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Pascoe-Oversby Family

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Surname/tag: Dower Schaal Pascoe Oversby
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James Dower

PASCOE -- OVERSBY FAMILY web address: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=AHN&db=kenalice3&id=I7867


PASCOE -- OVERSBY FAMILY

Entries: 12122 Updated: 2010-05-03 05:41:05 UTC (Mon) Contact: Ken Pascoe Index | Individual | Pedigree | Download GEDCOM Ahnentafel, Generation No. 1 1. James DOWER was born 31 AUG 1867 in Eagle River,Keweenaw,Michigan,United States., and died 21 JUL 1891 in Republic Twp.,Marquette,Michigan (23y 9m 21d). He was buried JUL 1891 in Republic Cemetery,Marquette,Michigan. He was the son of 2. James DOWER and 3. Martha CHAPMAN.

Ahnentafel, Generation No. 2 2. James DOWER was born 3 APR 1831 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England, was christened 18 FEB 1832 in Redruth,Cornwall England. He was the son of 4. William DOWER and 5. Mary WHITMAN. 3. Martha CHAPMAN was born 1833 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng., was christened 3 MAR 1833 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. (By William Marsh). She was the daughter of 6. William CHAPMAN and 7. Elizabeth WHITBURN.

Children of Martha CHAPMAN and James DOWER are: i. Emily DOWER was born MAR 1855 in Lanarth,Redruth,Cornwall,England - (BMD: 5c 287). ii. William C. DOWER was born 1857 in Lanarth,Redruth,Cornwall,England.. iii. Ann Chapman DOWER was born JAN 1860 in Lanarth,Redruth,Cornwall,England - (BMD: 5c 283). She married Francis W. (Frank) PASCOE 18 JUN 1884 in Republic,Marquette,Michigan. United States, son of Peter PASCOE and Jane TERRILL. He was born 18 JUN 1858 in Johnstown,Pennsylvania,United States of America. iv. John DOWER was born 1866 in Michigan,United States.. 1. v. James DOWER was born 31 AUG 1867 in Eagle River,Keweenaw,Michigan,United States., and died 21 JUL 1891 in Republic Twp.,Marquette,Michigan (23y 9m 21d). vi. Alfred DOWER was born APR 1869 in Michigan,United States.. He married Jessie PENGELLY 29 JUL 1897 in Republic,Marquette,Michigan, daughter of William PENGELLY and Susan CORY. She was born MAY 1869 in Tavistock,Devon. England. vii. Marnie E (Mary) DOWER was born 7 NOV 1870 in Ely,Michigan,United States.. She married James M. MILLER 27 DEC 1888 in Republic Marquette Michigan. United States., son of Arthur (Art) MILLER. He was born 1865 in Canada. viii. Thomas DOWER was born 9 JUN 1873 in Republic,Marquette,Michigan, and died 29 JUL 1873 in Republic,Marquette,Michigan. ix. Lillie E DOWER was born 10 APR 1875 in Republic,Marquette,Michigan.

Ahnentafel, Generation No. 3 4. William DOWER was born 1798 in Wendron Cornwall,England., was christened 2 DEC 1798 in Wendron,Cornwall. Eng., and died SEP 1859 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 149). He was the son of 8. Peter DOWER and 9. Mary TRESIDDER. 5. Mary WHITMAN was born 1800 in Kenwyn,Cornwall Eng., and died MAR 1866 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 191).

