Mabelle Linnea Seeber 1905-1980 (52 Ancestors # 12)

This week’s challenge was to write about an ancestor who is a lot like you. I have to turn it around a bit and write about an ancestor who I continue to strive to be like! 

 My grandmother, Mabelle Linnea Seeber (who I called “Nanya”), gave me many gifts…she was full of fun and always laughing. When she and my grandfather took dance lessons, she always practiced her steps with me…I especially remember the cha-cha! She converted to Catholicism when she married Eddie Murphy, and remained a devout Catholic throughout her life, always sharing her faith with me. She was an avid reader and allowed me to read her copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird" when I was twelve years old. That has remained my all-time favorite book since that time! She shared her family stories with me creating in me an early desire to learn more about the family. She was always crafty and made many, many ceramics that she shared with the family and that I cherish today. 

Mabelle was very civic-minded, and although she did not have a high-school education, she was elected and served as Peoria County Treasurer for years back in the 1960s. 

 The best gift that Nanya gave me was unconditional love. I was the oldest grandchild and we adored each other. I spent one or two weekends a month with my grandparents until I went away to college, and even while in college, I sometimes came home to stay with them. Fifteen years ago I became a grandmother for the first time, and I try to live up to the grandmother standard that she set…she was the very best. 

 Mabelle Linnea Seeber was born in Peoria, Illinois on the 22nd of May in 1905 at 315 Merriman Street to Charles Oscar and Ida Olauson Seeber, immigrants from Sweden. She was their third child, with a sister Vera who was four years older than she, and a brother, Rich, who was two years older than she was. Mabelle’s father worked as a laborer and the family had little. One of the stories that my grandmother would share with me was her memory of going down to the corner tavern at the end of each day to carry home a bucket of beer for her father. Mabelle had another brother, Harry, born two years after she was, and a sister, Hazel, born four years after Mabelle was born. 

By 1910, her father was listed as a woodworker and the family still lived on Merriman Street in Peoria. Mabelle’s last sibling, Earl, was born in 1913 when Mabelle was eight years old. During the early 1920s Mabelle worked as a clerk at a couple of different stores. She was listed as a soda dispenser for a drug store in 1927 before she married. I don’t know how my grandparents met (one of those many questions I regret not asking), but I do know that Mabelle eloped with Edward F. Murphy on the 15th of September in 1927 and took a train from Peoria to Pontiac Illinois, and were married there by Fr. Edward Kelly. Mabelle’s sister, Hazel, and a friend, Charles Becker, also went and were the witnesses for the marriage. Fr. Kelly had been a priest in Peoria for many years at St. Mark’s Parish, which is where my grandfather’s family attended, so I would guess that he was a friend to the family, had been transferred to Pontiac and that’s why my grandparents went there. They may have eloped because it was always said that my grandfather’s family felt that he had married “beneath” him…meaning that my grandmother came from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. My grandfather’s family lived up on the bluff and were well-to-do at that time. Mabelle’s family lived “down below the hill” on the south side of the city. 

However, Mabelle quickly won the family over, and they were close for all the years left. Mabelle and Eddie quickly became pregnant and their first child, my mother Patricia, was born to them on the 22nd of August in 1928. Their second child, Edward, was born in 1933. I don’t know when but I believe that it was sometime in the early 1940’s Mabelle became quite ill and was taken to Mayo Clinic where one of her kidneys was removed. My mother remembered it as a very stressful time and that they were not sure that Mabelle would survive. It doesn’t appear that Mabelle worked outside the home until about 1948 when she was listed as the Deputy County Treasurer for Peoria County. She was forty-three years old and, at that time, it was fairly unusual for a woman to have a job with that kind of responsibility.

 She went on to become the County Treasurer and I have many memories of going to visit her at the County Courthouse during grade school and high school whenever I was downtown with my friends. Both of her sisters worked there for her, also. 

