FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - Omer Albert Fortier (1890-UNK), alias "Kid Doe"

New Orleans' "Kid Doe" - ever heard of him? If you were around the Big Easy in the early 1900's he was quite the "character", as one city newspaper described him. He was a notorious pickpocket, thief, and "one of the shrewdest crooks in the city", according to the police at the time. Omer Albert Fortier, alias "Kid Doe," is my 1st cousin, 3x removed. And since Friday's post topic is either 'Famous' or 'Forgotten', today's post will be more about my 'Infamous" relative, that I'm sure no one in the whole family has ever heard of before.

Omer Albert Fortier was born on January 10, 1890, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents were Omer Auguste Fortier (1855-1897) and Laura Octavia Eslava (1859-1910), she a native of Mobile, Alabama. [Omer Auguste was the 6th child and oldest son of my 3rd great grandparents Jacques Omer Fortier (1813-1867) and Augustine Melanie Laperle Degruey (1822-1872). He was the older brother of my great-great-grandmother Odalie Felice Fortier Horst (1857-1920).] Omer and Laura had six children - five girls and Omer, their 5th child, their only son. Omer's sisters were Pearl C. (1881-1911), Elodie Corrine (1883-1884), Elonie Leonia (1885-1949), Odille L. (1887-1956),  and Lucille (1893-1969).

Young Omer was born in a New Orleans very different from the one his father was born in before the Civil War. Omer's father was a clerk, according to numerous City Directories. He was also a businessman and at one point ran a gambling house at 100 Customhouse Street (now Iberville Street), in the city's "Red Light District".  It was here in April 1888, two years before his son was born, that Omer Auguste was shot in a dispute with his former 'partners'. He was only slightly wounded, sustaining a minor shoulder wound, and survived his injuries. But death was just a few years away for the elder Fortier - he died on April 13, 1897, at the age of 41. He left behind his wife Laura, 38, and five young children (daughter Elodie had died at the age of 1 in 1884). At the time of his death the surviving children ranged in age from their oldest Pearl, 16, to youngest Lucille, just 4 years old. Omer was 7 when his father died. [NOTE: Omer Auguste was just 12 years old when his own father, Jacques Omer, died.]

Life for Laura Fortier and her young family from this point on was no doubt very difficult, with the breadwinner of the family now gone. The 1900 U.S. Census reports that both Laura and daughter Pearl were worked as dressmakers. Ten years later the Census showed Laura still had all five children living at home with her - ages 28 to 17 - and that no one was employed. [It's interesting to note that Laura died in her hometown of Mobile, Alabama on May 22, 1910, even though she was listed as a resident of New Orleans in the 1910 Census, enumerated on May 25, 1910, three days after she died.]




from New Orleans Item;
Jan. 26, 1913; p.9

In 1917, when registering for the draft during WWI, Omer was 27 years old and was unemployed; he gave his profession, as his father had done, as 'clerk'. But it was several years before the draft when Omer's true profession was noted in the city's newspapers. In January 1913, at just 23 years of age, Omer was arrested by city police for working with an inmate - known pickpocket Edward Klein. It was discovered that Omer had arranged for a lawyer to bail Klein out of jail. A Times-Picayune newspaper article called Omer a 'Promoter', claiming he induced Klein and other criminals to come to New Orleans where he would help them in their crimes. In turn, "Kid Doe" would receive a portion of their take. For helping Klein, he was sentenced to a $20 fine and incarceration for 9 days.

December 1913 another news story reported that Omer Fortier was being arraigned in court. He had been arrested earlier in the day at the public funeral for a popular local politician, where he was working with a "gang" of pickpockets. He also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest from Dallas, Texas, where he was wanted for larceny.

from New Orleans States, July 12, 1917; page 4

No doubt, Omer continued his criminal behavior in the months and years to come. Finally, in June 1917 "Kid Doe" was arrested for shoplifting 12 silk ties, and the next month was arrested again for stealing a $25 dress. These crimes were each reported in the New Orleans State newspaper. In August the paper reported that Omer had joined 19 other convicted criminals when they were taken to Baton Rouge State Penitentiary.



from New Orleans Item;
August 31, 1917

Upon entering the prison, a description of Omer was listed in the record as follows:

     27.   5'9".  139 pounds.  Sallow Complextion.  Dark Brown Hair.  Brown Eyes.  Round face.   No Lobe on right ear.  Eagle Tattoo, right forearm.   Red Scar, lower left leg above ankle.   Small Brown Splotches, left upper arm.  No. 6 1/2 shoe.
 

Omer had been sentenced to 1 year minimum, 2 years maximum. He arrived August 31, 1917. Prison records show he escaped on October 8, 1918. He also escaped on February 28, 1919. He was released from prison on August 31, 1919, having served his full sentence.

Where he went after he was discharged is unknown. His name doesn't appear in any Censuses in the future. He must not have lived long enough to have a Social Security Number to be able to document his death from these records. Did he get married? Have children? Did he leave America, or maybe just change his name to escape his past? There's so much more to Kid Doe's story. Maybe someone out there knows something.

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - Francois Gabriel "Valcour" Aime (1797-1867) PART I

Francois Gabriel Aime - ca. 1822
(1797-1867)

Said to have been the richest man in in the South during the first half of the nineteenth century, Francois Gabriel Aime is my second cousin 5x removed. His plantation home was known as 'Le Petit Versailles' due in part to its grand opulence. He was generous to his family - giving plantations to each of his daughters as wedding gifts.  He enjoyed lavish entertaining. He was also deeply religious, and generous in his gifts to the Church. He was wealthy, generous, intelligent, and a loving family man. The stories of his life and his death are quite amazing. In order to give a true picture of this extraordinary individual it will require more than one post. I think you'll agree with me that it's worth the effort.

Francoise Gabriel Aime was born about 1797 in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana to parents Francois Gabriel Aime II (1768-1799) and Marie Felicite Julia Fortier (1778-1806). His maternal grandfather, Michel Fortier II (1750-1819) was the older brother of my 5x-great-grandfather Jacques Omer Fortier (1759-1820). Jacques and Michel's parents are my 6x-great-grandparents Michel Fortier (1725-1785) and Perinne Langlois (1734-1804). He was called Valcour by his nurse when he was a baby and he was known by that name the rest of his life

He was a pioneer in growing cane on his sugar plantation in the early 1800's, and operated an experimental station on his property developing new and better sugar production capabilities. From 1821 until 1856 he kept a diary of his experiments and a record of his plantation activities. He shared his findings with his friends and family.

