John F. McCrystal

John Francis McCrystal was born to Patrick and Bridget McCrystal at Kelleys Island on June 22, 1863. He moved with his family to Sandusky when he was just one year of age. He was elected to the City Council in 1884. At the age of 21, he was the youngest person who ever served the city council of Sandusky up to that time. In 1886, John F. McCrystal was appointed Deputy Clerk of Courts for Erie County. He studied law, and was admitted to the Bar in 1889. In 1891, he was elected City Solicitor.

After retiring from the position of City Solicitor Mr. McCrystal continued in the practice of law. He enjoyed a large practice ans was well known throughout the norther Ohio region. John F. McCrystal died on July 13, 1939 after a brief illness. He is buried in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. Mr. McCrystal was survived by his widow, three brothers, and three sons. A lengthy obituary for John F. McCrystal is found in the 1939 OBITUARY NOTEBOOK at the Sandusky Library. A tribute read in part: "Hard work brought success to Mr. McCrystal and his is a fine example of what work and effort will do."

The tombstone which honors the memory of John Francis McCrystal is an ornate cross. Click on the image for an enlarged view.

Milan Family Monument at St. Joseph's Cemetery

This lovely monument at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Sandusky honors the family of Thomas Milan. The cross and seats on each side of it resemble a church altar. Several monetary gifts were given by the Milan family towards the stained glass windows at Holy Angels Church in Sandusky.


Hewson L. Peeke wrote in his book A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, that Thomas and Cecelia (Rowan) Milan were natives of County Galway, Ireland. They came to the United States in 1848 and settled in Ohio. Mr. Milan found employment with the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad. Mr. and Mrs. Milan left their three children, Thomas, Patrick, and Margaret back in Ireland with Cecelia's sister Nora. In 1851, Nora (sometimes Honora) Rowan brought her sister's three children to America.

Sons Thomas and Patrick J. Milan were both associated with various railroads. Thomas was with the National Railways of Mexico and later he became president of the Vera Cruz and Pacific Railway. Thomas also was a captain in the Texas State Militia. He never married. Patrick J. Milan was associated with the Rio Grande and Eagle Pass Railway, the Central Railway of Georgia, and was in charge of the Pan American Railway for some time.

Mrs. and Mrs. Thomas Milan, their sons Thomas and Patrick, daughter Margaret are all buried in the family lot at St. Joseph's Cemetery. Mrs. Ryan's sister Honora Rowan, and Mrs. Patrick J. Milan are also buried in the family lot. The individual stones are arranged in two rows to the west of the main monument in Section C of the cemetery.

The inscriptions for the individual stones are:

Their Son
Thomas Milan
1847-1916












Their Son
Patrick J. Milan
1843-1926















Father
Thomas Milan
1808-1896















Mother
Cecelia Milan
1806-1872














Their Daughter
Maria Milan
1846-1914














Margaret Wife of
Patrick J. Milan
1845-1913














Aunt
Honora Rowan
1814-1880














While it appears that there are no direct descendants of the Milan family who remain, this monument reminds visitors to the cemetery today of the hard work and determination the Milan family showed in uprooting the family from Ireland to make a new life in the United States. The male members of the Milan family made an important contribution to the railroads in the United States and in Mexico. I am sure that Mr. and Mrs. Milan were eternally grateful to Honora Rowan for her role in caring for the children in those early years.

Joseph L. Smith, Marble Works Proprietor

The first time I encountered a reference to Joseph L. Smith was on the inscription above, found on the Scheufler monument at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. I decided to do some digging, and see if I could learn more about J. L. Smith, who created this majestic monument, to honor the memory of two well respected railroad employees who died tragically in 1870.

J.L. Smith is listed on page 119 of the 1867 McKelvey's Sandusky City Directory. He had a marble works business at 26 Wayne Street in Sandusky, and he resided at 66 Market Street. In the 1870 U.S. Census, Joseph Smith is listed as age 34, and occupation: marble cutter. He was married to Mary, age 20. Youngsters named Libbie, age 5, and George, age 16, also resided in the Joseph Smith household. The birthplace of Joseph Smith, marble cutter, was listed as Germany, though other sources indicate he was born in Ohio.

