Army Pictures: Ingram, Mueller and Whitten

See my original post for details about the photos from my dad's Army scrapbook and please let me know if you recognize anyone in these pictures.

Where Are Otto's Granddaughters?

Although nearly 100 years have passed since Otto V Mueller took his own life, he may remain in the memory of more than just one living descendant. I hope to connect with a family member who may know of him on a more personal level.

Otto and his wife Alvina had one child:

1910 Chicago Illinois Census - Otto Mueller and family

Daughter Edith was nine years old when her parents divorced. Edith's mother Alvina moved back to Ohio...

Alvina and Edith Mueller on the bottom of the page

to be near her widowed brother Arthur J. Schmitt:

Arthur is on the top of the next page

Edith married John B. Caine and had three daughters:

The Caine family in 1930 Ohio census

According to the Ohio Division of Vital Statistics. Death Certificates and index, December 20, 1908-December 31, 1953. State Archives Series 3094. Ohio Historical Society, Ohio; John B Caine died at the age of 70 on the 2nd of Jun 1975. Edith died at 79 years of age on the 5th of Sep 1982.

One of Edith's daughters passed away in 1999. The two remaining are surely getting on in years. There's been no response from the contributor of a public tree on Ancestry that includes Edith.

I'm cautiously optimistic that this post will result in a connection with someone whose life was touched by Otto V Mueller. I would like to share the information I gathered and if possible, learn more about this man.

If you know of anyone related to Otto V Mueller, Alvina Schmitt Mueller, Edith Mueller Caine or any of their descendants; please contact me at:
find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com

2012 New Year's Resolutions

Another year comes to a close. The past 12 months were sprinkled with equal parts levity and laughter, wonder and worry, pitfalls and proud moments. I'm glad I was on the planet to see all the ups and downs firsthand and I very much appreciated your company along the way.

With family group sheet in hand, I nervously reviewed my 2011 resolutions. Not as bad as I thought - whew! 

2012 offers new opportunities to make check marks on my genealogy to-do list. Look out family tree, I'm getting serious about climbing you this year! With weekly encouragement from my Success Team partner Jenny, I plan to will:

1.) Attend at least one out-of-state genealogical conference or convention.

2.) Focus my research on 12 direct-line surnames; Clarin, Clarke, Gury, Landstrom, Littrell, Mangels, Mueller, Peterson, Schmitt, Thompson, Tolf, and Walton. Start by organizing the surname-related computer files, manila folders, family group sheets, and pages on my web site.

3.) Answer the following burning questions:

• Did Esther give birth to the Clarin/Mangels child I recently located? Was her divorce from Gustave really as public as family stories suggest?
• From what country did the Maryland Clarkes originate?
• Who is the child that accompanied Marie-Anne Gury and her children from France to Cincinnati?
• When (and at which port) did Augusta Landstrom arrive in America?
• From what country did the Virginia Littrells originate?
• What did the inquests into Herman Friedrich Carl Mangels and Frank Mangels' deaths reveal?
• In which Swiss town was Jacob Mueller born? Were Otto Mueller and his wife Alvina Schmitt really cousins?
• Where did Maria Fredericka Peterson's sisters settle after leaving Sweden?
• What were the circumstances around Elizabeth Schmitt's divorce from Anton Bidenharn and marriage three days later to Jacob Mueller?
• Where did Peter Thompson die and where is he buried? Was his daughter really institutionalized so her husband could obtain a divorce?
• At which American port did James Walton and his parents end their voyage from the Isle of Man?

4.) Keep other living descendants up to date on our family history research progress through emails, letters, Twitter, this blog and my web site. Search for as-yet-unknown cousins in the same way.

5.) Honor the relationship between genealogy and scrapbooking: Scan and digitize old photos. Preserve hard copies of pictures. Archive online photos off-site. Organize, label and safely store slides and negatives. Share pictures with relatives. Assemble heirloom photo albums.

6.) Share (and create more) family history with my glorious grandchildren.

Every one of my goals interests and excites me. 2012 could be a great year for my family and me. I hope yours is even better. Happy New Year!

