Manuscript Group 1512, Lynch-Ginter Family (Newark, NJ Papers, ca. 1850-1997 (Bulk dates: ca. 1940-1970)

Archives, Documents, Manuscripts, Maps, & Photographs

Manuscript Group 1512, Lynch-Ginter Family (Newark, NJ

Papers, ca. 1850-1997 (Bulk dates: ca. 1940-1970), 4.0 linear feet, 8 manuscript boxes

Call Number: MG 1512 + box & folder number

Summary

• Introduction

• Biographical Note

• Provenance Note

• Scope and Content Note

• Series Descriptions

  • • Series I.  Correspondence

  • • Series II.  Legal Documents

  • • Series III.  Financial Documents

  • • Series IV.  School Materials

  • • Series V.  Newspaper Clippings

  • • Series VI.  Printed Material

  • • Series VII.  Miscellaneous

  • • Series VIII.  Photographs

  • • Series IX. Additions to the Collection

• Container List

  • • Series I.  Correspondence

  • • Series II.  Legal Documents

  • • Series III.  Financial Documents

  • • Series IV.  School Materials

  • • Series V.  Newspaper Clippings

  • • Series VI.  Printed Material

  • • Series VII.  Miscellaneous

  • • Series VIII.  Photographs

  • • Series IX. Additions to the Collection

• Oversized
  Materials

• Related
  Museum
  Materials

• Related
  Library
  Materials

Summary:

Papers of the Lynch family and the allied Ginter family of 25 Merchant Street, Newark, New
Jersey.  Includes correspondence, photographs, family records, St. James
Church materials, and World War II related correspondence and records.

Gift of the Estate of Catherine J. Ginter through Craig W. Alexander, executor, 1998.

Introduction:

The Lynch-Ginter Family Papers span the years ca. 1850 through 1997.  This collection consists of correspondence; photographs; school materials; printed materials; legal documents; financial documents; newspaper clippings; and
miscellaneous materials.  This collection is 4 linear feet and is contained in 8 boxes.

The documents and materials in this collection represent a wide array of family and New Jersey history.  This collection contains materials relating to the history of four generations of the Lynch-Ginter family.  The documents and materials in the Lynch-Ginter Family Papers span over a century of New Jersey history.  This collection contains in-depth research material for genealogical research of the Lynch-Ginter family, and is also a fine source for research on religion or religious development in historical Newark, New
Jersey.

Biographical Note:

The Lynch-Ginter Family papers contain information on four generations of the integrated Lynch and Ginter Families.  While there is information on at least one member of each generation, the collection contains less information on fewer people in relation to the age of the generation.  The first generation of the Lynch family that is mentioned in this collection is only mentioned once in a
singular correspondence, and in the correspondence she is referred to as Mamma Torppey (sic). This correspondence dates to around 1850, but does not present any conclusive information as to the distinct relation of Mamma Torppey to the forth coming Lynch family.  One assumption is that she was the mother of  the second generation of Lynch family that is contained in this collection.

The second generation of the Lynch family consists of Patrick, Cornelius, and Mary Lynch.  Of these three siblings, the information in this collection diminishes for each of them respectively.  While there is personal information about each within this collection, such as birth and death dates and names of spouses and children, their overall contributions to New Jersey history and major details of their  lives are not completely outlined.

The third generation of the Lynch family in this collection consists of the offspring of Patrick Lynch and his three wives, Catherine (Cox) Lynch, then Margaret (Gaughren) Lynch, and possibly a Mrs. Katie Lynch.  This third generation of the Lynch family consisted of Joseph Patrick,
Cornelius, Rose Mary, and Raymond Lynch.  There were two other children born to Patrick Lynch, but they did not survive  their first year.

There is a large amount of information for each of the individuals in the Lynch family, and much of this can be found in the extensive correspondence series.  In particular, Rose Mary Lynch and Joseph Ginter are heavily represented in this collection.  The information contained
on these members of the Lynch-Ginter family is reflective of the  relation of these family members to the donor of the collection,
the daughter of Rose Mary and Joseph Ginter.

