Mary Luella Smith was born in 1868. She passed away in 1958.
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
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Mary is 29 degrees from Herbert Adair, 29 degrees from Richard Adams, 22 degrees from Mel Blanc, 30 degrees from Dick Bruna, 23 degrees from Bunny DeBarge, 37 degrees from Peter Dinklage, 24 degrees from Sam Edwards, 21 degrees from Ginnifer Goodwin, 23 degrees from Marty Krofft, 21 degrees from Junius Matthews, 20 degrees from Rachel Mellon and 24 degrees from Harold Warstler on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
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.