Friday, January 28, 2011

Vital Records Frazel and Ulman

As a professional genealogist, I turn to the vital records for the most reliable information about the families I am researching. Mamie and Phares have a marriage record in the Massachusetts Vital Record 1841-1910. The town clerk had "a clear hand" (handwriting) and it is a joy to be able to easily read the information.

Mamie is listed as "Mamie Ulman", which we know from looking at her gravestone inscription that her given name was Mary. They were married in Marlborough on 11 Nov 1896 and the marriage was recorded on 15 Dec. It was a first marriage for both and they both lived in Marlborough at the time of their marriage. He was 21 and she was 22. Luckily, the names of the parents match what family records tell us and the maiden name of the women were included. They were married by a minister further confirming the Protestant religion of this family.

As Mamie is listed earlier in the 1891 Canada census as 17 and living with her parents, the names match and I can add her siblings into my tree with some assurance of their names being correct. She is listed as Baptist.

As for Phares, no one can tell me why he bore this unusual name but I have been reading up on the naming conventions and most men in this family did not use their first name and were called by their middle name until we get to Phares' father, Joseph. Phares often is listed in the Marlborough City Directory as P.D. Family tells us he was called Uncle Feggie.

Mamie and Phares had a son named Raymond who I met on the day I got married. on the 28th day of April 1905, Mamie died. Her death record was difficult to read , so I captured it and applied some shadows and sharpened the image until I could be sure of what it said.

Mamie, once again listed as Mamie Frazel, died of Pulmonary TB with a complication, sadly, of pregnancy. The doctor wrote that she was 5 months pregnant. The names of her parents are clearly written and the place she was buried on 1 May 1905 is correct. It is sad to note that she had TB for 2 years.

Her age at death was 30 years, 2 months and 3 days. She and Phares lived at 44 O'Neil St. in Hudson.

These are great records but it is sad that she left behind a young husband and little boy, isn't it?

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