Tombstone Tuesday

Frank Joshua Grace Frank Joshua Grace was the son of Gilbert Grace and Eliza Faulkner and older brother of Edward F. Grace. Considering the time, the Graces seem to have moved around quite a bit. Frank and his older siblings were born in North Carolina, but by the time he was six, in 1860, they were living in Kemper, Mississippi. While living there, Frank’s brother John was killed in the battle of Vicksburg. Ten years later (1870), when the census-taker once again knocked at their door, they were 400 miles north, in Arkansas.  They moved a little within the state (touching down in Phillips, Franklin, and Pulaski counties), until patriarch, Gilbert, died in 1875. In January 1879, Frank married Lilly James Polk (rumored cousin of President Polk) in Fort Worth, TX. Unfortunately, only general, historical information is available for the next decade of Frank’s life. We know he was in Limestone, Arkansas in 1880 (U.S. Census), and that his daughter, Pearl, was born in Sacramento, California in 1890. But the 1921 fire that destroyed most of the 1890 U.S. census leaves us with no details on where he lived or (perhaps more importantly) how he supported his family during this time. Our guess is that Frank heeded the call to “Go West, young man, Go West!” Between the mid-century gold rush and the alluring selection of land grants available, the call to leave the war-scarred South for pastures that were literally greener was likely irresistible. In many land acts (including the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850, the Homestead Act of 1862, and the Timber Culture Act of 1873), settlers were given huge plots of land – 160 to 320 acres – in exchange for living on, cultivating, and improving the land. In about 1891, Frank finally settled in Sedro-Wolley, Washington (only about 45 miles south of the Canadian border) where he and Lilly had three more children, bringing the total to eight! Based on listed occupations in census documents, Frank was a carpenter and handyman. Not long after Lilly passed away in 1906, Frank moved in with his daughter, Adele and her family in Bellingham, WA. Around 1935, he moved one last time to Seattle, where he lived with his son Gilbert A. Grace. Frank died in 1945 at the age of 90.

Photo courtesy Kitty Curtis-Martin For those interested in learning more about Frank's experiences as one of the early settlers of the Washington Territory, visit the Skaggit River Journal. Although this particular link will take you to the source of the land act information used in this biography, the entire website is a fountain of information about life in the Sedro-Wolley area.  We're still trying to decide if this is Frank and Lilly's wedding photo.

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	15 Nov 1854	City:	Sedro-Wolley, WA
Marriage:	22 Jan 1879 to Lilly James Polk	Cemetery:	Union Cemetery
Death:	2 Nov 1945	Section:
		GPS:

What's Your Name

What I know: This adorable young man was found in the collection of Joyce Mariencheck Klinck. Although her tin button box of old photos isn't organized by Mariencheck / Ferrer, we're pretty sure this is from her mother, Dell Ferrer's side of the family since most of the photographs that are this old once belonged to Agnes Grace Ferrer. The only clue we have to go on is the "Brother" inscription half-revealed at the bottom. Between Joyce's knowledge of her grandmother's handwriting and comparisons to other hand-written notes, we believe this inscription was written by Agnes herself. That means this could be Edwin Booth Grace (born 1891), William Raymond Grace (born 1897), John Emmet Grace (born 1898), or George Patrick Grace (born 1900). Do you know who this is?

Close up of "brother"

The ravaged original, including what's left of the inscription

Tombstone Tuesday

Edward Fitzireland Grace Edward Grace was born to Gilbert Grace and Eliza Faulkner in 1866. His father died when Edward was only nine years old. At the time, his older brothers were much older, and his younger siblings were very young, leaving Edward oddly in the middle. Rumor has it he ran away and joined the circus. Edward was a printer, journalist, and staunch union man. He was initiated into the International Typographers Union (ITU) in 1885 and was a member until his death. While in Memphis, he wrote for and published the Union Journal. In 1901, he was a member of the Board of Public Works for the city of Memphis. Later in Norfolk, VA he published the Union News. He wrote that "the common people have been ignored." In his spare time, Edward seems to have been quite the ladies' man. For three years (between 1917 and 1919), Edward disappears from public record. Family lore says that Edward ran away to New Orleans with another woman. By the time he reappears in documentation in Virginia in 1920, he is living the life of a bachelor - moving from house to house each year and proclaiming himself to be a widow in the 1920 census (Gert didn't die until 1947). In 1933, Edward moved to Colorado Springs, CO where he was admitted to the Union Printers' Home, which was built in 1892 by the ITU to care for its members. The filthy working conditions and long hours (often 11 hours per day) of most 19th century printers left a population of printers suffering from a variety of eye conditions and lung afflictions such as tuberculosis. Edward died five years later in 1938 at the age of 72 from senility and heart disease. He is listed as a widow on his death certificate and his obituary claims he left no survivors.

