Great Book: Roots & Patchwork

 I had a wonderful visit to Chase County, Kansas, in September of 2023. One highlight was visiting the Chase County Historical Museum and Research Library. Their wonderful staff pointed me to Roots & Patchwork: An Historical View of Chase County, Kansas USA, which the society first published in 2002; the copy I purchased is from the second printing in 2018. It's 91 pages are a potpourri of photos and vignettes; it is available through their website.

After getting back home from the long trip, I was incredibly surprised to find this photo on p. 65. It is not dated.

While they are not my direct line, one of these men married married a daughter of my great-great-grandparents, Carl Benjamin Hegwer and Maria Ilgner. The Frey brothers also have Hegwer relations.  It is a treat to have images of them!

Kasimer John Fink was born about 15 Mar 1830 in Veringstadt, Hohenzollern, Germany (or perhaps, Prussia?). He arrived in Kansas about 1858. He married Medora Hegwer 27 Mar 1860 in Americus, Lyon, Kansas. He died 3 January 1912 in Cottonwood Falls.

Frank Frey and Julius Frey were Hegwer in-laws. Their sisters, Wilhemina and Maria Charlotte, married Carl Traugott Hegwer and Ernest Gothelf Hegwer, respectively.  There are several other Hegwer-Frey connections over decades. 

Treasures from the To-Do Pile: Daddy's high school annual

 

"Memories of I.F.H.S. 1935"

Idaho Falls High School, Idaho

16 pages, black and white, 6.25" x 9.5" (cover slightly larger)

This scan is a clip from p. 6. There are ten such groups over p. 6 and p. 8.  

While this booklet appears to represent only the senior class, it does not specifically say so. Three of the pages are blank and labeled for autographs. Dad's copy also has many autographs on the inside covers and a few throughout the booklet. As you can see in this image, one of the students, Ben Blalock, signed across my dad's name.  Blalock is not listed in the senior lists on pp. 5, 7, and 9.  Many of the autographed names are not listed either; some appear to the teachers, given the inscription they left.

Although the photos are only identified with first initials, I used the list of "Senior Prophecies" on p. 7 to give this list of the full names of the students in this photo:

Robert Keith                                                Naia Hansen

Herbert Hegwer                                           Ila Hanson

Steve Hatch                                                  Billie Hilliard

Arthur Hook                                                 Margaret Harris

Morris Jordan                                               Ethyl Ingram

Dan Kelly                                                     Bernice Gesas

Bob Jahn                                                       Fern Flagler

Jack Holt

The photo is valuable to me, but probably more so is the handwritten note, in my dad's writing, on the inside front cover, specifying his school history. Parentheses, punctuation, notes are his:

Graduated 8th Grade 1929 May 25 at Paris, Idaho, (Wilson School St. Charles)

High School

Freshman 1929-1930 Fielding High, Paris Idaho

Soph 1930-1931 Fielding High, Paris Idaho

Junior Yr    Start 1931 Fielding High --  move to Idaho Falls in fall of 1931 & finish JR grd 1932

(Drop out for 2 years (1932-1933) (1933-1934))

Senior Year 1934-1935 IFHS Idaho Falls Idaho

My daddy, Herb, was the oldest of  eight children. I believe he boarded out from St. Charles to attend high school in Paris. In fall 1929, the entire family contracted scarlet fever or diptheria (accounts differ). Two siblings died and their father, Ben T. Hegwer, was disabled from it. Utah Power & Light moved Ben to the station in Idaho Falls as his health declined; he died August 1933. My dad had dropped out to support the family until his two surviving brothers were old enough to help. He was almost 22 when he graduated from Idaho Falls High School. Barely a year later, he had moved his mom and surviving siblings to Los Angeles where he said he could make enough money to support the family...and he did.

Obituary: Margaret Lavina (Richardson) (Hegwer) Danes

I'm certainly happy with any obituary, but some are better than others... and this obituary is one of the others....  It is about my great-grandmother and briefly refers to my grandfather, but you'd have to be a family genealogist to know it!

The "local lady" is Margaret Lavina (Richardson) (Hegwer) Danes.  This obituary is from the 14 July 1919 issue of the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, p. 5.  From the first line shown in the image, her obituary continues:

whose home was at 829 South avenue, occurred yesterday afternoon at 4 o'clock, following a sickness of several months from asthma and complications. Mrs. Danes was born in Tiffany, Mo., August 29, 1860, and has been twice married, the first husband leaving her with two sons, one of whom is now making his home with his mother in this city and the other living in Idaho. Mrs. Danes was united in marriage with her present husband at Durango in 1905, and the family came to Grand Junction the following year.
     The funeral services are waiting word from the son in Idaho and upon receipt of such word the arrangements will be completed; burial will be on Orchard Mesa.
     Later--The funeral services will be held at the Martin chapel Tuesday at 2 o'clock p. m. and will be in charge of Rev. Edwards of the Christian church.

