Rockerfeller Road house

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: Bethlehem, Albany, New York, United States

Contents 1 Dedication 2 Biography 3 Marriage 4 Research Notes 5 Sources

Dedication

Several generations of Sue Townsend's family have lived on Rockerfeller Road, next to Normansville Crick, in Bethlehem, New York, United States. Rockerfeller Road was in a small neighborhood, with a white chapel and a narrow bridge that crossed over to Delaware Ave on the other side of the creek.

Sue's family lived in the house at 711 Delaware Ave, moved away, moved back to Rockerfeller Road. Her aunt lived at 711 Delaware Ave for awhile. Sue's family lived in Rockerfeller Road house, her other aunt moved next door to them. Sue's family moved away again, and Sue's birth father and family lived in the Rockerfeller Road house for awhile. Sometimes, 3 families, all related, lived next door to each other. Lots of family history in those 3 or 4 houses. It seems less about the families and more of an anthology of the tiny neighborhood.

Sue plans to add here a map of the little area, if she can find one that old. This will be a new project, never done anything similar. However, this complexity over 4 generations is noteworthy.

Biography

1950 Federal census^[1] shows Amelia and husband George Watson living at Rockerfeller Road. Their son George Jr lives with them. Next door is Clarence Covely, wife Chrissy and four children. Chrissy is Christina Townsend, full sister to Sue's birth father George Townsend. Sue was living with Floyd and Christina Townsend, and their youngest son Ron. They were living across the creek in 711 Delaware Ave. In 1951 they moved to Schenectady where Sue started school and Ron finished high school at Draper. The Covely family moved to 711 Delaware Ave and about that time, John and Irene Plumley and 4 children moved to Rockerfeller Road.

Marriage

Joseph H Deguise (1874-1936) married Anna Marie (Szesnat) Deguise (1881-1954) 13 Sep 1902 in Schuylerville, New York, USA ^[2]

Together they had 2 daughters:

1. Amelia Grace Deguise (1907-2002), who married George Joseph Watson (1901-abt.1985). Together they had 2 chidren:
   1. George "J" Watson Jr (1926-2008)
      • When "J" re-uped Jun 1946, draft card showed the family was living at 5 Rockerfeller Road.
   2. Lois Eleanor (Watson) Marr (1928-2011), who married Floyd Lewis Marr Sr (1928-2005), also became Sue Townsend's God mother. They had 5 children: only deceased are named here.
      1. Floyd Jr ( known as Floyde) grew up to marry Sue's God child "Terri".
2. Ruth L (Deguise) Hanley (1909-abt.1977), who married William Hanley Jr (1904-1975). Together they had 2 daughters:
   1. Anna Ruth Hanley (1928-1992)
   2. Patricia Pearl Hanley (1931-2009), who married Sue Townsend's birth father George Townsend. Together they had 6 children.

Anna Marie (Szesnat) Deguise (1881-1954)'s burial card says her last residence was 5 Rockerfeller Road. She died 3 Jul 1954. Sue Townsend's family was living in the next house on Rockerfeller Road at the time and Sue had no idea that the lady who died was related to her.^[3]

Name Mrs Anna Marie Szesnat DeGuise

Birth Date 1883

Birth Location Germany

Death Date 3 Jul 1954

Age at Death 71

Death Location Poughkeepsie, Dutchess, New York

Spouse Joseph H De Guise

Section Number of Burial 83

Lot Number of Burial 166

Research Notes

More will be added frequently.

Sources

1. ↑ United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Bethlehem, Albany, NY(accessed 30 Sep 2022)
2. ↑ Certificate Number: 17547
3. ↑ Menands, New York, Albany Rural Cemetery Burial Cards, 1791-2011(acessed 29 Sep 2022)