Andrew Conning and his Last Will and Testament

One way to get a glimpse of folks from long ago is to look at their last will and testament. 

Andrew Conning, a veteran of Captain Vanderheyden's Third Regiment of the Albany County Militia during the Revolutionary War*, signed his February 9, 1827. 

In it he makes $100 bequests to each of his five daughters, (oldest to youngest) Judith (who married Peter Van Guysling), Anna (Moses Wallice), Ellen, Elizabeth (Matthew Pinkney), and Phebe. 

Also in there are his three sons who were still living at the time: Andrew, James and Alexander. Plus he mentions his deceased son William. (He left $5 to his grandson William, William's son).

The person he does not mention is his wife Betsey Wood who died February 3, 1827, just a few days before he signed off on his will. 

He directs his executors "my body I commit to the earth to be buried at the discretion of my children." Which they did in a small burial ground on the family farm. Conning's land was on both sides of New Scotland Road near the intersection of modern day Couse Lane and Maple Avenue.   

Betsey Wood Conning 1762-1827 (pic from Findagrave)

Andrew Conning 1747-1827 (pic from Findagrave)

What I find really interesting in his will is the fact that he is concerned with the deposition of his land, some of which he didn't even have the deed or lease to yet.  Conning directed that his son Alexander receive 30 acres of land which "is supposed to be part of my farm of which I have not obtained a lease of Stephen Van Rensselaer, Esq." Then he states that if the lease doesn't come thru, Alexander can have 20 acres of the his own farm.  

The same land is involved with the daughters' bequests as well. They get their $100 immediately "should I obtain a lease of certain lands now in my possession of Stephen Van Rensselaer, Esq." If no lease happens, their legacy gets paid out over a number of years.

These two bequests point to the time when Bethlehem was part of the Manor of Rensselaerwick and land was leased from the Van Rensselaer's for payment of annual rent. These leases could be passed down via a will and are often referenced in deeds (sometimes called indentures) for local properties.  The manor was established in the mid to late 1600s and continued to be a thing until the Anti-Rent Wars that occurred after Stephen Van Rensselaer's death in 1839.

And apparently, Andrew's grandson, also Andrew, was still fighting with the Van Rensselaer heirs in the 1840s. Here's a quote from Allison Bennett's article "Country property in town" dated February 4, 1987:

It was his grandson, Andrew Conning, who on May 20, 1848 had litigation with Stephen Van Rensselaer concerning two separate parcels of land in this area, one of 97 acres and one of 120 acres, on the east side of New Scotland Road. The younger Andrew Conning was responsible for building the gracious brick dwelling that stands today at 1458 New Scotland Road. Originally, the house served as the focal point of a country farm, but now it is within the hamlet of Slingerlands and the farm land has been gobbled up by housing development and the Cherry Avenue Extension leading to New Scotland Road.

Also, I love her turn of phrase "gobbled up". That is certainly still happening in Bethlehem today!

William Conning's house, about 1987, from Allison Bennett's article which was published in the Spotlight.

++++++

* In the book New York in the Revolution, Conning's last name is spelled Connag, reflecting his Scottish heritage.  Other online resources indicate he and his family were associated with the Presbyterian Church, a church with strong Scottish roots. Also, this is the only place I find that spelling which is interesting.  

And in case you are curious, below is my transcript of the will that is available on Ancestry. I did not write out the codicil (dated March 22, 1827). In it he notes that he received deeds to land from his sons.  But I really don't know how that is related to the leases he mentions in the will. 

Andrew Conning

The Record of his last Will and Testament    September 8^th 1827. And of the

Codicil thereto.

 

In the name of God Amen. I Andrew Conning of the Town of Bethlehem in County of Albany and State of New York, do make and declare this my last Will and Testament: Fist I resign my soul into the hands of the Almighty, and my body I commit to the Earth to be buried at the discretion of my children, and my worldly estate real and personal, I give and devise as follows.

First

I give and devise to my youngest Son James Conning all that part of my farm lying and being on the south east side of the road leading from the Old New Scotland Rod to Archibald McCormick’s to have and told during his natural like, and at his death the descent to his natural heirs.

