Will and Lena's 65 Years Together

The following article was published in the Nebraska State Genealogical Society quarterly publication Nebraska Ancestree, Vol 44, #3, 2022. 

Lena and Will taken at Harken &
Perry, Peotone, Ills
Photo from Kathy Schaefer

The 65-year marriage of William and Lena Roscoe began in the home of his parents, David and Mary Roscoe in DeWitt, Nebraska on May 4, 1882. William's mother, Mary Roscoe, is listed on the certificate as witness. The Roscoe family had recently moved to Nebraska and Lena possibly came along with them. Presumably before they left Illinois, Will and Lena had their photo taken. In Illinois, the Roscoe's owned land in Section 28 of Will Township and Lena's father Ole Jorgenson owned a parcel in Section 32, a mile away as the crow flies. The 1880 Federal census lists both families in Will County, Illinois where Will was enumerated in the household of his parents. Lena was a "servant" in the household of Michael Collins, a disabled merchant in a dry goods store and father of three children under the age of 10. Lena had left school after the fifth grade. 

Lena was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 10, 1858. Her father was Ole Jorgenson, but no record of her mother has been found. When Lena was eight, Ole (age 29) married Caroline Peterson (age 19) on November 2, 1866 in Holbaek, Denmark. They immigrated to the United States around 1867 and Ole learned to master the English language by spending every spare moment reading his Danish-English Bible and other books. Lena grew up with six half-siblings, but after her move to Nebraska the local newspapers social columns give no indication that there were visits from any of them. She may have enjoyed receiving mail from Algona, Iowa, Los Angeles, California or Chicago, Illinois where they all lived. Only one "step-sister" is mentioned in her obituary as a survivor when there were also two half-brothers still living. 

Photo marked "Dad and Mother",
believed to be Lena and Will

While Lena was herself an immigrant, William Harlow Roscoe's roots ran deep in colonial America. His mother Mary Fero was a descendant of Mayflower passenger Richard Warren through two of his granddaughters, Sarah Bartlett Rider and Rebecca Bartlett Harlow. Will's ancestor, Asa Corbin fought in the Revolutionary War. Will's father's side descends from William Rusco who arrived in 1635 on the ship "Increase". Will's own life started out in Frankfort, New York, where he was born March 6, 1859. He was the oldest son with seven brothers and two older sisters. The family moved to Will County, Illinois by 1870. 

During their 65 years together, Will and Lena lived in southeastern Nebraska. In the fall of 1883 David and Will started a windmill business together in DeWitt. David's death in May of 1884 left Will in charge. To provide for his family, he erected windmills, installed pumps and put down wells. He also served the community of DeWitt as a constable. They were members of the Congregational church in DeWitt. About 1904 they moved to Clatonia and he became the manager of the grain elevator there and served as Justice of the Peace. 

Believed to be taken from the top of a windmill, 
showing the home place of Will and Lena Roscoe

Lena, of course, was in charge of their home and taking care of their eight children. They lost their youngest, Cecil Marvin, at the age of five from pneumonia in 1906. The second youngest, David Harlow Roscoe, was a special needs boy who never attended school and lived with his parents until his death at age 51. Son Charles was a victim of mental illness and drank a bottle of poison to end his suffering at 23 years old. He is buried in the Oak Grove Cemetery in DeWitt along with Cecil, but his grave was left unmarked. 

Three other sons served during World War I. Oliver was in the Army, stationed for several months in Vancouver, Washington. From there he was sent to Camp Funston for discharge on December 23, 1918. The next day he fell ill with influenza which developed into pneumonia and he died on January 1, 1919, at the same as as his brother Charles. 

Frank and Cleve both served in the Expeditionary Forces in France. Following the war, Frank was single and living with his parents in 1920, but by April of 1923 he was married with a child on the way when he became ill with Typhoid fever. He died on May 16th at 34 years old. His daughter, Frankie Mae Roscoe, came to visit her grandparents in 1941, possibly for the first and maybe only time.

Will and Lena with their grandson, Lawrence Menke,
who served in the Army during World War II

Cleveland Crosby Roscoe served on the Kansas City, Missouri police force for several years and was a special agent for the Wabash Railroad. He married Josephine Cox, they had no children. When he retired they moved to Lincoln. Following Will's death, Lena lived her final years with Cleve and Jo. Cleve died of injuries suffered in a car accident north of Beatrice in 1961.

