Today, Memorial Day in the United States, we solemnly remember those who sacrificed all to protect our freedom and our democracy. While none of our direct ancestors gave their lives in war (that we know of), some returned with injuries, and some had brothers who did not return home. This quote, source unknown, makes one pause and be ever grateful to our men and women who died in service, and their families who have borne that pain ever since:
“Our flag does not fly because the wind moves it. It flies with the last breath of each soldier who died protecting it.”
Marines of 1st Marine Division pay respects to fallen buddies during memorial services at Hungnam during Korean War. Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
Following are some images of aircraft from World War II. These pictures were taken by Edward A. McMurray, or are pictures of Edward A. McMurray with aircraft he worked on as a mechanic while stationed in the South Pacific from 1944 to 1946. Ed, or “Mac” as he was more commonly known, was stationed in the Pacific theater in Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, possibly the Philippines, and some small islands such as Biak; he ended his time in the war in Japan, at the surrender of Japan on V-J Day. Mac served in the 3rd Engine Over-haul Squadron, 4th Engine Over-haul Squadron, and the 13th Depot Supply Squadron per his 1949 State of Iowa WW II Service Compensation application. (He was paid $345 for his service in the US, which was training, plus his time overseas. Today that amount is approximately equal to $3,700.)
These images are some of the planes that were flown by our men and women- yes, women ferried planes from place to place during WW II- and some air crews may have died in them to protect freedom around the world. Mac told of the grisly tasks of those in the aircraft engine overhaul department- sometimes there were body parts and blood in a plane, needing to be removed for proper burial and before the plane could be overhauled and repaired. It was a painful reminder of how fleeting a life could be, especially in times of war, for those who were so young and should have still felt immortal.
Please let us know if you can help with identification of the aircraft or the places.
Edward A. McMurray, Jr., South Pacific, World War II, circa 1944-1946.Edward A. McMurray, jr., in the cockpit of a World War II aircraft, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946. Without propellers and in this shape, this plane would have been scheduled for overhaul or might be cannabilized for parts for other aircraft.Edward A. McMurray, Jr. in co-pilot’s position in cockpit, World War II, South Pacific Theater, circa 1944-1946.World War II Aircraft, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946.World War II Aircraft, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946.World War II Aircraft, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946.World War II Aircraft, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946.Edward A. McMurray, Jr., with B-24 Liberator. World War II, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946.
Edward A. McMurray, Jr, in tail gun section of, World War II aircraft, South Pacific Theater, circa 1944-1946. Note lack of wheels and crack in wing.
Nose art was really big in World War II. Images on the nose of a plane were great identification on the ground or in the air, a part of the crew’s ego, and a boost to morale for male soldiers, especially if a pretty or scantily-clad woman was involved:
“Powerhouse” nose art, South Pacific, World War II, 1944-1946.
“Overshot” Nose Art, World War II aircraft in the Pacific theater, circa 1944-1946. Note image similar to W.C. Fields, a curmudgeon of a comedian who played up drinking a lot of alcoholic ‘shots.’ The crew of this ship likely had other types of shots in mind, at least until they were back safely at the airfield- then it was time to celebrate survival with the liquid version of ‘shots.’
Bugs Bunny nose art, World War II aircraft, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946.“Little Butch” Nose Art, C-47 Cargo Transport, World War II, South Pacific, with a favorite GI in a pose to add a bit of fun to the whole grim situation, circa 1944-1946.
And then there is this last photo- what could be going on here? There are two planes side-by-side- maybe a B-24 bomber and a fighter?- and the soldier on the ladder is probably taking pictures. Maybe it’s an air show, since at least one child is in the crowd and people are looking up. That seems a somewhat dangerous event during the days of World War II on a Pacific island, and a waste of fuel and flight hours on a plane… Maybe a new aircraft is showing off flight capabilities, or a VIP is headed to the base? Or a group of heroes who just successfully completed a strategic flight that helped to turn the tides of war is doing a victorious fly-by before they land… What do you think?
World War II Aircraft, South Pacific, circa 1944-1946. Wonder what they are looking at in the sky?
Notes, Sources, and References:
Family treasure chest of photos.
