Genealogue Challenge No. 127

Today is Bea Arthur's birthday.

What were the names of her maternal grandparents, and where are they buried?

Genealogue Challenge #126

This thread discusses Stephen and Emilie Preen, who lived in Newark, New Jersey, in 1900.

Who was their very famous step-grandchild?

Challenge #125 Update

The last Challenge was a hard one, so let me give you another clue:

The question perhaps should have been phrased "What was Bob's family connection to the town?" Say, prior to 1977.

Genealogue Challenge #125

I just ordered tickets to see Bob Dylan next month, so here's a challenge in his honor.

Kennett Square Borough, Pennsylvania, is The Mushroom Capital of the World.

What's Bob's family connection to the town?

Update: Another clue.

Genealogue Challenge #124

Neil Richler thought this might make a good challenge. I agree.

[A] man named Leigh Wilkinson Metcalf joined the Department of Highways in Grimsby, Ontario and became a bike cop. He sadly died on duty at the age of 26, when his cycle was involved in a head-on collision.

Now, more than 80 years later, the Ontario government is planning to honour the fallen officer, but officials have a major problem - after so many years, they can't find any survivors.

What can you find out about Leigh's family?

Genealogue Challenge #123

I just learned over at Genealogy Reviews Online that the inventor of the Egg McMuffin has died.

When did his maternal grandparents marry, and who were his maternal grandmother's parents?

Genealogue Challenge #122

Today was the 80th birthday of Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell.

What were the names and birth dates of his paternal grandparents?

Genealogue Challenge #121

I was surprised to read that Jack Elam was named director of the Kosciusko County Historical Society’s Old Jail Museum, because I thought he was dead.

What was the middle name of wild-eyed actor Jack Elam's older sister?

Genealogue Challenge #120

Victoria Moloney sent me this item from the Tucson (Ariz.) Daily Citizen of May 3, 1906.

CHICAGO, May 3—Mrs. Helen Moloney, the beautiful wife of James Moloney, the Chicago manufacturer, obtained a divorce solely to get a $500,000 estate left her by her mother on condition that she separate from him.

They are to be remarried this summer, just as soon as Mrs. Moloney perfects the title to the estate.

This was the statement made today by Mr. Moloney, who declares groundless the charges that his wife flirted with W. J. White, the "chewing gum king," of Cleveland. He declares that Mrs. Moloney is still true to him.

"Mrs. Moloney's mother, who is an English woman of title, took a strong dislike to me. She inserted in her will a bequest of nearly $500,000 to Mrs. Moloney, with the proviso that she divorce me. So we agreed to be divorced and remarry."

"What is the name of the titled English family to which Mrs. Moloney belongs?" was asked.

"I do not care to say. I do not wish to draw them into this affair," said Mr. Moloney. "We will be remarried before September 1."

Victoria asks, is the "divorce story true or a bunch of hooey?"

Can you find any proof that the story is true and the couple remarried?

Genealogue Challenge #119

The first known victim of the 1918 influenza pandemic was Army cook Albert Gitchell.

What can you find out about Albert, both before and after his illness?

Genealogue Challenge #118

I don't usually post my own brick walls here, but this challenge concerns the ancestry of a young lady near and dear to my heart, so I'll make an exception. I've helped her trace one of her lines to Elias and Elizabeth Reber, who lived in Akron, Summit Co., Ohio, in 1850, and Sturgis, St. Joseph Co., Michigan in 1860.

It appears that Elias was the son of John A. and Lydia Ann Reber, who were also living in Akron in 1850 and Sturgis in 1860. It's probable that Daniel J. Reber, who lived near John and Lydia in 1860, was another son (in 1860 he was, like his supposed brother Elias, a "tinner"; he later lived in Kansas).

I need help pushing this line back a generation or two, and linking it to one of the known Reber families of Pennsylvania.

Can you find the parents of John A. Reber? While you're at it, what was Elizabeth's maiden name?

This Mystery's History

Many of us contributed, but Genealogue readers Doogles McQuig and Andy E. Wold have worked overtime on the Mario Cantasano mystery. Doogles just informed me that the story made the paper!

It was only until this week that Codemasters and its team of amateur detectives got some fresh leads, thanks to major assists from a genealogy blog, the Genealogue, and John Favereau, a trustee of the Yonkers Historical Society, who had access to Depression-era city directories and other materials at the Riverfront Library.

From their research, it appears that the man in question was not Mario Contasino as reported in 1931. It is now believed that his actual name was Joseph F. Cantasano and he was 26 years old at the time of the accident. [Link]

Well, actually it was Edward F. Cantasano, but let's not quibble over minor details.

Andy has dug up a number of probable living relatives, and has forwarded their names and addresses to the Codemasters crew. Nice work, fellers!

Bonkers for Yonkers

This blog's first guest post is by inveterate and unrepentant Genealogue reader Doogles McQuig:

In response to my query about the subject of challenge #117, Mario "Contasino", a most courteous reference librarian at the Riverside Library in Yonkers sent the following important clue:

I looked up 300 Yonkers Avenue in the 1936 criss-cross directory. (1936 is one of the few years for which I have a criss-cross.) There I found listings for Nicholas V. Castasano, who is listed as employed in the junk business, and for Edward F. Castasano, who is listed as employed in “trucking.” Proceeding to the 1936 city directory proper, I found the same listings, but with some additional information; most significantly, that the wife of Nicholas is named Michelina.