 Mabelle became a grandmother for the first time in 1949. She had two baby pictures of me up wherever she lived until the day that she died. I have them displayed in the same frames in my study now, reminding me always of her love. 

 Around 1955, Mabelle and Eddie built their dream home on the Illinois River. It was a great place for family to gather. They had several acres and built a huge screened-in gazebo for family and friend gatherings. They also bought a big pontoon boat that would carry a lot of people. Holidays were great fun there. Mabelle was always surrounded by family and friends. As a cousin said, she was the glue of the family, bringing people together. She seemed to always find the best in people. 

 In 1972, Mabelle and Eddie moved to Arizona for Eddie’s health. No one was surprised that some of her siblings went to live there also. I was newly married and missed her terribly. However, there were visits back and forth throughout the time she lived there, with them coming home to visit, or I would go out there with my husband, and soon made a couple of visits out there with my first child. Nanya was thrilled with my having her first great-grandchild. We were blessed to have her know all three of our children! Mabelle and Eddie were in Arizona for four years until Eddie died in 1976. Mabelle then returned to Peoria to live and be with her children and grandchildren, and, of course, her siblings. In 1981 she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, had surgery, and cheerfully went on with life. In 1984, Mabelle moved to a retirement home and both of her sisters went there, also. It was always so wonderful to see how close they were to each other. Sadly, Mabelle’s stomach cancer returned near the end of 1985 and she died on the 26th of January in 1986. She was cheerful and smiling as she died, just as she lived her life.

Mary Alice “Allie” Reade 1801-1880 (52 Ancestors #11)