The following is taken from The Fortier Family and Allied Families, by Estelle M. Fortier Cochran (1963).

"Valcour Aime lived with his parents and brother, Michel, on the Aime Plantation in St. Charles Parish. His father died when Valcour was only two years of age. His mother married secondly Fermin Adelard Fortier. She became blind and ill, and died when Valcour was only eight."

[NOTE: Fermin Adelard Fortier (1775-UNK) was Valcour's mother's uncle. On October 3, 1803,  his grandfather Michel Fortier filed a "Request for Dispensation" with the Catholic Church: "Fortier, Captain of the Artillery states that with his consent his daughter Julie (Porter), widow of Francisco Ayme, and Adelard Fortier, her uncle, petition for dispensation to marry. Haste is necessary to avoid scandal in a large and distinguished family and he asks that his marriage be performed in strictest secrecy."]

"The two brothers had been put into the care of their grandfather Fortier when their mother became ill. They went to live in New Orleans with Michel Fortier II. He alone took care of them; both their Aime grandmother (Jeanne Deslandes), and their Fortier grandmother (Marie Rose Durel) had died earlier. They became a part of the active, useful life of their grandfather. They understood his influence in the civic problems of the community; they learned of his military activities in the American Revolution and in the War of 1812. According to the Records of the War of 1812, we learn, that in spite of their youth, both brothers were enlisted in the militia, and took some part in this conflict. They served under Captain Rene Trudeau, Troop of Horse, St. Charles, Dec. 14, 1814 to March 16, 1815.

Josephine Roman Aime ca. 1838
(1797-1856)

The Aime plantations which Valcour and Michel Aime had inherited were in St. Charles Parish, and the brothers often visited the relatives who lived there. Not far away, in St. James Parish, lived the Jacques Etienne Romans. The young people of the Roman family were friends of the Aimes, and very early Valcour fell in love with Josephine Roman. In July of 1819, when they were both twenty, they were married. The marriage was not only a union of members of two prominent families, but it was a marriage of wealth.

Five children were born to Valcour Aime and Josephine Roman Aime, four daughters and one son. Their son, Gabriel, was their youngest child and their hope for the survival of their name. The four daughters all married from the lovely plantation home, all marrying members of prominent Louisiana families." (p. 55-58)

Edwige Aime Fortier
(1819-1867)

Their oldest daughter, Edwige, born 1819, married Florent Louis Fortier (1811-1886) her second cousin, in 1836. He was the son of Louis Edmond Fortier (1784-1849), her grandmother's brother. They lived with her parents at 'Le Petit Versailles'. Florent served as the Manager of Valcour's St. James Sugar Refinery. They would have five children.



Daughter Josephine, born 1821, married Alexis Ferry II (1815-1884) in 1839; together they had twelve children. Her father bought St. Joseph Plantation as a wedding present, completely furnished with a full staff of slaves, where they lived. This plantation is still standing. [There is no known portrait of Josephine. Some relatives believe that, although a favorite of the younger family members, "Tante Zo", as she was called, was somewhat headstrong and refused to sit to have her portrait painted.]



Felicite Emma Aime Fortier
(1823-1905)

Their middle child Felicite Emma was born February 26, 1823. In June 1841, she married another second cousin Alexander Septime Fortier (1816-1898). Septime was a younger brother of Edwige's husband Florent Fortier. Valcour gave Felicity Plantation to the newly married couple. They would raise thirteen children together in their home. [See post "Saturday's Structures: Felicity Plantation", July 16, 2011]





Felicie Aime
(1830-1859)

Youngest daughter Felicie was born in 1825. She married her first cousin, this one on her mother's side of the family, Alfred Roman (1826-1892) and they had two children. She died while visiting Paris, France with her husband. She was just 34 years old. She was brought back home and buried in her family's tomb. [Later they would all be reinterred at St. Louis Cemetery #3]

Gabriel Aime
(1828-1854)

Son Gabriel was born March 11, 1828. He never married. His father put great care in educating him, even sending him across the Atlantic Ocean to learn more about sugar production in Europe. 

[NOTE: Click on any portrait to enlarge for better viewing]
 

"Valcour kept a daily journal from 1820 to 1854 documenting temperature, farming techniques, as well as experiments with new varieties of cane and equipment. In 1795, Etienne de Bore’ introduced sugar cane to Louisiana, but it was the genius of Valcour Aime that perfected the refining process. He learned to harness steam power and designed and made this equipment by 1829. He traveled to Cuba and other countries to study the latest developments. Some of his experiments cost over $40,000 per year and their success earned him the title of “The father of white sugar.” VaIcour’s sugar was judged best in the world at the New York Exposition in 1853.

By the 1830’s Valcour’s plantation had grown to 10,000 acres and he was reputed to be the world’s leading sugar producer and the richest man in Louisiana. He named his plantation, the St. James Refinery Plantation, and in 1833 he added a railroad to his estate. This railroad stretched from his steamboat dock through the fields and to the remote cypress swamp. He disliked waiting for steamboats since they never were on time, so he bought his own, and named it for his son Gabriel.

Valcour built two huge green-houses which contained rare plants, trees and shrubs from all over the world. Valcour’s plantation was so self-sufficient that he wagered $10,000 ($1 million by today’s standards) that he could produce from his plantation alone, a meal complete with wine, coffee and cigars that would surpass any. He won the bet.

He read all the industry related literature available and he employed only the most competent personnel to oversee each segment of his operation. However, the keys to Valcour’s success were his abilities to delegate responsibility, to document all orders and experiments and to follow-up on each." [From an article published in 1995, by Andrew Capone]

Valcour's diary, Plantation diary of the late Mr. Valcour Aime, formerly proprietor of the plantation known as the St. James sugar refinery, situated in the parish of St. James, and now owned by Mr. John Burnside was published in 1883 and can be read online or is available for purchase.

[End of Part I]

Find out more about Valcour Aime's extraordinary plantation home in tomorrow's post 

"Saturday's Structures - 'Le Petit Versailles".

