Tombstone Tuesday: Phares David FRAZEL

Phares David FRAZEL, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Maplewood Cemetery, Marlborough, MA

This just in! Hubs grandfather was Worshipful Master of his Masonic Lodge. It would have been nice to have a Masonic Symbol on his gravestone. His Lodge was merged with another in 2003 but it is still in local Hudson, MA. The Wikipedia page for his Lodge lists him with the same dates as this card. This is probably why I have a formal photo of him! This may date the photo....

David Frauzel

Photo by ALB Frauzel, used with permission


Johann David Frauzel
1823 to 1901
Baker Settlement Cemetery, Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, Canada

Known as David, son of Johann George FRAUZEL and Mary Ann Diemont, he is my husband's second great grandfather. Listed as born 23 Jan 1821 [in the 1901 census of Canada] (note the stone says 1823), in Waterloo, Lunenberg, Nova Scotia, he married Sophia Ann BAKER in 1846.

Joseph David Frazel was his third son and my husband's great grandfather who came to America with his wife and children.

Alice just found this flat-to-the-ground gravestone this past week. Before this we thought that his grave was marked with a simple FRAUZEL marker. Of course, we don't know who that is now!

This couple had about 8 children. I easily found the 1901 census because his name David FRAUZEL was spelled correctly. Of course, by then this man was 80 years old and all his children were grown or had died so I don't have a clear picture of the family.

We know, from this 1901 census, that he was a farmer and he was listed as a Lutheran and of German descent. I have learned that is customary for men to use their middle names dropping their first name but we have noticed that after this generation, men used their first names when they came to America.

It is interesting to note that my husband's older brother is named David Frazel. My late mother-in-law did not know there was another David in a previous generation when she named my brother-in-law David.

The 1861 Canadian census lists David and Sophia's surname as FROSSEL so I had to be creative when searching for them. Our next step is to work out all of the children. So far, we have two men named with a similar name who lived to adulthood. So much is a work in progress!

Baker Settlement Sign

Photo by ALB Frauzel, used with permission

Nova Scotia Family

For many years, I have tried to learn more about my husband's Nova Scotia ancestors. The late Robert Frazel, a scientist from Massachusetts who retired to Florida, and I exchanged information and his research into the possible immigrant ancestor kept us interested in this surname. Before Robert died, he told us he went to Germany with a possible name but had no luck finding a real records.

So, it was back to the drawing board with copies of his work in hand. I found a kindred soul named Alice, who lives in Lunenburg county. We exchanged information and connected on Facebook.

Alice is also married to a Frazel but the people who currently live there are named Frauzel.  We now think that when hubs great grandfather and his son, hubs grandfather came here to Massachusetts, they dropped the U in their name.

Alice lives fairly close to the cemetery that Robert told us had gravestones of the ancestors. You know me, I just had to see what it looked like! Alice is a great photographer. She made her images black and white so I would know exactly which ones she took. Pretty good idea, huh?

Today, I will show you the first one, this lovely granite marker. A long time ago, I thought it was Baker's Settlement Cemetery. I wasn't sure it was a surname. After all they could have been cooks! But, as Alice is a Baker descendant, we know know for sure that it is Baker. [Alice now tells me that there were several Baker families in this area so it should be Baker's Settlement!)

Wedding Booklet

Wedding Booklet, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Wedding Memories

On May 18, 1937, my in-laws were married. In 1971, we got married in the same church. Now that they are gone, I am still swamped with photos that I have not gone through.

I did find this small wedding booklet with the signatures of all of their guests. When I was planning my wedding, 40 years ago, I would have liked her to show this to me. She must not have remembered that she had it. It has pages with all the signatures of the guests. Teenaged cousin Eleanor's name was there. She didn't remember too much about it.

The great part about finding this is being sure who the best man and maid of honor are in the photos that we have.

Happy anniversary to my in-laws who are gone but not forgotten.

Brothers and the Easter Baskets

Easter Basket, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

 Brothers and Easter Baskets

Some photos are just too funny to pass up writing a blog post about. I found a large number of Easter photos in the pile of unsorted photos that belonged to my in-laws.

