Family History Writing Challenge Day 15

In a previous post, which you can find here, it was revealed that my grandfather Joseph Henry Kubler, lost his father Henry in 1902 when he was only 10. It must have been very difficult for him to face such grief at such a young age. How did he feel when, a year and a half later, his mother married Charles Brinkman? Perhaps he welcomed the half brother who was born when he was 15.

In 1905 when his paternal grandmother, Josephine (Hillenbrand) Kubler died, she left her grandson Joseph $100. Today that is equivalent to around $2,600. Some in the family might have questioned that amount of money as she left a LOT more than that to her three surviving sons. Since Joseph's father Henry had pre-deceased Josephine, it certainly might have been felt that Joseph should have gotten his father's 1/4 share in the estate.

Music Hall

In 1910, Joseph was living with his mother, stepfather and half brother in Cincinnati. Joseph was employed as a clerk in a liquor retail house. Apparently he was quite a roller skater when he wasn't working because in 1910 he entered the Ohio Championship, which was a one-mile race at Music Hall Rink in Cincinnati. The race drew amateur skaters from Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky to determine who would be the tri-state champion. The Cincinnati Music Hall stands at the corner of 14th and Elm Streets, and was opened in 1878. It housed musical activities in the center area, and industrial expositions in its side wings. It was in the north wing that the roller skating race was held. The racers were competing for gold, silver and bronze medals.

St. Lawrence Church

Two years later, at the age of 21, Joseph was married to 16-year-old Lillian Marie Hungler. Their wedding took place on 24 July 1912 at St. Lawrence Church. Lillian was born to Albert Hungler and Catherine (Cramer) Hungler in Cincinnati on 22 October 1895. She was the oldest of four children, though only she and her younger sister Alice lived to adulthood. Lillian was 1 when her brother Corry was born, and 2 when twins Alice and Albert came along. Corry died as an infant, and Catherine Hungler lost her battle with tuberculosis on 16 April 1900. She was not yet 23 years old.

Michael and Anna Cramer

Albert Hungler found himself a widower at the age of 30 with a 4-year-old and two 3-year-olds to rear. So that he could continue to work as a laborer, he and the children moved in with Catherine's parents, Michael and Anna (Willard) Cramer, where they appear in the 1900 census record. As if the grief of losing Catherine weren't enough for the family to deal with, little Albert died of tuberculosis on 10 October 1900. How devastating this must have been.

But Albert found love again and married Matilda Stritzinger on 10 May 1906. Albert and Matilda went on to have 8 children. Lillian remained living with her grandparents, while Alice stayed with her dad and his new wife.

Lillian and sister Alice

Certainly Joseph and Lillian would have had a lot in common in that they both had lost a parent at a young age, and both of their parents remarried and started second families. Did Lillian marry at such a young age because she was eager to escape the household of her grandparents?

Family History Writing Challenge Day 14

The third son of Joseph and Josephine Kubler, John, was 16 when his mother married John Frederick. After three publications in the St. Gabriel parish records, Father Rudolf married 23-year-old John and 20-year-old Elenora Michael on 9 September 1896. Elenora was born to Florentine Michael and Mary (Norton) Michael in Indiana on 20 June 1876. She was the youngest of 9 children.

John and Elenora had their first child, Mary, on 27 July 1897 in Connersville. In the 1900 federal census for Indiana, John is the proprietor of a saloon in Connersville. Unlike the other men in his family who were all wood carvers, John took a different path for a career. Perhaps he was inspired by his father during the years when Joseph owned a grocery store. By 1910 he is a merchant in a grocery store.

When he completed the World War I Draft Registration Card on 12 September 1918, John indicated that he was blind in both eyes, yet he owned his own grocery. My dad remembered meeting "Uncle Johnny" and visiting him in Connersville. He was amazed the John not only worked, but owned his own business even while blind. That left a life-long impression on him.

John and Elenora's only child Mary was married to Clarence White on 7 October 1919, and in the 1920 census the newlyweds were living with John and Elenora. John was managing a grocery store, and Clarence was an inspector at an automobile factory. It is interesting to note that between 1905-1941, 13 different kinds of cars were made in Connersville.

