Dear Grandchildren,
This is another American Indian line through your mother's side of your family.
Your 4th Great Grandfather was American Indian Nelson Mundon
who was born sometime around 1823 in New York. He married a woman named
Margaret Herring, daughter of ____ and Elizabeth Herring of Ulster County, NY
which is a neighboring county.
One son was Thomas Mundon who is your 3rd Great Grandfather.
Nelson's grandson, Daniel Mundon is your Great Great
Grandfather. Your Great Grandmother was Cathryn Julia
Mundon who married Red Pfiel.
NELSON MUNDON
1850
CENSUS FOR NY
WHITE
The earliest record I have found for Nelson is the 1850 Census for the State of
NY. Nelson was 27 and worked as a laborer. His wife Margaret 24
(born about 1826) . They are listed as White.
Their children then were
Julia (Lulu?) who was 5 (born 1845), William 3 (born 1847) and
Elizabeth 1 (born 1849).
1852 Along comes your
3rd Great Grandfather. Thomas was born around 1852 in NY.
1860
Mulatto
Our next proof is the 1860 Census for Catskill NY.
Julia is now 15, William W. is now 12 and Elizabeth is 11.
Thomas is 9 and Charles is 3. Two new kids since the last
census!
1870
Mulatto
Our next major proof is the 1870 Census for
NY. Nelson is now a Coachman and owns his land/home valued at $2000 and
has $500 worth of personal valuables. Margaret is staying at home with the
family. She, by the way, was born in NJ. As a coachman in NY
he likely drove a horse(s) and carriage of some type. No known which type.
Since his home is of good value for 1870, he may actually be using his own
horses and carriages/wagons. His son, Thomas Mundon (your 3xGG) at 18 is
also a Coachman so he may well be working in a family business, or they both got
jobs with an owner of this type of business. Note that although he is a
coachman, Nelson and Margaret cannot read or write Thomas is listed as can read,
but not write. Interestingly in the 1700s and beyond reading and writing were
separate learnings. So people really could read, at least to some extent,
but not be able pen even their name, instead using their "mark," an X which was
typically witnessed by someone who could do both. Someone using an X may
have been able to read, but not write. Foreign to our day!
Their children William and Elizabeth are no longer listed on the 1870
Census and all are likely grown and with their own families. They would
now be 23 and 21.
Son Charles is 14 and at school and was born in NY around 1856.
Newest
Daughter Mary is 8 (1862 NY) is attending school.
With them are Daniel Varick and
his wife, their daughter, Julia Mundon Varick, ages 27 and 25
respectively. He is a waiter and Julia a servant, both
born in NY.
The 1870 Census lists the Mundon family as "Mulatto". This family is
listed at times as White, or Mulatto, or Black and finally in the 1940s the
Native American listings appear. About time!
1880
Mulatto
Bouncing forward 10 years to the next census,
Nelson and Margaret are now 56 and 55 which is more like it. They are
now Mulatto and live in Catskill NY. With them are daughter Elizabeth who is
now 18, Charles 23, Mary 17, and their new youngest daughter Ella 8. Elizabeth was 1 year old in the
1850 Census and not in the 1870 listing and now reappears in the 1880 census -
30 years later, living at home again with the age listed as 27. These
Mundon women sure have age changes!
Nelson is a "Cartman" now but his son Charles is a "Coachman." Difference?
Five doors down the road is son Thomas and his wife Julia and their daughter
Nettie. Thomas still works as a cartman or a coachman. He and Julia L. are
27 and their new baby is a mere six months old.
15 June 1898 Probated Will of Mom,
Margaret A. Mundon of Catskill NY, is signed May 2, 1898:
THOMAS
R.
MUNDON
Your 3rd Great Grandfather was American Indian Thomas
R. Mundon
who was born in 1852 in NY.
1875 NY Census:
BLACK In the 1870 Census,
Thomas was listed as 18 (born 1852) and 5 years later in the 1875 NY Census, he
is listed as 22 years old (born 1852) and now he is Black.
1880 CENSUS FOR CATSKILL NY
Mulatto
Thomas, per the 1900 Federal Census married Julia LNU in 1880.
