Funeral Card Friday - Clara Hirst Funeral Bill 1914

Clara (nee Eckard) Hirst was my maternal great-grandmother (my mother's father's mother). She died in her home at 1250 Taney Street in Philadelphia PA on May 30, 1914. Her cause of death was listed as "phthisis pulmonalis", an archaic term used to describe what is now known as tuberculosis and its accompanying wasting disease.Her age at death was 45 years/1 month/22days. She was buried June 2, 1914 at Mt. Peace Cemetery in Philadelphia.

This is a copy of the bill for funeral expenses presented to her widower, Mr. John G. Hirst by the undertaker, Albert Cummings.

June 1st - To furnishing polished oak casket, old silver bar handles, Eng. name plate, cream liberty satin lining, satin pillow & mattress. 85.00

To polished chestnut case copper bound & copper name plate 25.00

To Embalming Remains 10.00
To Paper Notices 5.00
To Blanket 3.00
To Opening Grave, 10 ft. deep 9.00
To Dress & Ladys Services 20.00
To Auto Hearse, Mt. Peace 10.00
To 6 carriages 4.50 (each) 27.00

Recd. Payment 194.00 (my note: paid in full)

Clara Eckard Hirst and the Gravestone she shares with other family members in Mt Peace Cemetery, Philadelphia, PA

Wedding Wednesday - Philadelphia PA, 1866

John Eckard & Margaret J. Davis

 my maternal great-great-grandparents

 (Click photo to enlarge)

This is to Certify, That John Eckard of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania and Margaret J. Davis of Philadelphia in the State of Pennsylvania Were Joined Together in Holy Matrimony, by me, on the Eighth day of April in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Sixty Six

Andrew Manship
Minister of the Gospel
861 Broad St.
Philad.

Margaret J. (nee Davis) Eckard

My descendancy from John Eckard & Margaret J. Davis:

John ECKARD married Margaret J. DAVIS

Clara ECKARD married John Grubb HIRST

Raymond HIRST married Ethel DYER
Olie Lillian HIRST married first husband John Henry YOHN
Karen Marie YOHN (me)

Raymond Hirst of Philadelphia met and married Ethel Dyer of upstate New York while he was stationed at Madison Barracks, NY while serving in the Army.

Surname Saturday: My Maternal Philadelphia PA Surnames

My maternal grandfather, Raymond Hirst, was born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and raised there until the time he joined the military. He married my grandmother, a girl from Upstate New York, and settled in Watertown, Jefferson County, NY to live and raise his family. Raymond died there in 1965 and is buried in North Watertown Cemetery.

I don't know much of Raymond's family, but thanks to Lorraine Altimus, a second cousin who connected with me through Ancestry.com, I have some information to hopefully build upon. I have so much more to learn about this branch of my family.

Davis, Eckard, Esher, Esslinger, Hirst, Regan, Roulston, Steele

Hirst was my grandfather's surname. Eckard (sometimes spelled Eckart), Davis and Steele are in my direct line. The other names are from Raymond's sisters' lines.

If these Philadelphia PA names ring a bell with you, please contact me - we may be related and I'd love to hear from you!

Other comments are always welcome as well :o)

Maritime Monday - 1906 Fishing Yachts Capsize, Sharks, Deaths, Daring Rescues!

 Herbert M. Shivers

Today, for a change of pace, I am leaving my family to rest and will be talking about an incident that happened in 1906 to my "other half" Jim's grandfather, Herbert M. Shivers of Anglesea, N.J.  Herbert at this time worked for his father's bricklaying and plastering business.but spent part of his time fishing for the local and New York markets. Herbert also ran and captained fishing parties for tourists and locals. News of what happened on this particular day was published as far away as in the New York Times, Philadelphia newspapers and even my hometown newspaper, the Reading Eagle,  which is about 60 miles west of Philadelphia.

Herbert later went on to be elected to serve on the town Council for 12 years (2 of which were as president)  and he was then elected to serve as Mayor of North Wildwood (of which by that time, Anglesea had become a part) for one term, 1923 - 1925.

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Reading (PA) Eagle, Monday July 30, 1906, Page 4 Column 4

MANY DROWNED.
Sloop Yachts Capsized Near Angleesea

Anglesea, N.J., July 30 --- Caught in the trough of a tremendous sea, the sloop yachts Nora and Alva B., coming in from the Fishing Banks just after noon yesterday, capsized on Hereford Inlet Bay.

There were 32 persons on the Nora, of whom seven were lost, and 12 on the Alva B., all of whom but one were saved.The list shows these bodies recovered:

Fisher, Frederick, Phila.
Hammell, Herbert, Lansdale, Penn.
Snyder, Walter, Phila.
Fogarty, John, Haverford, Penn.
Starkey, J., Phila.
Donohue, Jerry, Phila.
Williams, Griffith, Phila
Lodner, Samuel, of Woodbury, N.J.

To add to the terrors of the situation a school of sharks was seen swimming around the scene of the disaster, and some of the survivors declare that they had to fight the big fish as well as try to save themselves. Rescuers also declare that the sharks gave them a lot of trouble. Others say the fish were porpoises.

Dramatic features of the double disaster are the heroic work of United States life savers, who were ready for the emergency, and met it with their usual magnificent bravery, in spite of the fact that they are out of service and without pay during this and next month; the heroic behavior of Captain Herbert Shivers, in charge of the Nora, who dived into the hold of his foundered craft and secured an armful of life preservers, which he distributed among those who were struggling in the water about him, and the astounding coincidence of the second wreck following so closely upon the heels of the first.

The Alva B. was owned by E. J. Haliman, a lawyer, of Pottsville, Penn'a. He and a party of friends were on board at the time.

A thorough search to-day failed to bring to light further loss of life. Some of those rescued, in an exhausted condition, remained here over night and departed for home to-day.

Typing with a life vest because you can't be too sure,

~Karen the AncesTree Sprite