What's in a Name? Mary Forman (1831-1869)

 

Samuel L. Forman (died in 1844) and Eliza Lake had 4 living children according to the 1850 Census: William, Mary, Emma, Isaac. Found both the boys and their stories (it’s so much easier with males!) But what about Mary and Emma? There’s a marriage between a Mary Forman and Samuel Lukens in 1857. Could it be her? We see an Emma Lukens living with her (probable) grandmother Eliza L. Forman in 1870, so the name is familiar. But it took Mary’s death to fill in the gaps and assure us we were on the right track.

  I found this Death Notice for 2 March 1869 in the Philadelphia Public Ledger [newspaper]:

 LUKENS - At Gloucester [NJ], on the 1st inst, after a lingering illness, Mrs. Mary Lukens, in the 38th year of her age. Due notice will be given of the funeral. 

 Other information, including the fact that Eliza and her son Isaac are living in Gloucester, NJ, later make this seem to be likely our Mary Forman. But is there more to be found?? The fact that the death notice said “due notice will be given of the funeral” made me think there must have been another announcement a day or so later in the paper. But my searches at Newspapers.com and GenealogyBank were returning nothing. So… I had to dig a bit and look through the papers myself, but I found this in the 3 March 1869 Public Ledger (and boy, am I glad I kept digging!):

LUKINS - On the 1st inst. at Gloucester, N.J., Mrs. MARY LUKINS, widow of Samuel Lukins, and daughter of Eliza Lake and the late Samuel L. Forman, aged 38 years. The relatives and friends, and Southwark Union No 11 U.C. of B and S are respectfully invited to attend her funeral, from the residence of her brother, Mr. Wm L. Forman No 609 Fisher Street, near Tasker street, Philadelphia, on Thursday afternoon, at 2 o'clock. to proceed to Ebenezer Vault. 

 Here are the things we learn from that short listing:

 1 - On the short and simple obituary her surname is spelled “Lukens”, which is how it is spelled in every other document found except on the detailed obituary, when it was spelled “Lukins” so it didn’t show up in my searches. So a lesson for the researcher there! 

2 - Mary was in fact married to Samuel Lukens. (He died in 1863, leaving their only living child, Emma, an orphan.)

3 - Mary is the daughter of Eliza Lake and Samuel L. Forman. We have no doubt now that this is the right family. 

4 – Eliza’s maiden name is used here – Lake – only the 2nd record I have found which uses it. 5 – Mary’s brother is William L. Forman, who we have discussed several times before. 

So what’s in a name? Quite a lot when you consider various spellings that can hide information.

  Something that struck me after learning of Mary’s early death is what her mother Eliza lived through in her 90 years: - Husband Samuel Longstreet Forman died at age 39. - Daughter Emma Forman died in 1856 at age 20, unmarried. - Daughter Mary Forman Lukens died in 1869 (see above) at age 38. - Both her daughters-in-law died young (William L.’s wife Amanda died in 1875 at age 39. Isaac’s wife, Hannah died in 1872 at age 27.) - 2 grandbabies (at least) died very young. (Samuel L. and George, who we talked about before.) - In 1870 Mary’s daughter, Emma (probably named after Mary’s sister, Emma), is living with her grandmother, so it’s likely that Eliza had to take over mothering the child when she was already in her late 60’s. I can’t imagine how it would be to bury a loved one every time you turned around! And we haven’t yet figured out who Eliza’s parents or siblings are, so there could be even more heartbreak in her life. While we’re on that subject, pray for us to find Eliza’s family please! The Lake family has deep roots in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas, but I haven’t yet been able to place her in any of the off-shoots.