Monday, January 25, 2016

Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend

THE CHILDREN OF
JOHN F. FRIEND & IDA MAY STRAUB

Today’s GenBlog series of the children of John F. Friend and Ida May Straub is their eldest daughter, Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend. For the longest time, she has been one of the hardest person to research in this family, besides her younger sister, Mable May Friend. In general, it’s been the lack of availability of information or resources to be found prior to the internet, and without going directly to the local libraries who might have the right information or resources. Ancesty.com and FamilySearch has proven to be most useful because of the 21st century advanced technology, that is, if the database has been transcribed---in some cases, properly transcribed---nonetheless, these voulunteers are wonderful individuals who’ve taken the time to make it possible for researcherss. The research methods long ago would’ve never produce what I’ve been able to find today on the internet.
______

Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend

 Laura grew up on a farm on the west or south sides of Grand Island, but mostly in Center Township, with her parents. She then married to Adrian B. Cissna in 1898, and moved near or in the city. And then in less than seven months later she had a baby daughter named Emma B. Cissna. (Hummm?!? Isn’t normal pregnancy nine months long??) Perhaps Emma was a premie (or perhaps, wait a sec! (How old was Laura??) There must have been some promiscuity a-goin’ on? Ha! Who knows!) After Emma’s birth or when she was small child, Laura and her husband decisively headed to the West Coast, conversely around 1903 to 1906 because that’s about the time her Aunt Amelia and Uncle James West left for Seattle, Washington. And also around the time her brother, John Franklin “Frank” Friend wennt as well, and met a Swedish gal to marry.

Apparently, Laura’s Uncle James had been employed as a painter in Seattle as early as 1903; and so, I think, Adrian had picked up, or has been offered, to work in that trade as well. The first mentioned of this for Adrian’s trade was in the City Directory of Seattle, Washington in 1907. Meanwhile, about the same time-frame, Laura’s parents and her other siblings had moved to Angora in Morrill County, Nebraska. Again, I need to be reminded that I never knew all of this about Laura’s locality until I had access to Ancestry.com and FamilySearch, which eventually lead me to her in Seattle. And then to find out Laura had been remarried and died in Seattle; and all because of this I had to be persistence in my research and be techie smart to find her til the end.

What Do I Know About Laura & Her Family? Here are some facts I have on Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend. She was born on June 16, 1881 in Grand Island, Nebraska. She grew up on her father’s rented farms in and around the westside (Center Township) and southside (Washington Township) of Grand Island. She had been wedded twice. First to Adrian Brooks Cissna, and then to Charles Allen West. On April 9, 1898, nine and a half weeks prior to her 16th birthday, Laura married Adrain in Grand Island; and then, six (6) months and 23 days later she had Emma. (Surprise! A family history “skeleton in the closet” scenario, folks!) Then much later in her life, of course, after the death of her first husband, Laura remarried to a man named Charles A. West on November 26, 1930 in Seattle, Washington. Before continuing on, I’ve only had Laura’s name taken from the family bible and census records as “Laura E. Friend” or just Laura. The Lauretta reference came because of her having been listed in the city directory as such. That gave me the idea that her mother had intended to named her eldest daughter after a sister named Etta, well, Amelia Etta Straub. So---I’ve decided to put Laura’s name on records as Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend. I believe she was named Laura Etta in reference to the “Laura E.” I keep seeing on records.

Laura and Adrain were blessed with their only child, a daughter, named Emma B. Cissna. She was born on November 13, 1898 in Grand Island. So, is Emma a “gun-shot wedding” baby or a “premie”? I personally think, it’s the first; because where there’s some promiscuous involvement---I’m sure it has something to do with the man being ten years older than her---and, her papa found out she was with child and wasn’t happy about it. (Of course, there was this handwritten (permission) note attached to Laura and Adrian’s marriage certificate.) Anywas, Laura had served in her small family as a wife and mother; and then, in her community as a clerk and cook for some baker or restaurant.

It wasn’t until recently, I’ve discovered THE when and THE where of Laura’s death. And yet, I was astounded, that this information had been on Ancestry.com all along---well, it’s only been online since 2014 so I must haven’t had the time before. According to their database, her death information her name was recorded incorrectly. So I thought, well since I couldn’t see the actual certificate, I went to the Washington State Digital Archives site to verify this information. (I’ll be damn! It’s correct.) Supposedly her second husband, Charles, wrote it down as “Loretta” instead of her proper name of Laura E. or Lauretta as we would’ve known her by.

On October 24, 1939, Laura E. “Loretta” West passed away in the community called Algona, Washington---a suburban community in the Greater Seattle area. So---is this all the facts on Laura? Probably so BUT there’s more I’m sure of it! I still need to figure out what happen to her remains. Maybe she’s buried or maybe she’d requested a cremation, and probably, ashes scattered, like her first husband? Maybe?!? I guess I need to order that death certificate.

Who Were Laura’s Spouses? Adrian Brooks Cissna was Laura’s first husband. He was born November 10, 1871 in Seal, Pike County, Ohio. He was the second son of Adrian H. Cissna and Mary Sarah Barr. His father remarried after his mother’s death. Adrian spent his early years in Pike County, and then in his early adulthood, he spent it in Columbus County, Ohio before he’d moved to Grand Island. His father and step-mother remained in Columbus County, but I believe his older brother, either eventually or had  followed Adrian out West. I would have to study his brother’s migration pattern to know for certain, other than I do know Adrian and his brother were in Seattle together. After coming to Nebraska, Adrian probably met Laura shortly thereafter, but that’s not totally clear---just yet---because I don’t know exactly when he went West. Two years after his nuptial to Laura, Adrian was found working as a farm laborer in Center Township, pretty much near Laura’s family; and he was listed as a “servant” under the head of household, namely, Benjamin Mc Master. I haven’t been able to determine the WHY Adrian had moved to the Midwest; and I guess that’ll be another research project for me at a later date. After his marriage, and the coming of his only child several “short” months later, Adrian eventually moved to Seattle around 1905 or 1906 to become a painter. It’s not an artist profession, believe me, but I’m sure, he was painting houses, or whatever’s larger than a canvas board---documents I’ve fouind didn’t specify exactly what “painter” is. I’m assuming there wasn’t a need to either.

