A Mother's Anguish

Reeve Cemetery, Reeve, Barron County, WI

Charlotte Mae “Lottie” Huntsinger Newville and her husband, Asa Newville, had 18 children; only six survived.

My great-grandmother was a Huntsinger, and Charlotte is my second cousin two times removed:  a distant relationship.  However, the birth and death of her children made me curious about her.

Charlotte was born October 13, 1880, in Tenhassen, Martin County, Minnesota, to James and Catherine Huntsinger.  In 1885, she and her parents were living in Wadena, Minnesota.  Sometime between 1885 and 1900, the family moved to Estherville, Iowa.

She married Asa Newville on September 8, 1898, at her parents’ home in Estherville, Emmet County, Iowa.  Asa Newville was born August 10, 1872, in Steele County, Minnesota, to John and Myra Newville.  At the time of the marriage, Asa was from Martin County, Minnesota.  The couple settled in Estherville, Iowa.

Asa and Charlotte are listed in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census and the 1905 Iowa Census as living in Estherville, Iowa.  Before 1910, they moved to Barron County, Wisconsin.  In Wisconsin, Asa was a farmer; in Iowa he was a day laborer.  I have speculated with my husband as to why the move from northern Iowa to northwestern (almost northern) Wisconsin.  If there was to be a move, why not move to Minnesota where he already had family engaged in farming and where Charlotte had relatives in farm-rich areas.  Perhaps the land was cheaper in Barron County, Wisconsin, for someone wanting to become a farmer.  It certainly is not the flat and/or rolling farm land that one envisions in Iowa and Minnesota. 

While still in Estherville, Charlotte and Asa had the following children:

• Clara Francis Newville (2/4/1899-4/21/1977) married Henry H. Clark and had 13 children. 
• Hazel Newville (9/19/1902-6/5/1903) and Asa Charles Newville (9/19/1902-6/5/1903) are twins.  They only lived to be eight months old—both dying on the same day.  They are buried in Estherville, Iowa. 
• Another set of twins, an unnamed boy and an unnamed girl, were born on January 26, 1904.  They only lived to be five months old—both dying on the same day:  June 29, 1904.  They, too, are buried in Estherville, Iowa. 
• Archie James Newville (3/26/1905-10/8/1991) married Ellen J. Skar and had six children. 
• Nellie Maria Newville (1908-before 2007) married Jack Johnson and had at least one child. 
• Katherine Minerva Newville (1909-before 2008) married Edgar Rosen and had two children.

Of the eight children born in Iowa, only four survived.

Once in Wisconsin, Charlotte and Asa had the following children:

• Gladys Marie Newville (6/21/1911-11/1/1934) lived to be 23 years old. 
• Vernon Edwin Newville (6/2/1914-3/2/1915) lived to be only nine months old.  The time period during which Vernon lived was the time of the most devastating flu epidemic in the United States.  Vernon was probably one of those victims. 
• Jenna Edna Newville, Vernon’s twin (6/2/1914-6/23/1914), only lived 21 days.  Again, I suspect Jenna was a victim of the flu epidemic. 
• Doris Beatrice Newville (12/13/1915-12/19/1915) only lived six days.  Another flu victim? 
• A baby girl was stillborn on June 6, 1917. 
• Dorothy Ione Newville (6/19/1918-1996) married Donald Langton. 
• A baby girl was stillborn on June 6, 1917. 
• An unnamed baby girl lived only one day (1/29/1922-1/30/1922). 
•  Marjory Lorraine Newville (10/21/1924-1/26/1926) lived to be only 15 months old. 
•  Merle Maxine Newville is Marjory’s twin (10/21/1924-10/16/2008) married Emil W. Strenke and had ten children.

Of the ten children born in Wisconsin, seven died while a baby (two being stillborn), one died as a young adult, and two survived to be adults.

When I think of Charlotte, I can only imagine the despair and anguish she must have suffered as one child after another died.  It’s like the commercial on television for Ancestry.com:  We do not know how well off we are until we start looking (for our ancestors).

Charlotte and Asa  are both buried in the Reeve Cemetery.

Civil War Relatives - Part 1

On April 12, 1861—150 years ago—the Civil War started at Ft. Sumter, South Carolina.  In thinking about that fact, I thought it would be interesting to see what members in the family tree served during the Civil War.  In going through my data, I found that during 1863, men who were not currently serving in the Union military had to “register” for the Civil War draft of 1863:  for the most part, all males who were born in the 1820s-1840s.

