Relics: Genealogy, family stories, history & other curiosities.

I have learned to look for genealogy, family history and local history in interesting and unusual places.  I have been rather successful in searching E-Bay for the towns and names I research.   A few weeks before Christmas I searched Haverstraw, NY in E-bay and came across this nugget!  It is a poster advertising an event at Haverstraw High School on December 16, 1929-- Donkey Basketball. I believe it is the the police dept. vs. the fire depts.  The poster is in good condition, its a bit faded but it is ninety years old! This seller did an awesome job packing it safely.   Donkey basketball? I had never heard of such a thing!  From what I can tell it seemed to be a popular fundraising activity ages ago in more rural areas.  I can't imagine riding a donkey, let alone doing it while trying to play basketball. Let's face it, I can't imagine playing basketball, let alone on a donkey.    What I love most about this little gem is ...

Harry Schuler, my second great grandfather was born on this day in 1842 in Paris, France.  I refer to him as Harry from France to differientiate him from the other Harrys in my family, of which there are many and because he is my Schuler, who got on a boat, from France and came to America.  Harry did not come alone, he was about 2 years old and travelled with his mother, the elusive Catharina Blick and his older sister Leonie.  Catharina was 25 and Leonie was 4.  They reunited with Louis Schuler and settled for several years in New Orleans, where Louis and Catherine had seven more children.   There is a lot more research to be done (isn't there always?) but I am confident in saying that all but three of their children reached adulthood and all but one, stayed in New Orleans, while all the others moved north to New York.  Harry's first New York address is Clinton Street, where he lived with his brother Louis and his wife Ellen.  Soon Harry ...

Leonie Madeleine Schuler was born in France in 1840.  She immigrated in March of 1845 to America with Catherine, her mother and her younger brother, Henri, known in the US as Harry. (Harry is my great great grandfather.)     The family reunited with their husband/father, Louis Schuler and settled with many other French/Germans in the fourth ward of New Orleans.  Louis and Catherine went on to have seven more children.  By 1880, Leonie is the only family member remaining in Louisiana. She is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in the tomb pictured above.   Also in this tomb is Frank/Francois Goulemus, Leonie's husband and six other people, Kleins, Karchers, Vitranos, all names I do not recognize.  Why do I not know these people? You wouldn't be buried with friends or casual acquaintances, members of what in genealogy circles we would refer to as the F.A.N. club, would you? My thinking is that these six other people must be relatives or closely connec...