Regina Zelicz?

c1900
Back: Katharina Fritz, sister Maria
and Alois Fritz
Front: Josef (son of Maria) Adolf, Victor Fritz  
and Friedrich Fritz

I deliberated before completing this post as nothing in it has been verified and I have been told conflicting stories, so do not know what to believe!

I am hoping that someone who is related will read it and correct me or assist me!

My husband's family could not tell me much about their family.  I find it very difficult to understand that you would not know the names of your grandparents!  When we visited Germany in 2006, we were provided with conflicting information, which I been unable to verify.

I was told that Alois Fritz was married to Regina Zelicz. However Regina is not named as being in the photo?  Had she already died and therefore is it  Alois' mother is pictured?  There are more children than kids named?

Back in 2006, when I received the information,  I was early in my genealogy journey and didn't notice the anomalies or ask the right questions!  I look forward to getting back to Germany (and visiting Romania and Poland) and potentially finding out more!

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Yard

I wonder where this house is?

"This is the back off our

house and that is Dad at

the harth [hearth?] room windo

and a nother yound man

and Allan Wright in the

door way and the sumer [summer]

house with the creeper

getting up to the top

                        Rita"

My grandmother wrote this so it seems that the man in the centre of this photo is her father, Robert William Jones, who died in 1920, which makes this, the only known photo of Robert William Jones.

In 1909, Robert William Jones is recorded as living at Clunes Road, North Creswick,
on the 28th December 1911 the house was destroyed by fire.  In 1914, the family is  listed as living at Vincent Street, in nearby Daylesford.

My grandmother would have been seven years old when the fire destroyed the house so perhaps this is Daylesford house?

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X Chromosone

I am very new to using DNA in Genealogy and don't yet understand it.  However, from my naive perspective, my mother's DNA revealed some potentially interesting things.  Providing me me with questions than answers.

The ethnicity results (as per pictures below) show a diverse mixture of backgrounds.

Source:  Ancestry DNA

The thing that stood out to me initially was the 4% African and 2 % Asian as none of my research shows African or Asian descent.

One of the brick-walls in my mothers family is Samuel Drayton, who is listed on many certificates as being born in Philadelphia, United States.  Therefore I wonder if he was of African origin?
If Samuel Drayton was 50% African then
his daughter would be 25% African
his granddaughter would be 12.5% African
his great granddaughter would be 6.25% African
his great great granddaughter (my mother) would be 3.12% African.
The African portion in the DNA results is 4% so this works!
Now I need to prove it!  I hope that I can link to another family member in America from the same family!

Another brick-wall is the Foy family, which is the only Irish family in my mothers ancestry.  Richard Foy was born in Galway according to his marriage certificate.  The name "Foy" does sound Asian so maybe the Asian showing in the DNA is from  Richard's grandparents?

And then recently, I completed a chart showing places of birth, which has totally confused me and made me wonder if there was some hanky panky at some stage?

In the chart, the dark green (at the top of the chart) represents the Irish ancestry.  It is very likely that the parents are also of Irish origin but this has not been positively verified.  The Irish percentage of my ancestry is a very low percentage according to the chart.  However the ethnicity chart above indicates that my mother is 34% Irish!

I don't know enough about the DNA testing to know exactly how the percentages are calculated.  My Christmas present to myself will likely be a more comprehensive DNA test, which tells me additional details.

DNA testing has not yielded any additional details to date, but has instead given me more questions than answers!

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Walter Scott Dart

Cousins at Little Desert
Allan Scott and Walter Scott Dart

Walter Scott Dart is my first cousin twice removed (ie the cousin of my grandfather).

He is the fourth child of John Dart and Eliza May Scott.  He was born at Nhill, Victoria, Australia on the 27th May 1914. He was only 45 years old when he died from a "coronary occlusion", leaving a wife and four children (aged between ages 7 and 12).

His brother, Don, is pictured here.

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Violet May Jolley

Jolley Family -  c1916
Reg, Alf, George, Annie Emma, Violet, Roy, Lucie, Alfred, Fred, Emma and Leslie

Violet May Jolley is my 2nd cousin, twice removed.

Vi's grandmother and my Great Great Grandfather were siblings.

Violet May Jolley was born on the 2nd August 1912 in South Australia.  She married Henry Frank Hicks on the 15th March 1958.  She died 3rd February 1993.  Please note that these details are from word of mouth and not yet confirmed.

