Tag Archives: Warren Hoskins

Sepia Saturday: An Uncle I Never Knew – The Salvation Army offers assistance

Posted on by
9

The month of January and a health emergency declared in the northwestern U. S. because of a measles outbreak had me thinking about an uncle I never knew.

This is a continuing series about my uncle Wilbur Thomas Hoskins, who died at five years of age due to complications following measles. You can catch up here:
A Tow-Headed Boy
Measles
Who was with the family?
Funeral Record

Wilbur (standing), Eveline, and Albert Hoskins

In the funeral record kept by my grandmother, she documented that the clergy who conducted the funeral service for Wilbur was a Salvation Army captain. I contacted The Salvation Army Central Territory Historical Museum to ask a few questions about what the funeral might have been like. Just as promised, I received a helpful email this past Monday from Major Gloria Stepke, Historical Museum Aide. I will quote her email and add some comments.

“It is most interesting to try and understand what a child’s funeral would have been like in 1930.  The English speaking officers in Rockford during the time in question were Ernest and Annie Millman.  The Millman’s had a teenage daughter and son.  I have tried to recreate this sad and difficult time that your Grandparents went through.  When their son died perhaps a nurse or doctor thought that they needed some assistance in what to do next.  Perhaps that is how they got connected with The Salvation Army.  They had not been in Rockford very long to have found a church(home).  In those days some churches would not do a funeral service for someone who was not a part of that congregation.  During the Depression a lot of people would not have the money for a funeral home service or to buy a burial plot.  Sometimes people donate grave plots to The Salvation Army and they are used for the purpose of burying people who cannot afford a grave plot.” 

I think her suggestions ring true – especially that a doctor or nurse may have referred them to The Salvation Army. And, although I found a receipt for a casket, embalming, and hearse, as well as medical bills, I did not find a receipt for a cemetery plot. If my grandparents were offered a burial plot, I know it would have been very helpful to them and much appreciated.

I haven’t been able to find any photos of the Millman family, but I found them in the Rockford city directory and census records. Ernest and Annie were both immigrants from England and I can imagine my grandmother feeling a connection to them because both of her parents had also immigrated from England. The Millman’s older child, the teenage daughter Olive, is listed in the 1930 census as doing clerical work for The Salvation Army. This leads me to wonder if she might also have attended the funeral to assist, or as a “Lassie” – but that is purely imaginative wondering.

“Now about the funeral service in the home on South Church Street.  I would assume that this was your Grandparents home.  In the early days the deceased person was laid out in a casket/wooden box that was set in the Parlor/living room.  Family members would view the deceased loved one there.  The funeral was held there as well.”

“I am not sure what your religious affiliation is but The Salvation Army does not use a liturgical form of service.  The Salvation Army Officer could have read from the Gospel of Mark, chapter 10, verses 13-16, these words,

“People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant.  He said to them, “let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  And he  took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.”  

If your Grandparents did not profess ‘Faith in Christ’ the officer might have challenged them to read the Bible and find a church to worship in.  He would have also invited them to The Salvation Army the following Sunday and given them the time for the service.  I am sure they would want to be with their son (again) some day.” (My grandparents had an affiliation with a church in their home town, so they would have professed their faith.)

There may have been one or two women to sing during the service, perhaps with accordion or guitar.  The two songs that might have been used are, “In the sweet by and by”  and  “Safe in  the arms of Jesus” 

You can find several versions of “In the Sweet by and by” online, but I chose this one with just the few female voices and simple instrumentation because it seems most like how I imagine The Salvation Army Lassies might have sung – although without the Southern accent.

Major Stepke was kind enough to include the lyrics to both hymns in her email:
Safe in the Arms of Jesus
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on his gentle breast
There by his love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Hark! tis the voice of angels
Borne in a song to me
Over the fields of glory,
Over the jasper sea.
Chorus
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe on his gentle breast,
There, by his love o’ershaded,
Sweetly my soul shall rest.
Safe in the arms of Jesus,
Safe from corroding care,
Safe from the world’s temptations,
Sin cannot harm me there.
Free from the blight of sorrow,
Free from my doubts and fears;
Only a few more trials,
Only a few more tears.

At the grave side The Salvation Army officer would conduct the ‘committal’ service’.  The singers might sing again.  The officer would say, “As it has pleased Almighty God of His great mercy to take unto Himself the soul of this young boy, we therefore commit his body to the grave (some earth can be thrown on the coffin while this is being said) earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our body, that it may be like unto His glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself.” 

