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| Death Certificate Caspar Nunn |
In the Nunn family saga, one member hasn’t been much more
than a footnote. Charles Caspar
was born in May 1900 to Joseph and Catherine Kurtz Nunn. It was their 9th child. I suspect Joseph wasn’t in the best of
health as he died early in June 1900; Catherine was not much better. Worn out
from childbirth and the struggles of life, she also carried a mental illness
gene to which she soon succumbed.
Previous blogs have outlined the series of events this
family endured in the early days of June 1900.
Nothing has been said about Caspar. What can one say about
an infant who died just four months after birth? In my family tree he has no information between the
dash. That bothered me.
Several weeks ago I ordered the Family History Center
microfilm of his death certificate.
I viewed that last Thursday. It made my heart hurt. I shared this certificate with my new
found second cousins in Florida and New Jersey. We all had the same comment –
so sad.
It has been a while since I have been asked to write an
obit; I have never written one for someone who died 114 years ago. But I feel
Caspar deserves as much. His
valiant effort for survival, fighting abscesses, infection and malnutrition
needs to be known.
This obit is in your honor Baby Caspar. May you rest in
peace.
Charles Caspar Nunn
Charles Caspar Nunn, four months, infant son of Joseph and
Catherine Kurtz Nunn, died of septicemia and malnutrition on September 8, 1900
at Infants Hospital in New York City.
Caspar is survived by his mother, Catherine Kurtz Nunn of
Randall’s Island; brothers Harry, George, and Joseph Nunn all of Peekskill, NY;
sisters Elizabeth of Manhattan, NY, Kate, Emilie, and Emma of Peekskill,
NY. He was predeceased by his
father, Joseph Caspar Nunn, and sister, Kathie Nunn.
A private service was held at Randall’s Island Hospital.
Burial in Randall’s Island Cemetery.
The Rest of the Story
I couldn’t read the first word on the “Residence” line, but
with the assistance of Google, I quickly found that it was Randall’s Island
Hospital. Randall’s and Wards
Islands in the 19th through early 20th centuries was the
location of an orphanage, poorhouse, burial grounds, and the Manhattan State
Hospital. That hospital was the large psychiatric institution where Catherine
was sent for her mental illness. These islands were also the burial grounds for
many of the poor. I am now sure that Catherine and Caspar are buried there.
This information gave me some comfort since I didn’t know
where Caspar was from June through September. I now feel he was allowed to stay
with his mother, though obviously the care he received from her and the state
hospital was inadequate.
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