|
II.
Family of William Hamilton and Mary Eliza Bertholf This
picture was probably taken about 1915.
It is the family of William Hamilton and Mary Eliza Bertholf with eight of their nine children.
The oldest daughter, Ada Bertholf Neagle had died in 1899.
The next daughter, Minnie Bertholf Bump, was ill with cancer and
died soon after the picture was taken.
She is pictured on the front row between here parents.
On the back row, left to right, is Ruth Bertholf Klish, Earl
Bertholf, Morris Bertholf, Carl Bertholf, Harry Bertholf, Lin Bertholf
and Esther (Essie) Bertholf Hess.
A
LOOK BACK AT OUR ROOTS THE
BERTHOLF COUSINS
Descendents of
William Hamilton Bertholf (1846-1922) and Mary Eliza
Porter Bertholf (1848-1923) Greetings to all the
Bertholf family! In
1977 I had the privilege of compiling a history of our family. My brother, Lloyd, had given me materials that he had, and
with help from family members and other sources, a story of our family
over many, many years was put together. The older ones in the family
probably have a copy, but younger ones have likely not seen it.
(Reprints of that story can be made at a nominal cost if
desired.) For several years I have wanted to do an up-date of that book. We are all the descendants of the William Hamilton and Mary Eliza Bertholf family,--the families of Morey, Ada, Lin, Minnie, Earl, Carl, Ruth, Harry, and Esther (Essie). This family produced 26 first cousins, 14 of who are deceased at this writing. It seems important that the story of our history is carried on. The children of the 23 first cousins who reached adulthood are grown now with children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of their own. Fortunately, I found willing helpers in Dennis and Loretta Bertholf, grandson and wife of Earl Bertholf. They have pursued stories of the family heritage both on the East Coast and in Holland, and have been willing and experienced assistants in this pursuit. The questionnaire sent out was one used by Loretta's family in compiling their history. My children, Roger McCoy and Carolyn Waller, supplied the typing and organizational help. Terryl Asla, Larksfield Place Resource Director, gave technical assistance. I am going to quote from the former book, “THE BERTHOLF STORY”, written in 1977: "For many years I have wanted to write a history of the Bertholf
family. A family history is
so much more than merely a compilation of names, dates and places,
although it is certainly that too.
The story of a family through the years carries with it a certain
feeling of trust, of pride, of heritage, that hopefully is retained
through each generation. This
story is told not because our family is any different, any better or any
worse, any more or less important, any richer or poorer than any other
family, but because it is OUR family.
Each of us is either born into it, or has chosen to be a part of
it through marriage and it is unique to us. Regardless
of our location, condition or circumstance, we are still a part of the
family and the family is part of us." Realizing that many of
you do not have a copy of “THE BERTHOLF STORY”, I am going to
briefly review the early data of the family history.
The first name that I have is Werner Bertholff, who died in 1391,
in what is now Aachen, Germany. Our
earliest documented ancestors are as follows: I.
CHRISTOFFEL BERTHOLF
b. abt. 1595, Zeeland, Netherlands
d. abt.1665-1670
m. abt. 1619 Catalinjntje Bachuys II.
CRINUS (also spelled Curinus, Krines, Krynes, Quirinus) BERTHOLF
b. abt. 1630 or so, Zeeland, Netherland
d. circa 1700, same
m. Sara Guilliamse Van Coperen III. GUILLIAM BERTHOLF
b.abt.1656, Sluis, Holland
d.abt.1725 exact
date not known.