Children of Mary WHITMAN and William DOWER are: i. William DOWER was born 1822 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England, was christened 23 JUN 1822 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. (By Sampson Harris), and died 1895 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 169) 74yrs.. He married Sophia MOYLE JUN 1844 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 9 265). She was born 1824 in Devonport,Cornwall., and died 1909 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 138) (83yrs). ii. Peter DOWER was born 1824 in Cornwall,England, was christened 21 APR 1826 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England (at Age 2 Years) William Marsh (Vicar), and died JUN 1882 in Redruth,Cornwall. Eng. -(BMD 5c 153) 59yrs.. He married Susan GOLDSWORTHY MAR 1846 in Gwennap,Cornwall. (Redruth BMD: 9 255 ), daughter of Abel GOLDSWORTHY and Jane GROSE. She was born 1819 in Redruth,Cornwall England, was christened 24 OCT 1819 in Redruth,Cornwall England (Fam. Search), and died 26 MAY 1855 in Buller Downs (near Redruth) Cornwall. He married Caroline (Catherine) DUNSTAN MAR 1858 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 382), daughter of Martin DUNSTAN and Catherine. She was born 1832 in Perranarworthal,Wendron,Cornwall,Eng, was christened 29 JUL 1832 in Wendron. Cornwall,Eng, and died DEC 1914 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 227). iii. Ann DOWER was born 1826 in Cornwall,England, was christened 21 APR 1826 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England (William Marsh Vicar). She married Edward MOYLE SEP 1845 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 9 257), son of Stephen MOYLE (MOYLES) and Esther BENATTA. He was born 1820 in Devon, was christened 10 DEC 1821 in Holsworthy,Devon. England. iv. John DOWER was born 1827 in Cornwall,England, was christened 3 SEP 1827 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England (William Napleton,Vicar). He married Harriett MICHELL JUN 1857 in Truro,Cornwall,England. (BMD: 5c 276). 2. v. James DOWER was born 3 APR 1831 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England, was christened 18 FEB 1832 in Redruth,Cornwall England. He married Martha CHAPMAN DEC 1854 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 455), daughter of William CHAPMAN and Elizabeth WHITBURN. She was born 1833 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng., was christened 3 MAR 1833 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. (By William Marsh). vi. Edward DOWER was born 1833 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England. He married Johanna MOYLE JUN 1855 in Redruth,Cornwall Eng. ( BMD: 5c 407). She was born 1836. vii. Elizabeth DOWER was born 1835 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England. viii. Mary DOWER was born SEP 1837 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England (Redruth BDM - 9 154). ix. John DOWER was born 1839 in Cornwall,England. x. Sophia DOWER was born JUN 1840 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England (Redruth BMD: 9 241), and died JUN 1906 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 133). 6. William CHAPMAN was born 1793 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. 7. Elizabeth WHITBURN was born 1806 in Redruth,Cornwall England.

Children of Elizabeth WHITBURN and William CHAPMAN are: i. James CHAPMAN was born 1831 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng., was christened 7 MAY 1831 in {Lanner) Gwennap,Cornwall (Gwennap Parish Register). He married Ann CHAPMAN (MRS). She was born 1829 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. 3. ii. Martha CHAPMAN was born 1833 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng., was christened 3 MAR 1833 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. (By William Marsh). She married James DOWER DEC 1854 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 455), son of William DOWER and Mary WHITMAN. He was born 3 APR 1831 in Gwennap,Cornwall.England, was christened 18 FEB 1832 in Redruth,Cornwall England. iii. William CHAPMAN was born 1835 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng., was christened 15 FEB 1835 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. (By William Marsh). iv. Elizabeth CHAPMAN was born 1837 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng., was christened 22 FEB 1837 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. - (By J.P. Keigwin). v. Mary Whitburn CHAPMAN was born 1839 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng., was christened 10 FEB 1839 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. (By J.P. Keigwin). vi. John CHAPMAN was born 1841 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. vii. Rebecca CHAPMAN was born 1843 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. viii. Jane CHAPMAN was born 1845 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. ix. Grace CHAPMAN was born 1847 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. x. Alfred CHAPMAN was born AUG 1847 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. He married Mary Ellen JENNINGS 20 DEC 1873 in Negaunee,Marquette,Michigan. USA.. She was born JUN 1857 in Michigan,United States.


Ahnentafel, Generation No. 4 8. Peter DOWER. 9. Mary TRESIDDER.

Children of Mary TRESIDDER and Peter DOWER are: i. John DOWER was born 1795 in Wendron. Cornwall,Eng, was christened 1 MAR 1795 in Wendron. Cornwall,Eng. He married May (Mary) WHITBURN 20 MAY 1820 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng. (Parish Records). She was born 1802 in Gwennap,Cornwall Eng.. ii. William DOWER was born 1796 in Wendron. Cornwall,Eng, was christened 27 OCT 1796 in Wendron. Cornwall,Eng. 4. iii. William DOWER was born 1798 in Wendron Cornwall,England., was christened 2 DEC 1798 in Wendron,Cornwall. Eng., and died SEP 1859 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 149). He married Mary WHITMAN Abt 1823. She was born 1800 in Kenwyn,Cornwall Eng., and died MAR 1866 in Redruth,Cornwall England - (BMD: 5c 191). iv. Elizabeth DOWER was born 1800 in Wendron. Cornwall,Eng, was christened 27 APR 1800 in Wendron. Cornwall,Eng.


