My paternal grandparents, affectionately known as Grandpa Carl and Grandma Dot, proved that sometimes lightning strikes twice—they married each other in 1939 and again in 1957. I first learned about their second marriage nearly 20 years ago, when my dad’s cousin, Anne Dalton, shared their church marriage certificate with me. The details of their earlier wedding, however, remained a mystery until much later.
Twice in a Lifetime
The certificate confirmed that Carlton Hendrickson married Dorothy McKnight on 17 January 1957 at St Marks’s Church in Brooklyn, New York. 1 Standing beside them as witnesses were my grandmother’s sister, Marie, and her husband, Charles Sheridan. 2
With no record of an earlier marriage, I was surprised to find that their second wedding occurred after the birth of their seven children. I had assumed they’d married sooner, but couldn’t locate a civil marriage record from 1957 or earlier. My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I seem to recall my dad mentioning that my grandmother wanted a Catholic ceremony, which might explain the later marriage at St. Mark’s. Then, just a couple of years ago, I finally uncovered their original 1939 civil marriage records—including the license, affidavit, and certificate—online through the New York City Municipal Archives’ Historical Vital Records website.
First Vows
Their marriage documents show that Carlton Hendrickson and Dorothy McKnight were married on 28 October 1939 at Kings County Congregational Church in Brooklyn, New York. 3 Carlton, a 25-year-old clerk, and Dorothy, 18, both lived at 1672 Kimball Street in Brooklyn. 4 Witnesses at the ceremony were Carlton’s brother, Robert Hendrickson, and Dorothy’s sister, Marie Sheridan. 5
Pieces of the Puzzle
The records reveal facts, raise questions, and may present a few inconsistencies that challenge what we thought we knew about our family.
- 1672 Kimball Street was the home of Carlton’s parents, Clarkson and Olive Hendrickson. 6
- I’d always heard that my grandfather was Methodist, yet he and my grandmother married in the Congregational Church. This isn’t entirely surprising, as I found evidence that his parents were married by a reverend from the Congregational Church. 7
- Dorothy listed her birthdate as 4 August 1921. 8 I don’t have a birth certificate to confirm this, but the NYC Birth Index presents an inconsistency, recording her birthdate as 2 August 1921. 9
When we bring together these facts, assumptions, and inconsistencies, they raise as many questions as they answer. Did my grandfather convert to Methodism later in life and why the different birth dates for Dorothy? Was my father right about my grandmother wanting a Catholic ceremony? If so, why did it take so long for it to happen?
Dorothy’s birth certificate could confirm her birthdate, but New York’s strict privacy policies have prevented me from obtaining it. Does anyone in the family have a copy of Dorothy’s birth or death certificate? If not, would anyone be willing to request her death certificate? Only her children can order it, and an original death certificate is needed to request her birth certificate.
The other questions are less straightforward and require a discussion with those who might know the details. If any of you have memories or records that can provide some answers, I’d love to hear them. Each question we uncover invites us to dig deeper, connect, and better understand our shared family history.