Just six days later

 One hundred fifty two years ago today my great grandfather Christian Reichart, Jr. was born in Greenport, New York. His parents had emigrated to America arriving at Castle Garden New York in 1857. He would pass away at the age of seventy from stomach cancer. All in all, his is a sad tale from what I have been able to collect from history. He would marry Catherine Gaffga, a member of a very prominent family in Southold and Greenport on the eastern Long Island. He was twenty-five when they married, and the marriage produced two children. Elwood C Reichart and Mildred E Reichart. After nineteen years, sadly, Catherine passed away. She was just thirty-eight years old. I do not know the cause of her death but apparently a rift was created between Christian and the rest of the family. This rift appears to have involved all of his family, the Gaffga's and the Reichart's. It appears he became isolated from them all, whether by his choice or not I can't say. These things were never spoken of when I was a child. I don't believe my father knew much about any of that either, although Dad was close to his aunt Mildred, Minnie as she was called, and she may have told him all about that. 

 That Christian was admitted to the Alm's House at Yapank New York at least several times is recorded. The Alm's house, known more by the name, Poor House was where people went when they needed medical care, housing, and had nowhere else to go. Christian had many brothers and sisters living in and around Greenport, the Gaffga family was large as well, but no one seems to have taken him in. After Catherines death his children were raised by her older brother, Peter Gaffga. At least for a while they were. Aunt Mildred would marry and move to Chicago. Elwood, his son, would take up the trade of fisherman and house painter. He became a close friend to an older man named Austin Bennett, I believe a sort of father figure. Grandfather Elwood would name his son, my father, Austin Bennett and it also became my name in turn. I do have a single picture of this man, he came to visit my father when Dad returned from the war. But there is much I don't know and never will about the family dynamics. He is buried in the family plot in Sterling Cemetery, Greenport, New York. Reunited in death? It's a story I don't expect I'll ever know. 

 Still ever since I discovered what information I do know, all long after my own fathers' passing, my thoughts drift to great grandfather Christian on this day, born on the fourth of July in 1870. I was born in July too. In fact, I was born 30,331 days later. That's eighty-three years and sixteen days. I was born about thirteen miles southeast of his birthplace. Gardiners Bay separates the forks on Eastern Long Island. Great Grandfathers son, Elwood would cross that bay to marry my grandmother Clara. He would pass in 1932 on a trip to Florida. That's eight years before his father would pass. His two children, Elwood Jr, and my father Austin Bennett would be raised by his widows' parents. Clara, his wife and my grandmother had passed in 1920. So, like his father he seems to have abandoned his children, although abandon isn't the correct term, he did visit them on occasion. After Clara he had remarried and had two more boys. 

 Yeah a lot has happened in one hundred and fifty-two years. Christain Reichart Jr. was born and Austin Bennett Reichart, Jr. is writing the story. I have a collection of old photographs, some articles that belonged to some of these people, a newspaper clipping or two (digital ones) about a small portion of their lives. But the body of the story is based on speculation. All those directly involved are gone now. No one I know to ask that would have any answers. That great grandfather Christian would pass while in the Alm's house I have evidence to prove that fact. Who came to retrieve his body and bury him in the family plot? That I don't know but am grateful that he found his final resting spot there among family. It's a funny thing though. All those names are now familiar to me, like old friends almost, but they may not have been to my father. If he did know he never spoke of it.

 It is interesting that the Fourth of July was made a holiday in 1870. Yes, the year he was born. The Fourth of July, Christmas and Thanksgiving were all designated as Federal holidays June 28,1870. When he was growing up it would have been a new holiday, although the date had been celebrated sporadically throughout the country prior to that. There was also some debate about whether the fourth should be celebrated at all! A newspaper editorial from the time said this,  “The celebration of this day has been condemned by some, on the ground that it displays an illiberal spirit, and is calculated to produce unfriendly feelings towards Great-Britain. It is calculated to perpetuate those principles which ‘rocked the cradle of our Independence,’ and nursed it into manhood.” I wonder how he saw the holiday and his parents' feelings toward that. Being emigrants, I like to believe his parents were quite pleased to have a child born on the Fourth of July, in this new land that they had chosen. Their son was a true American. That's what I like to think anyway. Those opposing the holiday, calling it illiberal, meaning it is opposed to liberal principles, were concerned with inclusion. One hundred and fifty-two years and some things haven't changed. Just six days after that legislation was made law Great Grandfather Reichart was born. Happy Fourth and Happy Birthday to all.