Individual Summary for Ethel Sarah SEYMOUR
8 May 2003 - Page 4
Notes (Continued) _________
Mother’s life was centered around Dad, whom she referred to as her wold Faithful”, and on Denise and me. She devoted herself zealously, sometimes, we believed, almost too zealously, to mothering all of us, seeing that all our physical needs were met. She was supportive of all our school and social activities. When we were small, she greeted us after school with bread, butter and sugar treats, and hot chocolate in wintertime. She made peppermint tea when we had an upset stomach, and Vick’s Vaporubbed our chests when we had colds. Looking after me through the years when I had my physical problems presented a special challenge for Mother, but she was up to it.
Mother was not very happy with her own appearance, but, even in old age, she was often complimented on her beautiful smooth complexion and her silvery hair. (Since Mother and Dad were thirty-four when I was born, I can’t recall Dad as anything other than bald headed, or Mother when her hair was any color but gray.)
Family times were precious to Mother. She conscientiously kept track of all the family snapshots and negatives Dad made with his Kodak Brownie camera. A painstaking labor of love, that she completed after she was widowed, was to sort them all, get duplicates where needed, and place them in two separate albums so that Denise and would have a pictorial record of our family times together. Those albums are treasures now.
I would have to describe Mother as “fiercely independent,” especially in her old age, and she was very proud. it pained her to have to depend on others for anything, or to ask for help. She developed an outward toughness that was, in reality, more like the crust of a roasted marshmallow when it came to dealing with her family. She was generous with all of us, and very protective. As sassy young people are apt to do, Denny and I often scorned what we perceived as her over-protectiveness, feeling that her apprehensions for us were unfounded. As we grew older ourselves, we saw through it as a reflection of her own early fears and insecurities. To be sure, there was never any doubt that Dad and Mother loved us. They raised us to be responsible adults mainly by example - Dad with his firm, rock-solid dependability, and Mother with her repeated, loving admonitions. They did the best they could.
After Dad died in 1956, Mother tried for several years to maintain her house. She mowed the lawn and shoveled the snow as long as she was able. She took in a roomer, partially for the income, of course, but she was lonely, and I’m sure she enjoyed having someone coming and going and spending a little time each day talking with her In 1963, her worsening arthritis made it impossible for her to keep up with the house and yard, so she made the difficult decision to sell the house and many of her treasured belongings.
Fortunately, even before Dad died, Mother had begun to socialize more with her neighbors, and she came to especially appreciate these friends, with whom she attended meetings of the Order of The Eastern Star and the Madison Women’s Club. The friendships continued after she sold the house, and moved into a two-bedroom apartment. It was a good move for her, and allowed her to continue with her club activities without the worry of keeping up a house. Again, she rented out her spare bedroom to a succession of university students.
A stroke in 1972 left Mother with minimal damage, but a second mini-stroke a couple of months later was enough to frighten her, and, at age eighty-one, she began to fear living alone. For the next nine years she made her home with Bob and me. Arthritis, congestive heart failure and other problems plagued her, but she seemed happy most of the time to be part of our active household, even learning to tolerate our dog, Ginger, and our cat, Tasha. She enjoyed helping with menu planning and meal preparation, and watching television with us, frequently airing her opinions and criticisms of people who went on TV and” made fools of themselves”. (What would she say of today’s talk shows, let alone, the “reality” shows?) In those days, our daughter, Jacquie and her family were with us frequently, much to Mother’s delight. Watching great-grandson, Andrew as he grew, provided her happiest moments. She cherished his little hugs and kisses beyond measure.
A highlight of Mothers later years came in June of 1980, when all her family, except for the Nokes’ of California, gathered together in our home. Another time Aunt Daisy and Elsie Nokes did come to visit, providing a joyful reunion for the sisters who had not seen each other for many years.
However, Mother’s health continued to deteriorate, and eventually, it became apparent that her safety was in jeopardy while I was at work or away on errands. She moved into a nearby nursing home, where she died of heart failure 31 May 1987. She was 95 years of age, and had survived Dad by thirty-one years. She was laid to rest in Forest Hill Cemetery beside her “Old Faithful”.
Individual Summary for Ethel Sarah SEYMOUR
§~j~y2003 PageS
_______ Notes (Continued) ______
DOCUMENTATION:
BIRTH: Birth Cert. (delayed) issued 27 Sep 1941, Village of Tampico, Whiteside Co., lilinos - attested by older sister, Daisy
Seymour Nokes.
Bible Records of Fred H. Seymour.
MARRIAGE: 3 September 1910, Rock Island, Rock Island Co., Illinois. (See documentation for husband.)
Copy of Marriage certificate.
DEATH-BURIAL: Death Cert. recorded 17 June 1987, State of WI Dept. of Health & Social Services, Madison (Dane Co.),
Wisconsin, in possession of Evelyn W, Henry
Buried Forest Hill Cemetery, Madison, WI. Obituary in possession of Evelyn W. Henry.
Age at death 95 years 3 mos. 24 days. Cause of Death: Heart failure.
SOURCES:
>Personal knowledge.
>Family Records of Daisy Seymour Nokes, Ethel Seymour Whitmer, Eloise Lewis Stabler, and Barbara Seymour (Stewart) Cunniff.
>Family Bible Listing Recorded by Fred H. Seymour, photocopy of the family pages now in possession of this compiler, Evelyn W. Henry.
>Family records of the Bowman Family also confirm the birth dates and marriage.
>Correspondence with Daisy (Seymour) Nokes, Elsie and Fred Nokes, Denise (Whitrner) Johnson and Eloise (Lewis) Stabier.
>Transcripts of misc. items from the weekly newspaper “TAMPICO TORNADO” Many items on the Seymour family appeared in “The Tornado” concerning day-to-day events in the lives of the Seymours. These newspapers have been microfilmed and are on file at the Illinois State Historical Society, and also at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. Most of the family items were transcribed from the microfilms by Evelyn W. Henry during the 1980’s. Typed copies were shared and cherished by Ethel Whrtmer, Daisy and Elsie Nokes, and Eloise Stabler, and remain in the family files.
> Daisy Nokes’ ‘See More (Seymour) of Old Tampico” articles that appeared during the early 1980’s in the PROPHETSTOWN ECHO, Prophetstown, Whiteside County, Illinois
>Numerous family photos passed down from the Seymour and Bowman families to this compiler.
>Census records - see below.
1900 Census - Whiteside County. (transcribed from book by Baer, Snyder, Bush, Nelson) Tampico Village
123/126 Seymour, Fred M 35
E.E. F 31 Wf IL WV
DaisyF 12 Da IA iL IL
Ethel F 8 Da IL IL IL
Vera F 3 Da iL IL IL
*MCGr = Merchant, Grocer
Parents NY Merchant,Grocery House free of mort. IL IL (error, should be IL - OH - OH)
IL IA 0cc. Saleslady - grocery
0cc. none aft sch.
1910 Census - Whiteside County, Tampico Township - p. 225- 16 April 1910- Theodore W. Stock
Main Street
187-1 90
Seymour, Fred H. 45 Ml 23 yrs b. IL
EmmaA. 42 “ 3ch IA
EthelS. 18 IL
VeraM. 12 IL
ED. 58 Line 58?
1920 Census - Soundex Card
PEORIA, ILLINOIS Vol. 4
Whitmer, Carroll D. Sheet 79(4)
Peoria Peoria County Commonwealth (Ave.) - 226
Whitmer, Ethei W 27 b. IL
(Denise was born 16 June 1920- probably after census was taken - not enumerated)
M McGr* Born IL Fa: born NY Mo: born NY OH
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