Honoring Ancestors who died too young: Milton Reinhardt

Milton Reinhardt was the illegitimate son of my great-great Aunt Elizabeth Reinhardt[1].  Milton was born on December 5, 1900[2], and to Elizabeth’s credit she kept him and raised him.  I haven’t found a birth certificate for Milton.  His death certificate lists a William Reinhardt as the father[3], however I doubt there was ever a William Reinhardt that fathered this child.  It was well known among family that Milton was the “illegitimate” son of Elizabeth.  Illegitimate was a term used then to describe a child born to an unwed mother. On the 1910 census Milton is listed as living in the same household as his mother and grandparents, but is listed as the son of the grandparents not the grandson.[4]  Perhaps the truth was known among family members, but not to the outside world.  I think if neighbors and acquaintances knew this it might have been the talk of the town in 1900.  So perhaps it was kept quiet.  I found a letter that Milton wrote his mother on July 8, 1917 from Chicago.[5]  His mother was living in Ottawa, Illinois at that time.[6]  I am attaching a copy of the letter in this post.  I don’t know how easy it will be to read. So I will transcribe it here.

Chicago, Ill

July 8, 1917

 Dear Ma,

 Received the letter with the two boxes.  I was at Municipal Pier today with Doc and Ralph and had a fine time.  I’ve got a $3 Brownie Camera it’s a good one and took 12 pictures.  I was in the big music hall listening to a concert and I met Charlie Rude.  I took his picture a couple of times.  Ralph and I are going over to Charlie’s Tuesday eve.  I was at Madison, Wisc. working with Al.  I didn’t take anything because he paid my expenses and had a good time.  Agnes wants me to stay awhile and take a ride with her and Charles.  Did not here from Brownie yet.  Are all the bunch working .  I suppose I’ll have to loaf around again when I get back.  I don’t know for sure yet what day I’ll be back.  Ralph is coming down in a few weeks and try to get a job.  I hate to go back to Ottawa.  That pier certainly is great.  There’s about 2000 soldiers on the pier camping.  Charlie Rude says would do better if I worked up here this summer.  I wish I had more money to get films.  I haven’t got much left to spend.  Will write soon and keep Kaiser tied up.  Don’t borrow the wheel.  Tell Tom to answer that letter.  Well I guess that’s all I can say.  Ralph comes over nearly every night so it’s not dull.  Write soon.

 

                                                                           With Love,

                                                                           Milton

 

I tried to transcribe it as written with mistakes and all.  Every time I tried to write this story I would get sidetracked tracing the people in the letter.  Agnes is Elizabeth’s sister[7] and I wonder if he was staying with her, it sounds that way.  Ralph is Milton’s cousin[8].  My grandmother, her brother Ralph, and her sister were all near or the same age as Milton.  My grandmother loved Milton.  She thought the world of him and described him as a “wonderful boy”.  I do not recognize the other names in the letter.

The family story goes that Milton returned to Ottawa, Illinois and fell doing some kind of work.  He told his mother he didn’t feel well and soon after that died.  I have to admit that I haven’t bothered to get his death certificate so I don’t know his official cause of death.  It’s on my to do list. The information I have from his death certificate is from FamilySearch index and it does not give the cause of death (see footnotes 2 & 3) but it really doesn’t matter what the cause of death, the fact is he died too young.  He died on March 28, 1918 at 17 years old[9].  His mother married in 1920 at age 39.  Aunt Liz as I knew her lived to be old and died when I was 19 years old.[10]  She had quite a colorful and secret life.  Someday I will write about her life before and after Milton.

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[1] Family story told to author many times from 1960 – 1981 by Helen Bowers Kaiser (niece of Elizabeth Reinhardt).