Secondly

I give and devise to my second Son Alexander Conning and his lawful heirs thirty acres of land adjourning lands now owned by Robert Hall Jun to contain a suitable proportion of cleared wood lands to be adjusted by the Executors hereinafter mentioned, the above thirty acres is supposed to be a part of my farm of which I have not obtained a lease of Stephen Van Rensselaer, Esq, and in case a lease is not obtained, then in lieu of the above I give and

{page break}

To him the same Alexander, twenty acres of my [old?] farm to be located by the Executors hereinafter mentioned, to contain a suitable portion of cleared and wood land, to have and to hold during his natural life, and after his death to descend to his lawful heirs. The wood on the same to be used only for building on and fencing the above premises, and fuel for his families us.

Thirdly

I give and bequeath to my oldest son Andrew Conning Jun all the remaining part of my lands and tenements and personal estate on condition that he pays all my lawful and honest debts, and the legacies hereinafter named.

Fourthly

I give and bequeath to my oldest daughter Judith wife of Peter Van Guysling, also to my second daughter Anna wife of Moses Wallice, also to my third daughter Ellen, also to my fourth daughter Elizabeth wife of Matthew Pinkney, also to my fifth daughter Phebe, and also to my sixth daughter Charlotte, each the sum  of One Hundred dollars to be paid as hereafter directed should I obtain a lease of certain lands now in my possession of Stephen Van Rensselaer Esq, but if such lease be not obtained, then the sum of One hundred dollars, to be reduced, twenty five percent [wiggly line] viz to each of my above named daughters one year after my deceased the sum of Ten dollars, and ten dollars to each annually thereafter until the said legacies be discharged.

Fifthly

I give and bequeath to my grand-son William Conning the son of my deceased son William Conning, the sum of five dollars, to be paid one year after my decease.

I do hereby appoint my trusty and well beloved friends viz my Son Andrew Conning Jur, the Rev. Thomas Holliday and Thomas Lloyd Executors of this my Last Will and Testament hereby revoking all former wills by me made, In Witness whereof I have hereby set my hand and seal the ninth day of February in the Year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty seven.

Andrew Conning

So many Winnes! John D. Winne

There are so many Winnes in Bethlehem history!

I've been trying to focus on Revolutionary War veterans William Winne and John D. Winne because they each have one of those blue and yellow historic markers.

John D Winne's marker getting a refresh August 2025

But I keep getting side tracked by a bunch of other Winnes.

Like Pieter D. Winne (1699-1759) and Rachel Van Allen Winne (1700-1775). Their old Dutch style farm house still stands on Creble Road. 

I took this photo in 2008.  It hasn't changed much in all of these years.

Or their son Daniel P. Winne's (1720-1800) house, that is currently at the Metropolitan Museum in N.Y.C. His wife's name is Jannetje DeForest (1722-1795). Follow the link for lots of good info on this type of architecture.

https://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/the-american-wing/period-rooms/dutch-room

This image is from the MET website referenced above. It shows a "conjectural rendering of the Daniel Pieter Winne House" built in 1751. 

Or how about their ancestor Peter Winne (1609-1693) who came here in the 1650s? He was known as "de Vlamingh" which is Dutch for "the Flemming" because he came from Ghent in Flanders (a Dutch speaking area now in Belgium) and people from Flanders were known as Flemmings.  He leased a mill site from the Patroon in 1677 and the creek it was on became known as the Vloman Kill or the Flemming's Creek. We still know it by that name today.  Between his two wives, Pieter had 14 children, 2 with Aechie Van Schaick (1612-1647) and 12 with Tannetje Adams (1638-1697)

Or how about Barent Winne whose dock on the Hudson River was a hub of commercial activity in the late 1800s? Or Esley Winne who built the iconic Four Corners building with its Mansard roof line that is currently occupied by I Love Books? Or John L. Winne who was town supervisor in 1883? 

How about the fact that if you look at the modern map, we've got Winne Road, Winne Place and Barent Winnie Road. All in Bethlehem.

I often reference the book Records of the People of the Town of Bethlehem. If you do a word search on "Winne" you come up with 397 hits. If you count up the first names in the index (it uses spellings Winne, Winnie and Winney) there are 140 of them (Abraham, Adaline...Susannah...Willis). Oh, and there are three different Winne family burial grounds.

That sure is a lot of Winnes! 

How about we get back to our Revolutionary War veterans, William and John D.?

