The Mysterious Gertrude Helena Brown Smith
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| Gertrude Brown, c. 1905 |
When I started doing research on my ancestors for the first
time in 1993, my mother assured me that her side had already been “done” by a
friend of hers who was a hobbyist genealogist, so I should concentrate on my
dad’s line. In 2001, when I took a
closer look at what my mother had, however, I realized that my mom’s friend,
while meaning well, had attached our Gertrude Helena Brown to the wrong Brown
family. My search began to find
Gertrude’s true family and the search still continues today, twelve years and
literally hundreds of research hours later.
I. What I know about Gertrude
The family
story about Gertrude:
1. She
was orphaned at an early age (around 9 years old)
2. She
had one “much older” sister who survived – all other siblings and her parents
died in an epidemic of some sort (cholera?
Diphtheria?)
3. The
older sister married, but the husband did not agree to take in Gertrude
(couldn’t afford to care for her), so Gertrude was taken into the home of a
family where she worked for her keep.
4. She
grew up in New York city
according to the family story
5. She
was born October 25, 1875 (her own handwriting in a Bible register)
6. Some
family members seem to think she may have been born a triplet but the others
did not survive long.
7. She
married David Harp Smith, of Missouri, in North Dakota on March 7,
1905 (have marriage record). He was
homesteading there (have homestead file).
8. They
had a child born December 8, 1905 in North
Dakota. This
child died the day he was born (have birth/death record).
9. She
and David moved to Carterville, Jasper
County, Missouri
sometime around 1906 or 1907. David was
suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, which they believed he contracted because
of the terrible North Dakota winters.
10. Their
second child was born April 17, 1907 in Carterville,
Missouri (no birth record
available due to courthouse fire). She
was named Minnie Annie Smith, but changed her name to Mary Frances when she
became Catholic in 1917.
11. Around
1910, Gertrude received a postcard, which she saved from “loving Niece and
Nephew Gus & Helen” It is not
postmarked and has no return address. It
is addressed to Mrs. D. Smith, Carterville,
Mo. Box
56 and to “Dear Aunt, Uncle & Cousin”.
12. David Smith
died November 18, 1913 “from” Rheumatoid Arthritis (have death certificate and
probate file).
13. Gertrude
and Mary Frances may have moved back to New
York for a short time after David’s death, but did
not stay.
14. Gertrude
attended a Babies’ Hospital nursing school in New York in 1895 and lived with and cared
for other people’s children the rest of her adult life. Gertrude went to work for the Schaeffer
family in Joplin, Missouri after David’s death. (There is some connection to the McConomy
family and therefore the Schaeffer’s from Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, but not sure what
that is.)
15. Gertrude
and her daughter moved to Kansas City,
Missouri c. 1919.
16. Gertrude
died in Kansas City, Missouri on January 10, 1934 (have death
record and cemetery records).
II.
Looking for
Gertrude on the census records
1920 – Kansas City, Missouri –Gertrude Smith appears on the 1920 census at
age 44 (1875 birth year assumed), born in Ohio (father
born in French speaking France and mother born in Germany). She is a widow and a Servant to the family
whose home she is living. Gertrude’s daughter
appears with her as Mary Frances Smith, boarder, age 12, born in Missouri (parents both born in Ohio), attending school. They are in the home of Ernest Schreiber, who
has a wife and four children under the age of 7! Gertrude's job was to care for the
children. (FHL 1820929)
1910 – Joplin Twp., Carterville, Jasper County,
Missouri - Gertrude H. Smith appears on
the 1910 census at age 33 (1876 birth year assumed), born in Ohio (Father born in French
speaking France and mother born in Ohio).
She has been married one time for five years and has had two children
with one still living. She is living
with her husband, David H. Smith, age 25 [believed to be incorrectly recorded
and should say 35], born in Kentucky
(both parents born in KY as well). He
has been married one time for five years (1905 assumed) and has no
occupation. Their daughter appears as
Minnie A. Smith, age 3, born in Missouri
(parents born in Kentucky and Ohio). They are living in the home of David’s
parents: Andrew and Mary Ann Smith and David’s brother, Willis Wheat, age 31 is
also living there. His occupation is
Water Wagon driver. A boarder is also
listed - Loyd Ruder, age 16. He is also
a water wagon driver.
The address is 606 N. Tennessee Ave. (FHL 1374804)
1900 – Newark City,
Essex County, New Jersey - Gertrude H. Brown appears on
the 1900 census at age 23, born October 1876 in New York (parents both born in
New York), living as a Boarder with William J. and Minnie B. Brewer at 439 4th Avenue. The Brewers have two sons: Charles H. and Harold W. ages 9 and 11 and a
servant girl, Mary Billings, age 31, born in Pennsylvania is living with them. Gertrude is listed as a Salvation Army
officer, as is William. (FHL #1240965)
On
Christmas 2001, Gin found the proof that this was indeed our GHB by locating a
photograph in Liz Soetaert's archives in Placerville,
CA. The photo was of two young boys playing
football. On the back, it was signed
"To dear Gertie, Herbert" and "To my sunchine Gertie, Harold
Brewer xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx." Upon
contacting the Salvation Army in Alexandria, VA,
they told me that Minnie Brewer was the National Secretary for Slum work, so
she would have been Gertrude’s supervisor.
She also sent a photograph from the 1899 “Harbor Lights” Salvation Army
newsletter showing Mrs. Lieut. Col., Brewer and New York Slum Officers. I think Gertrude is shown there.
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| Brewer boys card to Gertrude |
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| Which one is Gertrude Brown? |
1880 – There
are 5 Gertrude Brown’s on the 1880 census who were born between 1874 and 1876 in New
York. Several
of the families and eliminated some of them simply because both parents were
born in the U.S.
or other reasons (see spreadsheet)
One family may still be a viable option: Valentine Braun,
age 37, b. Frankfort on Main
and wife Martha Braun, age 27, b. PA.
They are living in Manhattan, NYC, New York in 1880 with Gertrude Braun,
age 5, born NYC, Lizzie, age 7, Valentine, age 2 and Natalia, age 2 months (all
born in NYC).
If the birth year of Gertrude is expanded, another family
looks like a possibility: Samuel Brown,
age 37, born in Germany with
wife Anna Brown, age 35, born in Germany with children: Jane, age
13, b. NY, Gertrude Brown, age 7, b. NY, Jacob, age 6, b. NY, Falk, age 4, b.
NY. They are living in Brooklyn, Kings
Co., NY in 1880. I have done quite a bit
of research in this family (see spreadsheet) and Samuel and Anna disappear
around 1882. Perhaps they died?
If we assume Gertrude was born in Ohio between 1874 and 1876,
there are 8 possibilities (see spreadsheet), but all can be eliminated because
both parents were born in the U.S.
One family remains:
Henry Bruns, age 46 born in Prussia and wife Karolena Bruns, age 31,
born in Ohio have Dora, age 10, Ida, age 7, Gertrude, age 3 as well as
Elisabeth, age 18, and Minna, age 16 from a previous marriage. Karolena’s mother, Dorothea Meyers is also
living with them. She is 69, born in Prussia and her
daughter, Anna Meyers, age 28 is also in the home. We eliminated this family because we located
the birth record for Alisa Gertruth Bruns and she was born 21 August 1876 (not
in October).
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