Before we post more “Unknown” photos from the Helbling-Geier Family Collection, there is a bittersweet story to tell of Laurelda Collette Helbling (1888-1961) and her husband, Bernard Adam Geier (1887-1961).
If you are a good genealogical sleuth, just reading the above paragraph might make you pause- did you notice that they passed away in the same year?
Of course, that would lead to more research…
The Geier Family: Standing, from left- Edwin “Eddie” B. Geier, Laurelda Collette Geier, Robert “Bob” A. Geier, Lillian May Geier, Mary Agnes Geier. Sitting, from left- Bernard Aloyisus Geier, Laurelda “Collette” (Helbling) Geier, Bernard Adam Geier, and Elizabeth Otillie “Betty” Geier. Little Bernard was born in 1924 and Betty in 1927, so this family portrait may have been taken about 1929.
Bernard and Collette would have been married about 19 years when the above portrait was taken.
Here is the family on 8 June 1937- they would be coming up on their 27th anniversary that November.
8 June 1937- The Geier Family: Geier House, Birmingham and Florence Avenue, Avalon, PA. Standing: Edward/Edwin Geier, Mary Geier, Lillian May Geier, Laurelda Geier, Robert “Bob” Geier. Bernard Geier, Jr, Bernard A. Geier, Collette (Helbling) Geier, Betty Geier, and Private (youngest girl).
On November 23rd, 1960, Colette and Bernard celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
What happened that next year can best be told by a close family member (slightly edited):
It was Good Friday, March 30, 1961. Collette, Bernard’s wife, was with her daughter Betty shopping for Easter. They had bought tulips that day. Betty drove Collette home and told her mother to stay in the car while Betty went around to the front door of the house so she could come through the house and open the side door so her mother could come in that way. While she was standing on the porch a car came up Birmingham Avenue and the head lights shined for a second on the garage. Betty saw something laying beside the garage door. She ran down to the garage and found Bernard laying just outside the door not breathing. He had parked his car in the garage and came out and locked the door before having a massive heart attack. Betty then ran to the house to call for an ambulance and get her mother into the house. The ambulance took him to Bellevue Hospital but the doctor said he had died instantly.
Collette had been just 22 when they wed, Bernard 23. They had been married to each other for two-thirds of their life- they had been married to each other about twice as long as they had not been married to the other.
Our cousin continued:
Laurelda had at least 50 pen pals and after her husband died she wrote all of them and said she would not be around long because she couldn’t live without Bernard. He took care of everything for her. They had been married 50 years. Her sister-in-law Annie stayed with her after Bernard passed away but then went back to her home. A few days later Collette was found laying between her bed and the wall. She had a cerebral hemorrage of the brain and was unconscious. She was taken to Bellevue Hospital. The doctor said they were going to put her in the psychiatric unit and she could not have visitors for two weeks. Her daughter Betty told the doctor that her mother would not be alive in two weeks.
At the time Collette’s youngest daughter was in the same hospital and had just given birth to a daughter. A nurse came into her daughter’s room and said some patient asked if you had a kangaroo or a hippopotamus. Her daughter started crying and said “That is my mother.” Collette never saw her youngest granddaughter.
Collette’s daughter Betty was with her when she passed away. She had been asleep and when she awoke she said that it felt like angels were in the room and then her mother was gone.
Collette died just three weeks after her husband Bernard. She was laid out at McDonald’s funeral home in Avalon [PA] and had the same solid oak casket as Bernard.
Notes, Sources, and References:
Family treasure chest of photos and memories. Thank you again, dear Mary Lou, for sharing!
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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 2013-2019 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 copyright or use of our blog material.
We will be posting some photos in this and upcoming posts of some unknown family. These unlabeled images have been passed down in the Helbling line, and we hope someone out there also has one of these photos, and may be able to identify the people in it.
Here is a little background:
The current owner of these pictures, which were found loose, is a descendant of Laurelda Collette (Helbling) Geier, who lived in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. Laurelda was born in 1888, and married Bernard Adam Geier (1887-1961) on 23 Nov 1910; they both died in 1961, only 22 days apart.
