Martha is on seated on the left. Picture taken around 1960.
Not all of our Ancestors live exciting, glamourous, or dangerous lives. In fact, most of them led just quiet normal lives which makes writing a story about them difficult. Martha Treppa was one of those people who led a very quiet life. Martha is not an ancestor, but someone who was like family. She was my grand uncle’s sister-in-law.
My grandmother’s brother, Ralph Bowers, was married to Helen Treppa. Helen had a sister Martha who lived with Ralph and Helen. When Uncle Ralph and Aunt Helen came to holiday or Sunday dinners, Martha was usually with them. Martha (Marty was her nickname) paid a lot of attention to me when I was a child, and I loved the attention. I remember her as a very sweet and quiet lady. At the time, I just enjoyed Martha’s company and attention, and never thought about her life. So I really don’t know very much about it. All I really know is from researching records, and there are not a lot of records on Martha. No surprises surfaced like a secret marriage or illegitimate children. She must have led a very normal quiet life, just like I thought.
Martha was born to John and Helen Treppa on 4 May 1911 in Cook County, Illinois.[1] Martha was the youngest of five children.[2] The family lived at 1441 Lill Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.[3] When I knew Martha she lived in that same house on Lill Avenue with her sister Helen and brother-in-law Ralph Bowers. They lived on the second floor and someone else lived downstairs. In 1940 her brother John and his family lived on the lower level[4] and sometime later they moved and then the apartment was rented out.
Martha worked as a packer for a wholesale meat company.[5] She always seemed old-fashioned and she was the typical maiden aunt of the time. Martha died 7 August 1992 at 81 years, 3 months and 3 days old in the state of Washington.[6]
I will always think of Martha with love and remember her kindness and quiet ways.
1] Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois, Birth Certificates Index, 1871-1922 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: “Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009. Illinois. Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922. Illinois Department of Public Health. Division of Vital Records, Springfield.
[2] Year: 1920; Census Place: Chicago Ward 24, Cook (Chicago), Illinois; Roll: T625_335; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 1359
Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA. Note: Enumeration Districts 819-839 are on roll 323 (Chicago City).
[4] Year: 1940; Census Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois; Roll: m-t0627-01012; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 103-2902. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.
[6] Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.
At times, I encounter conflicting information regarding my maternal grandmother. My father always maintained that she was born in 1900, a detail that was simple to remember as her age corresponded with the year. This assertion led me to accept his word without question, particularly since she passed away before my birth, denying me the opportunity to gather firsthand information. For years, I held onto the belief that her birth year was indeed 1900; however, apart from my father’s claim, I lacked substantial evidence to support it. She was reportedly born at home in Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois, contributing a nostalgic backdrop to her early life. Consequently, I endeavored to locate her birth certificate in Cook County, but my search was fruitless. It became apparent that, during that time, Illinois did not mandate civil birth records, complicating my investigation further. I speculated that perhaps her birth certificate was simply overlooked. I then sought alternative documentation through church records, anticipating they would serve as a reliable adjunct to official records. Given the lack of Internet resources for data retrieval at the time, I needed to visit the Church in Forest Park, IL. While it was not overly burdensome considering my 40-mile distance, my full-time job posed significant challenges in finding an appropriate day for the trip. I even postponed this journey for a couple of years while I explored census records. To my astonishment, she was absent from the 1900 census conducted in June, despite her birth occurring in March of that year. If she truly was born in 1900, her name should have appeared. The 1910 census recorded her at 9 years of age, while the 1920 census noted she was 19, and by the 1930 census, she was 30 years old. Depending on the census reviewed, her birth year was variably documented as either 1900 or 1901. It is well understood that census ages can often be inaccurate—frequently misreported by a year or two due to clerical errors or varying interpretations by census-takers. Further complicating matters, her death certificate listed her birth year as 1901, in stark contrast to her gravestone which proudly claimed 1900. I also received information indicating she was married in Wheaton, DuPage, Illinois. Since the DuPage County seat in Winfield was closer to my location than Forest Park, I decided to make the journey to obtain her marriage certificate. This document was particularly valuable to me because it contained her mother’s maiden name. Curiously, she married on March 22, 1919, merely a day before her birthday. The marriage certificate indicated she was 19 at the time of marriage, implying a birth year of 1899, approaching her 20th birthday the following day. However, I began to question whether she reported her age as 19 merely because she would officially reach that age the very next day. If that were the case, it might indeed substantiate her birth year as 1900. After compiling the various pieces of information, I ultimately visited St. John Lutheran Church in Forest Park in search of her birth record. Although I did not locate her birth record there, I did uncover her confirmation record, which asserted her birth year as 1900. It also indicated that she had been baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Forest Park. Unfortunately, time constraints prevented me from traveling to St. Paul for further records that day. I intended to revisit Forest Park to explore St. Paul Lutheran Church at a later date; however, life’s demands deterred me from doing so. Subsequently, while researching on ancestry.com, I chanced upon the U.S. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records dating from 1781 to 1969 and decided to inquire further about my grandmother. To my amazement, I discovered her baptism record, which indicated her birth year as 1901, thereby introducing another layer of complexity to my investigation and leaving me with additional questions regarding the several date discrepancies encountered throughout my research.