See also the following posts about Edward A. McMurray, Jr. in World War II:
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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
Original content copyright 2013-2021 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.Please contact us if you have any questions about the copyright or use of “Heritage Ramblings” blog material.
Edward A. McMurray, Jr., 1943, likely taken in boot camp at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri.
In 2017, we posted a Memorial Day tribute to Edward A. McMurray, Jr., one of the “Greatest Generation” and my favorite soldier. Ed went from a small-town Iowa boy to a world traveler on Uncle Sam’s dime, stopping in ports in Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Japan, and tiny islands like Biak in the South Pacific. He would only tell his family that there was a ‘ceremony’ that occurred for those who had never crossed the equator before, but he would not give details… He was in the Army-Air Corps, and worked as an airplane mechanic, possibly because he had some mechanical experience with working at a gas station as a teen.
Edward A. McMurray, Jr., in the South Pacific or Australia, c1944.
Like others of his generation, Ed did not talk much about the war, though he was truly disappointed that it did not end all wars, as they had hoped. Although he wanted to go to college to become a doctor, and was an only son, he did not seek a deferment- in fact, the attack at Pearl Harbor made him want to join up right away.
Edward A. McMurray, about 1944, image and reverse with stamp by an Army examiner, to ensure he was not sending off any information that could inadvertently aid the enemy if it was intercepted.
As was said in our previous posts, we are so grateful that Ed made it through World War II and came back to his family and friends. So many were not fortunate enough to come back, some that Ed knew and called “friend.”
Today, on Memorial Day, we honor these soldiers and all the other military personnel who served our country and paid the highest price for our freedom. “Thank you” will never be enough to say for their sacrifice.
Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images. Click to enlarge images.We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
Original content copyright 2013-2021 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.
“Although her life had been one strangely mixed with sorrow as well as physical suffering, her Christian trust and faith never deserted her for a moment.”
These words from the obituary of Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin (1843-1899) suggest that more than the physical pain Fannie suffered from her afflictions colored her life.
What were her sorrows?
And what about Emanuel Clutter, Fannie’s husband? What had happened that caused him to not be there at her bedside through her last days?
While we can only know some of the sorrows of Fannie’s life, looking at the time span between the marriage of Fannie and Emanuel and the birth of their son Rufus E. Clutter might give us a clue to one of the difficulties. Many women in that era might have had one or two additional children during those five years. Had Fannie miscarried, lost a child as stillborn, or soon after birth? Maybe a child passed away very young, and we just have found no record or gravesite for them? Or maybe there had been problems with getting pregnant- we will never know but any of those events would have brought great sadness to the family. The couple must have been incredibly overjoyed at the birth and survival of their son Rufus. (He was probably named after his maternal grandfather, Sylvanus Rufus Benjamin- and he likely had red hair too! ‘Rufus’= red.)
Life must have been quite altered for the family once Fannie became an invalid a year or so after their son Rufus was born, per her obituary. Was her illness a complication of childbirth? How did they manage with a little one needing constant care, and Fannie needing help too? It was good that family was very close by, but caring for Fannie and Rufus would be a challenge as they worked to provide for their own families too. Being unable to be the wife and mother she wished to be, Fannie’s sickness would probably have caused her emotional pain as well.
Fannie, Emanuel, and young Rufus had taken a place on Main Street in Newton, Iowa by 1880, which would have made Emanuel’s work as an “artist” (photographer?) quick to get to as well as for shopping for groceries or medications. Even with family help, their life with Fannie’s “physical suffering” must have been quite difficult.
More research revealed what was likely one more great sorrow for Fannie- she and Emanuel must have divorced sometime before September of 1883. We learned this when we found that Emanuel married a second time in Hughes, South Dakota, on September 16, 1883 to Nancy “Louisa” Burnett (1843-1923).
Nancy “Louisa” Burnett, posted courtesy of the Hoge-Clutter Family Tree.
There was a lot of stigma attached to a divorced woman back in those days. The reason for the separation did not matter nor if it was the ‘fault’ of the other partner – a woman’s reputation was harmed by a divorce. That too must have been one of Fannie’s great sorrows.
