Not Susannah, But Maybe Ruth?

Possibly Ruth Smith-Simmons-Webb

In the past I have written two posts about this photo and that my Grandma thought it was a picture of her Great Grandmother Susannah Case Lee. I have edited those posts - Sarah Mariah Matilda Lee and A Little About Charles Lee and Susannah to note that I don't agree with that anymore, I will explain why.

I have had a professional archivist look at the actual photograph and know now that it IS a "Tin Type". The Tin type process was first started in France in 1853, and was patented in the US in 1856. It's not likely that this is a picture of a woman who died in 1851. Grandma's idea was a good one, but she just didn't know.  

Now I'm looking at other possibilities of who this woman could be. Grandma found the picture in her parents, Art & Sadie McGrath's, house so we feel sure this woman would be someone in the family. Grandma thought she was Sadie's maternal Grandmother, Susannah. I have a photo of Sadie's paternal Grandmother and know that it's not her.  But what if she's one of Art's Grandmothers? 

I'm estimating the date of this photo to be around 1860, give or take a few years. The dress style is similar to what I find from the Civil War time period. I think the woman in the photo looks like she may be in her 30's or 40's.  

Ruth Smith was born about 1820 to Jonathan & Rachel Smith in either Maine or Pennsylvania.  She first married Lebius Simmons about 1840. Their oldest daughter, Rachel, is Art McGrath's mother. Four other children were born to Lebius and Ruth - Mary Rosilla, Louisa, William and Ruth Maria. They all lived in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Lebius died sometime between 1852 and 1854. 

In Ritchie County, Virginia on July 1, 1854 Ruth married Cyrus Webb. Cyrus and Ruth had four more children - Milbourn, Jesse, Sarah and Franklin. I have just learned that Ruth died just 10 days after Franklin's birth at about age 43 in 1863.  So could this photo be of Ruth, taken sometime between 1856 and 1863?

When Ruth Webb died, she had six children under 18. Her husband Cyrus died within a few months.  Her two oldest daughters, Rachel and Mary Rosilla were both married, but Mary Rosilla died within a couple of years.  Rachel is likely the one who first had the photo.

Art was the youngest and last child at home, living with his parents in Cozad, Nebraska when Rachel died in 1896. By 1900, Art had moved to Clay County near his oldest sister. He may have taken this photo (and more that I'm working on) with him when he left home.

Just so I cover all the bases, Art's paternal Grandmother, R. (McCarty) McGrath, would have been at least 49 years old in 1860. (I say "R" because that's all I know, but I'm betting it stands for Rebecca.)  She lived in Ireland and as far as I know, she never came to the US. Does this woman look Irish?

All thoughts are welcome and I apologize for creating any confusion. I was clear in my earlier posts that I wasn't sure who the woman in the photo was and I still can't be sure.

"Shot Through the Knee"

My Great Grandpa Arthur McGrath was involved in a little excitement in his younger days (he was almost 20 years old). This happened May 23rd, only three weeks before his mother passed away on June 14th in 1896. 

Cozad Tribune, Friday, May 29, 1896, pg 1 

On last Saturday evening Leonard Whaley while on his way to Harry Burnett's farm 6 miles east of town where he was employed, accidentally shot himself through the knee joint of the left leg.
He and Arthur McGrath had come to town in the evening after supper, and Burnett had told Leonard to shoot a dog which had been breaking up setting hens, and while going home, thinking that would be a good time to kill the dog, he drew a .38 self-cocking revolver from his pocket and shot at the dog.  The noise of the gun frightened the team and they started up so suddenly as to cause the spring seat to tip over backwards and Leonard, with the revolver in his hand and his body in the reclining position caused by the upturned seat, grabbed for a tighter hold on the lines, the grasp causing the revolver to be discharged the ball entering the inside of his leg above the knee and passing through the thigh bone and knee joint lodging in the top of the shin bone.
McGrath, returned to town and summoned Dr. Fochtman, upon whose advice Burnett brought Whaley to the Commercial hotel.  Dr. Rosenberg, of Lexington, was sent for and arrived Sunday afternoon; Dr. Smith, of Gothenburg, was also wired and the ball removed, also some small pieces of fractured bone.
It was decided not to amputate the leg.  The accident is a very serious one and under the most favorable circumstances will at least result in a stiff knee joint.
Leonard is resting very well and the prospects are that he will recover as speedily as could be expected.

