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Showing posts with label dc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dc. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Wednesday Child: Finding the Family in a Child's Death

Uncovering new leads as one searches for the family tree can lead to times of high excitement as well as to times of sadness.  Take, for instance, the death of Helen S SIMMONS in 1904, in Washington, DC.

Who is she?  I am not quite sure.....yet.
Burial Card of Helen S Simmons, Glenwood Cemetery, Washington. DC

But I do know her family, because they are my blood as well.

I found little Helen resting at Glenwood Cemetery in Washington, DC, as I was browsing the online images of the burials at FamilySearch.

The dates are a little misleading at FamilySearch. The lists of the dearly departed start in 1878.  So for those of us who have so many deaths between the 1854-1877 time frame, it is much harder to dig for the information.  I am still digging in the Plat Books, although I suspect it will be over many cups of coffee!

What did surface just last Wednesday was the Burial Card of Helen S SIMMONS.  Little Helen died on July 23, 1904, at only 14 months old due to bronchial pneumonia.  She was interred in Section Q, Lot 116, Site 1.  There are two other tidbits on the card.  Her residence, which I haven't tried to follow yet, and wait for it--  The big tidbit is she in buried in the lot of William R SIMMONS.

Now, I do know him!  William R SIMMONS is the grandson of David SIMMONS of Philadelphia.  This may sound familiar as I have been looking at David, David's final resting spot in Hood Cemetery in Germantown, David's will, and David's descendants over the last two weeks or so.

I know William R SIMMONS had three living siblings in 1853 at the time of his grandfather's will.  I know that some of them are buried at Glenwood Cemetery.  I know his mother, Elizabeth FENWICK SIMMONS is also buried in the family plot at Glenwood Cemetery.

So far, I have identified the following SIMMONS blood buried in Section Q, Lot 116.

Site 1:  Helen S SIMMONS
            James SIMMONS
Site 2:  John B SIMMONS
Site 3:  Elizabeth FENWICK SIMMONS
            George Robert SIMMONS

How many sites were in Section Q, Lot 116?  Still researching that! It appears to be six burial spots.  I suspect William R SIMMONS rests there as well, although I have discovered no proof.

Plat Book C, Glenwood Cemetery, Washington, DC


Looking through the Plat Books and using yet another clue on little Helen's burial card, I bring to light the following:

William R SIMMONS purchased the the lots July 10, 1858.
Date of Interment:      Person:                      Age:           Site No.
June 9, 1861             James SIMMONS                               1
July 26, 1904           Helen S SIMMONS       14mo             1
April 8, 1858            Richard SHAW                                    2
Dec. 20, 1897           John B SIMMONS        73                  2
May 25, 1863           Elizabeth SIMMONS    75                  3
Sept. 23, 1920          George R SIMMONS    59                  3


Ahh genealogy.  Little Helen.  Rest sweetly little one.  You are not forgotten.

©2017  AS Eldredge

Sources:
"District of Columbia, Glenwood Cemetery Records, 1854-2013." FamilySearch. http:FamilySearch.org: 14 June 2016. The Glenwood Cemetery, Washington, DC.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Tombstone Tuesday: Finally! Visiting Grandma 199 Years After Her Passing

Look fellow genealogy family seekers!  It's Grandma!  She's alive!  No, wait...her legacy is alive!

Catharine DALLY SALTER SIMMONS is resting in Rock Creek Cemetery in Washington, DC.  Her tombstone provides the important clue that leads us to her birth year as about 1742!  

I knew she passed away while living at her son, William, house in 1818, as the family gathered for the final disposition of the will of John SIMMONS (d.1795).  But, now, I can see her!



Catharine Dally Salter Simmons, Rock Creek Cemetery

Catharine Dally, my 5th great grandma!

Catharine was the daughter of Hendrick DALLY and Sarah GIFFORD.  Catharine's brother, Gifford DALLY, was the first elected doorkeeper of the first, second and third US Congress (1789-1795).

Catharine was first married to William SALTER, a ship's surgeon, in 1756 at Trinity Church in NYC. The young widow then married a second time in 1758 at Trinity Church in NYC, John SIMMONS the innkeeper.  Their tavern was a two story building located at 63 Wall St, and was directly across from Federal Hall, where our nation's first President was inaugurated.

History books tells us that WASHINGTON ate this tavern before Evacuation Day.

Catharine's sister, Elizabeth, was married to Samuel FRAUNCES, owner of Fraunces Tavern in NYC and the steward at George WASHINGTON's home after the American Revolution.

Catharine and John Simmons (d. 1795 NYC) had six children.

William SIMMONS (1759-1825)
John SIMMONS (1761-1843)
James SIMMONS (abt 1763-1809)
David P SIMMONS (abt 1770-1830)
Stephen Gifford SIMMONS (1780-1830)
Catharine C SIMMONS (1784-1821)

To learn more:

William SIMMONS, Government Accountant
Samuel FRAUNCES


Ahh, genealogy.  Remembering my grandma.  Acknowledging her ties to early America.  Now to get all those wanna-be grandchildren to realize she did not give birth to their grandpa in 1747 at the ripe old age of 5 and her parents did not go to England from NJ to give birth to her and then return to America for the rest of the children!


©2017  AS Eldredge

Sources:
https://www2.gwu.edu/~ffcp/exhibit/p4/p4_4text.html
Photo credit:  Krista AQ & Tommy Thompson
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=139011049
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=wallstreetjohn&id=I42