The Hayes Family History Site

In my quest to acquire all things that are historic in nature and related to the Yerks family, I found the postcard below on eBay.  I was able to purchase it for just $3.50.  Although G.W. Yerks is not a direct relative of Colleen’s, he is a distant cousin.

George W. Yerks was born at Unionville (now Hawthorne), New York on February 4, 1848. He died in Albany on August 9, 1903.  He was the son of William H. and Mary A. (Clark) Yerks. George  was educated at Amenia and finished his education at Claverack Academy. After graduation he became employed by the United States government. He then went to Albany and established himself in the fancy grocery business on Broadway, under the firm name of Benjamin & Yerks. In 1877 he became a sole proprietor.

Dissolution of Benjamin & Yerks Company.  
The Albany Daily Evening Times; May 15, 1877

But in 1878, just one year later,  he admitted a new partner under the firm name of George W. Yerks & Company. He held offices of honor and trust in the city; was trustee of the Madison Avenue Reformed Church and a member of the Fort Orange Club. On July 8, 1868, he married Adaline Maria, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio and died in Albany on October 30, 1900. Adeline was the daughter of George Whitman and Adaline (Powell) Benjamin.

Note: The following Hayes Family Genealogy Treasure was found by Jerry Hayes, grandson of Harry and Isabelle Lewis.  His write up about it first appeared in his personal blog, “Finding A Voice For My Thoughts” on March 26, 2011.

In one or two other posts here I have mentioned this box of stuff I found in the basement that was full of treasures from my youth. I was down in the basement again today and took a look through that box again and found the letter my Grandpa & Grandma wrote to me and my brothers on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary. It was written on a typewriter (so very typically Grandpa) and I scanned it but I’ve also transcribed it here:

Anniversary

October 4

1922-1972

Dear Jerry Peter & Philip

In view of our approaching 50th wedding anniversary and since you are a member of our family, we are asking you to bear with us for a few minutes while we hold forth on the well-worn subject of “Time”. It intrigues us just now because we are especially aware that we have used up quite a bit of it, possibly not in all respects in the best way, but perhaps in just about the way our limited talents permitted us.

We wish that our past fifty years had been full of noble or notable accomplishment. But only a few people seem to have been that able or fortunate. We have tried with considerable success to enjoy our lives together and to do well in establishing a family. We are happy about the results.

The passing of Time has been celebrated, regretted, recorded, and otherwise treated with great and enduring interest since Time began. In fact, we would not have Time if it did not pass. It never stood still despite fairy tales to the contrary. Without Time, we do not exist. Imagine anything existing before Time began-or after it ended!

Man has always been concerned with Time, for example, the time taken by the Earth to rotate on its axis and its orbit, the time taken by the Earth to evolve from its probable beginning, the time taken by man to become what he is, and the time between events in history.

Time engages man continuously from his birth to his death, from the rising to the setting of the sun and the beginning to the end of his undertakings, Time has been a favorite of poets who have mentioned its wing and its habit of fleeting, its capacity for being wasted, it ravages, its corridors, it footprints, its value, it healing, and humorously, what the Walrus said about it in “Alice”.

Our concern with Time is all of this and more but our special concern just now is the fact that fifty years of it have been enjoyed in our happy marriage. We are celebrating this happiness by giving a token like the enclosed to each member of our family. Please use it and enjoy it.

We hope that none of you will send us any gift in return since we have more possessions that we can manage.

Thank you for scores of happy incidents in our lives!

And remember us with the same love we send you!

Grandma & Grandpa

I just have to smile at how Grandpa is talking about Physics and Time. Gee I guess the nut, this nut, didn’t fall from from that tree. Did it?

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The following is a biography of Nathaniel Cutler Sr. (b. 1 Jan 1808, d. 12 Apr 1886).  Nathaniel is Colleen Yerks’ great x4 grandfather .  He lived in Mount Kisco, New York for most of his life, but may have been born in North Castle. He married Sally Ann Weeks in 1829 and had several children.

