George and Elizabeth Bittinger Hollabaugh - Great-Great Grandparents, Part 2

Part 2













By 1870, the Hollabaugh family had moved to Butler Township in Adams County, Pennsylvania.  The post office listed on their enumeration was Middletown which was renamed Biglerville in 1903.  George, at age 62, and Elizabeth at 55, owned real estate worth $4000 and personal property worth $1100.

By this time, the two younger children were still at home -  Jacob, 18, and Georgianna, 14 - and with them were their older sister, Mary Elizabeth, now a widow at 29, and her daughter, Minnie, 6.  

On August 20, 1877, George died at the age of 69. He was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Gettysburg, PA. In the 1880 census, Elizabeth lived with only Jacob, age 28.  Jacob was farming, probably the family farm.

Tombstone date conflicts with death date given in another source.

 With no 1890 census, we have a large gap in the story of Elizabeth Bittinger Hollabaugh until August 6, 1896, when her death was recorded.  She was 81 years old.

George and Elizabeth Hollabaugh and their family probably witnessed closely one of the bloodiest incidents of the Civil War.  We also know that at least one of the family claimed to have witnessed  Lincoln's delivery of the Gettysburg Address.
Elizabeth and George instilled in their children a sense of confidence and independence that allowed at least four of their children to venture west.  Several of the women in the family became entrepreneurs in a time when that was not the norm.  

George and Elizabeth Hollabaugh tombstones, Evergreen Cemetery, Gettysburg, PA.  The flat stone is that of their son, Jacob B. Hollabaugh.

George and Elizabeth Bittinger Hollabaugh - Great-Great Grandparents - Part 1

George Hollabaugh was born on July 11, 1808 in Pennsylvania, probably in Toboyne Township, Perry County.  He eventually moved to Adams County where he married Elizabeth (Betsey) Bittinger on March 15, 1834.  Elizabeth, born March 17, 1815 near Gettysburg, was the daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Bittinger.

This story appeared in the Republican Compiler of Gettysburg, PA on February 18, 1829.
It might refer to our George, who would have been 20 at the time, but there is no way to really know ...
"A Bear Story -
On Wednesday the 21st ult., Mr. George Hollabaugh, of Toboyne township, started hunting and had not been out long when he came upon bear tracks, which he followed until he reached a cavern, in which, he judged, at least one Bruin had entered.
After a moment's hesitation, he entered the cave, but had proceeded but a short distance when he was obliged to retreat by the advance of something 'black as night'.  With gun prepared to meet the foe, he stood at the mouth of the cave, when the head of the family, a fine large Bear, made his appearance, and was laid low in the twinkling of an eye.  
Mr. H. reloaded as quick as possible, and had just time to think of the prize he had gained, when another of the sable tribe made his appearance from the mouth of the cave - he was dispatched in a moment.
Mr. H. started home for assistance, and on his return, was proceeding to carry off the animals, when the third bear made his appearance at the mouth of the cave, and having his trusty gun still at hand, this also, was added to the number of the slain.  So singular and extraordinary an instance in the history of successful Bear hunting we will venture to say, has seldom, if ever, occurred in this section of the country.  Perry Forester."
It's safe to say that that Hollabaugh family ate well in the winter of 1829.


In the first census after their marriage, George and Elizabeth were found in Cumberland Township, Adams County, Pennsylvania in 1840 when the census only named heads of households.  George was enumerated as a male between the ages of 30-40; George was 31.  In the household was also one woman, aged 20 - 30 (Elizabeth was about 25), and three girls under the age of 5 (Sarah, born 1836; Eliza Jane, born 1838, and Mary Elizabeth, born in 1840).  No other information was given on this early census.

Thought to be a photo of Elizabeth Bittinger Hollabaugh

By 1850, the family was in Franklin Township, Adams County.  The enumerator stopped by on September 27th and found George, 41, a farmer, and Elizabeth, 35, and their seven children: Sarah, 14; Eliza J. 12; Mary E., 10; Levi, 8 (husband's great-grandfather), George W., 6; David, 4; and Alice C. 10 months.