Adrian worked until he was aged 53 when he passed away on July 20, 1925. He died of coronary artery disease, basically a heart attack. He and Laura had spent 27 years before his passing. He death however wasn’t a total lost for him because Adrian got to watch his daughter grow up, get married, and to meet his two grandbabies, Herbert Adrian Munter and Lorriane Marie Munter, and probably watched his son-in-law fly airplanes.

After five years of her husband’s death, and at the age of 49, Laura decided to get remarried. She met a man by the name of Charles Allen West. Charles having been born in June, 1868, and was from Pike County, Michigan, it assume to his birth place. Charles was the middle son of Hiram West and Mary J. Weirs. I have recently discovered this interesting tid-bit about Charles and his family lineage. He was also a half-brother to James A. West, who’d married to Laura’s mother’s sister, her Aunt, Amelia Etta Straub. Concurringly, it’s the same aunt and uncle who’d moved to Seattle around the turn of the 20th century. Both the Straub and the West Families were Nebraskan transplants from Pennsylvania and Michigan, respectively. Also, Charles had been married, twice---before and after. His first marriage was to a woman named Clara E. Crandell; and then again, after Laura’s death, to Mrs. Alice Maud Lowe, maiden name Ruttan. Apparently in his three marriages, Charles never procured offsprings. On records he died on January 24, 1949 in Auburn, Washington, yet another suburban community of the Greater Seattle area.

Who’s Laura’s Daughter? Emma Brooks Cissna was an only child of Adrain Brooks Cissna and Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend. It seems that Adrian named his daughter after an aunt on his father’s side. Emma was born on November 13, 1898 in Grand Island, Nebraska. After her formal educational years were completed, she worked as a telephone operator for a couple of years for Seattle’s telephone company in 1916 and 1917. Then late 1917, Emma married Herbert Arthur “Herb” Munter, the legendary aviator of Seattle and a veteran of both World Wars. They were wedded on November 21, 1917. Life for Emma must’ve never been dull with such an ambitus husband who flew airplanes all the times. (I promise to do a separate GenBlog on Emma and Herb Munter.)

Emma and Herb had been blessed with two children, Herbert Adrian and Lorriane Marie. Herbert---or “Herb” as his friends called him---their only son. He had completed not only his formal education but completed a college education too. Shortly after college, Herb enlisted in World War II as a navel aviator. He married in 1943, after his enlistement, to Phyllis Virginia Wilder, a college sweetheart. But no sooner thereafter, he was killed in action.

Emma and Herb’s next child, Lorriane Marie, lived to have her family of two daughters and several grandchildren. Lorriane married a military man, Captain William “Bill” H. Culver (US Army), shortly after the end of the war. Lorriane and Bill had 59 wonderful years together. Sometimes in the late 50s, Emma and her husband followed their daughter and son-in-law to Contra Costa County, California where they continue to live the remainder of their lives. Emma passed away on March 16, 1976, six years after her husband.

Documentations. The first document I will present on Laura is nothing new I’ve shown before. It is the Nebraska State Census dated on June 5, 1885. Laura was listed with her parents John and Ida Friend at the age of 4. Unfortunately, the enumerator (I sure it was his error) had forgotten to “write-in” that she’s a “daughter” to head of household. I’ve learned over the years that census records are not totally accurate document to rely on, if you wish prove your ancestor’s facts. Census records needs to be incoherent with other documents. Don’t get me wrong, but censuses can be great resources to finding all the “living” children that are presented at that time of enumeration. Of course, it takes state censuses---and they varies from state to state---to find other children. They're great for in-between decadal enumerations. If there should be others, hopefully, cemetery records would tie-in the family properly. Otherwise, other records would help fill-in those children you keep hearing about in family stories. Like my Aunt Ilea who had all of these children, eight in all, and only two lived to adulthood. I found the others in birth and death indexes.

As you can see below I’ve added the transcribed record of the state census to indicate Laura’s present. If you wish to review the original record, please refer to the original image, or the snippet image in the previous GenBlog of this series.

Ln.       Hn.         Family Names        Age     Sex       Rela                  Occup               BirPl  [1]
46 . . . 36/37 . . . FRIEND, John . . . .38 . . . M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Farmer . . . . . . . IN
47 . . . . . . . . . . . FRIEND, Ida . . . . . .21 . . . F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PA
48 . . . . . . . . . . . FRIEND, LAURA . . 4 . . . F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NE
49 . . . . . . . . . . . FRIEND, John . . . . .2 . . . M . . . . Son . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NE
50 . . . . . . . . . . . FRIEND, Maud . . . .1 . . . F . . . . Daughter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NE

Let’s continue with more census records with Laura, and possibly, others related to her. Laura had been enumerated four other time: 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Her first husband and child were in all or part of these four censuses. Let’s see, we’ll back up a bit with Laura’s spouses.