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	24 Feb 1866	City:	Colorado Springs, CO
Marriage:	5 Nov 1890 to Gertrude McKee	Cemetery:	Evergreen Cemetery
Death:	25 Oct 1938	Section:	Union Printers
		GPS:

Monument bearing Edward's name (left column)

Closeup with Edward's name highlighted	Stone marking the ITU area of the cemetery
Entrance sign	The Union Printers Home, Colorado Springs, CO, where Edward spent the last five years of his life

Tombstone Tuesday

Agnes Eileen Grace Agnes Eileen Grace was the only girl born to Edward F. Grace and Florence Gertrude McKee. She attended St. Brigid Catholic grammar school. St. Brigid Parish School. Agnes is front row, 4th from right On March 28, 1910, at age 17 she married C.P. Marshall, Jr. According to family legend, her mother arranged the marriage because Marshall was well-off financially and promised to take care of her. The marriage was an unhappy one as allegedly Marshall was a heavy drinker. Fate intervened when Marshall was hit by a train and died. A few years later, as she worked as a laundress at the Gayoso Hotel, she began a courtship with the hotel’s storekeeper, Olin Fletcher Ferrer. They married in 1914 and had three children. Although strict, Agnes was favored by all of her grandchildren, nieces and nephews. A devout Catholic, she said the rosary every single day. Her granddaughter, Joyce Mariencheck Klinck, said, “We all knew NOT to go in the house and interrupt Granny while she was saying her rosary!” Thomas "Tuck" Grace and his favorite, "Aunt Ag"

Agnes (who broke her arm tripping over her dog, Cutie), Tom Mariencheck, Charlie Ferrer (seated)

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	23 Dec 1893	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:		Cemetery:	Calvary
Death:	1 Jan 1977	Section:
		GPS:

Tombstone Tuesday

George Patrick Grace

Sadly at this point, little is known about the brief life of George Patrick Grace. He was the youngest of five children born to Edward F. Grace and F. Gertrude McKee. Although his death certificate lists his profession as "none," the Memphis city directories show quite the opposite! In as early 1910 - when Patrick was only 10 years old, he's listed as a flagman, we assume for the railroad. In 1913, he worked as a clerk for Herman I. Summerfield, who operated a millinery (hat) and suit shop. The next year, he's listed as a block operator for the Illinois Central Rail Road. Before electric conveniences came into play, train orders and timetables were written by hand and passed down the line by a block operator. Even if all Patrick did was run the message, it's still a big responsibility for a 14 year old! The next few years (1915-1917), Patrick worked as a clerk. In 1918 and 1919 he was a "switch tender" for the ICRR, which must have paid a bit better, as he was able to afford his own room at the Winona Hotel. Finally, in 1920 he began working with his brother George Powell Ferrer and Olin Ferrer at the gas company as a draftsman. Sadly, at the beginning of March, 1923, Patrick contracted Typhoid Fever. He battled symptoms such as fever, headache, cough, bloody nose, delirium, diarrhea, and dehydration until pneumonia developed. He succumbed 20 days later.

1910 child railroad laborers near Aurora, Mo. (photo courtesy historynyc.com)

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	2 May 1900	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:		Cemetery:	Calvary
Death:	20 March 1923	Section:
		GPS:

George Patrick Grace's death certificate

Tombstone Tuesday

Thomas Edward ("Tuck") Grace Thomas Edward (Tuck) Grace was the fourth-born child of Edwin Booth Grace and Lillie Margaret Brown. As an Army Sgt, Tuck served his country in Italy during WWII. After returning home, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Memphis State University in 1950, where he was recognized in Who's Who Among Students for his academic success. In 1966, he was conferred as a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society. Also known as "The Circle," membership in ODK is one of the highest collegiate honors one can receive. In 1951, Tuck moved to New York City to pursue his career in acting. A member of the Screen Actors Guild and AEA, his credits include performances in MASH, Splendor in the Grass, and A Face in the Crowd as well as television roles in The Edge of Night and The Guiding Light. For a complete list of Tuck's credits, more photographs, and to hear him sing, visit his tribute website at uncletuck.com!

