Catherine Rutgers Conger (1830 - 1868)

Born 31 May 1830 in New York, New York

Ancestors

Wife of Leander Van Ess Robinson — married 11 Jun 1857 in Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, New York County, New York, United States

Descendants

Died 6 Aug 1868 at age 38 in Washington, Warren, New Jersey, United States

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Biography

Birth and Early Life

Catherine Rutgers Conger, the daughter of John Smith Conger MD and Sarah Bogart, was born on 31 May 1830 on East Broadway, New York City. ^[1][2] She was living with her family in New York City in June 1855^[3] and again on the 1860 Census along with her husband at 30 West 35 St, New York City.^[4][5]

Marriage

On 11 Jun 1857 she and Leander Robinson were married at the home of her father, John Smith Conger, by the Rev. Thomas DeWitt of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church, New York City, New York.^[6][7] It is not known how they met but it could have been by her brother Abraham Conger who was later in law practice with her husband Leander.

Family

Their first child was Sarah Conger born 1858 in New York County. A son, Willhelmus was born in 1859, and another son, Leander in 1865 followed by a daughter, Eliza Day in 1867. Early in their marriage, she and Leander lived in the home of her father in Manhattan^[8] Around 1862 they moved to Warren (now Haverstraw), New York which was close to where her brother Abraham Conger and her husband's law partner lived.

Death

On or around Tuesday, 27 Jul 1868, Catherine travelled by boat on the Hudson River from her home in Haverstraw, New York to her sister Sarah’s home in New Jersey where 10 days later she suddenly died of unknown causes at the age of 38 years, 2 months, 6 days.^[9] The next day (Friday, 7 Aug 1868) her body was transported home by boat. Her obituary reads as follows, "At the residence of the Rev. E. D. Byran, Washington, New Jersey on Thursday, Aug 6th inst (abbreviation used to refer to the current month) Catharine Rutgers Conger, wife of L. V. E Robinson, Esq of this village, aged 38 years. Mrs Robinson left her home ten days ago to visit her sister, at Washington, N. J. While there she was taken suddenly sick, and on the second day during which time there was no interval of consciousness expired. Her body was brought home on Friday evening last by the same boat on which a few days before she went away in health and joyous spirits Her funeral was attended on Saturday from her late residence. The services were conducted by Rev. Messrs. Stewart, Tunison and McMahon, and many bereaved hearts were comforted by the words of Scripture, which furnished the theme of remark on the occasion, But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." On Monday, the body was taken to Greenwood to rest with kindred dust until the morning of the resurrection.Mr. Robinson and his bereaved family circle have the sympathies of many friends in this sudden and severe affliction.^[9] She was buried 10 Aug 1868 in the Conger plot (lot 600, section 119) in Green Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York. ^{[10] [11]}

Her husband apparently was devastated by her death and in late December 1868, four months after Catherine's death he travelled with his father, Phineas, to the home of his sister, Mary Coleman, in Green Cove Springs, Florida to recover his health. However, soon after arriving he died suddenly of congestion of the brain. ^[12] Their children went to live with relatives. The two oldest children, Sarah and Wilhelmus, went to live with the family of their uncle, Abraham Conger, and their maternal aunt, Mary Rutgers Conger, in Waldberg (now Congers), Rockland Co., New York.^[13] Their youngest child, Eliza (Lillie) Day Robinson, age 2, went to live with a maternal aunt, Mary Bogart Conger Freeman and uncle, the Rev. Amasa Freeman, in Haverstraw, New York.^[14] She was later adopted by them.

Note: On the 1860 Federal US Census, Leander's name was mistakenly written as Louisa, all other family member names were correct.^[15]

1. ↑ "New York, New York City Marriage Records, 1829-1938", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24Z1-NWG : 20 August 2022), Leander N. E. Robinson and Cath. R. Conger, 1857.
2. ↑ “East New York Man With Distinguished Ancestry”, The Daily Standard Union, Brooklyn, 14 July 1907, page 10. Kings County, New York. Repository: https://fultonsearch.org/papers
3. ↑ New York, State Census, 1855, Ward 21, New York County, New York, USA, District E.D. 3, Household Number 372, Line Number: 29
4. ↑ The Eighth Federal Population Census of US (1860). 1st District, 21st Ward, New York County, New York, Roll 819, p.764, National Archives & Records Administration Address, Washington, DC
5. ↑ Trow's New York City Directory, 1858-9, page 680 (Compiled by H. Wilson), Publisher: John F. Trow, 50 Greene St, New York, New York), Repository: www.Googlebook.com
6. ↑ Ancestry.com: U.S., Newspaper Extractions from the Northeast, 1704-1930 for Catharine Rutgers Conger, New York, Christian Intelligencer of the Reformed Dutch Church, Marriage, 1854-1860
7. ↑ Wedding Certificate from the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church -document in personal records of S. Ullrich, see attached scanned image
8. ↑ The Eighth Federal Population Census of US (1860) 1st District, 21st Ward, New York County, New York, Roll 819, p.764, National Archives & Records Administration Address, Washington, DC, Ancestry.com.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Rockland County Messenger, Warren, NY, Publisher: Robert Smith Village of Warren, Haverstraw, N.Y. August 13, 1868, Page 2, column 5, Died, Image 2. url: https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031487/1868-08-13/ed-1/seq-2/
10. ↑ Find a Grave: url: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21162768/catherine-rutgers-robinson
11. ↑ Database search: https://www.green-wood.com/burial-search
12. ↑ "Death of L.V.E. Robinson, Esq. District Attorney" notice in the Rockland County Messenger, Volume XXIII, No. 38, 21 January 1869; url: https://news.hrvh.org/veridian/?a=d&d=rocklandmessenger18690121.2.8&e=------186-en-20--1--txt-txIN-Leander+Robinson------
13. ↑ Household of Abraham Conger, 1870 US Federal Census, Census Place: Clarkstown, Rockland, New York; Roll: M593_1087; Page: 467; Image: 105.
14. ↑ Household of Amasa Freeman, 1870 US Federal Census, Census Place: Warren, Rockland, New York; Roll: M593_1087; Page: 549B
15. ↑ The Eighth Federal Population Census of US (1860). 1st District, 21st Ward, New York County, New York, Roll 819, p.764, National Archives & Records Administration Address, Washington, DC