The only named person is her second husband, A.W. Danes (note the use of initials rather than 'Albert Wentling'). Neither her married name nor even her forename is given; survivors are not named.  Click here  for a photo of Margaret, Albert, and local son, Raymond Hegwer.

The "detail" of her first marriage is inaccurate and the location of her second marriage is wrong.  Click here for previously posted info about her divorce from Charles Hegwer.

By 1910 census and Salt Lake City directories, they did not arrive in Grand Junction Colorado before 1913.  I wonder who supplied the information...I would have expected her widower or her son to have been more accurate or to have simply omitted specifics.  So, it's another example of how cautious we have to be with obituaries.

 I found it through the website of the Mesa County Libraries and ordered an e-copy from them.   Thank you, Mesa County Libraries of Colorado!

Obituary: Walter H. Hegwer

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again to the Mesa County Libraries!!

My goodness, I'm having a great summer finding obituaries!! This time it's not a subscription website but is a free service of a public library: Mesa County Libraries in Colorado.

Luckily for me, one of my great-grandmothers spent her last years in Grand Junction, Colorado. I know my great-grandmother is buried there and that Hegwer grave(s?) were purchased at the Orchard Mesa Cemetery in Grand Junction.  I know I've looked before but, this time, something went right and I stumbled into the Genealogy section of the library system's website.

I was shocked to find that they had four entries for "Hegwer" or related "Danes" surnames in their files. I was even more shocked to see that it appeared that they have a free service of providing e-copies of the related obituaries.  I filled out the form and now I have copies of obituaries from the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel for:

• Margaret Lavina (Richardson) (Hegwer) Danes, my great-grandmother
• Albert Wentling Danes, her second husband
• Walter Hegwer, one of her children who died young
• Myrtle "Mamie" May (Foltz) Hegwer, widow of Raymond Dudley Hegwer, another of Margaret's sons

The biggest news here is the info about work, residence, and illness for grand-uncle Walter.  And, I have his birthplace as Laveta, Costilla, Colorado rather than Pueblo.  The clipping is from the 18 Feb 1908 issue on p. 8.

The moral of the story is to always check the library where family lived and to recheck it periodically...the digital world is changing...!

Resource: Old Lutheran Migration

The latest issue of American Ancestors has a great surprise!  American Ancestors is a publication of the New England Historic Genealogical Society and I'm used to finding info about my maternal grandfather's Colonial New England ancestry in almost every issue.  I was unhappy about 2 years ago when the society decided to open their focus to be much more general: there'd be less content for me but I could understand their need to appeal to more people and make more money to support the society...so...

I never expected to find an article directly relevant to my Hegwer line!  While Carl Benjamin Hegwer and Maria Rosina (Ilgner) Hegwer are not specifically mentioned, "George Dopf and the Old Lutheran Migration of 1839" is a very good article about the nature of their immigration in 1839.  It's very hard (as in near impossible?) to find scholarly things in English about the early 1800s in Silesia, so this article is a real treat.  The ship the Hegwer's were on left Hamburg 1 Jul 1839 and is the one described in this article, arriving NY on 24 Aug 1839. 

Wherever the article refers to the Silesia group, that's us!  There is no doubt that Carl Benjamin Hegwer knew Krause and Grabau, and probably Rohr, too.  There was quite a bit of documented 'drama' among the 3 ministers, the Buffalo congregation, and the Wisconsin groups that has been left out of this article.  You can't fit everything in one article!

WHAT I NEED TO DO NOW

I had no idea that any of the travel documents needed by the Old Lutherans to leave Prussia still existed.  I can't wait to follow author McGrath's reference list and see if I can find some new info specific to the Hegwer's or Ilgner's.  Records from the part of Silesia now in Poland are harder to find than those now in Germany, but I'll still try... and maybe the Hegwer/Ilgner party had already started to move and were interrogated along the way, leaving records in what is now Germany???

REFERENCE

McGrath, Lawrence R. "George Dopf and the Old Lutheran Migration of 1839." American Ancestors, Vol. 16 (2), Spring 2015, pages 37-40 & 59.

Disclaimer

I am a paid member of NEHGS but receive no other consideration from them.

