The marriage of Carl Paul Preiss and Kate Nunn

Marriage Affidavid for Carl P. Preiss and Kate Nunn

Thanks to Reclaim the Records, I was able to solve some of the mystery surrounding my grandfather’s sister, Kate Nunn (b: 21 December 1893). I knew very little about Kate after the 1920 census where she continued to reside with her sister, Elizabeth Siebert. Kate worked as a silk mill harness maker, probably a skill she got from her father, Joseph Nunn, who earn a living as a harness maker in the late 1800s.

From my second cousin I heard that Kate married around 1927 and died in childbirth the next year. Another second cousin wrote that Kate died of a miscarriage. Since marriage and death certificates were not available for the city of New York, (because I didn’t have an exact date) I had not been able to verify this information.

When the Reclaim the Records organization was able to convince New York City to release their marriage record index for this time period, I was able to view the index and find the exact date of marriage – 17 September 1927. I wrote a letter to the Municipal Archives and specifically requested the affidavit, marriage certificate and marriage license.

Within a short period of time I had all three documents. I now had a lot of information about the couple - the groom's full name, his parents' names, who stood up for the couple, when and where they were married, occupations of both.

From information supplied by my second cousins, I know that Kate died in 1928. She is buried in St. Michael’s Cemetery, Queens, New York.

But . . .since I still don’t have a death certificate, I began to wonder. Did she die in childbirth, or a miscarriage? If childbirth, was there a slim chance that the baby survived? That is when I decided to check on the whereabouts of her husband, Carl Paul Preiss.

Checking various records, I ran into inconsistencies with his date of birth. He states on his WWI Draft Card that he was born 24 March 1899 in New Jersey. Other documents state 1900. His parents were Edward (b: abt 1861) and Anna (Greulich)(b; Dec 1883) Preiss, both born in Germany. [Preiss is sometimes listed as Prices in various documents) Carl had two older sisters, Lena and Theresa.

The search continues as I have found little information on Carl until the 1940 census when I found him living with his mother, Anna. There are many more sources to check, but I suspect no child was born. Darn.

And, Happy Birthday, Kate! 

Is it a coincidence that I am thinking and writing about you on this day, your birthday? Hmmm. . .

What Happened to Kate?

Permit of Admission of Destitute Child - Kate Nunn

I have been distracted from verifying sources (read: tedious) for the Hardenbook monograph I hope to finish soooon, to provide additional information I have on St. Joseph’s Home in Peekskill, NY. So I am taking the opportunity to post the form I was sent by the Franciscan Sisters archivist on my grandfather’s sister, Kate (or Katie) Nunn.  This family continues to be very elusive. I put them aside with the hope that sometime in the future information will be forthcoming. I post this so that those who had relatives at St. Joseph’s during this time can see what the form looked like.

Kate Nunn was born 21 December 1893, the sixth child of Joseph and Catherine (Kurtz) Nunn. The family lived at 2030 First Avenue in New York City. On 12 June 1900 the Department of Public Charities took Kate and her siblings from the parentless home and the children were sent to St. Joseph’s Home in Peekskill, New York.  The City of New York paid $2.00/week for her care.

On May 11, 1906, Sister Margaret of the Missionary Sisters Third Order of St. Francis received the following letter:

Dear Sister Margaret:

    This will be handed to you by the sister of Katie Nunn, an inmate of your institution who has applied at this office for her discharge, and after a careful examination we find she is in a position to provide for her support at home, and is willing and anxious to do so.

    I would therefore recommend that said child be discharged from your Institution to the custody of her sister, Mrs. Siebert and thereby relieve the City of her care and maintenance.

Frederick E. Bauer

Supt. Out-Door Poor

Enter Elizabeth “Lizzie” Nunn Siebert, Kate’s older sister, who upon getting married and winning a law suit against her neighbor, then made application to retrieve her siblings from St. Joseph’s Home.  Kate was discharged into Elizabeth’s care on 14 May 1906, and lived with her sister in the Bronx through 1920. It is after that when I lose Kate.