A Little Genealogical Serendipity

Many years ago, as I’ve mentioned, my mother’s brother, Jack, interviewed my grandfather, to get as much family information on record as possible on the paternal side of their family. I’ve always been really glad he did that. Through that recording, I was able to glean a little about their mother’s side of the family and from a wonderful cousin-in-law who loves the hunt as much as I do.

Shortly before she died, my mom’s sister told me a little about her childhood. My mother, her brother and her sister were split up among relatives due to their mother’s tuberculosis. My mother didn’t actually remember her mother not being sick. So while my mom was fortunate to be fobbed off on one relative who didn’t pass her around, my aunt and uncle were not so lucky.

Aunt Margie lived with, among other people, her Uncle Elmer & Aunt Mildred Meyer. That is until Aunt Mildred left Uncle Elmer.  Uncle Elmer died in 1955, and I knew that due to my cousin-in-law who has always been great about sharing information. I only hope I share as much with her.

Anyway, we've been plugging along on this Meyer line, with my c-i-l locating a death record and death notice for my grandmother's brother, Victor, me discovering which plot he is buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery in Detroit, and then us both wondering about what Celia's daughter's name was, as she was only referred to in Elmer's death notice as Mrs. Anthony Carollo. Well, isn't that funny, I went to high school with a Carollo. It turns out that it is indeed a really small world and Mrs. Anthony Carollo was Barbara, Celia's daughter, which was proven in the death notices two of my Wild One friends dug up for me in Lansing. I'm still wondering just how that was possible, but hey, stranger things have happened. I have removed the names of anyone I think is still living.

From the Detroit News, March 4, 1955:

MEYER- Elmer L. Feb. 26. In Tampa, Fla. beloved husband of Celia, dear father of Mrs. Anthony Carollo, brother of Mrs. Fred Jones, the late Andrew, Fred and the Rev. Alfred Meyer. Funeral Saturday at 9:15 a.m. from the Wujek Funeral Home 19301 Van Dyke Avenue at 7 Mile Road. To Sweetest Heart of Mary Church at 10 am. Interment, Mt. Olivet Cemetery. [My grandmother isn't even mentioned in this death notice, she died 24 years prior to Elmer.]

From the Detroit News, October 7, 1976:
MEYER, CELIA, October 5, Beloved wife of the late Elmer; dear mother of Mrs. Anthony (Barbara) Carollo, sister of Irene Fisher, Dorothy Flannery and Leo Klein; grandmother of two. Funeral Saturday at 9:15 a.m. from the Wujek Funeral Home, 19301 Van Dyke to St. Leonard at 10 a.m. Interment Mt. Olivet. Rosary Friday 7 p.m.

Detroit News March 8, 1995:
CAROLLO, BARBARA. Beloved wife of the late Anthony. Dear mother of two daughters. Dear grandmother of two. Visitation Wednesday 1-9 p.m. at the S. K. Schultz, a Truss 100 Funeral Home, 21705 Gratiot at 8-1/2 Mile Road, Funeral Thursday 9:30 a.m. to St. Leonard Church for 10 a.m. mass. Rosary Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Detroit News August 2, 1983:
CAROLLO, ANTHONY P. July 30. Age 55. Beloved husband of Barbara. Dear father of two. Grandfather of one. Survived by two sisters and two brothers. Funeral Thursday 9:15 a.m. at Bagnasco Funeral Home 25800 Harper (bet. 10-11 MI), St. Leonard Church 10 a.m. Rosary Wednesday 8 p.m.

I was lucky to find the burial plots of all of them in Mount Olivet.

Copyright 2011, ACK for Gene Notes