Great Image of Henry Hegwer

I was extremely successful at the TechZone at SCGS Jamboree this year!  I am extremely happy to have found an obituary for Great-Grand-Uncle Henry Hegwer, ninth child of my great-great-grandparents Carl Benjamin and Maria Rosina (Ilgner) Hegwer. It's fairly lengthy and with a style of excess that fit the era.  There are some errors but mostly sins of omission and exaggeration.  The great thing that got me so excited is the image of Henry that was included!

This is a screen clip from the Denver Post of 15 Dec 1921, p. 10, cols. 5-6 obituary accessed through GenealogyBank.  It's not the best quality and I don't see a lot of resemblance to present day Hegwer's, but he does clearly have a Hegwer-style forehead!  Maybe there's still hope that I'll, one day, find a photo of his baby brother, my great-grandfather, Charles Hegwer….

I do want to take the time to point out two main errors in this obituary:

• Henry was born 8 Oct 1842 in Freistadt, Ozaukee, Wisconsin.  The family did not go to Kansas until 1857.
• Henry was married three times: Kate Hornberger, Flora Wallace, and Fritchie (Knight) Conda.  The marriage to Mrs. Conda lasted only about five weeks before Henry filed for divorce, which was granted a year later, but that's still a marriage.

Thank you, Southern California Genealogy Society! Thank you, GenealogyBank!  I'm very happy to have this image of Henry Hegwer!

"Hegwer" in Sütterlin Script

With my new organization regimen, I review two random resource notebooks each month.  (Most of them haven't been used for years.)  My orginal hope was that I would find unnecessary or duplicate papers and could discard great bunches.  You can probably guess that hasn't happened much.  I keep telling myself that I am not responsible for archiving the world….

Today's pick was my notebook on German genealogy.  I only found one unnecessary page in the whole notebook and only had to move one page to its proper section. Generally, I'm impressed with the quality of info I've accumulated...maybe I should even go back to working on that line?!

The forgotten treasure I found was my handout and notes from a  2006 lecture for the then Santa Clarita Valley Family History Center seminar. This session was presented by Kurt Schröder and included content on various script found in German records.  I remember going up to him after the fine session and asking if he would please write "Hegwer" for me on my notes.  I had already written the name out and I pointed to the blank area after the name.  Mr. Schröder very graciously responded with the line you see above.  (I added the arrow afterward so that I'd remember what I had!)


[Image is cropped scan from original document in MHD collection; all rights reserved.]

First Friday Folder: Benjamin Richardson & Ellen Holt

My First Friday Folder feature has been silent for over two years. Given that this year's mega-goal is organization, it's time to start it up again! (Read the very first one here to review what I mean by First Friday Folder.)  I picked this particular folder this month because I knew it would be an easy one to do and would help ease back into the First Friday Folder habit.

The Couple
Benjamin RICHARDSON and Ellen HOLT are two of my 4th-great-grandparents on my dad's side.  This is the public debut of my officially claiming them as ancestors.  Prior to this week, I have had them in my database with the middle names of "UNPROVEN."  No, I haven't written my proof statement yet, but I really think there's enough to go on finally… and having a folder in which to put it all while I work on the statement is a good thing, right?  Then, the proof statement can be a new post!

The Folder
This folder is in pretty good shape because there were only a few things in it:

• two maps of the Estill County area of Kentucky
• a FHL film note for a film on Estill County wills
• copies of 3 email conversations with Richardson expert, cousin DR on Benjamin
• placeholder copies of p.1 of about six websites with pedigrees including early Richardsons.

I put an official new label on the folder.  I removed the UNKNOWN middle names from Benjamin & Ellen in my database and printed out a family group sheet.  It has virtually nothing more than son Amos' info and notes.

The Plan 

• Write proof statement, including DNA evidence, on Benjamin & Ellen being the parents of the Amos Richardson who married Elizabeth (Betsey) HICKS.
• Review evidence/sources DR already has collected on the couple and enter into my database.
• Figure out what other early records exist that might help document Benjamin and Ellen.
• Track all of their children for at least 2 generations of descendants, which should further strengthen the DNA evidence.

Line of Descent
Benjamin RICHARDSON = Ellen HOLT
Amos RICHARDSON = Elizabeth (Betsey) HICKS
John D. RICHARDSON = Isabella SHAW
Charles HEGWER = Margaret Lavinia RICHARDSON
Benjamin Theodore HEGWER = Bertha Maud CARR, my paternal grandparents

Conclusions
I still think it's important to revisit folders/couples every so often, if only to see if there's anything to be done to make more room in the file drawer.  I hope my renewed resolve lasts…!  I know I cheated a bit by picking this folder, but it stills feels good to be posting again.