Laurelda was a first cousin to Gerard William “G. W.” Helbling (1882-1971), husband to Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling (1881-1954), our direct ancestor. We have pictures of G.W.’s son, Edgar B. Helbling (1908-1994), with Laurelda’s son, Robert “Bob” A. Geier (1912-1990); they were second cousins.
G.W.’s father was Francis X. Helbling (1840-1919) and Laurelda’s was William Helbling (1841-1896), both children of Franz Xavier Helbling (1800-1876) and Mary Theresa (Knipshield) Helbling (1810-1891). F.X. (Sr.) and Mary were our German immigrants to the US, probably about 1835.
On to the pictures:
Lawrence and Flora (Helbling) Hyle family
The first picture in this article is not labeled with names of the woman or child. We do know that the photo directly above is a portrait of Laurelda’s sister, Flora Agnes (Helbling) Hyle (1867-1920), her husband Lawrence M. Hyle (1864-1921), plus other family members. (The Hyle name has also been spelled “Heyl.”) Although this is not a great image, it could be two or three sisters, their husbands and children, and an older woman who could possibly be their mother. The family thinks that the woman on the far right of the photo looks like the woman in the picture above, and may be one of the women in the following picture:
Unknown portraits- possibly Helbling or Stupy Family, from the Helbling-Geier Family Photo Collection
Could the above picture possibly be 4 generations of the family?
If this portrait was taken in 1897, as the cutout from what was probably the original photo card suggests, the little girl in the lower left could possibly be Laurelda Collette Helbling, who would have been 9 years old that year.
This picture appears to be the same little girl:
Unknown photo from the Helbling-Geier Family Photo Collection
Here is another adorable little girl- could this be the same person, just younger?
Unknown photo from the Helbling-Geier Family Photo Collection
It is always good to compare unknown pictures with those that are labeled, so here is a picture that includes Laurelda:
Helbling Family. Rear, from left: Regis, Millie, Mae, Essie. Front: Eliabeth B (Stupy) Helbling-mother, Laurelda Collette, and Flora Helbling.
What do you think? Could these unknown pictures be of Laurelda Collette (Helbling) Geier?
The fact that so many pictures of the same people were lovingly saved over almost 120 years (or more!) suggests that these ‘unknowns’ are truly family members, in the direct line of the person who now holds the images. Not having their names on the picture was logical at the time- their contemporaries all knew who was who.
Please use our contact form to let us know if you have these same photos- even without names, knowing the chain of persons they have been passed down through may help to eliminate or even to identify persons.
A special thanks to cousin Mary Lou who has done phenomenal research on the Helbling family- in the days before the internet!- and who has been a wonderful steward of these family treasures.
Click to enlarge any image. Please contact us if you would like an image in higher resolution.
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 2013-2019 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 copyright or use of our blog material.
Originally entitled “Yankee Doodle,” this is one of several versions of a scene painted by A. M. Willard that came to be known as “The Spirit of ’76.” Public domain via Wikipedia.
Helbling/Springsteen Family, and ALL our American family!
What if we knew of an object that was 243 years old, had been an active part of making America free, and had a connection to our family? Would that make you even more proud to be an American? Would that make you even more proud to have the DNA of such ancestors that used the artifact? Would you feel more connected to history?
Would you also be amazed???
Those were some of my emotions when I saw the following treasure on the website, AmericanPowderHorns.com:
A powder horn that belonged to Capt. Abraham Remsen, who commanded a Revolutionary War militia from Newtown, Long Island, New York, which had been a Dutch Colony that was then owned by the British. Image posted with the very kind permission of Rich Nardi, owner of the powder horn and the website, AmericanPowderHorns.com.
Incredibly, this fragile piece of animal horn has survived 243 years thanks to the wonderful care of collectors like Rich Nardi. If you are a descendant, this is really special, but in the U.S., we are all beneficiaries of the persons who used these horns and settled this country, and who fought for our freedoms.