EARLIER

FATHER William Chapman Gender: Male Birth: estimated before 1790 Immediate Family: Husband of Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Father of Alfred Chapman; John Chapman; William Chapman; Martha Chapman; Elizabeth Bice; and Mary Chapman « less

MOTHER Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Gender: Female Birth: estimated before 1790 Immediate Family: Wife of William Chapman Mother of Alfred Chapman; John Chapman; William Chapman; Martha Chapman; Elizabeth Bice; and Mary Chapman « less

DAUGHTER Martha Chapman Gender: Female Immediate Family: Daughter of William Chapman and Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Wife of James Dower Mother of John Dower; Alfred Dower; James Dower and Elizabeth Dower Sister of Alfred Chapman; John Chapman; William Chapman; Elizabeth Bice and Mary Chapman

SON Alfred Chapman Chapman Gender: Male Birth: estimated before 1790 Immediate Family: Son of William Chapman and Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Husband of Mary Ellen Jennings Chapman Father of Alfred Chapman; William John Chapman; Bert Chapman; James Aurthur Chapman; Charles Chapman; and Cora May Chapman « less Brother of John Chapman; William Chapman; Martha Chapman; Elizabeth Bice and Mary Chapman

SON John Chapman Gender: Male Immediate Family: Son of William Chapman and Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Husband of Jen Chapman Father of Sarah Ann Chapman; Albert Chapman and William Chapman Brother of Alfred Chapman Chapman; William Chapman; Martha Chapman; Elizabeth Bice and Mary Chapman

SON William Chapman Gender: Male Immediate Family: Son of William Chapman and Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman

Husband of Mary Chappel

Father of William Charles Chapman; Charles Chapman; <private> Chapman and Kate Chapman Brother of Alfred Chapman Chapman; John Chapman; Martha Chapman; Elizabeth Bice and Mary Chapman

DAUGHTER Martha Chapman Gender: Female Immediate Family: Daughter of William Chapman and Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Wife of James Dower Mother of John Dower; Alfred Dower; James Dower and Elizabeth Dower Sister of Alfred Chapman Chapman; John Chapman; William Chapman; Elizabeth Bice and Mary Chapman

DAUGHTER Elizabeth Bice (Chapman) Gender: Female Immediate Family: Daughter of William Chapman and Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Wife of Unknown Bice Mother of William Bice Bice; Emma Bice; Arthur Bice and Lily Bice Sister of Alfred Chapman Chapman; John Chapman; William Chapman; Martha Chapman and Mary Chapman

DAUGHTER Mary Chapman Gender: Female Immediate Family: Daughter of William Chapman and Elizabeth Whitburn Chapman Wife of Edward Moyle Mother of Edward Moyle; <private> Moyle; William Moyle; <private> Moyle; May Moyle; and Vinnie Moyle « less Sister of Alfred Chapman Chapman; John Chapman; William Chapman; Martha Chapman and Elizabeth Bice





Memories: 3
Enter a personal reminiscence or story.
Another Mine Death

Herbert Charles Dower Sr.

Hartford Mine Fire Negaunee, Michigan May 5, 1911 No. Killed – 7 (including Herbert Charles Dower)

A fire was discovered in shaft No. 2 by the electrician and pumpman, who saw a burning brand drop down the shaft.  It had originated in the shaft at or near the 4th level. oneSeventy-four men were in the mine at the time; 50 escaped unassisted by climbing to the Cambria Mine; 18 were hoisted out through shaft No. 1, and 6 were trapped in the mine.

Within one hour after the discovery of the fire, an attempt was made to begin rescue operations without the aid of breathing apparatus.  Three bodies were discovered.  However, because of the reversal of the air current while erecting a stopping, the smoke became so dense that the shift boss ordered the men to return to the surface.  One man attempted to remain and finish the stopping but was overcome.  It was several hours before rescuers reached him, but he was dead.  Three of the others attempted to go out to the Cambria shaft but were overcome and were revived with great difficulty.

