by Roxy Triebel
treebz65@hotmail.com

The following information is taken from my grandmother's book, "Tangled Roots and Twisted Branches" (published 1987), with some minor reformatting for the web.  This book is known to contain some errors.  If you have any corrections or additions, please contact me.

1.    Graves of my great great great grandparents,

    Richard Kerr (1821 or 1822 - 1890) and

      Lucinda Shufelt (1822 - 1904),

   in Laurel Cemetery, Watson Hollow, Ulster County, New York.  Both of their graves are marked with different sides of the same stone.  The black and white photo was probably taken sometime in the 1950s.  The color snapshot in the upper left was taken in October, 1990.  The other color photos were taken in May 2002.  It seems such a shame that Richard went to all that trouble to specify in his will just what sort of marker he wanted and then the carver went and mis-spelled his name CURR.  According to a list of re-interments from cemeteries on Ashokan Reservoir property, Richard and Lucinda were moved to Laurel Cemetery from Ennist Cemetery.  Richard and Lucinda had six children.  Lucinda was included in a Barringer family photo taken around 1898 (the elderly lady on the far right).  You can also read my grandmother's family stories about Richard and Lucinda Kerr.

   1.  Eugene was the older brother of Elnora (Kerr) Barringer and was famous as a bear hunter and hunting guide.  He and his wife ran a hunting lodge in the Catskills.  This is a photocopy of a photo taken in 1923.  The whereabouts of the original are unknown.  In the front row, from right to left:
      • Eugene "Gene" Kerr (with pipe, 1852-1929)
        
      • Eugene's wife Rachel (DeWitt) Kerr (1857-1938)
        
      • Rachel's brother (name and dates unknown).

      The men in the back are identified as "two hunters" - they may have been customers who were staying at Gene's hunting lodge.

      My grandmother writes the following about Eugene in her book "Tangled Roots and Twisted Branches":

      He was famous as a bear hunter and fisherman.  They had their home near the entrance of Watson Hollow named Pleasant View Farm.  Hunters and fishermen from the city stayed there and he served as guide.  The side of his barn was covered with skulls of bears and other creatures he had caught - claimed that he had caught well over 50 bears, when on the trail of one, would spend many days following until he caught it.

      I remember visiting there when a very small girl with my parents.  He told of one time discovering that a bear had broken the trap loose.  It was still on its foot and had a huge log attached.  He followed it for miles over some very rough mountain territory.  Finally he came to a spot which looked like the trail ended at a cliff.  While he stood considering this, the bear stepped out from (behind) a huge rock and, with its big paw, made a pass at him.  He ducked in time, and shot the bear dead with one shot.  It was one of the largest bears he ever saw.

      I take the above story with a grain of salt - sounds like just the thing to impress wide-eyed little children with.  ;-)
      •  The hunting lodge in the Catskills run by Eugene "Gene" Kerr and his wife Rachel.  This is a scan of a photocopy.  The whereabouts of the original and the date it was made are unknown - sometime not long after the turn of the century perhaps?  The writing on our photocopy says:  "The Home and Hunting Lodge of Eugene Kerr - Watson Hollow".  The people in this photo are (from right to left):
        •  Eugene "Gene" Kerr (it looks like there may be a small child standing just behind him in the doorway - hard to tell from this photocopy)

        •  Eugene's wife Rachel (DeWitt) Kerr standing in the center doorway
          1.  on the far left, this is probably Eugene and Rachel's son, Theodore Kerr (1875 - 1948).  My information says that Theodore married Lestia Van Bumble (1871 - 1949), but had no children.

          2.  Eugene and Rachel's daughter Jennie Kerr (1891 - 1984) standing next to the window.  She appears to be holding a bear cub.  Jennie married a William Colange and divorced with no children.

          3. The 1900 Census for Olive Township, Ulster County, NY says "3 children, 2 living."  Possibly this is the other child standing behind Eugene in the above photo?

      •    Graves of Eugene "Gene" Kerr (1852-1929), Eugene's wife Rachel DeWitt (1857-1938), and Eugene and Rachel's daughter Jennie Kerr (1891-1984).  Photo of Eugene Kerr's grave was taken in Tongore Cemetery in May 2001.  Photo of Theodore's grave was taken in May 2002.  Eugene and Rachel's son Theodore and his wife Lestia are on the other side of Eugene and Rachel's stone.

   2. Jane Ann Kerr (1854 - 1893) married David Herman Avery / Every (1847 - 1926).  They had nine children.

   3. Ella Kerr (1856 - 1941) married Edgar Palen (ca. 1856 - 1932).  They had five children.  Ella and her sister Elnora (below) were twins.  A relative says they are buried in Palentown Cemetery in Ulster County.  I will have to look for their graves the next time I am in the area.

   4.    Elnora Kerr (1856-1929) married Freeman Swartout Barringer (1854-1927).  See the Barringer page for more photos of this family.

   5. Catherine Kerr (1858 - 1908) married William Jones (dates unknown) in 1880.  They had three children.  From the note on the back of Daisy's photo below, I am guessing that Catherine and William may both have died when their children were young.
      •  This photo has written on the back:  "Daisey Jones and the Lady that made a home for her I dont know her name".  In a different handwriting:  "Daisy Jones (the girl standing) Grand-daughter of Richard Kerr + Lucinda Shufelt".  Daisy (dates unknown) was a daughter of Elnora Kerr's younger sister Catherine Kerr (1858-1908) and William Jones (dates unknown) who were married in 1880 in Shokan, New York.  Daisey had a brother Virgil and a sister Joanna - I don't know their dates either.

   6. Caroline Kerr (1861 - ????) married Martin Every (dates unknown).  They had two children that I know of.

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