Christopher and Elisabeth Keller Beatty

Elisabeth Keller Beatty was the daughter of my maternal great great grandparents John G and Elisabeth Voigt Keller who was born February 1, 1873 and died on November 26, 1929 from a gangrene Gall-Bladder. At the time of her death, she was 56 years old. Elisabeth was the sister of John Keller married to Sally Gallagher and my great grandmother Mary Keller married to William Gallagher. Elisabeth Keller Beatty is interred in Westminster Cemetery.

Elisabeth Keller Beatty

Elisabeth was the daughter of G. John and Elisabeth Voigt Keller. She was born February 1, 1873 admitted to Roxborough Memorial Hospital on November 24, 1929 and died November 26, 1929 of Acute Gangrenous Cholecystitis (Gallbladder). Elisabeth was interred at Westminster Cemetery. 

Sad Tale of the Two Francis Bednarski's

 Francis Bednarski was born to Peter and Eva Wisloski on May 12, 1918. On May 16, 1923 Francis was hit by a car at the age of 5years old suffered a fracture skull and died at Roxborough Memorial Hospital. Francis was interred at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on May 19, 1923. There was an inquest into his death and it was recorded as an Automobile Case. Eva Wisloski was the daughter of Lucas (Louis) and Eva Dolhanceyk Wisloski.

Francis Bednarski II was born on December 5, 1924 and lived one hour. Cause of death was a Prolapsed Umbilical Cord that cut off oxygen to his brain after a Protracted Labor. Francis was also the son of Peter and Eva Wisloski Bednarski and he was named after his brother Francis who died in 1923. Francis was interred in Westminster Cemetery on December 6, 1924.

Samuel Wisloski

Samuel was 39 years old at the time of his death on March 12, 1938. There was an inquest into the death of Samuel and his brother Andrew. Both were found in their home at 166 Roxborough Ave. Cause of death was asphyxiation  for both brothers. Apparently, they got into a fight and knocked the exhaust off the gas stove causing gas to fill the home.Samuel was my grandfather John's older brother.

Andrew Wisloski

Andrew was 49 years old at the time of his death. Because of the circumstances surrounding his death, there was an inquest. Andrew and his brother Samuel were found death in the family home at 166 Roxborough Ave on March 12, 1938. He was interred with his brother on March 16,1938 at Westminster Cemetery. Andrew was my grandfather John's older brother.

Eva Wisloski Death Certificate

My great great grandmother Eva dies on July 11, 1932 from Cancer of the Uterus. She died at her home at 166 Roxborough Ave and interred at Westminster Cemetery on July 15, 1932. Before my name was changed to "Weleski" it was spelled "Wisloski". Eva and Lucus (Louis) are from Austria.

Genealogist Update

I came across some burial records for both Leverington and Westminster Cemeteries. A few things caught this genealogist's attention. Graves were reopened and relocated much more often than I expected and August 1900 was a horrible year for Diphtheria as there was an epidemic that hit through Manayunk and East Falls. What stood out to me was a family at 3339 W. Clearfield Street where four members of that family died from Diphtheria in a single day. The Flu Epidemic in 1918 resulted in hundreds of deaths and it appears the median age in Philadelphia was those under ten years old especially those under two years old. My journey began when I came across information for the Silverthorns. James Rowley Silverthorn died in 1942 and was interred at Leverington which I thought was strange as his wife Grace Gallagher Silverthorn who died in 1930 was interred at St. John the Baptist. It makes a person wonder why the wife was interred in one cemetery while the husband was interred in another cemetery. Did St. John's run out of space? I know James and Grace had five sons, two whom died as infants in 1906 and 1911 so were they interred at St. John's? Is that why there was not room for James twelve years later? I will probably never find the answers because there were no personal journals written or saved. We can only go by the official records. Some information was verified on Grace Gallagher Silverthorn and some additional information discovered such as Grace was born in April 1880 in Scotland and the exact location was Camghouran. My question is "why did Patrick and Hannah leave Donegal, Ireland and how did they end up in Camghouran, Scotland? Why did they leave Scotland in 1882 and come to Philadelphia? As far as I know, they came to America on their own without other family members. Forget about ever finding the exact year Patrick was born. I cannot find one single record that verifies his birth or even the age he was when he died in the summer of 1910. No age is indicated. Weird. So Gallagher! On the other hand, I can find the age of Hannah. When she died in 1926, she was listed on the records as being 65 years old. Another person of interest was from the Boland Clan. I am not sure if it was 1897 or 1900 but I came across the nephew of John Boland. Edward Boland died as a baby and was interred at Westminster. His father was William Boland who lived on Laboratory Hill. Years later I would come across several Bolands living on or around Laboratory Hill and one of them was my great-grandmother's brother and John's son, John Boland. John would reside on Laboratory Hill with his wife and children and my great great- grandparents until my great great grandmother died in 1926 (Ellen) and their relocation to Germantown.