After several hours, the remaining three bodies were recovered in apparently good air by men without respiratory protection; they were accompanied by others wearing oxygen breathing apparatus.  After removal of all the bodies, water was turned into the No. 2 shaft and the fire was extinguished quickly.

It was definitely determined that the reversal of the air had caused the loss of several lives, if not all.  The cause of origin of the fire was not determined, but three possibilities were considered - electric wires, candle snuff, or incendiarism.   Source:Historical Summary of Mine Disasters in the United States - Volume I  


Name: Herbert Charles DOWER Sex: M Birth: ABT 1866 in Gwennap, Cornwall, England.

Residence: 1871 census - Pennance, Gwennap, Cornwall.

1881 census - Wheal Buller, Redruth, Cornwall, England. Occupation: 1881 census - Tin Miner.


Buried in Negaunee MI cemetery

posted 25 Apr 2017 by Herb Dower   [thank Herb]
DEATH OF A HERO

James Dower Loses His Life for a Friend.

MARQUETTE, Michigan, July 21, - Peter Pascoe Jr. son of Peter Pascoe, of the Republic Iron Mine, and James Dower, were suffocated by smoke in the mine at noon. Young Pascoe had descended into the mine by No. 7 shaft with three others to ascertain the extent of the fire in Nos. 5 and 6 shafts. The whole party was overcome by smoke. Pascoe's companions reached the slope, and were drawn up unconscious, but he fell by the way. James Dower descended twice into the smoking shaft to rescue Pascoe. The first time he was accompanied by four men and the whole party was drawn up unconscious. The second time Dower went alone, and never returned alive. The bodies of Dower and Pascoe were taken out three hours later. Pascoe was twenty-five years old and leaves a young wife. Dower was twenty-three old and unmarried. The fire in the Republic has been raging since 1 o'clock Monday morning, starting from a fire of the furnace at Shalt 5. The damage already if fully $100,000, and the duration of the fire is impossible to foretell.


DEATH OF A HERO

James Dower Loses His Life for a Friend.

MARQUETTE, Michigan, July 21, - Peter Pascoe Jr. son of Peter Pascoe, of the Republic Iron Mine, and James Dower, were suffocated by smoke in the mine at noon. Young Pascoe had descended into the mine by No. 7 shaft with three others to ascertain the extent of the fire in Nos. 5 and 6 shafts. The whole party was overcome by smoke. Pascoe's companions reached the slope, and were drawn up unconscious, but he fell by the way. James Dower descended twice into the smoking shaft to rescue Pascoe. The first time he was accompanied by four men and the whole party was drawn up unconscious. The second time Dower went alone, and never returned alive. The bodies of Dower and Pascoe were taken out three hours later. Pascoe was twenty-five years old and leaves a young wife. Dower was twenty-three old and unmarried. The fire in the Republic has been raging since 1 o'clock Monday morning, starting from a fire of the furnace at Shalt 5. The damage already if fully $100,000, and the duration of the fire is impossible to foretell.

Family links: Parents: James Dower (1831 - 1925) Martha Chapman Dower (1833 - 1916)

Siblings: Emily Lydia Dower Jenkins (1855 - 1926)* William C Dower (1857 - ____)* Ann Chapman Dower Pascoe (1860 - 1922)* James Dower (1867 - 1891) Alfred Dower (1869 - 1949)* Mary Dower Miller (1870 - 1942)* Thomas Dower (1873 - 1973)*

  • Calculated relationship

Burial: Republic Cemetery Republic Marquette County Michigan, USA

Created by: Ken Pascoe Record added: May 12, 2013 Find A Grave Memorial# 110463664

posted 25 Apr 2017 by Herb Dower   [thank Herb]
The Schaal Family Comes To America

