Grace Viola Campbell: A daughter's tribute to her mother

I found this beautiful tribute to Grace Campbell in the journal that Grandma Izzy wrote up for Uncle Stirling's family.


My mother was a beautiful woman about 5 feet 1 in tall, with lots of freckles, a happy smile, a beautiful high soprano singing voice. She had red, curly hair, brown eyes with green centers which would go gray at time of grief or sadness. She loved to laugh. She could sew like a professional, could cut her own patterns, make men’s clothes and even sew and mend furs. She was honest, fun-loving, competent, intelligent, and hard-working. She loved to cook and raise a garden. She delighted in children and had a real skill in dealing patiently with them. However, if you got sassy, you could expect immediate discipline. She was washing dishes in a pan in the kitchen and asked me to go out and carry in wood for our cookstove so she could start supper. I whined, “It’s not my turn…” That hard hand came out of the dishwater and caught me across the mouth as she said, “It’s your turn to wash dishes—now go get the wood if you expect to eat tonight.” I got the wood and came back and finished the dishes. She was absolutely fearless in about every area, but she was terrified of going in the water and of thunder and lightening storms.

Mama was the heart of our home. Daddy depended on her and all of us did, too. She had to move many times during her married life with him working as a carpenter and farming on the side. She had 9 children at home! She cooked, cleaned, washed in a tin tub on a scrub board all her life, ironed with a smoothing iron (or flat iron). There was no electricity in any home until 1946. There was no running water or bathroom in her home even when I was a senior in college. She never had an electric stove—either cooked on a woodstove or kerosene stove. Our family never owned a car.

But Mama was a lady, educated, and charming in her humble way. Every one of us adored her. We also knew Daddy loved her. They endured raising up a family during the depression years and through World War II. They raised a family of men and women not afraid to work, community minded, and God-fearing and loving. What a magnificent woman she was!

The Connells Leave Germany

Laura got another story for us--it's about Granddad JC and Grandma Izzy when they moved back to the States after being stationed in Germany. Enjoy!

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BREMEHAVEN, GERMANY

An indispensable radio repairman, granddaddy JC was stationed in Bremerhaven Germany.

In 1968, JC (a major sergeant first class) needed to go back to the states for Norman’s funeral. The general said JC would have to reenlist if he left and wanted to come back to Bremerhaven (JC was coming up on retirement).

So, instead of reenlisting, he decided to retire. The guy that replaced JC had no idea how to maintain the equipment; and the commander over JC was a bum (according to granddad). JC told the commander about the repairman's incompetence, but the commander did nothing.

Granddad brushed up the satellite to run for several months after he left, but warned the commander that the repairman didn't know how to fix it.

Well, later, a fellow retiree/buddy from NC showed up at JC's house in SC. (JC was keeping the kids while Izzy was teaching during the day - he was working the night shift).

JC: It sure is great to see you.

Buddy: Would you like to know what happened after you left?

JC: Sure.

Buddy: The Bremerhaven station went down for 2 weeks, and they ended up court marshalling the commander. He was up for retirement soon, so it didn't ruin his career, but he ended up losing a stripe. And a TON of retirement money.

Izzy’s side: “Well, he (JC) left first. And I had to clear out quarters.”

<that means packup and move>

She packed out the house and lived with a friend for a few days (and used her kitchen)

She had 6 kids plus their luggage. To catch the flight, they had to take 2 taxis. Bob and Grace were late, and grandma was having a fit.

She went up to the line and the man at the ticket counter said, 'I see you on the itinerary, but no children. I’m sorry; you'll just have to wait for a different plane.'

"I’ll take that ticket. YOU take the children."

Well, he could tell she was serious. He made arrangements, and suddenly there was room on the plane :)

They bumped a few GIs, who were all sitting around and very graciously said, 'no problem' when she explained she had bumped their seats.

Stories of J.O. Thompson and Grace Campbell

Laura got some stories from Grandma Izzy about J O and Grace Thompson, and here are some of her notes!
____________

Grace was engaged to a wealthy man in town for 3 years, and JO was a humble farmer. And they got married - to each other. How did this all get started?

J.O. had married his sweetheart at 17 in Newnan, Georgia. He had his farm, his sweetheart, and two beautiful children - his happily ever after was coming true.

Then, a measles epidemic came, taking his two children and his wife.

The devastated young lover took residence with his uncle John on a neighboring farm. One day, JO said to John - I can't bear this place and its memories any more. John, I need to go - far away.

So JO hopped on the train in GA and rode the rails for – who knows where?