m.1676, Martyntje Hendrickse Vermeulen
Guilliam Bertholf was a devout man, a member of the Dutch Reformed Church. He apparently was an educated man and was probably a part-time teacher. His vocation was that of a cooper, a barrel-maker. This was a very necessary trade in this era, for nearly everything was shipped in barrels. He worked for a shipping company and heard first-hand accounts of the possibilities for religious service in America. At around 28 years of age, he, his wife, and three little daughters came to New York, where he was a Krankbesoker and Voorleser (public reader and comforter of the sick). He was also the town clerk of Harlem. Four more children were born in America. Our branch of the family descends from the 5th child, Crinus (spelled various ways). His services to the church increased as he was invited to visit the several churches in the New York and New Jersey area, and since the Dutch Reformed churches wanted an ordained pastor to lead them, he was sent back to Holland to be ordained. He served the Dutch Reformed Church for some 30 years, serving or establishing at least 14 churches in the area. One of the most well known churches is the one at Tarrytown, New York, (now re-named Sleepy Hollow, New York, as of October, 1996). It is called the Old Dutch Church Of Sleepy Hollow, and has been restored and is in use during the summer months. In October of 1997, the church will be 303 years old. At the 275th anniversary, a bronze plaque was dedicated to the memory of Domine Guilliam Bertholf. The church is one of the oldest and most picturesque church structures in the United States. Many Bertholfs have visited there through the years. A great-grandson of Guilliam Bertholf, Richard Varick, was noted as an American Patriot in the Revolutionary War. He was the man who exposed the treason of Benedict Arnold and was made General Washington's personal secretary as a reward. He was an outstanding citizen in other areas also, having served as Attorney General and as Mayor of New York City, appraiser for the Erie Canal, and Founder and President of the American Bible Society. These things are documented in the National Archives. IV.
QUIRINUS BERTHOLF 1688-abt. 1755
m. Anna Ryerse
Resided: Warwick,
New York.
A farmer, in the Saddle River area of New Jersey.
Six children.
m. Catherine Elizabeth Post, abt. 1748
Resided: Warwick, New Jersey.
Probably a farmer in the Warwick area. VI.
CRINES BERTHOLF 1750- ?
m. Margaret Alyea Resided Warwick, NY, later Genesee County, New York.
Farmer. VII.
PETER BERTHOLF 1784-1871
m. Catherine South, 1808
Veteran, War of 1812.
Went with wife and 9 children down Erie Canal to Lake Erie,
to Toledo, Ohio, and settled there.
Ten children. VIII. JAMES BERTHOLF 1810-1877
m. Eleanor Morris 1836
Resided Sylvania, Ohio. Pioneer settler. Eleven children.VIII. WILLIAM HAMILTON BERTHOLF
b.3-21-1846, Sylvania, Ohio
d.12-17-1922, Wichita, Kansas
m.Mary Eliza Porter. Nine
children.
b.12-22-1848
d. 3-15-1923, Wichita, Kansas Both William Hamilton Bertholf and Mary Eliza Porter Bertholf are buried in Fairview Cemetery, a small well-kept cemetery that is located a few miles north of Wichita, on North Rock Road. Also buried there are Mary's parents, the Porters; daughter Ada, and her infant sons; daughter Minnie, her husband, Bert Bump, and little daughter Myra. This brings us to the family of the parents and grandparents of the 26 cousins of my generation. I am going to quote again from the 1977 book to give a background for the story of the current Bertholf family. After you read this, I think you will have an understanding of the closeness of the family members. They were a unit, a loving, supportive unit all their lives. The family all lived either in Wichita, or on the farms near Spivey. In Wichita, their homes were even in the same neighborhood in the early days. They attended the Hyde Park United Brethren Church together. Their lives were interwoven. The families of Lin,
Earl and Harry also lived close together.
At one time they farmed as Bertholf Brothers, but even after they
divided their assets they worked together, visited together, helped each
other, attended the Spivey Methodist Church, and were a close family
unit. The "Wichita Folks" and the "Farm Folks"
visited back and forth regularly. Now, to quote from the book: "William
Hamilton Bertholf, called ‘Ham’ for short, was born on the family
farm near Sylvania, Ohio. This
was the area to which his father, James, had come with his parents,
Peter and Catherine Bertholf, from New York state.
We assume that Mary Eliza Porter was also born in the Sylvania
area, for that is where her parents, sisters and brothers resided. We do know that tragedy befell the family when Mary's two
older sisters both died in childbirth.
Ham and Mary started their married life around 1869 on a farm
near Sylvania, and no doubt, that rural home was a busy place.
There were many relatives in the area, and in the space of nine
years, there were six children added to the household: Morey, Lin, Ada, Minnie, Earl and Carl. The children attended the district school, and the school,
along with the Sylvania Methodist Church, was the basis of their
educational, spiritual and social life.
Ham taught a Sunday School class at the church and one of the
cherished family heirlooms is the large Family Bible that was a gift
from that class to Ham. It
was given, according to the inscription inside, on November 23, 1883.