100 Years Ago Today

My father was born in this house 100 years ago today.  The house (the building on the left) was part of the compound at the Logan Canyon power plant of Utah Power & Light where his father, Benjamin T. Hegwer, was in charge (I don't know his exact title).  There's another view of the yard and corner of the house here: obviously a different season!  The power plant and the house are still there today.  And, I still miss my dad.  He loved all things mechanical/technical and I know he would have been a blogger....

The neat thing about this photo is how well Daddy annotated it.  As with other photos, I have no recollection of having seen these before he died.  It also strikes me that I actually have photos that are more than 100 years old....

With Veteran's Day always the same week as his birthday and it being a 100th birthday, it only seems right to share some of Daddy's service photos.  This one is dated 2-3-43 and shows Daddy at the USO in Gulfport, Mississippi.  I believe he was at Gulfport for some specialized training.

According to the back, this group photo is an "Official Air Force Photograph" of July 1944 at "Army Air Field / Alexandria, LA."  The 6 men, from left to right, as labeled on the back in my dad's handwriting are:
P.W. Baker, PFC
___ Russel, Cpl
___ Bauer, Cpl
G. Hultman, S/Sgt -- crew chief
H.C. Hegwer, Sgt -- asst crew chief
___ Wilson, Sgt
(Below this list, it says Pfc Lindsey was absent.)

I hope that this photo makes its way to the families of the other men.  As far as I know, my dad was the oldest member of the crew.  

Can any of my dear readers identify the type of plane for me?

[All photo originals in MHD collection.]

Daddy as Big Brother

Don't you love it when photos are fully labeled?!  This photo shows the Hegwer's in the front yard of their home at the Utah Power and Light Company power plant at Lifton, St. Charles, Bear Lake, Idaho where my grandfather was the superintendent. The fence posts you can see on the right run along the road and the north shore of Bear Lake would be on the other side of the road.  The power plant is a ways behind the photographer.

If Daddy had not labeled this photo, I still would have recognized the location and probably Grandma, but I would never had been sure about all the children, especially my own dad.  All my memories of him are with jet black hair!  I never knew they ever had a dog.

Both the older cursive note and the more recent (1979) printed note are in my father's handwriting.  Daddy has dated the photo as being from the late summer of 1918.  However, the info I've found on the births of the children make me think it's much more likely 1919 or maybe even 1920. If I'm right, Daddy is 6 or 7, the baby about 1, Margaret 4 or 5, and Ray is 3 or 4. And, if it's 1920, Grandma is pregnant with Leila.

If my dad's estimate is correct, he would be almost 5, Margaret 3, and Ray less than 2.  Don't you think Daddy is older than 5? And, Ray older than 2?  And I think it's very possible that Grandma could be about 7 months pregnant....  What I really need is an official birthdate for baby Harry.  My father left me with full birthdates for everyone except Harry, which he wrote only as 1918.  Census ages are consistent with his being born late summer 1919, which fits well with Grandma possibly looking pregnant here.

Happy Birthday, Daddy

My father was born 98 years ago today in Logan Canyon, Utah.  I can't believe that it's been 29 years since he died.

 
This photo is my newest treasure from Aunt Lelia.  She just received the photo from someone but she doesn't remember who (probably a Bannard descendant).  I have no other group photos like this one.  I am so glad that Aunt Lelia thought to share it with me and that Cousin Gary helped her send me a copy.  Also, it was very thoughtful of her to label everyone; otherwise, I would have been doing a lot of guessing....

Standing, left to right:  Mickey, Lelia, Flora, my father, Anne, Fred (barely a shadow over Wyla's right shoulder), Wyla

Seated: Bertha, Anne Matilda (Causier) Carr, Jane

Front: Barbara, Jessie, Margaret

The family groups are:
Anne Matilda (Causier) and 3 of her 7 children: Jane, Bertha, Anne
Bertha and 5 of her 8 children: my dad, Mickey, Lelia, Wyla, Barbara
Jane & husband Fred with 3 of their 4 children: Jessie, Flora, Margaret

The location is most probably somewhere in Los Angeles County, possibly in the North Hollywood area.  We don't know who is holding the camera (perhaps Ray B?) and Lelia doesn't remember the event itself.  It has to be before my great-grandmother Carr's death in 1940.  Guessing from Barbara's apparent age, I think the photo is 1938-9.  Ray H. died in late 1937, but maybe the photo is earlier and he's the photographer.  However, that would make Barbara younger than 6. Does she look that young??

