Pearl (Walkington) Towne Miars (1898-1960) - First Wife of William J Miars

My great uncle, William "Bill" James Miars (1894-1968) has been somewhat of a mystery to me over the years.  He is the oldest of my grandfather's siblings but they are twenty one years apart. When the Miars family sold the homestead in Tazewell County around 1916-1917 and moved to Jubilee Township in Peoria County, Illinois he made the move even though he was a young adult and could go where he wanted.  He was well into his 40s before taking a wife but the details of that marriage were rather sketchy as I tried to piece together this part of his life.

I grew up hearing about his second wife, Julia (Toye) Miars.  Probably because their marriage took place a few months before I was born and likely met her before she died in 1966.  But what of his first wife?  All I really knew was that her name was "Pearl" and that they had lived in Omaha, Nebraska where Uncle Bill had been living.  Census records were not much help in learning more about their marriage and life together.  Only the 1940 enumeration records are available publically.  Uncle Bill is listed as living in his mother's home in Brimfield, Illinois in 1940. (1).  So when and why did he go to Omaha and how and when did meet and marry "Pearl"?

Finding marriage information for Bill and Pearl seemed to be the place to start.  When researching family history and genealogy we are taught to start with what you know and what you have.  I found a hand written history of my grandfather's family that was created by his sister, Mary (Miars) Best.  For "William James" it listed his first wife's name as "Pearl Walkington Towne." (2)  Now I have a full name!  It also listed their marriage location as St. Louis but no date.

Frank Miars Family History report in the handwriting of Mary (Miars) Best

My search of records online did not find any marriage records for this couple.  I did find city directories for them in Omaha in the 1940s and 1950 so that at least narrowed down my search for marriage information to the early to mid 1940s,  After more online searches I decided to search newspapers.  The Brimfield News is the hometown paper for the Miars family and Uncle Bill.  This paper is online and searchable now through the website of the Brimfield Public Library Historic Newspaper collection.(3)

A search of this website came up with this item in a section of the paper called "Everybody's Business." for the edition from Thursday, November 19, 1942.

Brimfield News, 19 Nov 1942 (4)

This articles indicates that Bill and Pearl were likely married in October or November 1942 and started their married life in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  But it is the last sentence of this article that caught my attention:  "Mrs Miars was formerly Pearl Towne a cousin of Mrs F O. Wight."  Who is "Mrs. F.O. Wight?"  Because this is mentioned in this newspaper I began to speculate that somehow Pearl, my uncle's wife, may have some connection to his hometown or local area.  But how?

The surname "Wight" is familiar to me from the Central Illinois area.  I did some searches for "F O Wight" in the Brimfield News, Find A Grave and other online sites but did not find anything helpful in figuring out this new mystery.  I decided to focus my research on Pearl herself now that I had a maiden name and the surname of a possible first marriage.  This effort turned up what I was looking for.  I found a her delayed birth certificate.  This certificate was created in 1953 so it is not really a primary source for the date and place of her birth.  The people listed on the certificate were not present (except for Pearl) at the time and place of her birth.  BUT....it not only lists the names of her parents but also their birth places. (5)

Delayed Birth Certificate of Pearl Amelia Walkington - Council Bluffs, Iowa (5)

Pearl (Walkington) Miars is the daughter of Frank and Mary (Murdock) Walkington who were both born in Princeville, Illinois.  Bingo!!  This couple were both born in Peoria County not far from Brimfield.  It appears that after they married they moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa where their daughter was born and raised.

But this is likely how Bill and Pearl came to know each other.  Pearl had relatives and friends of her parents living in Peoria County where Bill was living.  It does not seem to me that they were random strangers in Iowa and Nebraska that met and married.  It seems that they had a connection somehow through Pearl's parents.

Once they married as the newspaper article indicated they made their first home in Council Bluffs, Iowa but not long after it seems that they moved across the Missouri River to Omaha.  Bill was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad as a sheet metal worker.(6)  They  must have come back to visit his family and friends in Brimfield a few times during their marriage given the photos of them that Aunt Mary Best left as well as small articles in the Brimfield News about their visits.

Pearl passed away first in late October 1960 in Omaha, Nebraska. (7)

Obituary for Pearl Miars from the Brimfield News (7)

Uncle Bill continued to live and work in Omaha.  He remarried in 1962 to Julia Toye but he outlived her as well.  He passed away in 1968 after retiring and moving back to Brimfield.

I still need to find their exact wedding date and details of her death.  I'll also be interested to look them up in the 1950 census when it is released in 2022.  But the mystery of who "Pearl" is and her connection to Central Illinois has been solved.


