Drexler family photos

I spent an enjoyable evening at the home of Anne and Gary Glisch.  Anne is my second cousin. I met many of my relatives for the first time. These relatives are all part of the Dembowiak part of the Drexler family. Anne's mother (Clara?) was a Drexler before marrying Stan Dembowiak.  There are several entries in Grandpa's diary about this family.
 I'm also posting some photos from the Drexler part of the family. Pancratius (1848-1887) and Mary (Schwarz?) Drexler had eight children: Joseph (1869-1908), Frank M. (1871-1894), Mary (1872-1955) John (1875-1939), Caroline (1877-?) [Note: I know Pancratius and Mary had three daughters and Caroline is listed in the 1900 census as one of them.], Theodore (1879-1930), Anna (1882-1965) and Theresa, my grandmother (1886-1961). I know that there's also Ottillie Drexler, but I'm not sure how she's related to the Drexlers.  [Note: Found out who she is. Ottillia Bleckinger Drexler findagrave.com  She was Joe Drexler's wife.]
If you read Grandpa's diary entries from January 1935 you will see some of the Drexler names including Ottillie.  http://potterclanhistory.blogspot.com/2014/06/diary-of-alfred-e-potter-january-1935.html

Pancratius Drexler (Theresa Drexler's father)

 Mary Drexler (Theresa Drexler's mother)

Frank Drexler (Theresa Drexler's brother)

John Drexler (Theresa Drexler's brother)

Theodore Drexler (Theresa Drexler's brother)

Lena Baier, Theresa (Drexler) Potter, Annie (Drexler) and Joe Weisheipl
Theresa and Annie are sisters.

Reply/research from New York Historical Society

I received a letter this week from the New York Historical Society in response to my inquiry about records that they had from the New York Foundling Asylum about Grandpa Potter. Here's the response. There are a few new facts that I hadn't know. (We would have been Episcopalians?)

A. E. Potter & Theresa Drexler wedding photo August 8, 1911

Left to Right: Mary Bauer (Mrs. Louis Mauritz), Louis Mauritz, Alfred Potter (groom), Theresa Drexler (bride), Anton Pable, Charlotte Heinzl (Mrs. Frank Regal) (Note: Priest who performed the ceremony was Rev. Wibbert, the same priest who arranged for my grandfather to be placed in the Jarosch home in Oshkosh after riding the orphan train from New York in 1894.)

Letter from Rev. Wibbert to Foundling Asylum March 24, 1909

Here is a copy of a letter from Rev. Wibbert at St. Vincent's in Oshkosh to Sister Vincent at the New york Foundling Asylum. My grandfather's foster father had died ten days before and my grandfather now wanted his baptismal record so that he could revert to his original name. the number 21087 is his case number.

Grandpa's baptismal record

Here's Grandpa's baptismal record. Even though it states that he was baptized at St. Vincent Ferrer's Catholic church, he was probably baptized in the chapel at the New York Foundling Asylum like many of the other orphans, This also proves that by the time he was three weeks old, he was already at the Foundling Asylum. The photo is Rev. Sheehan from Google books The Catholic Church in the United States of America, Vol. 3 Plimpton Press (c) 1914  pg 372.

New York Foundling Asylum Certificate of Indenture August 20, 1894

I've been meaning to post my grandfather's certificate of indenture from the New York Foundling Asylum, dated August 20, 1894. It shows that his birth name was Alfred Potter and is signed by the founder of the foundling home, Sister Irene. I've been told by a few orphan train authorities that none of them have ever seen a certificate signed by her.

    

A E Potter's Orphan Train Itinerary from The Orphan Train Project