To Honor Brenda May Hass

A random check of Find a Grave this last weekend revealed an obituary for the recent death of Brenda May (Hegwer) Hass.  Brenda was one of the great-grandchildren of Charles Herman Hegwer and Margaret Lavina Richardson, making us second cousins. 

Brenda and I never met or even made contact, which somehow makes me additionally saddened to hear of her passing.  Our fathers were cousins and I know they met as children and had at least some contact by mail thirty-some years ago, before my father died.

My thoughts are with Brenda’s large and loving family.

Carl Traugott Hegwer, 1833-1893

Our trip to Missouri was wonderful!  There will be posts about it and all my new info for weeks and weeks to come!

Trinity Lutheran Church & Cemetery: Freistatt, Missouri

Here's how an unexpected conversation led to my standing at the grave of great-grand-uncle Carl Traugott HEGWER:  I was sitting with 3rd-Cousin Donald, filling in some missing Hegwer data for him, which was unexpected that he would even want it since the Hegwer's are NOT in his ancestry at all.  Donald's eyes widened in recognition as I told him that CT was probably buried somewhere in Freistatt, Missouri.  Imagine my surprise as Donald said that not only did he know where it was, but that I would be driving right by there on my way to see Cousin Kate!

I jumped to the computer to see if I could find a Lutheran cemetery there in Find A Grave.  Another surprise: not only did I find the cemetery, but also a photo of CT's headstone!  (That's another reminder to revisit websites such as findagrave on a regular basis!)

My photo above shows the back of CT's headstone and how close the site is to the current church building.  A plaque on the building says the church was founded in 1874 and this building erected in 1954.  I wonder if I can find a photo of the original building....

Here is one of my photos of the front of the headstone.  Given the scroll work on the other 3 sides, it appears that the original intent may have been to eventually carve more names but there are none.

There are not any more Hegwer's in this cemetery at findagrave nor did I see any others nearby.  Checking my database just now, I see that his wife did not die until 1924 and is buried in Joplin, Missouri.  Oh, dear me:  We drove the highway past Joplin on the way to Springfield and saw convoys of relief vehicles.  And, of course, the tornado was a frequent topic of conversation and media coverage during our entire trip.  I did not remember that I had a connection to Joplin. 

Here's a link to an earlier post including Carl Traugott Hegwer.

Conclusions

• Meeting face-to-face and spending a week with Donald & Linda was an incredible gift.  I do not have the words to express what a wonderful time we had. 
• I must remember to check websites such as Findagrave.com more regularly!
• I went to Missouri to work on RICHARDSON lines and had been reviewing them in my database and folders for months.  But, I should have also reviewed the Hegwer's, too.  I bet Joplin and Freistatt were not the only places I was close to.  Hmm, another reason for a return visit to Donald & Linda?!
• I should probably make it a goal to find the burial sites of all 10 of the children (and their spouses) of Carl Benjamin Hegwer and Maria Rosina Ilgner....

PS: The search for photos of an older church here has led me to:
Escape to the Silent Cities.  Nothing older there, but several lovely photos of the  cemetery.  I've left a comment hoping for help.
PPS: Hurray!  Tammi of Escape to the Silent Cities has already come to my aide!  Here's a link to the original church.  Thanks, Tammi!

Great-grandmother Margaret Lavina Richardson

Another treasure!  Come share my excitement...
When I started my genealogy research, I didn't have photos of all my grandparents, let alone any of the "greats."  This month has brought another milestone: my first-ever photo of great-grandmother Margaret Lavina RICHARDSON!  I am so very happy to finally see what "Maggie" looked like!

Left to right: Margaret, son Raymond Dudley Hegwer, second husband A.W. Danes

Margaret was the fourth child of John Richardson and his wife, Isabela Shaw.  She was born 28 July 1860 in Tiffany, Morgan County, Missouri.  She married Charles Hegwer 9 December 1883 in Corning, Nemaha, Kansas; they were divorced 14 August 1905 in Durango, La Plata, Colorado.  She married Albert Wentling Danes a few days later in Aztec, San Juan County, New Mexico Territory.  Margaret died 13 July 1919 in Grand Junction, Mesa, Colorado.  [Click here for an earlier post about the divorce, which includes source notations.]

Third-cousin Donald found this photo in his To-File pile! Interestingly, from the reverse side of this photo, it seems that, on the Richardson side, she was called "Vina." If the reverse side of the photo had not been so well labeled, I'm not sure either of us would have known these people.  I have photos of Raymond much younger and much older; I might have guessed it was he, but I'd never have been sure. 