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - William Joseph Imbert (1883-1921)

William Joseph Imbert was the husband of Odille L. Fortier (1887-1956), my first cousin, 3x removed. Doubtlessly, no one in our family has ever heard of him. He may be more of a "forgotten" than a "famous" but during his time he certainly was well known in New Orleans, especially where he worked as a waiter at the Grunewald Hotel.

Odille Fortier was the fourth of six children born to Omer Auguste Fortier (1855-1897) and Laura Octavia Eslava (1859-1910). Omer was the older brother of Odalie Fortier Horst (1857-1920), my great-great-grandmother; he was the sixth of eleven children born to my 3x-great-grandparents Jacques Omer Fortier (1813-1867) and Augustine Melanie Laperle Degruy (1822-1872).

Odille and Billy Imbert, as he was called, were married in May 1911 in New Orleans. Odille was 23 and Billy was 27 at the time. Odille's father had died over a decade before and her mother had just died the previous year. Billy's father had died before 1900 and his mother was remarried to a carpenter who did odd jobs for a living. They were on their own, and no doubt planning the perfect life together.

The couple welcomed their first child nine months after their wedding, Marguerite Mary (born February 22, 1912). Two sons soon followed - William Joseph (b. July 28, 1913) and Wallace (b. 1920). 

On Sunday, May 29, 1921 William J. Imbert died of an apparent heart attack. The story of Billy's death appeared in the New Orleans Picayune newspaper on May 30, 1921. It included more of who the man was - and what made him so famous in 'The Big Easy'.

from Picayune
May 30, 1921

"Billy", Perfect Waiter, Is Dead

William J. Imbert, Won Distinction from Life of Service

"It is said that the great prince of Conde lived one day too long for his fame. Such is not the case with "Billy" Imbert, who was buried Monday morning from his home at 3305 Canal street, and who will be remembered by all Orleanians as the most perfect waiter that ever served the prominent and exclusive sets of this community.

William J. Imbert, or "Billy" as he was known, for the past eighteen and a half years, has been an employee of the Grunewald Hotel, and for the past twelve years its head waiter. He was found dead at home Sunday morning by his wife, having been the victim of a sudden attack of heart trouble. His death was not only a cause of profound sorrow for his wife and three little children, but to thousands of Orleanians, who had come to regard "Billy" as a genius in his line. Employees at the hotel were downcast when his death was known, and in subdued whispers discussed it all morning among themselves. Hardly a well-known guest, who came to the Grill for Sunday breakfast but he was greeted with the whispered salutation: "Billy died this morning."

If ever there was such a thing as a genius in the art of catering to people, "Billy" Imbert deserved that title. By his courtesy, kindness, vigilance, and through his eternal habit of deffering to the whims of his guest, he conquered nearly everyone who came to know him.

Two sets of people knew "Billy" well - men in public life who frequented the Grunewald and persons who move about in the social world. Hardly a distinguished visitor to the Grunewald who does not remember "Billy". Sportsmen who frequented the Lake Shore Club will all testify to his qualities; millionaires who shot duck at the Delta Club all learned to esteem him. Society matrons whose affairs depended upon the success of the service have praised him.

The Grunevald Hotel
[now the Roosevelt New Orleans]

Imbert had been with the Grunewald for 12 1/2 years. Theodore Grunewald, president of the company, esteemed him highly. It was he who with Mr. Grunewald made the first inspection of the present Grunewald annex. It was he who presided over the parties served on the old Josephine, in the days when service was akin to genius. When the Creole Sue was brought here "Billy" was among those who took the first spin on her through Lake Pontchartrain. Racing folk who came to New Orleans in the winter will miss him, especially the copper king. "Millionaire Clarke" as he was called, who always insisted on "Billy" serving his party while he was here.

"Billy's" last great triumph was the luncheon served here to President Harding. It was he who managed this affair throughout and it was his ability to manage such things that brought from visiting newspapermen the statement that it was the best arranged and served affair they had ever attended.

"Billy" was 38 years old."

 Odille was left widowed at the age of 34. Their children were just 9-, 7-, and 1-years old. Young Wallace died after an illness at the age of twelve, on November 21, 1932. Odille died on April 15, 1956. Both Marguerite and William each married and gave their mother nine grandchildren. Billy and Odille are buried at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans.

"The Cave" Nightclub

NOTE: "The Cave", considered by some as the first nightclub in the United States, featured waterfalls, stalactites and chorus girls dancing to Dixieland jazz. The Grunewald Hotel was opened in 1893; in 1908 an expansion adding 400 rooms was completed. It was heavily damaged in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina but was reopened in 2009 after a $170 million renovation. Governor Huey Long stayed in a 12th-floor suite, during his stays in Louisiana when he was a U.S. Senator.

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - Red Hugh O'Donnell, King of Tyrconnell (1572-1602)

In honor of St. Patrick's Day and our Irish ancestry, I wanted to highlight a former leader of the kingdom of Tyrconnell - Hugh O'Donnell, often called Red Hugh O'Donnell. It is believed that all O'Donnells were descended from the family of Red Hugh and his ancestors. Thus, those of us descended from John Huber O'Donnell (1905-1965), my grandfather, are also part of this clan,

There have been numerous books written about Red Hugh O'Donnell, poems, and even songs. In 1966 Disney released a live-action movie, The Fighting Prince of Donegal, based on the novel Red Hugh, Prince of Donegal by Robert T. Reilly. Here is his story in a nutshell:

"Aodh Rua Ó Dónaill, anglicised as either Hugh Roe O'Donnell or Red Hugh O'Donnell (1572 – 10 September 1602), was An Ó Domhnaill (The O'Donnell) and Ri (king) of Dun na nGall (anglicised Donegal, now known as County Donegal). He led a rebellion against English government in Ireland from 1593 and helped to lead the Nine Years' War (a revolt against English occupation) from 1595 to 1603. He is sometimes also known as Aodh Ruadh II or Red Hugh II, especially within County Donegal." [Taken from Wikipedia.com]

"Hugh Roe O’Donnell, also called Red Hugh (born c. 1572, County Donegal, Ire.—died Aug. 30, 1602, Simancas, Spain), lord of Tyrconnell (now County Donegal), Ireland. When he became chieftain of the O’Donnells, he was only 20 years old but already was an inveterate enemy of the English because of his previous experiences. When less than 16 years old, he had been kidnapped by Sir John Perrot, the English lord deputy, who—conscious of the O’Donnell family’s connections with the powerful O’Neills of Tyrone—feared a dangerous combination against the English government He was long imprisoned in Dublin Castle, made an abortive attempt to escape in 1590, and was finally successful in January 1592.