Here are clues about her birth year:
My Father said his mother was born in 1900.
She does not appear to be on the 1900 Census with the rest of her family. Census taken in June 1900 Helen born in March 1900.1
The 19102 and 1920 Census list her age as 9 and 19 making her birth year 1901.3
The 1930 Census lists her age as 30 making her birth year 1900.4
Her marriage record list her age as 19 on the day before her birthday in 1919. This would make her birth year 1899.5
Confirmation record lists her birth year as 1900.6
Baptism record list her birth year as 1901.7
Her death record lists her birth year as 1901.8
Her gravestone says 1900.9
I chose the church baptism record showing her birthday as 23 March 1901 and baptism on 12 May 1901, as her official year of birth because the baptism is closest to her birth and most likely accurate.
5. “George Manfroid marriage Record to Helen Desens, Wheaton, DuPage, Illinois,” 22 March 1919. Original located at DuPage County Government Offices, 505 N County Farm Road, Winfield, DuPage, Illinois.
6. “Confirmation Record for Helen Desens,” born 23 March 1900, confirmed 5 April 1914, St. St John Congregational book 1908 – 1926, Page 227. Book located at John Lutheran Church, 305 Circle Ave., Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois.
7. “Baptism record for Helen Desens,” Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Archives; Elk Grove Village, Illinois; Congregational Records Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Records, 1781-1969 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
8. “Death record for Helen Manfroid,” Elmhurst, DuPage, Illinois, 4 September 1946. Original located at DuPage County Government Offices, 505 N County Farm Road, Winfield, DuPage, Illinois.
9. Ancestry.com. U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.Original data: Find a Grave. Find a Grave®. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.
Eighteen-year-old Mary Fiderius was in love with thirty-four-year-old Isidor G. Manfroid, and on 5 February 1889 they married in Cleveland, Ohio.[1] Between 1889 and 1907 they had a total of eight children of which only five lived to adulthood. [2][3][4][5][6][7] They moved frequently and lived in Pittsburg,[8] Cleveland,[9] Toledo[10] and finally settling in Chicago[11] around 1900. Somewhere between 1908 and 1910 Isidor and Mary divorced.[12] I don’t know the reason for the divorce and have been unable to find the divorce records. Considering Mary’s religion, the only reason for divorce was desertion. I believe that George deserted Mary and she was left with the children trying to support them by herself. In 1908 the oldest child, George was 16 followed by Christine14, Philip 12, Arthur 7 and Theordore 4. There was not enough money to support them all. The older children were in school or could get jobs. If Mary went to work, who was going to take care of the younger children? She had to make a big decision, should she give up her two youngest children? She turned to her church for help and decided to temporarily give up her two youngest sons. Arthur went to St. Mary’s Training school for boys in Des Plaines, Illinois.[13] It was a place for orphans, neglected children, and for children whose mothers could not take care of them. It was run by the Archdiocese of Chicago.[14] Later, St. Mary’s training school became known as Marysville.[15] Theodore went to St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum in Chicago[16] This was also a place for orphans, neglected children and for families who could not support their children and also run by the Archdiocese of Chicago.[17] Mary had already lost 3 children at young ages and now she must give up two. She did not know how long before she would be able to get them back if ever. In 1911 Mary marries Adam Beischer.[18] Adam was working as a cigar maker, and I assume sometime after she remarried, she got her children back. In1920 Arthur now 19, and Theodore now 16, are living with Mary and Adam.[19] Adam helped Mary raise her sons, and they considered Adam their father and Adam considered Arthur and Theodore as his sons. Arthur grew up to become a bookie and owned a tavern in Chicago. He married twice and had no children. Theodore married seven times and had several children by some of his seven wives. Christine was married at least three times and had children by each husband. George and Philip married once and stayed married until their deaths. George had two children and Philip had one child. Mary and Adam stayed married until Adam’s death in 1962. Mary died a few months later in 1962. [20]
[1] Marriage record for G. Isidor Manfroid and Mary Fiderius, State of Ohio, CuyahogaCounty, SS., 5 February 1889.
[2]1900 United States Census, State: Illinois, County: Cook, Township: WestTown, City: Chicago, Enumeration Dist: 293, Ward 10, Sheet 16B, Line 69
[3]Certificate of Birth for Arthur Anton Manfroid, 5 January 1901, State of Illinois , Department of Public Health, Division of vital Statistics registered no 72637, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
[5] Department of Health: City of Chicago: Bureau of Vital Statistics: Undertakers Report of Death for Isidor Manfroid (Son of G. Isidor Manfroid) 12247, 22 March 1901.
[6] Family Search International Genealogical Index V 5.0 North America, Batch No: C748680, Year 1890, Call No. 0499282 V. 38-40 Film type.
[7]Illinois Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925 database with images, FamilySearch HY-DY93_dIV?cc+1452409&wc=M66L-STP%3A39600602 : 8 February 2017), Sacred Heart Parish (Melrose Park)> Baptisms Marriages 1893-1908 > image 22 of 26; Catholic Church parishes, Chicago Diocese, Chicago.
