fumetti Bush, mother of
Cyril Von Fumetti, father of 
Karla (Von Fumetti) Staudt

© Karla Von Fumetti Staudt

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise – without prior permission of the copyright owner and publisher.