as told to the Rev. Gilbert L. Wilson 1915 She was a little German woman, with the whitest of caps. She told me this story: We was born in a country place (1) not far from Berlin in 1838. My father was a blacksmith. He owned his little house and a half acre of land where the geese were herded that plucked in the fall and killed for the market. There were twelve children in our family. A stork used every year to nest on our roof, and I thought he brought my brothers and sisters, we had a bee house, and just outside was a sod couch, covered all over with growing grass. My father used to lie here on Sunday afternoons in the summer, and smoke his long pipe and take his nap. A big pear tree stood in. the garden, when the wind and storm blew down the pears we children ran out and got them. We emigrated to America in 1848. "My children will have a better chance there" my father said. What he said is true. I was glad we came to America. The passage was by sail ship and no easy one. It took eleven weeks. There were many discomforts. The pork we ate had such long hair on it that we needed no forks to eat it with, and was so salty that we could not eat it anyway! The potatoes were boiled without washing them, the rice had prunes in it! On Sundays we had pudding but it was too hard to eat! The bean soup was always burned and the pea soup had peas in it as hard as bullets, Our brother drew our rations for us. Bringing them in a tin tureen. He would tie the tin cover on with a rope and drag the vessel to the hatchway where my father met him. The worst thing about the rations was that they were so salty. The herring that we had once a week was like brine. We had tea or coffee, very bad, at our meals; and one time a day, one cup of water to each of us. Just before we reached New York the cook boiled a kettle of potatoes and threw them on the deck and we children gladly scrambled for them, wie were, indeed, nearly starved. From New York we went to Albany, thence took train ta Buffalo. The baby, two years old, we carried in a clothes basket. He had been ill on the way over; and on the train he died. He was very dear to us and we children wept with our mother. We reached Buffalo the eve of the third of July, The people were beginning the celebration of the Fourth of July; streets were filled with crowds and fire-crackers were banging and there was a big din everywhere. My father feared he might lose some of us in the growing dark. He got a rope and we all took a hold, First went mother with a small child in her arms, the two oldest, Charlotte, and Ferdinand with the dead baby in the basket, then the other children down to the smallest, our father bringing up the rear, fearful less some of us stray. We got to a German hotel. The hotel keeper was kind, he got a coffin tor us, my mother dressed the little one and we all marched to the grave. We left the next day. The hotel keeper would not accept any pay from us. We reached Milwaukee and passed on and settled in a little town named Mayville on the Rock River (Dodge County, Wisconsin). It was a wild place, deer used to come down to the opposite bank of the river in the evening to drink. There were many Indians and they had a habit of coming to the window and staring at us, scaring us children out of our senses, but we got to know them after a while and would call "Bo-Joo" to them to make them smile. My father bought a piece of land and opened a blacksmith shop. For the first summer we could build a bit of a shack and as the weather was very rainy, it leaked terribly. In the night we children crept under our beds to keep dry; and father and mother used to hold an umbrella over them as they lay in bed to keep off the dripping rain. Later we built a very comfortable house, but our first winter, having no place to keep potatoes, we could not lay in any and ate beans. We ate so many that we cannot bear the sight of beans to this day; but pork was only a cent and a half a pound and we had plenty of it. The next summer my father made a hand wagon. Every morning we elder children piled the smaller ones in the wagon and wheeled it out to our bit of land, or farm, as we called it, where we worked all day. We planted potatoes and turnips. At noon we ate our dinner. Mother often helped father in the blacksmith shop, wielding the heavy hammer with him, and she helped him shoe oxen. The town had a dozen houses in it, and a mill and a store. There was no church. On Sunday afternoons my father took down a big volume of Luthern sermons; and we elder children took turns reading aloud. Hy father was a good man. Sometimes men drove up and said, "My what a big family!" and he would say, "The more children, the more to say the Lord's Prayer!" Three years after we came to America our mother died. The afternoon before, she called us to her and kissed us everyone. Doctors on the frontier were few and not always efficient. I remember my father coming upstairs to the room where we were all together and screaming out, "Oh, my children, what shall 1 do? Your mother is gone!" The next day twelve of us and my father followed the coffin in which we buried my mother and the little babe we never saw. Four months after this, my father died. He went suddenly, It was a little village and no one thought of us. No one came and sat up the night he lay in the house. Again we children followed the coffin of our parent. The family was scattered. Mr Butters, who rented a room from us saw to placing us, We were scattered over the country with