We don't know when or where the photo was taken.  It looks like some sort of retaining wall in the background, perhaps a mining site?  It is probably in or near Mesa County, Colorado.  Any ideas?  Given Raymond's appearance and his mother's marriage/death dates, I'm guessing this is circa 1915.  Comments?

Conclusions

• Donald found this photo while tidying-up his files for my visit next month!  I haven't even left yet and, already, the trip is a blazing success!!!
• Donald found me a few years ago because of a birth-name comment I'd left on a census record for one of our distant Richardson aunts.  I am very grateful to both ancestry.com and Donald for making all of this possible.  Donald is an excellent researcher, a helpful collaborator, and an extremely nice person.
• I can't wait to meet Donald and see our ancestral lands in Missouri with a personal tour guide!

Disclaimer

I subscribe to ancestry.com, but I have no other connection to them and have never received any special consideration from them.

Forgotten Settlers of Kansas: To Register or Not?

This group has publications, a nice webpage, and more, both for societies and individuals.  One of their projects is, in essence, a lineage society for direct descendants of so-called "Forgotten Settlers of Kansas."  Certificates are available in the following categories of Kansas residency:

• Territorial  --   before 29 Jan 1861
• Pioneer  --  between 29 Jan 1861 and 31 Dec 1880
• Early Settler  --  between 1 Jan 1881 and 31 Dec 1900

It appears that great-great-grandparents Carl Benjamin Hegwer and Maria Rosina Ilgner, great-grandfather Charles Hegwer, and most of his siblings are eligible for the Territorial category and I could receive a certificate(s) by completing the application, supplying documentation, and paying $12. per individual.  Part of the application and documentation would be published in a book; names would be on their website.

I know Carl, Maria, Charles, and the other Hegwers are NOT forgotten!  While it's still a bit sad to me that all the Hegwer/Ilgner names do not appear on the lists at the website, I don't think I'll join the program.  What do you think?

Elopement of Ben Hegwer & Bertha Carr and Genealogical Kindness

[from the Ely Daily Mining Expositor, 11 September 1912, p. 1]

I treasure this newpaper clipping.  Luckily, the entire, original issue has been handed down.  Otherwise, I doubt if I would have ever looked for an article, let alone found this 4-page newspaper.  The paper is starting to crack, but it does give a legible image from a scan or photo.  Clicking on the image should give you a larger image so that you can easily read all the exciting details of the chase!  My research does verify Bertha's being of legal age.

The family legend was that great-grandfather John Henry CARR sent the sheriff's posse after Ben & Bertha.  I had always assumed it was just a legend, and was very pleasantly surprised to find the newspaper in the things my dad left.  I'm not sure Dad knew he even had this paper. 

John Henry and at least two of his other children were working at the mine in White Pine, near Ely.  Ben worked for the related power company.  [A previous post has a photo of this couple many years later.]  

Other news of the day

Other front page news that day included articles on the rebellion in Mexico, election campaigning, violations of banking law, rebuilding New Orleans, and hostilities in Turkey.  I guess some things never change...

Interestingly (at least to me), there were two more articles about local weddings, and here's where I get to the Genealogical Kindness.  First, the article immediately adjacent to Ben & Bertha's was about the lovely, planned wedding (with breakfast and guests!) of Katherine Graham and Elmer Porter.  Was it just a coincidence that they left on the same train for the same destination as my grandparents?  It could well have been: the train didn't come by daily and Salt Lake is where it went; there weren't that many options.  But they must have all known each other.  Maybe the wedding and departure of the Porter's helped prompt Ben & Bertha to plan the elopement and join the ride?!

I went to ancestry.com and found 5 family trees including the Graham/Porter couple.  None included a marriage date/location nor did they include Katherine's siblings.  So, using ancestry's connection option, I sent brief emails to all 5 tree owners, offering to send a copy of the article.  In just 4 days, I've received replies/requests from 3 of the 5.  I feel very good about sharing this info!

Second, there was a very brief social notice about Louis Cononelos of McGill leaving (on the same train as everyone else mentioned here!) for New York to meet his fiance, Nina Chakopoulou, who was arriving from Athens.  The couple would be married in New York and return to McGill.  I did not find any family trees for this couple, but I posted a comment on their 1920 census record and gave her birth name and the newspaper citation.  I hope that info will help someone someday.

Disclaimer

I subscribe to ancestry.com, but otherwise still have no connection to these companies and receive no special consideration from them.