The fourth generation of the Lynch-Ginter Family Papers is made up of Rose Mary and Joseph Jacob Ginter’s children, Harold Alloysius, and Catherine Cecilia Ginter.  Due to the fact that it was a member of this generation that was responsible for the donation of this
collection, there is ample information contained within it about the two members of this fourth and final generation of the Lynch-Ginter family.

Harold Ginter served in World War II, and while he never returned to New Jersey having lost his life in combat, this collection attests to his life story and his families devotion to his cause.  This collection contains a plethora of documents describing Harold, his participation in the Armed Services and his status of Missing In Action, and Killed In Combat.  The photograph series also contains a large segment  dedicated to Harold Ginter both prior to and during his time with the military.

This collection contains extensive information reflecting personal and financial aspects concerning the life and times of Catherine Ginter.  There are materials documenting her participation in community activities, such as Saint James Church and Saint James Hospital functions.  There are also documents that attest to her relationship with her
brother Harold and the family reaction to his untimely death
during World War II.

Provenance Note:

This collection was donated to the New Jersey Historical Society under the authority of Craig W. Alexander, Executor to the Estate of Catherine
Ginter, 1998.

Scope and Content Note:

The Lynch-Ginter Family Papers span the years ca. 1850-1997, with the majority of the documents falling between the years 1940 and 1970.  The collection is divided into eight series: correspondence, photographs, school material, printed material, legal documents, financial documents, newspaper clippings and miscellaneous.  The document types include letters, greeting cards, sympathy cards, postcards, prayer cards, prayer books, photographs, negatives, school books and papers, school yearbooks and newspapers, information pamphlets and flyers, religious books, birth certificates, insurance policies, bank materials, funeral papers and materials, and personal items of family members.

A large portion of this collection is the correspondence series.  This series spans the entire length of the collection, ca. 1850 through 1997.  The bulk of the correspondence falls between 1940 and 1965.  These letters contain information relating to many deaths in the family during
that time frame, with a large portion relating to Harold Ginter’s death in World War II.  The correspondence series is diverse enough to contain letters to and from every family member.  There are letters both to and from Harold to both his mother, Rose Mary, and sister, Catherine.  These
letters describe his feelings and the environment that Harold was in during his time with the army.  The correspondence, in general, illustrate the personal sides of inner family relations in the Ginter and Lynch families.  Of particular interest is the correspondence linking the Lynch family directly back to Ireland, and their abandoned Eire family ties.

The legal documents in this collection span the years of 1833 through February of 1973.  The documents contained in this series are life insurance policies; baptism certificates; Patrick and Catherine’s marriage certificates; Joseph Ginter’s  retirement papers and last will and testament; Harold Ginter’s birth certificate; papers concerning the estate of Joseph Ginter and deeds and real estate titles of 25 Merchant Street dating to the owners prior to Rose Mary and Joseph Ginter. This series provides vital historical knowledge concerning the Ginter and Lynch families through the
documentation of their legal affairs.

The financial documents in this collection span the years 1942 through 1992.  A large portion of this series is receipts from either donations from Catherine Ginter, or of daily purchases.  Through an examination of the receipts, one can follow the expansion and redesigning of the home at 25 Merchant Street, and also the prolonged devotion in supporting causes such as the Saint James Church and Saint James Hospital.  This series also contains bank passport books, statements and tax returns which reflect the financial security of the family and the liquidity of the times.  The bank
books can serve multiple research purposes, as they are quite a complete collection.  The financial records of the Ginter family are well represented in this series.

The school materials series contains original works, and books from both Catherine and Harold Ginter. This section reflects the style of school curriculum utilized in the early 1930’s by New Jersey Catholic schools of that time.  This series spans the dates of ca.1930 through 1941
and contains material from Catherine and Harold’s middle and high school years.  It also contains an information brochure
with exercises from Harold’s vocational schooling in aviation.