Newspaper Clippings - Canton, Illinois, 1852

In my last post I mentioned that I searched the Canton (Illinois) Weekly Registers on microfilm and found nothing for my own research. I didn't have time to grab everything with genealogical reference, but I randomly saved a few mentions of deaths and/or marriages. Someone might as well get some good out of the time I spent on this. So I've transcribed what I could of these clippings. You can see they were sometimes very difficult to read. Long obituaries were a rare occurrence. Most "columns" of deaths or marriages were the shorter type, like below.

 

January 23, 1852

Hymenial

MARRIED - On Thursday the 15th inst. by Rev. JOHN LUCCOCK, Mr. JESSE COLLINS to Mrs. JANE R. WALTERS, all of this county.

Obituary

Communicated,

DIED - In Farmington, Fulton County, Ills., on Wednesday evening, January 14th, EDWARD S. BERSON, aged 26 years.The deceased was a native of Frederick County Virginia, but emigrated to Ohio in 1831 and in May 1850 removed to Illinois.

It is a melancholy office for one who has known him long, and loved him well, to recount the virtues and worth of one who has passed away from us forever; but the promptings of a friendship tried and true, and of a sorrow most heartfelt, suggests something more than the bare announcement of his death. Beloved by all who knew him, he was especially endeared to those who, in the social circle, had the most frequent opportunities of knowing his noble heart, and appreciating his generous character. In all the relations of life, as a husband, a father, and a friend - he ever carries those same amiable qualities, which, while they gave a brilliancy and a charm to his company, seemed(?) to fix, most firmly in the recollection of all, an appreciation of his own inherent goodness. Seldom are we called to mourn the departure of one whose loss is so keenly and deeply felt by all.

* * *

July 10, 1852

Obituary

DIED, on the 1st instant, at his residence, two miles northeast of Canton, Mr. TIMOTHY NORRIS, aged 19 years.
Again are we called upon to mourn the loss of another good citizen. As a husband and father, he was kind and affectionate in the highest degree. As a citizen, his uprightness, his sterling honesty, and his unflinching integrity, were proverbial with all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance; his modest and unassuming manners won the esteem and respect of an extensive circle of acquaintances. But few men in our community ever enjoyed such a degree of confidence and respect as sis Mr. NORRIS when living, and but few men have been taken from among us whose deaths were as sincerely regretted as his. Truly, indeed, may it be said, that he died without a single enemy, with a character pure, spotless and unblemished.

* * *

September 18, 1852

Hymenial

"The silken tie, that binds two willing hearts"

MARRIED, on the 9th inst. by the Rev. E. Schwartz, Mr. CHARLES PANNESTOCK, to Miss MELIANA KERR, both of Lancaster, Peoria county.
      

Obituary

DIED, on Thursday, the 9tn inst., of cholera [?] Mrs. MARGARET BASS, wife of  Mr. Jason M. Bass, of this place, aged sixty five years.

Mrs. Bass was born in Bergen county, New Jersey; spent the early part of her life in the city of New York, and the last fifteen years in this place. With her husband and daughter she had spent the past season, with much satisfaction, visiting their friends at the East. Returning, and when near home, on board a steamer on the Illinois river, she was taken ill, and in a few hours expired. Her remains were put in a metallic coffin and brought to this place for interment. These peculiar circumstances of her death have greatly deepened the grief in the hearts of her stricken husband, family and friends. Her sun went not down at noon; her journey was not short; her life was not in vain. She professed faith in Jesus Christ while residing in New York, and adorned that profession by the exhibition of some of the most lovely graces. Active, faithful and affectionate as a wife and a mother, with a cheerful countenance and prudent hand, she moved in her sphere with gentleness and power. Kind to all, meek and ever ready to overlook the frailties of others, she endeared herself to a large circle of acquaintances, who deeply sympathize with the bereaved family. As her life was peaceful, so was her death. And though called so unexpectedly, she left her counsel and prayer of kindness and peace, and with raised hands whispered, "Happy, happy," as her spirit sunk to rest. This brightness of hope dispels the gloom from her grave, and like the oil of joy, soothes the sorrows of her mourning friends.

