Reflections of Our Past

We often complain that we don't honor history in this country. Jackie and I visited England and Scotland a dozen or so years ago. We were both struck by the reverence paid to the long history of those countries through the preservation of many ancient buildings that reflected a long and proud history.

We need to just look around New Gretna today to see the American attitude toward history. There aren't many old buildings left to remind us of our local heritage. Other than the Presbyterian and Methodist churches, which date back to the mid 1800's, I can't think of another historic building in town. We lost an abandoned New Gretna House to a fire and the old Knights of Pythias Hall to the wrecking ball, since Jackie and I moved to town in the early 1970s. There seemed to be little concern when they were gone.

Apathy seems to be the rule when it comes to our historic treasures. The Great John Mathis house stood on the rise overlooking the Bass River from the mid 1700's to the mid 1960's when Viking Yachts began developing their boat building complex. Viking offered to donated land and move the house a short distance so that it would be preserved. The Great John Mathis Foundation was formed by a small group of concerned citizens to raise money to restore the dilapidated house. Leah Blackman's "The History of Little Egg Harbor Township" was republished by the group to raise money to save the historic structure. Most people just didn't care or were too busy to get involved. It's often said that we vote with our pocketbooks. Such was the case here. Sadly, the efforts failed, and the house was finally demolished.

We don't even appreciate or, often, recognize the little history we have left to remind us of our forefathers who developed our town. We all seem to be too busy to stop and reflect on the many people and families who worked, played and worshipped here in New Gretna over the generations. I must plead guilty myself.

I've worshipped in the New Gretna Presbyterian Church on North Maple Avenue many times and still attend a Prayer Meeting every Wednesday morning. Over the years, I've taken it's uniqueness and character for granted, not bothering to think about the history that was enveloping me.

We've all heard the expression "If only walls could talk." Well, they can, if we take the time and effort to listen. A look around the walls of the old church shows a kaleidoscope of colors that stream through the stained glass windows in the bright sunlight. The colors dance and highlight the names of many people who were an important part of our town. It's history reaching out and speaking to us!

Right about now, you're probably thinking, "Wait a minute. This guy is nuts! Windows can't talk." Maybe or maybe not. If a tree falls in a deserted forest with no one to hear, does it make a sound?

The brilliant colors dance in the sunlight.

Closeup of central artwork.

I would venture to guess that many of you out in the Blog-O-Sphere are related in some way to the people memorialized in the stained glass. If so, please let us know. It's important to reaffirm and share our connections with the past.

Jean and Murray Harris wrote about these precious windows in Issues 6 and 7 of "The Bass River Gazette". Click on the web links below to read their entire articles and see old photos of many of the people who are calling out from the stained glass.

Part 1 - http://bassriver-nj.org/pdf/h-gazette06--april-2000.pdf

Part 2 - http://bassriver-nj.org/pdf/h-gazette07--sept-2000.pdf

I've taken excerpts from the Harris' articles and combined them with colored photos of the base of the stained glass windows. Won't you join me in a journey back in time to meet some of the people who were once an important part of our community? Their stories reflect through the windows, just waiting to be heard.

Window #1- Mary Ella Mathis &

Anna F. Loveland

The first window to attract our attention has the names of two Cramer sisters, Mary Ella Mathis and Anna F. Loveland. They are two of the eight children of John Franklin and Mary Ann (French) Cramer. Mary Ella was born in 1856 and married Rollin Ashley Mathis in 1895 as his second wife, his first wife having died in 1893. Rollin was the son of Zebulon Montgomery Pike and Achsah (Cale) Mathis. Mary Ella’s sister, Anna (Cramer) Loveland, born in 1863, married in 1893 Caleb C. Loveland, son of Charles L. and Anna (Young) Loveland. She died in 1895, just two years after her marriage. Another sister was Nellie/ Ellen M. Cramer, born 1865, who married Chalkley C. Sears in 1887. Chalkley and Nellie were the parents of Eugene H. Sears, born 1893, the father of Helen (Sears) Carty, one of the present-day members of the church. Thus Mary Ella and Anna were the sisters of Helen’s grandmother and so were both her great-aunts.

Window #2- Maja B. Mathis Family

The second window is inscribed with the name Maja Berry Mathis. Maja is the son of Ellis and Mabel (Mathis) Mathis and was born in 1823, died 1891. He married Phoebe Sooy in 1846. They had five children. Their grandson was Maja Cowperthwaite Mathis, who was a teacher in the Mathistown School and later was the principal at New Gretna.

