My great grandmother, Etta Agnes Howard, was born on May 13, 1885, the fourth child of George Francis Howard and Sarah Flewelling Howard. I have not been able to find a birth record for Etta Agnes, so I can’t say with certainty where she was born.[i]
When Agnes (her preferred name) was six months old, her mother filed for divorce from her father.[ii] It appears her mother remarried shortly after the divorce was finalized, to a man named Charles A. Hawley.[iii] Over the next 15 years, from the time Agnes was two years old until she was 17, Sarah and Charles had eight children together. Thus Agnes was raised with eight half siblings, in addition to her three full brothers.
The Hawley family resided in Cumming Township, Ogemaw County, Michigan, and Agnes is enumerated with them in the 1900 U.S. Census.[iv] On February 24, 1904, Agnes married Andrew Marshall Walt in Rose City, Michigan. Although her age is given as 20 years old on the marriage certificate, Agnes was 18; Andrew was 35. On December 29, 1904, their first child was born, Lewis Bruce Walt, my grandfather.
A second son, Howard Clinton Walt, was born to the couple on May 18, 1907 and a third son, Archie Burt Walt, arrived on December 24, 1908. The 1910 U.S. Census shows that Andrew and Agnes were living with their family in Rose Township, Ogemaw County, Michigan. Andrew’s occupation was “Laborer” and he owned a farm, which was mortgaged. On August 30, 1912, Agnes gave birth to a daughter, Frances May Walt.
On May 22, 1913, just nine months after Frances May was born, Agnes’ husband Andrew died. The cause of death listed on his death certificate was “Tuberculosis of bowels.” A short 25 days later, Frances May – not yet 10 months old – died as well.[v]
Andrew had deeded Agnes the 40 acres of land he owned in Rose Township five days before he died. In March 1914, she sold the property for $600.00.[vi]
From 1914 to 1918, I am not sure where Agnes lived or what she did. However, there is a brief paragraph in the school news section of the February 17, 1916 edition of the Rose City Review that states “Howard Walt, a second grader, and Bert Walt, a kindergartener, have left for their new home in Flint,” suggesting that she may have moved the family to Flint for a period of time.[vii]
On June 2, 1918, Agnes married Fred Waterman in West Branch, Ogemaw County, Michigan. She was 33 years old; he was 58. They were both widowers. In the 1920 and 1930 U.S. censuses, Agnes and Fred are enumerated in Cumming Township, Ogemaw County, Michigan. In 1920 Agnes’ brother Clint Howard and his family appear to have lived right next to her. In 1930, both her brother Frank and her brother Clint, as well as her mother, are enumerated on the same page of the census as she is.
Fred Waterman died in 1939. In the 1940 U.S. Census, Agnes is found residing on Donald Street in Flint, Michigan, working as a housekeeper for a couple.[viii]
At some point, Agnes returned to Cumming Township in Ogemaw County and lived on Schmitt Road for a time. One of her grandchildren remembers her later living in a house in Rose City and vividly recalls the day she died, July 15, 1951. Her death was reported on the front page of the July 26, 1951 edition of the Ogemaw County Herald under the headline “Etta A. Waterman Dies Suddenly at Rose City Home – Cerebral Hemorrhage Results in Fatality On Sunday, July 15.”
This brief sketch of Etta Agnes Howard Walt Waterman’s life by itself doesn’t really show that she was a “strong woman.” Without a doubt she had trials and heartbreak and probably endured economic insecurity as well. We tend to label people who go through these experiences as “strong” but I’m not sure I agree with that conclusion.
However, I am convinced that Agnes was a strong woman. And the proof of it is in the photographs below, which show her love and enjoyment of life.
Agnes smiling broadly while on a swing.
Agnes sledding with her daughter-in-law and grandson.
Agnes enjoying a summer outing with her grandsons.
Agnes wasn’t a strong woman because she endured loss and hardship. She was a strong woman because – as the pictures clearly show – she didn’t allow those experiences to prevent her from enjoying happiness and joy in her life.
[i] A handwritten note my grandparents had indicated she was born in Montmorency County, Michigan, which is what her social security record also states. Her death certificate says she was born in Port Huron, St. Clair County, Michigan. Neither county has a record of her birth.
[ii] Sarah filed for divorce in Port Huron, Michigan. It was finalized in February 1886 according to court records in St. Clair County.
[iii] I have found no record of their marriage as of yet.
[iv] Her surname is actually listed as Hawley in the census record.
[v] The cause of death on her death certificate was listed as gastro-enteritis.
[vi] The deed noted that the land was encumbered by “a certain mortgage with interest to the amount of three hundred eighty six dollars, and the taxes for 1913.”
[vii] There is no mention of the oldest son, Lewis, in the article.
[viii] Agnes’ oldest son, Lewis, and his family also lived in Flint at this time.
tracingthepast 