Black Friday and the Depression

Bruce Judson Cheney
Born: October 28, 1917, Morris County, New Jersey
Died: July 16, 2012, Morris County, New Jersey
Relation to Author: Grandfather

Today marks the 84 year anniversary of Black Tuesday - the day the stock market lost the most value and signaling the beginning of the Great Depression. Half of my ancestors were in upstate New York working as dairy farmers. The other half were in New Jersey. My grandfather (aka PopPop aka Bruce Cheney) often talked about the depression. This quote from a Daily Record article in 2000 is similar to what I often remember him saying to us:

“We had a great generation,” Bruce Cheney said. “We went through the Depression. My mom and dad never had a car, but we didn’t know we were poor. We didn’t have much, but we had pride."

He often talked about how his parents never talked about the depression and often hid from him how hard those times were. Black Tuesday was the day after Bruce's 12th birthday, so he spent his teens in the great depression and his early adulthood was spend in World War II.

As you might guess from the quote, Bruce was a fan of Tom Brokaw's book The Greatest Generation (which had been a gift from my brother if I remember right).

Paulus and Williams: A Match Made in Scranton: Updated

Frederick (Friedrich) Paulus
Born: June 30, 1886, Pennsylvania
Died: March, 12, 1934, Morris County, New Jersey
Relation to Author: Great Grandfather

Margaret (Margarite) Williams
Born: November 4, 1887, Neath(?), Pennsylvania
Died: March 4, 1972, Succasunna, Morris County, New Jersey
Relation to Author: Great Grandmother

Updated with New Information!!!
I found the 1900 Census for the Williams family, which allows me to add some missing information. 

My great grandfather, Frederick Paulus, was the son of German immigrants. My great grandmother, Margaret Williams, was the daughter of Welsh immigrants. Frederick and Margaret married in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where both families lived.

Since starting this project, I've wondered where in Scranton the two families lived and how Margaret and Frederick met. Census records tell us which wards in Scranton the families lived in and the map at bottom shows us where this was.

The Paulus family - father Christian Paulus, mother Charlotte Paulus, and 5 children - lived in ward 19 (bottom left - purple-ish color) in 1900 and 1910.

The Williams family - father Robert Williams, mother Elizabeth Thomas (married name Williams) and 7 children* lived in ward 1 (right - green) in 1900 and ward 2 (upper right - same purple-ish color) in 1910.

With the Paulus family on the south of the city and the Williams family in the north, it makes you wonder how two people, with different family histories and living in different neighborhoods (and probably not of the same religion) would have met, fell in love, and married.

So we don't know why or how they met, but we do know when the married. Margaret and Frederick married on May 31, 1910 (now over 103 years ago) in Scranton, Pennsylvania. They were married by R.J. Rees - Minister of the Gospel - and witnessed by August Engel and Louise Schneider.

The notes I have on the marriage say that Frederick was living in Wharton, New Jersey at the time and Margaret was still living in Scranton, Pennsylvania (1910 census records confirm this). So apparently Frederick had gone ahead to New Jersey to work.

By 1920, Frederick and Margaret had moved from Wharton to Roxbury / Kenvil, NJ and they had four children - Edna, Frederick, Alvin, and Elizabeth.

* Among other changes, the previous post said the Williams family had 4 children. After finding the 1900 Williams family in the census, it turns out there were 7 children living with the family at the time. By 1910, three are only four listed in the census - and the three missing names would have been 19 or older in 1910 so I assume they moved away.

A Trip to Europe!

Helen Leary (married name Keenan)
Born: November 4, 1909, St. Lawrence County, New York
Died: May 1, 2004, Brasher Falls, St. Lawrence County, New York
Relation to Author: Grandmother

Catherine Leary
Born: October 7, 1907, North Lawrence, St. Lawrence, New York
Died: February 29, 1988, Plattsburgh, Clinton, New York
Relation to Author: Grand Aunt

A ship record that I found on Ancestry.com says that Helen and Catherine Leary arrived back in New York on this day, August 7, 1933, (70 years ago today) on a boat from Havre, France. My very educated guess, and my mother has confirmed this, is that they were in Europe visiting with their brother Arthur, who was studying at the American College, Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. Arthur Leary was at Louvain from 1929 - 1934 (Louvain closed its doors in 2011).