* * *

October 2, 1852

Obituary

DIED, on the 20th September last, in Canton township, Mr. JOHN A. LANE, in the sixty-first year of his age.  Mr. Lane was sick but nine days. He died of dysentery. In his death the family and neighborhood have sustained a great loss.

* * *

October 9, 1852

Hymenial
"The silken tie, that binds two willing hearts."
MARRIED, on Tuesday, 2d inst., by Rev. B. C. Swarts, Mr. JONATHAN M. DURHAM, and Miss MARY ANN BROWN, both of Fulton county.
Cake received.

MARRIED, on the 26th, ult., at Fairfield, Iowa, by the Rev. D. N. Smith, W. Y. HEAD, of the "Democratic State Journal" office, Sacramento City, California, and Miss PHERUBA PATRICK, formerly of Ross county, Ohio.

MARRIED, on the 4th inst., at the residence of E. S. Head, two miles South of Canton, by the Rev. B. C. Swarts, Dr. SAMUEL S. GUTHER and Miss SOPHRONIA HEAD, all of this county.

* * *

November 6, 1852

Hymenial

"The silken tie, that binds two willing hearts."

MARRIED, on Sunday(?) 7th inst., (?) township, by Rev. Mr. Maple, Mr. HESATONY(?) J. WHITMORE and Miss ANN AMELIA (?) SEYDAN, both of this county.

A long and happy life to the youthful pair.

MARRIED, in Canton, on the 10th inst., by Rev. S. G. Miner, Mr. HAYDEN KEELING and Miss CATHERINE SNELL.

At the same time, by the same Mr. LEWIS KEELING and Miss ELIZABETH A. WHITE, all of this place.

Cake received, and all right.

MARRIED, on the 24th October, by Rev. Wm McCandlish, Mr. JOSIAH SCHENCK, to Miss SOPHIA ROBERTSON, all of Fairview.

MARRIED, on the 28th October, by the same, Mr. GEORGE ADAMS, to Miss CAROLINE RUBLE, all of Farmington.

Newspaper Clippings - List of Letters

For anyone who may be interested, the Canton (Illinois) Weekly Register in the mid 1800’s was not a “newsy” newspaper as far as genealogy is concerned. There isn’t much social news. I did an inter-library loan from the Abraham Lincoln Library in Springfield and for $5.00 I received 3 rolls of microfilm, all of the Canton Weekly Register from 1850 through about 1872.  I did my best to look at all of it, but so much of the ink was so faded the pages could hardly be read at all. 

I was hoping to find a mention of the marriage of John McGrath and Rachel Jane Simmons, telling where they went to get hitched.  I was also hoping to find mentions of the deaths of Ruth Webb, her daughter Mary Rosilla Davee, and possibly Rosilla Mills or Lebius Simmons.  ANY mention of any of those people or their families would have been great to find.  What did I get?

One name in a List of Letters.

From the Canton Weekly Register, December 21, 1863 (as near as I can decipher):

LIST OF LETTERS

REMAINING in the Post Office at Canton, Ill., on 21st of December, 1863, which, if not called for by the 28th of December, 1863, will be sent to the Dead Letter Office:

