VAN VALKENBURGH & WAIT FAMILIES
Amsterdam NY
Montgomery County, NY
Contributed by Nancy Robinson.
6/22/05 with marriage notice of George A. Van Valkenburgh, obit of James Van Valkenburgh, info about children of James Van Valkenburgh.
According to US Census records, George A. VAN VALKENBURGH and his wife, Maria were employed by Charles F. WAIT, 40 Dewitt Street, Amsterdam, circa 1910 through at least 1930. George was employed as a coachman/chauffeur, Maria as a servant, although she was listed as a saleslady in a store on the 1930 Census. Per a notice in an Amsterdam newspaper, George married Miss Marie Anna Ulmer on November 26, 1902.
AMSTERDAM EVENING RECORDER, FRIDAY 28 NOV 1902
VAN VALKENBURGH----ULMER
Thanksgiving eve, at the home of Mrs. Elizabeth VAN VALKENBURGH, No. 238 East Main Street, took place the marriage of her son, George A. VAN VALKENBURGH and Miss Marie Anna ULMER, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Peter ULMER*, of Castleton, the Rev. E.T. CARROLL of St. Ann's Church officiating. William TOWNSEND, of this city, was best man and Miss Angie A. VAN VALKENBURGH was bridesmaid. Following the ceremony a wedding supper was partaken of, and at 11:14 Mr. and Mrs. Van Valkenburgh left on a wedding tour, which will include stops at Utica, Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Upon their return they will take up their residence at No. 238 East Main Street. Among the guests present from out of town were Mrs. Philip ULMER, mother of the bride, of Castleton; Mrs. George KNAPP, West Albany; Mrs. ANIBAL, Northville, and Mr. D.H. SISSON, of Albany.
* Note: Parents of Marie Ulmer were Phillip & Caroline ULMER. Source: Rensselaer County Interments.
Charles Franklin WAIT was a veteran of the Civil War (Co. I, 115th Regiment, New York Volunteers) and a retired farmer formerly of Saratoga Co, NY. He was b. Feb 5, 1841, Galway, Saratoga, NY, son of Reuben WAIT & Ruby COFFIN. Charles' wife, Alice D. LOOMIS, b. April, 1842, Providence, was the daughter of Gilbert LOOMIS & Alice H. CARPENTER of Galway, Saratoga Co., NY. Alice died Amsterdam, NY April, 1901.
Alice D. WAIT, the daughter of Charles & Alice, married DeWitt A. DEVENDORF, son of Henry A. DEVENDORF & Rachel PETTINGILL, in Florida Twp, 7 June 1893. Dewitt was born 23 May 1863, Minaville, and died Dec 1898, Fort Hunter, Mont. Co.
Dewitt was mentioned in the book, THE MOHAWK VALLEY, Its Legends and Its History by W. Max Reid. G.P. Putnam's Sons, NY, 1904, as having made repairs to Queen Anne's Chapel, Ft. Hunter in 1888, and before his death authenticating for the author the remains of an Indian fortification near the WEMPLE homestead between Ft. Hunter and Port Jackson which was situated coincidentally next to the homestead of my g-g-g grandfather, Coll McGREGOR. Coll and Cornelius WEMPLE were both neighbors and friends, Cornelius being a witness to Coll's will.
Agnes, 1st wife of Dewitt DEVENDORF, is buried in Auriesville Cemetery. Dewitt's parents, Rachel PETTINGILL, b. 1833 d. 1918 and Henry A. DEVENDORF, b. 1826, d. 1909 are buried, Dievendorf Cemetery, Sherburne's Corners, Ft. Hunter.
Dorothy, dau of Alice WAIT & DeWitt DEVENDORF, was born May 1894. Alice's second husband was Professor Emil Karl JANSER, b. Switzerland, a violinist from Springfield, Massachusetts, where they resided after their marriage. They married sometime after 1900 and were divorced before 1920.
