Finding the Lost Daughter: The Search for Letitia Plunkett

Week 39 of #52Ancestors Challenge: Disappeared

Every genealogist has at least one. That ancestor who appears in a few records, gives you just enough information to know they existed, and then seemingly vanishes into thin air. For me, that person was Letitia B. Plunkett—my great-great-grandfather Peter Plunkett’s youngest daughter.

For the longest time, I had her in just a handful of census records. A few snapshots of a life: 1892, 1900, 1905, 1910. And then… nothing. She was gone. Or so I thought.

This is the story of how I found Letitia—and more importantly, what you should do when someone on your family tree seems to have disappeared.

Start With What You Know

The first rule of genealogical research is deceptively simple: start with what you know. It sounds obvious, but when you’re staring at a brick wall, it’s easy to forget this fundamental principle.

Here’s what I knew about Letitia B. Plunkett:

• Full name: Letitia B. Plunkett (the “B” was, and still is, a mystery)
• Birth: About October 1884 in New York
• Father: Peter Plunkett, Irish immigrant and paper manufacturer (see “From Scraps to Success: Peter Plunkett’s Paper Business“)
• Mother: Anna (Smith) Plunkett, Peter’s second wife
• Siblings: Ten older half-siblings from Peter’s first marriage, including my great-grandmother Mary (Plunkett) Dowling

Peter’s Last Will and Testament, subscribed on June 24, 1903, listed Letitia among his children, confirming her place in the family.¹ That’s not much to go on, but it’s a starting point. And sometimes, that’s all you need.

The Census Trail: Following the Breadcrumbs

The 1892 New York State Census showed seven-year-old “Lettie” Plunkett living with her father Peter and mother Ann at 418 Van Brunt Street in Brooklyn’s Ward 12.² She attended school and lived in the household that included several of her older half-siblings.

In May 1899, at just fourteen years old, Letitia graduated from Visitation School.³ The Brooklyn Citizen listed her among the graduates at the commencement exercises held at Visitation Hall, attached to the Church of the Visitation on Richard and Verona streets. This Catholic girls’ school provided her with a solid education that would shape her future.

By 1900, fifteen-year-old Letitia appeared in the federal census at the same Van Brunt Street address.⁴ The enumerator recorded her birth month as October 1884. She attended school, could read and write, and spoke English. Her father Peter, now 70 years old, still worked as a paper manufacturer—the business he’d built from nothing after arriving from Ireland decades earlier.

The 1905 New York State Census provided the last glimpse I had of Letitia in her father’s household.⁵ At eighteen, she still lived at home. The census taker mistakenly recorded her relationship as “son” instead of “daughter,” but the age and name matched.

But there was one more clue hiding in plain sight that I’d discover later: a 1904 newspaper article in The Brooklyn Daily Times titled “Eligible List Increased” reported that Letitia B. Plunkett had been granted temporary license No. 1 and was eligible to teach in the elementary schools of the City of New York.⁶ At just nineteen years old, she’d achieved something significant—but I wouldn’t understand the importance of this detail until much later.

The 1910 census showed Letty Plunkett living at 330 East 4th Street with her siblings James, Stephen, and Margaret.⁷ Her father Peter had died in 1903, her mother, Anna, in 1909, and some of the adult Plunkett children were maintaining a household together.

And then she vanished from the Plunkett name.

The Brick Wall Years

The search for Letitia after 1910 consumed considerable time. Every name variation failed to produce results. Death records from the era turned up nothing—not even evidence of an early death like so many young women faced. Immigration records, searched on the theory she’d married and moved abroad, yielded no answers.

Nothing.

She wasn’t in any Brooklyn city directories under “Plunkett” after 1910. She seemed to have simply disappeared.

But disappearances have explanations. Marriage brings new surnames. Relocations sever old connections. Name changes erase paper trails. Letitia’s vanishing act had all three.

The First Breakthrough: A Name in an Obituary

The key to finding disappeared ancestors often lies in thinking about major life events. For young women in the early 1900s, marriage was one of the most common reasons to “disappear” from the family surname. But how do you find a marriage record when you don’t know the married name?

