#52Ancestors-Week 8-Heirlooms

My great-grandmother, Grandma Murphy (Katherine Hanauer Murphy), had a set of Haviland china that was her "good" china.  I believe that her china was a wedding gift (she married in 1902). She managed to hang on to it, even through the Great Depression.  And when she was older, she determined that the Haviland was to go to her oldest great-granddaughter, who just happened to be me! So, when Grandma Murphy died in 1963, my grandmother kept it for me until I married in 1971, when it was officially passed on to me.  I treasured having it and used it on special occasions!

When my grandmother died, I also got her good china.  One can only have so many sets of "good china".  As my daughters became adults, I was ready to pass on the Haviland.  My oldest daughter already had "good" china and didn't want another set, but my other daughter was very interested in having it, so now it is in the possession of another generation.

**side note: the daughter who has the Haviland has "Murphy" for her middle name, so it made it even more fitting to pass it on to her!

#52Ancestors-Valentine; Week 7

For the prompt, Valentine, I decided not to go with the obvious choice and am writing about my great-great-great grandfather, Valentine Hanauer.

Valentine Hanauer was born on the 20th of February in 1834 in Alsace, France.  He was the oldest son of the six known children born to Jean George and Marie Barbe Marzolf Hanauer. He was named after his grandfather.  Valentine arrived in the United States with his parents and family around 1847 at the age of 13.  The family settled in Canton, Ohio, later moving on to Indiana.

In the 1850 Census, Valentine is listed with his parents, two sisters and his brother in Canton, Ohio. His father is listed as a farmer.  His oldest sister, Saloma, is not found with the family. She would have been 23 years old when the family came to the United States, so perhaps she was married and either stayed in Alsace, or she is near the family, but her married name is unknown.

Valentine Hanauer married Elizabeth Swain on the 3rd of March in 1859 in Huntington County, Indiana.  Their first child, my great-great grandfather, (Edward C. Hanauer) was born on the 21st of June in 1859.  [a side note: In a letter written many years later by Edward's sister-in-law she stated that it was said that "Ed" was adopted, but she didn't know if that was true.]

Valentine and Elizabeth, along with their son Edward, were listed as living with Valentine's parents, and brother George, in the 1860 census for Whitley County, Indiana. Valentine's father was listed as a farmer, but there was no occupation listed for either Valentine or his brother George.

According to the 1870 Huntington County, Indiana census, Valentine and Elizabeth had 8 children: Edward, William Henry, George Washington, Valentine, John, Nancy Jane, Saloma, and Elizabeth Ann. Valentine was listed as a farmer with real estate worth $800. A daughter, Magdalena, was born in 1873, but died that same year.

The 1880 census for Huntington County, shows that Valentine and Elizabeth had three more children: Emmaline, Ira and Nora J. Valentine was still listed as a

farmer, with his older sons listed as working on the farm.  Their son, Edward, had married in 1879 and he was living with his wife in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Six of Valentine's children married between 1880-1890. Three married before 1900 and one married in 1904, so presumably, Valentine lived to see all of them married.  Sadly, he also saw three of his children die between 1890-1900. The picture to the left is of the family of Valentine and Elizabeth Swain Hanauer, with Valentine and Elizabeth in the center.

The 1900 census for Huntington County, Indiana listed Valentine and Elizabeth living by themselves.  Valentine was listed as sixty-four years old (he was actually sixty-six) and a farmer.

Valentine died on the 28th of February in 1904.  He was seventy years old. Elizabeth lived six more years.  They are buried together in Funk Cemetery.

#52Ancestors-Where there's a Will: Week 9

I have written about various wills that I have uncovered over the years, so while my first thought for this week's topic was about wills, I gave it some more thought and decided to write about my great-great uncle, Will Hanauer. By all accounts, Will Hanauer was a quiet, unassuming man, who lived a quiet and uneventful life.  And that may be so, but though I did not know him, I never heard anything but wonderful things about him. He was my great-grandmother's brother and I often heard her, my grandmother and my mother talk about him very fondly. I wish that I would have known him.

William Henry Hanauer was born  on the 21st of August in 1886 in Abilene,
Kansas, the first son (third child) of Edward and Elisabetha Krondorfer Hanauer.  When William arrived, he was greeted by two older sisters, Ella and Kitty. A younger brother, Charles, came when Will was four years old.  By 1893, the family moved to Peoria, Illinois.  Will was six years old then.

When Will was thirteen years old, his father died (in 1899). Will was listed in the 1900 Peoria census living with his mother and three sisters.  Will was attending school. 