[8] Family Search International Genealogical Index V 5.0 North America, Batch No: C748680, Year 1890, Call No. 0499282 V. 38-40 Film type.
[9]Cleveland City Directories 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897 list George Manfroid living at 235 Herald, Cleveland, Ohio
[10]Toledo City Directories 1898, 1899, 1900 listed George Manfroid as living at 259 Caldonia and 255 Woodford, Toledo, Ohio
[11]1900 United States Census, State: Illinois, County: Cook, Township: WestTown, City: Chicago, Enumeration Dist: 293, Ward 10, Sheet 16B, Line 69
[12] Children Georgius Isidor was born in 1907 and Arthur and Theodore are living in institutions in 1910. I deduced that George and Mary must have divorced between 1907 and 1910.
[13]1910 United States Census, Wheeling, Cook, Illinois; Roll T624-241, Page 21B, Enumeration District 0132; FHL microfilm 1374254.
[18] Obituary for Adam Beischer, Oak Park Leaves May 17, 1962, P.76
[19] Year: 1920; Census Place: Forest Park, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T625 362; Page: 20B Enumeration District: 185; Image 696. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, Utah, USA. Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2009. Images reproduced by Familysearch.. Original Data: Fourteenth Census of the Untited States 1920; (National Archives Microfilm Publication T625, 2076 rolls) Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington D.C.
[20] From Author, Gail Grunst’s, personal knowledge.
While researching my great grandfather, Carl Desens, I found a surprise on the 1900 Federal Census. In addition to Carl, his wife Augusta and their children there is Dorothea Zoschke listed as Carl’s mother-in-law living with them.[1] Dorothea would be my great grandmother, Augusta’s mother, taking me back another generation. But I knew that Augusta’s maiden name was Gabbi (Gabbie, Gabbei). I knew this from my grandmother, Helen Desen’s marriage record and from Church Records.[2][3] If Dorothea’s name is not Gabbi, then she must have remarried. The 1900 Federal Census lists Dorothea as a widow, her birth year as 1828, her age as 72, and year of immigration as 1890.[4] I searched ship records for Dorothea Zoschke and did not find her, however I did find a Dorothea Gabbei coming to the US on 27 May 1890 from Bremen and Southampton to New York aboard the ship Elbe.[5] She is 64 years old and her occupation is a Gentleman’s Servant.[6] There is a two year age difference between the documents, but the year of immigration is the same. She must have remarried here in the US, but I have been unable to find a record of it. Dorothea died in 1901 and is buried in Concordia Cemetery in Forest Park, Illinois.[7]
If I had not already known my great grandmother, Augusta’s maiden name, I might have thought that it was Zoschke and gone down the wrong path. It’s always nice to find a surprise when you least expect it.
[1] Year: 1900; Census Place: Proviso, Cook, Illinois; Roll: 294; Page: 53; Enumeration District: 1182; FHL microfilm: 1240294. Source Information: Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.
[3] “Confirmation Record for Helen Desens,” born 23 March 1900, confirmed 5 April 1914, St. St John Congregational book 1908 – 1926, Page 227. Book located at John Lutheran Church, 305 Circle Ave., Forest Park, Cook County, Illinois.
[5] Year: 1890; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: M237, 1820-1897; Microfilm Roll: Roll 549; Line: 12; List Number: 732. Source Information: Ancestry.com. New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Original data: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897. Microfilm Publication M237, 675 rolls. NAI: 6256867. Records of the U.S. Customs Service, Record Group 36. National Archives at Washington, D.C.
I have several favorite pictures of my ancestors, and this is one of them.
I love this picture of my grandmother, Helen Bowers and her sister Frances Bowers. There was no date on this photo, but I am guessing it was around 1904. Frances is sitting and Helen is the one standing. Helen and Frances were born 14 months apart. I think they are such cute little girls and I love them both. Helen and Fran stayed close to each other their whole lives even though they led very different lives.
Helen married at 25 years old to Fred Kaiser. They had two children Dorothy and Russell. In between Dorothy and Russell, Helen had a miscarriage and they lost a baby Richard at two weeks old. Russell was born premature and according to Helen, he was so small she could hold him in the palm of her hand. Russell survived and died at 80 years old. Fred and Helen lived in Chicago until around 1935 when they bought a house in Villa Park, Illinois. Helen stayed home and took care of the house and children while Fred went to work. She played pinochle with the same group of ladies for many years. She belonged to the sewing circle at church and they made things for charity. Her hands were always busy crocheting afghans, sweaters and many other things. She was a good cook and made everything from scratch. She canned fruits and vegetables grown in their yard. She loved gardening and had beautiful flower gardens with help from Fred. She made everyone feel welcome in their home. All holiday dinners were at her house, and she did most of the cooking. She had two stoves one in the kitchen of course and one in the basement. On holidays she would run up and down the stairs between the two stoves cooking a turkey in one and a goose in the other. She and Fred were married 58 years until his death in 1980. Helen died at a few months later at 82 years old.
