Spotlight on Family: Albert T Decker

2 Comments

Today's spotlight is going to be about my paternal grandfather Albert Theodore Decker. Albert was born Dec, 3 1903 in Dunmore, Lackawanna County PA. I know his obituary states Scranton, but I believe it was Dunmore non the less. Albert parents were David John Decker and Maud Malinda Jackson. Growing up he had two brothers and two sisters, David Henry Decker, Ralph Winfield Decker, Gertrude Decker, and Janet Decker.

Here is a copy of his SS-5 form that I received many years ago when I first started doing research on my family.

I don't know to much about my grandfather's early years, I know that in 1929 he started working for the Erie Railroad.

My grandfather is the one on the left. I wish I had more photo's of him, but I think my parents have them all still. I don't think I have any when he was younger, and off the top of my head I dont remember what issue of the Erie Magazine this came from.

On December 26, 1934 in Scranton, PA he married my grandmother Mary Therese Toomey, daughter of Lawrence Toomey and Bridget Gerrity. I do not have a copy of their marriage certificate because I guess for a better explanation it has not been indexed online for me to find. If I lived close I would probably have it. Another oddity is that I never did find any WWI or WWII draft records online for Albert, I may have been searching wrong, not sure.

Albert and Mary had three children: Robert Decker, Mary Lynn Decker, and Albert T. Decker II.

My grandfather lived with us for a few years back when I was a child probably early 80's if I remember before moving in with his daughter. His daughter passed in 1996 and my grandfather passed shortly there after on Nov 15, 1997.

Below is the obituary from the Star Ledger:

OBITUARY

A memorial service for Albert T. Decker, 93, of Roseland will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Farmer Funeral Home, 45 Roseland Ave., Roseland. Mr. Decker, who died Saturday in the St. Barnabas Medical Center, Livingston, was a construction engineer with the Erie Lackawanna Railroad from 1929 until retiring in 1972.

He was a member of the Roseland Senior Citizens Club. Born in Scranton, Pa., he lived in Vernon before moving to Roseland in 1986. Surviving are two sons, Robert and Albert T. II; 14 grandchildren and six great- grandchildren.

My grandfather tombstone is in I believe Cathedral Cemetery (not positive), below is a picture of the tombstone, but if my memory serves me I think that he was cremated and ash's were spread, don't ask me where.

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About Post Author

Xfaith

David has been an avid home genealogist for 15 years, researching surnames: DECKER, KONDRC, MACZEK, HOPFENGARTNER, PERUTZ, LEDERER, and more.

2 comments:

Brian DeckerFebruary 17, 2010 at 7:23 AM
I believe grand-pops ashes were spread over Lynn's Grave in Livingston, NJ (at least a portion) and I thought somebody was going to spread the rest over Grandmoms, but I might be wrong.
Rob DeckerFebruary 17, 2010 at 2:43 PM
You are both correct, Half his ashes were spread on Aunt Lynns and then we took a trip up to Scranton and spread the rest on Grandmoms. I believe it was Uncle Al, Aunt Diane, my Dad and me that made the trip.