From what I can piece together, I believe they were both born here in Bethlehem (remembering of course that there was not an actual Bethlehem until 1793).  It looks like William's brother was John's father, so uncle and nephew.

Lucky for us John D. Winne's Revolutionary War service is well documented in his pension application. Below is a picture of one of the pages. And also lucky for us, it has already transcribed,

Pop over here for details, https://revolutionarywarpensions.tripod.com/winne.htm  

(Note the line that starts with 1776 Capt. William Winne's Company in Col. Henry Quakenbo's Regiment - it looks like he served with his uncle for several tours of a few weeks at a time.) 

His service is poetically described in this obituary. (I found this posted on Ancestry but cannot find a citation. )  

Here are some excerpts:

Another Sire of the Revolution gone

John D. WINNE, esq., died on 30^th ult. at the residence of his son, William I. Winne, in South Pearl street, Albany, after an illness of about 3 weeks. He died [full of] years and usefulness, in the 79^th year of his age....  He was a Soldier of the Revolution and [faithfully] served his country and in those times “that tried [men’s] souls.” The heights of Saratoga and Ticonderoga record his prowess and his dangers...for he was no holiday patriot, but encountered privations and difficulties ...  After the peace he was elected a member of assembly for this county, ...he also evinced his incorruptible honesty and ... love of freedom. His memory will ever be [??] in the hearts of his relatives, his friends, his neighbors and his country.

John D. (1758-1837) was the son of Daniel P. Winne and Jannetje DeForest. He would have grown up in the house that is now down at the MET. He married Agnes Van Wie (her name is sometimes spelled in the Dutch way, Agnietje) at the Dutch Reformed Church in Albany on June 22, 1786.  They had two children baptized there, Jannetje in 1787 and Hendrick in 1789.  

A family tree posted on Ancestry reports two children Daniel, born 1791 and John I, born 1799, that I cannot find a record for. 

The documents pick up again with the Records of the People of the Town of Bethlehem where John D. and Agnes are listed as having been received as members on December 19, 1795. They then had four more children baptized there: Maria in 1796, Abraham in 1800, William in 1803 and Unis in 1805. 

Another fun website out there is called Political Graveyard where, amongst 18 other Winnes of course, we find 

"Winne, John D. - of Albany County, N.Y. Member of New York state assembly from Albany county, 1814-15. Burial location unknown."

I do like the "burial location unknown part", because we do know where it is. Its off of Elm Avenue, in a wooded plot out beyond the field behind his historic marker.

Stay tuned for more on  John D's uncle William in the next post.

 

What does it mean to be a Revolutionary War veteran "from" Bethlehem?

What does it mean to be a Revolutionary War veteran "from" Bethlehem?

So, this is a question I have wrestled with.  What makes someone "from" a place when you have an official list of those from Bethlehem.  Especially veterans.

Was the person born here?

Raised here?

Enlisted here?

Served here?

Lived here before the war? Moved here after the war?

Died here?

Are buried here?

What are the qualifications for being on the list?

Since I needed a place to start, I fell back to the list in the back of Bethlehem Revisited being careful to add those that were in the addendum that was created after publication. You can read that list here: https://bethlehemnyhistory.blogspot.com/2025/06/revolutionary-war-veterans-list.html

I was just searching thru the book for info on the Winne family (William and John D. are veterans "from" Bethlehem") and came across these paragraphs. They are in chapter 4 Bethlehem in the New Nation, not in chapter 13 Military Heritage which is the one I've been focusing on.

SIDE NOTE: I realize you can't read the pages illustrated. Follow the link for a digital copy of the book. Page 85 https://www.bethpl.org/local-history/bethlehem-revisited-a-bicentennial-story-1793-1993/

In a couple of paragraphs simply labeled "War", the article lists four people in the 1840 census who live in Bethlehem who are receiving pensions for their service in the American Revolution. Does that not make them Revolutionary War veterans "from" Bethlehem? They are not on the list in the back of the book or the addendum. Or any DAR historic marker that I am aware of. 

Now I am curious about these folks too. I think I'll add them to the list!

Veterans receiving a Revolutionary War pension listed in the 1840 Census as living in Bethlehem are:

Conrad Goss (age 90), Jacob Laraway (82), Joshua Bailey (76) and Minardt P. Vandenberg (83)

Bethlehem Revisited also includes those from nearby New Scotland:

John Ramsay (81), Garrert J. Sager (87), Christopher Winne (80) and war widow Rachel Van Hosen (80).