Fran also married at 25 years old to William Beck and in 1932 she gave birth to a daughter Patricia. A few years later, she and William divorced. Fran lived in Chicago all her adult life. She raised in daughter alone and worked to survive. They moved every few years from one apartment to another apartment in Chicago. Fran sewed for a living, working in factories that mass produced clothing. In her later years, she worked in a bridal shop making wedding dresses and formals. Fran wasn’t much of a cook, but she sure could sew. She made many dresses for me. Fran loved to shop and she would find some unusual things. When she visited us, she would bring us things like alligator meat, rattlesnake meat, frog legs, etc. She also knew how to throw parties. She would come out for my birthday parties and bring prizes, party favors, and decorate the house. She helped with Halloween parties too. She was strong and a worker. She worked until her death at 71 years old.
Helen and Frances talked on the phone almost daily, and in her younger years Fran and her daughter Pat would visit my grandmother on weekends. They would come out to Villa Park on the train either on Friday night or Saturday morning and go back on Sunday after the family dinner. Helen lived ten years after Fran’s death. She missed their daily phone calls and her confidant. They were truly sisters forever.
At the turn of the 20th century, my grandmother Helene Margarete Augusta Desens came into this world. She was the youngest of eight children born to Carl and Augusta Desens. She was born and grew up in Forest Park, Illinois. She attended St. John Lutheran Church and school. I never had the privilege of knowing my paternal grandmother because she died six months before I was born. For some reason, I always felt connected to her. As a little girl, I would visualize her looking down from heaven and watching me. My father never told many stories of his mother except that she had a great sense of humor and could be sarcastic. I wanted to know my grandmother like I knew my maternal grandmother. My grandmother suffered many hardships and died at a young age. I think that is why her story means so much to me.
In January of 1919 she anxiously awaited the return of her boyfriend to come home from France after serving in WWI. Two months later, Helen married George Manfroid the day before her 19th birthday. Near the end of 1919 she gave birth to a baby boy, George, Jr. For the next 10 years, life was pretty good for them. My grandfather work and she stayed home with their little boy, George. They lived in Forest Park among both of their families. They visited back and forth with family and friends. My grandfather bought a gas station and they bought a house in Elmhurst, IL where her sister Annie lived. Life was good!
Then the great depression happened. It hit them hard. My father always talked about it. He was only 10 when it happened, yet it made a big impression on him. My grandfather lost his business, and he had a hard time finding work. They lost their big house in Elmhurst, but somehow, they managed to buy a smaller house in Elmhurst. The house had a living room, dining room, kitchen and one bedroom and one bathroom. My father slept in the living room on the sofa.
My grandmother worried about where they were going to get their next meal. Sometimes they ate bananas for Sunday dinner. In 1933, during height of the great depression Helen gave birth to another son Donald. He was born mentally challenged. I often wondered if my grandmother did not get the right nourishment during her pregnancy. As he grew older, he could not feed himself, dress himself, or go to bathroom on his own. He was non-verbal and my father said that Donnie could be a handful. Helen became his full-time caretaker. I can’t image how she handled this alone while my grandfather tried to find employment and finally did with the American Can Company. She had a big family so maybe her sisters pitched in and helped her. My father was 14 when Donnie was born so maybe he helped after school. Although, my father left high school when he was 17 to find work to help support the family. I don’t know how much help he was after he started working. When Donnie was about 11 years old, Helen was diagnosed with Parenchymatous Nephritis (kidney disease and failure). She suffered with this for 4 years. Image having to take care of her son Donnie and at the same time she was sick. Treatment for this during the 1940’s was dietary modifications mostly milk and low salt diet to control Edema, bedrest and warm clothing, antibiotics for secondary infections. She could not rest when she had a son that needed her. I don’t know if she followed the dietary recommendations or had antibiotics. After four years of suffering, she succumbed to the disease. She was hospitalized over Labor Day weekend with Uremia and was there for five days. On the fifth day she died at 46 years old leaving behind a husband and two sons. During the five days, the doctor never came to see her until the day she died. My father thought the doctor and the hospital didn’t do enough to save her. They just let her lie there and die. After that, my father would have nothing to do with doctors or hospitals for a long time. Donnie was 13 years old and still needed his mother. I wrote about Donnie’s story on my blog several years ago you can find it at Meeting Uncle Donnie. As it turned out, Donnie can understand more than he is able to verbalize. He did manage to tell me one time, “Ma is with God.”
Knowing about the hardships she faced in her short life is why her story means so much to me. We all face some hardships in our lives, and I certainly have in my long life. Mine were different than hers, but I feel I can relate to her. Maybe someday I will get to meet her in Heaven for the first time.