Many years ago we had found the 1885 Iowa State Census showing Fannie and Rufus, age 12, living with her parents Sylvanus Rufus Benjamin and Sarah Ann Palmer Benjamin on the family farm in Newton Township, Jasper County, Iowa. This record was curious, as Emanuel was not in the household. Now, however, we know that was because Emanuel had moved west at least two years before. And it explains why he was not with Fannie in her last days. [This record is also a lesson in revisiting sources and reading them carefully- the original census record actually shows a “D” for ‘divorced’ in the column for Fannie’s marital status. At that time, we were not really focused on Fannie since she is not in our direct line, but still should have noticed. This was also one of those records where it is important to check the page before- that is how we knew that Fannie and Rufus were living out on the farm of her parents.]
Unfortunately there is no 1890 US Federal Census available for most locations, so we do not know where Fannie or Emanuel were living (separately) that year. Five years later, we did find Emanuel in an 1895 Los Angeles, California City Directory, residing at 746 Maple av with his wife, Mrs. Louisa Clutter. There is no occupation listed for Emanuel, age 49, but the country was in the midst of “The Panic of 1893”- a very significant economic depression that lasted until 1897. Emanuel may have had a rough time finding a job during this period of bank runs, people losing their life savings, big railroad failures, and an (estimated) unemployment rate of up to 19% at the peak of the depression.
Emanuel’s wife Louisa, however, was employed in 1895, as a “psychometrist.” Today a psychometrist works with psychologists and neurologists to administer tests for clinical diagnosis, but at the end of the 19th Century, differences between humans, their intelligence and how it correlated to physical measurements were the primary interests of the field.
Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin passed away in Newton, Iowa, on March 5, 1899. She had her mother and adult son with her. Her remains were “laid beside the aged father in our cemetery,” as Sylvanus Rufus Benjamin had died in 1892.
Eleven years later, in 1910, Emanuel and Louisa were still across the continent in Ballona, Los Angeles County. Louisa’s married daughter from her first marriage, Nina “May” Berry Wagner, was living in Ballona with her family, and Louisa’s son had moved to the Los Angeles area as well, though we do not know the date he migrated. Emanuel was working for himself as an agent for mines and real estate. His wife Louisa was living with him, as was her older brother, Giles Burnett, a widower. This census asked respondents how many times they had married, and interestingly, it stated it was the first marriage for Emanuel- not his second. Louisa, however, listed Emanuel as her second husband, and that she had two children that were still living. As Louisa was forty years old when she and Emanuel married, it was unlikely that he was the father of her children. More research showed that Louisa had married Charles Henry Berry (1845-1926) in Phelps, New York, on December 11, 1865, and they moved to Iowa by 1868 where their first of two children were born: Miles C. Berry, born 1868, and Nina May Berry, born 1869 or 1870, also in Iowa. The family lived in Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa, in 1870. This was only about 30 miles from Newton, so there is a possibility that Emanuel and Nancy had met in Iowa- maybe Emanuel had traveled to the big city as a photographer?- or maybe not. Emanuel could have headed west to the Dakota Territory after he and Fannie separated, and possibly met Louisa there. We have not found an entry for Louisa or her first husband in any 1880 US Federal Census nor an 1885 Iowa State Census, but one knowledgeable family member has a tree on Ancestry with about 1880 as Louisa’s divorce date, taking place in Illinois. Louisa and Emanuel married in Hughes, South Dakota, on September 16, 1883. Nancy was 40 years old, and Emanuel 36.
Genealogy is rarely tidy, and items often are found out of chronological order. But it is definitely worth the untidiness to find more information, as above. So back to the early 1900s:
In 1916 “Clutter, Emanuel, brkr” was listed on the Los Angeles County Voter Registration Roll. The microfilm does not have a listing of abbreviations used for occupations, but it may be “broker.” Emanuel was 70 that year. Perhaps he was a broker for gold, since he knew that well? Or maybe for cattle or horses, since he had been a rancher.
Four years later Emanuel was 74 and listed as a “Gold Miner” in the 1920 Alhambra, California US Federal Census enumeration. His entry in the 1920 California Voter Registrations listed Emanuel Clutter as a rancher and declining to state his political party. This voter registration list included “Mrs. Nancy L. Clutter” as a Democrat. California passed their Equal Suffrage law in 1911, nine years before women across the nation were included in our democracy via the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. We have not seen Nancy Louisa listed on earlier voter registrations. Perhaps she decided to register to vote only after the passage of the Women’s Suffrage Amendment.