If you are curious, pop over to John Ramsey's Find A Grave memorial.  It has a nice write up.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16558702/john-ramsey

And here is a bit about Jacob Laraway from the Jan 30, 1847 New York Daily Herald.  Clearly he died in Bethlehem but is he "from" Bethlehem?

Jurian Hogan, sure, but who is Martha Hogan?

 In Howell and Tenney's Bi-Centennial History of Albany County, published in 1886, there is a passing reference to Revolutionary War veteran Jurian Hogan. It is found in the biography of his grandson, Jurian Winne. 

"Mr. Winne's mother was Susan Hogan, daughter of Jurian Hogan of Revolutionary fame, who was so well esteemed by the Liberal party that he was commissioned a Colonel, while the Tory party evinced their appreciation of his importance by offering a reward for his scalp. The Hogan farm of 300 acres joined the Winne farm, and the homestead is still in the possession of the family." 

While I couldn't find a reference to any bounties on Jurian Hogan's scalp, there is plenty of documentation regarding his service in the Revolution and life in general.  

He is a descendant of William Hogan who was born in Ireland and emigrated to Albany sometime before September 1692. That's when he married Albany native Martina Becker.  Pop over to the People of Colonial Albany website for more Hogan family  info https://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/h/hogan.html

There is some interesting discussion there, especially about the spelling of Hogan, and the first name Jurian (often listed as George).  Usually the People of Colonial Albany is pretty good, but their listing for Jurrian Hogan, which I think is our Jurian, has some inconsistencies.  Namely it states that he was dead by 1799. Except I have a copy of his will (referenced in that article by the way, when it was filed in 1813) to which he "hereby set his hand and seal"  in front of witnesses on July 9, 1810.  He also turns up in various Bethlehem assessment rolls and the 1800 and 1810 census in Bethlehem. 

While I couldn't place the exact location of the Hogan family's 300 acres, I do know where the Jurian Winne farm, referenced in the quote above, was located.  That farm was in the vicinity of modern day Creble Road and Long Lane, now underneath the Selkirk Rail Yard. The Hogans would have been nearby. 

The Hogan family seemed to be oriented towards the modern day hamlet of Feura Bush (remember it was still Bethlehem until 1832). The family turns up often in the records of Jerusalem Reformed Church.  Jurain (listed as George in the index but Jurian in the transcription) and his wife Hannah White had several children baptized there. Their children continued on with that church, including son Garrit Hogan & his wife Sofia Flansburgh (they had many children baptized there -seven if I am counting correctly) and the above mentioned Susan Hogan and her husband Francis Winne. Their son, Jurian Winne, was baptized there March 23, 1816. 

Sophia Flansburgh Hogan 1790-1871 (Findagrave)

Gerrit Hogan 1783-1848 (Findagrave)

Also in this book of vital records from the Jerusalem Reformed Church is a reference to a man named Prince Hogan. His death on February 12, 1872, age about 70 years, is listed under the "Death of Black People" section. I found Prince in the 1855 NY census in Bethlehem  listed as a Black male, age 46, working as a servant in household of Peter and Jane Niver (and their 8 kids!). The census reports he had lived in this town for 46 years. I interpret that to mean he was born here, around 1802 or 1809. Which means he was born a free person. Which makes me wonder about his parents and why he has the last name of Hogan.

Well, it turns out that the Hogans did enslave people. In 1800, Jurian's household of 16 people included 5 slaves. In 1810, his household included 2 free Blacks and 3 slaves. In addition, his will dated 1810,  bequeathed to daughter Mary Ann "a Negro girl named Bett" and to daughter Elosa "a Negro girl named Ginn."  Jurian Hogan also recorded the February 23, 1806 birth of a Black girl named Bett in the town record book. 

Jurain was involved in town life, and was appointed as one of the town's first Overseers of the Highway in 1794. His son Garrit was the more prominent figure having served as  Bethlehem Town Supervisor and Town Clerk, in the New York Assembly and, as one article put it, "other offices of public trust."

And who was Martha Hogan? The name turned up when I flipped the page from Jurain Hogan's war service record with G. Vanden Bergh's Regiment Albany Militia. There on the next page was the name Martha Hogan.  

