Grandma Elling's Autograph Book

This autograph book that belonged to the young girl, Ida Spoering, was such fun to browse. Ida was born on 5 February 1890, as noted on the inside cover. Thehe earliest date found on the pages of this book is 1902, I believe, making her about 12 when she began to collect her autographs from family and friends.

Her pastor, Rev. Boomgarden, signed and later in her life, he solemnized her wedding with Albert Elling.

 The last photo shows the signature of Emma Elling, Albert's sister, so obviously the Spoering and Elling families knew each other and socialized. 

Now, if anyone can translate the German...

Albert Elling's family

 
First Row: L to R - Emma, Mary, Fritz, Albert
Second Row: Minnie, Ted, Harmon, Kate, Henry, Anna, Freddie

Elling Brothers - L to R: Albert, Freddie and Ted

Albert Louis Johann Elling (1888 - 1969) was the first son and second child of the nine children of Heinrich Friedrich ("Fritz") Elling and his wife Maria ("Mary") Rohrs. Albert was born in Freedom Township, as were most of his brothers and sisters.

His eldest sister, Emma Catharine Marie Anna ("Emma") was born just two years before him on June 6, 1886. She eventually married John Scheele in 1906 and died in Napoleon in 1967.

His sister, Catharina Dorothe Anna Emma ("Kate") was born just a year after him on August 25, 1889. She married Henry Buenger and lived near Hamler.

Finally a brother, Hermann Heinrich Wilhelm ("Harmon") arrived in 1891. He was married to Helen Gerken and he died in 1978.

Another brother, Heinrich Carl ("Henry") was born in 1893. He married Ida Huner and died in 1980.

A sister Anna came along in 1895. She married Ed Koppenhofer and she died in 1974.

Brother Theodore ("Ted") was born in 1898. He married Martha Krauss and lived in Delta, dying in 1975.

I was able in interview his sister Minnie once and she gave great information for family research, along with a few photos. Minna E. was born in 1900 and died in 1993. She was married to Arthur Miller and lived in Defiance.

The youngest brother was Frederick H. ("Freddie") who married Nora Prigge and died in 1987.

This post originally appeared on the Elling Family News blog 
on January 6, 2009.

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.