image_pdfimage_print

Friday’s Faces from the Past: The Springsteen Family Bible- Family Portraits

This entry is part 2 of 8 in the series The Springsteen Family Bible
Page 7 of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs.
Page 7 of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs.

Springsteen Family (Click for Family Tree)

The Springsteen Family Bible contains three pages that had photos in them, but many had been removed by the time these pages were copied. (Yes, copied- these images of the bible were done before scanners!) So, with apologies for the quality of the images and the paper-punched holes in the side, on this Friday let’s take a look at these ‘Faces from the Past.’

First of all, none of these images have any identification to them, and what was on the back of each image was not documented well. Some of the images were taken out and then replaced for the copies.

Please note: The comments below are just educated guesses- NONE of the identifications can be documented at this point. Of course, if you have an image like one of these, please contact us! We may be able to better determine who the person **might** be by knowing who ended up with the photo- or, a family historian’s dreams could come true and your images might be labeled!

◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊◊

The image above indicates a sleeping baby, or, more probably, a babe who has passed away. Taking portraits of dead persons was one way to remember a beloved one who may have died suddenly, or very young. The BBC has an excellent article on such portraits- see Notes for link. Our image has an angel-like, floating-in-the-clouds feel to it, strengthening the belief that it is a post-mortem image.

Because the bible belonged, we think, to Anna Missouri Springsteen, the dead baby may be Mary Emma Beerbower, the daughter born 22 April 1880 in Brightwood (a suburb of Indianapolis), Marion, Indiana, who lived just until 29 June 1880. Anna Missouri and Edgar Peter Beerbower also had another child, little Willie Beerbower, who was born on 14 February 1889 and died the next day in Cairo, Alexander, Illinois. Finding these pictures and learning what might be on the reverse, such as the name of a photographer’s studio, would help to determine which, if either of these children, is in the portrait.

The little boy in the bottom photo might be Edgar Springsteen Beerbower (1876-1940). He was the second son of Anna Missouri and E.P. Beerbower. Edgar married a bit later than usual in life and then divorced, and no children of his have been documented. So there may have been no one who was interested in the photo in later years, thus it remained in the album- just an idea.

Or, could it be Anna Missouri’s littlest brother Joseph Springsteen, born in 1860 but died in 1862, before his second birthday? Much information in the bible is about her siblings.

Or, could it be someone else??

Page 8 of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs.
Page 8 of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs.

This appears to be a more clear image of the above baby. The reverse image at bottom right is believed to be from the portrait of the young woman below. J. M. Strode was the most prominent photographer in Kokomo, Indiana, for over 25 years, and working in the 1870s. Kokomo is about 60 miles from Indy. Wonder if this image is actually Anna Missouri Springsteen as a young woman? She married Edgar in 1873, and they may have traveled there for their honeymoon or just a visit. (No known family in Kokomo.)

Page 9a of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs.
Page 9a of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs.

Here is a picture of Anna Missouri when she was young…

Anna Missouri Springsteen as a young woman, possibly circa 1873? (age 18, when she married?)
Anna Missouri Springsteen as a young woman, possibly circa 1873? (age 18, when she married?)

And a bit older- do you see any resemblance?

Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower
Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower

We probably need to do more research on her dress and hairstyle, as that can tell us much about the time period. It would be wonderful if it was an early portrait of Anna (Conner) Springsteen (1824-1887), seen here in later years:

Anna (Conner)Springsteen, cropped from family portrait c1863.
Anna (Conner)Springsteen, cropped from family portrait c1863.

Her eyes are more wide open than her daughter Anna Missouri’s, so there might be a possibility… More research is needed.

We definitely know that the young drummer boy in the upper right is Abram Furman Springsteen (1850-1930), supposedly the youngest drummer boy in the Civil War. That was the legend (not just with family, but in Indiana) though it is probably not true.

Page 9b of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs.
Page 9b of Springsteen Bible Family Records- Photographs. (Click to enlarge.)

We don’t know the little baby in the bottom right photo, either. She or he could be any of the folks mentioned above, or even a cousin or family friend. It too looks like a post-mortem photo- notice the wide belt to hold up the baby? The eyes may have been added in, too. Sometimes someone would get behind the baby or child to hold them in place, and that may be the case here too.

So what are your thoughts on these images?

Please do let us know if you have these same photos, and especially if you can identify them!

