The Cook family provides me with an unending supply of stories to tell. In 2015, I wrote a post about the Cook family and the members who had served as a Wisconsin Postmaster. It still amazes me that my great-grandfather, Lewis, his father, Alfred, and his uncles, Jacob and Samuel, all served as postmasters in Marathon County, Wisconsin.
Lewis was 46 years old when President Calvin Coolidge appointed him postmaster for the city of Wausau on 30 June 1923. He served the city until his death on 4 September 1934, at the age of 57.
We have a family flag, which according to my father, measures 5’ x 9’6.” On 11 Nov 2001, my mother wrote a note sharing my father’s memory of how the flag came to be in the family. “As Bob (Robert D. Sternitzky) remembers his mother telling him: The flag was flying at the Wausau Post Office the day he (Lewis) died. (They might have run up a new one, then took it down). It (the flag) was given to his wife Effie at a service — funeral, memorial service; Bob isn’t sure.”
The flag just before being archivally boxed in 2024.
Years ago, I scrolled microfilm at the Wisconsin Historical Society library and found no reference to the flag, but now I can sit at home and search online as the paper has been made part of an online newspaper collection. While I have not found any reference to the presentation of a flag, I have amassed a lot of information about Lewis and his career as a Postmaster.
In 1929, the Wausau Daily Record-Herald reported, “a job that carries with a heavy responsibility and a great deal of work, is that of Lewis H. Cook postmaster of Wausau.” “Wausau’s postmaster must have tireless energy, patience and executive ability and Mr. Cook is well-suited to the position.”1
The Wausau Post Office
The post office had a twelve percent increase in the sale of postage, money orders, and parcel post over 1927. The post office employed 45 people, which included 14 mail carriers in the city and seven rural carriers, distributing 400 sacks of outgoing mail and the same number of sacks of incoming mail. What surprised me the most was what people sent through the mail at that time. “The wholesale grocers and farmers send much of their food parcel post as it gets to its destination more quickly than when it is sent by express. Mr. Cook said that often there are as many as half a dozen roasted chickens in the postoffice, which are to be sent to friends and relatives in other parts of the state.” Live baby chicks were also sent through the mail, and Lewis told the newspaper that “the recipients are notified at once of their arrival, and if they are unable to call for the chicks, the postoffice makes every effort to deliver them.” 2Roasted chickens and live baby chicks!
Also, in 1929, Lewis strongly encouraged the use of a “return card” on each piece of first-class mail. Up to this point, a return address was not standard, and if the letters and packages were undeliverable, they went to the dead letter office. During the 1929 Christmas season, the amount of mail that did not reach its destination due to the removal of an address or the use of an improper address was “enormous.” “Assistant Postmaster Becker believes that a million dollars in postage could have been saved patrons throughout the United States for the holiday season alone if more care had been used in addressing this mail or if a return card had been used.”3
I imagine Lewis felt that dealing with roasted chickens, live baby chicks, and the dead letter office was just part of the day-to-day job. I can also imagine the excitement in 1927 when the post office was placed “on the federal building program.” Then, frustration as the project experienced “postponements, rejection, revisions of plans and a host of other obstacles.”4 It wasn’t until March 1931 that he was given the go-ahead to procure the property needed to construct the new building. The land was secured, and the buildings were demolished, yet delays continued. In June 1934, he recommended the property be “turned over to the Chamber of Commerce to be fitted up as a parking place” to ease traffic on the main streets during shopping hours.5 The new post office would not be constructed until 1937.
On July 16, 1931, Lewis was interviewed by the Wausau Daily Record-Herald, explaining a new program he was putting into place, where “Veteran’s Caskets To Be Draped With Government Flags.6 The seventy-first congress had passed an act that stated: “Where a veteran of any war, including those women who served as army nurses under the contracts between April 21, 1898, and February 2, 1901, who was not dishonorably discharged, dies after discharge or resignation from the service, the director shall furnish a flag to drape the casket of such veteran and afterwards to be given to his next of kin, regardless of the cause of the death of such veteran.” “Regulation burial flags, size 5 feet by 9 feet 6 inches, may be secured upon application at any county seat postoffice, or at the nearest U. S. Veterans’ hospital, regional office, national home or other field station of the veterans’ administration. For use in Wausau and vicinity flags may be procured from Postmaster Cook.” The article goes on to state: “The term ‘veteran of any war’ shall mean any person, who is not dishonorably discharged and who served ‘in the military or naval forces of the United States during any period of the Mexican war, Civil war, Spanish-American wark, the World war, those women who served as army nurses during the Spanish-American war, the World war, and also those women citizens of the United States who were taken from the United States by the United States government and who served in base hospitals overseas’ and also all other wars, disturbances, insurrections, battles, expeditions, etc., in which the United States forces were called into duty.”