Sometimes the answer comes from researching other family members.

In June 1915, Letitia’s half-brother James Plunkett died. When I found his obituary in the Brooklyn Eagle, I carefully read through the list of surviving siblings. There, among the sisters, was “Mrs. Lotty Drady”—listed right alongside her sister Mary with her married name of Dowling.

Could “Mrs. Lotty Drady” be Letitia? The nickname “Lotty” could easily be a variation of “Letitia” or “Lettie.” And there she was, hidden in plain sight in her brother’s obituary.

This small detail gave me the crucial piece of information I needed: a surname to search.

Following the Lead: The Marriage Record

Armed with the surname “Drady” (or possibly “Draddy”), I searched for marriage records in Brooklyn for women named Letitia or Lettie Plunkett. And there she was:

A marriage license issued on December 5, 1911, in Brooklyn for Letitia B. Plunkett.

I found her! Now… who did she marry?

A search on FindMyPast led to a transcript of Letitia’s marriage record. This record confirmed her mother was Anna Smith and her father Peter Plunkett, and that her spouse was Robert J. Draddy. The couple married at St. Agnes Church in Manhattan on December 6, 1911.¹⁰

Letitia had been living at 330 East 4th Street in Flatbush, Brooklyn—the same address where I’d found her with her siblings in the 1910 census. Robert lived at 715 Third Avenue.

The Brooklyn Eagle announced the marriage with a brief notice, giving me another confirmation.¹¹

Following the New Trail

Armed with Letitia’s married name—Draddy—I could now track her through the next phase of her life.

The 1916 New York City Directory listed “Letitta B. Draddy” as a teacher living at 27 East 46th Street in Manhattan.¹² She’d gone from student to educator, following a common path for educated women of her generation—and now I understood why that 1904 teaching license had been so significant.

But here’s where it gets interesting. Somewhere between 1916 and 1920, Letitia’s life took another turn. The marriage to Robert Draddy apparently ended—I haven’t found death or divorce records yet, but the evidence suggests it—because I couldn’t find her in the 1920 census under the Draddy surname. And if you notice in the clipping above, Robert J. Draddy does not appear in the city directory either.

Once again, I’d hit a wall.

The Second Breakthrough: Another Obituary Clue (or should I say, a FEW obituaries and clues)

Just as James’s obituary had revealed Letitia’s first married name, another sibling’s death would unlock the next chapter of her story.

In April 1927, Letitia’s half-brother Stephen G. Plunkett died. I found FIVE different death notices or obituaries for Stephen!

Newspaper	Siblings of Stephen G. Plunkett
The Times Union13	Mrs. Mary Dowling, Mrs. Lettie Spenders, Bridget and Margaret [Plunkett], sisters. John W. Plunkett, brother
The Brooklyn Daily Times14	Bridget Plunkett, Mrs. Mary Dolling, Margaret Plunkett, Mrs. Lottie Stenders, sisters. John W. Plunkett, brother
The Brooklyn Eagle15	Bridget Plunkett, Mary Dowling, Margaret Plunkett, Lettie Stenders, sisters. John W. Plunkett, brother.
The Brooklyn Citizen (death notice)16	Bridget Plunkett, Mary Dowling, Margaret Plunkett, Lettie Stenders, sisters. John W. Plunkett, brother.
The Brooklyn Citizen (obituary)17	Mrs. Mary Dowling, Mrs. Lettie Spenders, Bridget and Margaret [Plunkett], sisters. John W. Plunkett, brother

There she was again! The same nicknames “Lottie” and “Lettie”, but now with a different surname: Stenders or Spenders. This had to be Letitia with yet another married name.

Armed with this new surname, I could finally search for her in the 1920 census and beyond.

The 1920 census showed “Letty B. Slender” (which the indexer transcribed as “Stender”—and they were right) married to Henry T. Slender, living on West 141st Street in Manhattan. Born about 1892 according to this census (which conflicts with her known birth year of 1884, a common census error), she’d been living with Henry at this address. Her sister, Margaret Plunkett, was also living with the couple, confirming that this is the correct Letitia.