By 1908, Will married Margaret von Lingen.  Will was twenty-two years old and "Mag" was twenty-one years old. They started their family right away when Adalheid Mildred was born on the 17th of April in 1909.  She had been named for Aunt Mag's mother.

In 1910, Will and Margaret were listed in the Peoria census with their daughter Mildred.  Will worked as a fireman for the steam railroad.

When Will was twenty-nine years old, his son, William John, was born on the 15th of September in 1915.  Little William died on the 1st of September in 1916 right before his first birthday.

A year and a half later, a daughter was born to Will and Mag on the 15th of March in 1918.  She was named Dorothy "Dot" Elizabeth.  The 1920 census for Peoria shows Will, Mag and their two daughters. Will is listed as an engineer for the railroad.

A third daughter, Marjorie "Margie" Ann, arrived on the 18th of December in 1920.   Now Will's family was complete.

1925 brought the death of Will's sister, Ella.  Ella had lived in Peoria until after 1910 when she married.  In 1920, she lived in Oklahoma, and when she died, she was living in Arkansas.  She died at age forty-three, when Will was thirty-eight years old.

In 1928, both Will's mother and brother died.  Both were living in Peoria. His brother Charles was only thirty-seven years old when he died. 

The 1930 and 1940 Peoria census' show that Will and his family were living on Alice Avenue in Peoria.  Will was still listed as a railroad engineer. Will's daughter, Mildred, had married in 1933 and daughter, Dorothy, had married in 1937. However, Dorothy was living in Will's household in 1940 under her maiden name. Daughter Margie married after 1940.

(Picture to the right is from left to right: Margaret and Will Hanauer, Kitty and Edward Murphy)

Will was still listed in Peoria in 1952, age sixty-six and a railroad engineer. His beloved sister, Kitty, died in August of 1963. The only other record I have of Will after 1952 is of his death on the 18th of November in 1963 in Almeda, California.

I don't know when Will and Mag moved to California. I know that their daughter Mildred and her family lived in California right after WWII, so I am guessing that Will and Mag moved out there to be near her.

Aunt Mag remained in California following Will's death, and she died in 1986. She and Will had been married fifty-four years when he died.

An interesting side note to this family: my father's family lived on Alice Ave. in Peoria and Aunt Mag was friends with my paternal grandmother.  When my dad was stationed in San Francisco he would visit with Will and Mag's daughter Mildred.

#52Ancestors: Favorite Name-Week 6: Graybrook Lake

For the Favorite Name prompt, I decided to write about the lake that my great-grandfather, Sam Gray, built that was named Graybrook Lake. 

(or sometimes called Lake Graybrook!) Sam moved to Owen County, Indiana from Terre Haute in about 1935.  He had began buying property there in about 1921. In 1932, he had created the Grayland Corporation and wanted to build a lake there. He applied to the WPA for the project.  According to The Early History of Lake Graybrook:

"Because he (Sam) was a staunch Republican, his offer was not accepted.  However, the government had a problem finding projects for the WPA in Owen County.  The WPA reconsidered and agreed to build the dam, providing that Sam would match every dollar to be spent by the government." 

 The work began on the dam and was completed around 1938.  The lake filled up within six months. It is approximately 36 acres.  Because the project was government funded it was required to be available to the public for fifty years, but the Corporation could determine how it was available.  Sam built a boathouse with boats to rent.  However, there was a locked gate that was the only access to the boathouse area.  Meanwhile, before lots were offered to the public, Sam gave his three living children their choice of land on the lake.  My grandmother chose a five acre lot on the lake and in 1940, Sam built a small one room cabin for her and her family.

My grandmother, Lotta Nye Gray Adamson, lived in Peoria, Illinois with her husband and children by that time, so it was a long day's drive for them to get to their beloved cabin. (It's a four hour drive now).  My grandmother and my father spent their summers there, with my grandfather driving down on the weekends.  Sam and his wife still lived down there, too.

After my father married my mother, our family trips began to that small cabin.  It had electricity, but no running water.  We slept on Army cots and used the outhouse.  And for young kids, it was heaven!  The old cabin remained even after my parents built a new "cabin" there in 1976.  The new cabin was originally one bedroom and one bathroom, but my parents added two more bedrooms and another full bath soon after.

Then when I married, my family began spending weekends down there with our children.  It was a great vacation destination and we spent many wonderful weeks over the years vacationing with friends there.  And as our children grew up and married, we spent weekends there with our children and grandchildren.

Now my sister and her husband hope to retire there in the next few years!

So, eighty years later, Lake Graybrook is still part of our family and has been the source of endless enjoyment for countless others!  Well-done, Sam!