Window #3- The Ladies Mite Society

The third window is credited to the Ladies Mite Society, a missionary society formed by the women of the church. Its name was derived from the “widow’s mite” in the story told by Jesus in Mark 12:42. A mite was a small Hebrew coin worth only half a farthing. Records are found of organizations called “Mite Societies” going back as far as the early 1800s. They existed in Baptist and Methodist congregations as well as Presbyterian. It is not known when the New Gretna Presbyterian Mite Society was founded, but it is mentioned in the Mt. Holly Herald in 1888 as giving an oyster supper in the church, and it was still active at least until 1932.

Window #4- Abagail W. Mathis

The fourth window memorializes Abigail Woolstan Mathis, who was the daughter of Maja B. Mathis, named on the second window. Abigail was born in 1851 and died in 1898, unmarried.

Window #5- Ernst Kretschmer

The fifth window has the name of Ernst Kretschmer, who was born in Germany in 1856. He was a sailor who sailed to New Gretna several times on the schooner Lizzie Belle and who decided to settle in our town when he left the sea. He became sexton of the Presbyterian Church, and truant officer and janitor at the New Gretna School. At one time in his career he tried to have six-year-old Walter Mathis put in the infamous Mount Holly Jail for truancy, but Walter got off with a reprimand. Ernst died in 1931 and is buried in Miller Cemetery. Unlike most of the people whose names are on the windows, Ernst was still alive when the windows were installed in the church.

Window #6- Francis & Anna M. French

Window number six is dedicated to Francis and Anna M. French. Francis, born in 1802, died 1852, was the son of Thomas and Hannah (Johnson) French. His wife Anna Maria was born in 1804, died 1878, and was the daughter of Daniel and Phoebe (Smith) Mathis. Francis and Anna had eleven children, one of whom was Levi French, whose name appears on window twelve and also on the church bell.

Window #7- Rev. S.G. Webb

The seventh window contains the name of the fourth pastor of the church, Reverend S. G. Webb. He was installed in 1888 by the Monmouth Presbytery and served until 1896. Rev. Webb increased the size of the congregation and the Sunday School, and during his leadership the manse was built.

Window #8- Six Church Elders

Window eight memorializes six former elders of the Church: Joseph P. Adams, Robert C. Blow M.D., Charles P. Cramer, Benjamin C. Mathis, Daniel E. Mathis and Ellis Mathis.

• Joseph Perkins Adams joined the church, coming from the Bass River M.E. Church, on 14 March 1875 and died in 1891.

• Doctor Blow was admitted to the church in 1897 by letter from a church in Beverly, N.J. He died in 1898.

• Charles Pitman Cramer, born in New Gretna in 1850, died 1923, married first Ann Eliza McCollum. He then married Jerusha/ Rusha L. (Gale), widow of Watson W. Cramer. Charles and Anna had two children, Samuel P. and Ida. Ida married Mark Endicott of Port Republic.

• Benjamin Churchwood Mathis, born 1837 at New Gretna, died 1913, was the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (White) Mathis, and the grandson of the Daniel Mathis discussed under window #6

above. Benjamin married Mary Walton. They are buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Tuckerton. They had nine children.

• Daniel Edward Mathis born 1840, died 1913, was the brother of Benjamin Churchwood Mathis. He married first Charlotte A. Cramer and second Lois H. Eldridge. Daniel and Charlotte are

buried in Miller Cemetery.

• Ellis Mathis was the son of Maja Berry Mathis discussed under window #2. He married Jane Mathis and they had Maja Cowperthwaite Mathis. Maja C. married Marietta Loveland, daughter of Marshall Loveland named in window #16.

Window #9- John & Mary A. Cramer

The ninth window has inscribed on it the names of Elder John Franklin Cramer and his wife Mary Ann (French) Cramer. John was a merchant in a well-to-do family, and he and Mary Ann had eight children, two of whom, Mary Ella and Anna, had their names inscribed on window No. 1. The other six children include: Albert F., a Captain on a barge, who married first Mary Elrena Mathis and second Elizabeth J. Endicott; Ellen/Nellie who married Chalkley C. Sears, Jr., a cook on a tug boat; Charles Harold/Harry, Captain of a merchant vessel, who married Annie Sarah Cramer (see also window 15); Eugene Russell who married Helen Darwood; Frances; and John Franklin Jr., who was Captain of the New Jersey Fish and Game boat. A sea-going family altogether.

