Elizabeth’s first child, a daughter they named Louise Marie (Lula), was born on February 10, 1881.  Lula was christened on April 17, 1881 at the Lutheran Church of Christ.  Her godmother was Louise Muller, Lizzie’s sister.  The name Louise undoubtedly stems from the German tradition of naming the first-born daughter after the wife’s mother, in this case Louisa.  They were still living with Henry’s parents at the time.  The following year, January 31, 1882 a son was born, Henry Rudolph. Then tragedy struck on March 19, 1882.  Only 2 months after the birth of Henry, their daughter Lula passed away.   Lula was just one year old and had been ill with the whooping cough from January 17^th until her death.  Most likely having little money, Henry and Elizabeth buried their daughter in a public grave at the Lutheran Cemetery in Middle Village, Queens.  This was quite a trip from Manhattan in the 1880’s but they had no alternative.  Burials in Manhattan were no longer permitted.  It must have been very difficult for them.  It was traditional in those days for families to visit cemetery’s often, and the great distance would have made that a day-long trip.  Two years after Lula’s death, her grandfather, John David Müller, purchased a family grave at the cemetery and had Lula disinterred and moved into the family grave.  He must have loved that child a great deal and had her on his mind so much that he would go to these length’s.   Lula was the first burial at this gravesite and there would be no others for another three years.  Shortly after Lula’s death, Henry and his family moved to 98 East 4^th Street, just down the block from his parent’s home.  Lizzie’s parents lived a short distance away at 262 East 2^nd Street.

Happiness would once again prevail in the Blank household with the birth of William, on January 28, 1883.   Lizzie and her family followed many of their Lower East Side neighbors and moved uptown to 720 West 164^th Street around 1885.   It was here on November 11, 1886 that their fourth child, Joseph was born.  Although they moved uptown, Henry continued his business in lower Manhattan although it was moved to 101 East 2^nd Street. 

Although nothing could replace Lula in their hearts, it was probably a very joyous event when Elizabeth gave birth to a girl, Henrietta, on November 30, 1888.  How happy Elizabeth must have been to have a daughter.  That was a year everyone remembered because in March of 1888, New York City was hit with a record snowfall, known as the Great Blizzard of 1888.

In 1890, Elizabeth, Henry and their four young children packed up and moved to Brooklyn.  They moved to Bushwick, a town with a heavily German population also known as Dutch Town in those days which was derived from "Deutch" meaning "German“.   They settled at 794 Myrtle Avenue in an apartment on the third floor.  Henry worked out of a shop at 244 Stockton Street, a short distance from home.
 

In 1895, Henry moved his family to a home at 90 Cedar Street, which not far from their apartment on Myrtle Avenue.  They stayed here for four years when in 1900 Henry purchased a home down the road at 56 Cedar Street.  This must have been a proud moment for Henry.

On May 15, 1903, while at work in a clothing factory at 135 Stockholm Street, Henry fell into a coma brought on by Bright’s disease, and died.  Henry was 48 years old.  He was buried May 17, 1903 in The Lutheran Cemetery, Middle Village, Queens, NY next to his beloved wife Lizzie.  Henry and Elizabeth’s two minor children, Joseph and Henrietta, went to live with Elizabeth’s brother John and his family and thus remained in Bushwick.

After Henry passed away in 1903, 56 Cedar Street was rented to tenants.  In July 1907, 56 Cedar Street was sold and the proceeds divided among Henry's 4 children.
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Copyright © 2006 Sheila McKisic & John McVay. All rights reserved.