This horn originally belonged to Capt. Abraham Remsen (1730-1807), who is a 6th great-uncle to the grandchildren of Anna May (Beerbower) Helbling and her husband Gerard William “G. W.” Helbling of St. Louis, MO. (To know your relationship to Capt. Remsen, figure the number of generations you are removed from the grandchildren of Anna May & G.W., and add 6 to know the number of generations between yourself and this Revolutionary War hero.) We cannot know if Capt. Remsen carved it himself, if his troops did the work and gave it to him, or if it was professionally carved, but it is a fantastic artifact, whatever its origin.
So what is a powder horn? Yes, it is just what it sounds like- a horn-shaped object which is hollow and used to store powder for the guns of an earlier time. Cow and ox horns were typically used in the Eastern US. Oxen were plentiful as they were used in farming to pull a plow or to help remove felled trees, drag barges against the current in a canal, or pull heavy loads such as pioneer wagons or military cannon across mountains and plains. Cows were even more plentiful and kept on farms (and even on city lots!) for milk but also for butter, which was often traded for other goods at the general store, and when they were no longer good milk producers, the cows became a source of meat. There were also powder horns made from a variety of animal horns, like bison or water buffalo; powder horns were even made of ivory, wood, or tin.
As Rich states on his website, “The powder horn was the companion to every musket and rifle in early America.” If you didn’t keep your powder dry, your rifle would not fire properly and you would miss the shot of the animal that was to be your family’s dinner… or the shot that would save your child from the attack of a mountain lion… or the shot that would protect the safety of your family and property from nefarious individuals or soldiers coming to take your freedoms. You could even be injured or killed when the gun misfired due to wet powder.
Battle of Springfield New Jersey, 1780. Just an example- we do not know if our Capt. was there, but note man with outstretched arm- the round object on his right with a strap may be his powder horn. Image via Wikipedia, public domain.
A powder horn was closed at the larger end by a metal or wood plug, and it generally would have a knob on which a strap was attached, as in the right of the powder horn above. The other end often had a metal spout with a cover. In the Remsen horn, the pouring spout is tin that is threaded and pegs made of wood hold the spout to the horn. The cap was also made of tin, and open at both ends to be used like a funnel in filling the horn from the smaller end. A wooden or cork stopper would have been inserted into the spout to keep the gunpowder from spilling out, but that piece has been lost to time. The spout end would be carried toward the front of the soldier or hunter, or when worn cross-body, often slung to the back when marching. When needed, the horn could be quickly grabbed and pulled forward, then cap removed and powder poured into the pan or muzzle, setting up another shot as quickly as possible.
Tip of the Abraham Remsen powder horn owned by Rich Nardi, posted with his generous permission, via AmericanPowderHorns.com.
Many- or most?- early Americans, especially those on the frontier, created their own powder horns- its preparation was a good evening or winter activity, or, for a soldier, something to keep the mind and hands busy during the interminable, worrisome, boring hours of waiting for battle. Some polished their horns, both inside and out, as that would make the horn translucent and the amount of powder left inside was easily visible. (“Do I have enough for one more shot at the bear running toward me or should I run?”*) Most horns were probably very utilitarian, but many became beautiful pieces of folk art, with scrimshaw-like carvings that showed what was important to the owner- perhaps a place, a battle, a date, bible verse or saying, or images of nature or people. Some, like Abraham’s horn, give us the gift of their name, too.
Carving on the Abraham Remsen powder horn owned by Rich Nardi, posted with his generous permission. AmericanPowderHorns.com
Transcription:
“CAPT. ABRAH
AM REMSE
N. NEWT
ON LONG
ISLAND
MILITIA
JUN 1776″
We have so few artifacts that bring us down to the month and day they were created, and even provide the owner’s name. He was “Capt. Abraham Remsen” in June of 1776- the month before he heard the Declaration of Independence! By July, Abraham had been promoted to Major. Abraham was in charge of a section of Long Island, New York militia that were already fighting to gain our freedom from British tyranny, even though the Declaration of Independence had not yet been signed or circulated in June of 1776, the date on the horn.
(There is a lot of story to tell about this family and Capt. Remsen- that will be done in upcoming blogs.)
Speaking of the British, you may have heard them called “Redcoats” as in the iconic ride of Paul Revere, “The Redcoats are coming!”
