Pauline Ilg: Brave & Courageous - Part 5

     Pauline and her kids were getting settled into their new normal way of life. Her husband's kids were mostly grown when she came into the picture, so they all didn't live with their dad. In 1910, only one of Jacob's kids was living with them. They lived at 509 W Tesson. By now, Pauline's oldest son William was able to work. So there were three incomes being brought into the house. Definitely better circumstances. Jacob was also known as John in many records.

1910 US Federal Census

St. Louis, Missouri

     While on the surface things seemed better, underneath there were some issues. How do I know that? Well about five years later, Pauline and her children were not living with Jacob anymore. Her oldest son William was the only one with steady work, so Pauline and her three other children moved in with him. There is no indication of a divorce, but they surely were not together. Pauline went by her maiden name of Ilg in some records and Jacob went back to being considered a widower. Even on his death certificate from 1938 mentions his previous wife as his spouse. No mention of Pauline. I have some speculations of what happened, but obviously nothing concrete. The only thing that can be said for sure is Pauline and her three youngest sons left Jacob to move in with William at his address of 7923 Virginia Ave.

1917 City Directory

St. Louis, Missouri

7923 Virginia Ave

     In 1917, all of Pauline's sons were finally working it appeared. William was a waiter and his three brothers were all laborers. They were all doing their best to care for their mother so she didn't have to worry anymore. But once again, just as they were getting settled into their new normal, everything was about to get shaken up once again. Did you notice the year? Well on April 6, 1917, the US declared war on Germany, finally drawing the US into The Great War. According to the Selective Service Act, also known as the draft, all men above a certain age were required to register. There would be three drafts in total to call soldiers to fight for their country. William registered for the first draft on June 5, 1917, and waited patiently for the lotto which occurred that same day.
     There were mixed emotions about this. Some were excited about this great adventure. The chance to serve your country. Defend the nation from the enemy. But some were not so excited. They wanted peace. Leaving family behind with the thought of never returning wasn't exactly a joyous idea. And I believe Pauline and her children felt the same way. On William's draft card, he wrote that he is the "sole support of mother" as his reason for being exempt. While it seemed to keep him out of the first round, he wasn't so lucky for the second round. In June of 1918, William's draft number was called.

If you would like to read more about William's life and his experience relating to the war, click here to visit the blog post: 

William Ilg, the gone but not forgotten Uncle

     Pauline's heart must have sunk when she heard this news. Her oldest son was going to be going off to war. While I'm sure she was proud of him, she was scared to death of losing him. Tragedy had just struck the family again a few months after the first draft. On November 11, 1917, Pauline's second-oldest son, Otto died of Pneumonia. The circumstances surrounding his life was unknown. On his death certificate, it states that he was unable to work so he helped at home. Did he have an accident of some kind? It is unclear at this time. Another child gone... All she has left is William, Joseph, and John. Now William is being called to war. What was she going to do?
     A month after the draft on July 6, 1918, William was inducted into the United States Army. Just after the Fourth of July Celebration. Would their hometown of Carondelet do anything special before their men were shipped off to war? I'm sure during this time, William had to prepare his two remaining brothers to take over as caregivers to their mother. Since Otto passed away, the next oldest child after William was my 2nd great-grandpa Joseph.
     Before Pauline knew it. the time had come to send her baby away. I'm sure she hugged him like she was never going to see him again. She probably told him with tears in her eyes that she would pray for his safety. She would have made him stand in the bright light so she could gaze upon his face one more time. She wanted to take in every inch of his face that she could. He would have told her he would write the soonest chance he got. William would have taken a train from Union Station in downtown St. Louis. So he packed up his gear. gave one last hug to his mother and left. He was off to serve his country.
     Soon after William left, the draft was ready to call more numbers. This time, the two sons that were left behind would have to register. Here we go again she must have thought. Although Joseph had a birth defect that kept him from being able to serve. My mother told me he had a sixth toe on the bottom of one of his feet. That caused him to be classified as 4-F. He was safe from going to war. And John was never called. For now, she still had two sons at home, and one serving over there.
     Over the next few months, Pauline would have followed William from his letters that he would send and from the newspaper articles talking about the war. I'm sure she clung to every letter she received. Longing for the day she would hug him in place of those letters. He probably wrote her when he got to Camp MacArthur in Waco, Texas. He may have written to her when he got to New York. Sailing from the same area that Pauline arrived a little over 30 years ago. He also probably wrote to her when he got to France in September 1918. I do know he did write her about his battle in the Argonne Forrest.