1880 US Census, Galway Saratoga, NY: Sheet 32D
WAIT, Charles, age 39 Head Farmer NY NY NY
" Alice, age 38 Wife, NY NY NY
" Alice, age 8 Dau., NY NY NY
NEWELL, Harry, age 66 Boarder
SHIRES, John, age 71 Laborer
BARBER, Leander, age 23 Laborer
LOOMIS, Gilbert, age 70 Father NY NY NY
" Phebe, age 58 Mother NY NY NY
1893 Amsterdam City Directory, Page 231
VAN VALKENBURGH
" Caroline, widow, Milton, h. 66 Gray
" Clara, operative, bds 141 Market
" George A., hostler, bds. 69 E Main
" Jacob, bds 23 Storrie
" James M., engineer, bds. 69 E. Main
" Kate F., operative, bds. 69 E. Main
" Lulu A., clerk, 82 E. Main, bds. 69 E. Main
" Maggie, operative, bds 141 Market
" Mary, operative, bds 66 Gray
" Peter R., machinist, h 23 Storrie
" Walter A., operative, bds 69 E. Main
1900 US Census for Amsterdam, SD 7, ED 70, Sheet 18B
40 Dewitt Ave
WAIT, Charles F., Head, age 59, b. Feb 1841 m. 35 yrs Farmer
" Alice E., Wife, age 58 b. Apr 1842 m. 35 yrs. 3 ch / 1 living
DEIVENDORF, Alice D., Dau. Wid age 28, b. Oct 1871
DEIVENDORF, Dorothy A., G-Dau. age 6 b. May 1894
All born NY, NY, NY
1900 US Census, Amsterdam, Montgomery, NY
Maine Street
- - - - - - James N, Head b. Jan 1833, age 67 mar 35 yr NY NY NY Engineer
Mary, Wife b. Feb 1847 age 53 mar 35 yr 10 child/6 live NY NY NY
Lo- - -a, Dau b. Aug 1867 age 33 S. NY NY NY Music Teacher
George A., Son b. Feb 1872 age 28 S. NY NY NY Driver
Walter A., Son b. May 1878 age 24 S. NY NY NY Teamster
Abigail ?, Dau b. May 1882 age 18 S. NY Ny NY Sales Lady
Mary, Dau. b. July 1884 age 16 S. NY NY NY Sales Lady
Although last name is not legible on this page, I am including this enumeration as names, birthdates & occupations approximate 1893 Amsterdam Directory for Van Valkenburghs.
1910 US Census, Amsterdam, Montgomery, NY, 5th WD, SD9, ED60, Sheet 14 B
40 Dewitt Street
WAITE, Charles F., Head 69 Wd. NY NY NY Occupation not legible
VAN VALKENBURG, George A., Serv. age 39 m 7 yrs, NY NY NY Coachman
" " Maria, Serv. age 35 " " NY NY NY None
1920 US Census, Amsterdam, Montgomery, NY, 5th WD, SD 11, ED 71, Sheet 9A
40 Dewitt Street
WAIT, C. F. Col, Head, Wid age 77 NY NY NY None
VAN VALKENBURG, Geo., Servant, age 48 NY NY NY Chauffeur Private Family
" " Maria, Servant, age 37 NY NY NY Servant Private Family
1930 US Census, Amsterdam, Montgomery, NY, WD 5, ED 29-16, SD 4, Sheet 14B
40 Dewitt Street
WAIT, Charles F., Head, S. age 89 NY NY NY Head
VAN VALKENBURG, George A., Head, age 59, NY NY NY Chauffeur, Private House
age at 1st marriage: 28
" " Maria E., Wife age 48 Ger Ger Ger Saleslady Store
age at 1st marriage: 17 Immigration 1883
*IGI; 1870 US Census, Florida Twp, Montgomery Co, NY, Pg 69; 1910/1920 US Census, Springfield, Mass.
AMSTERDAM RECORDER, TUES. 24 JULY 1923
JAMES M. VAN VALKENBURGH DIES WHEN SKULL IS FRACTURED BY FALL IN HIS HOME
James Martin VAN VALKENBURGH, aged 93, died suddenly at his home, 26 Pearl Street, this morning at 3:15 o'clock. He was one of the oldest and most respected residents of Amsterdam and has been in full possession of the faculties and enjoyed the many pleasures of a quiet, peaceful old age, and it is a matter of regret to his many friends that his end was an untimely one. His death was sustained by a fracture of the skull at the base of the brain, which was caused by a fall down the staircase in his home during the night.