December Birthdays

Happy December birthday to my niece Julia and to my cousins Dennis and Lynn.

Other December birthdays in my family tree include:

Sara Lisa JACOBSDOTTER, my 7th great-grandmother was born 31 Dec 1725 in Ostergotlands, Sweden. Sara's great-grandson, my 3rd great-grandfather Carl TOLF also celebrated his birthday in  December; he was born 19 Dec 1824 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. In May of 1878 he and his wife and four of their eight children left Sweden for America. Carl would live out his life in Batavia Illinois.

Carl's son Peter TOLF married Augusta LANDSTROM. Augusta's mother Lisa Katarina PETERSDOTTER was born 29 Dec 1829 Wallsjo, Sweden. The Landstroms also immigrated to Illinois.

My 2nd great-grandfather James WALTON was born on the Isle of Man 18 Dec 1843. He was only seven months old when his parents and an aunt and uncle immigrated to Cleveland Ohio.

A 2nd great grandaunt Sophia SCHMITT was born in Hellimer, Moselle, Lorraine, France 10 Dec 1845. Her sister-in-law Mary Ann BARNES was born 26 Dec 1845 in Dublin Ireland.

One of my family history mysteries is Carl Johan TOLF born 02 Dec 1849 in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden. It isn't clear whether or not he immigrated to Illinois as his parents and siblings did.

My 2nd great grandfather's brother Sven LARSSON was born in Hörby, Malmöhus, Sweden on 15 Dec 1856. Sven immigrated to Denmark on 19 May 1873 and younger brother Carl LARSSON CLARIN immigrated to Illinois.

Another direct line ancestor's brother celebrated a December birthday. Elmer Eugene CLARKE was born in Maryland 03 Dec 1865. He and several of his brothers, including my 2nd great-grandfather William Penrod CLARKE moved to Illinois when they were young men.

Emma Justina PETERSDOTTER (21 Dec 1866) is a 2nd great grandaunt who immigrated from her birthplace of Tånnö, Jonkopings, Sweden in 1883. To date, I have found no records of her on the US side of the ocean.

Alvina S SCHMITT, who was married to Otto V MUELLER, was born 15 Dec 1883 in Ohio. I hope to locate a living descendant of hers soon.

Swedish immigrant Ludwig Charles OGREN, born 21 Dec 1885, married one of my Thompson ancestors and moved to Ohio. Their adopted daughter Ruth was my maternal grandmother's cousin.

My maternal grandfather's sister Edith Josephine WALTON was born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois 23 Dec 1902. Grandpa's brother Rolf Sylvester WALTON was born in Chicago too, on 31 Dec 1909.

My paternal grandmother's brother Ernest Robert MANGELS was born 28 Dec 1907 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois. He and his brother were given up for unofficial adoption. Their reunion decades later was more than just newsworthy:

Are any of my ancestors in your family tree too?

If so, please contact me at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Read more about my family's history on my web site.

November Anniversaries

Happy November anniversary to the following couples in my family tree:

My 4th great-grandparents Matthew CLARKE and Rebecca Margaret RIDENOUR were married on 13 Nov 1818 in Washington County, Maryland. (Wish I knew exact dates of birth for either of them!)

My 3rd great-grandparents Lars PETERSSON and Anna SVENSDOTTER tied the knot on 21 Nov 1856 in Agunnaryd, Kronobergs, Sweden. Their son Carl took the military name Clarin and would later immigrate to Chicago Illinois.

The direct line ancestors with whom I spend much of my time these days; my 2nd great-grandparents Jacob K MUELLER and Elizabeth SCHMITT were married in Chicago on 28 Nov 1874.

Other November brides and grooms include:

Norman A CLARKE and Hester Ann LEFFEL were married 23 Nov 1887 in Springfield, Clark, Ohio. 

John PETERSON and Amanda Sofia Karlsdotter TOLF were married in the 1st Swedish M.E. Church in Chicago, Cook, Illinois 21 Nov 1900. (I wonder why? They both lived in Batavia Illinois, 30 or so miles west of Chicago.)