By 1880, Joseph L. Smith, marble dealer, was residing in Massillon, Stark County, Ohio, with his wife Mary and daughter Elizabeth. Moving ahead twenty years to the 1900 U.S. Census, Joseph L. Smith, marble cutter, is still residing in Massillon, Ohio. He is aged 60 at this time, but in 1900 his household consisted of himself, a wife named Susan, and a daughter named Mary. In 1910, Joseph L. Smith of Massillon, Ohio stated he was in the granite work profession. He gave his age as 68. Other members of the household in 1910 were: his wife Susana, age 41; and daughters, Mary, age 11; Henrietta, age 9; Frances, age 7; and Amelia, age 5.

On November 10, 1911, Joseph L. Smith died in Massillon, Ohio, from intestinal problems. His death certificate, a portion of which is pictured below, indicated that he was the son of Nicholas Smith, a native of Germany. Joseph L. Smith was aged 71 years, 5 months, and 2 days at the time of his death.

An obituary which appeared in the Fremont Daily News on November 11, 1911, reported that Joseph L. Smith, the Massillon marble works proprietor, had died suddenly on November 10. His remains were brought to Fremont on the train, and Joseph L. Smith was buried in the St. Joseph's Cemetery in Fremont. The article stated that Mrs. Helen Blosier of Fremont was the sister of Joseph L. Smith. Mr. Smith was buried in the St. Mary portion of St. Joseph's Cemetery, but today no stone remains. Mr. Smith worked diligently through the years, and though he had lived and worked in both Erie and Stark Counties, Ohio, he was buried in Sandusky County, Ohio.

Pietro Zurma

Pietro Zurma died on December 27, 1929 in Sandusky, Ohio. According to his death certificate, he had been born in Forli, Italy in 1854, to Mr. and Mrs. Florian Zurma. Records at the Ellis Island website show that Pietro Zurma, along with his wife Antonia and daughter Maria, came from Italy to the United States on August 30, 1906. The Zurma's were on there way to see Pietro's son Florian Zurma who resided in Sandusky, Ohio. Pietro and his wife and daughter also settled in Ohio. They traveled on the ship the Napolitan Prince, and departed from Naples. See lines 5,6,and 7 on the image of the passenger list below. (Click for a larger view.)









An obituary for Pietro Zurma appeared in the December 27, 1929 issue of Sandusky Star Journal.






















A picture of Pietro is found on his tombstone.






















Sadly, Pietro Zurma is buried not far from his three grandchildren, all children of his daughter Maria Zurma Macrelli. Alfredo, Rosa, and William Macrelli died in Sandusky the 1920's at a very young age.

Wednesday's Child: Macrelli Children

Between 1924 and 1929, Ferdinand and Mary (Zurma) Macrelli lost three children due to illness. The children are buried side by side at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. Census records tell us that Ferdinand and Mary were both born in Italy. They married in Erie County, Ohio on September 6, 1913. It is difficult to imagine the heartache that this couple faced together, in losing three children in such a short time span.

Alfredo Macrelli, called Frederick on his death certificate, died on November 22, 1924, at the age of 4 years old, due to heart disease. It looks as though a picture of Alfredo was once visible on his tombstone.
























Rosa Macrelli died on August 30, 1925, at 6 years and 10 months of age. Her death certificate listed her cause of death as paralysis of heart.
























A well worn image of Rosa can be seen on her tombstone.






















The youngest of the Macrelli children, William, who was born on March 22, 1922, died on March 29, 1929, from peritonitis following acute appendicitis. He passed away only a week after his seventh birthday.























William's picture is still visible on his tombstone. The image shows William holding a kitten.























At the time the Macrelli family settled in Sandusky, there was widespread discrimination toward the foreign born population, including a lack of respect, and name calling. To have these social issues taking place at the same time as the loss of three beloved children is more than some families could handle. Two other daughters in the Macrelli family did survive to adulthood. I hope that the Macrelli family found solace in the Catholic church, as well as in the Italian American community that was very close knit in Sandusky for decades. Obituaries found in the OBITUARY NOTEBOOKS at the Sandusky Library indicate that the Macrelli family attended Saints Peter and Paul's Church.

Tombstone Tuesday: P.J. McGurty, Boilermaker

This small white tombstone is found in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio, along with many other military tombstones. The inscription reads:

BoilerMaker
P. J. McGurty
U.S. Navy

An obituary for Patrick J. McGurty appeared in the April 25, 1905 issue of the Sandusky Register. The article said that Patrick J. McGurty served on the U.S.S. Bennington in the U.S. Navy during the Spanish American War. Mr. McGurty was admitted to the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home from Lorain County, Ohio on December 3, 1902. He died in the home's hospital on April 20, 1905. He had fallen down some basement stairs in Sandusky, and fractured his tibia and fibula. These injuries, complicated by "alcoholic excesses," led to his death. His remains were sent from the hospital to Sandusky for burial in the St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery. In the U.S. Census for 1900, Patrick J. McGurty was residing in Lucas County, Ohio, and was employed as a boiler maker. He stated that his parents had both been born in the country of Ireland.