My Real Name is Wislosky

It is not Weleski or Wisloski or even Wislocki. It is Wislosky and my great paternal grandparents came from Austria, spoke Polish, and were named Lucas and Eva. Lucas is interred in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery in Manayunk. He died in 1906 (New Years Day) and Eva is interred in Westminster Cemetery. (Lower Merion) She died in 1932. Mystery finally solved on all accounts.

 

YES. I DID MAKE IT!

For those of you who do not know me, I am NOT known for any desire to COOK.

John D and Mary Drexel Lankenau

Lankenau Hospital was founded in 1860 as the "German Hospital of Philadelphia" located on Morris Street in North Philadelphia. In 1917, many German institutions took new names with the entry of the United States intoWorld War I. The hospital renamed itself "Lankenau Hospital" after John D. Lankenau, a successful German-born Philadelphia businessman who was one of the first supporters and leaders of the Hospital.

After relocating to larger facilities at Girard and Corinthian Avenues in North Philadelphia, Lankenau moved to Wynnewood in the "Main Line" region of the suburbs in December 1953. Its new location was the former site of the Overbrook Country Club and golf course. Since then, the Hospital has continued to grow, along with its community. Today, Lankenau Medical Center serves southeastern Pennsylvania by offering a wide variety of primary and specialty clinical services, residency and fellowship programs, and research programs emphasizing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Earlier I posted a picture of the Mary Drexel House. The founding of the Mary Drexel House was in honor of Mary Drexel, John Lankenau's wife. In its earlier days, it was known as the Home for Aged German Men and Women which is interesting since I located a mass burial plot in Westminster Cemetery a few years ago and wondered where that particular home was located.

Genealogy is putting the pieces together of a world/life that has gone before us and when one finds another piece of the puzzle, it makes so much sense. My grandmother Marie Schroeder Weleski gave birth to her last child, John on February 17th, 1945 at Lankenau Hospital. I always thought it was at the present location on the Main Line. However, according to the history, Lankenau was located at Girard & Corinthian Avenues until 1953. That makes sense to me. I often wondered why my grandmother traveled from her East Falls home to the Main Line to give birth. At the time, it made sense that she would chose a German hospital as she was born German Lutheran. I often wondered why she did not give birth at Roxborough Memorial. The Weleski family were from the Manayunk/Roxborough area. Of course the story has a sad ending. My grandmother suffered a stroke immediately after John's birth and went into a coma. She died February 19th, 1945 and is interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery where her father, John Schroeder was a "grave digger". I wonder if my grandmother had preeclamysia, a condition where a woman has increased blood pressure in the later stages of pregnancy. My grandmother was 38 years old at the time of her death. Again, preeclamysia is common in women who are older. Left untreated. the mother most certainly dies from a stroke and/or seizures.

Back to the Mary Drexel Home......The home still stands today. I do not know if the residents are still interred in that mass grave in Westminster Cemetery, but I believe they are not. Lankenau Hospital still stands today on the Main Line and has recently began a kidney transplant program. In its day, it was run by German speaking physicians and nurses and provided treatment to the poor.

