A bronze plate WoW marker affixed to the family tomb for the Kathman-Wolsch Family in the haunting Cypress Grove Cemetery of New Orleans LA.
The tombstone is engraved as follows:
[WOW Bronze plate]
James Ant. Kathman
Died Feb 11, 1905
In Scranton Miss.
Louisa Kathman
Died May 8, 1905
Mina K. Seither
Mathilda K. Wolsch
Charles Wolsch Jr.
Died March 16, 1946
Mathilda H. Wolsch
Died June 20, 1946
Julia Vivien Wolsch
Died Aug 29, 1954
Hanson J. Fitere
Aug 21, 1904 – Nov 11, 1933
Vivien C. Wolsch
Aug 10, 1905 – Sep 17, 1987"
From Find A Grave, we were able to determine that the WoW member was James A. Kathman, who was a member of WoW camp No. 63 in Mississippi (where he was apparently living when he died). (
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"Name: James Anthony Kathman
Birth: 1859
Death: Feb. 11, 1905, Mississippi, USA
Moved here Sept 1905 from Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1
Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Feb 12, 1905
'KATHMAN - At Scranton, Miss, on Saturday, Feb. 11, 1905, at 7 o'clock a.m., JAMES A. KATHMAN, beloved husband of Frances McKibbin, aged 46 years, a native of New Orleans.
The relatives, friends and acquaintances of the family, also the members of Scranton, Miss., Camp No. 63, W. O. W. are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, which will take place on Sunday, Feb. 12, 1905, at 3 o'clock p.m., from the residence of his sister, No. 1518 Esplanade Avenue. Interment in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1."
Note: Age, Date of Burial 9/26/1905, Name on Plot, Ref: Cemetery Records"
From his tombstone we know he died in 1905 in Scranton MS. So we started with the the 1900 census from Ancestry.com. We found him living in Scranton at 124 River Front Street with his family:
Kathman, James, husband, white male, b Sep 1858, age 41, married 3 years, no children, born LA, father b Germany, mother b Germany, works as a Clerk (coal yard), can read and write, rents the home
Kathman, Francis, wife, white female, b Apr 1869, age 30, married 3 years, 0 children, born AL, Father b Ireland mother b Ireland, can read and write
Allen Sidney, boarder, white male, b Oct 1874, single, born TX, father b England, mother b KY, works as a clerk (dredge boat), can read and write
Going backwards, we found James Anthony Kathman in the 1890 New Orleans City directory working as a clerk for the Christopher V. Kathman Grocery and Saloon, which was located at 457 Royal Street. James A. Kathman was living at 109 Barracks Street.
In the 1886 New Orleans City Directory he was living at 10 Barracks Street and working as a warehouseman for Schmidt & Ziegler.
We finally found his birth record: born 24 Sep 1857 in New Orleans to Francis Kathman and Catherine John.
Moving forward, we find the family in the 1870 census, living in the 7th ward of New Orleans:
Kathman, Catherine, head of household, 48, female, white, keeping house, born Frankfurt on the Marne, Prussia, father and mother of foreign birth
Seither, Mina, 23, female, white, at home, born LA, father and mother of foreign birth
Kathman, Matilda, 21, female, white, at home, born LA, father and mother of foreign birth
Kathman, Louisa, 17, female, white, at home, born LA, father and mother of foreign birth
Kathman, Frank, 15, male, white, at home, born LA, father and mother of foreign birth
Kathman, James, 13, male, white, at home, born LA, father and mother of foreign birth
Seither, Mary L., 4, female, white, at home, born LA, father and mother of foreign birth
With these clues, we can start unraveling who else is buried here.
Louisa Kathman is James Anthony Kathman's sister, who never married. We found her in the 1900 census still living in the 7th ward of New Orleans, and still living with her mother, Catherine:
Kathman, Catherine, head of household, white female, Oct 1820, age 79, widowed, mother of 5 children of whom 4 are living, born Germany, father b Germany, mother b Germany, can read and write, can speak English, immigrated to US in 1843, lived in US for 47 years, renting her home.
Kathman, Louisa, daughter, white female, July 1843, age 56, single, no children, born Louisiana, mother b Germany, father b Germany, CANNOT read and write, can speak English.