Elenora died on 13 October 1928 in Connersville. By 1930, John was living with Mary, Clarence and their children. He would spend the rest of his life in this living arrangement.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 13

Joseph and Josephine Kubler's second son, William, was 19 when his mother married John Frederick in 1889. William was a wood carver just like his grandfather, father, and brother Henry. On 14 May 1894 he married Nellie Young in Connersville. Their officiant was Father Rudolf of St. Gabriel's Church. A daughter, Pearl, was born 1 August 1895, and a son Leslie on 10 November 1896.

William and Nellie lived in Connersville until at least 1917. By the 1920 federal census they were located in Los Angeles, while their daughter Nellie along with her husband and son were living in Detroit. Son Leslie lived with his sister and her family in Michigan.

William worked as a wood carver in a factory. The 1930 census indicated that their 14-year-old grandson William McCormick (daughter Pearl's child) was now living with them in Los Angeles.  Pearl was divorced and renting an apartment in San Francisco in the 1930 census. She was employed as a saleslady in a department store.

William and Nellie lived the remainder of their lives in California. Nellie died 25 January 1937 in Los Angeles. She was 62. She is buried in Roosevelt Memorial Park Cemetery. William lived to the age of 73, passing on 27 November 1843 in Contra Costa, California. He was still living in Los Angeles when he was 71, but perhaps he moved to the San Francisco area to be close to his daughter Pearl as he neared the end of his life.

Family History Writing Challenge Day 11

On Sunday morning, 19 September 1886, Joseph and his family attended Mass at St. Gabriel's Church. It was there that Joseph dropped dead of a heart attack. His obituary stated that he seemed to be in the best of health and spirits that morning, and that the sudden death of this prominent citizen was a shock to the whole community. It further elaborated that Mr. Kubler was a man of many good qualities; always kind and agreeable to his neighbors, and a kind husband and father.

Joseph Kubler stone

Joseph was only 38 years old, coincidentally the same age as Josephine's mother when she died. Josephine became a widow at 34 and their sons were the following ages: Henry, 18; William, 16; and John, 13.

The Indianapolis News reported on 12 December 1887 that Mrs. Josephine Kubler of Connersville sued Herman Jones for $10,000 damages for an alleged rape committed the last July. The defendant was fined $400 for the rape.

On 20 October 1889, three years and one month after the death of Joseph, Josephine married John Frederick. Father Rudolph of St. Gabriel's again officiated the ceremony. The couple welcomed a son, Claude, to the family on 19 November 1892 when Josephine was 40. Sometime before 13 July 1899, John Frederick either died or the couple was divorced. Because on that date Josephine married Francis Ashton in St. Joseph, Michigan. It was the first marriage for Francis, who was 10 years younger than Josephine. St. Joseph is 230 miles away from Connersville where Josephine and Francis were both living, so that is an interesting choice as they were married there by a Justice of the Peace.

Joseph and Josephine's son Henry (my great-grandfather) married Louis Boegel in Connersville in 1891, son William married Nellie Young in Connersville in 1894, and son John married Elenora Michael in 1896 also in Connersville. More details on the boys will be covered in the next post.

Josephine wrote up her will on 21 November 1902. In it, she left her money and possessions to each of her surviving children and grandchildren, as well as the sum of $4,000 to her 3rd husband. Additionally, she specified that $1,000 and all her diamonds and jewelry were to go to her son, Claude, who was a minor of 10 when his mother had the will drawn up. Josephine nominated her son John to be the guardian of the person and estate of Claude until he arrived at the age of 21. Son William was named the executor. She had quite a nice estate, a portion of which may have come from her previous marriages. But she was also part of the Hillenbrand family from Batesville, Indiana who had built quite an industry from the land and forests in the area. It is quite possible that she had some family money as well. Or did she end up getting the $10,000 rape settlement?

She died before May of 1905 as that is when her husband Francis filed papers with the Fayette County Circuit Court renouncing  and waiving all of his rights as surviving husband of the deceased Josephine Ashton beyond what Josephine had outlined in her will in 1902. Did Josephine enact an early prenuptial agreement with husband number 3?