The British forces at the “Battle of Bunker Hill” (1909) by E. Percy Moran, public domain via Wikimedia.
“Redcoat” definitely described the British uniform, but it was also a derogatory term for the king’s soldiers. In the psychological war that always plays a part in any international or civil conflict, the American patriots had yet another name for the highly trained, professional British army, a name that was even worse. Probably spoken most often with a sneer and a spit, (and maybe some fear), they called the British soldiers, “Lobsters.”
We know that our (some number) great uncle Capt. Abraham Remsen, definitely used the term, “Lobsters” for the British:
Abraham Remsen powder horn owned by Rich Nardi, posted with his generous permission, via AmericanPowderHorns.com.Abraham Remsen powder horn owned by Rich Nardi, posted with his generous permission, via AmericanPowderHorns.com.Abraham Remsen powder horn owned by Rich Nardi, posted with his generous permission, via AmericanPowderHorns.com.
(Love that New York accent in the spelling!)
Abraham Remsen powder horn owned by Rich Nardi, posted with his generous permission, via AmericanPowderHorns.com.
“MY POWDER MAKES LOBSTARS FLEE”
What delightful words to put on the object that holds the powder for his rifle or musket!
In those days, it was thought that the local red lobsters mainly lived on ocean detritus (remains of dead creatures). Lobsters were thus sometimes called “the cockroaches of the sea.” Did the patriots think that was how low the British were- cockroaches? After a storm, lobsters would wash up on the New England coastline, sometimes in piles two feet high! It was a great source of protein, but went bad quickly after the lobster died. Because it was so plentiful, lobster became a food for the poor. Living on Long Island so near the sea, the Remsen family may have eaten red lobster, but they were certainly familiar with piles of lobster rotting on the beach, and the accompanying stench. The Captain and his troops would have been as eager to finish off the British as they would have been for having piles of rotting lobster on the beach just disappear!
One other fun wordplay on this beautiful powder horn- certain powders make fleas jump off mangy dogs. Was the maker of this horn implying that the British soldiers were as unwelcome in America as fleas??
The other side of the powder horn has two ships, full masted, in a harbor, probably New York Harbor. Abraham would have seen them there frequently as the British mustered their forces by land as well as sea to put down the insurrection of British citizens against their king. These carvings have become very worn and hard to photograph over the years, so we currently do not have images of them, but that is in the works.
The bold images and words on Abraham’s horn have brought us into the trenches with him to feel the hatred, the anger, and the emotions of a soldier risking it all for the lives of family, friends, property, and freedom. Now, take a closer look at the rest of this powder horn, and the beautiful, fine-line carving behind the bolder words. There are trees and flowers, graphic bars dividing sections and the cartouche framing his name and information, ‘wingdings’- small graphics use to separate words, etc. And then there are the two rows of houses and a band that states “Newtown,” the town he lived in on Long Island, in what was called “New Netherland” when his Dutch ancestors helped settle it. That image was a good reminder for even the really bad times (which were to come- soon) of why he he had left home and family to take the life of others. Perhaps Abraham could momentarily escape into the images of the houses and trees and be removed from the mundane, often miserable, scenes of camp life and battle that he was living, no matter how brief the sweet reverie. Abraham’s beautiful powder horn would have kept him going, both mentally and militarily, for the long series of battles that was just beginning.
There is much more to come on Abraham Remsen and our Dutch Colonial ancestors of the Springsteen family. In the meantime, please visit Rich Nardi’s website, AmericanPowderHorns.com, for more information about this horn, and other fantastic artifacts from our early history as a country.
Thank you so much, Rich, for preserving and so generously sharing these treasures!
Notes and Sources:
*Running is not necessarily the best tactic for dealing with a bear- please learn what is currently recommended before you go out into the woods.
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 2013-2019 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.
Edith (Roberts) [McMurray] Luck at her desk in Newton, Iowa, 1980.
Many of us are fortunate to know our parents and grandparents, and some of us have actually visited with a great-grandparent. The chance of meeting a great-great grandparent is pretty slim, although today, thanks to the foresight of Edith (Roberts) [McMurray] Luck (1899-1982) and the persistence of a beloved little red-haired girl- Edith was once one of those too- we can, in a sense visit that many generations back.
