Tombstone Tuesday ~ The Family of Frederick A. R. & Mary "Mamie" (Dieter) Schwarz ~ Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia

While taking a walking tour of Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah this summer I tried to find unusual family plots that were of interest to me. I am not related to this particular family but I love this family plot. I like the way that adults are arranged in front with the children behind them as if they are being protected. These pictures are examples of cradle graves, in particular these cradle graves are known as headboard and footboard cradle graves. The headstone acts like the headboard of bed while the smaller footstone acts as the footboard. 

Personal photograph of Dawn M. Kogutkiewicz

Of the three large cradle graves (see the photo above) the center one belongs to Major Frederick Adam Rudolph Schwarz (1866-1917), a first generation German American. His wife Mary "Mamie" Dieter Schwarz (1871-1930) is to the right of him and their son George Edward Schwarz (1900-1954) is on the side. I decided to research this family because I wanted to know more about them. Then I when I started researching and I learned of the tragedies that happened during the early years of Fred and Mamie's marriage. They lost 3 baby boys between 1894 and 1899. Then they lost a baby girl in 1902. How does one get over such deaths? I have lost a child and after nearly 16 years I am just starting to make peace with it. How did John and Mary cope? I've decided to tell their story to the best of my ability.

Personal photograph of Dawn M. Kogutkiewicz

The four cradle graves (see above) behind Frederick and his wife are four of their children. From left to right are Cornelius Rudolph Schwarz (1897-1899), Mary Jane Schwarz (1901-1902), John Nicholas George Schwarz (1894-1895) and Frank Conrad Schwarz (1895-1896). These children, their older brother and their parents are buried in Section H, Lot 34. For a map of this section click here.

There are five more children for this family, they are Frederick Jacob Schwarz (1892-1964), Catherine Mary Schwarz (1893-1946), John Nicholas Schwarz (1905-1978), Rudolph Herman Schwarz (1906-1981) and Marguerite Elizabeth Schwarz (1909-1973). The 1930 Census shows Frederick, George, Rudolph and Marguerite all living with their mother, Mary and no spouses. The 1940 Census shows that Frederick, Rudolph and Marguerite were all living together with no spouses. 

I have been unable to locate a marriage records for Frederick, Rudolph and Marguerite. Based on the records I have found between FamilySearch and Ancestry, I have found no marriage records for either of them. Frederick was listed in the 1940 census as a baker and the owner of a bakery shop in the 1940 Census. Rudolph was listed in the 1940 census a a policeman for the City of Savannah and their sister Marguerite was listed as a retail saleslady.

From the marriage records I have found Catherine married Edward Lee Roberts on October 22, 1919 in Savannah. I know that George married sometime between the 1930 & 1940 Census to Elma as they are listed as married in the 1940 census, however, after a diligent search in GA, SC, FL, and AL, I have not been able to locate a marriage record for them. John Nichols married on February 8, 1930 to Marjorie Ruth Bowen in Jacksonville, Florida.

This is everything I have learned about a family that I have absolutely no connection to whatsoever. So why did I do it? It is simple really, we all have a story that needs to be told and everyone should have someone to remember them, even when there is no one left to tell it but a stranger. Unfortunately,  I only found one or two people in "Ancestry's Public or Private trees" who were researching this family. 

If you know someone who is related to the family of Frederick Adam Rudolph Schwarz and Mary E. Dieter please leave me a message here or message me through Facebook and I will be happy to share my information. Below is a partial list of my sources, my source list is very long so to save a little space and some time I have made it a shareable document. For the complete list please click here.

Sources: 

1. 1870 United States Census,  Savannah, Chatham, Georgia, pop. schedule, p.174 (penned), Database image #: 485; dwelling #:1175, family #: 1407; entry for Frederick Schwarz, house of John Schwarz; database & digital images, Ancestry.com    (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 October 2015); The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Family History Library Film: 545640; National Archives, Washington, D.C., RG 29, M593_141.