The family continued to grow and by 1860, little Georgeanna, 4, and Jacob, 8, completed the family.  In 1860, the last name was spelled "Hollebaugh" in the census.  George was 50 and Elizabeth was 45.  Great-Grandfather William was called Levi and he was 17.  George W. was 15, David 12, and Alice, 10. Also living with the Hollabaughs was Sarah Bittinger, age 38, who was probably Elizabeth's sister.  Sarah Bittinger was classified as an Idiot, which in the 1860 census, meant that a person had never had his or her complete mental faculties.  A person would be classified as such if they were mentally disabled from birth.

Sarah Hollabaugh, the oldest daughter at 23, was enumerated with the Harry and Marie Wattles family in Gettysburg.  The Wattles seemed to be a rather wealthy family with real estate and personal items valued at $5000 each.  No occupations are listed, but one might assume that Sarah was working as a domestic in the home. The Wattles had four children, ages 10 - 19.  
After going through the Gettysburg town census page by page for 1860, I was not able to find Eliza or Mary, but I did find a couple other possibilities.  I know that at least one was not married by 1860, so they could possibly have been in an outlying region as domestics.  I did find an Eliza Hollabaugh in Hanover, York County which is very close to Gettysburg.  She was living with August Schwartz and family and working as a seamstress.  The age is a little off, but it could have been that the reporter just made a guess at her age if she were not there at the time.  Just a possibility.  Mary Elizabeth was more difficult, and really I never did find her, even using the possible nickname, Polly.

Just three years later, in late June 1863, the Confederate forces made their way north into Adams County, Pennsylvania.  General Robert E. Lee amassed his forces, ready to move northbound, and Jeb Stuart's cavalry led the way into Pennsylvania to pave the way.  The History of Cumberland and Adams County, Pennsylvania, published in 1883, noted that by June 15th, Adams County residents were already alerted that the rebels were coming.  In preparation, citizens hid food and any valuable possessions or supplies that could be used by the enemy, and local banks shipped their money out of the area.

On June 26, a Confederate cavalry unit rode into Carlisle just north of Gettysburg, and took control of the town, closing saloons, posting guards around the public buildings, and demanding flour, sugar, salt, coffee and other staples or the sum of $5000.  The soldiers were under orders not to bother the townspeople, so their intent was not to harm the citizenry.  When the officers of the town said they had nothing to give, they weren't kidding...nothing visible, that is.  So the southern soldiers were put off and in the meantime, the local people tried to raise a militia to defend the town, but it was a pretty hopeless gesture.
A few days later, two thousand Union cavalry arrived and the Confederacy backed away a bit.  The people dug into their foodstuffs and supplies to aid the Union arrivals.

Gettysburg area home used as Gen. Meade's headquarters for the Army of the Potomac

The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1st and ended July 3rd with the Rebel forces in retreat.  It was for the most part a hand to hand battle, especially on the last day, leaving the area covered with unburied soldiers and horses.  Crops were destroyed, fences torn down, smokehouses and barns emptied.  The people of the area were left with the task of burying the decaying bodies of the dead and somehow providing food and care for the masses of wounded soldiers, both Union and Confederate, left behind.

I believe the Hollabaugh family witnessed this; in fact, an eye-witness account of those days by one of the Hollabaugh children will eventually be referenced on this blog. If this son saw it, it would be hard to imagine that the rest of the family was sheltered from the sights and sounds of the battle.  It had to be so difficult for these families to move past the tragedy and horror they witnessed, as well as the decimation of their farms and businesses.

The history book mentioned above stated:
"The entire community became (hospital workers), cooks, waiters or grave-diggers.  In this wide expanse of Christian charity, rebel and Union sufferers were cared for without material distinction... Soon every wheeled vehicle was at work bearing its loads of bleeding agony...  Literally half the surface of the entire county was a hospital and every farmhouse, barn, stable, outbuilding, for twenty miles square, was full to overflowing.  The beds, the floors, the yards, everywhere, were they cared for...  What a ghastly harvest to  gather from the fair and peaceful fields of Adams County."

