Spuhler
There's a mystery surrounding my great-grandmother Clara Manes Ballard and what happened after her husband, my great-grandfather J.T., died. Clara and J.T. were the parents of my grandpa James Ballard and his sister Juanita Ballard. All I really know about Clara is that she gave up James and Juanita in 1930 because J.T. was dead. I don't know when J.T. died for sure or even if his real name is Joseph (my grandpa said he was pretty sure it was Joseph, but not 100 percent positive).
When I look up Clara Manes on Ancestry, I always get two hits from the Kentucky Birth Index for the births of James and Juanita, because Clara Manes is listed as their mother. I also get a third hit for a baby named John Spuhler, whose mother was also named Clara Manes. I followed this trail, wondering if she was the same Clara and hoping it might give me more clues to "my" Clara's life.
Baby John Spuhler was born November 19, 1929. Sadly, he died two days later on November 21, 1929 due to premature birth. On his death certificate, John Spuhler is listed as the father and Clara Mae Manes is listed as the mother - the exact name of "my" Clara, middle name included. The death certificate also says that the father John Spuhler was born in Ohio and Clara was born in Texas.
I've never extensively searched for Clara in Texas - this is a must-do for sure. I was always so sure she was from Kentucky that I've kind of ignored the Texas thing.
Anyway, this is where I start wild speculation. When did J.T. Ballard die? If he died in early 1929, did Clara immediately get together with this John Spuhler person and get pregnant by him? Did Baby Spuhler's death have anything to do with Clara giving up James and Juanita? Maybe she was so depressed from losing the baby that she felt like she couldn't care for her other kids. And I don't think she ever married John Spuhler. I looked him up in the 1930 U.S. Census, and found him in Louisville, Kentucky - in jail! He's listed as a prisoner in the Jefferson County Jail, marital status single, born in Ohio.
I also found John Spuhler's death certificate. He died suddenly on November 5, 1948 at the age of 56 - chronic myocarditis. I even found where he's buried - Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville. He was a World War I cook in the U.S. Army.
It drives me crazy that I can find all this information about a person who MIGHT have been in a relationship with Clara, but I can't even find anything about Clara.
UPDATE 4/11/2016
I found a marriage record in the Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) between a John Spuhler and Clara M. Ballard. This appeared in the paper on August 24, 1929.
When I look up Clara Manes on Ancestry, I always get two hits from the Kentucky Birth Index for the births of James and Juanita, because Clara Manes is listed as their mother. I also get a third hit for a baby named John Spuhler, whose mother was also named Clara Manes. I followed this trail, wondering if she was the same Clara and hoping it might give me more clues to "my" Clara's life.
Baby John Spuhler was born November 19, 1929. Sadly, he died two days later on November 21, 1929 due to premature birth. On his death certificate, John Spuhler is listed as the father and Clara Mae Manes is listed as the mother - the exact name of "my" Clara, middle name included. The death certificate also says that the father John Spuhler was born in Ohio and Clara was born in Texas.
I've never extensively searched for Clara in Texas - this is a must-do for sure. I was always so sure she was from Kentucky that I've kind of ignored the Texas thing.
Anyway, this is where I start wild speculation. When did J.T. Ballard die? If he died in early 1929, did Clara immediately get together with this John Spuhler person and get pregnant by him? Did Baby Spuhler's death have anything to do with Clara giving up James and Juanita? Maybe she was so depressed from losing the baby that she felt like she couldn't care for her other kids. And I don't think she ever married John Spuhler. I looked him up in the 1930 U.S. Census, and found him in Louisville, Kentucky - in jail! He's listed as a prisoner in the Jefferson County Jail, marital status single, born in Ohio.
I also found John Spuhler's death certificate. He died suddenly on November 5, 1948 at the age of 56 - chronic myocarditis. I even found where he's buried - Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville. He was a World War I cook in the U.S. Army.
It drives me crazy that I can find all this information about a person who MIGHT have been in a relationship with Clara, but I can't even find anything about Clara.
UPDATE 4/11/2016
I found a marriage record in the Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) between a John Spuhler and Clara M. Ballard. This appeared in the paper on August 24, 1929.
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