This is my favorite funny photo of my husband Steve, (the big kid) and his younger brother Michael taken on Easter in 1948.

Clearly annoyed that he can't be the one holding the basket, Michael is complaining and pulling on Steve's jacket.

Before this Easter, the only photos I can find are of my husband's older brother, on Easter 1942. There are many photos because he is the first born child and oh, so cute. He's 2 years old.

But, by 1948, here is the photo of all three brothers. In this massive pile of photos there are FEW photos with all the boys together. The difference in their ages makes it clear, boys are not nuts about Easter egg hunts.

 

Wilbur Hyde Frazel 1913-2011

Wilbur Frazel, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Wilbur Hyde Frazel of East Providence, RI passed away on May 9, 2011 after a short illness at age 97. Wilbur, who liked to be called Bill, was the son of the late Phares D. and Linda (Hyde) Frazel and was born [15 Oct 1913] in Hudson, MA. [His father built this house on Cherry St. in Hudson next door to his wife Linda's sister Fredericka and her family, The Dunbars] [House today] Bill lived his early years in Hudson and on the farm In Marlboro with his grandparents, Joseph and Naomi (Fancy) Frazel, who came from Nova Scotia in 1892. Wilbur was named after a favorite great uncle, Wilbur Watson Smallidge. [shown here] [Bill, like most boys, enjoyed riding his bike]

His family moved to Dedham, MA [because his father had a better job] where he graduated from Dedham High School in 1931 [played football] and from Brown University with a degree in Engineering in 1935. [This photo above is his college graduation photo.]

Bill was a professional engineer for Builders Iron Foundry/ General Signal for many years and held several patents. After retirement, he ran his own consulting firm for several years. He met his wife Ruth during his commute to college and married her in 1937. [wedding invitation]

Bill and Ruth lived in Barrington and Riverside moving to East Bay Manor a few years ago. Ruth passed away in September of 2010 after they were married for 72 years.

Bill leaves three sons, David and his wife Myra of Indiana, Stephen and his wife Midge of Massachusetts, and Michael of Illinois. He was the grandfather of three, Laura Frazel Dulski, Cheryl Frazel Lasseter and Heather Frazel Sacco.

Bill was the great grandfather of two step-great grandsons and three great grandsons, and a nephew James Craig and his wife Theresa of Cranston, RI. Bill was the half brother of the late Raymond W. Frazel and a sister, Frances, who died in infancy.

Bill enjoyed working with cars, watching sports on TV and was a early user of computers. He will be missed by his family and his cousins still living in the Hudson, MA area. Arrangements will be private.

Wilbur in a Dress

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Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

I can't believe this is my father-in-law wearing a dress and holding a parasol but that's what it says on the back of the photo.

It does look like him and I know that boys were often dressed in girls clothes.

Aunt Fred

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Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Fredericka Merrow HYDE (1885-1960) married Eugene Allen DUNBAR on 21 Apr 1914 and had four children. To my husband's Frazel family, they were known as Uncle Gene and Aunt Fred, a source of great joking by my husband and his brothers who thought being a woman who was called Fred was pretty funny.

This is where the Dunbar family and the Frazel family get connected. They lived in houses next door to each other. There was a huge field in between the houses. We drove there last fall, taking the photos of the houses with us to make sure we were in the right place.

My husband thought it couldn't be right. The field is now a parking lot for the house my father-in-law lived in. Our daughter thinks the house style resembles the brand new one we live in now. Interesting, huh?

To my knowledge no family lives in either house now. I was glad I took the photos with me.

These two sisters were quite close. The third sister, the eldest, was a nurse. That's quite a tale. We'll get to it.

Linda E. HYDE

Linda E. HYDE
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Linda Edwards Hyde was one of three daughters of Vergene Ovando HYDE and his wife Fredericka Bremer MERROW and was my husband's paternal grandmother. She was the family archivist and there are many lovely photos of her plus she kept many items that her son, my father-in-law, must have left behind when he went to college.

