Person Page - 564

Survivor(s): Eunice V Benjamin and Michael Cole.⁷

Survived by his wife, the former Louella Miller. Survivor(s): Gladys Feuerstein and Mrs. Walter Ardapple.⁶

Survivor(s): Barbara Stover and Dorothy Ardapple.¹¹

IRWIN (sic)-FEUERSTEIN.
     The marriage of Gladys Irwin and John H. Feuerstein, both of Attica, took place Friday at Crawfordsville. The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Irwin, residing south of Attica, and the bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Feuerstein, of Attica. Mr. and Mrs. Feuerstein are graduates of the Attica schools.1 The bridegroom saw service in the world war overseas. The young couple will reside on the Irwin farm, south of Attica.⁹

Irvin- Feuerstein
     Miss Gladys Irvin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Irvin of Shawnee township, and John H. Feuerstein of this city, were married in Crawfordsville last Thursday. Both the bride and the groom are graduates of the Attica thigh school and their friendship dates back to their youthful school days.
     The bride is a very estimable young laity and has many admiring friends in this city. The groom is a young man of good character and clean habits. He is a World War soldier and was in the service about two years, having seen overseas service. He was among the eight Attica young men who enlisted early in the army when they were only about 18 years old. They both have a large circle of Attica friends who extend their best wishes. The young couple are now at the home of the bride's parents in Shawnee township.¹²

Among the first unexpected guests of my early home life on the Jackson Hill was an urgent call from Elizabethtown, Hamilton Co., OH. "Come over and get us." This was my first meeting with Bertha Belle Miller Guard (b.1869), Eva Mae Miller DeHart (b.1874), and Lou Ella Miller Irvin (b.1879) and their children. Ruth Alma Guard (b.1898) was a very pretty young teenager, too fat to run; then the two Irvin girls: Dorthy Bell (b.1903), perhaps also a little too plump, a blond; and her sister, Gladys (b.1899), an exceedingly lovely vivacious brunette; then the son Lowell M. (b.1899) of Eva and Allen DeHart (b.1870), a young slender lad. He and Gladys led in the race and these lively youngsters romped and played around and around the big house which today we know as the "House on the Hill."
     The fun began because there were too many for the spring wagon. The young man of the house met the situation by hitching the farm team to the hay wagon with a generous supply of hay to make it comfortable.
     Floyd Stanley Jackson (b.1881) started to E-Town in high glee to pick up his beloved cousins, the children of Father Jackson’s (John Harrison Jackson b. 1854) oldest sister, Margaret E. Jackson Miller (1843-1882). This was the first and only time I ever saw Bertha Miller Guard as she died early in her married life, as did her sister, Goldie Miller Sanders (1871-1903), mother of Vena Sanders Brown. How did I get onto this gloomy side of the picture? For this was indeed a happy party.
     It did not take a nice car or a fine home to have fun. I don’t know what I cooked, but I remember I did freeze ice cream and had the big table set; a little black cook stove, a big wooden box for a table or a large cabinet a very large one; I expect 4 X 6 with an oil cloth on top and I had to almost crawl inside to reach things to cook in, a curtain tacked across the front and the floors were covered with rag carpets.
     Another of my very early getting acquainted with my new relatives was in the fall of 1908 - the evening Mabel Grubbs and John Liddle were to be married. Mabel was very very dear to me. She was like a doll; the little sister of my very dearest school mate and seat mate and I had been in their home so much during our school days. Then in 1899, when Stella Grubbs was eighteen years old, “Angie” the lovely mother, was taken by death.
     Word had come that Aunt Mary Isabell Jackson James (b.1851) and Uncle Charlie W. James from Jacksonville, Morgan Co., IL. were coming to visit us on the noon train. I was very upset. I wanted so much to go to Mabel’s "Chivalry." Father, John Harrison Jackson, came home with empty seats, his sister and husband were not on the train; I was hilariously happy. There was another train at the Lawrenceburg Junction at 4 o’clock and Father had gone to meet that. I was sitting on the step where I could see the gate which led from the last bend of the road and turned into the yard. I was putting on my Sunday stockings which were neither silk or rayon and my Sunday shoes. Even with all my wistful thinking, I kept my eyes on the winding road and this time the seats were filled; really filled! Aunt Mary was large, I expect 200 lbs., but Uncle Charlie James weighed between 400 and 500 lbs.
     Nora Jackson never really swore. I did, however, say "gog-on-it" but I loved Aunt Mary, she was understanding. That word can mean so much, especially to a young wife who had come into a home where there was so much work. (During my young life on a farm I never did understand why my mother had to work all day. I would say, "Can’t you take the afternoon off?" but the most I remember, my Mother would wash her face, comb her hair smoothly back, put on a light clean wrapper, and lie down on the simple lounge for fifteen minutes.)
     To get back to my story, I will mention three things: Father, Aunt Mary, Uncle Charlie and myself, went to a funeral at Bright (I don’t remember whose). Father drove with the whip in his hands, and except for up and down the hills, the horses were kept trotting. Aunt Mary said “that is exactly like my father, the horses never dared walk; he was always in a hurry.” We did not tarry after the services. Dear Aunt Mary said, “I can see how much work you have waiting to be done at home.” Then the rest of the day she spent with me. After changing our Sunday best to a house dress, she followed me to the cellar where she chatted while I worked and patted the butter milk out and smoothed the sweet delicious butter. Then at supper, she bragged about my pumpkin pies; she always thought pumpkin had to be cooked hours. She said “Now Charlie, this pumpkin Nora didn’t cook very long at all and these pies are so good.” Now do you see why I loved Aunt Mary James? She too was a very pretty woman. Uncle Charlie would walk up and down the road fast just for exercise, and they broke the bed down. After all, there was over 600 lbs. of them to like or dislike and I liked them or her. I should say very very much They had two sons, Clifford (b.1875) and Loyd N. Jackson (b.1874).
     As I reminisce, I recall Aunt Nancy E. Jackson Rowe (1844-1911). I too saw her only once. She came to our wedding on September 5, 1906. I really saw her to remember at the breakfast table at my husband’s home on September 7th. I felt rather shy of her. She was not pretty like plump Aunt Mary; she was tall and proud, rather haughty, much given to boast. She married William H. Rowe, who was raised by the Blasdel family in the New Alaces community. They went to Jacksonville, Morgan Co., IL. to live and they had only one son, Charlie. Uncle Will became quite wealthy for that day. Charlie Rowe (1866-1928) never married. He was worth $160,000 when he died in 1928. Our grandfather clock came from his estate.¹⁴

IRWIN (sic)-FEUERSTEIN.
     The marriage of Gladys Irwin and John H. Feuerstein, both of Attica, took place Friday at Crawfordsville. The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Irwin, residing south of Attica, and the bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Feuerstein, of Attica. Mr. and Mrs. Feuerstein are graduates of the Attica schools.1 The bridegroom saw service in the world war overseas. The young couple will reside on the Irwin farm, south of Attica.³

Irvin- Feuerstein
     Miss Gladys Irvin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Irvin of Shawnee township, and John H. Feuerstein of this city, were married in Crawfordsville last Thursday. Both the bride and the groom are graduates of the Attica thigh school and their friendship dates back to their youthful school days.
     The bride is a very estimable young laity and has many admiring friends in this city. The groom is a young man of good character and clean habits. He is a World War soldier and was in the service about two years, having seen overseas service. He was among the eight Attica young men who enlisted early in the army when they were only about 18 years old. They both have a large circle of Attica friends who extend their best wishes. The young couple are now at the home of the bride's parents in Shawnee township.⁹

Barbara married a stover. Was her husband Willaim Albert Stover? If so, they probably had a daughter Candace. She may have married a Ware.^7,8,9

Survived by his wife, the former Dorothy B. Irvin. Survivor(s): Warren W. Ardapple. In addition, 2 sisters survived: Mrs. H. R. Painter of West Lafayette and Mrs. L. T. Fenton of Elmhurst, Illinois.¹⁵

Plan Wedding In December
     Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ardapple, of Hillcrest road, West Lafayette, announce the approaching marriage of their daughter, Katherine Jane, to Robert Franklin Kelly, son of Mrs. Gertrude Kelly, South Ninth street, and the late Frank O. Kelly.
     Miss Ardapple attended DePauw university and is now a student at Purdue, where she is a pledge of Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Mr. Kelly attended Purdue and is now in the production planning department of the Aluminum Company of America plant.
     The wedding will take place in December.¹⁸

Predeceased by his parents: Walter Ardapple and Dorothy Irving (sic) Ardapple.⁶

Warren Ardapple In Marine Corps
     Warren W. Ardapple of West Lafayette, has enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps candidates' class, a junior officer training course, according to an announcement by Capt. Ralph E. Boulton, officer in charge of marine recruiting in Indiana.
     The son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ardapple, 705 Hillcrest Road, he is a student at Indiana university and a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
     After graduating from college, Ardapple will be sent to the marine base at Quantico, Va., for the .three months candidates' class course. Upon the successful completion of this course, he will be commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps reserve. He will then attend a reserve officers' class for an additional three months, after which he will be assigned to general duty, or sent to aa advanced school.⁸

Predeceased: Ruby Bridgeland, Jane Louise Bridgeland, Betty Hetrick and George Bridgeland.⁵

So you may become better acquainted with the situation here, let me tell you a little about my family. Middle Creek is merely a rural area around the Presbyterian Church. It was organized and pioneered by many of the names in our genealogy. It has always been composed of farms that are largely owned by the people that farm them. My farm is about 4 miles north of the church and If I live to 2005 it will have been in the family for 100 years. The original Bridgeland farm is about a mile west of the church and has been in the family for 150 years.

I farmed for 17 years and then went to a rural bank to be their farm representative and then ended the last 18 years of working as a controller in a very nice family (not ours) business in Rockford. We had six children all born on the farm. Ruby & I spent 15 winters enjoying the warmth of Mesa, Arizona. In 1998 she had a stroke. We are somewhat limited but are enjoying our lives. We live in a duplex that is part of a Christian Retirement Center. This winter we decided to sell our unit in AZ and move back permanently to our home in Rockford. In February we discovered that Ruby had breast cancer and are deep into chemotherapy and radiation. It takes daily trips to the hospital so my time on the computer has been reduced drastically.

Much time has been spent on our Smith family (my grandmother) and I have had two sessions with our children and with cousins from the Seward area recalling the Scotch history back to our oldest in 1692.

Our research on the Bridgeland's (or Bridgland as it was in the 1800's) has been limited because we could not establish a direct link to the Kent area. I have some requests from families in the east but they have not responded with all that I would like. Frankly I have always felt that George (Delancy) Bridgeland's middle name might give us a clew (sic) to a maternal family and then we could make the connection.
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On July 10, 2001 Harold wrote:
On Monday afternoon I mailed an envelope with five trees enclosed. The first was the oldest families of Bridgelands (similar to yours) and the following four were the descendents from each of the main members.

There are several rather glowing differences in names and some variables in dates. Most of these people who lived in the 20th century were well known by me and some were closely related. I grew up and attended church with the children of Alfred and Grace Bridgeland. (Also served as elder with Alfred). J Z Smith and Lizzey were family friends and their grandson Stuart Smith was my best man.

A strange thing occurred during those times. Many were known by their middle names. My father was John Boyd Bridgeland. He was always called Boyd. His brother was Alfred Everett and was called Everett. My brother was George Winston and was always called Winston until World War 2 changed that. Mary Elizabeth Bridgeland Ives was never called anything but Elizabeth. I sang with her husband Homer for years.

I remember William Wright Bridgeland.

Another difficult trait was calling people by their nickname. My Great Grandmother was called Jean Mc Nair Smith by everyone. When the records and even the name on her tombstone were consulted it appears her name was Jane. I talked with her last living granddaughter a few weeks ago and she asked again, "Harold, are you sure her name was Jane?"

Dates also cause some problems. Quite often the birth date might be a baptism date and the death date confused with the burial date. I told Michael Peacock I was going to use my dates in America and his dates in UK.

If we cannot get back to England with the Bridgelands then I am very much interested in the Smith clan - both English (J Z Smith) and Scotch (Lizzie Smith). Right now Stuart & I are trying to sort out his great great grandfather James Smith. I would appreciate knowing what birth and death dates you may have and where he was buried if you have that information. Stuart thinks that his father was another Edward Smith. Stuart was in Yorkshire recently but did not have time to find his home.

He did take pictures of the area of William Wright and Hannah Dobson. Once again please forgive me if it seems like I am delaying these reports. I just do not have much time away from Ruby's care. She wants me with her during the evenings so most of my time is spent during the night or when she takes her daily nap. We also have a rather strong social life despite the cancer.

One other thought. I have been intrigued with our Scotch Smith ancestors and have discovered a close relationship to the Covenanters in the 1600 and 1700's. I wrote a very short history for my grandchildren of the period and will include a copy the next time I mail. It was intended to be part one with the next part being about the three Smith brothers who migrated to America. That just hasn't gotten finished.

You mentioned my use of the computer. I was a controller in a corporation for 18 years and installed 3 during that time. When I retired my boss said, "You will surely put one in your fifth wheel." I told him I never wanted to see another computer. Eight years later I succumbed. Of course they had changed greatly in that time. My second son went with IBM two years ago after a lifetime with Kemper Insurance Company. He purchase millions in equipment every year. I have macular degeneration so we have installed Via Voice on this computer. It needs some more improvement. It will come.

Thanks again for contacting me. It is thrilling to hear from relatives like you.
Harold.⁶

Smith, Robert (death)
...who has been in feeble health for some time, died at his home near here (Seward) last Wed. Funeral will be Sat., at Middlecreek church, of which he was a member.⁷

Smith, Robert (Mrs.) (death)
Funeral of Mrs. Robert Smith who dies at home of her daughter, Mrs. J.Z. Smith, near Middle Creek, held at Middle Creek church Wed. Also leaves 4 sons, Hugh, Archie and Andrew Smith of Seward, and Robert Smith of California.⁵