Help solve this mystery of this unknown little boy in my tree (find, search)

[Tracysherm]

Hi all, I know some of you like to help solve genealogical mysteries for people, so I thought I'd throw this one out there. I found this unknown little boy, Albert Kolb, in my research on one of my family lines. I don't know where he came from or how he is really related to my family.

I first found him in the 1910 census in the home of my 2X great grandparents, Peter and Mary Eva Kolb.
This is in the 1910 US census for Philadelphia PA, and the family lives at 1315 Warnock St.
The household consists of:
Peter Kolb (head) 73
Mary Eva Kolb (wife) 66 (nee Gerloch)
Joseph (son) 37---my great grandfather
Mary (daughter-in-law) 18--Joseph's wife, my great grandmother (nee Diegel)
Mary A (daughter) 33
Albert (grandson) 8

So if the "grandson" notation is correct, then you might think he is the son of Joseph Kolb or Mary A Kolb. He is definitely not the son of Joseph and his 18 year old bride Mary. Mary A Kolb's marital status is unclear, but it says she was married 14 years, and she reported having had 3 children, one of whom is alive. But if Albert were her son, why would he have Kolb as his last name, when it's her maiden name? I also have no record of any children for Mary A. I have her married to a Charles Vogelman later, but why would she be home with her parents at age 33, with her maiden name, listing that she'd had 3 children, one living, and that child isn't even with her? I guess she's a separate mystery...


I know from family documents and online records that Peter and Mary Eva had 4 children:
George Kolb 1870-1919
Joseph Kolb 1873-1919
Mary A. Kolb 1876-?
Plus they had Peter's son Anton Kolb 1864-1880 from a previous marriage in Germany. (He shows up as "Antoine Kolb" in the 1870 census.)

But Mary Eva said in the 1900 census that she had had 4 children, 3 still alive. So the living ones would be George, Joseph, and Mary A, and the deceased one could be a biological child she and Peter may have had that died, or she could have been referring to her dead stepson.

Anyway, I was stuck with the question: who are little Albert's parents?



I could find nothing else on Albert, except, sadly, his Philadelphia death certificate at age 13, on 21 March 1915, when he died from "Ulcerative endocarditis" secondary to "Rheumatic fever of severe type." The death certificate states that his father was "Cornelius Kolb." Now I have no Cornelius in my family records, and I can't find online records on a Cornelius Kolb that connect him to my family. The informant on the death certificate is "Mrs. Kolb" which could be any of the "Mrs. Kolbs" and her address is the same place, 1315 Warnock St. There is nothing listed for Albert's mother.

So now I have a Cornelius Kolb listed as Albert's father, and Albert's documented grandparents are Peter and Mary Eva Kolb. So maybe Peter and Mary Eva had a son named Cornelius, maybe born after the 1880 census and dying before the 1900 census. (Damn that fire that destroyed the 1890 census!) This might explain the fact that Mary Eva said she'd had 4 children and only 3 were alive in 1900. Somehow this little boy ended up living with his grandparents at age 8 in 1910 with a father who was probably dead and a mother who is a ghost.

I'm not at the point where I would bother going anywhere in person and digging up paper documents in Philly. If I had that kind of time right now, I'd focus on the more important brick walls in my tree. But I just wondered if there could be any other digital info out there on this mystery boy that someone might be able to access, or if anyone had any insights as to how I might find out more about him.

[suzy_q2010]

The death certificate says he is buried in Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery. Perhaps it has more details on family. Maybe Cornelius is buried near him.

Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery PA |

[Tracysherm]

It looks like (on Find-a-Grave) that he is listed with that cemetery, but it's just the info transcribed from the death cert. No picture of stone. No other recognizable Kolb family members. No Cornelius. Hmmm.

[brownbagg]

Preview Name Events Relationships Details Image

Cornelius Kolb
Head
United States Census, 1910
birth: 1875 Pennsylvania
residence: 1910 Washington, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, United States
spouse: Emma Kolb
child: Henry A Kolb

Cornelius Kolb
Son
United States Census, 1880
birth: 1863 Pennsylvania, United States
residence: 1880 Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
father: Gottlieb Kolb
mother: Elizabeth Kolb
other: William Kolb, Henry Kolb, Albert Kolb, Charles Kolb, Martha Scholtz

Cornelius Kolb
United States Census, 1870
birth: from 1862 to 1863 Pennsylvania
residence: 1870 Pennsylvania, United States
other: Gotleib Kolb, Elizabeth Kolb, Wm A Kolb, Harry Kolb

Cornelius Kolb
United States Census, 1870
birth: from 1863 to 1864 Massachusetts
residence: 1870 Massachusetts, United States
other: Christian Kolb, Ellen Kolb, Mary A Kolb, Susan A Kolb

[brownbagg]