Window #10- Hiram French

Elder Hiram Elbridge French’s name is inscribed on window number 10. He was born in 1838, the son of William and Phoebe (Mathis) French. Hiram married Mary E. Sears, the daughter of Jesse R. and Lydia (Mathis) Sears. Three of their children died young and are buried in Miller Cemetery.

Window #11- Arthur H. & Mary J. Cramer

Window 11 contains the names of Elder Arthur Hiram Cramer and his wife Mary Jane (Mathis) Cramer. Arthur was the son of Joseph Baker and Sarah (Thompson) Cramer, and Mary Jane was the daughter of Thomas and Mary (Cale) Mathis. Arthur and Mary Jane had five children: Ambrose, who died when only a few months of age; Arthur Hiram Jr., who married first Mary Catharine Conover and second Rachel (Conover) Cranmer; Sarah Sooy Cramer who married Augustus R. Miller; Helena L. Cramer who married Captain Edward Kirk Loveland, the son of Marshall A. and Marietta (Crowley) Loveland; and Joseph Baker Cramer who married Hannah Rejessa Webster. Rejessa Hannah Cramer, the daughter of Joseph Baker and Hannah, married Frank Cramer who built and operated the Rustic Inn on the main corner in New Gretna.

Window #12- Levi & Julia A. French

The twelfth window names Levi and Julia (Adams) French. His parents werelisted in the discussion of window six, and Julia is the daughter of Joseph and Ann (Brush) Adams. Levi’s name is also on the bell in the church steeple. They had eight children: Daniel Webster; Levi C.; Julia Florence; George W. A.; Clara R.; Lela M.; Richard M.; and Charles Stanley French.

Window #13- Mrs. Mary M. Garrabrant

Window thirteen is inscribed Mary A. (Mathis) Garrabrant, the wife of Dr. Clarence Garrabrant and the daughter of Zebulon M. P. and Achsah (Cale) Mathis.

Window #14- Sarah E. French

The name on window number 14 is Sarah E. (Jones) French, the daughter of Lloyd and Elizabeth (Ivins) Jones, innkeepers on Long Beach Island, and the wife of Livingston B. French. Their children were Minnasota, Walter L., Laura P., Mary A., and Irena French.

Window #15- Mrs. Charles H. Cramer

Window fifteen is inscribed Mrs. Charles H. Cramer. She was the daughter of Marmaduke and Mary Lavinia (Cramer) Cramer, and the Annie Sarah Cramer mentioned with her husband in the description of window number nine. Charles and Annie Sarah had five children: Dora Lizzie, Walter F., Alice Emma, Harold K., and Mary Ella. Alice Emma married first ______ Knight and second William Kumpf. Alice Emma and William operated the Carlton House in Tuckerton. Mary Ella married Walter Wright .

Window #16- M.A. Loveland and Family

At the base of window 16 is inscribed Marshall A. Loveland and Family. Marshall was a sea captain and lived in the house on the corner of Route 9 and Amasa’s Landing Road. He was the son of John and Rachel (French) Loveland and was born in 1840. He married Marietta Crowley, daughter of Samuel Crowley. Their children were: Edward Kirk, who married Helena Cramer; Marietta, who married Maja C. Mathis, the grandson of Maja Berry Mathis whose name is on window number two; Carrie, who married Phineas K. Hilliard; Rachel J.; and Henry P. Loveland.

Window #17- Mrs. Howard Mathis

Window number 17 is in memory of Mrs. Howard Mathis, whose maiden name was Harriet Stinger, the daughter of John and Sophie Stinger. She married Howard, the son of Zebulon M. P. and Achsah (Cale) Mathis. Their five children include Howard Zebulon Mathis who married Bess Cramer. Bess was the organist of this church and the mother of Jack Mathis and Mildred (Mathis) Kauflin. Another child of Howard and Harriet was Clarence Gerew Mathis, who succeeded his father Howard as the proprietor of New Gretna’s grocery store.

Window #18- William C. & Josephine Irons

The eighteenth and final stained glass window memorializes William C. and Josephine Irons who are both buried in Miller Cemetery. William sold 180 acres to the State of New Jersey in 1907 that was later to become a part of Bass River State forest. Their son was Joseph Wallace Irons, born 1880.