That little red-haired girl was not me, but I am a beneficiary of the stories Edith wrote about her years growing up on the farm and the people she loved. She gives us so much detail about her family that it is almost like we are there for a visit too.
The John and Elizabeth Ann (Murrell) Roberts Family, 1904.
In the above picture, the fourth child from the left sitting on the ground with long ringlets and a big bow in her hair is Edith Roberts. She was four, and the young woman standing above her in the light dress is her sister Ethel Gay Roberts; her brother George A. Roberts is just to the left of Ethel and their mother, Ella V. (Daniel) Roberts, is in between. Edith’s father George A. Roberts, Sr. is to the right of his daughter Ethel. You can, most likely, pick out John Roberts and his wife Elizabeth Ann “Lizzie” (Murrell) Roberts further to the right in the picture, as they are the oldest in the family and both dressed in dark clothing. (John is the fourth from the right standing, Lizzie the fifth.) Family get-togethers like these on the farm were how Edith learned so much about her family history, and how she had an opportunity to really get to know her grandparents, uncles, aunt, and cousins.
That little red-haired, persistent girl named Edith grew up telling her own descendants about their ancestors, and she finally wrote much of it down, due to the persistence of that other little red-haired girl. (Thank you both!)
Edith’s words are what will be shared here, with minimal additional comments from yours truly- mostly just enough for clarity and to help keep us straight with factual family history. [Editor’s notes will be in italics.]
Edith wrote:
“My grandpa and grandma Roberts were something else. They … had moved into town from the farm. They first lived in Monroe, but later moved to Prairie City. John and Elizabeth Roberts. I have always liked that name. I like to pronounce and write it and see it in print. ROBERTS, Welsh name it is. Two brothers came over here from Wales. One became a Tory and went to Canada during the Revolutionary War, and our ancestor came west. He was a Whig, and I suppose this is why we have been Republicans all these years. It makes conservativeness, maybe? Never thought of that before.
[The story of two immigrant brothers, one a Tory (British loyalist), and one a Whig (American patriot) is a common one, but that great political divide is also one that was sometimes true even for brothers born here. Thus far, almost all of what Edith stated about her family history has been found to be true with copious research, so this story bears looking into. A Roberts family history, however, states that the original Roberts immigrant came to America from Wales. (That may still count as being a Tory? Knowing when they came over would help us to determine if this story is true or not.) Also, research is very challenging with such a common name, but maybe with all that is available these days, we will find an answer soon.]
“Grandpa [John Roberts, 1832-1922] was indeed one of the finest looking men you can imagine. Very, very tall. Over six feet, thin, and stately. As I remember him he never walked with a cane or in any way showed his age, except his white hair. It was sort of bristly like, cut short, and always immaculate. He smelled so good. He used a nice smelling cologne I suppose. In those days that was really something. I cannot remember my dad ever using anything like that, or my brother either. He was always well turned out. Clean, neat and sprightly.
[Despite his age- 72- John Roberts is the tallest of the family in the 1904 picture! And he does look “well turned out.”]
“But what a disposition. So different from grandpa Daniels [Edith’s maternal grandfather]. He [John Roberts] would argue at the drop of a hat on any issue no matter what it was. He harped on religion a lot. There were two churches in Prairie City, one Methodist and the other Christian. Grandpa Roberts was a member of the Methodist church, and if you were not, you were no good. The Daniels belonged to the Christian Church; that is where they attended. Really I don’t think they ever had anything to do with each other. Lived in this little town of maybe 500 people and probably never saw each other except at the post office. By the way, the post office was common ground for every one in town. No mail delivery then. You had a post office box and had to pick up your own mail. A gossip center perhaps.
The “Homeplace” of George A. Roberts, Sr. and Ella V. (Daniel) Roberts, Jasper County, Iowa. Image taken circa 1900 and hand colored. Part of this farm had belonged to John and Lizzie Roberts previously.
