Another beautiful young Japanese-American girl. A senior at Auburn High School in King County, Washington in 1930. Unlike Mabel Natori, there’s no smoking gun to tie “Mary” to her Japanese identity. A 1920 and 1930 census from Christopher, King Co., … Continue reading
Viola Bennett, 1908 Seneca, KS
I think this is Viola Bennett. Viola was a freshman at Seneca High School in Kansas in 1908. She is identified in this class photo as #2 and as you can tell the name written by #2 appears to be Viola Bennel. However, as you can probably guess, I found no evidence of a Viola Bennel anywhere near Seneca, Nemaha county, Kansas in 1908. I could however find a Viola Bennett.
Whoever wrote this list of names was rather lax with the crossing of the t’s.
The list of names
If you look at some of the other names, #1 Ruth Smith for example, the t is barely crossed. #5, Floyd Carpenter, almost looks like Carpenlir. You get the picture. So, when I found a Viola Bennett, born in 1894 in Kansas, living in Nemaha county from 1905 to 1920, I was fairly confident this was our girl. An important point to remember, you never know how much information an anonymous writer of information has.
Here’s what I can tell you about Viola Bennett – her parents were William Bennett (1863-1910) and Theresia Grollmes (1870-1954). Viola was the oldest of about 6 or 7 children. Her parents married in Nebraska, but the family lived in Kansas all her life. Between 1920-1925 she married John Edgar Sparling and they settled in Oneida, Kansas. They had at least one child, possibly more. Viola died relatively early in 1958, just a few years after her mother.
Here’s to hoping we’ve got the right Viola!
Mildred Ash, 1931, Plymouth, Michigan
UPDATE: Family has updated us that Mildred passed away on November 2, 2013. She was 99 years old!
This is Mildred M. Ash, she’s about 17 in this photo of the Plymouth, Michigan High School class of 1931. Born on February 23, 1914, her parents were William Ash and Hulda Esch. William and Hulda had 4 children, Lucile (1912), Mildred (1914), Ethel (1920), and Edward (1923). It would appear that Lucile and Mildred never married or had children – or if they did the documentary evidence eludes me. Ethel and Edward did, however, have families. I’m hoping that there will be some nieces and nephews out there excited to receive this photo.
A little more background, William and Hulda lived in Wayne county, Michigan all their married lives. William was a farmer who lived until 1964 and Hulda didn’t die until 1983 – she was almost 100. The whole family (with the exception of Lucile whose burial location I haven’t identified) appear to be buried in Riverside Cemetery in Wayne County. The odd thing about Mildred’s grave is that it only has her birthday on it, February 23, 1914. There’s room for a death date but it’s blank. Could she still be alive? Her mother did live to be almost 100! Maybe she was the last of the siblings to pass away with no one to fulfill her burial wish of being buried with the family. I do wonder about these graves that seem to leave us hanging.
Harvey J. Segnitz, in 1931, The Plymouth High School class
Handsome Harvey J. Segnitz, with possibly the rarest last name in the US! When you search for Harvey Segnitz pretty much only he and his dad (also named Harvey) come up. Good and bad news. Good, I’m VERY sure it’s him. Bad, there’s more questions than answers.
Harvey John Segnitz was born on October 4, 1912 in Indiana to Harvey Charles Segnitz and Clara Mohr. He had several older siblings Magurite and/or Beatrice (who apparently died young), Leroy (1911-2000) and Ramona (1910-1992). He also had a much younger brother, Aurthur, who was born in 1930! No trace of him since the 1940 census.
The family lived in Plymouth, Wayne county, Michigan during the 1930 census and Harvey was attending Plymouth High School (hence the photo). His father was a commercial “sailsman” according to the census taker who needed a remedial spelling lesson. Five years later, Harvey married Lucille Moss. They would have at least 2 children, maybe more, William and Richard. Harvey owned “Segnitz & Rodman” filling station in Oakland county, Michigan and worked there as an attendant according to local city directories.
Then in 1958, at the age of 46, he died. I’ve found no record other than the Social Security death index; no obituary, even Find a Grave doesn’t know where he’s buried just that he’s dead. He wife apparently died (either without remarrying or without changing her name) in 1982. No one is searching for the family through Ancestry or other online trees. I hope Harvey J. can find a descendant.
Blanche Rambo, 1908
Blanche Rambo is number 18 on the nicely identified high school class picture in Seneca, Kansas, 1908. (You can see the full photo in this post.) Her known story is a short one, I’m hoping others can fill in the blanks.
Blanche was almost the only child to Elmer Elsworth Rambo and Jessie L. Richards. She was born in Nebraska in 1891 and was without a sibling until 1908 when younger sister Lucile was born the year this photo was taken. The small family lived in Seneca during the 1900 and 1910 census where Elmer was a brakeman for the railroad. In 1900, Blanche’s maternal grandfather Francis Richards lived with them.
It’s likely that Blanche married and moved on shortly after this photo but no evidence of her marriage, residence, or death can be found. The same is true for sister Lucy. Her parents and Lucy continued to live in Seneca through 1920. But, at least by 1929, maybe sooner, Elmer and Lucy had moved back to Nebraska where they had married in 1889. In 1930, the elder Rambos were both working in Gage County, NE for the Nebraska Institute for Feeble Minded; Elmer as a shoemaker and Jessie as a laundress.