Relationship Chart
Violet is my 2nd cousin twice removed

Siblings Fred and Vi Jolley
c1914-1918

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Urith Edna Geyer

1922
Edith Geyer with grandchildren
Urith and Lorna Geyer

Urith Edna Geyer was born on the 13th October 1920 and delivered by her Grandmother Edith Geyer, according to my grandmother.  However, I cannot find a record of her birth.

It would be interesting to know how many other children delivered by Nurse Edith Geyer are missing or incorrect.  The birth of my Grandmother, Eva Pilgrim, who was also delivered by her grandmother Nurse Geyer, was incorrectly registered.

My grandmother celebrated her birthday on the 18th August.  However her birth record states that she was born on 18th October 1910.    Her parents were married in 1907 (and I have the certificate) so  she was definitely not conceived out of wedlock!  I have another theory why the date was registered incorrectly!

There were three births, delivered by Edith Geyer in Nhill, registered on the 9th December 1910;
Reg No. 29552 - Rose Ellen Gladys Cunningham born 18 October 1910
Reg No. 29553 - Eva Jean Pilgrim born 18 October 1910

Reg No. 29554 - Clarice Jean Hiscock born 26 October 1910

Do you know where I am going yet?

Cousins - 1924
Urith Geyer, Edith Pilgrim, Freda Presser,
Hazel Pilgrim and Alf Geyer

It is my theory that the births were registered with the incorrect date to avoid a penalty for late registration.  Births need to be registered within 60 days or a significant penalty applied. Therefore it would make sense to change the date to avoid a fine.

Anyway, back to Urith. She married Stanley Victor Stevens on the 28th October 1940 in Horsham.
According to my grandmother, she and one of her sons were murdered in Mildura on the 28th April 1960.

Source: https://billiongraves.com

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Thomas Congdon Bound

Tom and Sarah Bound
From the album of Eva Scott (nee Pilgrim)

Tom Bound
From the album of Eva Scott (nee Pilgrim)

Thomas Congdon Bound was born on the 24th November 1867 at Hurlands, St Pinnock, Cornwall, England.  He is the sixth of the eleven children of William and Amelia Jane Bound (nee Congdon).

After the death of his father on the 19th September 1877, the family immigrated to Australia on the 21st September 1878.

Tom married Sarah Jane Sanders in 1915 and he died in Mildura on the 10th July 1947,

Genogram showing Thomas Bound's relationship to me
Tom is my 3X Great Uncle

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Samuel Mottram married Sophia Lillian Walker

Walker Siblings married Mottram Siblings.

Samuel Mottram is the brother of my Great Grandmother, Mary Mottram.
Sophia "Lillian" Walker is the sister of my Great Grandfather, Ambrose Walker

Samuel Mottram
circa 1904

You can read more about Samuel in my B is for Buried alive post.

Sophia "Lillian" was born at Balaclava, near Maryborough, Victoria Australia on the 25th June 1886. 1 (Can anyone tell me exactly where Balacava was? I suspect it was a mining area rather than a town.)

Lillian was the 11th of the 15 children of Alexander and Ellen Walker.

She married Samuel Mottram junior at Alma (also near Maryborough, Victoria) on the 27th March 1907.2

Samuel was killed in a mining accident on 27th February 1918 3.  He was 35 years old.  Lillian was left to care for their three children, aged 10, 5 and 3.  At the time, two of the children were in hospital "suffering from infantile paralysis" 4 (polio).

Lillian married George Allan Sewell in 1937 5 and was widowed again on the 4th January 1963 6.

Lillian was 97 years old when she died at Clarendon House, Maryborough from a "Chest Infection and Vascular Disease" 6.  She is buried with her first husband at Timor cemetery.

Alexander and Ellen Walker and family
The original (which hung on my Aunty's wall) was unnamed.
I cannot be certain of who is who (except my great grandfather Ambrose) but based on other photos and their ages, I have been able to identify many of them and make educated guesses as to others.  I am very confident that Lillian is one of the two sisters on the left but cannot be certain which one.  Lillian is two years younger than Emma.  

Sources
1 Birth Certificate
2 Marriage Certificate
3 Death Certificate
4 "MINING FATALITY" The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924) 28 February 1918: p 6. Web. 22 Apr 2016 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article154724294.

