Saturday Surprise ~ I found our Dead Baby!

I hope that title didn't shock anyone but that's exactly what happened . . . I found our dead long lost baby!  I have been looking litterly for years. My Grandfather told me, when I was a child, that he had a sister who died when she was a baby. The circumstances weren't discussed .. .that I recall.. but I had remembered hearing about a child that died. I also remember, at one time, seeing her in a coffin. I've haven't seen that picture since and have no clue where it is. All I knew was that the child was a girl, named Clara or similar, about 2 years old, and she died in the Cleveland Ohio area. Her parents were Andreas and Anna Rasmussen who immigrated to the United States from Denmark in 1889 and they settle in Cleveland. They remained in Cleveland for a while and had ten children, with six living (per census records) I knew the six living as they were my Grandfather and his five sisters (my great aunts). I remember my Aunts well. One of them is "Auntie" who I wrote about earlier in this blog. The family eventually traveled West settling in California. So for the past ten years or so my cousin (another genealogy fanatic) and I have been searching for her throughout Cleveland and all over Ohio. We both searched every record we could; baptismal, cemeteries, this list, that list, etc. It was years. I eventually put it away and focused on other areas. My cousin and I were so frustrated because we KNEW she existed, just knew it, but couldn't find her. We heard stories of my Great Grandmother having all those children and losing several,one who was baby Clara. But I put it to rest for a bit.. a long bit.. finally after about a year I decided to begin looking again.  I was reading blogs and saw on one of them something about Ohio records being updated. I thought, what the heck, let me try her again. I did a little searching... didn't actually take that long and within an hour I found her! I about fell over. You all know that feeling! I was consumed with emotion and so driven to keep going, to confirm my facts, to tell myself this HAS to be her!   I found her on this "Register of Internments" that I posted here.  There she is ... little Clara! Then I discovered she was only 10 months old when she died. I thought I recalled her being closer to 2 years old so my memory was incorrect. Her name is spelled incorrectly as it's listed there as Rasmuson, Clara M. when it's actually Rasmussen - very close though. 
Oh No! Another problem!  Look at that record ... the Cemetery name is blank! You've got to be kidding!  So I think I've found her but I'm back to searching cemeteries in Cleveland!  Wait... I was able to go back a page on that record.  The page prior says Woodland Cemetery.  Ah ha!   So now I move over to Woodland Cemetery, Cleveland Ohio records.  Low and behold that cemetery has a search feature!  I put in Clara and there she is!   There's a details button and when I click on that it lists her home address in Cleveland, which I know so well from looking at many census records. It also shows she died of "Cholera Infantum" a fact I didn't know.  But wait... there are other babies buried in with her.  I start  clicking on their details and they are at the family's home address as well.  My eyes wander down the list and there's another baby!  Buried in the same area but not in the same plot.  She has the home address!  Not only did I find Clara but I also found her three stillborn siblings (unnamed).   I now can put to rest the 10 births and 6 living from the census records.  The 4 missing are all together at the same cemetery in Cleveland. My cousin and I are elated! The last names are all spelled incorrectly but it's confirmed by the home address on the "details" link.  

I immediately updated my family tree, I updated findagrave, and I have such a feeling of accomplishment. On the cemetery's web page it states they will take photos if requested.  So, of course, I requested photos to be taken. They might not even have markers but to have a photo of the area where they are would be wonderful.  So let's hope I get some photos :)  

I also wrote my check and mailed in for her death certificate.  What an exciting treat that will be. 

This is a lesson on NEVER giving up.  For ten years, at least, I've been looking for this little girl. I will update the blog if I get photos of their graves and the death certificate.   I'm in California and tickled pink! 

Warm Regards,

Marie Rasmussen ~ My Grand Aunt

I remember Marie well - we all called her "Auntie".   A short lady, sweet as could be, and never married.  She was born in Independence, Ohio in 1894 (9 miles south of Cleveland). I don't know if the family lived in Independence for a time or she was just born in that city and the family had always lived in Cleveland.  I have regrets ... when she was alive... and I visited her ..  that I didn't ask her more about her past.  What I would give to sit with Auntie again and hear her stories.  Most of what I know of her is from searching through census records.  This is what I know  ....

Both of her parents, Andreas and Anna Rasmussen were born and raised in Denmark.  They came to the United States and originally settled in Independence or Cleveland Ohio. I was told by Auntie's sister, Margaret (my other Grand Aunt) that the Dr advised their Father Andreas to leave Ohio due to the harsh winters.  So the family relocated to California.

When Auntie was 16 yrs, and living in Cleveland, she worked as a seamstress in an umbrella factory. Then ten years later, in 1920, Auntie is working as a telephone operator for the phone company and living at home with her family - her Mom Anna, Dad Andreas and siblings Minnie, Robert, Margaret, Edna May and Alice. Also living there were Nels and Frank Monsen, her uncles from Denmark. In 1930, when Auntie was 36 yrs, she worked as a waitress and was still living at home, in Los Angeles, with her Mom and Dad and siblings. Auntie died in 1982, she was 88 years.  She's at Inglewood Cemetery in Los Angeles.

It appears she's never lived on her own.  Even in death she's with her Mom and Dad. 

Warm Regards,