Of course my mind jumped to "a woman! what?" because the word is clearly Martha.  I also found it in a different document "A List of the Names of the men Belonging To Captain William Winne on the west Side of the River" 

So, over to Google where AI told me that "while the name Martha is predominately and historically associated with females, there is evidence of its rare usage as a male name, particularly in the United States." Huh. My weird fun fact for the day.  Oh, and to tidy things up, the People of Colonial Albany listing for Jurian mentions that he had a brother named Marte or Martin. So there you go. 

(Also on this list is John D. Winne who we'll get to for the next blog post.)

George Colenburg, another man of mystery

Who the heck was George Colenburg?

Finding information on this man has been very frustrating! 

The name is spelled in many variations - Colenberg, Colenbergh, Colonburgh, Colonburough, etc. plus many versions with a double L like Collenburg.

He shows up on the list of names published in Bethlehem Revisited as a veteran of the American Revolution from Bethlehem. 

He shows up in the 1800 census in Bethlehem in a household of 5, all free white persons, 1 male ages 16-26, 1 male over age 45, 2 females 16-26 and 1 female over 45. 

Also in the 1820 census in Bethlehem in a household of 3, all free white persons, a male 16-25, a male 45 and over and 1 female over 45.

George shows up in the Red Book (The Records of the People of the Town of Bethlehem 1698-1880) only for those census reports. Nothing in the church records or burial records.

A Jacob Colonbrough shows up in the 1830 census in a household of 2 elderly, free white people, 1 female over 50 but under 60 and a male over 70 but under 80.

Also in the Red Book is a John Colenbergh listed as a member of the First Reformed Church of Bethlehem in 1810.

And that is about it.  Can't find anything on Ancestry or Find A Grave, or Billion Graves, or Google books. He's not in New York in the Revolution. Or on the online records at the National Archive. And believe me I used all sorts of name spellings, and dates and places to mix it up to see if anything turns up.

One (!!!) intriguing bit turned up on Ancestry and that is a record from the Reformed Church in Kinderhook for the baptism of Johannes Colenburg, son of Johan Colenburg and Claratje Bowle, on September 23, 1781. 

I'm not even finding much to speculate on to make up a story about George!

My next step is to reach out to the writers of Bethlehem Revisited to see where they got their information because I have not been able to confirm George's service.

In the meantime, the internet kept pointing me to Dutch Old Master painter Christiaen van Colenbergh.  So please do enjoy his painting of a boy and his dog while I do some further research.

Image: Christiaen van Colenbergh (Dutch, before 1635–after 1688), “Portrait of a Small Boy,” 1670, oil on canvas, 42 3/4 × 33 1/4 in. (108.6 × 84.5 cm), Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wiesenberger, 1956.409, Photograph © Bruce M. White, 2019

Revolutionary War Veterans - the List

For those of you keeping track...

In my on going series about Bethlehem folks impacted by the American  Revolution, I have been working off of the list below compiled from Bethlehem Revisited and the DAR historic markers. 

Becker, Dirck

Becker, Wouter

Bender, Christian

Bratt, Peter A.

Boice, Peter

Britt, Frederick

Callanan, Patrick

Colenburg, George

Conning, Andrew

Glen, Cornelius

Hogan, George

Jolly, Hugh

Leonard, John

Murdock, Zimri

Nicoll, Francis

Niver, David

Oliver, Aaron

Oliver, John

Russell, Solomon

Sager, John

Selkirk, James

Sill, Richard

Slingerland, Abraham

Slingerland, Tunis

Smith, Caleb

Soop, Conrad

Staats, Barent

Vandenbergh, Gerrit

Vanderzee, Cornelius

Van Wie, Arie

Van Wie, John

Van Wie, Peter

Winne, John

Winne, William

Eunice and Arie Van Wie

With the sesquicentennial of the American Revolution underway, I am posting about the untold stories of Bethlehem people impacted by the war.

This is a series about Bethlehem's Revolutionary War veterans and Bethlehem folks during the Revolutionary War era.  

And Arie Van Wie is recognized as one of them having served with Quakenbo's Regiment of the Albany County Militia (also known as the Third Regiment).  He was baptized at First Church in Albany on December 14, 1760, the son of Henrick Van Wie and Johanna Gardenier.   You might be familiar with Bethlehem's Van Wies Point area. The large Van Wie family have been out and about here for generations.  Just in Quakenbo's Regiment alone, there are 10 different Van Wie men listed. 

