Ancestor Profile: Caroline “Carrie” Meyer

I am going to start a new series where I profile my ancestors and relatives starting with my great-grandmother, Caroline Meyer, also known as Carrie or Carolina. I never met her as she died before I was born, but here is what I have been able to find out about her through my research. Please comment anything additional you may know or if I have anything wrong. I would also love to hear any memories you have of/with her!

She was born 25 Mar 1883 in New York to parents Jean Baptiste Meyer (“John”) and Anna Marie Schneider from Germany. She had an older sister named Anna Elizabeth (1881-1953) and a baby brother named John who died as an infant in 1886. On 9 Apr 1902, she married Ernest Francis Schluter in Philadelphia. Two years later, she gave birth to Maria, who was born prematurely and died the same day. On 17 Jul 1905, she gave birth to Anna. The following year, her husband Ernest died, leaving her a widowed mother at the young age of 23.

In 1909, she married her second husband William James Wilkins Sr. in New Jersey. They had 4 children, Carolyn Marie Anna (1910-1995), Cora (1911-1912), William James Jr. (1912-1990), and Alexander Martin (1914-1975). I am told she had 14 children total, but many died in childbirth or at a very young age. The four who lived to adulthood were Anna, Carolyn, William Jr., and Alexander. Her 2nd husband, my great-grandfather William, died on 11 Feb 1932 in Philadelphia.

The only occupations I have been able to find evidence of is that she was a housewife in 1915 and a housekeeper at a private home in 1940 (as noted in Census documents). In her later years, she lived at 23 Garden Street in Mount Holly, New Jersey. On 12 Feb 1963, she died at the age of 79 in her home and was buried in Sacred Heart Cemetery (formerly St. Mary’s Cemetery).

Fun facts from family members who knew her: She loved candy and always had a drawer-full. She also had a big, loud laugh. Oh how I wish I could have heard it! My uncle remembers her playing -and cheating- at Solitaire. He also remembers hearing her cussing in German which cracks me up. She sounds like a hoot!

I have a couple questions if anyone reading this knows the answers:

• What is her middle name? Her gravestone shows it as beginning with a K.
• What are the names of her other children who died as an infant/young child?
• Do you have any photos of her? I would love to see them.

Since I have no memories of her, I would love to hear yours if you have any. Please share your memories and photos of her in the comments below.