It was given later to granddaughter Ruby Jinkins (who passed it
on to Faye Bertholf McCoy, also a granddaughter). The
Civil War had been fought and the country, at the time of Ham and Mary's
early married life, was in the period of reconstruction. Although Ham would have been the right age to have served in
the Union army, he was not taken because of a leg injury suffered as a
child. He had run into the
path of a scythe and the resulting deep gash in his left leg proved a
life-long disability. His
leg was smaller and shorter, resulting in a decided limp.
During
the two decades following the Civil War, there was a tremendous westward
movement, and Ham and Mary began to feel the impact.
Ohio was becoming more thickly populated while reports of fertile
land and new opportunities in the young state of Kansas continued to
reach Ohio. Already, Ham's
Uncle Fred Bertholf, only six years older that he, had gone to Kansas.
He and his wife, Julia and son, Charlie, had settled at Valley
Center, Kansas, and were running a General Store.
Mary's brother, Al Porter, and his wife Celia, also had moved
from Ohio to the Valley Center area, as had another of her brothers,
Horace Porter (called ‘Hod’), along with Milton, the son of their
deceased sister, whom they raised as a son. So,
it was not to an entirely unknown region that Ham and Mary decided to go
with their six children. They
no doubt gave the decision much careful thought, for they were not
starry-eyed young people who did not face reality; they were, by this
time in their middle years, Ham around 44, Mary around 38. Of
course there were parties and farewells along with advice, admonitions
and good wishes. The trip
was made in 1884 by train from Toledo, Ohio, to Wichita, Kansas, with
their six children, their worldly goods and a limited amount of money.
Their final destination was Valley Center, to the home of Mary's
brother, Al and Celia Porter. One
has to have a special warm place in the heart for the hosts who welcomed
a sister and husband with their six children into their home for an
indefinite stay, until they could find the location they wanted for
their own home. As
soon as he could after their arrival in Kansas, William Hamilton
Bertholf bought an available
farmstead between Greenwich and Kechi. He dug a well, built or repaired
a house and out-buildings, bought a team of oxen and other farm animals,
obtained necessary tools and equipment and began farming in the new
location. At
this time, let's take a look at Wichita and Sedgwick County as it was in
this era. Wichita had been
officially born as a city in July 1870.
In the 15 years since, it had made a tremendous growth in spite
of a series of boom and bust experiences.
It was a cow-town, an agriculture-centered town, a bustling town.
The balance of work, play, culture and religion seemed healthy.
The Arkansas River, the fertile valleys and the rolling
grasslands drew settlers from all parts of the east.
By 1872, Wichita had become the headquarters for the Texas cattle
business. A bridge had been
built to span the Arkansas River and there were homes, churches, schools
and even a library. In 1878
gas streetlights were installed. The
Frisco Railroad came in 1880, the Santa Fe in 1882.
Gas lights and a water system to serve the residents was
made available in 1882, and by
1885, electricity had come. The first telephones were installed in 1881 with 60
subscribers. Brick
buildings began to replace the wooden structures on Douglas Avenue. By 1886 the population was 25,000 and the city was booming. We
must remember however, that this was the era before the automobile.
Transportation made a big step with the coming of the Railroad,
but local traffic moved by means of horses and mules.
The first trolley in Wichita was mule-drawn.
Saddle horses and buggies were the means of individual
transportation of this time. Freight,
such as lumber and coal, was hauled overland by ‘freighters’, large
wagons, drawn by a series of horses.
Travel beyond the railroads was by ‘stage’ lines which
carried passengers and mail. In
our day of fast travel it is hard to gear our thinking to the
limitations of real and actual HORSE power! In
rural Sedgwick County things were much as they have been for farm
families for many years. Each
farm was almost sufficient in itself as far as food and labor were
concerned. Much of
Kansas’s land was still in the native sod, but was being broken out
for cultivation with the walking plow and oxen for the planting of corn,
oats and wheat. The soil in
eastern Sedgwick County was fertile and heavy and if the rains
came right, the crops were good. The
prices were not always good, however and some years, money was short.
(Wanting to have a little nest-egg for a ‘rainy day’ Mary hid
ten dollars in the mattress on their bed.
