EDGOOSE:
In search of Ancestry
BERTUCCI, Peter John
1870 - 1942 (72 years) Has no ancestors but one descendant in this family tree.
1863 - 1942 (78 years)-
Name BERTUCCI, Peter John Birth Aug 1870 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA 
Gender Male Death 22 Aug 1942 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Burial 23 Aug 1942 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA Person ID I3358 Edgoose Last Modified 31 Jan 2026
Family 1 EDGOOSE, Kerenhappuck, b. 5 Apr 1863, Poplar, Middlesex, England d. 1942, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA (Age 78 years) Marriage 15 Mar 1919 New York City, USA Family ID F276 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
Family 2 LEYDECKER, Mary Elizabeth, b. 25 Sep 1892, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA d. Yes, date unknown Children 1. BERTUCCI, Arthur Andrew, b. 22 Nov 1911, Orleans, Louisiana, USA d. Mar 1973, Kenner, Jefferson County, Louisiana, USA (Age 61 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]Family ID F3045 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
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Notes
PETER JOHN BERTUCCI Circa1870-1942
Peter BERTUCCI met Kerenhappuck HANSEN whilst he was living in New York City, USA. It seems that Peter and Karen's brother worked together and had several of their inventions patented - a game known as badmitten [sic] now but known as the button game then; a music leaf turner, a flavoring extract, and a salve to name but a few. Peter was also acquainted with Andrew CARNEGIE.
(Email from Ronnie BERTUCCI 2 May 2014)
Peter John BERTUCCI and Kerenhappuck HANSEN were married according to the Rite of the Catholic Church at the Saint Bernard Church on West 14th street, New York City, on 15 March 1919. Witnesses were Tobias PURCELL and Mary CARROLL.
From the 1925 New York State Census of No. 540, 53rd Street, New York, New York, USA:
*Peter BERTUCCI, head, aged 55, born in US, citizen, waiter;
Keren BERTUCCI, wife, aged 60, born in England, citizen (on husband), 30 years in US.
A letter written to Mrs. P. BERTUCCI of Covington, Louisiana, by Sister Remiguie (?) of St. Vincent's Infant Asylum on 17 May 1926 indicates that they may have adopted a baby named Andrew.
(Typewritten letter 17 May 1926)
According to Ronnie BERTUCCI his grandfather was a wealthy man by the turn of the century with investments in gold and oil companies. He lost his fortune in the Wall Street crash of 1927.
According to the 1930 US Federal Census of Dumaine Street, New Orleans, USA, Peter J. BERTUCCI was 61 years old, rented his house for $9, was born in Louisiana of Italian parents, was aged 50 at time of first(?) marriage, and worked selling vegetables. His wife Keren was 65 years old (i.e. born 1864-1865), born in England, arrived in the USA in 1894 (?), and was 54 at time of first(?) marriage.
(www.ancestry.com)
From the 1940 US Federal Census:
Peter BERTUCCI, head, aged 71, married, born New Orleans, Louisiana;
*Keren BERTUCCI, wife, aged 75, married, born in England.
The will of Peter J. BERTUCCI and Keren BERTUCCI bearing their signatures:
"New Orleans. Feb. 12th. 1942.
My Wife and I. agreed that when we both are dead and our two lots on the Lake Front and St. Roche avenue are to be sold and all expenses are paid. What ever amount of money is left over shall go to Mrs. Mary LAWLESS, this is my Wife and Myself agreement.
Peter J. BERTUCCI Mrs KEREN BERTUCCI
and the Religious Pictures in our Rooms are to go to the Little Sisters, in New Orleans,
to the Little Sisters of charity.
the deeds of our Lots near the Lake Front at St. Roche avenue and New York Street Will be found in two large mason jars in the Ice Box, in the Bed Room. they are two Lots.
Mrs. Mary LAWLESS
1727. Bayou Road. New Orleans. La.
Phone. Crescent. 7381.
the above is. Mrs. Mary LAWLESS
address. and Phone. Number."
From an unidentified newspaper cutting:
"BERTUCCI:---Of 622 Demaine street, on Saturday, August 22, 1942, at 8:20 o'clock p.m., PETER BERTUCCI, beloved husband of Karen EDGOOSE and father of Arthur BERTUCCI, aged 74 years, a native of this city.
Relatives and friends of the family, also officers and members of Holy Name Society of St. Louis Cathedral, are invited to attend the funeral, which will take place on Sunday, August 23, 1942, at 3:30 o'clock p.m., from the funeral home of Lamana-Panno-Fallo, Inc., 625 North Rampart street, near the Municipal Auditorium. Religious services at St. Louis Cathedral.
Interment in St. Patrick Cemetery No. 1.
(Find-a-grave.com)
From an unidentified newspaper cutting:
"BERTUCCI - At 2380 St. Claude street, Sunday, September 13, 1942, at 8 o'clock a. m., KEREN EDGOOSE, beloved wife of the late Peter BERTUCCI; aged 78 years, a native of London, England.