The fifth series in this collection contains three folders of newspaper clippings that span the years ca.1943 through 1980.  The newspaper clippings in the Lynch/Ginter family folder are quite useful in researching birth and death dates of both Lynch and Ginter family members.  An interesting aspect about this series is that it contains the only reference in this collection about Margaret (Gaughren) Lynch and her marriage to Patrick Lynch.  The many death notices and articles on family members are an intricate part of piecing together the relations of the Lynch and Ginter families.  There are also many articles that pertain to Harold Ginter describing the events surrounding his Missing In Action status and later articles listing him as Killed In Action.  The two folders that contain articles not directly relating to the Ginter or Lynch families illustrate the families involvement in the Newark community, their interests, and concerns, along with articles presumably about friends and acquaintances.

A large portion of the printed materials contained in this collection pertain to both Saint James Church and Saint James Hospital. The materials in this series span the years 1913 through 1992, with most of the materials coming from the 1960’s.  This series contains a biographical book
on Thomas Joseph Walsh, the Archbishop of Newark; a British memorial to the American soldiers that gave their lives in World War Two; inspirational books by the early evangelist Bishop Fulton Sheer; government propaganda pamphlets; a publication from the Metropolitan Opera House; and an array of various prayer books, cards and miscellaneous church and religious material collected primarily by Catherine Ginter.

The miscellaneous series contains items that range from Harold’s library card and wallet, to the funeral records of Patrick, Joseph, and Rose Mary Lynch, and also for Joseph Ginter.  This series ranges from ca.1931 until sometime in the early 1980’s.  An interesting portion of this section of the collection is the two folders containing address books and lists of contacts Catherine Ginter kept throughout her adult life.  The materials in this series bring a personal distinction to the collection.  In relation to the Irish background of the Lynch family, there is one Irish Sweepstakes ticket and receipt contained in this series.  There are also items from this series that have been transferred to the museum collection, such as; one military jacket, three military patches, three cloth handkerchiefs and random ornamental pieces.

The photograph series fills one complete box, and compliments the collection.  This series contains labeled and unlabeled photographs of people and places.  Fortunately, most photographs in this series are dated and labeled.  Unfortunately, due to the lack of complete date labeling, one can only assume that this series spans the years ca.1930-ca.1990. The photographs illustrate the physical changes in the many members and friends
of the Lynch/Ginter families.

Series Descriptions:

Series
I.  Correspondence, ca. 1850-1997,  31 Folders in 3 Boxes

Correspondence consisting of letters, greeting cards, sympathy cards, and post cards arranged by addressee in chronological order.  The bulk of the correspondence falls between 1943 and 1970.  This series has an abundance of material relating directly and indirectly to Harold Alloysius Ginter and his time in the United Sates Army during World War II.  This series also contains information on nearly all Lynch-Ginter family members, whether
they live in New Jersey, Australia or Ireland.

Series
II.  Legal Documents, 1883-1973, 9 Folders in 1 Box

This series contains legal documents relating to Joseph Lynch and his employment by the railroad, his life insurance policies; Joseph Ginter’s estate papers; general insurance and fire insurance policies for Joseph and Catherine; contracts for expansion and construction on the Ginter home; documents relating to the death of Harold Ginter and the government compensation of the Ginter family for Harold’s death; titles and deeds pertaining to 25 Merchant Street, baptism and marriage certificates.  Arranged by family member and are in chronological order.  This series highlights factual aspects of the :Lynch/Ginter Family Papers.  Of particular interest is the estate papers of Joseph Ginter where it is written that Raymond Lynch has a different mother than his sister Rosemary Lynch.

Series
III.  Financial Documents, 1942-1996, 9 Folders in 1 Box

This series contains Catherine Ginter’s general household receipts, donation receipts, returned checks with their bank statements, tax receipts for reality and income tax; a federal tax instruction booklet; bank passport books from Rose Mary and Catherine Ginter, and years of receipts of certain paid bills such as the phone and water company.  This series is arranged by subject, and than chronologically.  Of particular interest is the folder of bank passport books whichreflects the changes in and methods of banking over the past century in America.