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

  1.  Family treasure chest.
  2. An interesting article shows some of Victorian death pictures: “Taken from life: The unsettling art of death photography” bhttp://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-36389581

 

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 2013-2016 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.
 Please contact us if you have any questions about copyright or use of our blog material.

Wednesday’s Child: Mary Emma Beerbower

Mary Emma Beerbower's birth announcement in the Marion [Ohio] Daily Star, 26 Apr 1880.
Mary Emma Beerbower’s birth announcement in the Marion [Ohio] Daily Star, 26 Apr 1880. Posted with kind permission of the newspaper for non-profit use only.
 What a joyous news note- the birth of a daughter to Edgar “Ed” Peter Beerbower and Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower!

This cherished daughter was born 22 April 1880. She was named Mary Emma Beerbower, likely after her paternal aunt, Mary Emma (Beerbower) Ligenfelter, who was 3 years younger than her brother Ed.

A Marion, Ohio newspaper printed this story, since Ed and his father, Eleazer John Beerbower, his mother, Matilda Louise McElvey Beerbower, and their other children, were former residents of Marion. (It was also a way to increase newspaper sales in another city- a common ploy by savvy newspapers.) Ed’s brother Samuel T. Beerbower still lived in Marion, and was the postmaster, so the news would be of interest to many in the town.

Ed and Anna Beerbower had already had 2 sons, Robert Warson Beerbower, born 1874, and Edgar Springsteen Beerbower, born 1876. There was then a gap of about three and a half years before dear Mary Emma was born. Two more children would later be born to Ed and Anna: Anna May Beerbower, b. 1881, and Willie Beerbower, b. 1889, but Willie only lived one day.

Samuel T. Beerbower and his wife, Irene L. Peters, had only two known children, both sons: Cornell R. Beerbower (b. 1870) and Wilson Beerbower, birthdate unknown but probably in the 1870s; he only lived one year and a few days.

Little Mary Emma’s grandparents, Eleazer and Matilda Beerbower, were still alive and living in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1880, and must have been thrilled to finally have a granddaughter. Other children of Eleazer and Matilda would give them more grandchildren in later years.

Note the play on words: “Brightwooder be the smiles…” instead of “Bright would be the smiles.” The writer refers to Brightwood, where the daughter was born, a residential area then northeast of Indianapolis, Indiana.

We have real privacy concerns today, but it’s really not that new, except the scope- the newspapers of old could print pretty much what they wanted and usually filled their columns with all sorts of goings on in the town, along with editorial content in the news pages. The birth of a niece was probably a happy event for Samuel and his wife Irene, especially with the 3+ year gap in children for Anna and Ed Beerbower, when they may have lost another child not known. Sadly, the newspaper sort of rubs in the fact that Samuel and Irene do not have a daughter of their own- that probably hurt deeply, as anyone who has lost a child or been unable to have as many as they wish would know.

The sadness continues though… despite being a healthy 8- 1/2 pounds at birth, baby Mary Emma Beerbower only lived just over two months. The Beerbower family bible states

“Died

Mary Emma Beerbower

June 29th 1880 Aged

9 weeks, 5 days

Brightwood, Ind.”

Telgram re: death of Mary Emma Beerbower, in the March 30th, 1880 issue of the Marion [Ohio] Daily Star.
Newspaper article about telgram re: death of Mary Emma Beerbower, in the March 30th, 1880 issue of the Marion [Ohio] Daily Star. Posted with kind permission of the newspaper for non-profit use only.
The telegram was dated 29 June,, but states that the infant died “yesterday, at 4 p.m.” making her actual death date 28 Jun 1880. The paper notes her burial is to be July 1st, but the Find A Grave record for Mary Emma in Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana, notes that she was buried 29 Aug 1880, quite a long time from the bible and telegram death date.

Mary Emma is buried in Section 22, Lot 894, which is not by the remaining family’s lots.

Even though the news is first happy but ultimately sad here, one bright spot to an intrepid family historian is that the first article tells where  Ed Beerbower worked- the CCC & IRR office, so we may be able to find some railroad worker records for him now that we know the line and a date.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Birth announcement in Marion [Ohio] Daily Star, April 26, 1880, Volume III, No. 170, Page 4, Column 2. Posted with kind permission of the newspaper for personal, non-profit use only.

2) 1880 US Federal Census for Eleazer and Matilda (McElvey) Beerbower: Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana; Roll: 295; Family History Film: 1254295; Page: 227B; Enumeration District: 113; Image: 0156.