The Gaelic Chieftan (1999)
Near the town of Boyle, at the site of the Battle of the Curlews in 1599

Red Hugh’s first concern was to drive out the English sheriff and his company of undisciplined marauders who, despite promises, had come to Tyrconnell and occupied the monastery of Donegal, after expelling the friars. This he accomplished successfully. He then led two expeditions against the O’Neills. Red Hugh’s exploits in 1594 have been exaggerated. But in 1595 and 1597 he made good his control of Connaught from Sligo to Leitrim. By 1596 he had joined forces with O’Neill, and the war that followed was famous for the great Irish victory of the Yellow Ford in 1598, where O’Donnell played a major part, and for the disaster ofKinsale (December 1601). O’Donnell’s march to join O’Neill at Kinsale was remarkable: in 24 hours he and his men covered no less than 40 miles, including the almost impassable Slievefelim Mountains. Red Hugh’s support of the Spanish commander, Juan del Aquila, who counseled an immediate attack against the advice of the more cautious O’Neill, may well have brought about the crushing defeat that may be regarded as the death blow of the old Gaelic Ireland. O’Donnell then went to Spain, where he died of a fever—not, as was long said, of poison administered by an English agent."  [Taken from EncyclopediaBritanica.com]

His Legacy

• He was highly praised in the Irish language writings of the early seventeenth century for his nobility and religious commitment to the Catholic faith - notably in the Annals of the Four Masters and Beatha Aodh Ruadh O Domhnaill ("The Life of Red Hugh O'Donnell") by Lughaidh Ó Cléirigh. Although his posthumous reputation has been somewhat overshadowed by that of his ally Hugh O'Neill, his leadership and military capabilities were considerable especially considering that he was active at a very young age and only 29 years old at the battle of Kinsale. His personality seems to have been particularly magnetic and contemporary sources are united in their praise of his oratorical ability.
• In 1977, the Aodh Ruadh O Domhnaill Guild was formed to seek his recognition as a saint of the Catholic Church.
• In 1991, a plaque was erected at Simancas Castle in commemoration of Red Hugh O'Donnell.
• In 1992, commemorating the 390 anniversary of the arrival of O'Donnell in Galicia, the Grammy-award winning composer of Riverdance, Bill Whelan, brought together the best musicians of Ireland and Galicia and released the symphony "From Kinsale to Corunna".
• In September 2002, Eunan O'Donnell, BL, gave the Simancas Castle Address in honour of Red Hugh, during the O'Donnell Clan Gathering to Spain.

The O'Donnell Clan Association, an International family organization, has a website, with newsletters, pictures and upcoming events - http://homepage.eircom.net/~vod/.

The most popular O'Donnell song is "O'Donnell Abu":

"O'DONNELL ABU"

Proudly the note of the trumpet is sounding
Loudly the war cries arise on the gale;
Fleetly the steed by Lough Swilly is bounding,
To join the thick squadrons in Saimear's green vale.
On, ev'ry mountaineer,
Strangers to flight and fear;
Rush to the standard of dauntless Red Hugh!
Bonnaught and Gallowglass,
Throng from each mountain pass;
On for old Erin, "O'Donnell Abu!"

Princely O'Neill to our aid is advancing,
With many a chieftain and warrior clan;
A thousand proud steeds in his vanguard are prancing,
'Neath the borders brave from the banks of the Bann:
Many a heart shall quail,
Under its coat of mail;
Deeply the merciless foeman shall rue
When on his ear shall ring,
Borne on the breeze's wing,
Tír Chonaill's dread war-cry, "O'Donnell Abu!"

Wildly o'er Desmond the war-wolf is howling,
Fearless the eagle sweeps over the plain,
The fox in the streets of the city is prowling -
All, all who would scare them are banished or slain!
Grasp every stalwart hand
Hackbut and battle brand -
Pay them all back the debt so long due;
Norris and Clifford well
Can of Tirconnell tell;
Onward to glory - "O'Donnell Abu!"

 Sacred the cause that Clan Connell's defending -
The altars we kneel at and homes of our sires;
Ruthless the ruin the foe is extending -
Midnight is red with the plunderer's fires.
On with O'Donnell, then,
Fight the old fight again,

Sons of Tirconnell,
All valiant and true:
Make the false Saxon feel
Erin's avenging steel
Strike for your country! - "O'Donnell Abu!"

To get a real feeling of the love and admiration that Ireland has for Red Hugh you really need to check out this video made with various images of Hugh O'Donnell, County Donegal. It's all set to music that was written and sung about this hero of Ireland. It's really worth your time:

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - John Howard "Jack" Nelson (1929-2009)

John Howard "Jack" Nelson, my first cousin-once removed, was born in Talladega, Alabama, on October 11, 1929.  Jack was the oldest of three children born to Barbara Lena O'Donnell (1909-1996), and Howard Nelson (1908-1985). Barbara was the younger sister of my grandfather, John Huber O'Donnell (1905-1964). Barbara had been raised by their aunt Philomena "Minnie" O'Donnell (1876-1937) after their mother Mary "Mayme" Huber (1873-1913) died from tuberculosis. Their father, John Martin O'Donnell (1865-1937), kept his three young sons, including my grandfather Huber, with him in Birmingham. Barbara married Howard on August 16, 1928, at St. Paul's Rectory in Birmingham; she was 18, he was 20. Jack was their oldest child, followed by Kenneth "Kenny" (born 1933) and Barbara Beverly (born 1939).

Jack Nelson was a highly respected journalist throughout his extraordinary career. In 1960 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize. "The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American Hungarian-born publisher Joseph Pulitzer in 1917 and is administered by Colombia University in New York City. Prizes are awarded annually in twenty-one categories. In twenty of these each winner receives a certificate and $10,000. The winner of the public service category of the journalism competition the winner is awarded a gold medal which always goes to the newspaper." [from Wikipedia]

The following news article appeared in The Los Angeles Times on October 21, 2009.

Jack Nelson dies at 80; Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter helped raise L.A.Times to national prominence
Nelson's investigative coverage of the civil rights movement and Watergate helped solidify The Times reputation. Its Washington bureau grew into a journalistic powerhouse under his leadership.

