Category: Aiken Family

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Amanuensis Monday: Lee-Russell Postcard from Golden, Colorado, 12 July 1922

Pahaska Teepee, Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum, Lookout Mountain, Colo.
Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill Memorial Museum, Lookout Mountain, Colo.

Buffalo Bill’s memorial was a popular place. The back of the postcard description states,

“PAHASKA TEPEE ATOP LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, COLORADO

The Wm. F. Cody “Buffalo Bill” Memorial. Erected by the City and County of Denver, in honor of the noted Scout and Indian fighter, 1921. The “Tepee” contains the many relics and paintings of the famous frontiersman and was opened to the Public May 29th, 1921. From May to November 1921, 70,000 people from every corner of the globe wrote their names in the register and 280,000 visitors passed through the Museum.”

 

Postmarked Golden, Colorado July 1922, -PM, the card is addressed to Mrs. Sam Lee, or Dorothy Adele Aiken (1884-1953), called “Dottie” by family and friends. The Lees were living at 1038 Grandview, St. Louis, Missouri, at the time.

The note is signed, “Mother,” and if it was Dottie’s mother, she would have been Dora J. (Russell) Aiken (1864-1955); if Sam Lee’s mother, it would have been Maria Louisa (Brandenburger) Lee. I am inclined to think that if was addressed to both, “Mr. and Mrs. Sam Lee” it might have been written by Maria, but since it is only addressed to Dottie, my hypothesis is that the writer was her mother, Dora J. (Russell) Aiken.

 

Reverse of Buffalo Bill Memorial Postcard, 1922
Reverse of Buffalo Bill Memorial Postcard, 1922

The card reads:

“Wed-12. Lookout Mt

I am sending you this card from this building up pretty high but a wonderful ride up here. am feeling fine. We are leaving Friday for Estes Park. I do not know when we will leave for the Springs or Manitou. will write soon.

love, Mother”

 

NOTE: The handwriting under the address is my note from the 1980s that “Mother” was probably Dora Russel per Gene and Vada Lee as we looked through family treasures and discussed them. I am so thankful we did that back then!

 

 

Notes, Sources, and References: 

1) Manitou was a mineral resort and at the foot of Pike’s Peak.

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
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Sunday’s Obituary: Samuel J. Lee

Samuel J. Lee Obituary, 16 Sep 1964. Page 8A, probably from a St. Louis newspaper.
Samuel J. Lee Obituary, 1964. Page 8A, probably from a St. Louis newspaper.

 

Samuel J. Lee was born 29 June 1879 in Bunker Hill, Macoupin County, Illinois, to Samuel Lenton Lee and Louisa M. Brandenberger. Samuel was the oldest child, but all his siblings predeceased him except Christine “Crissie” (Lee) Burkhardt and Lorene “Nene” (Lee) Penneman.

Sam Lee married Dorothy “Dottie” Adele Aiken on 1 December 1906 in Bunker Hill, and their son Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee was born the next year. The family had moved to St. Louis by 1910, possibly so he could attend St. Louis College of Pharmacy, from which he graduated. (He was a member of the Alumni Association for 64 years.) He lived in St. Louis the rest of his life, and operated a drugstore for 54 years.

Dottie Lee died in 1953, and Sam lived 11 years longer without her. He died 24 September, 1964.

Samuel J. Lee is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Jennings, St. Louis County, Missouri.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Family treasure chest of Lee clippings and photos.

2) Samuel J. Lee Find A Grave Memorial # 56893479 at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=64785&GRid=56893479&.

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
 
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Those Places Thursday: Aiken and Lee Family Homes

Home of Henry Edwin Aiken and his second wife Lizzie Schmink. The young woman and man may be William Hanford Aiken and his wife Dora J. Russell. A family picture provided by a kind collaborator, DB.
Home of Henry Edwin “H. E.” Aiken and his second wife Lizzie Schmink in Amherst, Ohio. The young woman and man may be William Hanford “W. H.” Aiken and his wife Dora J. Russell. Image would have been taken after about 1891 when H. E. married Lizzie. A family picture provided by a kind collaborator, DB. (Click to enlarge.)

Since I have been focused on building a new home and have not had much time for writing, I thought some pictures of family homes might be in order on the blog.

mage of "Grandpa Aiken" or W. H. Aiken, d Feb. 17, 1942 in Tylerlawn, Mississippi. Unknown if this is his house or not.
Image of “Grandpa Aiken” or W. H. Aiken, d Feb. 17, 1942 in Tylerlawn, Mississippi. Unknown if this is actually his house. (Click to enlarge.)
Interior of Lee home at 6204 Alamo, St. Louis, Missouri. The clock on the mantel is still in the family, and the favorite dog in the picture is Mickey.
Interior of Lee home at 6204 Alamo, St. Louis, Missouri. The clock on the mantel is still in the family, and the beloved dog in the picture is Mickey. (Click to enlarge.)