Linda's middle name, Edwards, remains a mystery. She was born 31 Aug 1881 in Rockland, Knox, ME and died 16 Oct 1949 in Hudson, Middlesex, MA.  She is buried alongside the FRAZEL monument in the row with her husband's parents, Joseph and Naomi FRAZEL, some of their sons and of course, her husband Phares David FRAZEL. His first wife, Mamie (Mary Mae) ULHMAN is also buried there.

But, of great mystery is the headstone, next to Linda marked simply, Frances. While searching a few years ago for the vital records of Massachusetts, I discovered that Phares and Linda had another baby, born before my father-in-law. I can't find a corresponding death record. The birth record says "unnamed female" born 21 Oct 1912. When asked, my father-in-law said, "Yes, I know." and that's all I found out.

Linda was step-mother to Raymond, her husband's son by his first wife Mamie. Raymond joined the Navy at age 17.

Linda can't have lived in Maine very long. She graduated from Marlborough High School in 1899. There are wonderful photos of her with her sisters and classmates. She was a bookkeeper before she married at eh age of 28.

It wasn't until I started researching her life that I discovered that the story of this family must be understood from what I am now calling, "The Three Sisters".

So, the story continues....

Valentine for Linda

Valentine for Linda
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

In the vast pile of unorganized family photos was this faded but elegant valentine that my father-in-law gave to his mother.

Linda, like all of us mothers, saved this and I am very pleased to have it in my collection. Here is the inside of the valentine with his signature.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Places Lived

Clip 1930 Dedham
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

In order to understand the early life of my father-in-law, we must examine the many places he lived.

We know that he was born in Hudson and lived in Dedham, MA and Barrington, RI before he married. As a genealogist, I know that the census tells us whether a house was rented or owned. I like to record the street name and number.

Phares and Linda moved to Dedham, MA and my father-in-law graduated from Dedham High School before he went to college at Brown University.

I couldn't read the census record (for 1930), so I gritted my teeth and started a search of the city directories for Dedham. This is a clip of the 1930 listing. I went backwards from here and found the 1928-1929 listing which was the same.

But, in 1926-1927, the family lived at 27 Myrtle [St.] in East Dedham. We won't know exactly when they moved to Dedham if I don't keep working on this!

Linda and Phares

Linda and Phares
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Happy Couple

A few of the candid shots of Phares and Linda are like this one of a happy couple smiling for the camera. Our cousin Eleanor told us that Linda told her that Phares and Linda met at Lake Boon where Phares was playing baseball. She told a friend, "That's the man I'm going to marry!".

Linda did not know that Phares was a widower and had a son. We wonder who was taking care of the son Raymond while Phares played baseball or worked.

The photos of Linda, Raymond and my father-in-law (as a baby) look like they all got along.

Wordless Wednesday: Linda Edwards HYDE

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Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Linda, my husband's paternal grandmother when she was a little girl. The back of this photograph has her full name followed by Marlboro, Mass and a date of July 22, 1885.

I scanned this photo with my Flip-Pal at 300 dpi. It will need scanning with my more powerful scanner in TIFF format. I have started a pile of these photos in their archival envelopes. They were stuck together in the box where they were stored in my father-in-laws cellar since his mother died in 1949.

Linda HYDE

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Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Tombstone Tuesday: Linda Edwards HYDE

This is the headstone of Linda Edwards HYDE, wife of Phares FRAZEL. She was my husband's grandmother. She is buried at the Maplewood Cemetery in Marlborough, Middlesex, MA between her husband and who we think is her infant daughter.

Linda was the family archivist. She was a strong willed, determined woman. It was Linda who plays an important role in this part of the my husband's family tree.There are so many photos of her that I could easily make 20 blog posts without working too hard.

But it is Linda and her sisters, Fredericka and Pearl who connect two families and their story is one that explains so much of the relationships even today.

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?

Mamie Uhlman

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Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Mary Mae Ulhman was the first wife of Phares David Frazel. Everyone called her Mamie. Her maiden name was written as ULHMAN or ULMAN.