Related Blog Posts -
Clara (Miars) Barker - 123rd Birthday
Mary (Miars) Best

Bibliography -
(1)1940 U.S. census, Peoria County, Illinois, population schedule, Brimfield, Enumeration District (ED) 72-3, sheet 8-A (penned), p. 32-A (stamped), line 24, household 175, William Miars; digital image, Ancestry (http://ancestry.com : accessed 1 Aug 2014), citing National Archives microfilm publication T627, roll T627_864.
(2) "Frank Miars Family," handwritten report by Mary (Miars) Best, ca. 1970s; from the Mary (Miars) Best collection, currently in the personal collection of the author.
(3) I am very grateful to the past librarians of the library who lovingly kept copies of this paper going back to the 1870s.  Then the library board had the foresight to have them microfilmed and ultimately digitized so they would be freely available for researchers today and the years to come!!
(4)“Everybody’s Business,” newspaper article regarding "Mr. and Mrs. William (Bill) Miars," Brimfield (Illinois) News, 19 Nov 1942, p. 4; digital image, Brimfield Public Library (http://brimfield.advantage-preservation.com : accessed 23 Jun 2019).
(5)"Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1856-1940,", database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Jun 2019), entry for Pearl Amelia Walkington, 10 Jun 1898, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County; citing State Historical Society of Iowa, Des Moines.
(6)William J Miars pension file, SS no. XXX-XX-1567, claim no. A879563, 1968; Records of the Railroad Retirement Board, 1934-, National Archives Record Group 184, Atlanta, Georgia.
(7)“Funeral Services For Mrs. William Miars Are Held Oct. 27,” obituary, Brimfield (Illinois) News, 3 Nov 1960, p. 1; digital image, Brimfield Public Library (http://brimfield.advantage-preservation.com : accessed 25 Jun 2019).

A Teacher's Teacher - Lulu (Petty) Eicher (1877-1972)

You never know when doing family history research where the road will lead.  A few days ago I was going through pictures and artifacts left to my mother by my great aunt, Mary (Miars) Best.  I found this picture that was not familiar to me.  Thankfully, when I turned the photo over there was helpful writing!!

In pencil on the back of the photo it says "To Mary From Mrs. Eicher".  But who is that? I have never heard this name. Below that writing in pen and in different handwriting it says "My 1st Grade Teacher".  Now my first question was answered - this is a photo of Mrs. Eicher who was Mary's first grade teacher.  But who is Mrs. Eicher and which Mary (there are several in my family!)?

Thankfully, very quickly I recognized the handwriting in pen as that of my great Aunt Mary (Miars) Best. (See related post below for link to a post about Aunt Mary.) She was an elementary school teacher in Peoria County, Illinois for most of her adult life.  How cool is this to find a picture of her teacher!!  But I still didn't really know who "Mrs. Eicher" was or where she taught.  Aunt Mary Best would have attended elementary schools in Elm Grove, Tazewell, Illinois as well as Jubilee, Peoria, Illinois.  It didn't take long to get the answers I was looking for.

Some fellow family history researchers are going to cringe when I say that my first stop was Find A Grave. (1) I searched for anyone with burials in Tazewell County, Illinois and the last name "Eicher".  I came up with a list of several people but when I excluded the males from the list I only had about three female names remaining. I had no first name on the photo to go by so I looked at each of the memorials to see if there were any clues in them.  One of the memorials had an obituary included which after reading it I knew that this was not my person.  Also, all but one of the remaining people were born in the 20th century so I excluded them as well.  Aunt Mary was born in 1906 so no person born after 1900 was going to be who I was looking for.  That really left me with two potential people left.  There was nothing on their memorial page to indicate that they were or were not my person so I had to keep looking.

Next I turned to census records and started with a global search on Ancestry of females in Tazewell County, Illinois in 1910 who's last name was Eicher.  I chose 1910 because I knew that Aunt Mary would have attended school there in the early part of that decade.  By 1920 her family had moved to Peoria County.  This search yielded several different kind of records for a "Lulu Eicher".  There were records for the census for several different years as well as an obituary.  One of my remaining possible memorials on Find A Grave was named "Lulu Petty Eicher"!  How exciting!  Could this be my person?  I opened up the census image for 1910 in Ancestry and saw this person had an occupation listed as "Teacher"!!!  (2)

One thing I have learned as a researcher is to look at the pages before and after the subject family.  Many times our ancestors lived close to other family members which could be listed on census pages close to our family. Well...sure enough when I turned to the census page before the one I found Lulu on there was the enumeration for my great grandparents, Frank and Katie Miars with Aunt Mary listed in their house. Mrs. Eicher and her husband, Jacob, lived just a few houses/farms away from my family!! 