2. 1880 United States Census, District 5, Chatham County, Georgia, pop. schedule, Roll: 139, enumeration district (ED): 032, p. 71 (penned), p. 653 C(stamped), image #: 0047, dwelling #: 817, family #: 846; entry for Mary Dieter, house of George Dieter; database & digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : 30 October 2015); The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Family History Film: 1254139; National Archives, Washington, D.C. RG 29, T9 Roll 138.

3. 1880 United States Census, Chatham County, Georgia, population schedule, Savannah City, enumeration district (ED): 028, p. 8 (penned), dwelling #: 74, family: 76, entry for Freddie Schwatz house of John Schwarz, database & digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : 30 October 2015); The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints, Family History Film: 1254138; NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). National Archives, Washington, D.C. RG 29, T623 Roll 138.

4. 1900 Census, Chatham County, Georgia, population schedule, Militia District 4 Savannah city Ward Troup, Barton, enumeration district (ED): 0068, sheet: 3B, Dwelling # 74, family 76, Frederick Schwarz household, database & digital images, Ancestry.com (www. ancestry.com : accessed 30 October 2015); The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints,  FHL microfilm: 1240186; National Archives, Washington, D.C. RG 29, T623, Roll 186.

5. 1910 United States Census, Chatham County, Georgia, population schedule, Savannah Ward 3, enumeration district (ED) 0062, sheet 14B, dwelling #287, family #: 337, Frederick Schwarz household, database & images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 October 2015);  National Archives, Washington, D.C., RG 29,  T623 Roll 178. 

Tomestone Tuesday ~ Corrine Elliot Lawton

This is the tombstone of Corinne Elliott Lawton who died on January 24, 1877. Born September 23, 1846, Corinne was born into a wealth and privilege as the daughter of General Alexander Robert Lawton (1818-1896) and Sarah Gilbert Alexander Lawton (1826-1897). She is buried in Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. There is a story told about how Corrine died but I have learned that it is incorrect. I am hoping to post at later date the true story of her passing.

Sources:

 http://vanishingcoastalgeorgia.com/2012/01/28/corinne-elliott-lawton-sculpturebonaventure-cemetery/

Corrine Elliott Lawton: The Lore, 6th Sense World Historic Ghost & Cemetery Tours (https://6thsenseworld.com/corinne-elliot-lawton

Corrine Elliot Lawton: What Really Happened to Her? blog entry, Dreaming Casually (http://dreamingcasuallypoetry.blogspot.com/2013/09/corinne-elliot-lawton-what-really.html : 29 June 2015)

Tombstone Tuesday ~ Johnny Mercer

Two weeks ago my best friend and I went to Savannah, Georgia to celebrate 50 years of being friends. We have know each other since we were three and four years old. We did a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery one morning before it got way too hot that day. 

I am not related to the subject of this post but I am a fan of his music. I just loved the bench in his large burial plot.

One of the graves pointed out to us by our tour guide was that of John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer. He was born November 18, 1909 in Savannah and died June 25, 1976 in Los Angeles County, California. There is a bench in the family plot where one can sit and remember the family or as our tour guide said remember the music of Johnny Mercer. 

During his lifetime, Johnny Mercer wrote the lyrics to more than 1,000 songs and received 19 Academy Award nomintions. He also wrote the music for several Broadway shows. In 1942, he co-founded Capital Records with Buddy DeSlyva and Glenn Wallichs, the first West Coast recording label.

In the top photo the songs written on the inside of the bench are: "Ac-Cen-Tchu-The-Positive", "Jeepers, Creepers", "Autumn Leaves", "Blues In The Night", "Charade", "Laura", "Moon River", "My Shining Hour", "On The Atchinson, Topeaka and Santa Fe". On the top front edge are the songs "Buddy", "I'm Kind Of Poet", "I've Gotta Lotta of Things To Say". In the middle of the bench is an image of Johnny himself. On the back of the top edge are the words Co-Founder of Capitol Records in the left corner and in the right corner are the words, Winner of 4 Academy Awards.