I have many favorite pictures so it was hard to pick just one. This happens to be one of my favorite pictures because it is three generations of strong women. The picture was taken in 1938. From the left is my great-grandmother, Eva Bowers, my mother, Dorothy Kaiser (age 14), and my grandmother, Helen Kaiser nee Bowers. I think the picture was probably taken in front of my great-grandmother’s place in Chicago. By 1938 my grandparents were living in Villa Park, Illinois and this is not their home. I wish I could have been in the picture to make it four generations, but I was not born yet and by the time I came along, Eva had already passed away. I never knew Eva, but heard a lot about her from my mom and grandma. Eva was born in Heidelberg, Baden, Germany to Johann Konrad Reinhardt and Anna Maria Schwebler on February 14, 1877. Eva came to the United States when she was almost two years old. Her brother John was a baby. Her first home in the United States was in Amana, Iowa. They spent a few years in Amana and then moved to Ottawa, Illinois where Eva grew up with her brothers and sisters. Eva grew into a young woman and sometime around 1896 she married Robert Bowers also of Ottawa, Illinois. The family story is that Robert and Eva ran off to Chicago to be married. I have never been able to find a marriage record for them in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. According to family stories, Robert’s family never accepted Eva as his wife or acknowledged that any of the children were Roberts. I started to wonder if they were ever really married and that is why Robert’s family didn’t want anything to do with Eva or their children. However, when Robert’s father died, Robert and Eva as his wife signed a quit-claim deed to a piece of property to Robert’s mother. I was told that if they were not married, Eva would not need to sign the quit-claim deed. Perhaps they were married somewhere other than Chicago. Robert and Eva had three children, Ralph born in 1897, Helen in 1898 and Frances in 1900. Shortly after Frances was born Robert left Eva. Again family stories say they were divorced, however I have never found divorce records for them. In 1900 Eva was on her own and had to make a living for her and her three children. She raised the three children alone in a time when there was no financial support for women. Robert did not have to pay child support and there was no welfare. Eva relied on family to babysit her children while she worked. She worked a milliner and seamstress for many years. She moved to Chicago away from her support system in Ottawa, Illinois. There were probably better job opportunities in Chicago. She had a couple of long relationships with men, but I can find no proof that she married them. She always kept the surname Bowers. Eva passed away on 23 December 1941 in Chicago, Illinois.
My grandmother married in 1923 to Fred Kaiser. Because of her upbringing with no father in her life, she was determined to have a long marriage and raise her children in a home with both a mother and father. She had my mother in 1924, a son in 1930 that lived only 11 days, another son in 1931, and a stillborn son in 1933. The son born in1931 was premature, weighed 4 lbs 2 oz and fit into the palm of her hand. She had a strong belief in God and I am sure that is what got her through those years in the 1930’s. Her premature baby boy survived and died at 80 years old. Grandma witnessed the depression during the 30’s and WWII. She was a true homemaker of the day, a good cook, seamstress, and housekeeper. She had a successful long marriage that ended in October 1980 after 57 years with the death of her husband. She only lived four months after the death of her husband and died at age 82 in February 1981.
My mother’s life was probably the easiest of the three. She married George Manfroid in 1945 and had two children. She was also a homemaker of the time. The depression of the 30’s affected my father’s family more than it did my mother’s, because of my father’s experience it made him determined that his family did not go without. He bought things that they really could not afford. My mother was the one that tried to keep things in check and watch the money. They were always living paycheck to paycheck. My mother was the worrier and this bothered her a lot. In spite of my father’s foolish spending, they were happily married. Once my brother and I were old enough she went to work. She worked part-time as a cashier for Walgreens, and went to night school to learn bookkeeping. She then found a job working as bookkeeper for Slater’s Shoe Store. This was a huge help to their financial situation. My mother was healthy during her life time, but not my father. He was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1967, my mother took good care of him through his treatments and worried she might lose him. He survived it and lived another 17 years. In 1984 he was diagnosed again with cancer this time with lung cancer, and he only survived a couple of weeks after diagnoses. My mother who had never been ill with more than a cold, died suddenly three years later from a brain aneurism.
All three women had their trials and tribulations and managed to stay strong and keep going in spite of them. In-between the hard times were good times too. My grandmother looks so happy in the picture above. They all had a hard life, but it was also a good life. I think for all of us life is full of those hard times, but it is our faith and family that get us through those times.
My father had an uncle, Arthur Manfroid, who owned a tavern in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. My father claimed Arthur was involved with the syndicate (mob) in Chicago. I remember my father saying that as long as Arthur didn’t cross them (the mob) he was OK. I think that the mob may have financed his tavern and they probably owned the slot machines. I was a kid when I heard my father talking about Arthur so I don’t remember all the details.
One time we went into Chicago to look at used cars and my father said that Arthur’s tavern was nearby consequently we stopped in at his tavern. While my parents had a beer or two, I had a coke and free snacks.
Another time we took my great-grandmother to a shoe store in Chicago. She was in an accident many years before that left her with one leg shorter than the other one. She had to go to a special shoe store that built up the sole of the one shoe for her short leg. Afterwards, she wanted to go see her son, Arthur, and by this time he was married to his second wife Josephine. I remember there was a long flight of stairs up to their apartment, and Josephine stood at the top, while my parents helped grandma up the stairs. I only saw Arthur and Josephine a few times and it was long ago, therefore I barely remember them.