Although I don't know their full itinerary, my mother (one of Helen's daughters) says they did travel around Europe, including Paris and Rome. If I get more information, I will update it. And if I find any pictures, I will definitely publish them.

I do find it remarkable that Helen and Catherine, from a small town in the North Country of New York, went so far away. I love traveling and I love that even back then they were able to travel.

By the way, the records say Helen and Catherine's address at the time was 15 Fairemount Blvd, Garden City, New York. Garden City is on Long Island, and so the two were at that point living together and teaching.

Alvin Paulus: WWII

Alvin Paulus
Born: September 17, 1915, Morris County, New Jersey
Died: October 6, 1995, Succasunna, Morris County, New Jersey
Relation to Author: Grand Uncle
Brother of Elizabeth Charlotte Paulus (married name Cheney)

On this date (July 20) 70 years ago Alvin Paulus enlisted in World War II. He enlisted in Newark, NJ, at the age of 27 (enlisting for the duration of the war plus six months). His enlistment came in the middle of America's involvement in the war - a year and a half after the attack on Pearl Harbor and America's declaration of war on Japan (December of 1941), but one year before D-Day (June 4, 1944) and two years before Japan surrendered (September 2, 1945).

In July of 1943, the course of the war was favoring the Allies in the Pacific - with the battles of Midway and Guadalcanal behind them. However progress was difficult and slow.

Alvin served through January 18, 1946. He served on the Pacific front as a journal clerk and later duty sergeant, working for the Chief of Section. He received the Bronze Star Medal - the fourth highest combat award of the US Armed Services - on August 6, 1945 for, "performing his duties in an outstanding manner," in support of the Chief of Section.

His Bronze Star document says, "During the period Technician Fourth Grade Paulus developed from a state of complete ignorance of army and office procedure to become a thoroughly competent and responsible non-commissioned officer in the 24th Division Intelligence Section." He apparently had no office training (his enlistment form says his civil occupation was in, "Semiskilled occupations in production of industrial chemicals") but seemed to pick things up very quickly and help out the last two years on the Pacific front.

He served at the following operations: Hollandia; Dutch New Guinea; Leyte; and Mindanao, Philippine Islands. He would later serve in Japan during the occupation. He achieved the rank of duty sergeant / staff sergeant - a non-commissioner officer (NCO). 

I have a copy of a history of the 24th Division. The history tells a lot about the military campaigns, particularly Leyte. However, I don't think it is particularly relevant and worth publishing any of here because I don't think Alvin saw any action and instead was doing office work. That's not to diminish his role, as the Bronze Star shows how important it was, but a book about combat history wouldn't show how a non-combatant spent time.

Remembering PopPop (Bruce Cheney)

Bruce Judson Cheney
Born: October 28, 1917, Morris County, New Jersey
Died: July 16, 2012, Morris County, New Jersey
Relation to Author: Grandfather

Here are the remarks from Bruce's funeral - one year ago - given by his son Barry.

Bruce Judson Cheney was born October 28 1917 at the Cooper family home at 8 Lawrence Street. His father, William Judson Cheney, was a Semi-Pro Baseball Player who had come to Dover in 1906 to play, and was also a Post Office Clerk. His mother, Leila Horton Cooper, was a homemaker.

Bruce was an only child so he got lots of attention, especially from his Mother. He grew up on Ann Street. He was focused on sports in his youth and young adult years. In high school they did not have interscholastic basketball or baseball so he had to settle for intramurals winning championships for the Southside teams. He received his only Varsity letter for tennis. After high school and while working at Picatinny he played hardball and then softball usually as shortstop.

He was a passionate fan of the NY baseball Giants and could recount in vivid detail exactly where he was (work at Picatinny) and how he reacted when Bobby Thompson hit the “Shot heard around the World” in 1951 to win the NL pennant defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1992 I played a trick on him and enticed him to come with his grandson Brendan and I to a baseball card show. He didn't know that the show was attended by Bobby Thompson. At the card show, he got to sit and talk baseball with Bobby Thompson. He left walking on air in disbelief.

He met Betty at Picatinny in 1941. She was a typist and he was in Stores which included making routine deliveries to her building. It got to the point where he was hanging around so much talking to her that it was interfering with her work and she was afraid of getting in trouble. At some point he got the nerve to ask her out. Since he didn’t drive he had to take the trolley to Kenvil to pick her up for a date. There wasn't much to do in Kenvil, so they would usually take the trolley back to Dover.

