Mildred Angeline Couch Culbertson 1889-1970

 

A note with the black apron reads, “APRON Made by Aunt Mildreds Aunt – about 1865 100 yrs.” My family search identifies Carrie S Couch, Mildred’s mother’s sister. Carrie would have been about 11 years old when the black apron was machine stitched. Advertisements for family sewing machines appear in the Journal of Emery’s Agriculture dated January, 1858, published in Chicago. The advertisement touts the family use as demonstrated at the Chicago and Illinois State fairs. Chicago is just a train ride from Kankakee to Chicago. Centralia, 1858 state fair, is located on the Illinois Central Railroad line south. Which fair did they attend? Did they attend a later fair? Or did the family just read about this new family sewing machine? My family stories are missing. At this time, I have no diaries to put flesh on the bones. As talented, artistic and creative as the family was, I have no doubt that they owned one of the new family sewing machines. Their first machine would have been in the mid 1860s. Their next machine or attachment would have been in the mid 1870s when the zigzag stitch was added.

The note reads, “Aunt Mildred’s Baptism Dress.” Mildred Angeline Couch was the youngest daughter of Eugene Deloss Couch, 1851-1925, and Laura Eleanor Armstrong, 1857-1931. Mildred’s birth date is 4 July 1889. She would have been baptized in the Methodist church. In 2016, Jane Thursby and I searched in Seneca and Marseilles for church records. The staff was very helpful; the records were missing for the early years. At the time of her childhood, the church was within walking distance of their home. From personal experience of knowing the family this verse comes to mind, Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he [she] should go; when he [she] is old, he [she] will not depart from it.” As I know nothing about vintage fabrics, I am not able to identify the type of fabric or trim. The dress is machine stitched with beautiful trim on the collar, cuffs and hem. Mildred was the youngest daughter. Did her older siblings wear the same dress or did they each have a unique dress of their own?

Wrapped separately, yet included with Mildred’s possessions, the above aprons and dress, were six tea towels. Mildred may have made these as a young lady and decided they were too

pretty to use. A search for vintage tea towels revealed many different sizes and different kitchen uses. The “It’s the berries” and “Banana split” measure 32” by 36” and are made from a soft fabric. The other four measure 21” by 37” and are made from the same fabric.

 The provenance of all the above items is Mildred Couch Culbertson, 1899-1970, Eleanor Schuler Boldt, 1910-1995, Selma Kampe Blackmon, current owner of these items.

 Mildred’s relationship to me: grandaunt.

 My remembrances of Aunt Mildred include:

she lived in Lockport

she had an apartment above my grandparents

she worked industriously making custom draperies

she had a bright sewing room with windows on two sides

she entertained me, in the early 1950s, in her living room by playing her guitar and singing gospel songs

she exemplified Psalm 139:1-18

 My Roots_Digger tree is on MyHeritage.com and Ancestry.com or email sbgenealogy@gmail.com

Carrie S. Couch, 1856-1927, from photographer to inventor

 

Carrie S. Couch, Sarah Caroline Couch, or Sarah C. Couch, her life is full of conflicting information. Was she born in Rome, Oneida County, New York, or Rochester, Monroe County, New York? Carrie’s death certificate and obituary agree on a birth date of 2 October 1856. The obituary reads Rochester and her death certificate reads Rome. As the family arrived in LaSalle County, Illinois, in approximately January 1857, she was a very young baby.

 1860 – Brookfield Township, LaSalle County, Illinois, U.S. Federal Census

1870 – unable to find her as of this article

1880 – unable to find her as of this article

1896 – Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, city directory lists Elisha T Couch, farmer, Carrie A, photographer, George H Couch, farmer, all reside at 230 Locust Street

1898 – Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, city directory lists Jane A. Couch (widow of Elisha T) resides at 230 Locust, George H. Couch boards at 230 Locust,  Carrie S. Couch retoucher for C E Voss  boards at 230 Locust,

1900 – Crotty [Seneca], LaSalle County, Illinois, daughter of Jane A., occupation photographer. Also, in the home is George, son of Jane A. U.S. Federal Census

1904 - Kankakee, Kankakee County, Illinois, city directory, Carrie S Couch, retoucher, boards  192 Rosewood Ave

1906 – Marseilles Plaindealer, 20 April, page 2, newspaper notice of mother [Jane] ill and returned home to Seneca after living with her daughter [Carrie] in Kankakee

1910 – Crotty [Seneca], LaSalle County, Illinois, Main Street, Carrie and George living together (sister and brother), Carrie, own income [no occupation given] U.S. Federal Census

1912 - Bumble Bee newspaper, quoted from TheStory of Seneca, Illinois, page 4-15 “In 1912, Couch’s touted their new art studio with ‘fine photographs and reasonable prices’ opposite the post office in Seneca.”