Arthur Anton Manfroid arrived on 5 January 1901 to George I. Manfroid and Mary Fiderius.[1] He joined his 4 siblings in their Chicago home.[2] His father was an iron moulder while his mother kept house and raised the children.[3] Two-and-half months after Arthur was born, his brother, Isidor, died of a pneumonia at two years old.[4] A few years later, two more boys were added to the family. The last one born in 1907.[5]
Somewhere between 1907 when the last child was born[6] and 1910,[7] Arthur’s parents divorced. In 1910 Arthur is found living at the St. Mary’s Training School for Boys in Des Plaines, Illinois.[8] St. Mary’s Training school for boys housed orphans left without means of support by the death of one or both parents, and children whose parents were unable to give them the necessities of life.[9] Arthur’s younger brother Theodore is found in 1910 living at St. Vincent’s Infant Asylum (orphanage) in Chicago, Illinois.[10] Apparently, Mary was unable to support her two youngest children after the divorce. There was no back up for single mothers in those days. The father was not required to pay child support and there was no assistance from the government. It was through the charity of the Catholic Church that Mary was able to find help. In 1911 Mary married Adam Beischer,[11] and I assume sometime after her marriage to Adam she was able to be reunited with Arthur and Theodore. In 1920 both Arthur and Theodore are living with Mary and their step-father Adam.[12]
Arthur had a car accident on September 27, 1923 in borrowed car. The newspaper account reads as follows:
“Anton Manfroid, a young man living at 148 Lathrop Avenue, and until recently employed in the Ed Roos Factory, driving Clarence Troost’s car in Madison Street near Ferdinand Avenue, Thursday evening, struck and seriously injured William Kreino 510 Ferdinand Avenue, a truck driver for Standard Oil Company, was walking across the street. Manfroid had borrowed the car a few minutes before the accident happened. After Kreino was taken to Oak Park Hospital, Manfroid drove himself to police station and gave himself up.”[13]
William Kreino survived the accident and died in 1950.[14] The car owner Clarence Troost was involved with local politics in Forest Park, Illinois.[15] I was curious about the Ed Roos Factory and thought it might give me some insight to Arthur’s occupation in 1923.
“The Roos Manufacturing Co. of Chicago was established in 1871 by Edward Roos, who died in 1906 when two sons Edward and Otto took over the business. In 1916. Edward split with his brother and started his own company, which made cedar chests. The Ed Roos Building at 7329 Harrison in Forest Park, Illinois opened 1918 and hit its peak in the 1930’s. The company used 3 million feet of cedar per year and produced 200 chests per day.”[16]
Unfortunately, I still don’t know what position he might have held at this factory.
On 28 September 1929 Arthur married Isabelle Kiniec.[17] Arthur worked as a book maker (bookie) for a sports restaurant and Isabelle worked as a telephone operator.[18] They lived at 6256 Wabansia Ave., Chicago, Illinois.[19] In 1942, Arthur’s draft card lists his employment as the Kildare Club at 1550 N. Kildare, Chicago, Illinois and his employer’s name as Joe Nicholson.[20] I found a matchbook for sale on Ebay with horses racing on the cover. It lists the address as 1550 N. Kildare at Grand and North Kildare.[21] I’m sure it was a place where people bet on horses.
I believe that it was during the 1930’s and early 1940’s that Arthur worked as a bookie, probably at the Kildare Club and maybe other places too.
“The Torrio-Capone organization expanded its limited gambling operations, especially after Prohibition. Mobsters took over the slot machine business. In the 1940s, the mob forcibly took over the racing wire service, and some policy operations as well, though it never achieved total dominance. Mob gambling reached Chicago Heights, Brookfield, Glenview, and other suburbs by 1940. In 1959, the Chicago Tribune reported that 10,000 employees worked at 1,000 gambling establishments in Cook County. Postwar Chicago gangsters profited from gambling in many other cities.”[22]
Arthur was short at 5’4” and weighed 120 lbs., and he is described as having a ruddy complexion and gray eyes.[23]
I have often wondered why Arthur chose book making as a way to make a living. I wondered if his early life in a boy’s school and being separated from his mother and siblings affected him. The other brother that was in St. Vincent’s Infant asylum had many problems. The older boys who were probably working by the time the parents divorced seemed to lead more normal lives. It appears the Arthur was able to stay out of trouble with the law and the mob. His name did not come up in any of my searches through newspapers except for the accident he had in 1923.
I don’t know what happened to his first wife Isabelle. Arthur never had any children with either wife. Arthur passed away on 19 August 1967 in Chicago, Illinois[24] and is buried at Chapel Hill Cemetery in Oak Brook Terrace, Illinois.[25] His wife, Josephine, passed away many years later on 10 June 1992 in Virginia.[26]
[1] Birth Certificate for Arthur Anton Manfroid, 5 January 1901, Registration number 72637, State of Illinois, Department of Health, Division of Vital Statistics, Springfield, Illinois.
[2] 1900; Census Place: Chicago Ward 10, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T623 256; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 293. Original data – United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623,
[4] Death Certificate for Isidor Manfroid, 22 March 1901, Registration No. 12247, Department of Health, City of Chicago, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Chicago, Cook, Illinois.
[5] “Illinois, Chicago, Catholic Church Records, 1833-1925.” Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 6 April 2021. Catholic Church parishes, Chicago Diocese, Chicago.
[7] Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA
[10] Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA
[11] Oak Park Oak Leaves (Oak Park, Illinois) 17 May 1962, p. 76, “Adam Beischer dies from stroke: Services held Friday”, location Newspapers.com.