I reviewed the other documents I found in my ancestry search just to be sure that I had really found my teacher.  There were census records for other years, city directories for this couple and Lulu's obituary. 

The Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL) 8 Jun 1972. See (3) in Bibliography below for citation details.

After the review of the 1910 census, other records on Ancestry, and her obituary I am sure that I've found Aunt Mary's First Grade Teacher - Lulu (Petty) Eicher.

While living in Elm Grove Township in Tazewell County, Illinois, Aunt Mary and her siblings attended Elm Grove School.  It was just north of their family farm where they were living until about 1917.  After that the farm was sold and the Miars family moved to Peoria County.  It is possible that Mrs. Eicher also taught Aunt Mary's older siblings.  But it seems that she and Mrs. Eicher connected as she kept this picture for many decades.  Maybe it was a farewell present from Mrs. Eicher when the Miars children moved away from the Elm Grove school. I also wonder if Mrs. Eicher and Aunt Mary ever crossed paths again in later years or if Mrs. Eicher knew that one of her students had gone on to be a teacher too.

I do not know the whole story or the details of why Mrs. Eicher gave a picture to her student who then kept it for the rest of her life.  But how nice it is to find this now over 100 years since the photo was likely taken and what great details we now have about the lives of Aunt Mary and her siblings in Elm Grove.  These memories are truly priceless.


Related Blog Posts -
Mary (Miars) Best - Happy Birthday!

Bibliography -
(1)Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 22 October 2019), memorial page for Lulu A Peltey Eicher (13 Jun 1877–6 Jun 1972), Find A Grave memorial no. 76569860, cemetery marker in Mackinaw Township Cemetery, Mackinaw, Tazewell County, Illinois, USA; maintained by "Alvin Oglesby," contributor no. 47049777.
(2) 1910 U.S. census, Tazewell County, Illinois, population schedule, Elm Grove, Enumeration District (ED) 0134, sheet 13-B (penned), p. 61-B (stamped), line 60, dwelling 151, family 152, LuLu  A Eicher; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 22 Oct 2019), citing National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll T624_328,  FHL microfilm 1374341.
(3) "Mrs. Lulu Eicher," obituary, The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Illinois), 8 Jun 1972, p. D-10; digital image, Publisher Extra collection, Newspapers.com (http://www.newspapers.com : accessed 22 Oct 2019).

Mary (Miars) Best (1906-1886) - Happy 113th Birthday!

My great aunt, Mary (Miars) Best is much loved and missed in our family.  She and her husband, Uncle Bob Best were additional grandparents to my mother and her sisters as well as to me and my siblings.

Her relationship to me is as follows:  me > my mom > Robert T Miars > Frank and Katie (Saltonstall) Miars.  Aunt Mary is the older sister of my grandfather and daughter of my great grandparents.

Mary Eva Miars was born on 23 Oct 1906 in Sugar Grove Township, Tazewell County, Illinois. (1)  She is the seventh child and fifth daughter of her parents, Frank and Katie (Saltonstall) Miars. (1)

There were to be nine children in the home after my grandfather was born in 1915.  No doubt there were many chores to do both inside and outside the home.  She lived until about the age of ten or eleven on the Miars homestead, started by her great grandparents, Martin and Ann (Hodgson) Miars, in Elm Grove Township, Tazewell County, Illinois.  Around 1916 or 1917 the Frank Miars family moved to their new home and farm in Jubilee, Peoria, Illinois.  Here she was to spend the rest of her school days.

She graduated from Brimfield (Illinois) High School in the mid 1920s.  Her wish was to be a school teacher.  She believed that education was the path to opportunities in life.  She graduated from Illinois State Normal University and began a career of teaching elementary students in small, rural public schools and beyond for the rest of her life. 

Aunt Mary is on the first row at the far right.

Aunt Mary married Robert "Bob" J Best on 29 May 1941 at the Union Church in Brimfield, Illinois. (1)  I found this newspaper clipping in her papers with a handwritten year of 1940. (2)  However, I do not think this was correct.  This couple was married the year after my grandparents who were married in 1940.  Uncle Bob's best man at his wedding was my great uncle, Frank Stenger (son of Joseph L and Lucy (Loescher) Stenger of Kickapoo.  The newspaper clipping also notes that Aunt Mary was a teacher "in the local school" which I believe was the Brimfield, Illinois grade school.

See (2) below for citation.

After their wedding Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob lived in the upstairs apartment of M.R. and Lorena (Reed) Clark in Brimfield.  It was a two story white house with a wrap around porch. I always thought this house was one of nicest in town.  They would make their residence there for about 20 years.**  In the early 1960s they bought their own home up the street (Galena Avenue) from the Clark house.  That would be their home for the rest of the married life.

She and Uncle Bob enjoyed spending time with their families, especially that of her youngest brother, Robert T Miars (my grandfather) who was raising his family in Brimfield during the 1940s and 1950s.  When my grandmother, Clementine (Stenger) Miars was in the hospital having babies, Aunt Mary would stay with her nieces during her time away.  When Robert and Clementine had a stillborn baby in May 1954, Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob were at the graveside service in Kickapoo in support of their family's loss.
.

By the time my siblings and I were old enough to interact with Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob they were starting to retire.  From time to time one or two of us at a time would be invited to stay visit and stay overnight at their house or go on some sort of outing with them.  They would take us out to Jubilee for picking hickory nuts and raspberries or a trip to the donut shop in Princeville.  I was spending the night at their house on Labor Day weekend in 1967 when my Grandpa Minor's business (Brimfield Motor Company) burned to the ground.  After hearing the sirens all night they explained to me what was going on.

Aunt Mary always had puzzles and school workbooks at her house. They were much more fun to do at her house than at school! There was always time for a game of cards (Rummy or King's Corner) it seemed.  One time visiting her I remember telling her how irritating my two younger brothers could be.  She said "Oh no.  You don't get to complain about them.  I had four brothers!"  I remember being very surprised about that and could not imagine what that must have been like.  Then she told me about her younger brother, Albert "Dutch" and how he used to "wonder off" on their walk to school sometimes.  That is really the only complaint I ever remember her making about her siblings.

She died on 14 May 1986 (3) and is buried in Brimfield Township Cemetery with Uncle Bob.
To me she was a wonderful aunt and great aunt who taught all of us so much about family and the importance of learning. I am so grateful to have known her and gotten the benefit of her wisdom and examples over the years.

Related Blog Posts -
Clara (Miars) Barker - 123rd Birthday

Bibliography -
(1) Mary (Miars) Best, "Frank Miars Family," handwritten report by Mary (Miars) Best, ca. 1970s; originally in the personal collection of the report's author, currently in the personal collection of the author of this blog post.
(2) Robert Best and Mary Miars wedding announcement, undated and unidentified newspaper clipping; privately held by Jana (Miars) Minor, Aurora, Illinois, 2017.  Newspaper is likely The Brimfield News.
(3) Peoria County, Illinois, death certificate no. 806  (14 May 1986), Mary E. Best, Peoria County Clerk.

**After Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob bought their home on Galena Avenue, my parents lived in the upstairs apartment at the Clark home.  This was my first home as well.

Frank and Elizabeth "Lizzie" (Stenger) Schlink

My great grandfather, Joseph L Stenger was the second youngest in a family of nine children.  His second oldest sibling was Elizabeth "Liz or Lizzie" (Stenger) Schlink.  Sometimes couples with no children in a family group get somewhat overlooked because of the lack of descendants and so it is I think with this couple.

Relationship to me:  me > my mom > Clementine (Stenger) Miars > Joseph L Stenger.  Elizabeth is the older sister of Joseph L Stenger.

Elizabeth Stenger was born on 16 Feb 1867 on the family farm in Kickapoo, Illinois (1).  She was the second child and daughter of her parents, Frank and Ann Maria (Schmitt) Stenger.  Eventually she would have 8 other siblings so it was a busy childhood for her which included lots of household, child care and farm chores each day.

Frank Schlink was born on 9 Dec 1860 in Rosefield Township, Peoria County, Illinois. (2).  He is the son of John and Mary (Schular) Schlink who were Germany immigrants to Peoria County. On 30 April 1889 at St Mary's Church in Kickapoo, Illinois he married Lizzie Stenger. (3)

From the Arlene (Stenger) Callear collection.

Farming was to be Frank's life work. (4)  The 1910 census lists the couple as living on Southport Road in Kickapoo Township farming the land. (4)  By 1920 the couple seem to have retired and moved to Peoria Ward 6 living in a home at 1610 Smith Street. (5)  Here they lived for the rest of their married life.  Lizzie's obituary lists this address as her home at the time of her death in 1949. (6)

Frank and Lizzie were frequent visitors in the home of her brother, Joseph L and Lucy (Stenger) Loescher.  They seemed to be present for family gatherings and celebrations over the years. One such gathering occured in the mid 1940s (after Frank had passed) when Joseph L and Lucy's son-in-law, Theodore "Ted" Inskeep returned from his service in WW II. There was a big celebration for his return at his in-law's home in rural Kickapoo.

My mother recalls that a significant snow storm happened while the party was happening and it prevented some people from returning home.  My mother and grandparents as well as Aunt Lizzie and others were forced to stay until the next day.  Evidently it was quite crowded at Joe and Lucy's that night and bed space was quite limited with everybody sharing anyplace they could find.  My mom, though, because she was quite young and small got to share a bed with Aunt Lizzie!

Aunt Lizzie was also present at the wedding of her niece, Rose Stenger to Theodore (Ted) Inskeep on 22 Apr 1939.  Not sure if Frank was in attendance also as we were not able to identify him in this picture.

Frank died first on 25 Oct 1940 from stomach cancer. (2).  Aunt Lizzie had a stroke and passed away on 26 Aug 1949. (1).  They are buried in St Patrick's Cemetery, Kickapoo, Illinois close to many other family members and friends. (7)

They have no children and descendants to remember them but they are not forgotten.

Related Blog Posts -
Anna Maria (Schmitt) Stenger - 177nd Birthday 14 October 1842
Joseph L Stenger - Kickapoo, Illinois


Bibliography -
(1) Peoria County, Illinois, death certificate no. 51925 (26 Aug 1949), Elizabeth Schlink, Peoria County Clerk.
(2) Peoria County, Illinois, death certificate no. 32635 (25 Oct 1940), Frank Schlink, Peoria County Clerk.
(3) Peoria County, Illinois, marriage license no. 188 (30 Apr 1889), Frank Schlink and Lizzie Stenger; Peoria County Clerk.
(4) 1900 U.S. census, Peoria County, Illinois, population schedule, Kickapoo, Enumeration District (ED) 0078, sheet 10-B (penned), p. 131-B (stamped), line 77, dwelling 194, family 195, Frank Schlink; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 May 2014), citing National Archives microfilm publication T623, roll T623_333.  See also: 1910 U.S. census, Peoria County, Illinois, population schedule, Kickapoo, Enumeration District (ED) 0058, sheet 9-A (penned), p. 28-A (stamped), line 35, dwelling 134, family 135, Frank Schlink; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 11 Mar 2016), citing National Archives microfilm publication T624, roll T624_317, FHL microfilm 1374330.
(5) 1920 U.S. census, Peoria County, Illinois, population schedule, Peoria Ward 6, Enumeration District (ED) 116, sheet 12-A (penned), p. 125-A (stamped), line 27, dwelling 285, family 288, Frank Schlink; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed  13 Jul 2014), citing National Archives microfilm publication T624,  roll T625_399, image 254.
(6) "Mrs. Schlink," obituary, Peoria (Illinois) Journal Star, 29 Aug 1949, page D-7; microfilm, Peoria Public Library, Peoria, Illinois.
(7) St Patrick's Cemetery (Kickapoo, Peoria, Illinois, US), Frank and Elizabeth Schlink marker; photograph taken by Diane Minor, 2007.  Also see: Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 19 October 2019), memorial page for Elizabeth “Lizzie” Stenger Schlink (16 Feb 1867–26 Aug 1949), memorial no. 55210056, cemetery marker in Saint Patricks Cemetery, Kickapoo (Oak Hill), Peoria County, Illinois, USA; maintained by "Stephen Cantrell," contributor no. 48212706.

John Minor (1819 or 1820 - 1885) - Happy 200th (or maybe 199th) Birthday!

John Minor of Peoria, Illinois is my 3rd great grandfather.  Today is either his 200th birthday or his 199th.

Relationship to me:  me > my dad > William Minor Sr > John R Minor (1880 - 1937) > Francis Grant Minor > John Minor.

Details about John Minor's actual birthday are sketchy at best.  His Civil War draft registration entry lists his birthday as 19 Oct 1919 (1).  However, his cemetery marker list his birth year as 1820. (2)  More research is needed on this important item to figure out which is correct.  He was born in Pennsylvania and likely in Greene or Washington County, the son of John Updike and Rebecca (Maxwell) Minor.

At some point in the 1840s he married Martha Neal who was also born in Pennsylvania.  They appear in the 1850 census in Wood County, Virginia.  Today this is part of West Virginia.  But their oldest son and second child, Francis Grant Minor, was born in Peoria County in 1852. They must have made the trip west to central Illinois in the early 1950s.

Springdale Cemetery (3014 N. Prospect Road, Peoria, Illinois), John Minor marker; photograph taken by Diane Minor, 2007.

Census records indicate they lived in Woodford County, Illinois for a short time before returning to Peoria where they seem to have stayed for the rest of their days.  This couple had five or six children.  Their oldest may have died as a young child.  Louise, Francis Grant, Margaret (Minor) Miles, California (Callie) (Minor) Tripp and Edna are all buried in Springdale Cemetery with or close to their parents. (3)

John died in 1885 but the exact date is not known to me yet. (2)  The state did not require death records until 1916 so death records are very few in Peoria at this time.  I did check the online index that the County has put online and his name is not listed.  I'll have to check Peoria papers for an obituary next time I'm there.

Much more research is need on this man and his family to fill in all of the details of his life.

Related Blog Posts -
Francis Grant Minor (1852 - 1918)

Bibliography -
(1). "U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records, 1863-1865," database and images, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 7 Oct 2014), entry for John Minor, residence 2nd Ward, Peoria, Illinois; citing "Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records," entry 172, record group 110, NAI 4213514, National Archives, Washington, D.C.
(2). Springdale Cemetery (3014 N. Prospect Road, Peoria, Illinois), John Minor marker; photograph taken by Diane Minor, 2007.
(3).  Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 17 October 2019), memorial page for John Minor (1820–1885), memorial no. 68667130, cemetery marker in Springdale Cemetery and Mausoleum, Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, USA; maintained by "Denise Parsons," contributor no. 47102203.

Copyright 2019.  All Rights Reserved.  Do not use photos or narrative without the express written consent of the author. 

Francis Grant Minor (1852 - 1918) - Happy 167th Birthday

Francis Grant Minor is my great-great grandfather; my grandpa's grandpa. Today is his 167th birthday!  He is part of my deep roots in the city of Peoria, Illinois, born on 18 Oct 1852 (1), the only son of John and Martha (Neel) Minor.  John and Martha had just come to Peoria around 1850 from what is now West Virginia.

His relationship to me is as follows:  me > my dad > William Minor > John  Minor > Francis Grant.

F.G. started out his long and varied working career on 11 December 1871 in a clerk position at the Mechanics' National Bank (later the Merchants' National Bank) in his hometown.(2)  He was with the bank through November, 1888 when he became Clerk of Peoria County, Illinois which is an elected position.(3)  He served one 4 year term in this position.  After this he became involved in some private enterprises including a coal business with the Peoria Mayor, Philo B. Miles. (4)

But in our family he is known as "The Sheriff" being elected this Peoria County position in November 1910. (5)  It appears he only served one term in office before retiring to him home and farm in Millbrook Township, Peoria, Illinois.

"Minor, Former Sheriff, Is Dead," obituary, 29 May, 1918, Peoria (Illinois) Journal, p. 1.

On New Year's Day, January, 1879, he married Pauline Pruschwitz, the daughter of Polish immigrants, in Peoria.(6).  He was 26 and she was 22.  They raised three boys - John, Ewalt (Walt) and Francis Grant, Jr.  I am descended from their son John who is my grandfather's dad.  Francis Grant, Jr. would go on to be elected to the office of Peoria County Sheriff also.  John was a rural postal carrier and Walt was a farmer in Millbrook Township.

F.G. passed away on 28 May 1918 on his farm in Millbrook Township after a long illness. (7)  He and Pauline are buried in Springdale Cemetery (8) in Peoria along with his parents, sisters (Louise, Margaret (Minor) Miles, California "Callie" (Minor) Tripp and Edna.  His sons John and Francis Grant, Jr are also buried in Springdale.

Unfortunately, I did not know much of this story until after my grandfather passed.  He was only 3 years old when F.G. passed so he did not remember him but he knew about him being a sheriff.  He would very much have enjoyed learning about all of these details and remembering his grandparents through these stories.

Related Posts -
John Minor (1819 or 1820 - 1885) Happy 200th (or maybe 199th) Birthday!

Bibliography -
(1) Peoria County, Illinois, death certificate no. 3 (28 May 1918), Francis G Minor, Peoria County Clerk.  Also see "Death of F. G. Minor," obituary, Brimfield (Illinois) News, 6 Jun 1918, p. 1, col. 4; digital image, Brimfield Public Library digital newspaper collection (http://brimfield.advantage-preservation.com : accessed 14 Oct 2019).
(2) James Montgomery Rice, 1842-1912. Peoria City And County, Illinois: a Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress And Achievement (La Crosse, Wisconsin: Brookhaven Press, 2001), p. 276-277; digital image, Hathi Trust Digital Library (https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=wu.89077938587&view=1up&seq=288 : accessed 14 Oct 2019).
(3) Ibid.
(4) Ibid.
(5) Ibid.  Also, see (2) above.  Also, Franks Peoria Directory Co., compiler, Franks Peoria City Directory 1913:  volume XXXI (Peoria, Illinois:  Franks Peoria Directory Co. Publishers, 1913), 714, entry for "Francis Grant and Pauline Minor"; digital image, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 Oct 2014).
(6). Peoria County, Illinois, marriage certificate, no number given, Francis G Minor and Pauline Pruschwitz, 1 Jan 1879, Peoria County Clerk.
(7). Peoria County, Illinois, death certificate, no number given (28 May 1918), Francis G Minor, Peoria County Clerk.
(8). Springdale Cemetery (3014 N. Prospect Road, Peoria, Illinois), John Minor marker; photograph taken by Diane Minor, 2007.  Also, Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 14 October 2019), memorial page for Francis Grant Minor (1852–1915), memorial no. 68667142, cemetery marker in Springdale Cemetery and Mausoleum, Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, USA; maintained by "Denise Parsons," contributor no. 47102203.

Copyright 2019.  All Rights Reserved.  Do not use photos or narrative without the express written consent of the author. 

Robert Miars and Bessie Purcell - Breaking Down Barriers to Justice

Well...maybe not so much justice but they were thrown together by chance in the 1940s. My grandmother, Clementine (Stenger) Miars kept a lot of stuff.  Included in her stash of cards, letters, newspaper clippings and pictures was an article that caught my eye.

It seems as though my maternal grandfather served on a "New-Style" of grand jury in Peoria County.  The "New-Style" is that for the first time in county history, women were included on a Grand Jury panel.  Robert Miars is seated in the front row of this photo second from the right.

When did this occur?  Well....good question.  The clipping above is undated so I'm left to "guestimate".  I would say it was early to mid 1940s given how young he looks.  I also think this momentous event occurred after he was married in 1940.

Glancing through the names of the other jurors I noticed another person identified as being from Brimfield, Illinois - Bessie Purcell. In the picture above she is in the back row third from the left. That name was not familiar to me so I went to my "go-to" sources for Brimfield people to try to figure out if I knew her....Find A Grave or the Brimfield News.

As usual Find A Grave comes through again.  Bessie E. Marvin Purcell (1885 - 1970) is buried in the Brimfield Township Cemetery next to her husband, Walter (1879-1924). (1)  But neither her maiden name nor her husband's name were familiar to me.  But...never fear....Find A Grave has her three children attached to her memorial as well.  The first is a daughter that died as a toddler.  The second was a daughter Margaret Purcell Heinz who's husband was Carl. Although the Heinz name is familiar I don't think I really remember this couple.  And...finally....Bessie's third child was Bernice Purcell Johnson who is the wife of L. Ivan Johnson.

Bingo!!  Now I know Bessie.  She is the mother of a a very nice woman I knew growing up as Mrs. Johnson.  Bessie's grandson was a childhood friend of my dad and was in my parents wedding!

So now mystery solved....My grandfather, Robert Miars served on the first grand jury in Peoria County, Illinois that included women along with one from the Brimfield area, Bessie (Marvin) Purcell.

Now...more questions.  When was this exactly?  How long was his grand jury service for?  How often did the grand jury meet?  Did he and Bessie ride to Peoria together?  What did he think about serving with women on this jury?  Did they have any interesting cases?

More answers likely gone with the wind!


Bibliography -
(1) Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 14 October 2019), memorial page for Bessie E. Marvin Purcell (16 Oct 1885–29 Nov 1970), memorial no. 58250907, cemetery marker in Brimfield Township Cemetery, Brimfield, Peoria County, Illinois, USA; maintained by "MBrouch," contributor no. 47343722.

Newspaper clipping - "First of New-Style Grand Juries in Session," newspaper clipping mentioning Robert Miars of Brimfield, unknown newspaper and date; digital image 2019, from the Clementine (Stenger) Miars collection; privately held by  Jana (Miars) Minor, Aurora, Illinois, 2019.  Newspaper is likely the Peoria (Illinois) Journal or Peoria Star. Likely from the 1940s.

Copyright 2019.  All Rights Reserved.  Do not use photos or narrative without the express written consent of the author. 

Anna Maria (Schmitt) Stenger - 177nd Birthday - 14 October 1842

My great great grandmother, Anna Maria (Schmitt) Stenger is 177 years old today.

Relationship to me: me > mom > Clementine (Stemger) Miars > Joseph L Stenger > Anna Maria <Schmitt> Stenger.