Of Will and Lena's two daughters, Charlotte "Lottie" Roscoe was my Great Grandmother. She married Albert Menke and they raised 13 children in Gage County, eight boys and five girls. Just before her father died, Lottie bought her parents' home for $1. She lived there until her death at age 87.

Laura May Roscoe, the oldest child of Will and Lena, was married in Wilber and then moved with her husband Joseph W Kyle to Carman, Manitoba, Canada where they had 7 children. She remained in Canada until her death in 1980. She lived 3 years short of a century, outliving all of her siblings.

65 years on earth together ended with Will's death at age 88 on September 2, 1946. Their son David Harlow died on Christmas Eve in 1948 and Lena died on October 2, 1949. They are all buried in the Clatonia Cemetery, along with sons Frank and Oliver, though David's grave is unmarked. Lottie and Albert Menke are also buried there. 

L-R Lottie Menke, Joseph W Kyle, Lena Roscoe, David
Harlow Roscoe, Reggie Kyle, Laura Kyle, date unknown

Will and Lena's 65 years of the Good Life together was the beginning of currently six generations of Nebraskans. In my direct line, their daughter Lottie and her husband Albert were married one month short of 59 years at his death. My Grandparents were married for 64 years and 4 months, and my parents recently celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary. 

Lena and William Roscoe

Christmas Decoration Hand-Me-Downs

 

My house is decorated for Christmas (as much as it's going to be). Several of the decorations I have came to me from my Grandma Doris Menke. She's been gone 6 years now, I can't help but think of her when I hang these things.

She made some of these tree ornaments, others may have been made by other relatives or she bought them at craft fairs. The most memorable decorations she used on her tree were gold ball ornaments and a gold garland that my sister has now.

Grandma made the Christmas goose and Grandpa made the reindeer. I think Grandpa made several deer, I'm likely not the only grandkid to have one. But I'm pretty sure this goose is the only one.

Ordinary Christmas decorations to anyone else, but through these I can still smell the food my Aunts are getting ready in the kitchen. I can hear the men laughing and cussing as they sit around card tables playing pitch. I can hear my cousins (mostly boys) getting rough with each other and getting told to settle down by someone. No opening gifts until the dishes were done! The cards being passed out (with money in them) were the highlight of the day for everyone over the age of about 12. All joking with each other about how much they got (when each generation got the same amount). 

Very often, one or more of Grandma's sisters would stop by to see us all while we were there. In my very young years, we would go to Grandma's parents where many, many people were gathered in a 2 bedroom house. My memories of that are only vague.

Grandma's Snow Village - pieces to it were a great Christmas gift! I don't have any of the them, but whoever does should check on their value before getting rid of them! 

 

Those really were the good old days.

May you have a memorable Christmas!

Brothers in Service

Memorial Day is to honor and remember those who did not return from military service. Fortunately for my family, the majority of my ancestors who served in any war came home. These are final payment sheets for two of my great uncles, brothers Virg & Orville McGrath, who served during World War II. Click on the images to enlarge enough to read.

Virg was discharged on December 4, 1945 at Ft Logan in Colorado WDPC (Western Data Processing Center). He came back to Aurora, Nebraska where he spent the rest of his life. He died July 5, 1982 at the age of 72.

Orville was discharged on February 16. 1946 at Fort George G Meade in the Baltimore area of Maryland. On August 23rd of that year, Orville married Ethel Jaeschke in Baltimore. They later moved to Denver, Colorado where Orville worked for the US General Accounting office there. He died October 9, 1969 at age 55.

Orville on the left, Virg on the right.

Old Time Religion

One way of practicing my typing when I was learning that skill was to type up the lyrics to my favorite songs. I would record the song off the radio, play it back line by line, over and over making notes until I was sure of the lyrics. Then type a nice final copy. I guess Sadie and Alice didn't have a typewriter.

Handwritten lyrics to old church songs or religious folk songs were found in the old trunk in the attic. I've said before that I think my Great Grandma Sadie Negley and her sister Alice were Sunday School teachers.  They must have liked music, but I don't know if either of them could play piano or any other instrument.

