Tuesday, February 20, 2018

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY ~ George Steven Thorp–1876–1933, Detroit, Michigan–My Great Granduncle

THORP_George S_heastone photo from Grand Lawn Cem DetroitMich_taken Nov 2011
Photo taken by Diane Gould Hall

George Steven Thorp is my great granduncle on my father’s side.  He is the son of Horace Henry Thorp and Catherine C. Dorsey. He was one of 10 children born to this couple.  He was their 9th child.  My great grandmother Mae Eve Thorp was his older sister.

George and his wife Mary (Mariett) Ainsworth are buried at Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan.  They are located in Section 8, Lot 108. He is in grave 3 and has a headstone, Mary is next to him, in grave 4, but has no headstone.

THORP_George S_view of headstone from a few feet away_taken Nov 2011 - Copy
Photo taken by Fred and used with permission

George married Mary on 23 Nov 1904 in Detroit, Michigan. Here is their marriage record.
 
THORP_George to Mary Ainsworth_1904_Detroit

George worked as an Engineer at Troy Laundry Co. and as a Stationary Engineer at Valve Manufacturing Company.  His father, Horace was also a Stationary Engineer.  What exactly was a Stationary Engineer?

Definition of Stationary Engineer from Wikipedia 
Power engineers are trained in many areas, including mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical, metallurgical, computer, and a wide range of safety skills. They typically work in factories, office buildings, hospitals, warehouses, power generation plants, industrial facilities, and residential and commercial buildings.
Power engineers are responsible for the safe operation and maintenance of a wide range of equipment including boilers, steam turbines, gas turbines, pumps, gas compressors, generators, motors, air conditioning systems, heat exchangers, refrigeration equipment, heat recovery steam generators (HRSGs) that may be directly (duct burners) or indirectly fired (gas turbine exhaust heat collectors), hot water generators, and refrigeration machinery in addition to its associated auxiliary equipment (air compressors, natural gas compressors, electrical switchgear, pumps, etc.).

George and Mary had two children, a son, James H. Thorp and a daughter, Edith Agnes Thorp.  The son, James died in an accidental drowning at age 18 on 27 Jun 1926.  Edith married, had children and lived into her 80’s.

George died in his home town of Detroit, Michigan on 8 Sep 1933 at age 57 of lung cancer.  I wonder if he smoked, or did his occupation somehow contribute to the carcinoma of his lungs?  We know a lot more about those things today than they did back then.
 
If you are related to anyone mentioned here I’d love to hear from you. I need to connect with more of my Thorp cousins.

OTHER POSTS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - Who in my family is buried at Grand Lawn Cemetery in Detroit, Michigan?

MYSTERY MONDAY - WHO'S YOUR DADDY? Brick Walls Post #4 - Catherine Dorsey Thorp about 1842-1898 (This post is about George’s mother)

Happy hunting,
Michigan Girl
Copyright ©  2010-2018   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION










2 comments:

  1. I like the way you showed where Mary is buried even though there is no headstone. I have a few like that and will use that idea.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Debby. Not my original idea, I’ve seen it used by others. I like having a way to show where someone is. Always sad when there is no headstone.
      Thanks for your comment.

      Delete

I look forward to reading your comments. If you have any connection to the people mentioned in this blog, please let me know. I write about mine and my husband's ancestors and would welcome new information or meeting a new cousin or two. Thanks for visiting and come back soon.