Series
IV.  School Materials, 1930-1941,
12 Folders in 2 Boxes

This series contains school materials of both the Lynch and Ginter families. The majority of the materials related to Catherine and Harold Ginter, but there are graduation materials relating to Raymond and Cornelius Lynch.  Contained within this series is papers, essays, yearbooks, school newspapers, and school propaganda.  The material presented in this series reflects the scholastic achievements of Catherine and Harold Ginter.
This series is arranged chronologically and alphabetically with printed materials at the end of the series.

Series
V.  Newspaper Clippings, 1943-1980, 3 Folders in 1 Box

This series contains one folder of clipped articles directly relating to members of either the Lynch or Ginter families and two folders containing miscellaneous information on people, places and other specific interests of Catherine and Joseph Ginter.  The Lynch/Ginter folder contains newspaper clippings on events ranging from Harold Ginter’s participation and death in World War Two to funeral and obituary notices of various family members.  The family related folder is a good source for cross referencing family members relations and dates of birth and
death.  The folders are arranged by subject and the articles within are arranged.

Series
VI.  Printed Material, 1954-1987, 15 Folders in 2 Boxes

This series reflects the interests and activities of Catherine Ginter.  The bulk of this series spans Catherine’s adult life, ca.1958-1997.  This
series consists of printed materials relating to Saint James Hospital; Saint James Church; Thomas Joseph Walsh, the Archbishop
of Newark; books by Bishop Fulton Sheen; materials about the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows; government publications; the British memorial book British Homage; text on the Metropolitan Opera; and multitudes of prayer books, guides, and cards; church pamphlets, flyers, and events; and general religious information publications.  Arranged by the topic of the materials, author of materials, subject of material, and type of material.  An abundance of this series consists of church related materials and topics.

Series
VII.  Miscellaneous, ca.1931-ca.1980, 10 Folders in 1 Box

This series contains miscellaneous items varying from social security cards to an Irish Sweepstakes ticket and receipt.  The folders are
arranged by family member are chronological.  Items in this series include, but are not limited to: leather wallets, social security cards, New Jersey Lottery tickets, funeral records and books, address books, and church death and prayer cards. Of particular interest are documents from the United States War department concerning Harold Ginter.  Included in Harold Ginter’s personal items is a certificate awarding him the Purple Heart, and also a certificate honoring his death during the World War.  There are also three items that have been transferred to the museum that belong in this category, army patches, church trinkets, and silk scarves from Mexico.

Series
VIII.  Photographs, ca.1920-ca.1980, 12 Folders in 1 Box

The second series of this collection contains photographs, negatives, metal pictures and picture greeting cards which are arranged chronologically by family member.  In some cases when photographs have more than one person in picture, and are labeled as such, the first name listed
on the back of the photograph determines the folder of the photograph.  Folders are arranged chronologically by family member, than by pictures of places, and miscellaneous if the date is not determinable. There are many photographic materials in this series that are not labeled with unknown dates.

Series IX.  Additions to the Collection, ca. 1930s-1960s, 7 folders in 1 Box plus OS folder

Container List:

Oversized Materials:

Memorial Certificate appreciating Harold
Ginter’s participation in war

Group photographs, posters, certificates

Related Museum Materials:

Military Jacket

Military Patches (3)

Ornamental Pieces

Cloth Handkerchiefs

Wood/Metal Box

Leather Wallet

Related
Library Materials:

Sheen, Fulton J.  Peace of Soul
( New York: Perma Books, 1955).

Sheen, Fulton J.  Way to happy
Living (New York: Maco, 1955).

Saint James Church (Newark:
Saint James Church, 1967). 2 copies.

Processed
by Stephen M. Sullivan, Rutgers
University at Newark, July 1999

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