“I have often thought that maybe it was because of grandpa Robert’s disposition, caused my dad to leave at such an early age. He farmed for himself before he was twenty, and mother was only sixteen or eighteen when they were married. Dad had trouble with his brother Jason, who was grandpa’s pet, and grandpa was always blaming dad for uncle Jason’s doings. Anyway this is dad’s side of the story. Once I understand they had a “knock-down and drag out” and after that did not do so much “trouble-making” for dad.
[Ironically and sadly, George A. Roberts, Sr. was a strong-willed, quick-tempered man like his father. George disowned his daughter Ethel when she married a man he did not approve of, and he averted his eyes and did not speak if he saw her or his grandchildren on the street in their small town. Ethel made a good choice, however, as the man George had in mind for his oldest daughter turned out to be a ne’er do well. George did have quite a soft spot for his youngest daughter Edith, however, despite her sneaking notes between her sister and her eventual husband, Bert Robison.]
“Dad had three brothers and one sister. Uncle Ed [William Edward Roberts, 1858-1935] who was a dear. So gentle and kind with beautiful mirthful brown eyes. Aunt Mollie [Mary Jane (Roberts) [French] Blount] 1863-1947] lived in Des Moines and was considered ‘city folks’. Will tell you that story another time. Then dad, and then uncle Jason [Jason Lee Roberts 1859-1940]. There were lots of cousins. Uncle Ed had three children, uncle Jason had seven, aunt Mollie six, and we had three. A lot different than our small close-knit family on mamma’s side of the house. We were just another grandchild to them. Their house was more interesting than grandma Daniels. I suppose they had more worldly goods. As I look back on it now. Once we had to go there for Christmas and how we kids did complain. Always it was Christmas at grandpa Daniels, or it just was not Christmas. Grandpa Roberts had bought four silver tea sets (we still have one). Each set was in a clothesbasket and what to do about the giving of them. We had Christmas the next day at grandpa Daniel’s but it was not the same as if we could have had it on Christmas Day.
” Now dear little Grandma Roberts [Elizabeth Ann “Lizzie” (Murrell) Roberts, 1835-1917], as a fretting, busy always at something sort of person. She was so small she could stand under grandpa’s outstretched arm. She loved flowers, and this is what I remember most about that place. There were flowers everywhere. I never see one of those tiny, tiny pansies that I don’t think of grandma Roberts. She was so quiet and kind, and never crossed grandpa, but took his tirades in stride.
“She came originally from West Virginia. She remembered the slaves and how bad it was for them. Only in whispers did I hear mamma and her talking about this. I was not supposed to be listening.
“Going back to the flowers, she had a terrarium… I can see it yet. It was in a large jar and was most interesting. Her dining room was filled with flowers. Always there was a huge fern. You had to be careful not to touch the ends of the fronds or they would die. They would too. The houses were larger then, but I can remember this dining room was most cluttered.
“I can remember the Reo runabout grandpa bought. [Edith was in her 70s when she wrote these stories, and still very sharp.] To have an automobile then was something. They would drive out to visit us during the week, but never on Sundays. Always they were in church on that day. No one did anything on Sunday but go to church and make calls in the afternoon. They would come chug-chugging in the farmyard… [that area] was quite level at that time. Grandpa so tall, and grandma so little, with her veil flying back of her in the wind. They wore tan dusters. [A long coat was necessary to keep off the road dust as few roads were paved back then.] They would come in for dinner. Mother would have chicken and noodles, because they like that, and all the goodies that went along with a good country meal. Mamma was considered an excellent cook. There was a good relationship between mamma and grandma. [They were in-laws.]
A current example of a 1906 Reo Runabout, via wikipedia
“After dinner dad would go out and get in the automobile and drive it around in the [open area near the farmhouse], in a circle. Of course I was right behind him having a ball. No one else in the family had a car at that time. About four o’clock they would leave and the next week they would visit one of the other children. Strange, all three brothers lived in this area. Each just two miles from each other.
[Each son received part of John and Lizzie Roberts’ land from his will, before he passed away, or they bought it from him. Some of that land is still owned by descendants.]