"Jack Nelson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, author and longtime Washington bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, whose hard-nosed coverage of the civil rights movement in the 1960s and the Watergate scandal in the 1970s helped establish the paper's national reputation, has died. He was 80.

Nelson died of pancreatic cancer Wednesday at his home in Bethesda, Md., according to his wife, journalist Barbara Matusow.

The veteran newsman was recruited from the Atlanta Constitution in 1965 as part of publisher Otis Chandler's’s effort to transform The Times into one of the country's foremost dailies. An aggressive reporter who had exposed abuses at Georgia's biggest mental institution, Nelson went on to break major stories on the civil rights movement for The Times, particularly in his coverage of the shooting of civil rights worker Viola Liuzzo and the slaying of three black students in South Carolina in what is known as the Orangeburg Massacre.

 As the Watergate scandal unfolded during President Nixon's reelection drive, Nelson scored an exclusive interview with Alfred C. Baldwin, III an ex-FBI agent hired by White House operatives, who witnessed the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters on June 17, 1972. The stories resulting from Nelson's interview with Baldwin were the first to link the burglary "right to the heart of the Nixon reelection campaign," David Halberstam wrote in his 1979 media history, "The Powers That Be."

Named in 1975 to lead the Washington bureau, Nelson oversaw its evolution over the next 21 years into what Gene Roberts Jr., former managing editor of the New York Times and a onetime rival of Nelson's on the civil rights beat, called "arguably one of the finest bureaus ever in Washington."

'Distinguished career'

"Just his work at the Constitution would be a distinguished career for most journalists," Roberts said. "Then add that he was one of the most effective reporters in the civil rights era, all before you even get to him being bureau chief in Washington.

"All in all, I would say he was one of the most important journalists of the 20th century."

A slender man with a Southerner's easy manner, Nelson was born Oct. 11, 1929, in Talladega, Ala., where his father ran a fruit store during the Depression. The younger Nelson drew Talladega's citizens into the shop with vaudevillian humor ("Lady, you dropped your handkerchief," pause, "in St. Louis yesterday"), displaying a talent for connecting with people that would bolster his later success as a reporter.

He said that "being a reporter is a lot like being a good salesman," said Richard T. Cooper, a longtime friend and a Washington bureau editor for Tribune Co., which owns The Times. "You had to be able to sell yourself to people, convince them that they should answer your question or show you the records" or buy a bag of fruit from your father's store.

Nelson and his family moved to Georgia and eventually to Biloxi, Miss., where he graduated from Notre Dame High School in 1947. Without stopping for college (he later studied briefly at Georgia State College), the teenager launched his career by answering an ad for a job at the Biloxi Daily Herald. He was soon called "Scoop" for vigorous reporting on corrupt officials and gambling payoffs.

In 1952, after a stint writing news releases forthe Army, he joined the staff of the Atlanta Constitution. In a series of articles on Georgia's Milledgeville Central State Hospital for the mentally ill, he exposed an array of abuses, including experimental treatments of patients without consent, alcohol and drug abuse by on-duty doctors, and nurses who were allowed to perform major surgery. As a result of his reporting, the hospital was overhauled and Nelson won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting in 1960.

When he joined the Los Angeles Times five years later, the civil rights movement had been underway for a decade, but The Times "had no coverage of the South. We were doing terribly covering the South," recalled former Managing Editor George Cotliar

He opened The Times' Atlanta bureau and immediately began covering the voting rights demonstrations in Selma, Ala., where on "Bloody Sunday," March 7, 1965, state troopers and local lawmen clubbed and tear-gassed 600 civil rights marchers en route to Montgomery. "He just annihilated every other paper. He was ahead of everyone on everything," said Cotliar, who called Nelson "the toughest, hardest-charging, finest reporter I've known in my 40 years in the business."

Nelson's stories quoted sources critical of then-Gov. George Wallace's failure to protect the marchers. According to Bill Kovach, who covered the protests for the Nashville Tennessean and later was editor of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the governor singled out Nelson for ridicule, pointing out to white audiences "outsiders like Jack Nelson there of the L.A. Times -- that one there with the burr haircut -- trying to tell us Alabamians how to run our state."

In 1970 Nelson experienced the wrath of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. The reporter, after conducting an eight-month investigation, wrote a story about how the agency and police in Meridian, Miss., shot two Ku Klux Klan members in a sting operation bankrolled by the local Jewish community. One of the Klan members, a woman, died in the ambush.

Hoover attempted to suppress the story by smearing Nelson as a drunk, which he was not. ("What they didn't realize," the reporter later quipped to Hoover biographer Curt Gentry, "is that you can't ruin a newspaperman by branding him a drunk.") By defying Hoover, he lost his FBI sources but wrote the article, which ran on Page 1.

Twenty years later, Nelson dusted off his notes from the story and wrote "Terror in the Night" (1993), a book that described the shooting in the context of the Klan's shift from battling blacks to targeting Jews, whom it had begun to regard as the real leaders of the civil rights movement.

Nelson wrote "The Censors and the Schools" (1963) with Roberts; "The Orangeburg Massacre"with Jack Bass; "The FBI and the Berrigans" (1972) with Ronald J. Ostrow; and "High School Journalism in America" (1974).

In 1972, two years after he joined the Washington bureau, Nelson was, according to Halberstam, "one of the two or three best-known and most respected investigative reporters in Washington." But, like most of the Washington press corps, he was frustrated by the Washington Post's dominance of the Watergate break-in story.

The scales briefly tipped in favor of The Times when Nelson received a tip from colleague Ostrow that there was an eyewitness to the Watergate burglary. Nelson began knocking on doors in Connecticut, where Baldwin, the ex-FBI man, and his lawyers lived.

"He was a good reporter because he was always prepared and plain didn't take 'no' for an answer," said William F. Thomas, The Times' editor from 1971 to 1989. "That was his biggest asset . . . . Anybody who looked at the set of his jaw knew they were in for something."

After much back and forth, Nelson was granted an interview with Baldwin, who unwound a fascinating tale of his recruitment by ex-CIA man James McCord, his encounters with G. Gordon Liddy and Howard Hunt, and his job monitoring wiretaps on Democratic phones and delivering sealed tapes to Nixon's reelection committee. Baldwin also told of watching from across the street as the burglary at the Watergate complex unfolded and spying Hunt slip away as the police closed in.