Newspaper Archive

St. Louis, Missouri

Dec. 20, 1918

     The battle of the Meuse-Argonne was the final major battle of The Great War which led to a United States Victory. On November 11, 1918, at 11 am the Armistice that was signed went into effect. That's it! The war was over! The celebrations at home began as soon as the Armistice was announced. Parades, dancing, singing, etc. Here is a copy of a newspaper article from the Cardondelet News dated November 15, 1918. I got this copy from the Carondelet Historical Society. It talks about the celebrations going on in Willie's hometown.

     Can you imagine how  Pauline felt, hearing the news? Being woken up in the middle of the night to the sounds of noisemakers, yelling, celebrating, etc. Thinking, “Oh my gosh, my son will be coming home...” That last line in the article really got to me. "Never again will a nation so thoroughly celebrate any occasion unless it is when the two million young American soldiers return to their homes."
     But William would not be among those two million American soldiers returning home. And Pauline wouldn't know about it until over a month later. She finally received a telegram informing her of the death of her oldest son, William Ilg. He was killed instantly on the battlefield during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on November 8, 1918; just three days before the end of the war. Oh, how she must have cried. She lost another child... She would never hold him again. Would never be able to look upon his face again or hear his voice say, I love you.

     While William was gone, Pauline's youngest son lived at his place of residence on Virginia Street. Pauline stayed with Joseph at his place located at 229 Courtois. When William died, they all moved in with John at William's old house. The next couple of years were agony for Pauline. They were doing all they could after the war to give the soldiers a proper burial. William was disinterred and reinterred at the Argonne American Cemetery (#1232) in Romagne, Meuse, France in 1919. The government offered to bring soldiers back home to be buried near family, and Pauline took that offer. She wanted her son home. That was going to take some time.

1920 US Federal Census

St. Louis, Missouri

     In early 1920, Pauline, Joseph, and John were still living at 7823 Virginia Street. Joseph, being the oldest, he was the sole support of his mother. I wonder if the pressure got too much for him. Trying to care for his mother. Help her with paperwork for William. Look out for his younger brother. His only escape would be his girlfriend, my great-grandma, Maggie Buer. Well, one thing led to another and she wound up pregnant. So soon after this census was taken, Joseph and Maggie went up to Detroit, Michigan to stay with a relative of Maggie's. On July 23, 1920, Joseph and Maggie were married. She was seven months pregnant in her photo, but you couldn't tell by all the flowers in her lap. They stayed up in Detroit until sometime after my grandma was born in September 1920.
     Pauline was left behind with her last remaining son, John. She was still doing all she could to bring William back home to be buried. While I was researching William Ilg, I came across his burial case file. This file contained documents filled out and signed by Pauline. Original documents that she actually held. I wanted to cry when I held these.

Request to send soldier home

1921

     William was finally shipped home on July 25, 1921. He arrived in St. Louis on October 11, 1921, and was picked up by Joseph Fendler and Son undertaking. They would have a visitation at Fendler Chapel on Michigan Ave in Carondelet, then they would have the funeral itself at St. Boniface Catholic Church. Once the funeral was over, he would be then taken to Mount Olive Cemetery on Lemay Ferry for a proper military funeral. He was buried right next to his brother, Otto.
     William was finally home. By now, Joseph had returned home with his new wife and daughter, my grandma. Pauline had a grandchild! Her first! This photo was probably taken on the day of the funeral for William.

Joseph, Ruth, John, Pauline Ilg

1921 

Pauline & Ruth Ilg

1921

     This would be the last photo taken of Pauline. Three years later, Pauline's health took a turn for the worse. She was admitted to St Mary's Infirmary in early 1924. She was having some heart problems and was diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. This explains some of the health problems she had in her life, including the partial blindness. Without having actual medical records, it's hard to tell what all they did or what they were trying to do. At some point, the doctors felt that surgery was going to be necessary. They knew her chances of survival were decreasing.

St. Mary's Infirmary

St. Louis, Missouri

1920

     On March 20, 1924, she would undergo surgery for her condition. Unfortunately, whatever they tried to do, would not work. Pauline's poor body would finally decide it had had enough. On March 24, 1924, at 5:10 am, Pauline went home to be with the rest of her family. Fifty-nine years of ups and downs, tragedies and celebrations, and pain and suffering had come to an end. She was finally at peace. Her official cause of death was listed as Thyroid Toxicarsis and Myocarditis Chronic.

Pauline's Death Certificate

St. Louis, Missouri

March 24, 1924

     She lived such a short life, but it definitely was full. She experienced more during her time here on earth than most people do in a few lifetimes. She lived through the loss of seven of her children and the loss of her first husband. She survived a few depressions, a devastating tornado, and the 1918 Spanish flu. She trekked across her homeland to take a journey to an unknown world to start a new life. She kept her head high, kept pushing forward, and would not give up for the sake of her children.
     Before she passed, she drafted a will on March 1, 1924. They were probably aware of the chances that she would not survive. Based on her life, I am not surprised by the meager possessions she had listed. She barely had anything. But the thing she had listed had me intrigued. As you can see, Joseph was the Executor.

     She was buried a few days later in Mount Olive Cemetery next to her two sons, Otto and William. Fendler & Son Undertakers handled the affairs. The same that handled her two sons. To this day, there is no headstone to mark her grave. The only one of the three buried in that row that has a headstone is William because it was provided by the government. Pauline would not be alive to see it placed as it did not happen until 1931. Later on, her son John, his wife Leona, along with his daughter Anna Marie and her husband were buried right across from Pauline and her two other sons. She is surrounded by her family. When we visit, we always take flowers for everyone along with a Gold Star for Pauline.

Gold Star Mothers

St. Louis & The Great War

     Things are not always what they seem. Lives don't always work out the way we expect. And what we once thought was good, ends up being bad. Pauline's life has been a prime example of taking two steps forward just to take three steps back. Every step she took, every corner she rounded, brought her to new trials and tribulations. Just when you think things are finally looking up, life likes to hit you with a 2x4 to knock you to the ground. But no matter how many times Pauline was knocked over the head, she got back up and fought. She fought for her children. She fought for her life. And even though her life was cut short, she made it the best she could. For without her, I wouldn't be here today. I look at her life and I'm encouraged. I'm encouraged to keep moving forward every day, step by step. And even though life will continue to knock me down, I will get back up. For the same blood that made her strong and courageous runs through me as well. And just like her, I will not give up until it's time for me to be called home. Grandma, I hope I have given your story justice. While I have not learned everything that there is to know yet, I hope what I have learned and shared has made you proud. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for the sacrifices you made so I could be here today. You will never be forgotten again.

We visited her grave in memory of the day she passed away. Watch the video now.

Thank you for reading about my 2nd Great Grandma Pauline Ilg. 

Want to go back to Part 1 & read it again?

Sources:
[a]: Ancestry.com
[b]: Newspapers.com
[c]: Newspaper Archive - Missouri Library & Research Center
https://mohistory.org/library
[d]: St. Louis & The Great War by S. Patrick Allie
https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/S/bo31241808.html
[e]: Carondelet Historical Society
http://www.carondelethistory.org/
[f]: William Ilg: the gone but not forgotten uncle by Jen Rickards
http://auntiejenstrees.blogspot.com/2018/11/william-ilg-gone-but-not-forgotten-uncle.html
[g]: Missouri Digital Heritage - Missouri Death Certificates
https://s1.sos.mo.gov/records/Archives/ArchivesMvc/DeathCertificates
[h]: Substreet - 1920s Janesville Gazette
https://substreet.org/st-marys-infirmary/1920s-janesville-gazette/
[i]: Personal photos from Ruth Wheeler
[j]:  National Archives St. Louis
https://www.archives.gov/st-louis
[k]: Personal Knowledge from Maggie Fuchs
[l]: Mayo Clinic - Hyperthyroidism
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hyperthyroidism/symptoms-causes/syc-20373659