Week 4: I'd Like to Meet

     Here we are at week 4 of the 52 Ancestors in 52 weeks. One month down. 11 more to go. This week's focus is on who we'd like to meet. This is a pretty easy answer for me. While there are many ancestors I would love to meet, one in particular sticks out. The only downfall with this person is, I've already talked about her in a past post. My 3rd great grandma, Maggie Molten. I mentioned her in Week 2's blog talking about Challenges. She has been my biggest challenge for sure, which is why I would love to meet her. I would finally be able to ask her all the questions I have been needing answers for. Sadly though, I fear I still wouldn't get answers. My family wasn't big on sharing the truth. And if they wanted the truth about things known, it definitely would have been passed down. So while, she is definitely my first choice in whom I'd love to meet, I think I am going to focus this blog on someone else.
     Just last year, since it was the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, I focused my energy and time on researching William Ilg, my 2nd great Uncle. He did in World War I, just three days before the Armistice occurred. How heartbreaking! If you would like to read his story, click here: William Ilg, the gone but not forgotten Uncle. But he is not the one I am leading up to. The ancestor I would most like to meet is his mother, my 2nd Great Grandma, Pauline Ilg. If anything, to give her a hug, for all that she went through in her life. So let me introduce you to Pauline Ilg, nee Kimmerle.
 

Pauline Wilhelmine Kimmerle was born February 11, 1865 in Calw, Oa u. Unterreichenbach, Württemberg, Germany, according to her birth and baptism records I acquired from the Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500–1985 database on Ancestry.com. Her parents were Jakob Friedrich Kimmerle and Friederike Wilhelmine Keller. She traveled to the United State in 1887 and eventually settled in St. Louis, Missouri. I do not know what brought her here. While here, she met her husband, Franz Jakob Ilg and they were married November 25, 1889 at St. Nicholas Church in St. Louis. A few months later, their daughter, Sophia, was born on February 22 1890. I'm thinking they got married because she got pregnant. Sadly, Sophia passed away soon after on April 20. This would not be the only child Pauline loses.
     After everything was said and done, Pauline would lose five children in infancy. They were very poor and could not afford doctor's visits, a decent home or even food to eat.

To make matters worse, in 1901, while she was pregnant with her last child, her husband, my 2nd great grandfather died tragically in an accident while working at the Provident Chemical Company. The story I heard was his head was crushed on a piece of machinery. Now here was Pauline, pregnant and with three young boys at home to still take care of. Her health was also not the best. After, her last son was born, they were completely destitute. The Carondelet News (local paper from where they lived) ran a short article about her and another family in need of help. See the article on the right. This was in 1903. In 1905, it appeared things were finally looking up. She married a Jacob John Arthur Baumgartner. He couldn't decide on a name I guess. They were together for approximately 10 years. At some point, she left him to go live with her adult son, William Ilg. I fear this last marriage was a bad one. I have yet to find a divorce record, but in the 1920 census, she is going by her other married name of Ilg. I wish I could say things finally got better for Pauline, but they did not.
     By 1920, she has lost two more of her children. Otto and William. Otto passed away in 1917, before his brother William went off to World War I. Then William died at the end of World War I. Pauline had two children left: Joseph and John. Both went on to get married and have children, so the line continued. Pauline did actually get to meet

one of her grand children before her passing on March 24, 1924. The picture on the left is from my grandma's scrapbook. She got to meet my grandma, Ruth Mary Ilg. She told me, she remembered Grandma Pauline holding her up to the window so she could see her better, since Pauline was partially blind. They were able to get a picture of my grandma with Pauline. This photo was taken sometime around 1921-1922. A wonderful treasure.
     As you can see, my poor 2nd great grandma had a really rough life. I can't imagine going through so much tragedy. It breaks my heart so much. And I know she loved each and every one of those children she lost She took the time to record each of their births and deaths in the little date book that has been passed down. I want to cry for the loss she experienced and just hug her. I want her to see that she is not forgotten. I want her to see her family line is still continuing to this day because of her strength. Maybe one day...