Lawrence Charles YOUNGBERG and Alma S SANDSTEDT were married 17 Nov 1909 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

John Alfred LUND and Hannah Christina TOLF were married 10 Nov 1910 in Kane County, Illinois.

Amanda Ida MANGELS and Stephen Taylor GILES were married 22 Nov 1910 in Chicago, Cook, Illinois.

Are any of these people in your family tree too?

Please contact me at find.an.ancestor [at] gmail [dot] com.

Let's compare notes!

Five Pages of Written Testimony

A thick envelope arrived yesterday from the Cook County (Illinois) Medical Examiner's Office. I carried it from the mailbox to my desk with trembling hands. Gone were thoughts of doing the Genealogy Happy Dance. This is my family. Otto V. Mueller is my great grand-uncle. The documents inside this envelope from Chicago contained five pages of testimony telling how and why he took his own life.

Otto's half-sister Alma and two of Otto's neighbors testified that Otto had behaved differently during the week after his divorce. He was drinking heavily and talking about leaving the city he loved. On the night he died, Otto went home, turned a gas jet on high and blew out the flame. He climbed into bed and lay there waiting for the "illuminating gas" to fill his lungs and end his grief. 

How could he know that 99-1/2 years later a woman he had never met would sit at her desk blinking back tears and grieving for him?

Suicide while temporarily insane

Otto V. Mueller is often on my mind these days. I recently requested copies of the inquest record created after his 1912 suicide. I can't help wondering what caused him to feel such despair that he chose to take his own life.

My path to Otto started with my paternal grandparents Harold Clarke Mueller and Frances Lois Mangels who were married in August of 1930:

The 1930 census was taken shortly before my grandparents' wedding, and Harold was enumerated (on line 84) with his parents and younger brother:

My dad remembered sliding down the load when Harold made deliveries in a coal truck, so the occupation listed in column 25 concerned me at first. When I mentioned to my grand-uncle Charlie that my grandfather had been a truck driver, he said, "Really? I remember him banging gold." Bingo - we have a match!

In the 1920 census Harold, his parents and grandparents lived together. Seeing the Clarkes explains where Harold's middle name originated:

Here's the family in 1910:

...and in 1900:

The list of family members is continued on a second page, including Alfred's sister Alma E. Note her occupation, then take a look at Otto's. Could Alma work in Otto's office? This becomes more evident (and more confusing) when we travel back and forth in time.

Here's the family in 1880. In those days, Mueller was spelled Müller. See how the census taker tried to correct his misspelling? Wish I knew if he was attempting to squeeze in an "e" or trying to add the umlaut.

The census taker's fumble helps explain another indexer's version of Jacob's surname. Jacob's marriage certificate was indexed under Mutler. But the marriage license clerk's attention to detail provided wonderful clues. Jacob's new wife is Mrs. Elizabeth Biedenham (actually Bidenharn, but let's not quibble about details). This helped me find Elizabeth and Otto in 1870.

Otto is consistently listed as Ohio-born. Remember the 1880 census and the 10-year difference between Otto and Alfred? Both facts make more sense after seeing the marriage record above. It suggests Otto isn't Jacob's biological son. An 1870 Ohio census confirms that hypothesis (see line 9):

Learning that Otto was Alfred's half-brother made me wonder if I should  continue to research Otto. I mean, it's not as if he's a direct line ancestor. And heck, he only shares 50% of my DNA. Hmm. But then I do have that manila folder with his name on it...

I'm glad I chose to gather just the basics on Otto, file them and move on; 'cause that's when things got interesting.

