Albert's Older Sister, Emma Elling Scheele

 


Our grandfather Albert had one older sister, Emma Catherine Marie Anna Elling, known as "Emma." She was just two years older than Albert, born June 6, 1886 in Freedom Township, Henry County. At the age of 20, she married John Scheele, who was 23 at the time, on November 15, 1906. In the wedding photo above, she looked very petite ... or John was quite tall.

It's always fun to follow the family through the available census documents. In 1910, John, 26, and "Emmie," 23, lived with their son Otto, 2, in Bartlow Twp., Henry county. John was farmed and Albert Meyers, 19, a hired hand, lived with them.

In the 1920 census, the family was still in Bartlow Twp. and John owned his farm which was mortgaged. He and Emma had five children listed: Otto, 12; Lerena (Lorena,) 6; Alvena 4; Ella (Elta,) 2; and Martha 2/12. John's occupation was Laborer, Hay Baling.

By 1930, the family had moved to Liberty Township in Henry County, and John was farmed there. Still at home was Otto, 22, who was listed as a Laborer, as well as the other children mention previously. Two children were added to the family: Marie, 8, and Arnold 2 7/12.

Daughter Lorena was missing from the family home in 1930, but at 16, she was the right age to be working for someone else and so she was. A closer examination of the census found Lorena (Sheeley) living with the Thomas Quinn family in Napoleon as a private family servant. Thomas Quinn was a medical doctor born in Michigan,but his parents were born in Ireland. His family in 1930 consisted of his wife, Mary, and nine year old son, Thomas.

An Aside...

Around the late 1950's or early 1960's, I remember that my Dad farmed some ground for "Doc Quinn." The farm was east of our farm on the Henry-Fulton County Line and many times my mom would drive (illegally, as she didn't have a license until much later) down to the farm to bring Dad lunch or dinner.

Back to Emma and John Scheele. John died on November 8, 1953, and Emma died on December 14, 1967. Their children were: Otto, Lorena, Alvena, Elta, Martha, Marie, Letha, Arnold. I didn't find Letha on the census, but she was named in notes from Marie Schnitkey.

The Scheeles were buried in Greenlawn Cemetery, Wauseon, Fulton County, Ohio

In February, 2009, this post appeared on my previous blog, Elling Family News.