families wherever one could take a child. The two oldest were put out to work, I was placed with a family named Davis, about 12 miles from Mavville. Of all the children, I fared the worst. People were poor, but Davis was worse than poor. He lived in a one-roomed cabin. Father, mother, grandfather, four year old daughter, twin babes, beds, table, cook stove, cradle and my little ophan self, all in one room. Our breakfast was rye coffee, a piece of dry bread and pumpkin syrup, Pumpkins were boiled then the mass strained and the juice boiled down; it was not very appetizing. After breakfast I helped with the dishes and the children. In the summer I went out and yoked the oxen for Mr. Davis. I got the yoke on one ox and lifted the other end while the second ox, a well trained animal, came foreward and put his head in. Then, while Mr. Davis plowed, I followed all day and whipped the oxen. I was too little to reach the off ox with my snake whip and to strike him I had to run around the plow. I followed all day. I was bare headed, bare footed and clad in just a little smock that I was sadly out-growing. Mr. Davis was not cruel. He merely worked me to death. Think of a thirteen-year old girl following oxen all day, then, in the evening, having to go to the tamarack swamp to hunt the cows. All the farmers had a herd of two or three cows. The leader of each wore a bell, and I had to learn to distinquish the bells to locate our herd. Sometimes I had hard work getting my herd out of the swamp. Then came supper. For dinner we had bean soup or potato soup; for supper only rye coffee and bread spread with lard. Then there were the children to put to bed and dishes to wash before I got rest. There was a little German Lutheran Church two miles away to which Mr. Davis and his family sometimes walked on Sundays. The minister's name was Rev. Srakkel. He was a good man. He owned small sawmill front which he got most of his living. The second year I was at Mr. Davis's, Rev. Brekkel wanted me to be confirmed, and to prepare myself, I went to his house twice a week, beginning in the spring, all year, walking of course. Rev. Brekkel was kind to me, he knew 1 had no easy time. I had to learn passages from Scripture and the Ten Commandments and the German Catechism. Mr Davis offered neither lamp or candle, but, in the day I gathered chips and in the night, when the others had gone to bed. I opened the stove door and put in the few chips and studied by their light, when they died down I put in more. The next Easter on Confirmation Sunday, the Minister quoted a verse, .But one thing is needful, for Mary hath chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her". My name was Mary, you see. I was at Mr. Davis's two years; and for all the work I did there I got six yards of calico and an apron. Two or three miles away lived a Mr, Hertell who had once worked for my father. Once in a while I went over there. He used to say, "Mary, you leave Mr. Davis's; you must get with some American family where you will learn English and American ways. Sometime, when Davis is gone, you leave. You can learn nothing following the plow; so one day, when Mr. Davis and his wife and babies had gone to Mayville, I put up my little bundle and left. The old grandfather was at home and saw what I was doing but he said nothing for he knew that I was being worked harder than I could stand. I went to Mr, Hartell's and stayed there some days till I got work in a hotel at twenty-five cents a week and board. The hotel owner, a Scotch family named "Grey". Mr. Davis felt bad about my leaving him. He told some neighbors he did not know how he could run his farm without me. Mr. Grey treated me kindly, but I was homesick all the time to get back to Mayville where I could meet some of the rest of my family. I returned to Mayville and took employment in a hotel but the hotel keeper got drunk and quarreled much with his wife. One Sunday I set out again with my little bundle, this time to go to a neighboring town named "Hartsford" to look for work. It was in January and I took a short cut five miles thru a swamp. I got confused with the wagon roads made in the snow and lost my way; darkness came and stars appeared overhead, I walked until I fell exhausted. It began to snow. I had a little shawl over my shoulders. I wept and called and prayed to God to save a poor orphan. Nightly at Mr. Davis's I had fallen asleep praying, and God heard me, and now had heard me again. He led me to a little bundle of dry grass, where I crouched with my shawl about me, too exhausted to rise. I fell asleep on the grass. I awoke in the morning, too stiff to rise, but I heard a dog barking, I crept toward the sound and came to a farmhouse. A man was just making a fire. "Why, my poor child", he cried. "I heard you cry last night but thought it was children playing on the ice." He put me on a bench behind the fire. I stayed there a couple of days till I could journey on. The next two years I worked at several places, my highest wage being seventy-five cents a week. Money was scarce those days, and twenty-five cents seemed almost a fortune. I married when I was seventeen, just to get a home. My husband was twenty-six and was just a year over from Germany. He was a cooper by trade and opened a shop in Iron Mountain. There were three children (29)born to us and we removed to Oakfield. Then the American Civil war broke out. Everything was excitement - just as in Germany now in her war with Russia and France (1915). The papers