Following the obituary trail

Following the obituary trail

I wanted to talk about following an obituary trail.

John James Crouch, Jr.
B: 21 Oct 1914 in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, USA
D: 1 Dec 1991 in Steubenville, Jefferson County, Ohio, USA

I tried to obtain his obituary from posting a message on the Jefferson County Ohio History and Genealogy facebook group.

I wouldn't even bother for Jefferson County, Ohio on the ancestry/rootsweb message boards.

Results - nil.
Suggestions, but no obituary.

I tried looking on the Steubenville Herald Star newspaper website.
http://www.heraldstaronline.com/

But obituary search does not go back that far.

So I opted searching for an obituary from where he lived, and not where he died.

I cross posted on several facebook groups:

Staten Island, NY Genealogy (Richmond County, NY) facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/54792773871/

New York City Genealogy facebook group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/57780952454/

New York Genealogy Network
https://www.facebook.com/groups/210302895672550/

I posted a message, and got a few replies for informative information.

I then searched the Staten Island advance.

Staten Island Advance - HELP
Does anyone have a subscription of the Staten Island Advance?
I am asking for help for an actual copy of the obituary for John J Crouch.
Died: abt 1 Dec 1991
This is what I am looking for a copy from:

http://www.newslibrary.com/sites/siab/
Search: Crouch, John J
Use between dates of Dec 1 1991 and Dec 31 1991.

I searched using the above parameters:

Your search results

1.)  JOHN CROUCH, 77,RETIRED METAL PLATER

Author:  Staten Island Advance Publish Date: December 7, 1991 Word Count: 150 Document ID: 11220DABDE835638

John J. Crouch Jr., 77, of Steubenville, Ohio, a former Staten Island resident and retired precious metal plater, died last Sunday in Ohio Valley Hospital, Steubenville. Born in Steubenville, he moved to Pleasant Plains in 1938 and returned to Steubenville in February. Mr. Crouch worked as a precious metal plater for Litten Industries, Morristown, N.J., for 33 years. He retired in 1978. Mr. Crouch was a member of the Halloran Memorial chapter of Disabled American Veterans. I could purchase this from the Staten Island Advance for a one time purchase of: Single article - 2.95 3 articles - 6.95, One week duration and on up More on pricing information: http://www.newslibrary.com/sites/siab/fees.html One person said, Call Advance # 718-981-1234. Someone suggested perhaps contact the library here, which has 1945-present: http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/archives/newspapers.htm I zipped off  an email to CUNY

I did get a reply from Library Archives (archives@csi.cuny.edu):
John James Crouch Jr. Obituary:

JOHN CROUCH, 77,RETIRED METAL PLATER -
Staten Island Advance (NY) - Saturday, December 7, 1991 Author/Byline: Staten Island Advance
Section: Obits
Page: OBT

John J. Crouch Jr., 77, of Steubenville, Ohio, a former Staten Island resident and retired precious metal plater, died last Sunday in Ohio Valley Hospital, Steubenville.
Born in Steubenville, he moved to Pleasant Plains in 1938 and returned to Steubenville in February.
Mr. Crouch worked as a precious metal plater for Litten Industries, Morristown, N.J., for 33 years. He retired in 1978.
Mr. Crouch was a member of the Halloran Memorial chapter of Disabled American Veterans. A World War II veteran, he served as a sergeant in the China-Burma-India theater from 1943-45.
His first wife, the former Dorothy Kuhn, died in 1962.
The funeral was Tuesday from the Clarke Funeral Home, Toronto, Ohio. Burial followed in Island Creek Cemetery, Toronto.

Which the above gave me a lengthier obituary that the abstract of what was available online at http://www.newslibrary.com/sites/siab/

I went to school with the funeral director of the Clarke Funeral Home. I emailed him for any additional information. He gave me a name and person to contact in regards to the Island Creek Cemetery. But I found among my other online resources an online book for burials at the Island Creek Cemetery 2001 which gave his name, plot burial information.

 

I was able add to his memorial on find a gave.

Burial at Island Creek Cemetery - Crouch, John Lot: 282; Grave: 9 Page: 188
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=133491646

 

I had his wife, Dorothy Ann Kuhn Crouch's date of death, but I was missing her place of death. No obituary for her appeared in her hometown newspaper in Steubenville. I could not find any reference to her death in any death index.

 

So, with my futile attempts on the facebooks groups. I opted for the more secure ancestry.com/rootsweb message boards.

 

I cross posted a message on the New York State, and the Richmond County, New York message boards.

 

Title: Obituary help for Dorothy Anne Crouch D: 2 Feb 1963 - in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York, USA

I am searching for one obituary. I was hoping someone may be able to help me with. I am searching for an obituary and/or death notice for: Dorothy Anne Crouch D: 2 Feb 1963 in Tottenville, Staten Island, New York, USA If you can assist in this endeavor, let me know. This may be found on microfilm at the
The St. George Library (http://www.nypl.org/locations/st-george-library-center ) keeps copies of the Staten Island Advance going back to 1920 (on microfilm): 5 Central Avenue [near Borough Hall] Staten Island, NY 10301. (718) 442-8560

If you can help, leave message!

 

Within a few days, there was a reply.

Dorothy's obit, and a bonus obit for her brother-in-law which the

person found while researching her own info.

 

This is one of many examples of following an obituary trail.

 

One note, in Dorothy's obituary, there was an error in the names of her grandparents being listed as Mr. and Mrs. James L Pratley. A little confusion between the names of her grandparents, and the name of her granduncle.

Her grandparents: Mr and Mrs Alfred W Pratley.
Her grand uncle: Mr James L Clark.

 

I also searched the Staten Island Avance

just searching the name Crouch, John J

and I found the obituary

"3.) JOHN CROUCH III, 61
Publish Date: January 3, 2011
Word Count: 147
Document ID: 134891EA18B6EF50

Date of Death: 01/02/2011 Decorated Vietnam vet was MTA bus driver John J. Crouch III, 61, a lifelong resident of Tottenville and retired MTA bus driver, died yesterday in Staten Island University Hospital, Prince's Bay. A graduate of Tottenville High School, he was a bus driver for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for over 20 years, and retired in 2008. Mr. Crouch served in the U.S. Army as a sergeant during the Vietnam War, from 1966 to 1969. He was"

For more information on Staten Island and New York obituaries

http://alleghenyancestryandgenealogytrails.blogspot.com/2014/08/fyi-new-york-staten-island-obituaries.html

Genealogy Records & Resources

http://www.health.ny.gov/vital_records/genealogy.htm

Get a death certificate for someone who died in New York City (Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island) from 1949 until the present (before 1949)

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/services/vr.shtml

As always,
Allegheny Ancestry and Genealogy Trails

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