World War I armistice officially ended the war in November 1918. By the end of 1919, most troops were home from Europe and out of the service.
By mid-1919, all the Cheneys were out of military service. Life returned to normal in Gypsum, Kansas.
We’ve come to the end of this series of stories. We’ve followed our Maninger family from 1700s Germany to 1920 Kansas.
In our previous story, Emily Maninger graduated and became a registered nurse in 1920.
Here’s an update on the rest of the family, and some sneak previews of what’s to come.
Continue readingEmily Maninger enrolled in Wichita Hospital Training School for Nurses in 1917. She hoped to go to the front to care for the troops in World War I.
Family Nibbles – Volume 8 is here! This book is about the lives of our Pensa and Riley ancestors, with a little bit of Gardella thrown in.
It’s 1916. Let’s check in on each of the Riley children. Then we’ll see what Will and Josie are up to.
Sedalia’s growth slowed in the first decade of the 1900s, up slightly to 17,800. It was still a railroad center, but the new-fangled automobile was beginning to make itself known.
Sedalia’s population growth had slowed in the last decade, but it reached 16,000 in 1905.
It was a cosmopolitan town, with streetcars, electric lighting, and two telephone companies.
The Missouri State Fair began in 1901 and has been held in August every year since.
Anything you needed could be found for sale in downtown Sedalia.
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January 1, 1900, rang in a new year and a new century.
Josie and Will Riley were in their forties. They had a lovely home and three children. They had a telephone, and perhaps electric lights.
William Riley celebrated his 18th year working for E.G. Cassidy.
It seemed like a long time ago and a world away when Josie Pensa arrived from Italy with her family forty-one years ago. And Will had been born on his family’s Missouri farm during the Civil War.
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It’s 1891. We’ve met Will Riley’s family. Josie Pensa is spending a lot of time in Sedalia. They’re an item.
They want to get married.
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It’s 1890. Sedalia remained a railroad hub, although the cattle trailhead had moved on.
There were still seedy joints and houses of ill-repute, but they were now localized along West Main Street. Downtown Sedalia was safe and respectable.
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Family Nibbles 