When he got to southern Virginia, he got off; found a job farming growing food for Mary Baldwin College (they grew all their own food at that time).

Unlike most men of the day, Grace's father believed women should be educated, and he paid her tuition for Mary Baldwin’s sewing college (located in southern Virginia).

She worked in a little sewing shop for high end alterations; furs, evening gowns, suits. etc. she'd been engaged for 3 years to a man in NC.

Just a few short months after leaving Newnan, JO decided to put his grief behind him.

He took notice of Grace Campbell, working in the office.

‘You have no ring. Do you have a fella?’

‘Yes, we’ve been engaged for three years.’

‘Three years! I don't know your fella at all, but I don’t think he loves you.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You’ve been engaged for three years, and he hasn’t married you. I'll marry you right now!'

And so, they courted, fell in love, and had 9 kids together! (She got married at 27).

Including my grandma Izzy.

Southern 4th of July traditions

This past weekend, I had the privilege of spending some time celebrating the most recent holiday with family in South Carolina. My maternal grandparents came to the cookout that we had to celebrate the Fourth. While visiting with them, my mom asked what a Fourth of July celebration was like when they were young. My grandfather explained his experience, starting by saying that the time around the Fourth of July was a pretty relaxed time on the farm, since the rush and busyness of Spring planting had been completed but the work of harvest had not yet started.

Next he talked about the food at the family's celebration, starting with the kids' job of churning home made ice cream.

"We'd get a piece of ice from the ice house down town and pack it in around the churn. It was the kids' job to churn it. We put some of the sacks for packing cotton in on top of the ice and churn to keep it insulated. One of my most common jobs was to sit on top of it while another kid turned the crank to churn the ice cream."

He also listed some of the things they'd eat to celebrate the Fouth--none of it involving hot dogs or hamburgers, pasta salad or potato chips.

Chicken and dumplings
Fried chicken
Corn on the cob
Fresh vegetables from the garden such as beans, okra, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes
Watermelon
Pecan pie

Granddad said that there was always a lot of food and he always had a really good time. Grandma added in that her mom always made a coconut cake to go along with the celebrations she experienced growing up. Granddad also got a really big smile on his face when he remembered the pecan pie--it was probably a real treat! Also, I wouldn't be surprised if there was more variety served at their celebration that either I don't remember Granddad mentioning or that he didn't think to list. I'd think corn bread would be a given.

Wouldn't it be fun to try a Fourth of July celebration like this?

Pictures of Robert Jackson Connell's chimney!

Ever since Granddad told me that his grandfather Robert Jackson Connell and grandmother Matilda Bowers lived near the corner of Canada Drive and Rowe Street, I have been itching to walk through the woods around there and see what I could find. My recent stay in Camden offered me the golden opportunity!

My husband and my brother were kind enough to accompany me on the walk through the woods. We walked around for a while before finally finding some ruins of what I'm guessing was a chimney. I felt kind of silly for walking around so long because I think you might even be able to see some of the bricks from the road! (I'll have to go back to double check) The bricks and mortar were almost literally at the corner of the two roads. It was hard to get a good picture because of the dappled sunlight and shadow in the area; I'm hoping to come by at a time better for taking pictures so you all can get a better idea of what it looks like.

The bricks and mortar had fallen into a wide (about 7 or 8 feet) trench and blackberries and wild cherry trees were growing nearby. It was truly picturesque.

I asked Granddad about the trench and if it was man-made or not. He said no, it wasn't man-made and that it was where the water went when it rained; the trench was made completely by erosion. Hearing that reminded me of how all that land used to be cleared of trees and was all farm land, with corn, cotton, or oats growing as far as you could see. I imagine that wasn't as good for preventing erosion as trees and the leaves and pine straw that come from them. Granddad told me that the runoff trench was close to the house, but not right next to it. He also reminded me that all the wood that made up the house had been taken for firewood, so there wouldn't be much to see. He had forgotten about the chimney and told us to look for the old pump that was connected to a well there but was a short distance from the house (that's why we didn't find the old chimney right away). We couldn't locate the pump but we're thinking about going again sometime when the leaves have fallen off of the trees because it might be easier to spot it then.

Alvie and Lethia: a brother-sister pair

This one isn't really much of a mystery, but it was fun looking for and finding them. Check out the names as they were indexed; the indexers sure did struggle with these unusual (and old-fashioned) names!