Note

I have no reason to believe that Elmer Porter is any relation to my own Porter line.

1928 in St. Charles, Idaho: 1st and 2nd Grades

This photo of the thirty-four 1st & 2nd graders of the 1927/28 school year completes my little series: these four class photos of Wilson Grade School in St. Charles, Bear Lake County, Idaho, are the only ones I have.  The school is not named, but again, the building matches that of the well-labeled 7th/8th grade photo.  The teacher is Mrs. Bowman and there are no individual student grade levels indicated.    This photo is unique in that, for the first time, the names on the back are in two distinct hands and not all children are fully named.  [Again, I've used brackets below for my comments.] 

1. Reed Pugmire
2. Mark Pugmire [name in different handwriting]
3. Darl Transtum [surname in different handwriting]
4. Maretta [may have originally been 'Marie'; written over in different handwriting] Crossly
5. Lilias Pugmire
6. June Wilhelmsen
7. Erma Peterson
8. Elzo Bunderson
9. Dean Pugmire
10. Ardy Bunderson
11. Averill Pugmire
12. Rex Arnell
13. Lelia Hegwer [about age 6 1/2 at the time of the photo]
14. Oral Pugmire
15. Lavon Calton
16. Rula Bunderson
17. Nora [Nona?; no surname]
18. [blank]
19. Leah Pugmire
20. Oreal Linford
21. Doris Transtrum [last syllable of surname in different handwriting]
22. Armond Windly
23. Rao Floyd
24. Virl Rich [Vearl Rich--see reader's comments below]
25. La Ree Laker
26. Dale Brewer
27. Rex Linford
28. Cecil Windly
29. Boyed Colton
30. Ross Bunderson
31. Jennie Mickleson
32. Estella Peterson
33. Fawn Hill
34. Mong Pugmire

It bothers me that two of the children are not fully identified; perhaps someone can help.  And, I wish I had the time to put all of the children of Wilson Grade School into family groups.

Related Posts:

7th & 8th graders

5th & 6th graders

3rd & 4th graders

1928 in St. Charles, Idaho: 3rd & 4th Grades

Here are the 3rd and 4th graders at Wilson Grade School in St. Charles, Bear Lake, Idaho for the 1927/28 school year.  As with the previous photos, the names are annotated on the back on the photo, but this time, grade level for individual students is missing.  The school name is also absent, but the front of the building is clearly that of the well-labeled 7th/8th grade photo.  The teacher is labeled as 'Miss Grojean.'  Note that both the photo and the listing on the back have consecutive students numbered as #3.

1.  Rex Wilhelmsen

2.  Junior Pugmire

3.  David Micklison

3.  Billie Wilhelmsen

4.  Stanley Mickleson

5.  Noel Linford

6.  Delmar Arnell [originally posted as 'Ginell;' please read the comments below]

7.  Rondle Peterson

8.  Cortney Brewer

9.  Laura Stewart

10.  Leora Pugmire

11.  Leona Peterson

12.  Clea Wendly

13.  Wane Pugmire

14.  Marion Pugmire

15.  Jessie Stewart

16.  Sterling Rich 

17.  Marion Brewer

18.  Labore Lovar Pugmire

19.  Ray Hegwer  [Ray would have been about 11 1/2 when the photo was taken.]

20.  Ione [Jane?] Rich

21.  Presely Floyd

22.  Ephrian Croossly

23.  Oran Peterson

24.  Robert Minor Pugmire

Related photos/posts

7th & 8th graders

5th & 6th graders
1st & 2nd graders

1928 in St. Charles, Idaho: 5th & 6th Grades

The reverse side of this photo is labeled as Grades 5 & 6 of St. Charles, Idaho 1928-27.  It certainly appears to be the same school (Wilson Grade School in St. Charles, Bear Lake County, Idaho) as in the more specifically labeled photo of the 7th & 8th graders.  The teacher is identified as Jack Wright.

The numbering on the front goes left to right, beginning with the boys kneeling in the front and proceeding up to the back row, and ending with #29.   There is a #6 at the end of the kneeling row and again at the beginning of the second row.  I do not know who made the annotations but it appears to be by an adult.  The names on the back are in numerical order with each one labeled with grade level; there are no other annotations.  [I've used these brackets below for my comments.]