For the St. Patrick’s Week Challenge I am writing about my great-great-great grandmother Mary Alice “Allie” Reade.She is as far back as I have been able to go with my Murphy ancestry, and she was one of the first I found when I went searching for Murphy relatives at the local Catholic cemetery in Peoria in about 1995.It saddens me that I don’t know a lot about “Allie”. She proved to be one of those elusive women who quietly live out their lives.Yetshe must have been a strong women to endure as she did. Alice was born in 1801 in County KiIkenny,Ireland.It is not known at this time who Alice’s parents were. Known siblings of Alice were Anne, Bridget, Joan, Daniel and Patrick. Alice married James H. Murphy on the 23rd of October in 1831 in Kilmacow Parish, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Alice was thirty years old and James was twenty-eight years old at the time of their marriage. Alice’s sister, Anne Reade, was a witness to the marriage, along with Thomas Holden. James and Alice had seven known children all born in County Kilkenny: Johanna Murphy,born 25 March 1832; James Reade Murphy,born 25 July 1833; Mary Murphy, born around 1837; William Henry Murphy, born in 1838 (my great-great grandfather); Catherine Murphy, born 19 March 1839; Ellen Murphy, born 05 May 1841; and Margaret Murphy, born 8 August 1844. Alice’s sisters, Bridget and Joan, were godparents for two of Alice’s children. Sometime in 1848, James and Alice and their seven children (ages four to sixteen) arrived in the United States in New Orleans, and spent a year there.They then came on to Peoria County, Illinois settling in Kickapoo Township, Peoria County, Illinois. The 1850 Kickapoo, Peoria County, Illinois census shows the Murphy family living with the Philander Chase family.During these times, Philander Chase sponsored families coming over from Ireland.James Murphy ended up working for him for a number of years, as head gardener and opening up a quarry for him. Between 1849 and 1855 some of Alice’s family from Ireland came to the Peoria Illinois area. Her brother Patrick Reade and his children settled in Peoria, and two of her brother Daniel Reade’s children settled in Peoria. Also, her first cousin, Nicholas Reade Henebery settled in Peoria with his family.Alice’s family appears to have been close to all of these relatives as they are involved through the years with each other, as witnesses to various sacraments, etc. Three of Alice’s children married between 1850 and 1860.Johanna married John Ryan in 1852.Mary married James Ryan (brother to John) in 1854 and in 1856, James married Julia Henebery (daughter of Nicholas Reade Henebery, and James’ second cousin). In 1855 James and Alice were listed in Kickapoo, along with one son and two daughters. Living next door to them was their daughter Johanna and her family. It seems that the families stayed in Kickapoo in the same places for a few years as they were listed in the 1860 census still next door to each other. In this census, James and Alice were listed with one son, William, and two daughters, Ellen and Margaret, but also living with them was their daughter Mary and her family.Johanna and her family were still next door to James and Alice. James was listed as a farmer. Over the next ten years the remaining children of James and Alice married: Ellen married Edmond O’Neil in 1861; Catherine married John Dolan and William married Elizabeth Smith, both in 1864; Margaret married Francis Smith (brother to Elizabeth Smith) in 1866.All of the Alice’s children were married in Peoria County, Illinois. So by 1866, after thirty-five years of marriage, James and Alice Murphy had an empty household. By 1869, James was listed as living in Peoria, so he and Alice must have left farming and moved to the city. By then James was sixty-six years old, and Alice was sixty-eight. In the 1870 Peoria Census James was listed as a City Policeman.They were living next door to their son James and his family. James continued to work, and was listed in the 1880 Peoria census as a Policeman for the Depot.In this census, Alice was listed as “Invalid”.The census was taken on the 2nd of June in 1880. Alice died at her son James’ house on the 9th of July in 1880. She was seventy-nine years old.Her cause of death was listed as “Dementia and Old Age”.Obituaries found for Alice included the following: From the Peoria National Democrat--July 10, 1880:"DIED Murphy-In this city at the residence of her son, James R. Murphy, corner 2nd and Merriman streets, Mrs. Alice Murphy, wife of James H. Murphy, in the 79th year of her age; Funeral will take place from her son's residence Sunday, at 2 o'clock pm. Friends and acquaintances are invited to attend." From the Peoria Evening Review-July 9, 1880 "MURPHY-In this city at the residence of her son, James R. Murphy, corner 2nd and Merriman streets, Mrs. Alice Murphy, wife of James H. Murphy, in the 79th year of her age.Funeral will take place from her son's residence Sunday at 2 o'clock pm.Friends and acquaintances are invited to attend." And from Peoria Evening Review-July 12, 1880: "The funeral of Mrs. James Murphy, which took place on Sunday was attended by a large concourse of people. The procession of carriages that followed the remains to the grave was nearly a mile long."I do wonder why there was not a church funeral for Alice.The family had been devout, active Catholics. She was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Peoria,Illinois. She shares a tombstone with granddaughters Alice and Jennie, children of her son James. The tombstone reads: Alice Read Murphy, Alice and Jennie. Her tombstone is next to her son James Reade Murphy' tombstone. Alice’s husband, James H. Murphy, lived for another ten years and stayed with their daughter Ellen in Crescent City, Illinois. James Murphy died in 1890 in Crescent City, Iroquois County, Illinois. He is buried in St. Mary's Cemetery in Gilman, Illinois with his daughter Ellen Murphy O'Neill and family. This always strikes me as so sad that James and Alice were not buried together after all that they had lived through. Having seven children and moving to a new country, and then having to deal with Alice’s dementia as they settled into older age must have been so difficult. Surprisingly for the times, none of Alice’s children preceded her in death. Alice had fifty-seven grandchildren when she died. Two more were born after her death. Six of Alice’s children had daughters named “Alice” after her. She left a large family who thrived through-out the years. As a side-note: Alice is the first of the Murphy side of the family who I have found with dementia. It has remained constant through-out the years in the direct line through her son William Murphy and his descendants.The family always thought it was from the Murphy side of the family, but actually in our case, it appears that it is Possible that it came from the Reade part of the family.

Patrick Smyth 1809-1861 (52 Ancestors #9)

This ninth week of the 52 Ancestor Challenge is "Close To Home". I chose to write about Patrick Smyth, my great-great-great grandfather. Patrick and his family settled in Kickapoo, Illinois which is about fifteen miles from where I live, making him the ancestor who lived closest to where I live. 