Now that we see this chronology, let’s circle back to an interesting thought- these mining occupations and the timing of his migration west may suggest that Emanuel’s move to the Dakota Territory in the early 1880s was specifically to become a gold miner! The Black Hills Gold Rush began in 1874 in the western part of the territory when George Armstrong Custer led a military expedition into the area and ‘discovered’ gold. The loose pieces found around streams are called ‘placer gold,’ and are the most common type of gold found in the Dakota Territory. The town of Hughes, where Emanuel married Louisa, is more central, but may have been a stopping-off spot for Emmanuel and Louisa to earn some money, learn about opportunities, and stock up on provisions before heading to the Black Hills, if that was their plan. Hughes only had 268 persons in 1880, with the railroad finally making it to the Territory about that time; by 1890, the population was 5,044- an increase of 1900%! So Emanuel, like many, may have headed west to be a photographer, provide support for miners (the grocers, saloon keepers, etc. generally made more money than the miners), or even just be a miner himself.
About to press the ‘publish’ button for this blog post, I wanted to check just one more thing. One tree on Ancestry has been really useful in researching Emanuel Clutter’s second family, and the owner has kindly given permission for us to use his wonderful photos, etc., on the blog. He had the most amazing clipping from their family bible:
From the Family Bible owned by Nancy Louisa Burnett Berry Clutter and written by her daughter from her first marriage, Nina May Burnette (later Wagner). Image courtesy of the Hoge-Clutter Family Tree. (Click to enlarge.)
Transcription:
“My ma got this Bible when I was
6 years old. we lived in Des Moines.
I am 13 years old now we live in
Pierre Dakota, out on the Clame.
May Burnette
May 1st 1883″
Wow. What a treasure to have this, and in May’s handwriting! This family was definitely involved in some type of mining, probably gold. The note verifies pretty closely when she was born, where they lived in Iowa, and where in Dakota Territory they lived on May 1, 1883. (Pierre became the state capital.) But now there are more questions… They were living out on “the Clame.” Whose claim was it? Had Louisa entered a claim herself? (Could women even do that there and then?) Gold mining is really hard work, and for a woman to be alone with two children would have been dangerous with the rough miners and unscrupulous businesses that were booming in the Pierre/Hughes County region. It probably was not a claim worked by May’s father, Charles Henry Berry, as he and Louisa had divorced around 1880 in Illinois and he remarried on June 16, 1883, in Chicago, Illinois, just six weeks after May wrote the note. Could it have been Emanuel’s claim? He and his first wife also were divorced around 1880, so he could have been out in the Dakotas by May 1883 either working as a photographer or as a gold miner. (he and Louisa married that Sept. 16.) Could the claim have been owned by a business? Louisa might have been doing cooking, laundry, or a myriad of other tasks to help support miners on a large claim. This should be some interesting information for a family history researcher to pursue in the future.
Nancy Louisa Burnett Berry Clutter passed away in Los Angeles, California, on January 25, 1923, after 40 years of marriage to Emanuel Clutter. Emanuel survived her by about four and a half years, his death on June 15, 1927 in Venice, Los Angeles County, California.
Our original research question was “How did the descendants of Hannah Melissa Benjamin McMurray end up with a very old album full of Clutter family photos?” We did get sidetracked in a very interesting way, and the answer seems to be that Emanuel Clutter likely left his family photo album in Newton, Iowa, when he divorced Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin Clutter, then headed 550 miles northwest to (probably) mine gold in the Dakota Territory. We don’t know for sure that Fannie and her mother Sarah Ann Palmer Benjamin shared a home, but Fannie’s personal effects may have stayed with her widowed mother, and then been passed down to her sister Hannah Melissa Benjamin McMurray, who in turn passed them down to her descendants. This research project also answered some questions about cemetery plots and why certain persons were buried near others, and helped us learn a bit more about the history of our country. What is truly great, in addition to knowing more about our ancestors, is that we have found some wonderful photos as well as living cousins new to us!
Notes, Sources, and References:
Sadly we have no known pictures of Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin Clutter. Please share if you have any!
Images posted with the generous permission of the Hoge-Clutter Family Tree. Thank you!