The last of the wounded, suffering patients were moved away in November 1863, over four months from the beginning of the battle.

To be continued...


 

Stanley Hollabaugh - Eighth Child of William Levi and Mary Lucetta

- Harriet (1872-1950)

-Bertha ( 1874-1964)

-Ernest ( 1875-1955)

-Geneva (1878-1968) *grandmother

-Clarence (1881-1887)

-Esther (1887-1958)

-Sylvia (1888-1968)

                                                   -Stanley (1890-1967)

Stanley was the youngest child of William Levi and Mary, born July 22, 1890 when William was 47 and Mary, 41.

Stanley married Iva H. Zehner and settled in Dekalb County, Indiana.  Two children were born to the couple: Ellen Marie, born November 21, 1917, and Marcella, born July 16, 1919.  

Sadly, the Fort Wayne, Indiana, News-Sentinel carried this story on April 17, 1918 -
"Ellen Marie, the 5 month old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Hollabaugh, died at the home of her grandfather, Samuel Zanther (Zehner?) of Auburn Street on Saturday morning after an illness of 36 hours.  The funeral was held on Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the house, Rev. A.K. Mumma officiating.  Interment at the White City Cemetery."

On June 5, 1919, Stanley completed his registration for the World War I draft, listing his residence as St. Joe, Indiana, and his occupation as farmer.  He described himself of medium height and build with dark brown eyes and black hair.

In the 1920 census, taken in January of that year, he and Iva were living in Spencer Township, Dekalb County, Indiana, with their six month old daughter, Marcella.  Tragedy struck the little family that year when Iva died on June 20th. According to Stanley's niece, little Marcella soon went to live with her grandparents and after that, other relatives.

At 43, Stanley married Emily Tustison Daubrow, a second marriage for her, as well.  They married in Auburn on February 24, 1933.  Marcella would have been about fourteen.  The marriage did not work out and apparently, Emily left for parts unknown and the couple divorced.

 In the 1940 census, Stanley, divorced and 49 years old, was living alone on his farm, the old Case farm that had come through his mother's family.  He listed farming again as his occupation.  It is known that he worked as a telegraph operator for the railroad, but this was not listed on any census as his occupation.   Marcella had married Wilmer Sechler in 1937.
As far as I know, Stanley continued to live on the farm until he suffered a stroke and was admitted to the Dekalb Memorial Hospital in Auburn, Indiana.  He died there in October 1967 at the age of 77.

The St. Joe News of October 12, 1967, carried his obituary:
" Funeral services were conducted Tuesday at Baidinger-Walter Funeral Home in Spencerville for Stanley Hollabaugh, 77, retired telegrapher, who died of a paralytic stroke Sunday in Memorial Hospital. He had been a patient there 12 days.
Mr. Hollabaugh was a native of Saint Joe and had resided just south of town for 28 years.  He was born July 22, 1890, the son of the late William and Mary Case Hollabaugh.  His wife, Iva Zehner, died in 1920.
Rev. Ivan O. Miller officiated at the service and burial was in the White City Cemetery at Spencerville.
Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. Marcella Sechler of Spencerville, two sisters, Mrs. Eva Pflaumer and Mrs. Sylvia Ginther of Spencerville, one grandchild and one great grandchild."

Sylvia Hollabaugh Ginther - Seventh Child of William Levi and Mary Lucetta

The Children of William Levi Hollabaugh and Mary Lucetta Case

- Harriet (1872-1950)

-Bertha ( 1874-1964)

-Ernest ( 1875-1955)

-Geneva (1878-1968) *grandmother

-Clarence (1881-1887)

-Esther (1887-1958)

-Sylvia (1888-1968)

                                                   -Stanley (1890-1967)

 The youngest daughter in the family was Sylvia, born October 11, 1888.  Her niece, Violette, best remembered her talent for needlepoint.