The problem was that it was a straw mattress and the money got
lost in the straw, making it necessary to empty the entire mattress to
find it!) A
great deal of the entertainment and enjoyment of farm life had little to
do with money, however. There
was a family on nearly every quarter
of land, and if money was scarce, friends were not! In the neighborhood where the Bertholfs lived, there was a
strong community feeling fostered by the district school attended by all
the children from six years old to young adults, and church and the
Sunday School services attended by nearly everyone. In
the next six years after their arrival in Kansas, three more children
were added to the Bertholf home--Harry in 1885, Ruth in 1889,
Esther, usually called Essie, in 1890.
The ‘little girls’ were the pets of the whole family and
Harry was their special protector, benefactor and friend. If things were busy in their Ohio home, imagine the household now with the activities, work and daily routine of nine children, all at home. It was the custom of the family to gather in the parlor or ‘sitting room’ after supper, and Ham, the father, would read aloud.” From the above
"story" one can easily get the picture of a very close-knit
and loving family. Ham was
usually referred to as "Father", and he was indeed the head of
the house. The fact that he
was a rather small and frail man made little difference to his sturdy
sons and feminine daughters. He
was highly respected and loved by his family, his neighbors and
acquaintances. Mary was the embodiment of motherhood--gentle, caring, firm,
loving and with a great sense of humor.
Ham and Mary were very proud of their nine children, and rightly
so. They were a handsome,
fun-loving, industrious, God-fearing, upright group--a heritage in which
we should all take pride! Back to the story--by the fall of 1890 when Essie was born, the older children were about grown. Morey was 20, Lin 19, Ada 17, Minnie 15, Earl 13, Carl 11, Harry almost 5 and Ruth not quite 2. The first to be married was Morey, to Annabelle Chase. Their first home was in Valley Center, later in Wichita. Next married was Ada, to Lee Neagle. Ada was a delicate, fragile, beautiful girl. They lived near the Bertholf farm. Her first little son, Clifford, lived only a short time and the next little boy was stillborn. A partial stroke and "quick consumption" took her life at a very young age, a tragedy felt deeply by all the family and friends. Lin was ready to marry Mable Haden and Minnie was ready to marry Bert Bump. This was accomplished on June 15, 1897, with a double wedding at the Bertholf home. Prior to that event it had been decided that the time had come for Ham and Mary to retire from the farm and move to Wichita with the younger children. Minnie and Bert would live on a nearby farm. Lin and Mable would live on the home place and Earl would live with them and they would farm together. Ham had established a nice business writing farm property insurance for Farmer's Alliance Insurance Company and he would continue with that in Wichita, making the rounds with his faithful horse and buggy. He also made plans to start a dray service, hauling freight from the railroads to the various warehouses in Wichita. It was a thriving business for some years, using young men, good horses and wagons. He had a barn with places for the horses and wagons on the back of the lot. The original house was damaged by the flood of 1904 or 1905 and the big house that some of us can remember was built in the 1300 block of East Waterman. It is no longer there, nor are the homes of John and Ruth Klish, or the home of Carl and Lena. The United Brethren Church with the name of W. H. Bertholf on a stained glass window still stands in the neighborhood, (but is now a United Methodist Church). Mary "boarded" the men who were hired to run the wagons, and I have heard Aunt Essie tell about the long table and the good food that her mother provided for the "boys". By 1903, Lin and Earl were still farming the home place between Kechi and Greenwich. Needing more land, they began to look around in southern Kingman County. The area was quite new to private owners, having been released for sale by the government in the 1880s. A farm for sale was located three miles north and one mile west of Spivey. It had a good two-story house, some outbuildings, good pasture, fertile soil and a creek, called the Wildhorse, running through the farm. The land description in Belmont Township is; W/2 