Thanks you also to our other cousins who have family trees full of information and pictures, and are willing to share and discuss what they know about the family. Of course, cousins Cindi and Julie are owed a special thanks, as they provided scans of the Clutter photo album that started this journey!
For your consideration: an interesting thread concerning the Clutter family to add to your analysis from daneil2229 on Family Tree Circles– https://www.familytreecircles.com/u/daneil2229/ We do not know of any followup of this query from over nine years ago, but it might be interesting to follow up to corroborate. We have not analyzed this but just thought we would share with other researchers.
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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
Original content copyright 2013-2021 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.Please contact us if you have any questions about the copyright or use of “Heritage Ramblings” blog material.
What a great picture! A first impression was, “This man has a story.” Well, we all have a story, but this appeared to be a story that might have a few twists and turns plus some interesting research. Also, Emanuel Clutter married Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin, the sister of our ancestor Hannah Melissa Benjamin McMurray, so he is kin, and we should tell his story, as well as Fannie’s. Additionally, sometimes one can learn more about a direct ancestor by researching siblings, so there was the hope of learning more about Hannah Melissa or their parents, Sylvanus Rufus Benjamin and Sarah Ann Palmer Benjamin.
Emanuel Clutter (1846-1927), young man. Posted with the kind permission of the owner of the photo. (Click to enlarge.)
Emanuel was born on Dec. 3, 1846, in Licking County, Ohio, where Fannie was born as well on June 4, 1843. Emanuel’s parents were James I. Clutter (1806-1896), born in Pennsylvania, and Rhoda Myers Clutter (1815-1897), born in Licking County. The Clutters likely knew Fannie’s parents, Sylvanus Rufus “S.R.” Benjamin (1819-1892), who was born in Licking County too, and Sarah Ann Palmer Benjamin (1822-1911), who was born in Ohio probably but some records state Kentucky. Licking County is located about the center of the state, and includes Columbus, Ohio today. Knox County is adjacent and just north of Licking, and where the Clutters lived at one point.
James I. Clutter (1806-1896), with kind permission of the owner. (Click to enlarge.)
In 1850, both families lived in Burlington Township, probably on farms since both fathers were listed as farmers in the 1850 US Federal Census. They probably saw each other at the feed store or grocer, at community events, and maybe even attended the same church. As lands opened up out west, it is likely that migration was a hot topic of conversation in the community, especially when one or more families sold off, packed up, and moved to a new beginning.
James and Rhoda Clutter stayed in Ohio with some of their children, but others migrated west. We have not found Emanuel in the 1860 US Federal Census anywhere, including not with his parents and siblings in Ohio.We have not found him in 1870, either.
S.R. Benjamin and family were living in Burlington, where the Clutters lived, at the 1860 census as the division of our country over slavery increased rapidly. War was declared and the Union became desperate for soldiers by 1863. S.R. was actually drafted as a part of the “Old Man’s Draft”- he was 42- but he paid a substitute to serve for him instead. The Benjamin family then migrated all together to Jasper County, Iowa in 1865 or 1866- the year varies in obituaries of the children.
Did Emanuel just get missed on the 1860 census, and then migrate with the Benjamins? Was Emanuel working in Cedar County, Iowa, as a photographer/artist, since some of the pictures in the Clutter Photo Album were taken there? Or had Emanuel gone to work in Iowa and his sweetheart and her family followed after he told them how wonderful it was? (The Benjamins had another reason for the migration- that story is still to come as it was just found less than an hour before this was written, and needs a bit more research before telling.)
Some sources/trees state that Emanuel and Fannie married in Ohio, but apparently not- they were issued a license to marry in Jasper County, Iowa, on 29 December 1868. Fannie’s obituary states that they married about three years after she migrated to Jasper County with her family in 1865. We have not found a record of the actual marriage, but that is not unusual for this time period.
In the Jasper County, Iowa 1870 census, S. R. Benjamin, age 49, was listed as a farmer with real estate valued at $9,000 and a personal estate of $1,325. His wife Sarah Ann Palmer Benjamin, 48, was “keeping house.” Their son John Elliot Benjamin, 21, was still in the household and listed as a farmer, with his new wife “L.M.” Boydston Benjamin helping Sarah with the household- and ‘women’s’ farm chores. Daughter Hannah Melissa Benjamin (our direct ancestor, AKA, “The Scary Lady” in later years) was just 16 and attending school. Emanuel Clutter, age 23, and his wife Fannie were also living in the household, with Emanuel listed as an “artist” in the census, and Frances, naturally, ‘keeping house.’ Emanuel may have been an “artist” working in the photography business in Newton at this time, as per our previous postings on the Clutter Family Photo Album.