[2] “ Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths 1916 – 1947,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3ZX-9YT): Milton Reinhardt 28 Mar 1918: citing reference FHL microfilm 1544185

[3] “ Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths 1916 – 1947,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3ZX-9YT): Milton Reinhardt 28 Mar 1918: citing reference FHL microfilm 1544185

[4]  Year: 1910; Census Place: Ottawa Ward 5, LaSalle, Illinois; Roll T624_301; Page: 11 A; Enumeration District: 0129; Image: ; FHL microfilm 1374314.

[5] Letter written to Elizabeth Reinhardt, 630 Washington Street, Ottawa, IL from Milton Reinhardt, Chicago, IL, dated July 8, 1917.  In possession of author since 1980 to present 2013.  Originally found in the home of Helen Bowers Kaiser niece of Elizabeth Reinhardt 1980.

[6] [6] Letter written to Elizabeth Reinhardt, 630 Washington Street, Ottawa, IL from Milton Reinhardt, Chicago, IL, dated July 8, 1917.  In possession of author since 1980.  Originally found in the home of Helen Bowers Kaiser niece of Elizabeth Reinhardt 1980

[7] Year: 1910; Census Place: Ottawa Ward 5, LaSalle, Illinois; Roll T624_301; Page: 11 A; Enumeration District: 0129; Image: ; FHL microfilm 1374314.

[8] First hand knowledge of the relationship of Milton to Ralph by Helen Bowers Kaiser and told author many times from 1960 – 1981.

[9] “ Illinois Deaths and Stillbirths 1916 – 1947,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3ZX-9YT): Milton Reinhardt 28 Mar 1918: citing reference FHL microfilm 1544185

[10] Elizabeth Farrell died 5 August 1966 from date book of Helen Bowers Kaiser.  Now in possession of author 2013.

Copyright © 2013 Gail Grunst

Finding Brother William

Picture from:

Henley B. J., The Art of Longevity (Google eBook) (Syracuse, N.Y, 1911), p. 222.

I always wondered how or why my Great-Great Grandfather, Charles Bowers, ended up in Ottawa, LaSalle County, Illinois.  His Obituary in 1897 said he had two brothers, Robert and William, living in Syracuse, New York[1].  I did find a Robert living in Syracuse in 1900[2] and Richard Bowers[3] living in Syracuse, New York in 1892, but no William.  I often wondered if Richard was William.  Maybe William was his middle name.  I gave up looking for William and thought perhaps the newspaper or person giving the information had it wrong.

A while ago I ordered microfilm from the Family History Library in Utah to look for my great-great grandfather Charles Bower’s baptism on 2 October 1828 in England.[4]  I knew it was there from the online index.  When I got the microfilm reels of the church records it covered the years 1772 – 1905.  I started looking for anyone and everyone with the last name Bowers.  I found my third great grandparents Bonnet Bowers and Eliza Linford marriage which stated that Eliza was a widow.[5]   I also found baptism records for a Richard,[6] Robert[7] and Eliza Bowers[8] born to Bonnet and Eliza Bowers.  I never found a William Bowers that was a son of Bonnet and Eliza.  Along the way, I found Eliza in the marriage banns to Robert Linford.[9]  I also found two children she had with her first husband.  William was baptized 28 August 1811,[10] and Elizabeth was baptized November 30, 1814.[11] I made copies of all the pages that listed these events.  I then came home and entered the Bowers information into my family tree.  I filed the papers in my file cabinet under their family name and moved on to another branch.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to start scanning documents that I have collected over the years into my computer.  I started with the Bowers folder because it is the first one in my file cabinet.  As I was scanning them into the computer, I was looking over them again, when I came across the name William Linford born in 1811 to Eliza and her first husband.[12]  I guess it pays to take a second look at documents because at that moment it struck me that if William lived he would be a step brother to my great-great grandfather Charles.  Could this be the brother William mentioned in the Obituary?  The next thing I did was a search on William Linford.  The first thing in that popped up was the 1850 census which had a William Linfor (spelled without the d) living in Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois.[13]  So this was most likely brother, William, and this why Charles ended up in Ottawa, Illinois.  Finding out why Charles ended up in Ottawa, Illinois was a thrill for me.  Now I wonder what drew William to Ottawa, Illinois.