When word of Nelson's scoop leaked out, federal prosecutors threatened to revoke Baldwin's immunity, and Baldwin's lawyers pleaded with Nelson to drop the story. Federal Judge John J. Sirica issued a gag order, and then-Washington bureau chief John Lawrence spent a few hours in detention after The Times refused to turn over the tapes of the Baldwin interview.

The Times took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the paper. On Oct. 5, 1972, the paper ran a Page 1 news story by Nelson and Ostrow detailing Baldwin's revelations, as well as a first-person account by Baldwin as told to Nelson.

'A great victory'

Halberstam called the Baldwin story "perhaps the most important Watergate story so far, because it was so tangible, it had an eyewitness, and it brought Watergate to the very door of the White House. . . . It was a great victory for the Los Angeles Times."

Nelson became chief of the bureau in 1975, when it had 15 reporters and three editors. By 1980 the bureau was described by Time magazine as "one of the two or three best" in Washington. By 1996, when Nelson turned the job over to White House correspondent Doyle McManus, it was one of the biggest, as well, with 36 reporters and seven editors.

Known for backing his staff and pushing hard on investigative stories, Nelson made The Times a must-read for Washington's power elite. "The depth and scope of the Washington bureau under Jack was very impressive," said Roberts, the former New York Times managing editor. "We certainly paid attention to what the Los Angeles Times was doing in its Washington bureau."

In a town consumed by politics, Nelson was a well-connected insider who held a coveted seat as a regular commentator on public television's"Washington Week in Review." He brought presidents, senators and members of the House and Cabinet to The Times' offices for regular breakfast sessions with reporters that were broadcast on C-SPAN. "That raised our profile tremendously. . . . We all got our calls returnedfaster," Cooper said.
A Nieman Fellow at Harvard University and founding member of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Nelson served as chief Washington correspondent until he retired at the end of 2001. In recent years he taught journalism at USC and produced a report on government secrecy as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Gernment. In 2005 he served on the independent Commission on Federal Election Reform co-chaired by former President Carter and former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.

In addition to his wife, his survivors include two children from a previous marriage, Karen and Mike; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren." [by Elaine Woo, Los Angeles Times, October 21, 2009]

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - Martin Horst - Mayor of Mobile, Alabama 1871

Martin Horst
(1830-1878)

Martin Horst, my 3rd great-Grandfather, was born in the town of Ober-Ohmen, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, on January 12, 1830. His parents, my 4th great-grandparents, were John (Johann) Eckhard Horst (1802-1852) and Elizabeth Martin (UNK-before 1842). He was the second child of four, and the oldest son. His mother died before 1842 and his father remarried. His second wife was Elisa Geiss (1817-1852); together they had two daughters.

District of New York - Port of New York Passenger List (August 7, 1846 - Ship Gladiator)
from New York Passenger Lists, 1820-1957
Ancestry.com

In early 1846 Martin, just 16, boarded the ship Gladiator with his father, stepmother, older sister Elizabeth, 19, younger brother Carl, 12, and two step-sisters Wilhemina "Mina", 3 and baby Maria, headed for America. [Younger brother Conrad and Martin's grandfather Johann Conrad Horst (1780-UNK) came later to America, in 1860.] They rode in steerage, along with 209 other passengers, below decks. Eleven passengers stayed in cabins, including three whose occupation was listed as "gent". Those in steerage had to bring not only their possessions to start a new life with, but also all of their own food for the trip, mattresses and pillows to use on their bunk bed - each platform large enough for the whole family to share - and the family's eating and cooking supplies Six passengers died on the trip, which was common due to the unhealthy conditions those in steerage endured. Those who died were given a brief service before their bodies were dropped overboard.

Martin and his family arrived in New York Harbor on August 7, 1846. The family soon settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, a favorite choice for German immigrants. In 1852 Martin's father and step-mother contracted Cholera, a bacterial infection of the lower intestine caused by contaminated food and water. At the time they came down with it, the cause and treatment of the illness was still unknown. What was known that when someone got it, it was often a death-sentence for the individual, as well as those who lived with them. Because of this, on the night they got sick, the children were sent outside to sleep in a wagon during the night. Unfortunately, both John Eckhard and Eliza died during the night, within an hour of each other. The date of their death is unknown.

Soon after the death of his father and step-mother, Martin left Ohio and travelled to Mobile, Alabama. There he began working at The City Exchange, a saloon owned and operated by Tobias Berg and his wife Apollonia Weinschenk (1829-1908). In 1853 Tobias died, at the age of 34, leaving his wife and two small daughters. On December 15, 1854, Martin married his boss's widow Apollonia, also a German immigrant, and took over the business. Together they had eight children, including their oldest Charles Frederick (1856-1912), my great-great-Grandfather.

1878 Mobile City Directory

Martin continued to run the City Exchange, as well as Horst Wholesale Grocer. He had at least four slaves in 1860, including two inherited from Tobias Berg's estate. The business was a huge success and soon Martin commissioned a large house to be built, down the road from Mobile's Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception where they had been married. [FYI-The house still stands - check out tomorrow's post for more information.] In a letter to his brother, Martin said the house was costing him $26,000, seven thousand more than he had planned. The house was completed in 1868. At the time of the 1870 U.S. Census, Martin reported that his real estate was worth $100,000 and his personal property totalled $50,000. He was doing very well in his business and was well respected in the city.

Mobile had come under federal control at the end of the Civil War and the northerners had taken over the running of the city. This obviously did not sit well with the citizens of Mobile. A number of Mobile citizens, Democrats, decided to rid the city of its radical government in the 1870 election for Mayor and Alderman. A convention of Democrats was called to nominate candidates in November 1870. It was difficult to name candidates who would be allowed by the Federal government to take office. It was also decided that the candidate for May must win 2/3 of the convention delegates in order to be nominated. After a meeting that lasted  from noon until midnight on the second day of the convention, Martin Horst won the nomination for Mayor. His name was considered to be the only one of the thirty or forty names mentioned who could capture the two-thirds vote necessary.

After his  nomination he said: "I am conscious of my shortcomings and I pray you elect honest boards to sustain me in administering your government."

