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.

The Tragic Story of Jonas Hager

I once joked to my mother that her great grandfathers didn't fare so well.  After all, Florian Waldspurger was decapitated in the Hatfield Train Wreck in 1900.  William James Cox died as the result of a hunting accident years after leaving his first wife, Anna Sperry Cox.  William John Vautier lost the use of one arm after taking a bullet in the Civil War.  And then, there is Jonas Hager, who died tragically.  But let's start at the beginning.

Jonas Hager was born 20 January 1866 in Finland Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania as the eldest son of Jonas Hager and Elizabeth Heffentrager.  His parents had both been married before they wed in September of 1865, just four months before Jonas' birth, and both had been left as widowers with children.  The marriage could have been one of convenience, with a pastor's blessing later (as pastors were hard to come by in the then rural area in which they lived).  Whatever the case, there is a great deal of history on both of his parents, but since they are not the focus of this piece, I will save it for some other time.

When Jonas was just fifteen years of age, his father died.  There is some evidence that Jonas Hager Senior was also maimed or crippled, so one can imagine the kind of strain that put on the young lad, as he likely had to work from an early age to help support the family.

At the age of eighteen, Jonas married Christianna Huber, who was three months his senior, in Bucks County.  The couple was wed 8 March 1884 at the Ridge Valley Reformed Church in West Rockhill Township by the Reverend Simon Gross.  Christianna was the sixth child born to German immigrants Johann Georg "George" Huber and Christina Barbara Esser.  Christianna also had to work from a young age, as she worked as a servant for more prominent families in Bucks County.

The couple's first child, Bertha, was born 1June 1884 in Finland Township.  Jonas worked as a blue collar laborer and a moulder, and the family seemed to move around a bit, living in a series of rented homes.  By 1893 when they were living on Green Street in Lansdale, they had three more children, George Alfred (born 7 September 1886), Elizabeth (born sometime in August 1888) and Robert Franklin Hager (born 14 April 1891).  Son Elmer H. was born in the home on Green Street on 26 August 1893.

On the 1900 census, the family was living in a rented home in Hatfield Township, where daughter Jennie Elnora was born just three days before the family was enumerated on the 1900 Census.  An interesting clue from this census enumeration indicates that the couple had a child born between Elmer's birth in 1893 and Jennie's birth in 1900, but that the child had passed away.  Research done so far has not uncovered this unknown child, but I continue to look.

The couple went on to have two more sons.  Webster Linwood was born 5 October 1902 in Lansdale, as was the couple's last son, Jonas Leon Hager, who was born on 12 May 1905, just one year before the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania made birth certificates a mandatory state level registration.

Jonas was an avid outdoorsman, and loved to fish.  He likely supplemented the family's meals with his smaller catches, though he probably kept some trophies as well.  1908 seemed to be no different a year.

On the 15th of June, Jonas Hager skipped work at the plant of Norristown Plumbing Supply Company to go fishing with his three buddies, Paul Henning, Alfred Bateman, and John Jerschen.  It was a slow day, and they wanted to catch some fish, as bass season had just opened up.  After some time of the fish not biting, Jonas got bored.

While his friends made for the shore, Jonas apparently decided to go for a swim, despite his friends' protest that the water was too cold.  He rowed the boat he was using to Barbados Island, just south of Norristown on the Schuylkill River.  He disrobed and jumped into the river for a swim.  However, he only swam for a bit before struggling in the water and going under, drowning in the process.

His three friends panicked when he went under, and instead of helping their friend (one account says they looked for him and could not find him), they fled the scene, reporting his drowning to the police at Norristown City Hall.  The three were arrested, but were later released when it was discovered that the drowning was accidental and not intentional.

Jonas' body was recovered several hours after the incident, and the death certificate was signed by the coroner, Joseph King.  Several newspapers reported on his death, though his age and even his name vary in the accounts.

The Lansdale Reporter summed up best the family's shock:

"The drowned man was 42 years of age and leaves a widow and eight children, three of who are married. The wife and five younger children are heart-broken over the loss of their main support at their humble St. Elmo Street home. The family were preparing to move to Norristown next week, where Mr. Hager had recently secured steady work." (18 June 1908, Page 3)

Jonas was buried five days after his death in Division A, Section D, Lot 16, Grave 1 of Lansdale Cemetery in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.  The undertaker in charge of the services was D. Y. Monday of Norristown, Pennsylvania.

Jonas Hager's headstone at Lansdale Cemetery.  Photograph taken August 2017 by the blogger.

Christianna, devastated by the loss of her husband, had to work a series of jobs to make ends meet.  She worked as a housekeeper, a laundress , and cleaned houses to support her children, as Jonas Leon was only three when his father died.  The family moved around, renting rooms and houses as they were able.  By 1930, Christianna did own a home in Lansdale at 623 Cannon Street, which had a radio set according to the 1930 census enumeration.  It was at this home that she died on 2 November 1936 at the age of seventy-one from complications of diabetes.  She was buried five days later next to her husband at Lansdale Cemetery.

Christianna Huber Hager's hedstone at Lansdale Cemetery.  Photograph taken August 2017 by the blogger.

Sources Used:

"1870 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 30 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1870, Census Place: Marlborough Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: M593_1377, Page: 597B, Image: 422119, and Family History Library Film: 552876; citing 1870 U.S. census, population schedules. NARA microfilm publication M593, 1,761 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

"1900 United States Federal Census," database with images, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 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; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.

