Gustaf Emil Belin's Death Certificate

State of New York
Certificate and Record of Death
of
Emil Belin
Sex: Male
Color: White
Place of Death: 1590 St. Marks Ave.
Single, Married, Widowed or Divorced:
Married
Occupation: Carpenter
Birthplace: Sweden
How long in U.S.: Thirteen Years
How long a resident of New York City:
Thirteen Years
Character of premises, whether tenement, private, etc. If hotel, hospital, or other institution, state full title:
Private House 24
Father's Name: Carl Eric Belin
Father's Birthplace: Sweden
Mother's Maiden Name: Unknown
Mother's Birthplace: Sweden

I hereby certify that I attended the deceased from Sept. 1st 1906, to Nov. 29th 1906, that I last saw him alive on the Nov 28 day of 1906, that he died on the 29th day of November 1906, about 3 o'clock A.M., and to the best of my knowledge and belief, the cause of his death was as follows:
Uremic Cohma from acute Nephritis
Also, Tuberculosis Pulmonalis

Witness my hand this 29th day of November 1906
(Signature) Elias H. Bartley M.D.
(Residence) 65 S. Portland Ave.

Place of Burial: Evergreen
Date of Burial: Dec 2nd (or 22nd?)
Undertaker: A. F. Johnson
Place of Business: 376 Atlantic Ave.


So I have learned that Gustaf and Maria came to rest at the same cemetery (not next to each other it seems, but close enough, well... I suppose it doesn't really matter to them now.

I have also received the certificates for Maria (Svahn) Belin and Gunhilde Maria Belin. Both laid to rest in Evergreen Cemetery.

So Grandma Belin was right about Grandpa Belin having a younger sister. Gunhilde died (about a year after her father, Gustaf) at the age of 2yrs, 9mo. and 22 days on Nov. 3rd 1907 about 5 P.M. The little one's cause of death listed as: Tubercular meinngitis (yes, spelled like that)

**OW**

A last minute dash about the house before bed time while enjoying the end of my evening wine, ended in what can only be described as something someone flunking out of Tito Gaona's Flying Trapeze Academy would be capable of doing.

I rounded a corner and tripped over a box we had placed in a doorway earlier in the evening to prevent our old Grey-bird from going on one of his rather destructive walkabouts.

I kid you not, I launched. I felt the wind beneath my wings and in the brief moments of my solo-flight, the only thought running through my head was "don't land on the glass!" Somehow I managed to keep my right arm extended with my wine as far away as possible for the duration of my flight.

Now, had I been George Reeves, or Olga Korbut, I would have expertly tucked and rolled, not even spilling a drop as I regained my stance and went on about the business of wrapping up the evening. Regretfully, I'm neither one of those two people, and I don't know anything about doing parkour.

While my limited faculties were focused on the whereabouts of my wine glass, my face instinctively took over and prevented me from falling completely through the floor, past the crusty layers of the earth, ultimately crashing right into Hades lap. That's right, my face stopped me there on the wood floor and bravely prevented me from falling any further.

After the dust and glass shards settled, I laid there motionless on the floor quietly listening as my sluggish neurons relayed "check. i'm still here" messages from each quadrant of my body.

OWWWWWWWWW.

I couldn't recall what it was I thought I needed to do so badly once returning to my upright position.

Today as I sit here at my desk, I realize that other parts of me were also charged with the responsibility of stopping my hell-bound descent. My left shoulder, neck, and lower back totally ache. My right elbow is bruised.

The shade of blue and purple glints now below my right eye, cheek, and jaw will look great in a couple days when they have spread and faded to a nasty yellow-brown.

I think someone needs to investigate the rapid pace at which the density of objects has undoubtedly increased just within the span of my own lifetime. It's alarming really. Global warming has been occurring slowly over generations. But shit ("shit" being defined as anything you might find yourself slamming into with any amount of force) has DEFINITELY gotten much harder than it was when I was a kid.

RAIN!

I almost forgot to mention, we had about 15 minutes of rain today! WOOT! Now the mosquitoes are making a come back... little annoying jerks.

Geneology takes a nap now

Good lord! It's overwhelming... I can only take it in small doses, don't see how the heck people like Mr. Scott and Katarina do this sort of thing often. Dates and names and places all meld together in a huge jumbled-up international stew in my brain.

I wonder what people will do years from now when they try to research this sort of stuff? The last time I answered a census was back in the 80's and Jim was so freakin' paranoid of the gummit I don't think he told the census taker the truth.

I'm putting this to rest for a spell, at least until the certificates I ordered from the state of NY come in. I don't even remember who's I ordered?!