The Mobile Daily-Register said of Horst: "A quite, firm, reticent man, attending to his own business well and never meddling with the affairs of his neighbors, he has by his own energies been the artificer of  his own fortune. He is a plain, straightforward, honest, self-made man.... It detracts nothing from his character or qualifications that he would not wear the wig and trappings and regalia of office with as much ease as the Lord Mayor of London.... We Democrats care not a button whether or not he (can dance a minuet or a round dance). But if  he cannot point the 'Light fantastic toe,' he can put his honest foot down at the door of the treasury and bid ring-ers and leaches and speculators 'stand back.' He is honest and will have honesty stand about him...."

From the soon to be published Horst Family History:

"On December 6, 1870, the election took place. It was quiet and peaceful. The Republican sheriff did not allow fraudulent voters to vote. Horst won by a majority of 1,646 votes. On the night of the election a huge crowd had gathered in front of Horst's home, fireworks were displayed, and Horst made a short speech, followed by more fireworks. After that the crowd went home.

Martin Horst entered his office with the Daily Register stating: "His integrity is beyond all question, and the public treasury will be as safe in his hands as if it were still in the pockets of the people."

The term of office of Mayor of Mobile was one year. Martin Horst served the year 1871. He presided over the Mayor's Court and apparently served as Mayor well. There was a controversial signing of railroad bonds but Horst, in a statement to the newspaper, reported why he signed the bonds (he had no choice under the law) and the newspaper applauded his act. He did not run for a second term."

Martin Horst contracted Brights' Disease, a debilitating disease that attacks the kidneys. The disease caused him to look much older than his age. He was only 48 when he died at 1:30 PM on October 7, 1878, at his home on Conti Street.  He was survived by his wife, one brother, six children, two step-children and three grandchildren. He was buried at Mobile's Catholic Cemetery.    

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - Pope Awards Highest Medal of Service to Family Women



Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Medal

 The Holy Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice is an award of the Roman Catholic Church. The English translation of "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" is "For Church and Pope". It is also known as the "Cross of Honour". Three of my ancestors were awarded this medal, the highest medal by the Pope that can be awarded to lay people within the Roman Catholic Church. It is awarded for distinguished service to the Church by lay people and the clergy.

"The award was established by Pope Leo XIII on July 17, 1888, to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee and was originally bestowed upon those women and men who had aided and promoted the jubilee, and by other means assisted in making the jubilee and the Vatican Exposition successful." [from Wikipedia.com]

Pearl Horst Flemming

My great-grandmother Pearl Alphonsine Horst Flemming (1884-1861) received the medal from Pope John XXIII in 1960. She served the Church and the Birmingham community throughout her life. She was a member of St. Paul's Cathedral and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery. Married to Harry Clinton Flemming (1878-1955) for 49 years, the couple had 8 children. Her many involvements were listed in her obituary:

"A member of St. Paul's Cathedral she was very active in many Catholic organizations, including the Ladies of Charity, Jefferson County Orphans Home, Band No. 2 of St. Paul's Altar Society, Order of Martha and National Council of Catholic Women." [from The Birmingham News, September 26, 1961]

Zoe Josephine Dawes Cumberland (1887-1974) was Pearl's first cousin - Zoe's mother, Emma Horst Dawes (1865-1923), was the younger sister of Charles Frederick Horst (1856-1912), Pearl's father. Zoe was born and lived all her life in Mobile. She was a member of Joan of Arc Catholic Church in the city. Married to Thomas Parker Cumberland (1883-1973) for sixty-four years, the couple had no children. She is buried at the Catholic Cemetery in Mobile. She, too, was a recipient of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal. Her obituary lists many of the contributions that earned her this award:

"She was honored the Papal Decoration medal Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, Scroll of Merit from the City of Mobile for outstanding work, a member of the Electra Semmes Colston Chapter of the U.D.C. (United Daughters of the Confederacy), Past President of the Ladies of Charity, Deanery President of the National Council of Catholic Women of Mobile...." [from Mobile Register, August 21, 1974]

Mary Regina Altice Lane (1893-1979) was the half-sister of Zoe and the first cousin to Pearl, and she, too, received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal. Regina and Zoe had the same mother - Emma Horst. After Zoe's father, Patrick Henry Dawes (1861-1889) died, Emma married Charles Monroe Altice (1864-1943), Regina's father. Regina married Maurice Joseph Lane (1885-1942) and they moved to his hometown of Newton, Massaschussetts. Maurice died after only 5 years of marriage and Regina moved back to Mobile. They had no children. She lived 37 years after the death of her husband. In her obituary, her accomplishments were listed:

"She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, having served on both the Diocesan and Deanery Boards and received the Pro Ecclesia-et-Pontifice medal from Pope Pius XII. She was also a member of St. Mary's Home Auxillary, Allen Memorial Home Auxillary, Ladies of Charity, Burse Club, Woman's Club, Forum Club and other organizations." [from Mobile Register, June 19, 1979]

Other women from Alabama who are past recipients of the papal medal include Mother Angelica, founder of the Eternal Word Television Network, and Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., Surgeon General of the United States.

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS - Bishop Paul Waldschmidt



Bishop Paul Edward Waldschmidt
(1920-1994)

 Paul Edward Waldschmidt was born on January 7, 1920 in Vanderburgh, Indiana, the only child of Edward Benjamin Waldschmidt (1885-1964) and Olga Marie Moers (1893-1933). He is descended from Margaret Weinschenk (1815-UNK) and Joseph Andrew Witt (1810-1860), a native of Bavaria. Margaret (my 3rd great-grand-aunt) was an older sister of my 3rd-great-Grandmother Apollonia Weinschenk Horst. Margaret & Joseph Witt's oldest child, Theodore Witt (1837-1921) was the Bishop's great-grandfather, and the cousin of my great-great-grandfather Charles F. Horst. His paternal grandmother was Catherine "Kate" Witt (1863-1937), the oldest child of Theodore Witt and his wife Juliana Adler (1831-1900). Kate and my great-grandmother Pearl Horst Flemming were second cousins. [All this makes the Bishop my 4th cousin once removed.]

The Bishop died October 20, 1994 in Portland, Oregon. His Obituary gives some of the highlights of a life well spent:

"Roman Catholic Bishop Paul Waldschmidt, former president of the University of Portland and a longtime advocate of civil rights, has died. He was 74.