The librarian (not knowing any other details) tentatively concluded the correct spelling was probably "Castasano," and thus a Mario Castasano was the person to be found. But a quick search on Castasano turns up almost nothing. On the other hand, a much more common usage was Cantasano, and look what juicy details that name turns up:

1910 census
Brooklyn Ward 31, Kings, New York

Nicholas V Cantasano 42, born Italy (immigrated 1887)
Madeline Cantasano 33, born NY
Angela R Cantasano 9, born NY
Helene A Cantasano 8, born NY
Edward M Cantasano 4 born, NY

Remember that Mario had two sisters in Brooklyn? Well, here's Edward M. (Mario anyone?) Cantasano with two sisters in Brooklyn. Right name, right place, right age, right family configuration. The middle initial is a bit of a misdirect because it's inconsistent with the Yonkers directory. However, continuing the search on "Edward F. Cantasano," the SSDI reveals a man of that name born on November 25, 1905, with the number issued before 1951 in New York. That works. Googling on "Edward Cantasano" leads to the Rootsweb Brooklyn archive, which tells us Edward graduated 8th grade in June of 1920 from Public School 17 at Driggs avenue and North Fifth street in Brooklyn. Still fits. Finally, and this is sweet, a search on Ancestry leads to a WWII service record for an unmarried Edward F. Cantasano who was born November 25, 1905 and enlisted from Westchester County, NY on 12 Mar 1942.

I wonder what inspired him to enlist?

Edward F. Cantasano died on January 17, 1989 and, according to the records at Ancestry.com, was interred on 24 Mar 1989 at Calverton National Cemetery, 210 Princeton Boulevard Rt 25 Calverton, NY 11933, Section 8 Site 13092.

So, what about it Genealoguers? Is this our guy? How best to find a next of kin?

I'll post a few more details in the comments, including some passport data on Nicholas, and a presumed uncle of Edward's named Vito G. Cantasano. They were each born in Craco, which happens to be in the province of Potenza, in the south Italy.

Genealogue Challenge #117

A video-game company is searching for descendants of Mario Contasino—a taxi driver who collided with Winston Churchill in 1931, and almost changed the course of history.

Codemasters, the UK’s leading independent videogame publisher, is turning detective in order to recognise a descendent of the man who inspired the events depicted in alternate World War II action game Turning Point.

The game supposes that the automobile accident in which a car hit a young Winston Churchill in New York on December 13th 1931 proved fatal – and that without his inspirational speeches to galvanise the Allies, the course of the Second World War took a very different route, with the Axis Powers even invading America. [Link]

They've set up a blog to document the search.

Can you turn up any new information on Mario?

Update: Doogles McQuig has made a discovery!

Genealogue Challenge #116

Drew Smith thought that an interesting challenge might come from this article. Justin Tuck and Adalius Thomas will be facing off this weekend in Super Bowl XLII. They both come from Coosa County, Alabama, went to the same high school, and are supposed to be related, though no one knows quite how.

On Wednesday afternoon, Jimmy Tuck and Eva Thomas sat in the house along Highway 9 where Adalius Thomas grew up. In the next room were the various totems of football success: trophies, framed jerseys and countless photographs. The Tucks, in their house down the road, have a similar shrine to their son.

They bandied family surnames, mentioning various grandparents and great-grandparents. It was as if they had never had this conversation. The relation, they thought, has to do with their grandmothers. It is hard to tell here because people have lived among the rolling hills for so long that their family trees are entwined like ivy.

Figuring out how Adalius and Justin are related might be too big a challenge with what few clues have been published (and I'm sure that the Tucks and Thomases of Coosa County will be too busy this weekend to stop in and give us a hand). So let's try something a bit easier:

Who is the earliest Tuck you can find in Justin's paternal line?

Dimple Gets the Document

I just heard from Wayne Nabors, County Clerk of Putnam County, Tennessee, that the marriage license he found will be delivered to the couple's daughter, Dimple Fields—whom some of you helped find.

Thanks for all your help. I have just spoken to their daughter Dimple and grandson Earl Fields today and am going to get this marriage license to them. They are excited.

Genealogue Challenge #115

Mary Fraser pointed me toward this obituary for actress Lois Nettleton.

What was her maternal grandmother's maiden name and when did she die?

Genealogue Challenge #114

Actress Suzanne Pleshette died last week at age 70.

What were the full names of her four grandparents?

Genealogue Challenge #113

Character actor Allan Melvin died Thursday in Los Angeles. In keeping with a recurring theme of these challenges, he made eight appearances on The Andy Griffith Show in eight different roles.

Where were his paternal grandparents married?

Genealogue Challenge #112

Putnam County, Tennessee, Clerk Wayne Nabors stumbled upon a marriage license from 1909.

This marriage license announces the union of Oscar Helms and Miss Nadie Carr on April 17, 1909, who were married by Justice of the Peace J.B. Lafever, but it doesn't say how old the two were or anything else about them.

"If there's a grandchild or great-grandchild who wants it, I'd be glad to give it to them," Nabors said.

How many of this couple's children can you identify?