Etta Emily Bourrett was born to William Lewis Bourrett and Martha Patience Benton, born on 16 jun 1883 in Union, McCook, South Dakota, USA. She died 29 Apr 1957 in Sioux City, Woodbury, Iowa, USA.
She was the wife of my 2nd Great Uncle Ralph Cavit Robertson son of Alexander Cowen Robertson and Elizabeth Jane Cavit He was born as a twin on 9 May 1880 in Iowa City IA and died 5 Feb 1951 in Sioux City, IA.
I was able to have several conversations with uncle Clarence over the years between 1963, when I went by train to Sioux City, and about 1982, when I took a road trip there with my family, from Oklahoma, where we lived. Ralph and all his kids were musically inclined: Elsie sang, Viola played the piano in church, Ralph played the violin, Charlie played the piano, and Clarence played the banjo or the guitar, as the occasion required. Charlie, or 'Chick', had a beautiful flowing piano style, even when he played ragtime. Grandpa Ralph learned to play the fiddle as the result of a terrible accident. When he was about ten years old, he fell into a pit as he was running - it was a burn pit, in which trash was burned regularly, and he burned the soles of his feet so badly that he was kept in bed for several months hoping his feet would heal, and regrow the skin on the bottom. Clarence told me that the skin on the bottom of his father's feet was always transparent as glass. After some weeks, someone took pity on the boy and put a fiddle in bed with him to play with. By the time he was healed, he could play it. Although he was a plasterer and concrete worker by trade, his lifetime profession was fiddler. Told to Gwen Kubberness by Ken Robertson.
They had possibly five children:
1. William E Richardson b. abt 1889 in SD is list on the census as a son maybe misspelled last name not sure but worth more research.
2. Charles Arthur Robertson b. 29 Apr 1901 Sioux City, IA d. 1 Dec 1977 Sioux City, IA.
Married Mamie Ellen Fouts she was the daughter of Dallas Bert Fouts and Eva M Knapp. Born 21 Sep 1905 in South Dakota died 10 Feb 1997 in Sioux City IA. They has 2 children Kenneth Arthur and Gale M Robertson. Mamie married a 2nd time after Charles death to a Hjalmar O Borgen they had no children.
3. Elsie Emily Robertson born 8 Aug 1903 in Sioux City, IA. Died 28 Feb 1999 in Spokane WA. She married Herman Emmett Rider on 15 Jan 1921 Woodbury County IA. They had three children.
Bonnie J, Wayne A. and Emmett Ernest Rider.
4. Clarence Robertson born 4 Apr 1908 in Lawton IA and died 9 Dec 1993 in Sioux City, IA. He married Eleanor Martha Sterling who was born 19 Oct 1908 in River, NE and died 4 Jan 1986 in Sioux City IA. They had a son. Paul Allen Robertson born 12 May 1931 and died 26 Sep 2002.
5. Viola Martha Robertson born 1914, died 1986
If any other family members can help fill in the blanks or missing links I would greatly appreciate the help.
She was the wife of my 2nd Great Uncle Ralph Cavit Robertson son of Alexander Cowen Robertson and Elizabeth Jane Cavit He was born as a twin on 9 May 1880 in Iowa City IA and died 5 Feb 1951 in Sioux City, IA.
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| Etta as a baby with her Mother Martha Patience Benton-Bourrett |
I was able to have several conversations with uncle Clarence over the years between 1963, when I went by train to Sioux City, and about 1982, when I took a road trip there with my family, from Oklahoma, where we lived. Ralph and all his kids were musically inclined: Elsie sang, Viola played the piano in church, Ralph played the violin, Charlie played the piano, and Clarence played the banjo or the guitar, as the occasion required. Charlie, or 'Chick', had a beautiful flowing piano style, even when he played ragtime. Grandpa Ralph learned to play the fiddle as the result of a terrible accident. When he was about ten years old, he fell into a pit as he was running - it was a burn pit, in which trash was burned regularly, and he burned the soles of his feet so badly that he was kept in bed for several months hoping his feet would heal, and regrow the skin on the bottom. Clarence told me that the skin on the bottom of his father's feet was always transparent as glass. After some weeks, someone took pity on the boy and put a fiddle in bed with him to play with. By the time he was healed, he could play it. Although he was a plasterer and concrete worker by trade, his lifetime profession was fiddler. Told to Gwen Kubberness by Ken Robertson.
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| Ralph Robertson with his fiddle 1945 |
They had possibly five children:
1. William E Richardson b. abt 1889 in SD is list on the census as a son maybe misspelled last name not sure but worth more research.
2. Charles Arthur Robertson b. 29 Apr 1901 Sioux City, IA d. 1 Dec 1977 Sioux City, IA.
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| Mamie Ellen Fouts |
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| Charles Arthur Robertson |
3. Elsie Emily Robertson born 8 Aug 1903 in Sioux City, IA. Died 28 Feb 1999 in Spokane WA. She married Herman Emmett Rider on 15 Jan 1921 Woodbury County IA. They had three children.
Bonnie J, Wayne A. and Emmett Ernest Rider.
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| Elsie Emily Robertson & Herman Emmett Rider |
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| Paul Allen Robertson |
If any other family members can help fill in the blanks or missing links I would greatly appreciate the help.
You have information wrong about Elsie RIder. There were nine children; Evelyn, Bonnie, Ruth, Ralph, Wayne, Emmett, Dorothy, Carol, Arlene, I am not sure of the order who was the oldest etc. Then the death date and location are also not correct. She died in May of 1990 in Clarkston WA. Here is the obituary I was able to pull up: http://lmtribune.com/.../article_005affdb-6f0a-53f9-b946...
ReplyDeleteElsie Emily Robertson-Rider..I will do more research and see and I do thank you so very much for you help and letting me know.
ReplyDeleteGwen