Adrian’s first enumeration was in 1880 with his father and step-mother in Pike County, Ohio. Charles’s first enumeration was in 1870 with his parents in Clinton County, Michigan, and I won’t go into a whole lot of details with these censuses and the information at this point. And then there’s Laura’s daughter, Emma, who had been enumerated with Laura in 1900 in Grand Island, and later in 1910 (with both parents) in Seattle. The last census (1930) where Laura was enumerated as a widow, was living as a boarder several months before she married to Charles West. These are the extends of where everyone was in these different censuses. Next will be the details of which Laura had been enumerated in.

1900 U.S. Federal Census. Laura, at this point, had been a married woman of two years. She was enumerated with her daughter, seemingly, called “Annie” and for some unknown reasons Adrian wasn’t listed with them. Yet he was listed over at Benjamin Mc Master’s farm. Of course, there’s a perfect explation that situation. I’ll explain it shortly. Using a genealogist’s critical eye, one must take note of every detail possible---the dates of enumeration, the localities, page numbers, and other items deemed necessary. At some point they’ll serve a purpose to your ancestor’s co-existence at that timeframe.

In Document No. 1 (below), the date of this enumeration was June 9 & 11, 1900; this document to which Adrian was enumerated upon. And then, Document No. 2 it was written only as June 11, 1900; this one had Laura and Emma listed. Next we must take note of the page numbers or other details that might serve as some importance evidence to us. For example, Adrian was located on Line No. 47, towards the bottom of page 5A of first document. While we’re at it, let’s see where Laura and Emma are located. They  were enumerated on the bottom of the next page 5B on Line Nos. 99 and 100 of the second document. Assuming that the double dates on first document, it was enuremated in parts, like the first half or just a couple of households were done on the 9th (Saturday); and the rest has been resumed on the 11th (Monday). Notices, the enumerator  decided to take Sunday off.

Now let’s take a look at the locality of these two documents. Both were in the Center Township of Hall County, Nebraska. Perhaps---Adrian was working on that day he was enumerated at the Mc Master’s farm, while his family were taken later that same day. If, he had been enumerated on June 9th instead of the 11th, then he was home on the later date. And then, He would’ve been enumerated there too. Maybe?! I’ve seen this kind of situation countless times, where one person was counted twice in the same census, but on different dates. I’ve included the snippet images of the original document along with their transcribed information.

Document No. 1  [2]
Center Township, Hall, Nebraska, USA (Page: 5A)
Ln.     Name                                    Age       Birth Date/Place     Occupation
44 . . Benjamin Mc Master . . . . .53 . . . Oct 1946 PA . . . . . . Farmer (Owner)
45 . . Mianda Mc Master . . . . . . 54 . . . Dec 1845 OH
46 . . Benjamin C Mc Master . . . 9 . . . . Aug 1890 NE . . . . . .At School
47 . . Adrian B. Cissna     . . . . . . .28 . . . Nov 1871 OH . . . . . Farm Laborer (Monthly)

An image snippet of Document No. 1:

Document No. 2  [3]
Center Twp., Hall, Nebraska, USA (Page: 5B)
Ln.    Name                                      Age     Birth Date/Place
98 . . Laura Cissna . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 . . . Jun 1880 NE
100 . Annie Cissna . . . . . . . . . . . .1 . . . . .Nov 1898 NE

An image snippet of Document No. 2:

Tid-Bits of Historical Analogism. Okay! We’ve looked at two census entries and images of Adrian and Laura. We’ve learned that they were not enumerated together, and we’ve also learned that the two pages were side-by-side (5A & 5B). We’ve then took a look at the dates and decided that both Adrian and Laura were enumerated on the same date (June 11, 1900). Below I’ve created a table of data from the two pages beginning with Mc Master and ending with Cissna families. The Mc Master was Household No. 83, and the Cissna was Household No. 95. In this analogy, I hope to show you that there were eleven (11) households between enumeration.

Looking at Adrian’s, we’ve learned that Benjamin Mc Master had listed Adrian as his “servant”, then further down the columns, under occupation, he was listed as a “farm laborer” but interestingly enough it states for “monthly” basis. So, does this means Adrian only came once a month? It’s hard to say for sure without further information to cohere this knowledge. Then again, it probably was just enough to pay for his rent. After looking at the dates of the two pages, its conclusive that the enumerator only wrote who were in that household on that day, even though, Adrian was several miles from his own home. As I’ve mentioned before, there has been enumeration where the same person would’ve been enumerated twice because the date being diverse. Subsequently, both of these enumeration were done on June 11, 1900 while Adrian was at work and Laura and their daughter were at home.

Presently the question is, how far apart were these thirteen households? It hard to say as most of them between the Mc Masters and Cissnas were all farms except for latter family it was listed as a “house”. By reviewing the table below, we’ll notices that all households from the Mc Master to Jerome households were all identified---“farms”, whether owned (with or without mortgage) or rented. I’ve decided to do some studying on how large some of these farms were, and coherent the distance a between them. Farms. I’ve noticed that some were 600 or more acres, and others as little as 40 or less acres. Let’s simile that these twelve farms were 40 acres each.