Not knowing if these were real songs, I Googled each one of these and was surprised to find most of them.

"Let Jesus Come Into Your Heart", written by Lelia N Morris (1862-1929).

There are YouTube videos of this song being sung by Patti Page, the First Baptist Church of Pacific Beach, George Byrd and more. Hymnary.org  has a printed copy of the music and lyrics from as early as 1890. 

"Don't Stop Praying", written by Edna Randolph Worrell (1873-1961). A copy of this music is on her Find A Grave memorial. Edna wrote a long list of songs, "while she did her housework". The oldest copy of the music on the Hymnary website is from 1908.

"Never Alone", by Eliza Edmunds Hewitt (1851-1920). On YouTube there are a few different videos of church choirs singing a song with this title, but somewhat different lyrics than these. Again, oldest copy found on Hymnary is from 1890.

Other handwritten song lyrics include:

"A Picture No Artist Can Paint", author unknown (Ballad Index).  Apparently there are two different songs with this same title. Artists like Bobby Darin and the Leake County Revelers recorded a song by this title, but with different lyrics (found on YouTube).

"Never Pass Them By", lyrics found in a Latter Day Saints publication called Autumn Leaves, Vol 21, p 181 in 1908 (Herald Press, Lamoni, IA), without music, found on Google Books. 

"Take Good Care of Mother", by F Harding, copyright 1887.   Traditionalmusic.co.uk

"Singing of His Love", I couldn't find anything about these lyrics. The handwriting of this one is not like the others, but the paper is just as old. The first verse goes:

 "Happy as the songs that the birdies sing; are the songs of love, to the Savior King; Singing of his love makes our hearts so glad, We would never more be sad".

One song sheet was written in ink on linen-like paper and the handwriting is different. "Life's Railway to Heaven", was written by Charlie DD Tillman (1861-1943), J R Baxter and M E Abbey. A copy from 1890 is on Hymnary. Johnny Cash recorded this song and a video can be found on YouTube.

We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave. 

William Mann's Parents

There are so many men named William Mann who came from England, it's a difficult name to research. Without any mention of his birthplace or parents' names in any records I had found, I was lost on my Second Great Grandfather's ancestry. Until someone posted the record of his second marriage on the Family Search website.

This page of a marriage register from Peoria county, Illinois for the year 1896 shows "William Mann" of "Harbine, Jefferson Co. Neb", a "farmer" age "66" who was born in "Forncett, Norfolk" is the son of "Robert Mann and Elizabeth Groomes". This is definitely the marriage of "my" William to Mary Armstrong, his second and her first marriage. I've edited the image above to show it all on this page. 

So, it's exciting to learn his parents' name and birthplace, but...

Also posted is this record of a baptism for "William, bastard son of Elizabeth Mann." The Baptism occurred on February 22, 1829 in Forncett, St Peter, his mother listed as a spinster. William Mann's birth date is consistently listed as February 12, 1830 in every other record I have, but for various reasons dates can be incorrect.

The heading on this record reads:

Baptisms in the Parish of Forncett, St Peter in the County of Norfolk in the Year 1829

The last line reads:

Col 1 When Baptized:  1829 February 22nd No. 228

Col 2 Child's Christian Name:  William Bastard son of

Col 3 Parents Name, Christian:  Elizabeth

Col 4 Parents Name, Surname:  Mann

Col 5 Abode:  Forncett St Peter

Col 6 Quality, Trade, or Profession:  Spinster

Col 7 By Whom the Ceremony was performed: (not sure) 

Forncett is about 110 miles northeast of London, and 10 miles southwest of Norwich. St Peter's is a church parish located there. Click on the link for more information and a photo of this historic church on Wikipedia.

So, did Robert Mann exist? Should I look for a Robert Groomes? Another record posted on Family Search for Elizabeth Mann shows her burial in the year 1847 at the age of 60. This would mean in 1829, she was about 42 years old. She lived in a Union Workhouse in Forncett, I need to find out more about that place. More research on these names might turn up some other records. Could this be why little information can be found about William Mann's heritage? 

Whatever the case, William Mann traveled to America on his own, married a widow with a young daughter, raised her and seven children of his own, was married to his first wife for 33 years, became a successful farmer and left a legacy to be honored. 