Mr. Van Valkenburgh was born in Kinderhook, Columbia county, January 25, 1830. He married Margaret Elizabeth DECKER, September 12, 1865, at Chatham Center, after his return from California as a "Forty-Niner." His wife died December, 1914. The family moved to Amsterdam about thirty-eight years ago and Mr. VanValkenburgh was employed for a long period as a stationary engineer in Yund, Kennedy & Yund's knitting mills. Mr. VanValkenburgh has been retired for the past twenty years. He was a member of the lodge F. and A.M. No. 509, Stuyvesant Falls, and was the oldest of that lodge both in age and membership.
He is survived by four daughters, Miss Lulu Van Valkenburgh, Mrs. John W. BOYD of this city, Mrs. G. W. EHREKE, of Kansas City, Miss Mary VAN VALKENBURGH of Amsterdam, two sons, George A. VAN VALKENBURGH, also of this city, and Walter VAN VALKENBURGH, of Chicago; three grandchildren, James Franklin CLARK, of Amsterdam, and Lionel and William EHREKE, of Kansas City, MO.
NOTES ON SURVIVING CHILDREN:
Lulu VAN VALKENBURGH born Aug 1867 was a vocal teacher in Amsterdam. She and her sister Mary L. VAN VALKENBURGH born July 1884 who was a saleslady in a department store and eventually became a buyer, remained single and lived together at 26 Pearl St, Amsterdam.
Emma Maud Van VAN VALKENBURGH, married (1) John CLARK abt 1893. Their son James Franklin CLARK was born June 1894. After John died sometime before 1910, she married (2) John W. BOYD about 1913 and by the 1930 census they had moved to Schenectady where John was the manager of a chain grocery store.
Angie VAN VALKENBURGH, born May 1882 married Gustav W. EHREKE and moved to Kansas City, MO. They had two sons, Robert Lionel EHREKE, birb19 Jan 1914 and Gustave William R. EHREKE, Jr., born about 1919.
George A. VAN VALKENBURGH, born Feb 1871 or '72, married Maria Anna ULMER, 28 Feb 1902 in Amsterdam. George was employed as a chauffeur for Charles F. Wait, 40 Dewitt Street, Amsterdam for many years. George and Maria had no children.
Walter A. VAN VALKENBURGH, born May 1876, married
(1) Helen KENNEDY in Amsterdam 30 Oct 1901, and
(2) Elsie UNKNOWN born about 1892 in Illinois, after 1920. He & Elsie lived in Chicago, Cook
County, Ill where he was employed as a car painter in an auto factory.
Much of this information was also taken from Hudson-Mohawk Family Memoirs, Vol III, Hudson-Mohawk Family Histories, page 1076-1080 which contains detailed information on the ancestry and descendents of Charles F. WAIT. Also a wonderful portrait which would have been nice to include, but due to copyright concerns, I refer you to this work at www.genealogy.com.
I came across this wonderful likeness of George A. VAN VALKENBURGH at an auction. As I have Van Valkenburghs in my family tree, it is reasonable to suspect that we have a connection, so of course, I had to have it to research George. I've not had much luck with George's lineage and it appears that he had no children, but I did find some interesting tidbits that do seem to connect us. Someone out there may also find a connection and is most welcome to contact me.
NOTE: An interesting side note regarding the coincidences that pop up when conducting genealogy research. While searching the 1900 US Census, Amsterdam, I happened upon Reuben WAIT, a meat cutter & the brother of Charles WAIT. Reuben & his family were enumerated in the same house as Jay HARE, a liquor dealer, & his wife.
Jay Hare was the son of Eliza Ann Greenman HARE, widow of John HARE, who married my g-g grandfather Joseph THOMPSON after the death of my g-g grandmother, Anna Eliza BARTHOLOMEW, widow of Jacob WILSON.
After his mother's death and upon returning from the Civil War, James Henry WILSON, Anna Eliza BARTHOLOMEW's son by Jacob WILSON, continued to live with his step-father, Joseph THOMPSON and Joseph's second wife, Eliza Ann Greenman HARE, eventually marrying Eliza's daughter, Phoebe HARE. Sorting out all these family twists proved to be quite a challenge and could not have been done without the aid of my distant McGregor cousin, FK Millar, whose existence I discovered several years ago though this website.