I couldn't find Otto in the 1930 or 1920 censuses. He didn't appear with Jacob and Alma in 1910. As it turns out he lived on the same street with his wife and daughter:

I couldn't find Otto and Alvina in the Chicago marriage index. More searching revealed their marriage had taken place on the other side of Lake Michigan in Berrien County Michigan, a quaint location known for elopements. I blinked hard when I read the new Mrs. Mueller's maiden name. Schmitt is Otto's mother's maiden name too. Coincidence? Except there was something familiar about a Schmitt and Kauffman couple in Ohio with a daughter named Alvina. Did Otto marry his first cousin? Time will tell. Here's the marriage record (entry 752):

So where was this family in 1920? I hadn't been able to find Otto. But I did find Alvina and Edith (bottom two lines)...

who live with Alvina's widowed brother (line 1):

Alvina is listed as a widow. But was she? Not according to Otto's sister Alma:

What happened to Otto? Before all the ugliness, things seemed to be going pretty well for this husband, father and successful businessman. Articles referencing him appeared in several newspapers; his participation in an annual cycling race as a member of the Englewood Wheelmen, and public congratulations and admiration after his promotion to city engineer.

Why is Otto's death certificate so um, I don't know, weird? Look at his place of birth, his birth date, even his date of death - on or about the 16th of April. How long did he lay dead in his garage? Alma was the informant; was she distraught? Distant? Estranged? If she lived with Otto and worked at his insurance agency years before, why didn't she know more answers?

She was right on the money regarding her parents' names (especially Elise rather than Elizabeth) and their places of birth. It's quite puzzling.

Which is why I ordered inquest records for this collateral ancestor. I sent a letter to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office requesting Otto's file on October first. A letter from them arrived the 13th saying there are five pages of written testimony. (FIVE PAGES!!) Copy costs are five dollars per page. I mailed a check the 14th. Then I started pacing in front of my mailbox. After two weeks I called the ME's office and spoke with a very nice woman. She said she had indeed received my check. She reminded me the pages had been tri-folded for nearly a hundred years and said they were working to unfold them. Once that is done, they can copy the pages and send them to me.

Honest to goodness, I have dreams about getting these papers! I want to know who testified and what they said. Don't you?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Cousins 1958

Success Team Update

Friday night I was all aflutter. There were still un-done tasks on my Success Team to-do list and the ST meeting was scheduled for 6:30 the next morning. What's a girl to do? HURRY that's what!

Two items on last week's list were very important to me:
1.) Order a copy of the inquest file for my great-granduncle. I've wanted this file forEVER. In less than 15 minutes I prepared a letter, added a photocopy, addressed, stamped and sealed the envelope. D.O.N.E.

2.) Ask for help reading a name on my 2nd great-grandfather's death certificate. I decided to ask an expert for help with this one, I just had to DO it. Email wasn't available, so back to the old-fashioned way. In less than 15 minutes I prepared a letter, added a photocopy, addressed, stamped and sealed the envelope. D.O.N.E.

Upper right-hand corner - what is Mama's maiden name?

Why did it take so long to start important tasks that took so little time to accomplish? I don't think of myself as a procrastinator, so what's up? Ya know what I think it is? I finish EVERYTHING ELSE first, and then I turn to my family tree. By then I'm too pooped to pop, so my research takes a back seat.

This week's list is a little lighter. And I've already tackled a few of the items trying to stay ahead of the game.

The most challenging task didn't actually make it to the list, but it was part of Saturday's discussion; explore ways to incorporate the things we WANT to do into our daily to-do lists.

Go Team!

Genealogy Success Team Update

I've made more progress on my family tree since Jenny and I started our Success Team than I'd made in the six preceding months combined. It has to do with accountability. I don't want to waste Jenny's time by telling her I couldn't finish the goals I set during our last meeting, so I get them done. Thanks Jenny, and go team!

Working toward accomplishing my 2011 New Year's Resolutions, I have a five-pronged approach to each week. This week my list consists of:

BLOG: Follow Lisa Alzo's 15-minutes a day plan. I missed Lisa's program at FGS 2011, but read about it on Diana's blog post. Like Diana, I'm pretty busy. But as Diana mentioned, I'm sure we can all squeeze in 15 minutes a day to do something more important than reading Facebook status updates.

LEARN: In a never-ending quest to add to my overall genealogical education, this week I'm going to finish reading one of the books I bought at FGS 2011; "Finding Your Chicago Ancestors; A Beginner's Guide to Family History in the City and Cook County" by Grace DuMelle. I'm not a beginner to research in this area, but the book has more than beginner information. I've already found several new resources.

