Image: Jennie Marie Mott Switzer with children. Jennie’s obituary does not mention children so that’s a mystery! Who are the children in the photograph? Click here to view un-cropped photo.
* January 2023 Update *
Note: This post was originally created in 2016 but I have added a great deal more information in January 2023. Read on for some answers and more questions.
Handwriting on the back of the photo reads:
I may be home tomorrow but have got to get my clothes dry first. If I don’t come tomorrow I’ll be there on Monday night. As ever, your sister. September 8,1911.
Addressed to Mrs. Albert Henry in 1211 Edwards Street, Beardstown, Illinois.
Effie Henry’s younger half sister on her mother’s side, Jennie Marie Mott was born 5 Dec 1889 in St. Louis Missouri to Emma Cowan and Sanford Mott. She grew up in Beardstown and married Frank Switzer.
The 1930 US Census shows Jennie and Frank living with Frank’s mother Laura at 316 Washington St, Beardstown. Frank was working as load dispatcher for the electric company and Jennie was a waitress in a cafe. The document states Frank’s age at his first marriage was 22 (1907) and Jennie’s age at her first marriage was 33 (1922).
However, I found a marriage index from October 8, 1906 for a Jennie M. Mott of the same age (18 at the time) marrying an Elmer L. Shawgo. I may have ignored this listing had I not recalled the name Shawgo written on some photos in Grandma’s collection. And sure enough, when I dug them up I found these (right) inscribed with “Edna Shawgo” The first one says “Aunt Jennie’s daughter”.
Elmer Shawgo’s WWI draft card lists him as an engineer living with “Mrs. Jenny Shawgo” at 505 E. 6th St, Beardstown IL. The 1910 US Census shows Elmer, Jennie, and Edna living on Massachusetts St in Browning IL (north of Beardstown). They had been married for three years and Elmer was working as a fireman for the railroad. Edna May was 2 years old.
By the 1930 US Census, Elmer (I believe this is the same person– also works as an engineer for the railroad in Beardstown) was living with subsequent wife Betty and a step-son, as well as Betty’s father and sister. And as stated above, Jennie Mott had also remarried Frank SwitzerJennie died tragically young in the hospital in Taylorville two days after her 47th birthday on 7 Dec, 1936. Jennie is buried in the Beardstown City Cemetery. Below is the text from her obituary:
“Mrs. Frank Switzer daughter of the late Mrs. Emma Rhining and a former Beardstown resident, died at 4:20 o’clock yesterday afternoon at St. Vincent hospital in Taylorville, Ill. following an illness of six weeks. The body was taken to the Malcomeson Funeral Home in Taylorville and will be brought to this city to the Cline Funeral Home tomarrow. Funeral services will be held from the Cline Funeral Home at 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon.
Mrs. Switzer was born in St.Louis on December 5th 1889. She was 47 years and 2 days of age at the time of her death. She is survived by her husband and one sister, Mrs. A.L. Henry, of Hammond, In. She was a member of the Macabees lodge, the Royal Neighbors and also of the Methodist church.” — Illinois Star, Beardstown Dec. 1936
Six years after Jennie died, Frank married Elizabeth Ann “Pat” Elwell a nurse at the hospital where Jennie died, on 28th October 1942, but tragically died a few months later on 12 June 1943 after sustaining severe burns from the waist up in an accident at work.What happened to Jennie and Elmer’s daughter Edna? Why wasn’t she listed in Jennie’s obituary? Who is the other child in the photo? My heart sank when I found this memorial for Edna on Find A Grave. The poor child died at the age of ten on December 16, 1917 and is buried in the Beardstown City Cemetery. Alongside her is her little brother Donald, the baby from the photo. He passed at the age of 19 months on April 29, 1912, scarcely older than he was when the portrait was taken. A comment from Bonnie Beauchamp on my mom’s Flickr page said Donald died from a bowel blockage.
Jennie Mott remarried (Frank Switzer) in 1922, five years after Edna’s death. Elmer remarried one year later in 1923. I wonder if their marriage could not withstand the grief of losing both their children. I believe this may be Jennie in the 1920 US Census living with a waitress she worked with in Beardstown, Edith Gilmore. She is listed a couple years younger than she was and as a widow, which may have been a white lie that was necessary at the time.
There is one more photo of this family that I have found. It’s a group shot (below) labeled as follows: “Guthrie Family, Beardstown IL” and on the back it says “Mrs. Shawgo, 1st Sept -17- Guthrie family,” and a list of names: “Dad, Mable, Elmer-Skinies (?), Lela, Edna, Edith, Hazel, Louise, Eleanor (Bule?), Leona-Boots”. According to the date, this was two months before Edna died.
I am hoping to file for a copy of Edna’s death record, but it’s $24 I can’t justify at the moment. I’m putting the instructions here for when I get back to it: Mail written request to the Morgan County Clerk, 300 West State Street, Jacksonville, IL 62650. Include a copy of my identification, a check or money order for $24, and the following information: Death record for Edna May Shawgo, born 1 Dec 1907 in Beardstown, Cass IL, died 16 Dec 1917 in Jacksonville, Morgan, Illinois. Parents: Jennie Mott Shawgo and Elmer Lee Shawgo
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