The third Benjamin daughter, Cynthia Adeline Benjamin, had married Reuben K. Lambert in Ohio, and they migrated to Jasper County with their two children who had been born in Ohio, Willie Rufus Lambert and Elliott Ellsworth Lambert. They may have traveled with the rest of the Benjamin family. The Lamberts were enumerated just before the S.R. Benjamin family in the 1870 US Federal Census in Jasper County, Iowa, so may have had adjoining farms. (The Lamberts did later have a daughter, Ida Bell Lambert, born in Jasper County, Iowa.)
Fannie and Emanuel Clutter had been married for five years before the only child we know of, Rufus E. Clutter, was born to them in 1873. This is a longer gap than usual between marriage and first child for those days, so there may have been children born before Rufus who did not survive. Rufus did grow up, marry (to Mattie J. “Madge” Small), and became a father to Donald F. Clutter (1896-1984).
Benjamin Family Headstone Grouping in Newton Union Cemetery, Newton, Jasper County, Iowa: Sylvanus Rufus Benjamin, Sarah Ann Palmer Benjamin, Frances D. Benjamin Clutter. (Click to enlarge.)
A recent very cold fall visit to Newton Union Cemetery in Jasper County, Iowa, with the bitter winds whipping across the prairie but the warmth of family togetherness both above and below the cold ground (thanks for the fun above-ground cemetery time, cousin! ;D), made us think of what our pioneer ancestors dealt with as they worked their farms every day. Even when crops were not growing, animals needed tending and repairs to buildings, fences, and equipment were required. The family also needed to be fed, bedding and clothing cleaned, repaired, and even sewn from only a bolt of cloth. Dealing with the weather must have been brutal at times. So we found our pioneer fortitude genes within and searched for the Benjamin section of the cemetery as well as the McMurray plots, since Hannah Melissa Benjamin married Frederick Asbury McMurray. It was a surprise to find Frances/Francis/Fannie Benjamin Clutter’s stone in the group with the Benjamins, especially since Emanuel Clutter had no stone alongside, nor in that cemetery.
Headstone of Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin Clutter in Benjamin grouping at Newton Union Cemetery, Newton, Jasper, Iowa, posted with kind permission of photographer. (Click to enlarge.)
A search back through our records for Fannie’s obituary revealed more of the story:
“Mrs. Frances D. Clutter died at the home of her mother, Mrs. S.R. Benjamin… For over twenty-five years Mrs. Clutter had been an invalid, and the closing weeks of her life were especially marked with suffering, so that the death came as a blessed boon to her the beginning of a new life in which pain, sorrow and tears will never be known.”
Fannie was just 55 years old at her death- she had been very ill for almost half her life!
“Although her life had been one strangely mixed with sorrow as well as physical suffering, her Christian trust and faith never deserted her for a moment.”
Rufus, her son, had come from Chicago to be with Fannie during her last days, and her dear mother was there as well. (Her father had died in 1892.)
But what about Emanuel? There is no mention of him except that they married.
Stay tuned.
Notes, Sources, and References:
History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present…, by N.N. Hill, 1881, pp. 628-9 for bios of James Clutter and family. This source states Emmanuel was born in Iowa.
For your consideration: an interesting thread concerning the Clutter family to add to your analysis from daneil2229 on Family Tree Circles– https://www.familytreecircles.com/u/daneil2229/ We do not know of any followup of this query from over nine years ago, but it might be interesting to follow up to corroborate.
At http://iagenweb.org/jasper/marriage/bv1-b.htm it states Emmanuel and Fannie were issued a license only on 29 Dec 1868, p. 31 of Jasper Co, IA Marriage Records, Vol. 1 1848-1869. We have found no record of their marriage but have not searched extensively.
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We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post (see form below), and thank you for your time! All comments are moderated, however, due to the high intelligence and persistence of spammers/hackers who really should be putting their smarts to use for the public good instead of spamming our little blog.