"1910 United States Federal Census," database online, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 4 January 2017), Entry for Christiana Hager 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 24 April 2017), Entry for Christiana Hager and household, Year: 1920, Census Place: Lansdale East Ward Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: T625_1605, Page: 14A, Enumeration District: 102, and Image: 236; citing 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 24 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1930, Census Place: Lansdale Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: 2082, Page: 30B, Enumeration District: 0053, Image: 87.0, and FHL microfilm: 2341816; citing United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Fifteenth Census of the United States, 1930. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1930. T626, 2,667 rolls.

Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, "1880 United States Federal Census," database online with images, Ancestry.com Operation, Inc., Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 29 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and family, Year: 1880, Census Place: Marlborough Montgomery, Pennsylvania, Roll: 1158, Family History Film: 1255158, Pages: 316 C and 316D, Enumeration District: 016, and Image:s 0258 and 0259; citing Tenth Census of the United States, 1880. (NARA microfilm publication T9, 1,454 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"Bass Fisherman Drowns," The Allentown Democrat (Allentown, Pennsylvania), 18 June 1908, Page 3; online archives, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 April 2017).

"Directory of Montgomery County, Penna. 1900-1902," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 8 May 2017), page 313. "Hager Jonas, Lab, Lansdale"; citing Directory of Montgomery County, Penna. 1900-1902 : containing residence and business directories of all the boroughs, also a list of residents with post office addresses in each township, as shown by the latest assessors' returns. Philadelphia: Journal of Commerce Pub. Co., 1900.

"Drowned While In Swimming," Harrisburg Daily Independent (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), 16 June 1908, page 4; online archives, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : accessed 20 April 2017).

Elmer H Hager and Lillie B Grebe, (29 August 1914), Application for Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage: page 269, cn 25117; Montgomery County Archival Records Department, Norristown, Pennsylvania. listed as father, deceased, occupation moulder, born in Finland Township.

Find A Grave, online database (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 23 April 2017), memorial page for Christianna Huber Hager, Find A Grave Memorial # 38455107, citing Lansdale Cemetery (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), memorial created by LWD, maintained by Marti Drumheller, photograph by Anonymous.

Find A Grave, online database (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 20 April 2017), memorial page for Jonas Hager, Find A Grave Memorial # 38455113, citing Lansdale Cemetery (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), memorial created by LWD, maintained by Marti Drumheller, photograph by Anonymous.

Jesse Meyer Cox and Jennie Elnora Hager, (23 March 1918), Application for Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage: file number 30133; Montgomery County Archival Records Department, Norristown, Pennsylvania.

"Lansdale Man Drowned," The Lansdale Reporter (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), 18 June 1908, page 3. 

"Lansdale Woman Dies," death notice, The Lansdale Reporter (Lansdale, Pennsylvania), 3 November 1936, page number not recorded. Transcription found on the Find A Grave memorial for Christianna Huber Hager (memorial number 38455107).

"Lansdaler Drowned," The Ambler Gazette (Ambler, Pennsylvania), 18 June 1908, page 4; online images, POWER Library: PA Photos and Documents (http://digitalcollections.powerlibrary.org/cdm/ : accessed 20 April 2017), Wissahickon Valley Public Library's Ambler Gazette Collection. incorrectly listed as James rather than Jonas.

"Oral interview with Dorothy (Cox) Ritter," 1999-2000 by great-niece Kelley Wood (Fullerton, California), owned by Kelley Wood-Davis, Norwalk, Iowa, no notes taken; oral information on family history.

Orphan's Court, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Register of Births 1893-1900, Book 1893-1997, page 198; Entry for Elmer Hager; FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TN-K96Z-Q?mode=g&i=115&cat=321969: accessed 4 January 2017); image 116; FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah; FHL microfilm 925501.

Orphan's Court, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Register of Births 1893-1900, Book 1897-1900, page 120; Entry for Jennie Elnora Hager; FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C9TN-K9D4-D?mode=g: accessed 26 Dec 2016); image 446; FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah; FHL microfilm 925501.

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985," online database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and Christianna Heuber, marriage 8 Mar 1884, Ridge Valley Reformed Church, West Rockhill, Bucks, Pennsylvania; referencing the Private Records of Simon K. Gross, Christ Reformed Church at Indian Creek, Ridge Valley, Bucks County. Rearranged and typed by Raymond Hollenbach of Royersford, June 1972. Page 38; Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Collection Name: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 797; citing Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985," online database with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager and Christianna Huber, marriage 8 Mar 1884, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, The Reverend Simon K Gross Pastoral Records; Historical Society of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Collection Name: Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records; Reel: 797; citing Historic Pennsylvania Church and Town Records. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

"Pennsylvania, Death Certificates, 1906-1966," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 April 2017), Entry for Christiana Huber Hager, died 2 Nov 1936, cn 104909; Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number Range: 102501-105500; 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, 1906-1966," database online with images, Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 20 April 2017), Entry for Jonas Hager, died 15 June 1908, cn 54955, Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission; Pennsylvania, USA; Certificate Number Range: 052001-055800; 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.

Roy Krupp and Bertha A Hager, (10 August 1901), Application for Marriage License and Certificate of Marriage: Page 360, ln 11419; Montgomery County Archival Records Department, Norristown, Pennsylvania. listed as father (also had to give consent, as Bertha was only 17)