| Notes |
- Joseph Henry and Cora Ellen Holden Mauck Children?s Reunion
History written by Reba Mauck Hacker on August 15, 1982
For the 1990 Joe Mauck Family Reunion
July 21 and 22 ? Roderick Farm ? Bismarck, IL
Dad was born on East Main Street, Danville, Illinois on March 25, 1873 to Vincent and Marie Eilinger Mauck. Vincent was born in Germany in 1835 and married Frances Eilinger and had 3 boys. She died and he later married her sister, Marie and they had five children. Marie was also born in Germany in 1845. Dad was baptized in St. Joseph?s Catholic Church in Danville.
Mom was bom in Batestown, Illinois on November 1, 1873. She was the daughter of Alex and Sarah Andrews Holden. Sarah was born on a steamship enroute from London to Canada on September 24, 1839 and was raised in an orphanage due to the early deaths of her parents, Vincent and Mary Andrews. Sarah?s husband Alex was born in 1823 and was a widower with small sons when he married her. Mom was always a Methodist.
They met in Batestown, and on March 16, 1895 they traveled by train to Crawfordsville, Indiana to be married in the courthouse there. They set up housekeeping in a log cabin in Batestown on top of a wooded hill. Theodore Paul (named for Teddy Roosevelt) was born there on November 28, 1895.
When Paul was still a baby, they moved to Tilton, Illinois and Dad worked in a coal mine there. Later, they moved back to Batestown where Dad operated his own coal mine. From then until the mid-1940?s, he operated 3 coal mines ?two in Batestown and one in Catlin, the Central Coal Co.
On January 1, 1898, William Ray was born. On February 18, 1900, Little Sister was born. She was premature and died before being named. On March 18, 1901, Ernest Vincent was born, named after Grandpa Mauck, Dad?s father.
On January 21, 1903, Everett Alvin was born, named after Uncle Alvin Holden. On November 27, 1904, Mabel Evelyn was born. Though Mom always wanted her first girl to be named Reba, this baby was born on Cousin Mabel Kelly?s 16th birthday. So Mabel it was, which she has never liked! The next baby, the 7th child, was born on December 14, 1906 and named Reba Ellen. The Ellen was taken from Mom?s middle name. When Inez Louise was born on June 7, 1909, both mother and baby almost died. On August 14, 1911, Wilbur Dale was born, and Gerald Edward came along on June 25, 1914.
By now we have a large house with an upstairs. On September 13, 1916, Irma Mae was born, named after Irma Lenover. In 1917, Dad built a grocery store just south of our home. It did fairly well and closed in 1921. In 1920, Mom was 46 years old and gave birth to Joseph Donald on July 10. He was named for Dad. After an even dozen children, Dad was ready to quit!
In June of 1921, Dad met with an accident in his own mine. His hand was badly smashed and blood poisoning set in and they had to amputate. He was 48 years old.
Our house now had nine rooms -four upstairs and five downstairs, four porches and a back house with a Sears and Roebuck catalog! In August 1922, we moved to 2701 N. Vermilion St. in Danville.
There were so many tragedies in our family. Paul was killed instantly in Dad?s mine in November 1913 just a week before he would have been 18 years old. Mom was two months pregnant with Gerald and it was hard on her, but fortunately Gerald was born healthy. On February 22, 1933, Everett met with an accident at the Catlin mine and passed away the next day --just 30 years old. In the early 1930's, Wilbur had an accident on his motorcycle and hurt his leg. It wouldn?t heal and osteomyelitis set in, so they put bone wax in the leg and set it in a cast for a year. Mom took care of him. When they removed the cast, fortunately he could walk.
Mom died March 31, 1958 and Dad died November 7, 1961 at the ages of 84 and 88 respectively. I remember Dad as a freehearted and friendly soul, always joking and never meeting a stranger. Mom was timid and sincere and worked so hard for her family. They were wonderful parents and did a fine job of raising their children.
|