ORGANIZE: What genealogist doesn't need to be better organized? I recently created an "at-a-glance record inventory" in Excel. This week I will add comments to the Mueller page.

You probably know about the yearbook collection on Ancestry. I'm interested in Englewood High School. The oldest yearbook on Ancestry for that school is 1940, far later than I need. A Google search shows records for EHS at the Harold Washington Library in Chicago. Time to start a list for a road trip.

PRESERVE: I'm a huge fan of Find A Grave. This week I want to make 15 new contributions. I also need to upload another CD of family photos for my scrapbook project.

RESEARCH: Ah yes, the real reason I play the genealogy game! This week I hope to locate the church my Mueller/Schmitt family attended in Chicago and request records from them. I'd like to answer several questions:

• In which Swiss village was Jacob Mueller born?
• When did he immigrate to the United States?
• Did Elise have four children with Jacob or only two?
• Is there a record of (Elise's son) Otto's divorce? Of his suicide?
• Where did (Jacob/Elise's daughter) Alma live after Jacob died?
• What happened to Alma after (her stepbrother) Otto' death?

My French translation comfort level is decreasing. I've been away from the records for too long. So my last task for this week is to transcribe and translate at least one French vital record for an ancestor in Moselle.

This should be a fun (and productive!) week for genealogy. What's in your wallet on your genealogy to-do list?

Wordless Wednesday ~ Mississippi

Surname Saturday ~ September Birthdays

Happy September birthday to one of my favorite grandsons, my nephew Zac, my uncle Ernie, my cousin Michael (pictured below), my great-grandniece, my brother-in-law, my cousin-in-law Stephen, my grand-uncle Fran, my great-grandfather Alfred Jacob MUELLER, my second great-grandfather William Penrod CLARKE, my third great-grandmothers Johanna Kristina ANDREASON (pictured far below) and Anna SVENSDOTTER.

More September birthdays include my grandaunt Alma Erika MANGELS, my granduncles Harry Vincent FLOOD and Roy WALTON, my great-grandaunts Alma E MUELLER and Esther Maria THOMPSON, my great-granduncles Herman Joseph MANGELS, Otto V MUELLER, John H and Thomas Arthur WALTON, my second great-grandaunts Kersti PERSSON and Christina SCHMITT, my second great-granduncles Harry Orville CLARKE, Gustaf Adolf LANDSTROM, Henry Charles and John Henry LITTRELL; my first cousins twice-removed Branden and Tyler ALLEN, and Edward H CARLSON; first cousins thrice-removed Albert Joseph, Clara, and Emil Julius BIEDINGER, Franklin Whitfield BLAKE, Clifford Morgan and Edna Jeanetta CLARKE, Fredrick DOMKOWSKY, Jules Arthur DROLL, Julius Jacob PLUM, Ernest Carl SWANSON, Clarence Ferdinand, Eva Matilda and Wesley Lambert TOLF; my second cousins twice-removed Julius J PLUM and Ruth SWANSON, and my fourth cousin once-removed Joseph FRIEND.



Do we share any ancestors? Click here to visit my web site or

send me an email at livinginthepastlane [at] yahoo [dot] com.

Success Team Update

For the past few months my Saturday morning routine has included a hot cup of coffee and a spicy genealogical chat with Jenny.

Jenny is vacationing, so (sigh) I'm on my own today. We worked hard on our lists last Saturday knowing we would have two weeks to complete them. These were my goals:

BLOG: Create one A Child Lost and one F.A.G. blog post. Catch up blog reading.

I chose my next Child Lost and put a rough draft together. I posted about my experience at Darien Cemetery here. And I've been diligently reading all the fun and interesting and educational blogs I follow. I am caught up! [on target]

LEARN: Review FGS classes and write rough draft questions. Read The Twitter Book by Tim O’ Reilly and Sarah Milstein.

Not only did I review the classes, I downloaded my syllabus and bound it for travel - yay me! I changed a class too, substituting Twitter for the 1940 census. I'll start writing the rough draft questions this weekend. I continue to read The Twitter Book in my "spare" time. It's a great read and has already changed the way I use Twitter. [on target]

ORGANIZE: Clean up the Mueller hanging file. Create checklists for each document type encountered.