A Life Under Different Names

Voter registration records from 1926 confirmed “Letty B. Stender” living at 561 West 141st Street.

The 1930, 1940, and 1950 censuses all show Letty Stender in Manhattan, living with Henry and Margaret.^{20 21 22}

Letitia B. Plunkett, who had “disappeared” after 1910, had actually been living her entire adult life in New York City, just under different surnames. She died on April 30, 1956, at age 69, and was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Queens.²³

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Lessons for Finding Your Own Disappeared Ancestors

Letitia’s story teaches several crucial lessons for genealogical research:

1. Start with what you know. Even if you only have a name, birth year, and parents’ names, that’s enough to begin searching.

2. Think about life events. Marriage is the most common reason women “disappear” from family trees. For men, consider occupation changes, military service, or westward migration.

3. Research the siblings. When you can’t find your ancestor, search for their brothers and sisters. Obituaries listing surviving family members can reveal married names you’d never find otherwise.

4. Read obituaries carefully. Don’t just look for your direct ancestor—read every name listed. Those “Mrs. Lotty Drady” and “Mrs. Lottie Stenders” references were the keys to unlocking Letitia’s entire adult life.

5. Search multiple name variations. Letitia went by Lettie, Letitia, Lotty, and Letty. The middle initial “B” appeared inconsistently. Be flexible.

6. Don’t trust ages in census records blindly. Letitia’s age varied by several years across different records. Focus on other identifying information like family members, addresses, and birthplaces.

7. Use multiple record types. Census records alone wouldn’t have found Letitia after 1910. Marriage records, city directories, voter registrations, newspaper announcements, and sibling obituaries all played crucial roles.

8. Follow the geography. Letitia stayed in New York City her entire life, just moving between Brooklyn and Manhattan. People often remained in familiar areas even after major life changes.

9. Check for multiple marriages. Letitia married at least twice, creating three different surnames to search: Plunkett, Draddy, and Stender. Women who lost spouses or divorced often remarried.

10. Be patient and systematic. It took a few weeks of research to piece together Letitia’s story. Each small discovery—a teaching license here, an obituary mention there—gradually built the complete picture.

The Bigger Picture

Finding Letitia didn’t just add one more person to my family tree. It revealed a woman who transformed herself from the youngest daughter of a paper manufacturer into an educated teacher who built a life independent of her large, extended Irish-American family.

Educated at a time when many women weren’t, Letitia left Brooklyn for Manhattan, stepping away from the close-knit family network that sustained her older siblings. Two marriages shaped her adult life, the first quite possibly ending in widowhood soon after the wedding. A college degree—four full years when that was extraordinary for anyone, especially a woman born in the 1880s—crowned her achievements.

Letitia B. Plunkett didn’t disappear—she became Letty Stender, a woman who lived on her own terms in twentieth-century New York City.

The next time someone on your family tree seems to have vanished, remember Letitia. They’re out there, living under a different name, in a different place, waiting for you to think creatively about where life might have taken them. Start with what you know, research the siblings, read those obituaries carefully, and search systematically.

Your disappeared ancestor is waiting to be found.