Alvie Dunn

As far as I can tell, Alvie Burton Dunn was the youngest child of William Dunn and Margaret Gray Dunn. He was born June 5, 1878, never married, and passed away on April 18, 1946. He was a farmer, and lived with his sister Lethia Alafaire Dunn Primm for most of his adult life.

I'm sure that Lethia helped with the farm in addition to keeping up with the house and cooking meals.

Uncle Alvie Dunn, Oliver Lawing

Oliver Lawing married Essie Dunn, who was a niece to Alvie and Lethia. We also have a picture of her sister, Mayme Dunn. Essie and Mayme's father was Alvie and Lethia's brother William Leo Dunn.

Uncle Alvie Dunn

I think Alive liked horses.

From the records, it looks like Alvie and Lethia cared for their parents as William and Margaret advanced in age. Here's a sweet picture of Lethia with her mother Margaret and her cousin Floyd Todd's first wife, Carrie Asbury Todd.

Carrie Asbury Todd, Lethia Dunn Primm, Margaret Ann Gray Dunn. Taken about 1914.

Lethia was born on February 19, 1871, older than Alvie by seven years. She married R. Ernest Primm on May 18, 1893 and became a widow soon after. According to research done by cousin Rita, he died in an accident while working about a year after their marriage. Lethia never remarried. After a long life, she passed away on December 19, 1949 at the age of 78.

I like to think that Alvie and Lethia were somewhat like Matthew and Marilla in the Anne of Green Gables series: a brother and a sister who divided the work on the farm and supported each other. When Alvie registered for the WWI draft, he listed Lethia as his closest relative.

I found a lot of sources for these two; you may be interested in looking at some of them.

Source timeline:

1880 Census

1893 - Lethia Dunn's marriage to Ernest Prim

1900 Census

1910 Census

1917 - WWI Draft Registration

1920 Census

1930 Census

1940 Census

1946 - Alvie's death

Alvie's headstone

1949 - Lethia's death

Lethia's headstone

Margaret Ann Gray

Floyd Todd's first wife (Carrie Asbury Todd), Aunt Lethia Primm, Grandma Dunn (Margaret Ann Gray).
Picture taken about 1914.

 Parents: George Alexander Gray, Mary Wallace
Birth: May 20, 1838
Marriage: May 9, 1857 to William Charles Dunn. He was 30 and she would be 19 in just a few days. They had at least 8 children: Charles Millard, Delia Anita, Molly, Viola, Lethia Alafaire, William Leo, Lloyd L, and Alvie Burton (there may be more children; according to the 1910 census, Margaret bore 11 children, and according to the 1900 census, she bore 12. 7 were living at the time of both of the censuses.)
Death: February 5, 1916

Margaret Ann Gray was born in Tennessee in the year 1838. Steam-powered boats were gaining popularity, and one even crossed the Atlantic Ocean in record time in the year she was born. One thing that happened fairly close to home was that the Trail of Tears began that year in Georgia.

Margaret's family was originally from North Carolina, and had moved to Tennessee no more than two years before her birth, since her older sister Narcissa was born in North Carolina. The family stayed in Tennessee for only a few years; Margaret's sister Mary was born in Tennessee when Margaret was three years old, but by the time Margaret was six (1844), the family was back in good ol' Mecklenburg county where her next youngest sister Lydia was born. Fun fact: Margaret and Lydia married brothers! William was 17 years older than his brother James Franklin Dunn who married Lydia. William and Margaret were married about 14 years before J. F. and Lydia tied the knot. Both couples were married in Gaston County, NC.

Sometime in her childhood, Margaret probably attended school. The 1900 census states that she was able to read and write, so I assume that she learned at school. However, it is possible that one of her parents taught her to read and write.

When she was just shy of 19 years old, Margaret married William Charles Dunn. They lived in the same general area, so they had probably known each other--or at least each other's families--for some time. William was 11 years Margaret's senior. Their children came slowly at first, then more quickly. Charles, their first to survive childhood, was born in late 1859. It was eight years before their next child to survive childhood--my great-great grandma Delia--was born. The next six children came quickly, one every two or so years. The youngest (Alvie) was born when Margaret was 40.

I wonder if the other 3 or 4 children indicated by the 1900 and 1910 censuses came before Delia, but did not survive long enough to be recorded on a census? Because of the closeness in age of her younger children, I believe that Margaret must have had more pregnancies between Charles and Delia. She must have been devastated at the loss of her babies; she still remembered them to have them recorded--even as an impersonal number--when she was in her 60's (1900) and her 70's (1910).