John Cutler 1828 – 1850
Cornelius Cutler 1833 –
Amy Cutler 1834 –
Cyrus Cutler 1836 – 1918
George Washington Cutler 1836 –
Araminta Cutler 1838 – 1855
Julia Cutler 1842 –
Stephen Cutler 1842 – 1865
Nathaniel Cutler 1844 –

According to the recently discovered bio, I have learned that his father was John Cutler and comes from old Westchester County stock. The Cutlers apparently are of English origin.  Nathaniel is buried at the St Marks Episcopal Church Yard in Mount Kisco with his wife. I have been there many times.

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Today, I found another true treasure in my Moms keepsakes. This one comes to us from Ada Hunter of  Swansea, Wales. According to a note written by my grandfather on the envelope protecting the postcard, he received the card from his first cousin, once removed circa 1897.  That would make my grandfather just 5 years old, so I suspect that it may actually be closer to 1900.

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It is amazing how things can suddenly seem so clear after relaxing your mind and giving yourself some time away from a problem. Such is the case with a photograph I found in the inherited collection of Virginia Tierney Bishop.

The first time I went through Virginia’s photos, I had dismissed the man in the photo below as being a member of her mother’s family from down south. On the back, the inscription reads “A corner in the parlor.” Virginia’s collection has lots of unlabeled photographs that clearly depict a southern family. So this one just got grouped in with the others.

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This article was published in the Newtown Register on Thursday, February 9, 1911. According to this brief article, on Saturday, Jan 28, 1911 there was a surprise birthday party for Reginald W Parrett. Reginald was married to Irene Tierney. Irene is a daughter of Mary Jane Kinneary and Thomas W Tierney. They lived at 9 Chestnut Street in Corona, Queens. Corona is a dense neighborhood in the former Township of Newtown in the New York City borough of Queens. It is neighbored by Flushing to the east, Jackson Heights to the west, Forest Hills and Rego Park to the south, Elmhurst to the southwest, and East Elmhurst to the north.

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The following article was published on November 12, 1952 in The Brooklyn Eagle.  It tells the story of Raymond A Tierney Jr sterlings high school sports experience and the sports successes of numerous family members.  The article mentions that Raymond is the grandson of Police Inspector Frank A. Tierney.  Grandfather Frank was one of the outstanding rowers with the Dauntless on the Harlem River and won numerous titles.

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I was recently contacted by Peter Aubrey-Smith.  He is my third cousin, once removed on the Lewis branch of my family tree.  He had seen my research on ancestry.com and decided to contact me.  We have since been sharing information back and forth, but the grand prize came the other day when he shared with me a portrait picture of a woman that his family firmly believes is Jane Lewis.

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Several weeks ago, I received a phone call from Lynn Williams in response to a letter I had sent her, telling her that I believed we were cousins through the Tierney branch of our family tree.  She confirmed that she was the granddaughter of Irene Tierney.  Irene is the daughter of Thomas W. Tierney.  Thomas W. Tierney is the brother of my great grandfather James F. Tierney.  That makes us second cousins, once removed.

We had a wonderful conversation, exchanging stories of what we knew of the Tierney’s.  Then she dropped the bomb. She has a picture of her great grandfather… AND HIS FATHER!  ”His Father” is James Tierney (b. 1835 in Ireland, d. Feb 1888 in Manhattan) and is our shared relative.

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Tonight, while doing some random research on the web, I came across the most incredible story about the William Yerks, brother to James Leroy Yerks I and Ralph Yerks.  James L Yerks I did not serve in World War I, but William and Ralph did.  Ralph Yerks was killed in action in France on 13 Sep 1918 and is buried over there.  That makes this story even more incredible.

Take a look in the upper left had corner of the newspaper. Look for the article entitled “HER SON, THOUGHT DEAD, IS ALIVE IN A FRENCH HOSPITAL”.  The newspaper does incorrectly identify Williams mother as Mrs. James Yerks.  It should have read Mrs George Yerks.

• The Putnam County Courier (Friday, July 18, 1919)