I continued to search for William Linfor(d) and found out the following information. He married Dinah Essaby in 1833.[14]  They had four children John 1837, William 1840, Sarah 1844, Robert 1846.[15]  They came to the US 22 August 1849 and to Ottawa, Illinois on 1 October 1849.[16]  In 1851 William applied for citizenship and in 1854 he became a citizen of the United States.[17]  He worked as a Sexton at the West Ottawa Cemetery until the family moved to Section 20 in Allen Township, LaSalle County, Illinois in 1856.  William farmed the land until 1879 when Dinah died and he moved to Syracuse, New York.[18]

In 1911 William Linfor was living at 1516 Grape Street in Syracuse, New York.  At the age of 99 he was just beginning to carry a cane.  The previous winter he was seen climbing a ladder to clean snow the roof of his house.  He attributed his long life to never eating beyond what he knew he could digest.  He was still in possession of all his faculties except his hearing.[19] William Linfor died on 28 January 1912 of pleurisy at the ripe old age of 100.[20] 

John served in the Civil War, and upon return home he continued to live and work on the family farm.  In 1865 he married Martha E. Patton, and they had two children, Flossie E. and Ida L.  Flossie married John Blair of Allen Township and they had one Child, Flossie.  Ida L. married Otto Strobel also of Allen Township and they had two children Martha C. and William O.[21]

Robert also served in the Civil War. After the war he returned home to farm with John.  In 1875 Robert started farming his own tract of 160 acres.  In 1867 he married Cynthia Alice Isgrig, and they had four children Carrie, Lottie, John W, Mabel.  Carrie married West Grant of Chicago, Illinois and Lottie married A. Berge of Allen Township. [22] 

William (Son) moved to Walnut, Iowa and married Lodema.  They had five children Cora S, William G, Robert, Charles, and Claud.[23] [24] 

Sarah Linfor Golder died in Kansas in 1873.[25]

There is still more searching to do as I would like to continue down to today’s descendants.

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[1] Obituary for Charles Bowers; Republican Times  (Ottawa, LaSalle County, Illinois) 18 February 1897.

[2]United States Census; Year: 1900; Place: Village of Danforth, Onondaga, New York; enumeration District: 161 District 2 Scyracuse City Ward 19, Onondaga, New York; Page: 3B; Family; 63; NARA Publication Film T623; Microfilm: 1241138.

[3]New York State Census; Year 1892; Place: Syracuse, Onondaga, New York; Ward: 7; enumeration District: 9; Image: 10.

[4] Baptism Record for Charles Bowers 2 October, 1828; Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Registers, Baptisms 1813 – 1841 Vol 3, Page 112, No 891;  Microfilmed by Genealogical Society Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs; filmed 26 July 1988, film #13640109, film Unit 2161, MCD 2, Roll # 5.

[5] Marriage Record for Bonnet Bowers and Eliza Linford  7 April 1822; Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Registers, Marriages 1813 – 1838 volume 4 Page 35; Microfilmed by Genealogical Society Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs; filmed August 1988, film #13640109, film unit ser no 2161 MCD 2 Roll #11.

[6] Baptism Record for Richard Bowers 28 April 1822; Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Registers, Baptism 1813 – 1841 Vol e, Page 68, No 539; ;  Microfilmed by Genealogical Society Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs; filmed 26 July 1988, film #13640109, film Unit 2161, MCD 2, Roll # 5.

[7] Baptism Record for Robert Bowers 25 February 1825; Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Registers, Baptism 1813 – 1841 Vol 3 Page 90 No 713; Microfilmed by Genealogical Society Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs; filmed 26 July 1988, film #13640109, film Unit 2161, MCD 2, Roll # 5.

[8] Baptism Record for Eliza Bowers 18 June 1827; Terrington St Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Registers, Baptism 1813 – 1841 Vol 3 Page 105 No 835; Microfilmed by Genealogical Society Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs; filmed 26 July 1988, film #13640109, film Unit 2161, MCD 2, Roll # 5.