Grandma Belin's German Drop: Part 1

Descendants of Johann Michael Rudolph

1ST GENERATION
1 Johann Michael Rudolph b: Bef. 1700 in Germany

2ND GENERATION
2 Eva Catharina Rudloph b: Abt. 1716 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg
  +Johann Georg Volz b: Abt. 1710 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg m: 03 May 1735 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg

3RD GENERATION
3 Georg Adam Volz b: 31 Mar 1736 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg
3 Georg Melchior Volz b: 17 Jul 1738 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg
3 Georg Friedrich Volz b: 03 Dec 1740 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg d: 31 May 1750 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg
3 George Volz b: 06 May 1742 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg
  +Johanna Christiana Rudolph b: 03 Jan 1742 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg m: Bef. 1774 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg

4TH GENERATION
4 Johanna Christiana Volz b: 15 Dec 1775 in Evangelisch, Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg d: 13 Jan 1848 in Germany
 +Georg Friedrich Lindoerfer b: 29 Apr 1770 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg m: 01 May 1797 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg d: 18 Mar 1844 in Germany

5TH GENERATION
5 Johann Friedrich Lindoerfer b: 10 Jun 1799 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg d: 10 Jul 1838
 +Sibylla Kolb b: 19 Mar 1799 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg m: 18 Sep 1821 in Evangelisch, Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg

6TH GENERATION
6 Wilhelm Lindoerfer b: 29 Oct 1836 in Boeckingen, Neckarkreis, Wuerttemberg d: Bet. 1910 - 1920 in New Jersey
 +Catherine Unknown b: Jun 1839 in Hessen, Germany m: 1858 in New York d: Bet. 1905 - 1910 in New York

7TH GENERATION
7 Conrad Lindoerfer b: Abt. 1859 in New York
7 Louise Lindoerfer b: Feb 1862 in New York
 +Frederick Augustus Lowe b: Sep 1857 in Rhine, Bavaria, Germany m: 1881 in New York

8TH GENERATION
8 Mary A. Lowe b: Aug 1882 in New York
 +George Wellington Brewster b: 07 May 1880 in Manhattan, NY m: 28 Nov 1905 in Manhattan, NY

9TH GENERATION
9 Dorothy L. Brewster b: 03 March 1908 in New York
   +Herbert Julius Belin b: 09 Jun 1903 in New York

Grandma Belin's Irish drop: Part 1

Aye! So it's the McCluskey Clan ye got rooning in yer veins fer now.

1ST GENERATION
1 BERNARD MCCLUSKEY b: Abt. 1802 in Ireland d: Aft. 1876
  Residence: 1870 Manhattan - NY Ward 19 District 20, NY, NY
  +Unknown m: Abt. 1824 in Ireland d: Bef. 1870

2ND GENERATION
2 LUKE MCCLUSKEY b: Abt. 1825 in Ireland
    Occupation: 1870 Hod Carrier
    Residence: 1870 Manhattan - NY Ward 19 District 20, NY, NY
      +Sarah Unknown b: Abt. 1829 in Ireland m: Abt. 1849
2 Felix McCluskey b: Abt. 1828 in Ireland
    Occupation: 1870 Blacksmith
    Residence: 1870 Manhattan - NY Ward 19 District 20, NY, NY
      +Jane Unknown b: Abt. 1830 in Ireland m: Abt. 1850

3RD GENERATION
3 James McCluskey b: Abt. 1850 in Ireland
    Occupation: 1870 Cab Driver
    Residence: 1880 Weston, Middlesex, MA
3 Bridget McCluskey b: Abt. 1852 in New York
3 Mary McCluskey b: Abt. 1855 in New York
3 ELIZABETH F. MCCLUSKEY b: Abt. 1858 in New York
    +William C. Brewster b: Abt. 1859 in Manhattan, NY m: 12 May 1879 in Manhattan
3 Susan McCluskey b: Abt. 1861 in New York

4TH GENERATION
4 George Wellington Brewster b: 07 May 1880 in Manhattan, NY
    +Mary A. Lowe b: Aug 1882 in NY m: 28 Nov 1905 in Manhattan, NY

5TH GENERATION
5 Dorothy L. Brewster
    +Herbert Julius Alan Belin

Another entry for Dad and Cheryl

This entry is based on research coming from many people, about Grandma Belin's (Dorothy Brewster) paternal ancestry. There is a researcher who has pretty much connected the line all the way back to the Mayflower, but there are some weak links she is trying to connect via a Brewster DNA project that requires Brewster males giving DNA samples to confirm her hypothesis.

