At first I wasn’t sure I’d be able to find much on H. B. Dye of Manzanola, first in line in the “bottom row standing.” With only initials to go on making an ID can be tough. But, I remembered … Continue reading
Reception Committee – July 4, 1910
Now this is a great photo! What’s not to love about a 4th of July celebration? These guys were definitely taking it seriously. According to the very detailed, typed information on the back of the photo, this was the Reception Committee for a July 4th, 1910 celebration in Riverside Park, Manzanola, Colorado. Lot’s of “honorables” were in attendance that day. From La Junta, to Rocky Ford, to Pueblo and Manzanola. Most of these small towns are in Otero county in the southeast quadrant of the state (so convenient having a square state).
Louis Sickenberger, kneeling on the left
This post will focus on one of these men, the Honorable Louis Sickenberger. He is the first person kneeling on the left in the close up photo. I say “honorable” is unconfirmed only because nothing I found described him as a public official elected or otherwise. He is listed as a farmer in every census. But in these small western towns that may have been a mere formality. He was at least once described as “an honored and prosperous citizen of the community” per the Denver Rocky Mountain News.
Louis was born William Louis Sickenberger in 1862 in Illinois. His parents were Phillip and Elizabeth Sickenberger. Not surprisingly they were from Germany – where else can you get a last name like that? Dad was a miller in Illinios. They lived in Tyrone, Franklin, IL in 1880. Lewis was 19 with younger brother John 14. By 1900 however Louis (often referred to as WL) had moved to Otero county where he would stay. He was married to a Mary a few years his senior and his mother lived with them as well. Louis and Mary appeared to have no children.
Now in 1910 (the year of this photo) Wm. Louis lived in East Rocky Ford, Otero county with a new wife Anna. Ann was 10 years his junior. They too would have no children. I can only assume that Louis and Mary divorced at some point. She doesn’t seem to have died until 1947. The wedding of Louis Sickenberger and Anna was no small affair. They were married a few months before this photo on April 23, 1910. The article in the Denver Rocky Mountain News describes the beautiful and elaborate ceremony.
Later that year, in late July of 1910, Louis was elected Director of the Manzanola Commerce Club and in 1919 chosen President of High Line Canal Co. at Rocky Ford. He certainly prospered in his adopted state. If only there were descendants equally interested in this honorable man. Find a Grave website has Louis, Anna, Phillip, Elizabeth, and John’s memorials listed. All are buried in Manzanola Mountainview Cemetery.
Evelyn Klumpp, 1910 Chicago (age 16)
Evelyn Klumpp doesn’t look too happy in this 1910 Manierre school picture from 1910 Chicago. That’s right, we’re back to Ward 22 if you’ve followed any of the other Manierre school posts. But Evelyn wasn’t so easy to find. One, although Klumpp seems like a very unique name, the number of misspellings have made her harder to track down (Klemp, Klump, etc.). Two, her parents may have just divorced or her mother died before this photo – hard to know so her world was a bit topsy-turvey.
Here’s what I know: The year this photo was taken, 1910, Evelyn lived with her uncles (her father’s brothers) Albert, Edward, and Gustav Klumpp (spelled Klemp) in Ward 22 of Chicago. They are her uncles despite the fact that she’s listed as a sister rather than a niece on the census. According to her birth record, she was born to William and Mamie Klumpp on January 15, 1894 in Cook County, Illinois. You’ll find William with his brothers, sisters and parents in 1870 and 1880 in Cook county with all the same names and near same birth years listed as the 1910 census. A marriage record has William Klumpp marring Mary O’Brien in 1886.
BUT, we never see Evelyn in a census record with her parents – they seem utterly lost in 1900. The rest of her family (at least on her father’s side) is in – you guessed it – Ward 22 of Chicago. Grandpa Christopher, now a widow lives with son Edward. Christopher would die 2 years later. Uncle Albert and Gustav live together as well. Gustav would die in an Insane Hopstial in 1945, Albert died in 1932. All, including some sisters, are buried in Rose Hill cemetery in Cook co.
Now, based on father William’s parents (Christopher and Caroline Klumpp) we know that William died in Seneca, Ohio of all places in 1923 – he is listed as divorced on the death record. He is also in Seneca in 1920, and thank goodness he was living with daughter Evelyn. She and husband Milo Long married in 1912 (Klumpp/O’Brien are parents) in Indiana. That was just 2 years after this photo, Evelyn would have been 18. At some point, they moved to Ohio and cared for her father before his death. When and where mom went/died is unknown.
Evelyn and Milo with one son William continued to live in Seneca, Ohio at least through 1940. But at some point moved to California. Evelyn Long died on March 27, 1972 in Los Angeles. I’d love to solve the mystery of the location of the family in 1900!
Julia Howard, 1910 class of Manierre School in Chicago
This one is not as cut and dry as I like. There are two real possibilities for a Julia Howard who lived in Chicago in 1910 – the date that this graduating class from Manierre School in Chicago was taken. One of them, (Julia 1) is the daughter of James and Margaret, born in 1893; the other (Julia 2) is the daughter of Julia F. Howard and unknown father born about 1894.
I believe Julia 2 is our woman. For one thing, she lives in Ward 22. I know, I know! I may be putting too much weight on Ward 22 – which is where all the other children from this class that I’ve researched have been from. It is a compelling factor at this point. But that can’t be the only reason I choose her. Julia 1 lives in Ward 31. Now, considering I’m not completely sure where the Manierre school was at this time it’s hard to know who lived closer. In 1910 Ward 22 and Ward 31 were not really close to one another. Therefore, unlikely that someone would live in Ward 22 for example and school in Ward 31.
Julia 1 also was listed as working at a grocery store in 1910. The census was taken in April of that year, when school would have likely still been in session. Although, true the picture may have been taken earlier and she may have been working in the afternoons, etc., etc. There are many reasons why Julia 1 may still be our girl. For the sake of Ward 22 I’m going with Julia 2!
In 1910, when this picture was taken, Julia 2 was about 17. She and her brother Walter lived as lodgers with the family of Ellen Rowan. In 1900 she and Walter lived with their mother and another brother named Kirby who was 15 at the time. They lived in Ward 11 in 1900 (not to far from Ward 22). In 1904 Julia’s mother, also named Julia, died of natural causes. Older brother Kirby, and Julia 2 for that matter, have not been found in any other documentation other than those census records. I don’t know what happened to Julia’s father – he doesn’t appear in the picture ever. And I don’t know her mother’s maiden name. So much still not known – and no one searching for this beauty that I can tell.
With that wonderful hairdo too! Good luck Julia.
Unclaimed Ancestors 