So who is Mina Seither, who was living with this family in 1870, and is buried with siblings James and Louisa? Answer: She is their SISTER, and by 1870 must have married a man named Seither, had a child, and been widowed.
From the 1850 Louisiana Census, City of New Orleans:
Francis Kathman, age 28, male, Boardinghouse owner, born Germany
Louisa Kathman, age 25, female, born Germany
Mina Kathman, age 4, female, born Louisiana
Mathilda Kathman, age 2, female, born Louisiana
Henry Kathman, age 23, Barkeeper, Germany
[list of tenants, all men]
But now we wonder which Louisa is buried with James -- mother or sister? Answer from Find-A-Grave: SISTER (
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"Birth: 1841, Ireland
Death: May 14, 1905
New Orleans
Orleans Parish
Louisiana, USA
Times-Picayune, New Orleans, May 14, 1905
"KATHMAN - On Monday evening, May 8, 1905, at 11:45 o'clock, at the residence of her sister, Mrs. Charles Wolsch, No 1538 Eslanade Street. Miss LOUISA KATHMAN."
"KATHMAN - On Monday May 8, 1905 at 11:45 o'clock p.m., LOUISA KATHMAN, beloved daughter of the late Frank Kathman and Catherine Zahn, a native of New Orleans."
Similar obit published May 9, 1905 in the Times-Picayune:
Times-Picayune, New Orleans, May 10, 1905
"KATHMAN - On Monday, May 8, 1905, at 11:45 o'clock p.m., LOUISA KATHMAN, beloved daughter of the late Frank Kathman and Catherine Zahn, a native of New Orleans.
The friends and acquaintances of the family and the officers and members of the Ladies of Honor Benevolent Association are respectfully invited to attend the funeral, which will take place This (Wednesday) Afternoon, May 10, at 3:30 o'clock, from the residence of her sister, Mrs. Charles Wolsch, No. 1518 Esplanade Avenue, near Claiborne, Interment in Firemen's Cemetery."
So now we know how the Wolsch family members got buried here: Matilda and Charles were married, one Vivien Wolsch is ther daughter and the other Vivien Wolsch (b 1905) is Matilda K. Wolsch's Mother-In-Law.
So who is Hansen Fitere?
From Find-A-Grave: (
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"Birth: Apr 21, 1904
Died Nov 11, 1963."
We had better luck with Marriage records on Ancestry.com:
"Full name of husband: Hanson Joseph Fitere
Married to Mathilde Lucie Allen on 22 Sep 1928 in Alameda Co. CA by a Catholic Priest.
He is 24 years old, living at 620 Santa Clara Ave in Alameda.
He was single, this is his first marriage.
He was born in Louisiana.
He is working as a Timekeeper for a construction company.
Father is Charles S. Fitere of LA
Mother is Catherine Hanson of LA
Full name of bride: Mathilde Lucie Allen
She is 20 years old, living at 620 Santa Clara Ave in Alameda.
She was single, this is her first marriage.
She was born in Louisiana.
She is working as a stenographer.
Father is Charles E. Allen of LA
Mother is Lucie St. Germain of LA."
So Blasterz are betting that Matilda H. Wolsch is Mathilda HANSON Wolsch, and Hanson J. Fitere is related to HER. Find-A-Grave has her name as Mathilda H. KATHMAN Wolsch (
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We find her in the 1880 US Census living with her mother and sisters in the home of her husband Charles Wolsch. This blended family lived in New Orleans at 10 Barracks Street (remember that James Anthony Kathman lived at 11 Barracks street 6 years later):
Wolsch, Charles, head, white male, age 37, married, Stevedore's clerk, Hochstein Germany, father b Germany, mother b Germany
Wolsch, Mathilda, wife,, white female age 31, married, keeping house, born Louisiana, father b LA, mother b LA
Wolsch, Frances, dau, white female, age 6, born LA, father b Ger, mother b LA
Wolsch, Valentine, son, white male, age 4, born LA, father b Ger, mother b LA
Wolsch, Charles Jr, son, white male age 2, born LA, father b Ger, mother b LA
Kathman, Catherine, mother-in-law, white female age 58, at home, b Frankfurt Ger, father do mother do
Seither, Mina, white female 33, music teacher, born LA, father b Ger, mother b Ger
Seither, Louisa, daughter, white female, age 4, at home, born LA, Father b do mother b LA