A REVOLUTIONARY WAR PATRIOT - Francis Malone

Francis Malone was born January 17, 1760 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Malones were originally from County Westmeath in Ireland and one of Francis' ancestors was The Right Honorable Anthony Malone, Member of Parliament from Baronston in Ireland and Chancellor of the Exchequer.  The first Malone to emigrate was Francis' grandfather Edmund who came to the Colonies in the early 1700s.  Francis was 16 years old when the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia and he volunteered for the Pennsylvania Militia in April of 1777.  Because of his youth and familiarity with the area, Captain William Morrow assigned Francis to spy on the Indians, who were allies of the British in the Revolutionary War.  Francis would sneak into the woods, and after finding the Indian encampments would report the information back to his commanding officers.

In 1788 Francis married Elizabeth Rogers, and about 1800 Francis and his family went west, eventually locating in Helt Township, Vermillion County, Indiana.  Francis farmed the rich Indiana soil, and he and Elizabeth raised four children:  Rebecca, William, Samuel and Martha. In 1833 Francis was granted a US Government pension in recognition of his service in the War of Independence.  He died in Helt Township in 1841 at the age of 81.

It was known that Francis was buried in the Helts Prairie Cemetery in Hillsdale, Indiana, but over time the exact location of his grave, along with any grave marker, was lost.  In 2004, the William Henry Harrison Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution in recognition of his service made arrangements to have a new marker made for Francis Malone, and had it installed next to the flagpole in the Helts Prairie Cemetery.

I am especially proud of the contribution that Francis Malone made to the founding of our nation, because he was my 4th Great-Grandfather.

May Francis Malone, and all of our patriots, rest in peace.

Group picture after the memorial dedication and memorial service in Vermillion County.

A CHRISTMAS TRAGEDY - Virginia Richdale Kerrigan

This sad story takes us all the way to Hollywood, California: 

OUR LOVE BABY - VIRGINIA RICHDALE KERRIGAN

For years I have been fascinated by the life and career of silent film star Rudolph Valentino.  In my studies about Valentino I would occasionally come across the story that Valentino used to go to the Hollywood Cemetery  to leave flowers at the crypt of a little girl he knew who had died tragically.  Further research showed that this little girl was Virginia Richdale Kerrigan, the daughter of William W. Kerrigan.  Kerrigan was the general manager of Universal Studios and the twin brother of silent film star J.W. Kerrigan.

Early in his career Valentino made movies at Universal and became captivated by the charming little girl who used to spend time at "Daddy's Studio".  Valentino loved children and one of his greatest regrets was that both of his marriages were childless.  Over time, Valentino became very close to little Virginia, and even as he became famous he still found time to take his little friend for rides in his fancy cars through the Hollywood Hills.

On the day after Christmas, 1924 Virginia and her family attended a party at a neighbor's house at 2006 Ivar Avenue in Hollywood.  It was chilly that day, as it can sometimes get in Hollywood in late December.  To take the chill out of the air, someone lit an open gas heater.  Virginia had received a new dress for Christmas and was modelling it for the partygoers.  Shortly before noon, as she laughed and twirled around the room, her dress came in contact with the gas heater and caught fire.  The flames spread rapidly to the upper part of her clothing and to her hair.  Before anyone could extinguish the flames, Virginia was badly burned around the arms, body and head.  An ambulance was called and rushed Virginia to the nearest hospital, which was Stadfield Hospital on Sunset Boulevard.  Virginia's burns were too severe, and shortly afterward she was transferred to the Hollywood Community Hospital.  Virginia fought valiantly, but the burns were too much for her little body, and she died on Saturday night, December 27, 1924.

The funeral services were held at the home of Virginia's famous uncle, J. Warren Kerrigan.  From there her body was taken to the Cathedral Mausoleum at Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery (now Hollywood Forever Cemetery) on Santa Monica Boulevard.  Virginia was laid to rest in crypt 1399.

Virginia's family relates that Rudolph Valentino was devistated by the death of his little friend Virginia, and would often visit and leave flowers at her crypt at Hollywood Memorial.

As fate would have it, less than two years later Rudolph Valentino was himself interred in the Cathedral Mausoleum, in crypt 1205, after his tragic death in New York on August 23rd, 1926.  Valentino rests just two aisles over from his little pal Virginia.

Let us stop and say a prayer for Virginia and her family this Christmas - they are not forgotten.