Centenarian Eliza Menke

Eliza (Knapp) Menke

A few months ago, I notice this photo of Eliza Menke posted on Family Search by Laura Quimby. It was possibly taken at her 100th birthday party, but I can't say that for sure. I want to share this great picture with my Menke relatives. Below is an article I wrote for the Nebraska State Genealogical Society's quarterly publication, "Nebraska Ancestree" (Vol 44-1, 2021)

A Century of Eliza

Born near Wurttemburg, Germany in 1841, she left with her family before the revolution of 1848. She died in Nebraska in 1944 while members of her family were fighting a war against her home country. In between, she "led a life of feverish activity."¹

Heinrich & Caroline (Schukky or Schocke) Knapp welcomed Elizabeth, their first baby girl on May 15, 1841. Their two sons, Frederick and Lewis were still toddlers, and another son, Heinrich Ernst, was born a few years later. Because of the economic hardship and political unrest in Germany, Heinrich & Caroline made the decision to take their family to America. Eliza was just 4 years old when she spent eleven weeks sailing at sea in 1845. They passed port inspections in New York City, and traveled on to Scioto County, Ohio, where father "Henry" got work in the mines. Four more children were born in Ohio between 1848 and 1857 - Mary, Hannah, August and George. 

On January 13, 1867 in Scioto County, Eliza became the wife of 34 year-old widower Henry Menke, as well as mother to his four children. At that time, Mary Ellen "Emma" was 9, John Frederich was 6, Henry Jr 3 and "Lizzie" was 1. Their own children started filling their home in 1868 with a daughter Ann Caroline. In 1869 a son, John, was born and died. A string of daughters started in 1870 with Mary, in 1872 Mathilde, 1874 Katharine, 1877 Eliza and in January of 1879, Rosa.

In 1878, Henry took a tour of western states and made the decision to move his family to Nebraska in the spring of 1879. Eliza's parents may have seen her for the last time that spring. Traveling by boat down the Ohio river to Cincinnati, then they boarded a train bound for Atchison, Kansas. From there likely by wagon, they headed northwest to Gage County. The family, minus the oldest daugher Emma who stayed with relatives in Ohio, settled on a farm two miles south and one mile west of Clatonia, in Section 33. 

A son, George Edward, was the first to be born in Nebraska in 1881, followed by daughter Nettie in 1883, son Lewis who was born and died in 1885. At age 45, Eliza gave birth to her eleventh and final child, Charles Albert in 1886.

A lifelong Christian, Eliza had a pious upbringing in the United Brethren church with her parents. Her husband Henry was also devoutly religious and occasionally served as a local preacher. Prior to his death in 1915, Henry arranged his own funeral text and songs himself. "Together, they established a church in the home, where services were held." ² They were members of the German Methodist Church and later Eliza united with the Methodist Episcopal Church of Clatonia where she still held membership at her death.

Soon after getting settled in Clatonia, Eliza started planting flowers and vegetable gardens. Over the years, she became known for her beautiful gardens. She took a serious interest in their orchard, and she taught herself how to develop different species of fruits from seeds. Her fondness of birds and love of nature in general were a characteristic to be admired in her.

Eliza Menke is credited with having one of the first mechanical chick-incubators and brooders in her part of the country.³  Articles in several Nebraska newspapers in February of 1897 are touting the "latest thing in the chicken business is the electric incubator".⁴ The 1885 agriculture census shows Eliza had 110 chickens and 200 dozen eggs were produced in 1884. Those numbers likely increased around 1900. Eliza was also one of the earliest people in the area to operate a sorghum mill. She was a pioneer in the truest sense of the word, and as matriarch of the family was likely an inspiring roll model.

Education, science and religion were topics that were held in high regard in the Menke household. Henry Menke, Jr graduated from the Peru Normal and later the University of Chicago. He designed and patented a revolving fan in 1885. He also became an ordained Minister of the Gospel and preached in Iowa, Missouri and Michigan. Eliza's other step-son John Frederich ran a successful grocery business for over 30 years after he moved back to Portsmouth, Ohio. Eliza's son George Edward also became a U.S. Patent holder in 1912 for a railroad loading device, and later invented a corn sheller he called a "Little GEM" (his initials). Daughter Mathidle was a switchboard operator for the telephone company she and her husband ran.

