End of School Year Move 1965

The move from the Bethany location at 7300 NW 39th to the 10 acre tract at 3301 N Eastern location occurred, according to a newspaper article, in late May or early June pf 1965. 

Oklahoma City Time, May 12, 1965.

The 1912 to 1920 Track to the Orphanage from Current Route 66

Old Map, 3

Old Map, 2

Old Map

The location of the Old Cemetery at St. Joseph's, Bethany, Oklahoma

Some older photos taken before expansions to the park and the nearby school.

STONES IN THE OLD CEMETERY

An individual recently contacted me about the cemetery and sent photos of stones still in the area. There is a large memorial stone in place (as noted previously) but there are three stones on the ground. One has an inscription visible.

Michael Wegner 8 Feb 1861 to 17 Oct 1930, His name, along with his two sons, are listed on the memorial marker and other records validate the information and identity.

Other records indicate this man listed in an index of Catholic Cemeteries. That source showed him (with those dates)  two children in the Catholic Cemetery in Wilburton, Latimer, OK. The others listed were an Edward A. 1903-1922 and a Joseph M. 1910-1927.

That may have been the plan to be buried there. His stone in the Bethany grave appears to indicate he was there at St. Joseph's in their Senior Adult Care Center at the time of his death. Many families had been forced to turn their children over to the care of the nuns when wives died and they themselves took ill or lost their jobs. That no doubt explains the children.

He appears to also be the man found on the 1920 Census in OKC. On that record (S.D.5, E.D. 161, Sheet 14A) was a Michael Wagner, born in Germany with children (all born in Minnesota): Francis, dau, 19; Edward 17; John 14; William 11; Joseph 9; Lee, 7.  In 1905, a man of that same name is in Norton, Winona, Minn. (That record showed a John, Lizzie and a Michael).

Are the three stones Wegman and his two sons?  The marker and other historic evidence support that conclusion.

So many people of the time saw their families decimated by illness compounded by widespread great poverty, homelessness, and joblessness of the late teens through the 1930's.

Anyone with information about this family, or these stones, please email me and I will post updated information.

INFORMATION SOUGHT ABOUT CHAPEL

Anyone with information as to who might have constructed or designed the chapel building on the grounds of the orphanage, please email researcher/writer Marilyn A. Hudson. Are there other buildings in the region that used this same floor plan?

ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to circumstances beyond my control, this page will not be added to for the foreseeable future.  This has been a labor of service to help those who lived in the orphanage make connections, learn about their 'home', etc. Many wonderful people shared their information, photos, etc.  At this time, however, this page will be going to sleep for a while.

A Comment

Eric Stell has left a new comment on your post "1912 Blessing of St. Joseph Orphanage, Bethany, Ok...":

My name is Eric, my father and uncle were in the st. Joseph's orphanage from 1949 to 1953 so its a good possibility you have met them they also have some stories that truly haunt them to this very day. so, I can only imagine what you must have been through yourself even though its a touchy subject, things of this magnitude need to be brought to light regardless of certain allegations and I do realize it has been 66 years now but we would like to have the opportunity to confidentiality discuss this further with you... the actions displayed by some of the staff in this institution were atrocious and completely criminal and I personally feel its time to literally dig up the past and force them to finally face the fact's!
my email address is stellar995@gmail
hope to hear from you

The Problem with the Census

Many of the databases being used to locate people on the census have gone to a name driven format.  This means that without a name to search the census is invisible. 

2014 REUNION

2014 St. Joseph’s Orphanage & St. Joseph’s Children’s Home Reunion. AUG, 14, 2-4 PM

Join us in celebrating the reunion of former residents and staff members of St. Joseph’s Orphanage in Bethany, Oklahoma, and St. Joseph’s Children’s Home in Oklahoma City in the Garvey Room at Trinity Gardens, 3825 N.W. 19th Street, Oklahoma City.

If you ever lived or worked at the orphanage or children’s home and would like to receive information about this reunion, please mail, e-mail or phone your contact information to Jane Moon, Catholic Charities, 1501 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73106, jmoon@catholiccharitiesok.org, 405-526-2308.

Memories

Pete Martinez (Marty) left this comment: "Hi, this is Marty. I remember a fellow that was an all around-Jack of all trades. He had red hair, and a glass eye, that at the time, for a young boy, was really cool, to take out and show us. I am wondering if he is the same as the caretaker mentioned in another blog, a Gerard Oneil, a caretaker in the 60's (by then we were gone). (the Martinez family).

 

If he is the same, he used to make us (boys) skate-racers,fashioned like a "T" with those old metal skates made for concrete. We would propel ourselves, from two sides of the flagpole circle, and converge in a terrific crash. 8 o'clock medical patchup, by Sister Mary Peter, was something to behold. Today, whenever I see a pair of old metal skates at the swapmeet, or in an antique shop, just can't help but chuckle and remember. "

1930's Census of Facility

If you have names of individuals who were residents in the facility for the 1930 census, please leave a comment.  The 1930's is proving harder to locate and perhaps with names, I can find the entries. Likewise, if anyone has done a transcription of the Orphanage for 1930 please leave a comment. I will gladly post the list.

1940's Census of St. Joseph's Orphanage

The U.S. Federal census is available for the facility for 1940. It was located in Council Grove, a sub-district of Bethany.  The bad news is the copy is very faint and hard to read.  It may require many eyes working on this to decipher the names listed there.

As any information or transcribed names become available, I will post them here.

Baptisms

Baptism of Joyce Louvar with Diane & Joyce Louvar. The Louvar's were administrator-managers from 1963-1965. Shown in Fr. Thomas acting as proxy God Father and Lucille as proxy God Mother.

Learning To Climb Trees...

School Time ca. 1963

The Blessing for the New Home

A Baptism

Picnic in the Park ca. 1963

Actors in a PLay About the Home ca.1963

Mealtimes - ca. 1962

Life Scenes ca 1963

The Church in the background

Msgr Isenbart with some children

At the grotto behind the church

Giggles and Smiles, ca. 1963

Classes of Friends ca. 1963

Who Could Not Have Fun on a Hill?

St. Joseph boys take a breather from playing on the hill ca. 1963

Western View

From the hill to the west looking back east toward the center and the chapel.

Ready To Play

Two young boys are captured ready to play some ball... ca. 1963

Baseball Field ca. 1963