Mary Angela Mescher (1869-1951) "52 Ancestors"

Well, now we are on week 9 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge. I was really cutting this one close. I have been trying to have at least one post in the queue at all times but last week I was on a business trip and this week I had two Eagle Scout Courts of Honor, had to prepare for the final exam for my students and started my new job as supervisor for the Everglades South team for the US Fish & Wildlife Service. No wonder I am just now getting to my usual Friday blog post. But at least I am getting it done before my self imposed deadline and keeping my streak going for the 9th week.

St. Rose, Ohio today (Source: Google Maps)

This week I am writing about Mary Angela Mescher (1869-1951), my great grandmother. Mary was the second wife of Emil Garman (1858-1932) who I wrote about previously. Mary was born on 3 January 1869 in St. Rose, Marion Township, Mercer County, Ohio.  As you can see in the image to the right, St. Rose is a bustling town, home to a couple dozen people today. Imagine what it must have looked like 145 years ago when Mary was born. Her parents were Henry (1838-1871) and Maria Catherine Leugers Mesher (182-1890). Both of her parents were born in St. Rose and lived there their entire lives. Mary's grandfather, Frederick Mescher was given a land grant of 80 acres in St. Rose on 2 March 1837. Mary was one of six children from this marriage. Her siblings were Mary Catherine (1865-1865), Bernard Henry (1866-1866), George (1867-1868), Elizabeth (1871-1961), and Caroline (1872-1946). As you can see, three of her siblings died early on in their lives, making Mary the oldest of the three surviving children from this marriage. On 18 August 1871, when Mary was 2 years old, her father died. Her mother remarried on 1 February 1872 to John Gehle and had five more children by this marriage. Those children were Herman (1873-1970), Bernard George (1876-1953), Joseph Harman (1878-1967), Catherine (1880-1968), and John Herman (1882-1955).

On 25 April 1888, Mary Mescher (age 19) married Emil Garman (age 29), a German immigrant and local farmer. Emil had only been in the United States for six years before they were married. Mary and Emil had 15 children: Frances Theresa (1889-1949), Anna Mathilda (1890-1890), August Bernard (1892-1962), Rosa Carolina (1893-1972), Florentine (1894-1974), Edward Herman (1896-1962), Aloys Bernard (1898-1957), Marie (1899-1976), Josephina Rosa (1901-1984), Bertha Joanna Elizabeth (1903-1997), Ida Emma (1905-1987), Lawrence (1907-1975), Alvina (1910-1984), Marcella (1912-1999), and Velma Catherine (1915-2011).

In 1900 the family is living on a farm on Amsterdam Pike near Chickasaw, Marion Township, Auglaize County, Ohio, less than 3 miles northeast of St. Rose. During the 1910 census the family is living on a farm in German Township, Auglaize County, Ohio, about four miles east of St. Rose. In 1922 the family moved off the farm and into Maria Stein, a slightly larger town one mile to the east of St. Rose. Emil was about 62 years old and had been an active farmer his entire life. But by this time Emil was starting to suffer from his diabetes and had decided to retire from farming. The 1930 census lists the real estate valued at $1,000. Five of the children; Bertha, Lawrence, Alvina, Marcella, and Velma were still living at the home in 1930. After weeks of suffering, in January 1932 Emil went to St. Elizabeth's hospital in Dayton for treatment of gangrene in his right foot. The disease had progressed to a point that the doctors decided the only treatment would be to amputate his right leg. However, he was not able to survive such a drastic procedure and he died on 10 January 1932 following the surgery. Mary was left a widow with 14 children, the youngest being my grandmother Velma who was almost 17 years old. Mary was well taken care of by her adult children for the next twenty years. She eventually died on 19 June 1951 in Sidney, Ohio at the home of her daughter Florentine. At the time of her death she was survived by a sister, 12 children and a total of 154 descendants. She was buried in St. Johns cemetery in Maria Stein on 22 June 1951.

There is one thing interesting about the date of death for Mary Mescher Garman. She died on 19 June 1951, one day after the death of Rosa Bruns Meyer on 18 June 1951. Why is this interesting? Well, Mary's daughter, my grandmother, Velma married Ray Meyer, the son of Rosa Bruns Meyer. I didn't realize that two of my great grandmothers died within a day of each other until I was looking through the 22 June 1951 edition of the Minster Post and saw their obituaries. Rosa's funeral was on 21 June and Mary's funeral was 22 June.

Garman Family - Emil & Mary Mescher Garman seated in middle of second row (about 1930).