As a post note, Katherine Drexel (saint) was Mary Drexel's cousin.

Son of John and Ellen Boland McLaughlin

According to the burial records at Westminster Cemetery, John was four months old at his time of death and the family resided at 5238 Pulaski Ave. John is interred in Section Eleven, Lot 335. Date of burial was July 12, 1920. Of interest, Ellen was my grandmother's aunt and youngest sister to my grandmother's mother, Agnes Bridget. My grandmother lost her mother at age three years old when Bridget died from a ruptured appendix in 1915. I heard a lot of folklore stories regarding Ellen and the death of her son. I was told she suffered a deep depression when her son died, and was even placed at Byberry. I cannot verify any of this information about Ellen, and so far I cannot find Ellen and her Husband in the 1920, 1930, or 1940 census records even though there is other evidence that they did reside in Philadelphia those years. I was told they only had one child. However, I cannot verify that information. It took several years and many sources to discover the information I can verify such as marriage records, social security death records, and the burial record of the child. My next step is to go over to Westminster Cemetery and have the burial record pulled to see if the parents are interred with the child. Of interest, all the other Boland children of John and Ellen Doherty Boland are interred in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

My Great Great Grandfather Patrick Gallagher

Born December 24, 1867 and died of Apoloxy on June 29, 1913. Parents listed were Patrick Gallagher and Grace Harkins. Husband of Hannah Gallagher, father of Grace Silverthorn, Mary Cannon, William Gallagher and Sarah (Sally) Keller. Patrick was a mill hand in a textile factory and lived at 127 Seville Street at time of death. Patrick was interred on July 2, 1913 at Westminster Cemetery. Coroner was William R. Ford.

Baby Patrick Gallagher Son of William and Mary Keller Gallagher

Cause of death listed as gastroenteritis. Patrick was born January 5, 1910 and lived six hours. Coroner John W. Ford listed the infant's cause of death on January 6,1910 and the baby was interred on January 7,1910 at Westminster Cemetery. Undertaker was listed as Michael Walsh located at 116 Rector Street. Address at time of death was 143 Seville Street.

Baby Anna Malervy

Stillborn daughter of Daniel and Catherine Boland Malervy on February 21, 1914. Anna was interred on February 27, 1914 either at Westminster Cemetery (which appears crossed out) to Holy Cross (which is called St Mary's Cemetery) off of Spruce Street. Address at time of birth/death was 110 Canarroe Street and the funeral director was Charles McIvaine located at 4208 Ridge Ave,

Samuel and Andrew Wisloski (My uncles)

Name:	Samuel Wisloski
Birth Date:	abt 1891
Event Type:	Burial
Burial Date:	16 Mar 1938
Burial Place:	Marion, Montgomery, Pennsylvania
Organization Name:	Westminster Cemetery Company

Also interred in same grave is his brother Andrew who was born in 1887 and died the same day.

• Lot Holder Eva Wisloski
• No vault
• Fitzpatrick Funeral Home
• St. John the Baptist Church

Eva Wisloski (My great grandmother)

Name:	Eva Wisloski
Birth Date:	abt 1874
Event Type:	Burial
Burial Date:	15 Jul 1932
Burial Place:	Marion, Montgomery, Pennsylvania
Organization Name:	Westminster Cemetery Company

• Age at death from Cancer 58
• Lot holder Eva Wisloski
• Metal Vault
• McIvaine Funeral Home
• St John the Baptist Church

Julia Wisloski

Was the youngest child of Lucas and Eva Wisloski who was born in 1906 after the death of her father. Folklore states that Julia displeased her family by marrying someone whom the family did not approve. This information made it difficult to track Julia because she resided at home in 1920, but by 1930, she no longer resided at the 166 Roxborough Ave address. Years ago, I asked my own father about his aunt Julia. He told me that Julia was disowned by the family due to marriage or religion and like everything else in his family, it was not allowed to be talked about. Same rule apparently applied to the death of Lucas prior to Julia's birth. Julia is not interred in the family plot at Westminster as are her sisters and brothers along with her mother and sibling spouses.