Well, I hope you learned something about our New Gretna ancestors. Stop by the Presbyterian Church for their 10 AM Sunday Morning Service or the 10 AM Wednesday Prayer Meeting and spend some time listening to both the Word of God and voices from the past filtering through the beautiful stained glass windows. You'll be the better for it!

Pete S

The Bicentennial Revisited - Have A Happy 4th!

The 4th of July is a very special holiday for many Americans. It means family picnics, fireworks, displaying the American Flag, and remembering all that our forefathers endured to make us the free nation that we remain to this day. It's clearly a time to count our blessings!

The July 4th of our nation's Bicentennial holds a special place in my memory. Jackie and I were privileged to celebrate it right here in New Gretna. We had moved to 21 North Maple Avenue, across the street from the Presbyterian Church, just a few short years before. We didn't know what kind of celebration to expect from our new community, but looked forward to the event with great expectations. We were not disappointed.

The centerpiece of New Gretna's Bicentennial Celebration was a community parade down Rt. 9 and up North Maple Avenue to the school and the church where formal ceremonies was held. I remember Mayor Floyd West, dressed as George Washington, reading a Bicentennial Proclamation.

The thing that I remember most; however, was that mostly everyone in the community marched in the parade. There were almost no spectators. Someone had taken the time and trouble to make hats out of newspapers, and we all wore them proudly. No glitzy, Madison Avenue decorations here in New Gretna. Just down home, small town American values. I remembered looking at Jackie wearing her paper hat and thinking, "Yes, we've finally found our home!"

Back in the mid 1970's there were no digital cameras and people didn't take many photos. I was fortunate to get the black and white photos from Betty West and the colored photos from slides taken by Naomi Maurer. I though that I would share them with you, as a celebration of this year's 4th of July. I hope you enjoy them, and that they bring back fond memories of a simpler time.

If you see someone in a photo that you would like to identifiy and/or make a comment about, drop us a line here at the Blog. I'll number the photos to make them easier to reference.

Pete S

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5 - Notice the newspaper hats!

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15 - Kindergarten

#16 - First Grade

#17 - Second Grade

#18 - Third Grade

#19 - Fourth Grade

#20 - Fifth Grade

#21 - Sixth Grade

#22

#23

The Mystery of Mary Adams Brown Holloway

I got the following message from Laura Matecha who was looking for information on her great grandmother, Mary Adams Brown Holloway who was born in New Gretna in 1867 but lived in Batsto, in Washington Township, most of her life. Laura was looking for suggestions to gather additional information.

My name is Laura Matecha. I am researching my family tree and have hit a road block in New Gretna. I was wondering if you could give me any suggestions. My great grandmother's name was Mary O. Adams Brown Holloway. Her birthdate is February 1867 in New Gretna. She lived in Batsto, NJ most of her life and married Charles Brown and then Joseph Holloway. Any suggestions of where to go from here? I believe that she is buried in New Gretna as well.

As someone who enjoys Bass River history and genealogy, I love a challenge and started a search for Laura's great grandmother. Since Laura reported that she was born in New Gretna in 1867, the best starting place for information seemed to be the 1870 Bass River Township Census. If the family still lived in Bass River three years after Mary's birth, we should find her there. Unfortunately, there was no record of a Mary O. Adams in the 1870 Bass River census. Since Laura didn't provide the names of Mary's parents. I have to assume that they are unknown which makes the search more difficult. Searching the 1870 census in the neighboring communities of Little Egg Harbor, Washington Township, and Randolph Township also failed to turn up a Mary Adams. No one ever said that this genealogy stuff is ever easy.

My next plan was to review the New Gretna Methodist and Presbyterian Church records, hoping to find a birth or baptism record for Mary Adams in 1867. Unfortunately, that did not pan out either. The Methodist Church records that I have don't start until 1873 and my Presbyterian Church records, which begin in 1863, don't mention a Mary Adams.

Since a search for Mary's birth wasn't successful, I decided to move to the end of her life. Laura said that she believed that Mary was buried in New Gretna. If so, she would have been buried as Mary Holloway, the surname of her last husband. A quick look at my Bass River Township cemetery records quickly showed a Mary O. Holloway, born 1867 and died 1940, buried in the Hill section of Miller Cemetery. The last name and birth date match Laura's information. Finally, a break!