Grandma told me her family name went back to the Mayflower but she could not remember the name (she gave me two she thought possibilities)

1 William Brewster b: Abt. 1774 in NY m: Bef. 1794 in Orange County, NY d: Aft. 1824 in NY
.. +Sarah Mapes b: 1774 in Orange County, NY d: 1824 in NY

2 John Van Cortlandt Brewster b: 26 Dec 1812 in New York d: Aft. 1880
.. +Frances Rebecca Potter b: 26 Mar 1808 in New York m: Abt. 1835 in New York d: 28 Nov 1858 in Highland Mills, Orange County, NY

3 William Wellington Brewster b: 15 Jul 1836 in Monroe, Orange County, New York d: 07 Apr 1906 in Monroe, Orange County, New York. Married Anna McConnell @1858 NY
.. +Anna Belle Clinton McConnell b: Jun 1835 in Belfast, Ireland m: Abt. 1858 in NY

Notes for William Wellington Brewster:

Family Narrative:
Olive Ann Smith (Bull) Nozell: "Mrs. Theodore Clark (Anna Belle Mack, granddaughter of Wm. W. Brewster. Wm. W. Brewster had a business in N.Y.C. my grandmother Anna Belle McConnell worked for him before their marriage. Anna Belle McConnell b. Belfast Ireland dau. of Wm. & Fanny (Clinton) McConnell, she was m. in N.Y.C. The family came back to Monroe. Her grandfather worked for Parrott Foundry at Arden, N.Y. Her grandfather was b. in Monroe, N.Y. The house stood close to the road, close to St. Patricks Church in Highland Mills, N.Y. In 1916 was known as Wheelman's Rest--where homemade root beer was sold. This house was torn down about 1960. William W. & Anna Belle (McConnell) Brewster had 2 children: William--at the time of his father's death his address was unknown. He was later located near Ridgewood [Bergen Co.], N.J. According to Mrs. Anna Belle (Mack) Clark, her Uncle m. Elizabeth, had the following children & perhaps more: (BREWSTER) George, Belle, Marion, Walter, Gertrude, Elsie, Irving. The last time Mrs. Clark saw Uncle William's children, which was some time back, they were living in Allendale. All were m. There is in Monroe a Mrs. Johnson, related to the late Mrs. John McGimpsey, who knows all the children--says Mrs. Clark.

More About William Wellington Brewster:
Burial: 1906, Calvery Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings, NY
Residence 1: 1880, Manhattan, NY
Occupation 1: 1880, Manuacturer of Ladies Underwear
Residence 2: 1900, Monroe, Orange County, NY
Occupation 2: 1900, Landlord

4 William C. Brewster b: Abt. 1859 in Manhattan, NY
.. +Elizabeth F. McCluskey b: Abt. 1858 in New York m: 12 May 1879 in Manhattan, NY

5 George Wellington Brewster b: 07 May 1880 in Manhattan, NY. Married Mary Lowe 28 Nov 1905, Manhattan, NY (Source: NY City Marriages, Lowe Mary A Nov 28 1905 Manhattan Cert # 26227 .)
.. +Mary A. Lowe b: Aug 1882 in New York m: 28 Nov 1905 in Manhattan, NY

More About George Wellington Brewster:
Occupation: Bet. 1910 - 1920, Policeman, Bronx, NY
Residence: Bet. 1910 - 1920, Washington Ave, Bronx, NY

More About Mary A. Lowe:
Occupation: 1900, School Teacher

Children of Mary Lowe and George Brewster are:

i. Laura M. Brewster, b. 1906, NY; m. RALPH WILBUR ( ? ), 19 Jan 1928, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York; b. 1904, PA.

6 ii. DOROTHY L. BREWSTER, b. 03 Mar 1908, NY; d. 06 Jul 2000; 10 Oct 1923, Brooklyn, Kings County, New York (Source: NY City Marriages, Cert # 14390 .)
..+m. Herbert Julius Belin, b. 09 Jun 1903, New York; d. 18 Aug 1964, Swartswood Lake, NJ.

Notes for DOROTHY L. BREWSTER:
In 1930 there was a Dorothy Brewster, age 18, student nurse, at the Brooklyn Maternity Hospital, St. John's Place, Brooklyn, NY

iii. Anna Brewster (twin), b. 19 Jan 1914, NY.
Family narrative:
Michael-Ann Belin: Around 1999 I spoke over the telephone with Anna's caretaker. Anna was residing in Long Island back around 1999. The caretaker said Anna had a daughter who she would ask to contact me, she never did.
iv. Louise Brewster (twin), b. 19 Jan 1914, NY; d. Jul 1982, 48203 Highland Park, Wayne, Michigan.
v. George Wellington Brewster, Jr., b. 27 Sep 1917, NY; d. Dec 1978, Palisades Park, Bergen, New Jersey.