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Rebecca Drayton

"You live as long as you are remembered" is a quote from an unknown source, which appeals to me.  I feel that as family historians, it is up to us to remember our past ancestors and relatives so other family members (present and future) will be able to read about them.  That is one of the primary purposes of this blog.

Rebecca Drayton died when she was 20 years old, so has no direct descendants to remember her.  I have many relatives, who did not have children or died young so therefore have no descendants.  I make a point of remembering them.

Rebecca is the youngest sister of my Great Great Grandmother, Charlotte Drayton.  Rebecca ws born on the 22nd of February 1864 at Bealiba, a small farming and mining community in Victoria Australia.  On her birth certificate, her father, Samuel Drayton, is listed as a 43 year old Tailor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America.  Her mother is listed as 40 year old Sarah Drayton "formerly Boothy" [should be Boothroyd] from Yorkshire England.

Neither Samuel nor Sarah could write so it is unlikely that they could read either and therefore it is unlikely that they would realise that their names are spelled incorrectly on many of their records.

Rebecca was only 20 years old (although her death certificate states she was 19) when she died in the Gipps Ward at the Royal Melbourne Hospital from "Febris Enterica", which I believe is another term for Typhoid but translates to Fever of the Intestines.  She had been unwell for "1 month".  The family still resided at Bealiba so I am unsure if Rebecca had moved to Melbourne or the family took her to Melbourne for medical attention?  The second option is more likely as the death record is very precise, while in my experience, death records were often poor when a family member died away from their place of residence.

Excerpt of Death Record of Rebecca Drayton
Souce: www.bdm.vic.gov.au

On the death record for Rebecca, Samuel is listed as a "Miner" and her mother, Sarah's, maiden name is listed incorrectly again, but as "Botheroyd".

Rebecca is buried at the "New Melbourne Cemetery", which was established in 1852.

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Queen Victoria Rowe

Queen Victoria Rowe was born on the 26th January 1905 and lived for only 11 weeks.  She died on 12th April 1905.  According to the death certificate she died from "convulsions not-certified".

Should be "Queenie"?
Queenie is buried at the Timor cemetery with her brother.

Queenie is my 2nd cousin, twice removed

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Phyllis Myrtle Lester

c1926
Grandfather Ambrose Walker
and Phyllis Walker

c1928
Phyllis Walker

Phyllis Myrtle Walker was born at Yallourn, Victoria, Australia on the 14th December 1926.  She is the eldest child of Gordon and Rita Walker.

I would visit Aunty Phyll every time that I went through Moe and she would always make me (and the family) feel welcome.  Many of the Walker photos and items that I have today were from Aunty Phyll's estate.  We would often discuss family history when I went to visit, but for some reason I never found out where or when she married Uncle Frank Lester.

1958
Phyllis Lester

Memories of Aunty Phyllis:

• I always loved her garden.  There was a huge tree in the backyard.  There was lots of ivy and ground cover.  It had an enchanted "fairy garden" feel to it.
• When we were kids, they had a dog that they would feed chocolate bars to!  I think it was a collie.
• Visiting Aunty Phyllis was like visiting a museum!  Her house was full of interesting antiques and family memorabilia.  
• I always loved the family pictures on the wall (two of which I now own).
• When Aunty Phyllis and Uncle Frank danced, it was like watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers!  They didn't dance, they glided!  Beautiful and mesmerising!
• Aunty Phyll would always have a tablecloth on the table and there was always tea and cake/cookies, served formally with sugar bowl, milk jug, cup and saucer and little plates.
• She was very involved in the community.  She did a lot at the Moe Historical Society (note to self:  I really need to visit it) and for the anti-cancer (as Uncle Frank died from cancer).



Cousin, Bob Walker (background)
Father, Gordon Walker
Phyllis Walker
Stratford  Dec 1976

• She hated that I was a smoker and would remind me that Uncle Frank had died from cancer. She would be proud that I have finally given up!
• Aunty Phyll was a lady, she always seemed very prim and proper but when she got together with her sisters and brothers she was a real character.
• When making a speech at my father's 50th, she had written notes on the back of a coaster, which she was holding for the entire speech.  Little did she realise that the coaster said "on tap" and she was holding it at her chest all speech! 
• We visited Aunty Phyllis in hospital not long before she died.  We knew that we were there to say good bye.  I was amazed at her strength and character. She was always a lady, polite, attentive and smiling.  She was ready to go and to be with Uncle Frank.