[9] Marriage Banns for Robert Linford and Elizabeth Huggleson dated 7 day October 1810, 14 October, 1810, and 21 October 1810, Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Registers, Banns 1806 – 1905, Item 4, Vol. 1, Page 8, no 39; Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society Salt Lake City, Utah at the Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, cambs; filmed 9 August 1988, film #13640109, film unit ser. No 2161 MCD 2, Roll # 12

[10] Baptism for William Linford 28 August 1811; Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Register Baptism and Burials 1772 – 1812  Item 2; Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs., filmed 26 July 1988, Film Number 13640109, film unit # 2161 NCD 2 Roll # 5.

[11] Baptism Record for Elizabeth Linford 30 November 1814; Terrington St Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Registers Baptisms 1813 – 1841 Vol 3, # 114; Microfilmed by Genealogical Society Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs; filmed 26 July 1988, film #13640109, film Unit 2161, MCD 2, Roll # 5.

[12] Baptism for William Linford 28 August 1811; Terrington St. Clement, Norfolk, England; Parish Register Baptism and Burials 1772 – 1812  Item 2; Microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Salt Lake City, Utah at Wisbech and Fenland Museum, Wisbech, Cambs., filmed 26 July 1988, Film Number 13640109, film unit # 2161 NCD 2 Roll # 5

[13]  Year: 1850; Census Place: Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois; roll: M432_115; Page: 269B; Image: 191.

[14] “England, Marriages, 1538 – 1973,” Index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/Pal:MM9.1.1/NF4Q-JXW: accessed 18 Nov 2012), William Linfor and Dinah Essaby, 1833; citing reference 2:3GJG91D, FLH microfilm 1542146.

[15] Year: 1850; Census Place: Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois; roll: M432_115; Page: 269B; Image: 191

[16] Biographical and Genealogy Record of LaSalleCountyIllinois(Google eBook) (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1900), p. 227.

[17] National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D. C.; Soundex Index to Naturalization Petitions for the United States District and Circuit Courts, Northern District of Illinois and Immigration and Naturalization service District 9 1840 – 1950 (M1285); microfilm Serial: M1285; Microfilm Roll 112

[18] Biographical and Genealogy Record of LaSalleCountyIllinois(Google eBook) (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1900), p. 224 & 227.

[19] Henley B. J., The Art of Longevity (Google eBook) (Syracuse, N.Y, 1911), p. 223 & 224.

[20] Health News. Monthly Bulletin (Google ebook) (New York State Division of Public Health Education, Albany, New York), New Series, Vol. VIII, No 1, Full Series Vol. XXIX No 1,  January 1013

[21] Biographical and Genealogy Record of LaSalleCountyIllinois(Google eBook) (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1900), p. 227 & 228.

[22] Biographical and Genealogy Record of LaSalleCountyIllinois(Google eBook) (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1900), p. 224 & 225.

[23] Biographical and Genealogy Record of LaSalleCountyIllinois(Google eBook) (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1900), p. 224.

[24]United States Census; Year: 1880; Place: Walnut, Pottawatomie, Iowa; Roll: 361; Family History Film: 1254361; Page: 192D; Enumeration District: 190; Image 0387

[25] Biographical and Genealogy Record of LaSalleCountyIllinois(Google eBook) (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company, 1900), p. 227.

Copyright © 2012 Gail Grunst

Do Your Ancestor’s Haunt You?

Since I’m getting up there in years, I have had the unfortunate experience of seeing most of my family member’s pass on as well as some friends and coworkers.  I can’t say that I have ever seen anything or felt haunted by any of them. With that said, I have wondered about a couple of incidents that happened.