 Patrick Smyth was born on the 23rd of March in 1809 in County Down, Ireland.In 1833, when he was twenty-three years old, he married eighteen-year-old Rosa Kerrott, the daughter of a neighboring farmer. Patrick and Rosa left Ireland for America the day after their wedding. I can't imagine how frightening and exciting the prospect of that journey must have been to the young couple. I wish I knew what brought them not only to the United States but if they knew anyone already here. They first lived in Albany, New York for about thirteen months, then moved to Trumansburg, New York where Patrick worked as a common laborer for four years. It was in New York where their first two children were born. Their firstborn child, Francis, was born in April of 1835 in New York.The second child, Mary, was also born in New York in July of 1836. Baby Francis died in November of 1837 at age 2 1/2 in New York. Patrick, Rosa, and daughter Mary moved to Illinois sometime between November of 1837 and March of 1838. The third child, Catherine, was born in Illinois in March of 1838. It must have been quite a difficult journey to travel to Illinois in the winter back then, especially for a very pregnant young woman already caring for a young child. 

The family “lived a few months in the service of Bishop Chase at Jubilee College and in the fall of 1838, Patrick and Rosa bought their first home- “a log cabin which they occupied seventeen years”. Patrick and Rosa remained living in the Kickapoo, Illinois area throughout their lives. Three days short of one year from when Catherine was born a fourth child arrived. Anna Maria was born in March of 1839. Sadly, at seventeen months old, Catherine died in October of 1839. 

It is hard to imagine how the young family dealt with all of the turmoil and changes that had occurred in their first six years of marriage. Patrick and Rosa had left their families in Ireland and moved to the United States had four children, and had lost two of the children. They moved from one city in New York to another, then from New York to Illinois. By this time Patrick was thirty years old, and his wife Rosa was only twenty-four years old. In 1840 Patrick was listed as Patrick Singch in the Peoria County, Illinois Census with his wife and two female children (Mary and Anna Maria). No records have been found for Patrick between the 1840 and 1850 censuses. However, he and Rosa were busy adding six more children to the family: Francis B. born in November 1840, John W. born in August 1842, Elizabeth born in June 1844 (my third great grandmother), Catherine born in December 1845, James K. born in January 1847, and Edward D. born in November 1848. 

 In 1850, Patrick was listed in the Peoria County, Illinois Census as Patrick Smith, age forty, from Ireland, and his occupation was a farmer. He was listed with his wife Rosa, and eight children (Mary, Ann, Francis, John Betsy, Catherine, Edward, and James). Three more children were born to Patrick and Rosa before the 1855 Kickapoo, Peoria County, Illinois Census. Their eleventh child, Rosa L., was born in April of 1850, William H. was born in August of 1852, and Patrick Maximillian was born in June of 1854. Patrick and Rosa had two more children: Margaret was born in August of 1856 and Charles K. was born in January of 1858, bringing the number of children born to Patrick and Rosa to fifteen. It is rather amazing that back in that time they only lost two of the fifteen children. 

 Patrick was listed in the 1860 Kickapoo, Peoria County, Illinois Census as age fifty, still farming, with his wife and twelve of his children. Patrick was a farmer all of his life, and, judging from the Appraisal Bill filed in April of 1861, he was quite a successful farmer. Patrick’s will was written on the 30th of November in 1859. He died of consumption on the 20 of January in 1861 at fifty-two years of age. In his will, Patrick left “Rosy” three hundred and twenty-five acres, along with all of the livestock and personal property with some exceptions. The will also stated that everything was to go to his seven sons or their heirs upon Rosy’s death. The exceptions were that his six daughters were to each receive $500 when they came of age. His oldest son, Francis, upon reaching the of age 21, was to receive 54 ½ acres in the town of Kickapoo, and the rest of the land in town was to go to Rosy. Rosy was to sell the “Gregory farm” within three years of Patrick’s death, and was to also sell the 32 ½ acres of the “Euyleston farm”. The Bill of Appraisal showed that his livestock, farm equipment, grain, and rent from two others were worth $2193.34. This did not include all of the land that he owned. 

