The River Running
"Immigrants: we get the job done" -- Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Pauline Kappler and Nicholas George Willy
Nicholas George Willy was born in October 1869 in New Jersey. The 1910 US Census specifies that he was born in Egg Harbor, Atlantic County. He was the second son of Mary Hess (or Helwig) and George Willy. Sometime between October 1869 and June 1871, his family moved to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, trading the Atlantic Ocean for the Susquehanna River. His younger siblings' birth places and the family's census records suggest that they moved around a bit in this area: Columbia (1871), Marietta (1873), Donegal (1876), West Hempfield (1880-1884) and Chickies (1890). They finally settled in Columbia. On 03 Mar 1891, "George Willy of West Hempfield Township" purchased a lot with a two-storey brick house on the west side of South Eighth Street, between Locust Street and Ridge Avenue. This was later to become known as 34 South Eighth Street.
Tell It to the Marines: 1891-1905
Seven months after the house was purchased, Nicholas joined the Marines. He enlisted 08 Oct 1891 at League Island, the home of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. On 23 Nov 1891 he was transferred to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. On 30 Jun 1892, he was transferred to the USS Atlanta. He served aboard the Atlanta until the late summer or fall of 1893 except for a brief interlude at the quarantine camp at Camp Henry Erben in Sandy Hook, NJ.
On 30 Aug 1892, the SS Moravia arrived in NYC from Hamburg. She was discovered to have 24 cases of Asiatic cholera aboard. There had been 22 deaths during the voyage. Other ships also began arriving from Europe with infected passengers. The response to this public health threat included construction of a quarantine camp at Sandy Hook, Camp Low, which began 09 Sep 1892. Nicholas was transferred from the Atlanta to the camp two days later. When interdepartmental difficulties arose between the Army and the Navy, the army and marine camps were divided. Commodore Henry Erben, commandant of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, managed to get the marine camp named after himself (Brooklyn Standard Union, 24 Sep 1892). Cholera wasn't the only danger. Marine Lieutenant Julius Prochazka, quartered at Camp Erben, was taken sick with typhoid fever on the morning of 29 Sep 1892. He died at the US Naval Hospital in Brooklyn two weeks later.
The quarantine at Camps Low and Erben was finally lifted 04 Oct 1892; the camps were closed shortly afterwards. Nicholas transferred back to the Atlanta 05 Oct 1892. As I said, he served there until late summer or fall 1893. The records from July through December 1893 are missing. However, according to later records Nicholas was hospitalized at the US Naval Hospital in Brooklyn 20 Oct 1893. He was to remain hospitalized for eighteen months. The records don't indicate why. He was transfer the from Brookly Naval Hospital to the one in Philadelphia 28 Mar 1895, arriving 01 Apr 1895. This seems to indicate that he was recovering, because he returned to duty at League Island 24 Apr 1895.
Nicholas was promoted from private to corporal at League Island 24 Sep 1895. He re-enlisted there 10 Oct 1896 and was given a month's furlough 11 Oct 1896 through 09 Nov 1896. Then on 03 Dec 1896, he was transferred from League Island to the USS Castine.
Nicholas was enumerated twice in the 1900 US Census, once at his parents' home in Columbia and once in Shanghai aboard the Castine. The Castine had been serving in East Asian waters since early 1899. On 03 Apr 1901, Nicholas transferred from the Castine to the USS Buffalo at the base at Cavite in the Phillipines. The Buffalo took him back to NYC. He transferred to the Brooklyn Barracks 17 May 1901. He re-enlisted there 12 Oct 1901 and was given a three-month furlough from 13 Oct 1901 through 12 Jan 1902. He was transferred from the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the USS Massachusetts on 21 Jun 1902.
Nicholas served aboard the Massachusetts for the next three years. He was transferred to the Brooklyn Barracks 09 Oct 1905 and then discharged 23 Oct 1905, having decided not to re-enlist and having been "retained in service 12 days beyond the expiration of his term of enlistment on account of his being aboard ship, impracticability [sic] of earlier transfer to shore station for discharge." The US Marines are very detail-oriented.
Married Life: 1906-1919
Some time in late 1905 or 1906, Nicholas married Pauline M Kappler. Pauline was the daughter of German immigrants Caroline Ackerman and Michael Kappler, born 22 Mar 1874 in or near West Hempfield or Columbia. She and Nicholas had four children, all born in Philadelphia:
As of 1910, Pauline, Nicholas, George and Mary, along with Pauline's sister Matilda Kappler, were living at 2620 Hicks Street in Philadelphia. Nicholas and Pauline owned the house, although there was a mortgage on it which was paid off by 1920. Nicholas was working as a machinist at the Navy Yard, while Matilda was working as a dressmaker. (I couldn't find any further information on Matilda after 1910.)
Nicholas died suddenly 21 May 1919. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Philadelphia.
After Nicholas: 1920 and on
After Nicholas' death, Pauline and the four children continued to live at 2620 Hicks Street up through at least 1937. George moved out when he married Edna M Vickers in 1930. According to the 1930 US Census, Mary was working as a stenographer at a bank, Charles was working in photography as an engraver and the younger Pauline was working as a stenographer in insurance.
With her children now grown, Pauline was free to do some travelling. Her first trip appears to have been to Europe. She sailed home from Cherbourg aboard the SS Hansa on 21 Aug 1936, arriving in NYC 28 Aug 1936. The following year she went to Bermuda. She sailed home from Hamilton, Bermuda, aboard the SS Queen of Bermuda on 01 May 1937, arriving in NYC 03 May 1937. As far as I can tell - the passenger manifest was written in alphabetical order - Pauline made these voyages alone Her residential address on the manifests was 2620 South Hicks Street.
On 04 Sep 1938 the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Bessie Roberts and Pauline Willy are "delegates and alternate" for the naval auxiliary to the 40th United Spanish War Veterans Encampment held in Portland, Oregon. They travelled to Portland with other Spanish War groups from Philadelphia.
By 1940 a few changes had been made. Pauline had sold the house at 2620 South Hicks and moved, with Mary and the younger Pauline, to 824 Fanshawe Road in Philadelphia. Mary was working as a secretary in an office building, while the younger Pauline was doing general office work for an automobile company. Charles was gone from the household, having married Ivy E Kendrick in or before 1940.
Pauline Kappler Willy died at 824 Fanshawe on 10 Apr 1959. She's buried with Nicholas in Greenwood Cemetery.
Mary W Willy died 09 Jul 1998 in Drexel Hill, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
I'm not sure what happened to Nicholas and Pauline's daughter Pauline. The best lead I've got is a Pauline W Jones born 24 Jun 1912 in Pennsylvania who died 17 Apr 2000 in Punta Gorda, Charlotte County, Florida. She was apparently married to William B Jones born 03 Mar 1903 in Pennsylvania who died 23 Jun 1990, also in Punta Gorda. He may or may not be the William Biddle Jones born 03 Mar 1903 in Philadelphia to Willam B and Katie Jones.