Dora Ann Todden-Leap Year

Dora Todden was born on Leap Day, the 29^th of February 1872 in Chatsworth, Livingston County, Illinois to William and Martha Jane Cozad Todden.  Her mother died when Dora was about two years old, leaving her father with her, along with her nine year old sister, Amanda, and eight year old brother, Remington.  William Todden remarried in about 1875, abut that wife died shortly after the marriage.  He then married Sarah Redd in 1879.

In the 1880 Census for Livingston County, Illinois William and Sarah are listed with Amanda and Remington, but Dora is not living with them.  Dora was listed in the 1880 Livington County, Illinois Census with Marvill and Elizabeth Mastor as their adopted daughter.  Her name was listed as “Dora A. Toddon”. Dora’s father William and his wife, Sarah, had seven children.  It is not known if Dora ever lived with the family or not. 
 

Dora Ann Todden married Hubert Bischel in 1896.  William and Sarah Todden were listed as the witnesses for the marriage.  Hubert was thirty-eight years old and Dora was twenty-four years old.  It was a first marriage for both of them.

Dora and Hubert’s first child, Emma, was born the following year in Woodford County in 1897. The three of them were listed in Woodford County in the 1900 Census.  In 1901, a son, Walter, was born to Hubert and Dora.

Dora and Hubert continued to live in Woodford County during the 1910, 1920 and 1930 Census’. In 1932, Hubert died at the age of seventy-six.  Dora was listed as living by herself in 1940, still in Woodford County, Illinois.  During the war years, she lived in East Peoria next door to her daughter, Emma.

Dora died at a nursing home in 1955.  She was eighty-three years old.  Or in Leap time, she was twenty years old!

Per Nilsson-Leap Year

It’s kind of fun to be writing about Per Nilsson. Yes, he was born in a Leap Year, on the 29^th of February in 1856 in Malmo, Sweden.  He was my great-great grandmother’s brother (making him my second great granduncle!).  What is fun is that my great grandmother, Ingrid Olauson, was visiting him and his family in 1899 in Rankin, Illinois when she met my great grandfather! More on that soon.

Per was seventh of ten children born to Truls and Bengta (Andersdotter) Andersson.  He married Kjersti Mortenson around 1884 in Sweden and they had five children.  Their first two children, Nels and Magnus were born in Sweden in 1885 and 1887.  Per came to the United States in 1888, and his wife and sons came over the next year in 1889.  According to family records Per and his family lived "100 English miles from Chicago."  Since his third child, Anton, was born in 1891 in Iroquois County, Illinois, I am assuming that this is where the 100 miles from Chicago was.

In 1893, their fourth child, Anna, was born in Rankin, Illinois.  The family stayed there for several years, which is where Ingrid Olausson met Charles Oscar Seeber at a Swedish dance hall in 1899.

The family must have moved soon after that because by June of 1900 they were living in South Platte, Hamilton County, Nebraska.  The 1900 Census shows that “Peter Nelson” was a farmer.  He was listed there with his wife and four children. In July of 1900, another son, Oscar, was born.

Sadly, Per’s wife Kate (Kjersti) died in 1903, leaving Per with their five children, ages eighteen to three.

Peter Nelson was listed in the 1910 Census in the same place with his sons, Magnus and Anton, along with daughter, Anna. Apparently, his son, Oscar, had died by this time.  I have not found him listed in any census for 1920.

Per Nilsson died on the 5^th of May in 1929 at the age of seventy-three.  Or in Leap years, he was eighteen years old!