Patrick Smyth’s obituary from the Peoria Daily Transcript stated:

 

“Died, age 52, in Kickapoo, Peoria County, Jan. 20, 1861 of consumption. He came to this country in the fall of 1838 with but limited means. He has left fine property for his family, 14 in number." (PDT 1-22-1861 P4 C6).

 Patrick is buried in the Kickapoo Catholic Cemetery in Kickapoo, Illinois. The tombstone shows his age as 51/10/3 (51 years, 10 months, 3 days). Sadly, Patrick did not live long enough to see any of his children marry, nor to meet any of his sixty-one grandchildren. He left his family well taken care of. His wife, Rosa, continued to live in Kickapoo until she died in 1882.

Good Deeds (52 Ancestors #8)

For this week’s challenge, I chose to focus on the incredible generousness of genealogy researchers. I was blessed early on with lots of help from others when I first started my genealogical searching in 1994. I joined many different mailing lists and genealogy homepages for the various counties where I was searching for ancestors. As I got familiar with using the different lists and pages, I began to request look-ups for various records. I was so impressed with the graciousness of the other researchers. 

As I slowly gathered my own copies of publications (i.e. Censuses, cemetery records, etc.), I joined the lists as a look-up volunteer in different counties for those who might benefit from the publications that I had. I have found that with the growing use of the Internet, most records are fairly easy to find now, and requests for look-ups are pretty much non-existent. I have my family tree on Ancestry.com and over the years I have heard from many other researchers, as well as myself contacting many researchers, to share and compare information. The help that I have gotten from others has been invaluable. 

I try to keep paying that forward by helping others as I can. One of the best examples of “good deeds” that I have experienced occurred about a year ago when a Murphy researcher from Ireland contacted me to see if there was a connection between his Murphy family and mine. We have not found a connection, but he did some searching for records of my Murphy family in Ireland and located the marriage record of my ggg-grandparents, James H. and Alice Reid Murphy, who are as far back as I go in my search. I had only an educated guess as to when they married based on the birth date of their oldest child. It was such a thrill to learn of the exact date and place of their marriage!! I had never been able to find that record and probably never would have. Then my new friend went on and did some research on Alice Reid just out of the kindness of his heart! Priceless.

 Family members have also been very giving and open to helping me over the years with my search. Even those family members who had not been known to me (or me to them) have shared information and photos with me. I will forever regret not asking many questions about family when I was younger, as most of my older relatives were gone when I began my genealogy journey. Thankfully, some tidbits have remained and have led to some wild chases! When I was young, probably around ten or eleven, I remember asking my grandmother who the O’Meara’s were…Mrs. O’Meara had been my great-grandmother’s best friend, and her daughter and my aunt had also been best friends. My grandmother answered the question by saying that the O’Mearas were “shirt-tale relatives” of my grandfather and the connection went way back to Ireland (which at that time meant about 130 years before). I have a cousin who is the same age as my father and lives in Indiana where some of my father’s family was from. Over the past twenty-some years, she has been invaluable, both in sharing her memories and going as far as doing research at the local library for me! All of this has been so inspirational to me. I try to always “pass it on” to other researchers, even if it does not include my own family. Being the recipient of such kindness must be paid back to others! Good deeds indeed!

Mary Love, born 1768 (52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks #7)

This week’s challenge is “LOVE”. I chose to write about Mary Love, my fourth great-grandmother. Her son, William Adamson, is the ancestor that started my whole genealogical journey twenty-some years ago into the Adamson family. 

 Very little is known about Mary, so there is much work to do to learn about her. This is what I do know (with some noted speculation): Mary Love was born on the 30th of July in 1768 in North Carolina. She was the daughter of John and Sarah Sharp Love. Mary was the seventh of eleven known children. Her parents were reported to be Quakers. Her father, John Love, was listed in the 1768 Rowan County, North Carolina Tax List, so it is a good guess that his daughter Mary was born in Rowan County. 