Table No. 1
Center Twp., Hall, Nebraska, USA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Dist. No. 78  [4]
Ln.
H
F
Household Surname
Farm ID
O
R
F
M
Pg.
44
83
84
B. C. Mc Master*
82
O


M
5A
48
84
85
HammondA1
83

R


5A
51
85
86
Christian Schaupdach*
84
O


M
5B
54
86
87
August Thesenvitz*
85
O


M
5B
62
87
88
Franz
86

R


5B
66
88
89
Otto W. Wiese*
87
O

F

5B
74
89
90
Claus Henning*
88
O


M
5B
81
90
91
Joachim Wiese*
89
O

F

5B

91
92
Wray
90

R


5B

92
93
Amspoker
91

R


5B
93
93
94
Rush C. Noyes**
92
O


M
5B
98
94
95
Francis Jerome*?
93
O


M
5B
99
95
96
CissnaA2


R


5B
A1 = Female, Widowed, Farmer
A2 = Female, Married, Husband Located at Mc Master’s Farm
* = confirmed landholder
** = unconfirmed landholder
*? = possible landholder location
H } F = Household | Family Numbers
O | R = Owner | Renter
F | M = Owner’s Own Free | Mortgage Land

How far is it across a 40-acre farm? I’ve read this blog from Farm Collector Blog that talks about how many miles a farmer goes when he plows his back 40s---basically a 40-acre piece of land behind his current homestead. Sam Moore, author of “Looking Back: Miles Per Acres,” stated that one side of 40 acres is 1/4 mile. Another words, each side of 40-acres is 1/4 miles as though I would walk the entirely its one (1) mile, that is, I’m understanding this author’s explanation. Then if Adrian had to walk or ride his horse straight across one farm, it’ll be 1/4 mile; and then, if I multiple that by 12 (keep in mind, he still going straight across not the entire perimeters). Adrian would’ve gone approximate 3 miles, right?! Well, that’s depends.

Let’s just say he traveled on average 6 miles round trip, to and from work. But if he helps Mr. Mc Master plows 20 or 30 acres with a horse and plow. That’ll be a whole different ball game. As Sam Moore pointed out a farmer whose plowing a 40-acre field with a 12-inch walking plow, and hoping the farmer is real sturdy, and he has reliable horses, mules or oxen. With these things in mind that farmer would’ve to walked an average of 330 miles to prepare one piece of land for harvest.[5] An interesting article, I suggest you read it yourself.

After writing the above paragraph, my curiousity got the better of me. I’ve had forgotten about the Hall County Nebraska Government website who placed several plat maps online. The closest I can get to match my desired assessment for Table No. 1 is the 1904 Hall County Atlas (http://www.hallcountyne.gov/content.lasso?page=7426).[6] On this map, Center Township (page 21), I was able to confirmed at least six of the eight “owned” farms on this map with one possibility. The two “own” farms nearest the Cissnas household apparently were either sold off before this altas was published or there were some misreading of names. It’s going to be guestimation where these farms were in correlate with the 1900 census. The interesting part is that if I go by those confirmed farms and based upon those names on the 1904 atlas, Adrian would’ve started traveling in the southeast and walk or rode to the northwest (a diagonal) to get to the Mc Master’s farm. He would’ve gone approximately 5.5 to 6 miles, one-way. If the map is correct about which landholders were who, then we might see a alternate route.

The 1904 Hall County Atlas showed that B. C. Mc Master resided or owned an 80-acre land in Section 17. But then, there was this B. E. Mc Master in Section 29. Who’s this? This makes me wonder if Mc Master had much more land than signifying because there seems to be a lot of households from Section 17 to where I’m guestimating the Cissna lived for him to travel, at least, it doesn’t Correlate with the 1900 census. Then I remembered there was the 1890 Hall County Atlas online as well.[7] Well, guess what?! That Section 17 had a different landholder where Mc Master was shown in 1904; and in Section 29, it states “B. C. Mc Master” not “B. E. Mc Master” therefore I’m assuming the original place was in Section 29 not Section 17. Also in the latter section, in the 1890 atlas showed Mc Master only owning 120 acres instead of the 160 acres in 1904. He then added to his holding by 40 acres on that section and the 80 acres from Section 17. By 1904, Benjamin C. Mc Master now was the landholder of 240 acres. After analogying this information, I cannot say that the 1900 enumerator had ran amoke across the farm lands. He nearly went in a straight line from Mc Master to Cissna if I follow page by page with the census.

I took another look at Table No. 1 again, and another look at the 1904 atlas and the 1900 census.  In the 1900 census, I needed to look beyond the Cissna household nearer where Laura’s parent were enumerated on 6B. (Pausing) Wait a sec!! In the altas, Section 25, there seems to be a sub-division, an 80-acre parcel, that’s divided into 16 5-acre lots; speciously called “Mable Hayman’s Subdivision”. Oh my goodness?? (Zooming into 324%) I see the name “Jerome” in Lot No. 9. Could this be Francis Jerome that I’m looking for? Is it possible that one of these lots could have been rented to Adrian and Laura Cissna? I’m now seeing a pattern here. The enumerator must of began his census quest in Section 30 (West side), probably 4B, and finished up in Section 25 (East side), probably parts of 6A. And if this is right, then, Adrian had only walked or rode approximately 4 miles straight East to Wast to get to the McMaster’s farm. Whew!? That’s brain boggling. And that’s analogism.

The Other Censuses, 1910 & 1920. In the other censuses, Laura was with Adrian and Emma; well at least one or the other or both. Emma was with her parents in 1910, but had gotten married in 1917 prior to the 1920 census where she was enumerated with her husband. Adrian was in both of them with Laura, this time, unlike the 1900 census. There were two fascinating facts that came from these two census.

First, Adrian’s occupation came clearer that he had worked as a “House” painter, and he was his own employer, or boss man, for the most part. Second, Adrian was living in the same house that matched with the city directories I’ve found while researching. According to the 1910 census, the family lived in their “owned” house that was “free” of mortgage at 1715 26th Street, Seattle, Washington (see Document No. 3 & No. 4). In Document No. 3, you’ll notices where the house number and street name are located, on the left side, next to the Household/Family assigned numbers. Meanwhile, Document No. 4 will show the letters (Line No. 43 far right): “O”, “F” and “H” (meaning Own, Free of Mortgage, and House) indictating that Adrian and Laura had owned their home mortgage-free. Then in the last document (Document No. 5) it verifies that they had lived at that address from the same year’s city directory.