I had a clock in my house that was from my grandmother’s house.  I came home one day to find that the clock stopped a little after 12 pm.  Later that day I got a phone call that my grandmother had passed away.  My Aunt went to visit her in the nursing home around 5 pm.  As soon as she walked in, she knew my grandmother was dead.  She went to the nurse’s station and informed them.  My Aunt said that her lunch tray was still there, and it appeared that she had not touched her lunch.  Apparently, no one had checked on her since they brought her lunch.  Now I don’t know what time they brought lunch to her, but I assume it could be around 12 pm.  I have always wondered if she passed away at the time the clock stopped.  Later that night, I was in bed and could not sleep; and I thought I heard foot steps in the hallway.  I thought maybe grandma was coming to get one more look at her great-grandchildren.  After that I never heard or felt anything.  I didn’t connect the clock stopping with her death right away.  It wasn’t until someone told me when her father died, the clocks in her house stopped.  The clock never worked again.

I went to a cemetery to find my great-grandfather’s grave.  I had a hard time with this particular great-grandfather.  First I had very little information about him, so little in fact, that I thought it would be impossible to find him.  Also, he used his middle name, which everyone thought was his first name.  So I would find some records where he used his first name which no one in the family knew, or he would use his middle name which was the name everyone knew him by.  It took me years to find out if this was two individuals or one person using both names.  I went off to the cemetery to see if the mystery of the two names could be solved.  I asked a man working in the cemetery office where my great-grandfather was buried in the cemetery.  He took a big book down off a shelf and opened it up to the page that listed my great-grandfather.  We both laughed at the coincidence of opening the book to exact page.  He gave me instructions as to where to find the grave, but stated that the grave had no tombstone.  I knew right then that this was not going to help me solve the mystery.  I then asked him if he could tell me who owned the lot.  He said that was in another book and he took that one down from the shelf and opened it up.  Again, he opened to the page that listed my great-grandfather.  At this point, his eyes became huge as if he was frightened, and he looked at me and said, “Grandpa really wants you to find him.”  It turned out that the state owned the lot and great-grandpa was buried in a pauper’s grave.  So the mystery was not solved that day, but I have often thought about the coincidence of opening two books to the exact page that listed my great-grandfather.

Now I don’t know if these two incidents would be considered the haunting of ghosts or what.  I have had the experience of thinking about a person and later that day or the next day finding out that they passed on.  I have heard stories of ancestor ghosts from others.  It would be nice if some ancestors would visit me and help me solve some brick walls.

Updated Pages

Just a quick note to tell you that I have updated this site.  I added a page for libraries and archives, updated my favorite blogs, my bio and research/classes pages.  Hope you find these pages useful.

Honoring Ancestors who died too young: Ruth Kaiser

Ruth is not exactly an ancestor of mine, but I have heard about Ruth since I was a little girl.  Ruth was my grandfather’s first wife.  He was married to her a little over a year when she died.

Ruth was born Ruth Muzzey on September 5, 1898 in DeKalb, DeKalb, Illinois.  She married Fred Kaiser on October 28, 1920 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.  She died November 8, 1921.  According to her death certificate she died of Eclampsia (seizures and coma that happen during pregnancy but are not due to pre-existing or organic brain disorders), pregnancy and uremic coma.  Secondary condition was Pyebitis Pyonephrosis.

I had to look these medical terms up to understand what exactly happened.  From what I can deduce is that she had a pre-existing kidney condition before becoming pregnant.  According to her death certificate the doctor treated her for Pyebitis Pyonephrosis (a kidney condition) for 11 months and 20 days.  I remember my grandmother saying that Ruth was told that she should not get pregnant, but she did and it caused her death.  The death certificate also states that the doctor treated her for the Eclampsia and pregnancy from September 1 though November 8, 1921.  A Cesarean Section was preformed prior to death.  It does not say how far along she was in her pregnancy.

Once again, I felt for my grandfather.  In April of 1919 he lost his brother to Influenza, then 2 ½ years later he loses his wife and child.  It seems like more than one could bear.