Finding this article has me asking this question: Is the flag we have in our family one of these flags? The size is correct. Lewis did serve in World War I, albeit on the home front, as part of Company C, 10th Infantry, Wisconsin State Guard (see the blog post: Company C, 10th Infantry, Wisconsin State Guard). If I were to guess, I would say yes, this is a government flag and not one that flew over the post office at the time of his death.
Hotel Wausau
The 32nd annual convention of the Wisconsin Association of Postmasters was held in Wausau on June 19, 20, and 21, 1934. Postmaster Lewis H. Cook served as the convention planner and host. “…the local committee has made arrangements for one of the greatest conventions the men in charge of Wisconsin’s mail have ever had. The city streets are decorated with American flags and welcome signs,” and the Hotel Wausau was ready to welcome the “Postmasters of Wisconsin’s cities, villages, towns and hamlets” who “were converging on Wausau.”7
Activities for the convention included “a tour of inspection of Rib Mountain. A dance at Rothschild park,8 and an “added attraction will be the presentation of moving pictures showing the Fromm Brothers fur ranch in the town of Hamburg. A trip to the ranch is slated for Thursday afternoon.”9
Lewis at the Fromm Brothers Fur Ranch
The convention was a huge success, but the planning and hosting of the event had taken its toll on Lewis’ fragile health. He had been suffering from diabetes for the past ten years, and the disease had slowly taken away his eyesight. So much so that he relied heavily on Effie to be his eyes, and his daughter, Anola, had left high school without graduating so that she could assist him at the post office. Family lore states: “His vision was severely impaired by the diabetes, to the point that he needed his daughter, Anola, to drive, and work as his personal secretary during his later years as Post Master. His wife Effie, would let him know who was approaching them during a social situation so that he could greet them by name.”
Lewis passed away at his home at 125 Sturgeon Eddy Road, on September 4th at 8:15 p.m.
His obituary includes this biography of his public life: “Mr. Cook, a leading Republican for about thirty-five years was a former Marathon county clerk, state assemblyman and member of the county board of supervisors from Unity…Mr. Cook entered politics when twenty-one years of age, his first office being that of justice of the peace at Unity. Later he served in various official capacities in that village and in 1903, to promote the interests of the Republican party and agriculture, established the Marathon County Register, a weekly newspaper of which he was the owner and editor until 1910 when he came to Wausau after disposing of the weekly. He was a member of the county board of supervisors during the time he published his weekly at Unity. In 1912 he was elected Marathon county clerk, a position he held for three terms, serving until the end of 1918. In 1920 he was elected on the Republican ticket to the state assembly from the second county district. While at Madison he served on the legislature’s finance committee.” He also served as president of the Marathon County Agricultural society, and was a director of the society for 25 years. During World War I he was secretary of the local exemption board, served on the local school board.”
September 9, 1934. L-R: Lois Jean Cook, Hattie Cook, Effie DuCate Cook, and Amanda Blood CookL-R: Lois Jean Cook, Russell Cook, Effie DuCate Cook, and Amanda Blood Cook
His funeral was held at his home on Tuesday, September 6th. He was buried in nearby Pine Grove Cemetery, and the “local mail carriers marched in uniform from the Cook residence to the cemetery.”10
Today is my dad’s birthday. He was born September 18, 1934, 14 days after the death of his grandfather, 90 years ago.
It was not a long walk from the residence to the cemetery.
SOURCES:
“One Man’s Job,” Lewis H. Cook, Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 16 Mar 1929, Saturday Evening, p. 6, col. 5; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 May 2024). ↩︎
“Wausau Postoffice Completes a Most Outstanding Year,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 31 Dec 1929, Tuesday Evening, p. 6, col. 3; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 2 May 2024). ↩︎
“Contractors Asked To Enter Bids on Wausau Postoffice,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 16 Mar 1929, Sunday Evening, p. 1, col. 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 5 May 2024). ↩︎
“Parking Space,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 11 Jun 1934, Monday Evening, p. 2, col. 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 Apr 2024). ↩︎
“Veteran’s Caskets To Be Draped With Government Flags,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 16 Jul 1931, Thusday Evening, p. 1, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 30 Apr 2024). ↩︎
“State Postmasters Arrive for Annual Convention in City,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 19 Jun 1934, Tuesday Evening, p. 1, col. 1; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 27 Apr 2024). ↩︎
Last week, I was in Indianapolis, Indiana, with my daughter, for the 10th Annual Eucharistic Congress. Indianapolis is a one-hour drive from Alexandria, Madison, Indiana. Alexandria, the home of the Alexandria Paper Company, the Cook House on South Park, and the portrait of Jennie Cook.