Feb 2008 - Tasmania
Cousins - Bob and Phyllis Walker

Aunty Phyllis died 27th May 2008.  She had arranged her own funeral, which was one of the best funerals that I have attended (Is it bad to say that?).  It was like Aunty Phyllis was speaking to us from beyond and it really was a celebration of the things that were important to her.  At the end of the funeral, the Can Can was played, which is up-beat and not a song that is normally played at a funeral. Someone behind me, commented "that is not appropriate".  However,  I thought it was totally perfect and it made me smile and cry at the same time.  The Walker girls would often dance the Can Can together after a few drinks so it was the perfect finale!

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Oscar Frederick Voigt

Oscar Voigt
Source: Barry Scott

Oscar Frederick Voigt is my first cousin twice removed (ie first cousin of my grandfather)

He was born at Nhill, Victoria, Australia on 24th June 1907 and died at Creswick, Victoria on 1st July 1976.

He is related to me via my mothers family (as per the chart below) so I was very surprised to find his grave while I was searching for graves belonging to my father's relatives at Creswick!

Elsie, Edna & Oscar Voigt
Dec 1913

Creswick Cemetery
2015

Genogram showing Oscar Voigt's relationship to me

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Nina Beryl Tucker

Nina Tucker (Centre) and her first cousins once removed
(Eva & Lloyd's mother is a cousin to Nina)

Have you ever wondered what "First Cousin Three Times Removed" means?

Nina Beryl Tucker is my cousin, three times removed.  To determine the relationship, we therefore need to step back three generations of cousins.  

My mother's cousins are my first cousins once removed 

     (My Great Grandmother is their Grandmother)

My grandmother's cousins are my first cousins twice removed

     (My Great Great Grandmother is their Grandmother)

My great grandmother's cousins are my first cousins three times removed

     (My Great Great Great Grandmother is their Grandmother)

22nd January 1921
Sophie Geyer, Nina Tucker, Vic Presser, Lil Geyer, Eva Pilgrim and possibly Albert Presser

Genogram showing the relationship between those in the photo
with Eva Pilgrim being my Grandmother

Nina Beryl Tucker was born at Nhill on 13th July 1907 and died 3rd July 1978 at Horsham.

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Martha Fritz

Martha Fritz
Ostern 1954
 (Easter 1954) 

I first met Mrs Fritz in 1988.  She was lying in a hospital bed in Dandenong; paralysed after having a stroke.

Martha Riedl was born at Atzenbach, Lorrach, Germany on 30th June 1931.  She was the 5th of 10 children of Karl Riedl and Maria Theresia Kummer (7 girls and 3 boys).

Martha worked as a waitress and cook at a restaurant cafe, which is where she met her future husband.  Mrs Fritz remembered how nice Mr Fritz looked in his "uniform".  He would keep going back as she was such a good cook. He said that she made the best "Forelle" (Trout) and Käsekuchen (Cheesecake).

Mrs Fritz did not like to talk about war time at all.  If I asked a question about the war or Germany, she would always change the subject.  The only story that I heard her tell was of bombers coming through the valley where they lived and her mother would gather the children around the chimney during bombings as it was the strongest part of the house!

Atzenbach 2006
A lady told us that the Riedl home was on the left where the cars are.

Mr Fritz told the story about the first time that he met Martha's parent.  He could not understand the conversation. "It was like walking into a house of martians!"  The German dialect was so different to his!

Martha and Wilhelm Fritz
1 October 1955

They married at the Riedl home in Atzenbach on 1st October 1955 with their first son coming along soon after.

When they decided to make a new life in Australia, Mr Fritz promised his in-laws that he would take care of Martha no matter what.  He kept that promise to the end.


They arrived in Australia on 11th June 1957 and spent time at the Bonegilla Migrant Camp initially and eventually settled at Doveton, Victoria.

Martha Fritz - 1957
Source: www.naa.gov.au
(Immigration Records)

Mrs Fritz worked as a dressmaker to supplement the family's income.  She also read palms and had a long list of clients visit the home (as she was known to be very accurate in her predictions).

Unfortunately Mrs Fritz had many more strokes and was in a wheel chair.  She died in a Berwick nursing home as a result of  a "Cerebrovascular Accident".  She was 67.

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