Family Genealogy - Mary Engert Wattel Obituary

Oftentimes an obituary of an ancestor does little more than say who died and when.  However, there are a few times when an obituary not only tells us something about our ancestors, it tells us something about our ancestor's descendants.

The following obituary of Mary ENGERT WATTEL tells us about her life in early Rochester and about her family, and it has a photo, too!

DEATH OF PROGENITOR OF A REMARKABLE FAMILY

Mrs. Mary Wattel, Who Died Yesterday at the Age of 89, Left 10 Children, 31 grandchildren and 30 Great-grandchildren

In the death of Mrs. Mary WATTEL of 71 Romeyn Street, at the age of 89 years, yesterday morning, Rochester loses one of its oldest citizens.  The funeral will be held Monday morning at 9 o'clock from SS. Peter and Paul's Roman Catholic Church.  Interment will be at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.

Mrs. WATTLE [sic] was born in 1813 in Baden, Germany, and came to this country when she was 18 years of age, settling on a farm in Irondequoit.  when she was 20 years of age she married John T. WATTEL, who has now been dead about 45 years.  Forty-seven years ago Mr. WATTEL purchased several lots on Romeyn Street and there Mrs. WATTEL has resided for nearly 50 years.

Mrs. WATTEL leaves a large family of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  There were originally 10 children, 31 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.  Mrs. WATTEL'S children now living are Mrs. Catherine MILLER, Mrs. Mary WEILAND of Greece, Valentine WATTEL of Moran Street, Mrs. Caroline GRIEBEL of Portland Avenue, Mrs. Barbara GRIEBEL of 191 University Avenue, Mrs. Elizabeth COULMAN, Mrs. Sophia BURGARD, and Miss Rose WATTEL of 71 Romeyn Street.  William WATTEL, a son, and Magdaline WEIS, a daughter, died.

Her Children's Children

Mrs. Catherine MILLER, daughter of the deceased, has five children, Anthony, Julia, August, Fred and Bertha.  Of these Anthony has four children, Anthony, Jr., William, Edward and Cora, who are great-grandchildren of Mrs. WATTEL.  Mrs. Julia EPPING of Adams Strreet, a daughter of Mrs. MILLER, has five children, Ida, Florence, Agnes, Raymond and Paul, also great grandchildren of Mrs. WATTEL.  august MILLER has two children, Ida and Marguerite.

Fred MILLER has two children, Genevieve and May and Bertha is unmarried.

William WATTEL, the dead son, had three children, Libbie, Josephine and Frances.  Of these Libbie, who is now Mrs. WATT, has one infant child, as yet unnamed.

Mrs. Mary WEILAND, another daughter, has nine children:  Mrs. Magdaline BEYER, Joseph, George, William Edward, Emma, August, Mary and Delia.  Joseph and Emma are married, having three and two children respectively.

Mrs. Magdaline WEIS, who is dead, left four children:  Laura PIERCE, George, Edward and Linda.  Mrs. PIERCE has one child, Lois.

Mrs. Caroline GRIEBEL has three children, Mrs. Emma WHITEHOUSE, Mrs. Carrie SMYTHE and Frank.  Mrs. WHITEHOUSE has two chidren, William and Leon.  Mrs. SMYTHE one, Paul and Frank four each.

Valentine WATTEL, son of the deceased, has four children, Charles, Lottie, Maude and Elsie, the first of whom has two children, Norbid and an unnamed babe.

Mrs. Barbara GRIEBEL has one daughter, Mrs. Hattie HEBING, who has one child, Harold.

Mrs. Sophia BURGARD has one son, Edward,

Mrs. Elizabeth COULMAN has one child, Hilda.

Progenitor of a Large Family

From the foregoing it will be seen that Mrs. WATTEL was the progenitor of a very large and healthy family tree.  Despite her advanced years, Mrs. WATTEL enjoyed the best of health up to within two weeks of her death, when she took to her bed from feebleness.  She saw and conversed with her neighbors and friends even then and her remarkably bright mind was never more active than during her last hours.

During her lifetime Mrs. WATTEL saw remarkable changes in Rochester and vicinity.  When she first came to this vicinity and lived on a farm, the city was little more than a village.  Mrs. WATTEL on many occasions has told some very interesting experiences of her early life, which gave her auditors a good insight into the conditions at the time when she first came to Rochester.

The whole family is rarely all together and its members see eachother but rarely.  Many live at some distance from Rochester but all are within New York State.