After weeks of being behind, I think I am finally caught up on my posts for the 52 Ancestor Challenge. This week’s theme is “Defective, Dependent, & Delinquent” which focuses on any ancestor that may have been included in a special census taken in 1880 for he blind, deaf, paupers, homeless children, prisoners, insane, and idiotic.
Sadly, my 3rd great uncle, Ulysses Gombert, was included in this census. Ulysses was born December 27, 1868 in Mahoning Township, Carbon County, PA to Aaron Gombert and Lucy Hontz. He was the youngest child – and only male – out of 5 children.
In 1880, Ulysses was 11 years old. According to the Defective, Dependent, and Delinquent Schedule, Ulysses was determined “idiotic” since he was 4 years old. Ulysses was diagnosed with epilepsy and suffered from convulsions. This was determined to be the cause for his idiotic state.
Ulysses died on December 2, 1904 in Mahoning Township, a year after his mother, Lucy, had passed away. His obituary in the December 9, 1904 issue of The Lehighton Press was very short:
Pleasant Corner Chatter. Ulysses Gombert, 36 years old, an invalid all his life, died at noon Friday. He is survived these sisters: Mrs. Frank Moser, Mrs Levi Geiger, Mrs. Wilson Weaver and Miss Rena, all of Mahoning. The funeral was held on Tuesday afternoon with interment at St. John’s cemetery, Rev. Strauss officiating.
Shaking The Tree 