3) Death telegram news story in Marion [Ohio] Daily Star, April 26, 1880, Volume III, No. 225, Page 4, Column 2. Posted with kind permission of the newspaper for personal, non-profit use only.

4) Mary Emma Beerbower’s Find A Grave Memorial #45869800: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=45869800&ref=acom

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, 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.

Beerbower Family Bible- Deaths

This entry is part 4 of 6 in the series Beerbower Family Bible
Beerbower Bible- Deaths
Beerbower Bible- Deaths

 

Family Record

Died [Handwritten]

Mary Emma Beerbower

June 29th 1880 Aged

9 weeks, 5 days

Brightwood, Ind.

[Anna Missouri & Edgar P. Beerbower’s daughter born April 22, 1880.]

 

Mrs. Anna Springsteen

April 17 1887 aged 64 years

Cairo Ill

[Anna Missouri’s mother, Anna Conner, wife of Jefferson Springsteen. Died while staying with her daughter Anna Missouri.]

 

Willie Beerbower died

Feb 15 1889 at Cairo Ill.

[Son born the day before, Feb. 14. Anna was about 35 when she had Willie.]

 

Robert Warson Beerbower

Died Sept 17th 1900 Denver Colo

Wednesday 2 a.m.

[First son who was b. 1874; only 26 years old at death.]

 

Roberta Pearl Beerbower

Rob’s little baby born Oct 16th– 1900     Tuesday

Indianapolis Ind

522 Buchanan St.

[Daughter born to Robert Warson Beerbower, child of Anna Missouri- this is NOT a death! Roberta was born about a month after her father died. She lived to be 91, and she was a close cousin to Mary Helbling McMurray during the 30s and 40s.]

 

Ed. P. Beerbower

Died Jan [20?] 1916     Thursday a.m.

Burial Monday Jan 24, 1916   Lot #202 Sec 32

Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Ind.

[Edgar P. Beerbower, husband of Anna M. Beerbower, b. 1849.]

 

NOTE: Miscellaneous papers from the Beerbower Family Bible will be posted 1/6/15 and 1/7/15.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Beerbower family bible.

2) Springsteen and Beerbower Family Group Records compiled over many years using bibles, census, and other data.

 

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, 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.

Beerbower Family Bible- Births

Beerbower Bible- Births
Beerbower Bible- Births

“Jany 19 -74” may indicate that Anna Missouri (Springsteen) Beerbower began recording family events in the bible received from her father on that date. We also know that any dates that occurred before the date of presentation, 31 December 1873, may be subject to error, although most information has been verified with a few exceptions that will be noted.

BIBLE INSCRIPTION NOTES
Births
E. P. Beerbower Born June 28th-49Pickerington, O Edgar Peter was the husband of Anna Missouri Springsteen; year b.was 1849.
Anna M. Beerbower Born May 16th-54Indianapolis Ind 117 Spring St. Anna Missouri Springsteen Beerbower, bible owner. Year b. was 1854.
Robert Warson Beerbower Born June 16 187[?]126 Spring St. Indianapolis, Ind       Tuesday The first son of Edgar P. and Anna Missouri, b. 1874.
Edgar Springsteen Beerbower Born Oct 19 187[?]263 Christian Ave, Indianapolis, Ind     Thursday The second child of Edgar P. and Anna Missouri, born 1876. Given his mother’s maiden name as his middle name.
Mary Emma Beerbower Born April 22 1880   ThursdayBrightwood, IndMarion Co. Third child of Edgar P. and Anna Missouri Springsteen Beerbower.
Anna May. Born May 25th-81- 9 pm     ThursdayAt 264 East Ohio St. Indianapolis Fourth child of Anna Missouri and Edgar P.; year b. was 1881.
Willie Beerbower Born[Fe?]b 14 1889 at Cairo Ill Fifth and last child of Anna Missouri and Edgar P.; b. Feb 14, 1889.

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Beerbower family bible.

2) Springsteen and Beerbower Family Group Records compiled over many years using bibles, census, and other data.

3) Edgar Peter Beerbower was called, “Ed” and I have seen him listed as “Edward.” Being that Edgar became a family name, I lean toward his name being “Edgar.”

 

Please contact us if you would like higher resolution images.

Copyright 2013-2015 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
We would love to read your thoughts and comments about this post, 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.