Cornelius Kolb
United States Census, 1880
Name: Cornelius Kolb
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1880
Event Place: Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Race (Original): W
Occupation: Clerk R. R.
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Son
Birth Year (Estimated): 1863
Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States
Father's Birthplace: Pennsylvania, United States
Mother's Birthplace: England
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T9
Affiliate Film Number: 1179
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Gottlieb Kolb Self M 49 Pennsylvania, United States
Elizabeth Kolb Wife F 45 England
William Kolb Son M 26 Pennsylvania, United States
Henry Kolb Son M 24 Pennsylvania, United States
Albert Kolb Son M 9 Pennsylvania, United States
Charles Kolb Son M 5 Pennsylvania, United States
Cornelius Kolb Son M 17 Pennsylvania, United States
Martha Scholtz Other F 19 Pennsylvania, United States
District: 396 , Sheet Number and Letter: 177D , GS Film Number: 1255179 , Digital Folder Number: 004244465 , Image Number: 00550

[brownbagg]

Albert Kolb
United States Census, 1910
Name: Albert Kolb
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1910
Event Place: Philadelphia Ward 20, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 8
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Grandson
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Grandson
Birth Year (Estimated): 1902
Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Father's Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Mother's Birthplace: Pennsylvania
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Petter Kolp Head M 73 Germany
Mary E Kolp Wife F 66 Germany
Joseph F Kolp Son M 37 Pennsylvania
Mary A Kolp Daughter F 33 Pennsylvania
Albert Kolb Grandson M 8 Pennsylvania
Mary Kolb Daughter-in-law F 18 Pennsylvania
District: 346 , Sheet Number and Letter: 4A , Household ID: 56 , Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) , Affiliate Publication Number: M1283 , GS Film number: 1375407 , Digital Folder Number: 004449659 , Image Number: 00335

[brownbagg]

Petter Kolp
United States Census, 1910
Name: Petter Kolp
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1910
Event Place: Philadelphia Ward 20, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 73
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Head
Birth Year (Estimated): 1837
Birthplace: Germany
Immigration Year: 1863
Father's Birthplace: Germany
Mother's Birthplace: Germany
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Petter Kolp Head M 73 Germany
Mary E Kolp Wife F 66 Germany
Joseph F Kolp Son M 37 Pennsylvania
Mary A Kolp Daughter F 33 Pennsylvania
Albert Kolb Grandson M 8 Pennsylvania
Mary Kolb Daughter-in-law F 18 Pennsylvania
District: 346 , Sheet Number and Letter: 4A , Household ID: 56 , Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) , Affiliate Publication Number: M1283 , GS Film number: 1375407 , Digital Folder Number: 004449659 , Image Number: 00335

[Tracysherm]

Thanks brownbagg. I did see those other Cornelius Kolbs. The Lehigh County one seems to have no connection and the DOB is way off. I was wondering about that Cornelius born around 1863 with the father Gottlieb. It's possible they are cousins of some sort, and perhaps when Albert went to live with Peter he referred to him as a grandson. But the personal trees online that include this Cornelius have no son Albert.
Those last two posts are the records I already have. Yes, sometimes the family was transcribed as "Kolp."

[Tallysmom]

In my family tree, my great grandmother died after having two children, and those children were farmed out -- the boy went to his grandfather and the daughter to her grandmother. Great grandfather remarried a widow -- she had farmed out kids, too -- and they didn't take them back on remarriage.

So I'd go back to Peter Kolb and Mary Eva and check all their kids, to see if one died with a little one they took in. And I'm thinking maybe -- Mary A might be a mis transcribed daughter in law -- and Albert is HER child and the actual son is Peters and Mary Eva's child who died.

[Tracysherm]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

In my family tree, my great grandmother died after having two children, and those children were farmed out -- the boy went to his grandfather and the daughter to her grandmother. Great grandfather remarried a widow -- she had farmed out kids, too -- and they didn't take them back on remarriage.

So I'd go back to Peter Kolb and Mary Eva and check all their kids, to see if one died with a little one they took in. And I'm thinking maybe -- Mary A might be a mis transcribed daughter in law -- and Albert is HER child and the actual son is Peters and Mary Eva's child who died.

No Mary A Kolb Vogelmann is definitely a daughter. She shows up in the family since her childhood (1880 and 1900 census records). Of course it's possible that Peter and Mary Eva had a son Cornelius who died and his wife was also a Mary. That would suck though.
Or, Cornelius could still be alive but maybe he left the family and/or started a new family.

Hey, I just noticed, Mary Eva said in 1900 she'd had 4 children, 3 still alive. I was thinking this mysterious Cornelius could be the dead one, but then he never could have fathered Albert who was born in 1902. So maybe Cornelius was totally disowned? Or I'm thinking Cornelius was not a son but some sort of nephew of cousin, and Peter took in Albert and just called him "grandson."