1.  James Pugmire 6B

2.  Max Williamson 6B

3.  Lamel [Laurel?] Pugmire 6B

4.  Alfred Keetch 6B

5.  Claude Willianson 6A

6.  Weldon Peterson 5A

[a second #6 at the beginning of second row]6.  Elmer Transtrum 6A 

7.  Cloyd Minor 6A

8.  D'Orr Bunderson 6B

9.  Myrtle Pugmire 6B

10.  Effie Hymas 6A

11.  June Bunderson 6A

12.  Irene Peterson 65A

13.  Lamel [Laurel?] Windly 65A

14.  Melba Pugmire 5A

15.  Ben Bunderson 5A

16.  Preston Booth 6A

17.  Dannie Benson 6A

18.  Helen Hill 6A

19.  Venice Pugmire 6A

20.  Verla Pugmire 6A

21.  Aseal Rich 5A

22.  Billie Floyd 6A

23.  Carl Clark 6A

24.  Murnell Michaelson 6B

25.  Jack Wright -- Teacher

26.  Lawand [Lawang?] Michaelson 6A

27.  Enid Peterson 6A

28.  Chloey Floyd 6A

29.  Margaret Hegwer 6A [My Aunt Margaret is about 13 here; she died about 18 months after this photo was taken.]

Related Posts
7th & 8th graders
3rd & 4th graders
1st & 2nd graders 

1928 in St. Charles, Idaho: 7th & 8th Grades

 

This is one of the photo scans I brought home from my visit with my aunt in March.  As you can see, it is labeled as the 7th & 8th grade class of Wilson Grade School in St. Charles, Bear Lake County, Idaho.  I have no idea who did the typing or annotations.

If you look closely, you can see that each of the students has been 'numbered'  left to right and in sequence: top row 1 to 9, second row 10-17, third row 18-27, and front row of kneeling boys 28-34.  Mr. Ralph Brimhall, principal & teacher, was annotated on the back by name and as "the old man."

On the back of the photo, each numbered student is listed in a column by grade level.  The writing on the back is apparently one handwriting but with two differently colored inks, perhaps written at two different times.  The names are in blue but annotations and marriages are in black. 

Here is my best guess at transcribing the names and notations on the back.  I can send a scanned copy to anyone who is interested.

Eight

2 Dewedle Peterson

3 Harold Peterson

4 Preston Michilson

8 La Preal Pugmire

9 Or Reta Rich

14 Preston Pugmire

16 Cleone Widely

18 Myrna Wilks

19 Vernon Rich

20 Valois Arnell

22 Virginia Bunderson

23 Lillan Bunderson

24 Lee Bunderson

25 Almer Peterson

26 La Preal Brewer

27 Corrine Wilermian

28 Alfred Peterson

34 Lester Wilermiam Clark ('Clark' and the strike-through in black)

35 absent Dora Allred

36     "     Emma    "

Seventh

1 Beatrice Michilson

5 Principal

6 Herbert Hegwer

7 Myrle Linferl

10 Agnes Croseley

11 Donald Stewert

12 Andrew Michilson

13 Lowell Floyd

15 Winona  "

17 La Ree Peterson

21 Fern Hill

31 Reed Laker

32 Adriaen Stewert

33 Man Cleavland

30 Elden Even Pugmire

29 Evan Allred

Married

OrReta Rich -------------------

Myrna Wills  -------------------

Virginia Bunderson now Mrs Devirl Wittington -- 1932

Lee Bunderson -- married Margaret Grandy, Paris -- 1935

La Priel Brewer  --  "        Jullian Thornoch, Bloomington -- 1931

Corine Wilskilmson xxxx " Cleneta Arnold, St. Charles about 1932

Dora Allred            "  Andrew Thompson, Bloomington - 1935

Beatrice M.            "  -------------------------

Agnes Crossley       "   ------------------------

Winma Floyd         "    Bob Rosen, Paris

LaRe Peterson        "   Emmet "Hum" Monson, St. Charles 1933

Erma Allred            "  Curtis Pugmire                    "           1934

The ditto marks are clearly for the word 'married' in the Married section.  I interpret the lines after the names as meaning that the writer knew the person was married but did not know to whom.  I cannot read the marks after Corine Wilskilmson; I think it originally said "(dead)" but was later written over as "deceased."

My dad is #6.  He would have been 14y 5m when this was taken.  He did not start school until 1923, but was promoted quickly to finish 3rd grade by the end of the school year 1923-24.  Dad frequently talked about 'Junior' Pugmire being his best friend in St. Charles.  I wonder if that is one of these Pugmire boys?

I also have scans of the 1st/2nd, 3rd/4th, and 5th/6th classes of that year.  I'll get them into the blog shortly.  I do so hope someone will find these all useful!  Have a great day!

Related Posts

5th & 6th graders

3rd & 4th graders

1st & 2nd graders