Good gravy, what a mess! As you can see in the photo below, I sorted all the papers so I can work on like-items. I created a spreadsheet (are you laughing Jenny?) for the document types. [on target]

PRESERVE: Verify that all direct line ancestors appear on F.A.G. If photos exist, add them. Sponsor Daddy and Harold Mueller. Add the EASY photos from Darien Cemetery.

Hmm. I may have to pick up the pace on this task. I haven't checked for all my ancestors. [behind schedule] I sponsored my dad's memorial, but decided against sponsoring his dad's for the time being. [check] I'm about a quarter of the way through the photos from Darien Wisconsin. [behind schedule - eek]

RESEARCH: Look for Jacob’s confirmation record on the Swiss film at the FHC. Add specific genealogy searches to eBay.

Thursday evening I looked through the entire film hoping to find a birth, baptism, or confirmation record for Jacob. No luck. But, as you may recall, this was a long shot. My surname-related searches are now on eBay. [check]

That makes an un-terrific mix of "on target", "check" and "behind schedule". Maybe a B- for the week so far? I'd better quit chatting and get back to work!

Wordless Wednesday ~ New Home

Barron Wisconsin

Surname Saturday ~ August Marriages

Some ancestrally-significant weddings took place in August:

William Clarke and his wife Ella (nee Littrell)

My grandparents Frances Lois MANGELS and Harold Clarke MUELLER were married 22 Aug 1930 in Chicago Illinois.

My great grandparents (Harold's parents) Gertrude CLARKE and Alfred MUELLER were married 24 August 1907.

My second great grandparents (Gertrude's parents) William CLARKE and Mary Ella LITTRELL were also married 24 August, in 1882.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Little Sister

Lizabeth

Swiss for Beginners

Next month I'll attend the "Beginning Swiss Research" workshop at the FGS conference in Springfield Illinois. I'm really looking forward to this program because I know nothing of my Swiss second great-grandfather's life before he immigrated to the US.

Actually there are still a few things I don't know about Jacob K Mueller's life after he immigrated, but I digress.

By the 1880 census, Jacob Mueller and Elisabeth Schmitt were married and had a baby of their own. Otto (on line 3) is Elisabeth's son from a previous marriage.

When Jacob died in 1910, his daughter Alma provided the information that appears on his death certificate. What a treasure trove this document turned out to be! Notice the names she gave for Jacob's parents?

I looked for J Mueller and Anna Wigdri (and variations thereof) on FamilySearch and found this marriage record on film # 0995182. They are the third couple listed under the C three-quarters down on the right-hand page.

There is a very slim chance this couple is Jacob's parents, (wouldn't it be incredible if they were?), but I ordered the film anyway.

My hope is that, having seen a Swiss marriage record, I'll understand more during the FGS class.

In the meantime, I wonder what the letters and the headings over each group of names mean...

UPDATE: Many thanks to Wolf on the Swiss Rootweb list:

Promulgirt (announced) / copulirt (married) / year

A. Ehen zwischen Bürgern und Bürgerinnen der Evang. Gemeinde Steckborn
(Marriages of [male and female] citizens of the reformed community of
Steckborn)

B. Ehen hiesiger Bürger mit auswärtigen Töchtern  (Marriages of citizens
from here with daughters from outside - i.e. not citizens of Steckborn)

C. Ehen auswärtiger Bürger mit hiesigen Töchtern  (Marriages of citizens
from outside with daughters from here)

D. Ehen auswärtiger Bürger mit auswärtigen Bürgerinnen  (Marriages of [male
and female] citizens from outside)

Surname Saturday ~ August Birthdays

Happy August birthday to my wonderful husband, my little sister, my beautiful granddaughter, my uncle Bob, my cousin Bill, my cousin in-law Michael, my grand uncle Bud, my first cousin once-removed Faith, my first cousin twice-removed Courtney, my third cousin once-removed in-law Cindy, and my fourth cousins once-removed Spencer and Taylor.

