I have received favorable reviews for my last few blogs. That is always an encouragement to continue. And so this morning I thought I would write a bit about my Grandfather Elwood. It is an amazing thing to me that I am able to write about him at all, as he passed long before my birth. The truth is he was a bit of a mystery and in some areas a mystery still. He will remain so as there is no one left to tell his story that has first hand knowledge. There has been much speculation over the years. It is fascinating to me, to speculate the why of his choices in life, to second guess his motivations. The exposing of ones true motivations is a very personal thing. In many of my blogs I try to show the reasons why. It can be difficult once you realize what a foolish choice you may have made. But I'm getting off track here.
My grandfather, on my fathers side, is Elwood Christian Reichart. He was the second generation of Reichart's born in America. His father, Christian Reichart, born on the fourth of July in 1870 was the first. Christian was the fourth son born in Southold New York. His father, also Christian, was born in 1827 in Bavaria. He emigrated to America in 1857 on board the steamship Wm V Moses. He arrived with just his wife and one son. The port then was Castle Garden, New York. Ellis Island wouldn't be opened for another 43 years. He would pass in 1882 when Christian, his son, was only twelve years old. Christian would go on to marry Katherine Gaffga of Greenport. Together they would have two children. First born was Mildred Elizabeth in 1898, my sister would be named for her. Then in 1900 my grandfather Elwood Christian was born. He would lose his mom when he was 14 years old. Remember his Dad had lost his mother when he was just 12.
Now you would think father and son would have had a close bond, especially considering the fact they had both lost their moms at an early age. That doesn't seem to have been the case however. My grandfather Elwood would form a lifelong friendship with a man named Austin Bennett. This man had no relationship to the family that I have been able to discover. My father was named for that man, my father is Austin Bennett Reichart and I am Jr. So, by proxy I have been named for a man that was a friend of my grandfather. I even have a picture of this man taken sometime in the 1940's when he came to visit my father.
Seven years after the passing of his mom grandfather Elwood would marry Clara Bishop Lester of East Hampton. The how and why of how they ever met is lost to history. Grandfather Elwood was from Greenport on the north fork of Long Island, whereas East Hampton is on the south. That there was much commerce between the two forks is well documented. Sailing ships went across the bay and the sound almost daily back in those days. The north fork was a springboard to Connecticut as well. Perhaps that is how they came to be acquainted. But however it came to be, they were married in April of 1921 at Grandmothers Clara's home in East Hampton. Was Christian present at the ceremony? That I don't know, but I do know the Reverend Stokes of the Presbyterian church performed the nuptials.
Two years later on March 31, 1923 their first child was born. He was named Elwood. On the 19th of Sept in the following year my Dad was born. That same day, Grandmother Clara passed away from complications in childbirth. And so my dad was born without his mother. His maternal grandparents would raise him and his older brother. The reason behind that I have no explanation for. In 1927 Grandfather Elwood would remarry and have two more sons. He would occasionally come to visit with his sons in East Hampton but they would never live in the same house together. In February of 1932 Grandfather Elwood died from a ruptured appendix while in Florida. My father was eight years old at the time.
I suspect little of this was known by my father. Oh, he knew about his father alright but I don't believe he knew much about anyone else. I wonder if this was kept from him and if so, what the reasons would have been. His own grandfather Christian didn't pass away until 1940. He dies in the Alms' house at Yapank New York of stomach cancer. Another mystery left unsolved. Why was he there and why did no one take car of him? He had brothers and sisters and there was the family of his wife. Was their resentment that Katherine had passed at so early an age and he was somehow blamed for that? I have a few artifacts and documents pertaining to Grandfather Elwood. A few faded photographs. I have the bill of sale when he purchased his new automobile in 1924. That was a few months after Grandmother Clara passed away. Was it insurance money? And was that the car he was driving on his trip to Florida? I was always told that it was but given the dates I need to question that. Would he still have had the same automobile eight years later? A lot of questions to be answered. I have a bill of sale when Grandfather Elwood sold scallops to the fish market, a sizable sum for the day.