In the bottom photo the songs written on the outside of the are: "Come Rain or Come Shine", "Days of Wine and Roses", "Hooray for Hollywood", "In the Cool, Cool, Cool Evening", "One for My Baby", "Skylark", "Something's Gotta Give", "That Old Black Magic", "You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby". I grew up listening to my Dad's Time Life Series of albums that were titled "Songs from the 40's and 50's and many of these songs were on these albums. Other's I learned from movies like "The Days of Wine and Roses" and "Breakfast at Tiffany's".

The first Academy Award Johnny won was in 1946. It was for the song "On the Atchinson, Topeaka and Santa Fe" with music by Harry Warren. Judy Garland sang the song in the movie, "The Harvey Girls". Click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7NHWKbQuRw) to hear Judy Garland sing "On the Atchinson, Topeaka and Santa Fe".

His second Academy Award came in 1951 for the song "In the Cool, Cool, Cool Evening" with music by Hoagy Carmichael. The song was sung by Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman for the movie "Here Comes the Groom". Click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSgWX4DbZ4) to hear Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman sing, "In the Cool, Cool, Cool Evening".

The third Academy Award won by Johnny Mercer was for the song "Moon River" with music by Henry Mancini. This was for the film "Breakfast At Tiffany's" and was sung by Audrey Hepburn. Click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UoIO4qxJig) to listen to Audrey Hepburn sing, "Moon River". 

In 1962, Johnny would win his fourth and final Academy Award for the song "The Days of Wine and Roses (with music by Henry Mancini), for the film of the same name. It was performed by Henry Mancini and his Orchestra with the Chorus. Click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nikPwhewdmk) to listen to Henry Mancini & Orchestra and Chorus.

Sources:

Eskew, Glenn T. "Johnny Mercer (1909-1976)" New Georgia Encyclopedia. 15 April 2015. Web. 30 June 2015.

Songwriters Hall of Fame, (http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/bio/C18 : accessed 1 July 2015), entry for Johnny Mercer.

Wikipedia contributors. "Capitol Records." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Records : accessed 1 July 2015).

Wikipedia contributors. "Johnny Mercer". Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Mercer : accessed 1 July 2015).

Shen Long Tang, "On the Atchison, Topeaka, and Santa Fe", Online video clip,(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7NHWKbQuRw : accessed 1 July 2015), sung by Judy Garland, music composed by Harry Warren with lyrics by Johnny Mercer for the film "The Harvey Girls".

Theater2Film, "In the Cool, Cool, Cool Evening", Online video clip (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSgWX4DbZ4 : accessed 1 July 2015), sung by Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman, music composed by Hoagy Carmichael, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, from the movie "Here Comes the Groom".

Sarah Evangeline, "Moon River" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UoIO4qxJig : accessed 1 July 2015), sung by Audrey Hepburn music composed by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny River, from the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Sirchinmoy, "Days of Wine and Roses, Online video clip, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nikPwhewdmk : accessed 1 July 2015), Sung by The Henry Mancini Chorus, music composed by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, from the movie "The Days of Wine and Roses".

My Visit to Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia for Horace Rivers and Family

Earlier this month we went to Savannah to support another Parrot Head Club's fundraiser for prostate cancer in the form of a pub crawl. It was a lot of fun but I did manage to get some genealogy done as well. This is the first of the two families I was looking for at Bonaventure Cemetery.

I went to Bonaventure Cemetery looking for the 2nd great paternal uncle of my son's via their paternal grandmother, Ursula Floride Plowden. I was disappointed to find that there were no headstones for Horace or his wife, Adele Lewis Rivers. There were only two tombstones. One was for his son, Marion Pinckney (1884-1931) and the other belonged to his sister in law, Edith Irene Lewis (1870-1891). 

This is a view of the entire plot for the Rivers family. The elaborate tombstone in the back is for Edith Irene Lewis who died at age 21. The other stone is for Marion Pinckney Rivers who died in 1934. It was very wet and drizzling during this visit.

