Third Generation

31. John Joseph SERP Sr. (^) was born on 19 September 1911 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. (Curtis Bay was an independent village in Anne Arundel County for sixty-six years until it was annexed by the city of Baltimore on 1 January 1919 and became part of Baltimore County. For the history of Curtis Bay, go to the Internet web site http://www.bcpl.net/~jgreenst/bcb_hist/comphist.html) He was christened on 21 October 1911 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Baltimore. His sponsors were John Svitak (a brother of his mother) and Barbara Svitak Fagan (a sister of his mother).

On his Certificate of Baptism, his surname is spelled "Srp," and his father's name is listed as Edward Srp. He appeared in the census in 1920 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. John lived in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD in 1928. His household was at 733 Pennington Avenue. He lived in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD in 1929. His household was at 4910 Pennington Avenue.
He was an amateur football player for the Curtis Bay Bombers, playing Right Tackle, between 1930 and 1938 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. John appeared in the census in 1930 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. He was living with his parents at 4910 Pennington Avenue and his occupation was "None." He lived in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD in 1937. He and his wife were living at 1522 Cypress Street and his occupation was "Laborer." He appeared in the census in April 1940 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. His household was at 4408 Fairhaven Avenue and his occupation was "Pipefitter, Chemical Company." He rented the home for $15 per month. The census indicates that his "Highest Grade of School Completed" was the 8th grade, and that his total earnings in 1939 were $1,456. John lived in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD in 1942. His household was at 649 Ceddox Street and his occupation was "Pipefitter." Between 1945 and 1976 he was a welder at the U. S. Coast Guard yard in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. He also worked part-time jobs as a house painter. He appeared in the census on 15 April 1950 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. His household was at 4916 Pennington Avenue and his occupation was "Electric Welder, Coast Guard." John lived in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD in 1956. His household was at 4916 Pennington Avenue and he worked at the U.S. Coast Guard. He died on 14 October 1988 at the age of 77 in Baltimore (Independent City), MD. His daughter, Barbara, was visiting with him the week of his death. His hospice care workers mentioned that he was near death, and Barbara was able to spend quality time with him right up until he passed away.

Obituary Notes: "On October 14, 1988, John Joseph Serp, Sr., beloved husband of Katherine M. Serp (nee Kutcher), devoted father of Barbara Griggs and John J. Serp, Jr., devoted father-in-law of Gary L. Griggs and Susan Serp, devoted grandfather of Jennifer, Allison, Stephanie and Jon Griggs and Theresa, Brian, Christopher and Christina Marie Serp. Also survived by one brother, four sisters, nieces and nephews.

Friends may call at the Mitchell Wiedefeld Home on Sunday. Christian Wake Service will be held Sunday. Mass of Christian Burial will be offered Monday at St. Pius X Church. Interment at Holy Cross Cemetery." He was buried on 17 October 1988 in Brooklyn Park, Anne Arundel County, MD. in the Holy Cross Cemetery (in the Holy Rood A Section). There is a gravestone for his wife, Katherine, next to his, but she is not buried there.

John Joseph SERP Sr. (^) and Katherine Mary KUTCHER (^) were married on 5 July 1935 in Wagner's Point, Baltimore County, MD. at St. Adalbert's Catholic Church.

On the church marriage record, which is written in Latin, their names were listed as "Joannem J. Serp" and "Catharinam Kucera." So, Katherine, at that point, was still using the original surname spelling of her ancestors.

The witnesses at their wedding were Alvin "Abe" Acree and Ruth Cayer. (John and Katherine's daughter, Barbara, has a copy of their marriage record from the church.)

When they first married, they lived at 1522 Cypress Street in the Curtis Bay section of Baltimore. They then lived at 408 Fairhaven Avenue (1940), at 1415 Cherry Street (1950). and at 4916 Pennington Avenue (about 1956), before moving to 216 St. James Drive in Glen Burnie in July 1956.

For many years until 1963, Katherine and John served as foster parents for children in Glen Burnie. They were members of the Senior Citizens Club at the Stoney Creek Democratic Club. They loved to travel, with trips to Germany, Vermont, New York, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Carolina, Florida and the Bahamas. In 1985, they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary by taking a 10-day trip to Hawaii.

They lived in Glen Burnie until September 1986, when they sold their home and moved to an apartment in the Rogers Forge area of Baltimore. After John passed away in October 1988, Katherine moved to an apartment in Glen Burnie, near their former home. Then, in June 1999, she moved to an assisted living center in Easton, MD, where she lived until she passed away.