There are no photographs to document the funeral in the home or the presence of Ernest or
Annie Millman or The Salvation Army Lassies. Wilbur was buried at Willwood Cemetery in Rockford, Il. His burial location in Division K Tier 1 Space 1. A few photographs were taken at the graveside.

In the previous post, I noted that there were probably three floral arrangements given in tribute to Wilbur. These three seem to be placed at the the head, foot, and center of Wilbur’s grave.

In the background, a car is visible that may have been the hearse – at a cost of $9.00.

My grandfather, Tom Hoskins, kneeling at his son Wilbur’s grave. The center floral arrangement is without the flags in this photo.

Tom at Wilbur’s grave

Another view of the gravesite, this time with my grandfather and his brother and sister.

Tom Hoskins, Ethel Hoskins Bland, Warren Hoskins

One last photo from the burial. Unfortunately, part of my grandfather’s head was cut off.

My grandmother does not appear in any of the photographs. She may have preferred not to have her picture taken. She, or her sister Marjorie, may have taken the photographs.

No headstone was placed to mark Wilbur’s grave. I contacted the cemetery several years ago and got the plot location and the cost of placing a marker. I’ve wondered if this is something other family members would want to contribute to in memory of Wilbur and my grandparents.

I am grateful for the assistance my grandparents received from The Salvation Army in their time of need – and for the assistance I received from the helpful museum staff.

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday. Please visit other participants and see what they have cooked up in response to the prompt photo.

Sepia Saturday 459 : 2 March 2019

Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, sign up to the link, try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and have fun.

 

Sepia Saturday: An Uncle I Never Knew – Funeral Record

Posted on by
11

The month of January and a health emergency declared in the northwestern U. S. because of a measles outbreak had me thinking about an uncle I never knew.

This is a continuing series about my uncle Wilbur Thomas Hoskins, who died at five years of age due to complications following measles. You can catch up here:
A Tow-Headed Boy
Measles
Who was with the family?

On Monday, January 20, 1930, Tom Hoskins made a payment toward the funeral expenses for his young son, Wilbur. The $78 bill included embalming, a casket, and hearse. Tom paid $42, leaving a balance of $36.

The funeral service was held the same day at the residence of Tom, Eveline, and Wilbur at 406 S. Church St. in Rockford, Illinois. The only information about the funeral is found in a Memorial Record book provided to the family.

My grandmother used a pencil to add information to the record.

Name    Wilbur Thomas Hoskins
Born      April 3, 1924
Mystic, Iowa
Passed Away  Jan 18-1930
Rockford, Illinois
Age      5 Years   9 Months    15 Days

I do not know who Harry Cobble was. Perhaps the family was living in a boarding house, or rented rooms from Harry Cobble.

Services
At    Harry Cobble
       406 S. Church St.
Officiating Clergy
      Salvation Army Captain
Music
     S. Army Lassies
By

Cemetery
     Wilwood

The rest of the Funeral Record is blank.

  

My grandmother did not record any “floral tributes,” but there are a couple of cards that look like they might have come with flowers.

Parents of Tom Hoskins

Tom and Eveline Hoskins

Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Hitchcock Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hitchcock

I don’t know who the Hitchcocks are, but I found entries that seem to match in the 1930 Rockford city directory.

Although the funeral record does not list attendees, I can assume that those present were Tom’s sister Ethel and her husband Mark Bland; Eveline’s sister Marjorie Coates; and Tom’s brother Warren Hoskins. Perhaps the Hitchcocks were there. If my grandparents rented a room from Harry Cobble, maybe he was also in attendance.

Albert Hoskins

Eveline was in the first trimester of pregnancy with my mother, who would be born the first week of July. Missing from the family group was Tom’s and Eveline’s other son, Albert, who had remained in Mystic, Iowa with his grandparents and had not come with his parents to Rockford.

It is especially heartbreaking to realize that my grandparents buried Wilbur on the day of younger son Albert’s fourth birthday. How they must have longed to hold both boys in their arms that day.

Grandma noted in the funeral record that the Salvation Army Captain was the officiating clergy and the Salvation Army Lassies provided music. I wanted to know more about what the funeral service might have been like and found The Salvation Army Central Territory Historical Museum. We have been in contact through email and I was told to expect an answer to my questions on Monday.