 Mary Love married Enos Adamson around 1781. Mary’s father was listed in the Surry County North Carolina Tax List for 1780, so it may be that Mary married in Surry County. Marriage records have not been located to prove this. The marriage date for Mary Love and Enos Adamson is based on the fact that their first known child, John, was born about 1782 in Orange County, North Carolina. Enos Adamson was listed as living in Surry County, North Carolina in 1785. He and Mary had either four or five children by then. The family was listed in both the 1790 and 1800 Stokes County North Carolina Censuses. 

 As best as can be determined, Mary Love had eight children. It is unknown where and when Mary Love Adamson died. Her father died around 1791 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, and Mary was listed in her father’s will. She had children born between 1790 and 1800. Her husband Enos was found in Jefferson County, Tennessee in 1812 as a witness to his brother Thomas’ will. Was Mary there also? Unfortunately, no further history of Enos Adamson is known either. Enos and Mary Love Adamson’s children settled in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. What happened to Enos and Mary? This is one of those mysteries that I feel the answers are out there somewhere, but I don’t know where to look!

So Far Away: Elisabetha Korndorfer 1858-1928 (52 Ancestors # 6)

The theme for this week’s challenge is “So Far Away”. I tried to figure out which ancestor was born the furthest away from me (in terms of distance) and decided to write about my great-great grandmother, Elisabetha E. Korndorfer, who was born in Bavaria, Germany. 

Elisabetha appears to be another instance of a woman living a quiet ordinary life. However, after reviewing the facts of her life, she seems to have been a very strong woman, making the best of what she was dealt in life. She suffered losses that would be difficult for one in her circumstances. And she was a nurse, who attended the births of her grandchildren and worked in private homes. Her husband moved the family from Indiana during the late 1800s to Kansas for just a few years, then they moved again to Illinois. She was widowed early with three teenagers and a nine-year-old. 

 Elisabetha was the daughter of Johannes Korndorfer and Katherina Kleindinst. She was born on the 27 of March in 1858 in Bavaria and was the seventh of ten children. She was called “Lizzie”. Elisabetha and her family arrived in the United States in 1860 when she was two years old. The family settled in Marshall County, Indiana, where her father owned 80 acres. Elisabetha’s father, Johannes (John) Korndorfer died six years later, leaving Elisabetha’s mother, Katherina, with six children to raise. Katherina remarried a year later to Philip Dielman, a widower with five older children. Elisabetha was only eight years old when her father died and nine years old when Philip became her stepfather. Elisabetha Korndorfer was listed in the 1870 St. Joseph County, Indiana Census with her step-father, mother, sister Ella, and brother John. She was twelve years old. Her step-father was a farmer and had been since at least 1850, so it is safe to assume that Elisabetha lived on a farm all of her life. When Elizabetha was twenty-one years old, she married twenty-year-old Edward Hanauer on the 30 of December in 1879 in St. Joseph County, Indiana. Edward had also been raised on a farm in Indiana. 

By the following summer, Elisabetha and Edward were listed in the Ft. Wayne, Allen County, Indiana Census. Edward was listed as a laborer. And so, Elisabetha began her new life living about eighty-five miles away from her family, and for the first time, was not living on a farm... The following year, in 1881, Elisabetha and Edward Hanauer’s first child, Ella Hanauer, was born in Ft. Wayne. By 1883, the Hanauer family had moved back to Mishawaka, Indiana where their second child, Kathryn, (This was my great-grandmother) was born. The family moved to Kansas sometime after Kathryn’s birth, and two children were born there: William was born in 1886 in Abilene, Kansas, and son Charles was born in 1891 in Niles, Kansas. Elisabetha had two step-brothers living in Kansas, so that may be what drew the family to Kansas. 