(Wagner's Point, the location of their wedding, is an industrial area in Baltimore. The name of the area comes from the Martin Wagner Company, which operated a beef packing plant there before the property was acquired by the Baltimore City government. The Martin Wagner plant was destroyed by a fire in 1913. Until the late 1990's, Wagner's Point included a residential community which was relocated by the City due to environmental concerns. Houses of the former residents were demolished after the city's buyout of the properties.)
Katherine Mary KUTCHER (^), daughter of Josef Jakub KUCERA and Albina Mary SVEC, was born on 8 May 1919 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. Her surname--and that of her parents--was listed as "Kutchera" on her birth certificate. They were living at 7 Cedar Street in Curtis Bay at the time of her birth.

(Note: On 9 June 2007, Katherine told her son-in-law, Gary Griggs, that her birth father was actually Frank Kucera, the younger brother of Joseph Kucera. That could not have been the case because World War I military records show that Frank departed for France on July 8, 1918, ten months before Katherine was born. He was killed two months later.) She was christened on 20 May 1919 in Baltimore (Independent City), MD. at St. Wenceslaus Church. Her name is listed as "Catherine Mary Kucera" on her Baptismal Certificate. She appeared in the census in 1920 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. Katherine appeared in the census in 1930 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. After her father died in 1931, she lived for a year or two at the Mount St. Agnes Boarding School because her mother had no means of financial support for her three children. She appeared in the census in 1940 in Baltimore (Independent City), MD. According to the census, her "Highest grade of school completed" was the 8th grade. She appeared in the census on 15 April 1950 in Curtis Bay, Baltimore (Independent City), MD. Katherine died on 21 November 2008 at the age of 89 in Easton, Talbot County, MD. Her daughter, Barbara, had visited her for several days prior to Katherine's death--taking her to her doctor and the hospital, and out for pizza at Pizza Hut. Barbara said that her mom was in great spirits during her visit. Barbara returned to South Carolina on Wednesday morning, November 19th.

On Thursday the 20th, Katherine told the visiting nurse that she was feeling unusually well, and she suspected that she might be getting ready to die. She had told her cleaning lady, Roxie, the same thing earlier that week.

She is believed to have died of a heart attack very early in the morning of Friday the 21st. The living center staff members found her at noon on Friday morning, lying on the floor in her living room. Her bed had not been slept in the prior night, and the coroner suspects that she may have suffered the attack late Thursday night or early Friday morning while watching television. She must have died very suddenly, because she had not used the Medic Alert that she wore around her neck.

Obituary Notes: "Katherine M. Serp, 89, of Easton, died at her home on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. Born in Baltimore on May 8, 1919, she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Albina Svec Kutchera.

A homemaker, Mrs. Serp lived on the western shore for most of her life, primarily Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, until moving to Easton 10 years ago. Mrs. Serp is survived by a son, John J. Serp, Jr. and his wife Susan of Baltimore; a daughter, Barbara Griggs and her husband Gary of Pawleys Island, SC; eight grandchildren: Terry Ayres, Brian Serp, Chris Serp, Tina Fisher, Jennifer Andress, Allison Lee, Stephanie Bridgers and Jon Griggs; two brothers, Joseph Kutchera of Anne Arundel County and Frank Kutchera; and 16 great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John J. Serp, Sr.

A funeral liturgy will be celebrated at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Cordova. Friends may call at the Fellows, Helfenbein and Newnam Funeral Home, P.A., Easton, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Cordova.

Donations may be made to the Johns Hopkins Hospital Children Center, 600 Wolfe St., Baltimore, MD 21827 or Autism Research, 2000 North 14th St., Suite 710, Arlington, VA 22201. www.fhnfuneralhome.com".
She was buried on 26 November 2008 in Cordova, Talbot County, MD. in the Old St. Joseph's Catholic Church Cemetery. St. Joseph's is the second oldest Catholic Church built in America (in 1765), and at the time of her death it was the oldest Catholic Church in continuous use in America.

Her gravestone is not listed in the church cemetery's directory on the Find-a-Grave website. She also has a gravestone next to that of her husband in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Brooklyn Park, Anne Arundel County, MD (Holy Rood A Section), but she is not buried there.

John Joseph SERP Sr. (^) and Katherine Mary KUTCHER (^) had the following children: