Chasing the Elusive: Elizabeth Hager VanLuvanee Hause FOUND

I've been working on my Hager line lately and had come across another elusive: my maternal grandmother's aunt, Elizabeth.

*Note here: As of 13 January 2021, when I updated this, Elizabeth was no longer a Chasing the Elusive, as I FOUND her trail... so this has been edited to reflect that

Elizabeth Hager was born the third child to Christianna Huber and Jonas Hager (whom I already wrote a blog post on).  She was born sometime in August of 1888, in that not-so-sweet spot of time when Pennsylvania counties did not require birth registrations.  Pinning down a location for the family is also difficult, as Jonas tended to move his family between Bucks and Montgomery Counties as he found work.  She was likely born in either Bucks or Montgomery County.

What is known is Elizabeth was on the 1900 census with Jonas and Christianna and family in Hatfield Township, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, enumerated as eleven year old "Lizzie" and having had 7 months of schooling that year.

Sometime around the year 1905, Lizzie married Arthur VanLuvanee, the elder brother of Mary VanLuvanee (who married Elizabeth's brother George).  The couple had a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, who was born in Lansdale on 21 August 1905, per Montgomery County Birth registrations.  

Arthur was a moulder, and on the 1910 to 1940 census enumerations, the couple were found living in a series of homes in Lansdale, first on Third, then west Main, and finally settling at 30 Ridge Street, where they owned their own home.

Arthur died on 18 December 1945 at the home on 30 Ridge Street in Lansdale from heart problems, and great-great-aunt Elizabeth was the informant in his death record.

It was the last that I could find of her on ANY record. That has sincechanged

Daughter Mary married Kermit Detweiler and died 31 January 1965 in Norristown, and like her father, she was buried at Whitemarsh Memorial Park in Ambler, Pennsylvania.  Upon contacting the cemetery, however, I learned that Elizabeth was NOT buried with them.... so I continued to search.

Some interesting notes:  She is not listed on Arthur's draft cards for either World War One or World War Two as the next of kin.  Arthur's mother was his next of kin on the WWI card, whilst daughter Mary was listed as the person who would always know Arthur's address in WWII.  Why wasn't Elizabeth listed on either?

While those questions have not been answered, I have found out what happened to her. I had to thoroughly research her siblings to find out! (This is a great example on why using the FAN method for research does help!)

Sometime after Arthur died in December of 1945 but before brother Robert died in September of 1948, Elizabeth remarried a man by the name of Elmer Hause, as she's listed in Robert's obituary as “Mrs. Elmer Hause.” Elmer was born 29 March 1895 in Lansdale and had also been married before, although it appears his marriage had ended in divorce. He had a number of children with his first wife, though none with Elizabeth, as they were both in their fifties.

Just as though I have been unable to locate a record for Elizabeth's first marriage, I cannot find a marriage certificate for the couple, though I have searched through a number of Pennsylvania county indices that are available on FamilySearch.

What I do know is that the couple continued to reside in Lansdale on Ridge Street until Elmer's death on 9 November 1960 from cerebral thrombosis contributed by lung cancer. He died at the Eagleville Sanatorium in Lower providence Township, but his last known address, as well as the address of his wife, was 40 Ridge Street.

Elmer was buried at Whitemarsh as well, and in his obituary, which was found on Ancestry.com's Public Member trees, Elizabeth and daughter Mary (as Elmer's stepdaughter) were listed as survivors, along with Elmer's family from his first marriage.

It is currently unknown what happened to Elizabeth after Elmer's death. What is known is she passed away on 15 April 1970, though her death record has just been released to the Pennsylvania Museum and Historical Commission and therefore has not been viewed yet. (I tend to wait until the death certificates are online on Ancestry.com, as the copies are better).

It is also known that she WAS indeed buried at Whitemarsh Memorial Park with her second husband under the name Elizabeth Hause.

Sometimes one gets that wonderful little piece of information in which a brick wall comes crashing down, and thanks to her name in her brother's obituary, Elizabeth Hager Vanluvanee Hause is no longer a Chasing the Elusive!

Sources

"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 3 January 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1900, Census Place: Hatfield Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1442, Page: 2B, Enumeration District: 0204, and FHL microfilm: 1241442.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluvanee and family, Year: 1910, Census Place: Hatfield Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: T624_1377, Page: 17A, Enumeration District: 0082, and FHL microfilm: 1375390; citing Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1920 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluvanes and family, Year: 1920, Census Place: Lansdale West Ward Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: T625_1605, Page: 11A, and Enumeration District: 103; Fourteenth Census of the United States, 1920. (NARA microfilm publication T625, 2076 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"1930 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluranee and family, Year: 1930, Census Place: Lansdale Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Page: 10B, Enumeration District: 0054, and FHL microfilm: 2341816; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.

"1940 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur and Elizabeth Van Luvannee, Year: 1940, Census Place: Lansdale Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: m-t0627-03579, Page: 14B, and Enumeration District: 46-74; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls.

Elmer Hause jr. Obituary, Koch Family2014 Public Member Tree; held by David Koch, 2013, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2021). unknown newspaper clipping. Posted 9 March 2013 by David Koch, notations by Florence (Hause) Beckett, Elmer's sister.

Find A Grave, database with images (www.findagrave.com : accessed 16 December 2020), memorial page for Elizabeth Hager Hause, Find A Grave Memorial # 210030986, citing Whitemarsh Memorial Park (Ambler, Pennsylvania), memorial created by Lisa Phillips, photograph by Lisa Phillips.

Orphan's Court, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Register of births 1901-1908, V 324; Entry for Mary Elizabeth VanLuvanee, registered 10 Dec 1905; FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah; FHL microfilm 925502.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 October 2020), Entry for Arthur Vanluvanee, died 18 Dec 1945, cn 107184; citing Pennsylvania (State). Death certificates, 1906–1963. Series 11.90 (1,905 cartons). Records of the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Record Group 11. Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, Entry for Elmer Hause, died 9 Nov 1960, cn 105997-60.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1963," database with images, Ancestry.com, Entry for Mary E. Detweiler, died 31 Jan 1965, cn 007169-65.

"Pennsylvania Death Indices," online index, Pennsylvania Historical Museum Research Commission (http://www.phmc.pa.gov/Archives/Research-Online/Pages/Death-Indices.aspx : accessed 4 January 2021), Entry for Hause, Eliza H, died 4-25-1970 in Lansdale, cn 040254.

"Robert F. Hager," obituary, Doylestown Daily Intelligencer (Doylestown, Pennsylvania), 28 September 1948, page 3; online images, NewspaperArchive (www.newspaperarchive.com : accessed 16 December 2020).

"U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014," database online, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 16 December 2020), Entry for Elizabeth Hause, SSN 180-10-7962, dob 8 Aug 1888, date of death Aug 1970; citing Social Security Administration. Social Security Death Index, Master File. Social Security Administration.

"U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 October 2020), Entry for Artur VanLuvanee, date of birth 20 Apr 1884; Registration State: Pennsylvania; Registration County: Montgomery; Roll: 1907293; Draft Board: 4; citing United States, Selective Service System. "World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918". Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.

"U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 5 October 2020), Entry for Arthur VanLuvanee, born 20 Apr 1884; citing United States, Selective Service System. Selective Service Registration Cards, World War II: Fourth Registration. Records of the Selective Service System, Record Group Number 147. National Archives and Records Administration.