Samuel A. Cook, 1896
I have known about the portrait of Jennie since 2001, when my mom contacted the Alexandria-Monroe Township Historical Society via email. I do not have a copy of Mom’s email to the society, but she kept a copy of the response. The response states: “We have a large picture of Mrs. S. H. Cook [sic], painted in 1917.”1 In 2016, a cousin visited Alexandria and took a photo of the portrait that she shared with me, telling me that she had been told that the portrait had been saved from the dump and was then donated to the historical society’s museum.2 “The back of the 1917 painting indicates the portrait was created from a photograph.”3
Other than comparing the image to the only known image we have of her daughter, Maud. I filed the electronic image for later consideration.
The time for further consideration has come. On Wednesday, 17 Jul 2024, we traveled to Alexandria to see the portrait that now hangs in the Alexandria-Monroe Public Library.
The following are my thoughts, musings, speculations, my considerations.
Samuel Andrew Cook, the husband of Jennie Christie Cook, a serial businessman, had his first taste of politics in 1889 when he was elected the mayor of Neenah, Winnebago, Wisconsin. He went on to serve in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1891 and 1892 before being elected on the Republican ticket to the Fifty-fourth Congress (March 4, 1895 – March 3, 1897). In other words, we have many images of S.A. taken through the years but no image of Jennie or their children, Henry Harold (Harry) and Maud Cook Lancaster.
Walking into the library, we were met by board members Vickie and Jenny and were led upstairs to where the portrait was hung. There she was—Jennie Cook, or as she is labeled, Mrs. S. A. Cook. The portrait is large, about 3 feet wide by 4ish feet long. She stares out at you with a bit of a side-eye. The artist has chosen to color her dress black; her face glows out from her black dress and background. The frame is beautiful. Elaborate in a refined sort of way.
I am speculating that the original photograph was taken in 1895, possibly in Aurora, Ontario, Canada, while she was visiting Yule relatives.4 It was during this trip that she fell ill and passed away on 19 Sep 1895 at the age of 46. Her body was brought back to Neenah, Winnebago County, where she was buried on 23 Sep 1895 in Oak Hill Cemetery. She left behind her husband, Samuel, age 46, daughter, Maud, age 17, and son, Harry, age 14.
Maud Cook Lancaster, 1924 Passport photo, age 46Jennie Christie Cook, ca 1896, approximately 46 years old
If the painting was made from a photograph in 1917, this date coincides with Harry’s marriage to Martha Wheeler Paine on 30 Jun 1917. While the couple had grand plans to enlarge the house beyond the expanded footprint that was achieved through the remodel that Edwin Yule had done at the time of his marriage to Georgina Lemon, the current living room at 28’x 15’5 was large enough for entertaining, and to support a large portrait.
If Harry had commissioned a portrait of his mother for his home, then it stands to reason that he would also have commissioned a portrait of his father – the founder and head of the Alexandria Paper Company. I imagine the two portraits hung side by side in the living room.
Harry contracted sleeping sickness in January 1920 and never returned to Alexandria to live full-time. The house sat empty for almost a decade. In early 1925, it was broken into, and “every room had been entered, and the contents of all drawers, wardrobes, closets, pantries and even the attic had been rummaged.”6 In 1928, Harry and Martha divorced, and Martha received a “portion of the furnishings.”7
There is no record that Harry returned to the house. He passed away on 25 Jan 1931 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We know that at some point, the house was cleared of its contents, as in June 1934, the home opened as the Colonnade Inn.
I would like to add one additional speculation. It is just a thought. In September 1931, Maud presented “a large and beautifully done oil portrait” to the S. A. Cook Armory board. The portrait was hung in the main hall of the armory.8 No image of the portrait was included in any of the newspaper accounts telling of the donation. Could this have been the companion piece to the portrait of Jennie? Had Maud removed both portraits, hanging her mother’s likeness in the Ed Yule home and donating her father’s to the Armory? Was it at the time of Ed’s death in December 1970 that the portrait made its way to the dump? We may never know.
While the portrait of Jennie now hangs safely in the library, her husband’s portrait is missing. In 1970, the S. A. Cook Armory was sold and became a mini-mall known as The Armory Shops. The portrait stayed with the building “mounted on the main floor…near the North Commercial Street entrance.” About 18 Aug 1982, the portrait was stolen. I find the following statement odd. The “Cook portrait was taken about a week ago. The theft was reported to police on Wednesday.” This newspaper report was dated Thursday, 26 Aug 1982. Why did they wait a week to report the painting stolen? The portrait was described as being 3’ x 5’, believed to date from the early 1900s. No image of the portrait was included in the report of the theft. The frame was estimated as weighing 25 to 35 pounds and was “constructed of heavy ornately carved wood painted over gold. The carving includes scrolls and other designs familiar to the early 1900s period.” “Despite intense efforts…the Cook portraitist has never been identified.”9 The portrait was never recovered.
I am grateful to the Alexandria-Monroe Township Historical Society for their care and consideration of Jennie Cook’s portrait. It would have been so easy to set her aside. Rightly asking why they should care about this large image of a woman who never lived in Alexandria and whose family’s impact on the community is but a distant memory? Thanks must also be given to the Alexandria-Monroe Public Library for agreeing to prominently hang the painting at the top of the stairwell. The Cook family thanks you.
Nancy Draper, “Cook Family,” email (Alexandria, Madison, Indiana, United States), to Emmie Lou Sternitzky, 23 Mar 2001. ↩︎
Sharon Cook, “more from Alexandria,” email to Susan Sternitzky Fassbender, 29 April 2016. ↩︎
“Alexandria-Monroe Township Historical Society portrait hung in Alexandria-Monroe Public Library,” Jenny Corbett, Editor, T he Alexandria Times-Tribune, 3 May 2023; digital images, (alexandriatimes-tribune.com : accessed 2 Jul 2024), a CherryRoad Media Newspaper. ↩︎
CarolAnne Prentice Chepurny, “Jennie Cook,” email, to Susan Sternitzky Fassbender, 9 Jul 2018. ↩︎
“Bold Thieves Break into The Cook Home,” The Times-Tribune, 10 Jan 1925, p. 1, col. 7; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 May 2016). ↩︎
“Life Insurance Policy $25,000 to Mrs. Cook,” The Times-Tribune, 21 Feb 1928, p. 1, col. 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 24 May 2016). ↩︎
“Cook Portrait is Given to Armory,” TheDaily Northwestern, 25 Sep 1931, Friday Evening, p. 16, col. 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 Jun 2016). ↩︎
“Historic Cook portrait stolen,” Neenah-Menasha Edition of The Post-Crescent, 26 Aug 1982, Thursday, p. 1, col. 1 and p. 3, col. 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 9 Jul 2024). ↩︎
On a warm Monday, July 14, 1924, shortly before noon, my great-grandfather, Postmaster Lewis H. Cook was “bowling along” Highway 10 near the town of Maine, heading towards Wausau, when he “ran into a swarm of bees which made a veritable cloud in the highway.”
Sorry to leave you at this exciting moment, but I have been stuck on this direct quote from the article: “he was returning to the city through the town of Maine. Near the Burg farm on state highway No. 10…” The Town (now Village) of Maine is north of Wausau, and state highway 10 is south of Wausau. I can find no Burg listed on the 1930 Plat Map for Maine. Where was Lewis when he ran into the bees? All I know is that he was on his way to Wausau.
1927 Official Highway Map of Wisconsin. https://collections.lib.uwm.edu/digital/iiif/agdm/13403/full/full/0/default.jpg : accessed 1 Jan 2022
ca. 1922. The Cook automobile in the driveway of 325 Sturgeon Eddy Road, Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin. His mother, Amanda Blood Cook, and his daughter Anola, plus an Unknown on the back steps.
The story was published in the Wausau Daily Record-Herald the same day, and reads: “In an instant the auto was full of bees, several dozens were smashed against the windshield which was covered with honey from the crushed bodies.” The article goes on to report that “two of the insects crawled over his neck to his hair, but he hung grimly to the wheel” hoping by continuing to move forward he would “lose the unwelcome visitors.”
“One adventuresome bee started an investigation about his ankle and this one used its stinger when an attempt was made to dislodge it.”
When he arrived at the post office, “more than forty bees were stuck in the ventilator and others were in almost all parts of the car, while the windshield was so mussed up that an immediate cleaning was necessary.”
ca 1922. Lewis H. Cook in his garden at 125 Sturgeon Eddy Road, Wausau, Marathon, Wisconsin
When interviewed about the occurrence, Lewis calmly speculated as to what would have happened if he had “a car full of passengers instead of being alone.”1
Source
“Auto Runs into Swarm of Bees,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 14 July 1924, Monday, p. 1, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 7 January 2022). ↩︎
My great-great-grandfather had one of those names that could be spelled several different ways, depending on the time of day, the person putting his name down onto paper, or the weather. His name was Lewis Herman Cook or Louis Herman Cook. The name sounds the same when spoken, no matter how you spell it.
The question is, how did my great-great-grandfather spell it? What was his preferred form? Below is a list of ways that his name is spelled, minus Wausau newspaper spellings which almost always used the form, Louis.
His maternal grandfather’s name was Lewis Phelps Blood
1880 United States Census – Lewis H. Cook
1892 Mabel Hall’s Autograph Album in which he signed his name – Lewis H. Cook
6 Aug 1906 Letter written to him by his father, Alfred – Louis Cook
1912 Wausau City Directory, p. 90 – Louis H. Cook
12 Sep 1918 WWI Draft Registration Card – Lewis Herman Cook, signed as Lewis Herman Cook
1918 Wausau City Directory, p. 137 – Louis H. Cook (125)
15 Nov 1918 Marathon County Resolution – Louis H. Cook
1919 Army Transport Service, Neal returning home – Louis H. Cook (125)
1920 Wausau City Directory, p. 178 – Louis H. Cook (125)
20 Dec 1920 Evangelical Lutheran Church marriage record for Neal Jasin Cook and Clarice Ovedia Weik – Louis Cook
30 Jun 1923 Appointment of U.S. Postmasters – Lewis H. Cook
1925 Wausau City Directory, p. 223 – Louis H. Cook (325)
1928 Farmer’s Directory, p. 673 – L. H. Cook
27 Apr 1928 – Margaret’s Marriage Announcement – Lewis H. Cook
10 Jan 1928 Re-Appointment of U.S. Postmasters – Lewis H. Cook
1929 Wausau City Directory, p. 141 – Lewis H. Cook (325)
1931 Wausau City Directory, p. 127 – Lewis H. Cook (325)
28 Jun 1932 – Anola’s Marriage Announcement – Lewis H. Cook
1933 Wausau City Directory, p. 108 – Lewis H. Cook (125)
1934 Gravestone – Lewis H. Cook
Number Count from the above examples:
Lewis – 12
Louis – 8
L.H. – 1
His maternal grandfather spelled the name Lewis, his WWI Draft Registration Card, his Postmaster appointments, Marriage announcements, and his Gravestone all using the form “Lewis” suggest to me that this is the spelling given to him at birth. The preferred spelling.
This past week a photo was posted to the Appleton Historical Society’s Facebook page. I love old photographs, so I took a close look at this large group image. As I scanned the image a familiar face appeared, my great-grandfather, Lewis H. Cook. In my excitement, I read the verbiage associated with the post, then the comments below, and quickly responded that my great-grandfather was in the third row, first person from the right.
June 22-23 1915 Wisconsin County Clerk’s Association Meeting. The Grand View Hotel, Waupaca, Wisconsin. Photo included with the permission of Julie Wolf.
The thread was all speculation as to the reason for the group photograph – they were all wearing medals of some sort – and where the photo was taken. I immediately jumped to the conclusion that it must have been a postmaster’s convention, as that would explain the number of ladies included. I will say it again, I immediately jumped to a conclusion.
Why is it we sometimes do not use the basic rules and steps for sound genealogical research, but jump to conclusions with a passion? And stick to that conclusion no matter what?
I stuck to the idea that this was a postmaster’s convention even as others made sound research discoveries, such as identifying the building that stood in the background. The building is the Grand View Hotel in the Chain O’Lakes, Waupaca, Waupaca, Wisconsin. Thank you to the Waupaca Historical Society for the greatimage that helped in the identification.
Through my stubbornness, I kept searching through newspapers finding “proof.” See! Here is evidence! There was a postmaster’s convention in Waupaca, never mind there is no mention of the Grand View Hotel.
Finally, I came to my senses. Looking back at the original post I read: “My great uncle in the middle row second from the right. He was county clerk, William Wolf…” Image of me smacking my head with the palm of my hand. I had to stop being thick-headed and behave as the genealogist that I am. LOOK at the clues before me. Once I did that, it took me just a few seconds to discover the answer.