Document No. 3:
1910 U.S. Census of Adrian B. & Laura E. Cissna. [8]

Document No. 4:
1910 U.S. Census of Adrian B. & Laura E. Cissna, continues. [8]

Document No. 5
Seattle (Washington) City Directory, 1910 of Adrian E. Cissna. [9]

By 1920, Adrian and Laura Cissna were now living in a rental. What happened to their house? It is unknown what exactly happened without seeking deed books or real estate records, which aren’t available to me online. I would need to go to the courthouse to view these the deed books of that timeframe. Anyway,  by 1915 (conferring to the city directories), the entire picture changes for them, the family were now living at totally different location; and then by 1918, after their daughter’s nuptial, Adrian and Laura then lived at 500 29th Ave N, Apt. C (Clemensen Apartment) until after Adrian’s death in 1925. The 1920 census doesn’t show clearly which street they were enumerating, at least, it didn’t show 29th N, but did show that the enumerator had wrote “500” in the first apartment he started with. Because of this document was faded in places, we could see that he wrote the apartment letters next to those living at “500” and this can be confer with the city directory of that year. It is clear that there were four apartments.[10]

In 1930, after Laura’s husband’s death, she lived at 916 E. Mercer Street as a “lodger” under a widow named Mrs. Edith Folly. She was also indicated she worked as a restaurant cook.[11] Where previously Laura had worked as a clerk to bakers, but these were through the city directories, which we’ll talk me about them later. This concludes the census records for Laura and her family. Take we’ll journey into vital statistics: birth, marriage, death and other similar records.

Vital Statistic Records. Vital statistic records in this GenBlog will be consists of either indexed  or documented information. It depends on where I’ve found my data that will complete any of my ancestor’s vital statistic. (FYI: vital statistic consists of official records such as birth, death, fetal death (stillborn), marriage and dissolution of marriage (divorce) documents.) Since birth ceriticate were not mandated in Nebraska until 1904, it is possible that Emma Cissna might have applied for a delayed birth ceriticate, but not Laura, she needed to live into the 1940s when applicated for social security number, needed a birth certificate, and they started that process sometimes after her death.

Marriage Records We Have! I have three marriages to talk about in this section. First marriage would be Adrian and Laura (Friend) Cissna in 1898, then the next would be Herbert and Emma (Cissna) Munter in 1917, and then the final marriage would be Mrs. Laura Cissna and Charles A. West in 1930. The first marriage will only be an indexed source, and the latter two marriages are from the original documents. Below you’ll find Table No. 2 with basic information about the three marriages I’ve mentioned.

Table No. 2
Marriages of the Family
Groom                      Bride                                 Date of Marriage / Place
Cissna, Adrian B. . . Friend, Laura E. . . . .  . . . .9 Apr 1898 / Grand Island, Hall, Nebraska, USA [12]
Munter, Herbert A. .  Cissna, Emma B. . . .  . . . 21 Nov 1917 / Seattle, King, Washington, USA
West, Charles A. . . . Cissna, Laura E. (Mrs.). 26 Nov 1930 / Seattle, King, Washington, USA

The next document is a marriage registry where the county records all marriages upon getting the license to getting the certificate certified by the court’s appointed clerks. This snippet image (below) had been one of three other marriages recorded on the same page as Emma B. Cissna and Herbert A. Munter. Document No. 6 (page 10) is the original license that the clerk records in their books; and Document No. 7 is the marriage certificate given to the newlyweds.

With these two documents, we find some interesting things about some of the people our ancestors associate with in their lifetime. You’ll notices who were the witnesses to Emma & Herb’s nuptial: A. L. Munter and Mrs. H. R. Clark; and look who’s the officiator was: Rev. J. D. O. Powers. I guess noboby will recognitxe this minister Rev. Jesse D. O. Powers. He was an early 20th century power voice who was in charge of the First Unitarian Church in Seattle once located on 1707 Boyston Avenue.[13] Powers also seems to had his hands, along with many others, as being supporters or advocators of the Women Suffrage movement in Washington in 1910; even though, Washington had once granted that right before the 19th Amendment and their statehood in 1883. These ministers’ work and suffrage women of Washington State help passed the “right to vote” onto their women in 1910.

Document No. 7 (below) is the actual certificate of Herbert and Emma’s marriage that has all the signatures and validation of being registered in the courthouse. Depending upon the county some typed their registry while other are handwritten. Nevertheless, It’s great to see these type of documents as you get to see their actual penmanship shown in the marriage certificate below. You can nearly tell whose the author of the penmanship when filling out this marriage certificate. Can you guess? My guess would be the pastor, if not, the groom’s parents. As for the witnesses: A. L. Munter, he may have been Herbert’s eldest brother, and Mrs. H. R. (Anna) Clark might had been a friend to Emma or the Munters. Its all muddled a bit as records only uses their initials instead of full name other than the groom and bride.

Document No. 6
Registry of Marriage Certificate or License of Herbert A. Munter & Emma B. Cissna [14]

The next marriage certificate is of Laura’s second marriage to Charles A. West (Document No. 8). The officiator was a no-name bloke named Charles H. Biteman, who claimed to be a minister. I’ve been able to research a bit on this “Rev.” Biteman, and he wasn’t exactly a declared minister on record as far as city directories or censuses indicated. He was, by profession, a crane operator or some other poccupation of the year. Basically, a jack-of-all-trades. I’m guessing here, but it seems this person was known to the couple in some way, perhaps just to Charles West, not Laura. It is easily to determine the one couple who witness this nupitial. But the other one, again, maybe someone West known as well. However, the other couple witness was easy because it was Laura’s son-in-law and her daughter, Herb and Emma Munter. Well this is it for the marriage records.
Next we will read about what death records that were available for Laura and her two spouses. Laura’s daughter will be talked about in the next GenBlog as I put together a genealogical and historical blog on this couple’s life.
  