The Brief Life of Matilda Cross

Matilda Rosa Cross was my third great grand-aunt. She was born to Charles Cross and Patience M. Manning Cross in 1851. She was christened at Holy Angels Catholic Church, on July 12, 1851, by Rev. J. V. Conlan. Her baptismal sponsors were a Mr. Spalding and Martha Martin. The baptism record was recorded in church books at Holy Angels Catholic Church, and is accessible at Family Search. These particular records are not indexed, but searching is relatively easy if you have a rough idea of the time frame involved. You can view each page at full-screen, and flip through the records page by page with ease at any computer.





Matilda's father was the first Catholic Mayor of Sandusky, Ohio, serving in that office from 1853-1856. Little is known about Matilda's mother, Patience, except that she died sometime after Matilda's birth in 1851 and before 1860. Sadly, Matilda Cross died very young. Her death was recorded in Holy Angels church records as September 14, 1866, when Rev. R.A. Sidley was serving as the priest. Matilda was 15 years old at the time of her death.




Matilda's brother James went on to serve his country in the Civil War, and another brother, Charles A. Cross was a photographer in Sandusky, Ohio for several years. My gut feeling is that Matilda was a special little girl to her family, especially since she lost her mother at such a young age. How I wish I could see some Cross family photographs that surely must have been taken by Charles A. Cross! Though Matilda's name has not been inscribed on the tombstone, St. Joseph's Cemetery records indicate that she is buried in the same lot as her father, Charles Cross, in Section D.

The Civil War Service of Great Grandma Irene's Grandfathers

Long before my great grandmother Irene Larkins was born, her maternal and paternal grandfathers had both served in the Union Army during the Civil War.























A native of Ireland, Patrick Larkins served in Company K of the 19th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted on April 23, 1861, and mustered out on August 31, 1861. Patrick worked on the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, and later worked at Hubbard's lumber yard in Sandusky. He and his wife Bridget had a family of seven children, all baptized in the Catholic church.

My Great Grandmother Irene's maternal grandfather was James C. Cross. He was a carpenter by trade. The father of James Cross, an English immigrant named Charles Cross, was the Mayor of Sandusky from 1853-1856. James Cross enlisted in military service at Monroeville on September 19, 1862, as a private in Company G of the 123rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. At the time of his honorable discharge, at Camp Chase, Ohio on June 12, 1865, James Cross had risen to the rank of Corporal.


















Between 1868 and 1883, James Cross and his wife Elizabeth Marshall had a family of six children. He provided the birth dates of all his children on a document in his military pension file.























Both Patrick Larkins and James Cross were buried at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. Keeping in the family tradition of service, my Great Grandmother Irene's uncle, Nicholas Charles Cross became a Brother in the Catholic Church with the Xaverian Order. Her fist cousin, Naomi Cross, was a nun who worked in the Hough area of Cleveland in the 1960's. Naomi changed her name to Sister Bertha after she entered into religious service.

Through the years I have never seen a photograph of my ancestors James Cross or Patrick Larkins, nor have I ever heard any stories about their years in military service during the Civil War. I get the impression that both men must have felt it was their duty to serve their country. Seven of my Great Grandma Irene's great grandparents were born in foreign countries. I am proud of my ancestors' service to their families and their country.

Bernard Lodick

Bernard Lodick was born in West Meath, Ireland to Charles and Bridget Lodick in 1836. He came to Sandusky in 1850. Bernard Lodick married Jane McManus in 1873. Sadly, she died in 1878, when her only child, Mary Elizabeth, was just seven years of age.

For many years, Bernard Lodick was a carriage manufacturer at the corner of Jackson and Washington Streets in downtown Sandusky. (Later this location would be home to the Post Office, and now is the site of the Merry Go Round Museum.) His name appears below in the 1867 Sandusky City Directory, published by M. T. McKelvey, and available full text at the Internet Archive.



Bernard Lodick passed away on July 10, 1914 at the home of his niece, Mrs. John J. O'Reilly, on Shelby Street in Sandusky. His funeral was held at the home of his niece, and burial was in St. Joseph's Cemetery. An obituary for Bernard Lodick appeared in the July 11, 1914 issue of the Sandusky Register. Mr. Lodick was survived by his daughter, who was now known as Sister Antonius at the Mount de Chantel Academy in West Virginia.

