Date

Background

Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Mysterious Death of Frederick Auclair - Phlox, Wisconsin - 1906 & Later Life of Katherine Opp Auclair

Frederick William Auclair was my great-grandfather. He immigrated from Elsass-Lothringen , Alsace-Lorraine, Germany in 1888 and settled in Wisconsin.  He married Katherine Agnes Opp on April 19, 1891 in DePere, Brown County, Wisconsin.

He died under very mysterious conditions on July 1st,1906 in Phlox, Wisconsin (see the newspaper clippings that I received during my correspondence with the librarian at the Antigo Public Library in Antigo, Wisconsin):  








































Based on the article, it appears that no other investigation into his death was ever done.  So it will never be known if he truly died accidentally or if he was robbed and murdered or murdered as part of a jealous lover triangle?    The reason I note this is due to the next newspaper clipping I found also in the Antigo Public Library:

Katherine, his widow, did re-marry again very shortly to this same Mr. Fred "Fritz" Ladwig on Aug. 16, 1906 - one month after Frederick died.  They had two daughters :Martha & Anita. 


Then, Katherine is no longer living with Fritz Ladwig by 1920.

It appears they might have separated because he lived until 1930. 

Then, Katherine, is remarried a 3rd time sometime between 1913-1920 to Adolph Baade (1868-1929).  I have not yet found a marriage record for them but did find them on the 1920 Wisconsin Census - in Plover, Marathon County, Wisconsin.  

1920 CensusWI - Marathon County - Plover Township
Lists: Baade, Adolph G. - Head - age 55 - born WI
           -      , Katharina A. - Wife - age 47 - born WI
        Auclair, George F. - step son - age 16 - born Wi
            -        , Tressa B. - step daughter - age 14 - born Wi 
        Ladwig - Martha H. - step daughter - age 10 - born Wi
              -    , Anita W. - step daughter - age 7 - born Wi

However, by 1934, she is remarried for the 4th and last time, to a George J. Randl (1874-1954).  They married Nov. 26, 1934 in Antigo, Langlade County, Wisconsin.  When Katherine died in Feb. 15, 1941, her obituary does not mention George, so I'm thinking they might have separated or divorced because George was still living and did not died until Jan. 1954.

 So, I wonder if Katherine ever ended up "happy" in the end.......

New Gravestone for Sarah Townsend Patterson (1817-1896) ( my husband's 3rd gr-grandmother )

A new photo was presented online yesterday at www.findagrave.com for Sarah Townsend Patterson, also known as "Sallie".  She is buried at the Philadelphia Baptist Church Cemetery in Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia.  
 
Obituary
page 3, Col. 5 of Cherokee Advance papers, 1880-1938). 
Mrs. "Hix" Patterson was killed by a train at Talking Rock last Wednesday. She was between 70 and 80 years of age, a faithful wife, a kind devoted mother and a cheerful, christian women. 
 
Additional background on Sarah:

Sarah was married to Hicks Kelly "Hix" Patterson (1816-1904) around 1836 in Cherokee County, Georgia. 
 
They had 10 children:
     1.) Ezekial Dillard Patterson (1839-1862)     m. May 10, 1860  -  Louisa Adeline Morris (1835-1906)
     2.) Thomas Edward Patterson (1842-1878)  m. Jan 15, 1866 - Zenoma Zephroney Taylor (1848-1880)
     3.) Etheldred "Dread" Patterson (1844 - ?)    m. aft. 1881  - Jane Lawson
     4.) Ary Patterson (1849 - ?)   (not known if she married or lived to adulthood)
     5.) Asa David Patterson (1850 - 1935)         m. Mar 18, 1869 - Cynthia Ray (1848-1887)
                                                                         m.  Mar 1889 - Florence Amanda Haney (1875- bef 1910)
                                                                         m.  Abt. 1910 - Amanda Curtis
     6.) Susanna Elizabeth Patterson (twin) (1851 - ?)    m.  Abt. 1863 -  Elias Robert Allred (1845-1898)
*   7.) Anna Patterson (twin) (1851-1937)         m. Jul 24, 1872 - James L. Mann (1852-1891)
     8.) Kimsey Hill Patterson (twin) (1854-1924)   m. 1876 - Sara Elizabeth Spence (1854-1931)
     9.) Nancy Patterson (twin) (1854-1928)  m. Jul 24, 1872 - Thomas J. Compton (1851-1935)
   10.) Amanda Patterson  (1858 - ?)   (not known if she married or lived to adulthood)
   
 * Our ancestor

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Beck Family of Rabun County, Georgia - p. 94 of Sketches of Rabun County History Book by Ritchie.

The highlighted in "Yellow" areas of this page note the information regarding connection of Eugene W. Beck with his parent's, Major John Beck and wife, Elizabeth Norris Beck, who had both died prior to this horrible tragedy.

Update on Beck Double Murder Story

The puzzled has been solved on which Beck family of Georgia was connected to this Eugene.

I was able to link up this information after reviewing several articles, including information found on page 96 of "Sketches of Rabun County History 1819-1948 by Andrew Ritchie.  The author noted that the mere mention of Eugene's name recalled the most horrible tragedy that Rabun county has ever known.

He this Eugene W. Beck was the son of of Major John Beck (1819-1873) and Elizabeth S. Norris (1824-1875), from Rabun County, Georgia, and grand-son of Colonel Samuel I Beck (1796-1876) and Tabitha Langston (1796-1856).  He was the only child of John and Elizabeth Beck. 

The two daughters of  Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Bailey, of Forsyth County Georgia, were buried at Cummings Historical Cemetery.  Later, the parent's were buried next to their two daughters.

Eugene Beck was placed on trial and convicted for life at the state penitentiary, where he later died of blood poisoning while working in the coal mines as a convict in May, 1890.  It is not know where he was buried.

Such a tragedy....

1890 - Rabun County wife and sister-in-law murderer is dead


Here is a copy of an old clipping I had found regarding a Eugene Beck from Rabun County, Georgia murdering his wife and sister-in-law while in a drunken stage.

More to come...I have other updates on him and his family connection to the Beck clan of Rabun County, GA.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Agnes Mayer Opp, 3rd great-grandmother

Picture received from Norma Opp Edwards on Feb. 19, 2011

Nicholas Opp - 2nd great grandfather


2nd Great-Grandfather, Nicholas Opp

Picture received from cousin Norma Opp Edwards (dau. of Fred & Elsie Opp) on 2-19-2011.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Heinrich & Katharina (Opp) Scheller gravestone

Photo taken by Larry & Linda Kopet at Scheller Cemetery in Nekimi, Wisconsin.

Henewee Beck Burns Kelly Gravestone

Picture of gravestone taken at Bethesda Cemetery, Nelson, GA. by Richard Pettys