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1. Kings County, New York, Surrogate’s Court, Will books, volume 312-314, pages 328-337, Peter Plunkett will and testament, subscribed 24 June 1903; imaged, “New York, Probate Records, 1629-1971,” FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-899T-NQKK : accessed 21 August 2025), image 661 of 758; citing New York County Court (Kings County), Image Group Number 005533895. ↩︎
2. New York, 1892 state census, Kings County, Brooklyn Ward 12, E.D. 01, page 13 (written), Lettie Plunkett; imaged, “New York, U.S., State Census, 1892,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/3212/images/41121_B125449-00202: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
3. “Visitation Graduates,” The Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn, New York), 25 May 1899, page 8, entry for Letitia Plunkett; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen-visitation-graduate/182155516: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
4. U.S. 1900 census, Kings County, New York, Brooklyn Ward 12, E.D. 167, page 422 (stamped), dwelling 248, family 338, Peter Plunkett; imaged, “1900 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7602: accessed 18 August 2025). ↩︎
5. New York, 1905 state census, Kings County, Brooklyn, Assembly District 18, Election District 23, page 325 (stamped), Letitia Plunkett [Letitia Lesler]; imaged, “New York, U.S., State Census, 1905,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7364/images/004296337_00325: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
6. “Eligible List Increased,” The Brooklyn Daily Times (Brooklyn, New York), 29 July 1904, page 5; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-daily-times-eligible-list-i/182155816: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
7. U.S. 1910 census, Kings County, New York, Brooklyn Ward 29, Enumeration District 0925, 330 East 4th Street, sheet 1B, Letty Plunkett; imaged, “1910 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7884/images/4449799_00738: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
8. “James Plunkett,” Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, New York), 13 June 1915, page 66; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/57543191/: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
9. New York City, Marriage License Indexes, Brooklyn, 1910–1911, license no. 14145, Letitia B. Plunkett, 5 December 1911; imaged, “New York, New York, U.S., Marriage License Indexes, 1907-2018,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/61406/images/47512_546450-01094: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
10. St. Agnes Church (New York County, New York), marriage register, 1911, Letitia B. Plunkett; imaged, “New York Roman Catholic Parish Marriages,” Findmypast (https://www.findmypast.co.uk/transcript?id=US%2FNY%2FCATH%2FPR%2FMAR%2F00308839%2FB&tab=this: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
11. “Draddy-Plunkett,” Brooklyn Eagle (Brooklyn, New York), 7 December 1911, page 18; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/brooklyn-eagle-marriage-of-plunkett-dr/182150058/: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
12. R. L. Polk & Co., Trow General Directory of New York City Embracing the Boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx 1916 (New York: R. L. Polk & Co., 1916), page 530, entry for Letitia B. Draddy; imaged, “U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/2469/images/2500719: accessed 4 October 2025), image 453 of 2290. ↩︎
13. “Obituaries,” Times Union (Brooklyn, New York), 14 April 1927, page 10, entry for Stephen G. Plunkett; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/times-union/182427092/: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
14. “Obituaries,” The Brooklyn Daily Times (Brooklyn, New York), 14 April 1927, page 8A, entry for Stephen G. Plunkett; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/558842333/: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
15. “Deaths,” The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York), 14 April 1927, page 22, entry for Stephen Plunkett; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/57570009/: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
16. “Deaths,” The Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn, New York), 15 April 1927, page 14, entry for Stephen Plunkett; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/image/542673943/: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
17. “Obituaries,” The Brooklyn Citizen (Brooklyn, New York), 15 April 1927, page 7, entry for Stephen G. Plunkett; imaged, Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brooklyn-citizen/169232660/: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
18. U.S. 1920 census, New York County, New York, Manhattan Assembly District 21, Enumeration District 1426, sheet 12B, family 311, Letty B. Slender [Letty B. Stender]; imaged in “1920 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6061/records/86006440: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
19. Manhattan, New York, Voter Registers, 1926, Assembly District 21, Election District 005, page 94, line 405, entry for Letty B. Stender; imaged, “Manhattan, New York, New York, U.S., Voter Registers, 1915-1956,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/62363/images/rec0091_07372-00027: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
20. U.S. 1930 census, New York County, New York, Manhattan, Enumeration District 0409, 74th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues, sheet 10A, dwelling 77, family 273, Letty Stender; imaged, “1930 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/6224/records/42372546: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
21. U.S. 1940 census, New York County, New York, New York, Enumeration District 31-1271, 57th Street, sheet 11A, Letty Stenden [Letty Stender]; imaged, “1940 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2442/records/14746454: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
22. U.S. 1950 census, New York County, New York, New York, Enumeration District 31-1232, 525 East 57th Street, sheet 28, dwelling 369, Letty B. Stender; imaged, “1950 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/292876503: accessed 4 October 2025). ↩︎
23. “Letty B Plunkett Stender,” memorial 263998640, Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/263998640/letty-b-stender: accessed 4 October 2025), citing Calvary Cemetery, Woodside, Queens County, New York, section 69, plot 162, grave 8. ↩︎