"AND IN OUR HEARTS HE LEFT A LEAK" - Marvin Schwartz and His Sister Jeanette

Children are often buried in a separate part of the cemetery away from the adults.  Childrens' burial sections have to be the saddest part of any cemetery, as you stroll along and see so many dear lives snuffed out by disease or accident.  On another of my photo request trips to Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park I found myself in the children's section of Gate 55 - First Roumanian Congregation.  First I saw the grave of Jeanette Schwartz, a beautiful little girl who died in 1924 of lymphosarcoma - just shy of her 10th birthday.  A sad story - but compounded by the fact that her brother Marvin was buried in the next row.  He died in 1932 at the age of 7 of meningitis.  There was so much sadness in that family that Jeanette and Marvin's parents composed a poem about it - and put the poem on the back of Marvin's tombstone.  Here is their poem:

“When that dreadful sorrow

Befell our heart

We did not think that we could live

From dear Jeanette apart.

God sent an angel

To fill the empty space

It was darling Marvin

That took her place.

Like a beautiful star

He lit up our way

But to our great sorrow

He was not here to stay.

Just like his sister

He went so quick

And in our hearts

He left a leak.

MOTHER AND DAD”

May the souls of Marvin and Jeanette, and their grieving parents, rest in peace.

Jeanette

Marvin

NEWLYWED BRIDE DIES TRYING TO SAVE HER GROOM - Joseph and Sarah Dorf

It is never a good sign when you see a tombstone where more than one person shares the same date of death.  You can be sure that something bad must have happened.  So when I saw the tombstone of  Joseph and Sarah Dorf and noticed that they both died the same day - February 12, 1928 - I knew that I would find a sad story there - and that was exactly what I found:

BRIDE TRIES TO SAVE MATE AT FIRE; BOTH DIE

Flames sweeping through a home in which a Valentine party had been held only a few hours previously early yesterday took the lives of a newly married couple, the bride perishing in a vain attempt to rescue her husband.   They were Joseph Dorf, 28 years old, and his wife, Sarah, 28, of 4747 Grace Street.

With several friends and relatives the Dorfs had attended the party in the bungalow of Raymond Burke, 6078 Newburg Avenue, Norwood Park.  The party lasted until 1 o’clock when it was decided it would be too late for the guests to return home.  Dorf and his wife were given a room on the second floor.

Soon after all had retired other members of the household were awakened by the screams of Mrs. Dorf as she fled down the stairs.  Burke ran to the room and found it a mass of flames.

Then, despite the efforts of others to hold her back, Mrs. Dorf rushed back into the wall of fire.  Her body was found beside that of her husband, whom she tried to save.

 

Police believe that Dorf fell asleep with a lighted cigarette in his hand, which fell and ignited the bed clothing.

Chicago Daily Tribune – February 13, 1928    

The graves of Joseph and Sarah Dorf, together in death as they were in life, can be found at Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park, Gate 109 - Ostrower #1.  May they rest in peace.  

AT THY HEIGHT THOU HAST FALLEN A VICTIM - Eli Daiches

At the front part of Gate 16 (Anshe Knesses Israel #2) at Jewish Waldheim Cemetery sits an impressive monument.  The bottom of the monument carries a cryptic inscription: "At thy height thou hast fallen a victim".  What happened to Eli Daiches, the rabbi's son?  The answer can be found in the New York Times:

AD FIRM HEAD SLAIN AS HE SITS IN AUTO

Eli Daiches Is Riddled by Machine-Gun Bullets as He Leaves Chicago Hotel.

SAW SLAYERS APPROACH

His Skull Was Fractured and Arms Were Broken in Attack in His Office a Year Ago

Eli Daches, 45 years old, president of the Thomas M. Bowers Advertising Agency, was shot to death this morning by machine-gun assassins who fired a dozen bullets into him as he was riding in his automobile, driven by a chauffeur, a half block from the Sherry Hotel, where he lived.  No motive was established for the slaying.

Police were trying to connect the murder with an assault of Mr. Daiches in his Loop advertising office on the evening of Jan. 24, 1933.  At that time he said he was waiting for his wife, who at present is in Palestine.  Mr. Daiches had been attended recently by a nurse, Miss Lucille Osburn.  She and her fiancé, C.J. Cronin, 30-years old, a salesman whose home is in Wichita, Kan., had breakfast with Mr. Daiches this morning in his hotel apartment, Mr. Cronin being here on a visit.

The chauffeur told police that Mr. Daiches had seen his slayers approach and apparently recognized them, whereupon he screamed, "Oh my God!"  The next instant he said the blast came from the machine-gun in the other car.

Police showed great interest in the beating of Mr. Daiches a year ago.  At that time he was taken to the Passavant hospital in a critical condition.  Both his arms had been broken and he had suffered twenty-four lacerations and four skull fractures.  Three blood transfusions were performed to save his life.

Mr. Daiches told police after the attack that a man he believed to be a narcotic addict gained entrance to his office at 6 o' clock in the evening and announced he was a robber.  Then the intruder forced Mr. Daiches to stretch out on the floor, after which he struck him on the head several times with a revolver and jumped on the prostrate body.  Police believe that the motive for the attack was personal.