Document No. 7
Marriage Certificate of Herbert A. Munter & Emma B. Cissna [15]

Document No. 8
Marriage Certificate of Charles A. West & Mrs. Laura E. Cissna [16]

Death Records. Death records are great vital statistics because it’ll provide not only birth date and place, but often, parentages and their birth place, and of course, the death information that pertains vital information other than date and place of death. Other information that can be resourceful are the cause of death or burial information. One good example about the latter statement is about one of Laura’s brother, George Harrison Friend. None of the family member knew when or where he died. In the last year, I’ve found his death information on Find A Grave website. Someone was kind enough to add his death information even when he wasn’t every going to be buried anywhere. I said it in that way is that because he decided before his death to donate his body to medical science. He died of “Far Advanced Pulmonary Tuberculosis with Superimposed Pneumonia.”[17] In most cases, it’ll provide everyone with both birth and death dates and places, and parentages, if known by the informant, and that’s the dilemma.  

The Death of Mrs. Laura E. Cissna’s Husband. The first death that occurred in Laura’s life had been her first husband. Adrian B. Cissna died on July 20, 1925 in Seattle, Washington. Next two documents are the death notices about what happened to Adrian. Sometimes these kind of notices are rare to find, but I got lucky. It gave me more information about what happened that day.

Document No. 9
“Painter Dies on Street: Adrian B. Cissna,”
Seattle Daily Times (Seattle, Washington) [18]


Document No. 10
Death Notice: Adrian B. Cissna [19]


Adrian died suddenly, and regrettably, on the streets of Seattle of First Avenue and Yester Way. Above I’ve been able to procure these articles about his suuden death. We learn, by the both articles, that Adrian was a member of the Painters’ Local No. 300 and a member of the Woodmen of the World. In these articles, and his death certificate, it states all funeral arrangement was provided by the Home Understaking Company. Yet, nothing more about a funeral or burial. I love it when death notice(s) mentions more than just the simple death of one that individual. In the first notice (above left) it states where he lived, his widow’s name and the daughter’s married name and where they were living at the time of his death. All great resources of information to a genealogist’s treasure.

Document No. 11
Snippet No. 1 of Adrian B. Cissna Death Certificate [20]

According to his death certificate (snippets below), it states, he was cremated with no further information as to where or what happened to his remains; whether buried or scattered. And---he basically died of a heart attack. (see Document No. 11 page 13) This is the medical terms mentioned on the certificate: Angina Pectoris (Primary) Arteriosclerosis (Secondary). The layman terms is chest pain with vein obstruction. Overall, this incident was probably a coronary artery disease case, and I’m sure Adrian wasn’t aware of his health issue prior to his death.

Document No. 12
Snippent No. 2 of Adrian’s Death Certificate [20]


The next two death information were extraction from Ancestry.com indexes obtained from other resources. But before I get to the point of interest in this GenBlog, Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend. Laura’s second husband had passed way nearly 10 years after Laura’s death. He died on January 24, 1949 in Auburn, Washington. He left behind his third wife, Mrs. Alice Maud (Ruttan) Lowe-West. [21]

Now---Laura’s Death. Laura’s death date has been the most trivial of John and Ida’s children---other than her youngest sister, Mable, which still remains mystery to this day. After finding Laura’s death data, I’d learned that she’d died on October 24, 1939 in Algona, Washington. What made her death record so trivial? It was her name given to the State of Washington.

Her last spouse, Charles West, must’ve been the informant as he apparently wrote her name as “Loretta” instead of the name we’ve known her by.[22] I know that Laura’s name had been spelled several different ways but I never thought to check it in this way, even when I learned of her using “Lauretta” throughout some of the city directories I’ve researched. Its always bee “Laura E.” or “Laura” while researching census or other records.

The day I found her death record, it surprised me. I finally had an inspiration to only insert into their search engine, her last name (West), birth year (1881), parents’ names (John Friend & Ida Straub) and where (I thought – Seattle, King, Washington, USA) she died. Oh! And her second husband’s name. Viola! There it was in the Washington Death Record indexes. Needless to say, it felt great to find this information. So I did my other option search on the Washington State Archives website to confirm it. Confirmed! Now I just need to order her death certificate to get the particulars about her death and what happened to her remains.

City Directories of Seattle, Washington. The most unique thing about these city directories is you can follow your ancestors year after year until they’ve either deceased or moved out of the area. I have been able to follow Adrian and Laura Cissna in Seattle from 1907 until 1930 before Laura married to Charles A. West, and then moved to Algona, Washington.

Julianna Szucs, an Ancestry.com blog writer, wrote that there were six thiings to look for in the city directories on Ancestry.com: your ancestor and other family members, streets and maps, churches and clerics, cemeteries, advertments, and historical information. These information can be helpful hints while looking for your ancestor and how life may have been like at that time.[23] I’ve been able to find different information that I would haven’t found elsewhere in my research.

Take Adrian’s occupation: painter, for example. I’ve been able to following his up to his death in 1925 that he remained a painter while living in Seattle. And his death notice confirmed he was a member of the Painters Local No. 300. I’ve been able to see when and where Laura was working, for example. In 1907, she worked as a dressmaker, probably short-lived because I didn’t see her listed with an occupation until 1924 and through 1930 as a “clerk” or “cook” for some baker, whose names were listed on a couple of these directories. Also, their daughter, Emma, had worked in 1917-1918 as a “telephone operator” for the local telephone company before marrying Herbert A. Munter.