Edward Dunn is listed with the family in the 1870 census. It's possible even that this Edward living with them was not even a Dunn; the census taker could have been lazy and listed all children in the household with the last name of Dunn. He certainly didn't double-check Margaret's place of birth! Anyway, I believe that he's related to Margaret and William. Older children and teenagers often lived with relatives at various times either to help the family they were living with, to be in a more advantageous situation, or even just to have an extended visit. I'm fairly certain that this Edward is not Margaret and William's child, as he was born before the couple were married.

In later life, Margaret and her husband William lived with their children Lethia and Alvie, as you can see in both the 1900 and 1910 censuses. I believe that Margaret was also close to the Todd family, since Floyd Todd's wife is pictured with her and Lethia in the first picture in this post and F. L. Todd reported her death. According to her death certificate, Margaret passed away at the age of 77 due to "natural debility." She passed away just three years after William, her husband of 56 years.

Another picture of Margaret Ann Gray. I think this picture must have gone through a fire to look like this.
We're lucky to have it!

1850 Census

1860 Census
Gaston County, NC

1870 Census

1880 Census

1900 Census

1910 Census

Death record (Paw Creek, Mecklenburg County, NC, 1916)

Grave marker
Note: I believe the year on the grave marker for Margaret's death (1927) is incorrect. The death record I found for "Canty A Dunn" lists the correct parents and the correct birth date and place for Margaret, as well as having F. L. Todd as the informant. We know that Margaret was close to the Todds, as we see in the 1914 picture we have of her with "Floyd Todd's first wife." Also, in 1900 and 1910, William and Margaret both lived with their son Alive and daughter Lethia. It made sense for their children who didn't have families of their own to take care of their parents. In the 1920 census, Alvie and Lethia still lived together, but Margaret was not listed with them.

Carrie Asbury, "Floyd Todd's first wife"

There she is, standing on the right* of two older women: tall, young, beautiful. Her outfit is obviously more stylish than the dresses the other women are wearing. It looks newer, too. "Who is this woman?" I asked myself. "What happened to her? Why is her name so hard to remember?"

I dug. I had to find the answer.

She wasn't listed in my family tree--Floyd Todd was Margaret (Gray) Dunn's grandson through her daughter Viola (Dunn) Todd, and only one wife was listed for him, a Susie C. Rawlings. She lived a long time, so I thought she must be a subsequent wife. I found two marriage records with a search for Floyd Todd, one for Carrie Asbury and one for Susan C Rawlings. Success! I found her, and I had a name.

Carrie and Floyd were married on August 25, 1914. Floyd was 22 and Carrie was only 17. I'm guessing this picture was taken in late 1914. Less than six months after her marriage to Floyd, Carrie was taken by appendicitis on February 8, 1915.

What a tragedy! She was so young. In the picture, she looks happy. She was so full of life. Carrie passed away almost one hundred years ago, but I can still taste the excitement she experienced from being a new bride and being out on her own.


Carrie and Floyd's marriage record
Carrie's death certificate

*She is on the left of the picture, but she was standing to the right of the two older women.

William Charles Dunn

Parents: James Andrew Dunn, Betsy Elizabeth Cox
Birth: April 17, 1827
Marriage: May 9, 1857 to Margaret Ann Gray. He was 30 and she would be 19 in a few days. They had 9 children: Edward, Charles Millard, Delia Anita, Molly, Viola, Lethia Alafaire, William Leo, Lloyd L, and Alvie Burton
Death: January 24, 1913 at the age of 85.

As I researched William's life, three things stuck out to me: he was a farmer, he was a homebody, and he cared about detail. On every census, his occupation was listed as farmer, although many of the other farmers that I've researched listed secondary occupations in the occupation field instead. William identified as a farmer. Of all the documents I found for him, none of them showed him being further than 20 or so miles away from the place he was born. He liked being with his family, both immediate and extended. The thing that made me realize that he payed attention to detail was that his birth date was correct on every record that I looked at. Compared to other records that I've looked at from his time period in the South, he was very particular to get this one thing right. I imagine that carried over to other aspects of his life as well.

_________________

William was born in Mecklenburg county, probably just northwest of Charlotte where he lived most of his life. He was the only boy in his family for the first 6 years of his life, with two older sisters and two sisters between him and his next youngest brother. After that, five more sisters came into his family, followed by the two youngest, both boys. The youngest brother was born just a few months before the 1850 census was taken. All this time, it appears that the family was living in Mecklenburg county, northwest of Charlotte.