Horace Rivers was born March 4th,1858 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina to Constant Henry Rivers and Mary Elizabeth Minott. He married Adele "Addie" Lewis about 1882 (I have not found a specific place as of yet). Horace and "Addie" had three sons, Marion Pickney Rivers born in 1884 and died in 1931. Herbert T. Rivers born in 1885 (no death or marriage records as of today) and Horace Rivers, born in 1890 and died in 1932. They also had two daughters, Mary Rivers born in 1888 (no death or marriage records as of today) and Edith Lewis Rivers born in 1900 and died in 1969. Edith married George Hawkins Unchurch in 1922 and they had two daughters. 

Horace Rivers was born on June 10th, 1890 in Savannah, Georgia. He married Marguerite Virginia Walker (no marriage record as of today) and they had one son. Marguerite died on June 13th, 1930 from complications after her appendectomy in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Horace died from angina on September 1st, 1932 in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Both are buried at Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina. This left their son Lewis, an orphan by age 5. I found Lewis in the 1940 US Federal Census living in the home of Harry I. and Marie W. Shingler listed as their adopted son. 

The picture above is the tombstone for Edith Irene Lewis. I only know that she was born on January 9th, 1870 in Charleston County, South Carolina and that she died on September 12th, 1891. I don't know if she died in Savannah or not but I am hoping that on my next trip to Savannah, the cemetery may have more information. The telephone number listed for the cemetery connects you with the city of Savannah as they own Bonaventure Cemetery.

Marion Pinckney Rivers was February 24th 1884 in Savannah, Georgia. On June 16th, 1908 in Savannah he married Henrietta Ruby Williams. They had one child, Marion Pinckney Rivers, Jr who was born in Savannah in 1912 and died in 1966. According to his death certificate, Marion died of a coronary occlusion. I have been unable to locate a death certificate for his wife Ruby but I believe she may have remarried or perhaps moved to another state which will make finding her more difficult.

As you can see in the above picture it is clear there are other family members buried in this plot. There are no tombstones just small area which makes me wonder if some of Horace & Adele's children died in early adulthood. There are two children, Herbert T and Mary Rivers that were born in 1885 and 1888, respectively. They are both accounted for in the 1900 and the 1910 federal census records however, after that I lose track of them. I have scoured marriage and death records to no avail for them both. 

It is a rather large plot and there is evidence that others were there as well. The only people I know for certain who is not buried there is Horace Rivers, Jr. and his wife, Marguerite Walker Rivers. I will be making another trip to Savannah to do more research at the cemetery in June. Hopefully I will find some more answers.

Sources: 

Kiosk, Bonaventure Cemetery, 330 Bonaventure Road, Savannah, Georgia 31404
Phone: 912-651-6843

Death Certificates, Vital Records, Public Health, RG 26-5-95, Georgia Archives, (http://cdm.georgiaarchives.org:2011/cdm/singleitem/collection/gadeaths/id/124937/rec/1 : 27 April 2015)

Digital Collection: Georgia Death Certificates, Horace Rivers 10 September 1922

"Tennessee, Death Records, 1914-1955," database & image, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ : accessed 27 April 2015), entry for Adel Lewis Rivers, Died 18 October 1931;citing FHL microfilm 1,876,782.

Georgia, Deaths, 1928-1939, database & image, Family Search (https://familysearch.org : 27 April 2015) entry for Marion P. Rivers, Died 25 June 1931 citing Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, United States, CN-31-15076, Georgia Archives, Morrow.

South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1943, database & image, Family Search (https://familysearch.org : 27 April 2015) entry for Horace Rivers, 1 September 1932, citing Charleston, South Carolina, fn-13209, Dept. of Archives and History, State Records Center, Columbia; FHL microfilm 1, 943,783.

South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1943, database & image, Family Search (https://familysearch.org : 27 April 2015), entry for Marguerite Walker Rivers, 13 June 1930, citing Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, fn-9513, Dept. of Archives and History, South Carolina, State Records Center, Columbia; FHL microfilm 1,913,723.

United States Census, 1940, database & image, Family Search (https://familysearch.org : 28 April 2015), entry for Lewis W. Rivers in the household of Harry I. Shingler, James Island Township, Charleston, South Carolina, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 10-73, sheets 1A, family 5, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 3795.

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