Another useful information I’ve got out of these city directories were the addresses the Cissnas lived at during the decadal censuses. In 1910, where Adrian and Laura stated they owned their home mortgage-free, and I’ve been able to track how many years they had it before the next census in 1920. Somehow, Adrian and Laura lost that house within a couple or so years afterward. Then moved twice before the next census where I confirmed they were at again with the city directory of 1920. And then, they remained until after Adrian’s death in 1925, and Laura constantly moved around each year until late 1930 when she remarried.

The next resourceful information from these city directories were the employers’ who Laura worked for. In 1924, she worked for Andrew L. Fryer, a baker. Then she worked for Rudolph J. Peterson, another baker from 1925 to 1928; and finally she was found working at Kroetch Bros. (Fred M. Kroetch, owner). I’ve was able to check each of the employers in the same directories as Laura to see if I could identified their bakeries but the first two never gave away that kind of details.

In the end, I wasn’t able to find Adrian and Laura in two of the directories. It was because one city directory had been mostly a business directory, at least it didn’t show any resident; and the other city directory (1923) was simply missing from Ancestry.com’s database. I’ve decided to create a listing of all the houses or apartments where Adrian and Laurs once lived. I’ve added their names and occupations, if known, and employer’s names. The last thing I’ve added to this list is the last known address that Laura lived at in 1930, that is, taken from the 1930 census. Apparently, Laura gave the city directory her place of employment in 1930, and so, she wasn’t doubled list like in Document No. 13.

Document No. 13
Double Entries of Laura Cissna  [24]


The following list is Adrian and Laura Cissna’s residency in Seattle, Washington since 1907. [25]


  • ·        1907-1908: 2635 Arthur Place . . . . . Adrian (Painter), Laura (Dressmaker)
  • ·        1909: Business Diretory only.
  • ·        1910-1911: 1715 26th Ave. (Ownership) . . . . . Adrian (Painter) (confirmed to census)
  • ·        1912: 2624 E. Olive . . . . . Adrian (Painter)
  • ·        1913: Houseboat No. 1 East End of Washington Park Blvd (res. J. P. Cissna) . . . . . Adrian (Painter)
  • ·        1914-1917: 234 27th Ave. N . . . . . Adrian (Painter), Emma (Telephone Operator [1916-17])
  • ·        1918-1925: 500 29th Ave N, Apt C (Clemensen Apartments) . . . . . Adrian (Painter), Laura (Clerk w/Andrew L. Fryer (Baker) [1924] & w/Rudolph J. Peterson (Baker) [1925)] (confirmed to census)
  • ·        1923: missing year
  • ·        1926: 921 14th Ave (res. of John A. & Mary Munter) . . . . Laura (Clerk w/R. J. Peterson)
  • ·        1927: 1417 21st Ave. #3 (multiple residential or apartment complex) . . . . Laura
  • ·        1928: 2909 E. Madison, Apt. F (Bachus Apartments) . . . . . Laura (Cook)
  • ·        1929: 500 29th Ave N, Apt. C . . . . Laura (Cook) (see snippet page 15)
  • ·        1929: 1416 E. 41st, #103 . . . . Lauretta (see image page 15)
  • ·        1930: 511 Broadway N (Broadway Central Market) . . . . . Laura (Clerk, Kroetch Bros Delicatessen [Owner: Fred M. Kroetch])
  • ·        1930: 916 E. Mercer St. (as per census) . . . . Laura (Cook, Restaurant)

As suggested by Julianna Szucs, I’d taken look at “other family members”, and I’m glad I did too! I looked for two family members of Laura’s: her brother, John “Frank” Friend, and her Aunt Etta and Uncle James West. Frank was found as early as 1906---the same year he’d married his wife Betty L. Lofquist, He was living at 1620 21st Avenue and working as a driver for F. W. Anderson. And then, I found Laura’s aunt and uncle in 1903. James A. West had been a painter until his death, and one other time, a co-partnership with son-in-law of some cigar & confectionary shop. The question is, did everyone came to Seattle together or at different year? I believe, the West came first and following by the niece and nephew.

I thought this would be a great thing to add some locality perspective to this GenBlog by providing a picture of the old Broadway Central Market on 511 Broadway North where Laura had worked for a short time in the 1930s as a clerk and cook.



Document No. 14
Broadway Central Market, November 1934  [26]


This concludes my GenBlog on Laura Etta (Lauretta) Friend and his spouses. I will continue with her daughter, Emma B. Cissna and her famous husband, Herbert A. Munter and family. And then, we’ll carry on with the children of John F. Friend and Ida May Straub series. Til next time.

Matthew D. Friend
The Blind Genealogist
January 25, 2016





To Cite This Work:
Friend, Matthew D. The Children of John F. Friend & Ida May Straub (January 2, 2016) The Blind Genealogist's GenBlog, http://blindgenealogist.blogspot.com/2016/01/laura-etta-lauretta-friend.html (accessed: [enter today's date here]).
______

The Blind Genealogist's GenBlogs © 2016
All Rights Reserved

Reading Suggestions:

Szucs, Julianna. “6 Things to Look For In City Directory,” Ancestry.com Blog (July 29, 2014).
http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/07/29/six-things-to-look-for-in-city-directories/

Moore, Sam. “Looking Back: Miles Per Acre,” Farm Collection Blog (March 24, 2009). http://www.farmcollector.com/farm-life/miles-per-acre.aspx

Citation:

 [1] Ancestry.com. Nebraska, State Census Collection, 1860-1885. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Annotation: National Archives and Records Administration; Nebraska State Census; Year: 1885; Series/Record Group: M352; County: Hall; Township: Center; Page: 4. Also at: "Nebraska State Census, 1885," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X3XY-6QX : accessed 2 January 2016), Laura Friend in entry for John Friend, 1885; citing NARA microfilm publication M352 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 499,552.