However, they didn’t stay in Kansas for long. By 1893, the family moved to Peoria, Illinois. Elisabetha’s sister, Kate, had married George Proehmer and they had been in Peoria for about twenty years. The Proehmer family owned and operated a bakery. 

 Sadly, Edward Hanauer died six years later in 1899, leaving Elisabetha with four children to raise. The Census for 1900 for Peoria, Illinois shows Elizabeth Hanauer as 42, widowed, with four children. No occupation was listed for her. It also shows her four children, Ella, Katie, William and Charles. Katie, age 16, is listed as a saleslady for a bakery. She is the only member of the household that shows to be employed. Elisabetha’s daughter, Kathryn, married in 1902. Elisabetha was a nurse by this time and attended to the birth of Kathryn’s first two children, who were born in 1903 and 1906. Elisabetha’s sister Kate, who lived in Peoria, died in 1906. Other than her children, Kate was the only family that Elisabetha had who lived in Peoria. That must have seemed like a huge loss to her, especially coming only seven years after losing her husband Edward. 

 The 1910 Peoria Census lists Elizabeth Hanauer, age 52, widowed, living with daughter Ella and son Charles. They were living a few houses away from daughter Kathryn and her family. In 1911, Elizabeth was listed as living with her son William in Peoria. Sometime between 1910 and 1920, her daughter Ella married. And in 1912, Elisabetha’s son Charles married. It appears that after 1910, Elisabetha always lived with one of her children and their family. By 1920, Elisabetha was living with her daughter Kathryn and family in Peoria. In that census she is listed as age 61, widowed and her occupation is nurse. Her son William was living in California with his family, and her daughter Ella was living in Oklahoma. Ella died in Oklahoma in 1925. She had no children and was only forty-four years old. 

The 1926 Peoria City Directory shows that Elizabeth Hanauer still lived in her daughter Kathryn’s home. Elisabetha Korndorfer Hanauer died on the 23rd of April in 1928 at her daughter Kathryn’s home. The obituary from the Peoria Journal Tues. April 24, 1928 states:

 

"Mrs. Hanauer Rites Will Be Wednesday. Announcement is made of funeral services for Mrs. Elizabeth Hanauer, to be held in the residence of her daughter Mrs. ER Murphy, 121 Clarke ave, Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Rev. Nelson Dahlenberg will officiate at this service and also at the grave in Springdale cemetery. Mrs. Hanauer, who died at St. Francis hospital on Monday, was born in Bavaria March 27, 1858 and had been a resident of Peoria since 1893. Her husband Edward H. died many years ago and the survivors are 2 sons, William and Charles Hanauer and the daughter at whose home she died. Others surviving her are a brother J.H.Korndorfer of Long Beach, CA and 2 sisters Mrs. W.H. Wiegner of Elkhart, IN and Mrs. Benjamin Neu of White Pigeon, Minn." Elisabetha’s death certificate states that she had been in the US for 68 years, and a resident of Illinois for 35 years; Medical: Contributory factor: Fracture of right femur (from accidental fall)

 Elisabetha had ten grandchildren. I don’t remember ever hearing anything about this great-grandmother other than she had delivered my grandfather. This is one of those cases where I wish that I had asked questions long ago before my

family had died. Unfortunately, I have many of those cases!

Plowing Through-Olaus Hansson (52 Ancestors #5)

This week’s challenge is “Plowing Through”. I considered what ancestor lived the furthest north and decided that I would write about Olaus Hansson who lived in Pembina County, North Dakota for about thirty-five years. Pembina County is at the northeast corner of North Dakota, bordering on Canada. Weather history from the month of January from 1900 to 1925 shows that temperatures there would go as low as -44 degrees, with up to 30” of snow. I would guess that Olaus did his share of plowing through snow, one way or another! 

 My great-great-grandfather Olaus Hansson was born on 27 December 1849 in Slimminge, Malmöhus, Sweden to Hans Larsson and Ingar Andersson. He was the oldest of nine known children. He married Bengte Nilsdotter around 1870 in Sweden and they had 6 children. In Sweden, Olaus worked in railroad construction and lived in a town far from his family. His daughter Ingrid reported that he only came home about 6 times a year. Ingrid described her father as having black curly hair and being good-looking.

