Bertha Jane (Whitaker) Rasmussen (1881 - 1960)

Born 30 Aug 1881 in Victory, Mason County, Michigan

Ancestors

Wife of William Andrew Rasmussen — married 1904 in Methodist Church Victory Twp Mason County

Descendants

Died 28 Sep 1960 at age 79 in Ludington, Michigan

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Robert Rasmussen [send private message] and Pamela Allard [send private message]

Biography

Mtdna grouping U5b1e

When Bertha Jane Whitaker was born on August 30, 1881, in Victory, Michigan, her father, John Fremont Whitaker, was 24 and her mother, Emma Kraft, was 17. Bertha married William Andrew Rasmussen on June 20, 1904, in her hometown. They had five children in 14 years. She died on September 28, 1960, in Ludington, Michigan, at the age of 79. Berthas Father The Whitakers came to Michigan in 1866 from Ohio. The Whitakers had been in America sense the mid 1700's. John Fremonts Mother was a Yarrington, and they too had a long American History, But Bertha's Mother was a Kraft who immigrated from West Prussia (Germany) in 1864. with a large family. The Whitaker clan were big into logging in the area from the mid 1860's. They were a hard working bunch and Berthas Brothers, William, Art, and Harry, were not exception. One of my favorite photos is of Bill and Art Whitaker with their Team pulling a large skid of logs at the corner of Ludington Avenue, and James Streets. . When Bertha married Bill Rasmussen she moved to the Rasmussen Homestead on Jebavy and Rasmussen Road. The road did not have a name at that time. The farm had been a work in progress since the 1870s when Bills parents Nels and Stena Rasmussen established it in 1874. Bertha was ready for the task because she grew up in the Whitaker log cabin built in 1866 up on Peterson Road near the Lars Andersen farm where Berthas mother in law Maren Anderson lived. Fremont did a good job. The cabin still stands on North Amber Road as of 2016 incorporated into a beautiful home. Bertha raised four sons and a daughter on the homestead. Merton, Ed, Guy, Leslie and Maurine (Fox). There was always plenty for all of them to do. In the in the 1920s and 30s 9 out of 10 rural homes did not have electricity and this homestead was no exception. Bill and Bertha milked their cows by hand in the dim light of a kerosene lamp. Bertha worked over a wood range and washboard. Her first commercial wash machine had a crank and ringers on top to squeeze the water from the clean cloths. She would use the washboard off the back of the house inside a large tub. The chickens were free range before we knew it was cool and the cloths got hung on the close line on the south side of the house in the sun to dry. They were all cotton, or wool. Bill I remember always had a " Stormy Kromer" hat. Bertha was a good seamstress and many brought her alterations. They made their own sugar cookies, and knew how to make the best fresh squeezed lemonad. The Ice Box was just that. An insulated box filled with Ice on top and storage in the bottom to keep things cool. You had to fill it with ice often and remove the melt water frequently. You would have to go to town for fresh ice or off a delivery wagon or truck. Bertha ran that butter churn and separator when needed and that fresh butter was pretty darn good on Bills warm bread when he baked on Sundays.

Mtdna grouping U5b1e Source was my second cousin in the direct maternal line being one of Berthas great granddaughters and virified, and tested thru 23 and Me.

Sources

• Title Michigan, Births and Christenings Index, 1867-1911. Author Ancestry.com PublisherAncestry.com Operations, Inc.

• Title Michigan, Births and Christenings Index, 1867-1911. Author Ancestry.com, 2011

• Title 1900 United States Federal Census

• 1910; Census Place: Pere Marquette, Mason, Michigan; Roll: T624_663; Page: 6A; Enumeration District: 0064; FHL microfilm: 1374676