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| Frances Jane Kaufman; Tintype; Kaufman Album, Page 2, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. |
On April 22, 1878, she married Charles Kaufman in Palmyra, in a Methodist Episcopal ceremony.
The back of the photo has writing that is a bit difficult to interpret! A reference is made to 'Terelman'. Then there appears to be a description of the photo. Eyes-Dark Brown. Hair-Brown. Dress-Brown. Nectie- Blue. Frame-Granite.
By the mid-1880's, they were homesteading in what is today South Dakota. In addition to her 4 children (Hattie, Winifred, Walter, Lillian), there was an additional child in her household named Frank Coon! According to Mom, Frank was born out of wedlock to Jennie, although Jenny's brother sometimes claimed him as a son! Gramie had always treated it as a secret. What became apparent, though, from a Palmyra newspaper article, is that her brother Hiram's wife, Helen, died when her youngest son was 6 days old. Since this exactly correlates with Frank's birth date (March 1876), Frank must indeed have been Hiram's third child, the other 2 being Ira and Loren. Hiram must not have felt up to the task of raising 3 young boys as a widower. So, in 1880, while he was trying to homestead in Nebraska, his 2 oldest boys, Ira and Loren, were living in Palmyra with Hiram's mother and her second husband. Frank is nowhere to be seen, unless he is living with his mother's family. At least by 1893, though, he is living with Charles and Jenny, and he is the young man standing in the back of the photo below.
After her husband died in 1907, Jenny lived for 22 more years! In 1910, she was living with 15-year old daughter Lillian in the family home and owned her home free of a mortgage. She received extra money by boarding the local school teacher. In addition, Gramie remembers her as an excellent seamstress, which may have provided an additional income source. After Gramie graduated from high school, they moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where Jenny's children Winifred and Walter lived. When Gramie married Ira in 1914, Jenny came to live with them. When Ira and Gramie moved to Garden City, South Dakota, Jenny moved with them.
On May 4, 1929, age 77, Jenny died in Garden City, South Dakota. That evening, the family had company for dinner and Jenny had choked and cooked a chicken for the gathering! Mom slept with Jenny that night and went to get Gramie when Jenny requested help. Jenny was buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Armour, next to her husband Charles.
Jenny's passing was sudden and it was a shock to her neighbors. Gramie always said that her mother had had a very difficult life, but was somewhat secretive. Certainly, Jenny faced a lot of challenges! She was disliked by her mother-in-law, raised her brother's son Frank and raised a family in a sod house in the harsh South Dakota environment. Probably her biggest heartache, though, was her beloved son Walter going to prison in the late 1920's!
Gramie was very close to her mother, having lived with her until Jenny died. Mom said that Gramie 'saw' her mother shortly before Gramie passed away. Certainly, Jenny's presence persists. Sister Jane was named after Jenny and brother Mark was named after her brother Hiram Mark. Also, I still have the slate that Hiram Mark and Jenny took to school when they were kids!
Written by Dorothy Crooks, Jennie's great-granddaughter.
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| Frances Jane Coon, Wedding Day (1878); Kaufman Album, Page 4, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. |
By the mid-1880's, they were homesteading in what is today South Dakota. In addition to her 4 children (Hattie, Winifred, Walter, Lillian), there was an additional child in her household named Frank Coon! According to Mom, Frank was born out of wedlock to Jennie, although Jenny's brother sometimes claimed him as a son! Gramie had always treated it as a secret. What became apparent, though, from a Palmyra newspaper article, is that her brother Hiram's wife, Helen, died when her youngest son was 6 days old. Since this exactly correlates with Frank's birth date (March 1876), Frank must indeed have been Hiram's third child, the other 2 being Ira and Loren. Hiram must not have felt up to the task of raising 3 young boys as a widower. So, in 1880, while he was trying to homestead in Nebraska, his 2 oldest boys, Ira and Loren, were living in Palmyra with Hiram's mother and her second husband. Frank is nowhere to be seen, unless he is living with his mother's family. At least by 1893, though, he is living with Charles and Jenny, and he is the young man standing in the back of the photo below.
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| Charles W. W. and Frances Jane Kaufman and Family; About 1893-1894. Picture from Lillian Carroll, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. Back:Hattie Kaufman, Frank Coon. Front: Walter Kaufman, Winifred Kaufman. NOTE: Lillian Kaufman is not yet born. |
After her husband died in 1907, Jenny lived for 22 more years! In 1910, she was living with 15-year old daughter Lillian in the family home and owned her home free of a mortgage. She received extra money by boarding the local school teacher. In addition, Gramie remembers her as an excellent seamstress, which may have provided an additional income source. After Gramie graduated from high school, they moved to Sioux City, Iowa, where Jenny's children Winifred and Walter lived. When Gramie married Ira in 1914, Jenny came to live with them. When Ira and Gramie moved to Garden City, South Dakota, Jenny moved with them.
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| Frances Jane Coon Kaufman; picture from Lillian Kaufman Carroll, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. |
On May 4, 1929, age 77, Jenny died in Garden City, South Dakota. That evening, the family had company for dinner and Jenny had choked and cooked a chicken for the gathering! Mom slept with Jenny that night and went to get Gramie when Jenny requested help. Jenny was buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Armour, next to her husband Charles.
Jenny's passing was sudden and it was a shock to her neighbors. Gramie always said that her mother had had a very difficult life, but was somewhat secretive. Certainly, Jenny faced a lot of challenges! She was disliked by her mother-in-law, raised her brother's son Frank and raised a family in a sod house in the harsh South Dakota environment. Probably her biggest heartache, though, was her beloved son Walter going to prison in the late 1920's!
Gramie was very close to her mother, having lived with her until Jenny died. Mom said that Gramie 'saw' her mother shortly before Gramie passed away. Certainly, Jenny's presence persists. Sister Jane was named after Jenny and brother Mark was named after her brother Hiram Mark. Also, I still have the slate that Hiram Mark and Jenny took to school when they were kids!
Children of Charles W. W. Kaufman and Jenny Coon.
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Walter Kaufman (with bow tie) with wife Kate Goheen Kaufman and daughter Marie (in arms) and Clair (in front).
Lillian Kaufman and Ed Goheen (Kate's brother). Lillian about age 16, so photo taken about 1911.
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| Hattie Kaufman Erdman with husband John and son. Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. |
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| Winifred Kaufman Jordan, 1915, age 27. Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. |
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| Two daughters of Winifred Jordan; Frances Mary and Josephine Mattie. Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. |
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| Winifred Kaufman Jordan (age 88) and Hattie Kaufman Erdman (age 95). Picture taken about 1976. Picture from Lois Carroll Crooks, in the possession of Dorothy Crooks. |
Written by Dorothy Crooks, Jennie's great-granddaughter.
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