Mr. Daiches appearance was altered as a result of his wounds.  He was reported to have been drinking heavily recently.  He frequently was seen in night clubs, but police were unable to find that he had any particular woman companion.  His business associates reported that no difficulties had been experienced.

Mr. Daiches was born in East Prussia, the son of a rabbi.  He was educated in England, came to Chicago in 1910 and studied law.  He became vice president of the advertising agency some time later and in 1923 became its president.  One of its recently acquired accounts was that of the Royal Distilling Company, but police found there was no difficulty attributable to the acquisition of this account.

Mrs. Daiches, who is prominent socially and in club life, is interested in the Zionist and Palestine movements, the police were told.  She is the former Belle Turner of Chicago.  Her trip was in connection with those interests.  She was believed to be somewhere on the Mediterranean Sea yesterday.  She was greatly interested in Jewish art and was planning to bring back some old country art objects.

The New York Times – March 4, 1934

Narcotics, robbery, beatings, alcohol - life in the fast lane can lead to sudden death.  May the soul of Eli Daiches, the rabbi's son, rest in peace.

ERECTED BY HIS FRIENDS - Sam Gitelson

Some cemetery mysteries will have to remain mysteries.  Take the case of Sam Gitelson.  I was in Rosemont Park Cemetery (now called Zion Gardens) in Chicago the other day fulfilling a Find a  Grave photo request.  At one point I looked down and saw the gravestone of Samuel (Sam) Gitelson.  Sam died on August 20, 1941 and his stone says "Erected By His Friends".  I figured that Sam must have been alone in the world when he died, and that his friends chipped in for his gravestone.  A little research proved me wrong.  Sam's obituary from the Chicago Daily Tribune of August 21, 1941 is as follows:

GITELSON-Samuel Gitelson of 1236 S. Harding Avenue, father of Alfred, Milton-Nathan, Adelsylvia, Anna, Rebecca, and Marjorie.  Funeral services Friday, Aug, 22, 1 p.m., at chapel, 3246 W. Jackson Boulevard.  Burial Rosemont.  Los Angeles, Cal., papers please copy.  Kedzie 2394.

If Sam had six children why did his friends have to chip in for his headstone?  This morning I decided to look Sam up in familysearch.org to see if there was any addtional information.  There is an Ancestral File for Sam and it has the following note:

"Sam Gitelson came to London from Globoka with a cousin about age 19 in approximately 1896. His primary language was Ukranian. He had one sister that he left behind. He felt estranged from his family and did not discuss his family with wife or children."

So he was estranged from his family in the Ukraine, but what about his wife and six children in the United States?  His wife is not mentioned in his obituary - she may have been alive or dead in 1941 - but his six children are mentioned.  Was he estranged from his children as well?  Then why mention them in his obituary?  Why did his friends erect his tombstone?  We will probably never know.  May Sam find the peace which seems to have eluded him in this life.

OUR DEAR SON AND BROTHER "RUD" - Ralph C. Berkelhamer

This one speaks for itself:

Capt. Ralph C. Berkelhamer, M.C., graduate of the University of Illinois Medical School, 1939, entered the service of his country in May, 1941.  In August, 1941 he was sent to the Philippine Islands as a Battalion Surgeon with the 45th Infantry Philippine Scouts.  He was captured at the fall of Bataan, April, 1942 and was imprisoned at Camp O'Donnell and later at the Cabanatuan Prison Camp.  At Cabnanautan he served as Detachment Commander of the hospital unit.  On October 1, 1944, he sailed from Manila aboard a Japanese prison ship bound for Japan.  On October 24, 1944, the vessel was sunk by submarine action in the South China Sea over 200 miles from the Chinese coast.  He is believed to have perished in this incident.

Another young life snuffed out defending our freedom.  We must never forget the sacrifices of these brave young men and women.  Captain Ralph C. Berkelhamer's grave is at Waldheim Jewish Cemetery, Gate 265, Ziditshover Section.  May his soul rest in peace.

THE CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHER

People often ask me why I spend my free time in cemeteries, photographing tombstones of people I have never met and are not my relatives.  I recently stumbled upon a poem that pretty well sums it up:

THE CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHER

Wandering among the stones I see

The stones so weathered and worn

‘Tis difficult to find the date

On which the babe was born

I stare at the stone and am struck with awe

At the life that I knew was gone

This was someone's child, a babe so sweet

With loved ones to carry on

So I take a photo for all to see

For the family that remains

An everlasting memory of

A child of God's domain

I brush the weeds back from the stone

And say a silent prayer

For the babes that had no chance to live

And for mothers everywhere

The dove calls out it's mourning song

Among the stones so still

Echoes of the woes, through time

The choirs of despair

The stone will someday perish

The flowers will be gone

But a photo now remains of this

Their memory lives on!