 In 1888, when he was thirty-nine years old, Olaus came to the United States, leaving his family in Sweden. It is believed that he went to live with his cousins in North Dakota. Information from a Sweden Emigration CD look-up indicated that Olaus Hansson, age thirty-nine, from Sjorup, county of Malmöhus, emigrated in 1888 and his destination was St. Paul, Minnesota. No records have been located to show where Olaus was or what he was doing from 1888 to 1900. No evidence has been found that indicates that Olaus ever returned to visit his wife in Sweden. She died in 1902. 

 Olaus is listed in the 1900 Cavalier, Pembina County North Dakota Census as living with Rifus Paddock and his family. “Olaf Hansen” was listed as being born in December 1849 in Sweden. His age was listed as 50 years old and he was a farm laborer. The census showed that he could read, write, and speak English. Olaus’ daughter Ingrid stated that the only time after 1888 that she saw Olaus was in 1911 when he visited Peoria, Illinois, and that it had been 24 years since she had seen him. She reported that he "had another woman" in North Dakota. She also questioned where his money went. No records have been found for Olaus from 1900 to 1920. 

 In the 1920 Crystal City, Crystal Township, Pembina County, North Dakota Census Olaus was listed as “Hanson Olaf”.He was age 60, born in Sweden, was a widower, and a laborer. He could read, write, and speak English. 

Olaus Hansson died on 9 February 1925 in Crystal City, North Dakota. The obituary found in the CRYSTAL CALL newspaper for Crystal City, North Dakota is the following:

 

"OLAF HANSON DIED EARLY MONDAY MORNING After an illness of about two weeks, Mr. Olaf Hanson passed away at his home at the Crystal Hotel here.Heart trouble was the cause of death, altho Mr. Hanson had been suffering from very poor respiration for some time. Mr. Hanson came here from Peora (sp), Ill. some few years ago and has worked on a number of farms near town but of late he has made his home at the Crystal Hotel where he has made many friends who will miss him very much. About two weeks ago he packed his trunk and shipped it back to the old home at Peora (sp), and had intended to go back there for the remaining months of the winter but sickness overtook him before he could get away. The body was shipped to Peora (sp) for burial on Tuesday."

 The obituary from the PEORIA JOURNAL was as follows:

 

"OLAF HANSON Funeral services will be held in the Wilton mortuary chapel on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock for Olaf Hanson, former Peorian, who died at his residence in Crystal, SD Tuesday.Mr. Hanson was 79 years of age and lived in this city most of his life. He leaves one son, Herman of Chicago, and 4 daughters-Mrs. C.O. Seeber, Mrs. J.W. Stanley, Mrs. J.H. Kronblad and Mrs. C.E. Peterson, all of Peoria."

 Olaus’ daughter Ingrid said that when Olaus died he was shipped down to Peoria and she refused to pay for his funeral, commenting that they "were on the outs for a long time." Olaus’ death certificate showed the following information:

 

Place of death: Pembina County, ND City:Crystal Full Name: Oluf Hanson Length of residence in city or town where death occurred: nine years Sex: Male Color or Race: White Marital Status: Widower DOB: 1859 Age: 66 Years Occupation: Common Laborer Birthplace: Sweden Name of father: Unknown Birthplace of father: Sweden Maiden Name of Mother: Unknown Birthplace of Mother: Sweden Informant: Mrs. A. C. Anderson Cause of Death: Arterioscleronis resulting in Cardiac failure Place of Burial, Cremation or Removal: Peoria Illinois Date of Burial: Didn't know

Olaus Hansson is buried at Parkview Cemetery in Peoria, Illinois. The record from the mortuary states that Olaus lived in Crystal, North Dakota for 35 years, and had been in the United States for 36 years. It stated his age as 75.