She [grandma] always had handwork. Her little hands were never idle. I wish I had some of her handwork… Her workbasket was a most tempting place to get into. Not that I did. I really had a sort of stand-off attitude towards both of them.
“I don’t seem to remember much about the passing of either of them. Seems to me grandma went first [she did] and uncle Ed moved in with them and they took care of grandpa because they eventually lived in this house for years. It is still there and I can show it to you some time.
“Well my pets, this is just off the top of my head; there’s much more that could be written… I hope this will be meaningful to all of you, and that you will be [as] proud to have them as your… [ancestors], as I am to have them as grandparents.”
I hope that you enjoyed our little visit with Edith’s grandparents, and they are now more than names, dates, and a few pictures. What a treasure she has left us!
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 2013-2019 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.
“John & Lizzie Roberts” 1876, from the Jeremiah Roberts photo album.
We have posted pictures of John Roberts (1832-1922) and his wife Elizabeth Ann (Murrell) Roberts (1835-1917) but somehow missed posting this image. It is from the photo album of Jeremiah “Doc” Roberts (1837-1918), one of the many brothers of John Roberts, and “Doc” actually was a doctor. This is the earliest photo we have of the couple- they would have been in their early 40s if the year is correct.
“John & Lizzie Roberts” 1876, from the Jeremiah Roberts photo album, cropped.
They do look younger possibly in this photo, so we may need to research the date a bit more. (Farm life, with the sun and constant hard work, often made folks look older than they were.) The information on the back of the photo, however, states, “To Jerry Roberts” (likely Jeremiah) and there is a date, 1876. They probably sent the photo from Prairie City, Jasper County, Iowa, to Jerry, who had stayed in Indiana. It would be interesting to know if the date is in the same ink and handwriting- if not, there is more justification to question the year.
John and Lizzie were married in 1857 in Roseville, Illinois; he was 24 years old, she 22. Their first child was born in 1858, and the fifth and last in 1877. (Sadly, their last child died at 10 months.)
Perusing this image did inspire a desire to take a look at all the pictures we have of John and Lizzie, sort of ‘side-by-side’ so we can follow them through the years, however we will need to do that vertically here on the blog.
John S. Roberts and Elizabeth Ann (Murrell) Roberts, possibly in the 1880s or 1890s? Posted with kind permission of the Harlan Family Blog.
Comparing this picture to the first shows how they have aged into possibly the 1880s, which is why the above picture may actually be earlier that 1876.
John Roberts and Elizabeth Ann (Murrell) Roberts, 1892, Jasper County, Iowa, cropped from a larger family picture.
By 1892 the family was well-established in Jasper County. The above image was taken at the Roberts homestead and cropped from a large family portrait of children and grandchildren.
John S. Roberts and his wife Elizabeth Ann (Murrell) Roberts at the family homeplace, 1900. Cropped from a larger family picture.
John and Lizzie had moved to a larger house by the time this picture was taken. The large family picture this image was cropped from included all their children with their spouses, and grandchildren.
Sitting, from left: Daughter Mary Jane (Roberts) [French] Blount, John Roberts, Elizabeth Ann (Murrell) Roberts. Standing, from left: Sons William Edward (W.E.), Jason Lee, and George Anthony Roberts. Taken around 1900 or 1902.
Some of these family pictures have slightly different dates per the various descendant lines.
John Roberts, circa 1904 or maybe around 1915, at their home in Prairie City, Iowa.
The reverse of this image states, “This is awful dark but your can tell it is Grandpa.”
Four generations of the Roberts family: John Roberts (1832-1922), his son William Edward “W.E.” Roberts (1858-1935), his grand-daughter Maude Mae Roberts Jensma (1884-1980), and great grandson Edward Jensma (1907-1986). Image dated 22 August 1909.
John Roberts, c1920s(?)
We have not found any images of John and Lizzie together after the 1900/1902 image. Lizzie passed away in 1917, and John survived her by five years. The above image was used for his obituary in 1922. (Her obituary had no picture with it.)
Notes and Sources:
Family treasure chests of photos. It is wonderful that cousins have shared so that we can have so many pictures of our dear ancestors throughout their lives!
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 2013-2019 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.