Hope on the horizon

Well not many people come to this blog so I'm not afraid to mention this here. You may or may not know the difficulties G and I have had at work, for the last 8+ years its been a miserably depressing downward spiral to the point where G and I are the only two full-time employees left. The last cut took out our graphics fellow, and cut the gal who handles customer service and all the accounting (after the CEO left) from full-time to 2 days a week (both effective immediately). I asked for a 50% pay cut at the time because it just didn't feel right having the other people sacrificing so much and me not having to sacrifice at all.

Now the company has enough money to get us through to the launch of the next release of our software in the beginning of August, which is pretty much up to G and I as far as the programming and user interface goes. We rely on one of our 2 bosses to update the content the software delivers. That part is not really happening at all. I have mentioned to the bosses that not having all the content updated is like selling online dictionaries, where purchasing customers discover after the sale, that their dictionary only goes to "F" but includes a little footnote that the rest of the content will become available as soon as we get it written.

In my heart I don't think our customers are going to appreciate this at all. I think it will be the final end-end (not the "end" that has been ongoing for the last 8+ years... the REAL end.)

Despite all the time that we have had to adjust to the idea, the END has not been something easy to face for either G or me.

But the two of us just got a little inspiration, a glimmer of hope, something that makes us feel as though we may have an element of control in what happens to us in the future.

It started with Gordy's new iPhone that he got for Father's day. Anyone who knows G, knows what a major Apple fan he is. The new iPhone has been the first gadget to absolutely exceed all his expectations. I could go on forever telling you about all the great functionality and applications this little device offers, but I'll let you read about all that somewhere else, as it is taking me WAAAAAY too long to get to the point.

G and I have decided to develop some iPhone applications ourselves. Starting with something I have been involved in over the past few years, doing bird counts—like the Audubon's Christmas Bird Count, Cornell & Audubon's Great Backyard Bird Count, or random survey counts for areas trying to get protected wildlife-area status.

We are excited because everything we know about software development and user interfaces we will be able to put to use.

We have created a new company, "Willow Software Foundry" (Gordy picked the name) and I picked up the domains and started a webpage for our first software application: "iBirdCount" and it's partnering desktop application "iBirdJournal." The logos are just in the sketchy stages right now. As soon as our DBA gets complete and we finalize the specs, I'm ready to get the trademarks and copyrights taken care of. You can see the page here: iBirdCount.com.

At 9:52 am - 92° already.

I hate to moan and groan about this so much, but i guess getting older just makes me less and less tolerant of the heat and more entitled to saying it sucks.

Good news is that we have the highest percent chance of rain this evening we have had since all this nasty heat kicked in - 30%!

I could try to look on the bright side of this and think about how the mosquito population has dwindled with the lack of rain.

On to other "news."

I started the compost pile again. This time around I am going to include newspaper from the bird cages and paper towels. I picked up one small bucket with a handle for all the food scraps to go into (and pledged to take the scraps out everyday without fail). Also got a slightly larger bucket to place just outside the backdoor in the event that life gets stressed and crazy and for whatever reason i rationalize that I simply can't make it out to the back of the yard where my pile is located.

When veggies have something to say...

... I think they do it with body language.



This one seems to be saying something about going through life with a stick up yer arse.

Somehow, in the tangled mess that was a decent heirloom tomato garden, this little fellow snuck by my daily searches. The branch he was on had grown up into a neighboring azalea and there i found him right smack on top resting in the middle of the bush.

On another note... geez louise it is hot! I've been doing my ritual coffee roasting this morning. Stocking up for the week ahead. I like to sit and watch the beans as they turn from green to brown, paying attention to the distinct cracking cycles they go through (some more distinct than others) and watching as they swell, turn satin-y, then just as they start to get their oily sheen I put the roaster in to cool mode. Just sitting out there on the porch, in the shade, with a slight breeze I still sweat as if in a freakin sauna. It's terrible!

Some of the grapes on my vine have started to turn purple, G and I tasted a couple, they are so SWEET! This year the vine produced enough grapes that even after the cardinals pick theirs I think we will still have enough to make something with. I'm starting to think perhaps not wine as I am not too fond of really sweet wines. Unless I can find a recipe for making wine with not-so-ripe green grapes... Maybe I'll just try to make grape jelly?

Speaking of growing and eating things, we are also thinking about getting a couple of olive trees. There is a sunny spot by the fence in the back yard that might be perfect for them, but will have to get some trash hauled to the dump first.

Today I plan to go to Home Depot and see what sort of cheap composting materials I can get. I'll also have to go by the feedstore and pick up a bale of hay.

Interpretation of Maria's Poem from @ 1894

Look with contentment at days passed,
and with calm toward your unknown destiny.
Keep your actions and intentions noble,
measured by your death, at last,
And rejoice: your eternity remains.