Grandmother's Halloween Costume
In the 1930's some of my maternal Forgey family neighbors belonged to a conservative religious sect that didn't believe in many celebrations such as Halloween. They also were against people going to the movies or stage shows even. They weren't used to seeing people dressed in Halloween costumes either. When my Grandmother Graciela Del Castillo-Forgey dressed up for a Halloween party she decided to show one of the neighbors her costume, unfortunately, it shocked this female neighbor. The poor neighbor nearly fainted she was so shocked, my mother told me. My mother said the blood drained out of her face.
My Grandmother was dressed in a wedding outfit which was out of style by the 1930's. So it wasn't particularly scary. Not like some sort of costume with blood dripping or something really scary. I'm not sure if a religious sentiment caused the shock or this neighbor recalled an earlier time and thought my grandmother was a ghost? People in this era also might be influenced by the spiritualism that was very popular in the previous decade of the 1920's. They believed it was possible ghostly apparitions could appear.
I love this photo of my grandmother wearing her costume. I love that she enjoyed participating in holiday celebrations. The story about the neighbor adds interest to the photo for me.
The Scary Kurta Story
According to the spiritualists of the 1920's unquiet dead may comeback to haunt us later. The sad deaths and an attempted murder of my Great-Great Aunt Julia Kurta may have produced unquiet spirits, who knows?
Below I outline the events leading to the attempted murder of my Great-Great Aunt Julia Kurta.
The story starts with the marriage of my Great-Great Aunt Julia Kurta the photo below is likely the wedding photo of Julia and her husband Andrew Deutsch although, I haven't been able to confirm it? They married in 1902 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The birth of several children followed in the proceeding years. Andrew Deutsch Jr. was born 23 May 1905 in Pennsylvania. He married Margaret C. Moser in 1928. I'm not sure if the wedding photo below is of them or another of the Deutsch/Kurta children?
Sadly a happy fishing trip in 1937 taken with his father Andrew Deutsch Sr., and others, ended in a tragic car accident which resulted in the death of Andrew Jr. and the serious injury of Andrew Sr.. This newspaper article from the April 16, 1937 Standard Sentinel, morning edition, outlines exactly what happened.
Andrew Deutsch's death certificate states he died of a fractured skull. Another local newspaper states he went through the roof of the car which apparently led to his skull fracture. According to the death certificate Andrew Jr. was employed by the Pepsi-Cola bottling company at the time of his early death.
The death of his son, and possibly his own injuries, may have led to Andrew Deutsch Sr.'s mental deterioration? Although years earlier Andrew Sr. was a defendant in a case concerning assault, I have not found him in court records in any other cases.
Months after the tragic fishing trip in November 1937 Andrew Deutsch Sr. went on a hunting trip and on his return he quarreled with his wife, my Great-Great Aunt Julia nee Kurta. He evidently was so enraged he got his shotgun and took some shots at her from the front porch of their house as she fled, according to one account. She was struck in the leg and hip by bullets.
According to another newspaper account he then went up to the 3rd floor of the house and shot himself in the head. His death certificate states the cause of death was suicide.
This is a photo of the Andrew Deutsch Sr. and Julia Kurta attached house. I circled the 3rd floor windows where the suicide occurred. We can imagine, with the houses so close together, the neighbors heard everything and must have been shocked. I can just picture Andrew Sr. standing on the front porch while Julia escaped.
I don't know if the previous injuries Andrew Sr. sustained or the death of his son led to this deranged behavior or he was just hot tempered? Another account of these events said Andrew Sr. had been drinking, which also likely contributed to his attack on his wife. The tragic deaths in this family might lead those who believe in ghosts to speculate that the spirits of this family remain wandering the earth unable to rest, or they haunt the family house. Maybe? Julia didn't stick around to find out. She moved in with her brother Joseph Kurta and his family.
My Great-Great Aunt Julia Kurta-Deutsch went on to live a long life dying 2 Feb 1973. She lived to be 89 years old. At least her life appeared to have a happy ending.
Happy Halloween!