I came across a marriage record of Julia Wisloski who married an Anthony Coppola in 1924. That explains why she did not reside home in 1930. However, there are still many unanswered questions such as why I cannot find Julia and Anthony in 1930 or 1940. Why was her older brother, my grandfather, John Wisloski allowed to marry a German Lutheran Marie Schroeder and not be disowned. Marie did not change her religion to Catholic. However, she did have her children baptized in the Catholic faith vs. the Lutheran faith. The name Coppola suggests that Anthony was Italian, therefore probably a Catholic. Was Julia disowned for marrying an Italian vs. Polish? Again that standard did not hold for my grandfather who was Polish and married a German.

It is my goal to search out Julia and Anthony and trace their whereabouts. Some questions may never be answered, but I never thought I would find my great grandfather Lucas, and I did after false leads and endless research. Julia is a puzzle to be solved.

Lucas Wisloski

After years of research and wondering the reasons behind what happened to my great grandfather, I finally discovered he was interred in St. Mary's on January 1, 1906. Along with Lucas is an infant also named Lucas who died a year before my grandfather John was born. My grandfather was born in 1904. The rest of the Wisloski Clan is interred in Westminster Cemetery which includes my great grandmother Eva who died 30 years after her husband. 

Lucas (Lewis) Wisloski

Lucas Wisloski died December 29, 1905 and was interred January 1, 1906 in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church Cemetery in Manayunk. Apparently, Lucas died before the birth of his youngest child Julie. At the time of his death, my grandfather (John Weleski/Wisloski) his son was nearly two years old. At Westminster Cemetery are interred his wife, sister and most of his children, which appeared odd to me considering his wife was not interred with him at St. Mary's. However, it could have been about space or the fact that at the time of Lucas's wife's death in the early 1930's, the children decided to purchase a large family plot. Although my grandfather John Weleski (he changed his name) is interred with the Schroeder Family at Laurel Hill Cemetery, his two other sons Andrew and Samuel are interred in the family plot over at Westminster. It appears Lucas was born in 1858 and was the first Wisloski to come to the United States. He worked in the steel mill and eventually sponsored his brothers, sister, wife and older children to come to this country from Austria.

Keller

Name: Keller
Death Date: 17 Jun 1904
Death Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gender: Male
Race: White
Death Age: 1 day
Estimated Birth Year: 1904
Birth Death:
Birthplace: Phila.
Marital Status:
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: Frank Keller
Father's Birthplace: Phila.
Mother's Name: Catharine Keller
Mother's Birthplace: Phila.
Occupation: Infant
Street Address:
Place of Residence:
Cemetery: Westminster Cemetery
Burial Place:
Burial Date: 20 Jun 1904
Additional Relatives:
Film Number: 1004038
Digital Folder Number: 4008641
Image Number: 177
Reference Number: cn 16167
Collection: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915

Son of William and Mary Keller Gallagher's Death Record

Name: Patrick Gallagher
Death Date: 05 Jan 1910
Death Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Gender: Male
Race: white
Death Age: 0 years
Estimated Birth Year:
Birth Death: 05 Jan 1910
Birthplace: Philadelphia,
Marital Status: Single
Spouse's Name:
Father's Name: William Gallagher
Father's Birthplace: Philadelphia,
Mother's Name: Mary Keller
Mother's Birthplace: Philadelphia,
Occupation:
Street Address: 143 Seville St., 21 Ward
Place of Residence: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Cemetery: Westminster
Burial Place:
Burial Date: 07 Jan 1910
Additional Relatives:
Film Number: 1405116
Digital Folder Number: 4009110
Image Number: 15
Reference Number: cn 510
Collection: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia City Death Certificates, 1803-1915