Thomas Mundon is now Mulatto listed and is a cartman born
in NY to a NY born dad and a NJ born mom.
Julia L, his wife, is Mulatto and keeps house. She was born
in NY to NY born parents.
They have a daughter Nettie (Jennett or Jinnett) who is 6 months
old and born in NY.
New
York, State Census, 1892
BLACK
Thomas (black) Mundon is 40 and she 39. He is a "truckman". With them are
their children Nettie, Minnie, and Daniel (Your Great, Great Granddad).
1900 Federal Census
in Catskill Village NY - 8 years later:
BLACK
Thomas and Julia Mundon are listed as
Black. T
hey married in 1880. He is 48 and she
is 46. He is born December
1851; she is born Sept 1853. They have had 4 children, 3 living., Both
born in NY to NY born parents. He is a "carman" (should this be "cartman")
and she is a "laundress" Their children are Jinnett, born October 1979
(Black) Minnie Mundon (Mrs. Rone), born May 1881 and married to John Rone,
son-in-law both "Black" and Daniel Mundon born August 1885 ("Black")
NATIVE
AMERICAN DANIEL BARIKE MUNDON
YOUR
GREAT, GREAT GRANDFATHER
1930 US Census
for Greene County, East Jewett Town, NY
WHITE
Born
12 AUG 1885
Catskill NY
Died:
1963 Albany NY
Daniel attended Catskill Academy and Union Free
School in his elementary years where he was listed on the Star
Roll. Ex: 1893 and 1894 news articles in the Catskill
Recorder.
His sisters Nettie and Minnie also appeared on Star Roll in
1893:
June 1893 "Dannie" Mundon promoted to 3rd Primary:
Daniel married Alice Jane Arlene Brandow, your
Great, Great Grandmother. She was WHITE
and he was
American Indian
.
1930 US Census
for Greene County, East Jewett Town, NY
WHITE
Daniel, Alice, and their
children are listed as "White" in the 1930 census. He is a
cook.
1940
US Census Jewett Town, NY
American Indian
Finally, we have Daniel listed
as he truly is, and as his family before him of Mundons were:
American Indian. Interestingly, it appears he married a
white woman and all of their children are listed as "White"
instead of American Indian (IN). In censuses past his wife
and children were listed as he was...black, mulatto. The
entire family in this census were each born in NY to NY born
parents. Daniel is 52 and Alice is 34. Daughters
Cathryn J. Mundon (YOUR GREAT GRANDMOTHER who is 16), Anna May
R. Mundon, Dolores A. Mundon, and Edith L. Mundon who are your
Great Aunts. Alice only went to 4th grade, but Daniel and
Cathryn went to the first year of high school.
Daniel was a roadwork laborer.
American Indian
In 1942 Daniel had to register
for the WWII Draft. Here we have further proof that he was
an American Indian and we now know his middle name was Barike.
He was born on August 12, 1885 in Catskill NY and he is short at
5'3", weighs 135 pounds, has brown eyes and black hair, and his
skin is dark. He has a scar on his neck, but we do not
know more about this. LOOK at his signature - cursive and
very nice.
NATIVE
AMERICAN
CATHRYN JULIA MUNDON
YOUR
GREAT GRANDMOTHER
WHITE
When Cathryn Julia Mundon was born on September 26, 1923, in
New York, her father, Daniel, was 38 and her mother, Alice, was
21. She had one son and one daughter with Emmett Leroy 'Red'
Pfiel, your GREAT GRANDFATHER. She then married Peter Tropasso
in February 1965 in Volusia County, Florida. She then married
Alex Milo Gallagher on May 15, 1981, in Orlando, Florida.
Cathryn died on April 24, 1984, in Orlando, Florida, at the age
of 60.
Your Great Grandfather, Emmett Leroy "Red" Pfiel is
buried at
Good Shepherd Memorial Gardens Ocala, Marion County, FL.
He served in WWII and his grave reflects this by an
inscription: PVT 1/C 6th Corp Artillery Batt, WWII.
Your Grandfather, Douglas Daniel Pfiel died in Orlando in
1980.
