A Mystery: Harry E. Acker (update)

This wooden, iron, and plastic sign commemorates the life of Harry E. Acker. The sign is placed in front of the Stanton family plot - you can see the iron bar of the fence in the background. There are no other Ackers in the cemetery. Why does Harry Acker not have a stone? Was he even buried in the cemetery? Since the sign doesn't look like it was made in 1909, when was it made and why?

In 1880, Harry was four years old and living with his parents, Benjamin and Hattie Acker, and sister Mary. His father was a carpenter.

1880 US Federal Census

In the next census in which Harry appears, he is 24 and living in Howell, New Jersey, where he worked as a "pool room manager." He died nine years later.

1900 US Federal Census

None of this really answers my questions about Harry Acker, so I decided to investigate Harry's parents. Six years before Harry's birth, they were living with Gilbert and Mary Ann Caniff. Benjamin Acker's wife is listed here as Celia - is she the same person as Hattie C. Acker of the 1880 census, or is she Harry's former wife? Notably, Celia and Hattie C.'s ages are the same. In any case, they had one child named Eveline at this point.

1870 US Federal Census

Ten years earlier, Benjamin had lived with his parents, Enoch and Phebe Acker ...

1860 US Federal Census

... while his future wife Celia lived with her parents, Gilbert and Minerva Caniff. Based on the fact that Celia's (or Cecelia's) middle initial was H, I'm going to guess that she and Hattie C. are the same person - although I could very well be wrong. It also seems likely that Minerva Caniff of the 1860 census and Mary Ann Caniff of the 1870 census are the same person.

1860 US Federal Census

That's all I've been able to find so far. I welcome anyone's help in solving this mystery!

Update: I found this obituary for Gilbert Caniff, Harry Acker's grandfather, from 1891. Interestingly, it notes that Gilbert was buried in St. George's/St. Mark's Cemetery, but I have no record of his name in the transcription I have. Was he moved to another cemetery, as many others were?

1. Enoch Acker (1812-) m. Phebe (1805-)
1. Benjamin H. Acker (1840-) m. Cecelia H. Caniff (1841-)
1. Eveline Acker (1865-)
2. Mary E. Acker (1872-)
3. Harry E. Acker (1876-1909)

1. Gilbert Caniff (1815-1891) m. (1) Mary Ann Hewlett (1824-); (2) Helen Swift
1. Cecelia H. Caniff (1841-1876) m. Benjamin H. Acker (1840-)

Susan Montross

(Source)

Susan Ferris was born March 11, 1804, in Pines Bridge, New York. In 1823, she married David Montross, a farmer and the son of Nathaniel Montross and Hester Swarthout.

In 1850, Susan and David lived in Somers with their three children, Ann, Cornelius, and Julia, as well as Ann's husband William Acker, and a 10-year-old boy named George Leonard.

1850 US Federal Census

Susan died in 1852 at the age of 47, and was buried in the cemetery, probably because her Ferris family was buried there.

After his wife's death, David Montross lived with his daughter Julia, who had married Samuel Baker Reynolds, a laborer; Julia and Samuel's two children; and Charles and Mary Robertson, in Somers.

1860 US Federal Census

Ann Montross Acker moved to New York City, where her husband William worked in hardware. They had three children, two of whom (Eva and Susan) were alive in 1870, and one of whom was alive in 1900. The one surviving child, Susan, married George Mersereau and lived in Madison, New Jersey. In 1910, both William and Ann were living with the Mersereaus, who did not have any children.

Julia Montross Reynolds had three children: Daniel, Susan, and George, and died in 1879.

Cornelius Montross lived in Brooklyn with his wife Madeline and worked as a cartman. In 1870 they had three children: Annie, William, and David. Cornelius died in 1897.

David Montross died in 1891.

I find the patterns of names in this family to be very sweet. Both Ann and Julia named their daughters after their mother. Cornelius named his son after his father and his daughter after his sister. 

1. Susan Ferris (1804-1852) m. David Montross (1804-1891)
1. Ann Eliza Montross (1826-after 1910) m. William Acker (1827-after 1910)
1. Eva Acker (1856-)
2. Susan Acker (1834-) m. George Mersereau (1834-)
2. Cornelius Montross (1828-1897) m. Madeline (1834-)
1. Annie M. Montross (1858-)
2. William F. Montross (1860-)
3. David Montross (1867-)
3. Julia Montross (1832-1879) m. Samuel Baker Reynolds (1834-1909)
1. Daniel M. Reynolds (1856-)
2. Susan A. Reynolds (1859-)
3. George D. Reynolds (1863-)