My August-born ancestors are also in my thoughts:

Helen Irene ADAMS born 04 Aug 1919 married William Howard TOLF in Chicago Illinois. Their daughter is one of my favorite genealogists.

Lyman John CLARKE was born 01 Aug 1893 in Chicago Illinois and his aunt Zora E CLARKE was born in Washington County Maryland 19 Aug 1857. Their unique names help in the search for Clark/e ancestors and descendants.

My 4th great-grandmother Elizabeth GROSSE was born in Virming, Moselle, Lorraine, France 07 Aug 1781. She married François SCHMITT in 1804.

Although not yet documented other than the photo below, Christina GURY born 15 Aug 1821 in Altroff, Moselle, Lorraine, France became a nun. Her brother Jean Louis GURY was born 26 Aug 1819 also in Altroff.

Axel Fabian LANDSTROM was born in Norra Unnaryd, Jonkopings, Sweden 10 Aug 1874, the youngest of seven children who immigrated to Chicago Illinois with their parents Johan Peter LANDSTROM and Lisa Katarina PETERSDOTTER. Axel's older brother Carl Werner LANDSTROM was born 17 Aug 1863.

John Alfred LUND was born 13 Aug 1879 in Sweden. His wife Hannah Christina TOLF and her sister Ella Jubelina TOLF 21 Aug 1886 were born in the Swedish community of Batavia Illinois.

My grandfather Harold Clarke MUELLER was born 07 Aug 1908 in Chicago Illinois. He married Frances Lois MANGELS 22 Aug 1930.

Following the Swedish naming tradition, Jöns PERSSON born 23 Aug 1829 in Bjäresjö, Malmöhus, Sweden had a daughter named Bengta JÖNSDÖTTER. In America she would be known as Betty Johnson. Jöns' daughter created this priceless family treasure:

After my 3rd great-grandmother Margaret Jane SHARTZER died in 1867, Julia PETERS born 25 Aug 1827 married the widowed Charles W LITTRELL. She helped raise his children John Henry LITTRELL and Mary Ella LITTRELL.

Oscar F THOMPSON born in Chicago Illinois 12 Aug 1883 was the first American born child of Norwegian immigrant Peter THOMPSON and his Swedish immigrant wife Maria Fredrika PETERSDOTTER.

My 4th great-grandfather blacksmith Carl Jonas TOLF was born in Svenarum, Jönköping, Sweden 25 Aug 1795. He died at 38 leaving wife Maja Lisa LIDSTROM with seven small children, among them my 3rd great-grandfather Carl TOLF. Carl immigrated to Batavia Illinois in 1878. His August-born grandsons include Frank M TOLF 29 Aug 1884 and Leroy Harrison TOLF 10 Aug 1888. Owen Henry TOLF, a great-grandson, was born 03 Aug 1914.

On 21 Aug 1891 Swedish immigrants Carl Johan YOUNGBERG and Frida Katrina TOLF had their second child Myrtle Alvira YOUNGBERG. Myrtle's brother Lawrence Charles YOUNGBERG is one of the family mysteries I enjoy solving.

Headstone Photos from Oakwoods

Ancestors on both sides of my family are buried at Oakwoods Cemetery on Chicago's south side. It's one of the oldest cemeteries in the city, established in 1854 before Graceland, Rosehill and Calvary.

The architecture and landscaping alone make this cemetery a historic treasure. There are some truly breathtaking monuments in Oakwoods, among them the Confederate Mound. A number of Chicago's elite are buried here along with politicians and ministers, athletes and gangsters.



The Confederate Mound

I have wanted to visit my ancestors' graves at this cemetery for as long as I can remember. It's hundreds of miles from me however and I may never have the chance. So I asked for help at Find A Grave and at RAOGK. No luck.

Then one day it occurred to me there might be a local teenager or senior citizen who could take pictures of the headstones I wanted so much to see. So I wrote a letter and sent it to Oakwoods...

"May 23, 2011

Dear Ms. Nowak,

This morning I had an idea I hope you can help develop.

