Sunday's Obituary - Mrs. George (Lucina) Hardenbrook

Obituary for Mrs. George Hardenbrook

Her Death at Her Daughter’s in Batavia, After Brief Illness

Mrs. Lucina Bush Hardenbrook, widow of George Hardenbrook, died about 12:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon [Nov. 10, 1912] at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Martha Lindsley of No. 135 Ross Street from a complication of diseases. She had been in ill health for some time, but was not taken seriously ill until Saturday. Owning to the fact that her illness had been so brief Coroner Snow was called on to issue the death certificate.

Mrs. Hardenbrook was born in Barre, Orleans County, on March 24, 1832, and was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ebenezer Bush. Her grandfather was Elisha Smith, who took a deed of his farm in Barre in 1806, traveling there from Massachusetts with his family by wagon. Mrs. Hardenbrook’s great-grandfather was Abija Harding, a Revolutionary soldier, and she was also a grand niece of Cheater Harding, the noted portrait painter. Her marriage to George Hardenbrook took place in Middleport on September 25, 1849. She resided with her husband in Clarendon nearly sixty years.

Two years ago Mrs. Hardenbrook came to Batavia and took up her residence with her daughter, Mrs. Lindsley, besides whom she is survived by a son, Fred Hardenbrook of Clarendon; a sister, Mrs. Wallace of Geneseo, eleven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

52 Weeks to Better Genealogy - Genealogy Goals 2011

Reading entries of 52 Weeks to Better Genealogy prompted me to think about and decide on some goals for 2011.  I was inspired by Donna Jane’s blog http://hangingwithdonna.blogspot.com/ especially reviewing one family line a month and making sure all citations are in place.  That is a great suggestion.

My goals for 2011 are:

·      Produce a monograph of the Hardenbrook family 1830 – 1930.  I have so much interesting information written up on this family during these years it is time to share with others doing research in Seneca and Cayuga County, NY.

·      Produce a monograph of the Shepard family for my cousin.  I have sorted through the two suitcases.  I will scan photos, research this family, write up what I find and return the material to my cousin in an acid free archival box by Christmas 2011.  

·      Continue to share genealogical research information through my blog.

·      Develop the 1880-1889 Newtown Death Database from vital records book held at the town clerk’s office. (The 1890-1899 Newtown Death database was developed in 2010; an article has been submitted about the importance of this database to the February 2011 issue of Connecticut Ancestry).

·      Continue to search for descendants of Elizabeth Nunn Siebert.

·      Attend the NERGC Conference in April 2011.

·      Provide Tompkins County Rootsweb (http://nytompki.org/) with transcribed material.  From the Shepard family suitcases I have retrieved a number of Ithaca Journals in which I have saved the obits and will transcribe for this site as I have done in the past.

Happy New Year and I wish everyone a year filled with genealogical successes!!!

Mystery Monday - Deaths on Duchess of Atholl

Was it sunstroke, malaria, or a mysterious plague that killed four passengers of the Canadian Pacific’s cruise ship Duchess of Atholl?

What began as a pleasurable four-month world cruise for Edward and Lulu Hardenbrook, turned to tragedy for Dr. Edward Hardenbrook and three of his fellow travelers. The first reports coming from passengers and officials of the ship were confusing. Was it ten, seven, or six who died?  Each report varied as to number of deaths as well as the official diagnosis. Doctors were mystified if the cause of death was from sunstroke, malaria, or some mysterious plague. The number was further confused by the fact that two crewmembers had died previously, one of heart disease and the other of liver disease.

4 World Tourists Die on Ship Board;

2 Members of Crew of Duchess of Atholl also dead, Officials Reveal

Reported the Associated Press headline in the Amsterdam Evening Recorder, Wednesday, April 24, 1929.

“We first thought it was sunstroke,” stated the ship’s commander, Captain E.  Griffiths, “but it turned out to be very malignant malaria, contracted in the interior.”

Apparently the four passengers died following being stranded 18 hours without food or water in Krueger National Park during a monsoon.  The tourists told of climbing trees at night to escape roving animals, and then having to walk miles out of the park because their vehicle was stuck in the mud. 

Back on the ship, they left Durban on March 10 with temperatures soaring to 136 degrees in the shade.  Shortly thereafter, several passengers became ill with high fevers, and four finally succumbed. One of those was Dr. Edward Hardenbrook of Rochester, NY.  

In late April when Dr. Hardenbrook’s body arrived back in Rochester, his son Frederick Hardenbrook stated the family was satisfied with the diagnosis and held the Canadian Pacific Line blameless in their father’s death.  Mystery resolved.