Here is a listing of some of the members from my family that served in the Civil War.

Duerre, Henry (1830—bef. 1880)—was born in Saxony, Germany, and immigrated to the United States before the 1860s.  On September 1, 1862, Henry enlisted as a corporal for Union side serving state of Minnesota.  On September 15, 1864, he was mustered out at Ft. Snelling with “distinguished service.”

Hayward, Ebenezer (1844-1864)—served on the Union side during the Civil War and died during the battle of Spotsylvania (Virginia) on May 12, 1864.

Hendricks, Eber Augustus (1846-1921)—was a cavalryman in the Union services and was wounded in North Carolina when a musketball went through his neck.

Huntsinger, Josiah B. (    -1862)—was a member of the 8th Iowa Volunteer Infantry which was organized in Dubuque, Iowa, and left for service September 24, 1861. Josiah died on December 4, 1862, in Tennessee (presumably from war injuries) and is buried at the Mississippi River National Cemetery near Memphis, Tennessee, which is now known as the Memphis National Cemetery.

Keener, Daniel (1820-1877)—Daniel enlisted on July 18, 1962, in Elmira, New York.  He was promoted to full corporal on June 30, 1963, and mustered out on June 5, 1965, Washington, D.C.

Keeney, Adlebert (1841-    )—was a member of the 11th N.Y. Cavalry Regiment which left the state on May 2, 1862, and mustered out on September 30, 1865.  Adlebert died from the injuries received during the War.

Keeney, Saleman (1845-1866)—Saleman is Adlebert’s brother and also served in the 11th N.Y. Cavalry Regiment.  As Saleman’s death was in 1866, right after the 11th N.Y. Cavalry Regiment was mustered out, one has to wonder if he, like his brother, also died from war injuries.

Metselder, George (1823-1896)—was born in Holland and immigrated to the United States before the 1860s. On January 5, 1862, George enlisted as a private in the 5th Regiment, Co. G, Minnesota Infantry, Ft. Snelling, Minnesota.  His regiment was originally organized to fight in the Indian Wars in the Dakota Territories, but they also took part in the Civil War during the Battles of Luka and Corinth in Mississippi in October 1862 and another battle during January 1863.  Henry received a disability discharge on March 18, 1863.

Shay, Francis “Frank” (1840-1923)—was born in Bohemia (today’s Czechoslovakia) and immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1853. Frank was a member of Co. H, 1st Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.  The 1st Regiment Minnesota Volunteers was mustered into service April 29, 1861, and it was the first one tendered to President Lincoln upon his calls for troops after the attack upon Fort Sumter, April 19, 1861, and this regiment is considered to be one of the outstanding regiments of the Civil War.

Shay, Martin Michael  (1845-1924)—is the brother of Francis and was also born in Bohemia.  He served with his brother in Co. H, 1st Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.

Smith, Charles Allen (1840-1912)—enlisted on August 26, 1861, in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, as a private in Company E, 8th Wisconsin Infantry Volunteers.  On September 5, 1865, Charles was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant.  The Eighth Regiment (known as the “Old Abes” which was the name of an eagle that was carried with the regiment throughout their campaigns) was organized at Camp Randall, Madison, and its muster into the United States service completed on the 13th of September, 1861, and left for St. Louis on October 12, 1861.  They fought many battles in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

Charles Smith

Swarthout, Parfrey—served in the Civil War, presumably with a Minnesota Infantry.
Swarthout, William Harrison (1840-1926)—William enlisted as a private on August 15, 1862, in Co. C, 1st Cavalry Regiment Wisconsin; he mustered out on July 19, 1865, in Edgefield, Tennessee. The 1st Wisconsin Cavalry was organized at Ripon and Kenosha, Wisconsin. The regiment participated in the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on May 10, 1865. The regiment was mustered out at Edgefield, Tennessee on July 19, 1865.Swartout, Napoleon B. (1829-1900)—served as a private in Co. 5, 6th Regiment Minnesota Infantry Volunteers from 1862-1865.  The 6th Regiment, Minnesota Infantry was organized at Camp Release and Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on September 29 to November 20, 1862.  It mustered out on August 19, 1865, at St. Paul, Minnesota.  His regiment was originally organized to fight in the Indian Wars in the Dakota Territories, but they also took part in the Civil War during battles in Louisiana and Alabama.

Part 2 of  Civil War Relatives will look at my husband’s family and my daughter-in-law, Melissa Oliver’s, family.