Anna Maria Schmitt was born in Dromersheim, Germany to Jakob and Maria Juliana Pfeifer Schmitt.  She was their second living child and oldest daughter. She was baptized at Sts Peter and Paul Church in Dromersheim the next day.

Baptismal Font - Sts Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Dromersheim Germany

In early 1852, when she was about 9 years old, she and her family left Dromersheim and started their very long journey to America.  They made their way to England where they boarded the ship, Northumberland, bound for the US. The Schmitt family arrived at Castle Garden in New York City on 1 April 1952.  From there they made their way to Kickapoo, Illinois where other families from Dromersheim were living.

It was in Kickapoo that she met another immigrant from Germany, Frank Stenger.  They were married on 26 January 1862 there.  Their farm was south of town and it was here that they raised their 9 children.  Today the property is at the northeast corner of the Kickapoo exit off of Interstate 74.

Frank and Anna Maria Schmitt Family
Back row - Joseph L, Elizabeth, Henry, Barbara, Michael, Anna, Frank Jr.
Front row - Jacob, Frank, Sr., Anna Maria, Julia
From the Arlene (Stenger) Callear collection.

Anna Maria watched three of her children move to Nebraska in the 1890s to live and raise their families.  That must have been very difficult. The Nebraska family did come back to Kickapoo from time to time for visits. Frank and Anna continued to live on their farm until the end of their days.  Their son, Henry, took over the day-to-day running of their family business and he and his wife Emma and their children lived in the home with Anna Maria and Frank.

Frank and Anna Maria (Schmitt) Stenger home
L-R: Anna (Stenger) Volz, Anna Maria (Schmitt) Stenger, Frank Stenger, Joseph L Stenger
From the Arlene (Stenger) Callear collection.

Anna Maria died on 10 May 1910 from an abdominal aortic aneurysm.  She is buried next to her husband in the churchyard cemetery of St Patrick's Catholic Church in Kickapoo, IL.

St Patrick's churchyard in Kickapoo, Illinois

Memorial window in St Mary's Catholic Church, Kickapoo, IL for Frank and Anna Maria (Schmitt) Stenger

Copyright 2019 - All rights reserved.  Do not use photos or narrative without the express consent of the author.

Clara (Miars) Barker - 123rd Birthday - October 12, 1896

My maternal grandfather's oldest sister is celebrating her 123rd birthday today!  Aunt Clara is remembered very fondly in our family for her many visits to her family home when her nieces and nephews were growing up.

Relationship to me: Clara is a brother of my grandfather, Robert T. Miars.

Clara Mable Miars was born on 12 Oct 1896 in Elm Grove Township, Tazewell County, Illinois.  She was the third child and oldest daughter of Frank and Katie (Saltonstall) Miars.  Her home for all of her growing up years was the Miars homestead and farm.  By the time Clara was born her grandparents and great grandparents had lived there for more than 70 years.  There were to be nine total children in her family so no doubt her days were filled with chores in and out of the house.

Miars Sisters about  mid 1920s

When she was about 21 years old, her family moved to Jubilee Township, Peoria County, Illinois.  Clara seems to have made the move also but during the 1920s she was to return to Pekin and Tazewell County to live and work off and on.

On 30 June 1927, in Pekin, Illinois, Clara married Virgil Barker.  They made their married home with her husband's parents at 707 Summer Street in Pekin.  This was to be their home for the rest of their lives.  They had no children.  Virgil worked for the Peoria, Pekin Union Railroad as an engineer.

Virgil and Clara (Miars) Barker  - ca. 1940s

Later on, around the 1940s, she started a catering business with her friend, Mary Lohnes.  This was to be a business partnership for over 20 years.  They catered countless weddings and parties of all kinds.  She also catered some events for Senator Everett Dirksen as well.

Aunt Clara would come to the Brimfield and Elmwood homes of her parents and siblings for visits a few times each year.  My mom recalls that each August at about the time that school was starting a package would arrive from her that contained school supplies for her and her sisters.

She was a tall woman her walked rather stately.  She had very beautiful white hair as I recall.  There was an air of regalness about her too.

She retired from her catering business around 1967 or 1968.  Her health started to give way in the early 1970s and she died on 28 July 1975.

I was 13 years old when she died and went to both the visitation/viewing and also to the funeral.  I remember there was a disagreement between her husband who wanted her to be buried with her wedding rings and her sisters wanted them removed before the burial and given to her nieces.  The rings went with her to the grave.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Clara!

Copyright 2019 - All rights reserved.  Do not use photos or narrative without express consent from the author.