With Eliza's large family, many big family reunions were held at her home. She was known for her hospitality and visitors were always well entertained. Besides her own children, she had many nieces and nephews in Nebraska, some nearby and others out west. Her sister Mary became Mrs John Boggs and they raised their family near Tobias. Another sister Hannah and her husband Conrad Smith were residents in Garden County. In 1988, 72 descendants of these three sisters gathered for a reunion in Firth.

The Menke farm in Section 33 was home to Eliza until after her 90^th birthday and she celebrated her 100^th birthday at the place she helped build and knew for 62 years. She was able to live by herself until after that milestone. In her final year and a half on earth, as her health began to fail, the Anna Rohe Nursing home in Lincoln became her home. Her strong heart kept going for 102 years, 8 months and 17 days, then beat for the last time on February 2, 1944.

Descendants of Eliza & Henry Menke are: Ann Caroline "Carrie" & Louis Kloepper; Mathilde & WilliamH Daubendiek; Katharine & John Henry Wayman; Eliza Jane & Richard Kiene; Rosa & Lewis Wayman; George E & Kathryn (Detmer) Menke; Nettie & Franklin Steinmeyer; Charles Albert & Charlotte "Lottie" (Roscoe) Menke and their many children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and a continuing line of generations to come. Eliza had outlived her husband, all of her siblings, her four step-children, five of her own children and eight grandchildren. The Menke farm was sold at auction on August 5, 1944 sixty-five plus years after Henry & Eliza first set foot on the land.

1“Obituary, Eliza Knapp Menke”, The Beatrice Times for Women, February 16, 1944 pg 1

2Ibid.

3“Obituary, Eliza Knapp Menke”, The Beatrice Times for Women, February 16, 1944 pg 1

4“Something New in Incubators”, Seward Weekly Reporter, February 18, 1897, pg 1

Rock, Paper, DAR

The Daughters of the American Revolution as a lineage society is well-respected for it's devotion to accuracy. The DAR requires documentation of each link in a family’s lineage to a Revolutionary War Patriot. The connections of each generation in the line must have approved documentation to support the relationships.

Joining the DAR for me was a way of validating my genealogy skills. When I found I connected to a Patriot through each of my Grandparents, I made it my goal to prove each line through DAR and to honor each of them with their proven lineage to a Patriot. My paternal Grandparents are descendants of Asa Corbin and Stephen Bliss. My maternal Grandfather is a descendant of John Adair, Sr (and Jr). My maternal Grandmother is a descendant of Libbeus Simmons, Sr, but after many years of searching, my application was denied due to lack of documentation for two of the links in two generations. DAR had the Scissors to my Paper.

Family notes told me my 2^nd Great Grandparents were John McGrath and Rachel Simmons, Rachel was born somewhere in Pennsylvania. Searching for Rachel in the 1850 Pennsylvania census, when she was a young girl, I found an 8 year old Rachel with parents Lebius and Ruth Simmons. Then I found a Libbeus Simmons listed as a Revolutionary War Patriot. Seeing some information that the Patriot had a son named Lebbeus, who was too old for the father of Rachel, led me to believe there was a line of 3 men named Lebbeus Simmons. Exact spelling having no significance, I am sure of this line of men. The problem is finding any documentation to prove this - a Rock I'm up against.

The records I need fall into a time period where record keeping was sparse in the locations they were living. Births, marriages and deaths may have been recorded at the time, but those records did not survive until they were compiled and published. I have always tried my best to be accurate with my family history research, including finding actual documentation to link each person through the generations. The records I need here just don't seem to exist anymore. There is no contradicting information, nothing that doesn’t make sense. Awritten analysis of the connection between two generations is allowed only once. I wrote an analysis for the link between Rachel and her father Lebius III to no avail. Can there be any prophecy in my naming this blog “Old Trunk in the Attic?” What I need might have to come from someone's personal stash of very old papers, if they have kept them this long. Does anyone have a Simmons Family Bible from the early 1800's? 

Until I can cover the Rock with a Paper that the DAR will accept, the DAR takes this one. But we're going best of 3.