Sunday's Obituary: Mary Elsie (LeMaster) Atkinson (1872-1942)

Commercial-Review, Portland, Indiana, June 5, 1942, page 1

MARY ATKINSON DIES SUDDENLY


Heart Attack Suffered Friday Morning Proves Fatal


Mrs. Mary Elsie Atkinson, aged 70, died suddenly Friday morning at 10:30 o'clock, from a heart attack while she was preparing for a visit with friends in Ohio.


Death occurred on the LeMaster farm, one mile west of Salamonia, where she had spent the greater part of her life.


The deceased was a daughter of L.W. and Mary K. (Chew) LeMaster, and was born in Darke county, Ohio, April 26, 1872.


On September 15, 1894, she was united in marriage to Mathias J. Atkinson, who preceded her in death, August 24, 1923.


Surviving are a foster son, Albert Franks, of Detroit, Michigan, who was reared in the home, and the following brothers and sisters; Edith, wife of Henry Meinholtz, of Colorado Springs; Maude, wife of Dr. S.W. Phillips, of David City, Nebraska; Arthur (Art) LeMaster, of Portland; and Dr. D.W. LeMaster, of Sidney, Ohio.  Four brothers and two sisters are deceased.


The body was removed to the Williamson funeral home for preparation, and where it will remain.


Funeral arrangements have not been made, awaiting information from relatives.



Sunday’s Obituary – if you have obituaries of family members and ancestors, consider posting them along with other information about that person as part of Sunday’s Obituary. This is an ongoing series developed by Leslie Ann at Ancestors Live Here.

Family Recipe Friday: Aunt Clara Ellen's Rhubarb Poke Cake

Aunt Clara Ellen (Wright) High

Another contribution from mom's kitchen:


I grow 'red' rhubarb that I originally got a start from a neighbor, John Horn, when we lived on Monroe Street.  I was always looking for different recipes that called for rhubarb.  Keep it  in the refrigerator.  It gets more moist the longer it sits.  I got this recipe from my Aunt Clara Ellen.  I was told she always liked to cook up a dessert, especially homemade ice cream when the family got together.  Makes 12 servings






    1 cup rhubarb                                                  
    1/2 cup shortening                                             
    1 1/2 cups sugar                                               
    2 eggs                                                         
    2 cups flour                                                   
    1 teaspoon baking soda                                         
    1/4 teaspoon salt                                              
    1 cup buttermilk    
                                           
    Decorating icing     
                                          
    1/2 cup brown sugar                                            
    3 tablespoons flour                                            
    1/2 cup sugar                                                  
    1 1/2 cups water                                               
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                     
    1-2 tablespoons butter                                         
    1/2 package strawberry jello                                   
    1 8.8-ounce carton cool whip        
                           
Cut rhubarb into small pieces and let stand in 1/2 cup sugar for 30-60 minutes.  Beat shortening, remaining sugar, and eggs until creamy and fluffy.   Add flour, soda, salt.   Mix well.  Mix in buttermilk.  Add rhubarb mixture and pour into a 9x13 inch pan.   Bake 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees.   Cool.   Punch  holes in top of cake.


In a saucepan combine icing ingredients of brown and white sugar, flour, water.  Cook until thick and clear.   Add vanilla, butter and jello.   Pour icing over top of cake.   Cool.


Optional:   Spread a layer of Cool Whip  on top of cake to hide holes.   


Family Recipe Friday – is an opportunity to share your family recipes with fellow bloggers and foodies alike. Whether it’s an old-fashioned recipe passed down through generations, a recipe uncovered through your family history research, or a discovered recipe that embraces your ancestral heritage share them on Family Recipe Friday. This series was suggested by Lynn Palermo of The Armchair Genealogist.

Wild About Harry

My recent genealogical activity continues to revolve around the early career of my  black sheep cousin, Harry PIERPONT (1902-1934).  I'm finding fascinating research material in newspaper accounts of the bank robberies he and his gang pulled off in east-central Indiana in the 1924-25 period.


My dad has been putting together a booklet of newspaper articles and other web sources about Harry for our next family reunion.  Already some of my cousins have expressed interest in the fact that we have a famous, albeit criminal relative.  Why doesn't anyone get as excited about the teachers, farmers and doctors in the family?


Over the weekend, I managed to obtain 42 pages of newspaper accounts of robberies while searching at the Marion Public Library.  These robberies occurred in Marion, Converse, Upland and Noblesville in the fall of 1924.  I knew the date of one robbery was November 26th, and I followed the story forward until the end of the reel, which was December 31st.  Just researching in one newspaper, the Marion Leader-Tribune, I was able to obtain the 42 pages and learn of the robberies, and by the end of 1924, the arrest of three members of Harry's gang.


I look forward to my return to the library to seek out viewpoints covered in the Marion Chronicle, as well as follow the story up through Harry's capture in March, 1925 in Detroit.


There is much blog fodder for future "Black Sheep Sunday" posts, as well as data to update Harry's Wikipedia entry.  The fascinating story of Harry goes well beyond the Dillinger connection.  Without Harry's tutelage, no one would know the name of John Dillinger today.