[2] Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Anntation: Name: Adrian B. Cissna; Year: 1900; Census Place: Center, Hall, Nebraska; Roll: 928; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0078; FHL microfilm: 1240928.

[3] Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Annotation: Name: Laura E. Cissna; Year: 1900; Census Place: Center, Hall, Nebraska; Roll: 928; Page: 5B; Enumeration District: 0078; FHL microfilm: 1240928.

[4] Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Annotation: Page(s): 5A & 5B.

[5] Moore, Sam. “Looking Back: Miles Per Acres,” Farm Collector Blogs (March 24, 2009) http://www.farmcollector.com/farm-life/miles-per-acre.aspx (accessed: January 11, 2016).

[6] Hall County, Nebraska. 1904 Hall County Atlas, Images and PDFs (2016) Hall County Nebraska Government, http://www.hallcountyne.gov/content.lasso?page=7426 (accessed: January 10, 2016).

[7] Hall County, Nebraska. 1904 Hall County Atlas, Images and PDFs (2016) Hall County Nebraska Government, http://www.hallcountyne.gov/content.lasso?page=7430 (accessed: January 12, 2016).

[8] Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original Data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Annotation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Seattle Ward 3, King, Washington; Roll: T624_1658; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0091; FHL microfilm: 1375671.

[9] Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Annotation: Cissna, Adrian B.; Publication Title: Seattle, Washington, City Directory, 1910; Page: 395.

[10] Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Annotation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: T625_1929; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 252; Image: 419.

[11] Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002. Annotation: Year: 1930; Census Place: Seattle, King, Washington; Roll: 2497; Page: 28A; Enumeration District: 0103; Image: 1096.0; FHL microfilm: 2342231.

[12] Greater Omaha Genealogical Society. Hall County, Nebraska Marriages (November 18, 2009) GOGS, https://hallcomarriages.wordpress.com/ (accessed: May 3, 2010). Annotation: Groom: Cissna, Adrian B.; Bride: Friend, Laura E.; Date of Marriage: Apr 1898; Book/Volume-Page: H1-219.

[13] Buhle, Mari, and Paul Buhle. "Document 69: Washington Campaign, 1910," The Concise History of Woman Suffrage: Selections from History of Woman Suffrage (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois, 2005). 387. Google Books, https://books.google.com/ (accessed: January 11, 2016).

[14] Ancestry.com. Washington, Marriage Records, 1865-2004. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Annotation: Groom: Munter, Herbert A.; Bride: Cissna, Emma B.; Marriage Date: November 1917; Place: King, Washington, USA; Reference: kingcoarchmc60495.

[15] Ibid.

[16] King County Department of Executive Services, Records and Licensing Division, Marriage Returns, 1891-1947, Marriage Certificates, 1855-1990, Office of the Secretary of State, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives, http://www.digitalarchives.wa.gov/, (accessed: January 2, 2016).

[17] Missouri State Archives. "Death Certificate: George Friend, 1956," Missouri Digital Heritage (2007-2016) Missouri Office of the Secretary of State, http://www.sos.mo.gov/images/archives/deathcerts/1956/1956_00020495.PDF (accessed: November 4, 2014). Annotation: Deceased Name: George Friend; Death Date: June, 1956; Place: Kansas City, Jackson, Missouri, USA; Cert. No.: 20497.

[18] Cissna, Adrian B. "Painter Dies on Street," Seattle Daily Times (Seattle, Washington). Tuesday, July 21, 1925. p. 4. GenealogyBank.com (NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society, 2004). Collected by judonahue, a Ancestry.com patron (accessed: October 31, 2015).

[19] Cissna, Adrian B. “Death Notice: Cissna,” Seattle Daily Times (Seattle, Washington). Tuesday, July 21, 1925, p. 23. GenealogyBank.com (NewsBank and/or the American Antiquarian Society, 2004). Collected by judonahue, a Ancestry.com patron (accessed: October 31, 2015).

[20] Ancestry.com. Washington, Select Death Certificates, 1907-1960. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Annotation: Deceased Name: Adrian B. Cissna; Death Date: 22 Jul 1925; Death Place: Seattle, King, Washington, USA.

[21] Ibid. Annotation: Deceased Name: Charles A. West; Death Date: 24 Jan 1949; Death Place: Auburn, King, Washington, USA/

[22] Ibid. Annotation: Deceased Name: Loretta West; Death Date: 24 Oct 1939; Death Place: Angona, Kind, Washington, USA.

[23] Szucs, Julianna. “6 Things to Look For In City Directory,” Ancestry.com Blog (July 29, 2014). http://blogs.ancestry.com/ancestry/2014/07/29/six-things-to-look-for-in-city-directories/ (accessed: January 19, 2016).

[24] Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995. Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. Annotation: Name(s): Laura E. Cissna & Laurette Cissna (Mrs.); Year: 1929; Directory: Seattle City Directory; Page: 497.

[25] Ibid. Annotation: Adrian B. & Laura E. Cissna; Year(s): 1907-1908, 1910-1922, 1924-1930; Name of Directory: Seattle City Directory.

[26] State of Washington. "Broadway Central Market, November 1934," Washington State Digital Archives (2016) University of Washington Libraries. Special Collections Division, Seattle Collection, http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/ref/collection/seattle/id/133 (accessed: January 20, 2016).


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