1917 – U.S. patient for flour sifter   

1920 – Crotty [Seneca], LaSalle County, Illinois, Carrie and George living together (sister and brother), Carrie occupation photographer, U.S. Federal Census    

1927 – Republican-Times, Ottawa, Illinois, 5 July 1927, obituary. Carrie went to the hospital in Joliet for surgery on 19 June. She was doing well, yet passed away 4 July 1927.

 Couch family photos have been printed on card stock from C. E. Voss. Carrie apprenticed and worked for Charles E Voss. Mr. Voss was a well known Kankakee photographer. His studio was located downtown next to the train station, great access for tourist traffic. The studio location would be within walking distance of Carrie’s home. My research trip to Kankakee many years ago did not produce success with finding further information on Mr. Voss. 

MaureenTaylor, The Photo Detective, thank you!!! Without your encouragement, I would never have attempted to follow Carrie all these years. We met years ago at a national conference. Your comment stuck with me for years; “the faces and the hands do not match.” You explained that the faces appeared the appropriate age, but the hands were way too young. This blog introduces my attempt to explain the photographer and the photograph. Would Carrie, age about 20, be working for Mr. Voss as early as the late 1870s in Kankakee? The photo in question is labeled Grandma and Grandpa Dunaham [Dunham]. These people would be Carrie’s grandparents. This photograph of grandma and grandpa deserves a blog of its own.

What is Carrie S Couch's relationship to me? Carrie is my great-grandaunt. She is the daughter of Jane A. Dunham, 1823-1906, and Elisha T. Couch, 1820-1896.

DUNHAM and COUCH in the Kankakee, IL city directories circa 1900

1896	DUNHAM, Nathan A - woodworker, 371 Indiana Ave
	COUCH, Elisha T - farmer, 230 Locust, also same address Carrie A. & George H.
The city directory has no publisher and no page numbers. The directory pages were scanned at the Kankakee Public Library in August 2016.
1898-99	DUNHAM, Nathan A - David Bradley Mfg Co, res 371 Indiana Ave, pg 63
	DUNHAM, Charles - painter, res 392 Rosewood Ave, pg 179
	COUCH, Jane - wid of Elisha T, res 230 Locust, pg 55
	COUCH, George H. bds 230 Locust, pg 55
	COUCH, Carrie S. retoucher CE Voss, bds 230 Locust, pg 55
"Smith's Directory of Kankakee 1898-1899," no front page, Kankakee, Illinois Public Library, viewed and copied 2 September 2010 by Selma Blackmon.
1902	DUNHAM, N.A. - carpenter, 198 Dearborn Ave, pg 81
Kankakee City Directory, Dunlap & Livingston printers, Kankakee Public Library
1904	DUNHAM, Nathan A, mach F & W, h 200 Harrison Ave, pg 89
	COUCH, Carrie S, retoucher, bds 192 Rosewood Ave, pg 77
"Directory of City of Kankakee, Illinois, Illinois Eastern Hospital and Bradley Illinois also Kankakee County Illinois for 1904." Kankakee: compiled by Frank O. Chapman, printers Republican Co. Kankakee Public Library. Scanned August 2016 by Selma Blackmon.
1911	DUNHAM, Florence Mrs, dressmkr, r 157 Hickory, pg 167
"Samson's Kankakee, Illinois City Directory and Kankakee County Directory 1911." Bloomington: Chas. M. Samsom. scanned at the Kankakee Public Library August 2016 by Selma Blackmon.

Nathan A or Nathaniel A DUNHAM married Florence SNYDER. According to census records, they later divorced. For my research see Roots_Digger family tree on Ancestry.com.

                                                                                                                                                               

During my research trip in August 2016, the Kankakee City Directories and the map was scanned at the Kankakee Public Library, 201 E. Merchant St, Kankakee, Illinois 60901. The addresses were plotted on the 1900 map "Standard Atlas of Kankakee County Illinois..." Chicago: compiled and published by George A Ogle. 1899. Today, these are empty lots just north of the original court house. Carrie Couch worked for Mr. Voss. Charles E. Voss, photographer lived and worked in the same area.

Questions: Charles and Nathan (Nathaniel) DUNHAM are they connected? With COUCH and DUNHAM living so close, is there any connection?

National Geographic Maps type in Kankakee, Illinois for a free view of the town.

http://www.natgeomaps.com/trail-maps/pdf-quads#internalmap