52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 21

In previous posts I have written extensively about the ancestors in my family who once served in the United States military. So for this post on the writing prompt Military, I will instead talk about a military urban legend in our family tree.

Michael Cramer

My father had been told that his maternal great-grandfather, Michael Cramer, was in the Civil War. In fact, dad had seen with his own eyes a bugle and a rifle which were purported to have been used by Michael in the war. Those were to be passed down to my dad as he was the only male grandchild of Michael. However, somewhere along the line a cousin came to visit my grandfather (dad’s dad), and he asked for the bugle and rifle. My grandfather let him take them, and dad never saw the items again.

Through the years I have attempted to prove or disprove the legend. I was skeptical, because Michael was born 15 September 1853 in New Orleans to Michael and Catherine (Kemper) Cramer. As the Civil War broke out in April of 1861 and ended in May of 1865, Michael would have been only 8-12 years of age when the war was raging. Obviously he would not have been accepted into a regular regiment. He could, however, have been a member of a Fife and Drum Corps. But even that would be a stretch as the average age in the corps was 18.

Unfortunately members of the drum and fife groups were not normally documented, so I have been unable to locate a roster that lists my ancestor’s name. More telling, perhaps, is the fact that in the 1930 census under the box where the census-taker asked if you were a veteran of the U.S. military, “No” was marked by Michael’s name.

So where did the bugle and rifle come from? The only Civil War veteran I have been able to find definitive records on so far was Andrew Hungler, my dad’s 2nd great-grandfather. Perhaps they came from him. How sad that my dad did not have the opportunity to keep such important and historic family heirlooms.

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Week 12

When I saw the writing prompt for this week, misfortune, I immediately thought about my paternal great-grandfather, Albert Hungler. Born in Covington, Kentucky on 17 October 1869 to John Hungler and Anna (Hightower) Hungler, Albert was the oldest of two boys born to this couple. (Anna died fairly young, and John went on to marry Mary Elizabeth Carver in 1892. They had twelve additional children.)

Catherine Cramer ~1887

Albert married Catherine Cramer on 3 July 1894 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Catherine, daughter of Michael Cramer and Anna (Williard) Cramer, was born in 1877 in Cincinnati. Albert was 24 and Catherine 17 when they married. Their daughter Lillian, my grandmother, was born in 1895, son Corry in 1897, and twins Alice and Albert in 1898. Unfortunately, Albert died at birth.

Catherine contracted tuberculosis and died 16 April 1900. She was just 22 years old. At the turn of the century, tuberculosis was the leading cause of death in the United States. It was also referred to as TB, consumption, phthisis, and the white plague. Cincinnati had the first publicly funded tuberculosis sanatorium in the country. Between 1900-1903, 1,253 residents of Cincinnati died from TB. Sadly, Catherine and Albert’s son Corry also succumbed to tuberculosis on 10 October 1900. He died at the age of 3, just six months after his mother passed away.

Albert was no doubt still grieving the death of his wife when his only living son was also taken from him. One can only imagine what it would have been like to lose two important family members in such a short time period. I’m certain that Albert never imagined himself a widower at age 30 trying to adjust to the death of a wife and child while attempting to deal with his two remaining grief-stricken children. Lillian was only 5 and Alice just 2 at the time. That was a whole lot of misfortune for a young man to deal with on his own.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 16

On her application for a marriage license on 23 July 1912, Lillian Hungler stated that she was living at 928 Wells Street, which was the home of her grandparents Michael and Anna (Willard) Cramer. Wells Street was in the East Price Hill neighborhood. She listed her employment as a saleslady. She further indicates that she was 18 on 22 October 1911, which was inaccurate. In fact, she was just 16 on that date. While it is possible she did not know her birth year, it is more likely she put that on the application in order to avoid the issues that came along with being a minor trying to get married.

Joseph Kubler, on the same application, was living at 1523 Cutter and his occupation was a conductor. Cutter was located in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood near downtown Cincinnati. As the city directories show him to be employed as a clerk, it is probable that he was a band conductor as opposed to a conductor on a train. Joseph was quite musically inclined, and involved with musicians throughout the years.

The newlyweds set up their household at 525 David Street in the Over-the-Rhine district, and on 5 September 1913 daughter Ethel joined the family. This child was no doubt named for Joseph's baby sister who died when she was 10 months old.  Just one month after the birth of his first child, Joseph lost his mother Louisa. The family stayed in this home for three years before moving to 509 Clinton Street, and during the years on David Street, Joseph was employed as a driver.

A son, LeRoy, was born on 29 June 1917. By the 1920 census, they lived on 15th Street and Joseph was employed as a traveling salesman in the shoe polish industry. Between 1921-1926, Joseph was an insurance agent. Daughter Mary Jane was born on 10 April 1925, and by the 1930 census the family was on Bauer Street and Joseph was again employed as a salesman, this time for the coffee business. Later that year the baby of the family, Gloria, was born.