Van Wies Point boasts two historic markers dedicated to its eponymous family.

Interestingly Van Wie's service in the Albany County Militia was in 1786, the Treaty of Paris that ended the war was signed September 3, 1783. Also of interest, some documents list him as a sergeant, like this one, others a lieutenant, and another as a quartermaster.

Mr. Van Wie's name is spelled many ways across the historic record including Arie, Aurie, Aurey, Ary and Andries. 

The 1799 assessment role for Bethlehem lists Arie and Henrick Van Wie (probably his father) with a house and farm worth $5,716 and personal property of $1,015. Those are pretty high numbers for Bethlehem in 1799.  Sadly, the Van Wie's were products of their time. The 1800 U.S. census indicates Arie had a household of 17, 14 of whom were enslaved people. 

But I got intrigued by Eunice Walden, who married Arie Van Wie at the First Reformed Church of Bethlehem in July 1800.  

According to several sources, like Find a Grave and Ancestry, and our very own book Records of the People of the Town of Bethlehem, Eunice is the daughter of Nathen and Patience Walden. Those internet references also assert the family is from Nantucket. In Nantucket the last name is spelled Waldron, in New York its Walden.  From the sources I can find from the comfort of my couch, things are a bit murky, but plausible about Eunice being from Nantucket.

The Nantucket Historical Association has a database called the Barney Genealogical Record and there are no Waldens in it, but there are plenty of Waldrons including Nathan and his second wife Patience Russell and their daughter Eunice. 

(Side note: Nathan's first wife was Eunice Russell. Were the wives siblings? Cousins? Was daughter Eunice named after his first wife?) 

It reports that Eunice was born September 16, 1775 and that she first married a Mr. Rich and then a Mr. Le Van and they lived in Bethlehem.

This is the same information on an 1800 Census transcription that says Eunice (Lee Van) was 25 years old, born September 16 and lived in Bethlehem (with the word Baltimore crossed out).  I also found a copy of Nathan's will on Ancestry from 1798 that lists daughter Eunice, and his beloved wife Patience. 

(sorry I couldn't get a better image off of Ancestry)

Lee Van

Van Wie

I guess those names are close.

A sticking point is the birth date, September 16, 1775.

The gravestone transcription in the Records of the People of Bethlehem was taken in the 1950s by the Thayers (back when you think the stone would be more readable than today) and it says Eunice died March 22, 1807 aged 52 years, 6 months, 7 days.  When I saw the stone a few days ago it certainly looked like age 52.  Using a handy gravestone birth day calculator, that makes Eunice birthday September 15, 1754 which is about 20 years off the other reported birthday. Maybe the stonecutter made a mistake? Was she only 32-ish when she died?  That would also mean that when they got married in 1800, Arie was 40 and she was 25.  (And she had a first husband back on Nantucket if those records are to be believed).

Now my other bit of speculation is that I found Eunice's brother Robert buried in Hudson, New York.  

And Hudson and Nantucket have strong ties going back generations in the whaling industry. Read more here https://www.hrmm.org/history-blog/whaling-on-the-hudson

 

Eunice and Arie Van Wie's double marker at the Nicoll Sill Burial Ground, June 12, 2025.
They died just three months apart in 1807. 
The inscriptions are now barely legible. 

Nathen Walden's stone is right next to his daughter Eunice's.

Now the story I like to tell myself, and I am completely making this up, is that Eunice traveled from Nantucket to Hudson to spend some time with her brother, maybe after the tragic death of her first husband.  There she met a charming older man named Arie. They, of course, fell in love and got married at his home located on the river just north of Hudson in the little town of Bethlehem.  They had a few happy years together but were not blessed with children.  Eunice's parents Patience and Nathan, came to visit in the fall of 1806, but there was much sickness going around. Her father died that September and they buried him in the local cemetery. Patience returned to Nantucket.  That winter, in March 1807, Eunice died followed by her beloved Arie that June.  Word reached her mother and brothers and sisters in Nantucket, where they remembered Eunice fondly, but having never met Aire, they often got his name wrong. 

Anyway, like any good family story, there is probably much more to it than my simple imaginings.