On May 4, 1907, she married Otto Ellsworth Ginther, known as O.E. in the family and in his work.  The Fort Wayne, Indiana, Journal Gazette carried this marriage announcement in the May 5, 1907 edition:
"Married on Saturday.  Auburn, Ind.  At noon today, Rev. S. E. Slater of the Lutheran Church, united in marriage at the parsonage, Miss Sylvia Hollabaugh of St. Joe, and Mr. Otto E. Ginther of Crawfordsville, Ind.  Mr. Ginther is a traveling salesman."

In the 1910 census, Otto was enumerated in South Bend, St. Joseph County, Indiana, living on South Taylor Street with Johana Hagerty, 50, and her five children.  He was listed as a roomer there who had been married three years.  He was a clerk for a fruit (?) company.  Where was Sylvia in 1910 while Otto was out on the road?  I can not find her anywhere in the census, but I do know that their first daughter, Dorothy Marie, was born in April 1910 in Cassopolis, Michigan.  Hence she may have been staying in their own home or in the home of O.E.'s parents or relatives after the baby's birth, but I could not find it recorded in the census for that place.

In October and November, 1916, O.E. had a job with the Union Tabernacle Campaigns conducted by Evangelist O.A. Newlin at Winona Lake, Indiana.  The resort along the lake had a very large wood structure which served as the tabernacle where meetings were hosted by a bevy of evangelists, including the well-known Billy Sunday, who had a home on Winona Lake.  From a souvenir brochure of the time from the Newlin meetings:
"Mr. Ginther is an indispensable member of the Evangelistic Party.  It is no small feat to keep a building the size of the tabernacle in comfortable condition in all sorts of weather.  Ginther is a real tabernacle man.  Aside from this, he takes care of all sales of books and sermons.
For several years before his conversion, he was a traveling salesman and that experience in brushing against humanity coupled with his marvelous Christian experience, has enabled him to reach the hearts of scores of young men.
Few persons working today have a richer experience or a more attractive way of telling them than Mr. Ginther.  No person who has heard the testimony of this splendid Christian young man can ever doubt the reality of the power of Jesus Christ to save a life from sin."

In September, 1918, Otto registered for the World War I draft, listing his job at the time as working for the YMCA at Camp Sherman in Chilicothe, Ross County, Ohio.  He was thirty-six years old and described himself as tall with a medium build and gray eyes and black hair.

By the 1920 census, Otto E., 39, and Sylvia, 31, had moved to Concord Township in Dekalb County, Indiana.  They lived there with their daughters, Dorothy M., 9, and Virginia E., 6.  O.E. was working as a salesman for the Delco Light Company.  By 1921, however, the family was listed in the Fort Wayne City Directory as living at 1626 Creighton Avenue where O.E. continued to work as a salesman.  This family, or at least O.E., was on the move.

In 1930, the family was back in Dekalb County, Indiana, this time in Spencer Township.  Otto was forty-seven and farming, Sylvia was 41, and daughters Dorothy M., 19, and Virginia L., were at home. The last census we have access to in 1940 has them living in the same township, but in a different home.  Dorothy and Virginia had moved out by that time.

Apparently O.E. held many jobs and the family moved around frequently.  Otto died in Garrett, Indiana on March 14, 1955.  From her sister,Esther's, obituary in 1958, we know that Sylvia was in Salt Lake City, Utah and later on she moved to Los Angeles to live with her daughter, Virginia.  Sylvia died there on May 23, 1978 and her body was brought back to Indiana to be buried with O.E. in Dekalb County.

Dorothy Ginther

Virginia Ginther

Esther Hollabaugh - Sixth Child of William Levi and Mary Lucetta

The Children of William Levi Hollabaugh and Mary Lucetta Case

- Harriet (1872-1950)

-Bertha ( 1874-1964)

-Ernest ( 1875-1955)

-Geneva (1878-1968) *grandmother

-Clarence (1881-1887)

-Esther (1887-1958)

-Sylvia (1888-1968)

                      -Stanley (1890-1967)

Born April 8, 1887, in Dekalb County, Indiana, Esther Hollabaugh spent a good part of her life living with her parents.  According to her niece, Violette, she was a beautiful pianist.  The family story was that she had been hurt emotionally by some man and never dated again after that incident.  