Original content copyright 2013-2021 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.
Family history is meant to be shared, but the original content of this site may NOT be used for any commercial purposes unless explicit written permission is received from both the blog owner and author. Blogs or websites with ads and/or any income-generating components are included under “commercial purposes,” as are the large genealogy database websites. Sites that republish original HeritageRamblings.net content as their own are in violation of copyright as well, and use of full content is not permitted.Descendants and researchers MAY download images and posts to share with their families, and use the information on their family trees or in family history books with a small number of reprints. Please make sure to credit and cite the information properly, i.e, reference this blog.Please contact us if you have any questions about the copyright or use of “Heritage Ramblings” blog material.
Unknown Clutter family, most likely, from a small family album. Left image is a tintype. Right image was taken at Clutter & Young, Newton, Iowa. (Click to enlarge.)
If you have ever attempted a multi-generation family portrait that included children less than about four years old, you may remember the challenges in encouraging (begging? bribing?) those children to sit still, get into a cute pose, and be patient while the other subjects get wrangled. (How do photographers do it??) Babies are hard too, especially if one is trying to photograph a child who does not yet sit up. These photographers solved the problem by having someone hold on to the baby. In the above right picture, the wrinkled dress of (probably) the mother can be seen in the background, and photographer created an oval to showcase the child and quickly faded the image out into the background so that the baby was the focus of the picture, not mom holding the babe.
In the picture below, on the right, the mother can definitely be seen behind the child since the photographer was trying to show the big poufy christening dress. Both of the sleeves are slightly visible in the mother’s dress, so if the picture was restored, we might be able to date it by some of the details on the mother’s dress. Sometimes children were gently tied into a chair, which may be the case with the image on the left since a chair back can be seen.
Unknown babies from the Clutter Family Album. Left image taken in Newton, Iowa- possibly Rufus E. Clutter, son of Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin Clutter and Emmanuel Clutter? Or maybe a daughter, since there are bows on the sleeves? Baby on right was photographed in Cass County, Iowa. (Click to enlarge.)
Th baby below on the left has an adult behind but covered up to disguise the mother. It does look like some of the ‘death portraiture’ of that era, also called, “memento mori.” It looks as if the baby’s head is being held straight, which is the clue that suggests the occasion for the studio image was the death of a child. Eyes would often be painted on the dearly departed’s image so it is sometimes hard to determine whether the child was alive or dead.
Clutter Family Album. Left image taken by D. Sturdevant & Co. Right image from Trader’s in Newton, Iowa. (Click to enlarge.)
The image of the man on the right with the two children looks somewhat similar to the man on the right in the image of “two gents” seen in the first post of this series on the Clutter album. Do you think it could possibly be the same man? Since photos were expensive and most rural folk did not have easy access to a photographer an image would generally be taken only with family members, so this picture is likely a man and his sons- or is the older child a daughter? These children do look a bit like the babies in some of these pictures to this unprofessional eye. It would seem logical though that all the persons in these photos from the album are closely related. And it therefore would seem that they would be closely related, or related by marriage, to Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin Clutter who married Emmanuel Clutter, since the album was passed down in the Benjamin family.
Do you know who the man is that is pictured on the left of the top image in this post? He is another of those mystery people. Since it was a tintype, the date of the photo could be as early as 1856 when tintypes were invented. Newer technology emerged within 10-15 years, but tintypes remained in use
Research has not helped us to find out more about the last few photographers to help date the images- yet. We hope that Clutter family descendants are out there who may have the key to helping us identify these folks by sharing information and images they may have in their old family photo archive. It doesn’t matter if your pictures do not have names and dates, as we could infer information about the movement of the Clutter families. Please comment on this article or use our contact form to share what you may know about this family.
Next: Emmanuel Clutter and Frances “Fannie” Drucilla Benjamin Clutter
Notes, Sources, and References:
Clutter Family photo album- thanks, dear cousins (you know who you are!) for preserving this album and sharing!
“Taken from life: The unsettling art of death photography,” is an interesting but also unsettling look at death portraits, especially of children, and some of the reasons families took these photos. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36389581
Click to enlarge any image. Please contact us if you would like an image in higher resolution.
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