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday. Please visit others who have responded to the prompt this week.

Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, sign up to the link, try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and have fun.

Sepia Saturday: An Uncle I Never Knew – Who was with the family?

Posted on by
4

The month of January and a health emergency declared in the northwestern U. S. because of a measles outbreak had me thinking about an uncle I never knew.

This is a continuing series about my uncle Wilbur Thomas Hoskins, who died in 1930 at five years of age due to complications following measles. You can catch up here:
An Uncle I Never Knew – A Tow-Headed Boy
An Uncle I Never Knew – Measles

I thought I had this post almost finished, but I’m starting over. I reread some things and did a little more research and hope I’ll be able to pull something together. I’m also dealing with a brain that doesn’t like screens post surgery and that has REALLY slowed me down!

Yesterday I spent time trying to place my grandparents and their siblings during the time of Uncle Wilbur’s illness and death. Wilbur’s parents (my grandparents, Tom and Eveline Hoskins) and their siblings were raised in Mystic, Iowa. Most of the men were coal miners. Mining was not always steady work and the Great Depression made matters worse. A few left Mystic for work in Rockford, Illinois. At first, I thought only my grandfather and his brother Warren were in Rockford, but I was wrong. It looks like their sister Ethel may have been the first of the group to settle in Rockford. Ethel and her husband, Mark Bland, make an appearance in the 1927 Rockford city directory along with several members of Mark’s extended family.

1927 Rockford city directory

I’m a little confused by the 1928 city directory. I’m not sure if the Ethel listed as a cashier living at a different address from Mark Bland is our Ethel or someone else.

In the 1929 city directory, Ethel and Mark, Tom, and Warren are living at 831 Kishwaukee in Rockford and the extended Bland family is consolidated on Kishwaukee Street.

I suspect one other member of Tom’s and Eveline’s extended family was in Rockford when Wilbur died. I found Eveline’s sister Marjorie Coates in the 1930 census in Rockford, although I have not found her in the city directories. A letter from their sister Blanche also places Marjorie in Rockford.

It’s been comforting to know that Margie has been with you doing the little acts of kindness that I would have been glad to do; you have always been so good to me. An I know you realize how hard it is for me to get out with four little ones and the weather staying 26 below.

I started trying to piece this together while thinking about the funeral for little Wilbur and wondering who was there. The information recorded in the Funeral Record book is sparse. It does not include the names of those present, or even the date of the funeral. I guess Grandma did the best she could under the circumstances.

I was able to determine the date of the funeral from two sources. The first is a newspaper clipping that is a mixed bag of correct and incorrect information.

First name correct. Middle and last name incorrect.
Age correct.
Parent’s first name correct. Last name incorrect.
Address correct.
Day of death matches death certificate; time does not.
Location of death correct.
Cause of death pneumonia – does not match death certificate.
Day of funeral – Monday

The second is the letter mentioned above from Blanche Coates. The letter is dated January 23rd and confirms that the funeral was held on Monday, January 20th.

If we had only know you were not taking the little fellow home we could have been there Monday, By driving as far as Elgin in the car then taking the bus. But we did not know and Im very, very sorry.

Blanche Coates and her husband Miles Bankson were living in Wheeling, Illinois when Wilbur died. She assumed her sister’s family would take Wilbur back to Mystic for burial and realized too late that they could have made it to the funeral.

My guess is that my that my grandmother Eveline and little Wilbur may have only been in Rockford for a few weeks when he became ill. Ethel and her husband Mark had been in Rockford a couple of years and Marjorie may have left for Rockford sometime in 1929 – or maybe came with Eveline and Wilbur. Most of the extended family remained in Mystic. Google maps gives the distance from Mystic to Rockford as a little over 300 miles and a trip of five hours by car today. Who knows how long the trip took in 1930?

It is comforting to know that there was at least some family with my grandparents during Wilbur’s illness and immediately following his death.

Ethel Hoskins and Mark Bland

Warren Hoskins

Marjorie Coates

This is about all my surgery-rattled brain can put together this week and is my contribution to Sepia Saturday.

Sepia Saturday provides bloggers with an opportunity to share their history through the medium of photographs. Historical photographs of any age or kind become the launchpad for explorations of family history, local history and social history in fact or fiction, poetry or prose, words or further images. If you want to play along, sign up to the link, try to visit as many of the other participants as possible, and have fun.

Please visit other participants at Sepia Saturday.