Category: Genealogy
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Elise’s Divorce Lawyers
“And now on this (21st) twenty-first day of November 1874, comes the complainant by Jussen and Anderson, her solicitors…” The statement above was transcribed from my 2nd great-grandmother’s divorce papers. It made me wonder: Why would a 20-something German-speaking French woman from Ohio seek a divorce in Chicago? How did Elise Biedenharn (nee Schmitt) choose…
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Who is Aunt Tillie?
A newly found (and positively wonderful!) cousin recently shared a photograph taken in Chicago of our Schmitt ancestors: When we first saw the photo, there was some discussion about who Aunt Tillie might be. Years ago, my new cousin’s aunt had guessed Aunt Tillie might be the sister-in-law of one of the women…
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1894 Obituaries: November 5
Julius Pinkler died November 5, 1894 in a fire in F.C. Wings’ printing office: The following obituaries appeared under “deaths’ in the November 5, 1894 issue of the Chicago Daily News, page 7; Bessie Ament, Eddie Bowman, Alice Loretta Gorey, Mary Halpin (nee Crotty), Mrs. Salome Hiller, Dominick Hagarty, Mary Hoag,…
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A Final Resting Place for Jacob Mueller
My second great-grandfather Jacob Koebe Mueller was buried at Chicago’s Oak Woods Cemetery one hundred and four years ago today. During our trip to Chicago last weekend, my husband and I had the opportunity to visit Oak Woods Cemetery and see Jacob’s grave site in person. I had called ahead to…
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Happy Anniversary to the Love of my Life
Happy anniversary Husband ~ thank you for 15 wonderful years! May I have this dance?
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Suicide in Garfield Park
The details of deaths by suicide appear in nearly every extant issue of the 1894 newspapers I have been transcribing this year. October 10, 1894 was no different: I didn’t have any luck locating Mr. Scherthe in the Illinois, Cook County Deaths, 1878-1922, 1959-1994 records collection on FamilySearch. He doesn’t appear…
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Twenty-seven Marriage Licenses Issued
Fifty four names appeared in the “marriage licenses” column of the October 10, 1894 issue of the Chicago Daily News; do you recognize any of them?
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I Forgot My Cemetery Kit
As a result, I couldn’t fix this: Husband and I recently took a genealogical road trip to Illinois. First Stop – Judy Russell. The Legal Genealogist spoke at the Chicago Genealogical Society meeting in Arlington Heights. That was a day well spent. Next up – locate the final resting place of…
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Wesley Tolf; Bowler Extraordinaire
The following article, which appeared in the April 12, 1929 issue of the Batavia [Illinois] Herald, gave me some insight into the life of Wesley Lambert Tolf (17 Sep 1894-Dec 1969), a 1st cousin thrice-removed; “Batavia Bowlers Get in Prize Money at Ottawa Sunday – Frank Thomle and Wesley Tolf, prominent…
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Fitness at a National Cemetery
To know me is to know that health and fitness are important to me. I eat right, work out six mornings a week, and walk an average of six miles a day. But squats? Ugh! If you know me you also know I struggle to climb my family tree during the…