When her mother died and her father's age advanced, the family felt it best to commit Esther to institutional care because of her mental illness.  She was admitted to the Eastern Indiana Hospital for the Insane (later named Central State Hospital and then Richmond State Hospital) in Richmond, Indiana.  She spent twenty-three years there until her death on March 4, 1958.  She is buried at the Riverside Cemetery, St. Joe, 
Indiana.

Upon her death, Esther's sister, Sylvia, inherited this music stand which has shelves inside for storing sheet music.  The stand then passed to Sylvia's niece, Violette, and finally to her son.  It stands in our living room today.

 Her obituary:
"Spencerville, March 4, 1958 - Miss Esther Hollabaugh, 70, died early this morning in a hospital in Richmond, where she had been 23 years.  Surviving are three sisters, Mrs. Bertha Baker of Mishawaka, Mrs. Eva Pflaumer, Spencerville, and Mrs. Sylvia Ginther, Salt Lake City, Utah, and a brother, Stanley Hollabaugh, Spencerville.  Services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Baidinger-Walter Funeral Home here, the Rev. Ivan Miller, pastor of St. Peter's Lutheran Church, officiating.  Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, St. Joe.  Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. Wednesday."

Clarence Hollabaugh - Fifth Child of William Levi and Mary Hollabaugh

The Children of William Levi Hollabaugh and Mary Lucetta Case

- Harriet (1872-1950)

-Bertha ( 1874-1964)

-Ernest ( 1875-1955

-Geneva (1878-1968) *grandmother

-Clarence (1881-1887)

-Esther (1887-1958)

-Sylvia (1888-1968)

-Stanley (1890-1967)

As far as I know, no photo exists for little Clarence Hollabaugh, who died so tragically and so young.  Mary Case Hollabaugh had just had little sister, Esther, in April of 1887, when her son, Clarence, was killed in June.  My husband's grandmother, Geneva (Eva), was only 8 at the time of the incident.

Clarence's obituary tells the story graphically...

St. Joe News, St. Joe, Indiana

"Friday, June 10, 1887

One of the saddest accidents in the history of St. Joe was that which occurred last Tuesday morning and which resulted in the death of Clarence, youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Hollabaugh.  The facts are as follows:

Clarence had accompanied his older brother in taking the cows to pasture, and on their return, as they neared the railroad crossing, a local freight was approaching and in order to make a running switch, they had cut the train into three pieces and after the engine had gone by, little Clarence, supposing that was all of the train, boy-like, run down on to the track to watch it, not noticing the balance of the train that was following close behind.  His older brother, some distance away, called to him, but it all happened so quick, that before anything could be done, the car had struck the little fellow, and throwed him perhaps fifteen feet.  

Several persons in the neighborhood were witnesses of the distressing scene, and Mrs. Shuler was the first to reach the boy, and picked him up and carried him to her home near by.  His parents and a doctor were hurriedly called, but was seen that it was an utter impossibility for the child to live: his body was badly bruised, several bones were broken and the brain was oozing out of his head, strange as it may seem, he lived in that condition for thirty minutes after the accident.

Clarence was a bright, little fellow of about six years old, and the family have the sympathy of the entire community in this sad affliction.  The funeral occurred Wednesday afternoon in the Lutheran church and was largely attended." 

Ernest Hollabaugh - Third Child of William Levi and Mary Hollabaugh

The Children of William Levi Hollabaugh and Mary Lucetta Case

- Harriet (1872-1950)

-Bertha ( 1874-1964)

-Ernest ( 1875-1955)

-Geneva (1878-1968) *grandmother

-Clarence (1881-1887)

-Esther (1887-1958)

-Sylvia (1888-1968)

-Stanley (1890-1967)

Ernest E. Hollabaugh, known as "Ernie," was the first son born to William and Mary.  Born in Dekalb County, Indiana, on September 21, 1875, Ernest lived and worked at home until he took a job with the railroad and moved to Logansport.  He appeared first in the Logansport City Directory in 1901 as a brakeman.  One source noted that in 1901, more than 216 trains were going through Logansport daily and it was one of the biggest employers in the area.  