Funeral service will be held on September 14, 1942, at 2 o'clock p. m. from the funeral home of Lamana-Panno-Failo, Inc., 625 North Rampart street near Municipal Auditorium. Services at St. Louis Cathedral on Chartres and St. Anne streets.
Interment in St. Patriuck Cemetery No.....
London, England, papers please copy."
The registers of St. Patrick's No. 1 Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, record the burial on 14 September 1942 of Kerin BERTUCCI aged 78 (i.e. born in 1863 or 1864). The online index records her as Karen Kerennaapuch (sic) EDGOOSE. According to the same online index Peter John BERTUCCI had been buried in the same grave on 23 August 1942 aged 74 (Cemetery P1, Section 5, RHS on Fence Aisle).
(http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/la/orleans/cemetery/spc/spidxaba .txt)
0673 --Cem:P1, --Section: 5, --Alley: RHS on fence aisle
Monument Name: DEVINE
Associated Names: Devine, John; Lawless, Henrietta
Interments:
Burial date Name[Sex/Age]; Comments
01/17/1903 Devine, John Michael
12/13/1934 Devine, John Michael
08/23/1942 Bertucci, Peter John[M/74]
09/14/1942 Edgoose, (Karen Kerennaappuch)
01/02/1960 Lawless, Matthew W., Sr.
11/11/1975 Lawless, Mary Ellen
08/16/1977 Lawless, Charles Clifford, Sr.[M/58]
10/09/1978 Lawless, Matthew W., Jr.[M/69]
12/12/1987 Lawless, Michael Stephen[M/32]
02/28/1989 Lawless, Nan[F/67]
12/11/1998 Lawless, John D.[M/88]
NOTES & QUERIES:
A question and answer session by e-mail with Ronnie BERTUCCI, grandson of Peter John BERTUCCI, in 2014:
27.04.2014 Ronnie BERTUCCI to Michael James EDGOOSE. Subject: Peter BERTUCCI, New Orleans: "keren edgoose was married to my grandfather peter bertucci if u are looking for info I might be able to help"
01.05.2014 Michael James EDGOOSE sent Ronnie BERTUCCI a list of questions numbered 1 to 5.
02.05.2014 Ronnie BERTUCCI combined the questions with his answers:
> 1. MJE to RB: "Do you have a photograph of her [Kerenhappuch] and Peter which you could scan and send as an attachment to an e-mail?"
Reply: "I only have a picture of my grandfather Peter. It will be from the time around 1903. That was before he was ever married."
> 2. MJE ro RB: "Do you have any information about her first husband? I have no idea what happened to him."
Reply: "Unconfirmed reports say that he died in New York. No other information on her first husband."
> 3. MJE to RB: "Do you know when and where she married your grandfather Peter BERTUCCI or how she met him?"
Reply: "I don't know what year they met, but they met while Peter was living in New York. Peter and Karen's brother (have name somewhere, will have to dig it up) worked together and had several of their inventions patented. A game known as badmitten [sic] now but called the button game then, a music leaf turner, a flavouring extract and a salve to name a few. Peter was also acquainted with Andrew CARNEGIE. I do not know exactly how Karen and Peter met."
> 4. MJE to RB: "Did she have any children by either of her husbands?"
Reply: "Karen had no children."
> 5. MJE to RB: "I know that several people named LAWLESS were buried in the same grave as Keren and Peter. Were they any relation?"
Reply: "Mary LAWLESS was Peter and Karen's neighbour. She took care of them in their later years. It is in her families crypt that they are buried. This information came from Mary LAWLESS' son who is now deceased but I had spoken with him prior to his death and he remembered both Peter and Karen. Karen was a home maker and Peter sold produce from a vending cart in the French Quarter. I do not know when they moved to New Orleans, LA. Karen was older than Peter and died with two weeks of his passing in 1942. My oldest half sister Barbara remembers them. She was 10 years old when they died.
02.05.2014 Michael James EDGOOSE to Ronnie BERTUCCI: "I was intrigued by your reference to Kerenhappuck's brother. She had a brother James who disappeared after the 1881 UK census and did not appear again until the 1911 census. Thereafter no trace. I seem to have accounted for all her other brothers. I'd be very happy if you can confirm that his name was James."
04.05.2014 Ronnie BERTUCCI to Michael James EDGOOSE: "I found Karen and Peter's marriage certificate. They were married at the saint bernard church on west 14th street in new york on march 15, 1919. They show her maiden name as HANSEN. I found a patent for the salve dated August 29, 1905 to Charles Sophus Thorwald HANSEN and he was residing in Philadelphia.
I found a paper that Karen wrote dated May 17, 1926 to St. Vincents Infant Asylum which is for adoptions. The letter is referenced to a child named Andrew that was living with Peter and Karen in Covington, Louisiana. I haven't found any other papers about an adoption and don't know what happened to Andrew. I found a property deed sold to Peter and Kerenhappuch [sic] EDGOOSE. I found Karen's obituary September 13, 1942 aged 78 and a native of London, England.$
The last document I found today was the last will and testament which states that Mary LAWLESS was involved.
I will scan those documents and send them to you as well.
I hope this helps."
(revised 21.12.2018)