They married May 23, 1943. Their first child was born with a congenital heart defect and lived only months. I arrived next followed by my brother Brian

Dad was never one to go far from home. After marrying they lived in Mine Hill for a short time, moved to Kenvil and in 1956 had the house built in Mt. Fern - always staying close to family.

Everything revolved around the family. It seemed that almost every Sunday was dinner with the Nanas and often times a “Sunday drive”. 

Dad’s five cousins were for the most part distant from Dover but he kept up letter correspondence throughout the years. His cousin Joyce and her family were in Pequannock and visits with them were enjoyed.

He adored his grandchildren and tried to spend as much time as possible in Warwick attending Church children’s choir, pageants and picnics, and their baseball and soccer games. He followed them closely thru college, writing occasional letters in the days of email. He would urge them to marry and have children so he could have great-grandchildren. He finally got his wish and although we don’t think he knew they were his he never forgot how to hold a baby and was happy and relaxed when they were in his arms.

He was a gentle, caring man who in addition to baseball loved to garden, vegetables and roses, and invariably carried with him a big welcoming smile. He kept that smile throughout his dementia years whenever he went out or received a visitor.

He was my coach, encourager, provider and friend.

His dementia over the last 2.5 years required continuous care. I am grateful that my brother Brian was willing to be the caregiver on a 24/7 basis over that time. I thank you for your dedication and compassion. It provided Dad with a familiar setting in which he was able to be comfortable. [Editor's note: Barry was in Dover almost every weekend to help with the care.]

Gettysburg: Judson Far Away

Judson Cheney
Born: May 11, 1838, Hopkinton, St. Lawrence County, New York
Died: September 29, 1864, Chaffin Farm, Virginia
Relation to Author: 2nd Great Grand Uncle

On this date 150 years ago - and the succeeding two days (July 1-3) - the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It is considered the turning point of the Civil War, marking the "high water mark of the rebellion" and ending Robert E. Lee's second invasion of the north. There were an astounding 51,000 casualties.

Fortunately for Judson, at least for the time being, he was far away from the fighting. On this date, he was still in Beaufort, North Carolina. Although this is a turning point, the war will drag on for almost two more years. So there are many more very bloody battles to come, and Judson and his regiment will play their part.

Arrival: Christian Paulus

Christian Paulus
Born: June 28, 1851, Germany
Died: January 12, 1937
Relation to Author: 2nd Great Grandfather

Christian Paulus arrived in America from Germany on this date 133 years ago (June 18, 1880). The ship "Main" left from Bremen, Germany and landed in New York, New York. He did not go through Ellis Island because it did not open until 1892.

Two years after arriving, Christian married Charlotte Poelger (?) and two years after that their first child was born (Wilhelmina Paulus; 1884-?). Next came my great grandfather Friedrich Paulus (1886-1934), then William (1889), Louisa (1892), and Emilie (1894). By 1892 they were living in Scranton, PA, though they were probably there all along, since Friedrich's birth location in census records is listed as Pennsylvania.

For some context, when Christian arrived, Rutherford B. Hayes was finishing his presidency. James Garfield then won the 1880 presidential election (nominated by the Republicans over Ulysses S. Grant who was seeking a 3rd non-consecutive term) and is sworn in in 1881. Garfield was assassinated in 1881 and was succeeded by his vice president Chester A. Arthur. Then came Grover Cleveland followed by Benjamin Harrison, then Grover Cleveland again ... zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

All kidding aside, Christian was arriving at a time where we don't remember much about the presidents or the politics (a big debate over the gold standard or free silver), but it was a stable time in America. The Civil War is 15 years behind us and we know now that the first World War is almost 30 years away.

In fact, the 1880s were one of the best times to come to America. Notice in the chart above that immigration in the 1880s (bar in orange) was the highest it had yet been and the third highest between 1820 and 1924. Not only was there no war, but the economy was stable, at least compared to the depressions of the 1890s.

In Immigration studies, people talk about push and pull. What conditions in the home country encouraged immigration (push) and what countries in the new host country encourage emmigration (pull). The relative stability in America during this time was an attractive pull.

We'll look at conditions in Germany in another post and see if there was any push.