On June 27, 1906, he married Adele Francis Wissig Dooley, a young widow, born on March 23, 1880 in Baltimore, Maryland.  Her first husband was Thomas P. Dooley.  Addie had one child, Mary Agnes Dooley, who was about 5 years old at the time of her second marriage.  

In the 1910 census, Ernest, Adele, and Mary Agnes lived in Logansport and they continued to live there throughout their lives.  

They never had any children together.

On September 11, 1918, Ernest dutifully registered for the draft; he was 42 years old.  He described himself as tall, of medium build with blue eyes and mixed brown and gray hair.

In 1937, Addie died.  By the 1940 census, Mary Agnes and her husband, Cyrus H. Weaver, had moved into Ernest's home at 112 Linden Street in Logansport.  The couple had been living in Washington D.C.  Ernest was 63 years old that year and still worked for the steam railroad as a baggageman. 

Ernest died at the age of 80 on December 19, 1955 and was buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Logansport, Indiana alongside Addie.  Mary also was buried there.

 

Mary Dooley Weaver

 

Bertha May Hollabaugh Baker Bridges - Second Child of William Levi and Mary Hollabaugh

The Children of William Levi Hollabaugh 
and Mary Lucetta Case

- Harriet (1872-1950)

-Bertha ( 1874-1964)

-Ernest ( 1875-1955

-Geneva (1878-1968) *grandmother

-Clarence (1881-1887)

-Esther (1887-1958)

-Sylvia (1888-1968)

-Stanley (1890-1967)

William and Mary Hollabaugh welcomed their second daughter, Bertha May, on March 21, 1874. As a young woman, Bertha was a well-respected teacher in Dekalb County.

She married at the age of 36 to Oliver Bridges of St. Joe, Indiana.  The marriage is recorded in Dekalb County for November 19, 1910.  Apparently, the couple moved to Mishawaka, Indiana where they appear in the city's business directory in 1914.  Oliver, or Ollie, worked at the M. W. Manufacturing Company and they lived at 216 West Grove Street.

I am not sure of the date of Ollie's death, but by the 1940 census, Bertha Bridges was living alone, widowed, in Mishawaka.  She gave her age as 59, which was a bit of an untruth (or maybe a neighbor reported that) and she owned her own home, valued at $2100.  

On September 24, 1946, a Dekalb County marriage record may be found for Bertha Bridges and Harry W. Baker.  In one of her sibling's obituaries in 1950, she was also referred to as Bertha Baker.
I really have not been able to find death (or divorce?) dates for either husband, and Bertha is referred to as Bertha Bridges, even in her obituary.  So more research is needed here.

On November 13, 1964, she was in Mishawaka when she wrote this 
somewhat melancholy and desperate letter to her sister, Sylvia, who lived near Spencerville, Indiana.  Her niece, Violette, wrote that Bertha suffered from some dementia in her later years.

"Dear Sylvia and the rest,
You beat me to it this time - I had not heard from you and I had my tablet ready to write to you.  Then I went to the mail box and I found your "Thot's of you" letter in my box.  I was glad to hear from you.  I knew someone was wanted to speak to me for all the pins in my clothes kept standing out strate.  I have to pin up all the holes.  My Singer sewing machine was ruined in the fire.
The wheat you sent me has done me a lot of good - helped me wonderful - you did not tell me how much I owe for it.
Is Lavern going to bring me some more?  I did not know Lavern had a farm.  This wheat is almost all gone and I am still starved and skinny.
You have three homes and the folks here are trying to take the only one I have from me.
Do you stay in Uncle Mill's house alone?  You never told me.  When you go away do you leave the house with no one in it?  You do not have chickens or a garden, etc.
I have never forgotten Dorthy cried when she saw that Aunt Bertha was not going with her when you left Mishawaka. 
You better come with LaVern when he brings the wheat to me.  And if you know any one who has small potatoes that they will sell reasonable, bring them to - about the size of a hen's egg, you know.
I do not care for big potatoes.
After you are 65, you can't work for pay.  I'll tell you about it - too much to write.  It's too rotten - would stink the post office.  I'll tell you when I see you - if you don't know.
So long - best wishes to all - Bertha"