Bishop Waldschmidt died Thursday in St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center, a week after suffering a heart attack in the hospital.

Bishop Waldschmidt, who retired in 1990, had been in poor health in recent years, suffering from diabetes and other ailments.

He became president of the University of Portland in 1962. When he left 16 years later, enrollment had nearly tripled, to more than 2,500.

"The bishop was, without a doubt, the most significant and accomplished president in the history of the University of Portland," said the Rev. David Tyson, the current president.

In the 1960s, Bishop Waldschmidt marched for civil rights. He was the driving force behind the Greater Portland Council of Churches, which became Ecumenical Ministries, believed the largest local interfaith group in the nation.

He worked with the Jewish community years before the Vatican officially encouraged such efforts.

Pope Paul VI appointed Bishop Waldschmidt auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Portland in 1978. The archdiocese covers western Oregon and has 250,000 members.

With the resources of the church, Bishop Waldschmidt provided housing, jobs and language training for 10,000 refugees of various faiths, most of them from Southeast Asia.

"He was one of the greatest defenders of human civil rights of any churchman I've known," said Rodney Page, executive director of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon.

The National Conference of Christians and Jews honored Bishop Waldschmidt with its human-relations award in 1979. In 1984, he was named First Citizen of Portland.

Bishop Waldschmidt was born in Evansville, Ind. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1942 and was ordained in 1946.

Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Interment will be at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Notre Dame."



Waldschmidt Hall
University of Portland

 Waldschmidt Hall
Waldschmidt Hall (originally West Hall) is an academic building at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon, United States. Constructed in 1891 as West Hall, the building was originally part of the now defunct Portland University located in North Portland overlooking the Willamette River. The Romanesque style structure built of brick and stone stands five stories tall. The hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and renovated in 1992, the same year it took the current name. Waldschmidt, the oldest building on campus, now houses the school’s administration offices and some classrooms. (from Wikipedia)

FRIDAY'S FAMOUS: '27 Rose Bowl Player of the Game & FRIDAY'S FORGOTTEN: Young Mother and Child

My plan for each Friday's post is to recognize and tell the story of those individuals within our extended families, who are on the two ends of the recognition scale - the Famous, and the Forgotten. All families have them. There are the famous ones who have done something extraordinary, achieved some high level of personal success, or been recognized for an outstanding contribution - we all like to be related to them! Then there are those we never heard of - who maybe died young, or who lived a common life with no extreme story to tell, or maybe who died so long ago and without leaving any descendants that most of us didn't even know they ever lived at all - the forgotten. I hope to honor both ends of the spectrum, because every life really does have a story to tell
          For this first Friday blog, it just so happens that both ends are in the same family so I decided to tell you about both - Friday's Famous, and Forgotten.

Frederick William Pickhard, Jr.


Fred Pickhard
All-American
University of Alabama
1925-1927

 Fred Pickhard was born in Mobile, Alabama on July 20, 1906. He was the youngest child of Frederick William Pickhard (1862-1951), also from Mobile, and Estella "Stella" Guise (1865-1955), a native of Ohio. Fred's father, Frederick, Sr., had been widowed when his first wife, Amelia G. Helmetag (1862-1898), died just short of her 36th birthday. Amelia was the oldest child of Frederick William Helmetag (1834-1883) and Wilhelmina Amelia Horst (1843-1885), the half sister of my 3rd great-Grandfather Martin Horst (1830-1878). [See story below]

Fred, Jr. attended the University of Alabama and played on the Crimson Tide Football Team from 1925-1927. Fred was a 6'3", 205 lb. Offensive Tackle for the Tide. His bio on rolltide.com states:

"Pickhard was an All-American choice in 1926 and an All-Southern Conference selection in 1926-27. He played on national championship teams in 1925 and 1926 and was captain of the 1927 squad. Perhaps the biggest play of the year in 1926 was Pickhard’s block of a fourth-quarter punt by Sewanee that Bama recovered for a safety to win 2-0 which kept Bama perfect en route to a Rose Bowl berth. Against LSU the very next week, Pickhard blocked two more punts for touchdowns. Only 16 punts were blocked for scores in 1926 and Pickhard had three of them."



University of Alabama 1925 National Championship Team
(Fred Pickhard pictured middle row, center)



Fred was selected as the "Rose Bowl Player of the Game" in the 1926 National Championship game, in which Alabama tied Stanford 7-7 (the last Rose Bowl to end in a tie).

In 1938 Fred moved to Oregon, where he married Lucille Hoober and together they had 3 children. Only son Fred, III, went on to play Left End for Michigan, playing in the 1951 Rose Bowl, where his Wolverines beat the California Golden Bears 14-6.

Fred Jr. retired from Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. as a service manager in 1971. He died on April 11, 1993 and is buried at Portland Memorial Mausoleum. He was survived by his wife of 53 years, his three children and nine grandchildren.

Amelia Helmetag Pickhard


AMELIA G. HELMETAG
Wife of FREDERICK W. PICKHARD
Born Dec. 24, 1862      Died Dec. 4, 1898 
Our Baby
AMALIE ST. JOHN,
Aged 3 months and 6 days.
OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

Amelia, the first wife of Frederick William Pickhard (Fred Pickhard, Jr.'s father), was the cousin of my great-great Grandfather Charles Frederick Horst (1856-1912). Her mother Wilhelmina, later called Amelia, and Charles' father Martin immigrated with their father Johan Eckhard Horst (1802-1852), Eckhard's second wife Elisa Geiss (1817-1852), and three other siblings, from their home in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, arriving in New York on August 7, 1846. Amelia Horst married William Helmetag in 1861 and they had 5 children. William, also an immigrant from Germany, was a shoemaker by trade. They lived in Mobile.

  

William and Amelia's first child, Amelia was born on Christmas Eve, 1862. The date of her wedding to Frederick Pickhard is unknown. Frederick was a carpenter for the L & N Railroad during their marriage. They had a daughter, Amalie St. John Pickhard - exactly when is unknown. Amalie lived 3 months and 6 days. Amelia Pickhard died on December 4, 1898. Mother and daughter are buried together at Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile. Their grave seems very solitary, no one next to them, under a small tree. Frederick remarried around 1902. His wife Stella Guise was Amelia's first cousin. Frederick is buried next to Stella in Mobile's Pine Crest Cemetery.