 

Lee home at 6204 Alamo, St. Louis, Missouri.
Lee home at 6204 Alamo, St. Louis, Missouri. (Click to enlarge.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three generations of Lees lived in the above house at 6204 Alamo Drive in St. Louis, Missouri: Samuel J. Lee and his wife Dorothy Adele Aiken, Lloyd Eugene Lee and his wife Ruth Nadine Alexander along with their son Robert Eugene Lee, and after Ruth died, Gene’s second wife, Vada Kovich.

The buildings we live in contribute so much to our daily lives, even though we often forget about them or their beauty and comfort until the house demands attention, like cleaning, painting, or plumbing repair. Knowing where our ancestors lived and what their houses looked like, inside and out, can give us a better understanding of their lives.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Family treasure chest of photos and scans.

 

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Copyright 2013-2014 by Heritage Ramblings Blog and pmm.

 
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Tombstone Tuesday: Lee Monument in Memorial Park Cemetery, Jennings, Missouri

Lee headstone in Memorial Park Cemetery, Jennings, Missouri: Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Lee, his first wife Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, and Gene's uncle, Claude Frank Aiken.
Lee headstone in Memorial Park Cemetery, Jennings, Missouri: Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee, Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, and Claude Frank Aiken. (Click to enlarge.)

Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery in Jennings, St. Louis County, Missouri, along with his first wife and uncle.

Gene Lee was the son of Samuel J. Lee (1879-1964) and Dorothy Aiken Lee (1884-1953).

His first wife, Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee, was the daughter of George Harrington Alexander (1879-1951) and Wilhemina Schoor (1882-1942). Ruth was also the mother of his son, but died at the young age of 47.

Claude Frank Aiken was the uncle of Gene Lee, and brother to Gene’s mother, Dorothy “Dottie” (Aiken) Lee. Claude was a pharmacist and helped Gene get his license as well; they attended school together and tested together for their licensing- see Friday’s Faces from the Past: Claude Aiken. Gene was very close to his uncle throughout their years.

Gene’s dearly loved second wife, Vada Kovitch, was cremated. Sadly, the state of Missouri has allowed a stranger to control her ashes and burial, rather than the family who loved her so much. (They wouldn’t let us see her either- unbelievable.) The last contact with this person indicated that she still had the ashes but not the money to bury them with a headstone; she still refused to give them to family.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Tombstone photograph taken by family member and permission to publish granted.

 

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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.

Mystery Monday: Tressa Cullen and Eidlh Cullen

Tressa and Eidlh Cullen, 5 November 1937, Chicago, Illinois
Tressa and Eidlh Cullen, 5 November 1937, Chicago, Illinois

 

This photo was found in with the treasures of the Lee family. ( See “Family Trees” drop down menu or https://heritageramblings.net/family-trees/the-lee-alexander-aiken-family/ for pedigree and names, plus articles pertaining to this family.)

The back of this photo of Tressa Cullen and Eidlh Cullen states “Friends of Grandma Aiken, Nov. 5, 1937, Chicago.”

‘Grandma Aiken’ would most probably have been  Dora J. (Russell) Aiken, married to William H. Aiken, since the images were in the possession of Gene and Vada (Kovich) Lee; they may have noted the information about the picture. Dora lived in the household of her daughter, Dorothy “Dottie” (Aiken) Lee, with Dottie’s husband Samuel Lee and their son, Lloyd Eugene “Gene” Lee. Gene’s first wife Ruth Nadine (Alexander) Lee lived in the household too after their marriage in 1929, as did their son, Robert Eugene “Bob” Lee, born in 1932. Dora was listed in the 1920 and 1930 US Federal Censuses as a widow (she and her husband had separated between the 1910 census and 1917) and living with her daughter and her family.

Interestingly, Dora Aiken, who was born in 1864, died in 1935, two years before this picture was taken. Perhaps the family kept in touch with the Cullens even after Dora’s death? Or maybe the year is wrong.

Any information about these sweet ladies would be appreciated. Are  they sisters or mother and daughter? A quick search on Ancestry.com did not turn up any information.

 

Notes, Sources, and References:

1) Lee Family photo collection.

 

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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.