[Monday] May 14, 1931

I worked 3 hrs. in the grave yard to-day and put a box of flowers by the loved ones. I’ve always did my part in remembering the loved ones there & after I am gone I sure hope my children will never neglect doing the same for Alb. and myself. It can be done without spending money for unnecessary offerings.

NOTES

Mary was most likely working that day in the Marysville cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day, which was more often referred to as “Decoration Day” in those days. Although Memorial Day was originally intended as a day to decorate the graves of soldiers who died in the service of their country, many people also decorated the graves of other family members.

In 1931, the “loved ones” Mary was referring to were her first husband George Schenk who died on October 31, 1915, their daughter Valentine Dora who died several months before George on April 2, 1915, and Mary’s unnamed infant son who died in 1921.[1. The grave marker gives the year of death as 1920 but I located a record that gives “abt 1921” as the date of birth and “2 Jan 1921” as the date of death. “Montana Death Index, 1907-2007,” database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com/search/ : accessed 30 May 2016), entry for Infant Schafer (sic), 2 Jan 1921; citing Montana State Genealogical Society, comp. Montana Death Index, 1860-2007.] Mary’s second husband Albert Schaffer was the father of that child.

About 15 years ago, my son and I visited the Marysville cemetery and he took these photos of the graveyard. Image #1 is a map he prepared showing the location of the cemetery in relation to Marysville.

Curious about the image shown in Photo #7, I did some research and learned that it represents a fraternal organization founded by Joseph Cullen Root in 1890 known as Woodmen of the World. Membership in this organization included an insurance policy which provided for a free gravestone which exhibited the insurance company’s logo. Traditionally, four objects were included on the gravestone: maul, axe, wedge, and a dove of peace carrying an olive branch.[2. Sources for information on Woodmen of the World:  http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~okmurray/wow.htm and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WoodmenLife#History.] The Latin inscription on this marker is “Dum Tacet Clamat” – which translates to “Though Silent, He Speaks”.

The four-sided Schenk grave marker shown in Photo #4 contains information on one side for George Schenk (Photo #5) and on a second side for his daughter Valentine (Photo #6).

*All photographs in this post were taken by the author’s son, Jake Hertz.

Copyright (c) 2016, Lark M. Dalin Robart

SOURCES

Mr. and Mrs. Isac Ranta[1. I did a search at Ancestry.com and located a married couple in the 1930 U.S. Census named Isaac and Mary Ranta, ages 44 and 49 respectively. Both were born in Finland. His occupation was listed as “blacksmith”. Mr. Ranta immigrated to the U.S. in 1913 and Mrs. Ranta in 1912. Living with them was a 19 year old lodger, also from Finland, named Matt Luoto. They lived on Empire Road in Marysville. See 1930 U.S. census, Lewis & Clark County County, Montana, population schedule, School District 12; Marysville, p. 186 (stamped), enumeration district (ED) 25-26, dwelling 14, family 14, Isaac and Mary Ranta; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1258.] moved up to Bald Butte in Lauller’s old house. Mrs. F. Hartmiller & family spent the evening.[2. Another search at Ancestry.com turned up a married couple in the 1930 U.S. Census named Joseph and Nellie Hartmillar. Their ages were 48 and 23, respectively. Mr. Hartmillar was born in Ohio and Mrs. Hartmiller in Montana. They had four children: Lillian, age 17; Katie, age 13; Annie, age 10; and Mary, age 6. All four children were born in Montana. Mr. Hartmiller’s occupation was listed as “prospector” and the family lived on Grand Street. See 1930 U.S. census, Lewis & Clark County County, Montana, population schedule, School District 12; Marysville, p. 187 (stamped), enumeration district (ED) 25-26, dwelling 39, family 39, Joseph and Nellie E. Hartmillar; image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 May 2016); citing NARA microfilm publication T626, roll 1258.]

NOTES

May 9, 1931

Evelyn Marks sent me a rayon nitie, little pipi, a birdie you wind up and a card. Irene Weber a pillow which has on it “Mother Dear – God took the sunshine from the skies and made the lovelight in your eyes; from honeyed flowers, he took the dew, and made your tears unselfish, true; from a rock your faith he built, with angel prayers your breath he filled, and with his Love made yours divine, but best of all he made you mine.” Many love verses I’ve read on the cards from my children which I take in to my heart with all these meanings and the Love they had in sending them.

May 10, 1931

My girl Frances Dalin and her son Honor and Daughter Shirley also my son Christie came home Sun. afternoon, and Oh! I was so happy. Brot a beautiful bouquet from Fran. Grandma Dalin and her brother Erik came also. We had lunch and all this time I was waiting for a token of Mother’s day from Christie. So any way they went home and on going to bed I found a box of candy from Christie to his Mother. Oh it was a happy day.

Notes

The first Mother’s Day observances were organized by Anna Jarvis in her hometown of Grafton, West Virginia – inspired by the death of her own mother in 1905. The second Sunday in May was eventually set aside as the official “Mother’s Day” holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1914.

When the holiday became a commercial success, however, Anna spent much of the rest of her life organizing boycotts and threatening lawsuits.

Click here for an interesting National Geographic article on the subject written by Brian Handwerk in 2014.