Alletal, Isaac                                         Ferrer, E A Mrs
Akin, E M Hutton, Henderson
Burton, A Kent, Geo N
Black, Anson                                        Krifflas, J F
Bailey, B B                                           Kline, J
Copple, David                                      Laurt, Saline Miss
Copple, Syntha Laman, Seman
Clawson, J A                                        Murphy, Wm H
Campbell, N                                         Myres, Mary Miss
Case, Ambrose Mallait, Ralitino
Connelly, Geo                                      Oakley, Daniel
Cantlon, Mary Miss Powell, Jos
Chaffin, Wm                                        Rowe, Ferrington
Dempsey, James Simlet, Alex R
Davee, James 2                   Shaworose, Edward A
Dwell, Wm Smith, Evaline Miss
Davee, Mary R Mrs Schmitt, Anna
Estell, Andrew B Webster, James
Eichelberger, Harry Weaver, Thomas L
Fage, Dwight                                      Wind, Margaret Miss
Francis, T H                                         J P C 2

Persons calling for the above letters, will please say they are advertised.  C. BIDAMON, P. M.

It was nearly Christmas - were they all Christmas cards? Sure wish I knew who the mail was from.  I need to find a death date for Mary R Davee, and this would have helped if it was from a paper after November of 1864, when I know that Mary had a son. But this does tell me that they still lived in Canton in 1863. James, her husband who also has a letter to pick up, remarried in July of 1865 in Jasper county. So I wasn't sure where they had lived, this tells me that they were in Canton not Jasper county, at least in 1863. Mary Rosilla Davee possibly died and is buried there in Canton.

After spending as much time at the library as I could in the three weeks the films were there, this list of letters doesn't do much for me. Maybe it will be of more use to someone else. 

My Relationship to:

Ruth Smith Simmons Webb: Third Great Grandmother

The lineage:
1. My Third Great Great Grandparents Ruth Smith & Lebius Simmons
2. My Great Great Grandmother Rachel Jane Simmons, her sister is Mary Rosilla Simmons
3. My Great Grandpa Arthur McGrath
4. My Grandma
5. My Mom
6. Me

A Prequel: Henry & Mary Menke's Family

Mary, first wife of my Second Great Grandfather Henry Menke (1832-1915), was born in Germany about 1835, and died at about 30 years old. They lived in Scioto County, Ohio. Her last name is either Niemeyer or Neuhaus, I've seen it both ways and more. Had she not died so young, I would not be here. Henry's second wife Eliza is my Second Great Grandmother.

In a biography published about Henry in "The History of Gage County, Nebraska" by Hugh J. Dobbs, it says he "wedded Miss Mary Niemeyer of Ohio, she having been born in Germany...".  That biography was published in 1918, over 50 years after her death.  In Henry's obituary which was in 1915, she is called "Maria Neuhaus" and it says they had five children. I only know of four.

In an article from the Portsmouth (Ohio) Daily Times also written in 1915, about Henry and Mary's son John Frederick (1859-1938), it says "He was born in Hanover, Germany, the son of Henry Menke, a farmer, who is still living in Gales [should be Gage] county, Nebraska, at the ripe old age of 82 years.  His mother, Mrs. Emma Niehaus-Menke, died when he was seven years old.  He was only 3 months old when his parents started for this country and six months old when they landed in Baltimore, having been on the ocean for 11 weeks and 3 days."  According to this, they should appear in immigration records in 1859, but I can't find them. John Frederick's obituary in 1938 refers to his mother as Mary Niehaus.

Mary died six years later in 1866, most likely in Scioto County. I've read that there was a cholera epidemic there about this time.  It's also possible that she died giving birth to the fifth child I'm missing, and the child died also. I've never been able to find an obituary or burial place for this Mary Menke (there are others). 


Daughter Emma (1857-1929) the oldest child of Henry & Mary, was about 10 years old when her mother died.  She was born in 1857 and given the name Mary Ellen, but always went by Emma. In the 1870 census at age 13, she is not living with Henry, his second wife Eliza and the rest of the family. Several years ago I corresponded with a descendant of Johann Friedrick Menke (1817-1879) & Anna Maria Klara Richter (1816-1891), who she said had "adopted Maria Emma Menke born April 23, 1857 in Hanover.  She was a daughter of a Wilhelm and a sister to Fred Menke, the grocer.  Emma married January 17, 1875 to William Warner."  Whether or not the adoption was actually an official one or not, I don't know. Johann Friedrick is too young to be Henry's father, but possibly could be a brother. This marriage certificate for Emma and William Warner is dated January 17, 1875, and it has Henry Menke as her father.  

from Ohio County Marriages at Family Search

Emma and William had nine children: Essie, Ella, Jesse, Carl, Pearl, Jacob, John Fredrick, Mayme and William. They later divorced.  Emma died in June, 1929 several months after suffering burns when her clothes caught fire from a gas stove.  She was 73 and is buried in Long Run Cemetery, along with John Friedrick & Anna Maria Klara Menke.