Mary M. Wife of / PD Frazel / Died April 27, 1905 / age 30 yrs. 2 mos. is what is inscribed on the side of the Frazel monument in the Maplewood Cemetery in Marlborough, Middlesex, MA.

Mamie was the daughter of Nathaniel Ulhman and his wife Mary Cushing. The most information known about her is in the 1891 census of Canada when she is listed as a teenager in her father's household. Her father was a farmer and the family's religion is given as Baptist. They lived in Chelsea, Nova Scotia.

Phares David Frazel and Mary Mae Uhlman's marriage 11 Nov 1896 tells us a bit more...

Phares and his sons

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Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Phares David Frazel married  in Marlborough, MA a woman the family calls Mamie. The vital records (most importantly her death record) tell us she was born in Nova Scotia. We don't know if Phares knew her before he came here with his family at age 16 or if he met her here. The marriage record (461:284) tells us that it was a first marriage for both and that they married on 11 Nov 1896 in Marlborough.

Phares is listed in the 1900 census as living as a border. I don't know why if he had a wife! He is listed as an engineer in a shoe factory. The city directory also lists him in that same year. It may be that Mamie wasn't home when the census taker came or she went back to Nova Scotia  to visit family.

Phares became a naturalized citizen in 1901 and his address given is 21 Norwood St. in Marlborough. Mamie and Phares had a son born to them name Raymond W. Frazel. He is the older child in this photo. My father-in-law is the baby.

I located a passenger list that tells us that Phares went back to Nova Scotia on the ship Prince Arthur in 1902 arriving back at Boston on 26 Sept 1902. Raymond was already born on 14 May 1902 so perhaps it was a trip back to show off the baby to his maternal grandparents?

What happened next is not good....

PD Frazel

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Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

It is too bad that my husband doesn't remember his paternal grandfather. This grandfather, who is buried in Maplewood Cemetery in Marlborough, Middlesex, MA, died on 14 Oct 1949 when my husband, who was born in 1945, was a little boy. Traveling from Rhode Island to visit family was hard on my husband who has the motion sickness we call carsickness.

Phares David Frazel born 11 May 1876 (according to his WWI Draft Card) in Baker Settlement, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. He came to the United States by ship in 1892 at the age of 16 with his parents Joseph and Naomi and his siblings. The information given to me by my father-in-law some years ago gives this date and some exact month and day of departure and arrival but I have not been able to confirm anything but the year (from census records).

I have learned a lot about my grandfather in-law in the past few months which I will continue in the next few blog posts.

Phares David FRAZEL

Phares David FRAZEL
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

Phares David FRAZEL

headstone of my husband's grandfather at Maplewood Cemetery, Marlborough, Middlesex, MA

This gravestone will be the focus of upcoming posts!

Ruth's Double Toffee Delight

Ruth
Originally uploaded by midgefrazel

This coffeecake is excellent for the holidays because it can be made a couple of days ahead and when cooled after baking wrapped tightly in foil until serving it will keep fresh. It does freeze well. I have made it with Splenda and sugar free pudding mixes and it was fine. Make sure you are using INSTANT pudding mixes.

Double Toffee Coffeecake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 13x9 pan by greasing the bottom and sides with Crisco and dusting with flour or by using PAM Baking Spray. I made this year's batch in two smaller disposable aluminum foil pans for easier transport.

Combine (for topping) in a small bowl, 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar and 1T cinnamon. (one cup chopped nuts can be added if you wish) Mix  ingredients for easy sprinkling,

In a large bowl, combine:
2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 pkg dry INSTANT vanilla pudding mix, 1 pkg. dry INSTANT butterscotch pudding mix, 1 cup water, 3/4 cup salad oil, 1 tsp. vanilla and 4 eggs.

Beat mixture two minutes with electric mixer, scraping bowl frequently. Pour some of the batter into the pan, and sprinkle with some of the topping mixture. Pour remaining batter over and then, sprinkle with remaining topping. I don't fuss with the layering as when it bakes it runs together anyway.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until top springs back when lightly touched in the center. Cool before wrapping in foil. Cut in squares and reheat individual servings just a bit.