Personal Data		Tombstone Data
Birth:	22 Jul 1924	City:	Memphis, TN
Marriage:	N/A	Cemetery:	Calvary
Death:	7 Jul 2009	Section:
		GPS:

The Case of the Prisoner Produce

Brother:  Granny told me there was a prison right down the street from her house. Sister: What?! No there wasn’t. Brother: Yes there was! The prisoners used to give her vegetables through the fence! Sister: You’re making this up! All that was near Granny’s house was other houses! I remember! Brother: You are dumber than a stick. Sound familiar? There’s nothing better than a randomly sparked family history memory. When they’re verified by other members of the same generation, it’s easy – a few quick checks and you can publish the story as fact. But when family members disagree, the real fun begins. Fact checking is upgraded to full-on research. Interviews are conducted with neutral cousins. Maps are consulted. So it was for the Case of the Prisoner Produce. Gary Mariencheck claimed that his grandmother, Agnes Grace Ferrer, lived near a prison and used to get produce through the fence from the inmates. His sister, Joyce Mariencheck Klinck, disagreed. ... And the winner is: Gary! Prior to 1929, the County Workhouse was located on Jackson Avenue. The property backed up to Holmes, where several of our ancestors built homes in about 1922. The workhouse itself was in the vicinity of the southwest corner of Jackson and Macon in one map. In another (shown), it faces the northwest corner of Homes and Guernsey Ave. The property included an old County Hospital and Insane Asylum. As the years went by and more and more county land was absorbed into the city limits, the facility moved and the existing land was parceled out into the regular neighborhood that exists in the 1950-born memory of Joyce. Also, according to Vincent Clark, archive specialist at the spectacular Shelby County Archives, the workhouse did indeed grow their own food. “Though they ate what they produced, the excess was sold off and went toward the support of the prisoners.” … and according to family lore, to the support of Agnes Grace Ferrer!

Produce crates outside the prison. Photograph courtesy of Shelby County Archives. Thanks to Vincent and everyone at Shelby County Archives for their help with this and countless other family mysteries!

In this 1938 map, the prison is labeled both as "Shelby County Hospital and Poor Farm" and as "Workhouse."
The three red perimeters on Holmes street show three adjacent family properties: 1028 (bottom) was the home of Edwin Booth Grace (et al), 1034 (center) was the home of Harry Doyle and Bertha McKee (et al), and 1038 (top) was the home of Gertrude Grace and her daughter Agnes (et al). The red perimeter of 3307 Lamphier shows the home of  Tom R. McKee (Gertrude's brother).

 

What's Your Name?

Lilly Brown Grace and her son, Joseph.. Although Tuck signed his photin 1958, it was probably taken in about 1914.

This  photo came from the collection of Agnes Grace Ferrer. The inscription on the back reads, "South Speedway. May 7, 1916." Unfortunately, we can't find anything called "South Speedway" and there doesn't seem to have been any big "to-do" in Memphis on May 7. But what if this isn't in Memphis? The two ladies to Olin's left are a mystery. Are they his sisters?  The youngest child (standing on the siderail) is probably Joseph Grace. He was 2 in 1916. We believe his mother, Lillie, is on the far left. All others are currently unknown. 1. Lillie Brown Grace 2. Unknown 3. Unknown 4. Olin Ferrer 5. Joseph Grace 6. Unknown 7. Unknown   Do you know who this is?

Tombstone Tuesday

Adele Grace Weddell Adele Grace Weddell is my first cousin, 3 times removed. Fantastically, she is also the namesake of my grandmother, Audele Grace Ferrer (Mariencheck).  It seems that Adele and my great grandmother Agnes Grace Ferrer were not only first cousins, but also pen pals. Agnes’s collection includes several photographs from Washington, including the one at right. This is presumed to be Adele and Pearl Grace. Adele had two older sisters: Pearl and Ruby. Ruby was 10 years older than Adele and 7 older than Pearl. That's too big of a gap - these girls seem closer in age than that. Sadly, Pearl died in 1908. If this photo is of Pearl and Adele, it would have to have been taken between 1906-1908.	Believed to be Adele and Pearl Grace, circa 1906-1908
Personal Data Birth: 26 March 1893 Marriage: 25 Jan 1914 to William R. Weddell Death: 1 Feb 1990	Tombstone Data City: Sedro-Wolley, WA Cemetery: Union Cemetery Section: GPS:

If you're a descendant of Adele Weddell or her daughter, Wilma, please contact me! I'd love to verify this photograph and exchange information.