Then I wondered about Ruth’s family, her parents, brothers and sisters.  I never heard anything about Ruth’s family of origin.  What I did hear about Ruth came from my grandmother, not my grandfather.  I never heard my grandfather talk about Ruth.  My grandmother was a Ruth’s friend so she is the one that kept Ruth’s memory alive.  But I could not remember Grandma saying anything about Ruth’s family.  Maybe she did, but back then it really didn’t mean anything to me.  Even after starting genealogy, I just ignored her until recently because she was not a blood relative.

I had to find her on the censuses to get a glimpse into her life. I also found her family tree on Ancestry.  It looks like she was the youngest of seven children.  She was 10 years younger than her next closest sibling.    Her father and one brother preceded Ruth in death.  Ruth’s mother and other siblings died after Ruth. The last of her siblings died in 1966.  I wonder if they were close to her and what their thoughts were when she died.  Apparently, they did not keep in touch with my grandfather.  I think I would have heard if he were in touch with Ruth’s family.  Too bad I was too young at the time to ask the right questions.

Another thing that struck me in researching her life was that there was a cesarean section done.  What happened to the baby?  There was never any mention of the baby.  I assumed it died too.  That started me thinking that there should be a birth and/or death record.  I was able to find a death record on Familysearch.  It was just an index entry, they did not have a picture of the original.  However, I did get some information from the index. Here is the information from the index.

Name:  Kaiser; Death Date:  8 November 1921; Gender: Male; Birth Date: 8 November 1921;  Birth Place:  Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Father: Fred Kaiser; Father’s Birth Place:  Chicago, IL; Mother: Ruth Muzzey; Mother’s Birth Place: IL.

I wonder if the baby was near full-term or born premature.  If premature, how premature was it?  Apparently, the baby was never given a first name.  What happened to the baby?  Was he buried? Cremated?  I know he is not buried near his mother because I have been to Ruth’s grave.  She is buried on one side of my grandfather, and my grandmother is buried on the other side of my grandfather. Also buried there are my grandfather’s parents, his brother, and my mother and father.

Did Grandpa think of Ruth on their wedding anniversary (October 28) or on the anniversary of her death (November 8) and the birth & death of his son?  I will never know, but I would hope that he did think of them on those days. How sad to think not only of Ruth’s early death, but the death of her baby too.  Two lives that ended too soon.  So in honoring Ruth’s life, I am also honoring that of her baby boy too.

Honoring Ancestor’s who died too young: Hugo Kaiser

Hugo (year unknown)

A few weeks ago I wrote about Genevieve Bowers who died at age 20 of appendicitis.  A lot of people seemed to relate to this story.  This got me to thinking about other ancestors who died at a young age.  Of course they are not direct line ancestors as most of these people died before they had a chance to marry and have children.

Today I decided to write about my grandfather’s brother.

Hugo Emil Kaiser was born on January 26, 1899 in Chicago, Illinois to Wilhelmina Springer and Rudolf Kaiser.   Hugo died on April 11, 1919 of Influenza during the third wave of the Influenza epidemic.  His secondary condition causing death was Bronchial Pneumonia.  More people died during this epidemic which started in 1918 than died in World War I.  Hugo was working in a cigar factory at the time he contacted the Influenza.  Once again a young person struck down by an illness before he had a chance to live his life.  One wonders what his life might have been like or how his life would have influenced other lives had he lived.  I knew my Grandmother’s brother and sister.  What would it have been like to know my grandfather’s only brother?  Would he have married and had children and what would they be like?  Maybe he would have stayed single and been a bachelor uncle.  Who knows what he might have done.  What was his personality like?  Was he like my Grandfather?  My Grandfather never talked about him.  All I ever knew was that Grandpa had a brother who died when he was young.  That was where the story started and ended.  No information was given about Hugo.  Maybe it was too painful for Grandpa to talk about.  I can only imagine how his parents grieved at the loss of a son so young.  They probably thought about what might have been.  How very very sad for them and Grandpa too.  Hugo is buried in Eden Cemetery in Schiller Park, Illinois alongside his mother, father, and brother.