I am a genealogist and several of my family members are buried at Oakwoods. Since I am unable to visit the cemetery in person, I would like to get photos of their headstones. 

Are you familiar with www.findagrave.com? As of this morning, there were 8286 interments listed on the web site for Oakwoods. Specific to my idea, there are 326 photo requests.

I’m wondering if there is a local teenager or perhaps a retiree who might be willing to take headstone photos at Oakwoods. A volunteer would be the most popular choice, but I don’t think it would be unreasonable to ask for financial contributions for the photographer’s time and trouble. I would be willing to pay someone out of state to take pictures and clean up a gravesite for ancestors I can’t visit in person.

This is important enough to me that I would be willing to help in whatever way I can. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Warmest regards,"

After a few weeks and no response, I called. Talked with a lovely woman there who said the General Manager position had recently undergone a transition. She suggested I call the former GM. I did. Another lovely woman who offered some wonderful suggestions. Unfortunately none of them worked. So I called the cemetery again. This time I talked with a gentleman who offered to take the pictures himself. I followed up with a letter, a list, some charts, and $50.

"July 6, 2011

Dear Mr. Davis,

Thank you for talking with me yesterday about my desire for photos of my ancestors’ headstones.

Your willingness to help me obtain these photos is very much appreciated. Toward that end I have included a list of names and dates specific to Oakwoods.

I was a little taken aback by the $10 per headstone charge, but relieved when you asked that the check be made out to the American Diabetes Association. Both Jacob and Elizabeth (Schmitt) Mueller died of diabetes, and their son Alfred died of diabetic complications. Unfortunately, my budget won’t allow me to pursue all ten photos this week. I would be most grateful for the five I numbered on my list and for those I have enclosed a check in the amount of $50.

If possible, I would prefer to receive the headstone pictures via email as jpg files. My email address (on my calling card enclosed) is livinginthepastlane@yahoo.com.

You mentioned privacy concerns related to the plat cards for these individuals. I have also enclosed relationship charts so you can see I am a direct descendant of Jacob and Elizabeth. Their son Alfred (my great-grandfather) and Otto were brothers. I have received copies of many plat cards or plot maps from other cemeteries during my 30 year genealogical quest. I have never posted them online or shared the contents with anyone. The information they contain is about my family and I protect it accordingly.

In my first letter dated May 23 (copy enclosed), I mentioned the web site www.findagrave.com. If Ms. Comer hasn’t yet seen this web site, would you please make her aware of it? The number of photo requests fluctuates (currently at 271), but the oldest request is from 2006. I’m sure there are many others who would appreciate the prospect of obtaining photos of their loved ones’ graves as well. If this is a service the cemetery might consider offering in the future, I would be happy to share that news.

Thank you again for all your help. It’s unlikely I will be able to see these graves in person, so your help, and that of Oakwoods in general, means a great deal to me.

Warmest regards,"

Within days, Mr Davis sent the following email with two pictures attached:

"Hi Ms. Aanenson
Thank you for your contribution to the ADA, here are the findings for the 5 inquiries you made to Oak Woods cemetery. Next of kin is in parenthesis.

1. Jacob J. Mueller, Age 66  (son Otto) buried in section F5  lot 227  (see photo) his wife Elise is buried to his left also listed with headstone. (see photo).
2.  Otto V. Mueller, Age 44 (sister Alma) is buried in F5 -227 next to Jacob's right side, there is no headstone for him.
3.  Alfred Jacob Mueller, Age 62 (son Harold) is buried next to Otto, there is no headstone for him also.
4. Elizabeth Mueller, Age 76 (William) is buried in section R1 lot 571  Dec. 25, 1901.  (see photo).
5. Frida Youngberg, Age 74 (daughter Myrtle) is buried in section F7 lot 593 Oct. 12, 1937. There is no headstone for her.

Respectfully,

JAMES DAVIS
Planning Advisor
Oak Woods Cemetery
1035 E. 67th Street
Chicago, IL 60637"

Charles J Youngberg and his wife Freda (nee Tolf)

Jacob K Mueller and his wife Elisabeth (nee Schmitt)