What's Your Name?

What I know: This photograph is from Joyce Mariencheck Klinck's collection. Although we've posted a list below, there's a lot of uncertainty. #1 is identified as Donnie Grace, but #8 could be Donnie as well. We identified #3 as Dell Ferrer Mariencheck based mostly on age; but without a lot of pictures of her as an infant, it's tough to be certain. Finally, for #6, Joseph Grace is the most likely candidate (again, based on age) - but we have no photographs of him with this many freckles, so this identification is highly suspect also. Special thanks to Maggie Grace Murphy for her help with this one! Donnie Grace shows off the "bowl cut" hair he sported for several years. Perhaps this is evidence this is child 1 or 8. Do you know who these children are?

Patrick Donald "Donnie" Grace Edwin Booth Grace Dell Ferrer Mariencheck Raymond "Hame" Ferrer Catherine Grace Joseph Grace Robert Olin "Owie" Ferrer Unknown

What's Your Name?

What I know: This photo was in my grandfather, George "Buddy" Mariencheck's, picture box. At left is Gertrude McKee Grace. Agnes Grace Ferrer is in the center. The  man is a mystery.  I assume by the casual, familiar way they're standing that this is one of her brothers. But I'm not sure which. Based on age, it could be Raymond or Booth. The picture isn't fully focused, so it's difficult to tell.  Or is this someone else entirely? Do you know who this is?

Detective Work: Part 2

In January, we began "showing our work" as we try to discover the identity of the "Teddy Bear Revolver Man." Today we reveal how magnifying glasses, google searches, and one generous husband's late-night attic raid solved the central mystery ...

 It is currently and commonly believed that Teddy Bear Revolver Man is Edwin Booth Grace!

Booth, eldest son of Edward F. Grace and Gertrude McKee and big brother of Agnes Grace Ferrer (my great-grandmother), was a husband and father of five. He also served in World War One along with his brother, Raymond.

Teddy Bear man’s clothing has been a point of interest from the beginning. Although it was originally though to be a version of coveralls, it is in fact a World War One uniform. Notes for comparing the uniforms in both photos: straight-line pocket collar leaf / style unique placket hat (worse for the wear in the teddy bear photo)	William Raymond Grace, Gertrude McKee Grace, and Edwin Booth Grace	Close up of original "mystery" photograph
Amazingly, Booth's grand-daughter, Maggie Grace Murphy, was able to find a photo of him with his head at almost the same bent angle as the mystery photo! Here he is several years later showing us the top of his nose. Special thanks to Maggie Grace Murphy for generously sharing her family photographs - especially "after-hours" via iPhone! And to her husband, Pat Chaney, who enabled our family history addiction by digging through the attic for these photos!	Booth Grace

Edward Fitzireland Grace b. 24 Feb 1866 m. 5 Nov 1890 d. 25 Oct 1938

Edward Grace's father, Gilbert, died when Edward was only nine years old. At the time, his older brothers were much older, and his younger siblings were very young, leaving Edward oddly in the middle. Rumor has it he ran away and joined the circus.

Edward was a printer, journalist, and staunch union man. He was initiated into the International Typographers Union (ITU) in 1885 and was a member until his death. While in Memphis, he wrote for and published the Union Journal. Later in Norfolk, VA he published the Union News. He wrote that "the common people have been ignored."

He was an easy going fellow, a story teller, and a ladies' man. For 3 years (between 1917 and 1919), Edward disappears from public record. Family lore says that Edward ran away to New Orleans with another woman. By the time he reappears in documentation in Virginia in 1920, he is living the life of a bachelor - moving from house to house each year and proclaiming himself to be a widow in the 1920 census.

In 1933, Edward moved to Colorado Springs, CO where he was admitted to the Union Printers' Home, which was built in 1892 by the ITU to care for its members. The filthy working conditions and long hours (often 11 hours per day) of most 19th century printers left a population of printers suffering from a variety of eye conditions and lung afflictions such as tuberculosis. Edward died five years later in 1938 at the age of 72 from senility and heart disease. He is listed as a widow on his death certificate and his obituary claims he left no survivors.

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