Henry & Mary's son John Frederick was a grocer in Portsmouth, Ohio for over 33 years. From an article in the Portsmouth Daily Times (June 6, 1915) about his successful grocery business:  "Mr. Menke prides himself upon one thing, and that is that he never sold on Sundays during his 33 years in business, with one single exception and that was the one Sunday during the 1913 flood.  He recalls with much pleasure that one day he refused one of his best customers a can of peaches which she wanted to buy on Sunday after unexpectedly receiving company.  He expected her to quit, but a few days later, to his great surprise, she called around and assured him that she thought more of him than ever.  This all goes to bear out the fact that a "grocer does not have to sell on Sundays," says Mr. Menke." 

from the Portsmouth Daily Times, September 21, 1915

But first he was a school teacher in Gage County, Nebraska in 1880. Apparently he soon went back to Ohio. In 1881, he married Anna Strehle and they had seven children: Emma, Ruth, Katie, Clara Nellie, Floyd H, Carl F, and Howard Emmanuel. I don't know if these children ever saw their Grandfather Henry since he lived in Nebraska, but J F did get to his father's funeral in Clatonia.




Henry & Mary's son Henry Jr (1862-1912) became a Presbyterian Pastor. He died in Michigan in 1912. I've written about Henry Jr before, which you can read here. I didn't include this obituary last time.

Click to enlarge

"Rev. Henry Menke
The sad intelligence has been received in this city of the death of Rev. Henry Menke, a brother of Grocer J. F. Menke.  Death overtook the former Scioto countian at a hotel at Cassopolis, Mich., according to a message received by the Menke family, but failed to give the immediate cause of his death.
Mr. Menke visited his brother in this city during the month of August.  Being an ordained minister of the Presbyterian church, while in attendance at the United Brethren church in this city, he delivered several interesting talks.
The deceased was 51 years of age and unmarried.  Besides his brother, J. F. Menke, the local grocer, he is survived by an aged father, located at Friend, Nebr.  Mr. Menke left immediately for Cassopolis, to take charge of the remains and to convey them to the former home of the deceased at Friend, Nebr. 
Rev. Menke a number of years ago, was located in Scioto county and Lawrence county.  During the later months of his life he suffered with stomach trouble.  Only recently he underwent an operation for appendicitis.  It is thought that the death was the outcome of the operation."  Portsmouth Daily Times, Wed., Sept. 4, 1912

Henry & Mary's daughter Mary Elizabeth (1864-1924) went by "Lizzie". Born in Ohio, she was married to John Scheidt in Saline County, Nebraska, on January 1, 1885. Her mother Mary's maiden name is "unknown" on this license (top portion not shown). Lizzie & John Scheidt had six children: Emma, Carrie, Ellen A, John, George and Eddie. Lizzie & John are laid to rest in the Andrew Cemetery in Friend, Nebraska.

Saline County, Nebraska Marriage record

My Relationship to:

Henry Menke: Second Great Grandfather

The lineage:
1. My Great Grandfather Charles Albert Menke
2. My Grandpa
3. My Dad
4. Me

Friday's Faces from the Past - Unidentified Couple #1

There are no names, no date, no photographers logo on this one. Google Image search came up with nothing.  They're VERY nicely dressed, like maybe for a wedding?  I've cropped out most of the black frame, the original is 8" x 6-1/8".