were full of the news. The first year there were only skirmishes but in 1862 fighting began in real earnest and my husband felt he must go and help free the slaves in the south. Mayville was a German settlement, Oakville (30) was wholly American; and as a company was forming of our American neighbors, my husband (31) enlisted with them. I felt very sad but I was willing that my husband should go, because I thought the slaves should be free, we had just built us a five-room cottage, but the upstairs was still unplastered. My husband left me with this cottage, a cow, a few chickens, and three children, the eldest a little over four years old. My husband was so afraid he would miss the train that was to take him to war that he sat up all the previous night The next three years were hard for me. Six months after my husband left, a fourth baby (32) was born to me, The neighbors had promised my husband that they would look after me in his absence, but they did not fulfill this duty very well, and I had to saw and split my own wood. On rainy days I brought the sticks into the kitchen and laid them, one at a tins, with the ends resting on two chairs, while I sawed them in two. I would set a child on each end of the stick to hold it steady. However I do not blame the neighbors much. There were very few men left in the country, except old men and cripples. All the able bodied men had gone to the war. The old men and women ran the farms. My neighbors brought me the mail. Once a month I had to go seven miles for five dollars, the county gave us for support as a soldiers wife. I had to go to Fond-du-Lac. I would watch and get a ride with anyone I could find who was going there and I had to come back the same way. Often I did not get back till long after dark, My eldest child was as yet only six and was sickly (33! and I had to leave her all day with the other three. She used to put a candle in the window so I could see it on my return. My heart used to jump everytime I saw that candle. My sister (34) had a store in Mayville and once a week she drove over with denim cloth to make overalls. I had no machine, but by doing my housework after dark, I was able to make one pair a day, Often I worked by candle far into the night. I got fifty cents a pair for the overalls. My neighbors used to ask if 1 ever went to bed. I did all my scrubbing and washing after dark. And news of big battles came. My husband was at Murphysboro, Chattanooga, Atlanta and marched with Sherman eastward to the sea, we had always written each other once a week, but now all news of Sherman's army ceased and I heard nothing from my husband for weeks. When a letter came from my husband I used to put it under my pillow and pray the Father not to let my babies become orphans as I had been. When I nursed my baby the hot tears rolled down my cheeks and my baby looked up as if she wondered why I wept. My husband drew thirteen dollars a month as a soldier. Of this he kept three dollars for his own use and sent me ten dollars every month. Also he washed shirts for the other soldiers who did not like to do such work and did not save their money. These shirts would get full of vermin and had to be washed in boiling water. My husband got ten cents for each shirt her washed. All that he earned in this way he saved up and sent me a fifty dollar gold bond and a gold ring that he purchased with these savings. He wrote that the food the soldiers got was not good. " I get only cow tail to eat." he said. So I sent him a box of food once but the freight on it was nine dollars which I found hard to pay. Still with Sherman, my husband marched to Washington and was mustered out (35). He came home by way of Milwaukee where he bought a cheap linen duster to protect his clothes. The night I expected him I never went to bed. When he got in the station he started right for our cottage, and the neighbors said his feet never touched the ground but that he flew to his family. He was neatly shaved and clean — cleanest of the whole company that returned. I had just lain down when the train pulled in and the children ran in to say 'There is a soldier coming". A moment after, my husband came in with the children clinging to him. My little two year old Flora, who had never seen him, was clinging to him too. Then, for the one time in my life, I fainted. My husband found his household free from debts, not a cent owing to anyone. There is little more to tell We removed later to Mayville. A German Presbyterian Church was organized there, and my husband and I united and all the children were baptised. After we left Mayville we put our letters in an English Presbyterian Church. I am old now. I and my husband have not many more years to live together, but I am glad my father was a good man and taught me to love the Bible. I am glad he was wise enough to bring his children to America, where we have had much better chances. I am glad my husband was brave enough to show that he and I love our adopted country and were willing to sacrifice for it. I am glad too for the teaching of my German Luthern home to which I have clung all these years, but I have grown to love the good Presbyterian Church in which I had my children baptised and in which I and my husband have worshipped for fifty years. Only one thing remains for me — to die and be buried in her teaching. (The couple sent their final years in Minneapolis, Minnesota)

posted 24 Apr 2017 by Herb Dower   [thank Herb]
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