William met Margaret Ann Gray about 6 or 7 years later, and they were married--or at least they obtained their marriage license--in Gaston county, immediately east of Mecklenburg county. It's about 20 miles from the county seat of Gaston county to Paw Creek, where the family lived, but I'm guessing that William lived closer than the county seat.

William and Margaret stayed in Gaston County for at least three years after their marriage; in 1860, they were living there with their fist child. Sometime before 1870, though, they were back in Paw Creek, Mecklenburg county, next to William's family. They stayed in the area until William passed away in 1913 at age of 85.


References:

1830 Census (father James listed; all that indicates William is the one boy attributed to that family)

1850 Census:

*note that immediately below the James Dunn family on this census was the
Andrew Dunn family. Andrew was James's older brother.

Index of marriage record
(Gaston county)

1860 Census
(Gaston county)

1870 Census:

1880 Census

1900 Census

1910 Census

John Burrige and Lydia Rowe

Since Ellen Rowe spent so much time living with them, I thought I'd do a post on John and Lydia (or Lidia) Burrige. I also thought that knowing a little bit more about them might help to find out more information on Ellen's family.

John B. Burrige
Parents: Francis Burrige and Mary A. Battison
Birth: July 3, 1828
Marriage: 1850 to Lidia Rowe. He was about 22 years old.
Death: September 19, 1910

Lydia Rowe
Parents: James Rowe, ??
Birth: September 6, 1825
Marriage: 1850 to John Burrige. She was about 25 years old.
Death: March 23, 1918

Most of the information I've found about these two people is pretty sketchy until about 1870, when Ellen was living with them. I did find links to a marriage record (here's the other) for them in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, in 1850. The census records show them getting married about 1850, as well. The two immigrated to the United States shortly after their marriage (1853, as shown in the 1910 census), and may have ended up in Indiana by 1860 (see this 1860 Census). The census shows this couple as living in Dearborn County, Indiana, close to the border with Ohio, and just 60 miles from Clermont County, Ohio. The age difference between John and "L" are the same as John and Lydia Burrige. I don't know who the two children would be; they have a different surname than Burrige. According to the 1910 census, Lydia bore 2 children who were not living at the time that census was taken. However, the 1900 census records that she did not bear any children at all. They may have been fostering the two children listed with them in the 1860 census.

The couple stayed close to Ellen Rowe and her family as the years wore on; they were listed in Ohio twp, Clermont County, Ohio, in the 1870, 1880, 1900, and 1910 censuses. Lydia's death record lists her still living in Ohio township, very close (only about 2 miles) to New Richmond, where Ellen was living at the time. The death certificate also lists her father's name: James Rowe. I'm thinking that she was probably a sister or cousin to Ellen Rowe's father.

John's death certificate shows that his parents were Francis Burrige and Mary A Battison. I found a death record and a burial record for one Francis Burrige, born about 1798 and died in 1875 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. This is probably John's father! There is another Francis Burrige (probably the same one) listed in the England and Wales 1841 Census, aged 40, in Hemel Hempstead. No one is listed with him - just that he was a cordworker and that he was born in Hertfordshire.

Ellen was obviously close to her foster parents. She was only 8 or 9 when she made the journey across the ocean to the United States, so she had plenty of time to get close to them before she married at about the age of 21. Ellen and Wheelock also named their first son after John Burrige, and Ellen was the one to report Lydia's passing when she died.


Here's some excitement from when I started the post on Ellen Rowe:

In 1870, Ellen Rowe was living with John Burrige and Lydia Burrige, who had emigrated from England about 10 years previous to her own immigration to the US. After some digging, I found out that Lydia's maiden name is ROWE! And that her father's name is James Rowe. Dad didn't know about this when I asked him -- we have a lead! Now all I need to do is find some sort of connection between her and Ellen's father (James Rowe, who has a son named James Rowe, as well. Why did everyone have to have the same name???) I'm guessing that Lydia was some sort of aunt to Ellen; she's old enough to be siblings or cousins with James Rowe, father of Ellen Rowe.

This is a possible entry for Lidia in the 1841 England and Wales census. I just wish it was easier to make out! The Burriges in the 1860 Census(possible match), 1870 Census, 1880 Census, 1900 Census, 1910 Census.

The mysteries in this post are 1) why is it so disorganized, and 2) How was Lydia Rowe related to Ellen Rowe?


EDIT: Since publishing this post, I found a picture with Lydia Rowe in it, and she was labeled as "Auntie Burrige," supporting my thoughts that she could be Ellen Rowe's aunt! Here's the picture:

Auntie Burrige is the woman seated in the middle, with the black dress and cap (bonnet?)

