Helen Foster Bagnall - update

Thanks to Patricia and Jeff we now have more information on the life of Helen Foster Bagnall. Helen was born in Illinois in October 1891 and worked for some time as a secretary. In 1916 she married Otto Drensky but was widowed just two years later during the ‘flu pandemic of 1918. Deaths from Spanish ‘flu peaked in October 1918 the month in which Otto died.

Mortality Rates during 'Flu Pandemic of 1918-19

Reeve 003143 Chart: Sanitation. Influenza pandemic. Mortality in America

and Europe 1918 and 1919. 08/20/1919. [Diseases.] World War 1

Ten years after Otto’s death Helen married John (Jack) Henry Weisner.  Jack worked as a Machinist despite having a ‘Crippled Arm’ (his description of his disability on his WW1 Draft Card).  Sadly Jack died the week before Christmas in 1933 due to complications arising from an acute appendicitis. Just a few months earlier, in February 1933, Jack along with another more prolific inventor had filed a design with the US Patent Office for a Track Rail for Monorail systems. 

Detail of submitted Patent application

The patent was granted on 1 May 1934 five and a half months after Jack Weisner’s untimely death. Jack’s co-inventor was to be Helen’s third husband; Earl T Bennington. 

Susannah Bagnall 1891 - 1961

This is the beginning of my research into Susannah, I hope eventually that we will find some of her grandchildren still living in the County Durham area.


A quick online search shows that Susannah married John Sutherland in 1914 in the Houghton-le-Spring Registration District (of course this still needs to be verified). They appear to have had at least five children:
Marion born 1915
Susan born 1918
Madge born 1920
John born 1923
Annie born 1926


I've found marriages for a:
Marion Sutherland to Ralph H Irvin in 1935 (and the birth of a Marion Irvin in 1936)
Madge Sutherland to George Reavley in 1940
and Annie Sutherland to William C Beeley in 1944


As yet I have no proof that these are the right marriages but they were in the right area of County Durham and seem to fit quite well.


Susannah died on the 7th August 1961 and was cremated in Sunderland; the following is the entry in the Book of Remembrance held at the Crematorium:

Press cuttings relating to 'Old' Thomas Higginson

Family trouble? Another letter from Anna Mack to young Thomas Higginson

Unfortunately my scanner is not working at the moment so the transcription below is not backed up by the original letter - I hope to rectify this over the next few days.


Anna's letter is quite difficult to read as not only was it written in pencil but there is almost a complete lack of punctuation, however I have done my best. Now is just needs interpreting!

                                                                                                                           April 6 – 21

                                                                                                                            Write soon

Dear Friend Tomy

                            Received your long look for letter. Well Tomy everything looks good just waiting for the well to come in. Art will have all he wants and you sure will come as soon as he got his hands on that money. It best that you would be here if A. don’t intend to go back to Cleveland and I don’t think he will. Tomy A. will buy ranch & all will live on it he said you could learn to farm & we get a machine

Make some good trips around the country you sure would enjoy it. Well Tomy I haven’t heard from the bunch or rather A he had letter from herself saying she would come out here he wrote back to stay where she belong they didn’t go to court as she wrote as he told her to go ahead Well Tomy A is anxious to make as he has give away all he has made now everything he has will be Art you know susin was married Art wrote me that he has his eye on white large house & 40 acres if there is oil in that well he will buy it. That will be good size farm Poor Art is out there for --- waiting for something to turn up Tomy the oil business is very slow until you get your first start they have been trying to get oil for years here  for 3 years and no oil yet times are so bad Tomy men walking the street begging for work I will sell this place the first chance & if Arthur has luck to buy the house I will buy the machine with the money I get out of this so we can all have one round of pleasures Art said that the first trip will be to Yellowstone Park you Mrs Hig & girls

I know Mrs Hig will enjoy it Tomy we are as anxious as you to have you all out A tell me everytime he comes what work we all can do on the farm of all cows and milking well when you come we can tell better Tomy we had it hard this winter if it was for some I had & I will tell you when you come my sister has been very good to me you know Art had – money and didn’t do anything here he had been sending it all out there but he is looking out for hiself now he has learned a lesson after all the money he gave them when he missed 2 months they threatened to bring him to court

Tomy I will tell you something that intended to keep to myself but you going  to come out it best you and Mrs Hig was on your guard when Jay Roane came to my place he told me Arthur had wrote you a letter telling you how he wanted you & your family out here so Art forgot to mail it so May opened it and read it here is what she said if he ever tries to come out here again I will write his wife and what I will tell her meaning ---I guess it was about --- Arthur friend she did know Mrs Hig knew about A. why I am writing this to show you it best you don’t let them know a she may try to come out here Tomy tell me if they wrote or said anything about Anna it best she knew as old Jay Roane may be doing his --- work again well there is one thing about it if they start again on Anna Art will never see her again as they have done so much & she left her place and people not to cause them any worry as Jay Roane and the bunch made it very unpleasant for her so far as going to the Landlord about her but was sadly disappointed as they recommended her an angel that made them mad & --- sent filly (filthy??) postcard on the back all about Art but did not mention his last name now Tomy you warn your brother until you are out then you don’t care I myself think it was George who opened the letter & gave his mother it. They don’t know your mother died did they send any presents they still think her living Well Tomy Art know she said all this I don’t think he could care for me telling you Tomy I know you think it mighty slow waiting to come out here that way we felt about the well I sit here week after week & month every day expecting every day something to turn out to success so you all will be here it best you were with Art. Tomy I hope the next letter bring good news it late & I am about to fall asleep writing hope all are well & hope it will be but short time until I see you when we know for sure that you are coming I will send some money for Mrs Hig to buy me some table linen as it much cheaper there I will write & describe it

Well Tomy it late

Saying goodnight

Anna

Box 813

Quanah

                                                                                                                                      

Updates by family members

Wow! Today has been very fruitful. I apologise to Jeff for blocking the blog and I'm grateful he got in touch as both he and Jane have added information to the Bagnall genealogy today.


Thanks to Jane Rylett we now know that Art and Mary Boyd were married in Cook County, Illinois on the 20th of October 1888.


Thanks to Jeff Brubaker we now know that, according to Jeff's grandmother, the 1906 visit back to the UK by Art and his young family was to get the children baptised.


Many thanks to them both. Jane and Jeff, if either of you (or the other few readers of this blog who are related to the Bagnalls and/or Higginsons) would like to post to the blog please contact me and I will add your names to the list of blog authors.