of Section 34-29S-8W and E/2 NE/4 of Section 33-29S-8W. Lin and Earl traded in their interest in the Sedgwick County farm, and with help from their father were able to purchase the Kingman County land for $12,200. The next task was moving! The household goods were shipped by train, but the livestock herd was driven by Lin and Earl and two neighbor men on their horses, the 70 miles to their new home. The Bertholf home in Wichita was lively with Carl, Harry, Ruth and Essie at home along with granddaughter Ruby, who had a loving home there after the death of her mother, Minnie, from cancer, and her father and little sister from typhoid fever. But it was not to be that crowded for long. Cupid was at work! Carl married Lena Lea in March, 1903; Ruth became the bride of John Klish in April 1909; Esther wed Lee Hess in 1910, and Harry married Ethel Griscel in 1912. All the newlyweds lived in Wichita except Harry and Ethel, who moved to the Spivey area to farm along with Lin and Earl. Now, all the families were either in Wichita or on the farms at Spivey. The train, the Englewood Branch, was a popular means of travel to and from Wichita. Ham and Mary made many trips, as did the others. By 1912 or 1913, cars were becoming popular and the family could get together more easily. Though the trip took from two to three hours, it was made quite often. Sunday visits were common, and weeklong visits a tradition when the cousins got old enough. A trip to visit all the relatives in Wichita was a special treat, as were the often week-long reciprocal visits to the farm families. Ham and Mary loved it--their children loved it---and the 23 cousins of all ages loved it!!! We all felt a certain "under-girding" of love as we grew up. Ham and Mary, the grandparents, were gone by time the younger cousins came along, but the family reunions and the love and affection (and sometimes criticism) of the elders remained a bond among us all. I'm sure all the older cousins can remember the 4th of July picnic dinners and the evening of fireworks that followed…the Thanksgiving Day hunts and wonderful dinners…the watermelon feeds…the "work-up" baseball games…the horseback rides…the cute "little kids" (Ruth Ann, Carol, Wayne, and Mary Esther)…the thrill for the country cousins to visit the Wichita cousins, and the reverse, and--as we grew up--the introduction of our intended mates to the whole family! (That was the ultimate test!!) The following is a list of the nine children and 26 grandchildren of Ham and Mary Bertholf. I.
MORRIS BERTHOLF
1870-1925 ANNABELLE CHASE (div.) 1873-1962A. Vera Bertholf 1891-1960
B. Frank Bertholf
1894-1931
C. Ruth Bertholf abt. 1899-abt.1960
D. Ralph Bertholf
1906-1957 II.
ALBERT LINTON BERTHOLF 1871-1957
SARAH MABLE HADEN 1875-1960 A. Lloyd Bertholf 1899
B. Ada Bertholf 1906-1986
C. Faye Bertholf 1913 III.
ADA MYRA BERTHOLF 1873-1899
LEVI NEAGLE A.
Clifford Neagle (dec.) B.
Infant Son (dec.) IV.
MINNIE ALOUISE BERTHOLF 1875-1916
ALBERT BUMP 1875-1901 A. Ruby Bump 1898-1985 B.
Myra Bump 1900-1901 V.
EARL CLAUDE BERTHOLF 1877-1964
LULU BELLE MARCY 18 ? -1967
A. Marjorie Bertholf
1914 B. Lee Bertholf 1916-1997
C. Jack Bertholf 1918
D. Donald Bertholf
1921 E.
Carol Bertholf 1925 VI.
CARLTON GRANT BERTHOLF 1879-1965 LENA LEA ? - 1967
A. Lora Bertholf
1905-abt. 1980?
B. Vera Bertholf
1907 VII.
HARRY ELMER BERTHOLF
1886-1958 ETHEL MAUDE GRISCELL ?-1958A.
William H. (Bill) Bertholf 1913-1962 B.
Dale Bertholf 1915
C. Ruth Ann Bertholf
1924 VIII.
RUTH ELLEN BERTHOLF
1889-1950
JOHN KLISH 1887-1937
A. Doris Klish
1917-1953
B. Wayne Klish 1924 IX.
INA ESTHER BERTHOLF 1890-1980
LEE HESS 1888-1963 A. Glenn Hess 1912-1960C.
Dorothy Hess 1915 D. Mary Beth Hess 1917 In addition, the children of Ruby and Roy Jinkins, Bob and Mary Esther; Lloyd and Martha's children Mabelyn and Max; and Vera and Lee Schell's girls, Flora, Eleanor and Ruthe were in the right age bracket to be included with the "Big" Kids-----a great and loving bunch!!! Now that the reader has become acquainted with the heritage and history of the family, the members of the next generation will be introduced. We do not have as intimate a relationship with those who are far away, but it is hoped that each of the family will feel a kinship by just knowing names and locations and a few facts about relatives. Ì
Copyright
© 1997 Faye Bertholf McCoy. "I,
Witness to History" and logo are trademarks of Wesley
Retirement Communities, Inc., d/b/a Larksfield Place. All rights
reserved.
|
