When researching our ancestors, we often have only census records or BMD (birth, marriage, death) records. It’s a lot more interesting when we have incidents from their everyday life. And it’s fun when those incidents are a little offbeat.
Such is the case for a few of the news stories in this Cheney episode.
But wait. There’s more. Rollo shot himself in the hand. E.R. went night fishing.
Hold on. There’s one more. E.R. and his colleagues got a patent on a rural mailbox trolley. Instead of having to walk a few hundred yards to your mailbox, the “Mail-Box Delivery Device” will bring your mailbox to you.
Editor’s Note: I don’t know if the Mail-box Delivery Device was a big success or not, but I never found further references to it in my research.
Regular news
There’s regular news worth reporting too.
Rollo Cheney graduated from the 8th grade. E.R. Cheney was appointed director of the school board.
John Schmitter remodeled the doctors’ offices at the back of his drug store to accommodate Dr. Wheatly joining Doctors Cheney and Hawthorne. The Doctors got a new telephone number too – 63.
Family photo
I think this photo was taken around 1906.
William and Eliza Cheney
W.T. and Eliza Cheney were still going strong, farming and active in community politics and Sunday School. In 1906, at the age of 66, W.T. was the Justice of the Peace for Groveland Township in McPherson County.
As they had done many times, they departed for an extended visit to family and friends in Christian County, Illinois.
Rollo, Ned, and Fred Cheney had visited their grandparents often as they grew up. More and more, some or all of the boys would visit the farm and stay for extended times. As they became teenagers, they would spend most of the summer.
Mollie’s health
Mollie’s intermittent illnesses continued. In 1905 she had an operation, and Ralph brought in a nurse from Topeka to care for her.
Timeline
Sources:
- Family trees – Ancestry.com
- Images – Cheney family photo – Cheney/Jarvis photograph collection
- Newspapers – each article footnoted with newspaper name and date – Newspapers.com
- Images – Schmitter’s Drug Store – Gypsum Valley, KS history / [Gypsum Valley History Book Committee; Virginia Ade, editor] – Johnson County Library, KS
- Image – Private Duty Nursing – Penn Nursing – University of Pennsylvania – https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/workforce-issues/private-duty-nursing/
- Audio – St. Louis Tickle – Heftone Banjo Orchestra – Free Music Archives – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Heftone_Banjo_Orchestra/Music_Box_Rag/Heftone_Banjo_Orchestra_-_Music_Box_Rag_-_06_-_St_Louis_Tickle/
Family Nibbles 