My father passed in 1990, also in Florida. He was laid to rest in Cedar Lawn cemetery between his mom and dad as was his wish. Close by are his maternal grandparents, Floyd and Lucy that raised him. His paternal grandparents lie in Sterling cometary in Greenport. I don't believe Dad was ever aware of that. But that is some of the story of Grandfather Elwood. I'll keep searching for more.
My grandfather, on my fathers side, is Elwood Christian Reichart. He was the second generation of Reichart's born in America. His father, Christian Reichart, born on the fourth of July in 1870 was the first. Christian was the fourth son born in Southold New York. His father, also Christian, was born in 1827 in Bavaria. He emigrated to America in 1857 on board the steamship Wm V Moses. He arrived with just his wife and one son. The port then was Castle Garden, New York. Ellis Island wouldn't be opened for another 43 years. He would pass in 1882 when Christian, his son, was only twelve years old. Christian would go on to marry Katherine Gaffga of Greenport. Together they would have two children. First born was Mildred Elizabeth in 1898, my sister would be named for her. Then in 1900 my grandfather Elwood Christian was born. He would lose his mom when he was 14 years old. Remember his Dad had lost his mother when he was just 12.
Now you would think father and son would have had a close bond, especially considering the fact they had both lost their moms at an early age. That doesn't seem to have been the case however. My grandfather Elwood would form a lifelong friendship with a man named Austin Bennett. This man had no relationship to the family that I have been able to discover. My father was named for that man, my father is Austin Bennett Reichart and I am Jr. So, by proxy I have been named for a man that was a friend of my grandfather. I even have a picture of this man taken sometime in the 1940's when he came to visit my father.
Seven years after the passing of his mom grandfather Elwood would marry Clara Bishop Lester of East Hampton. The how and why of how they ever met is lost to history. Grandfather Elwood was from Greenport on the north fork of Long Island, whereas East Hampton is on the south. That there was much commerce between the two forks is well documented. Sailing ships went across the bay and the sound almost daily back in those days. The north fork was a springboard to Connecticut as well. Perhaps that is how they came to be acquainted. But however it came to be, they were married in April of 1921 at Grandmothers Clara's home in East Hampton. Was Christian present at the ceremony? That I don't know, but I do know the Reverend Stokes of the Presbyterian church performed the nuptials.
Two years later on March 31, 1923 their first child was born. He was named Elwood. On the 19th of Sept in the following year my Dad was born. That same day, Grandmother Clara passed away from complications in childbirth. And so my dad was born without his mother. His maternal grandparents would raise him and his older brother. The reason behind that I have no explanation for. In 1927 Grandfather Elwood would remarry and have two more sons. He would occasionally come to visit with his sons in East Hampton but they would never live in the same house together. In February of 1932 Grandfather Elwood died from a ruptured appendix while in Florida. My father was eight years old at the time.
I suspect little of this was known by my father. Oh, he knew about his father alright but I don't believe he knew much about anyone else. I wonder if this was kept from him and if so, what the reasons would have been. His own grandfather Christian didn't pass away until 1940. He dies in the Alms' house at Yapank New York of stomach cancer. Another mystery left unsolved. Why was he there and why did no one take car of him? He had brothers and sisters and there was the family of his wife. Was their resentment that Katherine had passed at so early an age and he was somehow blamed for that? I have a few artifacts and documents pertaining to Grandfather Elwood. A few faded photographs. I have the bill of sale when he purchased his new automobile in 1924. That was a few months after Grandmother Clara passed away. Was it insurance money? And was that the car he was driving on his trip to Florida? I was always told that it was but given the dates I need to question that. Would he still have had the same automobile eight years later? A lot of questions to be answered. I have a bill of sale when Grandfather Elwood sold scallops to the fish market, a sizable sum for the day.
My father passed in 1990, also in Florida. He was laid to rest in Cedar Lawn cemetery between his mom and dad as was his wish. Close by are his maternal grandparents, Floyd and Lucy that raised him. His paternal grandparents lie in Sterling cometary in Greenport. I don't believe Dad was ever aware of that. But that is some of the story of Grandfather Elwood. I'll keep searching for more.
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