As with several other of my "Friday's Faces from the Past" posts, this photo was among the personal possessions of the Negley family from Eldorado, Nebraska. It's hard to say exactly who it belonged to for sure. I think there's a good chance this couple (or one of them) was a schoolmate of my Great Grandma Sadie Negley and her siblings. The following list of students enrolled in 1895 in the Eldorado school doesn't include their grade or age (If I can find the time, I'll work on that!).  I've included the ages of the Negleys.  It's just a possibility that the people in this photo are in this list.

1895
ROSS - Conrad, Christina, Lilla, Eddie 
JAEGER - Henry 
SOUTHWORTH - Peter, Hattie 
BRADLEY - Vella, Guy 
BENDER - Albert 
ERICKSON - Erick 
CARLBERG - Oscar
OSBORN - Bertie, Charles, Mabel, Edith
ILIFF - Furman, Clarence 
HOHMBAUM - Richard 
MEYER - Thomas, Charles, Frank, Fred 
BAUER - Emil 
BETTGAR - Fred 
FIFIELD - Sylvia 
NEGLEY - Alice (18), Sadie (15), William (12), Calvin (8) 
AYER - Melvin, Clara, Geneva, Blanche
YOST - John 
BROBERG - Albert, Alfred, Arthur
ENGLAND - George, Hulda, Eddie, Rosie
PENNER - Bertha 
RATH - Samuel, Stella, Albert, Charles, Ida, Willie, Irving 
SHOREY - Rosie, Philbert 
STOCKHAM - George, Elijah, Avery
CALAN - Maggie 
TAYLOR - William, John, Bertha, Carrie, Guy, Josie 


There's also a chance this couple was from towns around Eldorado, like Stockham, Harvard, Aurora or Giltner.  For more of my "Friday's Faces from the Past" click on the label below, or see my Pinterest board - Clay/Hamilton County, Nebraska Old Photos.  

If you have any of the above names in your family tree, take a close look at the photograph and see if this couple looks familiar.  Leave me a comment if you have any clues.

Newspaper Clippings - Stockham, Nebraska 1900

From the Aurora Republican, July 13, 1900

STOCKHAM
From our regular correspondent

Markets: Wheat, 55c; corn, 30c; rye, 40c; oats, 18c; hogs, $4.60; cattle $-.--; butter 12-1/2c; eggs .07c; chickens, 10c.
Miss Anna Brown has returned from her visit at Phillips.
Dr. Gordon was an Aurora visitor on Tuesday of this week.
Mrs. T. W. Cavett and Miss Josie were shopping in Aurora, last Saturday.
Dr. and Mrs. Caulk of Aurora were in town, Monday, calling on old friends.
Mr. Patton of Edgar spent the Fourth in our village - the guest of Miss Carson.
A picnic crowd of young people from Aurora were enjoying themselves on the Blue, Sunday.
Our band did itself great credit on the Fourth and added much to the enjoyment of the day.
A. J. McConaughey returned from Iowa, last week, where he had been for the past two months.
Mr. and Mrs. W. Flickenger of York came to Stockham, on the Fourth, to celebrate and visit with old friends.
Miss Negley of Eldorado is assisting Mrs. Wineman through the harvest work. Mrs. W. is in very poor health at present.
Editor Chambers of the Stockham Standard attended the Bryan and Stephenson ratification meeting at Lincoln, last Tuesday.
Chas. Evans and wife returned, Saturday, from an overland trip to Red Cloud, where they spent the Fourth with a brother of Mrs. Evans.
The population of our town has been increased one, at least, since the census was taken - a daughter has been added to the household of P. L. Yost and wife.
Today (Wednesday) is the birthday of Miss Mattie Cavett, and invitation are out for a party at her home, this evening. Her young friends are anticipating a very pleasant time.
Threshing has commenced, and the whistle of the engine now disturds our early morning slumbers. There were five machines running, Tuesday, within a radius of five miles.

"Miss Negley" could be either Alice or Sadie.  In 1900 Alice would have been 23, and Sadie 20.  Mrs. Wineman was Mary Jane (Pugh), wife of Samuel and they had three children - Grover C., 13, Mattie D., 9 and John R., 7.  Mrs. Wineman died in 1905 of cancer.