A Tangled Web - Helen (Streeter) Thompson and Maud (Harding) Streeter

[TerriB]

Hello All!

First, I'd like to thank Peter for allowing me the opportunity to present one of my brick walls to the Lost Cousins community. I truly did not expect anything in return for donating an Ancestry DNA test. I just didn't want US members to miss out

Second, I'd like to thank the Lost Cousins community for your attention and assistance.

There was a last minute development. The 1907 probate file of Hewitt Harding, Maud's father, is online at Ancestry.com. Maud is not named but her four children are named along with the city of residence for each child. Helen's residence was listed as 10427 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, Ohio. I started to search deeds in Cuyahoga County to find out who owned 10427 Detroit Ave. as that address is currently the Applewood Center, a children's and family services center. The property was deeded to their predecessor in the 1950s. I've not had a chance to check city directories for the time period.

Thank you in advance. I will check back periodically.

Terri

 

[John Dancy]

Terri,

There is a lot in your message that sort of meshes with both sides of my family. Shortest route (as I have to do a bit of investigation) is to let you know of a maternal 2nd cousin twice removed called Charles Harding. He was born in Cuyahoga County Ohio on 8th Dec 1858 , married Mary G Bislich on 5th Jan 1881 and died 12th Jan 1916 in the same county. Charles grandmother, Ann Thompson was born 1793 in Rearsby, Leicestershire. The Streeters however are possibly linked to my father's side and part of a migration of a large number of families from mid Sussex to Monroe County, N Y, Cuyahoga, Ohio and Michigan between 1780 and 1860. Will look into it further. John

 

[JimP]

Terri,

If Alice is described as a "ward" in the 1930 census, there may have been a legal guardianship in place (and she was not yet 18). Have you looked for one at the Cuyahoga Probate/Family/Surrogate's Court (not sure what Ohio calls it)? If so, that would give you clues as to both Albert/Robert and Helen, especially if they were deceased by then.

That Maud is not named in her father's probate, and that her children were listed as heirs, is pretty good evidence that Maud died before 1907. Had she been alive but out of contact with her family, she would have been listed with "address unknown" or similar.

Your story is even more complex than the case of my missing great-great-grandmother, who vanishes between the 1900 Census and 1908, when great-great-grandfather has a son with his "housekeeper".

Jim

 

[peter]

No doubt some readers of the newsletter will have noticed that in the 1900 US census Maud is shown as having given birth to 6 children, all of whom were still living - but only 4 are listed. As the 4 children listed were born within 4 years and two month, and the youngest was born in July 1895 there's plenty of scope for there to have been two more children before the 1900 Census, and Maud was only 20 when her 4th child was born.

 

[TerriB]

Thank you all. The 1900 census presents another layer to the mystery. It is the only clue that there may have been two more children.

I agree that the will is strong evidence that Maud was deceased by 1907. Unfortunately I have not had an opportunity to search, again, for a death record. Assuming she died in Ohio.

I have not checked for guardianship papers. Big old "doh!" on my part. It's now on my list. Although I know where Albert/Robert had been the entire time. The Thompsons stayed mostly in Cleveland but did live for a time in the Pittsburgh area.

John, we may have to explore the potential Harding connection.

I'll be back later. Thank you!

Terri

 

[TerriB]

Update: Helen's address of 10427 Detroit Ave., Cleveland, was definitely a children's home/orphanage in 1907. The property started out as the Cleveland Industrial School which closed in 1876. The Children's Aid Society of Cleveland used the property from 1876 until its merger with the Applewood Center in 2002. Looks like I'll be contacting the Applewood Center to inquire if they have any historical records for residents.

It appears that historical guardianship files are not indexed on the Cuyahoga County Probate Web Docket Search. An email address is provided on the website to request a search. I will be requesting a search for Helen and for Alice.

Searching for a death record for Maud will be time consuming. Ohio recorded births and deaths at the county level until December 1908. We don't have a statewide death index post-1908 so pre-1908 is even worse. With 88 counties to choose from, it will be an adventure.

Thanks again!
Terri

 

[TerriB]

So far, still no sign of Maud (Harding) Streeter passing away by 1907. Thanks to Shirley (messaged through Ancestry) for finding newspaper articles suggesting that Maud had a relationship with one Barney David prior to her 1902 divorce. The David family lived in Sandusky and it appears Maud lived on the same street as the David family in Sandusky. It seems Barney stole some money from a man with whom he had been drinking. Barney stated he stole the money to help the woman he loved get a divorce. Still cannot find Maud after 1902. I'll post more findings as they turn up. Thank all of you for your help.

Terri

 

[TerriB]

Well, it's been 2+ long years since my post and all of your very helpful tips and suggestions. It turns out that the suggested guardianship files held the key. The new FamilySearch full text AI search helped me find the guardianship for Alice Thompson from February 1929 which states Helen Thompson was deceased. Her death is recorded under the name Mrs. Helen Imrie, died 13 Feb 1929 in Cleveland Ohio; father unknown, mother Mary Degresne & born in France, spouse and informant Jack Imrie. Problem? She was not married to Mr. Imrie. If not for Mr. Imrie's affidavit, I would not have figured it out. The only information that is correct on the document is the date & place of death, cemetery and her residence - everything else is not correct. She died of puerperal septicemia. The ink blotted on the secondary cause but it appears to state "Mrs. Helen Imrie attempted [abortion - ink blotted] and infected herself". Like she tried to perform an abortion on herself!?! Two days later Mr. Imrie swore an affidavit stating he was not married to Helen; that he accompanied her to the doctor's office for medical advice. She had given her name as Mrs. Helen Imrie "due to her physical condition and to avoid embarrassment." He stated her correct name as Helen Thompson and correct marital status as divorced.

Still no sign of Helen's mother Maud but at least Helen's fate has been found. Not the "happily ever after" I had hoped for. And she didn't "go to Florida" like my grandfather said. But now I can imagine the "argument" grandpa had with his sister Alice when he saw her in Florida in the 1970s! I'm sure his "sparkling personality" just absolutely showed through!

Thank you all for your suggestions.

Terri