After breakfast I decided to ride down to Miller Cemetery and take a photo of the grave stone and look at the surrounding stones to see who may be buried with Mary and what information that may present about Mary's life. I found the grave quickly; however, a look at the surrounding graves was disappointing. Mary was buried by herself in a single grave. There are no members of the Adams, Brown, or Holloway family in the area. However, the existence of a headstone and curbing around the grave suggests that someone cared about her.

Mary O. Holloway's tombstone to the rear of the Hill Section of Miller Cemetery, confirms Laura's information regarding Mary's birth year and marriage to a Holloway. It also tells us that Mary died in 1940 but, unfortunately, not where. (July 2, 2009 photo by Pete Stemmer.)

Mary is buried in a single grave which gives us no clues as to a relationship of those buried near her. (July 2, 2009 photo by Pete Stemmer.)

Strange, I murmured to myself. Why would Mary end up buried by herself in New Gretna? From 1870 through the 1930 Bass River census reports there was no record of Mary living in Bass River, either as Mary Adams, Mary Brown, or Mary Holloway. There must be some continued family connection with Bass River if she ended up buried here, especially since Laura reported that Mary had lived most of her life at Batsto. Older Miller Cemetery records are spotty, at best, and I was not able to find out who purchased Mary's grave from the New Gretna Old Home Society records. (Note: The New Gretna Old Home Society is the name of the non profit organization that owns and maintains Miller and Hillside cemeteries in New Gretna.)

Shirley Whealton and I have been working on collecting area obituaries and organizing them in a computer database. So far we have over 5,000 obituaries in the database, including 17 Holloways. Unfortunately, none of them are related to our Mary Adams Brown Holloway mystery.

A trip to the Internet seemed advisable. My first stop was the LDS Family Search site found at: http://www.familysearch.org. I typed in "Mary Adams, United States, birth 1867, State of New Jersey" and got the following hit that looked promising: Mary A. Adams, born 01 MAR 1867 in Bass River Township, Burlington, New Jersey. Parents: John and Phebe A. Adams. The middle initial did not match; but it's not unusual for an "A" to look like an "O" given variations in handwriting styles. Laura said that Mary was born February, 1867, so close to March 1, 1867 for me not to believe it was a coincidence. This may be our Mary! Unfortunately, the source of the LDS information was not given.

Shirley Whelaton, my genealogy buddy, who knows more about local family genealogy than anyone I know, reports that Little Egg Harbor marriage vital stratistics, 1848-1880, show John S. Adams, 22, Bass River, marrying Phebe A. Cobb on October 11, 1862. This is likely Laura's great-great grandparent's marriage. Remember, Bass River Township was still a part of Little Egg Harbor prior to May, 1865.

I figured I might be on to something with this John and Phebe Adams connection, so I went back to the 1870 Bass River Census and searched for the John and Phebe Adams Family. They were listed as Household 145 with three children: Rebecca A. (Age 6), Ophelia O. (Age 3) and Augusta M. (2 months). No Mary A. as listed in the LDS records, so it's unlikely that the census was the source of the LDS information. No help there.

The 1880 Bass River census lists the John Adams family as Household 118. His wife Phebe is not listed and has probably passed away. The following children are listed: Rebecca A. (Age 17),Ophelia (Age 13), and Augusta M. (Age 10). Shirley Whealton, points out that Ophelia may be our mystery Mary O. Her name might be Mary Ophelia which is reported Olphilia in some census records. That is a possibility.

My next stop on the Internet was Ancestry.com. I typed in three different combinations: Mary Adams, Mary Brown, and Mary Holloway in Bass River, Washington Township, and Randolph Townships. I hit pay dirt in the 1900 Washington Township census where Charles and Mary O. Brown are listed in Household 119, having been married for 15 years, with a daughter, Nettie M. (Age 14).

The 1910 Washington Township census shows that Mary had remarried Joseph H. Holloway in 1905. They are listed in Household 6, as having been married 5 years, with two sons: Paul (Age 4) and Charles (Age 2 months). Mary is listed as having a total of 4 children with three still living. The extra two children resulted from her earlier marriage to Charles Brown. Nettie would have been 24 years old and not living with the new Holloway family. There probably was another sibling who had died.

Well, that's about all the information I could find on Mary Adams Brown Holloway. Hopefully, it will be a help to Laura. I sure would love to know how Mary ended up in a lonely grave on the hill at Miller Cemetery. Perhaps, someone out in the Blog-O-Sphere may be able to shed some light on that mystery and maybe provide a photo of Mary.

Pete S