George Wessel was born in Germany on September 3, 1838. He was a local grocer in Brooklyn, New York. He married Margaretha Wessel, who was born in Germany on January 14, 1832.
During her first marriage, Margaretha had three children: Caroline Oldenburg (1858-1954 ), William Oldenburg (1861-1935) and Charles Oldenburg (birth and death unknown). Caroline and William, are buried in the Wessel plot along with William’s wife, Mary.
According to census records, George and Margaretha had three children of their own: Elizabeth Watson (1869-1936), Annie (1870 - d?) and Georgianna Hoagland (1873-1943). Elizabeth and Georgianna are buried in the family plot, along with Elizabeth’s daughter, Marguerite Keller (1905-1961), Georgianna’s husband, Elmo C. Hoagland, (1868-1934) and Georgianna’s daughter, Ida Wilhelmina Hoagland Smith (1900-1947),
Margaretha Wessel died of apoplexy on December 14, 1895. She was initially buried in Lot No. 29298. However, documents show that her remains were disinterred on December 23, 1895 and again on February 15, 1896. It is possible that, because her remains were removed for the purpose of reinternment in her husband’s plot, her body was held in the receiving vault for a few months during the winter months. She was reinterred on February 19, 1896 in Lot No. 292308.
In August of 1896, the Eastern North American heat wave killed around 1,500 people in the cities of New York City, Boston, Newark and Chicago. George Wessel died from “heat” on August 12, 1896. His burial occurred on August 14, 1896.
George & Margaretha Wessel ...
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