(*Dorothy - Sylvia's daughter.  LaVern - her brother-in-law.  Uncle Mill - Emillius Case - her uncle)

Sadly, almost exactly a week later, Bertha was in a tragic accident.  The Mishawaka Times ran this article on the front page on Tuesday, December 1, 1964:  

"Pedestrian Critical After Truck Accident
An 80 year old Mishawaka woman was reported in critical condition Monday night at St. Joseph's Hospital after she was struck earlier by a skidding truck near her home in the 4000 block of Lincoln Way E.
Mrs. Bertha Baker Bridges, 4021 Lincoln Way E., whose actual age was not known to officials, was rushed to the hospital by police ambulance after the sliding semi-trailer hit her and banged into two automobiles in the driveway of Prickett's Foodliner, 4001 Lincoln Way E.

The truck, owned by Tucker Freight Lines, 1415 S. Olive St., South Bend, was driven by Norbert Watkins, 28, 56547 Pine Rd., South Bend.  Police ticketed Watkins for failure to have his vehicle under control.
Watkins told authorities he was driving west on Lincoln Way and that two cars ahead of him in the line of traffic were signaling for left turns.  He said he braked his vehicle to pull out and pass the cars on the right side.
Watkins told police he began to skid, and authorities said his vehicle turned around and began a slide toward the Prickett parking lot.

In addition to striking Mrs. Bridges, who was walking across the driveway, the runaway truck struck a parked car owned by Mary Tuminski, 120 Virginia St., and one of the cars that had signaled for a turn.  It was driven by Dixie L. Fries, 25, 14251 Eureka St.
Authorities said that Mrs. Bridges apparently was struck by the 'saddle' gasoline tanks on the side of the truck.  The Tuminski car was struck by the front of the truck, and the Fries vehicle was hit by the rear of the sliding semi."  

Bertha died a few weeks later and her obituary appeared in the South Bend Tribune on December 14, 1964:

"Truck Victim Dies of Head Injuries
Mrs. Bertha May Bridges, 90, of 4021 Lincoln Way W., injured Nov. 30 when she was struck by a skidding truck, Saturday night became Mishawaka's seventh traffic fatality of the year when she succumbed to head injuries suffered in the accident.
She had been in critical condition in St. Joseph's Hospital from the time of the accident, although officials saidshe had shown some signs of improvement.
(*recount of accident as described above...)

Mrs. Bridges was born in St. Joseph, Ind. and had lived here since 1910. Her husband preceded her in death.
Surviving are one brother, Stanley Hollabaugh, St. Joseph, Ind., and two sisters, Mrs. Sylvia Ginther, Indianapolis, and Mrs. Eva Pflaumer, Spencerville, Ind.
Friends may call in the Thallemer-Goethals Funeral Home after 6 p.m. today and until memorial services which will be conducted there at 7:30 today.  Rev. Byran Jones, pastor of the Twin Branch Bible Church, will officiate.  The body will be taken Tuesday morning to the Baidinger-Walter Funeral Home, Spencerville, where funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.  Burial will be in the Riverside Cemetery, St. Joseph, Ind."

Bertha had no children.

Book Review - The Icecutter's Daughter by Tracie Peterson

 The Icecutter's Daughter

by Tracie Peterson

This is the first in the series, Land of Shining Water, and what a good start it was! 