The 10th annual meeting of the Wisconsin County Clerks Association was held June 22-23, 1915 at the Grand View Hotel. The Appleton Evening Crescent reported that “County Clerk William Wolf will attend…”1The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported “The state convention of county clerks closed on Wednesday at Chain-o-Lakes…There was a humorous talk on marriage laws and their administration by L. H. Cook, Wausau…”2 And finally, the Wausau Daily Record-Herald had this to report: “County Clerk Louis H. Cook3 arrived home this morning from Waupaca, where he attended the annual meeting of the Wisconsin County Clerks’ association. He was appointed a member of the executive committee and of the committee which will prepare the program for the next annual convention…”4
I foolhardily was barking of the wrong tree. The good news is that I came to my senses, and I now know the significance of the great photo, and another fabulous image to showcase the many Cook stories.
SOURCES
“County Clerks to Meet at Chain O’ Lakes Next Week,” Appleton Evening Crescent, 18 Jun 1915, p. 8, col. 4; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 8 Jan 2022). ↩︎
“County Clerks Will Meet Next Year at City of Superior,” The Green Bay Press-Gazette, 25 Jun 1915, p. 4, col. 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 8 Jan 2022). ↩︎
Lewis/Louis. Note to all – Never give your child a name that has variations. Just because you prefer one spelling does not mean that this is understood by all. ↩︎
“On Committee,” Wausau Daily Record-Herald, 24 Jun 1915, p. 2, col. 2; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 8 Jan 2022). ↩︎
In 2003 my mother, Emmie Lou Tapper Sternitzky, took on the monumental task of sorting, identifying, and cataloging the Cook photos that she and my father had been given to archive. She did an amazing job with these 297 images that she included in her photo book “The Cook Family Photo Album.” Through the years as my research has expanded, I have made notes confirming dates, correcting dates, identifying before unknown people in photos, and just enjoying the hard work that went into what I hold in my hands.
The other day I was again going through the book, as I knew she had included a map that I wanted to look at when I was stopped by a postcard that had been saved by my great-grandmother, Effie Josette DuCate Cook. She had received New Years’ greetings from J. C. Gillett, the photo postcard being postmarked in Unity, Marathon County, Wisconsin, January 2, 1908. Moving on to look at the 1901 map, I noticed a J. C. Gillett living on 120 acres in Section 5, Brighton Township, across the street from George and Lewis’ land in section 6. Who was this J. C. Gillett?
I started the easy way, the 1900 United States Federal Census entry for my great-grandparents.1 And there she was, listed as Jane C. Gillett, head of household, age 54, widowed, mother of 3 children with 2 living, born in England, immigrated in 1850, working as a school teacher, owning free of mortgage, a farm. Living with her was her son, Fay C. Gillett, age 23, occupation a farmer.
This sparked my interest to learn a bit more about this woman, why was she sending such sweet New Year greetings to her neighbor? Imagine my surprise when the pieces all fell into place. Jane, really Jennie Clara Chaney Gillett, was born in England in February 1846. She married Fayette Clark Gillett on March 24, 1875, in Forest, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and they had three children. Fay, who I have already mentioned born in 1876, Elizabeth Ann born July 28, 1878, and Jennie C. Gillett was born May 3, 1880, all in Forest. Sadly, they lost Jennie on January 12, 1881. Fayette passed away on August 21, 1889. He and Jennie were buried in Forest Cemetery, and this is where Jennie and Fay would return for burial.
So how does this tie the two women together? Remember Jennie’s older daughter, Elizabeth Ann? She married George Sewall Cook, the brother of Lewis!! A family postcard. I find it interesting looking at the back to note that the card was postmarked, but no indication that it had ever been stamped. I wonder if Jennie walked into the post office, handed her penny and the postcard to the postmaster. He took the penny, stamped the card, and tucked it into Effie’s cubby for her to pick up.
By 1920 Fay had retired from farming, and he moved with his mother into a house on West Front Street in the Village of Unity. Here they would spend the rest of their lives. (I have to admit that I have not checked to see if the address stayed the same. They may have moved households). Jennie passed away on April 13, 1924, and Fay would live until November 17, 1945.
The New Years’ greeting sent in 1908 is now part of my collection, and it is so much fun to know a bit more about this woman standing in her yard with her dog.
Sources
1900 U.S. census, Marathon County, Wisconsin, population schedule, Brighton Township, enumeration district (ED) 72, sheet 1, p. 27A, dwelling 9, family 9, Lewis H. Cook household; digital images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 25 Mar 2005); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll FHL microfilm: 1241798. ↩︎