Ellen Eve Rowe

Parents: James Rowe, Mary Ann Mitchell
Birth: October 16, 1851 in Shropshire, England
Year of immigration to US: 1860/1861 Year of naturalization 1871
Marriage: Jun 11, 1872 to Wheelock Winspear. They had six children: John Burrige, Wheelock William, Minnie May, Nellie Grace, Marie Mabel, and Catherine Pearl
Death: January 16, 1948 in Ohio, United States

Ellen was born in Shropshire, England, and was the second child born to James Rowe and Mary Mitchell. When she was about 9 years old, Ellen left England and came to the United States to live with John and Lydia Burrige, who had no children of their own. I believe that John and Lydia were Ellen's aunt and uncle, because according to Lydia's death certificate, her maiden name was Rowe.

Dad wrote a note on James Rowe (Ellen's father)'s page in Family Search. It says:

"James & Wife Mary Ann & 3 children died in epidemic. William and Ellen were then raised by the Burriges."

So it appears that Ellen was an orphan, although an orphan that loved her foster parents very much.  She was only 8 or 9 when she made the journey across the ocean to the United States, so she had plenty of time to get close to them before she married. She also named her first born son after her foster father John. Her son Wheelock William was obviously named for his father, but perhaps his middle name was in memory of Ellen's brother William.

Three names from Ellen's family are in my family: Mary Ann (Ellen's mother), Ellen, and Catherine (Ellen's daughter; also Ellen's mother-in-law). I don't know if it was intentional or accidental that my parents gave us names from our family heritage; I remember hearing once that I was named for someone in our family tree, but when I've asked about it more recently, I was told otherwise.

Anyway, Ellen was living with John Burrige and Lydia Burrige in 1870 (see the census below). They had emigrated from England about 10 years before Ellen had, and I imagine that they were well established in their Ohio township, Clermont County community by the time she reached them in 1860. Ellen married Wheelock Winspear just two years after the census was taken, when she was 21.

The two started their family, lived in Kentucky for a while (where their son John was born), and then settled in Pierce Township, Clermont co, Ohio. The place they settled was probably on Wheelock's family farm, since Wheelock's mother (Kate) and spinster sister (Maria) were living either with or right next door to the young family.

As the years progressed, Ellen and Wheelock's sons and daughters were married. The aging couple stayed in Pierce, Ohio until they moved to Ohio, Ohio (seriously, that's what it's called!) one township over.

Ellen's foster mother Lydia Burrige passed away in 1918, probably around or close to the time that the Winspears moved to Ohio twp. Since her foster father John had already passed on, Ellen was the informant for the death record. She either knew or had records for Lydia's birth date and father's name, which were recorded on the death record.

1924 was a difficult year for the Winspear family. On New Year's Eve, (Dec 30, 1923), Ellen and Wheelock's son John died. Just a few months later, in May, Wheelock passed on from acute nephritis (kidney disease), and then in June of the same year Ellen and Wheelock's son Wheelock William passed on also.

Thankfully, Wheelock Winspear had provided well for his widow--they owned their house in Ohio, Ohio--so Ellen would not face as much financial difficulty as another might in her situation. Wheelock was already 77 at the time of his passing, and I believe the two were both prepared for it. However, no matter how much you know what's coming, loss is hard to bear; I'm sure it was even harder for Ellen to bear since two of her children in addition to her husband passed away all in one year

Even though the house was owned free of mortgage, Ellen did not want to live by herself. By 1930, she was living with her daughter Catherine in Cincinnati in a place they rented for $35.00/month at 961 McMillan St. I imagine she sold the house in Ohio twp and used the money from the sale to supplement Catherine's income as a clerk at the post office. In 1940, Ellen still lived with Catherine at the same address. The view from their window probably included this building: 

Picture from Google Street View, 978 McMillan St, Cincinnati, OH

The building that they lived in has been torn down, and a Kroger grocery store sits in its place.

In 1940, Catherine worked as a stenographer at the Revenue Department. Since neither the 1930 or 1940 censuses list an occupation for Ellen, I believe she just stayed at home to keep house and cook their meals. At some point between 1940 and 1948, Catherine had married a Mr. Barnhart and moved to Waynesville, Warren county, Ohio (northeast of Cincinnati). Ellen came with them, and passed away in Waynesville in 1948 at the ripe old age of 96.


Marriage record:

1870 Census

1880 Census

1900 Census:

1910 Census:

1920 Census:

1930 Census:

1940 Census:

Death record (1948)