In the frigid wilderness of Minnesota, the Krause family’s business was cutting ice from the lake to sell.  With their big Belgian horses, Merrill, the only daughter, and her father and brothers worked hard in the cold for their business to survive.  Merrill worked as hard as the men in the stables, on the ice, and in the house and was somewhat of a tomboy, much to the chagrin of Grandma Lassiter.  Merrill, however, saw it as fulfilling a promise she had made to her mother when her mother was dying to take care of her brothers and father.  Unfortunately, that left little time for Merrill to find a suitor and her brothers intimidated any who did come around.

When Rurik Jorgenson arrived from Kansas to help out his sickly uncle in his woodworking business, Merrill felt the possibility of a relationship.  However, when Rurik’s former fiancee, Svea, and her brother, Nils, surprisingly appeared in Minnesota, claiming that Svea was pregnant with Rurik’s child, Merrill began to doubt Rurik’s truthfulness and integrity.  How can Rurik handle this when he knows Svea is lying, but so many townspeople believe her?  Can he convince Merrill that he is the one telling the truth?

Tracie Peterson’s books are always such a pleasure to read.  Her characters are so believeable and the time periods and places so well researched.  She is a master of intertwining cultural traditions into the story, in this case both Swedish and German.  Her spiritual references are seamlessly woven into the story as the characters struggled to trust God’s plans for their lives.  This book places a strong emphasis on family and the strong relationships built on helping one another.  Just a pleasure to read from first page to last. 

I look forward to the next book in the series, The Quarryman’s Bride.

Tracie Peterson

 This book was provided to me by Bethany House Publishing for my review.  The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Harriet Hollabaugh Fairfield - First Child of William and Mary Hollabaugh

The Children of William Levi Hollabaugh and Mary Lucetta Case

- Harriet (1872-1950)

-Bertha ( 1874-1964)

-Ernest ( 1875-1955

-Geneva (1878-1968) *grandmother

-Clarence (1881-1887)

-Esther (1887-1958)

-Sylvia (1888-1968)

-Stanley (1890-1967)

Hattie and Will Fairfield (possible wedding photo)

 Harriet Hollabaugh was the first child of William Levi and Mary Lucetta, born July 8, 1872 in Dekalb County, Indiana.  Known as Hattie, she spent her whole life in that county.  She married William H. Fairfield on December 30, 1897 and by the 1900 census, had one child who did not survive.  On April 30, 1903, she gave birth to a daughter, Anna Helena, known always as Helena and an only child, who lived with her parents until their deaths and did not marry herself.

Helena, Hattie and Will Fairfield

 Her obituary:
"Hattie Fairfield Passes Away
Hattie Hollabaugh Fairfield was born on July 8, 1872 to William L. and Mary Case Hollabaugh.  She was the oldest of eight children.  She passed away at her home in Spencerville on July 16, 1950, following an illness of almost four years. Of this time, she was confined to her bed for three years with a complication of diseases.
On December 30, 1897, she was united in marriage to William H. Fairfield.  To this union were born three children, two of whom passed away in infancy.  One daughter, Anna Helena, survives.
For many years, Mrs. Fairfield was a faithful member of the Lutheran Church in Spencerville, having joined by letter following her marriage.  In fact, Mrs. Fairfield, as a child, attended the dedication of the church.
In her earlier days she was a very active worker.  She was president of the Christian Endeavor, a teacher of the teenage boys' class and later the teacher of the Martha class.  She was well-versed in the Bible and toward the end of her days, enjoyed having the Bible read to her.  
In that period of time known as the gay nineties, Mrs. Fairfield was an excellent seamstress and worked at this art for a period of (twelve?twenty?) years.  Many a bride has proudly worn the results of her toil. In later years, she had to lay aside all such work.
Surviving Mrs. Fairfield are the following brothers and sisters: Bertha Baker of Mishawaka, Ernest Hollabaugh of Logansport; Eva Pflaumer of Spencerville; Esther Hollabaugh of Richmond; Sylvia Ginther of Spencerville and Stanley Hollabaugh of St. Joe."

 Will Fairfield died on October 21, 1932 and their daughter, Helena, died on October 25, 1991.