Mary (Smith) Bandalow
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Mary Luella (Smith) Bandalow (1868 - 1958)

Mary Luella "Ella" Bandalow formerly Smith aka Bandelow
Born in Mason, Effingham, Illinois, USAmap
Ancestors ancestors
[sibling(s) unknown]
Wife of — married 18 Oct 1891 in Altamont, Effingham, Illinois, USAmap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 89 in Decatur, Macon, Illinois, USAmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: Barbara Mahoney private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 3 Jan 2018
This page has been accessed 169 times.

Biography

Mary Luella Smith was born in 1868. She passed away in 1958.

Residence[1]
Date: 9 Jul 1870
Place: Mason, Effingham, Illinois, USA
Residence[2]
Date: 12 Jun 1880
Place: Mason, Effingham, Illinois, USA
Notes: Age 11; Marital Status: Single; Relation to Head: Daughter
Residence: [3]
Date: Jun 1900
Place: Liberty, Effingham, Illinois, USA
Notes: Age 31; Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head: Wife
Residence:[4]
Date: 24 Jun 1920
Place: Liberty, Effingham, Illinois, USA
Notes :Age 52; Relation to Head: Wife; Residence Marital Status: Married
Residence: [5]
Date: 13 May 1940
Place: Beecher City, Effingham, Illinois, USA
Notes: Marital Status: Married; Relation to Head: Wife

In 1948, Ella wrote the following about her life: [6]
Dear folks,
We read in the paper of Nov 4 of the homecoming letters and thought we would write a few lines.
We were married Oct 18, 1891, fifty-seven years ago, and for two years lived with Mr. Bandalow's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Bandalow, Sr. They lived one mile west of the Bethlehem church. We then rented the late S. N. Young's farm, where the Effingham county Fairgrounds are located now. Our first child was born there.
While we lived there we would take our butter and eggs to Altamont to the Hilleman store, and we would get 0.08 cents a dozen for eggs, and10 cents and sometimes less for a pound of butter. Then we could buy 20 lbs of our light brown sugar for $1.00 and calico for a dress at 0.05 cents a yard. The first bananas we ever bought was when we were in Bloomington. They were 0.05 cents a dozen on Saturdays or six dozen for 0.25 cents.
Feb 18, 1897 we had a sale and moved to Bloomington where Mr. Bandalow helped drill the water well at the Normal school. On Oct 4, 1897, our little girl died and we brought her to Altamont. She is buried in the Lutheran cemetery.
On Oct 18 of that same year, we moved to Beecher City and Mr. Bandalow worked for his brother, John, on the B and O section. A few years later, he bought the draying outfit and ran that business for several years. [A dray is a low, heavy cart without sides, used for hauling materials.] Then we ran the Hotel over the Arthur Smith store, and were there until we purchased property and after remodeling, started the Southern Hotel, which we operated for several years. The first person that ate the first meal when we opened the Southern in October 1910 was Ira Slagenhauf, son of the late Dr. and Mrs. Geo Slagenhauf of Altamont. G C Dial was a regular patron of the Southern Hotel. He was a dry goods salesman for Rice Stix and Co, of St. Louis at that time.
When the oil boom started, we rented the Hotel building to oil people and bought the place where we now live, just across the street from the old home. In April 1939 we sold the home place, where we had lived for 38 years, to our daughter, Mrs. Alma Light.
I was Ella Smith before my marriage. My parents died when I was a child, leaving eight of us children. There were five that had to find homes. I was placed in the home of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dunbar. Mrs. Dunbar passed away when I was 17. I kept house for Mr. Dunbar until a year later when he broke up housekeeping.
I worked most of the time in good old Altamont, first for Mr. and Mrs. George Hilleman. At that time, Albert Martin, Rudolph Moll, Sam Schroeder, and Ernest Rehwald were clerks in Mr. Hilleman's store and the first three boarded with Hillemans.
I then worked 11 months for Mr. and Mrs. George W Gwin. Mrs. Gwin was the former Miss Maggie Hipshe. I worked a while for Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Stair.
Mr. Bandalow worked for his father on the farm in Altamont. In our young days, how we loved to go to Altamont to Fourth of July celebrations, the big tent shows, the fine parades, and the big political rallies with the torch light processions. One good big circus was worth more to the children than most of the movies are now. We haven't missed but one day of the county fair since it started the first year. It seems like going back home to go to the Fair at Altamont.
Many of our old friends have passed on, but we still have some very good friends there, among them are Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Bailey, Mr. Edd Stettbacher, H. C. Leitzell, Henry Wendt, the McVickers, Mr. and Mrs.W. J. Campbell and others, our nephew, Conrad Bandelow, our niece, Mrs. Joe Rhodes.
I am now 80 years old and Mr. Bandalow will be 79 in January. We do all our own work and are able to eat three meals a day. We have one daughter and five grandchildren.
We have a very warm place in our hearts for Altamont and enjoy going there. We wish for Altamont the best of success and our best wishes to the editors of The Altamont News, which has been a weekly visitor in our home or the home of our daughter, Mrs. Alma Light, for many years.Our first subscription was when Mr. Frank Shilling, Mr. James Gifford,and later H. H. Bailey were the editors.
We invite all our old friends and many new ones to come and see us. May God bless you all.
-Mr. and Mrs. R Bandalow

Death
Burial: Beecher City Cemetery, Beecher City, Effingham, Illinois, USA Link to memorial

Sources

  1. Year: 1870; Census Place: Mason, Effingham, Illinois; Roll: M593_219; Page: 472A; Family History Library Film: 545718
  2. Year: 1880; Census Place: Mason, Effingham, Illinois; Roll: 205; Family History Film: 1254205; Page: 448D; Enumeration District: 141
  3. Year: 1900; Census Place: Liberty, Effingham, Illinois; Roll: 299; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0078; FHL microfilm: 1240299
  4. Year: 1920; Census Place: Liberty, Effingham, Illinois; Roll: T625_366; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 58
  5. Year: 1940; Census Place: Beecher City, Effingham, Illinois; Roll: m-t0627-00800; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 25-16
  6. The Altamont News, Altamont, Illinois, 10 Nov 1948




Memories: 1
Enter a personal reminiscence or story.
Mary Luella spent the last years of her life in a nursing home. She had lost her vision and her daughter, Alma, was unable to lift her and care for her by herself. She died in Mabel's Nursing home, 936 N Church Street, in Decatur, Illinois at 7:50 p.m. on Sunday, 21 Sep 1958. Funeral services were held at the First Christian Church in Beecher City, Illinois. She was buried on 24 Sep 1958 in the Beecher City Cemetery.

Although in their younger years Rudolph and Mary Bandalow were among the weathiest citizens of Beecher City, they died paupers. When Mary's existence in the nursing home became the responsibility of the state of Illinois, the family was ordered to sell her property and most of her personal possessions to satisfy their expenses. Even after Mary's death and sale of the Bandalow property, money was still owed to the state of Illinois. Alma Bandalow, daughter of Rudolph and Mary, spent 2-3 years paying off the remaining debt and kept detailed records of her payments and the outstanding balance.

posted 3 Jan 2018 by Barbara Mahoney   [thank Barbara]
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Mary by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Mary:

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