And so my friend, don't hesitate

To film the weathered stone

Those who live within your hearts

Are never truly gone.

Author:  Jan Miller - used with permission

With thanks to fellow graver Baxter Fite who first made the poem known to me, to Geraldine Humes who directed me to Jan Miller as the poem's author - and especially to Jan Miller who graciously allowed me to use her poem on my blog.

SURVIVES THE WAR; DROWNS DURING PICNIC - PFC Robert Uttley

I was at Irving Park Boulevard Cemetery in Chicago today filling a Find a Grave photo request.  While hunting for the gravestone I was supposed to photograph I came across the grave of PFC Robert Uttley who died on July 4, 1942.  I was sure that he had died in combat, but the Chicago Tribune archives had another story:

SOLDIER DROWNS DURING PICNIC

Pvt. First Class Robert Uttley, 20, who arrived in Chicago Thursday on leave from Fort Ord, Cal., drowned in Beverly Lake, four miles east of Dundee on Higgins Road where he was attending a picnic.  Uttley was a son of Mrs. Addie Khalar, 2915 Warren Boulevard.  His body was recovered.

Chicago Daily Tribune - July 5, 1942

Losing her son so close to home must have been even harder for his mother to take than if he had died in battle.  PFC Robert Uttley's grave is in the Highland Section of the Irving Park Boulevard Cemetery, Chicago.  May his soul rest in peace.

HIS CLASSMATES WROTE HIS OBITUARY - Burton Harris

Many of the gravestones at Jewish Waldheim Cemetery in Forest Park have photos on them.  The gravestone for Burton Harris, however, had something else.  It has the obituary his classmates wrote for him after his untimely death.  Here's what they wrote:

BURTON HARRIS:  Born 1930, Died 1943

     Burton Harris, popular student of 309 died early on the morning of May 13.  He was thrown from his bicycle the previous night by an automobile.

     Even after his death, Burton will long be remembered by his many friends and relatives as an all around American boy and a real pal.  The entire school is grieved by his death.  As we go on through the years growing up and getting old we will always remember him as we saw him last, a healthy youngster full of high spirits and laughter.

     To Mr. and Mrs. Harris the pupils of his classes send their deepest sympathy.                                                                                                              Burton's Classmates

What a wonderful testimonial.  It is no wonder that Burton's parents wanted it added to his tombstone.  Burton's grave can be found at Gate 289 - Saroka Bessarabia.  May Burton Harris' soul rest in peace. 

THE HERO OF THE FAVORITE - William A. Hofnauer

After reading about the heroic actions of William Hofnauer in helping rescue over forty persons from the sunken excursion ship the Favorite (see previous post), I decided to try to find where he was buried.  After some research I found William Hofnauer, his wife Lillian and their daughter Doris Hofnauer Kehm (Hofnauer's yacht was named the "Doris") in the mausoleum of Rosehill Cemetery on the lower level.  Here is his obituary and photos of his crypt:

 W.A. HOFNAUER DIES, CITED FOR LAKE RESCUE

William A. Hofnauer, 68, of 1200 Lake Shore dr., president of the Chicago Waste company, cotton waste processors, died yesterday in Grant hospital. In 1927, he and the three crewmen of his yacht, the Doris, a 185 footer, rescued forty persons from the lake when an excursion boat, the Favorite, foundered during a squall. Mr. Hofnauer received a citation from the city council and a gold police star. Mr. Hofnauer is survived by his widow, Lillian. Services will be held at 2 p.m. tomorrow in the chapel at 25 E. Erie st.

Chicago Daily Tribune - June 7, 1956

May the Hofnauers, and all the victims of the Favorite, rest in peace.

VICTIMS OF THE GREEDY OWNERS OF THE UNSAFE "FAVORITE" - Celia Polen and Rose Polen

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DEATH WAS EVIDENTLY DUE TO DROWNING - HE WAS DEAD WHEN I SAW HIM FIRST - Meyer Iglowitz

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PRIEST KILLED - 2 FRIENDS HURT - Rev. Raphael Ashenden

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MOTHER GIVES ALARM - Anna-Nathan-Dave Koplovitz

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WOMAN ENDS LIFE AS SON, 8, SLEEPS - Florence Hill

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THE FIRST AMERICAN TO DIE IN SERVICE IN WORLD WAR I - Helen Burnett Wood

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STAR ATHLETE OF TULEY HIGH SHOT TO DEATH - Louis Lakin

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A SAD ACCIDENT - William S. Stinger

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DIES AT 107 - Lazarus Finkelstein

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FOUR SOULS IN ONE TOMB - Finkelstein

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