[12] 1920; Census Place: Forest Park, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T625_362; Page: 20B; Enumeration District: 185
[13] Forest Leaves (Forest Park, Illinois) 3 October 1923, p.12, “Borrowed car hits man”. Location Google Books.
[14] Chicago Tribune, (Chicago, Illinois), 21 December 1950, P. 18, Obituary for William Kreino. Location Newspapers.com.
[15] Forest Park Review, (Forest Park, Cook, Illinois), 3 March 1923, p. 4.
[17] National Archives at Chicago; Chicago, Illinois; ARC Title: Petitions for Naturalization, 1906-1991; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: RG 21
[20] The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Illinois, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1117
[23] The National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; WWII Draft Registration Cards for Illinois, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 1117
[24] Cook County, Illinois Death Index, 1908-1988. Online publication – Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2008.Original data – Cook County Clerk. Cook County Clerk Genealogy Records. Cook County Clerk’s Office, Chicago, IL: Cook County Clerk, 2008.Original data: Cook County Clerk.
[25] Chicago Tribune, (Chicago, cook, Illinois), 21 August 1967, P. 6, Obituary for Arthur A. Manfroid. Location: Newspapers.com.
[26] Virginia Department of Health; Richmond, Virginia; Virginia Deaths, 1912-2014: Source Information
Ancestry.com. Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Virginia, Deaths, 1912–2014. Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia.
In the small village of Bairertal, Baden, Germany, Anna Marie Schwebler was born on 20 January 1855 to Peter Schwebler and Friederike Liecht.[1] Baiertal is a village in the district of Heidelburg in Baden (now Baden-Wurttemburg) in Southwest Germany. Baden-Wurttemburg contains Germany’s largest continuous forest area, the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), which spreads westward to the banks of the Rhine River.[2] This is where Anna was baptized Lutheran on 29 January 1855,[3] and where she grew up, married, and her first two children were born. Anna was 22 years old when she married Johann Konrad Reinhardt on 26 April 1877 in Baiertal.[4] Nine months later their first child, Eva Friederike Reinhardt, was born on 14 February 1878.[5] A year and a half later their son, Johann Konrad Reinhardt, was born on 9 August 1879[6] (the birth record says Johann was born on 9 August 1879, but in all other documents he is listed as being born on the 10th.) Shortly after Johann was born Anna and her husband left for America. First, they traveled 284 miles through Germany to Antwerp, Belgium.[7] Today it is a 5-hour trip,[8] but in 1879 it was much longer. It is unknown what form of transportation they used from Baiertal to Antwerp. The Reinhardt’s probably left Antwerp somewhere between 19 November 1879 and 25 November 1879 on the ship Belgenland I (1878 Red Star Line).[9] The ship was 403’ x 40’ and went 14 knots,[10] and it was placed in Antwerp to New York service in 1879.[11] The trip from Antwerp to New York was 3,827 nautical miles.[12] If the ship went an average of 10 knots the trip would take about 16 days, and if it went top speed of 14 knots all the way it would take 10 days.[13] The Reinhardt’s arrived in New York on December 5, 1879.[14] At that time, they would have been processed through Castle Garden Immigration Center.[15] Seventeen days later, on 22 December 1879 they arrived in Amana, Iowa.[16] Amana was the home of Johann’s aunt, Elizabeth Schuh.[17]
“The Amana Colonies are seven villages on 26,000 acres located in Iowa County in east-central Iowa. The seven villages consist of Amana (or Main Amana), East Amana, High Amana, Middle Amana, South Amana, West Amana, and Homestead. In 1714 in Southwestern Germany two men started a religious movement which later became known as the Community of True Inspiration. A group of people from this movement came to the United States in 1842 settling in the vicinity of Buffalo, New York. They built four villages known as Middle Ebenezer, Upper Ebenezer, Lower Ebenezer, and New Ebenezer in New York State. They also built two villages in Canada. The Buffalo area was becoming quickly urbanized so the group sought land to west, and in 1854 purchased the sight of the present-day Amana Colonies in Iowa.”[18]
“After arrival in this county, the group adopted a religious-communal way of life, with all property held in common and with all church and secular decisions being made by the same leadership. The communal way of life lasted nearly a century until the people voted separation of church and state in 1932 adopting the free enterprise way of life that surrounded them.”[19]
“Mother and baby stayed home until the child was two and went to Kinderschule. The child would be in school from 8AM to 11AM and then would be home for lunch with the mother, not the communal kitchen. After lunch Children went back to Kinderschule. The Children went to Kinderschule until age seven.” [20]
The Reinhardt’s settled in South Amana.[21] Johann Americanized his name and went by Conrad. Conrad worked as a shoemaker in Amana.[22] Anna would have been at home and not working in the communal kitchen because she had two children under two. On 10 February 1881, Anna gave birth to another daughter, Elizabeth, born in Amana.[23] Reinhardt’s decided that Amana was not for them and left there in April 1883.[24] In 1885 they settle in Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois and joined the Zion Evangelical Church in Ottawa.[25]
At this time, it is not known where they may have lived between 1883 and 1885. In 1886 another daughter, Emma, is born in Ottawa Illinois,[26] followed by a son, Frederick, born in 1887,[27] Anna born in 1889,[28] and Agnes, 1891.[29] Anna spent the rest of her life in Ottawa raising her children and keeping house. My grandmother often visited her grandparent’s in Ottawa, but she didn’t tell us many stories about her grandparents. Although, there were not many stories handed down about Anna and Conrad Reinhardt, there were traditions that were handed down. I visited Amana, Iowa and ate at one of the many restaurants. The food is served family style and when I took a bite, it was like being back in Grandma’s kitchen. Apparently, Grandma learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. In the museum, there were quilt’s just like the ones handed down to me that were made by my great-grandmother.