I certainly hope you find some descendants Blanche!
Earl Thomsen
Earl Thomsen, the son of Harry Thomsen & Anna Ertzner, was born in Nebraska on June, 19, 1920. In 1930 the family lived in Osmond; Earl was the second oldest of 4, although there would be six siblings eventually with Earl as the only son. Harry and Anna were both from Nebraska, and 3 of Earl’s 4 grandparents were born in Germany. Mr. Thomsen was the proprietor of a gravel pit. And in 1940, still in Osmond, Earl had completed high school and worked as a laborer in his father’s gravel pit. The day before the 1940 census Earl has worked 72 hours in the gravel pit in one week! No wonder signing up for the war looked good. According to his gravestone Earl was Tech 4 in the US army. Father Harry was also a veteran, he served in WWI. Earl died in Nebraska on April 11, 1989 and is buried in Immanuel Cemetery with a sister, his mother and father in Osmond. I have no information on whether or not he married and had children.
Elmer August Schuettler (love the hair!), was also a WWII veteran. He was born March 14, 1921 in
Elmer Schuettler in 1938
Osmond and died July 13, 1996 in Omaha. When he enlisted in the army in 1942 he was single with no dependents, working at a gas station, and had completed high school. He enlisted at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX. Elmer was the son of Henry & Elizabeth, both of Illinois. In 1930, Elmer was the youngest of 4 living in Plum Grove, Nebraska; although he had other older siblings who had already left home – 7 in all I believe. 1940 Elmer lived with his brother Rudolph and family – still in Plum Grove. His brother was a farmer. Elmer (age 19) was an attendant at a gas station. All 4 grandparents were from Germany. He married a Norma Huey. Elmer is buried in Immanuel Cemetery (same place as Earl Thomsen). However, Elmer’s parents are buried in Rose Hill cemetery in another town in Pierce county.
These gents had similar paths to many young men of their time I imagine. Graduating high school in a nation still struggling with the Depression. Likely not a lot of jobs (gas stations, gravel pits not exactly living the dream), and, with so many sibling, it would have been hard for parents to send them to college. Signing up to fight for their county was likely a very attractive offer.
Also interesting is that these men, and many others, were going off to fight a country that their grandparents had immigrated from. Was that a cause for pause? Did their parents or grandparents feel torn? Both of these graduates from Osmond High School in 1938 came back from the war and settled in or near their home towns.
1938 HS class in Osmond, Nebraska
This is 1938 class of the local high school in Osmond, Pierce County, Nebraska. I love the handwritten names at the bottom of each photo. These are charming faces. I’m starting randomly as usual with Iona Schultze – bottom row, third from the right.
Iona was born in Nebraska in 1921. Therefore the first census she’s in is 1930. Iona was the 4th of 9 children at that time. The family’s home was in Plum Grove, Pierce, Nebraska – same county as Osmond. Ferdinand and Bessie Schultze, also from NE, were the parents. Ferdinand was a farmer, his parents were from Germany. He was born in 1889 and married when he was 26. Bessie was 17 at the time of the wedding. In 1930 with 9 children she was only 32! In 1940 Ferdinand and Bessie and 8 children (not included Iona) still lived in Pierce county. Ferdinand’s mother, Anna, lived with them as well. Both Ferdinand and Bessie are buried in Osmond Cemetery.
Iona Schultze
There’s not much else out there in online documentation about Iona however. The few family trees that include her have only the 1930 census linked to her as “evidence”. Although a husband and child are both mentioned, there are different ideas on who the husband was (Drake or Van Tassel, maybe both?). An Iona (Schultze) Van Tassell is mentioned in the book Osmond Nebraska 1890-1990, A Century of Memories. Hopefully, this photo will be a kick start to more research.
Elnora J. Sackett, 1931 Plymouth, Michigan High School
Ms. Elnora Sackett has such an interesting face. She was a classmate of Viola’s (from the previous post) but a few years older than her peer. Born in 1910, Elnora J. Sackett was almost 20 when this high school picture was taken. She was born on October 13, 1910 – luckily for her that was a Thursday, not a Friday. Her parents were Jay and Mary Sackett. Jay lived from 1889 to 1945. Mary lived from 1883 to 1873, almost outliving Elnora, who died in Livonia, Michigan in 1978. I wonder how Elnora died, at a relatively young age of 68, when her mother lived to 90? All three are buried in Riverside Cemetery in Plymouth, Michigan.
Elnora appears to have never married. She and sister Margaret still lived at home in 1940 (in Plymouth) and worked as press operators for a air rifle manufacturing company – Rosie the Riveters! The family lived in Plymouth all her youth from 1920-1940 and probably longer. Father Jay didn’t live with the family in 1940 but doesn’t die until 1945. He’s likely too old to have been at war though. I wonder if she and Viola were friends?
Viola Lillian Luttermoser was the Vice President of her Plymouth, Wayne Co., Michigan High School in 1931. This is an absolutely beautiful picture of her. Viola was born in March of 1914 in Detroit (also in Wayne County). Her parents … Continue reading
Unclaimed Ancestors 