1937 flood

Like most of America, Cincinnati had its share of problems during the great depression of the 1930s. But other cities did not have to also cope with a major natural disaster at the same time. The Cincinnati flood of 1937 was the result of record-breaking rainfall amounts. The Ohio River crested at 79.9 feet. Flood stage for the river is 52 feet. One-fifth of the City of Cincinnati was under water. No matter what Joseph was selling in his job at that time, between the depression and the flood things must have been tight for the family. Fortunately they had moved out of the downtown area to Price Hill by this point, so their home was not impacted by the flood.

Lillian and Joseph in 1958

In the 1940 federal census Joseph was still showing salesman as his occupation. But inside he always had a desire to own his own business. An opportunity came his way when Jim's Pony Keg went up for sale. Somewhat unique to southwestern Ohio, a pony keg was a small store tucked away in a neighborhood that sold beer, wine, tobacco products, pop, candy, chips and other small items. Located at 112 Monitor in the Sayler Park community, Joseph operated a delicatessen in the location as well. He held onto the store until 1965, selling it when he was 74.

Joseph and Lillian celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1962. Mass was said at St. William Church in Price Hill, and a reception followed in the church hall. All of their children, grandchildren, and many relatives and friends came to congratulate the couple on a momentous milestone in their lives.

50th wedding anniversary

Joseph's stone

On 29 June, 1969, his son LeRoy's birthday, Joseph died of congestive heart failure at the age of 77. He had been hospitalized for 5 weeks for the condition. His attending physician was his daughter Mary Jane's husband, Kevin McGann. Joseph's highest education completed was 8th grade, yet throughout his working years he always managed to keep a roof over the head of his family, and food on the table. He was very good with people, which lent itself well to working in sales and ultimately owning his own business. He was greatly mourned when he passed.

Note: Joseph's headstone has the incorrect year of birth. He was born in 1891.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 15

In a previous post, which you can find here, it was revealed that my grandfather Joseph Henry Kubler, lost his father Henry in 1902 when he was only 10. It must have been very difficult for him to face such grief at such a young age. How did he feel when, a year and a half later, his mother married Charles Brinkman? Perhaps he welcomed the half brother who was born when he was 15.

In 1905 when his paternal grandmother, Josephine (Hillenbrand) Kubler died, she left her grandson Joseph $100. Today that is equivalent to around $2,600. Some in the family might have questioned that amount of money as she left a LOT more than that to her three surviving sons. Since Joseph's father Henry had pre-deceased Josephine, it certainly might have been felt that Joseph should have gotten his father's 1/4 share in the estate.

Music Hall

In 1910, Joseph was living with his mother, stepfather and half brother in Cincinnati. Joseph was employed as a clerk in a liquor retail house. Apparently he was quite a roller skater when he wasn't working because in 1910 he entered the Ohio Championship, which was a one-mile race at Music Hall Rink in Cincinnati. The race drew amateur skaters from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky to determine who would be the tri-state champion. The Cincinnati Music Hall stands at the corner of 14th and Elm Streets, and was opened in 1878. It housed musical activities in the center area, and industrial expositions in its side wings. It was in the north wing that the roller skating race was held. The racers were competing for gold, silver and bronze medals.

St. Lawrence Church

Two years later, at the age of 21, Joseph was married to 16-year-old Lillian Marie Hungler. Their wedding took place on 24 July 1912 at St. Lawrence Church. Lillian was born to Albert Hungler and Catherine (Cramer) Hungler in Cincinnati on 22 October 1895. She was the oldest of four children, though only she and her younger sister Alice lived to adulthood. Lillian was 1 when her brother Corry was born, and 2 when twins Alice and Albert came along. Corry died as an infant, and Catherine Hungler lost her battle with tuberculosis on 16 April 1900. She was not yet 23 years old.

Michael and Anna Cramer

Albert Hungler found himself a widower at the age of 30 with a 4-year-old and two 3-year-olds to rear. So that he could continue to work as a laborer, he and the children moved in with Catherine's parents, Michael and Anna (Willard) Cramer, where they appear in the 1900 census record. As if the grief of losing Catherine weren't enough for the family to deal with, little Albert died of tuberculosis on 10 October 1900. How devastating this must have been.

But Albert found love again and married Matilda Stritzinger on 10 May 1906. Albert and Matilda went on to have 8 children. Lillian remained living with her grandparents, while Alice stayed with her dad and his new wife.

Lillian and sister Alice

Certainly Joseph and Lillian would have had a lot in common in that they both had lost a parent at a young age, and both of their parents remarried and started second families. Did Lillian marry at such a young age because she was eager to escape the household of her grandparents?