Quilt made by my Great-Grandmother Eva Reinhardt
The family referred to their daughter Annie as being slow. No one elaborated more than to say she was slow. Anna Marie had a nervous breakdown sometime between 1900 and her death in 1910. There is a gap in children between 1881 – 1886 so I wonder if she lost one or two in that time period. It probably wasn’t easy in those days to have a mentally challenged child, and the possibility that she may have lost one or two children may have contributed to her nervous breakdown. Plus, we will never know what else was going on in her life at that time that may have contributed to it.
Anna Marie passed away on 11 June 1910[30] at age 55 years, 4 months, and 22 days. She is buried in the Ottawa Avenue Cemetery, Ottawa, LaSalle, Illinois.[31] A long way from Baiertal, Baden, Heidelburg, Germany. She shares her birthday January 20 with her 4th great granddaughter.
[12] “Port of Antwerp, Belgium to Port of New York, United States Sea Route and Distance.” Ports.com, ports.com/sea-route/port-of- antwerp,belgium/port-of-new-york,united-states/.
[16]Amana Church Membership Records, in archive collection of the Amana Heritage Museum, Amana, Iowa.
[17] Amana, Iowa, Amana Heritage Museum, Anderson Cards, the Koch Verzeichnis
[18] Bourret, Joan Liffring-Zub and John Zug, Amanas yesterday: a religious communal society: a story of seven villages in Iowa: historic photographs 1900 – 1932. IA City, IA: Penfield Press, 2003
[21] Year: 1880; Census Place: Amana, Iowa, Iowa; Roll: 345; Family History Film: 1254345; Page: 146D; Enumeration District: 201; Image: 0155. 1880 United States Federal Census. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
[23] Ancestry.com. Iowa, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Original data: “Iowa Births and Christenings, 1830–1950.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009, 2010. Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
[24]Amana Church Membership Records, in archive collection of the Amana Heritage Museum, Amana, Iowa.
[26] Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1871-1998,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVRN-D8VZ : 16 March 2018), Emma L Mataway, 18 Aug 1956; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, source reference , record number , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .
[27] “United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” database with images, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K6DL-3XZ : 12 December 2014), Fred Reinhardt, 1917-1918; citing La Salle County no 1, Illinois, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 1,614,034.
[28] Illinois Births and Christenings, 1824-1940,” database, FamilySearch(https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2LZ-4LN : 12 December 2014), Anna Reinhardt, 28 Apr 1889; Birth, citing Ottawa, La Salle, Illinois; FHL microfilm 1,710,998.
[29] Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File. Source Information: Ancestry.com. U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2014. Original data: Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.
52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks challenge this week is “water”. I thought about this for awhile and all of my ancestors came over to the United States on boats so there is nothing new there. Then I thought about my mother’s family always seemed to live near water or take vacations that involved water. I decided on more of a pictorial history of my mother’s family and water.
My maternal grandmother was born in Ottawa, Illinois and lived there for part of her youth. “Ottawa, Illinois is situated at the junction of the Fox and Illinois rivers, nearly the geographical center of LaSalle County. The Fox enters the Illinois from the northeast and with its rapid currents feeds the Chicago and Illinois Canal, which follows the banks of the Illinois River.” [1] Both her mother and father were brought up in Ottawa, Illinois. Her paternal grandparents lived on Chapel Street in Ottawa and across the street from the river. While still a child her mother moved to Chicago and they lived not far from Lake Michigan and Lincoln Park Zoo. As adult she and my grandfather moved to Villa Park, Illinois and there is no lake or river near by. But they did take vacations to lakes. The one place they went most was to Fox Lake, Illinois.
Grandma and her best friend at Fox Lake, Illinois
They also liked Lake Como, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Dells was another popular place with them. In fact my grandparents went to the Wisconsin Dells for their honeymoon.
Grandma at Lake Como, Wisconsin
Grandparents, Mom and ? at Big Smoky Falls, Wolf River, Wisconsin 1929
Starved Rock was another favorite destination. Starved Rock was close to Ottawa, Illinois and on the bank of the Illinois River. This was the family’s favorite picnic spot. They still picnicked there when I was growing up. If we didn’t picnic at Starved Rock we picnicked at Buffalo Rock across the river from Starved Rock. My grandmother would say that there were at least 2 or 3 drownings a year in the Illinois River because of the undertow.
Great Grandparents at the top of Starved Rock
My grandfather liked to fish and some of their excursions involved fishing.
Grandpa, dog Rudy and friend with 3 Pikes and a Bass at Sand Lake 1929
