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Andrew William Marks / Mark

Andrew William Marks, is my maternal grandfather.  I never knew him. He died when my mother was 7 years old of meningitis in 1915. Nobody has passed down any stories (except for his cause of death). I have put together the following information I gathered during my Genealogy Do-Over project this week from documents obtained from my cousin James Brooks. His grandmother, my Aunt Margaret, sent away for vital records in 1944, thank you Aunt Margaret. I doubt I would have found this information on my own.

  • My grandfather Andrew William Marks was born Anders Wilhelm Mørk, son of Anders K. Pallesen Mørk and Margrethe Budolfsen Mørk in Racine, Wisconsin on 04 Apr 1877 1
  • He went by the name of William. Wilhelm was used in the 1880 US Federal Census and Willie was used on the 1895 Iowa State Census. Although I believe they americanized their surname from Mørk to Mark, the family appears to use Mark or Marks, and neither is used consistently. 2 3 4
  • He was Baptized on 27 May 1877 at the Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church by Rev. A. M. Andersen. Witnesses were: Albert Mørk, Carl Hyttel and A.K.P. Mørk, Father. 1
  • His family moved to Clay, Iowa, USA before 29 Apr 1879 (when his brother Christian Emil was born).2
  • Williams father, Anders, was a farmer and his mother stayed home keeping house. The 1880 census shows Anders with Inflammation of the heart as reason for being out of work. 2
  • Anders Christian Pallesen Mørk (Williams father), died 16 Dec 1893 at the age of 43. Anders went by the name Andrew Mark. His Tombstone reads Anders Mark. Anders is buried at Vinje Cemetery in Callender, Webster, Iowa, USA. William, the oldest living child, was only 16 when his father died. 5
  • After the death of Anders, the family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where they are found in the 1900 census, living at 1007 North 30th Ave., owning their home with a mortgage. William and brother Christian appear to be supporting the family as Day Laborers.  4
  • William marries my grandmother Nina Larsen on 12 Sep 1905 in the Pella Lutheran Church, Omaha, Nebraska by Rev. A. M. Nielsen. Witnesses were Mr. Charley Mark and Miss Elisa Jensen. There was a celebration at Margaret Marks (Williams mother) residence after the ceremony. 6

 

Andrew Wm Mark & Anina Larsen Marriage Certification.
Andrew Wm Mark & Anina Larsen Marriage Certification.
  • William and Nina had two daughters while in Omaha, Nebraska. Margaret Anna, born 22 Jun 1906 and Eleanor Alberta (my mother), born 27 Jan 1908. They owned their own home with a mortgage at 2860 Miami Street, Omaha, Nebraska. William was a brick layer in the construction business. 8 9 10
  • William moved his family to San Francisco, California sometime after 1910 and before 28 Oct 1913, when their son, William Andrew Marks was born in San Francisco. I imagine there was a lot of building going on in San Francisco at this time, due to the earth quake in 1906 and the upcoming 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, so is likely the reasons for them moving. 10 11
  • William died on 21 Jul 1915 of Meningitis (unverified) in San Francisco, California, at the young age of 38 and is buried in the Olivet Memorial park Cemetery, in Colma, San Mateo, California.12 13

 

  • Williams mother, Margaret, died 30 Dec 1920, in Hood River, Oregon at the age of 70. 14

I am still searching for information on my grandfather William.  I’d like to see if there are any land records or possibly probate records.

I have no pictures of him and the only family story passed down is that he died of Meningitis.

But, I can keep searching for clues, add him to www.findagrave.com, place virtual flowers on his memorial and write a story pulled from the wonderful documents given to me. Thanks to my ‘cousin’ Jim Brooks, who went to the Olivet Memorial Park Cemetery, Colma, California, in 2011 and took pictures of his tombstone.

Andrew William Marks 1877-1915. Photo by James Brooks

Sources:

  1. Bethesda Evangelical Lutheran Church (Norw. L.C.),Racine, Wisconsin. Certificate of Baptism, Privately Held by Pat Burns,  Apex, NC. 2015. Certificate of Baptism 1877, issued 1944. Vol. for 1875, p. 3.
  2. 1880 U.S. census, Webster County, Iowa, population schedule, Clay, Enumeration District 221, p. 490B penned, dwelling 1007, family 332, for Andrew Mark family of Wilhelin Mark: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 28 Jan 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication T9, roll 369, image 0683.
  3. 1885 Iowa state census, Webster County, population schedule, Clay Township, p. 6 dwelling 59, family 61, for William Mark in Andrew Mark Family, State Historical Society of Iowa via Heritage Quest (ancestry.com accessed 28 Jan 2015) No FHL microfilm number provided.
  4. 1895 Iowa state census, Webster County, population schedule, Clay Township, p. 3 dwelling 13, family 13, for William Mark in Maggie Mark Family, State Historical Society of Iowa via Heritage Quest (ancestry.com accessed 28 Jan 2015) No FHL microfilm number provided.
  5. Find A Grave.com, digital record, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 30 Jan 2015), memorial for Andrew C. Mark , Find A Grave Memorial #17083154,Callender, Webster County, Iowa.
  6. F.G. Rasmussen, Pastor of Pella Lutheran Church, Omaha Nebraska, “To whom this may concern”. Margaret Jensen. Letter. 19 June 1944. Copy privately held by Pat Burns Apex, North Carolina.
  7. 1900 U.S. census, Douglas County, Nebraska, population schedule, West Omaha, Enumeration District 115, p. 19 penned, dwelling 1007, family 332, for William Mark family of Andrew Mark: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 28 Jan 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll 926, image 36.
  8. Nebraska. Certificate of Birth. Omaha, Douglas County.22 Jun 1906. Margaret Anna Markk, M-620.. Birth No. 126 267-06
  9. Nebraska. Certificate of Birth. Omaha, Douglas County. 27 Jan 1908. Eleanor Alberta Mark, M-620.. Birth No. 126 20-08
  10. 1910 U.S. census, Douglas County, Nebraska, population schedule,  Omaha Ward 12, Enumeration District 0093, p. 4B penned, dwelling 1007, family 332, for William Mark family of Andrew Mark: digital images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 30 Jan 2015); from National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll 844.
  11. State of California, California Birth Index, 1905-1995,” database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 30 Jan 2015, for William A Marks.
  12. California Department of Health and Welfare. California Vital Records-Vitalsearch. (Ancestry.com accessed 28 Jan 2015.) Death of Andrew W Marks, 21 Jul 1915, San Francisco, Calfiornia, USA.
  13. Find A Grave.com, digital record, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 30 Jan 2015), memorial for Andrew William Marks, Find A Grave Memorial #134948763,Callender, Webster County, Iowa.
  14. Find A Grave.com, digital record, Find A Grave (http://www.findagrave.com: accessed 30 Jan 2015), memorial for Margrethe B “Margaret” Budofsen Mark, Find A Grave Memorial #134949661,Colma, San Mateo County, California.
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