Monday, February 6, 2012

Tombstone Tuesday - Another Brick in the Wall

I've blogged about Dennis Dugan before.  He married Elizabeth "Bessie" Quirk who died shortly after giving birth to their daughter via c-section.  Their daughter was Elizabeth "Betty" Dugan and while I found her in the 1920 census with her widower father, by 1930 Betty is missing and Dennis is remarried.

Even though Bessie, Dennis and Betty are not in my direct line, I have spent a lot of time trying to find out what happened to Betty.  Why?  Bessie was the only other child of William and Mary Quirk nee Lee to marry and have a child.  The other was my great grandfather, Edward, and he had one child that lived.  He too lost his wife and second child shortly after childbirth via c-section. Despite William and Mary having had 9 children they do not have a multitude of descendants.  Part of me hopes beyond hope that perhaps Betty went off to live with another relative by 1930 and perhaps she married and had children.  I've found nothing to prove that...or disproved that, thus far.

I have hopes that someday I can find word of her.  She wasn't mentioned in her father's obituary.  Not a good sign.  There is likewise no grave for her in Holy Saviour Cemetery in Bethlehem, PA.  This is the cemetery that her father, Dennis, is buried in.  If she is buried there, perhaps it is under her married name.  A girl can hope.

I had hoped that Dennis' tombstone might add some additional information or chip a little away from the brick wall that are the Dugans.  Nope.  On one side of the tombstone is merely the surname "Dugan".  On the other "Auer," "King," and "Larkin".  I know his second wife's maiden name was King, and her mother's maiden name was Larkin, but I don't know who this "Auer" is.  Perhaps a clue.  I'll have to call the caretaker back and see if he can give me the names of these unknown people. Until that time, it doesn't appear that any bricks are coming down.  Sometimes I think there's a devilish leprechaun building up the wall instead.  Tricky little buggers, but I'm determined to find the gold at the other side of the rainbow brick wall.

[A very special thank-you to Charlene Teifer Stiffinella for taking the pictures of the tombstone and for permitting me to use them in my blog!]