On this date in 1915, my great grandfather George William Schenk died. He was survived by my 37-year-old great grandmother Mary and four children: his daughter Georgiana Frances, age 141; son Christopher, age 12; daughter Irene, age 9; and daughter Evelyn, age 5. He was preceded in death earlier that year by his daughter Valentine Dora, who was not quite 14 months old at the time of her death.
Several years ago while reading through an autograph book that belonged to my grandmother, I realized that the second page was signed by her father George. I was thrilled to see the little note he had written her. One of those beautiful personal treasures a family historian loves to find.
As I read the note a second time, I wondered why his handwriting seemed a bit shaky – like that of an elderly man. I knew he was in his late thirties when he died so it didn’t make sense.
And then I saw the date of the note – October 25, 1915.
My heart sank as I came to the realization that it had been written just six days prior to his death.
I pulled out George’s death certificate and was reminded that he died of tuberculosis of the lungs and had been sick for two years prior to his death. And it occurred to me that he might have known the end was near when he signed his daughter’s autograph book.
Suddenly, the “little note” took on a whole new meaning.
Transcription:
Marysville, Montana | October 25, 1915
Dear Daughter Georgie:
First in your album, I sign my name; because I am your Father. First in my heart, put all your love; because you are my Daughter.
Your loving Father, George Schenk
Years later, my grandmother wrote these words in her journal2.
I realize the sense of security that only a Father can give a little girl.
There are no words when the little pieces come together to tell a touching story.
NOTES
- Georgiana Frances was my grandmother. I suspect she was named after her father and he called her “Georgie”. ↩
- My daughter-in-law gets the credit for locating this little gem in my grandmother’s journal. She had it blown up and framed and then gave it to me as a gift several years ago. It would be several more years before I discovered the autograph album and the note written by my great grandfather. I think they call this genealogy serendipity. ↩
As stated in a previous blog post, there is some discrepancy about her birth date due to the fact that the 1900 U.S. Census record has her born in 1864, the Irish birth record states 1865, and her marriage record in Butte, Montana states 1877.
