Last of a Generation

Mary Frances and I just returned from a family history research trip to the Midwest – Illinois, Indiana, Missouri. The major purpose was to research Tapscotts for a book now being written, but we also did a little research in preparation for the Imle book I still plan to write.

While there we attended Sunday services at Emmanuel, the Imle (Grand Turn) church, which will celebrate its 175^th anniversary next year. But like many old country churches, attendance is decreasing. I remember congregations of well over a hundred when I was a child. Only forty or so people were present for the service Mary Frances and I attended.

Marguerite, 19 Sep 1918 - 6 Oct 2017.

After church we had lunch at the Lincoln Trail State Park Restaurant with Millers and Schaefers, long-time Grand Turn families related to the Imles by marriage. It was at lunch that we learned of the recent death of Marguerite Gard (Imle) Irwin, the last of the thirty-two grandchildren of Christoph Frederick and Anna Maria (Reichert) Imle, founders of the Wabash Valley Imles.

Marguerite, daughter of William and Fairy (Gard) Imle, passed away 6 Oct 2017 in Florida. Earlier this year, on 27 Apr, we saw the passing of Marguerite’s cousin Dorothea Rose Maria (Imle) Dunlap, daughter of Herman and Eva Ann (Manhart) Imle. These were the last Christoph and Anna Maria descendants of my mother’s, Mary (Imle) Tapscott’s, generation.

Dottie, 8 Aug 1927 - 27 Apr 2017.

I did not really get to know Dorothea (“Dottie Rose”) well until I was an adult. Dottie and Marguerite were “much too old” for me to consider them close acquaintances when I was a child. In later years Dottie played a key role (along with her cousins Paul Harry Imle and John Frederick Imle) in collecting family history data for the 12 Jun 1981 Imle reunion at Lincoln Trail State Park. Once I developed an interest in family history, Dottie suggested that I combine and expand the family group sheets into one unified volume.

Dottie, I still hope to accomplish that task.

A Miller Photograph?

I recently received a number of photographs, obituaries, and other Imle/Miller written memorabilia from my cousins Tahnya Stepp Ford and her mother, Judith Ann Miller Stepp, “the keeper of the photos.” Tahnya and Judith are descendants of Anna T. Imle (see posting of 21 Mar 2017) and Eugene Miller of Clark County, Illinois. Among the photos sent was one (shown below), which could picture Imles and/or Millers.

We can immediately rule out Imles. Numerous photos of the Clark County Imles (Christoph and Anna Maria and their descendants) show no one remotely resembling anyone in the above photo. The best bet is that they are Millers, probably Jacob Miller and his second wife Franciska, one of whose children was Anna Imle’s husband to be, Eugene. Clothing indicates that the photo was taken around 1890, at which time Jacob probably had eight living children: Children from his first marriage with Barbara Hess were Peter (b. 19 Nov 1859) and Mary Elizabeth (b. 26 Nov 1865). A third child Henry born in 1862 or 1863 is last seen in the 1880 census and then disappears. All evidence indicates that Henry died relatively young, probably prior to the date of the photo shown above. Children of Peter’s second marriage, with Franciska (“Frances” or “Francis”) Fisher, were Emma Elizabeth (b. 24 Jul 1869), Rudolph (b. 10 Apr 1871), Margaret Matilda (b. 11 Feb 1874), Theodore (b. 5 Feb 1877), Julius Eugene (b. 28 Jun 1879), William (b. 8 Apr 1883). A daughter Elizabeth died as a infant. Thus there could be five boys and three girls in an 1890 photograph. That a girl is missing is not surprising since Mary Elizabeth married rather young (at age 16 on 21 Sep 1882) and appears to have immediately moved to Posey County, Indiana, where her new husband lived, and then to nearby Evansville.

Assuming that this is a photo of the Jacob Miller family around 1890, we can assign the probable individuals and provide their ages: L to R, back row, Matilda (18), Rudolph (19), Peter (31), Emma (21); L to R, front row, Jacob (56), William (7), Franciska (50), Eugene (11). Certainly, the ages appear reasonable.

Are we right or wrong? Is this a photo of Jacob Miller and his family? Is the date reasonable? Are the identifications correct? Does any reader have this or other photos of the Jacob Miller family? Let us know.

And thanks to Tahnya and Judith Ann for providing a splendid puzzle.

Back to the Imles?

I promise

It’s been a year since I last posted anything on this site. Am I losing interest in family history? No. In fact, that’s the problem. I keep getting sidetracked on other projects. But I will get back the Imle book. I promise.

Wedding of Gottlieb Imle and Clara Schroeder (center), 15

June 1904. Left: Eugene Miller and Anna Imle (not yet married).

Right: Adam Imle and an unknown woman, possibly Clara's

sister Ella, but not Adam's wife to be, Olive Geisert.

Today I got an email from a great granddaughter of Anna T. Imle. (Does anyone know what the “T’ stands for?) Anna was the youngest daughter of Christoph Frederick Imle, who founded the Wabash Valley Imles. Anna was born 28 Aug 1884, after Christoph and Anna Maria (Reichert) Imle had arrived in America. I always called her and her husband Julius Eugene Miller, “Aunt Anna and Uncle Eugene,” even though they were really my great aunt and uncle. Aunt Anna died when I was only twelve. Eugene, a quarter century later.

"Imle" Women, 1916, L to R: Kneeling: Clara Schroeder Imle,
Anna Imle Miller, Alta Finkbeiner Imle. Standing: Fairy Gard
Imle, Clara Coldren Imle, Ida Coldren Sockler, Olive Geisert
Imle, Maria Reichert Imle (Grandma), Emma Schroeder Kern.

I have two group photographs showing Anna Imle. One is a photo of the bride, groom, and attendants at the wedding of Gottlieb Imle and Clara Schroeder on 15 June 1904 in Terre Haute, Indiana. (Gotlieb was Anna’s brother). The other is a photo of primarily daughters and daughters-in-law of Christoph Imle taken at a family reunion on 18 Nov 1916 at the family home near Ernst. Ida Coldren is neither a daughter or daughter-in-law and Emma Schroeder was the second wife of Christian William Kern, who married Maria Christina Imle, a daughter of Christoph Imle. Maria had died well before this photo as taken.