Friday, November 4, 2011

And 30 seconds later...

Yes. I literally examined the two death certificates that fast and made a determination. I am just that good. Catharina Rhinehart is not my 5th great grandmother. She was born in New York and still married at the time of her death. My 5th great grandmother was born in Germany and a widow. As was Magdalena Reinhardt at the time of her death. The age is off by between 5-15 years, which is not uncommon for that time period, and I still have to cross check the residence at time of death, but her death certificate was presented to a son, Wilhelm. My 5th great-grandmother had a son, William/Wilhelm. But this is why I am sure it is her - she is buried in Weehawken Cemetery in Hoboken, New Jersey. Why is that significant?

My 5th great-grandfather, her husband, John Reinhardt, died in Union, New Jersey in 1870. My Reinhardts lived in the Hoboken/Weehawken/Union area for years. My gut is telling me this is her. My gut is wrong about a lot of things, but never about genealogy.

So, it's disappointing because it gives no maiden name, no parents' names, no specific place of birth. But a cemetery listing is HUGE. I have always wondered where John might have been buried in Jersey, and now I have a clue. So now I have another gravesite I get to look for - and an out-of-state one, too! For this New Yorker by way of muchos, muchos, muchos generations, finding a burial site out of state, even if it's just across the river, is EXTREMELY exciting.

It's the little things, people. I am off to look up this cemetery now to see if it still exists. Between Peter Stutzmann and Magdalena Reinhardt, I may have to schedule a Veteran's Day cemetery field trip for next week!

Yay! :)

2 comments:

  1. I love it! Your excitement is contagious! I really hope it is her. Do you have enough information on their religion to check church records?

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  2. Thanks, Heather! Now that you're asking me, I'm actually not sure I know what religion they were/what church they worshipped at - I should definitely check my records!

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