Grandpa and Hugo around 1918

If you would like to learn more about the Influenza epidemic of 1918/1919 go to:

http://www.flu.gov/pandemic/history/1918/

Wordless Wednesday: School Days

My Mother’s 6th grade Class

She is second row, first one on left.

Around 1935 0r 1936

Tombstone Tuesday: Which Eliza is this?

This tombstone is in St. Clement Church Cemetery in Terrington-St Clement, Norfolk, England.  It belongs to Eliza Bowers.  The rest of  it is unreadable from the picture so I don’t know the dates.  Eliza Bowers my great-great-great grandmother had a daughter Eliza.  So I’m not sure which Eliza this belongs to.

Eliza the daughter was born on June 18, 1827 and died on June 21, 1827.  She only lived 3 days.  Would they have given her such a big tombstone?  Eliza the mother died January 22, 1831.  I believe the tombstone most likely belongs to Eliza the elder.  It looks like the word Wife might be on there but can’t quite make all of it out.

A photographer friend of my son took this picture for us.  He lives in England and was photographing Churches so took this for us.  The picture of the church can be seen on my Gail Grunst Genealogy Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/GailGrunstGenealogy?ref=hl

Sunday’s Obituary: Genevieve Bowers

One of the saddest Obituaries, I have come across while researching my ancestors is the one for Genevieve Bowers.  She was only 21 years old when she died of appendicitis.  I had an obituary that my grandmother had saved from a newspaper.  Genevieve was an Aunt of my grandmothers.  The obituary that my grandmother had saved said Genevieve had her trunks packed as she planned on visiting friends or relatives in Colorado.  Unfortunately the paper was so old that it disintegrated and I no longer have it.  I made a trip to Ottawa, Illinois where she lived and died to get a copy of the obituary.  I went to the Lasalle County IL Genealogy Guild Library and found two obituaries for her, but neither mention having her trunks packed for a trip to Colorado.    I also tried the public library and they had the same ones as the Genealogy Guild.

I’d like to know if she was going to visit friends or relatives because I have hit a brick wall when it comes to her mother Alexena Frazier, born in Nassagaweya, Ontario, Canada.  It seems I cannot find Alexena’s parents or a record of her birth.  I thought if it were relatives she was visiting in Colorado, perhaps it was her mother’s family.  I have no idea if Alexena had brothers or sisters.

I found it sad that she only lived to age 21 and had not had a chance to experience all that life has to offer.  She did not yet fall in love, get married, or have children.  Obituary on left is from the Ottawa Journal dated July 3, 1898.  The Obituary on the right is from the Republican Times dated July 4, 1898.

Family Recipe Friday: Grandma’s homemade noodles

I remember going to grandma’s when she was making her homemade noodles.  The dining room table would be full of noodles drying out.  Then she would make homemade chicken soup.  There was nothing like her homemade chicken soup with her homemade noodles.  Sorry to say that I don’t have her recipe for homemade chicken soup, but I do have the recipe for her noodles.  I’ve made them a couple of times, but it has been many years since I made them.  Maybe writing this will prompt me to make them again.

4 cups sifted flour

1/2 teas. salt

6 eggs

6 to 8 tbsps. water

Put into large bowl 4 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, add eggs one at a time and mix slightly after each egg, add 6 to 8 tablespoon water.  Mix well to make a stiff dough.  Knead 5 to 8 minutes by folding back half of the dough toward you and using the heel of your hand to push dough away from you.  Give dough a quarter of a turn and repeat kneading for 5 to 8 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic.  Use as little additional flour as possible.  Roll 1/3 or 1/2 of the dough about 1/8 inch thick on floured cloth or table.  Let dough dry on both sides until dough does not stick together when folded over to cut.  Start at narrow edge and cut into strips 1/4 inches wide.  Let stand on floured cloths or table for 2 to 3 hours or until dry.

Add noodles to boiling water, add a tablespoon of salt. and boil rapidly for 10 minutes or until tender.