Larkins Family Lot at St. Joseph's Cemetery

The Larkins Family lot is in Section C, Row 27 of St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery located at Mills and Seneca Streets on the western side of Sandusky, Ohio. On a low, long stone is the surname LARKINS. (The name is engraved on the side of the stone which faces toward the west.)On either side of this stone are tombstones with have no names on them, just the words Father and Mother on the top of the stones. (It is very difficult to read the inscriptions on the stones, as they are badly worn.) Click here for a larger view.













The tombstone of Will Larkins is the first stone on the left, while facing the Larkins lot looking to the east. William Larkins was the son of Patrick Larkins and Bridget Ryan Larkins. He died at the age of 19 of consumption. His funeral was held at the home of his brother, Thomas F. Larkins. The following obituary for William Larkins appeared in the November 29, 1893 issue of the Sandusky Register.














The tombstone of Dan Larkins is the tallest stone in the family lot. Daniel Larkins was the oldest son of Patrick and Bridget Larkins, born in 1859. Dan died on August 1, 1880 at the age of 21. Articles about the death of Daniel Larkins were carried in the August 3 and August 4, 1880 issues of the Sandusky Register. The first article reported that on the Sunday night of his death, it was the first time that young Dan had ever stayed away from home without letting his parents know where he was. "It is clearly evident that he got into bad company," is how the newspaper explained what happened. Dan Larkins went out with his friends, and had several drinks. Late that night, Dan fell out of a window at the Germania house, a Sandusky tavern, and he fell to his death on the sidewalk. It must have broken his parents' hearts to lost a son in this tragic accident.

The tombstone which is the last one on the right of the Larkins lot belongs to little Edwin Larkins. Edwin was the son of Thomas F. and Mary Louise Larkins, and the grandson of Patrick and Bridget Larkins. He died on March 29, 1892 at the age of 2 1/2. His parents would also lose a baby girl in infancy, Mildred Larkins died in July of 1898 at the age of 7 weeks. Two other children of Thomas and Mary Louise Larkins lived to adulthood, Irene and Thomas Arthur Larkins.

While cemetery records indicate that the tombstones of Patrick and Bridget Larkins are in Section E, and have been discussed in a previous blog post, it is possible that the Father and Mother tombstones are actually those of Patrick and Bridget Larkins, and that the couple buried in Section E could belong to a different Larkins family.

Many contemplative visits to the St. Joseph Cemetery have taken place as descendants have visited the tombstones of their ancestors through the years. The Larkins family lost several members of the family tree between 1880 and 1893. We wish we knew more details about the joys and sorrows of these folks of Irish descent who lived and died so long ago.

Patrick Larkins

Patrick Larkins (sometimes spelled Larkin) was born about 1827 in Ireland. He and his father came to America about 1830. After living first in Connecticut, they finally settled in Erie County, Ohio sometime before 1850. In the 1850 U.S. Census, Patrick is living in Perkins Township of Erie County. Daniel, the father of the family, listed his occupation as farmer. Johanna is Daniel's wife at this time, but Patrick may have been born in a previous marriage of Daniel. Patrick's age is given as 20 in this census. Also in the family are children named: Margaret, James, Daniel, Johanna, and Gregory.

In December of 1856, Patrick Larkins married Bridget Ryan. This marriage is recorded in the church records of the Toledo, Ohio Diocese, available at Family Search Labs. The minister was Rev. A. Caron. Here Patrick's surname is spelled yet another way, Largons.









Patrick and Bridget had several children: Daniel, Ellen, John, Thomas, Mary (known as Mollie), William, and Katherine, whose nickname was "Kit." Patrick worked as an engineer on the Mad River Railroad, and later was a foreman at Hubbard's lumber yard in Sandusky. During the Civil War, Patrick Larkins served in Company K of the 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On July 21, 1892, Patrick Larkins died in Sandusky. A descendant of the Larkins family transcribed his obituary which appeared in the July 23, 1892 issue of the Sandusky Register. Patrick Larkins is buried in the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio.
















While no visible tombstone remains, Bridget Larkins, the wife of Patrick, had died on July 2, 1890. Her obituary appeared in the July 4, 1890 issue of the Sandusky Register.



A host of Larkins descendants are still living in the U.S. today, many of whom have a wonderful sense of Irish wit and humor.

Tombstone Tuesday

Jacob Stauble died on May 25, 1859, in his 66th year. He is buried at St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery in Sandusky.